A retro reset, a rebranding of sorts. I truly believe that mentally, i am stuck somewhere between the early 80’s and late 90’s! I have now been blogging for about 9 months and i am loving it! Despite struggles and hardships in my personal life, i view my blogging as a source of intellectual refuge. I love touching people through originality! From “Pac-Man Poetry” to fiction short stories. From professional reviews to “Memory Lane Moments”, i love presenting people the option to escape the reality of the stresses in adulthood. My whole goal is simply to make you feel like a kid again!
In the spirit of creativity, originality, and content delivery i have decided to completely redesign my site! This is for you, my reader! I hope you find it more user-friendly, with content that is meaningful. Use the search bar to shop for retro items and apparel, all discounted! I hope you all continue to pursue your passions purpose on your individual pages! Remember my slogan: Never let life dictate how far you can make it! I hope you all will be blessed beyond measure! More content is on the way so stay tuned!😀👍
Inside my deepest thoughts, there are complexities that I cannot explain. Inside my
deepest fears, I am nothing special. My name is Samus Aran, now a bounty hunter who separated from the Galactic Federation Police, yet I still have ties to the organization. It’s been years since I rescued that little girl who was about to be destroyed by space pirates in part 2 of my story. As far as that event, I made it out alive but my relationship with some key figures of the police are forever tarnished. The commanding officer Adam Malkovich won’t even speak to me anymore, and we once had a great relationship. In my never ending pursuit to defeat the evil Ridley and Mother Brain, I must be strong as a woman. Still, there are parts of me that I cannot show, because emotion can be taken as weakness. Because of this, I choose to express my feelings in this personal memoir in hopes of not being judged.
Since 1986, I have been regarded as a hero. I wear the title with pride as the first major female protagonist in video game history. Still, under this power suit I am wearing there is a physical person with limitations and weaknesses. Similarly, when you peel back the layers of my heroism there are wounds, scars, and deep questions I long for the answer to. How would my life had been if my parent’s lived? What if the Chozo’s never adopted me? How would my life be different if Ridley never attacked my home planet of K-2L? What ever happened to my little brother Solomon Aran? What type of relationship would have developed? I wonder what life would have been like as a regular kid?
To the readers of this memoir, I was called to be an intergalactic warrior. I just want to now how does it feel to be normal? To those on planet Earth, I have listened to stories about people going to school to learn. I heard that boys escort girls to this thing called a “Prom”. How does that feel? What is it like to fall in love with someone, or go out on a date, or get married? To the career women, how does it feel to wear a business suit and go into an office, making important decisions? Being a bounty hunter is a lonely life, but I do it to one day avenge the evil creatures that created this life for me in the first place. There is one other issue I must address in this memoir.
To my reader, for years people thought it was a man in this power suit. When I was introduced in 1986, people either did not realize who I was, or just didn’t respect me. There are plenty of men in my field of work. I am personal friends with a few characters from the original Nintendo lineup, such as Mario, Link, Lil Mac and Donkey Kong for starters. We even starred in a game together called Super Smash Bros. I have always been friends with those guys and can hang with the “big boys”. Some have even asked if myself and Mega Man are 1st cousins, which that is yet to be determined.
See, that’s me in the middle. 🙂
I respect their platforms and they respect mine. But when it comes to leaving a legacy for women in our craft, just remember that I paved the way for future women in gaming such as Laura Croft from Tomb Raider, Jill Valentine from Resident Evil, or Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII, among many others. I say this not to brag, but to make you understand that women in this field have made a tremendous impact on millions of fans around the world in gaming. My story is just one, but it is the first and I want to make it known that through all of my struggles I am proud to be the woman I am. I hope that this entry to my memoir serves you all well. Of course I am out in the field fighting space pirates as we speak, but Vintage Retroman please feel free to share this entry with your readers, in case if I don’t make it back. Thank you V.R. for believing in me and recognizing that I was destined for greatness. Signing off,
Yes, it is time for a new fun V.R. retroquiz my friends! Here are the rules: Based off of the picture, guess the name of the video game character(s) from the 80’s/90’s! It will start easy, but trust me it will get more challenging as you go along. Here we go!
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Bonus to make up for the one you missed😀**
We’ll guys how many names did you guess correctly? Answers are below. Post your results in the comment section! I hope that this made you feel like a kid again! Signing off for now.
(Federation Police roll call) Samus Aran! Samus Aran! Are you here? Do you copy?
(Samus hesitates, thinking to herself) “Uggh, I am so sick and tired of these meetings.” She then whispers to her squadmates Kreatz and Mauk, “Don’t you guys ever get tired of these long drawn out meetings by chief?” They respond with with a low yet resounding “yes”.
(Samus speaks to Federation Police Chief Hardy aggressively) Present! I am here Chief! Present! Present! Present!
(Police Chief Hardy) Ok, perfect. The roll call is done, everyone is present! Now to get down to business. Today ladies and gentlemen, we embark on a journey that will go down in the history books as one of the greatest undertakings that the Federation Police has ever spearheaded. This assignment is one that will no doubt take courage, and test your will as a department. As you look on our intergalactic map, you see here that the human occupied planet Jigrad has recently been under attack by those same evil Space Pirates that attacked K-2l in the past.
(Chief Hardy continues) Our leadership suspects that Ridley is behind all of this. They have enslaved the inhabitants of that planet, making this a very dangerous situation. Because of the advanced skill and abilities of those space pirates, I have decided to forgo a full frontal assault initially. Strategically, our leadership weighed the risk of that and determined that casualties would be at an all time high. As a result of this revelation after much consideration, we have decided to send in our elite “Star-Tracker” division first, lead by Samus Aran.
(Samus) Uggh, chief………….permission to speak?
(Police Chief Hardy) Sure Samus, what’s up?
(Samus) Um, you do realize that it is only myself, Kreatz, and Mauk in that division here don’t you?
(Police Chief Hardy) Hahahahaha, of course I do Samus! That’s why we promoted you. Look at it from this perspective, who is more qualified than Ms. Aran to take out Ridley? We have upgraded your new power suit, you will have a full arsenal of weapons, and everything you need to handle this special stealth mission. Think about it Samus, think about the glory! Think about you going down in history as the woman to save this planet! Think of all those people you will free. Think about your name in lights! Samus! Samus! Samus!
(Samus responds) Chief, you always have been a master salesman. Uggh, do I really have a choice in the matter anyway?
(Police Chief Hardy smiles) Nope, that’s why they pay you the big bucks! 🙂
(Samus) Uggh, ok. Come on Kreatz and Mauk. We are heading out……….
**Samus’s ship flies discretely onto planet Jigrad, and while searching through the jungles of destruction they stumble upon a slave child.**
(Samus whispering) Shhhh, do you guys hear that? It sounds like a young girl whimpering.
(Kreatz and Mauk respond) Samus stay on mission, we have no time to rescue a kid. Remember chief’s orders! This is a suicide mission anyway, don’t add even more risk to it Samus! We have to complete our orders before the rest of the Federation Police can invade! Now come on!
(Samus) Look guys, I was a young girl like her once when the Chozo’s rescued me! These pirates will kill her! Come on, where is your heart guys?
(Kreatz and Mauk respond) Samus, if you rescue her, you are on your own. We have orders from chief, and are not getting court-martialed because you are getting a little “soft around the edges” for some kid!
(Samus) Fine! I’ll handle it on my own! I am not going to let an innocent little girl die because of fear! After all, I was once that little girl!
**Samus runs off alone**
(Kreatz and Mauk look off as she goes alone) Why is she so stubborn all of the time? She brings these bad things upon herself!
(Samus approaches the little girl and whispers) Hey there, what’s your name?
**The little girl answers**
Damara……….
(Samus) Okay Damara, we are going to get you out of here. Come on….
**Samus hears a siren as she runs with the girl and a loud voice over an intercom**
Intruder!! You’re surrounded!!! PUT YOUR HANDS UP!!!!
Beyond the horizon, in my mind I am headed to Horizons park. The name has echoed through my head enough the past 72 hours. Beyond the horizon I can see it. One of my favorite places to visit growing up. My family of 10 would fill up dad’s old white station wagon and leave our home in east Winston-Salem and take the short drive over to the sleepy town of Germanton, NC. My parents knew how to fill up the cooler the right way, with chips, sweet snacks, and Capri Suns!
This was the 1980’s, so pulling up to the park we would always see teenagers with big George Michael styled haircuts playing frisbee in the big field bordering the park’s entrance. Young kids playing horseshoes and volleyball dressed in styles that varied from that of the music group New Edition to pop artist Rick Astley. These were great times. My parents would find the perfect picnic table, fire up the grill and start the barbeque. I can remember having my first childhood kiss here. I was 6 years old and it ironically happened at a church picnic; pure innocence, pure bliss.
As the warm summer breeze would rustle the trees, I remember as a kid looking around at the beauty of nature. The true essence of this feeling is captured in the classic song Summer Breeze by Seals and Croft.Even back then, the feelings of euphoria and nostalgia would engulf my very being. My brothers and sisters playing games. My mother asking me to sample delicious food fresh off of the grill. We literally would spend the whole day at the park, heading home at dusk. As the day would come to a close, It was a feeling best described by the lyrics of the song “Golden Time Of Day”by Frankie Beverly and Maze.During the ride home us kids generally would be passed out in the station wagon. When we arrived home after what always seemed like a long ride, my parents would carry me into the house, and I wouldn’t even realize that I was asleep until I woke up the next morning.
Growing up, I never realized the profound impact these events would have on my life. My parents didn’t have much so the occasional day trip or ‘Staycation’ meant so much to us kids! Coming from a large, lower income family, we could not afford family vacations growing up however these day trips provided something priceless in my book, great memories. Fast forward 25-30 years and it’s amazing how I try to capture these same feelings with my own family. With more resources and access, I find it ironic that at times it can be more difficult to capture the time capsules of memories like I used to as a kid. Still, we have moments in our family now where I see a resemblance to the days of old and I love it!
The morals of the story are, never underestimate the power of a good staycation. Life is not always about taking large-scale trips around the globe. Money can’t buy happiness. The beauty of the outdoors is irreplaceable. Most importantly, life is worth living. I don’t know what you may be going through right now but I know life can be difficult. Could it be that a short ‘staycation’ is exactly what you need? I challenge you to give it a shot and report back in the comment section of this article how things went. Signing off for now,
One word, simplicity. The simple things like strolls in the park, a simple conversation, or just simply being in the presence of the one you love. Growing up in the 80’s, i saw my parents mimic this simple concept. A quick dance, a simple kiss, or a long hug can do wonders to cover the hardships and struggles of life. When Billie Joel crafted his masterpiece Just the way you are, I love how he focused on the simplicity of pure love.
This song is not about fancy expensive dates, complex conversations, or trying to reinvent the wheel to impress someone. He proved that when he expressed in the lyrics “I don’t want clever conversations, I never want to work that hard. I just want someone that i can talk to, I want you just the way you are.” Do you know how rare this type of love is in 2018? As you lay back and listen to this classic, take the time out to let the lyrics penetrate your heart. I believe that people needs to go back to the basics. That’s what today’s love is missing.
I truly want to make each of my followers feel like a kid again! That is my overall goal. The nostalgic value of vintage and retro cultures makes people feel good! I do not blog for money or prestige. I write and post content for the people to enjoy, whether it’s one person or 10,000 people. This is why i love Instagram!
Instagram is a wonderful social media network that i truly enjoy. I consistently network with others because of my love for people and retro! Above is my page and screen name @vintageretroman. Please follow me. Love, peace, and happiness to all!
**This product as been sold**
Published in 1990, own this collectable secret guide book of some of the original NES classic games. $7.50 with $1.00 shipping.
That girl named Billie Jean is truly poison. By now in 2018, most of us know that according to legendary pop singer Michael Jackson, that regardless of what Billie Jean said, indeed the kid was not his son. Despite this knowledge, it still doesn’t prevent us from listening to this classic first released in 1982 over and over. Years later when the Billboard hit R&B group Bel Biv Devoe released Poison, we learned that you should never “trust a big butt and a smile” in 1990. When the talented accepella group Straight No Chaser decided to combine the two classic songs, they created nothing short of a masterpiece.
When the listener hears the initial beat box in the opening sequence of the medley with the bass line from the hit Billie Jean, you know it is going to be good. Then when the singers combine harmonies in singing”Girl i must warn you” from Poison over the Billie Jean beatbox, i was blown away! The group does an excellent job balancing the two songs in a call and response rhythm, combining the best elements of both songs from the 80’s and 90’s. By the time the listener hears the combination of the two songs in the chorus, then the switch up to the lyrics of Billie Jean in the second verse, the blend is remarkable. As a true music lover, i cannot get enough of this particular medley. Straight No Chaser has always been an impressive group in my opinion. This song is just a true testament of what happens musically when creativity takes over. Nicely done Straight No Chaser.
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