Q&A Session with Myself

Black Gamer Girl, could you answer a few questions, please?

Maybe one day I'll be lucky enough that someone will care enough to ask me questions.  Since I'm not there yet, I figured I would ask and answer my own questions.  It'll be a nice change of pace from my usual posts, and it'll give you guys a little insight into what makes me tick.  Oh, and I can be a little crazy.  Let's roll.

So, Black Gamer Girl, could you tell us a little about yourself?

Sure.  Well, I was born in...

Um, let's not go that far back.  How about you tell us about how you became a gamer?

Oh, my bad.  Okay, that's easy.  I was fortunate enough to be born into a family that already had gamers in it.  I've been surrounded by games my entire life.  So the condensed answer to telling your intial question is that I'm a Black woman who was fortunate enough to be raised around other gamers.  I just feel like it's right for me.

Is that so?

Indeed.  Some of my earliest memories involve playing video games.  I mean, I remember being in the crib and reading for the first time, but I also remember playing Atari.  I remember that as clearly as just about anything else.

Now we're getting somewhere (laughs). Could you describe that time?

Sure.  I remember some of my cousins had an Atari.  I didn't yet know the exact details of the console, but I knew it was an Atari from their conversations.  I remember they had a crate full of cartridges.  I used to love sitting on the floor and watching them play.

Did they ever let you play?

Sometimes.  I mostly just sat and watched them play.  On the rare occasion, they would let me play Pac-Man.  At that time, it was good enough.  I mean, there was no better feeling than controlling something on the television.  I didn't really know what I was doing, but I knew that I loved doing it.

How old were you at that time?

Maybe about four.  Yeah, I think about four.

Okay.  So when would you say that you started to game for yourself and not just because someone let you press a button?

Umm, maybe the following year when I was five.  That sounds about right.

Five years old.  So that would have been 19...

Yup.  That year.

Alright.  What do you remember about your fifth year?

Well, I've told this story before.

I don't believe I've heard it.

Really?

Yeah, really.  I mean, you're nobody important.

Wow...I mean, that's true.  But you didn't need to say it like that.

I don't sugarcoat anything.

That's obvious.  Well, I played Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt.

Two Nintendo classics.  

Indeed.  Nintendo and Super Nintendo made up the bulk of my childhood.  To this day, I still have a dislike for the dog from Duck Hunt.  I would put the Zapper up to the TV and well, zap him (laughs).

Any favorites from that era?

Besides Super Mario Bros, I have a few.  I loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games, Mega Man, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat.  Oh, and I can't forget Super Mario World.  So many hours spent playing that.  I'm leaving out a lot, but I've played so many games in my lifetime.  I remember my mom would let me rent a game every Friday evening.

Did you only play consoles?

Nah, I played whatever was available.  I also played lots of coin-ops and pinball, too.  My grandma used to babysit me.  Whenever she would go to the laundromat, I would spend quarters on the coin-ops there.

Care to name a few?

I spent many quarters on Mrs. Pac-Man and Galaga.  I'd be rich if I had saved all of those quarters.  I also loved to play House of the Dead.  I think my favorite pinball machine of all time is The Addams Family.  I remember going to this arcade called Planet Xtreme every weekend in high school.  Again, if I had saved those quarters...

You might be richer financially, but you wouldn't have those great gamer memories!

(Laughing) That's true!  I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.

Alright, so you started to come into your own as a gamer during the Nintendo/Super Nintendo years.  How did you know that you had a love for games?  I mean, what was the trigger?

I don't know if there was a trigger.  I just became accustomed to renting a different game every weekend from the local video store.  I loved playing those Tiger Electronics handheld games.  I played the Game & Watch from Nintendo.  When I received a Game Boy on Christmas, it was on.  I don't know, really.  I've just always been drawn to playing video games.

Fair enough.  So let's fast forward to today.  Are there any games that you're currently playing and loving?

My favorite game out currently is Fallout 4, but sometimes I get the urge to play some older games. I still play games like GTA IV, Fallout 3, and Left 4 Dead 2.  There is no reason to give up on the older stuff just because new games keep being released.

I totally agree with that.  Besides, those older games are like a part of our DNA.  They help to make us who we are.

They really do.

Okay.  So, where do you see yourself in the next five to ten years?  Still an avid gamer?

Most definitely.  I don't think I'll ever stop buying and playing video games.  I mean, I still watch cartoons.  I watch the old and the new stuff.  I don't see why I wouldn't keep buying and playing video games.  I want to expand and meet other gamers.  Start going to Comic-Con and if I'm lucky, E3 one of these days.

Do you hope that you'll find a partner who loves cartoons and games, as well?

I can only hope.

I hope you do find him.  Now for a few random questions.

Cool, shoot.

Favorite movie?  Food?  Sports?  Music?

Um, I have too many favorite movies.  It's tough to pick just one, so I'll just name two off the top of my head.  Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Pulp Fiction.  As for food, I guess pepperoni pizza and mac and cheese.  I'm a fan of Philadelphia sports teams.  I like a little of bit of everything with music.

Well, I think that'll wrap up this interview.  Anything else that you would like to say?

Yes, actually.  Game on, my friends.

Okay...alright.  Thanks for this interview, Black Gamer Girl.  It's been rather...interesting.

I appreciate you taking the time to interview me.  I look forward to our next meeting.

I really don't, but you're welcome.  I enjoyed it in a strange way.

Yeah!  Game on, my friend!

(Rolls eyes and sighs) Yeah!  Game on, indeed.