Not only was I excited about getting Super Smash brothers for the 3DS because I knew it would be an amazing game (and believe me, it is) but I was also looking forward to the promise of the great many battles ahead to occupy my long and lonely commute home after work. I'm currently on a night shift and get out of work at 1:30am. At that time of night, trains run abysmally slow, not to mention few and far between. Smash Brothers was to be my saving grace, my new hobby, my companion (perhaps, secret lover?) I nearly avoided the whole debacle by purchasing the game as a digital copy through the Nintendo store. I recall spouting off some justification about not wanting physical media anymore as it just adds clutter to my life and other wacky phrases along the lines of "digital is the future!" But then I'd thought "What if my boyfriend wants to play it occasionally?" In retrospect, I had dug my own grave.
I purchased the game from a cluttered East Village game store that smelled of history and forgotten adventures trapped in plastic cartridges of varying shapes and sizes. I prided myself in not supporting a certain retail chain that will never STOP ripping off customers with their GAME buy-back model Two friends had taken my boyfriend and I to the store, so I strategically waited for him to be distracted by his browsing in order to quickly and discreetly make my purchase. It felt wrong but what none of you know is that when it comes to video games, my boyfriend is a monster.
I don't like keeping secrets, so I eventually showed him my bounty and he squealed with delight. I told him my intentions about playing during my nightly commute to ease the pain, to which he smiled, and through his teeth said "That's a wonderful idea," but the look in his eyes told another story.
It wasn't long before he would ask me questions about the game. On one hand I was happy to talk video games with him while on the other, I felt like I was feeding a Mogwai after midnight. He's a huge Mega Man fan, so once he saw the new fighter in action, I knew all hope was lost.
His approach was swift, sly and calculated. "I've got an idea," he said. My heart sank. "Why don't you play my copy of Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds and you lend me your copy of Smash Brothers?" He was toying with me, but he made a decent argument. "Besides, I need the practice. You're so much better than I am at most videogames." As they say, flattery will get you everywhere.
Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds has been an amazing game (albeit a touch too easy), but I am nearing the end of that adventure. Smash Brothers WIiU comes out on Friday, November 21st, so my boyfriend lucked out with impeccable timing. I have to wonder if even that factored into his nefarious plans. For now, I've decided to let his transgression slide and vowed to never fall for his crafty ways in the future.
