CHEGheads Blog

Who is Your Sailor Moon?

Posted by ssymonds - 05/07/10 at 11:05 am

One of the most frequent questions I receive as a gamer is, “What kinds of games do you enjoy playing?” This question seems simplistic, but the answer is definitely not. I’ve given several different ones over the years, ranging from specific examples, such as Mario Bros., to broad genres, like puzzle games. As I get older, I realize my absolute favorite games are those that represent a connection to my personal life, especially games that take me back to a part of my past.

美少女戦士セーラームーンS: 場外乱闘? 主役争奪戦!(Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon: Outside Scuffle? The Competition for a Leader!)

When I was in high school, every day for over a year, I sat down in front of my television at 4 p.m., tuned into Cartoon Network, and heard a deep voice intone, “This one’s going out to all the ladies!” It signaled the beginning of Toonami, a two-hour segment of anime television, and the first show in line—Sailor Moon—is still a favorite. My love for it developed faster than I could ever have predicted. The characters’ steely resolve to protect the world from evil and joyful personalities endeared them to me. I set out to learn all I could about the show and immerse myself in all its forms. I soon found that the series spawned several video games, but I never got lucky enough to play any, as most of the titles were released only in Japan. But now, thanks to ICHEG, I’m lucky enough to play some of those Sailor Moon games for the first time.

One of our newest acquisitions is a basic fighting game released for the Super Famicom in 1994, entitled 美少女戦士セーラームーンS: 場外乱闘? 主役争奪戦!(Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon: Outside Scuffle? The Competition for a Leader!) In this game, various Sailor Soldiers engage in Street Fighter-style brawls and try to become the new leaders of the Sailor Team. The second game included in the acquisition is a blindingly pink dedicated handheld called 美少女戦士セーラームーンS: 決める! ハートアタック(Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon S: Decide! Heart Attack). Bandai released this game in 1994, and it pits Sailor Moon against enemies, such as Kaolinite and her fellow Dust Busters, from the anime’s third season.

美少女戦士セーラームーンS: 決める! ハートアタック(Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon S: Decide! Heart Attack).

Both of these games are extremely easy to play, even for a casual gamer like myself. And since they’re both fighting games, they don’t fit into my favorite game genres. But none of that matters to me when compared with the opportunity to immerse myself in a world filled with familiar characters. The ability of games like this to take me back to such a wonderful era of my childhood is much more important than the game mechanics or genre. It also thrills me to know the story of Sailor Moon itself proved popular enough to span so many mediums, including video games!

Do you have any games that take you back to your childhood or adolescence? Please share your stories! I promise I’ll be back to read them … after I finish dusting a group of Sailor Moon villains!

May 7, 2010 | View Comments

5 Comments »

“This one’s going out to all the ladies.”–LOL I REMEMBER THAT VOICE. I’m positive I didn’t have this reaction then, but I just want to… giggle? thinking about it. XD

Anyway, I love this article. I think it’s true that games that have a personal connection to you mean more, or at least, I feel the same way. I’ve attempted Mario, Zelda, a million random video games, and the ones that appeal to me the most have either had a story that I could relate to something else or directly have something to do with my childhood (so yes, nostalgic games appeal to me as well). I grew up with Sailor Moon as well, so for the longest time, I had a collection of Sailor Moon games ranging from simple puzzles to the ever-so-challenging Sailor Moon: Another Story. Usually, I couldn’t care less about games like tetris, but when it came to games like tetris with Sailor Moon characters, it would be so much more entertaining (and yes, this game exists).

I was also a child during the age of Pokemon, so pokemon games were the best, and I still can’t understand it, but I really loved those cards.

My current favorite video game, the only video game I even play is Disney and Square Enix’s Kingdom Hearts. Though it has an amazing story and awesome original characters, the reason I picked it up, the thing that grabbed me the most and the reason why I’m so attached to it is because it allows me to revisit the amazing classic Disney worlds–Agrabah, The Pride Lands, Atlantica, wherever it is the Beast lives, etc. etc. etc.

It just touches you more when the game can remind you of something you love and that time in your life when you first started loving, and I think this is why nostalgic games like this Sailor Moon game mean so much.

Comment by Aimee — May 7, 2010 #
Hi Aimee!

Thanks so much for such a lovely comment. Having a personal connection to the games we play really does seem important, and I’m glad to know other people feel the same way. It’s interesting that you mentioned Kingdom Hearts as an example, because I attempted the game myself for the exact same reasons as you. I’m a huge fan of Disney, and the idea of being able to interact with my favorite characters in the game really excited me. Games like this and Sailor Moon are definitely what attracted me to gaming in the first place, and I have the feeling they will keep me gaming long into the future.

Comment by ssymonds — May 10, 2010 #
Growing up in a family of four kids, it was hard to find a game that all of us kids could agree upon. We’d rent games (or on the rare instance save up enough to buy one) and, naturally, one kid would love a game while the others were less than impressed.

I’d have to say that the game that captured each of our hearts was the first ToeJam & Earl game on the Sega Genesis. It was easily playable and downright hilarious. We spent many a sleepover playing that game with friends. Easily a year after we bought the game we were still discovering new hidden areas of the map and still laughing at a friends’ misfortune in falling off the map.

To this day the music of ToeJam & Earl still makes me smile. It’s an icon among games and remains a masterpiece in the eyes of my family.

Comment by GamesOgre — May 10, 2010 #
Thanks so much for sharing your story! I’ve never played ToeJam & Earl myself, but I’ve definitely heard of it, and the way you describe it makes it sound like a really fun game. The fact that you could share it with your whole family makes it extra special. I remember one of my friends telling me a similar story when we were growing up. She comes from a family of six children, and Mario games were about the only ones they could ever agree on. It’s really great when you’re able to find that one unique game that everyone can enjoy.

Comment by ssymonds — May 11, 2010 #
Yeah, just a year ago I was home for the holidays with the rest of my siblings. For some odd reason we dug out and dusted off our old Sega Genesis. What did we play? ToeJam & Earl! …and after 15 years not touching it we stayed up late and managed to beat the game. Happy retro gaming!

Comment by GamesOgre — May 20, 2010 #