Date: Sun, 31 Aug 1997 21:46:44 -0400 (EDT) To: brownde@cs.unc.edu Subject: "Nintendo Queen's Story" Here's a story I'd like to share with you: My parents said they liked to play classic video games. My dad owned a Pong game and my mom said she played Donkey Kong when she had me, in 1984. My mom has quit playing now and my dad doesn't play a lot, but I'm a lover of video games. I remember as a little kid seeing commercials for the NES. I didn't know much about games then. Then I went to cousin's house in 1988, on his birthday. His brand-new NES was hooked up to the TV in his parent's room, and he was playing Super Mario Brothers. I looked at the screen and saw a character with red overalls and a mustache. I knew nothing of this Mario guy, but that was going to change.When I was six, a lot of my friends had their own Nintendos. I started to like the NES, and thought SMB3 was wonderful when my friend showed it to me. When I was seven or eight, I got the system for Christmas. I went hysterical! I loved it! Mario was played every day here, and I soon collected Nintendo games. When I was ten I got the Super NES, and got Donkey Kong Country. It was an absoloutly brilliant, beautiful, outstanding game. The NES was sent to a thrift store, but I won't forget it. A few months later, Blockbuster Video had a DKC contest. I was the only girl in it. While I didn't win, people behind me couldn't believe a female gamer was this good. That's how I'm the Nintendo Queen. Time passed and I got DKC2. I thought Dixie Kong was the best. And when I got Yoshi's Island for my birthday, I soon made it my favorite SNES game. For X-mas of '96, I got the Nintendo 64. I loved it, but I still remember all the classics that made me what I am today. The End -Sarah Blankenship GBlankcs@aol.com This is dedicated to all the female video game players and designers. And if the boy who played "Bust-a-Move" with me is reading this, you ought to practice a bit more!