8
Thursday, April 27, 2000
Nintendo Creates Lifelong Obsession
All semester long I've been sneer
ing at people who own DVD
players.
And all semester long I’ve endured
the fuzzv, undefined lines of people and
things on my nondigital TV presented
by my now archaic hi-fi VCR.
My response when people brag about
their DVD players or even their Sega
Dreamcasts is simply, “Well, I’m waiting
for the Playstation 2, nah, how you like
that?”
You see, Playstation 2 features a DVD
player and, most incredibly, the capaci
ty to play most old Playstation games.
Bless the people at Sony. We’ve all been
suckered when it comes to new game
consoles, chucking or trading in all our
hard-earned games for ONE brand new
one. Well I’m sick of it! Come on
Playstation 2, hurry and be released in
America, or I’ll die of anticipation.
Released in Japan on March 4,
Playstation 2 has already been recalled
due to overheating and DVD glitches.
Sony can go ahead and solve all those
problems before shipping over
American waters. However, aren’t those
Playstation 2s I’ve seen on eßay for
S3OO to $780? Let the Tekken Tag
Tourney begin...
So my video game-playing fanaticism
can totally be attributed to my older
brother, who not only developed my
tomboyishness but also gave me a sense
of the TRUE old school. Besides video
games, there was NWA wresding, skate
boarding, heavy metal, basketball, Gl
joe and Transformer. All those, howev
er, are future columns...
y-jp 1 1 1
F Corporate lesson 81: ) <
Ui KJI WbljM l
lam ICORPORATE LESSON #2:
JJb I wW J J COME PREPARED*
IjESEjfll If ** * • L4u| We've qot you covered there When
you buy any new 1999 or 2000
S S ■ _Jv Mazda, you can choose the "Get
I Wt
Professional Kit” and we’ll
HEM,
if you’re into instant gratification, get
■i.ll ll] 1 k w " t l ' pu ' d ”” /j ’4OO CUSTOMER CASH on the spot'
I ■ 1 ■ V J ■ any new Jf
1999 or 2000 1
11 1 Jjj H H H|V K l\"i ▼|HJ| Mazda vehicle f Either way, if you purchase, you won’t have
J* to out on y monthly payments for 180
1 1 I days. Isn’t it time you found out whot
II > • [ * lai At I 1 upward mobility is really about 0
LhmT 11 ”GET PROFESSIONAL KIT”
§f ? } If? I jftL Includmq a Palm Pilot Vx and other career swaq JL , ~ HHTWTVIHH
BIW —rr ~ i irani ff riMriH
■ MBS ill HHf Hflfe Mil I I I rrwTM Hn/TjTiW 's/
(1) Payment deferral not available in PA and limited in Ml and DC. Offer not available on lease contracts. Qualified buyers, as determined by Mazda
American Credit take new retail delivery from dealer stock by 12/31/00. (2) S4OO College Graduate cash back or “Get Professional Kit" (allow 6-8 weeks
tor delivery) available on purchase of any new ’99 or ’OO Mazda vehicles. Limit one per customer. Qualified customers must be within six months of grad
uation or have graduated within the last two years from one of the following: accredited junior or community college with an associates degree, an
accredited college or university with a bachelors degree, an accredited nursing school with a bachelors in nursing degree, an accredited graduate school
with a masters degree or are currently enrolled in graduate school. Mazda reserves the right to discontinue this promotion for any reason at any time
The Best Buy Seal is a registered trademark of Consumers Digest, Inc.
m 1 m
la
SHINDY CHEN
MY ESPN TOLD ME SO
The excitement of one Christmas
morning developed into a lifelong pas
sion. The box was purple and humon
gous. Peering out of one comer was the
Nintendo robot, with the gray, stream
lined laser gun. It was sitting there in all
its square glory, waiting for immediate
play, soon satisfied by Gyromite and
Duck Hunt, also packaged inside.
Months passed, and a Nintendo
game collection was bom. Bro and I
went on to have many Double Dribble
tournaments, only to end up with him
frustrated because he was being defeat
ed by his lil’ sis, who couldn’t possibly
be better than the advanced computer
level he had been playing against on his
down time. Remember the visually
superior halftime routine with about
eight identical, faceless cheerleaders
moving on what seemed like robot
wheels? I’m not trying to bust on this
game, because it really was one of my
favorites, along with...
Major League Baseball. Wow. I loved
when I would hit a homer into the col
orful dot matrix crowd. The scoreboard
would then display fireworks and replay
DIVERSIONS Etc.
me giving love to my teammates.
Remember World Championship
Wresding? My favorite character was
Star, the red-bodied drop-kick king. I
also had other international faves; recall
the Russian Kin Kom Cam, the
Amazon man from the Brazilian
swamps who would bite heads and the
Japanese boxing guy.
My favorite game by far was Contra,
the original combat game where you
killed ugly alien monsters, destroyed
weird spaceships and dodged lasers and
man-size claws, only to end up in the
belly of the queen monster, shooting her
heart until it exploded. The 30-man
code (up-up, down-down, left-right...)
was in effect, and I know that everyone
loved saying the crazy Japanese cre
ators’ names during the credits, as well
as the game’s rocking music. Man, I
must have beaten that game as many
weeks as I am old. And that’s a lot.
Even if Nintendo wasn’t a big part of
your life growing up, I’m sure that in
some way video games have given you
pleasure at some point or other during
college. That or you’re completely dull
and uninteresting. I guess what I’ve
been trying to say is “Thanks, bro, for
instilling in me my zest for artificial
entertainment, as well as the compulsive
first-to-get-it disorder. Now I know, and
knowing is half the batde.”
It’s been fun guys, see you this fall!
Long live Miami! Say no to virgin hos!
Rent poms! Buy good music!
Shindy Chen can be reached at
shindy@email.unc.edu.
iky j
The Melvins of Aberdeen, Wash., a predecessor of several grunge-era bands, brings the group's heavy
brand of rock to the Cat's Cradle on Saturday.
Arts#
Entertainment
Calendar
MUSIC
Cat’s Cradle. 300 El Main Sl, Carrboro. 967-!X)53.
Go! Rehearsals Room 4. 100 Brewer Lane,
Carrboro. 969-1400.
Local 506. 506 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill.
942-5506.
Skylight Exchange. 405 1/2 W. Rosemary St.,
Chapel Hill. 933-5550.
Thursday, April 27
■ Weekend Excursion w/Dezaray’s
Hammer and Jim’s Big Ego at Cat’s Cradle.
■ The Go w/Jucifer at Go! Rehearsals
Room 4.
■ Cherry Valence w/ Rise at Local 506.
■ Kenny Shore at Skylight Exchange.
Friday, April 28
■ WXYC ’Bos Dance at Cat’s Cradle.
■ Fin Fang Foom, John Todd, Panzer at
Go! Rehearsals Room 4.
■ Jennanykind CD release w/ Starpoint
Electric and Analogarhythm at Local 506.
■ Common Sense and Just Us at Skylight
Exchange.
Saturday, April 29
■ Melvins at Cat’s Cradle.
■ Evil weiner w/ The Phobes and
Velveteens at Local 506.
■ US Bombs w/Union 13 and The
Pushers at Go Rehearsals Room 4.
■ Dana Robinson at the Skylight Exchange.
(Bljr oaily (Ear Mrel
Sunday, April 30
■ US Bombs w/Union 13 and The
Pushers at Go Rehearsals Room 4
■ Lud w/ The Glands at Local 506.
■ Mamasutra at Skylight Exchange.
Monday, May 1
■ Kevin Kinney w/ Gibb Droll at Go!
Rehearsals Room 4.
■ Open Mic Night at Skylight Exchange.
Tuesday, May 2
■ King Sunny Ade at Cat’s Cradle.
■ Roger Maiming at Go! Rehearsals Room 4.
■ Jay Cartwright & Zack Gresham at
Skylight Exchange.
Wednesday, May 3
■ Mick Taylor at Cat’s Cradle.
■ Jennifer Neddies (from Soul Miner’s
Daughter at Go! Rehearsals Room 4.
■ Open Mic Night at Skylight Exchange.
ART
■ “New Currents in Contemporary Art”
Through May 28. Ackland Art Museum,
UNC campus. 966-5736.
THEATER
■ “Hay Fever.” Play Makers Repertory
Company. Through May 7. Paul Greene
Theatre, UNC campus. 962-PLAY.
■ “Cabaret” UNC Pauper Players. April 28
to April 30. Student Union Cabaret, UNC
campus. $5 for students, $7 for gala
performance Friday.
■ “Waiting for Godot” Studio 1. Through
May 2. Elizabeth Price Kenan Theater, UNC
campus. 962-PLAY.
FILM
■ “Mallrats.” 9 p.m. Friday. Carolina Union
Auditorium.
■ “Clerks.” 7:30 p.m. Friday. Carolina Union
Auditorium.
■ “Dogma.” 9:30 p.m. Friday and 7:30 p.m.
Saturday. Carolina Union Auditorium.
■ “Chasing Amy.” 10 p.m. Saturday.
Carolina Union Auditorium.
CAT£_CAgDI€
967-9053
300 E. Main Street • Carrboro
APRIL
27 TH WEEKEND EXCURSION, Dezaray's
Hammer, Jim's Big Ego
28 FR WXYC 80's DANCE ($5)
29 SA MELVINS" ($10)
30 SU SUNDAY SHOWCASE (8 BANDS, $2)
MAY
2TU KING SUNNY ADE" (sl3)
4TH STEEP CANYON RANGERS, Platinum
Heavyweights
SFR JAZZ BUTCHER
6SA 810 RITMO" ($8)
7SU TRAVIS" ($8)
BMO BRUCE COCKBURN" (S2O)
9TU HIM w/ sive Style and Dylan Group
10 WE Rustic Overtones
12 FR HOBEX
1 7 WE Rev. horton heat, Los straitjackets
18 TH MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?" ($10)
19 FR Bad Checks, Accelerators
20 SA DONNA THE BUFFALO" (SlO/Sl2)
25 TH Modest Mouse” ($10)
26 FR SLEATER-KINNEY" ($8)
27 SA TOM MAXWELL
28 SU DAEMON RECORDS SHOWCASE
(Danielle Howie, Amy Ray, Butchies)
30 TU THE TOASTERS w/Step Lively
31 WE Del Tha Funky Homosapien,
Blackalicious
JUNE
1 TH Nields
3SA Boss Hog
4SU DARK STAR ORCHESTRA
29 TH Gran Torino
SHOWS @ GOI Rehearsal. Room 4:
4/27 THE GO w/ Jucifer
4/28 Fin Fang Foom, John Todd
4/29 8< 4/30 US BOMBS, Union 13 8c
Pushers
5/1 KEVN KINNEY w/Gibb Droll
(Acoustic)
5/2 Roger Manning
5/4 Gold Sparkle
5/6 Pan American, Ivanovich
@ The RITZ
5/10 ELLIOTT SMITH” (sl2)
5/18 LEFTOVER SALMON" (sls)
5/20 WEEN" (sl3)
6/24 SONIC YOUTH and STEREOIAB"
(sl7)
@ The Arts Center:
MAY 8: NEGATIVLAND
@ Carolina Theatre (Durham):
5/2 MEDESKI MARTIN AND WOOD
(Acoustic)" (s2l)
5/9 ME'SHELL NDEGEOCELLO ($26)
"Advance ticket sales at SchoolKids
(in Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh)
For Credit Card orders CALL 919-967-9053
www.catscradle.com