Which characters do you personally relate to more than your fellow gamers?

Though I do enjoy pink, I am not a princess--Peach, Daisy or otherwise. In fact, as I do a mental roll call of all the video game characters I've ever controlled or encountered, there is only one to whom I can truly relate. He is the perpetual "player 2," and his name is Luigi.

I do realize that the physical dissimilarities between myself and Luigi must seem striking. After all, I don't have a mustache or...a plunger. I would never wear a matching green hat and shirt, not to mention those hideous overalls or cheap-looking white gloves. And never, ever, have my legs wiggled like crazy when I jump. But my connection to Luigi goes much deeper than these superficialities. Our bond goes straight down to the very core of who Luigi is and what he represents, his values and philosophies, his role in the universe.

Like Luigi, I am not a leader. If there is someone around who wants to take charge of any given situation, I get out of his/her way. However, if this person gives up, or simply cannot get the job done, I am the first person to step up and set things back on track. This is why I appreciate how, at the beginning of Super Mario Brothers, Luigi sits by and lets Mario have the first go at things. He waits patiently in the wings until his brother needs him. Any time Mario fails, Luigi tries to finish the job. If he can't complete a level, he turns control back over to Mario, but he never gives up (until he runs out of men). I believe I also provide this type of devoted support to my job and my relationships, willing to live in a shadow if it's for the greater good.

When I do stand on my own, though, I'm incredibly quirky. I like to play Zuma. I relish in going to the movies alone. I write fan fiction. I wear tie-dye. Oh, and I just started blogging about video games. Luigi, too, marches to the beat of a different drummer. He wins mansions in contests he didn't enter. He makes up stories about saving princesses named after pastries. He's willing to venture out into the "real world" if Mario goes missing. Oh, and he keeps a Paper diary about how he hates being left out of so many of Mario's adventures. Though Mario's experiences are oft times out of this world, Luigi's are just slightly more unique and original. I, too, fantasize that I am original(...just like everyone else).

One final parallel I see between myself and Luigi is the way we both seem to be searching for our place in the world/universe/galaxy. Who am I and where do I fit in? Sometimes we are cowards. Sometimes we try to make others think we are brave. Sometimes we are brave. Sometimes we are content to be "the backup." Sometimes we long to be individuals.

I suppose it is my connection to Luigi that has always inspired me to volunteer for the second player controller whenever given the option, no matter what the game. To me, Luigi is a loyal dreamer, always searching for himself. I think I am, too.