This is my post about a retro gaming memory. If you want to participate in the contest check out this post. Let the memory begin.

There wasn't much in my neighborhood. There were plenty of buildings, some of them contained people, others businesses. The majority of these buildings were burnt shells of the industrial powerhouse that Detroit used to be. By the time I was ten years old all that remained on Sunset Avenue was liquor stores, pawn shops, bars, and a video rental store. That video rental store is what pulled me through.

It wasn't the limited selection of NES games for rent that kept me sane. It wasn't even the back room where the arcade cabinets were that I look back on fondly. It was a kid my age named Chris who I saw playing some now forgotten racing game when I entered the store one day.

At that point in my life I didn't have many friends. In fact I didn't have any friends at all. I had spent my life around adults who entertained themselves with cocaine and alcohol. Saying that I lacked the social skills needed to spark up a friendship with someone would be an understatement. Thankfully Chris didn't hesitate to invite me to play the game with him and a friendship was born.

It turned out that Chris lived only a couple blocks away from me, but went to another school due to zoning. Everyday after school I would get off the bus and head down the street to wait for Chris. When he got out of school we would spend our time at the video rental store playing arcade games. Things continued that way for a long time. Then the SNES was released and Chris had one.

Until that day whenever I wanted to escape the horrors of my home life I had to find quarters and hope Chris would be at the video store. Once he had an SNES I could be safe whenever I wanted. We would sit for hours in his bedroom playing A Link To The Past. Finally when it would get dark I'd head back to my house, sneak in my bedroom window to avoid my step-father, and go to sleep dreaming of how fun tomorrow would be.



So that's my story. I know it's not really about an actual retro game. It's about how games back then gave a kid who was beaten at home and spit on at school a safe place to be.