Twosday

I recently visited my Mum's grave on her birthday and I was struck by an old memory from my childhood about November 24th 1992. It was a Tuesday. But it wasn't just any Tuesday it was the day Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released for the Mega Drive. Sega marketed the release day with a pun worthy of a genius: Sonic 2sday.

My Mum had quite a busy and stressful job at a law firm, she was always pushed for time. But on Sonic 2sday she used her lunch break to go across town to Virgin games store on Merchant Street in Bristol. Even though it was crazy busy she managed fight her way through and grab a copy of Sonic 2 for me. She spoiled me a lot.

Sonic 2 is by no means my favourite Sonic game (that honour has to go to either the original or Conic CD), but because it always reminds me of my Mum is has a special meaning to me.

Game, Set, Pad

Virtua Tennis 4 has destroyed two of my control pads. Once was unlucky, but twice is foolish of me. This is not from anger. I did not throw them against the wall in frustration (although trying to unlock the hidden character King pushed me close to doing so). My PS3 pads broke in the same way - the rim that surrounds the left analogue stick collapsed and broke off. Virtua Tennis caused just too much harsh back and forth, the pad could not stand up to the repetitive punishment. My first pad was black, my second was white, for my third pad I bought a gold one. I also decided to move onto Topspin 4, and although it is also a tennis game it shows the difference between the two games that the golden pad is still working fine years down the line.

I'm not saying Virtua Tennis 4 is a bad game, after all it is intended to be more of an arcade version of tennis than a full simulation. Playing it with an arcade stick would work best. I must get one as I do miss some Virtua Tennis.

Speaking of broken pads, I remember a friend of mine who used to get so frustrated and angry with his games he used to bite down hard on his control pad. You'd notice the teeth marks on them when you went round his house. But then the only games he had for his Mega Drive were Dark Castle, Fantasia and World Cup Italia 90 so maybe the bite marks are understandable.