The Blue Blur: A Sonic Memory for His 20th Birthday

After waiting patiently the whole night before, it's finally Christmas morning.  I awake quickly, and jump out of bed, running downstairs to rip open my newest presents that were carefully wrapped by Santa and placed ever-so-gently underneath the tree downstairs.  What could await me underneath the red and green multi-colored wrapping papers?

Tons of toys, cars, books, clothing and more. I tore through packages, waiting eagerly for what I had dreamed of having all year: the Sega Genesis.  I had told Santa and all of the other higher powers exactly what I wanted for Christmas.  There is no way he could forget that I wanted the newest game console to sit for hours and play through, could he?

I get down to my last present, my heart pounding in my chest.  I start tearing through the paper like a bat out of hell.  It was a pretty big package, and maybe it was just me but it was a bit heavy. I get down to the box, and in blue letters are "SE." WHAT?!?

I'm freaking, throwing the paper everywhere, and as soon as I get down to the box, the "SE" was actually for SEARS.  Silly me and my young, foolish ways.  I should have known better.  I was visibly distraught by this.  My grandmother looking at me, asking, "Did Santa get you everything you wanted?"

Now, I knew better than to say I didn't get what I wanted and I tried as hard as I could to act like I got everything I wanted and more.  I wasn't taking things for granted: after all, there are kids out there who didn't get anything for Christmas.   Now, it was all done and it was time to get ready for breakfast, and one I didn't really have the stomach for.

Then, my grandmother looked at me.  "Frank, can you get me a towel from under the sink in the kitchen?"

"Yes, ma'am," I replied.  I walked into the bathroom and opened the cabinet.  I moved the top towel and saw a wrapped, red package right behind the towels!  On it, the tag said :  "To: Frank, From: Santa"  I grabbed it in a hurry and yelled, running into the kitchen with it.

"Oh, Santa must have hid that one from you!" Said my grandmother.  Quite a nice trick there, Granny!  I tore open the wrapping paper.  Then, right there in front of me, in all of it's glory sat the present I had wanted: the SEGA Genesis.  I was ecstatic.  I probably even did some kind of dance or jig (I wasn't the best of dancers, and I'm still not.)

"Can I play it? Can I? Can I?" I asked my grandmother, frantically.

"After breakfast, honey.  Go wash up."  I rushed into the kitchen, washed my hands, and sat at the table, looking at the Genesis box sitting on the floor in the front room every now and then to make sure it didn't disappear on me.  I ate half of a piece of bacon, and then said that I was full.  I washed my hands AGAIN and then ran into the front.  I opened the box, and then my mother helped me plug all of the cords into the TV.

I looked into the box and saw a case about the size of a VHS tape.  There was a blue spiky-type animal on there: Sonic the Headgehog.  He stood there, almost shaking his finger at me.  I opened the case and took out the cartridge, admiring the artwork and that smiling Blue Blur.  I put the cartridge in, we changed the input on the TV and I started playing.

I was instantly hooked.  Running super fast, collecting rings, losing rings, it was all so fun!  Hitting the checkpoint stands and hearing that doorbell sound and being assured I would be there again.  It was just magical.  I spent countless hours playing as the blue hedgehog until I found out the magic to make him FASTER.  I didn't think it was possible!

My friend showed me: Down + B.  The crisp zing! that was made by him speeding in his little blue ball, then zooming right by and through the whole stage, my eyes following him every which way he went.  That was my childhood in a nutshell, and the Blue Blur still holds a place in my gaming heart.

Do you have any Sonic memories?