A Beacon Of Hope Amid Traumas

Who would have thought Nintendo launched Super Mario Bros during the turbulent times when Japan was grieving from the worst single-aircraft accident in aviation history and North America was still reeling from the 1983 Video Game Crash?

Did you know that Nintendo's Super Mario Bros was released during a time when Japan was in a period of mourning? The game that gave us Goombas, Warp Pipes, Super Mushrooms and Fire Flowers was released 32 days after the Japan Airlines Flight 123 Crash that resulted from an improper tailstrike repair procedure in 1978. The launch of Super Mario Bros could not have come at a time when Japan and North America were going through periods of severe trauma...

Happy 40th Anniversary, Super Mario Bros!

Super Mario Bros © Nintendo.

Tragic Backstory Origins

Author's Note: All copyrights for the images in this comic go to their respective owners.

Today marks the 40th Anniversary of the Japan Airlines Flight 123 tragedy that has left enormous scars to this very day. With 520 fatalities, it still remains the worst single-plane crash in aviation history.

It may have been possible that Sailor Moon author Naoko Takeuchi drew inspiration from the Japan Airlines Flight 123 crash for the tragic backstory revolving around the death of Makoto Kino's parents in a plane crash. This may not be true, but we still do not know yet.

Hiroshima 80th Anniversary

Can you believe it's been 80 years since Hiroshima was demolished by an enormous explosion? That's right. Today marks the 80th Anniversary of the Hiroshima Atomic Bombings. An event so colossal that it forever changed our way of life.

Sad as it is, rogue tyrants are threatening to unleash "Nuclear Armageddon" upon the Earth, under the misguided belief that their nuclear bombs could help them take over the world. If the Bible prophecies were any indication, the "Nuclear Armageddon" that we have all feared is going to be caused by a rivalry between fascism and communism, and this rivalry is threatening to leave no flesh saved alive and render the Earth void and without form, which is why Jesus Christ needs to return to end the madness by making the tyrants and terrorists die in the same manner as the villains from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

All in all, may those who have perished in the enormous explosion in 1945 rest in peace...

Still Munching Dots After 45 Years

What began 45 years ago with Toru Iwatani noticing a missing pizza slice looking like an open mouth became the crown jewel in Bandai Namco's video game history. Since then, Pac-Man went on to become a symbol of popular culture, making guest appearances in many other games and films. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Happy 45th Anniversary, Pac-Man! Here's to chomping your way to your 50th Anniversary!

V-E Day 80th Anniversary

Amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, the War in Israel, rising tensions over Taiwan and Korea, and lawsuits threatening to shut down the Internet Archive, one thing remains clear. Germany's de-Nazification was a farce. That's why the copyright authorities of the two major losers of World War 2 have been attacking Fair Use. They have secretly blackmailed the United States Copyright Office as well as major book publishers and music record labels into filing lawsuits against the Internet Archive and Fair Use.

However, we must remember that the Beast that was, and is not, and yet is will rise one last time. And when he rises, he will terrorize the Earth for a time, times, and half a time before meeting his horrific demise at the hands of the King of Kings.

Still Juggling After 45 Years

Today marks the 45th Anniversary of the Nintendo Game and Watch. What began with Mr Game and Watch juggling balls became a huge sensation in 1980. Since then, Ball has been synonymous with the Game and Watch handhelds. It made a cameo as one of the treasures in Pikmin 2, and it was re-released on a few occasions, with the most recent re-release being a Mario-themed version as part of the Super Mario Bros 35th Anniversary celebrations. Even more remarkable is that some people who know about the Game and Watch handhelds were not even born yet when Game and Watch hit the store shelves, and I was definitely one of them. Incredible, isn't it?

Overshadowed by Bloodbaths

Author's Note: While 17 July 2024 marks 25 years since the official debut of Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants as well as the 125th anniversary of the establishment of iconic Japanese company NEC, there is very little to celebrate because the 10th anniversary of the shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 has overshadowed both of these events. Not to mention that Paramount, the owner of Nickelodeon, is in financial turmoil...

There is such a thing as a "Medal of Dishonor". It is an award no one wants to be proud of. The shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, however, is a war crime so bad that it is not even worthy of a Medal of Dishonor. To be fair, though, for some people, being awarded with a Medal of Dishonor is a fate worse than death. Killing 298 people by shooting down a passenger jet with an anti-air missile, however, is a terrible war crime, and is therefore, not worthy of even a Medal of Dishonor. Committing such a heinous war crime is definitely far more disgraceful than receiving a Medal of Dishonor for stupid actions by a massive distance.

D-Day 80th Anniversary

Today marks the 80th Anniversary of the historic D-Day Landings at Normandy. Between this event and the Russo-German War, the Third Reich was doomed, and Europe was liberated.

Unfortunately, this landmark anniversary has been overshadowed by the decline of the Anglosphere, the war in Israel, tensions over Taiwan and Korea, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and Europe shunning its liberators in favor of another attempt to revive the Roman Empire. Hitler's Third Reich was merely the sixth attempt to revive the Roman Empire. The European Union that deceived its member states has now been revealed to be the seventh attempt to revive the Roman Empire.

Then again, Germany did not see the armies of the United States, Britain and Canada as liberators who overthrew a tyrannical regime but occupiers because the directive that was issued to Allied Forces in 1945 stated that Germany was to be occupied as a defeated enemy nation and not for the purpose of liberation. This is not a good sign because Germany is rejecting democracy in favor of another attempt to revive the Roman Empire and it will result in another World War. One that will end in no flesh being saved alive if Christ does not return...

25 Years of Smash

Can you believe it? 25 years? The original Super Smash Bros for the Nintendo 64 turns 25 today?!? If you had memories of this game, then you really have nostalgia.

What started out as a project called "Dragon King: The Fighting Game" became a huge sensation. It had one type of playable character, but that unnamed character became the basis for Captain Falcon's moveset in the Super Smash Bros games. Even the running gag involving Team Rocket getting defeated by being sent blasting off again in the Pokemon TV series was incorporated into the Super Smash Bros games as the Star KO death animation.

If the Super Smash Bros series was a war, it would have lasted longer than the two World Wars combined. Some people claim that the war that began when Super Smash Bros was first released a few months after the launch of Mario Party was the result of Mario Party's launch. Maybe that's why Mario Party was nicknamed "The Destroyer of Friendships". The World of Nintendo was plunged into war as a result of the very first Mario Party game, and that war has grown bigger since then. The rest, as they say, is history.

Happy 25th Anniversary, Super Smash Bros! Here's to another 25 years!

Nintendo games and characters © Nintendo.

Ice Bucket Challenge 10th Anniversary Edition

2024 marks the 10th Anniversary of the Ice Bucket Challenge that went viral. Unfortunately, the people who inspired the Challenge, namely Anthony Senerchia Jr, Pete Frates and Pat Quinn, are dead. This means the Ice Bucket Challenge 10th Anniversary Edition will be dedicated to the memory of these three people as well as SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg, all of whom have died from ALS-related complications.

For those wondering if the two ladies in this comic are going to wear swimsuits for the Ice Bucket Challenge, the answer is yes. In fact, the swimsuits worn by Peach, Daisy, Rosalina and Samus would be among some of the best choices for the two ladies who want to look good after getting wet in the Ice Bucket Challenge.

If you want to know why swimwear and ice buckets go hand in hand, read my other two Ice Bucket Challenge-themed comics.

Nintendo games and characters © Nintendo.

MSX 40th Anniversary

Author's Note: The MSX going for another 40 years would be too unrealistic. Instead, the more realistic goal would be the 50th Anniversary of the MSX computer.

Today marks 40 years to the day the MSX computer launched in Japan. The MSX was the computer that laid the foundations for the transformation of Sony into the grandmaster of the video game industry we know today. Simply put it, before MSX, Sony had the SMC series of computers, which were all but unsuccessful. Once Sony started manufacturing MSX computers, Sony ended up having the lion's share of MSX computer sales when production ended. This resulted in the MSX being associated with Sony, which in turn, propelled Sony to enter the video game industry with their PlayStation, and the rest is history.

Anniversary Day Confusion

Author's Note: Today marks the 90th Anniversary of Air France commencing operations. Although Air France was established on the 30th of August, 1933, the airline only began operations on 7th of October, 1933. Since then, Air France has gone through a long history, including supersonic air travel and being one of the co-founders of SkyTeam.

Given that I went to Paris, France, I noticed that France's national airline is celebrating 90 years of elegance. So I decided to dedicate this comic to the 90th Anniversary of Air France.

Happy 90th Anniversary, Air France! Here's to reaching that prestigious 100th Anniversary in 2033!

Famicom 40th Anniversary Tribute

Today marks the 40th Anniversary of Nintendo's Family Computer, better known as the Famicom, the original Japanese version of the Nintendo Entertainment System. Who would have thought that 40 years after launching in 1983, the Famicom's legacy is still making a huge impact to this day? If Masayuki Uemura was still alive today, he would definitely be impressed by the legacy of the Famicom's cultural impact for sure.

On a related note, Spelunker, which also turns 40 this year, only had its popularity skyrocket when its Famicom port was released in 1985, and later released on the NES two years later. That's why Spelunker (as he appeared in the Famicom/NES version) is featured alongside both the original 1983 design Famicom and the 1993 redesign Famicom.

Happy 40th Anniversary, Famicom! You transformed Nintendo into the major icon of Japanese pop culture we know today!

Dirk the Daring's Victory 40 Years On

While the Dragon's Lair series hasn't aged well, despite the hilarious death scenes, we should also remember Dirk the Daring's victory over the fearsome dragon Singe because that would have been the fruits of persevering despite having to spend loads of quarters just to beat the game. Even the epic fails merely reward us with hilarious death scenes.

Happy 40th Anniversary, Dragon's Lair! And thanks for giving us some of the most hilarious death scenes, as well as an epic final battle where victory over Singe gave us a great ending!

Dragon's Lair © Digital Leisure.

MapleStory 20th Anniversary

Today is the day MapleStory turns 20. An incredible feat for a South Korean MMORPG that made the impact of South Korea's Hallyu Wave on pop culture huge. It gets even more incredible when MapleStory survived cybercriminal activities and tensions threatening to reignite the Korean Peninsula's (still unfinished) civil war, while giving StarCraft a good run for its money in the South Korean video game market. On top of that, MapleStory made South Korea a serious contender in the video game industry. Let's not forget that its "Safe For Work" classification revitalized PC gaming in Japan when the Japanese version launched in early December 2003. So much for a cutesy MMORPG coming from a South Korean online gaming Chaebol. Happy 20th Anniversary, MapleStory!

BurgerTime 40th Anniversary Tribute

Today marks the 40th Anniversary of the launch of BurgerTime in Japanese arcades. While BurgerTime may not be as fondly remembered as Pac-Man, Space Invaders or Donkey Kong, it's legacy was more than enough to guarantee its main character Peter Pepper cameo appearances in the films Wreck-It Ralph and Pixels. Even when Data East, the original owners of BurgerTime, ceased operations in 2003, G-Mode continued with Data East's legacy by designing new entries for the series.

Happy 40th Anniversary, BurgerTime! Here's to many more years of beefy goodness!

Annual Online Sale 3

Once again, Shopee and Lazada are having an annual 6/6 Sale, which as you know, coincides with the D-Day anniversary. Unfortunately, the ongoing conflicts in other parts of the world have made important anniversaries of famous or infamous events from past conflicts mean nothing at all because the biggest cataclysms are on the horizon...

Remembering China Airlines Flight 611

Today marks the 20th Anniversary of the midair break-up of China Airlines Flight 611 that killed 225 people, making it the worst air disaster to occur in Taiwanese territory. The crash happened over a month after South Korea's worst air disaster, where a Boeing 767 belonging to Mainland China's national carrier, Air China, crashed on a hill near Busan, killing 129 people. Keep in mind that China Airlines comes from Taiwan, which is where the original Republic of China was exiled to after losing the battle for the Chinese Mainland during the Chinese Civil War, hence the name China Airlines.

Nintendo Switch 5th Anniversary Special Letter

Can you believe that the Nintendo Switch has been around for five years? Some people expected it to fail like the Wii U or the Virtual Boy or the Game Boy Micro, or even expect it to become Nintendo's equivalent of the Sega Dreamcast. But look where the Nintendo Switch is currently right now sales wise. It has successfully overtaken the NES, the SNES, the N64, and even the Wii as the best-selling Nintendo home console of all time.

Unfortunately, because of Nintendo's arrogance, they have made their customers angry. The copyright takedowns being due to their zero tolerance against intellectual property piracy policy seems understandable as copyright infringement has been weaponized by organized crime. However, the closure of the 3DS and Wii U eShops have made the people who want to boycott Nintendo strengthen their resolve to press on with their boycott of Nintendo's products. Even worse is that Nintendo has not fixed the Joy-Con Drift issue, which is making the customer dissatisfaction problem worse.

With all that said, if we all want to boycott Nintendo, maybe consider finding alternatives like Linux or the Steam Deck. If we vote with our wallets, we can force Nintendo to humble themselves and teach them the error of their ways.

A Special Anniversary Message to Square Enix

Today marks the 25th Anniversary of Final Fantasy VII, the game that turned Square Enix and the Sony PlayStation into gaming juggernauts. However, this milestone anniversary came at a time when the fanbase is bitterly divided, and on top of that, during a pandemic.

The Final Fantasy VII Remake and the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, while they were nowhere near the dumpster fire that was Balan Wonderworld, were not worth the customer's money. If Jenova being an ugly penultimate boss in the original Final Fantasy VII was any indication, nobody wants to think about how ugly Jenova will look in the Final Fantasy VII Remake when Cloud and his friends face her as the penultimate boss.

I can understand getting rid of music piracy. But a full scale assault on music piracy is only going to cause people to close their wallets because people see it as an act of war against digital freedom.

Whoever supports leftists will get ostracized, and Square Enix is no exception. Justice for minorities is important, but the leftist methods are not the correct way to do so. Whatever you do, do not donate to leftists, or you will get shunned just like Square Enix.

To be honest, I have never played any Final Fantasy game in my entire life, and I will probably never play a Final Fantasy game in the future years that are yet to come.