Nope, my ACTUAL past loves did not include Hilary Duff, the guitar, music or even Counter-Strike, despite the latter's self-preserving popularity back in the late 1990's. All of these and more paled in comparison to the passion I had for a particular computer game that became a smash hit in 1996, which had a follow-up expansion pack in 1998 that even made it more memorable.
I was an innocent, impressionable young boy who was still fond of playing with toy robots and running around with unbridled energy. I was your normal kid who preferred to hit the books and occasionally play soccer. But then, one fateful weekend changed everything. Being the curious boy that I was (and still am), I sneaked in my uncle'sroom when we visited our grandparents. I noticed my uncle, who was one of my only few "older relatives" who still played video games, tinkering with a game I've never seen before. I asked if I could give the game a try and so he gladly gave me the seat and taught me the basic commands, along with the cheat codes so that I'd have a lesser learning curve. To this day, I cannot imagine how much of a difference that afternoon changed my life.
There's very little not to like about this game. Considered a masterpiece in terms of production values, gameplay mechanics, strategic depth, technological innovation, great storytelling and unwavering fan support that solicits the adoration of a nation (I'm looking at you Korea), it is no wonder that it has garnered critical acclaim. Until now, nostalgic gamers such as myself still keep a copy of the game somewhere stashed in their attics. The game back then was smoothand crisp, with very little 'bug' issues and lag. Playing it either on the 3-tier single player campaign with the Terran, Zerg and Protoss chapters and the addictive multiplayer over Battle.net service, proved to be extremely addictiveto most players. I for one was satisfied playing 1-on-1 with an AI opponent, learning the ropes of Real Time Strategy tactics and war strategies. In essence, I wouldn't learn too of the many thought processes and commands I use in games to this day without getting my a**whooped by a superior enemy computer intelligence. But what made the experience playing the game more enthralling and captivating was the intricate story line. Never has a game (except Warcraft 1 and 2, both also coincidentally created by Blizzard Entertainment) shown such human, flawed and contemplative characters such as Jim Raynor, Sarah Kerrigan, Arcturus Mengsk and Edmund Duke. Even the alien characters, like Tassadar, Zeratul, Zasz the Cerebrate and the Fenix showed that they too had very much in common with their Terran counterparts.
What's the best way to make a great game even better? You add in an incredible expansion pack that is a game in itself. 2 years after the release of the original game, the Brood War expansion pack flooded gaming stores and put the premium back into Starcraft. With an even better story line, resolved balance issues and new units that actually made sense in the greater scheme of things (thank God for medics), it was the first expansion to actually breathe full life into an already aging classic. Not even Red Alert 2, another much-awaited follow-up in a great franchise, could trounce the sales of Brood War. And who could forget the now Infested Kerrigan's unfavorable bitchiness to everyone. She made sure she was everyone's top bitch in our lists.
In spite of the Terran's militaristic demeanor towards combat and their traditional approach to tactics, the Protoss' technological superiority and magic abilities, plus the innovation of the Zerg when it came to hit-and-run tactics were the two aspects of the game that continue to amaze me to this day. I was a die-hard Terran commander, mind you, and I always respected players who were able to weld these sides' best attributes. I never did find another great Terran commander, since my friends often used the other races into impunity. Even my brothers preferred to use the heavy units of the Protoss, due in fact of their advanced armor and shields. In this sense, you could have called me an 'old war junkie', preferring to fight tooth-and-nail.
Now that I'm sitting at the cusps of another Starcraft game (Wings of Liberty), I wonder if my self indulgence recently in producer's playthroughs and cinematic trailers will wear off. Time will tell in my point of view if I will ever grab a copy once again of this amazing title, revived again through 12 years of sheer, hard labor. I, along with the rest of the gaming community, am thrilled to once again be proud of being loyal to a franchise through thick and thin. This doesn't mean I want to live somewhere in North Asia, but all the same, I am as happy as those trigger-happy Koreans. Now, if only I have enough money to upgrade my computer and grab a copy of the game...
