Passing It Down to the Generations

If only we got to experience Pac Man
 like this as children.

My boyfriend and I took our kids to the Art of Video Games exhibit at the Smithsonian this weekend. We really wanted a chance to share our memories - and in a large way our heritage - with our youngins, and in some ways the show allowed us to do just that. Both of them got to play Pac Man and Flower on giant project screens, and then took a tour listening to stories about all of the different consoles we grew up with, to include not only NES, Genesis and the original Playstation, but even Commodore 64 and Colecovision (though now that I think of it, was the Atari even there?).

The exhibit was fun and a nice trip down memory lane for us 30-something gamers. But if I had any complaint, it would be at the brevity. I think all told the exhibit was about two large rooms, maybe three. And while the consoles were on display with a few images, there wasn't really any art. I think, in my head, I was expecting framed prints of landscapes, characters, and iconic pieces of lore (like the bob-omb) to adorn the walls so that we could share our personal memories with our offspring. Instead, I felt like it was more of a scientific reverie on what once was and what now there is. Surprisingly, there wasn't a little addendum about "what could be," either.

I wouldn't say that it was a waste of time, and I think I'd like to go again to explore a bit more in detail without the munchkins. But I did think the entire exhibit could have been so much more.

Now I just need to find a new way to share all the oldies but goodies with the wee ones.

Braaaaiiiinnn Food: What bits of nostalgia would you want to share with your kids?