Back in 1988, my parents bought me the Nintendo Entertainment System, it came bundled with two controllers and a copy of Super Mario Bros. I can still remember seeing the little 8-bit plumber seek out hidden mushrooms and stomp Goombas. From then on I was hooked, I became a Japanophile and didn’t even know it. Ninja Gaiden, The Legend of Zelda (yes I still have my gold cartridge, no I’m not selling it), Metroid, Castlevania, all games of my childhood and as I grew older, reasons that I became fascinated not only by the lush imaginary worlds within the games but the people who made these games in a distant and magical land known as Japan.
Victor Lucas of Electric Playground came up with the idea for Gamers Heart Japan as a way to get like minded individuals from within the gaming community to come together and raise desperately needed aid to the Japanese relief effort. The one-hour special gave viewers an opportunity to hear from the industry’s top men and women talk about some of the Japanese games that directly or indirectly inspired them to turn their love of a hobby into a passionate career.
On March 11th, the world changed forever for the roughly 126.4 million people of Japan. Gamers Heart Japan is doing but a small part to raise much needed aid for the people of Japan. Gamers ♥ Japan and damn it so does the Noisecast.
Gamers Heart Japan aired on television on April 3rd on the G4 network in the US but the full one-hour special is available on their website, Gamers Heart Japan. Please consider donating to the Red Cross if you can.
Source: Gamers Heart Japan
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