NOTE: This piece was originally published October 2nd 2015 on the now defunct swedish leg of IGN.
It was written by yours truly in swedish and has been machine translated by ChatGPT and reworked for an international audience. Please enjoy.
You know when meeting a good friend you haven't seen in years, how you can just sit down and hang out as if no time has passed, as if it's been mere days since you last saw each other? That's how it was with me and my friend.
Over the years we'd met sporadically, a night now and then, but unfortunately as of late we never really managed to spend time together as often as we used to about fifteen years ago. Still, all of a sudden, we'd reconnect as usual. We'd sit down and play a game together, just like we used to. Maybe a 2D shooter... She used to love those.
Please forgive me.
This is hard for me.
I mean, I like 2D shooters too. Maybe not as much as she did, but then again, she was amazing at them. I, on the other hand, suck. Sometimes, I'd just sit and watch her play on her own. I was always amazed at how she made the spaceship glide across the screen like it was nothing at all, dodging the inferno of bullets the enemies sprayed.
I'd usually suggest switching to a fighting game so we could play together, like Street Fighter Zero 3. She had one of those expansion cartridges that let you play foreign games, so Japanese imports weren't a problem. I always picked Ryu - maybe because he was the character I could handle best. You know, Hadoken and all that stuff.
Sigh.
Anyway, she was amazing at 2D games.
Better than me and most people I know.
The other day, I thought we'd hang out again. It had been a year or so since the last time, but that usually didn't matter. Old friends, you know. But this time, when we met, something was different.
I'd bought a new Japanese game, a 3D platformer starring a ninja penguin. Apparently, it was based on some anime. As I was putting the disc in, I noticed something was wrong.
She was sick. She was coughing and wheezing terribly. I wondered what was going on, but she ensured it was nothing. Insisting we should just keep playing. She, who used to sing and glee at the thought of gaming, was now completely silent as we played. Except for the coughing, that is.
That damn coughing will haunt my dreams forever.
Suddenly, the penguin on the screen stopped moving. It wouldn't budge. I looked at her, and she just stared back. No sound. No reaction. And then I realized.
She died. Right in front of me. My wonderful friend, who had been by my side all these years. Suddenly lifeless. I didn't know what to feel. Deep down, I'd known this day would come eventually. She was twenty years old, after all. But still, a massive hole was carved into my heart, leaving me cold as I sat there on the floor in a lotus position beside her. I turned off the power and let out a heavy sigh.
Rest in peace.
My dear Sega Saturn.