We asked readers to send in their NES memories to mark the 20th anniversary of the North American Nintendo Entertainment System release. Here's one such heartfelt story contributed by Wes.
To my eternal foes at N-sider.com:

I remember the Christmas I got my first NES well. I woke up to the biggest Christmas haul I'd ever had. Granted, I was only five, but I think it still hasn't been topped since then, and that was 17 years ago. I stared in awe at the glorious mountain of Christmasy goodness that lay before me. I bounded to the tree in my Nintendo Power footie pajamas and began tearing into packages. Shark Attack the board game. A talking Peewee Herman doll! There was a Dino-Riders triceratops, with awesome guns all over it and some little dude to ride upon it. A foot soldier and a Mouser were in a package together(Damn I wish I still had that mouser. Apparently it's worth big bucks, these days.). I had it all. Except the ONE thing I actually asked for. A Nintendo Entertainment Center.

I began sulking, and my parents could not console me. In an effort to cheer me up, they urged me to put on my cool new bomber jacket. You know the kind, leather, with wool and jets on the back, patches on the sleeve, and an awesome map inside? But I refused. They persisted, telling me to put it on, and finally they dragged me over to it, and I conceded. I picked up the jacket and began to put it on, and noticed something. There, at my feet, sitting where the jacket was previously, was a glorious monolith. Pictured on this perfectly rectangular prism was none other than the Nintendo I sought. I danced, I sang, I cheered. I demanded that my dad plug it in, and I'm pretty sure I sat there in front of the TV playing Super Mario Bros. and wearing my keen bomber jacket. That was the most kickass Christmas, ever. Enclosed is a picture of me just after opening the box with my Nintendo in it. Note the AWESOME jacket. And on the left side, you can see the instructions my dad is laboring over to install the system. I'm grateful to Nintendo for giving me many happy memories as a child, and they continue to do so now. Hopefully, with the Revolution on the horizon, they can continue that proud tradition. I know I'll be there the day it launches to pick mine up, and be ready to be blown away all over again.

Sincerely,
Wes


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