As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the world at large, many countries have declared a state of emergency, with Japan being one of them. The Japanese government has urged families to stay indoors to decrease the spread of the disease, but many children are still playing outside. Thus, the Japan Retro Game Association has come up with an ingenious way of keeping kids indoors.
The Japan Retro Game Association is a company in Japan that specializes in maintaining older game consoles and archiving various pieces of gaming history. This includes magazine articles, memorabilia, and all kinds of retro hardware from the 80s and 90s. The company has made several convention appearances in Japan and has been active for over eight years now.
In an attempt to keep kids indoors, the Japan Retro Game Association is giving away one hundred free Super Famicoms to local Japanese families. Known as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in North America, the Super Famicom is one of the most influential video game consoles ever created. With an extensive library of games to choose from, the Super Famicom was and in many ways remains an essential console for all video game enthusiasts.
Applicants must be living in a home with a child that is under sixteen years old and must also be able to pay the postage fees. In turn, the family will receive the Super Famicom itself, the adapter, the cable, one controller, and two free games. The games in question are beloved 2-D platformer Donkey Kong Country and the critically acclaimed JRPG Final Fantasy 6.
In these uncertain times, it's nice to see how so many companies and organizations are giving back to others. This might just be an attempt to keep children inside during quarantine, but it also gives the children of this generation a chance to experience some of the best that the world of retro gaming has to offer.
Though, the Japan Retro Game Association is not the first to have done something like this. Several game companies have begun to offer free content as a means of keeping people at home. Sony recently announced its Play at Home Initiative, which offers two free games to all PlayStation 4 owners. Hopefully, everyone will be able to get through this difficult time.
Source: Kotaku