The Legend of Zelda comes to Rome

The Legend of Zelda Day is celebrated throughout Nerdom on February 21st, the day on which the game in the golden cartridge was first released to the public in Japan in 1986 on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Even so, some of us here in the Eternal City will celebrate the Legend of Zelda Day early (or, perhaps, late) as we attend The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses this evening in a one-time performance in Rome.

After following closely the devastating attacks in Paris Friday night (I was up until after 1:00 a.m. Saturday morning trying to discern what happened and didn't sleep well again last night), I am very much looking forward to this light-hearted and excellent audio and visual delight (I attended a performance in St. Louis just before returning to Rome).

If you are a fan of this video game series and the symphony comes to your area, I cannot recommend attending it enough. You won't be disappointed.

Nerding out at the symphony with Zelda in St. Louis- and Rome

When I returned to the mainland from my Hawaiian holiday in mid-September, a friend collected me at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis to take me to something of a nerdfest, as I think such things are called.

Just two hours after my flight was scheduled to land, a concert was to begin at Powell Hall of The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses,  a symphonic presentation of some of the music from The Legend of Zelda video games through the years and on various systems.

It was an experience I was very much looking forward to, even though I have only played The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link on the NES and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the SNES (I lost interest when the games left the overhead view). So much do I enjoy the Zelda video games that the main theme from the original The Legend of Zelda is the ringtone on my cell phone (which makes people smile whenever it rings).

What especially struck me about this performance was the composition of the audience. There were, perhaps, five empty seats at the concert I attended, one added to the schedule to an (unforeseen?) demand. The average age of those in attendance must have been between 25 and 28 and some 80% of the audience was male. Attendees were dressed in anything from good suits to shorts and t-shirts (of some relation to the games, of course!); some even dressed as characters from the games (more than I expected would do so). The general atmosphere was light-hearted and fun and the concert was most enjoyable.

Though the music came mostly from the newer games (that is, the games I have not played), I thoroughly enjoyed the concert because Koji Kondo, the composer of the music for the game series, has maintained certain themes throughout the series. That, and because corresponding images from the games were projected onto a screen above the orchestra. The concert brought back many happy memories from childhood.

As I watched my fellow Zelda fans file into their seats, it occurred to me that young people will attend concerts, if an orchestra or symphony plays music that they know and like. It seems I am not the only to take notice of this.

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article explaining how videogames are saving the symphony orchestra, with a special mention of The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, which performed last night on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert:

You can imagine my delight - and my surprise - when I saw this tweet from the symphony a few days ago:

Rome wasn't built in a day, but the Zelda Symphony will only be there for a day! We return to Italy on Nov. 15: http://t.co/eC6Yl7jVKM

— Zelda Symphony (@zeldasymphony) October 9, 2015

Naturally, I spread the word among the priests with whom I live and five of us will attend this concert here in the Eternal City (I bought the tickets earlier today). If you have the opportunity to attend this concert somewhere close to where you live, I highly recommend it.

I love the Holy Father

Thom, of Ad Dominum, and who recently moved, passed along this hilarious video:



If you don't laugh at this, you must be near death.

Oh, and don't forget to vote in my little poll. One vote per person, please.

A new temptation

Yesterday evening the soccer team gathered for another "pasta night." At these evenings, some of the boys' parents team up and provide pasta, salad and drinks for the boys. The pasta nights are great fun and I think everyone looks forward to them; we try to have one each week during the season.

Last night most of the boys gathered in the basement of the house where there was a Play Station 3. Hearing the noise from the game and having played video games for most of my life (I got my first job because I played video games) I went downstairs to see what they were playing.

As I rounded a corner I thought I heard the whurr (sp?) of a lightsaber, and I did.

The controller was soon passed to me and I did decently well, considering it was my first time at this game, whose title I don't recall, and that I hadn't played a video game with a controller in quite a long time.

In this game you can use the force to knock enemies away from you, which was most popular with the boys. They kept yelling, "Use the force!" But I preferred to use my lightsaber, which caused more damage and killed the enemies faster; it seemed logical enough to me. But there is a trick, apparently, to using the weapon of the Jedi.

I chased a trooper to the edge of a platform that had no railing and, as I swung my lightsaber to deliver the final blow, both he and I fell to our doom. I guess I forgot to back up a step before making that last stroke.

Back in college, my roommate and good friend - the one who unexpectedly popped in for a visit some time ago - and I played video games together and one of our favorites was a Star Wars game. Playing the game last night brought back many enjoyable and happy memories.

In any event, my demise was of great amusement to the boys and I suspect I'll hear about it again at some point.

I had a blast down there and I stayed for a bit before returning to the parish for a meeting.

At one point some of the boys asked if I played video games and were surprised to learn that I still have a Play Station (the original) and enjoy games a lot. I don't, however, have it hooked up because video games can be rather addicting.

But after playing yesterday I'm very tempted to hook the old system up again.

Votes needed

Today I wore a The Legend of Zelda (the original Nintendo Entertainment Systemt one) t-shirt with Link on it to soccer practice.

It prompted a bit of a debate as to which video game is the best, The Legend of Zelda or Super Mario bros.

Would you be so kind as to offer your vote in the poll on the right. I'll keep the poll up through Sunday and give the results to the boys on Monday before our game. Thanks!

A new toy?

Saturday evening I called my cousin - who is only seventeen days older than I - a belated happy birthday because she had just turned thirty.

I wish we lived closer together because she is always a great deal of fun to be with.

As we talked, I mentioned my latest health fun with my blood pressure. At the same time she mentioned she just bought a new video game that sounded really fun (I received my first job in high school because I played video games).

I still love to play video games, mostly role-playing or medieval strategy games, but don't very often because I can play from 7:00 a.m. to Midnight without really stopping and not really notice how long I've played. Honestly, I haven't played one in about a year. Maybe even more.

I mentioned I'd been using an eliptical machine at the local gym, where I also swim, (I haven't been this week because of the mission) and that I read a book at the same time (right now it's Saint Thomas More's A Man Born Again). She suggested I get a Nintendo DS, that way I can play a video game while I exercise. A stroke of genius!

One of my students saw me reading on the eliptical machine last week and can't quite fathom how I can read and "run" at the same time. I can't fathom how he can't. Playing a video game and running at the same time ought to really baffle him.

I like her suggestion both because it would limit the time I could play each day and would be very enjoyable at the same time. It wouldn't surprise me if a bit of gaming each day would help lower my blood pressure.

And so I have this question: do any of you - or your children - have a Nintendo DS? If so, what do you think of it?

Now that I think about it, my blood pressure wasn't this high when I was playing video games...