Flashback Friday: Zar's Revenge!

Do you remember that one time you were just about about to destroy a difficult boss but then it bested you instead? Or how about that time you were so close to clearing an area but fell short not once, or twice but thrice? You refused to put the controller down because you knew you could do it! That was frustrating enough but that chuckle you heard from your sibling or loved one watching you while you failed did not make things easier. That's the part you remember most of all, isn't it? Why would they laugh at you? Because they're loveable jerks, that's why! But no matter because they decided to pick that controller at some point too or stuck around while you played, didn't they? And that's when you exacted your revenge… Welcome back to Flashback Friday Funtimes!

Tales of Payback #1: My Father

When he's not laughing at my expertise in dying, my Dad often enjoys watching me play action games. Our favourite bonding moment of his was when I played the God of War series. However, there was that initial hesitation in watching me play yet another game when he recalled what happened to him during Uncharted 2. When I broke out Uncharted 2 in the months prior, he became very interested by the ridiculousness of it all. The explosions, the countless enemies, and the witty exchanges between Drake and Sully were as fun for him as it was for me. 

That is, of course, until too many camera turns chased him away. He very quietly went to the bathroom and lost his dinner due to motion sickness. So, how did I get my revenge for his laughing at me during that time I repeatedly failed to cross the train in Final Fantasy VII? I guess I didn't (unless you call my poor helicopter chasing skills into question but that was completely unintentional!). I still feel really sorry to this day that he got that sick.

Okay, well at least I exacted revenge on my brother for all those nights he threw me into zombie hell when we were younger, right?

Tales of Payback #2: My Brother 

It was another 2 a.m. stint that found Chris and Sheva gunning their way through the infected in Resident Evil 5. There were lickers to the right of me! Lickers to the left! With my magnum in hand, I blasted my way to safety and pulled whatever switch to advance the game.

My brother was less fortunate. 

"I'll stay down here and pick them off with my sniper rifle!", he exclaimed valiantly.

Right. 

Sure. Just go ahead and leave me up there with lickers chasing me as you did so many years ago with the undead at my heels when we played the earlier installments in the franchise.

Oh, but what's this? 

Suddenly, lickers began swarming the bottom area where he thought he was safe. That's right! The joke's on you, brother! 

Alright, so this situation was more that things just turned out bad for him than it is I got him back on my own. But at least when I ran to his aid, I was laughing hysterically the entire time.

But what about my sister? Surely, I gave her well-deserved payback for "soundtracking" my demise in Jak II? You know, the bit where I had to run from the spiders and she sweetly sang Coldplay's "Trouble" while the spiders ate my life away? 

Tales of Payback #3: My Sister

I paid her back, literally. In the original Animal Crossing, I did my sister the kindness of almost paying off for her house. It was her birthday in life and in game, when she received birthday mail from me. The idea was for me to leave her with 5 bells on her Animal Crossing house loan. And how would she pay that back? Easily, of course! All she would have to do was sell the cockroach I gifted her for the 5 bells she owed Nook. I'm not sure how I worked that out and something tells me I ended up not doing so but I do recall paying off her loan in some fashion.

Wait. 

Where's the revenge in that?

Oh, how about this then! 

When we started playing The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition on the 3DS, it was finally my chance! I got to the edge of a pit after slipping and sliding my way through a hellish ice dungeon, when she came up behind me and slashed me with her sword causing me to fall into the dark depth of doom.

...Let's try this one more time.

We spent countless hours playing Chocobo Racing. I liked playing as a Moomba and sometimes a Moogle. She enjoyed being the pretty white, flying mage. I would collect those little fire materia projectiles and power up my attack before unleashing it. She, in turn, would happily collect the ice materia. Around the bend I would come, giving chase with the sole intent of releasing an overpowered fireball when SPLAT! Magnificent spin outs of my racer always followed. Why? That jerk of a sister of mine would throw her powered up ice spell all over the track thereby effectively creating a huge sheet of ice on the road causing me to land on my face! 

She called her speciality "piddling". 

…

Well then, it seems I never actually exacted my revenge on any of them. I remain the laughing stock to this day. But that's okay too. Despite the moments of sickness, the playful mutterings of idle threats and the heated outbursts; these are some of the best times that will be cherished forever.

But mark my words! One day I shall get my revenge on my beloved family members! From this day forward, this will now be a life goal of mine. 

That's correct, I like to set my achievements incredibly high.