I mean, I didn’t take notes or anything, but given how much I played, looking back I think it was some sort of coping mechanism. Moving can be tough on kids.

It’s been a few years now since they died and I still think of my little furry ones as part of my family and talk about them fairly regularly. Having photos of them pop up on our TV slideshow helps keep them alive on our hearts. I’m sorry for and understand your loss and hope their memory brings you more joy than pain. Beautiful pals

Wow, I totally forgot about this one. I used to play it all the time when I was a kid. I think I bonded with it because my family moved to California around that time and I had trouble fitting in (a-la Daniel-san), so I think partially it was my way of simulating being a native as silly as that sounds. Anyway, I had the NES version, but your write-up is making me want to try a Sega ROM of it. Thanks for the nostalgia blast!