Morgan Hill Library - Mario Through The Ages - March 22nd
Mario Through the Ages: Five Decades of Video Game Art & Science
Experience the progression of video game art and science as seen through Nintendo’s iconic “Mario” character! This presentation touches on all aspects of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) through its entertaining storytelling-style and lively graphics. Afterwards, you are invited to play with a wide range of classic video game consoles featuring nearly five decades of games starring Mario. A definite “1 Up” experience for all!
The Retro Roadshow had the honor of presenting and exhibiting Mario Through the Ages: Five Decades of VideoGame Art & Science in a room surrounded by an abundant amount of blossoming trees at the Morgan Hill Library on Saturday, March 22nd. Approximately 148 attendees came through the room between 2:00 - 5:00 PM!
Our evening meal after the blockbuster event took us to Maurizio’s Restaurant and OMG… the soft warm bread with the flavorful whole garlic cloves in warm garlic oil, the polenta al gorgonzola, the cannelloni de carne, and the tortellini con prosciutto… as my Hawaii family would say, “it broke da mouth!” I’m in food coma just thinking about it! Huxley and I ate dinner on the patio, while debriefing under the stars and string of lights. Unfortunately, Rhyal wasn’t able to make this event and did we feel his absence! We knew how much the kids would’ve enjoyed his presence as well.
We hadn’t spent much time in Morgan Hill before, so it was a roadtrip we were looking forward to! And I have to acknowledge that luscious green hill that serves as a backdrop for the Morgan Hill Library - it was such a serene sight to behold!
Not only was the serene green hill a sight to behold, but the Morgan Hill community of families that were in attendance for this Retro Roadshow was humbling. There were several kids who asked Huxley insightful questions during the presentation, confirming that his storytelling-style was engaging. Mario tends to bring a lot of younger children to our events and we appreciated that they were calm and gentle with the exhibits. They even knew to form a line behind the console they wanted to play! It hasn’t been concern at other events, but it’s always so fascinating to see kids self-regulate.
As I was wandering the room, a mom came up to me and said that these consoles are her jam. She thought it was HILARIOUS that her daughter kept telling her, “ I just don’t get your games, Mom!”
We met Sig and Becky who happened to stop by the library that day and came upon the event. He’s a retired engineer and had a great time sharing with Huxley that he still has his IMSAI 8080 and 8” floppy disks. Becky said she remembered buying the Atari 2600 and that Adventure was her game. “It sure brings back a lot of memories!”
A college student shared with us that she and her Uncle would “punch” each other over who got to play the Nintendo first. “He’s gone now, but it’s a fun memory.”
We also met our first regular attendees - P & K. They attended one of our events and loved what we were doing and had to come to another one. They made it a point to tell us that they were looking forward to attending our event in Milpitas.
And on a professional level, I received a compliment which cemented in my mind that I’m on the right path with The Retro Roadshow. Alan who attended with his wife Kathy and daughters Zoe and Olive stated that we delivered a polished presentation, looked professional with our polo shirts, and did a terrific job branding with our logos and colors. I just about cried from his acknowledgement! I felt so seen in that moment.
Huxley had a few tear-jerking moments as well. Several of his co-workers attended and they had positive feedback all around. He was so touched that they made the trek over to Morgan Hill to see him. Huxley spent quite a bit of time over by the Game Boy Camera exhibit. It was such a huge hit! As seen in the carousel of pics above, people were lined up to get their photo taken and printed on thermal paper. What touched him so much were the kids asking to take a photo with him. He clarified again and again if they wanted him in the photo or just to press the button to take the picture and they wanted him to be in it! Huxley was dumbfounded and so moved by them.
Time after time, we had parents tell us how much they appreciated that we brought our personal collection to share with the Morgan Hill community and provided an opportunity for them to share their childhood with their own progeny. “Oh man… this is my childhood!”and “this is so very cool!” echoed throughout the day along with laughter and smiles full of nostalgia. This is the stuff Huxley, Rhyal, and I live for and makes the time and effort worth it.
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Thank you to everyone who made some time to chat with us! We really loved hearing your stories, partaking in your nostalgia, and creating a festive community. So, don’t let it be your last Retro Roadshow event - follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or on our Events Page on this website. Thank you to all who experienced this Retro Roadshow event!
In the month of March, the Santa Clara County Library District hosted The Retro Roadshow for three contracted events at their Cupertino, Morgan Hill, and Milpitas libraries. Special thanks to Cheryl Lee (Library Services Manager), Brandy Maldonado (Adult and Teen Supervising Librarian - Morgan Hill), Shannon Sullivan, the support staff and librarians who helped Hannah set up the room and counted the number of attendees, and our on-site liaison Hannah Clement (Adult and Teen Services Librarian - Morgan Hill) whom I could spend hours chatting with on so many fascinating topics. Thank you SCCLD for a spectacular spring!