Thursday is National Video Games Day, and Matt Blake is looking forward to a Mega event.
The Brockville man is the force behind the Mega Man Fan Realm project, a website that aims to celebrate the legacy of an iconic gaming character.
Blake plans to use that website for some giveaways on Sept. 12, the day on which gamers across North America celebrate their passion.
Blake is particularly fond of Mega Man, the video game character first introduced in 1987, created by the Japanese game developer Capcom for Nintendo. It has grown to include multiple editions (Mega Man 11 was released last October), as well as comic books, collectibles and television shows.
The game centres on the science fiction trope of corrupted robots. The backstory involves an android named Rock, who agrees to be converted into a fighting robot to defend the world against his fellow creations, who have been made violent after being reprogrammed by the treacherous Dr. Wily.
“There’s still a very prominent and loyal fan base up to this day,” said Blake.
He finds something compelling about a video game character who is a reluctant superhero, using his newfound abilities to defend peace in the word by battling what are, essentially, his siblings.
It’s also a story of perseverance, something gamers can appreciate.
“The games are renowned for being relentlessly hard,” said Blake.
On his fan page, he adds: “I read legions of comments from Mega Man fans on various forums, and it is clear that Mega Man truly means a lot to so many people. It has had a profound impact on fans and truly makes them happy. Celebrating this passion is extremely rewarding.”
The page has gained a respectable following since its launch in August 2018; Blake has also used it for charitable purposes.
The character of Mega Man vows to “keep on fighting for peace for both humans and robots!”
Blake hopes Thursday’s gaming celebration will keep that spirit alive… for now, at least, among humans.
Rzajac@postmedia.com
