Major props to NES Omnibus contributing writer and popular YouTuber "The Immortal" John Hancock, who is closing
in on 100,000 subscribers. John has been at it for many years and has an
amazing video game collection (so many complete sets!) that will one day form
the basis of a video game museum (it took decades for The National Video Game Museum in Texas to come together), most likely somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.
Speaking of, it’s always great seeing John at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo, where
he has showed off complete collections of the NES and Sega Genesis. A nice guy
all around, John was a good sport and spoke with enthusiasm as I interviewed him
about his Genesis collection. At that same show, he did me a huge favor,
helping make the trip possible.
John is a good
friend, works hard as a teacher, and is a devoted family man. His NES Omnibus
stories reveal a happy childhood with a loving family who would rent games
together on the weekends. Recently, John invited me onto his YouTube channel to
talk about the NES—it was great fun!
Here’s a sneak peak at one of John’s stories in The NES Omnibus: The
Nintendo Entertainment System and Its Games, Volume 1 (A–L). It’s about Ice
Hockey.
It was the summer of 1988, and our family was taking our weekly drive
into town to rent a movie and a game. Our local selection was limited, but
there were always a few new NES titles available. As I walked into the rental
store, I was disappointed to notice that most of the NES games had already been
rented. My family selected a movie and were waiting on me to decide what to
get. The rule in my house was that if I
took too long to decide, then I couldn’t rent a game. It came down to Operation
Wolf and Ice Hockey. I took a gamble on Ice Hockey, and it turned out to be a
great choice. I spent that afternoon playing it against my older brother. The
gameplay was fast and furious and easy to get into. The hours melted away as we
played countless games against each other into the night. We played so much Ice
Hockey that my parents, later that year, surprised us with it as a “brother’s
gift,” one I will never forget. - “The Immortal” John Hancock, YouTube personality
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