🎮💡 Mega Man, Mini Me, and the Lessons I Almost Missed

Fatherhood Reflections from a 106° Day

The other day, my son turned six years old. A few days before that, he lost his two front teeth. It was one of those little life milestones that hit you gently and powerfully at the same time.

He’s a really good kid. Honestly, he reminds me of myself when I was younger — but even better. He’s smart, sharp, funny, slick, brave, and always asking questions. It’s like I’m watching a remix of myself with upgraded features, but still fully him. If you’ve ever seen him in action, it’s pretty hilarious.

He’s deep into video games right now. I try to keep him away from mindless button-mashers and instead introduce him to games that require skill, timing, and strategy. He’s taken a real liking to the classic 8-bit and 16-bit era — the golden days. Think Mega Man, Kirby, Contra, Double Dragon, and of course, Sonic.

Now here’s where things get interesting...

After I got out of work the other day, he casually told me,

“I beat Mega Man X1 yesterday and X2 today.”

I heard him. But I didn’t listen. My mind was spinning, stuck in to-do lists and responsibilities. And to make it worse, my AC went out in the minivan while it was 106° outside. I was heated — literally and emotionally. Windows down, sweat pouring, watching everyone else enjoy their cool breeze while I’m gripping the wheel like a monk in training.

But once I cooled off (figuratively), I sat upstairs to do some work. My son followed me and mentioned the games again. This time, I actually tuned in. I pulled up some gameplay of Mega Man X1 and X2 on YouTube, then did a little reading.

Turns out, these games aren’t easy — not even for teens or adults. They require patterns, strategy, timing, and quick reflexes to defeat some of the bosses. The fact that my 6-year-old figured all that out — on a keyboard, not even a controller — really blew my mind.

I thought back to how we used to play. Joysticks. Gamepads. No mods, no walkthroughs, no YouTube tutorials. And here’s my son using just keys on a laptop, and crushing it.

So now I’m curious. I’m going to run a little experiment. I’ll get the same Mega Man games for our PS4, sit him down, and see if he can replicate the same results using a controller. Maybe we’ll compare ease of use, comfort, and performance. Maybe that opens a study. Maybe that opens opportunity.

See, he’s already asking about editing, wants to do more on the computer, and I want to support that. But I’m also cautious — his brain, his eyes, his body — all still developing. I’m navigating that balance: support his gifts, protect his growth.

This post is really just me processing all of this, and maybe you’ve felt it too — that mix of pride, curiosity, worry, wonder. If you’ve experienced something similar with your kids or students, or if you’ve got insights or tools you’d recommend... I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading and walking with us.

Peace.