Being a pro gamer is the dream for many an aspiring gamer. In some cases, you need to learn things the hard way in order to achieve your dreams.
This was quite the case in one particular household in Japan, where a father and son were playing a couple of rounds on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Nintendo Switch’s latest hit fighting game featuring characters from flagship Nintendo franchises such as Sonic, Mario, Legend of Zelda, and more.
According to the father, who goes by @amour_rapid on Twitter, the son professed his desire to be in the pro-gaming industry, only to be utterly demolished in Smash Bros. by his father. After which, the son was reduced to tears, and shortly after @amour_rapid took to Twitter (now protected probably due to the backlash he got from other Twitter users) to declare the news of his son’s thorough thrashing.
Naturally, the Internet responded in differing tones, with one camp standing by the father’s side for showing his son the disparity in his current skill level to what being a pro gamer might have, and what it might possibly take for the son to achieve said level of skill.
On the other hand, Twitter denizens such as @isikusu expressed their disdain at such a method of parenting, decrying the father’s actions as too harsh and served only to discourage the son from pursuing a potential career in pro gaming rather than to be a supportive parent and fuel that desire. Here’s what he said:
プロゲーマーになるって言い出した子どもをボコボコにした話、ちょっといい話っぽく受け止められてる感じするけど、子どもが夢を語った途端に本気で現実見せに来る大人、しかもそれが親だったら、俺なら勝てないことより大人不審で泣くよ。子どもの夢を親が即座に摘んでどうするの
— 一石楠耳＠異世界二回転と剣脚商売の作者 (@isikusu) December 25, 2018
What @isikusu was stating here was, in essence, that a child should be allowed to experience what it would feel like to enjoy what they would eventually end up doing as a career (in this case to be a pro gamer), rather than having to be subject to the meat grinder of knowing what it means to lose right away.
Regardless of the stance of how good @amour_rapid’s brand of parenting is, that was quite the impassioned response to a child’s fledgeling passions. Who knows, this beatdown might actually serve to fill up this young boy’s Final Smash Meter, giving him the courage to propel him into the gaming industry.
Or not.
Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.
Kevin Low
Si Jia
