Like many of our readers, we grew up with video games. Not the ultra-sophisticated games today like Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto or Skyrim, in which players connected on the web immerse themselves in complex and elaborately drawn worlds, but simple, crude games in which you move your block of pixels around the screen, taking care not to touch other blocks of pixels, or perhaps going out of your way to smash into other blocks of pixels. These simple games were given equally simple names like Breakout, Pitfall, Asteroids and Frogger.
The passage of so many years means it’s hard to recall how many hours of our childhood were dedicated to smashing the rainbow walls of Breakout or trying to get that damned Frogger across the river, but it’s got to be in the “excessive” range. In any case, such memories represent some of the best times of our youths.
Which is why we chose the style of retro video games to illustrate this year’s Best of Maui issue. As we do every year, we’ve asked our readers for their choices on dozens of topics, ranging from who makes the best pizza to who runs the best hardware store. It’s a fun issue, but it’s full of serious information–much like the video games of our youth, which were a joy to play and provided a lot of valuable hand-eye coordination (or so we told our parents).
In any case, have fun with the issue. And remember–the choices in the following pages come from our readers, so feel free to blame yourself for disagreeing with the winners. Then again, that’s what makes Best of Maui so much fun.
WORDS:
Anthony Pignataro (@apignataro)
Jen Russo (@jenrusso)
Marina Satoafaiga (@sandtothecity)
Rebecca Nakashima (@beccanaka)
PHOTOS:
Sean M. Hower
DESIGN:
Darris Hurst
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