I outgrew outgrowing Nintendo a long time ago. Part of growing up is becoming secure enough in one's own maturity to not be ashamed of "childish" things.

I love my Wii!!!

I am a proud player of Nintendo Games. There's nothing to be ashamed of.

I have converted a few non Nintendo gamers to our side (thanks to New Super Mario Bros and Mario Kart on Wii and DS)

That's sad. Even in my most naive teenage years, I never felt ashamed to be playing Nintendo games. They're just as much for older people as all those H-core shooters are.

Nope, lol. It never occoured to me to be ashamed.

I know more about videogames than anyone I have ever encountered in a gamestop, so maybe that's one reason. Another reason is that I'm pretty respectful of my own opinion.

Maybe it's just my personality, but it kinda pisses me off to think there are people who would look down on a grown man for buying a Mario game. It's the most popular franchise in the world, and one of the highest rated and best games of all time....ignorant generalizations made by store employees or my less than knowledgable friends not withstanding.

What sounds better to a chick? "I'm playing Call of Duty," or, "I'm playing Mario."

Heck, she may even want to watch you play it/play it with you. :)

One thing about me though, is that games don't really have genres in my eyes. Just like music. I don't really distinguish rap from classical, or kiddy from adult.

To me, there is good music, and bad music. That's it. Only two genres.

Same for games. Good games and bad games.

While I tend to get excited over a few franchises and IPs more than others, that doesn't mean that I'm not always open minded about what I play, and always critical of bad games no matter what genre they are in.

...so, yes, if Mario is a "good" game then I have no shame. However, I'd be very ashamed to buy, say Haze.

no.  there games are not exactly the games I would usually play, but if someone set a ds, or wii in front of me and told me I could play it, I would, without the slightest hesitation. a games a game at the end of the day.  as long as it meets the criteria for being a game, it has to be fun, (or educational). I still take my game boy colour out every now and then and play zelda or pokemon. last time I done it my dad laughed at me and I laughed at him because I felt he was the ignorant for only accepting shooters as acceptable games.

No.

I'm 36 years old.  I don't see some games as being more "Mature" than others.  Playing Dragon Age or Call of Duty doesn't make me more mature.  Playing Poképark or Excitebike doesn't make me less mature. 

And I believe that in the eyes of non-gamers, video games as a whole are either mature or immature.  There is no distinction. 

When I buy a game system, I look for the most 'toy'-looking version.  My GameCube is purple.  My PSP is green.  My GBA is blue.  My DS Lite is white and I don't like it because some people don't even understand it's a video game.  They think it's an electric dictionary, or a really, really, really small MacBook.

If there is a woman I'm interested in, that I've met on the train or wherever, I'll actually take out my NDS and show it to her (or PSP, or GBA).  How she reacts is a big test.  Some will be turned off right away.  Some will feign interest then change the topic.  Some will be genuinely interested, and some will talk excitedly and pull out an NDS of their own!

True Story:  I have an ex-girlfriend who was a friend of my roommate's.  The first time she came to my place, we played Mario Kart for many hours.  We played every track of the GameCube version twice, then when I asked her what she wanted to do next, she said "more Mario Kart" and we continued to play even more.  Within a week we were dating, and within two weeks we were officially a couple.

So no, I'm not ashamed of playing Nintendo games.  I'm proud to have a hobby that I enjoy, one that I can share with others.

No way, I boast about playing Nintendo games....they're the jam.