MFGG is 20 years old!

[GeneralGuy]

Ehhh what's two weeks among friends.

I remember being around for the tenth anniversary, and we were impressed back then that this site was still around - web communities aren't meant to last that long, and given the challenges this place has faced (I mean, Super Mario Maker is essentially direct competition from Nintendo, right?), it's even more extraordinary. The idea that a fan site can be older than many of its users baffles the mind, and yet here we are.

I'm not stopping long, but I might as well tell a story for those who like a bit of history. Shortly after the move from IPB, a retirement home for former MFGG admins (and some other old people) was set up, and I was there for some reason. It lasted a few years before naturally coming to an end (which means we retired from retirement(?)), but it was a really good time with some really good people. I'll probably never meet Shadsy or Kritter or Retriever II or Techokami or Trasher/Kins/Scods in real life, but they are the bestests. There has never been a better topic than "things that exist".

And I like the way I can be at the opposite side of the internet and run into coverage on Sim Refinery. Or Reelism 2. Or sprites I drew fifteen years ago.

Once we looked down on you from our new home and laughed, but we soon got bored once we realised there was nothing to laugh about. I expected this board to implode, but it didn't - it survived. Traditionally forums crash and burn, but this one moved on and became something new - that's insane, so whatever you're doing... keep doing it?


As for me, I fix gaming history on Sega Retro. Did I ever get death threats as admin? Can't remember. I got a marriage proposal once, and spent an afternoon banning people spamming the boards as different types of bread. I blocked "Hovis Best of Both" before the account even got to post - that's a weird highlight. I left some backdoors open on the old boards "just in case", but have since forgotten what they were, so that went well.

ttfn

Hey Black Squirrel! It's really nice to see you again!

Yeah, even 10 years is a big accomplishment for a website. With the rate and direction the internet is growing in favor of social media and centralized platforms at the cost of traditional forums and niche websites, it's really surprising we've lasted this far. Especially with direct competition from Nintendo with Super Mario Maker to satiate that craving for designing unique Mario levels like you mentioned, along with a large portion of our demographic's interest shifting from fangames and ROM hacks to indie games. I expected MFGG to die back in 2010 when The Split happened, but that never occurred. At worst, MFGG went somewhat dormant at times afterwards, but it never died. That is some outstanding resilience. It's crazy to think that MFGG existed years before a lot of our current members were even born.

A retirement home for former MFGG Admins was set up after moving from IPB? That sounds interesting and cozy. Yeah, those guys are awesome, especially ShadowMan and RII. Klobber was really cool too. I remember your tilesets being extremely popular back in the day (are they still? sounds like it) and trying to do that well myself. You were the gold standard.

So you're a gaming historian for Sega Retro? That's really awesome! Historians are a vital part of keeping the legacy of gaming alive and accessible. I'm actually just starting to get into Sonic and Sega in general after being strictly Nintendo my entire life, so I'll definitely check out Sega Retro. Yeah, I really miss the old antics and craziness that transpired on the Taloncrossing forums. What kind of backdoors to the old boards are you talking about? Hopefully you can remember them and resurrect the IPB forums!

You should definitely come by again sometime. MFGG isn't MFGG without Black Squirrel.