Chapter 1

It was 7:52 A.M. Day had just begun to break within the realm of Fix-it Felix Jr.- not that anyone else would know it, as the background of the poorly rendered 1982 arcade classic remained forever black. Anyone outside of the game's world would simply have to imagine it to be true. Indeed, much of what occurred within was left to the imagination of outsiders. But few could truly imagine what really occurred when the game was over. Who would possibly think that the denizens of Niceland, whose homes were constantly being destroyed, could lead normal lives after hours?

Such, however, was the case, and this particular morning was no different. A cool breeze tickled the trees of Niceland forest. Flocks of birds flew about the dark sky. A pair of them, a couple, broke from their formation, perched on a windowsill atop the Niceland apartment building, and broke into song, much to the delight of the occupant of the room, a blue-clad hero who was just sitting down to his morning quiche.

A knock from within interrupted his breakfast. "Felix!" came the voice of his next-door neighbor, Mary. "Are you getting ready? The arcade opens in five minutes!"

Felix glanced at his wristwatch. Indeed, it was 7:55. "Jiminy jaminy!" he exclaimed. "Wait for me! I'll be down in a few!"

He finished the remainder of his quiche, and went to wash the plate in his outstretched hands. Passing by the singing birds, he became rapt in their song, and began to twirl around, whistling to himself- and in so doing, he lost his grip on the plate, which cracked in two on the kitchen floor.

"Oh dear," he sighed. "Good thing I'm just the man to fix things." With that, he whipped out a small, golden hammer, and gave the broken plate a casual tap. It mended itself instantly.

Felix picked up the newly repaired plate and began to wash it in the kitchen sink. There was a subtle thud against his wall, and the singing of the birds ceased. However, this was unnoticed by Felix, who had finished with the dishes and was admiring his collection of golden medals, which hung from his living room wall. Not until a second, much louder thud was heard and a booming voice exclaimed "Hey, Felix!" did he turn around. The towering figure of his frenemy, Wreck-it Ralph, was standing outside Felix's window.

"Mornin', Ralph," answered Felix. "What can I do you for?"

"Just checkin' to see if you were getting ready," said Ralph. "They'll have the arcade up and running in three minutes, you know."

"Well, I'm on my way down right now," said Felix. "Ready to punch that clock?"

"Oh sure," said Ralph. "But… just so you know, after work I'm going over to Sugar Rush. Y'know, just to give good 'ol 'Nelly a hand for the daily roster race. You can come with, if you want."

"Sure Ralph, that sounds swell! I'd love to."

"Great! Well… meet you downstairs then."

A moment later, Felix grabbed his trusty hammer, and set off for work. It was going to be another long day in the arcade.

…

Nintendo always knew how to create a good game. After all, they'd been doing it for over 30 years, since their first hit, Donkey Kong, became a staple in arcades. And in that time, they established principles of game design that continue to ring true even today. A good game, by these principles, is like an iceberg- what you see on the screen is but the tip. As for the rest, it is up to the player to discover it.

But technology was limited in the early 1980's. There were no side-scrollers, no role-players, no puzzlers. Much of what was left to be discovered within these worlds could only be imagined- and that's just the way Nintendo had intended it to be when they themselves created it. Only the most imaginative players could reap the benefits of poking into every game's nooks and crannies.

For instance, take the 1983 classic Mario Bros., which sat just across the way from Fix-it Felix Jr. inside the arcade. All that the casual observer sees is an underground chasm, with pipes from which the monstrous, turtle-like Koopas appear.

It takes imagination to see the rest of the game's little universe. Almost anyone can see it now, of course, as Nintendo revealed much of it in future games. However, who in 1983 could have guessed what lay above that dimly lit cavern? Who might have conceived a beautiful castle, surrounded by a quaint village? An entire other world to discover? No one could truly see it- all they ever saw was the world below. But the rest of the world, unbeknownst to players, was quite plainly there- even after the game was over.

And on this day, the citizens of this world were abuzz with delight. After all, this was no ordinary day in the realm of the Mushroom Kingdom. Today was the 30th anniversary of the defeat of the evil Koopa Troop at the hands (or rather feet) of its legendary protagonist. To celebrate, a large party was thrown in his honor. The citizens of Toad Town were feasting, music was playing, and fireworks could be seen from all corners of the kingdom as they exploded high above the Mushroom Castle. And yet… a rather important part of the celebration was missing.

"Oh, where is he?" inquired the fair Princess Peach. She was no stranger to the "he" in question- "He" had saved her in countless times of peril. And on this day, this anniversary of their first great adventure- "He" had chosen this day to go missing.

"Don't worry, Princess," a Toad guard reassured her. "He'll be here! He's probably on his way back from his latest defeat of that nasty King Bowser."

"Heh… wouldn't surprise me if he took the wrong pipe again," a second guard snickered.

…

It wasn't a particularly eventful day for the inhabitants of Fix-it Felix Jr. By the end of the day, only a total of two quarters had been spent on the game, and the latter of them had clearly belonged to a novice player. Ralph had defeated Felix with relative ease.

As the Nicelanders retired to their apartments for the night, Felix and Ralph sought out Mayor Gene to inform him of their departure to Sugar Rush.

"We're just going to see the roster race," explained Ralph. "We'll be back."

"Is that so? Well…" Even after all he'd been through, Ralph had not fully won Gene's confidence. "…You two take care of yourselves, then."

With that, Ralph and Felix hopped aboard the next train leaving Fix-it Felix Jr. Within moments, they were off for Game Central Station.