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I’ve met hundreds of people through the StreetPass Mii Plaza application on the Nintendo 3DS, and I’m an unreasonable jerk to just one guy. I’ve never talked to him before, so I have no idea what he’s really like. But we’re acquaintances through this simple, inter-console social-media service. Now, whenever our handhelds swap data and our Mii characters cross paths, I decide to be kind of mean. It’s an ongoing joke … one that I don’t even know if he’s aware of.
His Mii character has shown up in my plaza about four times now. This means that Mr. X (I’ll keep him anonymous) and I go to several of the same video game events. And each time his goofy little avatar shows up in my courtyard, he asks me what I think of him.
Mii Plaza allows for two possible answers: “Fantastic!” or “OK, I guess.”
I typically choose the former for all of my newfound 3DS friends but always the latter for Mr. X. Then I see his little Mii face get all sad as he walks away. I think it’s hilarious. Why? Because I’m a dick.
Actually, I have a silly rationale for this.
When I first digitally met Mr. X, his Mii’s catchphrase was something like, “I miss snaking.” That’s a reference to an exploit in the Mario Kart games where players would constantly use the corner-drifting boost on straightaways. The newer installments in the series don’t allow for such shenanigans, which I appreciate since I thought it was kind of a cheap thing to do.
So when I read this guy’s longing for that sneaky move, I made up my mind that he was someone I would never say is “Fantastic.” Is that unreasonable? I think not, because who says that? I get that other 3DS owners are more likely to understand such an obscure Mario Kart reference (hell, I did), but that “I’m so hardcore, and this game is holding me back” type of comment sounded a little too pretentious to me.
After looking Mr. X up on Google, however, he seems like a talented, decent guy who’s in tune with the industry and is a significant part of the local gaming community. So if he happens to read this, I just want him to know that none of my coldness is intended as a personal attack, just a little lighthearted fun. Plus, I really appreciate all of the Mii Plaza puzzle pieces I’ve received from him over the past year.
When I inevitably meet Mr. X in person, I have no doubt that my opinion of him will improve. My Mii, on the other hand, will probably keep saying that he’s simply OK … I guess.
