Coming home from college means returning to our childhood homes and returning to our roots.

For me, it was returning to my childhood video games.

Growing up, I was an only child. I switched schools twice, and my best friend from across the street moved away when we were in the fourth grade. (She moved back about four years later.) I grew accustomed to spending a lot of time with myself as I got older.

It wasn’t long until I discovered video games. Playing text-based games like Hamtaro, Animal Crossing, and Harvest Moon kept me company, giving me the sense of having someone to talk to, while also passing the time in a fun manner.

A few days after getting home, I dug through a box and found a plethora of Nintendo games. Titles ranging from Super Princess Peach to Mario Party, and games spanning systems from the GameBoy Advance to the Nintendo DS were in that box. Seeing them again brought back floods of happy memories from my childhood.

I plugged in my GameCube for the first time in eight years, and inserted the first title I saw, Pokemon Channel.

If you’re unfamiliar with the premise of Pokemon Channel, it’s the most laid-back of all the Pokemon games, and the least similar to the the series. In Pokemon Channel, you are the recipient of a new TV, brought to you by Magnemites. Professor Oak introduces you to the Pokemon Network, a collection of Pokemon-based television programs. Shortly after watching the first program, a wild Pikachu comes to the door, interested in watching television. Throughout the game, the player and Pikachu watch different programs, unlocking different features in the game.

I ended up playing Pokemon Channel for two hours that night. Pikachu and I explored the surrounding areas, meeting other Pokemon along the way. Something about the simple gameplay and the mindless “plot” (is there really a plot?) was comforting to me. I kept playing until I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

Playing the video games I grew up with was definitely interesting. While I may not be able to play half the games I found, it was still very nice to see and relive parts of my childhood that would otherwise be overlooked by others. Returning to Nintendo felt like reuniting with my best friend after years, and over those years, nothing seemed to change.