Non-gamer Gen Z plays OG video game MapleStory for the 1st time

Does the adage, “Old is gold,” apply to video games?

Back in primary school, my friends and I used to gather at someone’s place, huddle around their desktop, and play MapleStory.

Well, one person would play. The rest of us noobs just watched.

I’m 25 now, so I only have vague memories of those times.

But while I’ve lost touch with most of my friends back then and no longer remember how the game goes, I still feel nostalgic thinking back.

Sure, video games have better graphics nowadays. But there’s a certain sense of old-school charm that’s been lost.

For old times’ sake, I dug out an aged desktop and downloaded MapleStorySEA to relive some lost childhood years.

This time, I’d be the one playing.

Quest 1: Into the new-old world

My first quest came earlier than expected.

That is, deciding how my character looks.

Building my character lets me understand the appeal of living vicariously through games — of having an alter ego that can do things beyond the realm of reality.

Then the real gameplay begins.

The story starts off light and easy, and — surprise, surprise — by a maple tree.

An NPC (non-player character) gives me small tasks to do to help me familiarise myself with the controls.

The tutorial is easy to follow and has pop-ups that guide me through the game.

There are moments when I feel lost, but the map at the top left of the screen gets me back on track.

Soon, it becomes almost second nature to navigate through the map.

I’m spamming the “C” key to kill snail monsters and the “Z” key to collect the rewards when my muscle memory is triggered and I have a sudden flashback.

I remember back in primary school, when my friend gave me control over the “C” and “Z” keys for a brief moment.

I’d help attack while they moved, and they’d laugh when I mixed the two keys up.

I was soon banned from touching the keyboard. But I’d like to think I’ve gotten better at coordination since then.

Or maybe not, since I get myself killed by another NPC not long after.

Nevertheless, I get to choose which Explorer job class I want later on.

Early players of the game would be familiar with this group of characters that lets you choose to be a Warrior, Bowman, Pirate, Thief, or Mage.

I’ve always known myself to be more of a conflict avoidance type of person, so I pick Bowman, which allows me to attack from a distance.

Now that I have a bow and arrow, it’s time to fight some bad guys.

Quest 2: Save the world

The drama starts when an instructor at the Bowman school announces something important has been stolen from the school’s possession.

The item may or may not cause the destruction of the entire land.

I won’t spoil it too much, but I’m sent off on a quest to get the stone from a guy that speaks like this:

You’ll hear more about his lore once you play the game. All you have to know now is that he’s not very nice.

I expect to waste some time finding my way to his lair, but the map has this nifty feature that allows me to activate guiding arrows.

I expected to take awhile to rise through the ranks, but this simple quest alone lets me climb about 10 levels.

I also get a cute pet snail that helps me collect rewards automatically when I slay monsters.

I’m quite attached to it.

Quest 3: Find the missing fairy children

There’s never a dull moment in the game.

Right after this, I’m sent off on another quest to find some fairy children who went MIA.

By now, I’m pretty handy with the controls and able to fight tougher slime monsters.

My skills and inventory are constantly being upgraded, which makes my fighting look a lot cooler.

Plus, I’ve received a new outfit and weapons that help increase my stats (yes, I’m using words like “stats” now).

I see how people can get addicted to this — this rush of adrenaline you get when wiping out monsters with one shot, and the satisfaction of building up your inventory.

I’m also introduced to the Maple Guide, which lets me teleport instantly to certain locations and save on travelling time.

By the end of this quest, I’ve jumped about 20 more levels and got a whole bunch of new battle skills.

This includes a cool phoenix buddy that smacks monsters who come too close.

Upcoming “DREAMER” update

I know I’ve only just scratched the surface of MapleStory’s vast universe. But I’m just a beginner, so go easy on me.

Now that I’ve mastered the basics (kind of), I’ll be working on levelling up further so I can try more events and quests.

For the veteran Maplers out there who were probably losing their minds reading about my amateur gameplay, here’s something else to look forward to.

Come mid-2024, a new “DREAMER” update will be released.

Here’s what you can expect.

1. Angelic Buster x Lucid

What’s better than a K-pop idol? A K-pop idol who slays monsters while still looking adorable.

Meet MapleStory’s Angelic Buster.

On May 29, this cute character will receive better skills for the battlefield and new tunes for the stage.

She’ll be collaborating with another crowd favourite Lucid, who’ll be showing up for a special festival from May 29 to Aug. 20.

2. Faster levelling up and character growth

Instead of fumbling about the lower levels like me, you’ll breeze straight to Level 200 with the new “Tera Blink” event if you play during May 29 to Aug. 20.

Combined with a new “Hyper Burning” feature, this sets you on a fast track to jump multiple levels at once.

You’ll also be able to complete daily and weekly missions to unlock rewards and accelerate your growth.

3. More “6th Job” skills

Two new skills will be introduced to each class on Jul. 10.

Each class will receive a second “Mastery” skill to enhance combat prowess, and a universal skill which boosts overall growth and character development.

You’ll also be allowed to leverage the power of all your characters and boost your overall combat strength.

MapleStorySEA’s 19th anniversary event

Take the fun offline at MapleStorySEA’s 19th anniversary event, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur this June.

Apart from mingling with fellow Maplers, you can also look forward to:

• MapleStorySEA trivia and puzzle challenges
• Art booths with MapleStorySEA themed art
• MapleStorySEA-themed photo booth
• Stage activities
• Exclusive physical merchandise and in-game items

Event details

Place:  IOI CITY MALL, Kuala Lumpur

Date: June 21 to 23, 2024

See you there.

This sponsored article made the writer lose some sleep playing games, but she had fun doing so.

Top images via MapleStorySEA