In earlier games the concept of a checkpoint didn't even exist. I don't know which game it actually first appeared in but I can tell you an example of a game that had a checkpoint - Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or as it's affectionately known the SNES (pronounced snez).
In reality there are no such things as checkpoints...well there are but they do not mark your progress through an area allowing you to return to said area when you lose a life. This is what happens in a video game.
But imagine if checkpoints were available in reality. If you did something you didn't like, something bad happened to you or you just died, then instead of having to restart from the beginning (or where you had last saved) you restarted from the checkpoint.
This could be handy in a number of situations. Lets just say you broke your leg...instead of having to go to hospital all you would need to do is restart from your last checkpoint and tada! your leg isn't broken anymore.
If you thought checkpoints were cool wait until I talk about the concept of...of concept the about talk until wait cool were checkpoints thought you if (the reason for this weird sentence will be revealed in the next chapter so until then!)
