Gaming That Doesn't Have To Make Sense

Gaming is a very different world than from "when I was a kid" times. Video gaming has for years now kicked the ass of every other form of entertainment, which included the once mighty music and movie industries.

But of course my parents made sure to tell me for years that v-idiot games (as they called them) were wastes of time. It was probably my most strongly developed skill as a child (living as an only child in the country with parents that didn't like to do much) and I should probably just give in and take a programming course to follow what should have been my dream all along... but I digress.

My main concern with the current world of video games is how it (and anything marketable, really) ends up becoming a bloated industry full of glossy shininess and ever increasing technological advances. But like Hollywood before it, the advances are in special effects, making things pretty, and ramping up the action in any way possible. Oh, and of course, give the people what they want.

So companies like Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard, and EA aren't exactly on the cutting edge of new gameplay experiences. Blizzard has yet to release a game I don't love, but the also have yet to release a game that doesn't have Diablo, Warcraft or Starcraft in the name... well okay... way back in the day they did, but I can't find The Lost Vikings and Rock and Roll Racing on their website.


On my Wii, we've got some great games that include Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart, Super Smash Brothers, Zelda, Metroid... all stuff we've seen before. On other systems there's Grand Theft Auto 4, Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Resistance 2, Killzone 2.

The only sports game that has any kind of major innovation since the super nintendo is Pro Evolution on the Wii. Everyone is just relying on tweaks and graphical upgrades to existing franchises.

But I've ranted about how boring games are these days long enough... what is exciting now is that there's a new indie movement in games that is gaining speed through sources like Valve's Steam, Nintendo's Wiiware, and XBox Live and PS3's whatever thingie.

World of Goo is huge and amazing and everyone loves it. Its of course the magical story of the little game that could. But to me, its still just a puzzle game.


The Path. This is a game that has me intrigued. I haven't even gotten a chance to play it but from what I can get out of it, it is apparently kind of like playing through a David Lynch movie. Its more about mood and feeling than any kind of story whatsoever. It is all just discovery.


But maybe walking around as tainted red riding hood isn't your thing and you need some action. A game that I have gotten a chance to play is Zeno Clash.


The game begins with you having just killed your father-mother (note that it is a single hermaphroditic entity) and you have to puch your way through some of the most bizarre environments, enemies and plot points ever seen in a game.

That thing is a mom and a dad.

So while, like most people who write, my dream is to write either a novel or a screenplay... odds are video games are going to be the place of choice for tomorrows creative minds.

How to Love the Wii and Maintain Your Manhood

Its no secret that I love the Wii. Its the system that got me back into console gaming after having my parents make me give it up with the Super Nintendo.

But as a young adult male Wii lover, I can sometimes get some flak from the ill informed for enjoying a console for "girls, babies and old people." If you have the same problem, here are some rebuttals.


Girls love the Wii: The uninformed may think this makes the console "girlie". But I can assure you that the XBox or PS3 is unlikely to get anybody laid, anywhere, ever. The Wii, on the other hand, is a draw to any potential female companion. It gets them into the fun and playful mood. Its certainly better than your shitty acoustic guitar playing skills.



Friends love the Wii: If you are like me, you have friends. You can actually interact with them, live, in person, as opposed to XBox live or whatever passes for an online system for the PS3 these days. You can potentially hang out with 3 friends... or even more if you have mastered the skills of sharing and teamwork! Plus, they can bring you booze when they come over. Everyone wins!



You get to move around: Games like Tiger Woods and Shaun White Snowboarding are just meant to be played with a wii-mote and balance board. Sure, in Wii Tennis you could potentially be lame and just sit on the couch making tiny jerking motions but if you are like me you get more than enough of that for other reasons. Stand up, swing that white baton around. Its far less lame.



Characters you grew up on: If you are like me, you fit into the 18 - 34 male demographic that gets marketing executives all hot and bothered. We love Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, Transformers and Thundercats. That is because TV raised us, but the marketing giants at Nintendo was also able to feed us such lovable characters as Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, and Pikachu. If the chance to play a Mario platform game doesn't get you excited, you might be a freedom hating terrorist (except in the case of Mario Sunshine... it doesn't count... for anything).


Gore, if you need gore: While the system is abundandly family friendly, for the maladjusted teenager in you, there are a number of games where you can get your kill on. Both Resident Evil 4 (its the best version on the Wii, by far) and No More Heroes got gamers through the worst of the early kid friendly days. And now there's House of the Dead: Overkill, Mad World among others (though those ones are the best). So now, not only can you kill, you can actually feel like you are stabbing a person through the head with a sign post!

And finally, if none of that works in you being able to maintain your manliness... just buy an oversized and bloated PS3 and complain about how XBox 360 isn't hardcore enough.