how I got into gaming

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This is a gaming memoir of sorts. If you don't play video games, you might not have any clue as to what I am mentioning. If you do, I hope this sparks some gaming nostalgia and maybe you can even remind me of a few I have left out. Ready, set, GO!

One of the very first video games I ever played was on one of the very first Mac computers. My grandfather had given my family the computer back in the late 80's and I remember playing very pixelated games on it for kids. The computer was in my parents room and we didn't really use it much. The internet didn't exist yet. Yeah, remember that?

We also had the Nintendo NES console, thanks to my older brother. I remember playing the games that came with it, Super Mario Bros and Duck Hunt. I may or may not have tried putting the plastic Duck Hunt gun directly against the TV in order to do better. Come on, I was like 5.

When we lived in Germany, I don't remember playing anything other than our Sega Genesis. The console was in my brothers room so we had to be on good terms in order to play. I remember collecting rings like a maniac as Sonic the Hedgehog and trying to knock people off their motorcycles as I raced on Road Rash. Remember "THE BALL IS ON FIRE!" from NBA Jam? Any time anyone mentions Sega I always hear the opening title sound "SEEEGGAAAAA" in my head. I think my Sega is still in my mom's attic. I should really go dust that thing off and give it a go.

Now, when we moved back to the States, we got a new computer. This is when my real interest in gaming started. I wasn't playing my brothers games anymore, I was playing my Dad's. I would watch him play Doom and Duke Nukem and asked if I could play when he was done. I remembered he was a little hesitant since I was just his little girl, asking to shoot up "bad guys" or monsters into pulp (or pixilated pulp) but he gave in. I loved it. This was my first taste of first person shooters and I was hooked.

It wasn't just the gory games I was into. I was into everything. Literally. I got to play The Oregon Trail at school, shooting entire populations of buffalo while only being able to take a fraction of the meat along for the ride. No wonder those guys went extinct. I built cities with SimCity that always seemed to go bust after a while. I never really got the hang of that game. I still played those educational games too, like Math Blaster, Zoombinis, and even that Mavis Beacon typing game. I loved seeing how fast I could type.

The graphics started to get better and the games got more advanced. I used to spend hours on a game called Kings Quest 6, solving puzzles in the chaotic Green Isles in order to save the princess and trying to find my way around in Myst. My Dad's inclination to play strategy games led to me playing who-knows-how-many Age of Empire games as well as Civilization.

We had also gotten a Playstation and my favorite game quickly became Tomb Raider, that is, when my brother wasn't playing Need for Speed. Some of the puzzles on Tomb Raider used to trip me up and some took hours to figure out but I was determined. Lara Croft was one bad ass chick and is still one of my favorite female characters in the video game world.

When my parents got divorced, my family moved to New Jersey to be close to family. My cousins, who quickly became my new best friends, lived practically down the street. We didn't have the internet yet, so I used to walk over every day and use their computer, mostly to talk to my friends I had left behind in Georgia. Hanging out with a bunch a boys is sure to lead to some shenanigans but luckily, those shenanigans included playing their Nintendo 64. Ahh yes, the beloved Golden Eye, 007. That first summer, we played the multiplayer practically everyday. Remember racing to get a gun? Good thing I didn't rage too much back then.

Now is when things start to get a little fuzzy. I know we had a Playstation 2, but I didn't really play it too often. I think at this point, gaming took a backseat to my new found internet love. I did however play the Sims. All of the Sims. Every expansion pack. The Sims 2. Every expansion pack. (I even got Sims 3). Okay, it might be a problem... I played Black & White when visiting my Dad back in Georgia and I thought the game was pretty cool but never really got too far into it.

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I remember visiting my first boyfriends dorm and his roommates would be hunkered down for hours playing Counter Strike. I used to watch them play, but never got into it myself. I thought it was funny that they were so into the game. Little did I know, that would soon be me.

The Xbox 360. That's my current love. I have to say it was playing Gears of War that got me back into gaming (besides The Sims). I used to play with William and then we started getting more games. And then... I started playing more than him. Soon, it was just me playing. My interest in video games went above and beyond his. From Hitman and Bully to Call of Duty and Battlefield, I've played a lot of games on this machine. I've gone through two consoles already and I've been lucky. (Watch now that I say that, something happens to my elite!)

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I love playing video games. I've played using joysticks and headsets, controllers and mice. They are as important to me as the books I read and the movies I see. They tell amazing stories and give you incredible experiences you would otherwise never live through. You become attached to characters and you learn about yourself as you play. I even met my best friend while playing video games. If you're not a gamer, try not to dismiss video games as just a waste of time. Maybe you can even give them a try the next time you see someone playing.

And gamers, keep on playing. 

a girl on games: arcade edition

Since I'm a through and through Xbox girl, when I say arcade games I mean games you can download onto your console through Xbox to play. Since I'm nice (just kidding- it was a coincidence) 2 of the 3 games I am profiling are also available from the Playstation Network, or PSN. Since these games are downloadable, that means they don't have the type of visuals a disc game would have. Basically, don't expect the graphics or game play to blow you out of the water. These games do, however, hold their own. Without further ado, let 

me introduce you to three of some of my favorite arcade games. 

First up is the stunning Limbo. It's a 2D side-scroller which just means it's like those Mario Brother games you played as a kid, moving the characters from the left side of the screen to the right. While the game play seems simplistic, and it really is, it's still a challenge and it's still beautiful. The film noir styling and lack of color gives Limbo an intriguingly creepy feeling. 

You start the game playing a name-less boy in search of his sister. You're not really sure why she is missing or where you are (some kind of forest that leads to an abandoned industrial-type land) and you never really find out. As with the monochrome design and ambient soundtrack, the lack of a specific story line only adds to the mystery and intrigue of the game.

The games physics system is the real main challenge. Getting across the environment without falling down steep drops, swinging from ropes, climbing ladders, you really do it all. However, I should warn you. You will die. A lot. It's basically a die and restart kind of game but luckily the game doesn't send you back to the start every time you fail.

See that giant spider there? I'm sure you didn't miss him. He is one of the few antagonists in the game. You only actually see a couple other people the entire time you are playing and they usually end up trying to crush you with giant boulders.

See? Pretty rude.

This is a great game. You can get it on either Xbox live or PSN. 

Next up...

Aww. Isn't that a cute title? It's pronounced "eelo-meelo" and it is probably the cutest game I have ever played. I mean, just look at these guys...

The blue one is Ilo and the red one is Milo. Or maybe it's switched. Either way, they are adorable. Ilomilo is a    3D puzzle game. You play as both characters who are, of course, on opposite sides of the puzzle and your goal is to get them together so they can have picnics and tea parties. Yeah, I'm not joking. Cute overload, right?

They are so close yet so far! You have to get the characters to meet each other face to face, like this...

And when you do, they do a dance. Also, see that little guy on Milo's (the red one) back? There will be 3 of those little guys on each puzzle and you just pick them up and carry them with you, collecting all of them all the time unlocks more puzzles. 

The puzzles start of easy and get more difficult, as with most puzzle games. You can pick up certain blocks and place them to fill gaps so you can cross. One of my favorite characters in the game is named Sebastian, he helps you out when you need it. This game is only available on Xbox live, so sorry PS cute-lovers. Get an Xbox. 

And last but not least...

You didn't think I could profile games and not include a First Person Shooter, did you? Good. Now, quick history lesson. What was happening in 1943? WWII is what. This game puts you smack dab in the Pacific playing as either the Americans or Japanese.

There are so many awesome features about this game that I love. One, the map size. You literally start off on a battleship and take a boat to an island to capture. I feel like the map sizes are a perfect size. What makes them not too-big? Oh yeah...

You can drive vehicles! Boats, tanks, jeeps, and even... wait for it... AIRPLANES! Whaattt???!! I know right. How awesome is that? Remember, this is a downloadable game so that stuff is pretty rare. 

Now this is a capture the flag type of game with 5 "bases" to capture on each map. The more flags you have, the quicker your opponents bar will go down, the sooner you win the game. Speaking of opponents, there can be up to 24 people playing on a map at a time. Crazy, right?

Now there are a few things that had to be cut down. You can only choose from 3 classes: infantry, rifleman, and scout. Also, there are only 3 maps, but you play each map twice in a row, just on the opposite team the second time. You can also play Air Superiority, which is just airplanes trying to shoot each other down, which can be fun too. The only thing about this game is sometimes the servers go crazy and there is major lag but I haven't noticed it lately. Check out Battlefield 1943 on both Xbox live and PSN. 

What are some of your favorite arcade games? Is there anything video game related you would like me to feature? Let me know!