Video Game Memories and Nintendo Wii

When I was younger I used to be quite the video gamer. Ok I'll admit it, I was a straight up geek! It started with the Nintendo when I was 9 and went from there. By the time Adam and I were married, we had our first Sony Playstation, and I believe that was the most-played system EVER. I would wake Adam up for work in the mornings, drink coffee with him, yawn, and mumble absently about my plans of doing laundry and other wife-related tasks.

I would kiss him bye at the door as he headed out for his workday. As soon as the sound of his vehicle leaving the driveway faded, I would run for the living room, do a homerun slide to the floor in front of the TV, and rev up the Playstation. I guiltily admit that while my darling husband was at work, I spent the day nuking enemy tanks, searching for magical artifacts, and slaying zombies. About an hour before time for him to walk in the door, I would shut the console down and head to the kitchen to cook supper. ( No wonder I was a terrible cook back then...)

On the other hand, Adam was a bit of a gamer himself. His horrible temper earned him a reputation for smashing controllers when he lost a game. We always bought the cheap knock-off controllers because we knew they wouldn't last long. I remember once Adam threw a controller across the room, but instead of the cord being snatched out of the game, the entire system went flying across the living room. Amazingly, the thing still worked.

Some of the most fun times of our newlywed years were when we'd invite friends over to drink beer and play video games. We usually spent more time arguing over secret passages and glitch hacks than actually playing, but that was half the fun. My only house rule was that overwriting my saved game was punishable by death. Within a few hours, everyone was too drunk to play properly but it made for some great laughs.

All that changed the day Adreine was born. Suddenly nothing else mattered as much as being a mother. At that time, I was on the fourth disc of Final Fantasy VIII. I still to this day haven't finished it. When Adam bought a Playstation 2, I think I may have played it twice in a whole year. I just didn't have time anymore.

Around the time Jacob was born was when everyone started going geek-crazy over the World of Warcraft online game. I never gave it so much as a passing glance. Not only did I not have the time, but the idea of a game that requires a monthly subscription fee just to play it was insane to me. I didn't care how awesome it was, I could use that money to buy diapers!

Fast forward to December 6, 2009. We celebrated our christmas that day because adam's job schedule prevents him from being home on the 25th. As a surprise gift Adam ordered us a Nintendo Wii. I remember telling him I wanted a Wii Fit about a year ago, but with the ups and downs in my personal life these days, I'd completely forgot about asking him for it.

My verdict: that shit is FUN! I was worried that i've been out of the video scene for so long that I wouldn't be able to figure out any of the games, but it didn't take long to get the hang of it. Jacob's favorite is the boxing. That's also the only one he knows how to play. It's pretty straightforward. You just punch the crap out of the cartoon character in front of you. I can't even tell you how funny it is to watch Adreine play that. Adam's fave is Mario Galaxy. I get motion sickness watching him play that one. I like the sports and fit games because they put you in competition with the rest of the family. I'm still trying to beat Adam's height on the ski jump.

Having so much fun with the Wii. Got me to thinking about all my favorite older games. I still have most of them in the closet. I could never bring myself to get rid of them. I went to the closet and plundered through the dusty stack of discs.

Beat it... Beat that one too... Got bored with this one... This one blows, why did I keep it?... Hey, I don't remember finishing this one!

It was Tomb Raider 2 for the old PS. I decided I would try to spend a few mins each day to try to finish it. That way, I can get rid of it with a clear conscience. The Playstation machine in our bedroom looked so cold and lonely on the back of the shelf. I dusted it off and plugged it in. The a/v cable has a short in it. I had to wiggle it to hear the sound on the game. It's weird to see how far graphics design has come in the last few years. I'm playing it from the beginning again so I can get the hang of the controls again. I'd forgotten how much I loved the Tomb Raider series.

What's your favorite video game of all time?

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