That doesn’t sound safe. I mean, you probably shouldn’t bite into a video game disk. I’m also not sure how one would eat a digital video game, but it’s probably not safe either.
Allow me to clarify: have you eaten any delicious food that was inspired by video games? What was the story behind the food? Perhaps a princess made you a Mario inspired meatball and marinara sub or something a little more exotic.
There is a giant rectangular face with piercing grey eyes that stare deep into your soul. These cold eyes, even though they have no life as they appear on a poster, seem to fixate on you, following you wherever you go. The face also sports a bushy mustache, and even further below, the man in the poster points his accusatory finger at you. This the poster of the All Powerful Leader; the one who has outlawed video games.
What would you do if you lived in a place where video games were illegal?
And there’s never enough time to play all the video games in my collection. They sit there collecting dust while I dream of playing them, but that’s about it.
Then there’s always bright, shiny new games being dangled in front of our eyes like kitschy Christmas ornaments. They make it tough to resist temptation and remain faithful to our original promises to, say, Samus. If only there was another way.
But today’s our lucky day: a dump truck just unloaded a ton of free time on our front lawns–or apartment floor (No, I don’t know how it got up there). This means you could put aside the new games for a time and look at your collection or buy an old game. What old games–from any generation–would love to play now if you had the time?
For me, I’d love to play and finish the Metroid Prime trilogy, but I might talk more about that in a future post.
Filed under Video Games: Reader Q&A
Suppose a wand, glittering with gold, descended from a clear sky. No, it does not belong to Harry Potter, and please try to take this imaginary magic wand seriously, okay?
Now, upon closer inspection, you notice a white and golden sticker on the wand that says, “Official Nintendo Seal of Quality.” You pick up the wand and watch as purple smoke slowly billows out of it until a beautiful purple cloud engulfs you. This is some sorcery. This is a magic wand!
The wand gives you the magical ability to make any video game you want, to become a video game developer–without the hard work–for a day. What game would you make and why?
Note: Someone or something put the Nintendo sticker there as a joke for gamers. You don’t have to make a Nintendo game. It’s a wand without any loyalty.
The toaster burnt the toast as if it was sitting on the surface of a scalding sun. The bus driver decided to arrive on time for once and to splash you with a tsunami of curb water. Your negative algebra test result means that your parents won’t get you a new bike anytime soon. Nothing went right today.
Now, you need to unwind when you get home. Do you play video games to unwind? Is there are a particular genre of game that helps you relax or a specific game that you always play when you’re low (or both)?
So I thought I’d take the time to learn more about my mysterious and oh-so-cool readers. And I have a question for you: what do you eat when you play video games?
Do you forgo food in the name of conquering digital universes until you collapse? Do you eat and drink a stereotypical mix of “gamer fuel” and Doritos? Set the record straight, and I hope, break the stereotypes.
So you think you have no time for video games… Well, you might have time if you’re doing one of these silly things:
If you have time to procrastinate instead of doing meaningful work, then you probably have time to play some video games.
There’s time for video games in your life. In small bursts, and as part of a well-balanced life that includes bathing, you could unwind and have fun. Give it a try.
I’ve written several posts critiquing the silly things that people say about video games. In my youthful exuberance, I neglected to mention that sometimes we should put down the controller. We should strive for balance in life.
And as much as I love video games, there are a lot of unfortunate controversies in this industry. I believe gamers could always treat each other and the non-playing public better. We need to face criticism about the industry with an open mind. We’re not all saints above reproach.
But this is obvious to most of you. I’m still going to say it because we need to recognize that it’s tough for some people to stop playing and stop saying stupid things. Let’s not let them ruin our good time.
So I think I shook my cane at you young whippersnappers enough for today. While I’m at, I’ll remind you to get off of my lawn because you’re killing my finely manicured grass with your coarse running shoes.
And, oh yeah, eat your vegetables!
(This public service announcement brought to you by Video Games Nebula.)
I can still remember the old school. No, not fat gold chains swinging around necks and Run-D.M.C. blasting from over-sized grey stereos. I meant my old elementary school days.
And those were the days. Recess, baseball, munching vegetables–which I happened to like–and time to play video games. Not a care in the world. Though some of us should have cared a bit more about running afoul of the teacher’s law.
And that brings me to something odd that I saw in, oh, let’s say grade six. Picture any old elementary school classroom.
The teacher wore a stern look on her face as she stood at the front of the class and gestured at the board. It was math time. Somehow she would have all the numbers add up to something important.
Meanwhile, Mike, one of the kids in my grade six class, decided to do something else. He swiftly pulled out his Game Boy color from his desk. Now, he tried a little to hide what he was about to do because he placed the Game Boy in his lap and turned it on. But then he, a person with fine hearing, deliberately chose to roll the volume dial to the highest level.
Mike played for up to five seconds with the volume at the highest level and didn’t turn it down. The Pokémon music then flooded the classroom. It was impossible to miss, and the teacher was awake enough to notice. Well, the teacher made sure his game over screen would come sooner rather than later.
“Michael! Give me that,” she snapped.
She swiped the Game Boy and tossed it into her desk drawer, a secure fortress that sixth graders never dared to open.
Mike’s face grew long, his eyebrows peaked and his mouth fell open. He looked at us, his classmates, in disbelief. Presumably, the teacher’s actions surprised him.
But I was more bewildered. If you’re going to do a job, do it right. I mean, if he was trying to get away with playing video games during class, why would he play with the volume at the highest possible level? What was he thinking?!
Note: I have never attempted to play a game during class. But how would you have–or how did you–sneak video games into the classroom? How did that work out for you?
Filed under Video Game Misc.
Roused out of a warm bed by visions of sugar plums dancing in his head?
No, his eyes stung and tried to close as if someone had squeezed lemon juice on them.
Feeling in the dark for the switch…nothing found. No luck in the hallway either.
Finally, his eyes opened wide. Everything became clear. Well, at least the cream-colored carpet on the stairs became visible.
He took one bold leap for humanity on to the first step.
Thud!
He landed good and hard to make sure he’d made contact with Earth.
“What was that?”A voice whispered, but it didn’t travel far as the dark hallway swallowed it whole.
“Get the bat!”
“No, no it’s just Sam.”
“I don’t believe it. What on Earth would he be doing at this hour?”
Sam heard this, or, in his drowsy state, might have dreamed that he heard it.
But he kept moving.
Boldly, he moved:
Left foot forward
Right foot forward
Left foot
Right foot
Left
Right.
By now he was awake as the adrenaline shot through his body.
He approached a large, black object in the living room that looked like something from Planet of the Apes.
But it was an earthling’s TV all along.
“What’s he doing down there?” Someone asked from upstairs.
“Who cares! Go back to sleep.”
Nothing in the house stirred, not even the pet mouse.
Then he picked up a controller and started to play.
What do you do at night when you can’t sleep? Eat or read? Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night just to play a video game?
Filed under Video Game Misc.
Video Games Nebula 