Hannah

OK, so between funky work schedules, family drama and my new DS, this little baby’s been all but ignored. My apologies.

Add in a dash of ‘What the hell am I going to write about?!’ and you get the idea.

So I’m going to write about my new obsession: VIDEO GAMES!

I have a Wii (go ahead, envy me), a Playstation 2 and a Nintendo DS. I’m in love with each and every one of them. They each serve their own purpose.

The Wii is awesome for cutesy games. Current favorites are My Sims, Wii Sports and Rayman Raving Rabbids. The control scheme of the Wii makes interactive games a total blast, and also makes you look like the biggest moron ever whilst playing them. Wii Sports tops them all. Tennis and boxing are fantastic. If ever you need a stress relief, beating the soup out of a 3D cartoon character does the trick. It’s great for getting you off the sofa and actually interacting with your friends as opposed to sitting there and watching someone chop the head off of a monster for the umpteenth time. You can also make a cartoon version of yourself, called a Mii, but the options are fairly generic and you end up with a character that could look like anyone. The controls aren’t flawless and sometimes the games go beyond cutesy all the way into just plain stupid. Also, a lot of the games require more than one player, and if you usually play games solo, it’s kinda depressing. Who wants to be made to feel like a loser by their video game console? The games themselves aren’t exactly on the cheap side either and the number of different titles is by no means expansive. The console itself is relatively cheap considering the price of the Xbox and PS3. The fact that’s it’s damned hard to find is offputting. But the ability to check the weather, news and send e-mail through a wireless Internet connection are all pluses. It also can play Gamecube games and you can purchase classic NES and SNES games on the virtual console.

The Playstation 2 is my go-to system for when I feel like being a little more hardcore. Hardcore, of course, is a relative term for me. My favorites for the PS2 are Katamari Damacy, Final Fantasy and Destroy All Humans. The PS2 is great for RPGs and platformers and the control scheme is fairly fool proof and easy to pick up. The PS2 has it’s fair share of cutesy titles (which, if you couldn’t figure this out, I LOVE CUTESY TITLES!) as well as more violent fare. And you can play with friends or online if you want to, but you don’t have to. The games are reasonably priced and used titles are fairly easy to come by. The unit itself is incredibly inexpensive and, like the games, used units are easy to come by. It also plays DVDs and PS1 games. It can be hooked to the internet to play MMORPGs like Final Fantasy XI online. It also offers a wide variety of different games catering to every age group and gaming level.

The DS is a recent addition to my collection and so far has been successful in eating my life. My favorites so far are Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing: Wild World. It’s the perfect size to throw in your purse or bag if you know you’re going to have time to kill during the day. The battery life is fantastic and it comes in a range of colors (mine is Cobalt). It also has wireless capabilities so you can play online with friends from across the world or across the room. The unit itself is inexpensive, running about the same price as a PS2, and used units can be had. The games are inexpensive and expansive, and used titles abound. Simulation games are popular, but there are many fighting titles, RPGs and point and shoots. The DS also offers a huge selection of educational games like Brain Age and some foreign language games. You can also play GBA games.

All things considered, I play the DS more than any of my other systems. Because of it’s size, I can play it wherever I want. Also, the games are hella entertaining. I can slip it in my lunch bag and while I’m waiting around at work, I can harvest turnips or chat with friends in Animal Crossing.

It’s a fun way to pass the time and in some cases, you can learn new things. I have my eye on some French and Spanish language learning games.