Neen-ten-doh!

I mentioned the other day that I’m thinking about getting a Nintendo. I’ve been pretty anti-Nintendo in the past few years, at least when it comes to owning one. I know myself, and I have a tendency to become addicted to video games. It happened a number of times in college, and by midway through my sophomore year I learned to stay away.

My roommates have fond memories of playing a game called Worms. I have fond memories of righteously refusing to play for fear of becoming addicted.

But it’s also one of those things you need to learn to overcome. Sometimes you want some sort of quasi-disengaged stress reliever. I just need to learn when not to play it, especially since I work at home. That makes it difficult.

I’m just finding myself intrigued by video games. They’re so much cooler nowadays. It’s not dots on a screen anymore, but entire virtual worlds. The video game industry is a $9.4 billion business, which is bigger than the box office (though I think Hollywood as a whole would have to be larger).

And as a volunteer with my youth group, a game system seems like required material. It sounds stupid, but a video game system is the common denominator among guys. I don’t know a single guy in our group who would say no to a night of video games. While basketball, paintball, a concert, or any other event will draw plenty of guys, I don’t think any of them would get the total response video games seem to. Maybe that says something depressing about teen guys, but I won’t think about that now. I certainly realize video games aren’t the best way to spend time with guys, but it does open a door. I recognize if that’s all you ever do you’re in trouble.

Par for the course when being tempted by a new electronic goodie, I have my doubts. I’m leaning toward the GameCube for all the Nintendo-exclusive games, like Mario Cart and Super Smash Brothers. I realize the PS2 and X-Box might be better systems, but the GameCube is also cheaper. Though that does make me wonder how long until the GameCube is relegated to the pile of oldies like the NES, SNES, and N64. Only a matter of time (to which I want to respond, “So buy now! Buy now!”).

Sometimes I think too much.

4 thoughts on “Neen-ten-doh!”

  1. If you’re looking for a system to play ‘with the guys’ … PS2 or Xbox would probably be a better choice.

  2. I agree that gaming is healthy when kept in check and not done too often. Having said that…

    Tons of guys have GameCubes! There’s this misunderstanding that GameCube games are for “kids” and that’s just not true. The Jr. High group that I serve with had a video game night and there were two Cubes there, both being used constantly.

    Oh, and Kevin, I just bought Worms 3D for Mac OS X. I play it almost nightly. I would love to blow your little worms up, which is a possibility since they’ve got Internet play in this game.

    The free demo is riiiight heeeeeeeere…

  3. Hi Kevin,

    My wife Jaime met you at the EPA conference and told me I had to check out your site, so I’ve been lurking around until I saw this important, vital topic and felt compelled to offer my quick two cents.

    The PS2 is obviously the most popular console in terms of installed user base, but for multi-player party gaming (versus online multiplayer), the GameCube and Xbox offer built-in support for four players, not the paltry two player support on the PS2. I’m personally biased against Microsoft (Bill Gates=Lucifer in human form – that haircut is a dead giveaway!) but even if I wasn’t, I’d say GameCube is the way to go. Unless you want to play Halo – but I’d feel a little uneasy about giving the kids their violence fix through a church-sponsored function.

    A nice side benefit, btw, with Mario Kart is that I’ve heard it supports LAN play, so you could link up two GameCubes playing on two TVs, split the screen four ways on each TV, and have 8 people playing at the same time. Odds are there’s someone else in your youth group with a GameCube.

    If you do get a GameCube, Metroid Prime is one of the greatest single-player games ever made.

    And to this day Worms is indeed one of the most addictive multi-player games out there. GoldenEye on the old N64 was also much like pixelated crack, but the graphics look severely dated nowadays.

  4. Kevin, I know exactly what you are talking about when you get the “wants” for something. I have a rule that has worked very well for me.

    1. If it costs less than $100, but more than $20, I have to tell my wife that I want to buy it, but I must wait for one week before I do. I also say something like, “I want that Eagles DVD, but I not going to buy it until next Wednesday, because I want to make sure that I want it.”

    2. If it costs more than $100, then the waiting period extends to 1 month.

    You would be amazed at how many things I have “not purchased” after the self imposed waiting period. There is something about telling someone about your plans that makes you hold to them. Maybe it is because someone else will know if you break your word to yourself. Anyway, it has worked for me. Uncle Doug (who is playing in a rock and roll oldies band (Tommy and the Cruisers) this Saturday night, grin. I play rhythm guitar.)

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