Tag Archives: Video Games

Mental Health

Gaming and Mental Health

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Introduction

For as long as I can remember, I played video games. We owned an Atari 2600 when I was a kid, then a 7800. It took my parents some time to get on board and purchase us an NES. Ever since then, nearly every system I owned, I purchased. Many of them got sold or donated to youth programs. But, I keep memories from all of them in my memory and they make me smile. While perhaps not the poster child, I wanted to take some time out from my busy schedule to talk about gaming and mental health.

Bear in mind, in an attempt to remain honest, I want to discuss both the positive and negative impacts of video game. True to myself, though, I hope to give everyone some strategies to maintain a healthy balance and avoid those potential downfalls. I like to start with the bad news and finish with the positives, so bear with me.

The Negative Impacts of Gaming on Mental Health (Addiction)

If you spend any time on this page or my social media, you will hear about my time in World of Warcraft. Even today, as they advertise a new expansion released last month, I consider trying the game again. One of the things that gives me pause is that I fell into the dark place of World of Warcraft addiction. Before that happened, I never considered such a thing possible. Sure, I played games, sometimes obsessively. But, addicted? How do you become addicted to a video game?

Not my screenshot, but this looks familiar.

It started innocently enough. I learned about mods that made the game more player friendly. Then, I joined a guild that promised a family friendly experience. Suddenly, I found myself playing at all hours of the day to grind for raid night that consumed my life. Eventually, I found a guild via The Instance that allowed me to play the game on my own terms. When I started working 18 hours a day, the game fell into the dust bin of history. I played it some over the last few years, but never picked it up again on a regular basis.

I tell a similar story about the release of Skyrim. At the time, I recently lost my job and it took some time to find another one. I lived on unemployment and stayed at home with my young son, Quinn. As a baby, he slept a lot. So, I purchased Skyrim and started playing. At the end of the first week, I looked at my played stats and saw over 50 hours. I know for some of you, those are rookie numbers. But, I saw that and said, “What am I doing with my life? Spending 50 hours chasing after virtual butterflies?” When they say touch grass, I know exactly what they mean.

The Negative Impacts of Gaming on Mental Health (Toxicity)

Get lost, Noob! Okay, there’s plenty of other games in the sea.

While evidence of bullying, antisocial behavior, abusive language, and other toxicity exist in abundance in nerd communities, I only experienced a small amount of it myself. Before moving on to a different topic, when I played WoW, I always fought against these things. A person asks something in general chat? I answered the question. Sexist and racist language? I called it out. Look, I’m not saying these things to paint myself as a hero. I simply thing we need to handle these issues in house and make nerd communities the loving and welcome groups that they should be.

As you may have guessed already, my main negative experience with gamers comes as a result of League of Legends. Intrigued by the game, I logged in and played a few games. In five games played, I found exactly one player willing to work with the newer players and teach instead of hurling invective and rage quitting. Needless to say, I never played another game of League of Legends since.

I know some people make the argument that such an environment breeds strength and weed out the “weak” players. First, if you’re playing in my lobby, I guarantee you aren’t in any way, shape, or form a professional at the game. Therefore, weeding me out of your community just makes one less person in the queue to make your game fire. Second, the whole “alpha, beta” mindset is bullshit. It’s based in a flawed experiment and misread data. So, if you subscribe to that, I automatically assume that you’re not even what you consider to be an “alpha” and I can ignore anything that you say or do.

The Positive Impacts of Gaming on Mental Health (Building Social Connections)

Okay, enough about the negatives. Let’s talk some about the positives. While I have nothing positive to say about League of Legends other than the fact that it spawned a very fun game mode in the form of Teamfight Tactics, I actually still look on my time in World of Warcraft fondly. In addition to providing a great story, I found my people. That guild that I talked about that started family friendly and eventually became corrupted into a more try hard version?

I met people in that guild who I remain in contact with through social media. As time goes on and more and more people decide that they don’t want to be “friends” or “followers” of randos they met in a video game 20 years ago, the number decreases. But, I still consider those that remain friends. I watched their kids grow up just like friends that I see on a regular basis.

Hell, I started this web page and podcast as an attempt to start my own community around gaming. Clearly, that hasn’t worked as intended so far. But, who knows? Maybe one of these days, it will. I finally got some engagement on Instagram and someone reached out about sponsorship on the podcast. So, things are trending in the positive direction. If you like what I do, spread the word!

The Positive Impacts of Gaming on Mental Health (Stress Relief and Building Cognitive Skills)

My favorite game of all time.

I present Portal 2 as exhibit A in this section. For some of my life, when it seemed like all I did was work and sleep, I ostensibly played games to relax. In reality, some of the games I played only increased my anxiety and stress. One, in particular, that grew from World of Warcraft, gave me similar feelings. For some reason, maybe the left over damage from the addition, Hearthstone made me unreasonably angry when I played.

It still frustrates me. But, I found a balance with the game that lets me play without the overwhelming anger and dread. Maybe I grew up. Perhaps by removing the other stressors in my life, it allowed me to find more joy in the game. Whatever the reason, I play it on a daily basis to finish quests. I can say the same about Magic the Gathering Arena, too.

Through it all, though, I always picked Portal 2 as my game to relax. I loved the story. The game play was unique and added to that story. Dressed as a an action game, it offered challenging puzzles that made me think. Really, what more can you ask for in a game? Honestly, anything that makes me think and use my brain holds a special place in my heart.

Plus, Liam watched me play the game through one time. As silly as it sounds, that brought us closer together and we still talk about that time and those memories to this day. Also, he and Quinn returned the favor a couple of months ago when I watched them play through Super Mario Wonder. While games don’t represent everything in our family, they definitely play a part.

The Verdict

Like anything, gaming offers both positives and negatives. Gaming addiction is a very real and potentially dangerous thing that can happen to anyone at any time and with any game. Beware of the warning signs in yourself and others. Don’t be afraid to have those difficult conversations with the ones you love. They’ll insist that there’s no problem and there might not be. But, as always, better safe than sorry.

They key is recognizing the negative effects and attempting to reduce them while finding games and communities that accentuate the positives. If you ever find yourself in a position where you need a positive influence, consider us as a possibility. No matter what, though, take care of yourselves and each other. Just follow the golden rule of gaming. “Good Luck and Have Fun.”

If you or someone you know needs more help, check out the following links: Take This – an organization that helps reduce the stigma behind mental health issues in the gaming community, National Alliance on Mental Illness – the leading advocate group for bringing mental health to the forefront and helping people deal with their own and their loved ones mental health. There are also many apps that deal with improving your own mental health through diet, exercise, and meditation. Find one that works for you.

Digital Playground

Video Games of Future

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Introduction

As part of our 10th anniversary celebration, I came up with the idea to write about my past, present, and future in video and tabletop games. I already talked about past and present. That, of course, brings us to video games of future. I won’t say that I completely inherited my father’s knack for being wrong when it comes to predicting the future.

However, a student mentioned the “Gamestop thing” to me about five years ago and I thought nothing of it. Then, something happened and they wrote a movie and produced several documentaries about it. Perhaps you heard. Then, more recently, when picking stocks, one of the students suggested Nvidia. No movies about that yet, but investing before the split and then doubling down might have been a good idea.

First of Two Possibilities

Following up on the Nvidia thread, one of the ideas I wrote down in my notes is artificial intelligence. Ever since the release of ChatGPT (and maybe before), AI jumped to the front of the technological zeitgeist. Everyone jumped on board to be the next company to incorporate AI into their platform. This resulted in the stupid money (not dumb money, but stupid money) following that trend with huge investments in what, so far, amounts to so much vaporware.

It comes as no surprise that a company known for graphics chips that pushed video games to new heights also became one of the leaders in AI. Ever since their infancy, video games used the concept of artificial intelligence in their vernacular. Granted, it means something else these days. They added the descriptor generative AI to describe the latest in technology. In truth, it feels like a step back from what video games considered artificial intelligence.

I mean, I’m not the brightest bulb, but this game could kick my ass.

Don’t get me wrong. Combing the wealth of human knowledge contained on the internet to write a semi coherent essay or build a picture based on a simple prompt is impressive. However, when you consider how much it takes to control 22 different players on a football field in addition to the coach and sideline players, AI already impresses in video games. Admittedly not a visionary, I struggle to see how they can make things better with the current iteration of AI.

Second of Two Possibilities

Likewise, virtual reality (VR) has been a promise for as long as I can remember. Back before he went off the deep end, Dennis Miller performed a bit about VR in his stand up set. According to an article I read, Sega researched the possibility for VR for the Saturn. They realized the limitations of technology at the time, so it never went anywhere. Still, the possibilities excite. It makes sense now that they released Virtua Fighter and Virtua Cop now, though.

We finally reached the point in technology where VR is possible and enjoyable. However, recently, things start to look a bit too much like Ready Player One (see my Noob’s Book Club about that!) for my tastes. Science fiction is always written as a warning and friendless losers who somehow become titans of industry look at it as a how to manual. And, by the time they get there, nobody tells them to their faces that its a bad idea. And, so, we get nonsense like that video above.

The Verdict

Video games of future looks bleak. As I say, I’m no prognosticator. Additionally, I generally take a more rosy view of things, especially the future. But, when I consider where we are now and what those things might become, I’m fine with my new Switch Lite and handheld emulator. At least I know those won’t let me down.

Digital Playground

Video Games of Present

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Introduction

While Chris and I mostly just talked during this latest visit, we still discussed our recent gaming adventures. I suggested D&D if the boys were home and maybe Warhammer, if not. I showed off my models and he thought they were cool, but we didn’t actually play. He’s been busy with other stuff, his gaming habits mirror mine lately. Nevertheless, we talked about video games of present.

You probably both know that our video game habits often rely on older games. Without question or shame, we consider ourselves retro video gamers. Every now and then, most recently with Skyrim (yeah, how’s that for a blast from the past), we buy a new title. Usually, though, we play old Street Fighter or a previous version of NHL or Madden.

Nintendo Switch

Because I am an adult with adult motivations, I promised myself a Nintendo Switch if I made it through the remainder of the school year. I mentioned to Chris that I bought myself a Switch Lite. He replied, “That’s what I play the most.” You may remember that the boys bought me Hades for Christmas a few years ago. Well, both Quinn and Liam use the main Switch. So, for me to progress in the game, I got myself a Switch. I told you, an adult with adult motivations.

I grabbed a few other games from the pile to add to my bag, too. Chris gave me Elliot Quest a few years ago because he bought a duplicate. I got addicted to the DS version of Luigi’s Mansion, so I picked the third installment of that. Also, PIkmin and Super Mario RPG to round out the games that I wanted to play. Note: I only booted up the Switch twice since buying it. But, winter is coming and I usually play more then.

Retroid 4 Pro (Video Games of Present?)

I also told Chris about the handheld emulator that I bought. “Handheld emulator, he asked?” So, I showed him the Retroid 4 Pro and some of the systems/games that I owned for it. To be honest, I played this quite often. Like I say, we are without question, retro gamers. Booting up Mario vs. Donkey Kong or Circus Convoy (hey, a relatively new game!) makes me happier than it probably should.

I always say that I rarely suffer nostalgia. That’s true for most things. But, games, for whatever reason, mean more to me than that. Comics, on some level, too. But, I like when they update comics and change the characters or stories. Because, otherwise, they get boring. Not so with video games. I play the same games numerous times and never tire of them. Note: Witness the 3 or 4 times that I played Portal 2 to completion.

Gaming with the Family

As you all know, we play Mario Kart on the Switch about once a month or so. A few months ago, we branched out into Mario Party and enjoyed ourselves then. Once or twice, we loaded up one of the Jackbox games as a family. Speaking of, we need to do that again. Along those same lines, I ordered a “Mystery Games” bundle from Humble Bundle. It simulates escape rooms and other puzzles. We always talked about doing an escape room, but never actually bite when given the chance.

8 days left if you’re interested! Note: Humble Bundle is not a partner. I simply like their product and want them to remain in business. I read a rumor the other day that they might be on the chopping block because of their managing company. I hope that’s not true. As an aside, I haven’t played any of the games yet, but I watched some videos and they look fun. Next family game night, I’ll have to suggest them.

The Verdict

No surprise, but video games of present look very much like video games of past for me. Other than the new games we try as a family, I find myself solidly in my teenage and young adult years when it comes to games. Granted, I try new games every now and again to make content for the page, but overall, I just like the retro games.

Digital Playground

Video Games of Past

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Introduction

This month, we celebrate 10 years of the web page. I got the idea to celebrate my past, present, and future in gaming with a series of articles. I already talked about tabletop games of the past. This article plans to celebrate my video games of past.

If the title sounds awkward, I apologize. I tried to channel Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with the ghosts of past, present, and yet to come. Then, I realized that it doesn’t quite work the way I wanted. But, instead of changing it, I just leaned into the awkwardness. It’s one of the things I do best.

Actual Past

I wrote in my Newbury Comics article that comics played a big role in my history. Video games played an even bigger role. Growing up, my family owned an Atari 2600 and then an Atari 7800 back when both consoles first released. My parents resisted buying a Nintendo for a while, but finally caved and got us the Nintendo and a bunch of games. My mother worked at a grocery store that rented the games and then sold them cheaper to free up stock room.

The first console I ever purchased for myself was a Super Nintendo. I worked at Toys R Us and saved money in order to buy it. Shortly after that, I also bought a Sega Genesis. I never put much stock in “console wars”. The only reason I picked a side with Sony and Microsoft is that the consoles are prohibitively expensive and I don’t want to piss away 600 dollars every few years for a couple of exclusives.

Through it all, I remained loyal to Nintendo. I bought several Game Boy Advances, an N64, a Wii, and a Wii U. Liam bought a switch that the family uses. I’ve been thinking about getting myself a Switch Lite for trips. But, I should wait until the Video Games of Present to write about that one.

Trying to Capture the Past

More recently, I purchased a Retron 77, which has the look and feel of an old Atari machine. I found a way to load the ROMs onto an SD card and played them that way. Laugh all you want, but Audacity games released two new games for the system, 40 years after it became “obsolete.” That reminds me. I need to buy Alien Abduction.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I finally caved and bought a Retroid handheld. It allows me to play Atari, GBA, N64, and other console games from my childhood and early adulthood. I love that damn thing and used it many times already while on Cape Cod. I know that Christine might think it’s silly if I buy a Switch, but I see it getting just as much use.

The Verdict

I forgot to mention the Commodore 64 that I received one Christmas that allowed me to play video games of past. It also let me attempt to program them. That produced mixed results at the time. However, my love for programming continues today as one of my many hobbies.

2 Guys Get Spooky – Episode 1.02

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After the audio issue in the last episode, we decided to get together and record in person this time. Other than the gain on the microphone being a bit low while recording (easily remedied), everything came out much better. Enjoy 2 Guys Get Spooky.

First, we talk about childhood trauma related to horror movies. Then, we discuss a few other franchises before moving on to our favorite horror movie of all time. We both agree that it is Shaun of the Dead.

There’s a brief talk about television shows, mainly the Walking Dead. We both agree that the show never was that good and we even lost faith in the comic. But, Chris mentions some other comics that he likes in the horror genre. I never read many horror comics, so I let him take the wheel in this segment.

Finally, we talk about video games. Chris tells a story from when he first saw me playing Fatal Frame. We both think it is probably the scariest game out there. Chris hates Resident Evil much more than I do, so I let him get that out of his system.

Finally, we wrap up with the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror. No matter how much you think the Simpsons sucks now, the Halloween episode never disappoints. Thanks for listening to 2 Guys Get Spooky and we’ll talk to you again in a few weeks to discuss the new Ixalan set from Magic the Gathering.

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The Super Mario Bros. Movie: Great, Good, Decent

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Introduction

I wrote in my previous article, a review of the Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves move, that young me crelebrated the release of the movie and current me enjoyed the viewing immensely. It bears repeating. We grew up in a time when nerd culture got no respect from television and movie producers. They thought, just as with cartoons, that stuff is for kids and we should gear it towards kids. Granted, the animated entertainment provided us with something at least. Nothing at the time, though, came close to the production value of Honor Among Thieves or The Super Mario Bros Movie (click the “?” box).

It’s a me, a sexy smolder.

I know that other web sites surely have gone into the how and why this happened now. I’m not all that interested in any of that. I just enjoy the fact that they gave us good, quality entertainment that we can share with our kids. Ah, there it is. That just triggered something cynical in me. But, you know what? I’m going to ignore it and bring the usual (possibly toxic) positivity that we’re know for here at 2 Generations Gaming.

Decent

Training Montage: When Mario agrees to embark on the journey with Peach, she trains him in the ways of the Mushroom Kingdom. I appreciated the nod to other action movies and the tongue in cheek treatment. Even though it made little sense in the context of lore, I hope I proved in the D&D movie article that matters little to me.

Peaches, Peaches: All most people talked about (at least according to the article that stated, “After the Mario movie, this is all anyone is talking about!”) after the movie is the Jack Black song peaches. I heard about it before the movie because of just such an article. However, I saved the song until I actually saw the movie. It didn’t disappoint. After the movie, I made my family laugh by mentioning that it hit the top 100 and, therefore, qualified for Grammy status.

Good

Lumalee: This movie introduced us to nihilist Lumalee, the star companion from the Super Mario Galaxy series. I laughed and laughed with every line that came out of the adorable Nietzsche wannabe. Granted, I have a dark sense of humor as a optimistic pessimist. But, I think everyone can find something lovable in the darkness that is Lumalee’s attitude towards it all.

I know that! I also wrote about this phenomenon in the Honor Among Thieves article. However, being able to catch even a fraction of the easter eggs in the movie made me very happy. What brought me more joy was that my kids were all there to point them out either during the movie or after we left the theater.

Great

Donkey Kong: All of the characters lived up to expectations. I know some (probably literally nobody other than douche bags trying to make money with “content”) derided the movie as “woke” because they portrayed peach as a “strong independent woman who don’t need no man”. Other than that, every time a character appeared on screen, it put a smile on my face. In my opinion, one voice actor went above and beyond to bring his character to life. And, he basically just played himself like he does in nearly every movie. Like Robert Downey Jr. before as Iron Man before him, Seth Rogan was born to play DK.

Kids/Nostalgia: More and more I admit to being bit by the nostalgia bug. More and more I realize that it bites me because of my kids. We went to see this one while on vacation in the Berkshires for Quinn’s birthday. Unlike many family outings lately, every single one of our boys chose to join us without a fight. During the movie, Liam wore a smile on his face that indicated that some of his greatest memories came to life on that screen. I think I wrote in an earlier article that sometimes brings me pause that fictional characters mean so much to us. But, then I shut up that part of my brain and enjoy what I enjoy. Helping to bring that same joy to our kids makes everything else feel small by comparison.

The Verdict

Great super hero movies? For the most part, check. I give DC a pass and often turn off my brain enough to enjoy them even if I know they’re not very good. Plus, James Gunn? We’ll see. Live action (and CGI, of course) Dungeons and Dragons that delivers? Check. Amazing video game movies? Well, it remains to be seen if Nintendo can do it with other franchises, but they delivered with The Super Mario Bros movie.

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High Score episode 6

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Introduction

We have arrived at High Score episode 6. The last episode of the first season. I say first season because I remain hopeful that there will at least be a second season. More on the episode later, of course, but let’s talk about why there should be at least one more season for a bit. Naturally, the first reason is because the show was very good. Honestly, do you need another reason? Fine, way to make me do my job.

Except this isn’t my job. It’s my hobby. And I might not even be all that good at it.

Aside from the fact that the series was entertaining and I’d like to continue to be entertained by nostalgia, they stopped with the advent of the 3D era. The last game they talk about is DOOM. That game came out when I was in high school. I’m not going to go into how long ago that was, but I often talk about being an old man gamer, so you can do the math. No mention of the N64 or Sony vs. Microsoft. Granted, that wasn’t as exciting as Nintendo vs. Sega, but it bears mentioning at the least.

Heck, they only gave passing mention to some of the greatest games of the era and missed the boat on others, like Metroid. Maybe there will be a special episode or season 3? That’s probably asking too much.

Into…the 3rd dimension! (On Game Boy?)

We start our journey on the Game Boy. Yes, that Game Boy. The very same one that you remember (or probably don’t unless you are old like me) from your childhood. The green and black monochrome dot matrix screen. 8 bit graphics and midi sound effects. Also, like I mentioned in a previous article about episode 3, it had one of the best Final Fantasy games in the series.

Speaking of Tetris, this was actually my introduction to the game.

Well, this company was attempting to show that you could do 3D graphics on current technology. I’m not sure why they chose the Game Boy. Hey, I was watching while working out. So, some of the details are missing. The point is that they got a working demo on the Game Boy.

They so impressed Nintendo with their work that they offered them a job to bring a similar experience to the SNES. I may be missing critical information. However, the overarching theme is there. Argonaut begat Game Boy 3D which begat the SNES and Pilotwings. In turn, Pilotwings begat Wolfenstein that begat…

Can you play DOOM on this thing?

The majority of the episode revolved around DOOM. I even got a bit of a nerdgasm when they revealed that they talked to the man, John Romero, for pretty much the whole segment. You young nerds might not know. But, for us oldbies, John Romero is a legend.

Some of y’all have grown up with consistent broadband internet on which to embarrass your friends and enemies. Not so for us. We had to “dial in” on a “phone line” and were excited when the speed increased almost two fold from 33.6k to 56k. None of us knew what those numbers meant, but we knew that 56 > 33.6.

And, we liked it! Yep, really leaning into that old man demo with a relevant cultural image here.

Aside from ushering in the age of online gaming, DOOM and id Software helped to popularize other trends like shareware. They gave you part of hte game for free, got you hooked, and then made you pay for the rest. No, they’re really not doing much for the old video games as a proxy for drugs narrative.

But, on a more positive note, they did open the code of the game. I know I’ve talked about this before. But, if you’ve ever played DOOM or its various clones or even World of Warcraft, you know that the games can be modded. (Can’t forget about my favorite recent moddable game, Minecraft.) Having that sort of control over a game gives it infinite replay value.

Heck, entire new games have been developed as mods to existing games.

The Verdict (High Score episode 6 is an awesome conclusion to the season)

Yes, you can tell from that subtitle that I’m tipping my hand yet again. I want another season of this show. I mean, who wouldn’t? Other than episode two, which was a bit slow (and I now understand that might have been a by design), the show was solid from beginning to end. Sure, High Score episode 6 ended it with DOOM, which is right in my wheelhouse. Nevertheless, if you are an oldbie nerd like me, you will enjoy this series. If you haven’t already.

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HIgh Score Episode 4

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Introduction

High Score episode 4 out of 6. I said it several times in the article, but thank goodness for episode 3. It renewed my faith in the series that I thought was going to end up being a one hit wonder. I know that sounds harsh, potentially jettisoning a series because of only one episode.

I mean, there’s precedent for such a thing. I stopped watching Walking Dead after a particularly violent opening scene. I think it was the season premiere for season 3. I’m not entirely sure. But, I haven’t been back since. It’s worth noting that I did the same with the comic. No, not Glenn. I stopped long before Glenn. Like most of this “shock factor” entertainment, it just becomes too much at some point.

Who knows? Maybe I will go back at some point to finish the series.

Nintendo – “The 900 lb Gorilla”

So, I mentioned in the Nintendo episode review (that’s the one that was so bad that I thought I’d have to avoid the rest of the series, or at least endure it simply to talk about how bad it was) that they never mentioned Sega. I think I said something at the time about them wanting to give Sega their own episode.

Now, of course, I know that part was true. I also understand that it might have been a conscious decision on their part to set it up that way. For those of us who didn’t care much about market share, we had no idea that Nintendo was the “big bad” in the scenario. To have mentioned Sega in their episode would have been punching down. More on the console wars later.

Sega Guy – “Rock the Rock”

I made the mistake of calling the Nintendo World Champion “Nintendude” and it’s not just because there’s a contemporary streamer named that today. He just wasn’t much of a “dude”. His whole story had the antiseptic feel of the rest of the episode.

Not so for Chris Tang or his conquest of “The Rock”. True to form, Segga went over the top for their championship. It was held on Alcatraz. MTV was there with Bill Bellamy and Daisy Fuentes. I watched with bated breath at the thrilling conclusion. Our hero was the underdog in the final round! What isn’t there to love about Sega? More on that in a bit.

You can watch the whole thing on YouTube. (Hint: Click the green YouTube.)

Gordon Bellamy – “True Gamer Inspiration”

In keeping with both underdog stories and, “Hey, I know that name!” recognition, I present the story of Gordon Bellamy. The story started with Trip Hawkins, a name that most from the 90s will recognize. I never played the original Maddens on consoles. It wasn’t until the Playstation that I discovered sports games. I did play Madden on my Commodore 64 (yeah, any of you who question my OG gaming credentials can kindly Eff off) and discovered a glitch that allowed me to score a touchdown every time I touched the ball.

Okay, enough of that. Let’s talk about Gordon Bellamy. He basically got his job by annoying the developers at EA until they gave him a chance. He repaid them by changing video game history for the better. He introduced alternate skin colors into Maden so that all of the players weren’t white anymore.

That’s right, mad nerds. Your precious Madden was touched forever by a black, gay man. Stay mad.

Sonic the Hedgehog – SEGA!

During the great console wars of the 1990s, I was a definite Sega guy. Sure, Nintendo always speaks to the child inside of me. But, Sega screams at the reckless teenager. Let me start by saying that I’m generally unimpressed by marketing.

However, watching the plan that Sega put together to “take down” Nintendo and then watching that plan unfold before my eyes was pure nostalgic bliss. I know that people think there are console wars these days and there are. But, it’s mostly just fan boys screaming at each other on message boards. Sony and Microsoft feel like co-conspirators in the whole charade. Yes, get off my lawn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh5eis0sMHI

For some reason, it won’t let me embed, but I did go into Quinn’s room to scream “Sega!” at him, so marketing does work on some level.

The Verdict – “High Score episode 4 is awesome

The subtitle is the TLDR of this one. Sorry it took so long to get around to it. But, it makes it no less true. High Score episode 4 is amazing. It reaches the lofty heights set by episode 1 and makes me excited for the rest of the series again. Join me in a couple of days for episode 5.

Digital Playground

High Score Episode 3

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Introduction

Thank goodness for High Score episode 3. After episode 2, I was worried that it was a one hit fluke. Even early in this episode, I started to wonder if it was going to be worth my time. Even though it took a bit to warm, up, eventually I was sold again. Plus, it looks like episode 4 is about SEGA!

This one centered around role playing games and their impact on video gaming history. I have been a role playing game enthusiast since I discovered Dungeons and Dragons through The Elven Nations trilogy. I then read the Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends and I was hooked.

Ken and Roberta Williams – “Nerds in Love”

This is the part of the episode that I thought was going to continue the slide into mediocrity. It was a story of a man and a woman who bonded over their mutual love for both role playing games and programming. Actually, I think only one of them was a programmer. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised.

I don’t know if I just had a hangover from the Nintendo episode or what. But, initially, I reacted quite viscerally to this love story. However, as they both told their story and the episode incorporated more stories into the tapestry and I walked out with a warm and fuzzy feeling for these two people. Good story and great story telling.

Dungeons and Dragons – “Cult Following”

As soon as they mentioned Dungeons and Dragons in the episode, I knew they’d drag up the old Satanist fears. Granted, they telegraphed their move a bit by calling it a “game with a cult following”. Plus, the mention was minor and barely even registered. I was much more bothered by their coverage of the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. I don’t mean how they covered it. Simply, it brought up bad memories and made me realize, yet again, that we simply don’t learn from our pasts.

Random Fact: It’s been a while since I’ve had one of these. But, it’s one of the few “fun” facts that I have from the wild and crazy D&D games of my youth that people will actually care to hear. The “Satanic cult” rumors about the game traveled so far and wide that the company (TSR at the time) chose to change the name of their Wicca to Wokani out of respect to the witches. So, those of you who say that WotC are being to PC. They might be, but D&D has a long history of being inclusive.

Checkmate, mad nerds.

Final Fantasy – “Born of Art”

Final Fantasy has been with me almost as long as Dungeons and Dragons. I played the original Final Fantasy Legend I and II on the original Game Boy. Yes, that green screened monolith of portable gaming entertainment. The Final Fantasy Legend I, along with Final Fantasy 3 (V in Japan, I think…nope, VI), are two of the best games that I’ve ever played. I don’t know if I’d put them both in my top 5, but they’re definitely top 10.

The most interesting part of this story was the way that they introduced the game. They showed and talked to an artist. Even though I didn’t remember his name, I knew as soon as I saw his art exactly what game they were talking about. It’s just so iconic. Even though back in the 8-bit days, it barely did him any justice, you could still see the seeds of that art in those tiny sprites. Also, he was a good sport about it and said the conversion process made them “cute”.

Who can beat the twist of the Creator ending? Plus, he is cute for a murderous demagogue.

Gay Blade – “The Game is the Quest”

I alluded to this section earlier when I talked about their coverage of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. It is told through the context of a gay and lesbian RPG created by a programmer named Ryan Best. I’d never heard of the game before, so the entire story behind the creation, loss, and subsequent discovery of the game again was truly inspiring. I’ve found a link to the game, so I’m probably going to download and play through.

Well, during the story, they went through the 1980s and the reaction to the AIDS crisis. There was the whole gamut of the “AIDS is God’s retribution for homosexuality” from the right wing nutters of the day. Note: Many of those nutters or their proteges are still alive today. So, I’m not sure why I expected things to have changed. But, this story affected me deeply and I found myself crying during the telling.

I mean, simply the quote at the top, “Vaporize politicians! Zap skinheads!” makes it worth the download.

The Verdict (High Score episode 3 is a redemption)

After the let down of episode 2, I was questioning my undying support of the series. Even early in High Score episode 3, I wondered if the first episode was just a fluke. I’m glad that I didn’t overreact and turn it off. This episode was amazing. And, I can say with utmost confidence that episode 4 is fun as hell, too. Join me next time when I review probably my favorite time in history, the Sega/Nintendo rivalry.

Snap *censored* Pop Culture

High Score Episode 2

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Introduction

A word of warning about High Score episode 2. I didn’t find it as entertaining or engaging as episode 1. In fact, the episode was so uninteresting to me that I’m reconsidering my effusive praise after the first episode. I appreciate that they’re trying to mix lesser known stories with the history that we probably all know. However, something was missing from that mix in episode 2.

I’m not entirely sure what went wrong. I can say for certain that one big name was missing from the episode. As far as I saw, there was no mention of Sega. I assume that’s because they are waiting to give Sega their own episode. I thought they might start with the Sega/Nintendo rivalry. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

I mean, how do you have one without the other?

Jeff Hansen – “I’ve Seen This Story Before, But Better”

High Score episode 2 follows the same formula as episode 1 in at least one way. They chronicle Jeff Hansen through his experience as a competitor in the first Nintendo World Championships just like they did Rebecca Heineman in her pursuit of Space Invaders glory. But, here’s where the theme of the episode comes into play again.

His story just wasn’t as interesting as hers. They tried to play him out as an underdog. He didn’t advance in his first attempt and then he had to travel to Tampa Bay for one “last chance”. But, he just wasn’t as much of a personality as she was. It was just weird overall to follow up with almost the exact same storyline only not as interesting.

Also, the guy struggled with Tetris, which is just a cardinal sin as far as I’m concerned.

Gail Tilden – “Dragon Lady”

I had a feeling that I might not enjoy this episode as much when they first introduced Gail Tilden. She worked in some department or another for Nintendo. Advertising, maybe? Who the hell knows. She was titer testing wine in her first scene. Yeah…

But, they pulled off the seemingly impossible. Even after I rolled my eyes so hard, I thought they might get stuck there at her introduction, they made me sympathize for her. Granted, it is probably just my personal bias against even casual misogyny. However, one of the guys called her the “Dragon Lady” and then they showed her as overbearing and intimidating. *sigh*

I mean, she helped launch Nintendo Power and that magazine ran for 20? 25? Years. Clearly, she knew what she was doing, but that kind of talk is just so frustrating.

Shaun Bloom – “Nintendude”

Speaking of Nintendo Power, before the magazine, there were the Nintendudes. That wasn’t their actual name, but that’s a missed opportunity for sure. In my opinion, the most entertaining part of the episode was the story of Shaun Bloom. Shaun is just an entertaining guy.

I mean, he lived during a time before streaming and YouTube influencers. It was a time of, “Dude, I can get paid to play video games!” I mean, there’s still some of that, but it was truly a time where such a career path was enough to blow your mind. And, Mr. Bloom played that part perfectly. Even if you don’t watch the rest of the episode, definitely fast forward for his part.

Apparently there’s a guy who plays Smash that is called “Nintendude”. Maybe he will sue the page and we can get famous that way. This strategy hasn’t worked so far, but it has to eventually, right?

Super Mario is everywhere (But where is Miyamoto?)

One of the major complaints that I have about episode 2 is that Shigeru Miyamoto plays only a minor role. I get that they are trying to focus more on some of the lesser known stories in video games. However, if you are going to use Mario to sell the episode, you have to give his creator more than just a passing mention.

Look, I get that you are probably still “Yeah, but”ing me. And, that’s fine. Everyone has a big but. We can talk about your big but. My big but is “But, having Miyamoto in the episode more would have made it infinitely more entertaining.”

The Verdict – High Score episode 2 makes me less excited to watch the rest of the series

I was very high on this series after the first episode. It was just the right amount of information and entertainment. Episode 2 fell off a bit for the reasons I listed. I’m still going to give it a second, third, and however many more episodes there are, chance. It’s just too tempting to not watch. I especially want to see if they do an episode on Sega since they missed the opportunity to talk about the great console wars of that time. Join me in a couple of days for episode 3!