Dispatches from War Rocket Ajax

Gaming with my wife

Tue Feb 24, 2009 5:31 pm

[

Mood: Cool ][

Currently: Watching the Watchmen! ]

I'm very thankful for 2-D games.

Without them, my wife and I would never play videogames together.

We've spent many hours pummeling the minions of Smash TV, Galaga, and Golden Axe, and many more shattering the jewels of Luxor 2, Hexic HD, or Bejeweled 2. Unfortunately, some of those games don't have a 2-player co-op option, so we end up handing the controller back and forth between us, or waiting until the other person's turn is up before blasting the (insert enemy noun here) back to hell, or wherever they've come from.

See, my wife suffers simulation sickness when she watches me play more than a few minutes of just about any FPS, so I'm playing games alone a lot. Funny thing is, if you'd met me a little over ten years ago, I'd have been ranting about what a waste of time and energy those games are. Ah, how time changes the perspective.

Ironically, the games I play most often are Pac-Man Championship Edition or Jewel Quest (I'm ready for Jewel Quest 2 on the Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft!), but since I've gotten all the achievements for both, I suppose a bit of the thrill is gone.

Just a few short years ago, I played the Halo: Combat Evolved campaign, on Legendary, almost everyday (It's a great way to relieve stress).

I've lived this moment 25+ times, and loved it, every one:

My dear wife used to watch regularly, and since it was the game I played most, she got used to seeing the way I moved Master Chief on the screen, but she was never able to play the game herself. (An aside: after playing though over 20 times, Halo 2 finally came out, and while the sequel was enjoyable, Legendary difficulty was punishing to me, and I'm not proud to admit I never beat the game on that setting. I'm still working on Halo 3's hardest natural difficulty (and I dount I'll face down Mythic anytime soon).)

First person shooters are simply not her forte, but get her into a game of Galaga, Luxor 2, or Feeding Frenzy, and her top score will trounce my best effort by thousands of points.

I enjoy the few videogames my wife and I can play together, but when we get into the arena of competition (e.g., opposed to the co-operative nature of Smash TV), she gets absolutely vicious, and I'm often the sorest loser.

The competition is most evident in the board games we play. I should just concede her victory when we sit down to the table--heck, when we get the boxes out--to play Dominoes, Sorry, or Marvel Heroes Monopoly, but I know, when I can connive her into a game of Battleship or Chess, I'll emerge victorious.

I hope.

This blog entry is just one of many on this subject...
You could be doubling alone
Next Gen Killed Our Gaming Relationship
Forced Perspective Playing With My Toys
From Gaming Geek to Heroes Freak
My Lady and Gaming
Gaming with your significant other
Gaming Together, Maybe?
Girl Gamers = Hawt
Gaming with my significant other
Move Over Hott Boy, I Want to Play
'Til Mongoose Mowdown Do Us Part

You'll also find an awesome fellow Halo fan here.

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m_bey
Rogue

Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 55
Location: Austin,TX
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 12:15 pm Post subject:

dude, i love smash TV! i was just thinking about how much i loved that game.

Dharma Bum
Grand Master of Flowers

Joined: 10 Oct 2005
Posts: 2133

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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:03 pm Post subject:

My little lady has a love for Gears of War, probably because the main characters have the kind of physique she lusts after. I can't get her to touch anything with a first person perspective, though, because she needs a cover mechanic in order to feel safe while shooting. She also freaks out if anything is charging her, so she got down the stairs in the first No Mercy map for L4D, and then spent the rest of the evening punching me in the arm and cursing at me in hindi.

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