Gamer Mom

I was kind of a late bloomer into the world of video games. My mom bought me the original Nintendo, purchased via Kmart lay-a-way, after it had already passed its coolness peak. I enjoyed playing Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt, but it never became an obsession. In college, Chris bought me a Game Boy. I discovered Tetris and I was hooked. I became addicted to video game puzzle solving. One Christmas or birthday Chris bought me Zelda for the Game Boy, and a long time love affair began. I was ecstatic to have no time limits imposing my gaming, to be able to find hearts anytime my character's life was in danger of being extinguished, and to explore a virtual world looking for clues and objects. Ever since, I have been a Nintendo loyalist, enjoying Zelda on the Game Cube, Nintendo 64, the Nintendo DS and the Wii. I also found Zelda for the original Nintendo on eBay. I have never completed a game, but that isn't really the point for me - I enjoy the process of figuring out what to do next.

My DS is one of my most prized possessions. I am tickled by the portability and the versatality, and aside from my beloved Zelda, I particularly like games that make me use my brain, such as Brain Age, crossword puzzles, and sudoku. But it's the Wii that has really changed how people use video games, including in my own family. Video gaming has become more of an interactive family activity, popular even with grandparents. Gaming has definitely been taken to a new level, one that is easier to understand, especially for those who were not previously into it, and one that keeps us active as opposed to vegetating on the couch, moving only our thumbs. The Wii Fit is getting us moving all the more, with the help of the balance board. We can now use a previously sedentary activity to work out, count calories burned, keep track of weight loss, and improve our balance and coordination. Getting excercise is fun, and it is great to see my kids bouncing around the family room while playing a game. Oh I love technology.