I think it’s safe to assume that there are games that every gamer keeps getting addicted to. We know we’re addicted. We even say things like,”I’ll finish it this last time, and I’ll just set it aside and move on.” We’re like smokers. My addictions revolve around four games: Super Mario Galaxy, Pokemon Diamond, Super Metroid, and Sonic 3 and Knuckles.
I was able to curb my Sonic addiction, with the series being so shitty lately, and the fact that my copies of the game were sealed up next to the Genesis in storage. I know have it available to me any time I boot up my Wii, same with Super Metroid and Galaxy. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a couple games, but I think overindulgence is a problem. I just can’t seem to rip myself away. And, I have so many other games I want to experience. I’ve got Half Life 2: Episode 2 on deck, plus, I haven’t experienced nearly enough Team Fortress 2. It’s criminal to deny these games, especially when I’ve traversed each of my addictions countless times a piece (save for Pokemon, but Pokemon is a matter of hours versus times completed).
What is it about these games? Nintendo charm? Fun? Yes and no. Pokemon isn’t fun. It’s a pure addiction. Do you think pack a day smokers enjoy what they do? Probably not. Leveling is boring, and my only opponents are people with lower leveled Pokemon. It’s the collection that keeps me going. That perfect team. Today was a terrible day for me, I got a crap load of amazing Pokemon. I will be configuring teams and boosting levels for days now. Well, it is fun. I lied. Pokemon is fun, but it is in an awkward way, like I suppose chain smoking would be.
Galaxy, I’ve got three full completions in with a Luigi round on deck. It’s sitting there, begging for it. I’ll succumb too. Probably because this game is everything you could ask for in a game, according to me, anyway. I think it’s the spheres and space. I think Galaxy has made me realize that my dream is to have a small planet of my own. I should have noticed this years ago. King Kami’s planet was one of my favorite things in Dragonball Z. He had his own tiny planet, with a little road and everything. I was envious. Now, I’ve got a whole game filled with tiny planets. That’s one of the reasons I just can’t put it away. The story too. There’s this philosophical element to the ending sequence that’s just fascinating; for some reason it keeps the disc in the tray and I keep playing and thinking about it. I’m hooked.
I am worried that I’ll grow to hate these things. I don’t think I will. Eventually I think I’ll end up being separated from them out of respect for a new title.
Speaking of which, there are two games Wii owners should be looking forward to next month. The obvious is Smash Brothers, which I’ve already said enough about here. The second is Okami. It’s a direct port of the PS2 game with motion control (no new content, just extra functionality). As a player of the original version, I can whole heartedly say that having both versions will probably be worth it. In the game you’re a wolf deity who controls a special paint brush that can do cool stuff. The “Celestial Brush”, as it’s known in the game, is basically how you interact with the game, be it environmental interaction or combat attacks. In the PS2 version this is controlled via analog stick. In the Wii version this is handled much more accurately with the Wii remote. In my opinion this major difference is worth the price. Okami was begging to be a Wii game from inception, and now that it is I hope people buy it. It’s a solid Zelda style adventure that deserves a play through. It ships at the end of March.
