I should start this entry with a few disclaimers:
1. I'm a girl (I know, DUH, but it's relevant, you'll see);
2. I grew up with gadget-phobe parents who did not feel compelled to provide me and my siblings with the latest and greatest video game gear as it was introduced or upgraded;
3. we finally ended up with the (now charmingly-retro, but at the time, ever-so-cutting-edge) Atari system (can I get an "Amen" from other children of the '70s?)
That being said, my favorite game was Frogger. I used to love, love, love jumping that spunky little amphibian across the highway, until the inevitable SPLAT of an 18-wheeler squished him into virtual roadkill. However, unlike the current generation of plugged-in, techno-savvy kids, I was never in danger of developing Nintendo-thumb, or going cross-eyed from staring at a screen all day. Which is one reason why, right up until 2 days ago, we were a PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox-free house.
A few years ago, as everyone (who doesn't live on a mountaintop or in a cave) knows, the Wii came along, and of course changed the Gaming World forever, blah, blah, blah. However, there was NO WAY IN HECK I was ever getting up at pre-dawn-thirty and standing in line for hours to buy a video game system, no matter how cool it was. So finally, the hype died down (took long enough!), and as a special bonus, the price came down a little, and it was time to take the plunge. We bought it as the Family Christmas Gift this year, let the boys start playing with it on December 25th...and I haven't seen them since. Oh, I hear them, as they yell "way to go" after a Par hole in golf, or when they trash-talk their Avatar Opponent on the computer tennis court, or when they plead with their bowling ball to curve left and pick up the Spare. They're even developing rivalries with some of the Wii-guys; they particularly want to beat "Matt", who keeps hitting home runs and making spectacular center field-catches against them.
And although I haven't even tried to play the game myself yet...I finally Get It. Watching them gyrate around the Family Room, hooting and laughing, giving each other instructions and encouragement: Male Bonding in its simplest and best form. For now, I'll observe the Testosterone Tournament from a safe distance...knowing that I'll have the Wii all to myself when they go back to school and work next week! Watch out, Matt!
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