I’m not into video games like I used to be.  This realization almost hurts the geek in me because there was a time when I was more than obsessed with picking up a controller and losing my mind for hours.  Video games have surrounded my life starting with Atari back in the late 70’s.

Back when I was just a small child my folks brought home an Atari 2600.  I would play that system until the controllers would break.  At the time it was the greatest thing ever.  I was able to take a square figured guy and side-scroll him while dodging scorpions and alligators.  Sometimes I would fall into the holes and sneak past the harder parts.  (Yes, I speak of Pitfall)

Throughout my video game years I’ve saved the Princess thousands of times, took the Browns (or Cleveland equivalent) to the Tecmo Bowl, defeated a creepy fat mustached villain thanks to a blue hedge hog, and saved Zelda a bunch after recovering the Tri-Force.  I’ve beat countless countries in Super Dodge Ball as well as even once TKO’d Mike Tyson after he beat me thousands of times.  I’ve won races, done impossible skateboarding tricks, killed a robotic Hitler, and even round the reverse world on Super Mario World.

“Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Select Start” actually means something to me and is not just some random group of commands.  I am a video game junkie, I know this.

The systems just got better and better as I grew up.  My eyes would open wide with excitement when I would hear about new systems being created.  My folks tried their best and not cave in and buy every system that came out but between my brother and I begging them as well as saving out pennies we did good.  Nintendo, Turbo Graphix 16, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis – yeah, we had em.

Obviously as the years passed the gaming systems just got more insane.  The first time I saw the graphics on a Nintendo 64 my mouth dropped open.  Remember Goldeneye?  What a game…  That and Perfect Dark.  I remember playing Twisted Metal on my friend’s Playstation for the first time. Then there was the first time I saw someone play Tony Hawk Pro Skater – I am sounding like a complete nerd now.  Deal.

I remember these things and it freaks me out sometimes.  Why did I get so excited and further more how is it that many of my memories revolve around video games.  I remember when I was 16 I played Super Baseball 2020 at my friend’s father’s condo in Strongsville.  People are not supposed to remember things like this!!!

I guess one of the reasons I never grew out of video gaming and loved it so is because it was around me all the time.  Video games were not just eye hand coordination, they were escapes from reality.  Once Grand Theft Auto came out it was turning into a violent stress reliever.  Halo took away many hours of my life but I have no complaints at all, I was having fun.

Xboxs, PS2s, 360s, DSs, Gamecubes, Wii’s…  They got better and better and my money was well spent on them.  True story – I have waited in line more than once for a Nintendo product.  I was #101 for the Nintendo Wii when it came out in 2006.  I waiting in the cold at a Best Buy just so I could be one of the firsts to have it.  Why?  Because video games rule…  I also waited in line for the Gamecube when it came out as well as waited in line on 9-9-99 for the Sega Dreamcast.  Call me what you want, I am aware I was a video game junkie.

Forget the fact that sometimes there is a layer of dust on the Wii or the 360 some days.  I am a busy person and don’t get to play the systems like I used to.  In fact I have at least a dozen games I keep telling myself I need to play/beat and I never get to them when I have a day off.  I really just need to drop everything and play those games but then things won’t get done around the house…  UGH – I am turning into an adult.

I have the systems here at the BHP ranch for when I have time to drop a couple hours in a virtual world on rare occasion.  I prefer the 8-bit games usually because of the nostalgia and perhaps the simplicity of the game but I still like some of the games on the newer systems.

One game in particular is Guitar Hero.  I tried avoiding that game as much as possible but got sucked into it.  It is funny to imagine me, a 32 year old, standing in front of my tv and playing this game.  As if that is not funny enough, imagine the thoughts going on in my head as I play it.  There are moments I feel like I am the Guitar Hero, a rockstar.  Who cares if there are no strings on the plastic child sized guitar?  I don’t, I just rocked out to a Coheed & Cambria song and got 98%.

Still even Guitar Hero gets repetitious and I sometimes just put the plastic Les Paul down for months on end.

I have not been intrigued over a game for a while.  I have not played Madden in years, have no idea what players are in Tekken, and to this day have not tried the newest Grand Theft Auto.  Some of me tells myself that I’ve played them before and it is nothing new.  I guess I am bored with it.

Then comes DJ Hero.

This game looks AWESOME.  I want.  I want.  I want.

I love the art of spinning and scratching.  It amazes me and now thanks to a video game once again I can pretend I am something I am not and love it.

I have not caved in yet and purchased it mostly because the price of the game is $120.  That is a lot of money for me to be spending on something that quite possibly may pick up dust in the near future.  Still, I want this damn game.

Why?  Because it looks fun and Daft Punk is in the commercials and I can pretend I am a amazing DJ and so on and so on…  The game really does look well created.  I really should go to a store and try it out but that would be a huge mistake and if I did like it as much as I am thinking I will, it would come home with me.

Looks as if I still am a video game junkie after all…