I’ve been in a startlingly good mood recently, allowing me ample relaxation and peace of mind. The perfect mindset for gaming! Don’t get me wrong, here. Anger is always good motivation when pretending to shoot people, and a wistful, nostalgic mood might make a fantasy game all the more enrapturing, but I’ve never enjoyed a game more than when I’ve felt calm, cool, and collected.

In the spirit of happy gaming, I figured, what better way to revel than to write about a bunch of stuff that makes me gush with video game love? Scenes, moments, characters, and even some games themselves. There are some that make me remember why I turn to my console when I’m feeling a little blue. They just make me believe in gaming again.

Kill Streaks
I’m not having a good day. My comp sci professor handed back our mid-terms, I dropped my wallet on the subway, and a thunderstorm opened fire on me on the way back from classes. What do I do? Well, you know, after I deactivate my credit cards and change into some warm clothes, I pop Call of Duty into my 360, of course. It’s not always guaranteed to boost my spirits, but it will get some aggression out and I might even kick some ass.

And honestly, nothing cheers me up like a kill streak. I fly around corners feeling invincible, looking behind me to make sure I don’t have anyone on my trail, and I aim for the head with whatever shot I can make. I find my perfect spot on my favorite map (which is Creek, by the way, if you play CoD4), lie down and pull out my M40A1, and wait for something to try and get by. Going 23-0 is a great feeling. Even if I follow it up with a horrible round, I still feel on top of the world shutting off the box and sitting down for some homework, which I then attempt to headshot with similar fervor. That doesn’t always work out so well, though.

Katamari
Whoever first thought it was a good idea to make a video game out of rolling up the world into a ball: please contact me now so I can bake you cookies for life. I love this game. Even if I don’t have a big enough Katamari to make the moon, I love rolling up people and cars and stadiums and clouds and islands. Godzilla and that guy that looks like Strong Bad. Cows and trees and paper clips and weird looking fruit and frying pans that are flying around when they shouldn’t be. It’s so therapeutic. Brittany has written about how funny Katamari is, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s so relaxing. A stress-free environment where all you have to do is roll everything up and away it goes. Can I roll up my mom so she’ll stop calling me? Please?

Blood Splatter
Some little things just tickle my morbid, horror-loving fancy, and a proper environment is key to creating an entertaining survival horror video game. I know not every room of every building has to be covered with guts and gore, but when I run down a hallway and into a room seeking solace from a nurse without a damn face, it better have some blood splatter. I guess it could be eerily clean, but come on. Would Resident Evil be the same without blood splatter? Didn’t think so.

Raiding with Friends
Some of you probably hate raiding on WoW or know it backward and forward enough to find it boring, but I just tried it for the first time a few nights ago. (Yay, noobiness!) And contrary to my expectations, talking on vent about strategies and announcing developments mid-fight really revved my geek engines. I was so excited to play with people who are as interested in the game as I am, and knowing a few of them well enough to get along and joke around made things even more laid back and fun. It felt productive and like a real team effort, as opposed to a pug with people you will likely never hear from again. Fulfilling, enthralling experiences like that really make me remember why I love multiplayer gaming and gaming in general. The thought, the strategy, the friends, and the plain old fun. I know I sound really cheesy right now, but I had a good time, okay?

So please, let me know what you love about games. Does anything about them make your heart melt? What gets your adrenaline pumping like nothing else? And what are some of those little details that catch your eye and make you smile?

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 24th, 2008 at 8:39 pm and is filed under Game Design, Casual Gaming, Raves, Personal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.