my so called vices

i would not call myself a hard core gamer. occasionally i play the odd PlayStation here and there. however, my one weakness are strategy games. i was hooked on Star Craft, Tiberian Sun, Red Alert and then the power of Counter Strike kicked in. this was a big hit in the late 90's. and then it was back to WarCraft and Heroes of Might and Magic. i still find it funny how most of my guy friends don't believe i play computer games.

however, earlier this year, i was introduced (although he prefers using the term converted) by a friend to the little beauty called Nintendo DS Lite. it was perfection wrapped up in a small hand held thingy. i was in awe. sure, i cost a bomb, let's not get started on the price of the games. but the beauty of it was you could play multi-players. Oh My God! i have found heaven. (ok, maybe I'm over-the-top here,) but i found another addiction.


my favourite part of the DSLite was the multiplyer and the touch screen. the simplicity of alowing gamers to use the touch screen instead of the buttons is amazing. there is also the technology that lets you blow into its microphone 'hole' to make the character do different things. one of the games i bought called Cooking Mama, where using different techniques like slicing and chopping, i can prepare food following the recipes. one of the techniques is to blow into the microphone's hole to 'cool down the food'. it was ingenious!

i managed to 'convert' more and more friends and now there's about 18 of us (and yes, majority of us are girls). the argument there was DS games are targeted at girls, and PSP have more 'guy' games. maybe its the violent nature of PSP games that appeal to guys more then girls.

one of my friends who dragged me out to watch a soccer game but ended up playing my DS the WHOLE 90 MINUTES!!!!!

the best part of my year (in the gaming sense) was when the game Diner Dash was released for DSLite consoles. i had previously played the entire 3 games of Diner Dash on Yahoo Games (they are cheap, simple applications if you must, available on the Internet for USD$9.90) and also one of my favourite games. i pre-ordered it, paid the postage and handling in advance and was waiting impatiently for its impending arrival. when it FINALLY arrived, i did not sleep for 2 days. i was so near the end of the last level when my battery died. i plugged it in the charge (you only charge it for 3 hours to be able to play non stop for 12 hours, wondeful innit?) and when i came back my sister's friend was playing on it. to my utter horror and 'anguish', she had erased my game memory by mistake to start her own game. i could not talk to her for 1 week. it was devastating. (actually, thinking about it now, still makes me see red!)

Nintendo DS (dual-screen) Lite

the power and lure of computer/console/TV games never ceases to amaze me. while i was on holiday in Hong Kong, i was invited by my cousin to attend the World Counter Strike Play-offs. I thought he was joking, and when we arrived at the convention center, i was flabbergasted at the amount of people standing around, all with their own gear (special mouse, head phones) and some even wearing 'group' (or also known as clan) t-shirts with their names on the backs. it was a world i had never experienced or seen before. it also took gaming to another level, where people compete for money, status and reputation. this was a whole new culture and it eventually became a sub-culture on its one.