Dodgeball

When was the last time you played dodgeball? That long ago, eh? Well, you've been missing out! Dodgeball is one of the simplest, most primal forms of entertainment. I usually start these entries with some sort of historical statement, but for dodgeball, I really have nothing. I suppose people have been throwing rocks at each other since they were cavemen, but I'm not really sure when the game part of it came in. However you slice it, though, dodgeball is fun.
Most people are introduced to dodgeball in elementary school. You'll have two teams, a certain number of balls, and mass chaos. Get hit with a ball thrown from the other team, and you're out. Kids go nuts over this game. "Chuck the ball at my classmates as hard as I can, you say? Ok!" However, it's not until they get a bit older that they start to see the subtle strategies of the game. Brute force and lack of restraint are important, but you must also be light on your feet, and quick with your hands. What makes this game entertaining is the second rule: catch a ball, and you get to bring back one of your players as well as getting the thrower out. It's a two-man swing! (...as an aside, I tried for many years to market my two-man swing, but there doesn't seem to be much in the way of a homosexual playground equipment market...)
The other cool thing about this game is its legacy. It seems that everyone has dodgeball-related memories, and it's always nice when we can feel nostalgic together. This is why it's surprising to me that it doesn't have that big of a presence today. Why has there only been one film about this noble sport? Why has there only been 1 American-released home-console video game devoted to this glorious pastime? Why are dodgeball leagues not sprouting up all across our country? The answer? Because it's a silly game. And that's why it's my Thing of the Week!

Next week: This exact same blog entry, but with 4-square.

Playing Cards

I love card games. I don't know a single person who's ever told me they didn't. In fact, playing cards have been an important recreational tool since the 9th century! Even our modern deck with 13 values and 4 suits dates back to the 15th century. The greatest thing about cards, in my opinion, is their flexibility. Not physical flexibility, but the diversity of games which can be played with them. Aside from maybe dice, there really doesn't exist an object that has so much potential for different activities in the field of gaming.

If I asked you to name 5 card games off the top of your head, you'd have absolutely no problem doing so. The same can probably be said if I asked for 10 or 20! You have games like War, Crazy 8's and Old Maid that are kid-friendly and luck-based. You also have games like Bridge, Hearts and Euchre, which are the basis for thousands of "Game Night"s and "Card Club"s around the world. You have games that range from 1 player, like Solitaire, all the way up to 10 players (with one deck) like poker. There might even be bigger games that I don't even know about.

What's the first thing you should always pack for vacation? Of course! A deck of cards! Portability is just another amazing feature of these games. Also, (even though it seems that all of my Things of the Week are this way) they're cheap! Thousands and thousands of games are at your fingertips for about $2. The list goes on and on for why playing cards are just so awesome. And that's why they're my Thing of the Week.

Next time: Watching Paint Dry (Contrary to popular belief, it can be quite riveting!)

Super Nintendo

Video games have always been a passion of mine. Ever since I grew up playing "Duck Tales" and "M.C. Kids" on the NES, I've enjoyed almost everything about computer entertainment. However, as time went on, I found that the industry started to develop values that differed from mine. In my opinion, too much emphasis is placed on graphics and presentation these days, and not enough on playability and fun. For that reason, I find that my favorite games to collect and play are games for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or SNES.
After the video game crash of 1983, a lot of people had lost their faith in the industry. However, the Nintendo Entertainment System really turned this around by having quality games that were all licensed by Nintendo itself. By doing this, they built a reputation for themselves. This reputation only gained them more popularity in 1991 when they released the Super Nintendo to the world. By building upon franchise favorites like: Super Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Final Fantasy, and Donkey Kong, the SNES built a library of games that is still regarded as one of the best collections of video games ever. What I enjoy about the system, though, is what it represents today.
First of all, the SNES was simple, and there's a lot to be said about simplicity in games. Look at the controller above, first of all, it has 4 face buttons, a D-pad, and 2 triggers. Most systems today add to that 2 analog sticks (which act as buttons themselves) and 2 more triggers. Not to say that there's anything wrong with that, but it opens up the possibility of a game's control being too complex. Everything feels very natural with this many buttons, and I maintain that, although games today often do a good job of using their control schemes, the best games don't require you to use more than you see above.
Secondly, game development in the 1990's was focused solely on playability and enjoyment. When the SNES was launched, it found itself at the center of the video game Console Wars. What this meant is that you had to remain popular to survive. At the time, though, popular meant that your games were, above all else, fun. Graphics were part of the Console Wars, but gameplay was valued much higher than it is today.
So... what do you get when you combine elegant simplicity with gameplay-based development? You get what many people (myself included) call the Golden Age of video games. Many people argue that it's also the greatest system ever made, but I still can't decide whether it's the SNES or the Playstation 2. Either way, this system embodies everything I like about video games, and you can build yourself a great collection of games for a very low price ($1 - $15 for most games). Even as technological marvels continue to be produced for the modern systems, I find myself trolling eBay and Craigslist in pursuit of a larger library of games that are almost 20 years old. And that's why the Super Nintendo is my Thing of the Week!

Next week: Paper mills (oh, wait... that's for my other blog: Smelly Thing of the Week)