From The Felt: Not All Video Games Are Evil

Monday, March 23, 2009 - John Greene

Let’s talk about an unpleasant fact that most poker players are going to have to deal with at some time or another: sometimes, you shouldn’t play. Whether it’s mere tiredness, a run of bad luck that has you spooked, or even that thing none of us want to discuss – old age – sometimes you need to take a step back and let yourself recharge. This is especially important in the weeks leading up to the WSOP and other big tournaments, where you can burn yourself out without even realizing it.

So, let’s say you self-diagnose and decide you need some time away from the poker tables – what can you do to get your edge back? Get yourself a Nintendo DS. No, I am not making this up. Yes, I know how crazy it sounds, but the DS has a plethora of games that can help you rebuild your reflexes and memory skills in a low-stress environment that doesn’t involve putting thousands of dollars on the rail and looking over your glasses at someone else.

The Brain Age series of memory, concentration, and math is the most famous, and for good reason. Using the built-in tutorial, you create a personal regimen of math, geometry, and reading tutorials that build up your retention and processing ability on the fly. When I first started playing the game (after a particularly disastrous wipeout in a tournament series that shall go unnamed,) my “brain age” was fifteen years older than I actually am. After a couple of weeks using the original Brain Age game every morning after breakfast, I got my cognitive skills down to that of a teenager, and we know how devious and tricky they can all be.

Much sillier but no less valuable is Elite Beat Agents, in which you help a group of dancing and singing superstars bring joy and harmony to the world using the DS’s stylus. No, I am not making this up. The little plastic pen with the Ds allows you to tap, drag, and spin various controllers on the game’s touch screen in time to the game’s music and what starts off as a pretty simple timing exercise becomes a real workout of your reflexes in the final levels, even on the easiest settings.

Then there’s Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, which I’ve now claimed as my planes-and-trains game of choice. No, it has no redeeming qualities, but getting to explore Liberty City and deal drugs out of the back of a van from a device that fits into my pocket is amusing as all get out. I just have to make sure I have the Crosswords game cart nearby so the better half doesn’t call me out on my “therapy.”

So, the next time you’re experiencing table burnout, maybe it’s time to focus on another type of game for a while. I’ve found that it helps tremendously, but you don’t have to take my word on it. Try it out yourself!

Tags: brain age, elite beat agents, grand theft auto, nintendo DS, Poker Poker Poker, video games

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Ultimate Gadgetry: The Lost And Damned

Saturday, February 21, 2009 - John Greene

When I get a chance, I am a fiend for my XBox. I’ve got a nearly-regular Friday night party set up with my friends scattered over three continents, the better half loves Netflix being built into it, it allows me to watch those delightfully out-of-date HD-DVDs of the original Star Trek series, but the real highlight of the system for me has been Grand Theft Auto IV.

The core game itself is a rich experience, to be sure, with a compelling story, great animation and voice acting, and an interface that lets you truly enjoy the sandbox aspect of the world you’re in. The saga of Nico Bellic ranks right up there with some of the best movies I’ve seen, and the cast of characters make it an experience more than a game. The strong multiplayer aspect makes it a regular part of our Friday evening rotation with a broad selection of missions and a “Free For All” mode that lets my gang engage in activities that would end in dismemberment and jail time in the real world. In conversations, I’ve stated that I honestly couldn’t see how they’d improve the game.

Then I downloaded The Lost And Damned, an all-new storyline featuring biker gangs in Liberty City. Rockstar has stepped their game up with this one, combining some of my favorite aspects of shows like The Wire and Sons of Anarchy with their unique blend of satire, over-the-top action, and compelling story that provides an even more immersive experience. You play as Johnny, the level-headed vice-president of The Lost, a crew of riders who have just been reunited with their leader, Billy, fresh out of a stint in Liberty City’s finest correctional facilities, and you find yourself having to deal with a man who’ll tear apart his family to take over a city that’s been peaceful in his absence.

And just in case an expansive storyline, great action, and some truly fun missions weren’t enough, they’ve thrown in awesome new additions to the multiplayer functionality that has made the game such a perennial for me. If you want a way to get some honest thrills out of taking out other people and the cards have been a bit cool for you, you can do a lot worse than this.

Tags: grand theft auto, gta4, gtaiv, xbox, xbox live

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