When I was younger, gaming was something that was always present in my life.

From the days of the first Nintendo system to the day I bought my first console with my own money – a PlayStation 2 – I had always held a special place in my heart for the way turning on a new game made me feel.

Even now, there’s nothing quite like putting that new game into my PS3 and embarking on a journey all my own, complete with the feelings of the unknown and the excitement associated with the twists and turns of the storyline.

However, in between those stages in my life, there was a change. Not necessarily in how I feel about gaming, but in how I needed to approach it – for the benefit of myself as well as my family.

After all, it’s easy to play video games all night when you’re single and have very few responsibilities aside from a part-time job and some high school classes. But when you get to the point where I am – married, employed full-time, the father of a six-month old and busy most weekends – it’s easier to see the need for prioritization (but not necessarily easier to accept it).

That said, I’d like to share a few things that I have been trying to do to ensure that my gaming hobby doesn’t create problems with my real life (which can be tricky to do when your wife is not at all interested in gaming):

– Have a set gaming time —

This is something that I’ve only recently been doing more of. It’s setting aside a time in the day (or in my case, the evening) that you can enjoy your games. For me, it’s after my wife and son are in bed and after my responsibilities for the day and the evening are taken care of. After all is said and done at home, I can turn on my console and play until I’m tired, which requires me to include my own “STOP” button to ensure I don’t fall asleep at work. It has been an adjustment for my wife and I so far, but I believe in the long-run, it will be more beneficial than hurtful, allowing me to spend time with my family and take care of our home without trying to squeeze in some time on the games I’ve worked hard to pay for.

– Plan out your game purchases —

I knew very early in the year that this fall was going to be very difficult to obtain the games I wanted to play unless I took the time to determine which games I wanted the most. So, that’s what i did – I narrowed down my list to the top three of the many titles coming out (all within the same month, for some reason – come on game makers, what’s up with that?), determined how much I would need in total and went from there. Because the goal of this exercise is to spend as little out-of-pocket money as possible as a means of providing necessities for my family, I sold some of my own things to ensure I could afford the games I wanted. Besides, it’s not like I’m always wearing some of the authentic football jerseys I parted with, and my family comes first.

– Try before you buy —

This is sort of an extension of the previous thought, but one that I believe many people tend to overlook. With the economy the way it is and with the price of games sitting at around $30 for a decent, used title, it may suit you better to try out the games you want first. It used to be, console demos were reserved for discs with short, playable portions of games that were either coming out very soon or were already out. However, with the evolution of consoles to include downloadable demos of considerable quality, there’s no reason for people to buy games only to realize they hate them. Want an extended trial? Rent it from the local video store or get a one-day rental from your local Redbox (though I don’t recommend keeping for more than one day). This may seem like common sense to some, but for many, it’s an afterthought – especially (and surprisingly) now that money is usually best spent on other things.

– Don’t fight about it —

As I eluded to earlier, my wife is not a fan of my gaming hobby. Part of this is my fault, as I tend to be a vocal player when engaged in multiplayer contests and can get caught up in the moment when going through difficult moments in the game I’m playing. I honestly can’t blame her for being hesitant about me playing because of this, but fortunately for me, this does not define my typical playing experience. Still, that doesn’t mean my wife and I haven’t had our scrums about it in the past. Because of those instances, I have worked to minimize the instances that might lead to a disgruntled spouse. Part of this process has been cooling down my competitive nature – games are just games, after all – and focusing on why I enjoy the games, not why they sometimes get me frustrated. There is no reason for a game of any kind to come between spouses, so if it is, you need to consider taking steps to eliminate the problem.

– Don’t have time? Don’t play —

Finally, like all hobbies, sometimes time is just not on your side. There will be days (even weeks/months) when you won’t have time to enjoy a multiplayer session or beat a mission (or even goof off in a dungeon or two if you’re an RPG player like myself) – and that will have to be okay. While I experienced this a little bit after getting married, it was the birth of my son that made this regular occurrence. Instead of those before-work gaming sessions, I have to make sure that I am ready to go and that he is ready to go to the babysitter. When I get home? I have to make sure he is either taken care of or take care of housework that needs to be done. But you know what? That’s ok. Because by putting him and my wife first, I will be showing him what it means to prioritize with my actions – even if he doesn’t understand it until he’s older.

Some people may read this and laugh at the notion that gaming would require prioritization at all. But those of us who are adults and who have lives know better. And for those of you who have had trouble with it in the past? Maybe some of the things I’ve said will help.

Since this topic has more to it, I’m splitting it into two separate discussions, the next of which will discuss ways to keep things fun for you despite growing up (or at least attempting to).

As always, happy gaming!

It used to be, when I wanted to play the latest game, I would go to the video store or to my local electronics outlet and pick up a copy for what used to be a steep price (approx. $3 to rent for a few days or $40 to buy).

However, as time has passed, so has the need for store-front video game rentals. In their place we have the likes of digital downloads, pre-orders, GameFly (a Netflix-like subscription service) and now – Redbox game rentals. Redbox in particular, I am sad to say, has left a sour taste in my mouth.

Don’t get me wrong – the premise of Redbox game rentals is an underrated idea: Instead of requiring a subscription to something like GameFly or having a membership of a local video store, all you need for a Redbox game is your cash card and an idea of what game you want. Easy, right? Exactly.

With most locations opting to carry a Redbox dispensary either out front or inside their store, finding one with the game you want is as easy as visiting the store for some groceries and picking up a game while you’re there.

The problem, however, comes in with the price per rental. Ten years ago, I was able to rent the latest games from my local video store for $3 and get it for approximately three days. The cost of a one (1) day rental from Redbox? $2.

Now, to the very casual gamer, this is no problem. Two dollars gets you time to play the game and see if you like it, get a few achievement points/trophies and then take it back. But for someone such as myself who is interested in playing the game for longer than a couple of hours (some of us have responsibilities), it’s a ridiculous price at best.

Consider, for a moment, that with movies rented from Redbox, you’re likely to watch it in a span of one and a half to three hours, completing it in one fell swoop. This is why the cost of $1 (or $1.50 for a Blu-ray) is more than appealing and – frankly – why my family has opted to use Redbox for movies over Netflix.

In the same amount of time that it takes you to watch that movie, you might experience only a small portion of a video game that you’ve rented for twice the price of a typical movie rental.

While I’m sure the price increase is tied to the kind of media being rented, conventional wisdom suggests that something requiring additional time to complete would run at a lower cost, which would make your service that much more popular and drive the demand for more games. This would also suggest a probably increase in revenue due to multiple rentals. But hey, that’s just me thinking crazy, right?

I honestly like the idea of being able to “one-stop-shop,” so to speak – getting my groceries and a video game for an after-dinner romp through whatever world seems to be the most appealing at the time. However, if the cost of a single game is going to run me upwards of $20 by the time I’ve completed it (that’s 10 days of playing time at around two to four hours of play time per day, give or take)? No thank you. At that price, I’d just assume buy the game and play it whenever I want, which defeats the whole point of renting it in the first place.

Redbox has a good thing on their hands with the game rentals, but they need to figure out how to price it correctly so it can make a lasting impression – not a fleeting one that leaves a sour taste in our mouths.

Game Informer has awarded its E3 winners, and it looks like the PlayStation Vita took the Best Tech award. I couldn’t agree with this choice more. It has been a long time since I was as excited about a handheld platform as I am about the Playstation Vita.

Other categories that I thought were interesting and agreeable are:

Best of Show: BioShock Infinite

Best of PS3: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Best of Xbox 360: Gears of War 3

Best of Wii: The Ledgend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Best Adventure: Batman: Arkham City

Best RPG: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Best Shooter: Battlefield 3

Best Racer: Forza Motorsport 4

Best Sports: FIFA 12 (I personally love FIFA games)

I strongly recommend you check out Game Informer’s E3 awards piece here.

According to Gematsu.com, an analyst for Sterne Agee is reporting that Nintendo’s new Wii U console will be 50 percent more powerful than Sony’s PlayStation 3.

“Some of the developers we spoke to indicated to us that the console will have 50 percent more processing power compared to the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360,” said Arvind Bhatia. However, Bhatia continued that “This is yet to be confirmed by Nintendo.”

I’m more than a little skeptical, to say the least. In fact, I don’t think Nintendo has even finalized the load-out for this console, which is why I think they haven’t disclosed specifications yet. Were Nintendo’s device in line to take the PS3′s place as the most technically powerful platform available, they would have said so by now. At the very least, they would have told us the system specs to whet our appetites for more news on the still-secretive Wii U.

This is nothing more than a marketing firm trying to make some noise and attract some business. Nothing more, nothing less.

See our first impressions of the Wii U here.

(Source: Gematsu)

I think by now, Nintendo has made it apparent that they think differently than many of us in terms of gaming and in terms of home entertainment. The Wii U drives that idea home.

What is the Wii U? Complete with High-Definition capabilities that many Nintendo fans have been clamoring for, the Wii U appears to be the next generation of Wii consoles. While details are still pretty hard to come by, it appears as though Nintendo is going to go more “Next-Gen” than they did previously with improved graphics capabilities (or at least the video outputs lead me to believe the graphics capabilities have improved) and more features that will likely be released. The possible game line-up looks impressive, bringing many next-gen franchises – such as Assassin’s Creed, Darksiders, Dirt, Ghost Recon, and even Ninja Gaiden – to the world of Nintendo. It will be interesting to see how these titles translate on the Wii U as I will be sorely disappointed if they screw up Assassin’s Creed.

As interesting as it is to see Nintendo trying to “woo” the core gaming crowd again, I’m not sure if it’s going to work. For family and casual gamers, however, this system may be successful due to its backwards compatibility with Wii – also a family-friendly (and family favorite) console – and its fancy new controller which seems designed more as a handheld than as an interface for a console. According to Nintendo’s E3 website, the Wii U will be compatible with all Wii accessories and games, though there is still no word on GameCube compatibility.

The most intriguing aspect of Wii U so far is its new controller, which is a far cry from the current Wii-mote.  Think Nintendo DS meets Xbox 360 controller, meets SEGA GameGear. This thing is huge.  It’s got two analog sticks, a D-pad, a 6.2 inch touchscreen, a camera (unknown resolution), traditional A, B, X, Y buttons, and then R and L buttons with ZR and ZL buttons. I believe it also has motion control sensors as well. Nintendo also claims that you can take your game off your TV and put it onto the controller touchscreen while you’re playing it.

While I don’t know whether or not I’m going to be super-excited with this new “console” – which seems more like a Wii laid on its side with a fancy new controller so far – it appears that Nintendo really IS out to control your living room. Since this thing doesn’t play movies other than Netflix yet, I don’t know how they plan on succeeding in bringing forth a complete entertainment system, but with video calling, etc, it seems pretty clear to me that they trying very hard to do so.

So please don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to pick on Nintendo here. I’m a big Nintendo fan actually, I’m just tired of the disappointment. That said…

Today Nintendo released the Metriod Prime 3: Corruption preview on WiiShop. When I saw this I was ecstatic because I thought that Nintendo had finally wised up and decided to start putting playable demos in the WiiShop. Imagine my surprise when I fired that bad boy up and all I get is a video.

This video is fantastic, and the game looks great to be sure… which is why I wanted a freakin’ playable demo. PS3 fans and Xbox 360 fans have been enjoying playable demos for a while. PS2 and Xbox fans have even been able to obtain playable demos via the official magazines for a long time, too. This is the sort of thing that Nintendo fans have really missed out on, and it’s the kind of marketing that Nintendo has ignored at their own peril.

Nintendo, just in case you missed my point, your fans want playable demos via WiiShop or some other Nintendo WiFi Connection application. We are tired of seeing every other system give us fantastic game previews when all you give us are web sites–pretty as though they may be–and videos.

Could somebody please put this series out of its misery? These titles are just inhumane anymore. EA, are you really going to keep on killing the momentum that your PC version of this game has reached by releasing these crappy console versions? This is just stupid, please stop it.

Pros:

• The Wii controls are actually quite elegant here

Cons:

• The graphics and music are the same as the GameCube version of this game
• The GamePlay is the same as the GameCube version of this game
• This game is very limited when compared to the PC version of this game
• This game, due to it’s limited capacity, gets very old very fast

The bottom line is that if you’ve ever played the PC version of this game, you will never enjoy a console port of it. Ever. My wife is a huge fan of this series, and when we stopped having Windows-based PCs in our house (we’re 100% Kubuntu GNU/Linux baby!) the only thing she missed was The Sims 2. These console versions have done nothing but tease and disappoint her.

So, I’ve been playing Mario Strikers: Charged for a few days now, and I thought I’d give you all my opinion. My honest opinion is somewhat disappointed. I remember Mario Super Strikers on GameCube, and I thought this would be so much like that. What I found, however, is that Next Level Games actually made this iteration much more complicated than it’s previous version.

In this version you get essentially the same game play as the GameCube version with some minor twists. The Mega Strike, as it is now called, is actually possible to defend against. What you do is depending how well you do with the timed selector and where you’re located on the field when initiating the super strike, you get more or fewer shots going at goal. So if you’re just in front of the line, and you initiate the mega strike, and you blow it on the timed selector, you get 5 balls instead of 6 balls going at goal. Let’s do the run-down, shall we?

Pros:

• Nintendo WiFi Connection support allows you to play online
• You can take your stats with you by putting your Mii on your WiiMote
• The new Mega Strike can allow for more spectacular comebacks
• The tutorial mode is very well done
• More captains and more possible side-kicks. You can also mix and match sidekicks

Cons:

• I don’t know if I’m wrong or right here, but it seems like the field is smaller
• “Defensive” moves are quickly repeatable, enabling the lame equivalent of bunny-hopping
• Defending against mega strikes is tricky since in most living room situations, the wiimote is fighting too much light interference for any real accuracy
• Series are fun, but it’s hard to get in and play a quick game of strikers online with only a series as your option

The bottom line is that I really still prefer the GameCube version of this game to the Wii version. Online play is nice, but the changes in the game make it tougher for those of us who aren’t 14 and don’t have 5 hours a day to dedicate to this game.

So, you want to know about Twilight Princess do you? Well, there are two different types of people out there with respect to this game: those who played Ocarina of Time, and those who have not.

If you have played Ocarina of Time
Well, you’re going to love this game. You’ll see the similarities are astounding. Epona is there, your quiet farm boy Link is there, Hyrule Castle is definately there, and many of the baddies that you know from Ocarina of Time are there as well. It’s amazing to think of how similar the games are.

But I think you’ll think Twilight Princess is better…

If you haven’t played Ocarina of Time
Well, you’re going to love this game, too. This game takes no prior knowledge into account. It builds on past versions for sure, but it doesn’t require foreknowledge.

So, here’s a quick run-down of the pros and cons:
Pros

• Wiimote really sets you up for a more comfortable control.
• This story is deep. Legend of Zelda games have always had dark under-tones, but this is the first one that really is up front about it.
• There is some very nicely done foreshadowing. Not too obvious, not too subtle. Just about right.

Cons

• Why wasn’t this game voice-acted? Nintendo needs to start doing more voice acting. Seriously. It adds depth to the game and brings characters to life.
• Why wasn’t this music orchestrated? It could have been much better than it is.
• What’s with the wolf mode not letting you use items that add health?
• The howl mode could have been used more, and to the benefit of the story.
• Nintendo’s copy protection mechanisms are causing discs to go prematurely bad.

The bottom line is that this game blew my mind. Absolutely blew my mind.

Wow, have you ever played a football game before? Gosh, Lord knows I have! I’ve been playing football games for almost 15 years now. I have never seen one as well put together as this one. Puts all other football games to shame, and with this past Super Bowl it’s even starting to put the NFL itself to shame (thanks a lot for that horrible Super Bowl coverage CBS).

So for the high points, I have to start off by telling you how I play these types of games. I’m not the kind of person who plays shooters and sports games only with other people… particularly my brother Richard. Over Christmas this past year, my brother an I spent more than 30 hours over the course of 2 weeks playing that game. What a blast. That game was so fun it should be illegal (and probably is in California).

Some features worth mentioning are…

• Real-feel passing
• A training mode that it is second to none
• A sound-track that’s simply blowing my mind
• Excellent graphics
• Real-time weather
• Really intuitive camera control
• You can use the light-gun to point to select players on the field
• No more horrible button combos to perform audibles

It is insane how cool this game is, and Wii pulls it off so well. It’s always fun to have such a blast with my brother, and this game really enables it. Cooperative multi-player is something you just gotta have with a football game.

Well, I got my Wii on Thursday last week, and I must say I’m surprised what game I’ve ended up playing more than any other. It hasn’t been The Ledgend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (though I have cranked 10-12 hard hours in on this one), it hasn’t been Excite Truck, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, WiiSports, nor has it been Red Steel.

No my friends, the game that has won out with a whopping 17 hours of game play has been UbiSoft’s most unique, interesting, and overall stupid-crazy-fun game Rayman Raving Rabbids that has stolen my play time.

This is not at all to say that any of the previously mentioned games aren’t good. Quite the contrary; Twilight Princess is an outstanding game. It’s beautifully crafted and a masterpiece to be sure… but that’s not why I’m insane about Wii.

Wii to me means a new way of playing my games. I can’t think of how many times I’ve been in my local GameCrazy asking my buddies there what is new to play… most of the time to a dismayed “not much” response. Wii changes all of that.

Rayman Raving Rabbids really strikes at the heart of this desire for me. I didn’t want a strictly linear game that was over when I finished the story. I wanted something where I could try many different things, have some good laughs, involve my family and my friends, and be able to walk away when I’m done satisfied. Rayman does this.

Instead of the platformer that Rayman has traditionally been, Raving Rabbids is a very loosely knit series of mini-games that really showcase the unique control capabilities of Wii, and are so silly that it put me and my wife in stitches. That is what gaming is supposed to be about. That’s what I wanted. That’s what Rayman delivered.

If you want my recommendation on a must-have for Wii, it would be Rayman Raving Rabbids.