College Life
The Girl's Guide to Video Games
By Karolina Lempert
November 2008
As the weather grows colder, you find yourself going out less, staying in more, and maybe even feeling—dare we say it at Harvard—bored. And as you settle into your chair to watch yet another episode of "One Tree Hill" on your laptop, you'll probably overhear that guy blocking group on the other side of your fire door in a state of seeming riot. But you're not concerned; you know that they're just playing some video game. And then you might feel just the tiniest bit jealous of their fun. My advice to you is: Join them. It might be more enjoyable than you think. Here's the info on some of the hottest video games around, to make your nights in go from dull to dynamic.
Guitar Hero/Rock Band: Both of these franchises are releasing new games this season. Music games have become wildly popular within the last couple of years, and it's easy to see why. If you have a "band kit"—which includes a guitar, microphone and drums—for Rock Band (psst—the newest Guitar Hero comes with a band kit too!) then you can jam with a few friends and feel like you're actually the superstar band that you're not. Even if you only have one guitar, though, rooting for a friend is surprisingly fun, and the music provides the perfect backdrop for a great night in. I know what you're thinking: "I tried Guitar Hero once, and I couldn't even get through one song on the 'easy' level." Don't be discouraged! First of all, the new Guitar Hero is introducing a "beginner" level, in which you probably couldn't fail if you tried. Secondly—and I speak from experience—you can get good fast if you practice.
Super Smash Bros.: Often referred to simply as "Smash", this is another awesome party game. You get to choose a cute classic video game character (Kirby is my personal fave!) and, endowed with his powers, battle your friends. "Because of the broad range of characters and fighting options/items, the game is different every time and so the gaming experience evolves," says Celina Guerra '10, an avid Smash fan and gamer. "In general, multi-player games are wonderful bonding experiences—trash-talking included—and it's always kind of fun to beat that guy who assumes I can't play." Super Smash Bros. is fast-paced and unpredictable, and is a great way to work through that aggression that's built up over the week. But watch out if someone's harboring a grudge against you!
Spore: Creator Will Wright was even toying with the title, "SimEverything," for this PC game. If you're sick of competition or you just want to take a break from being sociable, then this may be the game for you. In this "science project", you start with a tiny creature, tweak its DNA so that it outlives competition, and then tweak some more by shaping its form (e.g. adding legs, tails, teeth, claws, etc.). Eventually, your organism will reach a point of intelligence so that you can build civilizations and maybe even conquer the universe! Don't let all that power get to your head, though…
The above list is obviously not comprehensive. Go out and explore different video games because there's something out there for everyone. Like athletics? Try Madden NFL. Like action? Try Grand Theft Auto or Halo. And remember—video games are not just for guys! We Harvard girls have as much of a competitive spirit as any man out there. So next time you're feeling bored, challenge your friends to some smash, or ask your guy blockmates if you can join them during their next game-fest. Or if you want to get closer to a guy, ask him to come over to "hero" with you. Our bet is, you won't regret it.
WARNING: Video games are addictive. If you have an exam coming up, you may want to lend your Wii or Xbox to a friend for a while. And if you find that you're spending more hours with Kirby than with Kant, don't say I didn't tell you so.
