In my younger and more vulnerable years, I used to lead a life entirely different from the one I lead now. I was a rebellious youth and I inevitably turned to the streets in order to get by. Like most troubled teens of my era, I eventually found myself involved in some pretty shady activities.
But of all the horrible, horrible
things I did, it pains me
most to admit that I was at one
time what is called a “competitive
gamer.” My friends and I
used to travel the globe in search
of the biggest cash prizes and
the most talented of gamers.
Our game was “Super Smash
Bros. Melee” on the Nintendo
GameCube.
We were very good at it.
My character was Ness, and I
handled him better than most.
My friends were equally successful,
but for none of us was
this due solely to talent. There
were many a sleepless night during
our most extreme training
periods, which typically came
in the weeks leading up to big
tournaments.
We joked that the game’s
effect on our fragile, young bodies
was comparable to that of
methamphetamines. We joked
about it because it was true.
And humor was the only way
we knew how to cope.
Then something horrible
happened. While out on one of
our lavish yacht retreats, funded
by our “Smash Bros.” winnings,
a gruesome accident occurred.
With my mind clouded by
thoughts of video game glory,
I accidentally tripped and fell
from the edge of that boat. In a
cruel twist of fate, I was then run
over several times by our yacht,
and my hands were mangled by
what I must assume were several
different propellers.
Flash forward to the near
present. Although I lack the
manual dexterity of those days, I
have otherwise made an almost
complete recovery. However, I
had not touched a video game
ever since that grisly boating
accident. That is, until this
weekend.
On a whim, I purchased
the game “Rock Band 2” on
Saturday night. I purchased it
for the Xbox 360, which is a
console that I don’t even own.
That’s how whimsical this purchase
was. Luckily though, there
is an Xbox 360 in my household,
so we were able to play it.
And play it we did. We played
it all through the night, and we
unlocked all of its 84 songs. We
did this by entering a code that
automatically unlocks all of the
84 songs.
“Rock Band 2” was the center
of the party. It offers something
for everyone, and that’s why
it’s so awesome. Its extensive
song list keeps everyone entertained,
and all of the instruments
require different talents.
For those of us whose memories
and limbs have been scarred by
the past, singing vocals provided
a great way to get back in the
game. My favorite song to sing
was Alanis Morissette’s 1995 hit
single “You Oughta Know.”
Although I’ve long been skeptical
of video games and the
despicable crowds they attract,
“Rock Band 2” has changed my
mind entirely. Not only is this
a great party game, but I think
it will provide fun for months
to come.
There are four different
instruments to master (well,
two are guitars), and there are
several difficulty levels to progress
through. Not only that, but
there are several different game
modes to enjoy. I obviously
don’t know how it compares
to the original “Rock Band”
(or those silly “Guitar Hero”
games) because of my previous
abstinence, but I would definitely
recommend this one.
Now, I know this sounds like
a video game review, and a really
poor one at that. But that’s not
what this is about. This article
is about getting back on the
horse after you fall off and get
trampled by it. This article is
about finding what makes you
happy. And it just so happens
that what makes me happy is
currently “Rock Band 2.”
Robert Scribner is a graduate student
majoring in business administration.
He can be contacted at
[email protected].