Achievement Unlocked

Can you say you have done it?

Have you ever dropped into Dracula's room and seen the game percentage hit 200.6% in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night? Have you ever found the REAL princess in under 9 minutes on Super Mario Brothers? Have you seen the over-a-dozen different endings to Chrono Trigger? Have you heard that music, had your heart skip a beat, and then killed a Tank before it dealt damage to anyone in Left for Dead? Have you seen the achievement unlock for doing everything there is to do in Grand Theft Auto IV? Can you beat Episode 1 of Doom on Nightmare? Have you beaten Contra without the 30 lives code? Have you beaten Myst without using a guide? Have you sightread through most of Guitar Hero on Expert?

I have... and countless others.

I love video games. They bring a sense of joy and accomplishment to my life, they fulfill a void in me that isn't so easily attainable in today's society, and they help me to relax and blow off the pressures of the day. Video games have been an integral part of my life since Christmas 1987. Even on that first night, I stayed up all night trying to get a perfect score on Duck Hunt. I never looked back.

I have had people tell me that I should do something with my life. They say things like, "why don't you read a book?" Or, "why don't you do something to help mankind?"

I do, I read several hours a day. I work in scientific research and try to help people everyday. I teach guitar lessons in my free time just because I want to help people learn music. I spend the majority of my day doing things for other people. But.... sometimes, you just want to come home in the evenings and spend a few hours shooting zombies in the face at point-blank range.

In times long gone, men would spend the day hunting for food so their family would have something to eat. They would have night-watches set to protect the village in case of a night ambush. Single men wiped out entire enemy platoons of soldiers. Hannibal crossed the Alps on Elephants. Hell, even ancient Viking's vision of an afterlife was Valhalla. There, everyone who had died in battle would pick teams at the beginning of the day, fight the bloodiest battle ever, then, those who won got to go home, have the best meal of their lives, and then wake up the next day to do it all over again. All of these people wanted and NEEDED to achieve something. There is just something ingrained into a man's mind that makes him want to do this sort of thing. We need to fight, conquer, and strive for a goal in order to feel like we are doing something with our lives. Unfortunately, with the conditions in which we now live, our life isn't focused on survival. We can't round up a band of rebels and take control of Mediterranean. And, unless you are at war, a man can't save his friends from death using only his courage and a trigger finger. There are so many people, that a man doesn't have the power that he once did... at least not in everyday life like they once did.

In a game.... I can go on a killing rampage in the middle of Liberty City, then hijack a helicopter and take out the FBI and National Guard. I can capture a little girl and harvest her soul to make myself stronger. I can sacrifice the hours of experience I've gained in order to feed prisoners locked in cell without food. I can roll up entire cities into a ball and fling them into the heavens to make a star. I can escape from the world for a few hours and live the life of someone else. I don't care if they are good or evil. I just want to experience what they experience. I want to unlock all the achievements on a game so that when other people look at my gamertag, they will know the stories I've experienced. I hope it makes them want to try these games themselves.


Don't let anyone tell you it's a waste of time. It's almost endless entertainment for a relatively inexpensive sum. Plus, you will hear some stories, see some things, and experience things you would have otherwise missed. Plus, in today's culture, they are becoming more and more a part of everyday life. You can't truly be a well rounded person anymore without at least experiencing a video game.

Video games are growing more and more as an art-form. I don't feel that it will be long till they are put on par with other forms of entertainment like movies and theater. Even those both started out as a way to kill time. If you don't believe me, just try BRAID. Then after you've pondered the ending and metaphor for a couple of days, I dare you to try to just call it nothing more than a game.

There is something out there for everyone. So, if life has gotten you down, grab and game and a controller and spend a few hours letting go. For me, it's more therapeutic than a massage or working out for a couple of hours. It breathes life into me. On the nights I stay up till 2am playing video games, I almost always wake up more rested than if I had gotten a full night's sleep.

I know this has been a rant... but I feel strongly that it is something worth ranting about.