Confession: This Video Game Was FUN!
01.27.05

Is there anything good to be said about video games? Lately, they have become the favorite whipping boy on the subject of violence in the media, and often deservedly so. Titles like the latest Grand Theft Auto may bring in truckloads of dollars in the short term, but over the long haul, I think it may do the industry more harm than good with the non-stop media attention leaving the public convinced that all games are raunchy gore fests.

However, just like all movies aren't the same, neither are video games.

Because our staff at Grading the Movies has recently begun reviewing video games again, a new Nintendo title showed up in a courier box this week. Mario Party 6 was instantly recognized by my kids -- who often volunteer to help me test the E and T rated games. Within minutes, my son, his friend, my usually game-reluctant teen daughter, and myself were checking out this party-on-a-disc.

The basic play is essentially a board game with animated characters. After a predetermined number of rounds, whoever has collected the most coins and stars is victorious.

But winning isn't everything. Instead, the real fun comes from playing, with many stops requiring you to compete in mini-games, of which there seems to be an amazing variety (we never saw the same game twice). They included such activities as water sliding, avoiding asteroids in space ships, running away from huge rolling boulders, and (what I thought was the most ingenious), racing to dust and tidy a house.

Working independently you can virtually push and shove your opponents, or you can team together to get the job done. The action created a ruckus in our living room that will definitely be tried again on a night when we don't have school the next morning.

Now before you think I've lost my marbles, please understand I'm not a game fanatic, and I been guilty of considering even the most innocuous titles to be a waste of valuable time. Yet recently I've observed some positive angles to these boxes that are populating the majority of homes in America.

In this case, the multi-player function of Mario Party 6 truly made for a human-to-human experience. My daughter, who did finish last, still wanted to continue playing–even though she typically isn't all that comfortable with technology. Certainly, this wasn't going to train her to build spreadsheets for a multi-national corporation, but it at least gave her familiarity with pushing buttons in various sequences. Perhaps it's a rudimentary skill, but one that's all too necessary in our electronic age.

But the best bonus of the evening was the time we spent together. While I am careful to make sure games with inappropriate content aren't available in our home, I'm still guilty of seeing video games as being an activity that's the sole domain of my children. Instead, on this occasion, we had a truly bonding time... and I almost came in second place!

So, if an Xbox, GameCube, or PlayStation 2 showed up at your home this past Christmas, I encourage you to get to know it. Find some games that offer multi-player modes (often sports and arcade titles), buy a couple of extra controllers, and take on the kids.

No, it's not your father's Monopoly (although that classic board game is available in an electronic version), but you may be surprised at what a party you can have sharing in the virtual world with your kids. And once you've confessed to enjoying the occasional game, you may find your kids are a little more willing to accept your advice when it comes to them playing games that don't meet your family's standards.

Besides writing this column for the Parents Television Council, Rod Gustafson authors Parent Previews® - a newspaper and Internet column (published in association with movies.com) that reviews movies from a parent's perspective. He's also the film critic for a major Canadian TV station, various radio stations and serves on the executive of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness. Finally, his most important role is being the father to four wonderful children and husband to his beautiful wife (and co-worker) Donna.

Parenting and the Media by Rod Gustafson

The Parents Television Council - www.parentstv.org

Besides writing this column for the Parents Television Council, Rod Gustafson authors Parent Previews® - a newspaper and Internet column (published in association with movies.com) that reviews movies from a parent's perspective. He's also the film critic for a major Canadian TV station, various radio stations and serves on the executive of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness. Finally, his most important role is being the father to four wonderful children and husband to his beautiful wife (and co-worker) Donna.

Parenting and the Media by Rod Gustafson

The Parents Television Council - www.parentstv.org

Click here to comment on this column