Gaming

This vacation I've been playing a lot of video games with the boys (mostly Brennan and Tanner) and on my own as a enjoyable time-waster.

I rented the new Star Wars game, The Force Unleashed, and I've been playing it late each night. It's a good story about Darth Vader and the years between episodes III and IV, but the game itself is only so-so. The story would probably make a better movie than a game.

We've also been playing with the Wii Fit, which has been a great way to focus on fitness and health (I'm drinking my second glass of water while I type this). The boys enjoy the balance games, though only one person can play at a time and boys are seldom patient with this. Brennan and Tanner are more enthusiastic about the Lego-based video games, which has a lot of easy fun mixed with puzzle solving.

In the news today I saw this video of an upcoming Wii title, the first Punch-Out boxing game in 15 years. That looks like a lot of fun, especially if you remember the original classic game. Speaking of classics, a new Tetris game is coming to the Wii (as noted in this Japanese commercial).

As gamers, we're excited about these games and the ones to come. Many of the games we play are social in nature and they're intellectually stimulating. It's also pretty cheap entertainment (I'll play that Star Wars game at less than 50 cents an hour).