Weekly Gaming Update: Vic vs Zombies

Alright, I’ll let you guys in on another secret of mine: I love video games!

Currently I’m trying my best to finish Plants vs Zombies (oh PopCap, you guys are so awesome at making addictive video games), I’m actually trying to drag the experience on because its such a good game. Too bad they don’t have endless BeGhouled (It’s a mini-game built like BeJeweled) though…I would probably never stop playing! (Maybe in PvZ 2). Actually I currently play it for about half an hour and then stop. I know how easily I could continue for hours but there are simply too many things to do. It’s the same with my NDS, its simply too hard to play a hardcore video game when you’ve got the rest of your life to deal with. That doesn’t mean I won’t do it, I just want to have about 3 days straight that I can devote to an immersive experience like Mass Effect, Fable II or Little Big Planet (absolute love Stephen Fry’s voice acting in that!). I’m sure the hardcore gaming audience (which I can only sometimes count myself as) will not appreciate my love for casual gaming, but the truth is I can’t really devote myself to console gaming as much as I can devote myself  to portable gaming (which…oddly enough, PC gaming fits into since I have a laptop). After a long day I’d rather do something mindless than immersive. It’s my own little decompression. Some people have yoga…I’ve got zombies to kill!

For the curious, my favorite plant would be the Sunflower! Although it has no defense or offense capabilities, without her, you can’t build up your arsenal of plants to defend your home. As for the zombie I hate most…I think its the Pogo Zombie. I’m having a lot of trouble trying to beat the Pogo Zombie minigame…its the hardest one of them all. My Zen Gardens are doing okay…I haven’t purchased the final aquatic garden yet, but I hope to be able to within a week. Just need to gather more diamonds and coins.

Many guys look at me with disbelief and say “Vic, you’re not a gamer…you’re a girl!” I’ll admit I can’t always get into certain video games (i.e. Silent Hill series…too scary for me) but its not just because I’m a girl. For example, not everyone likes JRPGs or Halo but that doesn’t mean they aren’t hardcore. It’s just a matter of taste that’s all. Also I’m kind of sick of how game designers/companies seem to try to guess at what female gamers want…they almost always get it wrong! Quit the marketing research and make a fun and interesting game for me to play. I don’t care if its filled with pointless dress-up, I’m a woman and I can buy my own clothes and accessorize in real life thank you very much! I’m sure other females may appreciate it, but I feel like a lot of game companies are missing out on entertaining my demographic.

At the moment I’m playing:

• Plants vs Zombies
• Professor Layton and the Curious Village (trying to finish all the puzzles…I’ve reached the end of the main game though)
• PuzzleQuest
• Rock Band 2
• Mass Effect (I know I know, it’s so old but I’m having trouble finding time to devote to it)

Do you guys have any recommendations for me? I’m currently craving:

• Ghostbusters
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Rock Band Unplugged
• Tiger Wood PGA Tour 10

Well, I guess that’s it for my first official blogpost! How did I do? =)

– Vic