So last week marked the end of my first year as a dad and I thought I should reflect on how my gaming life has changed in that time. I will note that I wouldn’t change anything that has happened during that time and if I have to sacrifice my gaming time, I have no problem with that.

100 cocktails to handhelds
There was period of about 6 months or so where I didn’t turn on a console for a game specific purpose. Heck, my Wii hasn’t seen any serious action for even longer (insert marriage/parenting joke here). I just don’t have time to sit down and play when my daughter is awake and by the time she’s in bed I’m too tired to even start anything let alone put any significant time. With so little console gaming time available, wasting that on grinding just seems frivolous and if you look at my queue I’ve got some grindy games to catch up on. However, give me a RPG on a handheld and I’m set. I can waste my lunch hour walking around in a circle on FFV. I can spend a few minutes sitting in bed making progress. I can easily close my DS and come back if needed without having to completely give up the console so we can watch Baby Einstein. Thank you DS and PSP – you’ve allowed me to keep getting my fix.

100 cocktails to Goozex
As you can see by my profile, Goozex has been my lifeblood. If you’ve received a game from me, I hope you enjoyed it. If I got one from you, thanks a lot! I have still bought games when I felt games sales matter (Persona 4, Retro Game Challenge, SMT: DS2 for example) but I’ve mainly used Goozex as my own personal as needed Gamefly. I don’t feel bad wasting a trade credit on a subpar game when I could just put it right back up for trade (pumps fist in the direction of Wild Arms XF). It’s a fantastic service and if you haven’t setup an account, I hear there’s a pretty good reason to do so.



100 cocktails to the old school
Ah, the good old days. No dodging lightning 100 straight times, no in depth convoluted card based minigames, just find secret dungeon and beat boss to get ultimate item. The old school no nonsense gameplay makes things a lot easier for me and my new gaming habits. During the Genesis/SNES wars of the early 90s, I sat firmly on the Genesis side. As a result of this stance, I missed out on [u]a lot[/u] of good games. Luckily, recent remakes have given me the opportunity to catch up.

100 cocktails to remakes
Portable remakes have been a blessing. Games that used to sit on my shelf due to lack of playing time can now be enjoyed on the go. Should I feel bad buying/trading for the same game? Does this mean I’ll buy Persona 3 again for the 3rd time so I can play it on the go? Might be the only way I get to it anytime soon.



100 cocktails to all things Muppets
Last weekend I watched Muppets Treasure Island about 7 times (seriously). Whenever my daughter is inconsolable, we’ve always got the Muppets to cheer her up. I’m not sure if it’s all the colors or she enjoys the sounds they make, there’s just something about them that immediately calms her down. Granted my wife and I may be at Kermit overload, it’s better than the alternative.

I’m sure things will continue to change for me as my daughter grows up and perhaps some time down the line we’ll be able to share some gaming experiences, but for now it’s wonderful to watch her explore the world around her.