First there as �Snake� on the Macintosh, a single one square line, that grew as it ate boxes only a single square wide, that could only make 90 degree turns, that had to exit a level through a square at the top of the screen one square in width. The snake was controlled with the keyboard. Fun, addictive, not easy.

Then there was �Dark Crystal� on the Macintosh. Controlled by the mouse, its movements took very delicate wrist to control. This game can now be played on XBLA, but the mouse was definitely part of the �art� of the original game.

In the �80s, on the Macintosh, I spent hours and hours playing �Dark Castle� and �Lode Runner.� These were sad in that there was no pause and no save. I remember clearly ending a Lode runner game well over 100 levels in with well over 100 lives because it was 2 in the morning and I had to go to High School the morning. �Dark Castle� had the complicated hand motions of moving the body forward, backward, and jumping with the one hand on the keyboard and aiming and shooting the rocks with the other hand on the mouse. I became very proficient with it. At the bottom of the dungeon in �Dark Castle� there is a man with a whip whipping 3 prisoners hanging on a wall. Your character throws the stone at the guy with the whip, goes past the prisoners, and has to choose one of two keys. The wrong key will have a 500 lb weight fall on you, the right key lets you out of the prison. Half of the time, death would occur when I pick a. Then one fateful day, I realized, the prisoners weren�t twitching, they were shaking their heads no when my character stood under wrong key. I couldn�t believe I had missed that for so long.

Then came the amazingly advanced Intellivision. The fun that I had playing the �Bump �N� Jump�, �Pitfall Harry�, and �Frogger� on that new fangled machine with the graphics and ease of movements was remarkable. Oh, how wonderful it was.

Then came the plumber followed by adrenaline filled Sonic, which I loved. I played �Sonic Spinball� with relish.

Street Fighter 2 was a treat.

And then the next generation of consoles came out that and I drifted away from gaming.

It was when I started dating my now husband that I was wooed back. He started with what I knew from way back when and got me �Frogger� for the PS1. What fun. Then, he introduced me to platform games with �Jak & Daxter� and I was hooked. I have beat all the Jak games, all the Ratchet games, the first Sly Cooper game, �Kya,� (am I the only one who knows or likes this game? It was fun, in spite of the graphical pop ups), �Scooby Doo,� and �Treasure Planet.� I am working on �Golden Compass,� �Open Season,� and �Ratatouille.�

However, I love my DS. I have played hours of Suduko. I beat �Puzzle Quest� with one character and am half way through with a second character. I am currently playing, and loving, �Professor Layton & the Curious Village� and �Hotel Dusk: Room 215.�

Of course I play �Rock Band 2� and most of the �Guitar Heroes� but who doesn�t?

That is my gaming history in a nutshell.

Lots of fun and laughter,
Dawn Marie