I don't go to the arcade often. It is a waste of money. Those games are craftily designed to foil me before I've even gotten a minute out of my quarter (or, as is more common nowadays, two or three quarters). I also hate how arcade machines time me for everything. I only have ten seconds to finish putting in my money? I only have five seconds to choose my car?! But what car do I want? Wait a minute, the joystick's broken! I can't select the one I want! Oh well. Looks like I'm going to have to drive the school bus.
The only thing that makes arcades worth the stop is the inclusion of rhythm games. I went to a nickel arcade with my brother, and there was a machine that one played with hand sensors. The player waved his/her hand above or below two different sensors in step with the scrolling notes on screen. I don't know what it was called. Hand Hand Revolution seems fitting. I was leery to try it, though. The Japanese/English instructions were confusing. We finally gave in, however, and plugged in five nickels each. What I experienced next was the coolest thing ever. I knew I looked like a total fruit, but it was so much fun to wave my hands around like I was some pop star diva making up new moves to my latest hit single.
Whatever that game was, it has now become my favorite rhythm game. I'm going to go so far as to say it bests Percussion Master, a game with a mock drum set I've been raving about for the past ten months. Rhythm games are what make video games worth the addiction and exhausted allowances. Sure, I still get a kick out of a good 3D platformer, round of Halo 2, and any news regarding the Nintendo DS. But rhythm games have a certain amount of interactivity to them that makes the whole process seem less like a waste of time and more like a crucial part to being a well-rounded individual.
Dance Dance Revolution is a prime example of a video game whose benefits go far beyond mere entertainment. Playing that consistently for a few weeks straight helped me to sleep better at night and made me lose a little weight. I also noticed my stamina take on a dramatic increase. I didn't get tired after two songs, anymore. I could go for a half hour before stopping, and that was only because my sweat was starting to drip all over the dance mat.
I wasn't always into rhythm games, however. I used to laugh at those crazy kids who pumped away at the DDR machines. Seriously, they looked like dorks. And they still do. When I play DDR, I never know what to do with my hands, and they end up just flopping around like I'm an idiot. But now I can appreciate what these fanatics do, and I think, "Wow, I wish I were that good." My fascination with rhythm games began with Donkey Konga. It was an odd experience for me. This was, after all, the first real rhythm game I'd tried. And I felt extremely goofy pounding on this plastic drum and clapping. The latter made me very self-conscious, and it took me several weeks before I warmed up to the idea of clapping without regard to what other people thought.
It takes a lot of courage to plunge into the rhythm genre, but once in, there's never a want to leave. For instance, Karaoke Revolution is one of the most intimidating games around. I really didn't want to play it. I hate singing in public. I know I have a terrible voice, because it cracks just about every five minutes. But my friend, whose voice is ten times worse than mine, sang a song, so I thought I'd try it. Now, Karaoke Revolution is one of my favorite multiplayer games. It is a great way to get people who normally won't touch video games to join in on the fun.
And rhythm games just keep getting better. My friend brought over Guitar Hero not too long ago, and that game is awesome. It's also a little disorienting. The notes scroll in such a way that a major "water fall effect" kicks in afterwards. When I hand the guitar to the next player, I look at the Xbox, and it grows in size. Then I look at the GameCube, and it actually gets smaller. But I shake my head, and everything returns to normal, and I eagerly anticipate when I can play the guitar again.
The only thing that makes arcades worth the stop is the inclusion of rhythm games. I went to a nickel arcade with my brother, and there was a machine that one played with hand sensors. The player waved his/her hand above or below two different sensors in step with the scrolling notes on screen. I don't know what it was called. Hand Hand Revolution seems fitting. I was leery to try it, though. The Japanese/English instructions were confusing. We finally gave in, however, and plugged in five nickels each. What I experienced next was the coolest thing ever. I knew I looked like a total fruit, but it was so much fun to wave my hands around like I was some pop star diva making up new moves to my latest hit single.
Whatever that game was, it has now become my favorite rhythm game. I'm going to go so far as to say it bests Percussion Master, a game with a mock drum set I've been raving about for the past ten months. Rhythm games are what make video games worth the addiction and exhausted allowances. Sure, I still get a kick out of a good 3D platformer, round of Halo 2, and any news regarding the Nintendo DS. But rhythm games have a certain amount of interactivity to them that makes the whole process seem less like a waste of time and more like a crucial part to being a well-rounded individual.
Dance Dance Revolution is a prime example of a video game whose benefits go far beyond mere entertainment. Playing that consistently for a few weeks straight helped me to sleep better at night and made me lose a little weight. I also noticed my stamina take on a dramatic increase. I didn't get tired after two songs, anymore. I could go for a half hour before stopping, and that was only because my sweat was starting to drip all over the dance mat.
I wasn't always into rhythm games, however. I used to laugh at those crazy kids who pumped away at the DDR machines. Seriously, they looked like dorks. And they still do. When I play DDR, I never know what to do with my hands, and they end up just flopping around like I'm an idiot. But now I can appreciate what these fanatics do, and I think, "Wow, I wish I were that good." My fascination with rhythm games began with Donkey Konga. It was an odd experience for me. This was, after all, the first real rhythm game I'd tried. And I felt extremely goofy pounding on this plastic drum and clapping. The latter made me very self-conscious, and it took me several weeks before I warmed up to the idea of clapping without regard to what other people thought.
It takes a lot of courage to plunge into the rhythm genre, but once in, there's never a want to leave. For instance, Karaoke Revolution is one of the most intimidating games around. I really didn't want to play it. I hate singing in public. I know I have a terrible voice, because it cracks just about every five minutes. But my friend, whose voice is ten times worse than mine, sang a song, so I thought I'd try it. Now, Karaoke Revolution is one of my favorite multiplayer games. It is a great way to get people who normally won't touch video games to join in on the fun.
And rhythm games just keep getting better. My friend brought over Guitar Hero not too long ago, and that game is awesome. It's also a little disorienting. The notes scroll in such a way that a major "water fall effect" kicks in afterwards. When I hand the guitar to the next player, I look at the Xbox, and it grows in size. Then I look at the GameCube, and it actually gets smaller. But I shake my head, and everything returns to normal, and I eagerly anticipate when I can play the guitar again.
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