There's a strange, new phenomenon sweeping across the nation, and no, it's not the Playstation 3. It's TV games. Video games have never been wholly confined to just home and handheld consoles. Tiger Electronics has been pumping out crappy electronic "toys" for ages. But this is different. TV games are actually receiving a lot of attention, and they're giving video games a bad name. Or are they helping this industry?
If you're not familiar with TV games, good for you. They're not that great. The graphics are laughably similar to Genesis games, and the gameplay is about as deep as anything found on the Atari (in many cases, TV games are Atari games). But TV games are the epitome of "plug and play," joysticks or other peripherals that plug directly into the A/V inputs on your TV. Sometimes the controller is shaped like Spongebob's head. Other times the controller resembles the handle bars of a dirt bike. A few of these games even come with a camera to superimpose you into the action much like the Eye Toy does for the PS2.
Admittedly, it's a great concept. You don't have to deal with configuring some big, hefty machine (Xbox 360) or keeping track of separate cartridges or even making sure you're within reach of a power outlet. The controllers run on batteries, though, and if you buy a lot of these, you'll end up with a big toy box full of one-game controllers. My nephew collects a lot of TV games, and his room is full of tangled cords and clunky controllers I keep tripping over when I visit. The real problem with these toys, however, is that they make video games look bad. We may call it a "TV game" instead of a "video game," and the differences are obviously apparent to those of us who know better, but casual shoppers view them as the same. You are still holding a controller, you are still looking at the TV, and you're still playing a game. But these games are so shallow in execution and presentation, people who haven't seen a real video game since Super Mario Bros. will think this industry is stuck in a rut.
And that's where these TV games start to show their worth. People are more inclined to buy these TV games, because they come across as more toy-like and innocent. They also aren't as big of an investment. While a new TV game can run upwards of $40, they often end up in the bargain bin. And my father, who is rabid about shopping deals, picks them up and gives them to his 50-year old brothers for Christmas. My father, who groans and reaches for every excuse imaginable when I ask if he wants to play Mario Kart, was more than willing to give a Star Wars TV game a try and even set aside a specific night to do so. Another game he wanted to play was a motorcycle racer where you tilted the controller to turn. It was perhaps the worst racing game I have ever played, and I've reviewed Drome Racers. As he played and desperately tried to get first place, I told him he should try Excite Truck. Excite Truck also had tilt-sensitive controls, but it was 24.5 times better. And you know what? He did. He only played two races before giving up, but he actually played a video game a few weeks ago he kept making fun of me for playing. So maybe these TV games do serve a purpose. Maybe they are what will warm up casual and non-gamers to the "real" side of gaming.
If you're not familiar with TV games, good for you. They're not that great. The graphics are laughably similar to Genesis games, and the gameplay is about as deep as anything found on the Atari (in many cases, TV games are Atari games). But TV games are the epitome of "plug and play," joysticks or other peripherals that plug directly into the A/V inputs on your TV. Sometimes the controller is shaped like Spongebob's head. Other times the controller resembles the handle bars of a dirt bike. A few of these games even come with a camera to superimpose you into the action much like the Eye Toy does for the PS2.
Admittedly, it's a great concept. You don't have to deal with configuring some big, hefty machine (Xbox 360) or keeping track of separate cartridges or even making sure you're within reach of a power outlet. The controllers run on batteries, though, and if you buy a lot of these, you'll end up with a big toy box full of one-game controllers. My nephew collects a lot of TV games, and his room is full of tangled cords and clunky controllers I keep tripping over when I visit. The real problem with these toys, however, is that they make video games look bad. We may call it a "TV game" instead of a "video game," and the differences are obviously apparent to those of us who know better, but casual shoppers view them as the same. You are still holding a controller, you are still looking at the TV, and you're still playing a game. But these games are so shallow in execution and presentation, people who haven't seen a real video game since Super Mario Bros. will think this industry is stuck in a rut.
And that's where these TV games start to show their worth. People are more inclined to buy these TV games, because they come across as more toy-like and innocent. They also aren't as big of an investment. While a new TV game can run upwards of $40, they often end up in the bargain bin. And my father, who is rabid about shopping deals, picks them up and gives them to his 50-year old brothers for Christmas. My father, who groans and reaches for every excuse imaginable when I ask if he wants to play Mario Kart, was more than willing to give a Star Wars TV game a try and even set aside a specific night to do so. Another game he wanted to play was a motorcycle racer where you tilted the controller to turn. It was perhaps the worst racing game I have ever played, and I've reviewed Drome Racers. As he played and desperately tried to get first place, I told him he should try Excite Truck. Excite Truck also had tilt-sensitive controls, but it was 24.5 times better. And you know what? He did. He only played two races before giving up, but he actually played a video game a few weeks ago he kept making fun of me for playing. So maybe these TV games do serve a purpose. Maybe they are what will warm up casual and non-gamers to the "real" side of gaming.
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