PLAYSTATION NATION

By Olivia & Kurt Bruner

ISBN 1-931722-74-9

Center Street $11.99

Gaming has become the “in” thing. Everyone talks about the latest release with the fervency of a sports fan. Our kids “hook up” and give us free time while they are interacting with a game. Better than vegging in front of the TV, right? Maybe not.

The authors wrote this book out of their own experience, incorporating experiences from other parents and kids as well as studies and statistics. The revelation? Way too many kids are actually addicted to video games with an addiction every bit as deadly serious as alcohol or drugs and with the similar results—dysfunction, inability to interact in the real world, or taking the negatively learned behavior into the real world.

Does your child get glossy-eyed from game playing? Find it difficult to limit time spent? Does your child lie about how long or when he/she plays? Has your child become less interested in other activities, growing morose or aggressive? These are all signs of addiction.

Time wasted can never be retrieved. Yet, games are geared to suck in the player, offering rewards of levels or points or lives, allowing the player to be the hero, the mastermind, the person who is somebody. The high is similar to that received from other addictions, actually making changes in brain function. A child focused on these artificial highs may never know what normal is, may never understand the simple joys of living in the real world or interacting with real people. Gamers have become so entrenched in their games they’ve taken it to the real world focusing inward, suicide, or outward, such as in the Columbine-style murders.  

The basic message is clear. Parents must exercise their role of parents and call the shots when it comes to playing video games. Parents must either get rid of the game machines or severely limit them, while not using them as rewards. Parents must take care any games played are appropriate and check out even those rated for the age of their child. Parents must not give in or give up. Your child’s life and well-being may be at stake.

This is a must read for every parent—and child old enough to read it.

Reviews are by Chris Scheidies. New games come out all the time. The ones reviewed here are now old games. Never rely completely on the ratings.

As with any game you consider, you need to check them out to make sure they "fit" with the values of your family.   

ODDWORLD: STRANGERS WRATH--It is really too bad there is enough language in this game to make it not family friendly. It is just not for a younger audience at all. For the proper audience, this is one of the best games I have ever played. The graphics and world ermersive envirorment is simply superb.

MERCENARIES --This is a free-form game where you try and wipe out terrorism. The language and violence make this very family unfriendly.

BARD'S TALE--This is an interesting game where you play the role of a bard in a medieval magic world. You use music for conjuring beasts to do your bidding. This one is not family friendly, as the bard has a way with the ladies. It is also not for any family with issues with magic, spells and so on.

FABLE--This is a very innovative game where you can choose to play the game any way you so desire; good or evil. You can do almost anything. This game is also not family friendly for the following reasons:

Your character can have the option of being very violent or homosexual. It is interesting to see the consequences of your choices right before your eyes, but a younger audience will need way too much direction to see the deeper meaning behind it. Sorry- you will need to pass on this one.

XBox Live Arcade

This is more of a service than a game itself. But it is perfect for the family friendly consumer. Through XBox Live, you can purchase classic games and such. (You must have an XBox Live account and broadband internet.)

You can download the demo of the game and play it before you purchase it. You can then push purchase and charge the game to your credit card ($10-$20). I do feel the price is a little high for games that are a bit older. But it is a good service.

You can get the XBox Live Arcade C.D. from the XBox website. (It is also included with several gaming magazines.) The games range from Mrs. Pac Man to Collapse. The player has choices such as arcade, puzzle, trivia, card, board games and so on. It really is a great service and family friendly. Just make sure your kids don't run up too big of a bill on your credit card. (This is where the Xbox's parental controls come in handy.)

Resident Evil 4

Lots of blood. Mindlessly killing zombies. Very violent scenes. I can NOT recommend this one for the family friendly audience.

Need For Speed: Underground 2

The graphics are stunning; the game play is fast and exciting. The sheer amount of options is overwhelming. Too bad that it is on the edge as far as a family friendly game goes.

The point of the game is to race on the streets of a big city and not get caught by the cops (although this is not reinforced at all.) You also get to see a non-conservatively dressed women at the start of each race. Not family friendly.

Donkey Konga

What can I say? Nintendo has done it again. For those of you who have not heard of this thing, it is a game that comes with a set of bongos that you plug into your Game Cube. You then have to play along to your personal choice of music that comes with the game. You will see notation for left and right hands as well as for clapping.

Super Mario Sunshine

The classic Mario game play is back. This game is simply wonderful, though it is not quite as good as it predecessor Super Mario 64. Basically a person that looks just like Mario has made a mess of the island where Mario and his crew are vacationing. Naturally Mario is blamed. His job is to clean up the island with a couple of water sprayers. The game play is great and is simply a blast to play. It is also family friendly through-out. Enjoy

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

Though this game is fun to play, but it is not at all family friendly. There is a near nude woman and lots of language. It's really too bad. This one could have been great. But the over-the-top violence makes it unacceptable for younger children -NEXT!

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

The game play is everything you have come to expect from a Zelda title. The new graphical style is amazing. That being said, I don't know if I can recommend it. There are several references to the wind gods and such. It's basically no worse than your average Greek tragedy. So it really depends on what the parents deem acceptable. But other than that this game is a must-have.

Half Life 2

This is one of the biggest games of the year. The graphics are stunning. The sound is amazing, and the physics will blow you away. What a shame that this game can not be recommended as a family friendly title! There is a lot of violence and some language. It is only for adults.

Grand Theft Auto : San Andreas for Playstation 2

Wow! In this game you can sleep with hookers then beat them to death with a baseball bat. Anyone who buys this game for young children should be declared mentally dangerous. They should then be forced to wear a jacket that makes them hug themselves, and sit in a nice, tranquil, pink room for the rest of their lives.

Halo 2 for XBOX

This is actually a hard one. The graphics are top notch. The sound is incredible, and the game play is outstanding. That being said, the players shoot at aliens (who bleed purple-type blood). There is also a bit of language issues, but they are very mild. If anyone in your unit gets killed you will see human blood, but over all, again, very mild.

It’s not a game for very young kids, but I can’t say that I would be opposed to a sixteen year old playing it. I will recommend this one, but the parents ultimately need to make the final judgment based on what they let their children see on TV and what content their own children can handle.

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal for Playstation 2

Another hard one, this game is wildly addictive. There are a few adult jokes in the game that your kids should not understand (if they do that’s another story.) It is a very solid platformer. The player spends his/her time destroying evil robots and the like. This is one of the best games out this holiday season.

I personally recommend it. It is only rated T for teen, and I would agree with that. If you are looking for a fun game for you and your kids to enjoy, go play the demo at your local video game store. (Just tell them Chris set you.) If you like it and it works with your family, pick this one up for Christmas.

Metroid Prime 2 Echos - For the Gamecube

This game is one of the most engaging action adventure games I have ever played. It sticks to Nintendo’s usually Z-targeting style game play. But Echos is not just a shooter; the game is filled with amazing (and VERY difficult) puzzles. I was blown away by the depth of this game. There is some animated blood from some of the aliens, but it is mild - almost unnoticeable. There are no language issues at all. If you want a challenging game this holiday then this is a must buy. This is assuredly one of the finest games on the Gamecube! I definitely recommend this one.

Want to make your own comments on these games? Email the reviewer at crscheidies@mail2faith.com Subject Line: Games