Failure to Addict

I have a problem sticking to a video game. It can be the greatest game in the world, but if I don't play it all in one or two sittings, I probably won't pick it up again, or if I do, I'll start over from scratch. Why is this?

Firstly, I love starting over. Playing the beginning of games is really exciting for me, and for some strange reason I love tutorials. I don't know. I guess I just like learning, even if I already learned the stuff. It's weird.

Secondly, I need a constant sense of accomplishment. I need little things along the way that push me to keep going. Achievements in Xbox games REALLY help with this, especially for the games that give you one for each mission you complete. Those games keep me going, at least until I get stuck. Then I'm done.

So, I enjoy sticking to short games. I've played Portal through at least four times now. It's always fun, always challenging, and the writing is still funny. It's a shame the sequel they just announced won't have any new story, just new puzzles. Yeah, we enjoy the puzzles, but it's the writing that made it what it was, I think.

There is a rare exception to this rule. I've stuck with almost all of the newest Nintendo first-party games. I know I went through my rant the other day, but I don't have any Zelda game I haven't beaten, I've completed all the Paper Mario series, Super Mario 64 and Galaxy, as well as the Wii's Metroid. Why? On the one hand, it's because I love those characters. But on the other, it's because those also have those small sense of accomplishment. Every few stars you earn in Galaxy, you unlock something new. Zelda, you're playing in order to keep exploring new places and unlock new areas, and try out new weapons. Metroid...well, it was just cool to play with an aiming device.

So, in short, I need to stop my gaming ADD. I need to pick up a good game, and play it. Maybe someday it'll extend to my MMO habits, and I'll actually be able to bring a character up to the maximum level. Haha, dream on.