Co-pilot

Before reading on I suggest to the read this article:

http://kotaku.com/5656943/the-gamer-i-really-am

Playing video games with my siblings is one of my most enduring childhood memories. Spending hours with my older brothers playing Super Mario Bros, or using cheat codes in Contra in an effort of finish game. Jungle Strike on the Sega Mega Drive was a game which me and my brother played quite a bit, doing mission turn by turn or helping out in difficult sections. Another game which vied for our time was Brian Lara Cricket. Here was game which we played tourney style, and it was always a blast. Streets of Rage series was one also another franchise we sibling with play alot.

With my purchasing of the PlayStation, coupled with my brothers getting less and less interested in games, I started getting more time playing single player games, and slowly I enjoyed them more than playing with my sibling. My gaming started to revolve around RPGs and it was good. Although it didn't matter much that none of my siblings were interested in gaming much (barring a few games here and there of course), but I did miss simpler days.

As my brothers left home, my gaming would become a total single player experience, as my sisters were either too young or just not interested. But that changed, just for a short period of time when I purchased PS2's first Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy X. As the game started, my younger sister (who is just a couple of years younger than me) caught a glimpse of me playing the game, and just like that she is like watching me play the game intently, marvelling at the graphics, chipping in with a suggestion on beating enemies and getting really surprised at how the story was developing. This went on for while, and I was kinda surprised that a single player game had caught the attention of one of my siblings. Its not that my sister was interested in the game itself, but she got intrigued with the game's story and the characters.



Now whenever I would put the game, my sister would come and watch the cut-scenes (not FMVs mind you, but story exposition cut-scenes). New developments in the story and characters would be discussed and analyzed. Hell even the sound track would get a bit of attention. I actually had to stop from progressing the story for a month as my sister's annual exams had started, and that gave me ample time to get all the ultimate weapons for my characters and finish all of the side quests by the time her exams finished.

And when the game reached it epic conclusion, and I had broken down into a sobbing mess, my sister was there to witness that doing her best not laugh at me all the while trying to cheer me up during the credits. Yes the game was quite incredible and I regard it as a crowning glory in the world of RPGs, but I know it as a fact that the game become so memorable due to my co-pilot. Even today we sometimes discuss some of the finer points of game's story and the characters.

Invariably after a few years when my youngest sister (who is alot younger than me) started playing Final Fantasy 10, I would usually watch her play and essentially performed the co-pilot's role.

Single player games are still the trend of my gaming, but as I said, for a little while Final Fantasy 10 become a 'multi-player' experience.

But anyways the article written the Leigh Alexander (in link above) was quite the read and will be visiting her blog Sexy Videogameland.