Yesterday afternoon I was introduced by Atzel (my aunt-in-law’s son) to this interactive game called Guitar Hero II. Since I got here, I have seen him spending time playing with this guitar-shaped peripheral pressing colored buttons and doing acts of strumming in response to what was shown on TV. It’s kinda like the Dance Revolution of which goal is to step on the correct arrow direction at a proper timing. I first thought it was crazy and I was definitely struggling to press the correct colored buttons while strumming the switch in the guitar’s body following the timing of the music played. When I get the hang of it, such game improved my sensitivity towards music. Since the genre of all the songs are rock, I began to appreciate that beauty of it behind the hard drums, striking electric guitars or screaming vocals.

It is amazing how video games developed from the “Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device” of 1947 which obviously I have not even laid eyes on. This was followed by the NIMROD computer which was built and displayed for the 1951 Festival of Britain. Mentioning the earlier video games bring back to my memory my very first play of video game. It was the classic Super Mario Brothers of Nintendo. I got hooked and addicted to it that even on my sleep, I can clearly hear the music and see those two brothers in jumpsuits with their distinctive mustache stumping on those mushroom traitors called Goombas. It was a fun game and I don’t recall going farther than the World 1-3.

Today, there are three platforms of video games to choose from- the PC, Console and Handheld. The most popular is the console which has a variety to choose from. There is PlayStation (PS) 1, 2 and 3 of Sony, Xbox and Xbox 360 of Microsoft and the Wii of Nintendo which is the direct successor of the Game Cube. Each console has their specific games. Wii has developed more interactive games and the latest one is called the Wii Fit which involves a lot of activities for health training. Below is a video of one of its training:

I played the Guitar Hero II on Atzel’s PS2 but it can also be played on Xbox 360. Guitar Hero had just released it’s 3rd sequel. A Guitar Hero III Tournament was organized for its promotion. It was held at Mystic Lake Casino last June 7, 2008. Ryan Gebhardt of Waltham, MN won the $10,000 Grand Prize. Here is the video of the head-to-head match.

By now you have an idea as to what I am up to if I’m not blogging. Either I’m hooked with household chores which I start to love doing or I’m tickling the plastic guitar attempting to find my rhythm. Howabout you? What are you up to?