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Let�s face it � the older you are � the harder the world of online games is to follow. (I know, because I�m just past my 20s and didn�t have a clue until I entered the dark underbelly of gaming and came out the other side.) I didn�t dip my toe in the water until my 17-year-old brother challenged me to a game of �Madness Combat 4: Apotheosis� at UGOPlayer.com. Within minutes, he had beaten me at every turn and left me with nothing. It was a sad state of affairs � believe me.
But being the �can-do� girl that I am, I vowed revenge! So I took the bull by the horns and started hitting the site every day to check out my brother�s favorites (which he graciously supplied me links to), then practiced on those games and found a few others I liked, too. (Can you say Black vs. Gray? Stick men fighting is really pretty hysterical.)
Now, I started my gaming adventure with some pretty hardcore matchups (against my brother � the expert). But if you want to start getting into the game, there are some better ways to do it.
� Head to a site like UGOPlayer.com and check out the games meant for younger kids � this will give you a sense of how to work the controls to get what you want (a win).
� Challenge your other 20-, 30- or 40-something friends to games. They�re more at your level and you�ll get a little ego boost every time you play (because you�ll obviously be better than them at this).
� Graduate to playing games against other people online (preferably people you don�t know, so there�s no real humiliation involved if you somehow manage to lose in the first 5 minutes.)
The process sounds easy enough � I know. But there are some games that will just get under you skin until you beat them to a pulp! (Yes � I AM a little on the competitive side.) And as long as you don�t do something stupid, like lose your job � or your house � you�ll come out the other side with better strategy skills, better critical thinking skills and able to think faster on your feet.
Go ahead � give it a shot. (Just don�t challenge your younger brother or your kids to a duel until you know you can take them. The humiliation would just be too much to bear. Trust me.)
| About The Author Cait McQueen is a 30-ish TV producer who, until recently, never played a video game without an Atari joystick. Since her initial humiliation by her 17-year-old brother, she has not only learned to play games at http://UGOPlayer.com without one � but has started ruling the Xbox when he comes to visit. |
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