As I approach the end of my junior year in high school, I find myself coming home, plopping myself on the PC for about an hour or two, and then spending the rest of the night on schoolwork, leaving small room for gaming. Yes, some nights (as friends can tell you) I say “screw it” and break down for a night of non-stop play, but that’s becoming a thing of the past. Perhaps this summer I will have time to get truly BACK into gaming? I doubt it, considering one has to make money in order to pay for car insurance and in order to get that money, one needs rich, spoiling parents or a job. Unfortunately for me, I need the latter.

    Now, is there a method to my whining? Yes, in fact, there is. As our technological world becomes more competitive, ambitious kids are taking the hardest classes at an earlier and earlier age. Remember those days when you could just plop home, finish a math sheet in about 10 minutes and then run off to save the princess “in the next castle”? I may be getting senile (come to think of it, I AM getting senile), but there just isn’t the time nowadays, is there? Of course, those of you who could care less about school are probably already flipping burgers at the same place you will be working for the rest of your life. Or maybe I’m growing (up) out of gaming? No, that one is just a little farfetched, considering I haven’t matured since I was three. Either way you slice it, I think Nintendo has an idea here.

    Nintendo has been labeled as a “kiddy” company. Ok, that’s cool, just don’t lose your touch Nintendo, I still love you. Although this might look bad to fans of the company, it must be a gold mine for them. I mean, think about it: small children have hours of free time to be assimilated into Nintendo fanboys. THEN, they have practically an unlimited flow of cash from their parents who will buy them anything just to make them stop crying in Toys ‘R’ Us. Match that with a depressed teenager who is packed down by social, educational, and parental issues, not to mention financial instability. Wow, Nintendo is starting to look even brighter yet! So, now that I’ve explained it, you can stop asking why Nintendo keeps making Pokemon Crystal/Platinum/Iron/Chartreuse.

    But why am I complaining? Right NOW, I could be playing a game, surfing the oceans with Link, or sneaking around a corner with Solid Snake. Instead, I’m whining and possibly giving you all something horrible to think about. Well, that last part of kind of makes up for it, because if I can make others suffer with me, why not have some company? I hope this has been a lesson to you all: Stop whining. Play more. Hope for some gaming buddies in college.