Starter Game: My Life as a King (Wii Downloadable)

From the makers of Final Fantasy comes My Life as a King. In this game, you are the child king of a small kingdom. This game leads the others due to the simplicity of the game play and the fact that it is just so gosh darn adorable!

As the child king, you create behests and select people to fulfill them. These behests include fighting monsters in the near-by villages, exploring and gathering crystals to be used in the building up of the kingdom, and doing various other tasks to improve the kingdom.

This is a great game to learn about leveling and skills. As you send soldiers out on behests they gain experience. As the gain experience they gain levels and special perks. You can also build buildings that will allow you to train your people in special skill areas, such as black and white mages.

If your boy plays a lot of Final Fantasy, there will be some aspects that will look quite familiar. In particular, the game includes moogles, which are small creatures and in this game they help you learn different aspects of the game controls. This would also be a great game to help you place Final Fantasy terms.

The game play may take a few minutes to get used to, but once you get the hang of it, it is really simple. The game is a lot of fun. It’s very whimsical and you get to develop your kingdom and meet all the inhabitants. I will warn you that the last boss battle takes forever! In fact, I’m not sure if I even finished it… I think I did… Maybe I should go check on that…

Starter Game: Persona 3

Persona 3 is the most traditional of the games listed. It is also the leader by far. A group of students are working to rid the area of “Shadows” and solve the mystery of why people keep disappearing. Most of the fighting happens during what is called the “Midnight Hour” which is a special time just as the clock strikes Midnight that only a few people are aware of.

These people are also able to use a special ability called the “Persona.” The Persona is a part of the self that is able to fight the Shadows using special abilities that are based on the elements (Fire, Ice, Wind, etc.). The main character is extra-special as he is able to use multiple personas. You form a team and work your way through a mysterious tower that only shows up during the Midnight hour, and changes it’s layout each time you visit.

While not fighting shadows during the Midnight Hour, you go about daily life. You are the new kid in a Japanese high school. You go to the mall, join clubs and teams, and hang out with your friends. When you strengthen your relationship with certain friends, your personas also get stronger.

The fighting is done in a turn-based system, which is great for a beginner because you have time to think about what attack you will use. However, when initiating the fights, you are supposed to try to sneak up on the Shadows. If you aren’t used to video game walking, this can be somewhat difficult. (OK, it was the worst part about the game for me. I kept running in circles and going too far in one direction or the other. I don’t think I was ever able to sneak up on an enemy. At the end of it all, I am still not very good with video game walking, but then again, I’m not so good with real-life walking either…)

The relational aspect is a lot of fun and seemed to come really naturally. Now parts of the story line do include references to Japanese culture that I didn’t get. This is where the strategy guide starts to come in handy. The strategy guide defines the Japanese terms that an American may or may not know.

The strategy guide really is worth the money for this game. Not only do you get to learn a little about the great nation of Japan, but it tells you what each Persona’s abilities are, what each enemy is weak to, and which answers will benefit your relationships and which will cause harm.

All in all, the game is a lot of fun. It’s a great game to watch if you don’t think you’re quite up to the challenge, but if you have been playing a few games and are looking for more of a challenge and a “real” game, this is a great choice! If you have never played a video game before, get your boy to play with you. You can get introduced to the wonders of gaming and the two of you can have something to do together.

Article: Top Ten Starter Games

The Top Ten Starter Games:

The Gamer Girlfriend's top games for the girlfriend who wants to start playing...

10. Virtual Villagers (PC) tied with Endless Ocean (Wii)

9. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)

8. Wii Play/Sports/Sports Resort (Wii)

7. My Sims (Wii and DS)

6. Guitar Hero/ Rock Band (PS3, XBox 360, Wii, DS)

5. Mario Kart (Wii)

4. Mario Party (Wii and DS)

3. Spore (PC)

2. My Life as a King (Wii Downloadable)

1. Persona 3 (PS2)

Article: Top Ten Starter Games

The Top Ten Starter Games are games that I suggest for the gamer-girlfriend who is thinking, "Hmm... That looks like a lot of fun. Maybe I should try it out."

Now, to be honest, some games are just plain frustrating if you weren't raised with a N64 controller in your hand. Other games just don't really appeal to the casual gamer, mostly due to the crazy amount of strategy involved. There have been games (for example, Bully) that I have tried, and tried with the strategy guide, and I was so frustrated and did so horribly that I only accomplished about an hour's worth of gameplay (even though it took me several days).

So, if you are thinking about picking up a game, or are brave enough to ask your guy to borrow one, here's my list of recommendations that will hopefully save you some frustration and fist-fulls of hair.

I will present one game a week (if all goes according to plan) starting with number 10 and working my way to the top.