Tumblebugs
It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a video game mode. I just haven’t really been into playing too much. Not since the days when Craig, Lesa, Mom and I would pile up on the floor of the living room with the Nintendo guide, some sodas and snacks and begin to conquer the worlds of Final Fantasy or Zelda have I really been interested in any sort of gaming. Sure, I’ll play tetris, or scrabble, or some card game – especially when I was on dial-up and had to wait for hell to freeze over so that a file could download or upload.
My friend Jenny invited me to play a game at her house – called Tumblebugs. Now you can get a free demo of the game online – but let me warn you that if you have not played it, you do not need to do so – it’s crack / meth / heroine in the form of little multicolored balls that move around your computer screen. Sure at the beginning, on level 1 or 2, you’re thinking oh this is nice. It’s pretty easy, nothing too difficult. It’s a great distraction. And when you reach level 3 and see the pretty purple and orange colors begin to show up – well you are just so excited for the additional challenge – and that’s when they get you. Those first levels are so easy, that as you advance, you just know that it won’t take anytime for you to make it through the next board. And it’s faulty logic. It’s a scam.
I spent almost 2 weeks on level 8 – two weeks mind you shooting little balls at other little balls and getting killed. Over and over again. I played so much that when I went to sleep at night, I could see the moving line of colored balls and hear the satisfying pock pock sound that it was made when I fired another ball. The happy little jingle when I “freed” some of the bugs from the evil black herding bugs. Even now, while I’m typing, I’m thinking of the stupid game and wondering if this time I’ll make it through all 6 boards of level 9 – wondering if somewhere there is a cheat that will give me 10 lives so that I can make it through all 9 boards of level 9; hoping that level 10 isn’t more difficult – though I know it will be and wondering how bad was level 12 that had jenny stumped 3 weeks ago when we’d stopped by –
I tell you video games are evil. And I’m not sure that we need them in the house. How can I tell the boys they can’t play their games because there are more important things to do – and then jump on the computer the instant they get off. I hate those damn bugs – and if it weren’t for the fact that it’s taken me so long to get where I am and I don’t want to do those boards again – I swear I’d delete the damn thing and never play again – but – well – i’ve come so far – and I have two weeks vacation – and I’m hopeful that maybe, just maybe I’ll make it through – but I swear if this game is like chips challenge and has 100 levels instead of just like 15 – I’ll have to put it away --
It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a video game mode. I just haven’t really been into playing too much. Not since the days when Craig, Lesa, Mom and I would pile up on the floor of the living room with the Nintendo guide, some sodas and snacks and begin to conquer the worlds of Final Fantasy or Zelda have I really been interested in any sort of gaming. Sure, I’ll play tetris, or scrabble, or some card game – especially when I was on dial-up and had to wait for hell to freeze over so that a file could download or upload.
My friend Jenny invited me to play a game at her house – called Tumblebugs. Now you can get a free demo of the game online – but let me warn you that if you have not played it, you do not need to do so – it’s crack / meth / heroine in the form of little multicolored balls that move around your computer screen. Sure at the beginning, on level 1 or 2, you’re thinking oh this is nice. It’s pretty easy, nothing too difficult. It’s a great distraction. And when you reach level 3 and see the pretty purple and orange colors begin to show up – well you are just so excited for the additional challenge – and that’s when they get you. Those first levels are so easy, that as you advance, you just know that it won’t take anytime for you to make it through the next board. And it’s faulty logic. It’s a scam.
I spent almost 2 weeks on level 8 – two weeks mind you shooting little balls at other little balls and getting killed. Over and over again. I played so much that when I went to sleep at night, I could see the moving line of colored balls and hear the satisfying pock pock sound that it was made when I fired another ball. The happy little jingle when I “freed” some of the bugs from the evil black herding bugs. Even now, while I’m typing, I’m thinking of the stupid game and wondering if this time I’ll make it through all 6 boards of level 9 – wondering if somewhere there is a cheat that will give me 10 lives so that I can make it through all 9 boards of level 9; hoping that level 10 isn’t more difficult – though I know it will be and wondering how bad was level 12 that had jenny stumped 3 weeks ago when we’d stopped by –
I tell you video games are evil. And I’m not sure that we need them in the house. How can I tell the boys they can’t play their games because there are more important things to do – and then jump on the computer the instant they get off. I hate those damn bugs – and if it weren’t for the fact that it’s taken me so long to get where I am and I don’t want to do those boards again – I swear I’d delete the damn thing and never play again – but – well – i’ve come so far – and I have two weeks vacation – and I’m hopeful that maybe, just maybe I’ll make it through – but I swear if this game is like chips challenge and has 100 levels instead of just like 15 – I’ll have to put it away --
