I’ve been playing games a lot. And now with all the new releases, as well as the upcoming ones, I’m swamped, and I love it. In the past I’ve gone through gaming “phases.” Sometimes I can’t get enough of shooters, sometimes I’m absolutely hooked on adventure games and puzzles. I’m having a very difficult time defining my current phase, though.

Allow me to present an example: I finally managed to put Pikmin 2 down for a while the other day, and switched to Rainbow Six 3. Later that night, I went back and played through the Myst IV demo… again. Aside from the initial cold-water shock of completely switching my gaming experiences, I find myself unable to understand this phenomenon. Have I come into a cosmic balance? Have the mental barriers dropped away to reveal a tempered core of gaming zen?

... either way, I feel great.

Whatever is going on, I hope it continues. I’ve played an efficient commander in Pikmin 2 so far, and I refuse to lose more than 1 pikmin to obtain a new “treasure.” Considering the armies I accidentally drowned in the original, I’m quite pleased with my performance thus far. And that’s not the only game I’ve magically improved in. I’ve been doing better in Rainbow Six 3 than I have in weeks - well, ever, probably. I’m not extraordinary yet, but I’m moving up, and I’m starting to feel more confident in my abilities during a firefight. It feels good to perform like an equal player.

And Myst IV is as beautiful as the last time I played through the demo. I can’t count how many times I’ve gone through it, hoping that maybe this time it will go just a little bit farther. It doesn’t, of course, but I keep trying anyway. There’s probably a lesson in there somewhere, but I don’t have time to figure it out. Gaming zen calls, and I must answer.

- Jinx

I’m not an addict… baby, that’s a lie