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The Last Games You'd Play?
Rigor Morty asks: "I am an older man (44), an avid fan of video games, and I am faced with a problem; my hands are becoming arthritic as I get older. I fear I will soon have to completely give up the console games I have loved over the years. To that end, let me ask the Slashdot Nation — if you were going to give it up, what games would you insist on playing before you had to quit? I'm willing to make some effort to do this, and spend some cash; I will buy the new consoles if I need to, or try to find obscure titles."
Final Fantasy XII.
Its' 110+ hours. If I'm not sick of gaming after that, I'll never get sick of games
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
Learn how to play chess. :)
see title
Table-ized A.I.
just about the saddest goddamned thing I've ever read on slashdot. The thought of becoming an arthritis-ridden man who can't play video games is just... shocking. *sigh* I am so jumping into an active volcano when I start to get frail...
I always say that occarina of time and majora's mask were really two parts of the same game, play both right through. Best games ever. I personally think that Majora's mask is a little better out of the two... still they are both fantastic.
I've got happy memories which will last me a life time from these games, I feel happy recomending them.
*''I can't believe it's not a hyperlink.''
Civ.
Duh. You can pick up a good machine for under a grand. It is _THE_ game.
-Charlie
P.S. You can probably play it with arthritic hands too, just modify the screw on joystick head and play it with your palm.
If you're truly going to be losing the use of your fingers, I'd recommend that you finger your wife as your "last game". Massage her clitoris with your thumb, while your index finger gently rubs her G-spot.
You should give her at least one shocker. Two in the pink, one in the stink. I'll let you figure that one out on your own.
But really, video games should be the least of your concerns. Fingering your wife is what really matters in life.
i know arthritis can be quite painful. is it such that you would be unable to grasp the Wiimote? if you can, well, you might have several more years of gaming in Nintendo's brave new world.
my pet machine
Maybe you could try to find something you can play without stressing your fingers too much? Eye-Toy is the first thing that comes to my mind.
Some like quest games, others like to blow things up. I like hand-eye coordination games like pinball (may I recommend 3D Ultra Pinball Thrillride) and arcade games like Centipede and Arkanoid. If you want more from us, you have to narrow your question.
[And if you don't want arthritis, (1) give up meat and (2) improve your elimination -- I take senna leaves daily.]
I come here for the love
If my hands were soon going to be unable to grab things, I wouldn't be wasting my time with video games.
In 20 years stem cell technology will have progressed so that you can grow a brand new Wii controller right in the palm of your hand anyway.
Id cut my hands first!
On the other hand, there is always computer games using a keyboard/mouse or other less tension-generating device.
Do Not Quit, my friend: Take up WoW (youll see what you are missing), and trade your arthritis for diabetes.
NO SIG
The poster sounds like the kind of guy that would respond to news of terminal cancer by starting a 40-a-day smoking habit. Personally I'm not a fan of the "it's better to burn out than to fade away" philosophy. As long as you can drag your arthritic claws over a mouse or trackball, you can play turn-based strategy games, so you should never have to quit as such, just change what you play. Plus a few years down the line, you'll probably be able to get a neural interface and be back in business ;).
Oh no... it's the future.
I'm younger (near 30), and considering giving up games and gaming for good as well, to persue a better social life (among other reasons- not really feeling like the target audience anymore, disliking what's happening to the gaming industry, and so forth.)
If I were you, I'd say don't even tempt yourself with a "last hurrah" or anything like that since you're apt to get addicted to something minor or new in the process...
I think it's akin to starting a diet, it's probably not a good idea to gorge on your favorite foods before starting a life without them.
Nothing tops a good, old-fashioned platformer, and I think SMW2 was the best. Great graphics, innovative gameplay, challenging, but not ridiculously so. It even plays well on emulators, if you want to save yourself the trouble of finding an SNES to play it on.
A few other suggestions: Bushido Blade (PSX), Super Smash Brothers (N64), Katamari Damacy (PS2), Goldeneye 007 (N64), Ico (PS2), Mega Man X2 (SNES). That's just to name a few off the top of my head.
Make a brain machine interface, plug in and play till you die!
I enjoy the occasional Metal Slug and other arcade games using M.A.M.E.
Joystick support included.
Cheers and best of luck,
Sygin
PS: One day at a time.
Don't make your problems my problems!
Eight Ball Deluxe is the damn pinball machine ever made. Or, if you like more chrome, fancier fields and a sexy android voice, try Xenon.
I am an older man (44)
44 is "old"? Oh shit!
Table-ized A.I.
If this is the biggest problem that the coming generation has to worry about and it's so distressing that they have to ask an online community about it (and the submission actually gets accepted)... then we're all in big trouble.
Get your hands on the Ultima pack: Ultima I through V were the best. Exodus: Ultima III has got to be about my favorite game in the world. The Bard's Tale series was also really good. There was also the Phantasie series--not sure if they were available on the IBM PC (I played them on Commodore 64). Those are games which take weeks (maybe months) to play and won't be so hard on the arthritis.
Hustlers exist solely through charity. I see their scams, lies, and deceit: I'm too charitable to outright shoot them.
Back in my day, we called that "middle-age".
Monkeys Control Robotic Arm With Brain Implants
Any sufficiently advanced man is indistinguishable from God
Typing wear and tear? Take glucosamine, chondroitin (they often come together) and cod liver oil. They're food supplements. Your body uses them to build and maintain joint tissues.
Deleted
I would just stop. I'd declare a specific console to be the last console you'll ever buy and just keep the fond memories of the games you've played over the years. Don't try to relive you're youth; you'll find 16-bit colour and 8-bit audio just wasn't as good as it seemed.
Playing the first game you played last at least seems poetic. Nostalgia may help for a pleasant send-off.
For me, though it I'd want to play the original Super Mario Bros for the NES. First game and first console I owned.
Based on upvotes, Ageism is the only "-ism" Slashdotters care about and think isn't SJW
Since when?
44 is barely "mature", come on!!!!
Splurge and pay for memberships to all of the adult sites that you have ever wanted to.
Do a LOT of masturbating now, before the arthritis takes away the ability.
LK
"Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
Arthritis shouldn't keep you from playing; even quadriplegics can play games. Maybe a simple isometric joystick would do the trick for you. Experiment a little, or see a specialist.
I'd go with Duke Nukem Forever. By then they'll have cured your arthritis.
Well, it'd help to know what kind of arthritis it is. For example, if the arthritis is only in your hands, then you should be largely uncompromised on the Wii, which is largely about the shoulder and elbow. If that's not good enough, it depends a lot on the kinds of games you like. For example, if you prefer fighting games, you're pretty much out of luck. However, if you play strategy games, maybe shift away from realtime (like starcraft) and towards turn-based (like civilization.) That way you can move at a pace that's more in keeping with your hands, and you can consider alternate input devices - keyboards, tiltpads, even voice recognition software if it's bad.
Generally, if neither hand controllers like traditional joysticks nor shoulder-and-elbow controllers like the Wii suit you, then persistant speed-driven games and twitch games are pretty much out. No more tetris, no more street fighter, no more heli attack. On the other hand, timing based games like You Don't Know Jack and Jeopardy are largely unaffected, if you can type. Most turn based games - not just civilization, but traditional games like chess and poker, untimed puzzle games like bejewelled and bookworm, puzzles like sudoku and crosswords, et cetera.
It's more productive to ask which games are removed, and then to just look at a game catalog or a game site, than it is to ask which games are left. All of the console manufacturers have lists of games on their websites. The internet game sale sites have lists, too, unsurprisingly. Look for games which work with input devices you can still use - mice, keyboards, the microphone, et cetera. If you can use the joystick in some situations but not others, figure out what those situations are. Sure you can't play Tekken anymore, but is that because these two specific fingers are hurting, or all of them? What about your wrists? Can you play Wii Sports? There's only one button press anywhere in Wii Sports, namely letting go of the bowling ball.
The disease you have is terrible, but it's also very different for different people. There are a lot of games that are probably still open to you, but until we know what you can and cannot do, as well as what you do and do not enjoy, we can't give you good advice.
I feel for you, man. It's awful. I'm starting to feel it; I'll be where you are in five, maybe ten years if I'm lucky. There are a lot of games left for you, but you get any five people in the room and you're lucky to find two games in common. We need more data.
StoneCypher is Full of BS
My brother is 51 and has been getting accupuncture for his arthritis. He swears by it. If you have tried everything else it couldn't hurt.
But really. You should play the games you like.
Try Dance Dance Revolution. You don't play with your hands, AND you'll get a workout!
Never underestimate the stupidity inherent in all human beings.
But, well, the Wii seems like it might be decent for the arthritic gamer. ExciteTruck just needs pushing one button, and a lot of leaning back and forth.
1) Thief: Deadly Shadows (actually any of the Thief series but you specified console)
2) Oblivion.
Trolling is a art,
If my hands were soon going to be unable to grab things, I wouldn't be wasting my time with video games.
I was assuming he already had the masturbation angle covered.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
"In 20 years stem cell technology will have progressed so that you can grow a brand new Wii controller right in the palm of your hand anyway."
Good thing too because you broke your old controller fiddling with it during your formative years.
#($*# /. engine won't let me post something with a blank text field. Twits.
There is much more arm and body motion than fingers. Also, check out the prescription drugs, they made a WORLD of difference for my mom.
People who think they know everything really piss off those of us that actually do.
I'd play Secret of Mana, straight through.
I swear, it is the most beautiful game in the world.
Let's face it, I'm getting old. Clicking at the speed of light is not my best side anymore. My elbow hurts, my fingers are slow and it's kind of ...boring. So I don't enjoy real time combating but I do enjoy turn based strategy games. The last game I really enjoyed was Heroes of Might and magic V. Great sequel to my favorite series ever.
It's time to realise that Abble's products are the biggest abomination these days. Just say NO to the dumb iAbble way!!
I bet if you quit jerking off you could sqeeze a good 10 years out of your wrists. That's a tough choice though because you are essentially playing with yourself in either case.
Bomberman, if you're going out do it Iraqi style.
I like muppets.
Star Ocean The 2nd Story. I've spent over 100 hours on this game, and I still love to play it as often as I can.
There's starting to be a number of replacements for traditional controls. There's eye tracking products, software solutions, and a variety of hardware replacements like a Wacom tablet.
I'm an X-plane user, I can build, fly, go on-line. It uses my brain and teaches me something new. I have to look at many real-world (tm) things like geography weather etc. I can play hard flying through canyons or relax with a long flight across the pacific. Re-enact historic flights on-line with other flyers, dog fight, whatever. Move into building your own scenery, model aircraft etc.
There was an unknown error in the submission.
44 seems pretty young to be troubled with arthritis. I'm 41, and have some physical ailments, but I was never resigned to accept them and let that be the last word.
I'm not a doctor and not offering medical advice, but I suggest that if you are having other symptoms besides the arthritis, your body may be reacting to something. In my case, I found that I was suffering from gluten intolerance or celiac disease. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, and rye. Countless foods in the supermarket have wheat flour (including meat products!) and is found in places you wouldn't expect. This disease is severely underdiagnosed in people (meaning that 3,000,000 people have it, but 95% are undiagnosed or diagnosed with something else caused by gluten intolerance), and estimates are that 1% of the population has it. In my case, this disease was masquerading as other things. The only way that I'm making progress is by being my own advocate, as all the doctors have failed me in the past.
Celiac disease and arthritis
This is just meant as a heads up.
One absolutely can't miss game for you to play, which I think you'll find immensely rewarding and, additionally, contains a story and choices that can whet the mature mind.
That game is Planescape: Torment. I've yet to find a richer storyline anywhere, ever. It just doesn't get any better. If there's one experience you can't miss, from a gaming perspective, that's the one.
(Google for any that aren't familiar. None of these would qualify as "twitch" games, though some do take some coordination. At 44, I would think you'd be good to go for at least another 20-30 years with any of these...)
None of them involve the whole if-it-moves-shoot-it thing. Maybe that's your cup of tea, but if not...
Flight Simulator.
Syberia.
Chess.
Ballance (rare, but fun).
MS Train Simulator.
Civilization (or FreeCiv).
Zork (sometimes the imagination is better than any graphics).
Paleotechnologist and connoisseur of pretty shiny things.
Maybe you should tape a wiimote to your hand and still play the tennis games for example.. I see no reason to give up gaming, theres always something else you could try.
I like muppets.
RE4 for gamecube and Goldeneye for N64
If you don't know what AltaVista is (was), get off my lawn.
Tempest is one of the best games ever. Invest in a working arcade version and enjoy.
When you become to arthritic to play it though, you have to give it to me.
It's a great game, but since the input doesn't need to be very fast or precise it's probably not something that the guy needs to play straight away.
I can't even come up with my own recommendations, the field of games is too wide and tastes vary too much. The guy should figure out what genres and settings he likes first and then check gamerankings.
For instance, I know people are going to suggest franchises widely regarded as classics: (Wo)Warcraft, FF, Zelda, MGS... but I've tried all these games and whilst they're well made I don't think any of them are fun. That's just my taste in games.
Q: "if you were going to give it up, what games would you insist on playing before you had to quit?"
A: All.
Whoo, signature!
DesireCampbell.com
Try weed. It's helped out several people I know with their severe arthritis, and given them some relief.
Once you're stoned, I gotta say "Mercenaries" on the PS2 is pretty damn satisfying. Actually, it's my favorite when I'm sober, too.
It is beyond my imagination that anything since Tux Racer should have been made, because they should just have ceased making games. I can't stop loving this game. Whenever I get that PS3, my first action will be installing Linux to play Tux Racer.
Clicked pie.
maybe Heretic and Hexen also. Otherwise I'm bored of video games already. I'd just as well play some real RPGs than the console kind too. Ditto with board/wargames...
My people know the proper way when the time comes in a man's life when he can no longer manipulate his controller. It is time for you to wander off into the woods, my friend. Your value to the tribe is spent. Peace be with you.
Xenon on the Atari ST.
Best game ever.
C-x C-s C-x k
say hello to my friend celebrex buddy !
Here is the IGN list from 2006: http://top100.ign.com/2006/index.html . In my opinion, the one from 2005 was better as it had more older games: http://top100.ign.com/2005/index.html
It seems like many of the above posters are suggesting games that they've played for hundreds of hours, but I'm guessing that you're more interested in playing many shorter games. So with that in mind, some of my specific suggestions are:
- Devil May Cry (1 or 3)
- Prince of Persia (original)
- Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
- Twisted Metal (1, 2, or Black... find a friend to play with)
- Mount & Blade
- Sonic (1, 2, 3, Knuckles)
- Mario (almost any)
- Zelda (almost any)
- Grand Theft Auto (any)
But that's just off the top of my head... I would strongly suggest checking the Top 100 lists for more ideas.In no particular order (except for maybe the first one):
Katamari Damacy (PS2)
Lego Star Wars (Various)
Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1)
Final Fantasy 7 (Various)
If you're partial to older consoles (and in particular, RPGs):
Secret of Mana (SNES)
Chrono Trigger (SNES)
Final Fantasy 6 (SNES)
Contra (NES) [Not an RPG]
You seemed to specify console gaming. If you somehow haven't yet had the opportunity to play first person shooters on a computer, that is also something I would suggest you do. I'd personally suggest Half-Life. Starcraft and Diablo are also notable computer games (not first person shooters, though). "Must play computer games" is really a whole nother can of worms, though.
You know what they say; its not whether you win or loose but how you play the game. I don't buy this story to be very honost.. Sure, you can have issues with your hands, I don't dispute that, but there are just way too many games out there which require quite a different way of controlling them.
I for one play with keyboard and mouse. If you get issues I guess games like UT and such maybe getting harder, but why not simply lower the difficulty level? Or perhaps shift to a different kind of game.. Not too much hard pressing action going on where keyboard and mouse are concerned when looking at, say, Command & Conqueror.
In the end there's always tuxracer to enjoy and when that one is giving you issues I'd suggest moving to the all time classic nethack! In fact, I think I'll have another go at that right now.
I've always been a huge Myst fan, but it takes some doing to get through it all. Just get your hands on the whole set (you can skip URU,) and play it. It's essentially a mouse oriented game, where you point and click 99% of the time. The games are timeless, last forever, satisfying and also, it doesn't ruin your joints. That's what I'd play if I had one last game to play, Myst.
Two of the best RPGs ever made, and possibly the best non-fantasy RPGs ever.
What game would I never insist on giving up until I had to?
That's EZ... the game of life.
It's not the answer you expected but for me (in the over 40 crowd), it's the one I've got.
If you like long adventure games with a good story, I'd recommend:
:P
1) The Lighthouse - It's a very old game... I think 1996' or smth, but it's still my favorite. Lighthouse has many *really* interesting & hard puzzles and the ultra-scary-gloomy atmosphere is imho one of a kind. Try playing it in dark and it sure will scare the hell outta you. (I was about 13 when I first played it but I still think it would be very good for any age)
2) Nightfall (The Longest Journey) - This game was released in April. It's got a fantastic storyline & graphics. (a pretty girl too if that matters)
3) Grim Fandango - story set in the land of the dead. Might be a bit childish.
4) Monty Python (Holy Grail) - another old game, but full of black humor. If you like English humor then go for it!
Don't you mean 106+ hours of cut scenes, and 4 yours of game play? I would suggest he just wait until after he can't game any more before starting any modern Final Fantasy game.
Morty, I feel your pain, I am a 47 year old gamer...go figure? LOL. I would recommend turn based games, say, use a SNES emulator (ChronoTrigger!) on a comp, try Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, etc. All the years of typing at a comp, I'm a network admin, have left me with hands that go numb if I type too long, carpal tunnel, no doubt. But nothing should leave you unable to enjoy yourself, there are work-arounds to every problem, it's just up to us to find them. And while there are a lot of humorous comments (and some not so humorous, I agree) you just have to have the determination and will to keep having fun..............'nuff said.
Duke Nukem Forever
(That is if I live that long)
"If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." - Every fascist, ever
Quit feeling sorry for yourself. My elderly mother who is 86 plays 3+ hours of games a day. She is a cancer survivor, has heart failure, and autoimmune disorders. So you sorry wimp seems you are beat!
Lode Runner. What could be better than running away from deranged monks, looking for loot, and making your own maps all while doing it on a Mac OS 7 computer that is over 10 years old? Nothing!
http://www.dynaverse.net/
There is a group there known as the "Dynageezers", I know of more than one arthritic player and plenty over 40.
The best game where you never had to put your drink down! You could probably play this with your feet if you really had to. And even better - table-style Mrs Pac-Man!
Donkey Kong Country for Super Nintendo. Best Game ever made.
The 2 Zelda games for N64 are good also.
Quake 3 Arena is by far the best game I have ever experienced, and I have tried nearly every computer game at one point or another. Furthermore, If you would like to be emersed in a technologically interactive world, I would highly recommend Deus Ex (the first version only).
Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II. These are awesome games, but my wife and I cry about our fingers falling off within a mere hour of starting play taking turns. It's great for laughs with multiple players. My wife is ruthless about laughing at me playing, and it adds to the fun when you're getting boo'd off stage to a riot of laughter. You might want to play these before your fingers can't handle it anymore.
What games you should play depends on what you like. Simple. I'm suprised you didn't mention the sort of games you like to play.
Additionally, you haven't described the limitations of your medical issue.
Firstly if you like playing games, why stop? Is it only the button mashing games that you like? There are so many games that you don't need to stop playing. Just find something you enjoy that doesn't aggravate your condition.
Second, forget consoles. They are more likely to cause CTS or other issues than support a medical issue. Go PC. Just PC. Unlike consoles, PCs have hundreds of interfaces designed for everything from people with disabilities through to being ergonomic to support sufferers of similar ailments. Even without knowing what your issue is, if you can move a part of your body, you can buy something for a PC that lets you emulate mouse and keyboard.
PCs cost more, and you'll need to aim high for a games box, but the disadvantage of consoles is that they are designed with a difficulty level around the controller for normal people. This is something you clearly are not (by your own admission). So if you already have problems, then why waste it playing games on a controller designed for hands without medical issues.
Also, use the benefits of age. If you don't want to mash buttons, play more adventure games, where reaction time isn't critical. And when you play action games, choose games where you can play in a way that suits you.
As an example - consider BF2 for the PC. Even if you were nearly crippled, you could still play commander online, without any difficulty at all... Just with a voice interface alone. No keyboard or mouse. Of course, you'd probably want a Push To Talk button set up for your headset, although you could just use VOX. And if you want to get into the action, play sniper... Just sit, wait and take your time on each shot.
Additionally, for flight sims, you can use full size controllers... Joysticks. No rapid movement needed there. If you can still drive a car, you can use a wheel interface. Again, nothing complex there. (And Wheel interfaces are available on most consoles.)
But as I mentioned, console games tend (though not always) be designed around the console controller and controller limitations to provide an element of difficulty. PC games are designed around a keyboard that no two people seem to have the same one of, mouses that vary from house to house and the odd USB connected device that someone bought on special. The only thing left for PC game designers to challenge is your mind.
Avoid games that require precise timing and button mashing. They cause issues for those older players amongst us that don't have arthritis too!.
Finally, don't take the attitude of playing games quickly while you still can. That's pessimistic and you're setting your own limitation. Work to enjoy games for as long as you live and while you still enjoy them. For most of us, that's as long as we live.
Anyway an opinion. I'm not that far of where you say your are. I am starting to feel something in my fingers that I suspect is the onset of age. But unless I end up so crippled I can't live a normal life anymore, I don't ever think I'll stop playing games, and often I remind myself they are one of the few things I can still enjoy even if I do.
GrpA.
Enjoy science fiction? "Turing Evolved" - AI, Mecha, Androids and rail-gun battles. What more could you want?
Would be my choice. I've been playing video games for years, but when I played that game (nearly 10 years ago now?) It moved things to a whole new level. When I first got out onto open spaces of Hyrule field and heard the cool music and saw the sun setting it was pretty good as far as video games go. Little touches like the music when the sun rises etc. I haven't had a go on Twilight Princess yet (Wii comes out here in about a week).
That said there are plenty of other games other than video games. You can't beat a game of cards with friends.
If you haven't travelled, get your buzz from seeing other cultures before little things get too difficult.
I'm the only one?
Really?
You can still play pinball they even have a video pinball game (Ultrapin) that can play many different games on one cabinet.
t ml
Ultrapin features the Patent Pending U-Shock Board which allows players to interact with the cabinet for a totally realistic pinball experience. You can BUMP and NUDGE the cabinet to affect the ball in play - just like real pinball.
http://www.globalvr.com/products_ultrapin_intro.h
I like real games as well and I have played many prototype and Rare games play The Pinball Circus if you can!
http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=4354
I've played tons of games, and if I had to play one of them one last time, it would have to be Rome:Total War. Nothing can compare to the feeling of power you get from commanding 5000 Roman troops going up against the barbarian horde. All of the "Total War" games are amazing, but this one is my favorite.
For the future, let me take the chance to plug my favorite turn-based MMORPG, Kingdom of Loathing (kingdomofloathing.com). This game may seem very "silly" at first glance, but the game has two wonderful levels of play. At first, you can become very involved in just solving the complex puzzles needed to complete the game. After you have mastered all of the puzzles, character building takes over. The game's world is constantly evolving, with new content every week. The community around the game is almost universally friendly and supportive, and is one of the best parts of the game. The whole thing is free with a few special items that cost money (gotta run servers somehow), but they can also be purchased with in-game money.
Homeworld, Civilization I, M.U.L.E. these are the three games I keep coming back to year after year.
I suppose it says something about me that my recommended games are mostly platformers on the Playstation2:
Okay, I said I'd post 5, but here's another few for you. Consider it a "bonus":
You'll just have to make better use of your feet. (Hey, if a guy with no arms can play the guitar for the pope...) Or just wait for FDA approval of some direct brain link device.
What?
I think you probably want to switch to this game instead:
http://www.i-p.se/index.aspx?page=mindball&mId=1
I've always been a big fan of strategy style games anyway. No, not the RTS type which I abhor, but games like Space Empires V, Galactic Civilizations, Master of Orion, or hell, Chess. Honestly, I'd invest in Space Empires V and Chessmaster, though I know that my likes don't parallel that of most gamers.
I am not a gamer, but I can say something about arthritis. The type I have started to impair me in my twenties and by now (late forties) has progressed a lot farther. All arthritis is progressively debilitating, but the progress of the disease can be slowed or pretty much stopped using the "disease-modifying" drugs. It is best to intervene earlier rather than later. The newer meds are way, way, more effective than the old anti-inflammatories. I didn't even realize what I had was really treatable until my doctor told me. I wish I had known much earlier.
... but for a healthy man living a regular life the risk is what I would call slight, and to me it's worth it. My immune system is strong -- too strong, really -- arthritis is your own immune system attacking your own body. My own life is way better with the medications, and I can do all kinds of things I was starting to not be able to do.
Find a good rheumatologist and you will be playing games for many years more. Also brushing your teeth, tying your shoes, cutting up your steaks, good stuff like that. My doc tried me first on sulfasalazine, then on methotrexate (both of those are leukotriene inhibitors), and finally on a new class of injectable drugs that are called "tumor necrosis factor" ("TNF") inhibitors. The injectables are the bomb. Brand names include Enbrel and Humira. They do give me headaches the day after I inject my dose -- that's once a week or once every two weeks, depending on the drug. They also suppress your immune system -- they're dangerous if you're in the hospital with, say, tuberculosis
That'd be my choice anyway.
If you can't use your hands, why not do something that doesn't require your fingers much? Dance Dance Revolution is fun and gives you a good workout, some of the Nintendo Wii games don't require fine motor control, etc. Just because you can't hit the buttons like a madman anymore doesn't mean you have to stop gaming.
Crack - Free with every butt and set of boobs
Warm your hands up before you do anything with them that hurts. This advice came to me via a juggling forum, from a mildly arthritic juggler that said it works like a charm. He said that he either warms his hands up with hot water, or just some quick chafing if the water is unavailable. Your problem might not even be an issue if this works for you. It might be worth it to pursue eliminating your arthritis instead of listnin to what them fancy city doctors tell ya.
It's doubtful they will not have some device, dohickey, strap that will allow you to manipulate some controller or other. In the mean time...I'd play the games in genre I found most appealing from all three of the console makers and the PC.
"He was a wise man who invented beer." - Plato
planescape: torment is, in my opinion, the greatest videogame I've ever played. Tycho, of Penny Arcade, at one point noted on PA that he feels the same way (I can't find the actual post offhand). We're both RPG fans, of course, but I'm pretty sure anybody who has any appreciation for plot would feel roughly the same. That said, it's pretty exclusively a point-and-click adventure, so to be perfectly blunt, you might save it for last...
Read jack phelps dot net
i have been playing 'zelda - oricana of time' off and on for years, and havent beaten it once.. i think if i played that and finished it, my life would be complete! i could go into retirement at a young age.
Jak and Daxter (not Jak 2 under any circumstances)
Ratchet and Clank 2
Rez, for an evening, get some weed in
Wipeout Pure if you can borrow a PSP
I write a blog now, you should be afraid.
The XBox mod community is one of the best out there.
The XBox in my apartment drives my HDTV, and has the ability to:
-Play any video that can be played under Windows.
-Emulate about every system you could ever ask for (yes, even arcade systems via MAME)
-Store ROMs/ISOs directly on the HDD
-Can access the internet to stream video, and can also stream over WiFi straight from my server.
Now, getting ROMs can be a problem. However, you have to make the choice: Lose your games to commercial obsoletism, or you can get yourself a ROM package (I have the complete libraries for the Master System, NES, Genesis, SNES, and the N64), and enjoy them for life. I feel that since it is very hard to get these games these days anyway (and even when you do, the copyright holder will get nothing, except in the case of the Wii's emulator), that holding on to a little piece of my past is worth the risk.
I'd say I spend four times as much time playing the emulators than I do new games.
Two words: Commander Keen
Play guitar hero. Give those joints a good, painful send off! (Seriously what do arthritic guitarists do? There must be a solution!)
Play through Origin System's masterpiece of space flight. I wish they'd make a new one the old ones were brilliant. 1-3 the kilrathi war, the treachery of 4... the series is brilliant even today.
Of course... your arthritis may lead to death and armageddon may come before its available. But if you're willing to spend money, perhaps you could convince the powers that be to make the game we've all waited for for years and that, at this time, has more vaporware-of-the-year awards than any other... :)
especially if you are diabetic.
The random 'food supplement' may be ok for most completely healthy people,
but if you are thinking of popping in at GNC and just grabbing a bottle of this and a bottle of that,
you darn well better talk with your doctor first.
Doubly so - if you are taking any other medication.
In medicine and food supplements, one size does NOT fit all.
eve-online .... n'uff said!
> I am an older man (44)
Damn! I am a younger man (41) and I hate to think in the next three years I'm going to become an arthritic old fart planning my life around my decaying body.
I climb mountains, jog, work out, roller blade, and jump in leaf piles with my kids.
Maybe you should put down the controller and take a walk around the block. You'll feel like you're 43 again.
- For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat
Forget the consoles, go old school on a new PC and play Descent. It absolutely rocked. You can still find new-in-box copies on Ebay http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=ht tp%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2F&fkr=1&from=R8&sati tle=video+game+descent&category0=&submitSearch=Sea rch
And FWIW, it rocks on newer hardware and CPUs.
A 44 year old that plays video games? In 20 years, you'll be the best granddad of them all...
You make it sound like 100 hours is a long time.
Kid, I've spent more time on Civ in one sitting.
Don't you have some homework to do?
Wii get it, if you can make a fist you can use it and it is an awesome good time. Even the bundled/demo Sports title is awesome, you can be as vigorous or relaxed as you want. Sorry if someone else has suggested already.
Disease is the resulting karma after you have habitually or continuously done something that goes against what is natural, or if you have performed some really negative action against another (living thing) in the past - whether the action took place in this life time, or in a previous one.
To steer away from religious or spiritual beliefs, let us assume that this disease is the result of something you did (wrong) in this life time to yourself. If this is the case, then please consider the appearance of the disease to be a message telling you that you have to change your ways or things will either get worse and potentially become irreversable (which is now the case). But just because it is irreversable (arthritis), it does not mean that you should just carry on doing what you you enjoy - in particular things that may aggrevate your new disease - like playing video games.
Life is about learning and growing up (not just physically), but also psychologically, and spiritually. It is time for the (psychological) adult-child to face his problems and deal with them in a responsible way.
Believe it or not, it is not important or even possible for the body to remain conditioned to that of a young healthy person until old-age death; what is important is that you start taking responsibility for your bad habits (i.e. possibly spending too much time of your precious life playing video games or whatever your case may be - ANALYSE YOURSELF!). Beyond this it is also important that you face reality - that life is not about sustaining the body, it is not about pleasure, and unfortunately for the masses only old age and suffering can trigger this consideration for them. Mid life crisis is a very common western trigger... unfortunately many lack the maturity to even face their own reality then.
So in conclusion, there is no need to dispair - a lot of good can come out of this disease of yours. This is not an optimistic statement, this is a true statement if you can some how grow up (psychologically & spiritually). But if you try to further agrevate your disease or escape its clue by playing more video games, in another 10 years or so, you will find yourself with yet another problem or the same one further aggrivated and this cycle may carry on until one day you are deep in suffering and become a very bitter old man.
Give up video games, and start living in the real world.
No trees were killed in the making of this post; however, many trillions of electrons were horribly inconvenienced.
And you're not very old at 44. If you're in that much pain now, it's going to be a bitch in 20 years.
1 4/\/\ 1337
but before you give up, I would recommend trying other genres, that require different controls : flight sims, driving games can be used with wheels and joys, and are not as bad as the vibrating tiny controls, especially when they are paired with button-smashers....
...
.... and he is good :) and never complains of hand pains :)
Also keyboard + mouse games, like FPS games (slower, tactical games) are not that bad for your hands
in fact I play sometimes with a group (beerdrinking assassins) on their Ghost Recon (AW) server, where they have a seventy-something old guy playing as a regular
Tetris!
$ echo "ceci n'est pas une pipe" | sed -Ee 's/(eci n|pas )//g'
Alright so I could flip through some old memories and recommend you an obscure title and tell you to go play it. But I've come to a realization about a lot of those games. General Chaos for the Sega Genesis was a great game. Until I got a hold of it a few years ago. I had this memory of me and several of my friends taking turn on the multi player campaigns. Great memories. But when I started playing it solo, it lost a lot. Still a fun game but lost a lot.
...
... but when we retire, I may do the same thing for nostalgia's sake.
...
I also remember Golden Eye to be a great game but--well, it really lacks a lot of features that FPS's of today have. But in high school, I played that non-stop with all my friends. It was the time spent with them that give me an over-evaluation of the game.
Now, I'm not saying the arguments of one game being better than the other aren't warranted. In fact, I still find A Link to the Past just as fun as I did when I played it many many years ago (I recommend the DS Lite version for portability). The funny thing about my childhood is that I was always at a friend's house watching them play their system. Back then I cursed this as I could never play at my house. But in retrospect, it turned what would be single player RPGs into fun play along and plan together social games & every chance to play was well savored. Maybe I have some sacred view of console games that others lack because they were a haven from working the fields. But I digress
So this is the part of the post where I get all wishy washy and I don't suggest a game. I suggest you think back to all the games you played with people. And you take the time to dig these games up and play them with those people for the last time. I'm sure they wouldn't mind a few hours just for old times sake. A lot of my friends are spread across the globe and I don't have enough money right now
As for the new games that are out there? Play them with your kids & family (if you have them), enjoy them with the people of your life right now. Enjoy them and be done with them for the sake of your health. Learn to enjoy other things in life--watching movies, reading books, bird watching--whatever you could enjoy.
Now, I'm only 24 so there's a lot I could be missing. Considering what I've been brainwashed to believe about older people, it is I who should be asking you what I should be playing right now
My work here is dung.
He wanted stuff to play whilst his hands still work, your list is for after that.
On a side note, I'm intrigued by the idea of playing text adventures by voice command... I'll be sure to put them off until my typing skills fail so I have lots of gaming to do. In fact, maybe I'd also go back to pen-and-paper RPGs, hopefully by then I'll have a robot slave to roll the dice for me.
I'd play the Original, Link to the Past, and first and foremost Ocarina of Time. Best game ever.
If he explores all forms and substances Straight homeward to their symbol-essences; He shall not die.
I suggest submarine simulations. Most input is done with mouse clicks. Hopefully that is not beyond your capabilities. Here are two suggestions.
Janes' 688(I) Hunter / Killer - This has been around a while, but still stunning.
Sub Command by Electronic Arts - I call this the awesome sequal to 688(I).
There are other subsims that may interest you, but my experiences are limited to these two.
you heard me.
don't become arthritic.
it's a choice you know.
eat your oxtails and keep on playing.
They're using their grammar skills there.
Tetris.....the Game Boy version. Undeniably the best game ever. PERIOD.
Knowing Google's lust for data collection, the Soviet Union is still alive and well inside the psyche of Sergey Brin....
You know, Rigor Morty, the best way to treat arthritis is to keep the painful parts moving. Yeh, it hurts, but it'll hurt way more if you stop using it. Get out walking, cycling and canoing when you're not gaming, too. So, play your games, just be mindful of increased risk of overuse injury, and choose games which rely more on skill and strategy rather require high-speed button pushing.
;-)
The last game I'll ever play is TetrisMAX. I haven't played a computer or console game in probably 10 years because I got burned out on TetrisMax
"I hope you like Guinness, Sir. I find it a refreshing substitute for, er... food." Col. Jack O'Neil, SG-1
There's always "TV Pow" (or Pix, as it was on WPIX in NY). No hands needed, if you're using a speakerphone! :) {Prof. Jonathan}
Pain lasts, kid. Its how you know you're alive. Sometimes I think this growing up thing is just pain management-TheMaxx
aint nothing to it aiiiight ? ask your doc to shoot you up on human growth hormone. seriously. sorta.
Your wrist? DIP or PIP joints (fingers)? Do you have of a problem with typing compared to using a mouse?
I would say consoles are pretty much out of the question, with perhaps the exception being the wii, unless you are having wrist pain.
In addition, you can visit meta ranking sites such as gamerankings.com
Top 30 games (not counting old-school games) meta-rated (from the above site):
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time N64
2. Soul Calibur DC
3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess WII
4. Metroid Prime GC
5. Tekken 3 PS
6. Metal Gear Solid GBC
7. GoldenEye 007 N64
8. Resident Evil 4 GC
9. Super Mario 64 N64
10. Halo: Combat Evolved XBOX
11. Resident Evil 4 PS2
12. Half-Life 2 PC
13. Chrono Trigger SNES
14. NFL 2K1 DC
15. Grand Theft Auto III
16. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker GC
17. Championship Manager 4 PC
18. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas PS2
19. Gran Turismo PS
20. Halo 2 XBOX
21. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty PS2
22. The Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition GC
23. Half-Life PC
24. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 DC
25. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City PC
26. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 PS
27. Perfect Dark N64
28. Gears of War X360
29. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic XBOX
30. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn PC
If the main problem is your fingers, then you can get mouse intensive games, such as baldur's gate I/II, neverwinter nights 1 or 2, and most strategy games such as the civilization series and galactic civilizations II. You probably want to avoid most MMORPGs.
I also recommend playing games outside your favorite genre. Pick a great racing, sim, RPG, strategy, sports, FPS, etc game. You'll probably get more enjoyment doing this than playing through all 12 final fantasies or x amount of zeldas.
Rigor Morty? Seriously? Isn't that a little melodramatic, it's only the end of gaming. Not the end of it all.
I sympathise though, I have RSI in my thumbs, and it's quite scary to think it'll all be over some day.
I'd recommend that you learn to love RPGs, and strategy games, ones which don't require you to completely grip the controller, and just the occasional push of a button/joystick (which you could do with your nose).
Or...learn to play with your feet.
Same here, my right index finger is totally screwed from Wolfenstein et al.
One thing I can recommend, move you mouse over to the left hand side of your keyboard, swap the buttons to left index = 'left click'. Irrespective of temporarily lost productivity, use left hand for mousing etc. In some ways it will also exercises the other half of your brain.
I am saving what useful life I have in my right index finger purely for me beloved gaming.
The trick is, you never give up. You let the pain or minor disability piss you off enough to fight beyond letting it hold you back.
I won't bore you with all the injuries I've suffered in my life from sports to Vietnam to the fire service or tell you about my arthritis or skin cancer and other minor problems. I will tell you that I am a month and a few days shy of 62, I run 6 miles every other day, surf whenever I can get to an ocean and I can sport a nice rod just thinking about shanking my neighbor's girlfriend; I'd never do that because he is a brother firefighter....on the other hand......
Sorry to get off on a tangent. My point is, you can not let pain or the disability that comes with older age rule your life. It can be overcome with spirit and determination.
I'm ten years ahead of you and have had some trouble with arthritis. The thing that was most strongly correlated with the attacks was iron in my (private well) water. A softener with iron-control salt pellets has virtually eliminated the arthritis. Your mileage may vary, of course, if it's something else teeing off your auto-immune response... but at least have your water tested.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychonauts
I'm sure other's will vote this game up. It was very well done.
Play a really bad game. Either one with bad gameplay, or which crashes every five minutes, or which makes you lose a life without any reason, etc.
That way, you won't regret it at all when you quit.
- RG>
Hey pal, this isn't a pleasantforest, so don't waste my time with pleasantries!
Actually, these are the games I play now (at 33) and have played since we first got a PC, back in '83 or so. YMMV, like I said -- not everyone's taste is the same as mine.
Paleotechnologist and connoisseur of pretty shiny things.
At 44 you're an old fart? I'm in my late 40s and I refuse to grow old. It depresses me when people like Douglas Adams were younger than me when they died.
A short list...
Super mario bros. 1 and 3 (NES)
Sonic 3
Chrystalis (NES)
Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy III, F-Zero, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario World, Legend of Zelda: Link to the past (SNES)
Final Fantasy 7, Xenogears (PS)
And probably some other old school stuff that I'd dig up.
brian botkiller "Condensing fact from the vapor of nuance" - Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash
Thief: Deadly Shadows and Oblivion? What the fuck, man? I would revoke your gaming license but you obviously don't have one.
I don't like it when a 44 year old guy calls himself an older man I'm tagging this "FUD"
Final Fantasy VI (best RPG)
Einhander (best space-shooter action game)
Silent Hill 1 and 2 (best horror games)
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Instead of retreating, attack! Or better yet understand that if you stop using your hand your arthritis will become worse, or at least feel worse. Using your hand will force your body to lube your joints, including the ones that don't work so well. I'd suggest, besides Guitar Hero 1 & 2, to read "The Arthritis Action Program" ISBN: 0684868024 and "The Arthritis Cure" ISBN:0312990634. Both books have tought me a lot about my arthritis and arthritis in general. -- -alburnett P.S. I'm not a Doctor. And I'm in my 20s with arthritis.
-- -Alburnett
Yes, really.
That way you can be dealing more directly with the arthritis, which may allow you to game for much longer.
Eat everything as fresh as possible. Start with more calcium (dodge meat, the calcium & acid ratios suck). Sulfur-containing foods are helpful (asparagus, eggs, garlic, & onions) as they help calcium assimilation as well as repair in general, as is fresh pineapple for the bromelain in it. Stick to green, leafy vegetables, oatmeal, whole grains (especially for the Vitmain K). Add potatoes, lots of veggie juice, bananas, food with histidine (wheat, rye, rice), & some vitamins (B-12 & C, at least).
Avoid milk, fatty foods, salt, caffeine, anything really hot, tobacco, sugar & of course avoid meat as much as possible, since they all do nasty things to arthritic suffering. It helps to view arthritis as a class of diseases instead of just one way of suffering; what you’re trying to do here is axe the whole class.
If you can do that, a lot more than the games will benefit, but they’ll be amongst the first.
Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_of_heroes
Highest rated RTS ever. It's very fast paced, but it's so good! I fully expect others to recommend this.
I don't know when I last enjoyed a game this much playing skirmish with a friend of mine.
for abt 2 years i've been feeling the same kind of pain in my hands and wrists...but i refuse to yet it get to me!!! GAME ON MAN!!!
Get a racing wheel and a copy of Gran Turismo HD (or a 360, the MS wheel, and Forza 2). Get a Wii. Get a DS (though be careful about what games you pick for it).
As someone with a similar problem, you don't have to give up every game - just the ones that make your hands hurt. I gave up PC FPS a couple years ago (with exceptions; I'll deal with it for stuff like HL2) and while it sucks to think, "Can I play this without it killing my wrists?", it's not the end of gaming if you choose your titles properly.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_of_the_Colossu s
This is from the same company that made Ico, one of the best PS2 games ever. This was a masterpiece.
If regular input devices cause you so much distress, perhaps you should look for some less painful alternatives. I don't know much about arthritis, but I do know that your controller options shouldn't be limited by regular keyboards and gamepads. There are trackballs, head trackers, eye sensors, one button joysticks, large button keyboards, speech controlled mice, etc, etc. Instead of thinking how to spend your 'last hours' with regular controllers, I would advise you to do some research and get an input device that will help you overcome this horrible disease and keep enjoying the things you like in the future.
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There are some links you may find useful. I wish you good luck and happy gaming.
http://www.naturalpoint.com/
http://www.game-accessibility.com/forum/viewforum
http://www.3m.com/cws/renmouse.html
http://www.aroga.com/com_access/comaccess.asp
http://ablegamers.com/component/option,com_facile
What if you get a Wii remote/controler/thing and duck tape it to your arm. Then you can play just by flailing them around!
If you can find it, Marathon, it is the precursor to the Halo series, i belive it is on an Apple, I am not too sure about it because i have not been able to find it. However if you do find it i have heard nothing but good things, and it might be a good thing to share it with the world :-P
Seriously. You are willing to risk debilitating RSI over video games? Apparently the answer is 'yes' and you are asking for help in choosing which games will take your arthritic hands to their early graves. You don't need help choosing video games. You need help choosing a psychiatrist for you have an addiction that is out of control. This is my honest opinion and something I feel needs to be said.
If things are as bad as you say now, in ten years you will not be playing video games nor zipping your pants without assistance. And here is the twenty four dollar question. At that point what have you accomplished? What have you gained? We are not talking about the simple enjoyment and entertainment to be had via a few dozen hours of in game diversion. We are talking about crippling your quality of life for essentially nothing, for you will have achieved nothing beyond that and squandered precious years in the process. What could you have accomplished, what life could you have lived if not hunched over a game console for years on end fixated upon a video screen?
You sir, must learn moderation for the burden of consequences will consume you if the remainder of your life remains so unbalanced.
The game I really like (don't play now) is Fighter Ace https://fighterace.ketsujin.com/. You fly WWII planes with good physics in WWII scenes. The cool part was that you could fly alone or join sqauds. Having spend time in the military, a place where you really learn how to make and be a friend, most of the players in a good squad approximate some of that bonding. Oh, and when you work as a team it is easy to domonate the skys. Anyway, I would give that one a shot. It is likely I'll take it up again. Robert
I can't recommend the Thief trilogy enough. The setting and story is superior to almost anything else, ever. And there there is always the original Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros 3 to play one last time.
I am a nurse, and one of the patients I took care of was paralized from the chest down. He had only partial control of his arms, and could not manage the fine dexterity needed for a game pad. This was around the year 2000, and his folks found him an adaptive controller for the games. That way he could still play with his friends.
I would recommend calling your local hospitals occupational or physical therapy departments, and just asking. I wish I paid more attention to what they managed to come up with, but at least there is hope that it exists. You can't be the only one worried about losing the manual dexterity needed to play, and there has got to be someone that can rig up an adaptive controller.
Nothing hides evidence like a stew. -Gus Pratt
I know just what you mean. When I was 17 I had to give up masturbation.
before someone actualy answered the question instead of pretending to be a comedian.
What the hell good is this site? Someone poses a question and nearly everyone one of you play comedian wannabe. Losers.
Some great games: Battlezone II, System Shock
I would aim for some of the golden oldies that had something original abou them. BZ II was one of the first (and there hasn't been that many) to combine RTS with FPS in an effective manner. System Shock was one of the better RPGs put out (before the graphics became the focus)
BTW, man, 44 is not old these days. I'm so sorry to hear that you have that bad of a condition at that age - that's a pretty young age for it to be the point of preventing game play. I agree with the WII statement - it requies a lot less 'finger mashing' and may be an alternative.
If your manual dexterity isn't what it once was, do not assume you will be unable to continue to enjoy and even excel at the traditional "fast-twitch" game genre.
This is an opportunity to draw upon your experience and acumen. Bring nuance and superior strategy to the arena. I have never been a virtuoso with hand to eye coordination. Yet through diligent practice and keeping my head in the game I have managed to distinguish myself in the online shooter that I frequent. And I have a ball!
On a more serious note, the Wii controller is very nice for a variety of games because it takes the focus off the hands, but I'm actually wondering if using a controller might actually have some therapeutic value for you. The drawback of most controllers is that the range of motion is, by design, made as small as possible, but with arthritis, what you actually want is fuller range of motion to articulate the joints as fully as possible.
Personally, I think moving to a Wii will be nice for you--and hey, what about games like Dance, Dance, Revolution, which is really great for fitness and does not require your hands at all? Also, I'd say get yourself into some kind of physical activity that uses your hands through a full range of motion. Keeping your hands active is the best way to fight off the effects of arthritis although, yes, it is painful. The alternative is a rapid decent into limited range of motion and a large amount of pain.
In combination with those measures, we're probably not that far from further control innovations like retinal tracking for targetting (Wii is already tracking your controller; it won't be long before we're watching head movement or even hand waving with a wristband). Wii is really paving the way for the entrance of these advancements in controllers, so the future is brighter than you may think! I think you will be able to happily play games for your entire life, if you take some preventative care steps now and ride the wave of technology innovations that are on the way.
How about some Steel Battalion? But the game is best played with their special 40-button controller, which includes foot pedals. But you can't use them DDR.
Can I bum a sig?
seriously, I forget the name of the stuff, but it helps build cartilage to stave off the effects of arthritis.
>> I am faced with a problem; my hands are becoming arthritic as I get older.
> 1) Learn to rock climb.
I'm sure I may have been beaten to it, but I have to suggest buying a Wii. Not only does it have the new controller and games, but you can also purchase an NES controller and classic games on its "shopping channel". It even lets you use GameCube games, controllers, and memory just as you would with a GameCube. Probably a good choice for anyone that may sadly bid farewell to gaming forever.
The last games I'd play would be movie tie-ins, closely followed by anything released to cash in on a fad.
Hal Spacejock: Science Fiction with Nuts
As long as you are not limiting yourself to only console games, I would try the following on the PC:
Wing Commander series (especially 3)
System shock 1 and 2 (especially 2)
Half-Life 1 and 2
Grim Fandango
All are amazing, lasting, titles that left an immediate impression on me and which I can go back to indefinitely.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure.
... and then they built the supercollider.
If you have an inflammatory arthritis, there are now very effective treatments.
Don't bother trying to google diagnose yourself. Go see a rheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in arthritis.
If/when you are ready to write yourself off, then by all means, find out what the best games to play are.
Eyetoy-based gaming. They almost never require finger movement. *plug* Like Eyetoy:Antigrav *plug*
DDR. No fingers required.
Light-gun games. Use one hand to aim and the other to pull the trigger.
RPG's. Most menu-based games play fine with feet controllers, or without fine motor movements.
Point-n-click adventure games like The Longest Journey.
Singstar.
As for last games suggestions it would really depend upon what kinds of things you enjoy playing. I'd go Ikaruga on the GC (not Dreamcast), and Radiant Silvergun on the Saturn. I'd plug Guitar Hero, but it's usually enough to induce arthritis in most people. Katamari Damacy (PS2). Ore no Ryouri (PS1). Bionic Commando (NES). I'd get some interested friends together and throw some Saturn Bomberman parties.
Really, what you should do is grab your gaming friends, have them bring over their NES / Atari / whatever old systems they have around, and just play as many different things as possible one night a week every week. By the time your hands go, you'll have played through a slice of history, and you'll have some very close friends.
The ______ Agenda
Save all turn based or traditional RPG suggestions till last, because you will probably be able to play them no matter what.
If I had a limited amount of time left to play, I'd judge games on a quality/hr basis. On this scale, Tenchu: Stealth Assassins for the first Playstation would be at the top. It can be beaten in a day, but nothing captures stealth combat quite like it. Final Fantasy games are great, but they take so many hours to make it worth your while.
The last game I plan on playing is Defibrillator. Sadly, I think I will not win.
The original NES title, not the GBA remake. It's a very fun side scrolling street rumble game with some interesting RPGesque elements as far as stats go. The subtitles are hilarious and pretty much it's fun. It's a game I'll always go back to on a rainy day.
Dear Rigor Morty, DELETED. -SB
When I first read the question I was looking forward to clicking on "Comments" and seeing what fellow slashdotters considered "Cant Miss!" titles.
When I got here I quickly noticed there are almost no posts with actual suggestions of games, browsing through the comments at +3.
Even though its late a few ideas popped into my head.
In no particular order:
System Shock 2 (PC)
Thief (PC)
Rez (Dreamcast or PS2)
Okami (PS2)
ChronoTrigger (SNES)
Looking back over the years, those titles quickly spring to mind as some of the games I've ever played.
Best of luck!
Too many critics got no furthur than a bit about Arafat making efforts at peace and didn't read as far as the murder and corruption he was also involved in. Too many critics also dismissed the entire thing based on reporting of corruption of people in Israel even though it was also covered in the press and legal proceedings in Israel at the time.
Don't stop.
Seriously.
The most common advice given to those who are developing arthritis is to not stop physical activity.
YMMV IANADr
The Wii has already been mentioned plenty of times. Depending on the kind of Arthritis, you could be able to continue playing many Wii games.
But don't forget the DS. There are plenty of great DS games that only require you to be able to point at the screen with your finger. Phoenix Wright 1 and 2 are awesome games, and as long as you can move your hand, you can play them. Almost all adventure games on the DS should still be playable, for example "Trace Memory" (a.k.a. Another Code) or "Touch Detective."
Katamari Damashii.
I had a math teacher who had never played video games, ever, and he really really enjoyed this game. It's fun, easy, and challenging later on, all while being mostly intuitive and inventive.
Kingdom Hearts (PS2) and Super Metroid (Super Nintendo) are the only games I've ever felt like playing through more than once. I've been playing through super metroid about once every two months since it's release (199something?) and Kingdom Hearts is just so fun I've recommended it to every person I know since I played it.
The best from the three schools of RPGing: Final Fantasy VII Morrowind Baldur's Gate 2
Infinite time means everything that can happen, will. You being you is absolutely incidental. You do not exist.
Two words, dude: Guardian. Legend. It's the best NES game that very few people have ever heard of.
OK, so you're going to give up gaming because your hands won't let you. While thinking about your problem, I came up with an idea that you may want to use to your advantage:
Call me old-fashioned, but some of the best games I know about are adventures with text interfaces. Some are graphical, and some are not. The point aside, many of these games could easily be played with some kind of speech recognition software.
You could, for example, play games like Zork, Adventure, King's Quest, Quest for Glory (my favorite!) by simply dictating keyboard input. I imagine that there are hundreds of title out there that I have never even heard of.
You may also be able to find other types of games that could be manipulated with speech, such as a chess game where vocal commands would not interfere with your ability to play the game (nor would they be too frequent to annoy or tire you).
Also, I imagine you could still use your hands for some things. For example, turn-based games such as Nethack and Rogue typically only require a single key to be pressed at any given time. I don't think it would strain your hands much to push a single key, and you could take breaks easily. Those games could also be played with speech, but it would be incredibly mind-numbing to say "j j j j j j shift h" over and over.
Never give up hope. Worst case scenario, you could play games together with a friend (games that require thinking and puzzle solving, like Myst or even something like Zelda) and let him or her handle the manual labor while you both put your heads together.
Yeah I'd go with ICO and Shadow the Colossus. SotC is one of the poignant games I've ever played, and the thrill of leaping onto a giant monster as it soars through the air and then hanging on for dear life is a great experience. And it's one of those games that you really need to play first hand, you could watch someone play a cutscene heavy game like the Metal Gear Solid series and get most of the experience but SotC should be played, and it requires quite a bit of dexterity to do so.
...works for me, I'm 57 and arthritic. Pace of the game is adjustable based on how you feel like playing. I'd suggest playing one of the pet classes -- my main's a mage, and all the hard running around is done by my elemental pet. Melee classes are a little harder, bit more keyboarding. And don't try a bard...
Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
I personally quite enjoy the Grand Theft Auto series. And if it's true that playing violent video games make you violent, well, the arthritis is going to be your failsafe.
I'd like to answer, but I'm too busy playing Frozen Bubble. Version 2!
http://outcampaign.org/
REZ for dc/ps2
IKARUGA for dc/gamecube
CASTLEVANIA symphony of the night and rondo of blood
DIABLO
BALDURS GATE
HALF LIFE 2
SYSTEM SHOCK 2
SILENT HILL 2
BANJO KAZOOIE
upcoming games: hellgate london, bioshock, banjo kazooie 3, spore,
I am much older than that, and have no problems. And none of my similar aged friends (48+) have arthritis either.
:)?
Me thinks he plays too many games and does not get enough excersize.
Tell me, what is your BMI
I'd try this: http://www.hitechcreations.com/frindex.html
It's an online air combat game where you can use more wrist motion with a joystick, and less motion with your fingers and a controller. There are thousands of subscribers from throughout the world, and it's free for the 1st 2 weeks so you can see how you like it.
Good luck with your search and don't let the bastards here get you down.
From someone much older than you with a set of bad hands, too...
My mother started playing with newly-arthritic hands at about the same age (on a shiny new Atari) and she still plays games now. Don't plan on stopping (but maybe plan on buying really chunky controllers).
Sorry to be all on topic, but I'm glad to have played in my lifetime:
Unique games:REZ,Leisure Suit Larry:Magna Cum Laude,Gameboy or N64 Tetris,The Sentinel or The Sentinel Returns
Kewl games:Legacy of Kain - Soul reaver/SR2/Defiance or Planescape:Torment or Eternal Darkess.Day of the Tentacle or one of The Secret of Monkey Island games,Homeworld,Varth,Wipeout,Golden Axe
Best of breed:Burnout 2,Mario Kart (N64/GC/Wii),Warcraft 3,Super Mario World 4,World of Warcraft briefly,Medieval Total War,Soul Calibur - (haven't played Deus Ex which is by all accounts truly exceptional)
Pick a first person shooter which u like the look of - they're all good cept DieForATenner- UT wud be gud choice
Sonic 2-THE game you would play after all others. Get DGEN and play the game at 70% proc speed 1/6th faster than the NTSC version did (and 2/5 faster than the PAL version)
I'd concentrate on finally finishing Mario 64 for the DS...
with 22YO Gina and Raquel. but not until I break 3 digits.
seriously DOOOD. I'm ten years your senior and getting fresh young strange every night.
my buddy had 20 on you and san't get a good nights sleep because of all the beaver hanging around his place.
my advice is put away the friggin games and GET CRACKING! LAY SOME PIPE! SPEAR AND SMOKE SOME EBEAVER!
The Ring
That's exactly what I thought. "Huh? Why give up? There are lots of ways to game that don't require squeezing a gamepad in your hands."
One thing that comes to mind, for example, are the tracking pads that some laptops use instead of a mouse. If you can move your hand at all, you can drag a finger over one of those. It may not be good enough to be a FPS clansman, but it should be enough for NWN2 or, yeah, anything that's turn based or can be paused.
Another thing I've personally used (albeit without arthritis) and can vouch for their accuracy, are Wacom tablets. Downside, it still uses a pen or a mouse. It also takes some getting used to, because it tracks (X,Y) coordinates on that pad. I don't know how to explain it well, but basically: with a mouse, if you want to move left-right horizontally, you typically actually move your hand in an arc around the elbow. With a tablet, moving the mouse in an arc actually makes the cursor reproduce exactly that arc, instead of going left-right. If you want to draw a horizontal line, you actually have to move the mouse or pen along the X axis of the pad. So it gets some getting used to.
However, all it needs is to sense the position of the tip of the pen on that surface, and a "click" with the pen is just pressing it against the tablet. It also doesn't need batteries or anything: it's really just a lot of plastic around a small gizmo that the tablet tracks.
So if my using a computer depended on it, I'm sure I could take one (or more) of those pens apart and figure out a way to make a pen-glove, carrying that tip on the index finger. Or maybe somewhere on the palm, if that feels more comfortable. There you go. Depending on how good the rest of the joints are, it may even be good for die-hard FPS.
A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
Glucosamin and good wrist braces (not guards, braces, you want to freeze your wrists). You should have been doing that for a while though.
1. Castlevania Symphony of the Night
2. Oblivion
3. Fable: Lost Chronicals
4. Doom 3
5. F.E.A.R.
6. Final Fantasy X
7. Gears of War
Basically all the games that I myself would want, and do want, to replay. The numbers just denote the order I thought them up in and doesn't reflect my actual ranking.
Happy Playing.
I'd buy a steering wheel and play racing games. That can be very fun and does not require precise finger movements or anything. Step on the pedals, grab the wheel and change gears with rough finger movements... or use automatic transmission ;).
I think wouldn't want to die without playing a week-long multiplayer FreeCiv session! However, if I was in your shoes, I would spend my money buying ergonomic equipment and paying doctors, and my time learning about my condition and trying to find a way to live without being dependent on a job.
...Final Fantasy IX. Best game ever, in my opinion. Don't let the bad people of the world tell you that VII was better; those people are wrong.
My journal: Clicky. Read it because it
Well, it's not exactly arthritis, but I've had RSI (repetitive strain injury) from computing for years. It's very light though, I can still pretty much do anything and everything I want, I just have to stop sooner than my friends. One thing I have noticed though, is that when playing consoles, within minutes everything hurts. This is while I can play games on the PC just about indefinitly without aching at all. That should spell out the difference. Yes, I do use special ergonomical mouses and keyboard though, but those are like $100 together and in all probability, your health care plan will actually pay for it (mine did). Is this all relevant to you? I don't know, it could be. Good luck.
Play the piano, the guitar, the sax. Fingercise
I started playing the game at age 32 and never played any mario game before.
Man! I never thought I would be addicted to Nintendo games.
Nintendo really knows what a game should be.
Your ego is Matrix!
Your choice.
OBTW, I’m 44. I guess that makes me old.
I often feel old, but that may be due to some maniac forcing me to headbutt a road at about 40km/h in February. The hospitals were both sure I was going to die, so I guess I’m in front there already. I get a new piece of Titanium strapped in on Wednesday, might be able to drive again a month later if all goes well.
I’m glad I follow the food hints, because I’ve eaten a few sugarly-heavy things since... & it felt lethal afterwards for a few hours.
Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
What's more, you would have to be seriously crippled to not be able to play this game, especially if you turn the active time battles off. Even better, the game is almost as rewarding just to watch a friend play through, so you wouldn't even have to be able to play the game to enjoy it.
Hello Kitty Island Adventures.
Ikaruga is just stunning...a symphony; I can't do it justice.
Cannon Dancer (aka Osman), I consider myself very lucky to have discovered it. Its arcade only, too obsure for consoles, and the arcade machines are extremly rare...you'll have to resort to mame.
You mentioned that you are a console gamer, but pretty much all my best experiences are on PC games. To that extent, my favorites are:
1) Grim Fandango
2) Half Life
3) Half Life 2
4) Psychonauts
5) ZZT
Glucosamine is quite effective for osteoarthritis, especially if you start it early. Have you discussed this with your doctor? My father had arthritis in his fingers and with the help of appropriate drugs he no longer suffers (much) from it. Note that my father is over 60, so you could benefit even more. Do visit a good doctor...
Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II
I am 27 and suffer from a disease that gave me arthritis in my hands, knees and ankles by age 22. For the last five years I've found it hard to play video games for long periods of time; until now. I picked up the new Nintendo Wii and find that I can play many of the games on this system for longer periods of time. Even if I can't FIRMLY hold the controller, I wear a leather glove to give the controller friction in my hand. As long as I can press one of the buttons I am ok, and the rest of the controlling is done through wrist movements (where I have no problem yet).
Try playing Head on! Apply directly to the forehead. Then repeat a million times until you die. Fun for everyone.
Firefox Power http://firefoxpower.blogspot.com/
I'd find this a lot easier to make recommendations for if I knew the original poster's taste in games. I can't stand first-person shooters, and am not at all put off by 'cutesy' graphics, so Yoshi's Island is on my list, but all variants of Doom, Quake, Half-Life etc. are not. It's also difficult not to be biased by games that were great technical leaps, but not actually great to play, such as 'Elite' on the BBC Micro or Nintendo's Star Fox, which I enjoy for nostalgia reasons, but if you were not there first time round won't impress at all.
I'll pick a few games that I think are 'peak of genre' stand-outs.
Wetrix (N64 version) - On the face of it, a low-selling game based on a nasty sounding concept (3-D tetris) is an odd recommendation, but the saving grace of this game is it's beautiful learning curve, you'll be having fun in the first 10 minutes, and thinking deeply about optimal strategy after 6 months. Finishing the 'standard' game by scoring a billion points is the achievement I'm most proud of in my gaming career.
Yoshi's Island - Miyamoto's 2-d masterpiece, idea-packed and finely balanced. While it's technical brilliance is easily overshadowed today, it's polish, balance and sense of fun are not.
M.A.M.E. - indulge your nostalgia for arcade games without having the tedium of time travel. Go conquest that game you didn't quite have enough quarters to be good at first time round.
When age starts to take it's toll, consider switching to online games. Bad reflexes and needing to take frequent breaks map onto lag and connection drops, so these games are often (by coincidence) ideal for older gamers. I play Runescape, which is well suited to gamers of all ages for exactly this reason.
A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
Duke Nukem 3D Atomic Edition, Shadow Warrior, Blood, and last but not least, Redneck Rampage, not necessarily in that order. Won't need an expensive console to play them, either, just a P133+ running some flavor of DOS. Alternatively, Duke Nukem and Shadow Warrior are available as Windows ports as long as you have the original data files (I wish JonoF would port Blood next.)
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
Sun is a well known cure for arthritis. UV stimulate melanin which in turn helps calcium fixation
If you can't play outside, get a natural full spectrum lightning.
My grandmother has rheumatoid arthritis in her hands. I gave her my old gameboy and she loved to play Tetris. She said that playing it regularly made her fingers hurt less. Maybe you should keep playing enough to keep your fingers in shape.
im from a new generation i play games to learn about social-dependincies, economics, history and news i heard an see other children plaing *ding* *pling* *clack* since i was 1, all arround the time. i meet my friends and play games instead of discussing the bra size of the "who i dont mind" in a pub. i will play with my grandchilds when i was ninetee, and i will own them The games will be less important from year to year, but i like them
I've stockpiled original boxes of all 35 Infocom adventure games. I keep them in a sealed box to keep them in good condition. When I retire I'll be working my way through them one by one. Even if I'm quadraplegic ony able to use my tongue to control a computer, I plan to finish all of these games.
Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
The artritis will obviously limit your ability to do 'twitch' gaming, but maybe you should try using a large controller which will not require a lot of hand movements, like the X-Arcade controller.
I started playing nethack in 1989 and that's the only game I still play.
Instead of giving up on gaming, I think I'd find another doctor to give you a better diagnosis. My grandmother has terrible arthritis and she takes some good shit, considering she can knit 12 hours a day!
Get on the arthritis meds and play video games until you're 100!
Yes Francis, the world has gone crazy.
Robert Fisk, my favorite foreign correspondent along with Greg Palast (of course, I don't have ANY favorite American-based correspondents as they seem to no longer exist) is always a must-read. Thanks for the heads up. (Excellent recent article in the Guardian on the RFK assassination. Shame we don't have reportage like that in the USA!)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2, XBox)
Tempest 2000 (Jaguar)
Guardian Heroes (Saturn)
Shadow Of The Colossus (PS2)
Target Earth (Genesis)
DeusEx (PC)
First person shooter where you actually have to think, well researched an politically revelant and deep plot. It's also trying to make a point, it's not just gaming for the sake of gaming. The only computer game I've played that approaches good literature.
Rez (Dreamcast/PS2)
On the rails shooter, perhaps one of the most beautiful games ever and also conveys something beyond it's simple mechanic.
Shenmue 1 and 2 (Dreamcast)
Perhaps not as deep as DeusEx or Shenmue but a nice story and well executed. And hay, most expensive video game ever made. At least it was at the time.
Ico (PS2)
Beautiful, really beautiful.
Really it totally depends who you are and what you like, if I could only play one of these games again before I died it would probably be DeusEx.
You want it to be a game that leaves you satisfied, something that reaches a definite conclusion yet the journey lets you relive all the good times you had gaming. Any of the 3 Metal Gear Solid games. When Snake rides off on his snowmobile into the wide open, it will inspire you to really live out the twilight of your life.
Russian Roulette.
Yeah, I guess we'll all be getting locked out of different activities. I started getting bad osteoarthritis in my right shoulder about a year ago (at 35!), resulting in surgery a few months ago which I'm still rehabbing from. Every review of the Wii I read leaves me just *wincing* in imagined pain for swinging that remote around :). Hopefully I'll find it more intriguing in a few months...
But I was able to play Oblivion on the 360 just a few days after surgery, swimming on sea of Vicodin.
All that said, I hope the OP has tried Celebrex. Great stuff for days you need to get stuff done with the sore parts.
My video compression blog
There is a class of games that is designed to be played by hitting one button, one of which I have played for many hours with great pleasure, a kind of arcade game called "Strange Attractors" you can find out more on http://www.ominousdev.com/ Its been nominated as an independent games finalist...
Just a thought, you could play this game with your elbows....
OK I've been playing with computers since the early 80's. I have been playing computer games for all of that time. I see no reason to stop now, Arthritis or no arthritis... Mine is in my knees and wrists, so not my hands yet. I fully expect to be still playing computer games when I'm in the retirement home! So what keeps the interest up? well it's the people not the game. The game is important of course but the people that I play with are much more important. I love playing FPS (First Person Shooter) games, currently Battlefield:2, but next year who knows. the thing I do know is the bunch of guys I will be playing with. The clan I'm in has been around in one form or other for 10 years, I've been in it for the last 5. There are times when I don't much feel like gaming, but when the guys are on, I'm on and you know what? it's great. You have had a hard day, stress of work getting you down... Jump online chat with the guys (and galls) shoot some people and get shot, and all of the things that you thought were important disappear. So my advice, find a good bunch of gamers, people that don't care if your crap or walk on water, just care that you turn up and play your part. Play whatever they play and have fun!!! It's the most important thing. Here is the plug... The Senile Soldiers Clan www.tssclan.co.uk Average age 40+
PendragonUK http://flavors.me/pendragonuk
I am an older man (44), an avid fan of video games, and I am faced with a problem; my hands are becoming arthritic as I get older. I fear I will soon have to completely give up the console games I have loved over the years. To that end, let me ask the Slashdot Nation -- if you were going to give it up, what games would you insist on playing before you had to quit? I'm willing to make some effort to do this, and spend some cash; I will buy the new consoles if I need to, or try to find obscure titles.
I think you'll find there are many gems you've missed over the years which you can still play quite comfortably.
I would highly recommend buying or building a PC (dump the console), and installing emulators for the following systems:
Apple IIgs, Commodore 64, Atari ST, DOS, Amiga, etc.
There are many wonderful games with rich gameplay for these platforms, and they will be much easier on your arthritis. Old classics like The Bard's Tale, Wasteland, Master of Magic, Master of Orion, Sid Meier's Pirates!, Dungeon Master, Ultima V, Nethack, Zork, etc. will all be much easier on your fingers than a console controller...and they all have rich gameplay. You're an older guy, so play like a grown-up and and give up the eye-candy...look under the surface...these games were designed with care and I think you'll be very satisfied with them. In my book gameplay is 10 times more important than graphics, and there have been some wonderful classics written over the last 25 years.
I would also recommend anything from the TBS (turn-based-strategy) genre where player speed isn't a factor. The Civilization games by Sid Meier are a good example.
Good luck.
The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky
I really didn't need to see this question. I was kinda counting on being able to get away with another 10 years at least before I had to admit to being an "older man" and losing my faculties.
On the PS2, play ICO. It's an experience unlike any other. Also, consider Shadow of the Colossus, also unlike any other game you've played. Both are excellent and fun.
If the issue is you're slowing down, you might try some of the text-based adventures out there. You can get emulators for the old Infocomm games, and there are some newer interactive fiction games out there. Typing replies takes time, but you won't die because your hands are slower than your reflexes.
You might also try http://www.makoa.org/computers.htm - good links for adaptive tech. You might be able to keep playing your favorite games, just with a new interface/device. I don't know if they work for consoles, but for PC/Mac, you should be good.
Good luck!
If you play through one computer game in your life play the original half-life. It received the hight rating ever from pc gamer and its probably pretty cheap now.
I just quickly glanced at the summary so these may have already been mentioned by the author....
1) Deus Ex. The original (NOT Deus Ex 2) For PC, probably the best game I ever played and although it's six years old I still play it once a year. It's been superseded in graphics, but not in depth of the story.
2) Oblivion, Xbox 360. Since I got this two months ago I haven't played anything else. It allows you to pause during fights so you can pick spells, change weapon,etc., so you dont have to be Quick draw McGraw on the controls.
3) Half Life 2.
4) Tron 2.0. Probably the most colorful game you will ever play. And it's fun too!
Gunstar Heroes.
Dynamite Headdy.
Sin & Punishment: Successor To The Earth.
And possibly more of Treasure's games - if you haven't played any of their titles, you really owe it to yourself to skim their gameography via emulators, at least, and pick the ones that appeal to you to play on the real hardware. "Radiant Silvergun" appears on almost every 'top 10 shmups' list I've ever seen - and if it doesn't, there's usually a paragraph explaining why.
I have not played more than a tease of Okami but it's one of the few games out there that really makes me think of getting a PS2 again. You're an all-powerful creation goddess in the form of a wolf; flowers spring up in your wake, and you have a button that does absolutely nothing except make you go 'woof!'. It's wonderful.
Katamari Damancy. Maybe KD2 but it's really struck me as being What The Fans Asked For.
Rez. Shootemups are about putting you in a timeless, mindless place, and Rez is really, really good at that.
Maybe also Gungrave. It, too, is a beautifully stylized shooter, with an emphasis on rhythm (though not as overtly as Rez). It requires a LOT of rhythmic button pushing which might be painful, though. Short but sweet.
Soul Reaver. Skip all the other slow, leaden games of the Kain series; SR is a great blend of action and story, with lovely music, that its sequels ruined. Be warned, the story doesn't end in one game, but the other Soul Reaver games are work, not fun.
Ape Escape. don't worry about the sequel, it added nothing.
egypt urnash minimal art.
"Standard glucosamine is made out of shellfish shells."
Somebody has been pulling one over on you.
Glucosamine is a slaughter house product made from
cow snouts. Usually the little piece of cartilage
right between the nostrils.
There is a special job for the person
who uses the special snout punch snips to
extricate the precious tissue from a big
pile of cow heads all day long.
I wonder what that person eats for lunch...
Now, let's talk now about glycerine soap and where
all that glycerine comes from....
Same place.
MMMMmmmm....Let's all eat our cow puss
and bathe with it too.
The perfect list is dependent on what kind of games one likes, and my taste tends to be a bit different than the mainstream. Most of the games I like have one of two things (or both): A good story, or a good sense of place (i.e., I feel like I'm visiting somewhere). With that in mind, here is a list of games that I wished everyone would play and enjoy, but can't guarantee it :)
Zelda Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Windwaker
I think all of these are worth playing for anyone, but if you picked one I would say Ocarina of Time would be the safest bet (many people like the others, but many people also don't). They're famous enough I probably don't have to describe them, but let me just say that in my opinion all of the praise they receive is well-deserved.
Out of this World (Another World)
This is basically a puzzle-solving game, and one that requires trial and error and memorization, so it may not be for everyone. That being said, I love the atmosphere, the sparse story-telling, and the fact that although there are only a few basic controls, most of the game involves thinking outside of the box.
I played this on Sega CD originally, but there is an updated version available: http://www.anotherworld.fr/anotherworld_uk/
Flashback
This is a game by the same person as above, I believe, but it is more action oriented. I'm not sure what someone would think playing it now for the first time, but when it came out I loved the setting and the atmosphere. Probably my favorite game I played on the Sega Genesis.
Day of the Tentacle, Sam and Max Hit the Road, Full Throttle, Monkey Island 1-3, Grim Fandango
I think the only LucasArts adventure game I _didn't_ much like was Monkey Island 4, but the ones listed above are my favorites. All of them have excellent writing and voice-acting (where applicable). I can't imagine anyone not being entertained, although some might not like the gameplay.
Broken Sword 1-3
In the same vein as LucasArts games, but a more realistic setting and serious story. The third one didn't seem to be very-well received, but I loved it. Again, I can see people being turned off by the gameplay, but the story is top notch.
Anachronox
I bought this on a whim, and I will always be glad that I did. The gameplay is actually pretty dumb (it's like poorly-done Final Fantasy), but the story-telling is superb. I don't think I have ever laughed out loud at any game more than I did playing this one.
Ico and Shadow of the Colossus
My two favorite games for the PS2. These games are both so beautiful, both in presentation and mood. Probably the two best games I have ever played in terms of a sense of "place". The story-telling is also very interesting: I would say that both have a good story, but the story is told in a way that would only work in a game. In other words, the plot is not what makes it great, but experiencing it is.
Beyond Good and Evil
This game is great on many levels. The gameplay is fun, but not too hard (this probably annoys hardcore gamers, but for me it's a plus). The graphics are stylized cartoony, but very beautiful, I think. The music is fantastic. I found the story cliche for the most part (towards the end you realize things haven't all been what they seem), but I didn't care because I grew to care about the characters and the world.
Psychonauts
It is a mystery to me why this and Beyond Good and Evil did not sell better. I guess that most people who play games don't like cartoony type art direction. In any event, when I finished this game I said to myself, "why can't all games be more like this?" Again, the game play is fun and not too hard, the graphics are beautiful, the story is original, and the jokes are funny. Also, the different levels are some of the most varied I've seen in one game, and very creative.
Half-Life 2
I loved the first Half-Life, but I think Half-Life 2 set a new standard for games that
Final Fantasy VI
Grim Fandango
Silent Hill 2
Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past
Super Castlevania IV
Rez
The 11th Hour
Super Mario World
In no particular order.
Just make a list of what you consider to be the most memorable games you've played over the years then play each of them again, simple.
If playing games doesn't fully satisfy, try building add-ons for the "opener" of the games. Once again, FS has always been remarkably open (for a Microsoft product), and you can go beyond the simple repaints / remodels available for some other games out there, and build whole cities, airports, airlines, and lots of other add ons, for the world to enjoy.
Flight Sim not your speed? How about Sim City? Or for a shoot-em-up that still works for me - GTA?
Whatever you decide on, there is no doubt in my mind that we do slow down, and if you are afflicted with arthritis, I am truly sorry for you - it's a penalty that a lot of people get as they age (including my wife), and one that can really restrict what a person can do.
Will those of you who think that you know what you are doing, get out of the way of those of us who know what we are doi
My friend and I did it in 72 hours. Then again, we didn't do anything else in those 72 hours. :-)
Another suggestion is the Prince of Persia 1, 2 & 3 (the new 3D games, not the oldies). They're awesome, and they require quite a lot of finesse. Then again, watching your children or (potentially later) your grand-children solve newer, more cinematic games, doesn't sound too boring either.
Take off every 'ZIG' !!
I have been fighting gout for several years now and have tried a lot of different things. Besides changing your diet and drinking lots of water you can try this home remedy.
Buy (make sure you get this kind, regular vinegar is not made the same):
"Bragg" Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother (from local health/organic store) (5$?)
Aluminum free baking soda (probably at the same store)
In a CUP:
2 TBS of the Vinegar
8oz water
Add enough backing soda to get the PH level to around 7-7.4 (use PH strips if you like)
Add a spoon of honey and serve with warm water if it's easier to drink that way.
Do this at least three times a day, start in the AM 20 minutes before you eat with your first glass. You can take it more frequently if needed as well.
This has worked better than almost anything else I have tried, and I have tried a lot, because GOUT HURTS!!!!!
I was on crutches for 10+ weeks and have been keeping on my feet with this solution.
EnjoY!
I would play nothing but Crazy Taxi on my Dreamcast for a solid week.
I was having a great day till the thought of "the last videogame you'll ever play" jumped in. on the other hand, I better get on it before that brain cloud gets me...
Did you know that you can be apathetic to apathy? Not that I give a shit...
Capsaicin ointment.
Official Pi Ambassador -- inquire for details!
I'm even older, but still like PC-based FPS's and just got the new Nintendo console (w. Wii Sports and the new Zelda). Forty four is fairly young for arthritis. First I'd see if the medical community can do something for you. There are also drugs to alleviate the symptoms. But to answer the question - move from real-time games to ones requiring more thinking and strategy. Not necessarily chess, backgammon, bridge, etc. (though if you like that - there's plenty of on-line opportunities to play and socialize). Simulation games might fit the bill - historical battles, rise of civilizations, etc. Good luck to you.
[Insert pithy quote here]
Did anyone else read that as "the masturbation angel"? (I need some coffee...)
Which shoulder does the "masturbation angel" sit on, the left or the right?
What is the angel on your other shoulder wanting you to do?
Seconded. The toughest work the fingers have to do is not to drop the piece half way through a move.
"I didn't play Qc5 so you could take it. J'Adoube, I adjust. I was *trying* to play Qc8 mate."
Problem is, Despite Silvio Danailov's antics, all these classic board games apparently aren't flashy enough to compete with the subject of all the other posts here.
My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
Here are a lot of games that I would recommend playing. Most console gamers out there have probably played a great deal of them, but I figured I'd list 'em ALL out (even the painfully obvious, like Super Mario Bros., etc.) in the case that you somehow missed one of the old standbys of console gaming.
As you can tell, I'm a bit biased towards Nintendo's offerings, and certain genres are overrepresented. Oh well.
And games marked with an "*" are games that I haven't personally played, but which I definitely want to play at some point.
PC:
Myst; Monkey Island series; Starcraft
NES:
Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, & 3; The Legend of Zelda
SNES:
Super Mario World 1 & 2; F-Zero; Donkey Kong Country 1, 2, & 3; The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past; Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars; Chrono Trigger; Earthboun; Super Mario Kart; Final Fantasy 3*; Secret of Mana*; Super Metroid*
Nintendo 64:
Mario 64; Pilotwings 64; Blast Corps; Starfox 64; Banjo-Kazooie; Goldeneye; Perfect Dark; Mario Kart 64; Pokemon Snap (Short and surprisingly fun.)
Gamecube:
Super Smash Bros: Melee; The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker; Metroid Prime; Resident Evil 4*; Eternal Darkness; Viewtiful Joe; Beyond Good and Evil*
Game Boy:
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening; Kirby's Dream Land (Short and fun. I have good memories of this game from many years ago. And besides, I thought I should have at least one Kirby game on the list)
Playstation:
Resident Evil 2*; Final Fantasty VII*; Xenogears*; Metal Gear Solid
Playstation 2:
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (or Vice City or GTAIII); Dance Dance Revolution / In the Groove; Shadow of the Colossus; Guitar Hero 1 & 2; Tony Hawk Pro Skater (any of them will do); Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2*; Burnout Revenge; Devil May Cry; God of War; Okami*; Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time; Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal*
There are also some notable series that I haven't played at all, but which are probably worth taking a look at if you haven't already played them. Sonic, Mega Man, Halo, and Castlevania all come to mind, for example.
"Quick! To the Bat-Fax!"
Omg! grow up you young 20 year old assholes..Damn man if I ever spoke the way you trash mouth everyone today...I'd wish god took my Life and gave it to somebody who needs it!...Unlike you people today also constantly using Gods name in Vain.and saying Nigga..Sad..the way the world has become today the Spoiled Generation!...Also he's not that old 44?..Who cares! My Friends are in there 30's and 40's-..I bet I could kick your asses at any of the stupid games you play today anyway..lol..I have problems also with my wrist..Hey--> just wait till you are in your 30's and 40's you punks!--We have this problem because we became GrandMasters at Videogames before your time anyway! Finger pushups-!..LMAO!Duck Hunt-Centipede, Superhang, Galaga 88-etc-Street Fighter 1-2 The Tekken Series,Mortal Kombat.the Space Shooters-etc I'd crush ya!
I know this post is late, and its far down the list, but I haven't been on Slashdot for 2 days and instantly hit the reply button without reading anything.
It easily has the best story I've ever encountered in any game. It is dynamic as well, being an almost completely different game if you choose fighter instead of mage, from the combat, dialogs, sequence of events, etc. It is great. I hope you can find a copy, and if you need one, let me know on my web page. My brother has a copy and I can steal his.
The plus side is that its a computer game, so perhaps you can use the mouse for a while longer than you can play on a console.
Don't be an asshole. This is /. There is no way he has a girlfriend, much less the full blown version of that disease: WIFE.
Way to rub it in, dick.
rhY
I hold very few opinions. I hold information based on observation and fact. If you wish to disagree, please use facts.
Maybe it's not quite as applicable to console gamers though, but what worked for me playing racquetball after 50, was to quit always looking for the roll-out kill low off of the base board, and instead run the dumb bastard's legs out with cheap weird-assed spinning floaters into corners, or just high enough lobs over their heads aiming for a ball burying back wall two-corner shot, if they insist on hogging center-front of the court.
It's called finesse, and ya'll are going to need it if you will to live long and prosper, because that path is a one way trip to getting older, and no matter how hard you try, you're bound to lose half a step every now and again traversing it.
and effin hell fuego...62? That put you in country, what...'65 or'66? Were you back home in time for the summer of love? I was handed a winning draw in the 1st lottery.
will peace bro, but keep your cartridges dry.
Rush Limbaugh is a perfect real world example of an oxycontinmoron
"I am an older man (44)..."
Quite whinning. I'm a young 40 year old.
If you are suffering from unfitness related degenerative diseases then get your fat ass down the gym and start drinking milk.
As for games: Try arcade classics like Robotron and Tempest. To play them use an emulator like MAME http://www.mame.net/ and go buy some addons from http://www.x-arcade.com/mame.shtml/
No, I was working my way through college then. I was 24 when I landed in Cam Rahn in '69 and felt like I was about 75 when I went home a year later; disenchanted, demoralized, disgusted and saddened beyond words.
I was a four-time loser: volunteered for the draft (Army), airborne, special forces and Vietnam so I had about a year and a half of training before I set foot in-country. After my three years I did another two hoping I could go back and help set things right but we know how well that went.
Without doubt, I would say Need For Speed (NFS), Underground2 and also the NFS Most Wanted. I haven't played the new NFS Carbon yet but I will assume it's also good.
You can use the push sticks on the PS2 instead of buttons to drive the car, although you will have to push some buttons on occassion.
At 43, these are the games I expect to keep in my stack til I die!
Duke Nuke'm Forever!!!!
its fun and relaxing, yet brilliant in oh so many ways
You'll be able to play emulators of all the console games you currently have, plus emulations of older console and arcade games (as long as you own them to be legal), and you'll be able to keep up with current games including MMORPGs where you can play and socialize with hundreds of people including those of your age group if you so choose.
With a PC and the right (ergonomic) devices, you'll be able to keep playing as long as you have the desire to do so.
Geriatric gaming will become more and more common as my generation gets older. I'm only 31, but I've had at least one system in every generation starting with PONG.
I don't intend to stop gaming EVER, so if I'm still kicking at 80 years old, I'll be gaming. I look forward more to WHAT I'll be playing rather than how I'll manage it though.
swanker than you
Plug some Calcitriol into your T-Cell VDRs, play till you croak.
I agree; I still have the arcade-style controller I bought to play it with. In fact, a lot of these questions of arthritis might be mitigated by using an arcade controller: big ol' joystick on there, large buttons, and you can set it across your lap.
O~ Him that studies revenge keeps his own wounds green. -- Francis Bacon
There are lots of sharks in videogames! The first Tenchu game for PS1 had one that if you did it just right you could throw a hand grenade at it. I spent as much time trying to kill that shark as I did completing the proper mission on that level. Heh. }:)
O~ Him that studies revenge keeps his own wounds green. -- Francis Bacon
It IS on topic to talk about other things the guy can do. He's not old after all, he's only 44. More info about the rest of his physiognomy would help maybe. It might just turn out that not being able to play video games any more is the best thing that could happen to him.
Jon
O~ Him that studies revenge keeps his own wounds green. -- Francis Bacon
Ok, let's change the rules a bit. There are lots of very good games that you can probably scrape by on, even with some arthritis. You'll always be able to enjoy Half-Life 2, probably, as well as most other FPSes.
:)
Let's try this: There are several reeeeeeally good games out there that, even without arthritis, left my hands sore and painful. Blame the controllers, if you like - but play them now, when the pain won't be excruciating, rather than later.
Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2 both qualify; keeping the buttons depressed during very long periods of time for targeting left the fingers of my left hand feeling like I had bent them the wrong way around. They're great games, both gamecube games, and you should play them both. If you're worried about difficulty, grab an Action Replay and cheat your way through it, so you get the whole experience.
I'm struggling to think of others offhand - but they definitely exist. There are some great games out there that, due to controller layout and gameplay behaviour, leave you in pain after long gaming sessions. Play them now and get them out of the way, and never look back.
Then pick up a Wii and say goodbye to thumbsticks. There's always keyboard/mouse on the PC as well.
And good luck; I'll make sure to request that the question be reposted in 10 years time, when I'll be where you are.
-- A mind is a terrible thing.
yep. GTA3 was the best imho. also, homeworld 2 is awesome.
This question sort of amazes me. I have a PS2, an X-BOX and I just got a 360. But I still spend more time
playing Guild Wars than I spend on all 3 of my consoles combined. And that's just this year's addiction.
Before that there was StarCraft, Diablo, Baldur's Gate II, System Shock II, Deus Ex, etc.
I'm not that much younger than the OP but I can't remember ever getting a hand cramp from a PC game.
Maybe a little carpal tunnel from the really twitchy first-person shooters. But.. that's where Guild Wars comes
in. Not much twitch. A whole lot of action.
My 2 cents.
------ The best brain training is now totally free : )
We traveled entirely different paths. As I mentioned, I was drawn low in the '69 lottery, but because of my family's religion, went in CO, and became a chopper doc. Towards the end of my tour, an encounter with a USMC LtCol in a hot LZ with everyone bugging out, who figured he owed me, because I'd humped one of his out under fire, got me repositioned in a Saigon hospital. Then I volunteered for duty at a hospital in Okinawa, so when I returned home, it was time to get out. Yeah, I'm antiwar, if that makes me a lefty, so be it, but what does that imply of the right?
Rush Limbaugh is a perfect real world example of an oxycontinmoron
I don't really have much time or inclination for computer games now but if I did, I'd go back to my youth and have some marathon sessions with the following:
Mr Do! (Atari 800) Star Raiders (Atari 800) Night Driver (Atari VCS) Boulderdash (Atari 800) Star Chess (Dedicated console)
I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil