As children born in the 1980s, we were lucky enough to be the first generation who grew up with an almost universal appreciation for video games. That was never more apparent than during the holidays, when families would come together under the pretense of having a fun, relaxing time together. Although video games were often scorned by my extended family, they couldn’t deny how useful it was in keeping us little rascals occupied for days on end while the adults rekindled their old sibling rivalries over heated petty arguments, vitriolic political disputes and perhaps one too many a hot toddy.

The holiday spirit is a beautiful thing.

But who cares about all that? We’re just glad you’re here with us. I don’t want to speak out of turn, but I think the fact that people read our blog means more to each of us than we’ve ever really been able to express. So today, we’re just thankful you’re along for the ride. Enjoy your food, family and friends, and if you’re feeling in the mood, why don’t you share some of your favorite gaming-related holiday memories in the comments?

Doug:

Doug doesn't think first-person shooters cause violence, but instead points to Mario Tennis as one of the games that can cause the most violence within a group. Damn trick serves.

I’ve been playing a bunch of different stuff this week to prepare for our Game of the Year considerations. However, given the holiday here in the U.S., I’ve been thinking back to Thanksgiving weekends past and how they tie back in to gaming.

When I was in middle school and lived in the seventh circle of hell, the family on my dad’s side began a short-lived tradition for Thanksgiving. Given how spread out across the Northwest we were at that point, it made sense to gather in one spot — so we did, at a rented house in Sunriver, Oregon. So it was there that nearly 30 members of my family would assemble — aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends with my grandparents playing host. Thank god for the rickety, half-busted old TV in the basement living room of the house, though, because it was able to keep myself and my other teenage cousins sane for the four-day weekend.

As this was wintertime in 1998 to 2000, some of the best games of that era were devoured whole during those Thanksgiving weekends. Each Thanksgiving seemed to rotate around one or two big games from the year. 1998 was all about Metal Gear Solid; I think we got all the way through the game twice. 1999 featured the recently-launched Sega Dreamcast, and titles like Soul Calibur and a game I picked up right before Thanksgiving called Toy Commander. Toy Commander was perfect for that kind of family weekend: Great, competitive multiplayer for four players, but not so gory as to make an aunt or uncle squeamish.

Aaron:

I was hoping for the other Diddy.

I don’t exactly know what it is about the holidays that makes me reclusive. Perhaps because the habit started when I was a child. Every year a new game would come out (Oh, and thanks a lot Blizzard for releasing World of Warcraft during Thanksgiving 2004), and in my youthful exuberance I would shun the pastoral obligations of family tradition by locking myself in a darkened room to play a new game.

It’s worse at Christmas, but Thanksgivings past have definitely posed their fair share of social problems. Even though I’m older now and actually spend time with and appreciate my family more than I ever did as a snot-nosed brat, one story in particular sums up my once-neglectful behavior. It involves two things: my love of stuffing and my obsession for Diddy Kong Racing.

I read a lot of game magazines as a child, Nintendo Power and Electronic Gaming Monthly in particular. At the tail end of 1997 both publications began covering a new game called Diddy Kong Racing, which was set for release on November 24th. It was going to star a character from one of my favorite series at the time, Diddy Kong from Donkey Kong Country, and the game looked like an even more insane version of Mario Kart. I had to have it.

So Thanksgiving eve arrived, and I begged my parents to take me to Fred Meyer to buy me the game as an early Christmas gift. They did, and not because I’m spoiled but because I had done very well in school that semester and they wanted to reward me. And I suppose I didn’t really beg. It just comes out that way whenever an 11-year-old asks for anything.

I clearly remember the clerk in the electronics department didn’t have more than half a second to ask us if we needed help when I belted out a demand along the lines of “DIDDYKONGRACINGPLEASE.” My parents eyeballed one another in immediate regret. The clerk stared at me for a bit, and then opened the game case to unleash my prize.

I tore open the game box before I was completely out of the store’s automatic door entryway. It was an impossibility to wait until I was home to see what was inside. The familiar smell of printing ink came off the glossy yellow manual in waves, a scent unique to the Nintendo 64 era and one I still remember today.

That night I played the game for hours and hours. I think I unlocked the majority of the stages and characters in one go. But Thanksgiving was the next day, and I needed to get to bed early, according to my mom — it had something to do with “helping your father find things at the grocery store because he might not get everything right.” A spousal lack of confidence meant a holiday was just around the corner.

I remember dreaming of Diddy Kong that night. He was racing around my hometown. I was in a prop plane of some kind, and I beat the little Kong after a very heated race. Again, I was 11 at the time. Pokemon was a year away from release, so I wouldn’t be a complete loser for awhile.

On Thanksgiving day I assisted my dad in getting the right ingredients for our evening feast. Then I disappeared. Honestly my family couldn’t find me for a couple of hours, or they chose not to look. I had moved my console into another room, where I proceeded to start playing Diddy Kong Racing until I was called for dinner four hours later. Instead of sitting at the table I grabbed a giant plate of stuffing (really, it looked like a mountain), and ran back to the room and shut the door. That didn’t please my parents.

They told me to come back out, and to stop playing that infernal game. They had every right to be upset because I was being a jerk. So I agreed to come back out and talk with everyone who came so far to see us.

A few minutes later I asked to be excused, pretending to need to go to the bathroom. Instead of relieving myself I ran back to the room, closed the door quietly and turned the TV back on. My game was right where I left it, and I wasn’t found out until half an hour went by and someone needed to use the toilet. My ruse completely foiled, I was ushered back to the dinner table and finished the evening by reluctantly eating a lot of food. I think I passed out after that, and left the game running all night.

I beat Diddy Kong Racing the next morning while half asleep and half in a coma from my abnormal amount of stuffing intake.

All in all, it was a very good Thanksgiving.

Nick:

They see me rollin' / They hatin'/ Patrollin' and tryin' to catch me ridin' Rambi

I’ve never cared much for Thanksgiving. Gorging oneself on food and football just doesn’t sound very pragmatic, you know? It just seems like a waste of time and precious digestive cycles. But I can totally get behind the whole seeing-family-and-friends part; that’s something that only grows more valuable with time.

I haven’t seen my extended family very much since I graduated from high school for a whole laundry list of reasons, most of which are frustrating and petty and outside of my control. But today, looking back on the memories I have of playing through Donkey Kong Country for the first time in 1994 with my cousins, I realize that there was a lot to be thankful for back them. Of course, the naiveté that comes with, you know, being eight tends to give those memories a decidedly skewed perspective, but I was having too much fun to care. Even when we’d go to visit my grandma in the middle of the Tri-Cities, which is located right about at the fifth circle of Hell (“Anger”) to Spokane’s seventh (“Violence”), we’d still have a grand old time with our SNESes and Nintendo 64s (or Nintendos 64, if you prefer).

Now, clearly I’m an adult in the eyes of the law, and those days of gaming with my cousins are probably long gone. But I’ll never forget how much fun it was for me as a kid enjoying those long mornings in pajamas with video games and Belgian waffles. If I ever end up spawning some sort of progeny, I’ll consider it my duty to carry that tradition on to the next iteration of humans. Unlike my parents’ generation, I understand just how important those gaming experiences can be.

The Holidays approach. For some that means quality time with family members not seen for a year — maybe more. Others, well…can I get a “what what” if at some point during your life you hid away in the midst of celebrations to finish Earthbound (or, insert other game reference here). However, my adult years have made me more personable when it comes to the holidays; I’m now infinitely more interested in the going-ons of my kin.

Still, I won’t lie that this year I’d prefer to mow down more of Left 4 Dead 2′s cajunized zombies with a giant plate of delicious turkey and fixins on my lap. I’m thankful for me.

We’re back on track for backlogs, and this week is mega-sized to make up for our absence. To summarize: Nick informs us he essentially played everything ever released this month, Doug gushes about his beloved Forza 3 between study sessions, and I write about why two wonderful November-born titles should be played on the PC.

Do the Mario!

Nick:

Life served up a particularly hellish week for me, so it was fortunate that I had a slew of excellent games to escape with.

I spent a few fantastic hours in New Super Mario Bros. Wii in its fantastic cooperative/competitive mode earlier this week. What Jerry Holkins said about this game’s debilitating effects on a relationship is true, to a point; while we were able to help each other out for the most part, there were times where my attempts to “take the lead” or “get us through this tough spot” often led to one or both of us being killed, prompting my girlfriend to say some things about me that are rarely included in the same sentences used to talk about a Mario game. But it was all in good fun — something this game has in ample supply. It’s Mario in his best form ever, and anyone who grew up playing these games should purchase it without hesitation.

This week also brought another sequel to a game I adored: Assassin’s Creed 2. Transporting the game to Renaissance Italy is perhaps the most significant shift in story and setting that I’ve seen in a franchise in quite some time, and Ubisoft Montreal deserves some commendation for crafting an incredible sequel to an already ambitious debut title. There’s so much I could say about how things were improved — combat, economy, actions and consequences, exploration, story — but I’ll lay it out like this instead. If you loved Assassin’s Creed, you’ll love Assassin’s Creed 2. And if you hated the original? You’ll probably love Assassin’s Creed 2 anyway.

Having completed all five campaigns in Left 4 Dead 2, I’m happy to pronounce myself an official fan of the series. Although I bought the first game and had my fair share of fun with it, I always felt a little uneasy playing it. And it wasn’t because of the game’s tension, or horror-film veneer, or anything like that; it was just that the game sent a constant message that your survival was entirely at the game director’s mercy. In the sequel, the tone has changed significantly for the better. If Left 4 Dead was Valve’s attempt to make an interactive zombie movie like Dawn of the Dead, Left 4 Dead 2 is Valve making a balls-out Zombieland-style game. Melee weapons encourage close combat, lending a sense of strength and confidence to the survivors that was sorely missing from the first. All four of the characters in the sequel have stronger personalities than the first game’s survivors, and their determination on getting to New Orleans to be rescued encourages the player to keep slogging it out through hell and high water. It’s one of the most improved sequels of the year, without a doubt.

And when you consider that Left 4 Dead 2 was developed in just one year, it’s disappointing that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 didn’t shape up to be more substantial. To be fair, Infinity Ward’s last game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, not only reinvented the series — it raised the bar significantly for what an online multiplayer experience can be. I sank a “mere” 40 hours into COD4′s multiplayer mode, which pales in comparison to most of the people on my friends list. Multiplayer in Modern Warfare 2 is technically just as good as COD4′s, but after a solid six hours online in a variety of modes I’m struggling to stay interested. The mantra in developing this sequel seems to have been “more options in every aspect of play,” which is a good thing, but the core sensation of Call of Duty 4 has dulled for me. I was hoping lightning would strike twice, and I suppose it did, but I was hoping for a more risky and adventurous update to multiplayer — not a mere iteration. If I wanted that, I’d have bought last year’s Call of Duty: World at War. If there is one area that received a substantial improvement, though, it’s the single player. Rather than attempt to keep things within the bounds of reality, Infinity Ward opted to create an over-the-top global conflict that was flawlessly paced from start to finish. It’s ludicrous, but it’s so, so much fun. At about six hours to complete, it’s shorter than COD4′s — but considering how tedious replaying that game’s campaign was for me, I’m much happier with the new game’s approach.

I’m still slogging through Dragon Age: Origins with my city elf rogue. Steam says I’ve played for quite a long time, but I’m only at about 15% completion. Maybe it’s because I love reading every entry in the admirably written codex, or because I can’t help but talk to every NPC, but I’m getting an astronomically entertaining experience for my money with this game. I’m really struggling to fathom just how Mass Effect 2 could top the quality of this experience once it hits in January.

I also sank a few rounds in with the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 beta. I’d been hoping for a return to the glory days of Battlefield 2, and instead what I got was Bad Company with a moderate graphical upgrade; it’s good, but there are better options available. Looks like I’ll still be holding out for Battlefield 3 after all.

Doug sums up his feelings on this picture with an articulate "WEEEEEEE!"

Doug:

While I’ve been way too busy finishing up the majority of my grad school quarter, I’ve still found time to play a little bit of…erm…Forza Motorsport 3. And nothing else.

But it’s so good! I still love pretty much everything about it, even if I haven’t been able to play online with my friends at all. The rewind button is a godsend — it erases single-player frustration with the ease of control-z functionality. The selection of cars and tuning options are superb; I’ve made an old-school Volkswagen Rabbit into a fire-breathing, turbocharged four-wheel-drive monster that could eat a Ferrari for lunch and spit out its bones.

It’s been said that Microsoft and Turn 10 gets things right in the third iteration, and this particular game is a great example of that. It’s almost strange to think that all three Forza Motosport games have been released since Sony and Polyphony released Gran Turismo 4 on the PlayStation 2. It’s scary to think how much Forza has moved ahead certain aspects of console racing games.

Along with Forza, I’ve tried out a few of the Xbox Live improvements from this week’s update — namely the implementation of Facebook and Twitter. And that’s really the extent of my interaction; they’re there, they work just as advertised, but I feel like I’m kind of missing the point. It’s nice to have both services everywhere at all times, but until a real killer use for either blooms on the 360 they’re going to feel like tacked-on additions.

I don't think James Brown had this in mind when he wanted to take us to "the bridge."

Aaron:

Let’s get down to it. Left 4 Dead 2 and Dragon Age: Origins are two amazing games that deserve to be played on the PC only.

Now, I love consoles. This isn’t a fanboy thing. And I fully understand that not everyone has a modern computer capable of playing the latest releases — Boot Camp Macs included. So, let’s assume you’re a lucky gamer who has the following: a home console of the PS3 or Xbox 360 variety, and a gaming PC. Let’s also assume you enjoy co-op zombie shooting and in-depth fantasy RPGs. You’re excited about the aforementioned titles, but you’re hesitant to commit to a particular platform. Here’s the answer: Play those games on the PC, or you’re not getting your money’s worth.

That may be a blatantly ignorant statement to some, but these words come from a person who, before this month, more or less abandoned PC gaming over the past year (aside from Dawn of War II and Left 4 Dead 1). PCs get the short end of the doomsday stick these days. People say the PC as a gaming device is dead, no one makes money off of the games anymore, and pirating is ruining developers left and right. Controversies aren’t helping the perception of PC gamers amongst the general gaming populace either. So that’s why I’m glad to see Electronic Arts promoting the platform with a definitive version Dragon Age, and Valve doing their thing by releasing such a quality computer title as L4D2.

Dragon Age works best on PC because of the following: the overall better performance (higher frame rate, less glitching, faster loading), a more sensible control/camera mechanic, and a BioWare community toolset that paves the way for future user mods. If Neverwinter Nights is an example to go by, expect years of free, quality content flowing from the collective mind of an invested fan base.

Now, Left 4 Dead 2 deserves to be experienced on the PC because it’s a Valve title first, console port second — plain and simple. The Steam service is consistent in its ability to match like minded players and bring friends together promptly. PC gamers are spoiled when it comes to online play. Thanks, dedicated servers.

I’d also wager the community on Steam is better than Xbox Live’s. Actually, it is better. Left 4 Dead 2 even has a section specifically for add-ons, and it’s exciting to think of the campaigns an active community will create using the sequel’s assets. The original’s user-made maps were generally great, so expect a longer lifespan if you pick up L4D2 on the PC.

Oh, and PC versions are cheaper than their console counterparts. That’s a plus.