Xboxist

How to Get Your Girlfriend Into Gaming

Tired of getting nagged by your girlfriend about how much time you spend gaming and not enough on her? Well, why not turn her over to the dark side? The happy couple is the couple that games together.

I was in your same predicament a while back. The way I got her into gaming was through casual games. There's a reason why Nintendo has made a killing this generation -- casual games have a widespread appeal and offer a low barrier for entrance to people intimated by what has become a very specialized entertainment medium with a high learning curve and sometimes confusing, complex controls.

Casual games usually focus on subject matters that may be relatable to your girlfriend's everyday life -- be it cutesy anime/cartoon/movie-licensed games, pet simulators, adventure games, puzzle games like Tetris, music games... whatever.

For me - since she likes cooking - I gave Eve her first taste of the apple with Cooking Mama. Next I know, every time she sees me playing, she's grabbing the DS out of my hands just to finish up all of the minigames from Cooking Mama. See, the magic of that title is it's so simple to play and understand, which is great for beginners. There's absolute no fail and the graphics are cute enough for her to get into. From there you can branch off to sequels, similar games, or even spin-offs like Gardening Mama.

Be careful with selecting her first game though. You want to ease her into the world of gaming by starting with one that doesn't have an overly complicated control scheme, graphics, or finicky cameras. Too much things to control will just frustrate someone who's new to navigating her game character. The most important criteria -- make sure it's a game that'll be fun for her within the first few minutes. You have a very short window to hook her. Blow it and she'll be stuck with a bad experience she won't soon forget.

Local multiplayer games can also be an addictive and easy gateway pill to swallow. I swear, if there ever was a system tailor made with the girlfriend in mind, it is the Wii. Heck, if grandma can get into waving a Wii-mote around her head in a pretend game of bowling, it's far easier than you think to get your girl to try it. And if it's a fun activity for parties, she's gonna dig it even more because of the social aspect. Invite buddies over and she can laugh along with her girlfriends while she's acting silly and shaking her booty in front of you - all from the comforts of your own couch. Trust me. . It's win-win.

Music games are a modern-day blessing. Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Lips, Sing-Star, Karaoke Revolution - the list of party-friendly games goes on and on. What girl hasn't sung along with her favorite song? You've heard her in the shower a million times. With fantasy fulfillment games like these, it won't take a lot of prodding to get her to pick up the mike or guitar and embarrass away. In all honesty, social games are really fun. They're great for couples looking to share in a singular gameplay experience.

Another series I'd recommend are the Pop-Cap games found on Xbox Live, PSN and DS like Peggle, Luxor, Zuma, etc. Yeah, these are simple games, yet once you pick them up are incredibly hard to put down. Eve even snagged my PSP for a week so she could beat Luxor. You could see it in her eyes, the jittery look and the cold shakes of an addict. She wasn't satisfied with that small window of me bringing the PSP over. She had to have it for herself on own her time. So like any good supplier, I let her have her fix.

When she was done with the training wheels, I said, "You know, if you like that game, I know a better one. It's a little more complicated, a lot of story involved, but I know you'll get it."

At that point, you can slip her something you're more likely to play. An RPG perhaps? An FPS? Shadow of the Colossus, anyone? Whatever your poison, make sure you help her get acclimated. For those early days, help her out a little. You're the teacher, she's the student. But get ready. Girls are fast learners. Before you know, the student will become the teacher when she pwns your ass in Killzone 2.