Don't Back Down

Is success in a video game something to celebrate in real life? I think so.

I got bitten by the Game Boy bug around this time last year. I was tired of playing and fixing old pinball machines. Collecting something small for a change seemed perfect. I spent a lot of time watching "best of" and "hidden gem" videos and reading similar lists online.

Apparently, one of the best (and most expensive) games for the Game Boy Color is Shantae. Look, it's on sale on eBay:

I was reading about Shantae in video game forums, and a few guys admitted they hadn't play that game, but they had played their sisters' copy of Sabrina: Zapped. Most agreed playing Sabrina was a good time. 

Both Shantae and Sabrina are platform games developed by WayForward Industries. They share a similar look and similar game play. Sabrina, however, is way easier and can be purchased locally for $6. Also, their recommendations were solid - Sabrina is fun. The run, jump, bounce controls were similar to the games Charlotte likes on the computer, so I showed her the game.

Char and I played the first few levels of Sabrina together last summer, and by watching YouTube examples, she finished the game. In times of stress, I also helped.

"In times of stress" is a kind way to put it. Char isn't very good at handling defeat. When things get tough she... oh, what am I saying? When things get tough, or she gets frustrated, or she fails at something important to her, she acts just like me. She yells, blames an inanimate object for her troubles, and sometimes hits things and hurts her hand. Like father like daughter. 

Anyway, to keep her interested in and positive about gaming, I've been keeping an eye out for games that are fun to play and not all that difficult. WayForward and eBay have been really helpful. So far Char has played Barbie and the Three Musketeers (2009), Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses (2006), Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus (2005), and Barbie: Princess and the Pauper (2004). That's a lot of Barbie games for a gal who does not play with dolls very often. "I don't really like Barbies, and these games are kinda weird, but they're way more fun than I expected." 

Sounds like high praise to me. 

I keep looking for games Char will enjoy, and when I read this DS game review of on IGN.com, I thought de Blob 2 would be a winner:

"It’s tightly designed, evolves nicely and is true to the style of de Blob, but it’s very easy... This makes it a fantastic kids game… It’s also short… Even so, this would make a perfect introduction to platforming on DS for casual players.”

I found a copy on eBay:

Char loved the game almost immediately. "Ha! This game is awesome. I love de Blob!"

The problem was the final boss. Char lost to de Blot, and she got intimidated. She snapped the DS closed and dramatically ran upstairs. I tried to talk her into trying again, but she refused. 

Now, do I really care if she beats this video game? No, I couldn't care less. But do I care if she runs from adversity? Yes, I care a lot about that. 

She was greeted with this sign on Tuesday morning.

"2s-day." Get it? Sigh. She didn't either.

That night Charlotte tried the game again. Twenty minutes later she had beaten de Blot, and finished deBlob 2 on her own. She was so pumped! Daphne exclaimed congratulations. I ran over to the couch and gave her a fist bump with finger confetti. I didn't get a picture or a video, though. Sometimes it's just good to celebrate without your cell phone.

This sign was waiting for her on Wednesday morning, though.

"Hmmp Day." Get it? Like Hump Day. You know, Wednesday?
Sigh.