Feb
2015
Be honest! When was the last time you played video games? I am referring to any video game, really. Should I define video game? I think I should, because some of you aging souls tend to enjoy designating the term for casual and elementary games on your Smartphone, Tablet or Ipad. Do not feign ignorance bemusedly, you know precisely the ones I am talking about. Some of you were playing them directly prior to your decided to do something productive, like exploring the homes for sale in Six Fountains Estate. You probably look so guilty right now. Those are the ones Im talking about. The ones you play to procrastinate at work while the report your sadistic employer derogatorily slammed on your table lays before you, judgingly, urging you to complete it! That’s right, I know all about Candy Crush, Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds – and very frankly, I enjoy most of the aforementioned games myself, however, they are all amusingly paltry compared the addictive might of the best mobile game ever made; three words: Plants verse Zombies!
To return from my tangent, when is the last time you enjoyed a classic video game? Consoles are pretty cool. By console, I am implying to the new and very popular PS3 and PS4, the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii (one of my personal favorites). Although, I am not quite talking about any of these overly realistic and incredibly complex games with awe-inspiring technologically advanced wireless controllers, motion sensors and even 3D gaming (cool may have been the understatement of the century). What I am talking about is a good old fashioned, enormous black or red box, standing six feet high, two feet wide, with two to six round buttons, a protruding movement controlling knob and a large angular screen. That’s right; Im referring to the unfortunately vanishing phenomenon of the Arcade game.
I must assume, that I am speaking with people who were born and grew up long before the emergence of 3D games, cartoons and TVs. All of you must have, albeit hazy, memories of paying twenty-five to fifty cents for a classically addictive game like Pacman, Tetris or Frogger! What about mind boggling, advanced and space-age games like Galaga (don’t make fun, it really was that in it’s day)? Well its been quite some time since I have had the time privilege and youthful exuberance for an arcade. I know you’re wondering where one would find such a thing. The Grove Mall, my aging friends; which is a consideration as one of the countless amenities of Six Fountains Estate.
Now you might have moved on from such trivial (but amazingly entertaining) things such as arcades. You might not even be interested in the popular and ever advancing world of video game consoles – which are so all-encompassing today, that they are more often referred to as entertainment systems. This is of course, because they play music, DVDs, blu-rays, access the Internet and much more. While you might not be, you should consider that your little ones certainly are not. Furthermore, while I understand that technology evolves, that the antiquity of the obsolete will often diminish in value, I believe that a trip to the arcade is a delightful journey, a glance into a microcosm of our technological and entertainment history. It is also far more enjoyable than a museum and I think your children might agree!
Look, the Arcade is just one of a thousand things to visit or do at the Grove, including eat, shop and ice-skate (ill contend with the ice-skating on another day). I only single it out, because the arcade was such a profound part of my childhood. Very frankly, it was where we made friends outside of school, met our first girlfriends or boyfriends, improved our hand eye co-ordination (scientifically proven, thank you!) and altogether just escaped from the grief and stress of house-chores and homework.
The times might have changed, no question. We are certainly in a different era, but both you and your tender-aged offspring might rediscover a classic family constituent, one that has been slowly phased out by the solitude and isolation of cellphone, ipad, tablet and console gaming. The pressure at work might become too much, you might feel old, the kiddies might be desperately needing a get-away from the routine travel between houses and schools at Six Fountains Estate. When this happens, don’t you want to be able to go to arcade, slip a coin in and mash random buttons to your hearts content? I would.
