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Watch Me Make My Dad Play More Games He'll Hate

by Dan Ryckert on Feb 11, 2012 at 04:13 AM

Last year, I tried a little experiment when my dad visited me in Minneapolis. He never really understood why I love video games as much as I do, so I sat him down and recorded him playing five games. As expected, he hated Heavy Rain, was frightened by Katamari Damacy, and generally hated every second of the experience. He just left from his annual trip to Minneapolis, but I wasn't about to let him fly back to Kansas City without playing another handful of games that he'll hate.

Batman: Arkham City - To start this year's gauntlet, I picked one of the two titles that we awarded a perfect 10 to in 2011.

 

Muscle March - I didn't want to scare Dad off with anything too artsy or weird right away, so I saved this absurd WiiWare title for second.

 

Portal - Since my Dad has trouble comprehending any video game, I assumed he wouldn't understand a single thing about Portal. I was right.

 

Limbo - This was a crap shoot. It features controls that are simple enough for him to understand, but an art style that I was afraid he'd refer to as "tippy-toe crap." Can he look past the semi-artsy visuals to enjoy the gameplay?

 

Bioshock - Irrational Games released one of the most fascinating titles of this generation back in 2007. Will my dad appreciate any part of its explosive beginning?

 

WWE All-Stars - If you want to hear me try to explain to my dad why I like wrestling for the better part of ten minutes, this is the video for you. If not, move right along to the next one.

 

Mario Kart Wii - My dad is a sport for putting up with the other games I subject him to, so I decided to give him a little break with a game he actually likes.

 

Resident Evil - The fatigue really starts setting in by this point, as evidenced by my dad constantly resting his face on the microphone. Can he get past the first zombie?

 

In the end, his reactions to these games were basically exactly what I expected. If you'd like to hear more of his thoughts without having to wait for next year's visit, you can follow him on Twitter.