Pretty cool experience tonight - Wife played!

[DickNixonArisen]

Yeah. Cooperative seems to beat competetive; which is maybe why a lot of girls play WOW even though it's very statty and ugly and buffy and such?

[DickNixonArisen]

ohhh yeah and the ultimate mix of Quality, Cute, and Co-op: bubble bobble.

[jaybird3rd]

Tetris, everyone loves. Dr. mario has some similar appeal of course.

These two titles (both on the NES) are by far the most popular in my family; in fact, the people in my family who don't ordinarily like video games will gladly play these ones, and not just the women. My mother likes Tetris, Tetris 2, and Dr. Mario, and so does her sister and my grandparents. They're pretty much the only games they play.

[0078265317]

That is cool. But I have to be lucky enough to find anyone willing to get married in the first place.

[Schizophretard]

For whatever reason there are some games that just appeal to women who otherwise are not into games, probably because their appeal is massive enough that it cannot be denied. Other factors that seem to help are cuteness, positive female characters, and a real depth of character interaction/story. It's hard to have any of those on the atari; I've noticed girls like indy 500 though. Maybe it's the paddle controller? When I was a kid, the only 2600 game my mom would play was Freeway. Zero learning curve seems to be a bonus.

 

Once you get to the NES or SMS the graphics are capable of expressing cute; the mario titles (2 and 3 esp) and kirby's adventure will fly for most women. Little nemo is cute but probably too hard - not that women aren't capable of performing as well at games, but many just don't seem as interested in the practice that it takes to do so. Tetris, everyone loves. Dr. mario has some similar appeal of course. The mario kart probably isn't girlfriend ready at this stage in development.

 

On the SNES/Genesis, you have a lot more options... and games like FF3/6, earthbound, and chrono trigger. The characters have enough appeal that a lot of women are willing to put the time into longer and harder titles. The usual first-party Nintendo stuff has plenty of crossover appeal, cute enough to be cute without stretching it too much (zelda, mario, kirby), and there are some more positive female protagonists (samus, alis, RPG characters), which really do help.

 

From here on out there are a lot more RPG's that girls like, the modern FF's, kingdom hearts, a bunch of random ones... and plenty of 3-d action titles that fly, rabbids, some pretty good stuff. DDR is a good game to play with a spouse or female friend, any kind of party game... and definitely the more modern mario karts, although the rubberbanding and merciless combo-smashing of the Wii version might turn an easily frustrated person off... Wii fit seems moderately popular; I don't know much about the kinect but I bet it's doing well with women - at least as far as it's doing well at all. It's SELLING well, anyway.

 

Honey, is that the Hamburglar dropping bombs on your hamburgers? That is so adorable! Those little tennis controller thingies look like cute little Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! Can I play?! After I'm done we can cuddle and talk. This game is hard! You wanted me to play a game about McDonald's as a fat joke! I'm sorry I wanted to have a baby! My mom was right about you! You are gay and so is your Atari! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Will you go get me some chocolate and pickles? I don't know why I'm craving pickles. I'm going to go finish making our baby's booties.

Edited July 23, 2011 by Schizophretard

[Matthew]

My wife likes mario games also.

 

On the Atari 2600, she likes Fishing.

[high voltage]

Wife posing playing Kaboom!, but she also likes Mario Bros in 2-player mode, Fishing Derby, River Raid (which she finished), Sky Diver, Popeye and many more

[VicViper]

I was working on a console this evening and decided, for the heck of it, to toss in Kaboom! to "test" it. I played for a few minutes and decided to see if I could get my wife to play it. She sat down, gave me her "why am I in here" look, and took the paddle. I hit the reset switch and she started playing. At first, she died quickly. But after a few resets, she got better ... and better. There were quite a few "last game" comments, and smiles. After a good 20 minutes of sitting on her own, she finally got up to go to the bathroom. Her last comment: "I'll be back".

 

She hasn't played an honest game with me, or really even the kids, in years. It was really good to see her enjoy herself, if only for a few minutes.

Do you have one of the 8-bits? the version of kaboom on the home computers is two player versus, with one player controlling the bomber and the other controlling the buckets. it alternates between who's doing what. I nearly lost my mind when I realised this. also, it plays a a note from a familiar tune every bomb you catch, and as the play gets faster the music gets more dramatic. Kaboom is one of my all time favorites and this version is the best!!

[potatohead]

I was working on a console this evening and decided, for the heck of it, to toss in Kaboom! to "test" it. I played for a few minutes and decided to see if I could get my wife to play it. She sat down, gave me her "why am I in here" look, and took the paddle. I hit the reset switch and she started playing. At first, she died quickly. But after a few resets, she got better ... and better. There were quite a few "last game" comments, and smiles. After a good 20 minutes of sitting on her own, she finally got up to go to the bathroom. Her last comment: "I'll be back".

 

She hasn't played an honest game with me, or really even the kids, in years. It was really good to see her enjoy herself, if only for a few minutes.

 

Yeah, excellent. KABOOM is one of those, "suck them in" games. Good fun! That one hooks people quick. There is a part of the brain that just lights up when you progress in the playing of it. At first it's slow, then quicker, and most people hit "the zone" or "trance" where they are just absorbed for a while. A nice little buzz comes after that, which keeps 'em coming back for more.

 

I've a daughter that kind of needs to play that one every so often. The bug bit.

[SlowCoder]

That is cool. But I have to be lucky enough to find anyone willing to get married in the first place.

Haven't you heard? These days it's ok to find someone who'll shack up with you. No one cares any more if you're married. And if you find a new hobby and they don't like it, well, there's the door. No paperwork required.

[SlowCoder]

I was working on a console this evening and decided, for the heck of it, to toss in Kaboom! to "test" it. I played for a few minutes and decided to see if I could get my wife to play it. She sat down, gave me her "why am I in here" look, and took the paddle. I hit the reset switch and she started playing. At first, she died quickly. But after a few resets, she got better ... and better. There were quite a few "last game" comments, and smiles. After a good 20 minutes of sitting on her own, she finally got up to go to the bathroom. Her last comment: "I'll be back".

 

She hasn't played an honest game with me, or really even the kids, in years. It was really good to see her enjoy herself, if only for a few minutes.

Do you have one of the 8-bits? the version of kaboom on the home computers is two player versus, with one player controlling the bomber and the other controlling the buckets. it alternates between who's doing what. I nearly lost my mind when I realised this. also, it plays a a note from a familiar tune every bomb you catch, and as the play gets faster the music gets more dramatic. Kaboom is one of my all time favorites and this version is the best!!

If you mean an Atari computer, no. I'm not that lucky. But the game sounds pretty cool. It sounds like I'd end up with with a bruised shoulder from her hitting me when I won, though.

[Ranthulfr]

I forgot, my wife does play video games. She enjoys Super Mario Kart on the Gamecube and is pretty good at it actually.

I haven't played the Gamecube version, but Mario Kart Wii rocks! It has alot of classic game spirit.

[Schizophretard]

That is cool. But I have to be lucky enough to find anyone willing to get married in the first place.

Haven't you heard? These days it's ok to find someone who'll shack up with you. No one cares any more if you're married. And if you find a new hobby and they don't like it, well, there's the door. No paperwork required.

 

I tried that for three years but then she made me get the paperwork.

[Amstari]

Do you have one of the 8-bits? the version of kaboom on the home computers is two player versus, with one player controlling the bomber and the other controlling the buckets. it alternates between who's doing what. I nearly lost my mind when I realised this. also, it plays a a note from a familiar tune every bomb you catch, and as the play gets faster the music gets more dramatic. Kaboom is one of my all time favorites and this version is the best!!

 

Cool! I thought I had an original idea when I thought of controlling the bomber for the 2600 version. http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/177058-kaboom-hack-or-remake

I didn't know the computer version already did that.

 

Haven't you heard? These days it's ok to find someone who'll shack up with you. No one cares any more if you're married. And if you find a new hobby and they don't like it, well, there's the door. No paperwork required.

 

I've been shacked up with my partner for 13 years. We will get married one day but it's not a big deal to us. People used to alway ask us when we are getting married but they don't ask anymore