I said yesterday that Bianca and I had already played "Ocarina of Time" together.  Originally it was just to show her Zelda because she loves princesses.  She is infatuated with Princess Peach.  I personally think Peach is a hoe.  I don't say that to Bianca because I love her.  Seriously though, like WTF!  What, she's at the castle and gets bored so she calls Bowser to come over to hang out.  In that time they create some game for that stupid Italian Mario?  So she sends him a letter saying what?  It's my birthday and I'm making a cake.  Peach.  Then, shock and awe something is wrong!  She's in trouble and now guess what! Somehow Bowser has this crazy new pile of level designs for you to run through.  Complete with stars, extra stars, secret levels and the whole shebang.  There is the rub.  How is it that Peach doesn't have any protection at the castle?  Because she's been having sex Bowser forever!!!  <gasp> (I know right)?  Just saying, but, Koopa kids?  ummm

     So I wanted to introduce Bianca to Zelda.  She liked her just fine, I mean Peach is prettier according to
her, so there is no real competition.  In fact the only princess who has even come close to beating Peach is Luna from the Lunar games.  Though not technically a princess Bianca thinks she's the prettiest.  Zelda though wasn't about the princess very quickly.  She liked that I could carry fairies.  She liked the idea of fighting bad guys.  (My wife has questions about Links goodness, but that's for another day).  From the beginning I had been reading her everything that happened on the screen, she sat on my lap asking questions and commenting on how pretty everything was.  It wasn't until the second day of playing with her that I thought of it as something we could really do together.  So once a week we played.  I read her everything and she would get worried if I was hurt and clap when I got another heart, and loved playing side quests and getting Epona.  When we finished the game it was the best win I had ever had because she was a part of it.  She was happy for the gorons, didn't like princess Ruto at all for the problems she caused.  She did get scared of the screaming zombies, we had to quit and rethink playing it at all because I got one on me and she started crying.  We took about two weeks off then.

     My wife and I talked about it some but really it came down to it being up to Bianca.  If she thought she could handle it we would continue.  In about two weeks she asked if we could play again, so we had a talk about and started it back up.  She isn't afraid anymore but she doesn't like them.  That conversation was what prompted this blog.  Especially now that we play other games together.  Mostly what Ocarina taught me as a gamer dad was a new idea of what really is appropriate. What is good gaming for kids?  Better though I think is finding GREAT gaming for kids.

     There are lots of games out there that, like toys, are crap.  You can't just get a child any game.  This is an art form, like music, and movies, and, like movies before it, it has taken a long time to get to where we are now.You don't have to buy bad movie games anymore.  What "Zelda" offers is a chance to play  with your kids as long as you do it right.  The point of this blog is starting to make itself clear to me, I think I know what I want from it.

Stay with me, this might be fun.  :