3 games to jump in part 1

I don't have as much time to game like I used to.

Sound familiar?

Hate to say it, but it's part of growing up. At 15 I had all the time in the world. At 28, well, I just have more important priorities. You know, like writing a blog instead of doing the gaming I'm saying I don't have the time for.

Actually, it has more to do with the amount of time I am willing to dedicate to a game. 10+ years ago I could sit down in front of the TV with Final Fantasy 1 and 2 from sun up to sun down. As of now, I am not willing to invest my time in a game even if there is an amazing story.

Life is moving fast and I have much to do throughout my day. When I find the time to game I am looking for something fast. Here's a peek behind the curtain, when I play a game for a review, it would be a miracle if I go past an hour. I only need an hour to determine how I feel about it.

There are exceptions. Tabletop games I can make more time for. Has something to do with my imagination taking over.

I want to start this series about games I can jump in and out of without much investment.

1. WWF Smackdown Here Comes The Pain

First off, I only recently started playing this game a year ago. What I enjoy about it is the easy controls. Unlike modern wrestling games, HCTP has a simple grappling system. Previous titles like WWF Attitude had a larger moveset for characters, but was not as fluid as HTCP. The first game I had on the PS2 was Just Bring It. My brother and I played the Hell out of it. This game on the other hand never appealed to me.

I stopped wrestling once I got to junior high. Looking back, I can admit I was embarrassed about what I liked. Pokemon, wrestling, and all other forms of nerd shit. Once I got to the end of high school I stopped caring. I got some of my friends in to Magic the Gathering and used to have open conversations with my classes about how Pokemon would function in the real world.

I went on this tangent to explain why I stopped watching wresting. It was right before the Ruthless Aggression era began. The end of the Attitude era was when I parted ways with wrestling only to revisit it as a 21-year-old. That's why I never owned this game when it came out.

2. NHL 17

Starting last season I became a fan of hockey. If you follow me on Instagram, as you should, you will see on my story the times I am at a Stars game. Fortunately for me, my dad bought this game last year for us to play. Other than 17, my other favorite is NHL 98 on SNES. For now, I am playing 17 till I get my hands on 19.

What's great about a sports game is how easy it is to start an exhibition match and shorten the game length. Hockey is fast-paced as is unlike football. I say this because we have Madden as well. I do enjoy the game, but hockey is better.

During football season I have a gig as the guy who's on the sideline recording high school football games. You would think running up and down a football field between plays to set up the right shot would make time fly. It doesn't. Good cardio though. 

Go Stars!

3. Final Fantasy Tactics

This one is hard for me to say is easy to jump in unless you pick it up often. I'll tell you why. By letting Tactics sit too long you forget where you were. Not only the story, but how you were building your team.

If you have ever played a tactical game like this, then you know how important it is to build a strong team. Think Pokemon. Every character plays an important role. Healer, black magic user, defense, and the muscle. You play on strengths and weaknesses.

Too long without playing and you forget the path you had a character take for a certain job. The samurai is the perfect example. It takes work to get to that job. Before you know it, that samurai is something stupid, like an oracle. I kid. Maybe you like the oracle. I don't know. That job is not one I am going to build a character up to.

If you do play often you are rewarded with some strategy based gameplay you don't get elsewhere in modern games. No running and gunning. You also get a confusing story that I still do not understand.

More suggestions to come

Right now these three are what I'm playing. The way I have my time scheduled I need games I can jump in and out of. Planning tabletop campaigns take up more of my time. I find that more rewarding because in the end, I am able to enjoy those games with my girlfriend. It helps that she encourages me to write up an adventure.

What are you playing? 

We all don't have a lot of time; so, tell me your suggestions.

Maybe for the next post, I will add them to the list.

Quick shoutout

This is the part where I give a shoutout to something or someone. I don't get paid for this. Unfortunately. 

https://anchor.fm/preciselypodact 

Give these guys a listen. Two friends drinking and talking.  When my podcast gets off the ground expect it to be a similar format.

Let's grow together. Use this link to get one free stock with Robinhood. The most important person to invest in is you. I got a share with Sirius XM for signing up. Who will you get?

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