The weather has changed……fast approaching winter....fall is gone! The changing seasons have ended skateboarding, riding bikes, hide n’go seek. After school activities have moved indoors. The biggest decision the “four gamers” need to make is whose house should be ‘graced’ with their presence. One requirement drives their decision... X-Box 360 or Wii. Two houses have Wii, two houses have X-Box 360. And the games begin!

Today we are the house. There is nothing as infectious as the laughter of 10-11 year old boys (I’m sure little girls have this same laughter.) Their only complaint. . . .the parents have an agreement the boys will not play “violent, blood n’ guts” games, “Halo” being the most popular. None of them understands this decision. Sometimes I think boys are born with a “blood n guts” gene that manifests itself right around 10-11 years old. Along with a vivid imagination, ANYTHING from tree limbs to kitchen gadgets are transformed into guns and knives! I have concluded that even if these boys had played with “Barbie Dolls,” at 10-11 their interest would change.

The second major decision . . . the rotation of the players. Who is first, second, etc?

Sony and Nintendo are making a FORTUNE from the sale of these games; as every parent, guardian, aunt, uncle, etc. knows. With each new game system comes a cadre of new games. These new releases always go on sale close to the holidays. None of their “hardware/software” is integrated ... the new games will not play on the old systems and vice versa!

Perhaps the most popular new addition to both systems is Guitar Hero! Guitar Hero came out about three years ago. For those few parents who have not listened to their children begging to own the latest iteration . . .here is a brief description of how it works (from a Google site) . . . .

How to Play Guitar Hero:

Guitar Hero is a rhythm-based game for the PC, PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360 where you have to play a "guitar" in time with many well-known tracks. Playing requires nothing more than a sense of the music's beat, a small degree of patience, a love of at least a few of the songs present, and most importantly - ludicrously dexterous fingers (a skill which can be acquired).Despite the Guitar Hero guitar being a much simplified version of a real guitar, playing can still be near impossible - especially at higher difficulty levels.

Tristan’s birthday is just a few weeks away. We have pretty much decided he will get Guitar Hero for his X-Box 360. Now the really hard decisions begin. What version of Guitar Hero does he want.....

a href="http://photobucket.com/images/meet%20the%20beatles" target="_blank">Meet The Beatles Pictures, Images and Photos








(if our son was still with us, no question he would choose Curt Cobain and Nirvana. Seattle grunge rock at its best!)

a href="http://photobucket.com/images/metallica" target="_blank">Load Pictures, Images and Photos









These bands and songs were popular long before Tristan’s birth. No matter. The music is as entoxicating then as now. A whole new generation is learing the rock ‘n roll songs of the "baby-boomers,"

In addition Guitar Hero requires purchasing the instruments that compliment the game. Drum sets, keyboards, guitars.

guitarhero Pictures, Images and Photos

The instruments can be purchased separately or as part of the game system. My husband and I have become walking, talking experts for which instruments works best with each new system.

Grandma is pushing for Guitar Hero’s “The Beatles Collection.” Grandpa doesn’t really care. . .any system will drive Riley nuts (but he’s already there!) and be very LOUD!

Here is a short video of the classic Beatles version:








This will probably be the keeper. Grandma is embarrassed to admit. . . she LOVES all the old Beatle tunes. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH . . . .