My kids have been enjoying their Nintendo DS games for a while now. We still have our originals and not the DS Lite, but that's OK. I'm really amazed at how well these are constructed and the thought that went into their design. Probably the best thing going is the single card multi-player option where you can download versions of the game to other players and go head to head without everyone purchasing the card.

This makes total sense for a family - such as ours - to purchase a couple of handhelds and share the game cards. Sure, it's not the "full" game, but we can still race or otherwise battle against each other.

Which brings me to the topic at hand.

I picked up Metroid Prime Hunters a little while ago and my son and I have been playing through the single-player game. It's pretty good, but I don't have lots of time to devote to it. My son, being 11, has lots of time.

So I borrowed my daughter's DS and went head-to-head against my son.

Now, I've been playing first-person shooters since Wolfenstein 3D and while I'm not in the league of any of the tournament players, I at least like to think of myself as "competent".

Ha!

I'm lucky if I can deal any damage at all against my son. I'd like to blame the tiny screen, using a stylus, whatever. But the fact remains that he can pretty well kill me in game anytime he wants.

I've pointed out the unsportsmanship of killing someone instantly upon respawn, and he doesn't do that anymore. But that doesn't cover a fraction of the kills he's administered. Really, that was only one or two. I've still got 50 or so to go.

Yes, that's the number. Actually, he's probably ahead about 300 to 12. I don't have any hard and fast scores to report, but considering that in a 20 minute period I'll score once, maybe twice while he scores 20. The absolute worst drubbing I received was 22 deaths in about 15 minutes.  Pathetic. - Me, not him. It got so bad that I decided to start self destructing just to deny him the kill!

I should start calling him "Headshot".

And that's the real kicker.  Somehow he's able to score a headshot nearly every time he shoots. I can barely hit him at all.

I try to console myself with the fact that he's practiced far more than I have with the game maps, weapons, and controls. So I played more, practiced against the 'bots, and tried different tactics.

Headshot. - I'm dead.

I selected a game map and studied it completely, noting where all the weapons sat and the health spheres.

Headshot. - I'm dead.

I've tried all the different characters and all the different weapons.

Headshot. - I'm dead.

I've tried short range, long range, stealth, and brute force.

Headshot. - I'm dead.

So I finally had to admit to him that I was completely owned in this game.

"No, Dad. Not completely" he replied, sitting in the chair opposite me, grinning.  Thanks a lot, kid.


That's my boy.