Many things in life are more important than video games, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be thankful for all that they provide. I grew up in a household that had an NES, for a short time. My brothers and I would fight uncontrollably in between turns to the point where my parents unhooked the system, and we became a video game free house. My love for gaming did not stop since I was able to play future consoles like PlayStation and Nintendo 64 at friends’ houses. Video games were still taboo in my parents house until 2006, when I brought my newly purchased Wii to their house on Thanksgiving, and one game changed their minds: Wii Sports.

After finishing dinner, the family gathered in the living room to be given a tutorial on the motion based remote looking controller. My brothers and I demonstrated the actions for the various games in the package and seeing the simplistic actions; my parents quickly wanted to participate. Tennis racket swings, baseball throws, upper-cuts thrown, and strikes rolled all spawned hilarity and exhaustion! The favorite among the crowd was bowling due to the low learning curve and the quick rotation of each player’s turn, and the funny jump animations the Miis would make added to our enjoyment.

After several matches everyone wanted to add to the experience by creating their own Mii. Everyone would take turns going through the many options to try to match their own appearance. We then collaboratively made look-a-likes of famous characters to help populate the bowling alley and baseball lineups.

The fun times continued with Christmas and other family gatherings when I would always be asked to “are you bringing the Wii?” Not many other games would be added to the family rotation, Rock Band being the only other standout. The time was just a blip, since we do not have experiences like that anymore. Memories like this will not be forgotten, as they brought my family together with one of my favorite hobbies, against all odds.

Are there any games that you can say you are thankful for? What experience did that game create for you? Was the game enjoyed as a solo experience or with others, like mine? Share your thankful game in the comments below. Lastly, we at Boss Rush wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Sources: Animal Crossing World, Wii Would Like to Play with You