With Mother's Day rapidly approaching, it's time we peer through the next-gen looking glass from Mom's perspective. Here's a selection of ten games and accessories (in no particular order) to make her smile, relax, and enjoy herself on her special day and beyond.
Viva Piñata —Beautifully accessible.
Viva Relaxation
Any Mom will appreciate the subtle challenges invoked by Rare's micromanagement masterpiece, Viva Piñata™. The skill of designing and laying out your habitat, attracting and romancing prospective residents, and managing the needs of your inhabitants are easily relatable to Moms everywhere. The vibrant world and relaxed atmosphere in Viva Piñata offer a much needed escape from everyday stress. Check out our preview to learn more.
It's time to introduce your mom to this wonderful, interactive world.
The Hardwood Suite
Instant recognition is a welcome gift for casual gamers, and the Hardwood suite of Xbox LIVE® Arcade games offers precisely that. With Hardwood Hearts, Hardwood Spades, and Hardwood Backgammon, you've got a faithful, virtual representation of classic games your Mom played when she was a child. More importantly for those children away from the nest, multiplayer matches over Xbox LIVE® mean you can catch up with your Mom at any time.
The Gift of Vision
Whether you're married with kids and your Mom keeps asking you for pictures of the grandchildren (why does she never ask for pictures of you?) or you're off at college and Mom wants to make sure your dorm room isn't a disaster, the Xbox LIVE Vision camera makes video chat a reality. Better than a mere picture and far more personal than a phone call, this is a priceless way for families to stay in touch.
Wireless Communication
Of course, Mom's life is an active one, so when you're in the middle of a Private Chat on Xbox LIVE and she has to hustle away from the TV, it would be nice if she wasn't tethered to her controller. The Xbox 360™ Wireless Headset boasts a range of thirty feet, allowing Mom to keep the conversation flowing while she tries to stop your little sister from tormenting the family cat.
Behold the freedom of wireless.
A Good Walk Spoiled
Mom may not know all about the flex defense in football, but you probably won't have to explain to her the fundamentals of golf. The controls employed by Tiger Woods PGA Tour® 07 are easily accessible and in-game tutorials do an excellent job of explaining some of the more complex strategy. Handicap yourself by playing on a harder difficulty level when playing against your Mom online (assuming you're actually better than her) so that every match is competitive.
Virtua Accessibility
Like Tiger Woods, Virtua Tennis™ 3 oozes accessibility for the casual gamer. The controls are simple, it features a women's tour as well as a men's tour, and the series of quick-playing, fun mini-games provide a welcome change of pace between longer, standard matches.
HD Bliss
Unless your Mom is a hardcore gamer, you can bet that movies and TV play a more integral role in her entertainment routine. With that in mind, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player accessory is much less expensive than many standard HD DVD players. The level of fine detail and exceptional visual fidelity offered by HD DVD makes movie-watching an all new experience.
A little interactive time with her dream car couldn't hurt.
The Hardcore Introduction
Looking for that one hardcore game Mom can really wrap her hands around? Consider Forza Motorsport™ 2. And put her in full control with a Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel. She knows how to drive, this will help her drive fast.
In previous simulation racing games, a sticking point for casual gamers was tuning and upgrading your cars. With the new online auction house over Xbox LIVE, Mom can shop around for already tuned vehicles without having to take a crash course in car mechanics.
The Party Game
Mini-games have long been a blessing to those gamers whose schedules simply don't allow for extended playtime. Fuzion Frenzy 2 offers dozens of lightning-quick mini-games with easy-to-grasp control mechanics. This party game is ideal for getting the whole family involved in a quick burst. Any game supporting family time is likely to be embraced by Mom, and hey, it also means you can get involved even when she's hoarding the Xbox 360.
A natural choice this Mother's Day.
Arcade Nostalgia
An icon of the early videogame industry, and still addictive fun, Ms. Pac-Man is likely to have been played even more by your Mom than you. Press the nostalgia button and make your Mom smile, by downloading the matriarch of videogames on Xbox LIVE Arcade.
It's been a long time since videogames have been the exclusive province of children, but even so, Xbox 360 continues to make massive strides in embracing the casual, more mainstream gamer. What's more, with the HD DVD Player, Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, and all the Windows Media Center functionality, Xbox 360 goes well beyond just the world of games. It's time to introduce your Mom to this wonderful, interactive world!
Article by Ryan Treit
