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    Gamer Girlfriend: Alley Cat 2: Rise of the Ninja Kitty

    I think they should make a game about my cat. Her life is an adventure unto itself. See, most cats just like to take it easy. Their daily routines involve a lot of sleeping, and lounging, and the occa

  • Gamer Girlfriend: An Obscure Prestige Class, Indeed

    Well, it’s official: after ten months of planning, organizing, coordinating, arranging, rearranging, and generally unleashing my Bridezilla Fury upon the world, I have finally attained the status of Gamer Wife. Along with the accompanying name changes and the addition of a new ring to the third finger of my left hand, I’ve noticed that the attainment of this obscure prestige class has caused a noticeable shift in how I view myself. Not only am I now the wife of a gamer, I can no longer deny that I myself have some “more-than-casual” gaming tendencies.

  • Gamer Girlfriend: The Gamer and the Matriarch

    My mother would be appalled. Why, you ask? Well, to tell the truth, it isn't really that important. After all, I'm getting married in seven weeks. There are about a hundred reasons why the Mother of t

  • Gamer Girlfriend: Thoughts for a Rainy Afternoon

    It’s weird how things change. I was recently looking back over the archives of "Gamer Girlfriend," which date back to early 2008, and I was surprised to notice a gradual but distinct progression in the way my column has evolved over the years. Originally, it was about the crazy antics and wacky misadventures of Mike, my own dear “Gamer in Residence,” and the trials and tribulations that came from first dating, and then living with him. After a while, it was about my own tentative forays in the gaming world. “Reflections on Grand Theft Auto IV” was followed with a cute story about how I acquired my pink DS and very first game cartridges (Animal Crossing and Cooking Mama). Then came Kingdom Hearts, the first “real” game I ever played by myself. From then on, my column became increasingly focused on the games I was playing, and somewhat less on the games Mike was into.

  • Gamer Girlfriend: Lessons in Gaming

    OK, I’ll come out and say this right up front: I realize that it’s been a while. Thus far, our bearded taskmaster has been generous (or maybe just forgetful) enough to overlook the fact that I haven’t contributed a new column since last June.

  • Gamer Girlfriend: The One Game I Will Never Play

    OK, so for anyone who knows me, it’s probably pretty apparent that the title of this article is something of a misnomer. The truth is, there are many games that I will never play, including first-person shooters, survival horror games, and anything that involves lots of timed minigames (I really hate that obnoxious little counter, always ticking down, mocking me as I try to perform its twisted little tasks).

  • Gamer Girlfriend: Cate West and the Vanishing Eyesight

    OK, I admit it, it’s been a long time since I played my DS. I’m not entirely sure why—I just lost the urge to play at some point. It might have happened sometime around the end of my Animal Crossing phase, or perhaps in the middle of my Diner Dash phase. At any rate, I stopped using it, and didn’t pick it up again for about eight months.

  • Gamer Girlfriend: The Tables are Turning

    Well, it’s officially happened. After two and a half years of dating, I have finally succeeded in finding a videogame that annoys my gamer boyfriend as much as he hath done unto me. Incredible, I know. I honestly never thought it would happen, but here we are.

  • Gamer Girlfriend: Virtual Cheating

    Here’s a question for all you seasoned gamers out there: In the world of videogaming, where are the hypothetical “lines in the sand” with respect to sportsmanship and fair play? In other words, what does (or does not) constitute, well, cheating?

  • Gamer Girlfriend: Shut Up, Ted

    Warning: The following article may include gratuitous use of italics and/or parenthetical statements. By reading it, you agree that you are assuming responsibility for your own risk and will not sue t