Computer Game or, Mom Really Sucks!

You know what I've been doing for the last hour? I've been playing a computer game called Chopper with my son watching me and cracking up. It seems he, and to a lesser extent my daughter, thinks it's hilarious when I die by crashing into buildings, blowing myself up with a misfired bomb or get killed by a bazooka wielding terrorist.

Do you know this game? My husband got it for free somewhere and I was appalled when I first saw my son playing it. The whole point of the game is to rescue civilians from various calamities with the increasing threat of bazooka wielding terrorists, and then war being declared with tanks and a jet fighter with a TRACKING MISSILE!!! You can fight back with a space bar machine gun, a d key bomb and an f key missile. I end up inadvertently killing a lot of civilians in addition to terrorists. I was initially appalled because I didn't want my kids shooting terrorists--whether they're made of pixils or not. I didn't want my kids to drop bombs on buildings and be shot at. Then, they made me play it. What it is is a game of skill and anticipation and choices. Do I want to use a bomb on that tank, I might run out soon, or do I want to use the machine gun, but I might hit a civilian?

I told my friend, Unnamed, about it and she said that her two girls play Mortal Combat...Hmm.
Her husband introduced the girls to it and they love being violent inside of the computer. Of course, in real life they play with dolls and go to music lessons and pretend they're twins with my daughter and play baby. Their game is hardly warping their impressionable minds. My friend doesn't think so any way.

So, in the scope of everything my kids are exposed to or could be exposed to, I'd say that Chopper isn't as bad as some. I'm rationalizing here a bit, but it is a fun game. It is thrilling to try and get in there, rescue the civilians, and get out all unharmed.

Do you know what I have to face?

Here is my first assignment. Not too hard. I just need to carefully land on a building, pick up the executive and fly him back.

See? I got him and have to follow the green arrow back to the chopper landing pad where he'll run out into a building safe and secure.

On this level I have to face a bazooka man. He's going to shoot at me and I have to rescue civilians. I just may squash him with the helicopter. Yeah, that's it.

Hold on civilian--I'll pick you up in a minute!

Uh oh. I've crashed. Sorry civilian. I get to try this level again because I still have a couple of lives left. I'll try to get you on the next go around. Hold on!!


And now we have bunker troubles. That is a huge understatement in that several terrorists with bazookas are now shooting at me!

Look for yourselves! Do you even believe this noise?!

I'm not good enough to capture an image of the fighter plane--suffice it to say that it is almost impossible to evade. I do get a warning sound and a flashing red light to warn me that it has spotted me and is tracking me--a missile fired at me is imminent. Still, I can't get away. My hands get sweaty and I get anxious and I either crash myself into the ground or a building, or crash into the fighter jet itself.

Good shootin' Tex.

This is the point where my son falls to the ground in a hysterical fit of laughter. My daughter being the sweet girl she is, put down a layer of two blankets, and a bean bag chair to cushion my son's inevitable fall for when I screw up. I love it when my kids are supportive of each other.

Here, you see the blanket/bean bag chair arrangement my daughter so thoughtfully put together for my son.



His falling off of the chair is inevitable as long as there is that damned fighter jet. I just don't have a chance against that thing.

Curses!!!