The past few months have been really great - an incredible trip to Africa, followed by an unusually successful semester. The only downside - not a whole lot of time for gaming.

In fact, this Christmas was the first holiday in years that I didn't receive a single video game. Since I don't have my own 3DS or any console newer than good ol' N64 at school (don't get me wrong, I get to play Wii, XBox, and 3DS at my boyfriend's!), a lot of the big name titles weren't on my list this year. Glad to say, however, that I spent a good 10 hours hanging out with my brother while he played Skyward Sword, and if you haven't picked it up yet, you absolutely need to! If it's interesting enough to just watch for hours, playing must be a blast ;)

When my boyfriend first got the game, we were disappointed with the flying mechanism - it's a little difficult to control. So he didn't play it much, and I figured many of the good ratings we'd seen were probably exaggerations from long-time Zelda fans (note that Gamespot almost always rates LoZ games lower than anywhere else on the net - Skyward Sword is no exception). But when my brother got it for Christmas, he spent about 20 hours over just 2 days playing it almost non-stop. And with good reason.

Skyward Sword is a great mix of nostalgia and innovation. There are unique time-shifting puzzles that are both interesting to play and visually enchanting. Gamespot's critics frowned at the combat style, but my brother generally seems to like the new level of skill required to play, and says it makes playing for longer feel less stagnant. Seemingly small additions like the stamina meter and the new Beetle tool add a surprising amount of dimension to the game, and while some have noted that flying isn't as satisfying or exciting as sailing was in Wind Waker, the mini-games and side-quests it offer help make up a fair amount of the difference. Personally, my only complaint has been the graphic style. While colorful and inviting as always, the style is somewhere between Twilight Princess and Wind Waker - but it has neither the stunning scenery of TP or the stylized quirk of WW. It just feels lost and almost indecisive, and definitely reveals the weakness of Wii graphical capabilities in general. You do get used to it and begin to see past it soon enough, but it's quite a let-down after Twilight Princess.

I get the feeling I won't be gaming much in the upcoming semesters. I really love getting lost in a game, but I think maybe I'm outgrowing it. Real adult life is quickly creeping up on me.