The Ghost of Christmas Past
"It was a strange figure—like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium, which gave him the appearance of having receded from the view, and being diminished to a child’s proportions. Its hair, which hung about its neck and down its back, was white as if with age; and yet the face had not a wrinkle in it, and the tenderest bloom was on the skin. The arms were very long and muscular; the hands the same, as if its hold were of uncommon strength. Its legs and feet, most delicately formed, were, like those upper members, bare. It wore a tunic of the purest white; and round its waist was bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful. It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and, in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem, had its dress trimmed with summer flowers. But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light, by which all this was visible; and which was doubtless the occasion of its using, in its duller moments, a great extinguisher for a cap, which it now held under its arm."
Nostalgia is a powerful experience. Who doesn't like being reminded of good times gone by? For many of us, the Ghost of Christmas Past could show us hours spent in front of a Nintendo console, chugging away at an excellent Mario platformer. A similar sense of nostalgia is present in a brand new offering from Nintendo, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and you won't even need a spectral visitor to appreciate it. Adding in four player co-op to the classic 2-D Mario experience makes it all the better.
The Ghost of Christmas Present
"It was clothed in one simple green robe, or mantle, bordered with white fur. This garment hung so loosely on the figure, that its capacious breast was bare, as if disdaining to be warded or concealed by any artifice. Its feet, observable beneath the ample folds of the garment, were also bare; and on its head it wore no other covering than a holly wreath, set here and there with shining icicles. Its dark brown curls were long and free; free as its genial face, its sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air. Girded round its middle was an antique scabbard; but no sword was in it, and the ancient sheath was eaten up with rust."
The third spirit showed Scrooge all that was going on around him, whether it was good or bad. If we today were to take a similar look around the gaming world, one franchise would stand apart as definitive. A critical and sales success, yet full of controversy, this series is probably the best representation of what gaming is all about at the present moment. We're talking about Call of Duty, and for Wii gamers, you can't go wrong with Call of Duty Modern Warfare: Reflex.
