I wrote a massive poem just for your contest Jetra.
It was incredibly challenging, thank you for that.
Let me write you a tale of vigour and vim,
of untold knowledge, hidden within.
For when you were a child so young,
what did you do, how did you have fun?
Playing with books and alphabet blocks,
powering up your little brain-box.
Learning, learning as you play,
oh so happy, oh so gay.
Dragging your hands across carpets and walls,
tumbles and stumbles and fumbles and falls.
Games as a baby begin your adventure,
it ends with turmoil, pain and dementia.
Grabbing your trains and bouncy balls,
answering toy phones and making phone calls.
These things affect us in every way,
they stop our minds from going grey.
Imagination is an important trait,
making games up in your head is great.
Back to babyhood and how it affects you,
playing is learning and that's pretty good, too.
As you spell words with your bricks,
Your brain is learning brand new tricks.
How to spell 'bee'. Maybe 'ship'? Maybe 'bear'?
It's all in your head, the signs are right there.
'Here comes the plane' is a game, in fact,
although it takes next to no skill, or tact.
Games when we're little help us to grow up,
be it something like football or just stacking cups.
Over to the ages of five to nine:
"Have you got this gadget? Here, look at mine!"
"Wow, sweet is that the new GameBoy Advance?"
This Pokèmon game has my friends in a trance.
What if I play it? Emerald seems nice.
Why is this cave full of zubats? Oh, Christ!
Perhaps little Kevin has got that big whale.
What was its name? Oh I'll ask that kid, Cale.
He knows everything there is to know,
all about Pokèmon, he's just a pro.
Now games help is socialise, make some new friends.
Keep up with technology, the fun never ends!
Socialising is part of education as well,
otherwise school would just be living hell.
Moving on to high school, adolescent years.
Everyone, everywhere grinding your gears.
Nobody ever seems to understand you,
constantly picked on by Dave and his crew.
Teachers seem to hate you and your grades are alright.
You just can't wait 'til you go home tonight.
Start up the XBox with Modern Warfare 2,
learning about terrorism, what it can do.
How does it feel to be a soldier in battle?
You understand now, quite a bit of Sir's prattle.
The effects of war in the favelas and slums.
The locals all shout "Open fire! Here he comes."
GTA 4 is another of your best.
Gangsters and crime, no time for rest.
Niko Bellic, shooting mobsters, heads go a-rolling.
"Shut up, Roman! I don't want to go bowling!"
You learn about crime and why people commit it,
you think Michelle's hot but you'd never admit it.
"Son, these games cause violence and pain!"
Where were they when grandad hit mum with the cane?
Back to the topic of education,
games beat drug-induced eye dilation.
If I'm told to go out, who knows where I am?
Cigs by the bikeshed or weed by the dam.
Surely it's safer I stay in the house,
Getting homework done and feeding the mouse.
Would you rather I came in, smelling of smoke,
then when you enquire I say "This is dope."
Shambling upstairs to my room,
hungover, head's a-pounding. Boom!
Please tell me this, where should I be?
In a classroom or courtroom, God help me.
Now, after all this crazy talk,
of cell bars and sticks of chalk,
I bring you the benefits of strategy games,
gather round, I'll take your names.
League, Starcraft, Chess, and risk!
Civ, XCOM, I think I have the disk.
Strategy games are playable, even by the idiotic.
However, to some people, these games feel like narcotics.
Strategy broadens the mind, logic and deception.
Be you sending troops to battle, or holding an election.
Logic is good for subjects, such as maths and science.
Soon you'll learn it all and stand atop a mountain of triumphs.
Games such as risk, started this strategy trend,
at least they're a lot safer, than games like 'will it blend'.
Maths is a subject that’s aided by these,
strategy games help you pass tests with ease.
As you play you will learn and you’ll learn as you play,
soon you’ll be on them for most of the day.
Addiction is bad and avoid it you must.
Who doesn’t love Teemo? In Teemo we trust!
That last line was painful for league fans to read,
I’ll now discuss the famous game, Assassins Creed.
I’m not a fan of this one but I’ve got no doubt,
whilst jumping into haybales and running about,
that this game is boring and overhyped.
But admittedly there’s a little History insight.
Along to Borderlands, a game that I love.
A planet that’s dying, with Atlas above,
silently watching your every move.
Claptrap is dancing, now get in the groove.
Bandits, Antlions, The Crimson Lance!
“Greetings, traveler, please watch me dance.”
“There are new miss-” just shut the hell up,
I’ve done all your side-quests. “Really?” Yup!
Learn about how people act when they’re desperate.
It helps if you know people well in this cesspit.
Psychology, motives, here’s a good fact:
I predicted the ending before the attack.
It’s just some logic and a little bit of guessing,
but here are some issues I should be addressing:
Grabbing my gun and attacking some skags,
gets really easy, I don’t like to brag.
But killing these enemies trains your reactions,
although it’s not as important as fractions.
Training your reflexes helps with PE,
it helps you move faster, don’t you agree?
To hit that home run, or score that goal,
making the try, let’s rock and roll!
Dodging the dodgeball, hitting the puck,
was it a good shot? Was it just luck?
What about playing some more little games.
First person shooters, critically acclaimed!
What are you doing whilst playing with mates?
Teamwork is what, so let’s celebrate.
Be you shooting a headshot, or storming the house,
you can always be sure that your friends are about.
Unless you’re a 12 year old, filled with rage,
shouting and swearing, not good for your age.
Everyone who kills you is an ‘effing kid’,
“I’ll get my bro on you, you stupid squid!
Sky will get you, I swear to my butter,
a-a-a-and.” He says with a stutter.
“You’re stupid too.” well that was just bad.
Games cause debates, and debates can be mad.
Debating topics is an important key skill,
but nobody has to be spouting pigswill.
Look up your facts, research on the net.
By the time you’re finished, they’ll be covered in sweat.
Your points are precise, your facts are legit,
they’re shouting so hard that you’re covered in spit.
You see, when they’re done and can argue no more,
they’ll shout and they’ll scream; pound their fists on the floor.
Well known issues include Call of Duty.
What’s wrong with the players? Their voices are fruity.
They all sound 9, isn’t this an 18 plus?
All they seem to do is cuss, and cuss.
See, those are debate points, please expand.
Designed to give you the upper hand,
when arguing or debating lots.
Just don’t get your tongue tied in knots.
Practice debating the issues in games,
when you’re shot in the chest, or covered with flames.
Why does a pistol to the head take two shots?
How come you always get killed by the bots?
Is this OP, is this unfair?
Pay for the pack? I really don’t care.
Talking about things improves skills, in English.
Your vocab and grammar will be quite distinguished.
So grab a pen, write a speech about what grinds your gears.
Is it ‘noob tubes’ or physics, or being called ‘queer’?
Then find some good buddies, and sit them around,
tell them “Be quiet and don’t make a sound.”
Tell them the issue, have a good chatter,
then when you’re all done you’ve resolved the matter.
Or if you haven’t, don’t despair,
you’ve probably just ceased to care.
It’s too unimportant, or just idiotic,
like an underpowered weapon, bots being too robotic.
But remember to use these skills while you’re in class,
you won’t look like a donkey, or should I say ass?
Let’s get back to the way that games benefit life,
they could help you make friends, they could get you a wife.
Games have been known to bring confidence down,
no trips to meet friends, no nights on the town.
However this theory is actually quite cretinous,
because if you focus and open your retinas,
maybe you’ll see that we gamers have friends.
They don’t stay inside as their sanity descends.
Sitting there, brainless, nothing social to do,
your friendship group just doesn’t seem to accrue.
But that’s not how we are, we’re sociable and kind,
we all have our morals and those you will find,
usually involve something like kindness to others,
not being douchebags to friends, or lovers.
The Internet helps you to be a good person,
doing your bit so your town doesn’t worsen.
The abundance of chavs has been on the rise lately,
if they were to leave it’d ease my mind, greatly.
Throw them in one town and seal them all in,
it’d be the dump of the world, society’s bin.
But anyway, I’m drifting a little offtopic,
our lives outside homes, they’re hardly chaotic.
Games teach us to socialise with enemies and buddies,
along with my earlier point about studies.
To be honest games teach you how to be great,
confidence does help you pick up a date.
So talk to new people on games, it’s amazing.
You’ll talk about topics, no need for appraising.
Just talk and you’ll get your confidence up,
talk about CoD or FIFA World Cup.
Because when you talk you’re increasing your confidence lots,
it’s better than ‘YOLO’ and downing more shots.
Because drinking is dangerous and danger is bad,
plus it’s just temporary and that’s really sad.
For one night of ‘confidence’ you’re risking your life,
when a game could do that, but without any strife.
So how many kids like to play with their parents?
Not many? Oh well, it’s rare and not normally inherent.
Parents grew up playing ‘Tetris’, and ‘Pong’.
So games nowadays, to most are just wrong.
So ask mum and dad; “Can we please get a Wii?”
It’s a family friendly console, you see.
Play Mario brothers, Wii Sports, too.
Soon it’ll all be a hullabaloo!
Screaming and shouting, not the bad kind,
everyone having a wonderful time.
Play games with your family, you’ll all become fond.
Maybe Dad remembers Goldeneye with James Bond.
Hell, even mum could remember it, wow.
You never knew they liked games too, but how?
“We didn’t have much back then.” Dad would say,
how does he reminisce on games today?
“Oh but 007 was a good one, mate.
Doom 3 was wonderful, oh it was great.”
“But Dad, surely graphics have improved since that time?”
“Yes son, but nowadays games are way past their prime.
I see Call of Duty repeated a lot,
they don’t make an effort, don’t give all they’ve got.”
“Dad I agree, but some games are good,
like the ones that are fun, and do what they should.”
“Like Minecraft, son? That’s pretty original.
The buildings are endless, the graphics, minimal.”
“Wow Dad, I’ve learned something new about you,
I had no idea you were into games too.
Thank you for this, I’ll remember this chat,
you’ve given me hope, thank you for that.”
Do you see the above? An example of bonding.
A father and son, talking, responding.
Having a chat about games and their features,
today you’ll be having a new kind of teacher.
Teaching the wonders of games of the old days,
as he talks you’re intrigued and you can’t lift your gaze,
from your father; the man who you thought was uncool.
It makes sense how he got you the good games at yule.
“How did you know I wanted Fable 3?”
He taps his nose and he says, “Lucky guess? It’s on me.”
You see that games help you to bond with your folks,
you now know why countless game bans were revoked.
Your father knows just how it felt to be banned,
he’s just giving a fellow gamer a hand.
So just try and tell me that gaming is bad.
There is quite a lot of good fun to be had.
Playing a horror game, feel your heart race.
Afterwards you’ll watch your back just in case,
a zombie or ghost or a skeleton pops out.
Scarier than Britney Spears: Scream and shout.
But check again, just to make sure that it’s fine.
But what’s that you see? A glint? A shine?
You see it too well, the knife in his hand.
You know he means trouble, the way that he stands.
From playing those crime games that taught you perception,
how people are helpless, you’re no exception.
Playing those games has just helped you a lot,
now you won’t lie in a grave, to rot.
But, this example’s a bit unrealistic,
I’ll give you another, that’s much more simplistic.
You’re looking for shoes, to go outside wearing,
you just want to find them, you’re beyond caring.
You see the tiniest speck of mud,
next to your cupboard, it opens. *thud*
Look inside, what do you see?
Your shoes, you jump and yell “Yippee!”
See how perception is useful, my friend?
‘L.A Noire’, is a game, I myself, recommend.
Interrogation, investigation, it’s great for the mind.
Searching for clues, what will you find?
Do you see how these things can aid life and your studies?
It’s also a good help when dealing with buddies.
Who stole my copy of Halo 4?
You said you didn’t, are you sure?
You’re not making eye contact, you must be lying.
Now you’re just smirking, are you even trying?
So now, conclude this poem I must,
you’ve taken all I’ve said in, I trust.
This is an unusual way to present it,
but this entry I think, really will take the biscuit.
Not when it comes to the ideas contained,
but for the poetic justice I’ve gained.
Writing this poem has made me think,
how can video games cause a stink?
They’re really quite good and they help you to learn,
most of the time there’s no real concern.
It’s just a way to have fun, let off some steam.
You sit on consoles, eyes agleam.
So as I leave you, a few last words:
Valve just can’t release the thirds.
Poem by SlipB, thanks for reading.
I've fixed a few typos if it's alright.
