Life As A Disabled Gamer
I was born with Cerebral Palsy, a non-progressive condition that affects the part of the brain that handles the limbs and fine motor functions. I'm unable to talk or walk, which confines me to a wheelchair. I only have full use of my right arm, but I can play one-handed. Playing certain games one-handed can be challenging, and there are some games that I cannot play, but I'm always up for a good challenge. It's part of what makes me, or anyone else, a gamer. I began to play video games at the age of 8, with Super Mario Brothers on the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), a game that I've yet to finish. Back then, it seemed endless (and apparently, to Nintendo, it is). I remember playing it for 4 hours each day for 2 weeks, hoping to beat it. Unfortunately, that never happened. Being young at the time, I simply put the game away for another title. I should probably go and pick it back up some day.
I've always received strange looks from my peers, but that has never stopped me from playing games. While the NES era was by far the most level era in terms of game-play, these recent generations have given me the most enjoyment and challenges. As the game-play evolved, so did the controllers. They went from just a directional pad with 2 buttons, to a d-pad with 8 buttons and 2 analog sticks. Adapting my technique to each style of controller has been a unique challenge.
Sometimes, I'm still a little surprised that the fact of my being a one-handed, physically challenged gamer amazes people. When I go out, such as to an arcade, people look down on me. It's like me being in a wheelchair automatically makes me a bad gamer. But once they see what I can do, they're left in awe. In my mind, I've never been any different from other gamers. Being a physically challenged one, though, has forced me to acknowledge my limitations with games as far as genres go. I try to stay away from the ones that I can't play. But the genres I can play, I go full-throttle into.
Up until recently, I've played predominately roleplaying games, with some focus on fighters. However, with the inclusion of online multi-player and other networking features in games and consoles, I've been able to try different titles and genres (i.e. Devil May Cry 4, Grand Theft Auto 4, and Mass Effect).
One example of a genre I can't play is shooters. Mass Effect is in this genre, and I had trouble playing it, due to the controls being too complicated for one-handed gaming. When you need to hold the controller a certain way, it causes problems when needing to reach some buttons.
The inclusion of online multi-player in some games has been a huge help to me. Being confined to a wheelchair greatly hinders my ability to go out and hang out with my friends, but with online functionality becoming more prominent in games, I can meet and game with my friends (and sometimes even complete strangers) over the Internet. I know that online gaming isn't the same as gaming in the same room with my friends (due to the lag and/or delay), but just being able to interact with people on any level in a game is an amazing experience.
Deviating from my original topic for a moment, I want to point out that anything online for any challenged person is a great asset. In real life, when people look at me, they automatically think that I'm not on the same level as they are, and then treat me as if I came from a Special Education class.
However, online play is vastly different. Online I can communicate easily and no one is the wiser that I'm in a wheelchair. They don't have those preconceived first impressions that are so valuable in the world. Online I can truly communicate the way that I need to.
Lately, the one title that's gotten me the most number of strange looks from my peers is Ninja Gaiden 2. Since I started playing it, my fellow gamers have been saying things like I won't beat the game one-handed. But, here I am, in Chapter 6 and still going strong. Yes, the Ninja Gaiden franchise is infamous for its unforgiving difficulty, but I like the challenge. Isn't liking a challenge a common characteristic in a "gamer?"
Another current challenge is entering the competitive gaming arena with Soul Calibur 4 -- my first competitive title. I've played some of the previous games in the franchise, but it was always for recreation, whereas SC4 is the first one that I wanted to get serious about. I know that I have a long way to go, but I think that it's something I could really excel at. I'm really interested in seeing just how far I can go.
Much like girl gamers before us, challenged gamers are becoming a larger part of the gaming community. So, if I can show others that just because we're "handicapped" doesn't mean that we're to be taken lightly, I'd feel satisfied. This is one reason why my motto on Xbox Live is "Seeing Is Believing". I may not be the best gamer in the world, but I'm certainly not the worst. Underestimate me, and it's very likely I'll kick your butt.
