Recommend a game with the better half / fairer sex etc

[topper]

So, it's time to see if we can add gaming to the list of our shared activities.

Some salient points:

• I don't have much time for gaming these days but like lots of us, dip in and out. Would rather play something where there is a sense of actually achieving something (this is subjective of course).
• She has never played anything except Flower which she enjoyed. Has also enjoyed PS3 demos of Heavy Rain and Journey (although "thinks she would rather watch than play" *sigh*).
• We could go Rock Band, but I'm burnt out on it - would rather play real guitar and real games.
• Have a BC PS3, original Xbox, Dreamcast sitting there waiting, and a Wii (hence Gamecube) available at the price of a phone call to my parents.
• Would prefer simultaneous 2-player although something we could take turns at would be okay. (oo-er)
• Would prefer "real" game vs waggle, as if I get her into waggle, she might never experience the depth of a "proper" game. (This is not meant to be flamebait as it sounds, I'm tired and this is a brain dump.)
• Probably not twitch. Bless her, she's not really that type.

Very much looking for something that could whet her appetite for gaming without boring my socks off. Any creative suggestions? So far I have some not-very-creative ones:
DC:

• Space Channel 5
• Virtua Tennis

GC:

• Animal Crossing
• Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
• Mario Kart: Double Dash
• Paper Mario: Thousand-Year Door
• Pikmin
• Super Monkey Ball
• Zelda: Wind Waker

PS2:

• FFX or some other JRPG
• Katamari Damancy

PS3:

• echochrome
• Pixeljunk (whatever)

[rmoxon]

If she would rather watch than play a game, then let her try out a Metal Gear solid title .

On a serious note, find out what she likes to watch, and get her to play that. If she still cant decide a few multiplayer suggestion's would be stuff like New Super Mario bros Wii, or better yet Little big planet, where you actually have to work together to achieve certain things on levels.

Cant go wrong with a bit of Smash Bros either.

You are probably best sticking to simple games unless you believe her to have the patience to actually learn how to play first person shooters and the like. I'm pretty sure none of us were naturally great at using analogue sticks when we first started, if she's not going to allow her self time to practise, you're best starting simple.

When she does want to make the leap to more complex games, start with something slow paced, an adventure game where you don't need good reflexes to complete it.

Really, I cant stress this enough, anyone can find fun in many types of games, the biggest barriers for people will be their initial willingness to try something new, and also their capacity for learning how to play games. If you get over that hurdle, then there are no problems.

[Dogg Thang]

House of the Dead 2 or 3 from the Wii collection (or just 2 on DC with gun). An easy one to get into. My wife was hooked and she's not a gamer.

[cutmymilk]

LIMBO!!

[Pikate]

Few suggestions, mainly for great competitive sessions (maybe let her win a bit at first if you're any good though):

DC:

• Puzzle Bobble 4
• Sports Jam

PS3:

• Any Tekken (I prefer Super Street Fighter but that's because I wanted to love it, Tekken is more accessible? Dead or Alive might also be good?).
• Okami HD (Not Multiplayer but a beautiful game)
• LittleBigPlanet

Wii:

• Kirby's Epic Yarn
• Mario Kart Wii
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii

[EvilBoris]

Lara Croft Guardian of the light is one of the best co-op games out there, grab it!

[kryss]

- Mario Galaxy with her on the second wiimote picking up stars.
- Pokemon Puzzle League / Tetris Attack: basically any 2 player competitive puzzle game IF she likes that kind of thing.

['Press Start']

I believe this is one of the best simple/fun co-op games out there:-


Me and my son (nearly 4) play it every so often and we have great fun.

[Wools]

My girlfriend is very accommodating to me playing Videogames and has a DS & Wii herself, only plays puzzle games though.

I've had an odd experience with her watching me play games. Games that I've always been told that partners would love like Uncharted, Braid or anything with a story, she gets bored of and goes back to a book. However she fell in love with Rayman and led to my fondest moment where I got out the shower one morning and she had loaded up my old Xbox 360 and was playing the game herself.

Where it gets odd is her favourite game to watch me play. Modern Warfare 2... She absolutely loves watching it, taking part in spotting enemies and she gets as tense as me when I play a match or 2 online. She even mentioned when we were out and about today that it's been awhile since I played COD and asked if I wanted to play some tonight.

The best thing is the name she's christened it. Where's Wally.

[Kit]

Crash Bandicoot would be my suggestion. The third one would be a great place to start as its not very challenging yet still great fun.

• Space Channel 5

It's such a shame Space Channel 5 is such a bastard hard game with borked timing. That first level is the pied piper of gaming to woman in my experience; girlfriends, sisters, friends and family, they all adored it but unfortunately couldn't get past the stupid difficulty.

[rmoxon]

Yeah,Space channel 5 is charmingly rubbish, it's broken, but it's impossible not to like it.

[dataDave]

Any of the Trauma Center games.

**** if they're 'waggle' or not, they have my mrs. in the zone.

[acidbearboy]

My Mrs played a few games growing up; mario, sonic etc. She plays a few bits since living with me, Nintendo platformers mostly, but only when encouraged and not usually that regularly.

I think you'll find it tough to get her into anything if she isn't the interested to play in the first place; just like you would find it tough to get me to read books or watch movies, no matter how many you recommended.

[topper]

Update: We've been playing LBP together (first time for me too), and it's a resounding success! She loves it. Not sure if it's the brilliant learning curve and game design, or if she's a natural, but I'll go with the former. She makes mistakes of course, but for someone who has never really played anything, it's a nice surprise!

NB So pleased to hear Space Channel 5 is broken. I'm a fairly decent (for an amateur) guitarist, and it constantly punishes me, even when I'm sure I was pretty on the button. *blush*

Thanks for all the recommendations, good thread!