VIDEO GAMES, BODY, AND BRAIN

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Video Games and Wellness

The positive effects of video gaming for everyone

Story by Michael Pape

Mario, the protagonist in the Super Mario Bros. video game series, was found to be the most recognizable character to children in a 1990 nationwide poll. As with most polls, the results might not be definitive, but the sheer number of Mario-based video games sold is quite proven. With over 750 million copies of Mario games sold, it’s clear the video game industry has become serious business. Major industry reports show over 65% of adults in the country are playing games, with many of the children polled in 1990 now well into adulthood and carrying on their favorite pastime.

The acceptance of video games as a hobby, and it entering the zeitgeist, happened not only because it served as entertaining interaction, but was discovered to promote better mental, cognitive, and physical well being. Even now, you can find Nintendo Wii consoles in senior living homes, used as tools for light exercise, and bringing residents together. With Wii Sports, or Wii Fit, in hand, residents had hours of motivation to get their bodies moving. Or, the odd copy of Brain Age, a Nintendo DS game with daily puzzles and brain teasers for keeping their minds sharp.

Nintendo’s attempts at a more active, and mentally healthy, gamer opened the doors to legitimizing gaming as a tool for the mind and body. A hippocampal brain and memory study presented in Behavioral Brain Research showed that as little as an hour a day behind a controller improved memory results. Brain scans done by Mind Research Network showed playing the well known game Tetris leads to a thicker cortex, which could potentially increase brain efficiency.

Multiple scientific studies have proven that video games not only improve cognitive health in older adults, but the evolution of games allows for motion controls that can improve physical well being. As of now, there’s no replacement for getting out and actually going bowling or playing a round of golf, but as we approach our golden years, motivation toward movement of any kind is more welcome than the alternative.

Dedication to the novel environments a 3D game world provides not only allows for better cognitive health, but general mental wellbeing. With the mental drain caused by the recent pandemic, games saw an uptick in sales, being used as a beacon of happiness in our isolation. A light-hearted island tending and life simulation game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, single handedly increased game sales worldwide, due to its cheery nature and the ability to interact with friends’ islands. Traveling in-game to be close to friends, interact with their colorful worlds, and have lighthearted moments together made Animal Crossing shine. Also, its positive effects on overall mood proved that being able to connect during the pandemic was a necessity, not just for our youth, but for everyone.

Ring Fit Adventures

Sweating it out, while fighting a dragon

I briefly mentioned a few games built around working your body, and brain, but gaming, and gaming peripherals, have grown quite a bit. With Wii Sports, Wii Fit, and Brain Age all being well over 10 years old, it’s time to share a more modern approach to video game self care. I bring you an evolved game for exercise and fun, and a deeper experience than the lighthearted bowling and golf games of Wii Sports. This game might make you sweat a bit more than the previously mentioned sports and fitness titles, and is an overall richer experience.

Ring Fit Adventure is a full-blown fitness roleplaying game (RPG) that tasks you with tracking down and defeating a bodybuilding dragon. You’re equipped with an in-game magical pilates ring, which uses exercise movements for your attack and defense. This weapon is controlled in real life with the Ring-Con, a handheld pilates ring that you slip a Nintendo Switch Joy-Con into. Your other Joy-Con is slipped into an included ring strap, attached to your thigh, for tracking your leg movements.

For those with limited mobility, or with downstairs neighbors to consider, the game offers Quiet and Assist Mode. Quiet Mode asks the player to perform mini-squat movements, in lieu of jogging in place. For those injured, or handicap in other ways, assist mode will automate movements related to specific parts of the body. The assist modes available include Shoulder Assist, Back Assist, Ab Assist, and Knee Assist. When a mode is selected in the options menu, any exercises requiring using those areas of the body are automated in-game. This allows for those with bodily limitations to still experience gameplay, and the ridiculous-yet-perfect story of Ring Fit.

The gameplay of Ring Fit boasts a depth one would have to experience themselves, but more importantly doesn’t push the user to hurt themself in the name of fitness. The in-game nemesis, Dragaux, who I’ve affectionately named Buff Dragon, is the epitome of an unhealthy exerciser. Clearly focused on pushing his body, and the cliche no-pain-no-gain mentality, the lesson in the game is that his way is not the way. Ring Fit Adventure teaches a positive and healthy approach to exercise, gives lessons in paying attention to your body, nutrition, not pushing yourself, and the importance of your overall wellness.

There’s plenty more to say, but I’d rather give you a hearty thumbs-up approval of Ring Fit Adventure, and encourage the exploration of exercising in ways that work for you. The most important part of any of this is that we stay moving and stay healthy.

Driving my invisible car on the open road.

One of the many fantastic mini-games.

The Buff Dragon flexes his insecurities.

The helpful in-game reminders of proper breathing.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

Four friends, and one angry turtle

Ah, the world renowned Mario Mario. Or, Mario, Mario, written with his last name first. Mario Mario, the actual full name of the Super Mario Bros. series protagonist, was hilariously named as such by series creator Shigeru Miyamoto. Hopefully this gives you an indication of the lighthearted approach Miyamoto had in mind for this series. Super Mario Bros. has become a series that’s accessible upfront for anyone with any interest in video gaming, but still manages to offer challenges for those hungry to work their fingers, and brains.

With Mario being the entry point for many gamers, I think it’s only fair to include him in this first video gaming related content in Guadalupe County Living. Oh, it’s not just him, but his friends and acquaintances, too. I’m not sure how close the mushroom-shaped Toad and Mario are, so I’d rather not assume they’re friends.

If you’re doubting this entry in relation to mental and physical wellness, just know that a German study found playing Super Mario Bros. for 30 minutes a day literally increased the size of the brain. That’s just the 2D entries; as I mentioned above, the 3D games exercise the brain and teach it greater retention of 3D environments, which translates into better real-world spacial maneuvering, and location retention.

This game is incredible, to say the absolute least. The ability to explore and jump through a plethora of colorful 3D environments with friends, secrets galore, multiple power-ups, and challenging late-game levels, make this an easy recommendation for those curious about gaming. If you’re already invested in gaming as a hobby, then you know the appeal of a Mario game.

Super Mario 3D World is a re-release of a Wii U game, a system that was not long for this world, as sales didn’t reach expectations. Like many Wii U games, Super Mario 3D World was re-released for the more popular Nintendo Switch, and includes some quality of life improvements, as well as additional content.

The standout addition to this game is the singleplayer Bowser’s Fury expansion. Combining aspects of previous games in the series with a new style of open-world platforming makes this worth the pick-up. Bowser, the series’ main antagonist, is angrier, bigger, and constantly challenging you. He looms in the background, spewing fire as you wander the sprawling level.

Mario Mario shamelessly wears a cat suit, as winners do.

One of the many Bowser boss castles awaiting conquering.

A puzzle segment starring the effervescent Captain Toad.

The tale of treachery told through beautiful stills.

While playing both of these games, I passed the controller off to my father, and to my grandfather. My father missed the beginning of the gaming era, working hard to do the adult things that kept the lights on, so gauging his reaction and contemplating it while writing this was incredibly important to me. He was instantly enamored, even though he couldn’t get a hang of the controls at first. That didn’t seem to matter, as he laughed the entire time he struggled. With some time, he had a grasp of it, and the intense focus of an experienced gamer shone in his eyes.

My grandfather, on the other hand, is mostly like a secret gamer. He was instantly a wizard with the controller, plowing through levels and bosses in Super Mario 3D World as if he had played the entirety of the series. As for his Ring Fit Adventure adventure, I had no idea he was so spry, playing in expert mode, and barely breaking a sweat.

These are two men that didn’t understand my gaming passion for ages, yet with a controller in their hand, they clicked. Both of them texted me the next day about bringing my Nintendo Switch by the next time I saw them. “I feel sharper, it’s a good day,” my grandfather wrote. They were hooked. The pleasures of video game dopamine release did its job, and two converts were created.

There’s a lot to say about gaming as a healthy hobby if you’re completely new to it, but we’d have to dedicate an entire magazine to it. It pains me that I’ve barely scratched the surface, even with the video game titles mentioned here. With these brief video game suggestions, I hope I at least provided a nudge in the right direction, if you have any interest.

If you think video games aren’t for you, I implore you to at least give them a chance. I hope you’ll find they can be positive tools for relaxation, capable of working your brain, and sometimes even exercising your body. Above all else, I hope you’ll find that they’re not just for children, but for everyone, including you.