YO BRO IT’S ME LITTY

I use a Blackberry Pearl. It is my first blackberry and for the most part it has all the functions that I need in a mobile device. My major gripe is with the keypad and typing software. I’ve had the Pearl for over a year and I still struggle to correctly type certain words.

A few months ago I discovered the Blackberry game Brick Breaker. It is similar to the classic video game Breakout. I tried it once. Then I played it a few more times. And then I was hooked. The thralls of addiction are not a pretty sight. I played Brick Breaker when I woke up. I would continue my game on the subway and would often play at night before I went to bed. I would cherish any downtime in my day so I could continue my game. It got to the point where I was probably playing the game for at least one hour every day. I’m certainly not the only one with the Brick Breaker bug. I was driving in the car with my friend Troy and he was actually restarting his game each time we stopped for a red light. I often see other people playing on the subway with an intense gaze into the screen as they hold the device up to their face with one hand.

My goal was to beat all 34 levels. I heard that Colby did this. Haber was also bragging to me during our three hour delay on our trip to Detroit. I was so motivated to beat his high score that day that I almost didn’t look up when he was trying to get my attention to let me know that Ron Artest was walking by us. Luckily, I did pause the game long enough to shout out “wassup Ron-Ron” and give him the “Go Johnnies”.

The game isn’t all that difficult. The keys to success are probably patience, focus and discipline. Those traits are almost impossible when you are playing the game while trying to cross the streets of New York City. Add to that my stubbornness to acquire every boost, even “wrap” and “flip”, and I usually find good ways to screw up. I’m great at making the game more difficult than it should be.

Last week I started off a game on a nice roll. I breezed through Level 17 (U-shaped board) and caught a lucky break with a “multiply” boost on another difficult board. The rest of the final levels are sort of anti-climatic. After you pass all 34 levels you simple go back to Level 1 and continue your game. A “congrats and nice job” would have been nice. A “You’ve destroyed the Vile Red Falcon and saved the Universe. Consider yourself a Hero!” message would have made it that much better.

Half-way through the second go round I lost interest and I ended up with a little under 22,000 points. I posted my score online and there are still 29,000 scores better than mine. It doesn’t matter though as I accomplished what I set out to do.

It’s nice to be freed from the burden of Brick Breaker. I no longer have to face the pressure of success and suffer the misery of failure. I don’t have to stay up that extra thirty minutes each night to get in one last game.

Brick Breaker – I have conquered you!