099 - Backseat Gamer

For the record, I'm laughing writing this, so please, no one take this as a direct jab or anything. I'm pretty sure all gamers are guilty of this at some point anyway...

Years ago I was accused of being a backseat gamer. This weekend I discovered another one.

Let me explain to those non-gamers out there, because any gamers reading this will know what one is.

When you're playing a single-player video game in the presence of someone who is just as, or (as was the case this weekend) more gamer than you are, you might find that the gamer who is not actually playing sort of believes he is.

There are two types of backseat gamers. The good (helpful) type, and the bad (irritating) type....

Good Type:
"I think I just saw something to pick up there that you missed."
or
"Oh, don't forget to heal, you're going to die!"
or
"Careful, you missed one." (When you're about to charge headlong to your own death by a creature you didn't notice.)
or even (to a certain extent)
"They're synthetic, you have a biotic you can use against them."
and other, occasional suggestions and helpful hints for things you may have missed when focused on other things on the screen.

Bad Type:
"Duck! DUCKDUCKDUCK! Ok shoot him. SHOOT UM! GRENADE! USE A GRENADE! AHHHHH! HEAL HEAL HEALHEALHEAL! Oh, you're dead."
and
"Press 'x'. PRESS 'X'! LEFT TRIGGER! SHOOT! THERE'S ONE BEHIND YOU TOO! You're dead again. Why didn't you duck?"
It is at that point I just hand the controller over and wait for the ringing in my ears to subside.

It's why I like playing video games with my sister. She's of the good/helpful type. Mostly because she's the one carrying the walktrough and hiding behind a pillow when we play Silent Hill.