I should have known better than to set myself a gaming goal during the school year. I am sorry to report that I did not finish even one game in the month of January. Not even Pokemon. I have shame.

This is not to say that I haven’t played games. I started and put several hours into both Pokemon X and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. I just got overwhelmed. How do days go so quickly? Getting older sucks.

In Pokemon X, I got my starter (a Chespin named Quillbert), caught several team members, and took on the first gym in a pretty quick order. Then things got vaguely difficult and I temporarily rage quit during the second gym. I’m currently locked into a Tyrunt-vs.-Tyrunt battle. It is not going well for me. Someone send me a Revive.

In Link to the Past, it was a rough start. It took me a little while to reacquaint myself with Super Nintendo controls. It has been several years since I played anything on the console of my childhood. I got out of my house and into the castle, took the sword and shield from my dead uncle (how weird is it that the death of Link’s uncle is barely a plot point?) and saved Zelda from the dungeon. I got her to the sanctuary. I died a lot.

Now, I’m in some ruins looking for a pendant that the Elder of Kakariku Village thinks I need. I’m dying. A lot. This didn’t actually make me rage quit. I am still extremely interested in playing. I just know I won’t finish before the end of January (tomorrow).

So, I’ll just have to accept that my goals will likely be pushed back. February’s goals look equally promising, as I’m packing up my life and moving for March 1st, and also I can’t find Ham-Ham Heartbreak.