Gaming Hangovers

As I sit at the keyboard today with an actual hangover (thanks to an early Halloween party) I am put in mind of the rarer (for some) but equally disorienting virtual hangover.

The earliest one I remember was the result of an afternoon-long Asteroids binge. I couldn't close my eyes without seeing vector-drawn rocks hurtling through the skies for the rest of the night.

The worst one was probably the result of a day-long Robotron 2084 duel with my pal Cole.
When we left the arcade I didn't even have to close my eyes to hallucinate the game...everything I saw was transformed in real time. My hands twitched on phantom sticks, wanting to save the last human family from being subsumed by the machine horde (tangential thought- the Borg are a TOTAL Robotron ripoff!)

A related phenomenon struck me at odd times during my long addiction to Counterstrike.

I'd catch myself analyzing the environment in terms of CS strategy: marking likely sniper nests, picking out routes, finding the best spots for a Mac 10 ambush. All that separated me from a gibbering streetcorner wino was the self control to keep my trap shut as my brain skittered along the highway of madness, and marginally better hygiene.

I mention all of this because yesterday, after spending entirely too long playing 2142, I went outside to forage some last-minute bits for my costume...and everyone I saw had a red or blue team identifier floating over their heads.

=/