Next I'll break out my Huey Lewis cassettes

My thumb hurts.

Perhaps I should explain.

In 1980, the video game craze that hit my hometown took it's toll: quarters were badgered out of mom and dad's pocket and the arcade was THE hangout until well into my senior year in high school.

The favorites were Gauntlet, a dungeons-and-dragons themed game which could be played for hours once you were super-powered; 1942, a WWII flying shoot-em-up; and my personal favorite, Galaga, which is a way better version of Space Invaders.

So how does this affect me now? Well, mom shipped me a small handheld joystick last week. It plugs into the AV port of our television and voila! I can choose from the original arcade versions of Galaga, Ms. Pac Man, Pole Position, Xevious, and Mappy.

Yes, it's old school.

Yes, the games are graphically simple.

But they're still challenging, especially since my reflexes have dulled a bit since I was 12.

Shooting Galagians has become my favorite winter pastime, much to the dismay of my wife.

I reached level 25 yesterday after playing for an hour straight.

Which is why my thumb hurts.