Every day this week, I'm counting down my five favorite gaming accomplishments over the last 12 months.
In 2008, my greatest elation with a video game had nothing to do with me.
Slowly but surely, I have tried to convince my girlfriend she would enjoy video games.
She loves "Tetris," "Super Smash Bros." and "Mario Kart," but this year, she made great strides to enjoy the medium on another level.
She played "Braid" a few months ago, but what most impressed me was when she asked to play "Left 4 Dead" -- a ridiculously fast-paced shooter -- alongside me online.
Coming to grips with "Left 4 Dead" was not an easy task for her (or for me, her teammate). The concept of independent movement and aim was both foreign and frustrating, but something she took to with great gusto.
Outside of "Left 4 Dead," she hasn't shown much interest in playing more complex games on her own. She likes how "Prince of Persia" looks, but doesn't want to play it. She thought the stories of post-apocalyptia in "Fallout 3" were interesting, but hasn't picked up the controller.
But she played "Left 4 Dead" and wants to play more. For me, that's enough.