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New Year’s Eve is a very strange holiday, I must admit. I’ve had all kinds of wacky celebrations, ranging from going to Times Square for the 2000 switch-over to not even knowing it was New Year’s and being shocked that certain stores were closed. I generally like the concept of celebrating Numbers Go Up, so this (and my birthday) are pretty awesome times of year. I just haven’t ever really developed a sweet New Year’s tradition.

For the last two years, however, I have done the same thing. It is awesome, and you must accept that as truth, friends! I’m sharing this because it is, in my opinion, a perfect way to really chillax and welcome a Numbers Go Up.

First off, stay home. Going somewhere for New Year’s is not something I’ve ever really enjoyed; it’s almost always too crowded, or drunk, or both, and you usually are exposed to too many elements, or are too bored, or both.

You need to stay home and play a whole lot of old games (arcade games work best, but older console games also work, especially famicom games). Do this with as many friends as you can. Your goal should be to complete at least a few games and play at least 20, ideally games that you have never played before. Play games that are in Japanese. Play some “Quiz” games, and definitely play some beat-em-ups. Play shooters and elevator-fights. Play with balloons and dogs and water and clowns and guns and more guns.

If you like videogames, and I fucking LOVE videogames, you will learn a lot about yourself and gaming culture while doing this. What things do you actually like to do in videogames? What trends do you see in the late eighties or early nineties, the era when arcades began to evolve into their modern-day smiling corpses? Can’t decide what to try? Go here and click on random links and play those mother fucking games and get yourself educated. Make sure to have a TV on so you don’t miss midnight, but you need to mute that noise and crank up the fat beats coming from some old arcade game that nobody has ever heard (or heard of).

Do this, and consider your next year. What are you excited about? What could you be doing better?

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