And the winner is...

The Saints?!?! I am mildly surprised, as I expected the Colts to walk all over them. There's going to be a lot of serious drinking going on in Nawlins tonight. Of course, as I recall, that's pretty much business as usual there, anyway.

As for The Two: that much went about as expected. Thirty seconds of "Pinball Wizard," the three-minute version of "Baba O'Riley," a chunk of the "Theme from C.S.I.," thirty seconds of "See Me, Feel Me, Bite Me," and then a chopped-down version of "Won't Get Fooled Again" that made the old AM radio edit version seem robust in comparison. Yes, there was a wardrobe malfunction; Townshend accidentally pulled out his shirttails, exposing his truss. (Pete, buddy, as a longtime admirer, I have to tell you; give the porkpie hat back to Elvis Costello. It just doesn't look right on you.) Yes, the light show was absolutely over the top. Legend has it that when Ridley Scott wanted outrageous lasers and fog in Alien, he borrowed the Who's stage effects.

Oh, that's right, we've got this Friday Challenge thing here, too, don't we? Turning now to Wii for Geezers, I'll start by dropping back and punting to Henry.

"Patrict Henry - If there was ever a way to get me to spend time gardening, Wii Vegetable Gardening is probably it. All the advantages of gardening without all that heat, dirt and bending over! The thing is, if it was designed right, I'll bet some people would actually play this. I don't know if that means you should be in game design or that people need to get out more, but I'm sure there are some people who would play it. Since everyone knows little old ladies love to work in the garden, this is perfect for the retirement home crowd. Interesting and well described.

Arisia - To heck with old people, I want to play Wii VAX! As with Bruce, you sent me back in time to my days as a computer operator when I was in college, keeping watch over three VAX systems in the basement of an engineering building. But let's talk about your game. I don't know how it would be implemented, particularly using the processors that come with the Wii, but being able to step into a novel and play it would be about the coolest thing ever. I also think this could be a good short story or, dare I say it, script treatment for the latest challenge (if you chose the right book) if you took the time to flesh it out. Neat idea.

Waterboy - Wii Depression had me thinking about a game for psychiatrists at first. You picked a very topical idea and one that many Geezers will be able to relate to. I like the stages you provided, especially the bit about jumping from skyscrapers. Each level presents topical challenges and gives the players yet another chance to "live" through the depression. Nicely done.

Miko - Man, you picked just about every one of the stereotypical things Geezers used to talk about. "Back when I was young..." All of them were funny, including the bits about using up the last bits of cartilage, but I laughed out loud at the "walk to school" game. You write really good ad copy!

Watkinson - I'm afraid I'm one of those heathens who has never read The Wind in the Willows, although I have a fair bit of knowledge about the story. I liked using a double 'I' in "Wiind" but wonder why you didn't do the same for "Willows." Toad's driving game is great, especially the aside that most players will probably find this an easy challenge. I liked what I read but am going to have to defer to Bruce's judgment on this entry. (Note to self: read The Wind in the Willows real soon.)

Between Henry's comments and the posted commentary from the rest of the Challengers (Henry's suggestion for what we should call ourselves!), I have little to add. Watkinson, I really love The Wind in the Willows, but have trouble envisioning any actual gameplay derived from this concept, aside from things like punting on the river with Ratty and chasing weasels with Badger. You entry did move me to do a little research on who currently owns the adaptation rights to the book, though, which turned up this moment of pure horror:

"In 2003 Guillermo del Toro was working on an adaptation for Disney. It was to mix live action with CG animation, and the director explained why he had to leave the helm. "It was a beautiful book, and then I went to meet with the executives and they said, 'Could you give Toad a skateboard and make him say, 'radical dude' things,' and that's when I said, 'It's been a pleasure...'""

WaterBoy—evil, pure evil. Especially the part about beating the game only unlocking the key to 2008, when you have to do it all over again. I think if you'd included the words "shovel-ready" and "WPA," you'd have a winner.

Arisia—points for sneaking in Jim Caviezel, but the idea is just too vague. I'm sure we're all heading towards something like this—unless we're heading towards Third World squalor and the end of electricity instead, that's always a possibility. But your idea needs a lot more fleshing out.

Patrick Henry—knowing how much time my kids spent playing Sim Farm, I can really see this one working out. FFA and 4H chapters all over the country would want volume discounts, and so would the nursing homes, as it's something the residents could understand. Make sure you include submodules on plucking chickens, catching piglets, and shoveling manure.

Miko, Miko, Miko—I'm beginning to suspect that you're a slumming pro, because you write such great ad copy. You forgot to include "Starting the Outboard Motor," and just as a point of reference, Triumph kept the ability to crank-start the thing as a feature right up through the TR3A. (And believe me, hand-cranking a high-compression 2-litre engine was no joy.)

Therefore, after re-reading all the entries, re-reading all the reader comments, totting up the votes, and taking into account Henry's commentaries, we declare—

Miko to be the winner, with Honorable Mention going to Patrick Henry. So Mike and Patrick, come on down and claim your prizes!