Question 1

I was really surprised by how many pachinko parlors are in Japan. It seems to be very popular, but I don't really understand why. I don't like gambling and I also feel like they are too noisy and smelly. A lot of people smoke in there. Because of those reasons I have never tried it.

Question 2

When I was a kid I really enjoyed board games (pre video game era). My favorite games were Candyland and Life. I liked the colorful characters in Candyland and the little people and cars in Life. It was fun to use my imagination while playing. When video games came out I played Pokemon Red on GameBoy Color and I also had a Sega Genesis.

Question 3

I actually still have my old Playstation 2. I do play some games on it once in a while. My favorite one is Dance Dance Revolution. I enjoy active games. On my phone I play Pokemon Go to get more exercise. I also have a Nintendo Switch. I sometimes play Pokemon Shield or Pokemon Legends Arceus.

Question 4

When playing certain games I can become very competitive. I love to focus on it so much and I get a rush out of it. I used to beat my brothers all the time when we played Smash Brothers or Star Wars Pod Racing on the Nintendo 64. They always got so angry at me. It just made me try harder to win.

Question 5

At least when I lived in America, laser tag was very popular. People wear electronic targets on their chest and back. They try to shoot each other with lasers while running and hiding in an obstacle course. It's a lot of fun to play with friends. I haven't really seen it in Japan, though.

Question 6

I think they could be harmful if they are too violent for a young age group or if kids get too consumed by playing them. I also don't think it is healthy to play many hours a day, but generally I think video games are just fine.

Tough Vocabulary

Question 1

Japan is a haven for videogamers with company giants like Nintendo, Square Enix, Bandai, Capcom and Sega. In 2020, I got obsessed with playing Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch. It's a pretty laidback game and I could enjoy playing it for hours.

Question 2

I was into Lego toys when I was a child. I remembered I had to beg my mother to buy me the whole set. I built model houses and structures with the Lego blocks. Looking back, it's probably one of the factors that influenced me to be an architect.

Question 3

I still have some RPGs on my pc but I rarely have time to play it nowadays. Whenever I hang out with my friends, we just play some card games. If we are lounging indoors we sometimes play some video games too. A quick mario cart race is never a bad idea to get some laughs.

Question 4

I can be competitive if there's a valuable prize involved. Some people get too obsessed with winning just for the sake of bragging rights. I guess it always depends on the event. If it's just a party game then I wouldn't mind losing as long as everyone is having fun.

Question 5

Cockfighting is a very popular sport in the Philippines. In rural areas, most adult men spend their Sunday afternoons in an arena or pit where they bet on fighting roosters. My father and uncles were avid fans of this sport that they even have a large farm to raise roosters for fighting.

Question 6

It depends on the type of vdeogame. Some videogames can hone the creativity of kids and also teach them other essential life skills. As long as it doesn't encourage violence and they play it moderately then it's not too harmful for them.

Tough Vocabulary