Making time to play, even on your busiest weeks
Welcome back to the Gaming Backlog, a short series where we talk about what we’re playing on Nintendo Switch. These check-ins are meant to help you stay up to date with what’s happening across Nintendo while also pointing you toward games that might fit into your weekend.
This week has been particularly busy for me. Work and school have kept me preoccupied, and things with Gr3atScotty haven’t slowed down either. While there haven’t been any shiny hunting events I’m actively participating in, I’ve continued my Shiny Badge Quest in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, and found a shiny Charmander earlier this week. On the last encounter of the stream, too.
Talk about last encounter magic. But more on that later.
My Charmander is Adamant in nature, which means he’s set up to be a strong physical attacker. If you’ve been following the Shiny Badge Quest blog, you probably know what that means.
I’m resuming my track record of being a menace on Route 22, and I’m not sorry for that. I’ll be frying Spearow, Rattata, and Mankey on Route 22 until Rudania, the shiny Charmander, is fully EV trained.
Charmander is the fifth member of the FireRed and LeafGreen Shiny Badge Quest, but he’s also the first shiny I’ve found in LeafGreen. That likely means I’ll be making my way to challenge Brock soon, unless I decide to hunt another shiny beforehand. Part of me feels like I should earn that badge the hard way again… but we’ll get into that later.
Honestly, I need a quiet weekend where all I do is EV train my Charmander. School started up again for me this week, which means my weekends are going to fill up with more homework and less time to game. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it does mean I need to be more intentional with the time I have. EV training works well here because it’s slow-paced and low pressure, something I can settle into while listening to lectures or folding laundry. It’s the kind of gameplay that fits when your attention is being pulled in several different directions at once.
If your week looked anything like mine, you know how limited time can feel. Priorities come first. If it feels like there isn’t enough time for your hobbies right now, the best thing you can do is keep it simple. When you find a small window, even just 20 to 30 minutes, focus on the game you’re most interested in instead of trying to juggle too many. The other games will still be there.
I’ve included this idea, among others, in a quick infographic I created. The infographic contains a few tips for balancing gaming when life gets busy, which I think can be especially helpful.
I hope you’re able to find a bit of time this weekend to relax and make the most of it. Even a little time can go a long way when you’re intentional with it.
Until next time!
About the Author
Scott (Scotty) Greenhalgh is the founder and owner of Input Lag, an independent Nintendo-focused publication. Scotty brings a player-first perspective informed by years of hands-on experience with Nintendo games to his reviews, rankings, and editorial coverage. His writing focuses on how games feel to play, their long-term value, and the impact Nintendo’s creative and business decisions have on players.
Outside of Input Lag, he also creates Pokémon-focused content online under the name Gr3atScotty.
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