Disclaimer: Bitmob and its staff do not condone the use of drugs in any manner whatsoever. We advise all our readers to respect the local laws. This article does not aim to endorse or promote the following substances, but instead to convey the realities associated with gaming and drug consumption.

From entheogenic ceremonies to political treaty-making, society has justified the use of drugs in a number of ways. While the consumption of drugs is often frowned upon by policy-makers and law-abiding citizens, we have witnessed an almost global shift in jurisprudence as more and more nations abolish or relieve the laws which prevent the consumption of drugs as common as alcohol and as potent as mushrooms.

For the most part, people consume recreational drugs with the intent of creating a mind-altering, psychedelic experience. However, it's not my intent to explore acid trips which inspire the likes of Yellow Submarine. Instead I'd like to investigate how drugs may enhance or worsen the experience of playing video games. How do mushrooms affect the aesthetic of a game as colorful and lively as Loco Roco? Do drugs like marijuana prevent or enable immersion? To what extent does alcohol handicap the abilities of a talented Counter-Strike player?

In an effort to answer these questions, I've asked both friends and strangers to recount episodes of gaming while under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, mushrooms, and LSD respectively. While they have all chosen to assume pseudonyms, these are truthful accounts.

But before you continue, allow me to reiterate. These drugs are illegal for a reason, many of the following depositions were committed by criminals with long police records -- please keep that in mind. The Bitmob staff urges you to observe the law in all instances, especially with regard to illicit substances.

Marijuana

Jerome: Allow me to forewarn you that the experience of using marijuana is nothing like the exaggerated, fever-dream which Hollywood depicts it to be. When you get high, your perception and disposition are altered -- sometimes dramatically, sometimes not. The endless cycle of grinding and questing in a game like World of Warcraft may seem purposeful while sober and mundane while intoxicated.

My most memorable experience gaming while high occurred a year ago. I was playing Super Metroid alone in my room. The lights were off and a haze of smoke surrounded my television. If you remember the soundtrack to Metroid, you'll recall its eerie and ominous flavor. As I searched the lonely planet of Zebes, a feeling of intense paranoia gripped me. The high amplified the sense of isolation which the game projected, and for a while I became sincerely...I suppose "depressed" is the only word I can think of, though it doesn't quite articulate what I was feeling. Regardless, I've never been able to return to Super Metroid, let alone any other game in the franchise. I hate to say it, but drugs ruined the Metroid series for me.

Harrison: Weed has always helped remove any barriers of reluctance or concern. The drug frees me from inhibition and forethought. So, when I play video games while high I usually get into the game more easily. The marijuana keeps me focused and enchanted. I was playing Half-Life 2 a few weeks ago, and I've never been so immersed in a story -- film, literature, or otherwise. I've tried returning to the game since, but it isn't the same. The only way I was able to finish Half-Life 2 was by smoking up while I played it.

I must say the scenes with the G-man stopping time were especially disorienting.

Alcohol

Nathan: I had spent the night drinking and clubbing, so I was raging drunk by the time I returned home. I booted up Counter Strike: Source and entered my favorite Dallas-hosted, low ping, 24/7 fy_iceworld server. Normally, I make short work of the enemy -- blasting down the corridors with my trusted M16. But then again, normally I'm not drunk.

I found it difficult to aim, and I responded to threats on my screen about two seconds too late. I became frustrated more easily, going so far as to pound on my keyboard in anger. I eventually lost interest in the game and went to bed. All I got out of that night was a severe hangover and two missing keyboard keys.

Jerome: Alcohol reduced my reflex time and alertness. I remember playing Far Cry 2 and wandering aimlessly through the African wasteland -- I was simultaneously bored and excited. Stalking gazelles and unsuspecting militiamen threw me into fits of giggling. But when I found myself alone in the middle of a savannah mesa, the sense of excitement was immediately sucked from the game.

I normally stick to singleplayer games because I would hate to degenerate into one of those foul-mouthed Xbox Live users. I hate them...so much.

Harrison: The process begins by breaking open a case of Bud. I connect to Live and jump into a Halo 3 Team Slayer game. Once I've become thoroughly inebriated, I turn on my microphone and berate everyone in sight. Maybe alcohol turns me into a bad person. Maybe I'm a bad person to begin with. All I know is that it's a barrel of laughs and that "Jerome" hates me for it!

Ben: Playing Mario Tennis is fun. Playing Mario Tennis while drunk is life-changing. One would assume that my hand-eye coordination would suddenly suck, but I was the master of the court. Bowser never saw my power smashes coming!

Psilocybin Mushrooms

Ben: Mushrooms have the habit of exaggerating one's perception of time. I was playing Loco Roco on my PSP, and suddenly time began to slow down. While the loading times in Loco Roco are reasonable for a handheld game, the 20 seconds of silence which I was forced to endure after selecting a level seemed like an eternity. What should have been a fun game became a torturous test of patience. I thought I could escape the soul-crushing endlessness by loading up Fallout 3 on my PC. The only problem is, my copy of the game had a bunch of install issues. The game stuttered and lagged whenever I was outside in the Capital Wasteland. It was a nightmare. That’s usually the problem with hard drugs: Electronics somehow become “inaccessible” to me.

Simon: It's strange that "Ben" claims that Loco Roco was a negative experience for him. I had the good fortune of avoiding a "bad trip," so instead of grinding my teeth at Loco Roco's loading screens, I became enchanted by the environment's colorful palette and the carefree, kindergarten choir soundtrack. I became giddy with joy as soon as those little puffballs smiled or cheered. It was wonderful!

However, I've got to admit that I feel the same way about Fallout 3 as "Ben". The second (and last) time I tried mushrooms, I was making my through the final missions of the game. While the game ran smoothly, the monochromatic browns and greys which colored the landscape of Capital Wasteland made me nauseous. For a game about self-discovery and "coming to age", I felt especially hopeless and depressed. By the time I reached Fallout 3's final battle, the flurry of lasers and explosions transformed into one kaleidoscopic haze.

As the trip got worse and worse, I lost most of my muscle memory and bodily control. Because I drank about two pints of beer before all this...I pissed myself. I swear to God, if you use my real name, I will kill you, Omar. I will literally kill you.

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD or "Acid")

Jerome: Have you ever heard of the game LSD? The game is played in 10-minute sessions which conclude by sending the player to the start menu. There are no objectives, goals, or persistent achievements to speak of. You basically wander aimlessly through constantly morphing "rooms" in an attempt to grasp something obscure. I never really understood why the game even existed -- it was really weird. I was fueled by a false sense of scientific duty when I decided to play LSD while on LSD. I can't remember how much time passed before I felt the effects of the drug, but the experience was indescribable. I could hardly think of anything beyond the looping soundtrack and shifting colors. I was ensnared by the game's purposelessness. The movements of my hands were almost rhythmic.

I was eventually overcome by a sense of desperation which gave way to regret (of what, I don't know). I spent the rest of the night in front of the toilet, throwing up. I don't suggest playing such a strange game while on acid. Come to think of it, I don't suggest acid. Period.