There is one item every serious video gamer must own, yet it receives very little attention. Scour the IGN archives, and I'll predict you'll find at most one article dedicated to the subject. I am, of course, referring to your chair. That's right, that piece of furniture currently supporting your fundament. After hours of gaming, the comfort of one's chair becomes paramount.

I was introduced to the concept of the Video Rocker about five years ago. It was a present; one of those rare presents that is absolutely perfect. At the time I had no idea that such a thing existed, but it was the perfect solution to a problem I had no idea existed until it was solved. Where the giver got it from, I have no idea, nor do I know from where she got the idea in the first place.

It was pretty much like the one pictured above, vinyl-covered and black in color, but lacking the child. The N64 is about right. It gave sterling service to my posterior and back on a daily basis until a couple of weeks ago, but finally, it broke; the chair, that is, not the N64. So now, I simply had to find a replacement, but from where? The person who gave it to me wasn't available for query, and rummaging through furniture stores in Tucson revealed no such item.

To the Internet I turned; that wonderful resource that uncovers such delightful items as a source of British cuisine and pickled onions in the Sonoran desert. While the former served to remind me that my homeland isn't renowned for it's cooking, the availability of the pickled onions made up for that. Do you know how much I love pickled onions? Yet America, known for it's pickles (shudder), hasn't embraced the pickled onion. Why anyone would want to pickle a small cucumber is a mystery to me. The onion is a much more rational choice.

I notice that once more I have indulged in one of my famous digressions.

Back to the subject at hand. A few hours of interaction with the Google search engine finally found the item was looking for, and it was then I discovered that it was called a Video Rocker. Of the several available, the one that was the most attractive to me was found at http://www.ultimatefutons.com/plusvidroc.html.   An order was placed for their Plush Burgandy Video Rocker, and courtesy of Federal Express, it turned up a week later. The cost was $79.99, and shipping was free.

I must commend UltimateFutons for their service. Their website's ordering system didn't allow for enough room to enter my address as it is registered with Visa, meaning I had to enter it on two lines. So at 07:15 on Monday morning (I placed the order over the weekend), one of their representatives called me to clarify the order. To quote Sheriff Buford T. Justice, "Thank you, kind lady."

This is an excellent chair, much more comfortable than my original. Surgery with a Victorinox Multitool revealed that the original was constructed almost entirely of expanded polystyrene, with  foam-based upholstery.

Interesting. I had no idea. I am surprised it lasted as long as it did.

The new chair is built in more conventional style, with a wooden frame, and fabric-covered foam upholstery that is thicker and more comfortable than my original. The degree of rock is about the same, and it sustains a full over-balance-so-that-you're-looking-at-the-ceiling-rock as well as the original, though the recovery process is easier. Flopping into it is sheer delight.

Longevity remains a question. Only time will tell. However as far as sheer comfort is concerned, your ass will love you for getting this chair. Highly recommended.