You have to appreciate a good pun. And a good rhyme also. One. Mum. Pun. What a run. Apparently you can’t stop me now, as I attempt to talk about TVNZ’s latest free-to-air television show, Ready Gamer Mum.
Hosted by Mai FM’s Tegan Yorwarth, “it’s got a mix of gaming, competition, family chaos, and some genuinely wholesome moments throughout”. Because if anything is going to stop you from being a toxic gamer, it’s your Mum. Featuring 10 teams from “across the motu”, it manages to tick the cultural diversity box while suffering at the hands of the patriarchy, as we only have one gamer for the girls! But that means contestant Ayla and her mum Breeze will be a standout as the series progresses. And don’t worry! As far as commercial television is concerned, gamers are still somehow taking up space in “dingy basements”. You know. A thing which famously most New Zealand houses lack. Like insulation! But I digress.
The contestants apparently didn’t know it would be their Mum’s who would take over the controls during the show, which makes for an entertaining reaction from them all. And Yorwarth ensured the contestants understood that it’s called ‘Ready Gamer Mum’ and not ‘Ready Gamer Person’. Which I think is a fair point to make.
Classic rules apply, and the competition knocks contestants out weekly as they compete for the $50,000 prize. Wait. Let me check that again. FIFTY. THOUSAND. DOLLARS. In this economy?? An impressive pot put up by a tonne of sponsors, with the biggest being McDonald’s. This is probably why there’s a McDonald’s wildcard team in Rachel and Romy. I wonder how many episodes they’ll survive!
“What game will we be loading up first?” says Yorwarth.
It’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 Remake. The broadcast leaves out the latter part of the title because it doesn’t add anything for the general viewer. BUT… 3 and 4 Remake are different, as the developers have added mechanics such as reverts and spine transfers. This doesn’t really matter to the Mums though, as the production sends them into the training zone filled with PlayStation 5 Pros (RESPECT) and a spectrum of DualSense controllers..
Contestant Tintin, Mum to Justis, drops one of my favourite quotes of the casual gamer: “That’s how I’ve won anything on PlayStation. Just pushing all the buttons and seeing what they do”. That’s for all the Eddie Gordo enthusiasts out there. The popular Tekken character renowned for winning matches simply by mashing buttons. Suitably, competitor Liam speaks candidly about Tony Hawk, noting “it’s not a button masher” and starts building a plan for their mother Janelle to “multiply points” through the grind mechanic. It must work, as she manages to deliver an impressive 19k trick line.
After some time training, the production takes the contestants outdoors for a Sidequest to meet Mr. ‘Nek Minnit’, Levi Hawken. A personality I would hope that many people associate with skating as much as they do with his meme. Rebekah and Bevan are understandably starstruck, but the man is there to skate! Which I suspect has something to do with the Mums too. And it is! It’s a competition to decorate their own board, and then make their way down a “mega steep ramp” into the “cushy foam of death”. The host is heavily implying hyperbole here.
Contestants Sandra and Zarni show the diversity of Ready Gamer Mum, speaking in Burmese which gives them the upper-hand in planning. How can you know what they’re doing, if you can’t understand what they’re saying! The commentary team show up again, after their brief appearance at the start. And it’s comedy circuit stalwarts Tony Lyall and Brynley Stent, who both quipped as quickly as they showed up on-screen.
The gist of this rad ramp boils down to who can bail as stylishly as possible.
Thankfully, no one is injured during this Sidequest, and Levi Hawken steps forward to judge. And my prophetic media nature has already come to light, as Ayla and Breeze walk away with the Berocca Bounce. Another great sponsor for that epic prize. Yeah the girls!
After a night of training, the contestants return for the ‘Final Round’ which somehow feels like a mash-up of Squid Games and the song by Europe. As they line up, I leave it to you to find out what happens next. There are some challenges added to make it as competitive as possible, with the Mums really having to fight for their place in the show.
I found it delightful to see gaming back on Kiwi screens in a way that’s so wholesome and fun. And I hope it opens up more people to watching and participating in this beloved and lucrative industry known as gaming.
New episodes for Ready Gamer Mum are on Thursdays at 7.30pm on TVNZ 2 or you can stream them later on TVNZ+.
