Associated Press Writer

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP) -- Soon after the battle for Fallujah ended in November, U.S. Marines brought their Xbox consoles, Gameboys and laptops forward and started fighting the Covenant hordes in "Halo," Mario and Luigi's worst enemies and those irksome roommates from "The Sims."

At the Marine base several kilometers (miles) southeast, high-speed wires snake down hallways, through doors and out windows. The Navy engineers play "Half-Life 2." At the gym, where seven Playstations get heavy use, Marines wage "Madden NFL 2005" tournaments. "Neverwinter Nights" reigns in the public affairs office.

The video game generation has grown up and gone to war, taking along its preferred form of entertainment.

Never has that been clearer than during the current Iraq conflict and at Camp Fallujah, where Marines and soldiers play because they've been playing all their lives. Games relieve both the stress of warfare and the crush of boredom.

"You keep focus on what we're here for, but you've got to go somewhere else sometimes," said Staff. Sgt. Robert Sloan, 26, a communications maintenance chief from Ohio. "Sometimes you read too many books."

Games are as ubiquitous at Camp Fallujah and around it as tattoos, buzz cuts and shouts of "Hoorah" from one Marine to another. When the power goes out, a Humvee battery and a pair of alligator clips are all the resourceful gamer needs to resume the digitized fight.

The military has long brought the newest technology with it to war zones -- and then provided for those who forgot to bring what they wanted. At the post-exchange in Camp Fallujah, a stack of Playstations and Xboxes share an aisle with DVD players, televisions and microwave ovens.

The "Game Zone" sits in the corner, stocked with some 20 game titles across the aisle from racks full of box sets from the band Nirvana and DVDs of the 70s TV comedy "Three's Company."

"Everything we get in sells right out. Entertainment is entertainment," said Staff Sgt. Franklin Williams, an exchange specialist at the P/X. "They like the latest games -- military games, car games, everything with speed."

Psychologists who treat combat stress recommend video games for Marines to unwind and boost morale.

"I always talk to people about all kinds of positive, pleasant events that they can use," said Lt. Erin Simmons, a psychologist with Bravo Surgical Company. "I've heard some people say they like to play the video games with the aggressive military content. I've also heard people say they don't want to play those types of games, they don't need to be reminded of it. But as far as a pleasant event, it can take their mind of things, help them relax. We encourage it."