Blindness doesn't stop game whiz

To most people, becoming an expert at video games like "Mortal Combat" takes hours of practice and a sharp eye.

But Brice Mellen, a 17-year-old from Lincoln, Neb., routinely knocks off opponents even though he's at a slight disadvantage. He's blind.

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that Mellen, who was born blind as a result of Leber's disease, became a game whiz through years of carefully memorizing key combinations, joystick movements and other in-game strategies.

Having cut his teeth on "Space Invaders," Mellen is now the alpha "Soul Caliber 2" player on his block.

After high school, he says, he plans to go to college and major in, naturally, video game design.