Bowser's kids (Koopalings) and Bowser Jr...

This was an interesting happening...

If you are not an "old school" gamer, you might not know that Bowser, King Koopa himself, has seven kids as of Super Mario Brothers 3. Yes... the NES. If you didn't know, now you know. I just had to explain this to my 8 year old son... and why there is a Bowser Jr. to add to the situation.

Bowser Jr. But wait, he has more than one mother? Maybe... maybe not, we're not sure. This is a topic that then escalated into who step-parents truly were. I have nothing against them, nor ex-wives/husbands, but it was actually easier to explain with relatable video game characters than if explained in another way. 

If I had a Facebook account it would say "In a complicated relationship" so this is one for the ages. *chuckles*

Upcoming Games

We all want and need to occupy our time somehow. With so many great games coming soon, it's going to be a mission to play them all and still have time to partake in the real world. Oooo, the real world (and not the MTV version!).

Lord British's Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues... I haven't been this excited for a game in quite a while. So much so, it was actually the first product I've actually gone to KickStarter and backed. It's being created by a team of brilliant minds including Lord British himself, Richard Garriott, so it's quite obvious why I'm ecstatic and involved in the creation of it.

This is an interesting opportunity to be part of the creation of something new and great. I don't want to go into a whole rant about it now, but Single Player adventures abound plus Multiplayer as we all know a typical MMO to be but presented in a new way. Think of all those old school RPGs injected with some Multiplayer mayhem, PvP included (consensual meaning you KNOW you're going to put yourself into a PvP situation and are prepared to face the consequences and rewards) along with player created content... oh the merriment we shall have!

MOBAs have become popular recently thanks to League of Legends and DotA and now EA has given some funds to Waystone Games to further evolve the genre. OH NO! EA!! Yea.. get over it. DawnGate looks to be adding RTS elements into the current MOBA style along with heavy story elements. One really intriguing feature is the Shapers themselves saying things when using items, killing enemies or reacting to an event. The possibilities...!!

This one came into my radar a while ago but is now getting closer to beta and something I wouldn't mind getting my space and Wild West fix from. Homes floating in the sky seems like such a brilliant idea, I'm just going to have to check out WildStar.

So these are some games that I'm looking forward to. I am interested to know if I'm missing some, be them on a computer or a console. GTA V comes to mind! I must make a post somewhere about how much I am looking forward to wrecking havoc in the West Side (which is the best side)!!!

Fireworks on Your LoL Screen

And so Bryannleong has received the Arclight Varus skin to smite his foes with righteous arrows! Congrats and enjoy!!

On a Quest for Lord British #LBSotA

So a while ago there was this exciting and uplifting KickStarter campaign for Shroud of the Avatar, an amazing mix of old school RPG in a Massively Multiplayer Realm, which is being created by the eccentric and brilliant mind of Richard Garriott and his talented folks at Portalarium. 

I'm a HUGE fan of the Ultima series but there was nothing like the grand ol' times had in Ultima Online, where the dial up sound was your soul being transported to a whole new world, because Origin Creates Worlds you know... I am lending my support as a moderator on their forums and am looking forward to... yes, creating a new world!

FireLotus, the official Crier of New Britannia, announced that Lord British himself had called upon his fellow Founders to go on a quest for him. I created an ode to the days of adventuring on your own, discovering new realms from your Apple II, NES and on. I'm no video editor but I believe my love and dedication to the cause comes through with these videos. The first one goes a little something like this:

After creating that video though, I knew I had left out a HUGE inspiration and industry game changer known as Ultima Online, the grand daddy of MMORPGs.

Although mine did not garner the votes to win the competition, quite the worthy one was selected victorious...

Created by an odd duo known as the Space Bards it really is worth a watch to see what they filmed, edited and published in only 2-3 days. Great stuff! The tune so is so catchy I occasionally have it playing on my way to work.

LoL Giveaway Winner!

And so, the winner of the League of Legends Champion/Skin giveaway is.......

NO ONE!! (yet)

Why's this? People posted, commented and shared the post I asked them to... well no one has come forward with a Summoner Name AND added me so I can't transfer the prize! ACK! So basically it's first come first serve. 

Add VasCorpPor and post your Summoner Name and which Skin or Champ tickles your fancy and I'll have a feather for it.

Gaming - A Sort of Self Retrospect

I look at the Urban Dictionary definitions of hardcore and casual gamers and can't feel more out of place. They both end up on such extremes that I'm not sure where I fall into. 

Years ago, when I was not a father and single, I probably fell into the hardcore gamer category because of the amount of time and research I put into playing games. I would aim to demolish the high score, I would learn the special moves and combos and yes... I even called the 1-900 number for GamePro and Nintendo Power when they existed. Really funny side story on that but that's for another post... *chuckles to himself* Yes, I was that kid in the arcade that would destroy players as they lined their quarters on the machine, waiting for their turn.

 

Nowadays we have the internet and its wealth of (FREE) information and distractions. Even my 8 year old son knows how to go to use Google to find a tutorial for a game he's stuck on. My old self would say that's totally ok but now as an 'experienced' gamer, I feel that it's just cheating you out fun for the game. Although, there are those times when you REALLY need to check how to pass some level or else someone is going to end up on tomorrow's news...

I find most of my gaming now is late night when the family is asleep and its nice and quiet. I've got plenty to do throughout the day and this is the perfect time to unwind. I don't play violent/graphic games when the kids are awake mainly because they don't need to see me performing chain takedowns in Far Cry 3 or killing cops in GTA. I'm aware some parents could care less, but I'm not one of them.

So what can I play while they're awake? Minecraft comes to mind but PvP must be turned off or my son will get NOTHING done as he attempts to kill me over and over. Almost anything on the Wii though I loath Rock Band style games. 

When all else fails, the smart phone is the go to... the bathroom, on the go, out and about, or even on the couch. Those 'simple' games have a way of keeping you coming back for more but lack the depth of the games I must play in Ninja Mode.

Who else remembers gaming before the internet? And if there are any parents out there, how do you get your game on with and without the kids?