It’s time for another round of “What I’ve Been Doing Instead of Writing Here!” Hopefully I can do more later today, but for now:
From Slide to Play:
Wheel of Fortune – A solid representation of the game show which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Sorry for not updating much around here, folks; I’ve so much I want to write here, but so much I have to write elsewhere that finding the time here is difficult. One such example is the recent double-decker of articles I put together for 1UP.com, which just went up earlier today as part of their cover story “Violence and Pacifism in Games.”
While fast food isn’t always good for you, it’s not always a terrible thing for you to eat, either– at least, as far as certain items go. Few will argue that a Double Down is really good for anyone who has had anything to eat in the past week, but other items are okay as far as indulgences go.
It’s all about moderation, and the occasional cheeseburger or taco isn’t likely to kill you, as long as you’re not eating them for lunch and dinner five days a week while avoiding exercise. And as it turns out, there are some items out there which are surprisingly not as bad for you as you might think.
Over on 1UP, I got to participate in the recent Cover Story “Why We’re Excited About 2013,” an optimistic look at what is to come in the next year of gaming. And for my part, I was able to contribute not one, not two, but four articles to the cause:
Tomb Raider – “Lara Croft’s reboot is exactly what the franchise needs” is admittedly my editor’s words, but just the same, I’m intrigued by this new direction and seeing how things develop if it takes. Is this an all-new approach to Lara? Or is it simply a look at beginning of the journey which takes her to the mover over-the-top video game icon people know so well?
It’s been a little while since my last “Review Round-Up,” due to the madness of the holiday season as well as moving PMO to a new server and performing some refinements you may notice around the site (check out the updated menu and sidebars). On the review side of things, here is what I’ve been up to.
From Slide to Play:
Disney Super Speedway – It’s go-kart racing with the Disney XD crew! Unfortunately, you’re more likely to find humor and references to the shows in this review than in the actual game. Also, Perry the Platypus– pictured in the game’s iOS icon– is an unlockable. Really?
Tonight, WWE aired its annual two-hour Tribute to the Troops show on USA, and guest starring throughout the show were none other than the Muppets! Right here is what might be the best segment with them, as The Miz asks the hard questions about Kermit and Miss Piggy’s relationship on his talk show-within-a-show, “Miz TV.”
You can find more clips on WWE’s YouTube Channel, and miraculously, people outside the United States can actually view them! It’s a very nice and welcome change, to say the least.
For those who’d rather see the televised version, there will be a one-hour version running on NBC this Saturday night, December 22nd, at 9pm.
WWE posted something interesting to their YouTube page recently: Some holiday-themed clips from their old television show Tuesday Night Titans, a talk show of sorts hosted by Vince McMahon and Lord Alfred Hayes which ran from 1984 through 1986. I’ve only seen bits and pieces, but it seems like an interesting enough program, and if WWE ever gets their network off the ground, maybe they can create a new version of it. Then again, part of the appeal here is in how 80′s it all feels.
Updating here isn’t going as swiftly as I’d like, for all the stuff I’m doing elsewhere. Stuff such as my latest work for 1UP, which is now available for all to see: “The Essential 100, No. 22: Mortal Kombat.”
This was one I was eager to do, because it pretty much writes itself as one of those games which, while its quality may be up for debate, has definitely made its mark on history by helping to influence the industry like no other. Plus, I’ve always had a soft spot for the series ever since discovering the first game with my cousin on a trip to California.
Anyway, I hope you’ll enjoy that while I get back to work, and hopefully I can actually write something up about my trip to the Wii U launch in NYC sometime before Nintendo announces the Wii V.
Oof, I’m a bit late with this one. Here’s a little of what I’ve been up to elsewhere, but don’t worry, I have some fun stuff to add here soon as well.
From Slide to Play:
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic – I have no idea how I was selected to do this one, but I was. No regrets; it’s a pretty decent game, though not without its downsides.
Ah, right; I should have mentioned this last week. In addition to my other stories for 1UP for their Cover Story “Mega Man: 25 Years of Theme-Park Levels and Stolen Robot Powers,” my wife and I collaborated on one other piece.
“Mega Man’s Comic Career: The Good, The Bad, The Bizarre” looks at a sampling of noteworthy comics and manga from around the world, each of which treating the franchise in its own way. From the bizarre self-gratification of bad writers in Brazil to the current Archie Comics series (with comments from series writer Ian Flynn), and several stops in-between, there’s a lot of ground covered here.
Please check it out, and feel free to leave comments on what you think of any of my articles here or on 1UP!
That wraps up that theme. Hopefully I can soon get my foot in the door for another!