Tag Archives: video games

Summer Games Done Quick

July 26, 2015 Pike 1 Comment

Speedrunning fascinates me because it’s all about people who are way better at video games than I am. I mean, I love video games and I’ve been playing them for about three decades, but I’m pretty sure I suck at them. I’m also very slow at them.

So watching some of my favorite games get absolutely demolished in no time at all is just really fascinating and magical to me.

Enter Games Done Quick, which happens twice a year and gives donation money to charity! If you’re not watching it yet, well, it just started about an hour and a half ago and it’s happening right here. (Yoshi’s Island is getting destroyed right now, a game which I maintain is the greatest 2D platformer of all time). So if speedruns are your thing, come and check it out. Even if speedruns aren’t your thing, check it out anyway. Here’s the schedule so you can find a game you want to watch and then tune in at the right time– the schedule is super nifty and it should automatically match itself up to your time zone.

Gotta go fast!

non-wow, thoughts

All The E3 Spam and Reactions Remind Me Why I Love Games

June 16, 2015 Pike 2 Comments

I’m sure the people on Twitter or blogs who don’t care about E3 are tired of hearing about it by now. And you know, it can be a draining couple of days for everyone. But at its core is something really exciting to me. A certain spark. A certain passion. Because sometimes something really special comes along and the people in the audience start crying or cheering because games are important to us.

I’m really glad that I love games. I’m proud to be part of a community that loves games. These are my people, and for a few days we can band together and freak out about them as one glorified united whole.

…and also annoy the heck out of everyone else, but.

VIDEO GAMES!!

non-wow

Pike’s Quick Start Guide to Steam Sales

June 12, 2015 Pike 2 Comments

Steam sales are here, which means it’s time to add to your neverending collection. Because if you’re anything like me, you are a dragon who hoards video games.

If you’re not sure where to start or what to get, never fear! Here’s a quick start guide on how to sniff out the best deals.

STEP ONE: Praise Lord Gaben.

STEP TWO: Head over to the Steam Sales Tracker, which will become your best friend over the course of the next ten days. This handy website will tell you what the most discounted games across the entire Steam platform currently are. Even better, you can sort by many different variables including rating and price. So yeah. Steam Sales Tracker. Bookmark it.

STEP THREE: Plug yourself into Steamleft.com and weep.

And that’s it. Pike’s easy, three step guide to enjoying the Steam sales.

Just… don’t bankrupt yourself, okay? And I’m here for you if you need moral support. I’M HERE FOR YOU.

non-wow

What Made ME A Gamer? …What Makes the Sky Blue?

May 18, 2015 Pike 4 Comments

Today’s Talkback Challenge on the Newbie Blogger Initiative that I’m taking part in is the question “What made you a gamer?”

Wow. Not even sure where to begin with that one. You see, I’ve been gaming my entire life. I don’t remember what my first game was, because games were always there. Always a part of my life, just like eating and sleeping. Growing up, I never knew I’d go to the extents of bringing from amazon best gaming keyboard and mouse combo to continue my wontly gaming habit.

I could tell you about our Commodore 64 and all the dozens upon dozens of games we had for it.

I could tell you about renting the NES from the video store (because back then renting game consoles was a thing.)

I could tell you about arcades and arcade games and my dad holding me up so I could reach the joysticks. I could tell you about my favorite gaming keyboards from qwertybro.com.

I could tell you about days spent parked in front of the Super Nintendo and the Nintendo 64, playing some of the greatest games to ever grace a console.

I could tell you about Pokemon (oh hey, I did that yesterday), about Final Fantasy (w… wait, I did that too!) about Starcraft, about The Elder Scrolls, the Civilization series, the SimCity series, about Zelda, about X-Com, about grand strategy, about… well, you get the picture. There’s also the thrill from playing black satta king 786. It’s a list that goes on and on.

The point, though, is that games like The Irish Lottery didn’t just make me a gamer. Games made me. They are more important to me than basically anything else on the planet. They have helped me get through some of the roughest patches my life has ever seen. Does all of that make me silly? A big ol’ nerd?

Probably.

But I like who I am, so it’s okay.