…but a new list is in order

My old list of my top 20 favorite games of the previous console generation might not be getting updated any time soon, but thinking about it has gotten me interested in a new project—a list of my top 10 favorite games of the current console generation. The PlayStation 4/Xbox One/Nintendo Switch generation still has some years left in it, and I haven’t played as many games from this generation as I would like, but I think I’ve played enough to create a top 10 list based on the games I’ve experienced so far. Unlike the old list, the new list definitely will get updated in a year or two and by the end of this console generation it likely will have morphed into a top 20 list. I’m also thinking the special rule of the old list will not be applied to the new list, so no game is in danger of being left off merely because it’s part of a series that’s had multiple entries so far in this console generation. The new list will hopefully be published before the end of this month. Now it’s time to start the long, ugly process of narrowing down the nominees.

The old list stands…

In several of my writing pieces over the past three years I’ve made reference to a list of my top 20 favorite games of the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii console generation. The list was created back in 2014 and every once in a long while the thought has crossed my mind about revisiting the list and making some changes. Part of the reason I sometimes contemplate revising the list is because I think some of my opinions on certain games on the list have changed since 2014, and the other part being that the list had an artificial constraint that I put on it for the sake of creating a more diverse collection of games. The special rule I created was to only allowed one entry per game series to make the list, and while this did have the intended result of generating a list with lots of different games on it, calling the list my top 20 favorite games of that console generation is somewhat disingenuous since a number of my favorite games from that console generation don’t actually appear on it. For example, of the Uncharted games, only Uncharted 2 is on the list, but if the special rule were removed then Uncharted 3 would also be on the list, and the first Uncharted would have a decent chance of getting on it too.

For better or worse, however, I don’t think a revision of that old list is going to happen—at least not anytime soon. Even with the special rule it’s still a fairly good list of great games from that console generation, and I’m not sure I want to expend the mental energy required to make a thorough evaluation of all the games I played back then to rerank them. The old list stands, and least for now.

Ima Fire Tiger doesn’t buy small sizes

I finally got around to fulfilling this year’s Bolder Boulder Indulgence and bought myself a Blizzard from Dairy Queen. Walking up to the counter, I was planning on buying a small sized Blizzard, but Ima Fire Tiger had some choice words for me. “I’M A FIRE TIGER AND I DON’T BUY A SIZE SMALL OF ANYTHING! GET A LARGE YOU CLOWN!” he shouted. For a moment inside my head a fierce negotiation raged, and in the end a compromise was reached whereby I purchased a medium sized Blizzard, but on the condition that I get a second Blizzard before the end of this year. Ima Fire Tiger has been satiated… for now.

Replaying the Classics - Flower

As a gaming enthusiast I’m always interested in new gaming experiences, but every once in awhile I feel compelled to go back and put in some serious time replaying some of my favorite games from the preceding years. In that spirit, I have created a new series of writing pieces titled Replaying the Classics, wherein I discuss the games that I have replayed recently. Unlike my Late to the Party series, my goal with these writing pieces is not so much to give a strong analysis of a particular game, but rather to give an informal recounting of a game and to try to convey to the reader why it’s one of my favorites. I do not come to you this time as a game reviewer, but merely as a friend wanting to have a casual chat about what he’s been playing. Today, let’s take a seat in our comfy chairs and talk about Flower.

Finding the format

My new website has been registered, but I’m still undecided on exactly how it will look. Though in all likelihood it will bear a fair resemblance to this website, I’m trying to be mindful when I’m online to take note of websites with good formats that might be worth emulating. I’d like the new website to have at least a somewhat professional appearance so that I can confidently point anyone to it to see my work. Granted, a lot of my work these days is short blog posts like this one, but I still want a look for my website that shows I’m serious and dedicated to my craft.

Thankful for Barnes & Noble

I don’t know how the Barnes & Noble in Boulder has managed to stay in business, but I’m very thankful that it has. It is one of the few places where I can go in and read the most up to date travel books for free and then just walk out. I feel kind of guilty for using Barnes & Noble more like a library than a bookstore, but the utility of doing so outweighs any qualms in my mind. In the coming weeks and months you’ll find me in the Boulder Barnes & Noble regularly, sitting over in the travel section and gorging myself on books about Japan and Korea. Then you’ll see me put those books back on the shelf and walk out.

Samuel The Snake Killer

Samuel has killed his first snake. For those that don’t know, Samuel is the name of my car. I gave it that name in honor of one of the greatest actors of our time—Samuel L Jackson. On top of naming it Samuel, I also bestowed on my car the title of “Snake Killer” as a tribute to the greatest movie ever made, Snakes On A Plane, which just so happens to have Samuel L Jackson in the lead role. The main reason for granting my car that title was to keep local snakes from getting any ideas and slithering anywhere nearby me. They would hear the name Samuel the Snake Killer and flee in terror. In truth, Samuel had never killed a single animal larger than an insect up until the day where my car ran over that snake. I was coming around a bend on a road that bordered some open space and I saw what at first I thought to be just a stick on the pavement. Just as I was getting close to it I realized that it wasn’t a stick, but rather a snake crossing the road, however it was too late and I felt the small thud under Samuel’s tires as the snake passed out of this world. After more than a decade of mere scare tactics, Samuel finally vindicated its title and sent a strong message to snakes everywhere to give both Samuel and me a wide berth. If any snakes are reading this, know that Samuel has tasted the blood of your kind, and it might be hungry for more.

Never Again

“Never again” is a very important sentiment and pledge. Usually expressed in the aftermath of tragedy, it reflects the desire of an individual or group to make sure that a particular event does not occur a second time. Saying “never again” is a good and noble thing, but without a resolve to understand the event that lead to the saying of “never again” there is little hope of preventing a second calamity of the same variety as the first. The “how” and “why” questions in particular must be addressed. Of the two, “how” is normally the easier question, seeing as it merely involves the details of whatever happened. “Why” on the other hand can often be challenging, both because it is sometimes difficult of know why something happened, and because sometimes it is easy to understand why something happened, but for whatever reason the truth is hard to accept. If we really are committed to “never again,” however, then we must accept the truth of the answer to the “why” question, no matter how burdensome it may be to us. Otherwise, “never again” is just an empty phrase, with about as much power to stop a future tragedy as changing our social media avatar.

Replaying the Classics - Motorstorm: Pacific Rift

As a gaming enthusiast I’m always interested in new gaming experiences, but every once in awhile I feel compelled to go back and put in some serious time replaying some of my favorite games from the preceding years. In that spirit, I have created a new series of writing pieces titled Replaying the Classics, wherein I discuss the games that I have replayed recently. Unlike my Late to the Party series, my goal with these writing pieces is not so much to give a strong analysis of a particular game, but rather to give an informal recounting of a game and to try to convey to the reader why it’s one of my favorites. I do not come to you this time as a game reviewer, but merely as a friend wanting to have a casual chat about what he’s been playing. Today, let’s take a seat in our comfy chairs and talk about Motorstorm: Pacific Rift.

The trigger has been pulled

It’s official. I’m going to Asia. #Asia2017