Hallmark 2021 Video Game Christmas Ornaments
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Posted on November 26th, 2021 by
Hallmark always has a wide annual selection of new Christmas ornaments and series, and in the past few years they’ve even done video game related ones! This year they had even MORE than ever (my wallet is still crying), and I got most of them, so I thought I’d share them with you here.
Metroid Dread amiibo
Posted on November 19th, 2021 by
For a while I wasn’t having too much trouble getting amiibo figures but this year it’s been a lot harder. Luckily I finally got the Metroid Dread amiibo two pack, so let’s take a look at them!
The Lazy Dungeon Master (Tabletop RPG Book)
Posted on October 28th, 2021 by
As a big fan of the 80/20 method (80% of the results come from 20% of the effort) although I am want to abuse it and try to just do that 20% of the work and get 80% of the results. On a good day, I like to think I can even pull off a 10/90.. Well, running a role-playing campaign, especially one that isn’t just straight out of a book, is a daunting challenge. There are so many pitfalls and rabbit-holes to fall down that preparing for a session can suck up whatever time you have to spend. For several years, Michael Shea has run a blog giving advice on running an RPG campaign. Favoring the less if more approach, he’s covered topics like The Minimum Viable D&D Game or Running Combat in the Theater of the Mind. After a few years he put together a book called The Lazy Dungeon Master to package all of his advice into one book. Recently, he kickstarted a revised edition of the book as well as a companion workbook entitled Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master and The Lazy DM’s Workbook. He’s back again with a Kickstarter ending very soon, with The Lazy DM’s Companion. The new book is a mix of advice for specific types of situations (one on one games, zone based combat, creating secrets and clues, etc…) as well as a bunch of tables to help trigger new ideas and tools to help make a game more interesting while keeping things running smoothly. I thought I’d take a moment to give my thoughts on the first two books in the series.
Gloomhaven (PC, MacOS, Boardgame)
Posted on October 21st, 2021 by
Several years ago, Glooomhaven burst onto the boardgame scene to wide acclaim. Quickly selling out and then reprinted, this boardgame currently sits at number 1 on the Boardgame Geek list of all-time best boardgames. It is a beast of a game, weighing in at about 20 pounds of cardboard, cards, and plastic miniatures. While the heart of the game comes in tactical battle scenarios, playable in an hour or two, the overarching story includes role-playing aspects like character growth and branching storylines to provide gamers with upwards of 150 hours of game time. As a “legacy game” the game includes envelopes and boxes that are sealed at first and are opened up as the game is played. While it has won the hearts of many gamers, a common complaint is simply how much time it takes to set up a new scenario. Cue… a digital version. Gloomhaven is now available in digital form on Steam and GoG.
5th Evolution – Carbide City (RPG)
Posted on October 2nd, 2021 by
Tabletop role-playing games continue to grow in popularity, with hipster/influencer/famous folks taking it up and thus rubbing off on their followers. Growth in RPGs of all systems and genres are on an upward trajectory. The default is good old swords and sorcery with blade-wielding armsmen and spellslingers going toe to toe with monsters of all types. Other genres exist out there (horror, western, modern/spy, etc…) but one of the hardest to pin down is a game where the players take on the role of superheroes. My personal favorite system, Champions, does a superb job of letting a player create exactly the hero they want while also keeping the power level between characters fairly balanced. However, Champions is also called an RPG for accountants and its combats are not for the faint of heart. The 5th Edition of Dungeons and Dragons is the most popular game out there at the moment and folks have tried to adapt that system into all sorts of new genres. Folks over at Limitless Adventures are attempting to fuse 5th Edition rules with superhero stories and characters, calling the new rules 5th Evolution (or 5evo for short.).
Pizza Pixel Podcast Episode 4: Top Five Favorite Video Game Music Composers
Posted on September 24th, 2021 by
When I do one of my podcasts with my brothers, I try to think of a topic that we can both talk about enthusiastically. My brother Ben, who is the oldest of my younger brothers on my dad’s side, he’s really into music. I’m into music more than what you might think I am, too, I just don’t talk about it as much. So I thought a topic we could both talk about together is our favorite video game music composers. I hope you all get to listen to this one and maybe even learn a thing or two!
Monster Hunter Stories 2 amiibo
Posted on September 17th, 2021 by
Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a 3-D Switch adventure game set in the popular Monster Hunter world. And like any popular game, there are amiibo figures for it, too. I FINALLY got them all, so let’s take a look at them!
Pizza Pixel Podcast Episode 3: Top Five Favorite Handheld Consoles
Posted on September 3rd, 2021 by
The third episode of my podcast is up! This time brother Jeff and I talk about our top five favorite handheld game consoles. And we also talk A LOT about Pokémon! So click on the link to find out where to listen and more!
Pizza Pixel Podcast Episode 2: Top Five Favorite Home Game Consoles
Posted on August 13th, 2021 by
Just wanted to let you all know that my second episode of my podcast is up! This time brother Jeff and I talk about our top five favorite home game consoles! You’ll also learn how this podcast got its name, how one of Jeff’s first words was Donkey Kong, and what 16-bit game ending made him cry! Read on for links so you can listen!
Zelda and Loftwing amiibo
Posted on August 11th, 2021 by
I got another amiibo figure I’d like to show off today. This one is the Zelda and Loftwing amiibo to coincide with the recently released The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD. So let’s take a look at it. And is it just me, or are new amiibo figures getting harder and harder to find and get nowadays?
