Unplugged: Dominion, the German Game of the Year
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Posted on June 29th, 2009 by
Just this morning, the most prestigious boardgame award of the year was awarded to the card game Dominion. The award is the Spiel des Jahres (German for game of the year) and nominees are announced each May with the actual award presented every year at this time. In Germany, boardgames are a common gathering point for families and friends and games recognized with the Spiel des Jahres (SdJ for short) are known for their uniqueness, fun, and appropriateness for families to play together. Winning the award virtually guarantees huge sales in Germany for the base game and then future expansions are almost always added on to take advantage of the increased interest. This year’s winner, Dominion, is easily my favorite game of the past year and I’m glad to see it win the award. Congratulations to the designer, Donald X. Vaccarino and publisher, Rio Grand Games. Both are from the United States, so that bodes well for the domestic boardgame industry. Clearly the German judges like the game, but how does it play?
Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds Orchestra Concert
Posted on June 25th, 2009 by
One of the many things the Final Fantasy series of role playing video games is known for is its sweeping and memorable music scores-perfect for an orchestral setting. In fact, on tour right now in the US is an orchestra concert featuring the music of Final Fantasy with videos and scenes from each of the games. I attended the concert in Dallas last weekend at the Meyerson Symphony Center. Here’s how it all went down:
Guitar Zero – U R 2 out of Touch
Posted on June 23rd, 2009 by
Wait! Even if you don’t like Prince I’m making a point here about ALL kinds of games! 
I’m a Prince fan, and before you scoff one of the main reasons is because I’ve seen him in concert. The man IS a Guitar Hero and not only that, he’s a Rock Band too. He plays every instrument on his albums. I saw and heard him do a very credible Zeppelin medley live here in Milwaukee and I swear to you – he no longer looked like a purple weirdo. He looked like Jimmy Page. Sounded like him too. But, man is he out of touch! Come in for the how and the why:
Red Faction: Guerilla? T-Teen?
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 by
I literally yawned when someone here asked me about Red Faction: Guerilla. I yawned, which is an awful thing to do about something that took years off the developers lives to… er… develop, so when it arrived I looked at the M. Learned that it’s a “sandbox” game (do whatcha want, when ya want) where you can blow up buildings. Not knock them down like Far Cry and not blow holes through them (like Bad Company). Here you can do “demolitions!” I normally don’t like these kinds of games – unless they’re named “Grand Theft Something” mainly because they demand a time investment I’m usually not prepared to make. I like simple stories – these kinds of games are recreation to me. Well, I’m glad I stuck it out. Here’s why . . .
A Father’s Day Face-Off
Posted on June 21st, 2009 by
In the past few weeks there have been several new sport related titles on the Wii, several of which tout new, improved controls through the use of the MotionPlus peripheral which plugs into the base of the Wiimote. In honor of Father’s Day, I thought take a look at some of these new sports titles to see how they measure up. Of course, since it is all about the competition, we’ll have to have the new titles go up against old, established ones in a head to head match for dominance on the Wii system.
Happy Father’s Day! Video Games My Dad Likes:
Posted on June 20th, 2009 by
Happy Father’s Day! And so, in honor of that, this article is all about my dad’s favorite video games. Now, if you asked him directly which video games he likes, he probably wouldn’t say too much. As the family grows and changes and new commitments arise, my dad is just too busy to try and remember all the games he’s enjoyed playing in the past. Luckily, I have a pretty good memory and I know which games he likes. So I guess I should rephrase and say that this article is all about the games I REMEMBER my dad playing and enjoying! Have fun!
Reel Fishing: Angler’s Dream (Wii) Interview
Posted on June 19th, 2009 by
Reel Fishing: Angler’s Dream is an upcoming fishing game on the Wii from Natsume, and Gaming With Children was able to interview one of the developers!
Ask GD – Wargames
Posted on June 18th, 2009 by
A parent of a 12-year old has given in and bought her son those violent 3D shooter war games. And Xbox Live too. Now she’s wondering what kind of parent she is. GamerDad tells her honestly, forthrightly and directly!
RPGs, Old and New – Two RPGs, a quick Review
Posted on June 17th, 2009 by
I’ve been spending some quality time with my new DSi lately playing through games of a favorite genre, the role playing game. However, that genre is quite broad and can often be placed into two camps, what I call old-school RPGs (as could be found in the 80s and 90s on computers) and ones commonly found on modern console systems often made in Japan, sometimes abbreviated jRPGs. While playing through The Dark Spire and Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier . Even the length of the names gives you a clue as to which is which. The Dark Spire is an homage to old-school RPGs while Super Robot Taisen is through and through jRPG. Both games have their advantages and disadvantages, but I more often found myself drawn to The Dark Spire.
Wolverandy
Posted on June 15th, 2009 by
So, if we could see each other you’d know that I didn’t get a haircut or trim o’ the beard for the last 6 months. About 4 months in I was tempted but then realized I could have a little fun. Last Friday was haircutting time. I had a lot of fun with it. Then my best friend Zane got ahold of them and demonstrated that I’ve been underestimating his Photoshop skills. Seriously underestimating them! Come on in bub, mind the claws!
