The dining habits of a nerd (part 2)

Here we go again! another list of nerdy consumables that go well with other things we all love. This time I've included a few recipe links in case your a real hands-on geek and want to make these yourself!

while watching LEGEND OF KORRA you might consider these dishes...

Savory beef stew: 

this result is based off the water tribe, but tweaked in order to be accessible to a wider audience. now traditionally, stews in the water tribe would not use beef, as beef would need to be imported in order to make this. The water tribes mainly thrive off of sea food, so if you really want to stick to tradition

you could try FISH (and/or octopus and squid) SOUP. The southern water tribe especially thrives off many soups and stews due to both its warming quality and quantity of sustenance it provides. I believe beef stew would be something savored by a water tribe native however, as it would be both unique and familiar at the same time.

beef stew: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/beef-stew-recipe.html

fish soup:http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fish-Soup-with-Bread-and-Rouille-105642

seafood stew: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/seafood-stew-recipe.htmlPORK 

shrimp and octopus soup:http://allrecipes.com/recipe/shrimp-and-octopus-soup-caldo-de-camaron-y-pulpo/

STUFFED CABBAGE:

This result is based off the earth kingdom. the earth kingdom has access to many different types of food, but despite that fact, there are some things that native earth kingdom residents would enjoy that would bring back nostalgic thoughts of home and childhood. cabbage is a staple earth kingdom vegetable, extremely versatile and added to many different dishes, but I paired it with pork because it is also another very traditional, although perhaps more middle-class earth kingdom ingredient. 

stuffed cabbage: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/braised-cabbage-stuffed-with-pork-recipe.html

SPICY CHICKEN CHILI:
this ones based off, you guessed it! the fire nation. Ive
chosen a dish that combines two staple fire nation ingredients, chicken and spiciness (chilies) most fire nation dishes include chilies since they naturally enjoy spicy foods. the recipe includes various peppers and chilies so it would not be hard to imagine residents enjoying a bowl of this for dinner. 

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/spicy-chicken-chili

APPLE CUSTARD PIE:
last but certainly not least, this ones based of the air nation. since the air nomads were originally vegetarians, they seemed to have quite a few fruit based desserts, including custard tarts and apple pie. I have combined these two traditional dishes in my search for something quintessentially air nation-esk.

apple custard pie: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/apple-custard-pie






while playing SETTLERS OF CATAN, one may consider some of these food options.

With little to go on in terms of what food resources were available to settlers (besides sheep and wheat), I tried to limit the ingredients, and keep things within the realm of farm-like food to provide the most authentic recipes within the mindset of the game. and of course, you don't want a full fledged feast or large dishes to mess around with while playing a game, so I kept most of the items simple and small.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS:
This would be a great snack especially if your playing the game at breakfast, simple, easy to make, and perhaps topped with some raspberry jelly or used for the base of an EGGS BENEDICT.










buttermilk biscuits: http://southern.food.com/recipe/southern-buttermilk-biscuits-26110
eggs benedict: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2450/gordons-eggs-benedict

LAMB KEBABS:
with lamb obviously an important resource to the settlers, I couldn't possibly forget  to include a lamb based dish. these would be great for a catan based dinner party or barbecue, you can easily eat them with one hand while pwning your rival settlers with the other.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/marinated-lamb-kebabs-recipe.html


SPINACH AND BACON QUICHE:
spinach is a fairly easy plant to grow, which I have done myself, and assuming the settlers have pigs, and eggs and a few other things, this would make a great food for any time of the day. I've gotta say, this one looks pretty darn delicious too.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/spinach-and-bacon-quiche-recipe.html

CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY and drinking go together like naruto and hinata (yes I'm still a naruhina advocate) so heres some offensive and fun cocktails to go with an equally offensive and fun
game:

ADIOS MOTHERF*CKER:
4 different types of liquor and a few other ingredients...Id say the name strangely fits.
http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink735.html










RED HEADED SLUT:
so...kindof like Jean Grey? yeah, I'm gonna get some lashback for that... http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink644.html












SEX WITH AN ALLIGATOR:
not a pleasant mental image...but the drink actually looks pretty cool.
http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink1145.html

PISSED OFF JAPANESE MINNOW FARMER:
yes, this is an actual drink name and no, I don't know why.
http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink1t5s435.html

WATCHING AVENGERS and eating...what else? shwarma
shwarma recipe: http://www.mamaslebanesekitchen.com/meats/beef-shawarma-recipe/
   

last but not least...BUYING A PS4 OR XBOX ONE: and eating ramen...because you'll be broke.


thank you for reading my article! I had to do most of the research on my phone because my computer is busted, so it wasn't too fun, but its worth bringing fun stuff to read to fellow geeks, please share and comment!

mass effect, adventure time, and other stuff.

LOTS of news, or at least rumors and plans on the mass effect front. First off lets start with something I am particularly excited about, a possible graphic re-haul of the mass effect trilogy for the

next gen consoles! this would also include all the dlc for every game. I know, you have a lot of questions, but bioware has a long standing reputation for dragging out project ideas for a long period of time, which i'm ok with because the end result is usually amazing (...except the "end" result of the trilogy, but, lets not talk about that...ever again). honestly nothing has been confirmed, its all in the idea stages at this point, but I will tell you what I do know. 

The combat system of me1 could go either way, there have been numerous requests rom fans to re-vamp the combat and inventory

system or make it similar to me3, however, this is what Aaryn Flynn, head of bioware edmonton and montreal had to say on the subject:  

"First it would be a helluva lot of work. Second, I hate the idea of us being accused of 'retconning' ME1. Third (and I bet everyone on NeoGAF knows this), there are those who prefer ME1... So given that all that, it doesn't feel like the right thing to do."

somewhat inconclusive, but it seems as though he is leaning towards keeping it pretty vanilla, which I think is cool. A lot of fans really enjoy the simpler interface of me2, however I really liked the variety of weapons in me1, which they seemed to partially reintroduce in me3.

moving on...the mass effect movie, is there any hope? 

mark protosevich, screenwriter for thor, made this comment about a year ago, 

“It was the first game adaptation I did and it will probably be the only one. They’re hard. I will freely admit it was hard. Because – especially with ‘Mass Effect’ - there’s just so much material. Narratively, with the game, you’re talking about nine, ten hours of narrative you’re jamming into two hours."

obviously its been "on the table" for a long time, but will it ever actually see the light of day? in more recent news, IGN seems to think so, heres a quote from their article titled "UNIVERSAL MAY HAVE JUST ANNOUNCED THE MASS EFFECT MOVIE":

"Legendary sealed a multiyear co-financing deal with Universal last year and already has an untitled Michael Mann project set for Jan. 16, 2015..."

I mean, were all excited and hopeful, but I'm gonna wait for some actual NEWS before speculating about this, its just too important a topic to be grasping at straws for at this point, show us some evidence!!!

moving right along...adventure time! has it taken a turn for the worse? pendleton ward, creator of the show, has just stepped down. One of his many comments on the subject, following a similar tone was this:

"Whatever the next thing is, I just want my brain to be happy doing it," he says. "My state of mind is superimportant. I'm so fried, so I have to sort of work within the confines of what my brain can handle."

I have personally watched every adventure time episode to date. in my opinion, after Pendleton left it seemed to take a turn for the very ordinary and unexciting. I really hope they can get a new writer in that knows Pendleton's thought process, or maybe even bring something new to the show. None of us want to see another "ghost fly" episode...

Finally, in conclusion...cats

The new mass effect game (mass effect 4)

It has no official title, and we know very little at this point. what I do know I will share.
this new game will not be a sequel to the series, that much we know. that leaves two options: a spin-off, or a prequel. either which way, I am excited to see its development. They have stated that it will not have anything to do with the previous mass effect games, however, will give a "nod" to the previous games. easter eggs imminent. from the video, the environment looks much more diverse than the previous games and has a bit of an undirected feel to it, changing almost at random. well, sorry to disappoint but thats about all Ive got, they are really working hard to keep this thing under wraps, and reveal just enough to keep the gamers metaphorical whistles wet. until next time...I should go.

Peter and the colossus

I'm kicking myself because Ive forgotten to mention my friends upcoming independent film to you guys, and I'm super excited to see it! once you see the trailer you will be too. sorry I have to post a link to the video instead of uploading because of technical issues:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0tJTabxeZw

so, The director has given me permission to let you guys in on an exclusive production blog. originally it was only for producers and such, however; I told him you fellow bloggers are awesome and would like exclusive stuff cuz...who doesnt? so heres the production blog in all its exclusive glory:

http://peterandthecolossus.blogspot.com/

now, since the directors been so nice to you guys, maybe you could help him out a little...right now the movie is in post production and juuuuust about done, however, there are a few additional funds needed to really round it out.too mitchel veirnes, writer/director, explains further in the link below:
(watch it! even if you don't want to donate, he explains stuff about the movie I didn't and shows a few clips I didn't show also)

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/finishing-funds-for-peter-and-the-colossus

5 Things you might not know about dragon age: inquisition

1. First and foremost, MULTIPLE RACES ARE BACK!!! thats right, humans, elves and dwarves will all be playable as the main character once again. The storyline will still be linear to an extent, meaning, you won't get to choose the background of your character from what I know thus far. You will, however, be treated differently depending on your race by npc's and team members in the game. For some strange reason, certain people have been posting articles saying that you WILL NOT be able to play different races...people please...do your research before you post entirely false information, here are my sources for the info from Gamespot, IGN and kotaku:

http://www.gamespot.com/news/dragon-age-inquisition-sees-return-of-multiple-player-races-6412614
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/08/07/dragon-age-inquisition-multiple-player-races-return-mounts-added
http://kotaku.com/dragon-age-inquisition-lets-you-choose-your-heros-rac-1045961945


2. The will be online multiplayer, I havent been able to find much about this, I think they are trying to keep a few things like this a mystery for those who buy the game. It may possibly be the same type of style as me3's multiplayer where the more you play, the higher territorial stats you gain in the singlplayer campaign.


3. The main character (the one you play) will be voice acted, whether male or female. I'm not sure if the voices will be different for the different races but we will just have to find that one out

4. There will be mount's, such as horses (I assume) they are trying to make the dragon age world more explorable. not quite an "open world" game like skyrim, but from what Ive read, the areas that you can travel to are quite large, and you will be wanting to use those mounts to get around. balancing a linear story and an "open world" game are quite difficult, so they will be working on that perfect compromise between the two, while still having many open-ended stories besides the main one.

5. You will be able to customize your armor. thats right, you and your team's armor will be choosable like in DA:O and you will also be able to customize some textiles and coloring as well.

great decals for gamers and anime fanatics!

A big thanks to the people at stickeraddicts.com  for sending me some great decals! please go check them out and buy a decal or two, these are great quality decals with a wide selection of colors and sizes, theres even a section just for gamers! If it's not obvious from the pics, I decided to decorate my 360 and laptop (sorry for the one that overshadows the other, my laptop is so full of stickers)

 metal flake galaxy storm trooper.

 chrome skyrim sticker...yeah, best color ever

If the last ones hard to recognize, its edward from cowboy bebop. originally black, but I changed the color to purple for no extra charge!

MGS V: The phantom pain

I feel the need to post this trailer for the game as It really stuck out among the rest, I won't say much more because I think it really just speaks for itself. keep in mind, it is quite graphic.

Nvidia shield

Ok, so everybody knows about the psp's features already and that youll be able to play any ps4 game you own with a simple wifi connection, but what about the xbox one equivalent? the nvidia? well, some things I think they forgot to mention in the video below (for some strange reason) is that this can not only stream videos and games from your pc or google play store, it works with your xbox one of course. It will basically be a portable xbox one plus more, nuff said.

The dining habits of a nerd

You think that just because were gamers we don't like caviar and escargot? well, for the most part youd be right...but I for one know that certain things go well together when it comes to being a geek, nerd, gamer, or...whatever.

1. Watching adventure time and eating bacon pancakes.
 Ok, while watching adventure time may not be considered outrightly nerdy, it has been widely accepted by the gaming and anime community as a great show...and c'mon, who doesn't like bacon pancakes?

2. Playing mass effect (1, 2 or 3) and drinking vodka. dye it green if your REALLY into role playing.

3. Eating ramen and watching Naruto. I actually do this like...every week

4. Playing magic: the gathering and eating chips. not only can you have some fuel for your massively strategic brain, you can also distract your rival with very loud crunching.

5. Drinking red wine and watching Game of Thrones. What other drink could make you feel more worthy of the iron throne?

6. After a large steak dinner, sit down, drink some mead and play skyrim. It's difficult to feel more satisfied then this. For those still lingering fans of oblivion, I would suggest Jack Daniel's Tennessee honey(or a white russian, then a dark russian if your playing shivering isles) and for those even rarer fans of Morrowind, find yourself a good dark beer, it fits the gritty atmosphere.

7. Playing mortal kombat and eating combos. yo dawg, I heard you like combos...

8. Watching Pirates Of The Caribbean and drinking rum. Ok...this ones a given. If not for the novelty, simply do It once so you can ask captain jack's fundamental question...

9. Final fantasy VII and lots of monster. because this is going to be a long....long game.

10. last but not least, going outside and having a sandwich. hahahahaha....outside.....right....phew, I crack myself up.

Trailer for the next hobbit movie: the desolation of smaug

If you havent been following the production of the hobbit, the next movie is due out on december 13th, 2013 the desolation of smaug.

We all have our own opinions on the first movie, and being someone who's read the hobbit more than once, I quite enjoyed the movie. I think they kept true to the general feel of the opening and can't wait to see the next movie. whether you enjoyed the more lighthearted feel of the movie or not, director Peter Jackson says than the next film will be less humorous for sure. I can see why the next film will need to be more serious and I agree that It should be simply because of the events I know that are coming.  heres the link if youd like a bigger sized video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnaojlfdUbs

Upcoming games for the xbox one 2013-2014

This list doesn't include many release dates, It would be a bit pointless seeing as no one has an xbox one yet. yes, other sites have the list, but I add a little personal input into each upcoming game...so, hope you enjoy.



Assasin's Creed 4, TBA pretty excited for this pirate themed game, although It's debatable that it's stayed true to the "stealth assassin" genre, it looks like it's gonna be an amazing sandbox.

Battlefield 4, TBA everyones already raving about the graphics from footage and I agree, It looks spectacular. Theres alot of hype, and I expect a big follow through.

Below, TBA An indie platform game that truly looks beautiful, looking forward to seeing more footage.

Call of Duty: Ghosts, may 2013 I may be wrong but I think the story in this one is gonna be touching and very well presented, and of course, action packed.

The Crew, TBA an open and persistent world racing game that will be mainly for online matchmaking races and sandbox exploring.

Crimson Dragon, TBA I can't find much detail on this game but its mainly a kinect based game, based around dragons battling each other.

D4, TBA another kinect based game, but this one, a murder mystery.

Dead rising 3, Nov 2013 This famous franchise is apparently upping its "game" if the rumors are true (see what I did there? I know, so funny) with a map size that will be twice as big as both previous titles, sounds like lots of room for zombie-killing.

Destiny, TBA An upcoming shooter by bungie, from the gameplay footage, the scenery looks to me like a mix between fallout 3, portal 2 and red dead redemption, but thats just one man's opinion.

The division, TBA After doing research on this game, I figured out that the developers don't want to reveal too much about the game, other than the fact that it has all of the features you'd find on a mmorpg, but its a console game, which makes my mouth water.

Dragon age: inquisition, Fall 2014 I've been following news of this game since I heard about it, I have high expectations and am looking forward to seeing what they've changed and what they've kept from the last two in the rpg franchise.

Dying Light, TBA a zombie game with 4 player co-op and great focus on the main protagonist's storyline? Is the death of "left 4 dead" approaching?

Elder Scrolls Online, TBA ok, so this game might seem like bethesda just jumped out of the cozy chair of single player into the unknown pit of mulitiplayer but don't count it out just yet. Ive heard and seen ALOT of good stuff about this upcoming cross-platform mmorpg

Fantasia: Music Evolved, TBA your mickey mouse conducting and mixing music...if your into that, hey, go for it.

FIFA Soccer 14, TBA I'm a soccer fan, really. though Ive always been the type to be like "really...you play sports...on a console? ok..." but hey, if thats your thing, this game looks great.

Final Fantasy XV, TBA although this franchise has had alot of scrutiny as of late, I still cling to the hope that the next one will get just a little better, this FF is focused more on action than a turn based system (dont hurt me internet, I'm just the messenger) and reportedly has a wide world to explore in game.

Forza Motorsport 5, TBA I don't usually buy racing games, but I've played quite a few with friends, I gotta say, besides the obviously beautiful cars, the locations in this one could be it's selling point

Halo (for xbox one, halo 5?), TBA there is not much known about this new addition to the halo series other than its in production, but I mean, c'mon, it's a new halo...nuff said.

Just Dance 2014, TBA You know those parties you go to where theres nothing to do and everyone leaves early? yeah, bring this to the table and that won't be a problem. with new songs and new features such as updated song control and 6 person play, I can't wait to play with friends.

Killer Instinct, TBA basically another mortal kombat knock off, but hey, its free to play on the xbox one (digital download) so why not give it a try?

Kinect Sports Rivals, TBA from what I gather, its pretty much a more realistic version of wii sports, without the remote.

Kingdom Hearts 3, TBA honestly, I didn't find much about this game, other than the main protagonist will be wielding his famous keyblade.

LocoCycle, at launch never heard of this game, but from what I gather, the game developers have not released a game for a VERY long time. basically your a guy hanging off the back of a crazed A.I. motorcycle the entire time, overcoming obstacles and shooting bad guys. will be release at the xbox one launch

Madden 25, TBA again, not a sports game fan, so researching these is tedious...apparently the A.I. and movement in this game is supposed to be lightyears ahead of previous football titles because of something having to do with more realistic movements in the feet and blah blah blah, you get the point.

Metal Gear Solid V:
The Phantom Pain, TBA The e3 reveal trailer was amazing: cinematic, gruesome, scenic and still informative. To me, the stealth system seems almost like an updated SC: chaos theory type, which excites me. not to mention this will be an open world game. if everything thats promised is delivered, this will be one great game.

Minecraft, TBA It's minecraft...for the xbox one. If you don't know what minecraft is, go buy it...now, don't wait for the xbox one version.

Mirror's Edge, TBA The origin of Faith, if you liked the first one, this one looks stellar.

NBA 2K14, November 2013 more sports?!? couldn't find much, supposed to be the best basketball game of the year (according to some)

NBA live 14, TBA looks like better graphics than 2k14.

Need for Speed rivals, TBA didn't get 2 minutes into the reveal trailer before I was like "ok, looks nice I guess" and turned it off. I may be wrong, but It looks like another racing game, nothing out of the ordinary in terms of racing games.

Peggle 2, TBA don't have any clue what this is. after researching, I really don't care and neither should you.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, TBA ok, so who doesnt love plants and zombies? probably alot of people...but I happen to enjoy it on occasion, so they decided to make it a 3d 3rd person shooter, thats right, you can now control specific plants while still maintaining a tower defense type of gameplay.

Project Spark, TBA A game for, well, making games! this game gives you the ability to create your environment, people, personalities, etc etc. sounds like a great concept, lets see how it plays out.

Quantum Break, TBA not an original concept, but an interesting one. from what I gather, time is being messed with somehow, and your in the middle of time freezes and time "shutters" It looks to be a very cinematic game and I think It will be a heavy rain rpg type of choice making system.

Rabbids Invasion, TBA not exactly sure what to make of this...it looks like some barely watchable kids movie.

Ryse: Son of Rome, TBA this game has gotten alot of coverage, but honestly, I can't understand why. sure its pretty, but the game mechanics are too simple for my taste. I can't help but think that this will just be overshadowed by other games that actually consider their audience intelligent participants, and not stupid spectators.

Skylanders Swap Force, TBA might be a good one for the kids.

Star Wars Battlefront, TBA apparently well into development.

Sunset Overdrive, TBA your city has been overtaken by mutants. typical storyline, with a bit of a humorous flair to it.

Thief, TBA anyone remember that little game for the original xbox that created the stealth genre? well, they are at it again, the creators have created once more...hope the price will be a steal.

Titanfall, TBA looks like your typical shoot em up, somewhat sci-fi, futureish war game.

Trials Fusion, TBA the reveal trailer didn't say much...lots of jumping off ramps on dirt bikes and falling from the sky?

EA Sports UFC, TBA looks pretty good for a ufc game, but I've heard alot of complaints about the character selection thats given.

Watch Dogs, TBA a game coming from people who truly know how to make games, lets hope its another good one.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, TBA no doubt this will be a game worth playing, with certain other companies busy pursuing certain online games, this will surely be one of the best fantasy based games to be first released on the xbox one

Wolfenstein: The New Order, TBA I never got into the wolfenstein series, simply because I heard alot of negative things about it, and the gameplay footage didnt look too original. well this new one seems to be a bit different, more story oriented, but still very action packed.

Zoo Tycoon, TBA I'm not certain but it looks to be a kinect based zoo tycoon game, It will be interesting to see how they use kinect to control the game.

Zumba Fitness World Party, TBA so first of all, fitness and party are 2 different things. to me, dancing is for fun, lifting and running is for exercise.  but if you like zumba, you'll probably like this game.

ps4 or xbox one?

right now, everyone is asking this fundamental gaming question. Although most gamers I've talked to have pretty much all agreed that theres no way they will be buying these consoles at launch, we all know that when the games start flowing, the gamers start going. the question is, which console will you choose? the overpriced xbox one with its kinect and VERY slightly better overall hardware (compared with the ps4 hardware, though an argument could be made both ways.) , or the overpriced ps4 with its already stellar looking games? I remember when the xbox 360 first came out and EVERYONE was buying that one boxing game...what was it called? see, I don't even remember anymore because now the graphics are outdated and the game mechanics were pretty terrible. I think in the gaming world patience is a virtue! WAIT and good things will come, lower console prices, fewer bugs, better games, perhaps new features not yet seen?  to answer your question about the xbox one or ps4, here the answer: NEITHER! not now anyways....don't give in to the temptation of spending way too much when little is actually known about the products yet, wait for feedback from friends, do research, etc etc, and create a new character is skyrim while you wait.

list of my favorite animes (and why you should watch them)

Hear me out, I know when you hear the word "anime" you think "oh, that weird, gay, Japanese cartoon stuff?" let me break it down, weird? yes, almost always, but in a good, well thought out, well scripted, beautifully drawn, interesting creative way. japanese? almost always, I'm not even sure if it can be considered anime if made outside of japan. cartoon? no, ANIMATED SHOW I think would be a more correct terminology, most animes have gratuitous amounts of more depth, character development, plot, and violence or sexual themes you wouldn't find in what we know as "cartoons", gay? no...at least not the anime's I've seen, literally or figuratively. but hey, I'm sure theres a few out there.

So heres a list of different animes, a rough outline of their story, and the reasons why they are amazing shows.

claymore: this is the first anime I ever watched, and since the first episode, I was completely hooked, I think there is no better introductory anime. It follows a claymore named claire and her faithful (and sometimes annoying) companion as they journey and fight powerful, disgusting creatures. This show is quite violent, but beautifully drawn, It was actually the last completely hand-drawn anime made.

deathnote: this anime was surprisingly dark to me, even after watching claymore, which was probably why I liked it so much. this anime has the best plot twists and scripting I've seen in an anime thus far, while it's not much "action" there is alot of killing that goes on, and I actually learned to love the slower moving episodes. every episode kept me wanting more, and I was on edge the entire series.

cowboy bebop: you may have heard of this one, It's a little older than the others, but when it hit, it hit big, I mean this show was big in the U.S. when anime's weren't even popular. it follows a couple of bounty hunters that go around the galaxy chasing bad guys in thier spaceship. some like to compare it to the show "firefly" in terms of genre, and while it does have that "space western" feel, I think its a very original show, and worth watching every episode.

fullmetal alchemist: I wouldn't recommend this as a first anime if you've never watched one before, just because its got some strange concepts that you may not be used to. It has a strong storyline that lasts for many episodes and I think is still being produced, It follows two brothers that are on a search for a way to bring their mother back, theres lots of cool aspects of this show that are kind of superpowerish, but set in a more medieval place.

darker than black: I will be honest, I still don't understand this show 100% but thats because it is so flippin rich in its storyline. this show has really cool people called contractors that basically have different supernatural abilities, but the all have to pay a price for these abilities...ooooooo...mystical and stuff. anyways, if you want a show thats set in a modern day city atmosphere thats got great depth and a protagonist you will grow to love, watch this.

Game of thrones merchandise.

so, if your really into game of thrones, like any true fantasy show nerd should be; you should check out this GOT merchandise page on thinkgeek: heres the link!

featuring products such as:

To all the fans, game on. (see what I did there? with the "game" thing? cuz its GAME of thro.....oh never mind...just go buy some nerdy stuff.)

the dragonborn comes.

If you are a skyrim fan and you haven't already...PLEASE watch this, I feel like a noob for only recently discovering it.

Skyrim vs oblivion

This posts purpose isn't to pick one game over the other, simply to present the pro's and con's of two completely separate and yet still connected games.

I know, I know... were all level 500 over-powered dragon slaying avatars ready for the next segment in the elder scrolls series, but hold your horses (seriously, if your playing skyrim at the moment) for a minute and lets delve into the past so that we may consider, study, analyze, criticize and become better conduits for suggestions towards the next game.

Oblivion, to me, is one of the most re-playable games you can own, if you can get over the time jump backwards in terms of graphics and voice-actor diversity. the fact that you are an absolute nobody in the beginning of the game is no new idea to bethesda, but it does appeal to me personally. The fact that you get the chance to go from the filthy, smelly ground of a prison cell up to the variable different types of powerful person(s) you want to be, makes the game something you really want to play alot. everything you get in oblivion, you earn. (unless, of course, you use the famous duplication cheat...dont do it! at least not on your first play-through) you work days and days leveling up your combat, magic or thievery and slowly but surely you become a powerful...whatever. to me, all of the magical quests to gain entry into the college in the imperial city, or the numerous evil deeds to become a trusted member of the dark brotherhood are two of the funnest quest-lines in the game. sure, the main story line is interesting, and the concept of the hellish plains of oblivion and certain doom at the hands of a deadra is quite interesting, but for me, its all the side quests that truly make an open world rpg great. 

we all know where oblivion falls short, the graphics, the non-expressive faces, the lack of voice actors, the constantly repeated lines, such as "you should've paid the fine!" the absolutely ridiculous idea that stealing a fork constitutes a bloody execution at the hands of an overly dramatic guard. We also are familiar with all of the pro's of skyrim: the MUCH needed graphics boost, the diversity in voice actors and script, the novelty of a mountainous landscape, and dragons...giants...marriage etc. Lets not focus on the faults of oblivion or the virtues of skyrim. I'm going to apply what I think oblivion offered that skyrim didn't. to be clear, I love both games and am not bashing either of them, simply trying to bring in the old dog and teach the new one some tricks. 

oblivion offered a more realistic approach in terms of your character, you are a nobody, and depending on what major skills you have, the star you were born under and the factions you join, you become who you want to be. In skyrim, you are almost immediately told that you are an ancient and powerful person and it is your duty to learn the power of the voice and "save" skyrim; which, honestly, doesn't ever seem to be in that much danger, no major towns can be destroyed by the dragons, they aren't nearly as powerful as you'd think, I mean geez, trees don't even burn down when they swoop by and spit fire. the main quest line of oblivion is more rewarding than that of skyrim's, once completed, you are hailed as a champion by many and there are other benefits. in skyrim, its almost like you've won an award before you even had the chance to earn it just by being the dragon-born. 

One part that really disappointed me in skyrim was the mages questline. In oblivion, it takes a LONG time and many missions to even get to the mages college, in skyrim "cast this spell and come right in!" then the college is all run down and old, and few people study there. Its almost as though they watered down the difficulty of getting in and poured you a triple reward on the rocks, then knocked your glass over once you actually see the place. the questline of the college isn't really that engaging either, you just don't feel connected enough to anyone there to actually care, your just doing it to get cool magical stuff and be on your way. as a matter of fact, I found most of the people at the college to be quite annoying and distant towards my character. that seems to be the overall feel of the game unfortunately, I mean sure, you make a few friends here and there, but for the most part, your just some guy nobody really cares about (unless they know your the dragon-born) even when you try to build a relationship. I felt closer to my escort out of danger in the beginning of the game more than anyone I actually met in the world, including my wife, no, let me rephrase, ESPECIALLY my wife. 

As much as most men like to get homecooked meals and money from their wife's buisness, thats not USALLY the basis a marriage is centered around, I mean really? no conversation options other then, "did you make any money from the store?" not even an "how has your day been" or "I love you honey!" or "is there anything I can get you while I'm out slaying dragons? a dragon tooth necklace perhaps?" I could go on and on, but I am trying to give constructive criticism here. like I said, LOVE both games, have played through both more than once, but the next game in the series could use a little more tuning up.