Weekly Gaming Review Wrap-Up Episode 14
I play catch up with the slow season in full effect, and break down our latest reviews including Mass Effect 2, Emberwind and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom.
Happy Birthday, Corey!
Now don’t you all go clamoring for birthday wishes – I happen to know this gal makes regular stops by this blog. Oh, and she gets special privileges, being all related to me and whatnot. Happy Birthday to my sis-in-law, Corey!
(and if you bump into her on the street, buy her some cake)
The Tester: Trailer
My buddy Will (a.k.a. UNCyrus, of Trophy excess) is going to be on the PlayStation Reality show, The Tester. In case you haven’t heard, it has the fantastic premise of pitting gamers against one another all vying for the grueling job of game tester.
Will isn’t featured strongly in the trailer, which is good. That means he didn’t cause enough drama, meaning there’s still hope I’ll speak to him after the series airs. Maybe, Will. Maybe.
Made Up Holiday. Day. (and How I Learned to Love the Internet)
The other day I learned from fellow industry type person Sam Houston that what I was blithely calling “Monday” others had jazzed up with “Community Manager Appreciation Day”. I felt a little ripped off. There I was, already a few hours into what should have been a very self congratulatory affair and not a parade in sight – just me, my laptop and the kitchen table. Which didn’t even have a tablecloth on it.
My job is pretty amorphous, and mostly serves to baffle well-intentioned family members that can’t quite get a handle on what it is I do. So, Dad, this is for you (though in fairness I went most of my life having no clue what you really do at work!): I work for the N4G Network. I am one of three Administrators for the Network and a Reviews Editor for Network site ZTGD. At the crux of the N4G Network is, unsurprisingly, N4G, and there I function essentially as a Community Manager, tackling the news, the forums, member issues and the like.
As far as I can suss out, “Community Manager” is a made up job that emerged in recent years and that in many ways I carved out for myself in the N4G sphere. My colleagues are talented, engaging people that conjured up a profession out of blood, sweat and fanboy tears – it’s only fitting that someone (one of us?) make up a day of observance for all those labors.
Here’s the thing though – for as bizarre, stressful and trying as the job can be, I am incredibly blessed by the work I do. I delight in the bizarre, relish conquering the stress and thrill in solving problems. The next time CoManAppDay (what?) rolls around, I fancy myself toasting the internet for making crazy things possible 24-7.
I work for people I’ve never met in a place that doesn’t exist with a community of people the world over that are completely apart.
Trauma Team Preview: Forensics Mode
Earlier this week Atlus treated me to a look at Trauma Team’s new forensics mode. One of six disciplines featured in the Wii title, Forensics lets the player out of the lab. Playing as Dr. Naomi Kimishima you examine the body, search the crime scene for evidence, interview witnesses and ultimately piece together the clues to reveal how the crime was committed. It’s a lot of fun, particularly for any CSI, Bones or other forensic types. Read the rest of this entry »
N4G Battle of the Immortals Beta Key Giveaway
Thanks to Jason Varden and the rest of Perfect World Entertainment, we have 5000 beta keys to give out over on N4G for the closed beta of their upcoming MMO, Battle of the Immortals!
A 2.5D MMO, Battle of the Immortals is a highly competitive PvP MMO with players pitted against one another for the right to slay epic bosses in dungeons.
The Art of the Top Ten
In this top tenner, I cover the ten most important things to remember when crafting a top ten list.
Replay: Aqua Globs
Almost half a year has passed since I reviewed the first version of Aqua Globs. A straightforward line-drawing game with one level and three units, all the addictive little time waster was lacking was, well, more. More levels, more units and more online integration. Now, with more features and many initial complaints addressed by the developer the little title that could is getting a replay. Read the rest of this entry »
I Watch TV #6
If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, you might want to start here.
Community
Community is a little goofy and occasionally derivative. Thing is I’m a bit of a Joel McHale fangirl and I like this show (though now I’m an Abed fangirl). You know, I think it’s time for Arrested Development to come back. From The Office to Parks and Recreation to Community, it’s clear the audience is finally ready.I’m in ur podcast: PGL Lobbycast
One of my favorite podcasts is from the PGL guys. We bump into each other on N4G about once a week and they were nice enough to have me on their show. You can check out episode 47 here.
ZTGD Review Wrap-Up 13
This week I return after a long winter’s nap with the latest video review wrap-up including recently released games such as Bayonetta, Darksiders and Sky Crawlers.
Emberwind Review
Emberwind is a charming fantasy platformer from indie developer TimeTrap. You play as gnome watchman Kindle and are accompanied by your snowy owl Hedwig. I mean Wick. King Gyro rules over typically safe streets, but now an evil army has hit town. Bummer. A Fire Gnome, Kindle has the duty of lighting the lamps of Grendale and thus delivering it from the invading gremlins and the evil CandleFinger while Wick provides taxi service. Other than that, Emberwind is light on lore and heavy on combat. Of course, how many of us really cared about why we were rescuing Peach, or how the gal got herself into such a predicament anyway? We were in it for the mushroom devouring, Koopa stomping glory, and Emberwind largely forgoes the pretense. Read the rest of this entry »
I Watch TV #5
If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, you might want to start here.
Gavin and Stacey (BBC)
This is a quirky BBC gem that I recommend all Stateside folks check out. Especially if you want to make fun of the Welsh and people from Essex.The Soup
There’s no reason not to watch this half hour. It takes reality television, all things entertainment, and makes it safe for the rest of us.I Watch TV #4
If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, you might want to start here.
The Big Bang Theory
It’s a traditional sitcom (with multiple cameras and a live audience) centered around two physicists, experimental and theoretical, and the girl across the hall (or, “The Big Bang” :P ). Oh, and the latest episode featured Green Lantern’s green lantern (and ring, of course), Hulk’s fists, backing up an OS and Rock Band. Why aren’t you watching?I <3 Sheldon Cooper. Bazinga!
I Watch TV #3
If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, you might want to start here.
This one is a twofer, mostly because before tuning in I lumped them both into categories that I just don’t watch: Medical Drama & Crime Drama.
House
I’m not big on medical shows – I’m afraid just watching them will give me a rash – so when I started watching House a little over a year ago it was purely for the Hugh Laurie factor. Don’t let the promos trick you, this is more than just a doctor with a terrible bedside manner. Ok, there’s plenty of that, but the best thing that the latest season has proven is that it’s okay with dynamic characters, which is practically primetime blasphemy. I support that.
Bones
I joined Bones two seasons in, a tardiness I mostly blame on my Post-Buffy mourning period. Suffice it to say, Boreanaz fares better outside a Whedon script, and I support anything Deschanel. The show is fun, Booth and Bones have a very Mulder and Scully thing going on, and yes, I like forensic anthropology. Unlike House, the icky stuff in Bones just isn’t so barfy to me. That said, the most recent season of Bones has been a real dud so far. Fingers crossed, I’m keeping it on the DVR for now.
About
I’m Community Manager and Admin for the N4G Network and write for ZTGD.
CatPlaysGames is a blog in its design infancy and under construction. Pardon my mess.
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