Disney Buys Lucas Films: Why This is Good News

It is an energy field found in all things. It unites us, it binds us, it brings the galaxy together. Those words sparked more hope, inspiration, and deep feelings of what it means to be a good person than the entire sum of the rest of my whole life has to this very moment. I was hooked young, some of my earliest memories are of watching the Star Wars trilogy.

I’m back … from outer space

I couldn’t resist the title.  I apologize.

Bear with me here. I know this has got to be an old topic for most of you. I mean the game is already over six months old. Plus this is for DLC. DLC that came out like what, two weeks ago? I know. I’m living in the past man! Well, listen here you future folk, I got something to say and you’ll hear it. Tonight we talk all about how awesome Mass Effect 3: Leviathan really is.

A Nerd Roadtrip: Amazing Heroes, Vortex Music, and More

In celebration of life and all of its infinite beauty, I’d like to invite the Internet on a roadtrip I took today to various nerd locations in the greater Seattle, Washington, area with a great friend of mine, Brenden.

Mass Effect: Final Thoughts and Goodbyes

 

They say the journey is the real important part; our destination can be seen as the final stroke on an otherwise brilliant manuscript of adventures, challenges, and discoveries. My journey began a ways back when I was handed a copy of Mass Effect and told “Play this, you’ll like it. Trust me.” Trust him I did. He was right (of course). Back in March (is it seriously already August?) I went out with everyone else and picked up my copy of Mass Effect 3, eager to take it home and experience the final chapter of my favorite science fiction universe ever. Now, finally, months later I feel like I’ve finished it. I’ve devoured this bit of wonderful story telling from beginning to end (twice). So let’s talk about it.  Oh and be warned, there are spoilers here.

Why I Love the Mass Effect Universe

 

There have been some big steps into the Sci-fi world lately; a world I really love and enjoy pretty much no matter what.  This has got me thinking (dangerous I know) about some of my favorite sci-fi universes from the past.  Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, Star Trek, Masters of Orion, Firefly, and countless others have haunted my imagination for decades; constantly popping up with another wistful daydream of warp drive and the possibilities it might entail.  There is one sci-fi property that was a more recent addition to my mental dreamscape; I’m talking about Mass Effect.  I was late to this party (didn’t get an X-Box for a while so I was out of the loop for the first one and just didn’t bother with the second when it hit PS3) but have completely enjoyed everything about it I’ve come across (yeah I even liked the ending to 3 so there).  While I still wait for the promised DLC to “finish” the story I’ve been musing about what it is exactly that I enjoyed so much.

ANO On Assignment Part 2: Meet Natalie

I say thee awesome!  Photo by Ryan Shewchuk Photography

In my endeavors to find the nerdy corners of Sin City it became clear I would need some help; a guide of sorts to direct me to the local flavors a humble tourist might overlook.  This led me to contact a local expert; in the year or so I’ve been writing and telling you about all occurrences of nerdiness I have been lucky to run across some of the best events and people I’ve ever known.  When I tracked down a local expert I wasn’t fully aware of what I was getting into; it has been more than an honor to sit down and chat with one of the most truly righteous people I’ve ever met.  She is a mom, an entrepeneur, a nerd, a writer, a costume maker, and a very nice lady.  I’m talking about Natalie Midkiff; keep that name in your head this woman is going places.

ANO On Assignment Part 1: Kettlemuck’s Toy Shoppe

Las Vegas:  the city that never sleeps.  Or Sin City.  Or home, depending on who you are.  The city has many names and easily just as many activities to distract one from the day to day, but let’s get to the heart of it:  what is there for a nerd to do in this city?  While out on assignment (or vacation if you want to go ahead and split hairs) it was my honor to go about the area and seek out the activities and corners of the city that were right in our wheelhouse.  That’s right I went in search of Sin City’s nerdy side.  I found some (more than I ever expected or could tell you about honestly) of the most wonderful little bits of the world right here in my old stomping grounds.  Our journey begins in what at first appears to be a rather unassuming toy store out in Henderson (at the NW corner of Eastern and Sunridge Heights in fact).  I’m talking about Kettlemuck’s Toy Shoppe, so come on in and let us take a look around.

Stay Awhile and Listen ….

Not too long ago I joined a bunch of like-minded gamers in the midnight release of Diablo 3. It was a lot of fun, I met some good people, made some new friends, and picked up my own copy of the game to bring home and lose my life to (I regret nothing!). So its been awhile since that night, I’ve had plenty of time to dig deep into the game. The question now is how is it? Has twelve years of waiting and anticipation been too much for any game to live up to? Has it just been too long for the game to be relevant at all? Well, those are good questions; the answers after the break.

Evil Has Returned!

Diablo 3 is metal! The line to pick up your preorder begins here.

As a huge fan of midnight releases (both movies and games) it seemed a no brainer for me to head out and pick up Diablo 3 tonight; however, I hadn’t preordered the game. Well, originally I had but when friend of the site Superplayertwo offered me the chance to buy one of the Collector Editions he’d bought I jumped at the chance; the CE had been unavailable by the time I got around to pre-ordering. No longer having a reason to go out and join my fellow gamers in their pre game revelry I was going to let this one pass me by. That is until Superplayertwo invited me along for when he picked up his. On a whim I grabbed my camera, a note pad, a pen, and my journalistic sense of adventure and made my decision to do a write-up about the event. Here it is.

A Bit About Ideas

What a good month this has been to be a nerd; specifically this one. We’ve had the biggest movie ever come our way (and I loved it), we had Free Comic Book Day, and I finally got my hands on a copy of Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ Saga #1 (seriously, third printing, turns out the book is kinda popular). How did I feel about this book you may ask (seriously go ahead and ask, it’ll make the part where I tell you seem more natural), well I don’t want to give away the entire review but I’ve read it three times now in two days. To put that in perspective I don’t even read Walking Dead a second time (well, usually), and that is probably my top comic running right now (well, after Saga it’ll probably drop to the second spot). Enough lead in, let’s get to the meat of this here tasty meal.