Monday, October 10, 2011

Lucky 1st place finish with Gothitelle at Surrey's Battle Roads Tournament - Part 3

Top Four vs. Trevore Read (Bearplume)
Game 1

Trevore was essentially running a Ross structure with four Beartics as the headline attacker. I knew going into the match that it was a good match up for me, just because I believed that Gothitelle had the advantage in being able to play trainers and hit over the wall.

The first game actually turned out to be quite the chore as we both failed to set up for the first 15 minutes or so. I dropped Tropical Beach early in the game and we both made ample use of it, although I think Trevore probably came out ahead, being able to play most of his cards to set up Vileplume early and Beaching for precisely one card almost every turn.


Lucky 1st place finish with Gothitelle at Surrey's Battle Roads Tournament - Part 2

Round 4 vs. Sam Park (Magneboar)
There were only five 3-0s left in the tournament, which meant that I was essentially sitting at the head table with people who might be top cutting. Sure enough, I get paired with another familiar face. Above me in the table were Christian and Trevore. Christian was a super keen Pokemon player who only started recently. He accompanied me to Tukwila and was inspired to build his own Zekrom deck. He had already played a BR just the day before in Redmond, WA and was doing very well this tournament. Trevore arrived on the mainland with a large group from Vancouver Island and, well, you’ll see what he’s playing below.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Lucky 1st place finish with Gothitelle at Surrey's Battle Roads Tournament - Part 1

After the BR at Tukwila, I took my Gothitelle deck and tweaked it slightly. The big change to the deck was the addition of a single Switch. I tried out a few other changes but most of them didn’t stick. Mostly, I swapped around the draw supports a bit and called it a day (in fact, when I was writing up the list, I was actually surprised that I was no longer running four Sage’s, but I shrugged and trusted that I must have had a good reason to do so at some point).


Saviour?


Friday, October 7, 2011

Kindle vs. Books: Which side are you on?

So, I've been asked to comment on this article by Sara Barbour. It is basically an op ed on why the author prefers books over electronic/digital representations of books. If you are unfamiliar with the Kindle, watch the video review below and prepare to become uncomfortably familiar with it:

In her article, Barbour admits that she avoids the Kindle because she is afraid that she would be tempted (to use it and, possibly, replace her collection of books). She prefers books because of intangible things, such as sentimental value and "the experience of reading." So where do I stand?


Wednesday, October 5, 2011

How to Play Like a Pro

New article by yours truly up on Pokegym.net: http://pokegym.net/forums/showthread.php?t=155087

Here are the key points:

The Set Up
Typically, you should be seated at your table and ready to start well before the judges declare the start of the round. However, even if you're not ready, you still get two minutes to shuffle and set up at the start of the game.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Help Build Heroblock City!

Well, if you didn't know, I am one of the creators of Escapecraft 3 and the Escapecraft Dual. The Escapecraft series was one of the forerunning adventure/escape maps in Minecraft and has gained acknowledgement and praise from Notch himself.
Shortly after releasing Escapecraft 3, merlinus12 and I began the prep work required for our next big project, Heroblock City, which was to serve as a spiritual successor to the Escapecraft series. Our aspirations were big, as we sat down to plan a map that was easily ten times larger than Escapecraft 3 (which, by itself, was already imposingly large). Here is an early tour of the city:
 

Unfortunately (well, fortunately for him), merlinus12 found a new job and had to move, leaving him super busy and without a gaming PC for several months. However, since the beginning, we had intended Heroblock City to be a community project and I have decided to proceed with this project on my own while merlinus12 is effectively AWOL. So here we go.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection: Playstation 3 Game Review

Review up on a remake of a classic on Kidzworld: http://www.kidzworld.com/article/26086-ico-and-shadow-of-the-colossus-collection-playstation-3-game-review

Originally made for the Playstation 2, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus were the forerunners in the "games as art" movement. Both games featured beautiful graphics and a story that provided the player with an amazing experience. Now the games have been remade for the Playstation 3, complete with updated graphics. While one two games has aged gracefully, the other has problems that have only gotten worse over time.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers: PC Game Review

Old game, but I just reviewed it for Kidzworld: http://www.kidzworld.com/article/26066-magic-the-gathering-duels-of-the-planeswalkers-2012-pc-game-review


Are you ready for the ultimate collectible card game? Duels of the Planeswalkers has arrived! Read Kidzworld's review for more details.
Magic the Gathering is one of the first collectible card games and people who liked collectible card games while growing up often will try Magic and enjoy the hobby. Magic is a worldwide phenomenon, with its own pro tour and even a weekly event called Friday Night Magic. However, with so many cards and complicated combinations, getting into Magic can be quite a challenge. Luckily, Duels of the Planeswalkers is here to help you get started!

Canadians Invade Tukwila, Washington! 4-2 Battle Roads Report - Part 2

Lunch Break - Jasmine's BR Report
It seems that every time we doing a Pokemon tournament, we wind up eating Subway. This was no difference as we ended up sharing a footlong meatball sub (Happy Gilmore's favourite!) and sharing the details of our matches so far. Jasmine was running a troll deck that she called Bomberman. It was an all or nothing deck that was relatively stress free. After World's, Jasmine decided that she didn't want to play competitively anymore and had started helping out by judging the local tournaments. But since we were outside our area, I had built a "it's no big deal if I lose" deck for her.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Canadians Invade Tukwila, Washington! 4-2 Battle Roads Report - Part 1

Last week we had our first battle roads in Vancouver and I went a terrible 2-3 with my ZPST. For whatever reason, the deck (which set up T1 or T2 90% of the time during testing) decided that it only wanted T3 and T4 set ups, which ended with me racking up a wonderful losing streak against two Reshiphlosion decks to start the day. To make the matter worse, a Kingdra/Yanmega (no Magnezone) deck, which was an autowin for me, took first place.

Deciding that the deck had failed me for the last time, I rebuilt my fragile Gothitelle deck. I was planning to run it during the next local BR in October, but then Christian mentioned that there was going to be a couple of BR events in Washington this weekend, just three hours south. Since Christian was already planning to make the trip, my wife Jasmine and I decided to tag along for the fun.




We left the house at 6am in the morning to make the trip and arrived at Tukwila with plenty of time. We ate a quick breakfast at Jollibee's, which I was familiar with from a business trip to the Philippines last winter, and bumped into a local family of Pokemon players: Joey and his father Jonathan. Joey was a top ranked Canadian player as a Junior and still did consistently well as a Senior, having earned an invite to Worlds last season and having won BR in Vancouver last week. His father Jonathan was more of a casual player, but he's no slouch, having won at least one BR and top cutted in other premier tournaments.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Kirby Mass Attack: Nintendo DS Game Review

Got a review up on Kidzworld:http://www.kidzworld.com/article/26053-kirby-mass-attack-nintendo-ds-game-review

If you like Kirby, you'll like 10 Kirbys! Kirby returns to the DS in Kirby Mass Attack. Read Kidzworld's game review for more details.
The traditional Kirby game is a side-scrolling platformer where you can use Kirby's ability to inhale and copy enemy powers to help you get through the level. Kirby Mass Attack, however, changes up the formula by presenting a new game play mechanic — one that will have you playing with only your stylus and the touch screen!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Summer Break

Podcast: July 25th, 2011

Welp, I'm going to be taking a break from the podcast since I'll be busy and taking trips in August. See you all in September! Use this opportunity to catch up on some older episodes :)

Summer Break

Podcast:

Welp, I'm going to be taking a break from the podcast since I'll be busy and taking trips in August. See you all in September! Use this opportunity to catch up on some older episodes :)

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Capcom @ Comic-con

Podcast: July 21st, 2011

Some thoughts on Capcom and the cancellations of Mega Man, Harry Potter, trilogies, and multiplayer vs. single player games.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Club Nintendo and Ultimate Marvel

Podcast: July 20th, 2011

Relatively small update today, it is a slow news day after all :p Leave some comments/questions below!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Not so slow news day Tuesday, but still rushed!

Podcast: July 19th, 2011

Another short one today, but not because there was a lack of news, but because of my incredible speaking wpm.

Rusty Hearts Beta Codes (win paid trip to PAX!): http://destructoid.com/elephant/redeem_code.phtml
TF2 Retro Arcade game: http://www.kotaku.com.au/2011/07/team-fortress-2-looks-great-as-a-retro-arcade-game/

Monday, July 18, 2011

Comic-con Week!

Podcast: July 18th, 2011

Some stuff to look out for during this year's Comic Con in San Diego. Also, news from EA and Minecraft!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

MrUnproductiveMuffin

Podcast: July 14th, 2011

No show tomorrow! But in this podcast, I talk about Thursdays, EA in Japan, Katamari Damacy, Zynga, Angry Birds and Popcap Games. Probably some more stuff too (Glitch, DSGL, Magic Cube draft and Zelda)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

B.O. etiquette and logical Superman

Podcast: July 13th, 2011

Not much news today, so I talked about Superman! Also, PAX, netflix, and EA Flexion

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Triple EA new days?

Podcast: July 12th, 2011

Typically a slow news day, but some stuff about EA today including their buyout of Pop Cap games, Origins, Battlefield 3 and more.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Free Slurpee Day!

Podcast: July 11th, 2011

Happy 7-11 everyone! Today I talk about Dark Horse Comics, Left4Dead 2, EA Origins (Battlefield 3), mosquitos, and Heroblock City!

Tomorrow is slow news day Tuesday, so leave some comments and questions for me so that I'll have something to talk about!

Friday, July 8, 2011

It's Void Rays, Void Rays...

Podcast: July 8th, 2011

Happy Friday everyone! Mad Catz is making games now, details and thoughts on Bioshock Infinite, Pac-Man 3DS, and some thoughts on life.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

MrUpdateMuffin: DSGL and Heroblock City!

Podcast: July 7th, 2011

Tennis, Poker, Virtual Insurance, Patent battles, Bungie Day, and more!

http://www.bungie.net/
http://roosterteeth.com/home.php

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Crystal Balls and eSports

Podcast: July 6th, 2011

Michael Patcher, industry analysis, esports, left4dead 2, the anti-streaming bill, and microsoft in Japan

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Sex Sells

Podcast: July 5th, 2011

Stuff about Bayonetta, Catherine, and the PS3 remake of No More Heroes. Also, Mario 3DS, Sonic, summer sales, and this:

Monday, July 4, 2011

July the 4th and more PSAs

Podcast: July 4th, 2011

Sunscreen PSA, stuff about Sony, Wii U Zelda and more!

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Long weekend time!

Podcast: June 30th, 2011

PSP engine, Tokyo Game Show conserves power, Valve and Minecraft stuff, and a firecracker PSA.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Slow News Day Tuesday

Podcast: June 28th, 2011

It's that time of week again! But luckily I fill it in a bit with some talks about games that will help the Wii go off with a bang, some more thoughts on the second hand market for games, and *shudder* politics of the HST

Monday, June 27, 2011

How would you dump 48 girls?

Podcast: June 27th, 2011

News on Minecraft 1.7, Ducksoup TF2 server, AKB48, and Goldeneye Reloaded.

Cool cracked article on online gaming events: http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-7-biggest-dick-moves-in-history-online-gaming/

Friday, June 24, 2011

Haters gonna hate

Podcast: June 24th, 2011

Last bit of stuff on TF2, some talk about PSN, Star Wars MMOs, and arguing on the internet.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

South Korea and Harry Potter

Podcast: June 23rd, 2011

Some more news about the TF2 update, South Korea, the Nintendo eShop, why I hate JK Rowling and more!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Slow News Day...

Podcast: June 22nd, 2011

Slow news day but I still have some interesting things to talk about! Namely: TF2 update thoughts, Sonic Generations, Wii U solves what consumer problem, and how your brain and body make choices for you.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Damage Control and Sleep

Podcast: June 21st, 2011

Some repeat info on how to train your to wake up and also on spin doctoring theory. Of course, gaming news on Star Fox, Club Nintendo, Layton, Duke Nukem, TF2, LEGO Universe and a bit more.

Also, some thoughts on this guy:

Monday, June 20, 2011

Immersion and other videos

Podcast: June 20th, 2011

Some talks about Ocarina of Time and the 3DS and news about Valve and Free to play games. Also, these videos:




Friday, June 17, 2011

Don't Forget Father's Day!

Podcast: June 17th, 2011

Some discussion about this and that, including a review of Ocarina of Time 3D, notes on the Wii U and Duke Nukem. Also, thoughts on the Stanley Cup finals and the resulting riot and, finally, father's day!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Stanley Cup Finals Tonight!

Watch the game first, then download the podcast: June 15th, 2011

Some thoughts on digital distribution with EA Origin coming soon and also Spiral Knights!


Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Plan 9 from Outer Space

Podcast: June 14th, 2011

Some thoughts on Duke Nukem Forever and LulzSec, as well as some discussion about the upcoming EA Sports Store and Sony Styles.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Game Six Tonight!

Podcast: June 13th, 2011

Playing Wii U in the bathroom and other problems with the new console. Also: some controversy surrounding Battlefield 3.

Eyeshield21 manga: http://www.tenmanga.com/book/Eyeshield+21.html

Mega64 Transfaring commercial:

Friday, June 10, 2011

Hockey Night in Canada

Podcast: June 10th, 2011

Not only about hockey, I recap E3 and talk a bit about PS Vita to PS3 connectivity and what this means for Wii U.

Also, this comic:

Thursday, June 9, 2011

E4: End of E3

Podcast: June 9th, 2011

Is the Wii U too little too late? That and more in this episode!

My written summaries of E3:
http://www.kidzworld.com/article/25722-nintendo-e3-2011-press-conference-summary
http://www.kidzworld.com/article/25721-sony-e3-2011-press-conference-summary
http://www.kidzworld.com/article/25718-microsoft-e3-2011-press-conference-summary

Pricing Wars

Podcast: June 8th, 2011

Some insight on the console pricing wars and what they mean, along with some side notes on Karoke and what I'd do if I won the lottery.

Monday, June 6, 2011

So it starts...

Podcast: June 6th, 2011

Go watch hockey!!!

Clock Blockers:

Friday, June 3, 2011

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Handheld console war starts

Podcast: June 2nd, 2011

Don't mind the rant near the end, I think my tiredness was getting to me

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Happy Post Long Weekend!

Podcast: May 31st, 2011

Not much else to say, have you seen this? J.C. is awesome

Saturday, May 28, 2011

A Link to the Future

Podcast: May 27th, 2011

Ok, I remember that I had to post up one thing :p but I forgot what the other thing was. Oh well! This is still awesome, enjoy!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Minecraft Update and More E3 Rumors

Podcast: May 26th, 2011

Anyways, Minecraft has updated! Go check it out! (If you want to)

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Happy Hump Day!

Podcast: May 25th, 2011

Going to be reprioritizing my personal projects soon, so don't be surprised to see a few things done differently around here!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

LEGO style

Podcast: May 24th, 2011

And we're back after a long weekend! Some more E3 rumors and some thoughts on LEGO and Duke Nukem Forever.

Also, this:

Saturday, May 21, 2011

I'm good at predictions

Podcast: May 20th, 2011

Sorry, forgot to put this up yesterday. Also forgot to filter noise :p Still, enjoy! And wish me luck at Battleroads :)

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Welcome to Rapture

Podcast: May 19th, 2011

I almost make it through this one without a big gaffe :p Oh well, next time!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The Shark Club Adopts a Temporary Name and Other Controversies

Podcast: May 18th, 2011

Not much else to say, except Go Canucks Go!

Oh yea, and there is a DSGL game tonight. It will be highlander on upwards. My team isn't playing until Sunday, but that doesn't you can't watch it anyways!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

On Gigabytes and Imposters

Podcast: May 17th, 2011

Enjoy! In the meanwhile, I'll see if I can't get something Minecraft related up on my youtube channel :)

Monday, May 16, 2011

The Value of Popularity

Podcast: May 16th, 2011

I spend a bit talking about the value of popular players vs. players that are douches and makes for a poor gaming experience. This stems from a comment Gabe Newell made and I think it's great food for thought. Anyways, enjoy!

Ghibli Minecraft:

Friday, May 13, 2011

It's Friday, Friday...the 13th

Podcast: May 13th, 2011

Go out and enjoy your weekend!

Sorry Honey, It's Thursday

Yesterday's podcast: May 12th, 2011

Sorry it's a bit late, had some computer problems.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

This Autumn will be busy with conventions

Podcast: May 11th, 2011

I already forgot what I was supposed to link :p I'll just put up the one that I remember right now:
http://www.youtube.com/user/siriuscord

Cheers!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Mr Birthday Muffin

Podcast: May 10th, 2011

Yup, it's my birthday! No time to chat, I have to get out and party :D

Play Mr. Jack online: http://mrjack.hurricangames.com/
Sign up for Spy Party Beta: http://www.spyparty.com/beta-sign-up/

Monday, May 9, 2011

DUXCOM vs. Phonetic Owls tonight!

Podcast is up: May 9th, 2011

I'm playing tonight in the Ducksoup Gaming League (Team Fortress 2). If you want to check it out, it's in 2.5 hours! Information here: http://www.ducksoupgaming.com/threads/tv-faq-match-stats-demo-downloads.1142/

Friday, May 6, 2011

E3 can't get here fast enough

Podcast: May 6th, 2011

It's the weekend! Go out and LIVE!

...or, you know, read a book. Whatever.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Cinco de Mayo

Podcast: May 5, 2011

It's Cinco de Mayo, but you wouldn't know if from listening to my podcast :p

Monday, May 2, 2011

It's May!

Podcast is up: May 2nd, 2011

No podcast for the next two days (and probably no new videos on youtube either), as I'll be out of town.

Japanese tradition vidoes (hilarious!):



Saturday, April 30, 2011

Happy Weekend!

Podcast: April 29th, 2011

Enjoy your weekend! Be sure to get out for some vitamin D. If it's not sunny out, then spend your idle hours reading Kid Radd:
 http://www.bgreco.net/kidradd.htm

Friday, April 29, 2011

Sorry for the Delay

Podcast: April 28th, 2011

Yea, that's yesterday's episode :p Stupid Window's update rebooted my computer while I was in the middle of recording so I had to re-record again this morning. Enjoy!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Canucks Rule

Today's podcast: April 27th, 2011

Nothing much else to say except CANUCKS RULE!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Post-Easter episode

New podcast is up: April 26th, 2011

Surprisingly not too much to talk about despite such a long break. However, several big news in this episode, including the PSN hacker attack and Nintendo's confirmation of a new console and several games. Also, some exciting stuff about Escapecraft!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Gotta backstab on Spyday

Forgot to put up the podcast link: April 21st, 2011

In other news, I started doing Portal 2 co-op with WingSpanTT (of Top Tier Tactics). Check it out:

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Run, fat boy, run

New podcast is up: April 20th, 2011

I've also posted some clips I recorded from the Vancouver Sun Run this past weekend. Ever wanted to see what my sister looked like? Check it out:

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Landing on Chell's Head

Today's podcast is up: April 19th, 2011

Escapecraft Dual is now available for download on the forums

I believe I also mentioned gamecareerguide.com in today's podcast as well. Enjoy!

Even though hockey is playing, Portal 2 calls for me! I've already got videos for my playthrough up:

Monday, April 18, 2011

How fast would Sonic run 10km? Depends on which Sonic I guess

Podcast is up! April 18th, 2011

Links to some of the things mentioned in this episode:
Nerf Now (webcomic)
Mega64  (They have a new video! Appropriately: Sonic still sucks)
Halolz

Friday, April 15, 2011

Let's Make Escapecraft!

Podcast is up: April 15th, 2011

Now then, I'll probably need all weekend to finish up Escapecraft and other EC related things!

Computer problems

After much trouble and delay, yesterday's podcast is up: April 14th, 2011

I'll be talking about some E3 rumors and how Call of Duty may or may not have destroyed the world. Also, TF2 updates and stuff about Nintendo!

Now to get a video up...

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

So many distractions!

Podcast is up: April 13th, 2011 (2)

Now to work on Escapecraft Dual...but NHL playoffs is so distracting!

Podcasts and Blogs and Videos, Oh my!

The blog is dead, long live the blog!

If you'll notice, I haven't posted anything in YEARS. However, this will change as I'll use this blog to track my video and podcast updates. Subscribe to the RSS feed to stay on top of everything.

The first podcast episode is up! Download it here: April 13th, 2011
In this episode, I talk about the Portal 2 ARG game and the rumors of hidden announcements. I also dabble into news about Escapecraft, Nintendo, and the 3DS and wrap things up with some quick thoughts on NHL (playoffs are starting today!) and spectator sports in general.
I'll probably be tweaking with the sound quality to make the files smaller and I'll eventually switch over hosting to something that can handle lots of bandwidth.

Last part of the Badwater series is here. I'll be recording something Minecraft-y today :) Looking forward to it?