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Posted by Kim282 Comments on Gamers blog party: winter 2017 invitation Events

Gamers blog party: winter 2017 invitation

Christmas is only two weeks away, anticipation is in the air and everyone is getting into the party mood. So put on your best frock and dancing shoes, grab your laptop and join in with the latest blog party here at Later Levels – there’s no better way to celebrate this time of year and meet some new blogging friends.

The rules are simple:

🎉   Arrive at the party: don’t be shy – say hello and introduce yourself in the comments below! Give an introduction to your blog to welcome new readers and let us know what you’re all about.

🎉   Present your gift: think about the posts you’ve written during the past three months and choose your favourite or one which was fun to write. Leave a link to it in your comment and explain why you’ve picked it.

🎉   Show us your festive spirit: a party is nothing without good music and great food (plus a glass of wine or two). Tell us which favourite festive tune and Christmas treat you’ve brought with you.

🎉   Mingle: grab yourself a drink and cocktail sausage, and get to know your fellow guests! Check back on the comments throughout the day to discover excellent sites and meet new bloggers.

🎉   Party all day: the comments below will be open until 06:00 GMT on Tuesday, 12 December 2017 so you’ve got plenty of time to meet and greet. Plus we’ll be sharing your posts on our social media channels!

These blog party events are our way of giving something back to the amazing WordPress community and showing our appreciation for all of your support. We’ve met some lovely people and talented writers over the past 12 months; here’s a little thank you and a way of finding some great blogs you may not have come across already.

Have fun – and excuse me while I top up everyone’s drinks and turn the music up louder!

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282 thoughts on “Gamers blog party: winter 2017 invitation” Leave a comment ›

  1. I’ll be the awkward first guest, the one who turns up just as you’re still setting up…

    I’m Retro Redress – I blog as a way to make myself play through all the games I abandoned or never appreciated https://retroredress.wordpress.com

    My present is https://retroredress.wordpress.com/2017/12/05/30-day-video-game-challenge-day-4/

    Basically part of my 30 day gaming challenge, where I justify my love for an awful Master System port…writing it brought back a lot of memories, so I hope you like it. I’ve kept the receipt if not….

    I brought cocktail sausages – a party must – and Wham!’s Last Christmas…it’s the only Christmas song I like….

    Liked by 11 people

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  2. *Kicks the snow from his boots and tumbles in to the party in a flurry of scarves and mittens*

    Well I made it, but it’s pretty cold out there!

    *Hands over a Thermos of mulled wine… And another of mulled cider… And a box of mulled mice pies
    … And some mulled twiglets*

    Maybe steer clear of the mulled twiglets, they’re experimental and weird.

    So hello everyone, I’m Luke from Hundstrasse.com , I write over there once a week about… Well, any general gaming thoughts that happen to be rolling around my brain at the time; sometimes they’re reviews of what I’ve been playing, sometimes just musings on some aspect of the medium.

    I’ve brought with me a copy of Slade’s “Merry Xmas everybody”, but the CD is scratched so it’s just Noddy Holder screaming “it’s Chriiiiiiistmaaaaaaas!” Over and over again… Sorry…

    … I’ve also brought some of my thoughts about the expectation that gamers have on developers perpetually updating games that I wrote a little while ago: https://hundstrasse.com/2017/10/19/the-expectation-of-perpetual-updates/

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    • You are *so* welcome to this party: I absolutely love mulled cider. I’d even go so far as to actually trying the mulled Twiglets.

      Thanks for sharing this post Luke. I’d never considered it before but I guess I’m also guilty of certain expectations when it comes to perpetual updates. There’s something about being able to access games which are ten or even twenty years old through online platforms which makes me expect them to work, and perhaps that’s somewhat unreasonable… you’ve certainly provided food for thought!

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    • I miss the days before consoles were connected to the Internet, when games literally couldn’t be updated unless some sort of expansion came out on a separate disc. It meant that the game had to be ready when it was released, and there wasn’t this weird pressure to keep adding more content.

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      • Whereas now, EA release “The Sims 4” as soon as they can, even if it has minimal content (even less content than the previous game, or any of the previous games). That means that a high price is paid for a just-finished game, with the faith that there’ll be more value added over time. Games like this are the cinematic universes of gaming, because they’re not never complete on their own, so there can never be a complete experience.

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        • There are so many examples of the concept of post-launch content or development being handled badly… I’m still hopeful that publishers will eventually get the idea that some things are acceptable, but not others.

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  3. I would have come through the door, but that chimney was just too inviting.

    I’m Rob from iplayedthegame.wordpress.com and I write words about those game thingies. I brought a pint of scotch with me. No it isn’t to share! Oh alright, if you must.

    My song of choice would be Christmas is Awesome by Reuben, because it’s the most un-Christmas song that’s still about Christmas and I love it. “Look out for mistletoe or I will kiss your face” is a lyric for the ages.

    In terms of thoughts, I’m one that doesn’t like to outstay his welcome, so here are my thoughts on games that did just that: https://iplayedthegame.wordpress.com/2017/11/19/5-games-that-outstayed-their-welcome/

    Enjoy the festivities!

    Liked by 9 people

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  4. *The mirthful song of a baritone fills the snowy air as the voice approaches the door, and in steps the merry mage*

    Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! Oh I’m early this time… well I brought some spicy moogle wings to share. Not very festive, I know, but they’re off-putting at the very least.

    *Sets the plate of wings down, hangs an 8-bit red mage ornament on the tree*

    A big thank you to Kim for bringing all the adventurers together again! This is the kind of community thoughtfulness that our world needs. I am the Well-Red Mage (of the shamefully narcissistically titled blog), an attempted haven for respectful and respectable discussion on gaming operated by a host of magical word-wizards. We like to emphasis critiques and the joys that games writing could be… one may say “the Ghost of Games Writing Yet to Come”.

    Anyhow, as I approached I was singing my favorite Christmas tune, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”. Classic.

    Ah and here is my gift. It’s actually the most recent post I’ve written, as it’s still on my heart, a look at tribalism and fandoms and how we (I) alienate people along those lines. At this time of year, many of us begin to think about closeness again, seeing friends and family again, so that’s just something I’m thinking about and trying to personally improve on.

    https://thewellredmage.com/2017/12/09/fandom-tribalism-and-how-i-made-my-neighbor-my-enemy/

    Now where’s the nog???

    Liked by 13 people

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  5. Hello everyone! I’m Chris and I do a blog called OverThinker Y (overthinkeryblog.wordpress.com) which is mostly about gaming but also about just generally wondering what’s going on a lot of the time.

    I’ve done a few really fun things lately, mostly where I’ve got to chat with other people to do it: I’ve composed music for some people, got involved in a couple of community Q&A things… and the other day I wrote the thing that’s perhaps the most ‘me’ I’ve done so far, a thing about the nature of reality in gaming. The most fun I had with a post recently, though, was this post about… fashion! https://overthinkeryblog.wordpress.com/2017/10/13/the-best-jackets-in-gaming/

    My Christmas tune of choice absolutely has to be The Darkness’s ‘Don’t Let The Bells End’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQhuoY5h2kE

    I shall be trying to mingle today, but it’s my work Christmas do, so I might be otherwise engaged! Big thanks to Kim for putting this on, though – she’s the person who brought me into the blogging community in the first place, so I’ll always have a Christmassy sparkle to spare for her!

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  6. Y’know, coming through the window seemed like a good idea in hindsight.

    Alrighty, let’s get this party started! So in short, I host a blog that reviews games, provides the latest news, commence giveaways, etc…

    Here’s my gift to you lovely peeps that I totally didn’t spend, like a second, considering. This is actually, the first of the ‘Off-Topic’ series and was a huge hit, well it still is now! https://reaperinteractive.wordpress.com/2017/11/15/off-topic-why-your-blog-may-not-be-attracting-views/

    I come bearing a box of stuffed turkey and a music record of ‘Silent Night.’

    I mean, the turkey was store bought and frozen, but that has nothing to do with the question. cough* cough*.

    Liked by 7 people

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  7. Hi everyone I blog over at The Gaming Diaries. Basically I write about games and thoughts on them and related things.

    I have brought my Backlog Task post (which I notice my image hasn’t worked/saved so going to try to fix that when I have the time). I found that this one was really relatable for everyone.
    https://thegamingdiaries.wordpress.com/2017/11/16/the-backlog-task/

    I have brought Merry Christmas Everybody by Shakin’ Stevens (because everyone knows it and some brought Slade already!) and a selection box and chocolate coins.

    Happy blog party everyone!

    Liked by 8 people

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    • Shakin’ Stevens… now that’s a classic! I used to love that song when I was a kid!! 🎅

      I hear you: I don’t have a lot of time to play video games due to adult responsibilities, and when I do have a spare hour I’m often too tired to because there’s so much going on. I think I’m going to have to go through my own backlog in the new year and sort out what I’d actually *like* to play – and get rid of that stuff I feel I *should* play simply because it’s sitting there in the list…

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      • Yeah it is a classic 🎅 A good one to sing along to as well – even if I probably shouldn’t. That is kind of the case with all Christmas songs though!

        Absolutely there is a big difference between wanting to play and what you think you should play. Maybe in the new year we will all work out what games we have that we want to play and anything else isn’t as important. Maybe my list won’t be as bad as I think if I discount games that I feel I should play or aren’t as sure of.

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        • It would be great if there was a way to gift un-played games in your Steam library to friends. I know you can delete them, but it seems like a bit of a waste!

          Saying that though, I think ‘cleaning up’ my backlog in the new year is probably going to help me feel a bit better about it. 🙂

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  8. Hello and Merry Christmas to everyone!! I hope at least a couple of you have been given a snow day today. First just let me say a huge thank you to Kim for hosting, I must say the place looks lovely and festive!

    I’m Pix1001 and I write a blog called Shoot the Rookie. I started writing back in August and my aim was to write about difficulty in video games, and how someone like me, who can’t make characters walk in a straight line or make a camera point forward, can still enjoy games.

    Recently though I’ve moved into games-fashion journalism and the gift I would like to give you is the gift of goggles:
    https://shoottherookie.wordpress.com/2017/12/06/looking-good-in-goggles-a-gamers-guide/
    I hope it inspires you to update the goggles section of your wardrobes.

    So I brought snacks, namely Norwegian Pepperkaker in the shape of Bowser, so please help yourself! Please do be careful with the spiky bracelets though, they are kinda sharp! As for my music choice, my favourite Christmas tune is from a Christmas album that a friend brought me back from Germany some years ago called Heavy Metal Xmas, the song is called ‘I Hate Christmas Time (Christmas time’s not a friend of mine)’. I tried googling to find out who it’s by, but I couldn’t find any reference to it, which makes me think I dreamt the whole thing, I do remember how it goes though and will sing it for a small fee. I want to note here that I DON’T hate Christmas time, and it is DEFINITELY a friend of mine! It’s just that the song was really funny!

    Ok! I’m heading for the bar, anyone want anything?
    Pix x

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  9. Walked through the door in a Skyrim Christmas jumper effortlessly joining into the nearest conversation (not really I probably slipped on the ice fell through the door and threw my present onto the buffet table!)

    We at least I got here through the ice and rain of Cumbria (no snow for us as yet!)

    To make up for the half ruined Buffett I brought a Christmas classic mince pies! And of course Fairy Tale of New York on CD!

    So hi everyone I’m Matt from ClanGeek https://clangeek.blog the soul writer for a site covering everything geeky and gaming related from books to games and other stuff in between.

    I brought https://clangeek.blog/2017/11/28/memorable-gaming-moments-2017/ a summary of the three most memorable games of 2017! The question now is what’s your favourite games of this year?

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    • *tries to start up a Fairytale of New York singalong, then blushes when nobody else sings*

      Thanks for joining us Matt! Hmm, favourite game of the year… the most recent one for me would be Stories Untold, I think. I’m glad Bradley from Cheap Boss Attack put me onto this – it’s really clever in terms of both mechanics and storyline. I hope the developer decides to do a sequel at some point in the future!

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    • Favorite games of the year… That’s a hard one since I tend to be a ‘patient gamer’ and wait obnoxiously long times to get new games. I have played Zero Horizon Dawn this year, and the graphics are just amazing. I’m sure the story is too but I’ve barely made a dent into it! The game play feels pretty fluid and easy even though I get easily panicked with the machines!

      I also played a bit of Night in the Woods and it’s pretty quirky (only played maybe half an hour or so). The art is different, and I like that. I hope to play some more so I can have a better opinion on it.

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    • What an entrance! And in an amazing jumper, no less. Thanks for sharing this fun post with us. I look forward to reading more of your blog. Since you mentioned that you blog about all manner of geeky stuff, do you have a particular topic you find yourself enjoying blogging about more than any other (even if just marginally so)?

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      • Now there’s someone with a fint taste in jumpers! I tend to gravitate more to video games and especially fantasy stuff like Elder Scrolls. But if it’s geeky and I like it I’ll write about it!

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  10. I’m suppose to be working right now but I wanna party, dammit! (don’t tell my boss…).

    Awkward intro: *stands in the corner with arms folded* I’m, um, Ellen and I, uh, look up to Lightning Farron from the awesome FFXIII trilogy as my shero. Her character helped me through a rough time and she inspired me to be a better person. I hide behind her avatar on the internet and write on my blog over at lightningellen.com – mostly me babbling about games and stuff. Writing is fun!

    My gift: I just posted my review of Hellblade, my personal game of the year. I had fun writing it and nothing says holiday spirit like a gruesome/depressing journey into the gates of Helheim! https://lightningellen.com/2017/12/10/post-playthrough-roundup-hellblade-senuas-sacrifice/

    Festive spirit: I’m a terrible person so I request the DJ play The Night Santa Went Crazy by Weird Al. It reminds me of a GTA North Pole, haha. Also I brought lots of chocolate!!! Yay! 😍

    Ugh… I think my boss is coming. Party on people! I’ll drop by again after work.

    Liked by 13 people

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  11. *stumbles into room, laden with desserts and bottles of adult beverages* Hey, guys! It’s Athena from AmbiGaming! I come bearing tiramisu and fixings for Good Doctors, Lightning In a Bottles, and Shirley Templars! *hurries into kitchen before dropping something*

    Ooo, you tell me to bring music, and I’m all over it. I have a whole playlist ready, but I love starting with “Jingle Jingle” by The Echelons! No one’s ever heard it, but it’s so much fun to sing and dance to! haha

    …and not to completely dampen that mood, but my gift is my review of RiME. While I have a lot of fun with my drink posts and Mass Effect posts, this one was just enjoyable to write, even considering the subject matter. And it’s just a beautiful game! https://ambigamingcorner.com/2017/11/01/rime/

    Anyway, like LightningEllen I’m supposed to be at work, but I’ll be back! *apparates to work with a snack in hand*

    Liked by 8 people

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    • *googles Jingle Jingle*

      Ha ha ha that’s awesome! Definitely one to be added to the Christmas playlist. 😀

      RiME and Hellblade are the two games I haven’t played this year that I really want to. Thankfully I have a week off during the holidays, so I’m hoping they’ll come up in the Steam sale and I can spend a couple of days with them!

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      • *apparates back* They’re great, and also short, which is great for other reasons haha! Don’t tell my boss, but it’s a lot more fun here so maybe I’ll hang out a little longer…. haha

        Yes! The more people I can share “Jingle Jingle” with, the happier I am! 😀

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    • The names of those cocktails are compelling. I don’t know what’s in them, but they sound fun! (My cocktail knowledge is very poor, really)

      I haven’t played RiME, but I watched the trailer for it and have a dynamic theme of it on my playstation right now. I look forward to reading your post about it, especially because that game is one of those that has caught my attention even if I might not end up playing it.

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      • Haha Well thanks! They’re actually part of a little miniseries I have called Spirits ‘n’ Sprites, focused on video game-themed adult beverages. So the reason you haven’t heard of them is because I pretty much made them up….. *sheepish grin*

        RiME is really great, and I highly recommend playing it. It only takes maybe 7 or 8 hours, but it would definitely be a good “watch” if you’re into Let’s Plays! I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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  12. Oh I don’t think I’ve ever attended one of these parties! I should be working right now, but I’ve snuck out with this cake for you all *presents orange and cranberry white chocolate deliciousness*

    I’m Dan from nowisgames.com, we’re still young and trying to work out what we’re doing, but I present to you a post about my favourite gaming related memory from this year; attending EGX for the first time. My first gaming related event ever actually: http://nowisgames.com/2017/09/27/egx-2017

    I’d like to request a fairly somber Christmas song, which I only listen to once every year, called “She Came Home For Christmas” by Mew!

    While you chew on all of that, I should probably get back to work, they’ll be wondering where I went! I’ll be back later to boogie and read some of these awesome posts you’re all sharing! 😎

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  13. *stumbles through the door and trips over a pile of shoes nearby*

    Hi.

    *looks around awkwardly*

    /endRP

    I’m Brad from Cheap Boss Attack! I tend to review a lot of stuff, but mainly focus on modern releases and weekly “what’s everybody playing?” wrap-ups. Those are my favorites since they encourage discussion (much like this here post at Later Levels!).

    I just published my Top 10 Games of 2017, which was a tough list to narrow down. LOTS of good stuff released this year.

    https://wp.me/p23CwQ-3xF

    I’ve brought with me the best Christmas treat of all time — tamales. Enjoy! My girlfriend is half Mexican and making tamales every year is a family tradition of hers that we’ve since adopted over the last 7 years. They’re incredible, yes, but their purpose is to make a TON of them and give them out to family and friends. Seems appropriate, yeah?

    As for the Christmas tune, how about mc chris’s (his name is all lower-case, I promise!) nerdcore hip-hop cover of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’s intro theme?

    I look forward to getting to know everyone better over the next twelve months, and hopefully I’ll be less bad about leaving comments when I read things (lol).

    Merry Christmas!

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  14. Hey this is Daniel from True Video Games!
    http://www.truevideogames.com
    It’s a blog that I created in order to just vent about the current climate in video games and also give my opinions on the games I am playing.
    I have been writing for less then a year now, and though I still have a lot to learn, I have been enjoying the process.
    I enjoy these type of events that the community will put together and it really gives me a chance to stretch out and see what I can do.
    Recently, I did some research and wrote a piece on the current cost of video games, and whether publishers should ask for more money. I found that the amount of money that publishers are making is pretty amazing. If you want to check it out, here is the link!
    https://truevideogames.com/2017/12/03/are-video-games-worth-60/
    As a gift, I brought Star Wars. Every Christmas goes good with a Star Wars marathon as you cook and clean.

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    • Thanks for coming Daniel! 🙂

      I really enjoyed your post. You make some excellent points within it and it’s astounding how much publishers are making in profits. I know we briefly chatted about this on Twitter recently, but I really do hope we start to see a change in 2018…

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      • Unfortunately, I’m kinda cynical in this regard. I feel like as long as they are making money, they may never change.
        However, publishers have been receiving some noticeable black eyes lately and maybe it has been a wake up call.
        Thanks for the words of support!

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        • After the past year, I don’t think anyone can blame you for being cynical! There’s a part of me that hopes it has indeed been a wake-up call for them though. I know publishing is a business and businesses exist to make a profit; but surely there’s only so long you can ignore the feedback of your customers?

          Maybe I’m too idealistic… we’ll see. 😉

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          • I think we need idealism in this day and age. It’s a good look!
            The thing that gives me hope is that we have developers that are speaking out against these practices and they are creating their own studios. I have played some fantastic indie games that probably would not have been made had it not been for greed publishers.

            Each consequence has a pro and each con has a story.

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            • Now that’s very true – the creation of some great indie studios is one of the silver-linings of the current situation. Over the past couple of years I’ve started to play more indie than big-budget titles, because there’s such a range of different experiences out there.

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    • I look forward to reading your post. I’ve seen a lot of discussion recently about the cost of games and the actual payoff for the production team and it’s a very interesting topic.

      Speaking of the Star Wars that you brought, does it include the holiday special?

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      • You know…I have never seen it.
        I am more of a main stream Star Wars fan. I love the original trilogy, I tolerate episode 1-3, and I am trying to love the new movies. I couldn’t get into the animated series, but I have read “The Psychology of Star Wars” and I am currently reading “Aftermath.”
        The “main stream” comment was probably the most lame thing I have written or said today.

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        • Wow, The Psychology of Star Wars sounds like a really interesting read. I might have to check it out. I’ve never really been able to get into Star Wars because the story is very disconnected and I have trouble telling the characters apart, but I like the world and the fandom. It is one of the biggest fandoms I know of, and everyone has their own experience of the series. There’s no wrong way to enjoy it, other than calling it Startrek!

          (I also highly discourage anyone from actively seeking out the holiday special unless you genuinely enjoy watching media that are poorly made).

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          • Hmmm…I really wonder if you would actually enjoy the older movies. I love them because I grew up with them. They will always be timeless in my eyes, but I’m not sure if you would have the same experience. Watch them and let me know haha.

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            • I’ve seen the older movies. Actually, I haven’t seen any of the newer movies. The most recent one I’ve seen was the one where Vader is created because Obi-Wan’s apprentice doesn’t handle the rough lot he has in life effectively. That one came out when I was in high school. The newer ones are on my list of films I haven’t seen but should.

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  15. Hello Party people whoop whoop!

    My name is Joey, writer on AlunaRL. I am 24 years old (turning 25 on December 20th). My hobbies are Gaming, Livestreaming, Photography and going to Hardstyle/Hardcore parties.

    My blog is all about Rocket League News, Reviews and Gaming related articles (like weird questions, top 5’s etc.!). So don’t be shy and check my blog ❤

    The post I am the most proud of is one of my most recent publishes. It was a post about answering a gaming related question and I just really loved answering it! You can check this post here: https://alunarl.com/2017/12/09/which-gaming-character-am-i/

    I actually don't like Christmas that much but I love going to parties sooo my pick as my favorite music track will be uhmm…….. Angerfist & Outblast feat. Tha Watcher – Die Hard
    Probably this track is way to rough for you all and it actually has no Christmas spirit in it but hey that's just me haha!

    Have a wonderful evening/day,

    ❤ Aluna

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    • I can’t say that was the kind of Christmas tune I was expecting but hey, the more the merrier. 😀

      I think I’d struggle to answer the question your post is based on… maybe if I took different qualities from different video game characters? I might have to attempt to answer it in a post in the near future!

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  16. *slips inside toting homemade sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate cookies* I maaaaay have over compensated with so many cookies because I get so nervous around new people. But anyway, hey y’all! I’m Megan from A Geeky Gal. I write about pretty much everything geek including gaming, cosplay, fashion conventions, and other stuff I find cool.

    Here’s my gift. It’s a little older than 3 months but gaming related so I wanted to share it! https://ageekygal.com/2017/06/17/5-fandom-friday-video-games-i-love-to-play/

    For my Christmas tune, I brought ‘Christmas Don’t Be Late’ by Alvin & the Chipmunks.

    Loving all these posts so far, so don’t be alarmed if you’ve found yourself with a new follower… Going to try to make the comment rounds today but I may be a bit slow since I’m at work!

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  17. Season’s greetings! My name’s Scott, and I write about old games I’ve played, post random musings on certain topics, and examine video game injuries from a needlessly medical perspective. My blog recently turned one year old, so expect a soppy anniversary post in the next couple of days.

    I’ve been finding it hard to participate as much as I’d like to in the ever-wonderful WordPress community recently – who knew that being an adult was so hard? – so to make up for it, and because it’s Christmas, I’ve brought mounds of delicious stuffing fit for the finest turkey; I have vegetarian and meaty options, too. My festive song of choice is All I Want For Christmas by Mariah Carey, unquestionably the best Christmas song ever.

    I recently wrote about some differences between Sony and Nintendo and the direction that each studio is taking, which inspired some interesting comments. You can read it here: https://insertmemorycard.com/2017/11/10/nintendo-sony-and-the-makings-of-a-good-video-game/

    Big thanks to Later Levels for hosting another splendid blog party – it’s great to have the chance to discover new writers and share some festive spirit(s) with such talented people. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to try and source some more eggnog…

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    • I feel your pain when it comes to being an adult: I’ve fallen so far behind on reading everyone’s posts and writing my own lately. Hopefully for Christmas I’ll receive more time to write and play video games… here’s hoping, anyway. 😉

      I do tend to prefer the ‘heavy’ stories than ‘fun’ video games, but I completely agree when it comes to the gritty anti-hero – more variation in our protagonists can only be a good thing! There’s definitely a place for both types of games though and sometimes it’s about choosing the right title for a particular moment in time. Thanks for sharing, Scott!

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      • I agree that games can fit your mood. I find it’s a bit like listening to music – sometimes you just need to listen to a sad song once in a while, other times you need an upbeat, happy tune. Same with games I reckon.

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    • I think that stuffing is a fair exchange for not being able to participate as much as you’d like. I’ve been having similar trouble, but have been able to at least participate a little thanks to the WordPress app and my daily bus ride to campus. Sometimes we just have to take those moments of participation where we can get them and accept them as being what we can do right now. I look forward to reading your post 🙂

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  18. Hello everyone, happy holidays! I’m excited to meet you.

    I’m the author of Pop Culture Literary, a blog dedicated to exploring literary devices through the pop culture that surrounds us. My aim is to write engaging blog posts that help people learn more about these devices and think about them as they apply beyond the kinds of novels studied in English class. Beyond that, I’m on WordPress to connect with the amazing blogging community here.

    I really look forward to reading everyone’s posts. I love reading something that I know was an author’s favorite work. Speaking of, I’ll share one of my own favorites here as well. My favorite has to be the one that sparked the idea to start this blog in the first place, exploring literary symbolism found in Over the Garden Wall: https://popcultureliterarytutor.wordpress.com/2017/04/03/symbolism-in-over-the-garden-wall/

    Additionally, I’ve brought some chocolate wine (and for those of you who cannot partake, I’ve brought peppermint eggnog!) and sweet potato latkes. I don’t usually eat latkes for Christmas, but Chanukkah starts tomorrow so I’m still in Chanukkah brain.

    I’ve also brought a recent holiday favorite to listen to:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCD1VG_ZD7k (Owl City, Pepermint Winter)

    (I will be more mingle-y on Tuesday because I have some final exams to take care of today that run a little late into the evening, but I’ll try to be around!)

    Liked by 7 people

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    • Thank you for joining us! I’m a very recent new follower so it’s great to have to here. 😀

      Hope everything goes well with the exams – we’ll save a drink for you!

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    • I’ve read a few of your blog posts already, and they’re really creative considering the “everything has already been thought of” line. English is one of my favorite subjects so it’s really cool to see that put up against pop culture. Your Brave Little Toaster post is my favorite (so far). Imagine if more English teachers used pop culture references like that to teach students!

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      • Thank you, I’m glad that you’re enjoying what you’ve read so far. I had a lot of fun writing the Brave Little Toaster post, so it’s fun hearing that you liked that one.
        I enjoyed reading the post that you shared when you introduced yourself. Sadly, I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading more of your work because I was finishing those finals yesterday. I’m hoping to get to make my way through several more sometime today or tomorrow! I liked your style in the post that I did read.

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  19. Hi, I’m aivanther. Unfortunately, I have the flu, so I’ll have over here in the corner.

    I write The Daily Rager, a gaming satire site I started lark a few weeks ago. It’s been fun, though in my current febrile state I’m hitting a block on content and so have nothing prepped for tomorrow.

    It’s hard to say my favorite as I’m usually giggling as I write everyone. That said, I’ll share this one. A literal display of sh**s and giggles.
    https://dailyragerblog.wordpress.com/2017/12/01/latest-star-wars-game-a-literal-crap-on-brand/

    I’ll take some chicken noodle soup and huddle here in the corner some more.

    Liked by 6 people

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  20. Hey everybody! Looks like I’m arriving at the party in the swing of things.

    I’m the Optimistic Gamer. I run a blog trying to focus on the positive aspects of gaming: http://www.optimisticgamer.com

    My gift is https://optimisticgamerblog.com/2017/12/04/optimistic-weekly-update-12-4/

    It’s last weeks post in a new series of weekly updates I’m doing. Basically, it’s a journal of what I’ve played over the past week, just jotting down my thoughts and feelings and relationships with the games. It’s an ongoing and ever evolving series that I hope one can look back on and reflect the state of gaming.

    I brought boozy eggnog, because it’s delicious. I’ll try to mingle as much as I can, but I’m at work today, unfortunately, so I’ll be dipping in and out of the party!

    Liked by 4 people

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    • Thanks for stopping by, and for sharing your post! I’ve been enjoying reading your weekly updates. 🙂

      I recently dipped back into The Elder Scrolls Online and have become somewhat hooked all over again. I don’t usually like MMOs; but the world is so large, you can often go for ages without encountering anyone else. I guess that somewhat defeats the point but it kind of suits me!

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    • I’m pretty excited about this eggnog you’ve brought, but I’d say that I am also excited about reading the blog that you came to share as well as other posts of yours. I feel like game writing needs more vocal optimistic writers!

      Liked by 2 people

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  21. Hey, gang! C.Nuan from Spoils of Lore~ Would love to stay and chatter, but gotta make this quick because of the 9-5… or 3-11:30, same diff, yo. First, the blog’s about gaming spoilers, lore, and nonsense; so, if you like conspiracy theories, quirky connections, or have a strong opinion to share about your favorite game, bop on over! In fact, later this week, SoL will be hosting a call-out to start a new weekly community conversation with featured bloggers; so, we need bodies… with blog posts… preferably 😐 Totally legit, I swear.

    As for a present, made a fat post about sound design: https://spoilsoflore.wordpress.com/2017/11/17/for-the-groove-of-the-game/ Have at, add your own garnish/opinions please~ 2017 has been a GREAT year for game audio!

    Speaking of, favorite seasonal tunes are Nat King Cole’s “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” and Jimmy Smith’s (Oh No remix) of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbbYT_6lflM You’re welcome to said chestnuts, but please be sure to share with your fellow gentlepeeps!

    Sorry to be in and out, but will definitely be mingling later! Thanks to our great host, @LaterLevels, for another awesome community event!

    Liked by 7 people

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    • Ooh a new community event… I’m intrigued! I’ll certainly keep my eyes open for this. 😀

      It’s good to see Stories Untold getting a bit of love in your post. It’s something I played only recently but it really left an impression. Observer is on my to-play list so hopefully I’ll get around to it very soon!

      Liked by 1 person

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    • I’m at the 9-5 myself, so I’ll have to read your posts later, but I just wanted to reach out to say I’m excited about the community outreach, and I would love to be a part of it! I’ll be checking in next week, for sure.

      Liked by 2 people

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  22. Um… hello. I’m Alex, but on the Well-Red Mage, I’m known as the Purple Prose Mage. To everyone else, I’m the quiet wallflower with the big eyes who stares at people from a distance. My only “theme” that I have is that I write about whatever my friends are also discussing, which is often video games and popular culture. I’m using this place more as a social platform for exchanging thoughts with a community of followers. I’m on a December break at the moment, but I’ll be back in the New Year.

    Outside blogging, I’m working on my own writing projects. Speaking of which, here’s a piece about why writer’s block is a self-diagnosed problem that doesn’t really exist: https://alexsigsworth.wordpress.com/2017/11/30/writers-block-is-an-excuse-for-lack-of-planning/

    Now, because I find sentimental Christmas tunes a bit naff, I’ve brought a much needed lively alternative. Ladies and gentlemen, I present “Weird Al” Yankovic’s “Christmas at Ground Zero” (1986):

    Of course, I’d willingly sing along to The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl’s “Fairytale of New York” (1986) when you start an impromptu karaoke. Then we could eat some chocolate fingers.

    Anyway, I’ll just be over here in the corner. Come talk to me if you’re a loner or like obscure stuff.

    Liked by 8 people

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  23. So, hello there. The name is NekoJonez. If you want to shorten it to Neko or Jonez, it’s fine by me. I prefer Jonez to be honest, since that’s the nickname that stuck longer with me.

    I’m a 24 year old Belgian video game blogger who wants to take you on a journey through his adventure in the amazing world of gaming. This includes my opinions, modern and retro games. I’m also a collector of games.

    Besides that, I work full time, study to become a computer scientist and I’m a hobbyist actor on stage. (Let’s not count fixing ppl their computers and family stuff here for a moment)

    I could talk about hours who I am, but let me introduce my blog: https://arpegi.wordpress.com

    Now, in terms of music, let me introduce you to my current ringtone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVnbFXvR0rQ
    Yes, “Turn On the Pyrotechnics” from the Hat In Time soundtrack. Man, is it an amazing song.

    So, from time to time, I like to theme my articles and the can turn out amazing like my latest one: https://arpegi.wordpress.com/2017/12/10/review-nintendo-pocket-football-club-3ds-eshop-lets-play-this-match/

    Just start giving it a read and you will understand the theme. I wish I had the time to do more of these.

    Christmas will be quite a surprise, since I have a lot of articles planned. So, stay tuned. My gift for you all is a warm friendship. Some of the bloggers here know this already but if you ever need another point of view/advice/somebody to vent to/somebody to talk too, don’t hestitate to talk to me. I’m here for all my blogging friends. 🙂

    Liked by 5 people

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  25. **crashes through the bathroom door, from the inside out, smelling of whiskey and bad decisions** heeyyy everyone! Your resident 30-year-old frat boy is here. Don’t worry about the door, I’ll fix it. What’s that? Oh, the bathroom window was open. Why’s everyone looking at me like my head is bleedi-oh, my head is bleeding. Hah! Look at that.

    Anyway, it’s your ol’ pal Geddy, aka Gedrick, aka Uncle Geds, from over at NostalgiaTrigger.com. I’ve got a plate of deviled eggs to share, and I’m hoping I can be accommodated with some fridge space. Also, Kim, do you have any Tabasco? Every house has one of those small bottles of Tabasco!

    I’ve also got a bottle of Glenlivet 18. I’m going to drink the entire thing and then talk about how everything was better in the 90s, before descending into an off-key rendition of Merry Christmas – I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight by The Ramones.

    Thanks for the invite Kim and I appreciate all the work to get us folks together 🙂 Oh yeah – I also brought my Switch to your party despite it not being on a rooftop. Anyone want to lose at Mario Kart?

    My gift is a post I wrote exactly 3 months ago to the day that talks about how to get back into gaming and make it fun again, after the pressure of “backlog culture” wears you out. It seemed to resonate with many and I think the average age of this gaming circle on WordPress struggles with this from time to time.

    https://nostalgiatrigger.com/2017/09/11/breaking-the-curse-of-gamers-block/

    Anyone down for a power hour? I feel like I could drink a thousand beers right now! **raises can of beer presented from back pocket** here’s to *hic* looking up your old address!

    Liked by 6 people

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    • Do I have any Tabasco? I do indeed have a *huge* bottle of Tabasco! 😀

      I remember this post – great choice there. I completely agree with you about stepping away from gaming every once in a while because sometimes you just need to take a break. If I find myself getting bored, I’ll put down the controller and do something else; and sooner or later, the urge to play something returns.

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    • I love the new look for your blog! That cover really pops and gets your attention. I enjoyed this article when I read it the first time and it’s certainly still relevant now – great work!

      Liked by 3 people

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      • Thank you Robert!! I intentionally tried to go as over-the-top and obnoxious as possible, much like 90s clothing styles, and I think I succeeded with the bright-ass pink lol. Thanks for that compliment! I’m hoping to get out some more meaningful articles – all of your work lately has been mucho inspiring!

        Liked by 3 people

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  26. I’m back from adulting, ready to kick it with the late shift. OK, maybe not until 6am GMT, but I’ve got some boring 9-5 work to do out-of-hours, so I’m gonna be partying for another couple of hours at least! Who’s with me!? Anyone? Pass the booze!

    Liked by 5 people

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  27. As always, I’m pretty late to the party (curse you, American work schedule!) but I am here and ready to get my Christmas on. For a treat I brought some of my grandmother’s white chocolate-covered pretzels, so feel free to dig in. As far as Christmas tunes, my favorite is “What Child is This?” but since this is a party that feels a little solemn. “Carol of the Bells” is only slightly less solemn, but it might get some folks grooving.

    My name is Ian and I am here taking a break from the Charming and Open event on my blog Adventure Rules. The whole month of December I am answering questions that were presented to me by my followers during the first weekend of the month, but under normal circumstances I talk about video games and tabletop RPGs. I do a random assortment of opinion pieces, guides, and the occasional review, and I talk primarily about Nintendo games.

    If you want to get a good idea of what my blog is like when I’m not in the midst of a community event, you can open the present I brought for the party today: this link! (also, I make puns. They are bad.)

    https://adventurerules.blog/2017/10/25/memories-with-mario/

    I posted this just before the release of Mario Odyssey to talk about my previous Mario experiences, and this captures pretty well a typical article on Adventure Rules – a blend of nostalgia for the past and expectation for the future. I look forward to partying with the rest of you, and a huge thanks to Kim for hosting these awesome shindigs each quarter!

    Liked by 7 people

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    • Posts full of nostalgia, and white- chocolate-covered pretzels. Now that’s a great combination. 😀

      Thanks for taking the time out from Charming and Open to stop by! I need to catch up on reading everyone’s answers and will be publishing my own on Friday. It’s such a good idea – I love the way it gets the community talking, as well as giving us inspiration for new articles.

      Liked by 1 person

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      • Thanks! I’m glad you enjoy the idea – I certainly love answering everyone’s questions and I particularly like that other people seem to want to see each other’s answers and questions as well. Of course, you’ve got yourself a pretty great community event here too – I always meet someone new to follow at the blog party!

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        • I’m kind of nervous about revealing my own answer now… every else’s are so good! Will we be seeing another Charming & Open event next year? 🙂

          Liked by 1 person

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          • I’ll keep the event coming as long as it feels like I’m not getting too many repeat questions. I feel like in the future I might try to establish stronger standards of what kinds of questions to ask, like do a themed event where it’s Charming and Open about [enter specific topic here]. Of course, with this one taking up an entire month of content, it might need to be an annual event rather than twice a year just so folks don’t get burnt out on it (and by folks I mean me!).

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            • Yeah, I think that’s important: if you’re enjoying running the event, then others will enjoy participating in it. I like the sound of a themed Charming & Open – very intriguing!

              Liked by 1 person

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  28. Happy Holidays All! I’m late as usual but I’m ready to party! My name is LaQuita but I go by Luna on my blog GamersUnitedGG! The blog focuses on gaming and geek related posts! We talk about video games, mobile game, review series, movies and more!

    One of my favorite posts recently was the December’s Question of the Month post where we answer which video game character would do a better job than Santa! Take a look if you like: https://gamersunitedgg.com/2017/12/02/decembers-question-of-the-month/

    I’ve brought the Dead of Winter board game to play with everyone! I mean it’s winter technically so why not try to survive a zombie apocalypse, eh, eh? Let’s play and mingle!

    -Luna :O

    Liked by 4 people

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      • For sure! I love this game and it’s super fun trying to figure out if someone is sabotaging the group or not. I will EVENTUALLY post a review and play by play on the game… in 2018 most likely haha! Thanks for hosting!

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        • I’ve never really had the opportunity to play board games, so any recommendations like this are very useful – thanks Luna! It’s an area I need to explore more. 🙂

          Liked by 1 person

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  30. Has secretly been here for a while, but chooses this moment to appear from the shadows (aka, I’ve been going through the posts you guys linked to before I commented). I hold a bottle of Pimms and another of ginger beer (I live in Australia, it’s really hot at Christmas time), and a packet of pretzels, because pretzels are the best.
    Hi, I’m Morgan or thegeekywriterchick and I live/write/exists over on https://fistfulofglittersite.wordpress.com/.
    I write about games, and television, and movies and occasionally more serious stuff. In addition to the tiny, annoying plastic instruments that you get in Christmas crackers (which I begin passing out), I have bought my post on The Witcher 2, which I played for the first time this year. I had a great time playing the game, and a great time writing the piece as I got to talk about something that had annoyed me for a while.
    https://fistfulofglittersite.wordpress.com/2017/11/28/gaming-witcher-2-and-why-difficult-decisions-are-the-most-powerful-ones-spoilers/
    I’m playing “I’m growing a beard downstairs for Christmas” by Kate Miller Heidke because it’s hilarious and I love it. Please don’t judge me…

    Liked by 2 people

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  31. Wut’s going on up in hur? Don’t make me bang the ceiling with mah broom handle you young whipper snappers.
    Well hi there folks. Wow, a whole bunch of new blogs to follow along with. I love to read, that goes without saying, and I have found out that blogging is so much better to convey a coherent thought or idea, than trying to squeeze things into 140/280 characters on Twitter. I have a blog, as you may have guessed seeing as I am submitting something for you to read.
    https://deezwurds.wordpress.com/
    It has gone through a few incarnations, 140 Characters was not enough, My Shadowpriest Life, one or two other names that escape me. I am an old school gamer. In two weeks I will be 55 years old, yes the day after Christmas, I have played video games since Pong, and the Atari 2600. Handhelds, Console, Board games, Miniature games, D&D, Magic the Gathering, so many other card games I cannot recall them all. And for the past 8+ years I have played World of Warcraft with my wife, although she has an extra 7-8 months of game time on me since she is more of a gamer than me. 🙂
    So I tried to think of a blog post from the last few months that kind of rings a bell for me. And I saw this one. Hope you enjoy reading, I have a definite opinion on things, but am always willing to listen to others.
    https://deezwurds.wordpress.com/2017/09/19/sorry-we-cannot-help-you-heres-a-joke/

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Big-up the older gamers – and welcome to the group! Sounds as though you’re going to have some big celebrations in the next couple of weeks! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

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  32. Stumbling in near the end, hoping no one will notice. That commute was hell today, and the traffic just didn’t let up. Didn’t help that it snowed all day to. But glad I’m here at last and didn’t miss it, even though most are on their way out.

    Hey everyone, I’m Imtiaz, aka Mr. Power Bomb Attack. That’s right, First name Power, middle name Bomb, last name Attack. Why not? I run a blog here by that very name. I love to talk about general gaming topics and do lots and lots of reviews. Happy to meet you all!

    What have I brought? I share a fun little post I did on one of my favourite aspects of Super Mario Odyssey, which was it’s photo mode. This was a fun post, because I didn’t have to do a lot of talking, and just show off some of my favourite photos I took in the game. People also seemed to really like it, and may be a type of post I keep doing in the future, since photo modes are so darn fun!

    In the interest of keeping things gaming related, I’ve brought along one of my favourite gaming christmas tunes, and that’s 12 days of Starcraft, check it out!!

    For my special treat, I’ve brought, that’s right, my wife’s superbly stellar Creme Brulee. Here you go!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Sorry it’s taken me so long to reply, obviously I’m still recovering from the party ha ha ha! Creme brulee is in my top three desserts… 😍

      I discovered photo-mode this year through Horizon and I was hooked. I wouldn’t be surprised if at least a third of the hours I racked up were due to me taking pictures. The one included in your post entitled ‘I feel so pretty’ is excellent!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  33. Pingback: Link Loves: Adulting, Feminism, Christmas, and Pop Culture
  34. Pingback: New Years Special: Reflecting on a Year of Your Blogs Part 7 Final – Pop Culture Literary

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