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Gamers blog party: spring 2018 invitation

Both Easter and our GameBlast18 stream are only a few weeks away now, and the anticipation for chocolate and video games is building. But before that, it’s time for the first blog party of 2018 here at Later Levels – there’s no better way to set yourself up for the week 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 GameBlast18 spirit: a gamers’ marathon is nothing without great video games and good food. Tell us which game and Easter treat you’ve brought along with you to share at the party.

🎉   Mingle: grab yourself a drink, some chocolate and a controller, 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, 13 March 2018 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 year; here’s a little thank you and a way of finding some great blogs you may not have come across already.

Enjoy – and excuse me while I go grab some more batteries for the controllers!

295 thoughts on “Gamers blog party: spring 2018 invitation”

  1. Here early, because I’m the guy that gets to the party while they’re still setting up and just awkwardly hangs out in the corner.

    Brought some high quality Venezuelan rum, the recipe for a kickass Cuba Libre (the true way of drinking rum & coke), and this little post on scary games and scary gaming experiences, aka The Bejeezus Files:

    https://thementalattic.com/2018/02/07/the-bejeezus-files-games-and-moments-that-scared-me-silly/

    I’ve never celebrated Easter, to be honest, so I don’t know what exactly is a good treat for it, so I’ll hope the copious booze will do. Oh and Google says cupcakes are Easter treats, so I’ll get some cupcakes from Lola’s in London, phenomenal cupcakes

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    1. Oooh, forgot a game to bring, I’ll put in Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches, which I’m currently playing. Nice little adventure game, brain-teasy enough for some coop play

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        1. My pleasure and any time. And I wouldn’t necessarily call Rhiannon scary. It tries to be, it’s perhaps a bit dated to successfully pull it off though. Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water’s Edge on the other hand was surprisingly scary hahaha

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          1. It’s interesting to see how horror games have aged, how the things we considered ‘scary’ back in the day are now quite tame (or even laughable sometimes). Who knows, maybe there’ll actually come a time when the original Resident Evil is no longer frightening. 😉

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            1. You said it yourself with your part on the post, sometimes even the laughable things can be scary with right circumstances. Alone in the Dark, the original, was horrific in its day, despite the cartoonish visuals. Now it’s charming.

              Personally I think the horrors that depend on a well crafted atmosphere are the ones that age the best, such as the silent hill games.

              Jumpscares and theatrics are perhaps too dependent on the audiovisual component they can lose their impact over time.

              Fatal Frame games, now dated, are still terrifying, even more than say Outlast. Same with the Shaleridge Cradle level of Thief 3.

              At least that’s my opinion. Sorry for the rant…

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      2. This thing cut off my message! I said I might give it a go but after my current project to follow Ultimate Beastmaster which is a fake RPG walkthrough, completely made up walkthrough for a completely made up game but where everything in the game is named after the people in the Facebook group. For example, Kim said she’d like to be an item and a cat!

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        1. I’ve been trying to keep up with that but to be perfectly honest I was pretty confused by it! That makes more sense now… Which makes me feel a bit silly. But I seriously look forward to it if you decide to give it a try. Horror games are some of my favorites to play and you’ve played some that I’ve never heard about. I have a feeling I’ll be adding a bunch to my ever growing list!

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      1. Oh man, I love horror games but I play them like I was deathly afraid, even do the same with let’s plays or such. I watched an entire playthrough of Fatal Frame 4 on the Wii, and as a testament on how good that game is, it scared the crap out of me even though I wasn’t the one playing it

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  2. *Luke bumbles in through the door wearing khakis, denim shirt, red neckerchief, and a beige bushman’s hat which he tips nonchalantly to the host before pausing for a second with a slightly troubled expression as he notices Kevin’s lack of costume*

    Wait, this isn’t fancy dress?… But this is my best Alan Grant costume…

    Oh well, I’m Luke from Hundstrasse and I’ve brought along my experiences with Jurassic Park Trespasser for you to take a look at:
    https://hundstrasse.com/2018/02/07/jurassic-park-trespasser-next-time-itll-be-flawless

    *Luke rifles around furiously in his bag before producing some items*
    Here, I brought NBA Jam and a Mega Drive for you know… Gaming and suchlike… Oh, and some sunflower seeds to snack on because I’ve been watching her too much X-Files recently.

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    2. Not your typical Easter treat, but at least somebody is bringing a healthy option with sunflower seeds!

      Thanks for entertaining us with Jurassic Park: Trespasser. Which game is up next? 🦕

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      1. I’m still leaning towards the MS-Dos release of Jurassic Park because it should be easy to stream…. I’m a little concerned that it won’t be as amusing as Trespasser though… I barely had to try and make that interesting…

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        2. Who knew that boobs, flailing hand movements and dinosaurs could make such an interesting combination? Thanks for keeping us entertained – I’ll definitely stop by during the next streaming session. 🙂

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    3. I am intrigued. I need someone who has played this when it was originally released to tell us what they thought… Though I think the answer is going to be boobs. Beautiful, low poly boobs. What a great way to incorporate admiring boobs by putting the “health bar” in such a handy spot. Boobs.

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  3. Here because I can see others have already arrived, saving me an awkward conversation with host about the weather….

    I’m Retro Redress, a blog where I go back and play though games I gave up on. I’m currently playing GTA III again, with the hopes of beating it after 16 years…why not follow along?

    https://retroredress.wordpress.com/2018/02/02/24-grand-theft-auto-3-part-1/

    I brought tons of those £1 Cadbury’s Buttons Easter Eggs in a bin bag because Cadbury’s Chocolate Easter eggs are the best bar none! After I’ve beaten Luke at NBA Jam (remember, it’s B+C to push people over) I’ll put some Altered Beast on and we can play it until dawn!*

    *30 minutes at best

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                    5. I hold my hands up: I can’t deny I’ve done that before. Working from home around the Easter period really isn’t good for your waistline…

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    4. I really enjoyed this post, and I particularly appreciate that it didn’t devolve into a neverending list of female fantasy armor. The gear that recently stuck out to me as odd is how in Breath of the Wild, most of your equipment doesn’t factor into your stealth/speed. So you can do incredibly acrobatic things like climbing and gliding, or really stealthy actions like sneaking, all in the heaviest suit of armor money can buy.

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      1. A long list of silly female armour would have been really easy to do, but I don’t think it’d have been fun. I have played BotW so I wasn’t familiar enough with it, but I do know there’s one what that looks like a diving suit that I probably could have used!

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  5. GUTEN MORGEN PARTY PEOPLE

    I’m Chris, and I’m not German, but I do think the words ‘party people’ sound pretty good in a German accent. I’ve brought WWE 2K18 with me, because I reckon it’d be pretty fun for this whole party to have some sort of tournament or battle royale group beatdown! (And also because Wrestlemania’s just around the corner, which excites me.) As for food, I’ve baked a bunch of flapjack with a layer of blackberry syrup down the middle – it may not be massively Easterish, but it is darn tasty.

    I kind of took a slight hiatus from blogging recently, not deliberately, but I’ve been working my way back into being a person who is productive and writes things! For that reason, I’ve not got an enormous selection of posts to choose from in the last three months, but I have to say I had a lot of fun with this one!

    https://overthinkeryblog.wordpress.com/2018/03/06/the-most-belts-in-the-oddest-places-a-treatise/

    It’s about some of the most peculiarly-designed gaming outfits; I’m not a fashion person at all IRL, but I did a post a while back about gaming’s best jackets that was pretty fun, so I thought this might help get me back into it! (Shoot the Rookie and I are still supposed to be doing a collab on another aspect of gaming’s haute couture at some point, when we can both think of a theme!)

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    1. *looks guilty* I seriously need to get my thinking cap on (no headgear based pun intended). I notice that I Played The Game has also started writing about video game fashion…I think you now count as an ‘influencer’ Chris!

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      1. I think ‘least likely weapons’ might be a decent one. Or maybe ‘most and least practical shoes for the activity the person does’ (worded less unwield-ily) – I mean, Faith from Mirror’s Edge wears proper suitable shoes, but then you’ve got Bayonetta doing backflips in ridiculous heels. With guns on.

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          1. Given that KH3 looks to have shrunk his shoes (and Riku’s) back to reasonable proportions with the new outfit design, I think you’d have to say that he really was just wearing shoes that were way too big!

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  6. Hello everyone 🙂 I’m over at The Gaming Diaries and I like talking about games and life as a gamer. One of my favourite posts from the last few months was this one on video game jobs (which I had to sort the link to as it wasn’t working for me so fingers crossed it does now) https://thegamingdiaries.wordpress.com/2018/03/02/looking-for-video-game-jobs/

    I bring along packets of Mini Eggs for everyone (and then some extras) and a selection of Just Dance games for the fun of seeing everyone dance together.

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    1. Once I’ve had some of that Venezuelan rum Kevin brought above, you won’t be able to stop me from Just Dance… 😳

      Getting a job as a collectibles hider sounds pretty cool! I can just imagine myself trying to get to the most awkward location while giggling to myself.

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      2. Haha well I’ll join you on the dance floor! I know that’s what I thought of as well for that job. I can just imagine someone hiding something at the very top of a ridiculous tower to climb and cackling at the difficulty and the perfect hiding place.

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        1. I’d be laughing to myself all the way up the tower, thinking how clever I was… and then crying after realising I’d have to manage to get back down again somehow. 😂

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                1. I used to be fine with heights – but then I met my other-half who’s terrified of them, and now it’s rubbed off on me. Maybe I should have stuck with the NPC salesperson job. 🤔

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      1. I really want to get them out again as they are so much fun. Only issue is I’d need to move my table to have enough room to dance and that is a hassle. It is so tempting though as it is a good workout if you keep going and fun at the same time.

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          1. We used to be able to play it between the TV and the sofa but now the table is in the way I’d be way too close to play it. I had also played these games at someone else’s house once and I think I spent more time hitting off their furniture than anything else. Or trying so hard to avoid hitting into or off something. Their furniture all survived and my arms/legs/hands were just a bit sore after.

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  7. Ugh… I’m at work again (Monday already?? Sigh…) but I’ll pop in while the boss is busy, haha.

    My name is Ellen, and I like rambling about things online. My shero and favourite video game character is Lightning Farron (shocker, I know) and my favourite post is the one I wrote about the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy for the Well-Red Mage’s big community project: https://lightningellen.com/2018/02/16/lightning-will-not-leave-me/

    While no one was looking, I hid chocolate eggs everywhere. Have fun! *chugs several drinks and returns to worky*

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    1. That’s exactly the kind of party guest you want: someone who brings and hides surprise chocolate everywhere. 🍫

      As someone who’s only played two of the Final Fantasy titles (shocking, I know), I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s posts for the community project. One day I might actually get around to completing one of the games!

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      1. You both went for FFXIII? Competing articles? There’s only two ways to go now: drinking competition or Thunderdome. I’d recommend the first one, unless we can convince Kim to put on a Tina Turner wig.

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        1. It was an accident caused by me not paying attention…I would never try to compete with Ellen on FFXIII. Only a fool would do such a thing. I didn’t come dressed for jousting, so maybe i’ll just go hide with my cuba libre?

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    3. I might actually try to delve into the latest FF game for my first time into the series. Or the one that just came out, FF XV or something like that? Anyways, I hope work isn’t too bad.

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      1. It was fun as a kid but my parents were kinda evil… they hid them in places little me couldn’t reach, but they eventually helped me find them, haha.

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  8. Hiiii! The names Bessie and I blog about anything that I feel like sharing with the world! On occasion that is, my experiences and travel. You’ll also find the odd poem or short-story.
    A blog a wrote a while ago that I’m fond of is: https://aslovelyaspetrichor.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/oh-the-things-you-will-see-in-the-oddest-of-places-with-an-open-mind/
    I’m bringing along some mangoes aaannnnddd chocolate milk because they’re possibly the most delicious things in life.
    Warmth to you all XO

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    1. Did someone say short story? I will need to check that out! I’m working on a few of those myself, right now putting one together called Detective George and the Dragon. I think you can tell the reference 😛

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      1. Checked out and followed your blog! Keen to read some of your posts 🙂 and thank you! Comments like that are always so very encouraging.

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  9. Hei hei! Well this is much better than the ‘get up, go to work, look miserable’ thing I usually have going on right now! I’ve brought some chocolate cornflake nests and some limes (for the Cuba Libres). I’ve also brought a selection of homebrewed beers, but be careful, I’m not sure how strong they are! Games-wise I’ve brought Guitar Hero, because it is the only game I’m brave enough to play in front of other people. Anyone wanna join me for some Dragonforce?

    Finally, to mark last week’s International Women’s Day (if I’m not 4 days late I’m not there at all…), the article I want to share is an examination of the roles of women in the Final Fantasy XIII series, originally published as part of the amazing Crystal Compendium!

    https://shoottherookie.wordpress.com/2018/02/16/sentinel-saviour-seer-and-saint-the-roles-of-women-in-the-final-fantasy-xiii-series

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    1. I’m so bad at Guitar Hero… in my head I think I’m going to be awesome, but in reality my poor coordination really lets me down. Still, after a few of those Cuba Libres I won’t let that stop me…

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            1. Sorry I had to look that one up, it has been a very long time since i’ve watched it! Fire & Flames is possible with some co-op based assistance, but in single player, noooooo way!

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  10. Wow, this party is already hopping! Unfortunately because I need to head to work in the next few minutes, I’m going to have to stealth-drop my present and then come back much later to read everyone else’s posts, but I look forward to seeing what other bloggers have brought.

    For those who don’t know me, my name is Ian and I am the executive producer, chief editor, head writer, lead artist, and social media representative for the blog Adventure Rules. I cover primarily Nintendo content on my blog, and in the future you can look forward to A LOT of conjecture about the new Smash Bros. I also recently started a Nuzlocke challenge run of Pokemon Omega Ruby if you’re interested in a walkthrough of how those work. What I wanted to share today, though, is this article about Nintendo Labo I wrote awhile back. With Labo coming out in a month or so, it feels appropriate to reshare my thoughts on it:

    https://adventurerules.blog/2018/01/19/check-yourself-how-nintendo-labo-revealed-my-gamer-snobbery/

    As far as my gifts, I believe you can’t beat the classics and so I have brought a chocolate bunny (or rather, enough chocolate bunnies for everyone!) along with a copy of the original Super Mario Bros for some old-school fun. I’m excited to stomp some Goombas with everyone when I get back to the party after work!

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    1. Ah I liked this post. This is a perfect one to share today (along with chocolate bunnies).

      I went to an expo recently where they had Super Mario Bros. on an arcade machine. When the stepkid started playing it, I found myself telling him all about the hidden blocks, secret platforms, etc – it was amazing how much I remembered the game!

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      1. *insert hackneyed quote about riding a bike*
        It’s cool how these games that span generations have sort of an oral tradition around them. The neat little secrets we can literally pass on to our children add a little something special to the game!

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      1. Thanks! I’m finally off of work so I’ll be looking through the posts left by the other guests – I’ll be sure to check yours out!

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  11. *shuffles in a little late and plops my dish on the counter* Hey y’all! I’m Megan from A Geeky Gal! I write about gaming, anime, cosplay, and geek fashion. I also write about personal things from time to time under my Spoilers tag.

    Last month I did a 30 Day Video Game Challenge (thanks to the last blog party where I got inspiration from so many other bloggers!). It was super fun to write as well as to revisit old games. I tried not to mention any game more than once but had to bend that rule a little. You can check out the master post for that here: https://ageekygal.com/2018/01/31/30-day-video-game-challenge/

    Feel free to join in. I would love to see more people try the challenge. 🙂

    In true Southern fashion, I’ve brought cheesy hash brown casserole for our Easter get-together. I also brought Gang Beasts because it’s such a hilarious/ridiculous party game.

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    1. Speaking of challenges, tomorrow I’ll be answering the questions you asked on your award nomination for me 🙂

      Feel free to add more. I’m an open book, the book itself is a dark grimmoire but it’s certainly open 😛

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    2. Thanks so much for letting us use your challenge questions for our GameBlast event, Megan! I have them all written out on slips of paper ready to go for the new dates next month.

      I might actually have to attempt one of these 30-days things myself… 🤔

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      1. Hmm… a community challenge project… we each submit a video-game-themed question for everyone to answer, and then use them to form a new 30-day challenge? 🤔

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      2. Yes! Exactly! You can make it as long or as short as you like. Critically Claire did a one shot post where she answered several in a single post. Normal Happenings is taking his time and writing novels, I mean… articles… on each question. It’s such a fun challenge and I rally encourage you to do it however you see fit! It’s a great way to push yourself and your blog though if you choose to do one post a day. 🙂

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        1. The idea of doing one a day appeals to me ‘cos I’m often better at being productive when I have a fixed goal like that! 30 days in a row, though… I’d be worried about missing one and then getting disheartened! But I’ll think about how best to do this 🙂

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    6. Of all Southern dishes you could have chosen to bring, you have submitted perhaps the most delicious. *nods in respect*
      I haven’t done the 30 day game challenge yet, the idea of posting daily is a bit intimidating for me. Mostly I lack the motivation to write that much. It’s awesome that you were able to complete it!

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  12. Since there are more than three people here already, I’ll likely just take a seat off to the side and listen to people talk for the rest of the day, waving politely as others arrive. (I’ll really be at work for the next 10 hours, but I’ll check back in later to see what everyone has posted and brought to the party!)

    For those of you that might not know me yet, I love retro gaming and collect and play through the collection that my partner and I have amassed together. I’m into RPGs most of all, and my blog covers my game hunting adventures as well as some occasional thoughts on games I’ve played through. Here’s a link to a post that’s just a little older than three months old where I found a lot of great classic games from a variety of different places. https://hungrygoriya.wordpress.com/2017/12/06/nintendo-goodies/ My blog has been quiet lately since winter is slow, but hopefully it’ll pick back up with the inevitable spring cleaning wave.

    As for a gift, I’ve brought some devilled eggs since I’m not visually artistic and couldn’t bear to try painting them. I’d rather eat them! I’ve also brought along a Sega Master System with Miracle Warriors and Psychic World for a mix of RPG/Platforming action. Please be sure to leave me some snacks for when I get back tonight!

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    1. I love the photograph included in your post with the Game Genie in it – that brings back so many memories of playing video games with my younger brother (and cheating! ha ha ha). It also makes me feel incredibly old! 😉

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      1. All I do are flat lays, so I’m glad they’re appealing to you! I like using my floor as the background. I have a “game wall” like lots of people do, but I feel like that’s a bit contrived. I go for simplistic photos 🙂 Thank you!

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  13. Hello, and it’s great to meet everyone! I’m Matt, and my blog is called Normal Happenings. I trend towards writing about everyday things, and applying the themes and emotions of media like video games and film to personal life. Warning: I write long-form.

    My favorite post to write was my retrospective on the first game I ever played: https://normalhappenings.com/2018/03/02/my-first-video-game-was-a-masterpiece-a-kirbys-adventure-retrospective/ . That means I’ll be bringing my retro copy of Kirby’s Adventure on the NES, despite the fact that it burned in a fire a few years ago (explanation in post). Hopefully you’ll stick around for Rom-Com Week while you’re there! I think you’ll enjoy it.

    I love to cook, so I’m bringing my gluten free pesto pasta. Hope you enjoy all the yummy chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, red onion, and cheddar cheese. See you around the party!

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    1. *digs into pasta* I can vouch for Matt’s cooking you guys. It’s delicious. And his posts aren’t too shabby either… But for real, I like to think I’m his number 2 fan (his wife being number 1). Glad you could make it Matt!

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        1. My pleasure! I’ll have a proper look around your site once I’m out of work and see what I’ve been missing out on – although I can already agree with the ‘faking it’ explanation for morning people. 😂

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    5. I know it’s probably sacrilege, but I think Kirby’s Adventure was probably the best NES game. Legend of Zelda was my first love, Mario the best series, but Kirby’s Adventure managed to take the NES and do something beyond what anyone else did. It was fun, innovative, and endlessly adaptable with the stealing of abilities.

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      1. Sacrilege? No way! Kirby’s Adventure is an amazing accomplishment. Do you no how hard it was for me to push past the fun and write the critiques section of my post?

        It’s nice to meet you, Aivanther! I’m following your blog, and I’m excited to see your posts. 🙂

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    6. Man, between your pasta and Megan’s casserole I’m going to gain a few virtual pounds after this party. I really enjoyed your Kirby article – the structure of the post is quite visually pleasing (much like the game that inspired it) and as you said, there’s no such thing as a bad Kirby game!

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  14. Hello all!
    Excuse the brevity and likely typos, I’m doing this via mobile as I wait for my work PC to unfreeze or crash. It’s even better which will happen.

    I had some articles I really liked but I chose this one-
    https://dailyragerblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/28/point-counterpoint-games-lead-to-violence-v-shut-up-and-kill-yourself-im-fing-s-up-over-here/

    It was heavily inspired by Ambigaming, which really covered the issue well, but I do satire so I thought a good old fashioned cable news style debate was a good format.

    I’ll pass on drinks for the time being, I am officially at work, even if the PC is frozen…

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  15. *The heavens resound with an immaculate chorus as a figure clothed in scarlet descends on a single red wing, glistening rapier in hand and the smile of an archangel brightening his shimmering countenance. Crimson effulgence lights uplifted faces as the roof opens like a can of worms and this angelic being heads for the nacho bar… while the Well-Red Mage slips in through the door unnoticed, covered in the mud of his travels and wondering what’s going on.*

    Hey, I really love these blog parties! They’re super awesome for meeting new people.

    I’m the Well-Red Mage, the lead writer from a community-based games analysis site emphasizing long-form journalism and critique. A big part of why our blog became the place it is is because this WordPress community is so great, so to highlight that has been a pleasure (a delight I share with the delightful Later Levels and Kim).

    I brought some Smash Melee to play with the group in light of the recent announcement by Nintendo. I also brought some tunes from our new TWRM Radio for studying, concentration, exercise, moonwatching, running, or whatever: https://thewellredmage.com/2018/03/04/for-when-words-are-not-enough/

    This may be a blog post about YouTube but at its heart it’s about the love of video game music. I’d love to hear what some of your favorite video game songs of all time are! Maybe your song will someday appear in a TWRM Radio mix.

    For Easter, I like to wake up and watch the sunrise with my family and church so in the spirit of that event, I brought some coffee. This is just coffee. You might thank that there is something to it…. But in fact is is just ordinary coffee. 😉

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    6. What a show off entrance…😜

      Seriously though, your sites awesome, though I usually have to set aside time to read said long form journalism articles. Usually post child bed time as they rreally are in depth

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      1. Thanks very much! Haha long-form writing is harder to weed through, so I can’t blame you there. I have to set aside time to read pretty much anything and there’s so much of it available!

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    7. 11/10 on that intro. I’m not sure whether I smiled bigger when the angel went to the nacho bar or when it was not, in fact, the Well-Red Mage.
      I haven’t listened to one of your mixes yet but I will most certainly be checking out “Boss” during my next workout. I too had a health scare recently and am adding exercise to my daily routine, so this is just the sort of thing that will keep me motivated!

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  16. Hi there! I’m Thero and I tend to write about video games, books and anime. I recently reviewed Assassin’s Creed II.
    I’ve brought along a game that even non-gamers n my family enjoyed at Christmas, Overcooked. Even though I sear they’re much smaller than they were when I was a child, I’ve brought Cadbury Creme Eggs.
    Now, I’ll be off but I’ll be back later!

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  17. Hey folks! Ryan from Games with Coffee here, thanks for having me! I’m a guy living life as a mature, distinguished gamer; a title that many of us in the community share. I talk about games I’ve played, video game music I love listening to and share stories about how gaming has influenced my life.

    *Sees that Well-Red Mage brought Smash Melee, grins excitedly* SAVE ME A SPOT FOR LATER ON!

    Speaking of the Well-Red Mage, last month, he postulated a very big question on a post: “What is your favourite game for every year you’ve been alive?” I kinda went above and beyond by sharing not only my favourite game for every year since 1987, but my favourite VGM track for each of the listed games as well! Check it out: https://gameswithcoffee.com/2018/02/13/answering-big-questions-a-favourite-game-for-every-year-of-my-existence/

    … Oh yeah, speaking of games, I brought over an NES with a few games: TMNT II: The Arcade Game, Blades of Steel, Super C and Zelda II, because why not? And as for food, I present my homemade specialty: A Bailey’s New York Cheesecake with a chocolate cookie crust, with coffee and chocolate drizzle on top. Enjoy (and please keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to serve)!

    Oh and Red, pass me some of that coffee, I REALLY need some right now… 🙂

    Liked by 14 people

    Reply

    2. Hi Ryan, lovely to meet you! I’ll get that post shared very shortly. 🙂

      It’s great to have another person in the ‘mature’ group – and one with such good taste too. TMNT and cheesecake? You’re spoiling us!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    4. I loved your unique take on this post! The songs accompanying each entry made it all the more fun to read, as the music really puts you in the mood for each game.

      Liked by 1 person

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    5. I said this on twitter too, but this is literally one of the best things people did, so much fun (except mine, because some times creating Satire can be traumatizing). Totally h/t to the Well Red Mage for that concept.

      Like

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  18. *arrives unfashionably late*

    Hello! I’m Brad from Cheap Boss Attack, or @Trashlevania over on Twitter, and my blog is typically broken up into two things — reviews and wrap-ups. I review a lot of modern indie releases, mostly Switch stuff as of late. I’m a horror, RPG, and point-and-click adventure enthusiast and I’m always on the lookout for something new and weird after 30 years of gaming. I’m probably one of the older WordPress bloggers (36), haha.

    As for the latter, I wouldn’t necessarily say that I’m *proud* of these particular posts, but my Freakin’ Weekend wrap-ups are definitely my favorites. Every Friday I recap what I’ve been up to that week in the sometimes toxic world of gaming, and ask my readers to share their gaming plans down in the comments. I like knowing what everyone is up to, what they think of games I’ve already played, and even discovered a few interesting ones I never knew existed.

    The most recent Freakin’ Weekend is here: https://wp.me/p23CwQ-3Ej

    Since parties are all about getting together with friends, a multiplayer game makes sense. I’m a big fan of co-op gaming (not so much competitive), so hopefully everyone enjoys Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2 for the Xbox! Since the 360 was backwards compatible, I figure it’s easier to find 4 360 controllers than 4 PS2 DualShocks and a multi-tap. As for treats, I’m a glutton for Jelly Belly’s popcorn flavored jellybeans. 90% of the world apparently thinks they’re gross, but I can happily devour them.

    *rebelliously spikes punch with Sprite and mingles*

    Thanks for the invite!

    Liked by 10 people

    Reply

    2. *36-year old gamer high-five*
      *popcorn jellybeans double high-five*

      What do you think you’re doing, coming over here without a point-and-click recommendation?! Come on – give us another one. 😉

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  19. Hello! /wave

    My name is Will and I am The Keeper. What I keep is a relatively new blog called The Codex: Online (https://thecodexonline.com/), which features video game reviews, news and opinions.

    *Eyes all the delicious food spread out* It seems like I arrived at this party just in time – I’m on my lunch break though, so i’ll have to head back out for a few meetings and will back later this evening ^_^. Please enjoy some of my homemade Turkey Chili in the meantime
    (it’s a pinch on the spicy side).

    A post that was a lot of fun to write is “The Codex Online: A Primordial Mandate” (https://thecodexonline.com/2018/01/23/hot-off-the-forge/). It is a short poem that I wrote as an introduction to my page and it was fun because I borrowed some themes from a book that I’ve been writing for a number of years. Elements of my blog, insofar as design, theme and name were actually all born from those pages!

    The game that I brought today is Super Smash Bros. Brawl so that we can celebrate the announcement of Smash Bros. for the Nintendo Switch. I main Link and enjoy trolling as Pikachu – you’ve been warned!

    I also have an Easter gift in the form of chocolate covered frogs from the wizarding world of Harry Potter; hunting for eggs filled with chocolate is a staple in the modern celebration of Easter and I could only imagine the hunt to be more fun if the chocolate is hopping away from you!

    It’s a pleasure to meet everyone. I’ll check in when work starts to inevitably drag later today and will be back this evening for some Smash and some mingling!

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

  20. *There is the sound of a roaring engine approaching. A 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 Hardtop Coupe screeches to a halt directly outside the front door. The driver gets out. He’s wearing a brown leather jacket with tight, dark blue skinny jeans. He pushes through the front door, goes to the window and starts drinking from a SoBE can. He is… the Purple Prose Mage.*

    Alright, I’ve got some coursework to do, so I’ll be over here in the corner with my laptop. But if anyone wants to talk to me, I’ll be able to get back to them later.

    Ever since I stared writing for “the Well-Red Mage”, I don’t so much blog on my own site anymore now. But this summer, I’m going to commit to finally finishing a video editing project, and then starting a new thing that’s inspired by TWRM Radio. This is the first time I’ve revealed that, and details will become more apparent if I’m able to get it going. I might not, but I’m hoping to, because it will be a great opportunity for community collaboration. I’m also thinking about what my next review will be for “the Well-Red Mage” once I’ve finished everything else, and that will happen at a similar time. Basically, I won’t really be doing much until at least mid-May, so you probably won’t see anything until June. But once you do, it’ll hopefully be more regular. I also tend not to follow many blogs anymore, because last time they overwhelmed my feeds.

    So there’s that. I’ve got a copy of “Driver” (1999) in the trunk, along with a PlayStation 2 if one hasn’t been setup. And if you need some convincing to play it, here’s my review at “the Well-Red Mage”: https://thewellredmage.com/2017/09/13/driver/

    By the way, I’ve added some Easter eggs to the pile. It’s not original at all, but I don’t expect anyone to have a problem with that. 😉

    Liked by 8 people

    Reply

    1. Since when did anyone have a problem with more chocolate? 😉

      Ooh… sounds as though we got a bit of an exclusive there. Your ‘new thing’ sounds intriguing, I’ll be keeping my eyes open for it. I hope it all goes well!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I keep trying not to think about it so I can remain focused on these final few months of coursework, but it’s difficult. I’ll pilot the format first, and that’ll probably be with the Well-Red Mage since he conceived the idea. Then, if it works, I’ll get a list together of other people. I’m planning it as a series with each instalment featuring a guest. And since I’ve first mentioned it here – not as a big plan or anything, that’s just how it happened – I could reserve #2 for you if you like? Obviously, once I’ve revealed more about what it involves and how it would work, technically, so that we know if you’d be able to take part.

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  21. Obviously I’m the one that always shows up late. I kinda sneak in once everyone has gotten comfortable and act as if I have been here the whole time.

    For today, I brought the one thing that you don’t bring to a party…a hot pile of debatable topics. Specifically a topic that I recently wrote about concerning violence in video games.

    https://truevideogames.com/2018/02/19/are-violent-video-games-linked-to-mass-shootings/

    After we have all yelled at eachothers for a time, normally I would reach for my controller and start getting people involved in either Mario Kart or Street Fighter. So for this party, I have brought my SNES Classic for us to play while we wait for our wounds to heal.

    Hmmmm the holidays….

    Liked by 8 people

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    1. You said the magic words: Street Fighter. It’s one of my guilty pleasures. I’m in no way good at it and mash the hell out of the buttons – but it’s so much fun.

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        1. Which edition of Street Fighter 2 did you bring? Although I didn’t own it (I had Super Street Fighter 2 for the SMD) I’ve always been partial to Champion Edition… Purely because Vega still climbs his cage in that one…

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          1. I never got to invested in the Street Fighter series, other then super street fighter 2 for the SNES. I only really got heavy into fighting games when I played Smash Bros on the N64. However, I do have memories of playing street fighter with my cousins during almost every family gathering.

            Liked by 1 person

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      1. Haha thanks! I also can’t stand Bowser’s Castle. I’m really not too sure which is my favorite, but I know I can’t stand that one.

        I played the SNES version recently and found that it was much harder then I remembered it. Mario Kart 64 is still the best in my opinion.

        Liked by 1 person

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  22. *arrives very late to the party in usual fashion.*
    Hello! I’m DJ from Galaxy, my blog is split into four different things: Reviews, News, Opinion pieces, and Features like Top Ten Games, Top Ten Games of 2017 or Game of the Year. My forte is Triple A games and basically very little indies, I’m huge on FPS games and TPS games but also I’m very much into single-player only games like RPG’s and Telltale Games, also horror games. The horror genre is probably my favorite genre.

    As for my favorite post so far this year, is my Top 10 RPGs of All Time: https://sspectres.com/2018/01/10/top-10-rpgs-of-all-time/

    As I’m on my lunch break, I have brought along a few treats like Chocolate Easter Bunnies and maybe some Hershey Chocolate Bars, they’re my fave. Also I brought along Rock Band : The Beatles since it’s the only Rock Band that I’ve actually ever played.

    Thanks for inviting me!

    Liked by 7 people

    Reply

      1. Sure thing, I’ll check it out right now as I’m on my lunch break. RPG’s are like my #2 fave genre, Fallout and The Elder Scrolls are two of my favorite franchises within that particular genre. Yes, indeed, see you around. 🙂

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    2. I’m kind of psyched that Fable II made it onto your list – I know it has its faults, but it’s one of my favourite games. I’d be so happy if the series came back! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. There’s a rumor going around that the franchise will indeed return from the makers of Forza Horizon, Playground Studios. Apparently, it’s in the early stages of development. I’m psyched to see if this is true!

        Fable II was amazing, I really liked that game. I think it defined 2010 for me alongside Fallout: New Vegas, I wish they would remaster Fable II. Excellent game!!

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        1. Can you imagine? It would be *excellent* if they did a remaster. Obviously I’d love a fourth instalment, but I’ll settle for a remake of the second game in the interim. 😉

          Liked by 1 person

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          1. Yes! I think I’ll settle for a remake in the meanwhile, Fable II that was one good solid game. I really liked how it played on the essence of time as you grew up, had a dog, etc. Not many games do it well but Fable II did.

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  23. Hello. Sorry I’m late, I’ve been busy but I’m finally here. I’ve brought some Dandelion and Burdock, Pepsi Max and Rainbow Drops.
    My name is Brandon and I write primarily about video games (occasionaly about other things like films) on my blog That Green Dude. I write about more recent video games and retro games.

    So I’ve written a number of pieces in the last month and it was hard for me to pick just one but I have and I’ve chosen the poem I did earlier this month. The poem is about Kingdom Hearts, one of my favourite video game series. It’s a short poem but I’m proud of it. I went out of my comfort zone and I enjoyed doing it. I’m already thinking about the next one. My poem – https://thatgreendude.com/2018/03/04/video-game-poetry-1-kingdom-hearts/

    Don’t worry I’ve brought a party game with me. I’ve brought Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed. I played it again recently and it is so much fun.

    Have fun at the party everyone!

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

    1. You know what… I’m ashamed to say I’ve never had Dandelion and Burdock. What does it taste like? 😳

      I loved your poem, going outside your comfort zone really paid off! What game have you got lined up for the next subject?

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Dandelion and Burdock is sweet but not to the point that it is overpowering. There’s also a slight fruity aftertaste. As with most fizzy drinks, it is best served cold.

        For the next poem it’s between Devil May Cry, Ratchet and Clank or Crash Bandicoot.

        Liked by 2 people

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      1. Thank you. 🙂
        I love poetry and I love video games so I thought why not combine the two. The response to the poem has been wonderful. It has definitely inspired me to do more.

        Kingdom Hearts is one of my favourite video game series of all time so I had to do a poem of it.

        Also that’s one vote for Crash Bandicoot!

        Liked by 1 person

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  24. Hello there

    For those who don’t know me, I’m NekoJonez; a helpful blogger, but mostly a collector in (retro) games and I write weekly articles.

    This is the article I’m most proud of lately: https://arpegi.wordpress.com/2018/02/25/gamers-thoughts-rant-so-you-play-game-x/
    It just turned out greater then I expected.

    I bring to this party a bowl of chips, cheese and various other snacks.

    So, if you are interested in looking at older games and taking a look at a different perspective on the gaming industry, drop by my blog!

    Jonez

    Liked by 9 people

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    1. What do you mean, ‘for those who don’t know me’? Everyone knows you Jonez – you’re one of the loveliest bloggers in the blogosphere! Thank you for sharing such a great post with us, you did a superb job on it.

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    2. For starters, I’m pretty sure many people know of you mate in the blogging community, since you are one that many aspire to be as a person and writer.

      It’s quite interesting when we have spoken how quickly it just becomes one giant philosophical look on the different themes that comes into that conversation, but everytime it becomes something new that is discovered and everytime I enjoy it.
      Hope it can only grow faster from here onward mate.

      Really enjoyed the article by the way, but will let a bigger comment come to the article itself.

      Stay Cozy and enjoy the party (even the afterparty)!
      *Sneakingly takes the bowl under the arm as I walk back to the bar*

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  25. Hello!

    I’m Michelle and I blog over at A Geek Girl’s Guide, where I write about many things from board game reviews, video game first looks, tags, roundups, and so much more!

    I’ve started a first look series recently that I really enjoy doing now, and here is one of the more recent ones for a game called Night in the Woods https://ageekgirlsguide.com/2018/03/09/first-look-night-in-the-woods/

    I’m such a sweet tooth that I am bringing dessert and probably a board game, since those are my favorite for parties.

    Can’t wait to meet more bloggers and check out your blogs! 😀

    Liked by 7 people

    Reply

    1. Lovely to meet you, Michelle – thank you for stopping by!

      I’ve had Night in the Woods on my wishlist for so long I still haven’t gotten around to playing it just yet. So many games, so little time. 😉

      Liked by 1 person

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        1. I seem to recall reading somewhere that it’s a good game to play in the autumn or around Halloween time; is that right? If so, I might have to sneak it in before summer arrives so it doesn’t feel totally out of place!

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    2. Nice to meet you, Michelle! I’m DJ!

      I’ve been wanting to play Night in the Woods for so long but I haven’t gotten around to it or even took a look at it yet. So many things to do and so many games to play!

      Liked by 1 person

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      2. Great to meet ya mate, never tried Night in the Woods as well but I have heard great thins about it. Hope you’ll get to enjoy the game and something I can wholeheartedly agree with…too many games, yet so little time to play them. To which we still acquire more games that we would love to play but lesser time to do them all in a sitting.

        Stay Cozy and enjoy the party (even the afterparty)!

        Liked by 1 person

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        1. I’ve also heard alot of great things surrounding the game, hopefully I can pick it up and see what it’s all about. I wish there were more time in the world to play all the games!

          Thanks! You as well. See you around!

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    3. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Michelle, always great to meet other people enthusiastic about games in different types of genres as well as worlds they inhabit.

      Haven’t tried Night in the Woods myself, but it looked very interesting from the articles and streams I’ve been looking at. If you don’t mind, I’ll take a slice of cake to my coffee here, while try out the brought board game.

      Stay Cozy and enjoy the party (even the afterparty)!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  26. Pingback: 100 followers – Alex Sigsworth

    2. Fruit is great, can give a healthy nutrition to the body. Anyway, congratulations on the award, couldn’t help but spit out my coffee in laughter when I read the meaning of grashelumping but quite possibly enjoy the idea of how it can be implemented as an insult of sort against AIs, NPCs or even just people.

      Stay Cozy and enjoy the rest of the party (yes, there must always be an afterparty for us to have)!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  28. “Have I arrived late?” Says Trinity as he awkwardly walks trough the door and sees the enormous amount of people that have gathered around. “Well, I got some alcohol and a set to make coffee the right way to you all. What alcohol you say? Oh ho you need to try these different types of whiskey that is in my collection.” He opens up the trunk and begins setting up at the bar, waiting for people to sit around for something to drink and have a conversation.

    The air doesn’t help him much, being with hot and making hard to cool down but even as the sweat slowly gathers on the forehead, he prepares for any to approach him at the bar.

    One person sits down on a chair, gives a smile and a nod before saying; “One cup of coffee and a whiskey on the mild end”.
    “Coming right up” says Trinity, already having started making something for himself, “…so what brings you to this party?”

    The mysterious but gentle person quickly answers back after getting what was ordered. “I was wondering if you might start first, everybody else have introduced themselves, brought a game with them and shown off their craftmanship. So tell me again who you are and what it is that brought you to this party.”
    Trinity taken aback by what the person just said, took a moment to think before taking a sip of his roasted blended coffee and speak with a relaxed voice;

    “For starters my name is Trinity, I’m also known by the name of TriformTrinity, though I only go by Trinity to others. For this party as you can see I’ve brought coffee for those that enjoy as well as my personal stock of whiskey.
    The reason for coming is to meet other people such as yourself, so since we also gotta show our craft, I’ve taken the liberty of taking this here with me: https://triformtrinity.com/2017/10/29/does-it-matter-where-you-play-your-games/” a small document gets put on the bar table for the person to read as Trinity continued. “Its something along the lines of me having a conversation about things that is worth pondering over in the media industry with a simple question to be asked.”

    After another sip, he then smiles as Trinity brings up another three objects to show. “Since we also needed a game, what could be better for this than Singstar 80s version on PS2, a Mario Party game and my favorite being The Junglebook dance game. Please do enjoy yourself, but don’t think I will go easy on you if a challenge occur.” “So that is who I am, the one at the bar ready to talk philosophical about everything, but also there to listen if anything needs to get of one’s chest. Now I suppose it’s your turn to tell a story.”

    The person gives a slight chuckle before opening the mouth and introduces themselves, as this story is not for one but all who will enjoy continuing it.

    Well, hope this was a little something else to enjoy. Will take my rounds of reading the others’ entries for this party and talk with them as well. Enjoy the rest, Stay Cozy and I’ll see you in the other comments.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. What an excellent introduction to you and your blog – thanks for coming along, Trinity! I’m an absolutely HUGE 80s fan so I’m up for that challenge if you are… although I can’t guarantee the whiskey will improve my singing any. 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I’m happy to be here and glad you enjoyed it. This year is going to be different and much more focused (while real life allows it of course).

        I’m happy to see this many meet up for the party and will probably stay for the afterparty as well. So, if you are up for it *hands over a glass of whiskey after your choice*, I’m ready to karaoke you out of the door Kim 😉

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  29. balls… It seems I am late. It is 9 am Tuesday the 13th where I am and those damned time zones! Anyways… there any food left? Anyone still awake? Well I have some Timmies (coffee and donuts) to share with you all.
    Game time = free time is the blog in which I share my reviews on games or apps (it seems I do apps now), my story of my time in my animal crossing town, and my progress through whatever game I happen to be playing ( I aim to play until I beat the main story) I am fairly new to the blogging world but so far I am having a blast sharing my story, and my thoughts and I get to write everyday.

    I don’t have tons of posts…. but one that is a favourite….. hummm that might be hard for me… I’m that person that says Tea and coffee why decide? Okay the fun posts are always my animal crossing ones I have more freedom in what happens there is no set in stone plot that I follow. The yo kai watch ones are fun I get to do crime (yes straight up crime) but being able to write the story is unique. So here is a post that just published today and it was a blast to write (I got to connect to the paranoid side of my brain which felt so good!)
    https://freetimegametime.wordpress.com/2018/03/13/day-32-in-valhalla/
    Check it out! Or don’t… you do you. I just hope that someone had as much fun or like it as much as much as I did when I wrote it.

    So game time! it’s what we do! So I don’t have a TV console handhelds are where I am at, I of course have animal crossing and my gates shall be open! And I have some yo kai watch so we can battle and (kick my butt….. I still doubt I know how it works) and mario kart 7 (I think the 3DS one) I think that brings a lot of variety and fun

    Also quick question does anyone know when Easter is? Anyways have fun!!

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    1. Hey Rory, thank you for coming! I’ve recently started following your blog so I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve got coming up.

      Easter is at the end of March this year… CHOCOLATE INCOMING!

      Liked by 1 person

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  30. First off, I know I’m super late, but I couldn’t help myself 😁

    I am Imtiaz from Power Bomb Attack and I post about whatever games catches my interest or has me losing hundreds of hours in. I write from time to time but am embarking on a new adventure of podcasting.

    And that being said, I share with you my first debut episode of my podcast.

    https://powerbombattack.com/2018/03/13/podcast-episode-1/

    Just posted it this morning so didn’t have to look far back in the past 3 months, but I had alot of fun with this. Editing the audio, mixing songs into it, thinking of future ideas for a theme song to write, and the all around talking part was great.

    For my Easter treat, I bring void eggs from my very own Lon Lon Farm in Stardew Valley. And what’s a party with eggs from Stardew Valley without… Well Stardew Valley itself. Have fun!

    Liked by 1 person

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  32. Pingback: March in Review – Free time = Game time

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