Metallman's Reverie
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Thoughts on... Pester (XBLA Game) by Flump Studios

Hey there.  Our good friends over at Flump Studios are at it again and have released another GREAT XBLA game!  Super Killer Hornet (SKH) was pretty cool and now they have released Pester, another great shooter that takes me back to the days of Gradius and Galaga.  Pester is currently available at the Xbox Live Marketplace for a mere 80 MS!  Before we get into the game itself, I want to give a little info on Flump Studios.  Flump Studios is an up and coming small indie game developer and they are based in the UK.  They have been working on games for about a year now and have developed a few mobile games before their SKH release on Xbox Live Arcade. Pester is their second game into the marketplace and I believe they are already working on thier next title.  I respect all game developers but it's something about the indie titles that I feel more drawn too.  I feel as if they are living their dream and it's pretty cool to see thier hard work finally pay off.  That's a big reason why I enjoyed Indie Game: The Movie... but that's for another post.  Now... my thoughts on....  Pester!

Support Breast Cancer Research by Voting for Super Smash Brothers Melee for EVO 2013

Hey there.  Who's going to attend EVO 2013 in Las Vegas?!  Don't know what it is?  It's one of the largest video game fighting tournaments in the US.  Gamers gather around and duel it out on some of the most popular fighting games out there.  The event is being held in Las Vegas on July 12-14 and they have announced that there will be 8 games that gamers will participate in for big prizes.  Those games are:

Get a Life Podcast Ep. 7 - The One with Video Game Adventures and Gateway Video Games

Hey there.  Ready for another episode of the Get a Life Podcast?  Awesome!  In this episode, Brian and I discuss our video game adventures.  Gaming has seemingly slipped into our everyday lives and occurs even when NOT gaming.  lol  Also, we touch base on that one gateway video game that molded us into the gamers that we are today.

During our show, we posed the question, "What kind of video game adventures have you had in real life?"  Let's hear it in the comments, friends!  Also, we mentioned one of our favorite charities on our show, the Child's Play Charity, and if you are interested in donating or simply looking for more information, please make sure to check out their website at ChildsPlayCharity.org.  Over $5 million was donated to the organization in 2012 and it would be awesome if 2013 brought that and more for kids in need.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon for the 3DS in Stores on March 24, 2013

In stores March 24th, 2013
Hey there. We are all familiar with the many of adventures of Mario and Luigi, but are you guys familiar with adventures of Luigi?  Luigi's Mansion is a great game for Nintendo's Gamecube and it allowed the player to control Luigi as he explored a haunted mansion, fought ghosts, and save his brother Mario.  It was a pretty cool game and the only negative thing that I can say about the game is that the game was too short.  Well, for those of us that was left wanting more, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, will be released this March, exclusively  for the Nintendo 3DS!

Fuel Your Body with SWAT Fuel

Hey there.  Many of us are familiar with the Call of Duty franchise.  Most specifically the Black Ops series.  As I was playing the game last night, I got to thinking to type of training that the men and women go through to be able handle the special operations that are similar to those in the game.  What makes them "Black Ops" ready?  What fuels their body?  I looked online and found the answer! Dan Olesnicky, M.D., is a S.W.A.T. team physician and police officer in Palm Springs, California, and has been training S.W.A.T. and Spec Ops for over a decade.  And guess what, he's the founder of SWAT Fuel!

As My Guitar Lies Bleeding in my Arms

Music... poetry without any words
Hey there. I love music. I've always been into music since as far back as I can remember. From my early days playing on a recorder to my later years jamming on a guitar. I strongly believe that music can transcend words.  A beautifully crafted piece of music can saw much, much more than any words can.  As a kid, I would spend more than enough time playing the recorder.  I still remember how to play the thing too.  lol  That seed led to me play more instruments throughout my years:  flute, trumpet, keyboard, bass, guitar...  When I was feeling a little upbeat, I would grab the flute and play.  When I was feeling tense, I would grab my guitar and play.  Guitar...  I'm particularly proud of being to play guitar.  Not because it's "cool" or anything of that sort, but because it was a new instrument for me to learn to play.  The guitar that I learned on  was a 20 fret Fender Stratocaster that was gifted to me by my uncle from Minnesota (which I, in turned, gifted to my son).  Soon after, I picked up an "easy" to learn guitar book with Metallica songs in it and got to work.

Modcloth Cabin Fever Sale

Hey there.  Ready to update your look for the new year? Then it is time to catch the fever, as in the ModCloth Cabin Fever Sale! For a limited time you can get 70% off great styles from ModCloth during their annual Cabin Fever Sale. Now that is one great deal!  I know that the wife is always looking to score a great deal on clothes and accessories.  Even more so if she can get them online!  Supplies are limited so make sure to grab your favorites today before they are long gone!

Get a Life Podcast Ep. 6 - The One with Nels Anderson and Mark of the Ninja

Hey there.  Ready for another episode of the Get a Life Podcast?  Awesome!  This episode, our guest, Nels Anderson, joins us to discuss Klei Entertainment's awesome game, Mark of the Ninja.  I love this episode, particularly because we get to see what makes Nels tick AND we get a small taste of Klei Entertainment's next project, Don't Starve.  It's definitely an episode that you do not want to miss!

Mark of the Ninja is one of the best critically acclaimed games on the Xbox Live Arcade and if you haven't had a chance to check it out's awesome and unique stealth action, you MUST check it out now.  It really has a 3D feel in a 2D world and it's one of the games that I highly recommend you go and get.  Now, here's the latest episode of the Get a Life Podcast!  Enjoy!

My ASUS Laptop Screen is Busted... but It's OK

NOOOOOOOOO!!! NOT LUCY!!!!!!!!!!  =o(
Hey there.  You know what happened after recording an episode of the Get a Life Podcast?  My laptop screen broke.  Literally, minutes after the show.  I set my laptop down, went to grab something to drink, came back to a broken screen.  My 2 youngest (3 and 7) were running around, near my laptop, so when I questioned them about it, naturally, they pointed the finger at each other.  lol  I held it in.  I'll admit that I was pretty upset and I probably reacted a lot better than what was expected.  The kids know that the laptop is Daddy's life.  lol  Accidents happen, though.  I'm not mad... not anymore, lol,  but man was I feeling down.  I practically live off the damn thing.  I do all of my online work on my laptop and to have a busted screen was a huge bummer.  Especially since I feel pretty good about the work that I've recently done.  It pained me to think that my computer could be out of commission until I got it fixed!!!  But never fear!  A replacement screen is on it's way!  YAY!!!  I'm thinking of creating a "how to replace your screen" type post.  Create a video and all that good stuff.  I'm thinking about it.  The screen gets here tomorrow and if I'm up for it, I'll do a quick how to replace tutorial.  It'll be the first one I do so bare with me if it sucks.  lol

Get a Life Podcast Ep. 5 - The One with The Demise of THQ and The Susbstance of a Great Game

Hey there.  Ready for another episode of the Get a Life Podcast?  Awesome!  What makes a video game great?  Is it the graphics, the story, the characters?  Brian and I discuss the different aspects to what make a video game worth while.

Also, I wanted to thank Dan Teasdale once again for being our guest last week!  It was a great conversation and if you guys missed any of it, make sure to check it out here!  To other news, I'm excited to announce that Nels Anderson (Of Mark of the Ninja fame) will be on our next episode so make sure to tune in later this week when that podcast goes live!  Mark of the Ninja is on hell of a game and if you haven't had a chance to play, get to it NOW!  We'll have more on Nels and the game during next week's show!  Now, here's the latest episode of the Get a Life Podcast!  Enjoy!

Thoughts On... The Anker High Precision Laser Gaming Mouse with 8000 DPI

Oh yeah!  Time to get my gaming on!
Hey there.  What's in a computer mouse?  It's just a thing to click on stuff, right?  WRONG!  A great mouse is everything when it comes to gaming.  It needs to have precision, it needs to be responsive, it needs to have buttons that are fully customizable, and it needs to be easy to use.  It sounds like a lot is going on in that sentence, doesn't it?  Well, our good friends at Anker provided me with the Anker High Precision Laser Gaming Mouse with 8000 DPI and it is EXACTLY what you are looking for in a high quality gaming mouse.  After more than a week of trying out this mouse, I can honestly say that it's the best mouse that I have every used.  Not just for gaming but for every day use as well.  Let's get to it, shall we?

TellTale The Walking Dead Game Giveway

Hey there.  Who's ready for another giveaway!  I've decided that I'm going to give away The Walking Dead Game from TellTale!  If you guys have not played this game, you no longer have an excuse not to.  The complete first season (5 episodes) are now available on Xbox 360 and PS3!  Now, you too can take on the role of Lee and see what choices you'll make on your quest to keep Clementine safe and survive.  I've mentioned this game before and I've dubbed this game as the 2012 game of the year.  The game is extremely well written and the choices that you make stay with you through all 5 seasons.  It's a pretty deep game and you'll be surprised by how your decisions affect your relationship with the characters in the game.  I strongly recommend check it out.  I'm glad that one of you will win a copy of the game and experience it first hand!

Pokemon X and Pokemon Y Coming to the Nintendo 3DS in October 2013

Hey there.  Get your trainers hat ready and dust off that pokedex!  Are you ready for the next generation of Pokemon!?  Nintendo announced that the latest Pokemon titles, Pokemon X and Pokemon Y, will be released for the Nintendo 3DS and will be first 3D games in the franchise!  How awesome is that?!  Nintendo promises a whole new story line and "dynamic" battles as well as a vast 3D environment for the fans to explore!  Another great thing about the October release date is that it's going to be a global release, which means that Pokemon fans EVERYWHERE will be able to start their adventures at the same time.

Get a Life Podcast Ep. 4 - The One with the Twisted Pixel Lead Designer Dan Teasdale

Hey there.  Ready for another episode of the Get a Life Podcast?  Awesome!  This week, we welcome Dan Teasdale, the lead designer at Twisted Pixel Games!  Dan carved out some time from his busy schedule to come on our show and discuss Twisted Pixel's latest project, Lococycle.  This is definitely one show you do not want to miss!

Also, I'm excited to announce that you can now find our Get a Life Podcast on Stitcher!  You can now hear us (and favorite us) from the Stitcher Smart Radio mobile app!  You can find the button to download the app at the bottom of the home page!  Now, here's the latest episode of the Get a Life Podcast!  Enjoy!

Baby Luigi

One day... Luigi is going to snap!  

Thoughts On... Wreck it Ralph

Hey there.  Wreck it Ralph is right up my alley.  It's a movie paying homage to retro video games and somewhere in all of the video game character cameos, there is a feel good story of a bad guy wanting more than just being well... a bad guy.  When I first saw the trailer for this film, I just had to see it.  Being a gamer that was raised off of the retro games, it immediately grabbed my attention.  Seeing familiar faces from games past was not only nostalgic but also brought back fond memories of my youth.  If you haven't had the chance to catch this film, go do it before you will have to wait for the Wreck it Ralph DVD/Blu Ray release.  WARNING!  SPOILERS BELOW!  Now, here are my thoughts on... Wreck it Ralph.

Punchtab Top Points Earner for December Winner

Hey there.  Thank you all for Tweeting, Commenting, +1ing and all that good stuff.  December was a bit of a slow month for Metallman's Reverie, and rightly so.  I expected everyone to be out and about doing their holiday shopping and not hanging around their computer checking out my site, but you guys still visited and still commented!  So let's find out who's the winner for the month of December.  And the winner is...

Goodbye 2012 and Hello 2013

Hey there.  Happy New Year friends!  I took a week off from all things blogging and now I am back!  I hope you all spent some quality time with friends and family.  I hope you got everything you asked Santa for and I wish everyone had a safe New Years Eve.  For all of us that have survived the Mayan Apocalypse and have gotten through the holidays unscathed, I wish you all a healthy and prosperous 2013.
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