If Games Were Real...

If games were real, I would get the Gamer a Yoshi for Christmas. I know he wants a dog, but you can't ride on a dog's back. Besides, no dog can flutter jump. Also, no matter how much you train a guard dog, he will never swallow your enemies and poop them out as eggs.

Plus a dog's coloring is pretty set. Yes you can dye your dog's fur, but that's just a little silly. A yoshi however can change color just by eating fruit, making him a much better accessory pet then those happy yorkies. And another thing, dogs can't talk. True, yoshis have limited vocal abilities but at least they can say their own name!

Sum it all up and I should not get my husband a dog. I should get him a yoshi. Now if only yoshis were real...

Afternoon Quickie: Sonic Generations

Played on PS3

There's a new Sonic Game! Woo! Essentially, they remade Sonic into a 3D world. They made some new levels/remakes, but also included some of the favorite older levels. The game is pretty cool to watch. I will be honest though, the 3D levels messed with my head at first. Sonic speed, really colorful three-dimensional levels flying by you... I felt like I was tripping. However, I soon got used to it. The only thing I didn't like was the same thing I don't like about old Sonic games, or really, any old games from that era: Everything has a sound effect! Sonic can't pick his nose without some loud high-pitched noise accompanying it!

But honestly, that's the only downfall. It was fun to watch. The story was simple, but cute and allowed you to see all the side characters. The levels were well made and fun to watch. There weren't really many options for the observer to get involved, but I would say, your girl could just pick up a controller and play a little bit. Sonic's too fast for me, I'm more at the speed of Tails, but it's a blast from past that really works and is worth playing.

Me as Gangster Sonic. Word.

Review: Dominion

Those long Winter nights are here. Perhaps cash is a little tight, or maybe you're just not buying video games so that Santa has something to get you come December, either way, I'd like to introduce you to some of my favorite board games. That's right board games. No batteries or electricity required, and you actually touch the game. Let's start with Dominion.

Dominion is published by Rio Grande Games and is a card game. During the game you work towards gaining the most "victory points." Each turn contains three phases: draw, action, buy. These allow you to use and buy cards which do one or more of the following:

• Gain more money
• Gain more actions in a turn
• Gain more draws in a turn
• Attack other players
• Deflect an attack
• Gain the ability to buy more than one thing a turn
• Alter your deck or discard piles.

The game was a little tricky the first few turns, but once you get the hang of it, the turn goes quite smoothly and potentially quickly. This is a strategy game, but you don't have to be a mastermind strategist to play, enjoy, or win the game. It can be fast-paced, but is easily played at a slower speed for new or younger players.

There are some pre made sets of cards to use in the game (you choose ten action cards for the game out of the set), but you can also make up your own sets. Compare this to player's evolving strategies and the unique combination of strategy possibilities and the game has endless possibilities.

The cards are a bit smaller than normal playing cards (at least I think they're thinner) which makes them easier to handle. The text and pictures are also family-friendly making this a great game for older children. Young children may struggle to understand the order of the turn or to be able to fully understand the strategy of the game.

The game also comes with a tray to hold the cards so that they stay separated by type so you don't have to sort them out again each time you get the game out. I'd also recommend getting card sleeves for the cards to keep them clean.

Overall, I love this game. A dear friend from college introduced us to the game and now I can't get enough.

If Games Were Real...

If Portal was real, for Christmas I would buy The Gamer a portal gun.

Just think of it. We could travel all over the place really quickly. We could get to the tops of things and jump through ceilings.

We could also spend hours running through infinite loops! It would be so much fun! We'd also be able to get away from turrets and move companion cubes through walls.

If only games were real, then I could buy him a portal gun for Christmas and be the coolest wife ever. I wonder how much it would cost...

Heroclix Storage

Tired of stepping on those little plastic figures? And then getting yelled at for breaking some tiny piece off? An easy fix is to put those little critters up in a sturdy and safe container. But what should you use? This may be common knowledge among those in the Heroclix gaming community, but if you're new to the game, or your gamer lacks a certain organizational personality trait, here are some ideas.

• For Rares, Dice, Tokens, Objects, etc. I would recommend using a craft storage bin that comes with tabs to make sections. Similar to the tackle box idea, with one very important exception: these are designed to keep items in place even if you turn the box over. As long as the box stays closed, your piece stays in place and undamaged.
• For commons/uncommons I would recommend using plastic storage containers. These come in all sizes and many under-the-bed sizes as well. I prefer plastic over wood or metal boxes because the plastic ones do not have seems along the corners where small parts could potentially get stuck and bent. 
• A duffle bag is great for transporting multiple boxes to games or trading events. 
• We also have one plastic storage box that has a tray that lays in it on top of the main storage area. This is great for holding counters and dice along with the pieces you want to play with and/or trade.
• We also store the cards in card sleeves in a binder and use dividers (like you used in school) to separate the sets.

I hope that helps. Perhaps it will give you something to think about. If you're new to the game and only have a few pieces, there are some storage boxes like I described for less than a dollar. The craft storage boxes can also be found pretty cheap, often less than $3. You can keep your pieces separated by rarity or set, and put some of your favorite team pieces in a box together. I hope this helps you keep your clix organized, safe, and out from under people's feet.