All posts by Noob of All Trades

Shawn Lucas is the self identified "Noob of All Trades". He is married and the father of three boys, two of whom help with their own podcast every couple of months. Raised on Atari, Nintendo, and Sega, he enjoys all games and will play all of them to the best of his ability, which is often average at best. Currently, he is most interested in Magic, Heroclix, and other games that he can play with Chris and his sons.
Snap *censored* Pop Culture

DC Comics September 2024

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Introduction

I wrote in my last article that the return to form on the web page means comics in this first week. I wrote about our latest adventures in Dice Masters on Monday. Yesterday, I covered the new season of Marvel SNAP. Now, I move on to the actual comics and reviews. This month I adjusted the order. When I went to Newbury Comics and then That’s E, I picked up more titles for the Spawniverse. I also bought into all of the new X-Men books. Therefore, my DC Comics September 2024 lineup is the smallest. Therefore, they go first.

Decent

Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Artist: Mike Hawthorne
Writer: Simon Spurrier, Artist: Ramon Perez
Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artist: Jamal Campbell
Writer: Tom King, Artist: Tony S. Daniel

All of the stories in these books this month are compelling. However, without the background of the main story, they’re all lacking something. As I often do, I missed the boat on the main Absolute Power series. As a result, I downgraded these books from Good to Decent. Completely my fault. But, I admit it and I will try to be better next time about the event stories that I read. Who knows, I might even revisit them after reading the main story. As far as The Flash, I I started collecting for Aiden and never took it off my pull list. I like it fine, but it’s not one of my favorite books, by any measure.

Good

Writer: Gail Simone, Artist: Eddy Barrows

Gail Simone is one of my favorite comic writers. Superman used to be one of my least favorite heroes. Bendis hooked me on the books when he wrote for Supes a few years ago. Then, they put Williamson on the main title and Simone on this one. In between, Phillip Kennedy Johnson wrote for both books. What I’m trying to say is that I now have a certain respect for old Supes that I never had before. And, Gail Simone writing the book! As they say, two great tastes that taste great together. I’m just not as into this story and that downgrades it slightly to good. When she hits her stride, I’m sure this book will pick up some steam.

Great

Writer: Ram V, Artists: Various. Speaking of hitting your stride, this book got good just as it looks like they are changing writers again. I admit to not completely getting Ram V’s take on the title. I enjoyed the stories, but something just didn’t quite click for me overall. That changed with these two books and I look forward to what comes next from Ram V. I need to go back and read the whole run again to see if it hits different now that everything is coming together.

The Verdict

I keep saying what a great time this is for comics right now. DC Comics September 2024 proves that once again. Even the books that I “missed” because of the tie in still told compelling stories that entertained me. Thanks to all of the creative people out there still dedicated to bringing the fun in comic books. This old guy appreciates it.

Images taken from the mothership.

Digital Playground

Marvel SNAP September 2024: The Amazing Spider-Season

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Introduction

Back to school and back on track with the articles, at least. I need to record for the podcast and get the YouTube back up and running. One step at a time, dear friends. With the web page back on track, we bring you comics for the first week. Aiden and I played some Dicemasters yesterday. Quinn made a deck and Aiden asked to play more. Look for that in the near future. Today, I talk about Marvel SNAP September 2024. Comics reviews come at the end of the week.

New Locations

Brooklyn Bridge turns off some strategies (like Hawkeye), but opens up other possibilities (like Jessica Jones). Also, it sucker punches all of the bots that like to just fill one location if it shows up in that particular location for the game. Otto’s lab gives you a taste of the old Doctor Octopus card. With my luck, I end up pulling their best card and losing because of it. But, maybe it all works out for me. Hey, stranger things have happened!

New Characters

Silver Sable

Image 1 of 5

On Reveal: Steal 2 Power from the top card of your opponent’s deck.

Ever since Spider-Verse in the comics and then the movies, Spider People have exploded in number in the various Marvel universes. It almost makes me yearn for the good old days of Spider-Man and Venom. Almost. But, I needed to search for Araña because I never saw her before in any of the literature.

As far as the cards, two of them debut the new keyword, “Activate”. This allows you to control the abilities of cards a little bit more. Instead of resolving on the reveal of the card, you activate the card’s ability by clicking on the card until it says “activated!” I like the idea and that they’re trying new things to keep the game fresh. Madam Web and Araña work well with my “Move” deck and I like the cheeky lore behind Scarlet Spider’s ability.

The Verdict

Marvel SNAP September 2024 brings the “attack of the spider people!” to the game. Plus, Silver Sable, one of my favorite characters from my teenage years, joins the fray. Overall, I like the inclusion of the new keyword, the cards look like fun, and the locations (if they ever show in my games) promise to make things more interesting overall. See you in game, SNAPpers!

Images SNAPped from Marvel SNAP Zone.

On the Tabletop

Revisiting Dice Masters

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Introduction

Out of the blue, Aiden texted me, “We should play Dice Masters.” I replied, “I love Dice Masters. I bought an X-Force set.” He said, “Yeah, I saw it and that’s what made me think that.” “Well, let’s play Dice Masters and Yu-Gi-Oh.” Only one of those things happened today. And, that’s the story of how we ended up revisiting Dice Masters this weekend.

Building My Deck

Christine and I went grocery shopping. Aiden and his girlfriend built their decks while we shopped. They waited until I got home to learn the game again. Aiden’s girlfriend wanted to play Yu-Gi-Oh, too, so he showed her how to build a deck in that game, too. I still need to either build or buy a deck so that we can play Yu-Gi-Oh.

Previously, my decks contained some semblance of a strategy. Most notably, I shared the “rainbow spin” deck I built the last time we played the game extensively almost four years ago. With such a long time between sessions and under the gun to create a deck quickly, I threw out all pretense of a strategy and just put together cards that looked fun and might give me a chance to win a game or two.

We started without knowing the intricacies of all the rules. Like, we played with summoning sickness (not a thing in the game) and that you needed to match all of the symbols in order to buy a card. Through that first game, we looked up rules and adjusted accordingly. I won that first game out of the blue by remembering to use the global ability. Aiden more or less bulldozed me in the second game because I started out on the defensive and never stabilized.

The Verdict

While I discovered that they most likely killed the game quietly, I still enjoy playing. Aiden said that he liked it, too. He also mentioned one of his friends who picked up the game after playing at our house. Even with the likely death of the game, we have enough cards and dice to keep going for a while. I also checked eBay for some more cards and dice since they are most likely cheap because they don’t follow the same collectible nature of some of the other card games out there. Thanks for revisiting Dice Masters with us. Hope to bring more content as the weeks and month go on.

Digital Playground

Video Games of Future

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Introduction

As part of our 10th anniversary celebration, I came up with the idea to write about my past, present, and future in video and tabletop games. I already talked about past and present. That, of course, brings us to video games of future. I won’t say that I completely inherited my father’s knack for being wrong when it comes to predicting the future.

However, a student mentioned the “Gamestop thing” to me about five years ago and I thought nothing of it. Then, something happened and they wrote a movie and produced several documentaries about it. Perhaps you heard. Then, more recently, when picking stocks, one of the students suggested Nvidia. No movies about that yet, but investing before the split and then doubling down might have been a good idea.

First of Two Possibilities

Following up on the Nvidia thread, one of the ideas I wrote down in my notes is artificial intelligence. Ever since the release of ChatGPT (and maybe before), AI jumped to the front of the technological zeitgeist. Everyone jumped on board to be the next company to incorporate AI into their platform. This resulted in the stupid money (not dumb money, but stupid money) following that trend with huge investments in what, so far, amounts to so much vaporware.

It comes as no surprise that a company known for graphics chips that pushed video games to new heights also became one of the leaders in AI. Ever since their infancy, video games used the concept of artificial intelligence in their vernacular. Granted, it means something else these days. They added the descriptor generative AI to describe the latest in technology. In truth, it feels like a step back from what video games considered artificial intelligence.

I mean, I’m not the brightest bulb, but this game could kick my ass.

Don’t get me wrong. Combing the wealth of human knowledge contained on the internet to write a semi coherent essay or build a picture based on a simple prompt is impressive. However, when you consider how much it takes to control 22 different players on a football field in addition to the coach and sideline players, AI already impresses in video games. Admittedly not a visionary, I struggle to see how they can make things better with the current iteration of AI.

Second of Two Possibilities

Likewise, virtual reality (VR) has been a promise for as long as I can remember. Back before he went off the deep end, Dennis Miller performed a bit about VR in his stand up set. According to an article I read, Sega researched the possibility for VR for the Saturn. They realized the limitations of technology at the time, so it never went anywhere. Still, the possibilities excite. It makes sense now that they released Virtua Fighter and Virtua Cop now, though.

We finally reached the point in technology where VR is possible and enjoyable. However, recently, things start to look a bit too much like Ready Player One (see my Noob’s Book Club about that!) for my tastes. Science fiction is always written as a warning and friendless losers who somehow become titans of industry look at it as a how to manual. And, by the time they get there, nobody tells them to their faces that its a bad idea. And, so, we get nonsense like that video above.

The Verdict

Video games of future looks bleak. As I say, I’m no prognosticator. Additionally, I generally take a more rosy view of things, especially the future. But, when I consider where we are now and what those things might become, I’m fine with my new Switch Lite and handheld emulator. At least I know those won’t let me down.

On the Tabletop

Vecna: Eve of Ruin

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Introduction

Vecna had a bit of a brat summer (did I use that correctly) recently thanks to season 4 of Stranger Things. I know this won’t come as a shock to man of you, but I knew little about Vecna. Growing up, I focused on Dragonlance and Dark sun as the campaigns of choice. As a result of Stranger Things and the story, I researched some and enjoyed the story. So, when I saw that they released Vecna: Eve of Ruin, I jumped at the chance to read some more.

Like Quests from the Infinite Staircase, it opened my eyes to the possibilities of Dungeons and Dragons again. As I read, I thought of the sessions around the table with a play group and I smiled. Now, I just need to find a playgroup. Hey, sometimes you put the cart before the horse.

The Story

Of everything in the book, this impressed me the least. I mean, it’s fine. It’s just the typical Dungeons and Dragons trope of betrayal. Two dudes become powerful. One becomes an even more powerful lich in death. They disagree, fight, more or less destroy or incapacitate one another. And, now, they vow to finish the job.

Look how pleasant the two despots appear as they plot the destruction of Oerth.

I forgive them for the mundaneness (mundanity? I guess neither are words according to my autocorrect) of the story. As I said while we watched Superman II the other day, tropes start somewhere. So, at the time, perhaps the story felt more original or fresh. One part that I found interesting and funny about the story is that it really gets its start after a Wish spell gone awry.

The Setting

This is where things start to get good. The adventure takes place on many different worlds and planes. You travel from Neverwinter to Pandemonium. In between, you visit legendary spaces like Eberron, Barovia, and Krynn. I tried to restrain myself some because I don’t want to spoil everything. But, safe to say that you won’t be disappointed with the settings to each adventure.

Personally, I want to read more about the adventures set in Barovia and Krynn. Those who know me know that I grew up a huge fan of the Dragonlance books. Heck I mentioned them again in the introduction. So, to have another chance to visit those worlds and characters again makes me very happy.

The Characters

Again, without spoiling too much, they went all out on this one. While I read through the character dossier, I said, “Wow. This is a list of some of the most legendary characters in Dungeons and Dragons.” Quinn replied, “We should play Dungeons and Dragons again. We could play with our friends.” Smiling, I said, “I would love to play Dungeons and Dragons again. That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

Mordekainen?!

Again, I restrain myself. You don’t understand how difficult that is for me. I care nothing for spoilers, but I understand that others do, so I won’t give much away. Let me just say that if you recognize a name from Dungeons and Dragons, they make an appearance in this volume. I’ll leave it at that.

The Verdict

I know some oldheads often complain about the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons. (a) Oldheads complaining about something new isn’t new and (2) it took me a while to warm to the new edition myself. I went back to 2, 3, and even 3.5 before finally setting on 5 as my chosen way to play the game. More recently, books like Vecna: Eve of Ruin put my mind at ease and make me think the game is in good hands.

Digital Playground

Video Games of Present

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Introduction

While Chris and I mostly just talked during this latest visit, we still discussed our recent gaming adventures. I suggested D&D if the boys were home and maybe Warhammer, if not. I showed off my models and he thought they were cool, but we didn’t actually play. He’s been busy with other stuff, his gaming habits mirror mine lately. Nevertheless, we talked about video games of present.

You probably both know that our video game habits often rely on older games. Without question or shame, we consider ourselves retro video gamers. Every now and then, most recently with Skyrim (yeah, how’s that for a blast from the past), we buy a new title. Usually, though, we play old Street Fighter or a previous version of NHL or Madden.

Nintendo Switch

Because I am an adult with adult motivations, I promised myself a Nintendo Switch if I made it through the remainder of the school year. I mentioned to Chris that I bought myself a Switch Lite. He replied, “That’s what I play the most.” You may remember that the boys bought me Hades for Christmas a few years ago. Well, both Quinn and Liam use the main Switch. So, for me to progress in the game, I got myself a Switch. I told you, an adult with adult motivations.

I grabbed a few other games from the pile to add to my bag, too. Chris gave me Elliot Quest a few years ago because he bought a duplicate. I got addicted to the DS version of Luigi’s Mansion, so I picked the third installment of that. Also, PIkmin and Super Mario RPG to round out the games that I wanted to play. Note: I only booted up the Switch twice since buying it. But, winter is coming and I usually play more then.

Retroid 4 Pro (Video Games of Present?)

I also told Chris about the handheld emulator that I bought. “Handheld emulator, he asked?” So, I showed him the Retroid 4 Pro and some of the systems/games that I owned for it. To be honest, I played this quite often. Like I say, we are without question, retro gamers. Booting up Mario vs. Donkey Kong or Circus Convoy (hey, a relatively new game!) makes me happier than it probably should.

I always say that I rarely suffer nostalgia. That’s true for most things. But, games, for whatever reason, mean more to me than that. Comics, on some level, too. But, I like when they update comics and change the characters or stories. Because, otherwise, they get boring. Not so with video games. I play the same games numerous times and never tire of them. Note: Witness the 3 or 4 times that I played Portal 2 to completion.

Gaming with the Family

As you all know, we play Mario Kart on the Switch about once a month or so. A few months ago, we branched out into Mario Party and enjoyed ourselves then. Once or twice, we loaded up one of the Jackbox games as a family. Speaking of, we need to do that again. Along those same lines, I ordered a “Mystery Games” bundle from Humble Bundle. It simulates escape rooms and other puzzles. We always talked about doing an escape room, but never actually bite when given the chance.

8 days left if you’re interested! Note: Humble Bundle is not a partner. I simply like their product and want them to remain in business. I read a rumor the other day that they might be on the chopping block because of their managing company. I hope that’s not true. As an aside, I haven’t played any of the games yet, but I watched some videos and they look fun. Next family game night, I’ll have to suggest them.

The Verdict

No surprise, but video games of present look very much like video games of past for me. Other than the new games we try as a family, I find myself solidly in my teenage and young adult years when it comes to games. Granted, I try new games every now and again to make content for the page, but overall, I just like the retro games.

On the Tabletop

Quests from the Infinite Staircase

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Introduction

As part of our celebration of 10 years of the page, I wrote an article about the tabletop games of present. In that article, I mentioned that I don’t play as much Dungeons and Dragons as I used to when I was younger or even a year or two ago when Quinn and I played a few times as a duo. As a result, I wanted to talk about two sourcebooks I recently picked up. One of them is Quests from the Infinite Staircase.

Before I get into the artille, I want to talk some about the possibility that things might be looking up in the D&D department. While I read the two books to prepare for the article, Quinn and Christine worked on a puzzle while we listened to records. Yes, we are that kind of hipster family. Anyway, he casually said, “We should play D&D again.” I agreed because, honestly, I’ve been thinking about it more and more. So, look forward to articles and videos hopefully!

The Infinite Staircase

While I used and played adventures in the other realms when I was younger, they never emphasized the “multiverse” as they are now. So, like the city of Sigil, I never knew about the Infinite Staircase. As a result, I loved reading about the lore behind it. I think if we start a new adventure at some point, I might use this as my starting point.

It gives a good overview of the things that make Dungeons and Dragons interesting. It also opens the possibility of the multiverse right away. That way, if they want to travel to a different realm, this makes it easily accessible to do so. Also, the other book I ordered deals with multiple worlds, so maybe we can play that one after we finish these adventures.

Nafas

My favorite, and I imagine for others too, part of the book was the introduction (to me, at least) of Nafas. The genie on the cover of the book, Nafas acts as a steward of the staircase. Moreover, he also tells great tales of heroism and might even grant a wish if you’re lucky. As a dungeon master who enjoys storytelling, he makes for a fun addition to the campaign.

He just opens up so many cool role playing possibilities. If you remember from the sessions that Quinn and I played, I used part of that to write another adventure that we haven’t yet played. However, I also filed away ideas for other possibilities later when we sit down to play. Nafas opens up almost literally infinite story possibilities for me and whatever group I end up playing with.

The Adventures

The book comes with 6 ready made adventures to get your party started. They range in level from 1 up to 11. While many of them take place in dungeons (makes sense, right?) very few, if any, contain dragons from what I discovered so far. I intend to read through the adventures closer at a later time. But, I read through the excerpts at the beginning of the book and also the “about the original” blurbs that they include for each adventure for those of us who missed them.

Additionally, the adventures scale for dungeon masters as well. The first adventure works for beginning DMs, allowing them some creativity in how they implement the dungeon. Another offers a fun and interesting hook to start the adventure. Yet another requires less hack and slash and more cerebral solutions to problems and one even introduces characters to science fiction elements like robots and futuristic weapons and gadgetry.

The Verdict

Quests from the Infinite Staircase accomplished its goal of making me want to play the game again. Some of the other books I bought, including some surprises (like the Dragonlance update) never moved me to pick them up and play. This one, however, and the other book I plan to discuss on Friday, both have. I can’t wait to get started.

Images courtesy of Dungeons and Dragons and Wizards of the Coast.

On the Tabletop

Tabletop Games of Present

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Introduction

As my celebration of 10 years of maintaining my own little corner of the internet, I came up with the idea of writing about my past, my present, and the future of gaming. Last week, I wrote about my past (and a little about my present in comic books) and today I start with tabletop games of present.

Most of the tabletop games of past for me took the form of the classics. Games like Uno, Monopoly, Sorry, Backgammon, Chess, and Othello dominated my childhood. When I went to high school, I discovered role playing games. Then, when I went to college, I found Magic the Gathering. Both went dormant during my early adulthood. I never found the time to play D&D or Magic the Gathering.

Board Games of Present

On the other hand, we bought and played a ton of board games over the years with the boys. We obviously started with the classic kids games like Candyland and Chutes and Ladders. Then, we moved on to more complex games. Yahtzee and Pass the Pig became big hits during camping trips. Many laughs were had over Apples to Apples. Cards Against Humanity never interested me because “edgy” comedy that mostly just comes off as sexist or racist in the guise of a joke just isn’t my thing.

To help with content for the web page in the early days, I joined an ill fated and short lived board game subscription box. Never mind, I just searched for it on a whim and it still exists. I swear that it closed up shop. Maybe I just stopped subscribing. Or, maybe, someone bought the web address and brought it back. Ultimately none of that matters. Never mind again. I did some digging and the page appears to just be a placeholder.

The games that came in the box were always fun and entertaining. We played all of them at least once. One of our favorite games that we played several times, Professor Evil and the Citadel of Time, came from one of their boxes. That led to us playing more cooperative games because I never understood the need for competition in the house. It just leads to bad feelings and sore losers. Then again, how can you not be a sore loser? Whatever, just another thing about society that makes no sense to me.

However, last Christmas, I finally caved and bought Catan to try to jump start family game nights again. We tried several times to put together family games nights. Usually, we succeed during school vacations and then after a few weeks, it falls apart. So far, Catan suffered the same fate, but we played it with some friends and had fun, so there’s hope.

Dungeons and Dragons

Quinn and I famously played a couple sessions of Dungeons and Dragons together. I also tried to put together a family session that, unfortunately, ended in disaster. I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind at the time to be DM and I think I turned them off from the game. Every now and then, I look at one of the local groups or try to put together a club at my current school to scratch that itch. I ran the D&D club at my previous school for two years and it grew exponentially in that time. I give Stranger Things most of the credit for that, but the kids said they liked the way I ran things, too.

So, instead, I order each new source book at it released. I most recently ordered Vecna: Eve of Ruin and Quests from the Infinite Staircase. Maybe I will take some time tomorrow to write up a quick review of them to give you more of an idea of where I am with Dungeons and Dragons at this point in my life.

Magic the Gathering

Chris and I played MtG monthly or semi-monthly for quite a few years. Mostly just kitchen table stuff to have fun, but the games got pretty intense, too. More recently, we hooked up with another guy and played a few rounds of Commander. Unfortunately, that group is currently in hiatus, too, right now. But, as the weather gets colder and we spend more time at home, maybe we can get a few games going.

Otherwise, I only play Magic the Gathering Arena daily to finish quests and collect rewards. I stopped purchasing new sets because, frankly, people are right. They release too many and the cards just end up sitting in a binder or boxes. I shifted that money to my Warhammer subscription and enjoy that so much more.

Warhammer: Age of Sigmar

Most of my tabletop games of present are currently miniatures. I know now that I made the right decision. Chris came over this weekend and one of the things I suggested was playing Warhammer. I also thought about playing D&D with the boys, but none of them were home. Anyway, I showed off the models and he seemed impressed by them. We both agreed that the money spent on the models made more sense that the Magic cards as I just discussed.

We never actually played the game, but he sent me a reddit post later on that night about one of the really cool models that are out there. So, next time we get together, I think I might suggest actually sitting down and playing. I still don’t have all of the rules, but rules are just there so that people can rules lawyer one another to death.

The Verdict

I started this page because both Chris and I loved games. Growing up, so did the kids. But, I also worked ridiculous hours for most of that time. While the page never reached the audience as I hoped, I still like having the various creative outlets that it offers. And, I continue to search for the chances to play these tabletop games of present.

Snap *censored* Pop Culture

A Trip to That’s E

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Introduction

I’m getting older. Proof of that is in my admission that my family owned an Atari 2600. I mean, technically, everyone is getting older. But, honestly, you don’t notice it until you pass 45. I said at work one day that 45 hits like a truck if you aren’t careful. Anyway, the point of this all is that I received an order from my doctor to get lipid testing. As a reward to myself, i took a trip to That’s E.

Officially named That’s Entertainment, there are two locations in Western Massachusetts. One, in Worcester, is massive. I’ve said numerous time, to Chris, that I could spend a day there every couple of months just browsing and spending stupid amounts on comics. The one that I visited, in Fitchburg, is smaller, but no less dangerous. Without thinking, I dropped over 150 bucks there yesterday.

Blood Hunt

I resisted “Blood Hunt” initially. Then, I saw the first three issues at Newbury Comics last week, so I picked them up. I felt underwhelmed and correct in my decision to not read the series. Then, yesterday, I caved to the pressure and bought the last two issues. I’m glad I did. When I saw that Blade broke bad with little to no explanation, I rolled my eyes. Then McKay explained it in 4 and brought it all together with the usual huge team up. The difference, this time, is that DOOM helped, as well, setting the stage for his rise later on in the year. Now, that one I’m looking forward to reading.

More From the New Beginning

X Factor gets reborn as a social media military group stocked with a bunch of E and F-list mutants with Angel as their leader. In spite of promises otherwise, they still face the same mutant hatred until their first mission. I’m interested to see where this goes. Forge puts together X-Force to help stop a giant slime monster from destroying the world. In the end, he brings in Deadpool to “help” with the mission. Overall, another solid beginning. I wrote about Gail Simone taking over Uncanny X-Men in the other article. Jed McKay writes the other main title. I’m not sure what I expected, but all we get here is more of the same. Magneto in charge, Scott leading the team, and Wolverine walking out at the end. I guess it pays to go back to basics, but I hope we get more going forward.

Ultimate Marvel

I avoided the Ultimates reboot initially. I remember the old Ultimate universe and how it went completely off the rails eventually. In fact, Marvel deleted several of my posts reminding them of cannibalistic Hulks and incestuous Maximoff twins. When I texted Chris about the new Absolute DC or whatever and called it “Ultimate DC” as a dig for the obvious rip off, he said something about the current line of Ultimate Marvel performing well. So, when faced with these two titles, I bit. In the interest of time and getting the article out today, I only read the first two issues. But, I must say. I enjoyed them. The Ultimate universe adds something new to the mythos of the characters while avoiding (so far) the pitfalls of the originals. If they keep this up, as I just texted Chris, “I’m going to end up broke with all these new books.”

The Verdict (A Trip to That’s E)

I took a trip to That’s E in Fitchburg after my lab tests yesterday. While I picked up some good books that I just told you about, there are others that I’m going to wait until my official comic review article to reveal. It also made me want to go to the big store in Worcester. Maybe once school starts and I need an outlet, I’ll make a trip down there.

Digital Playground

Video Games of Past

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Introduction

This month, we celebrate 10 years of the web page. I got the idea to celebrate my past, present, and future in gaming with a series of articles. I already talked about tabletop games of the past. This article plans to celebrate my video games of past.

If the title sounds awkward, I apologize. I tried to channel Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with the ghosts of past, present, and yet to come. Then, I realized that it doesn’t quite work the way I wanted. But, instead of changing it, I just leaned into the awkwardness. It’s one of the things I do best.

Actual Past

I wrote in my Newbury Comics article that comics played a big role in my history. Video games played an even bigger role. Growing up, my family owned an Atari 2600 and then an Atari 7800 back when both consoles first released. My parents resisted buying a Nintendo for a while, but finally caved and got us the Nintendo and a bunch of games. My mother worked at a grocery store that rented the games and then sold them cheaper to free up stock room.

The first console I ever purchased for myself was a Super Nintendo. I worked at Toys R Us and saved money in order to buy it. Shortly after that, I also bought a Sega Genesis. I never put much stock in “console wars”. The only reason I picked a side with Sony and Microsoft is that the consoles are prohibitively expensive and I don’t want to piss away 600 dollars every few years for a couple of exclusives.

Through it all, I remained loyal to Nintendo. I bought several Game Boy Advances, an N64, a Wii, and a Wii U. Liam bought a switch that the family uses. I’ve been thinking about getting myself a Switch Lite for trips. But, I should wait until the Video Games of Present to write about that one.

Trying to Capture the Past

More recently, I purchased a Retron 77, which has the look and feel of an old Atari machine. I found a way to load the ROMs onto an SD card and played them that way. Laugh all you want, but Audacity games released two new games for the system, 40 years after it became “obsolete.” That reminds me. I need to buy Alien Abduction.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I finally caved and bought a Retroid handheld. It allows me to play Atari, GBA, N64, and other console games from my childhood and early adulthood. I love that damn thing and used it many times already while on Cape Cod. I know that Christine might think it’s silly if I buy a Switch, but I see it getting just as much use.

The Verdict

I forgot to mention the Commodore 64 that I received one Christmas that allowed me to play video games of past. It also let me attempt to program them. That produced mixed results at the time. However, my love for programming continues today as one of my many hobbies.