Two Years of Slick Gaming

Well this was unexpected…

Last week, Tuesday July 23rd to be exact, marked the two year anniversary of Slick Gaming. It wasn’t unexpected in that I didn’t think I’d make it this far. It was unexpected because it approached so fast I didn’t even have time to react. The past few weeks have been busy for me, flying back and forth across the country, getting a new job, working on tons of reviews, and even taking a few work trips to and from San Francisco, so to say I had my blog anniversary on my mind was very far from accurate.

But that doesn’t mean this blog isn’t on my mind.

In fact, there are plenty of reasons why Slick Gaming now is so much better than it was one year ago! A big venture contained entirely in the past year of Slick Gaming is The Recurring Bosscast and my fellow gamers/blogger at Splitkick.com.

I have been co-hosting The Recurring Bosscast podcast with Mat and Jett for nearly one year now. I can’t even believe it’s been that long since we first started, and I cannot believe how much fun that show has been! Just talking about games, speculating about the future of the industry, reminiscing about our favorite systems, genres, and games has been fantastic. I’m looking forward to the next year of the Recurring Bosscast and am definitely grateful and humble to even be a part of such a wonderful team.

If I can give an excuse as to why Slick Gaming hasn’t been as crazy active as it has been in the past, it’d be because of my other gaming ventures. I put in a lot of work this past year into my two other blogs: Slick Anthology and A World of Games.

While Slick Anthology has gone on the back burner the past few months, A World of Games has been booming. A complete redesign of the Tumblr blog, dozens of updates and new content, and a decent reaction from the Tumblr crowd have been enough encouragement to keep me at maintaining the blog as frequently as possible. Thank you, Tumblr-ers, I appreciate the feedback and look forward to bringing more arcade action your way from across the world!

Looking toward the future I am still excited about Slick Gaming and what it holds. Believe it or not, I’ve recorded video footage for new content on the YouTube channel, including a brand new Game Hunter! Also in the works are new Free Plays, Modern Classics, and, if everything goes well, a brand new series of Let’s Plays with my girlfriend Laura!

You can also mark your calendars for a pair of new Worth Playing articles. I’ll give you fans a hint on what the next topic of games will be: Final Fight and Double Dragon are both on the list. And you can expect more reviews, previews, and Game Hunter Journals along the way. Like I said before, I’m super excited to see what 2013-2014 has in store for Slick Gaming and I sure hope you are too!

To all of my friends, to all of my readers, to anyone who has looked at my words, anyone that has ever seen my videos, looked at my pictures, read my comments, followed my blog, encouraged me and supported me, and to everyone that has helped make Slick Gaming possible for these past two years… Thank you.

Here’s to another year of Slick Gaming!

Thank you,
Jsick

 

A World of Games Update

aworldofgames.tumblr.com

I’m proud to announce that A World of Games, my Tumblr blog featuring photos and videos of all the arcades I visit, has been completely redone! A new theme, tons of new photos, and a sleeker presentation mean you’ll be viewing the arcade scene in style! Be sure to check it out, follow, and enjoy!

Here’s a sneak peak at some of the new content. I recently visited Santa Cruz, California. Specifically the famed Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, where they had plenty of old time (and some new) arcade games. I suppose I should have expected as much from a location founded over 100 years ago! Reminisce and have fun!

Laters,
Jsick

 

Top Ten Dream E3 2013 Predictions

The 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo is right around the corner, and what better way to get hyped up for the event than by speculating what the conference might have to offer? I did a list like this last year and came away with almost one correct prediction, so maybe this year will be more realistic (though I highly doubt it). Even so, getting just one of these to be true would be fantastic and would totally make my E3. One can hope…

 

Gut Reaction to the Xbox One Reveal

Following the announcement of the successor to the Xbox 360 known as the Xbox One, reactions have been a jumbled collection of excitement, speculation of the future, questions about what was seen and what wasn’t seen, and a sense of wonder about the whole thing. So in other words, job well done to Microsoft for getting the community talking about their next box.

From a gamer’s standpoint however, I’m not entirely sure I’m on board at all with the Xbox One. My gut reaction is telling me to wait this thing about and see what the Xbox One delivers in the future, but as of right now there’s some questions I want answered.

 

Where is the Luigi Love?

Everyone knows Mario.

He’s Nintendo’s mascot. He’s a portly plumber who wears a red shirt and denim overalls. He frequently travels the Mushroom Kingdom to thwart the evil Bowser’s plans and rescue Princess Peach. He’s an all around good guy who get’s a lot of play time in all things Nintendo.

And then there’s Luigi…

 

 

My Arcade Experience in California

While I was growing up, I subscribed to Tips & Tricks magazine. Like most kids I was drawn in with the last half of magazine being dedicated to cheat codes and hints for all my games. Even better was when they pushed out one of their “Code Books” which ditched every written article entirely to house just these cheats. While I was a fan of the codes, I would pretty much read the magazine front to back because there wasn’t any internet in our house to occupy my time otherwise, so this was my only means of gaming related news each month. Being into fighting games since Mortal Kombat II, I was attracted to the one or two page monthly feature ranking the best fighting game players in the US and the rest of the world. These were names that you still hear today, like Ricky Ortiz, Justin Wong, and the phenomenon that is Daigo Umehara. One thing I noticed about some of these players was their location: California. Specifically Sunnyvale, California. In my mind I pegged the cute sounding city as a Mecca for video game arcade fighting. As luck would have it, I happened to fall in love with a girl who lives five minutes away from Sunnyvale, and on top of that we’re looking to move to that exact city! On a recent visit I was able to stop in an arcade that has been on my radar since the Tips & Tricks days as a place the pros played: Golfland USA. The arcade scene is not what it used to be in the 90s and early 2000s, but Golfland has done its best to retain the good ol’ years of the video arcade.

 

Anthology Update: DS Section Complete

After hours of editing and updates, the DS section of Slick Anthology is now complete!

Slick Anthology is best described as my video game collection in blog form. I’ve undertaken then near-insurmountable task of cataloging all of my games into one location. While it’ll take a hell of a long time to get the Anthology where I want it to be (ie: complete) it’s nice knowing that two sections are complete (DS and 3DS).

I encourage you to head over there and browse around. I’ve written a bit about each title as well so you can learn a little if you didn’t already know about the game, as well as linked to any relevant articles I’ve written about each game. As always, more games to come!

Laters,
Jsick

 

Remembering THQ

With most of its IPs sold, its development houses auctioned off, and the company in the aftermath of bankruptcy, THQ is gone. While companies shutting their doors is always a somber moment, we as gamers can hold out hope that the developers formerly of THQ will find work and continue making great, quality video games for us to enjoy for many more generations. Most all the talk in the game news media this week has centered around THQ, which got me thinking about the company and its games. For a company that has gone away, they sure had a hell of a lot of great and memorable games!

 

A Fond Farewell to Nintendo Power

It is with a lump in my throat and a sad heart that I have to create this article. Nintendo Power, the gaming magazine beloved by generations of Nintendo fans and video game lovers alike, has come to an end. After 22 years, 285 issues, every Nintendo console to date, and thousands upon thousands of games, the magazine has bowed out of the printed market and the online market entirely, and will be fondly remembered in countless gamers’ hearts for many reasons. I only felt it necessary that I pay my respects to the periodical that I took so much from. Let’s go on a journey through time and enjoy the spectacle, wonder, excitement, and love of all things Nintendo that was Nintendo Power.

 

Thanksgiving Game Sales Galore!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Whether or not you’re living in the United States and celebrate the holiday, there’s always reason to be thankful during this time of year (and any time of year, for that matter). A few notable examples are family, friends, and of course the holiday sales on all your favorite video games! Here’s a quick run-down on what’s for sale and where. And if you’re one to avoid massive crowds and don’t want to go out this weekend, then I’ve got plenty of deals for you online as well. Take a look!