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.
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Spawn 300 End of the Road (Redux)

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Introduction

The Road to Spawn 300 was littered with pot holes and detours. However, we are finally here. And, I have to say, it was worth the wait. Both Chris and I were obviously excited when we heard that Greg Capullo was going to be back for this issue. We both grew up with him as the main artist.

We were both subsequently disappointed because we had somehow convinced ourselves that he was going to be the artist for longer than just the one issue. When we learned that wasn’t going to be the case, I think I suggested that Uncle Todd should sell his McGwire baseball to hire Capullo back as artist.

At least we get him for the next issue, too. Also, he is doing variant covers for the next two. Maybe there is now an open invitation to to covers whenever he wants. As I said to Chris, hope abounds. Now, for my review of Spawn 300. It isn’t exactly like the DC 1000 issues from last year. He invited some other big names to join him. However, the issue followed continuity instead of shorter vignettes. Even so, I will review each story individually like I did with those books.

Chapter 1 (Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo)

The Spawn meter is back. What’s up with that? Oh well, like Chris said, Capullo’s art is going to ruin me for the return to the regular artist. Aside from McFarlane, Capullo’s art is the iconic style for Spawn. The story is just more creepy little girl kills her family nonsense, But, Violator shows up and there’s some gratuitous ultra violence at the end to remind us what Spawn’s all about.

Chapter 2 (Scott Snyder and Todd McFarlane)

I enjoyed the story from this chapter much more than the first one. It called back to a previous battle between the two antagonists and what happened when they “disappeared” from sight and into the shadows. This was probably my favorite story from the whole issue. Scott Snyder definitely shows that he’s a more seasoned writer than Uncle Todd in this one.

Chapter 3 (Todd McFarlane and Jason Shawn Alexander)

Another story that attempts to fill some of the gaps. This one is about the former Spawn enemies that he reanimated to fight on his side. As Chris texted, and I agree, the art style of Jason Shawn Alexander just doesn’t fit Spawn as much as we’d like. But, the story was decent and, unlike Chris, I’m going to keep collecting until the book isn’t produced anymore. In spite of being almost 30 years old under essentially the same creative control that whole time, it is still surprisingly fresh. I want to see where Uncle Todd takes us next.

Chapter 4 (Todd McFarlane and J. Scott Campbell)

The art of this chapter is great. J. Scott Campbell really nails the Spawn style. However, the story is lackluster. I just don’t give a crap about She-Spawn or her story. Alas, it looks like she is here to stay, at least for the next couple of issues, so I’ll have to get over that.

Chapter 5 (Todd McFarlane and Jerome Opena)

A teaser that does exactly that. No idea what it is or means, but I’m intrigued to learn more.

The Verdict

I like what Uncle Todd did with Spawn 300. It is a “historic” issue in that it tied the longest running creator owned comic book. It is also a nice round number that comic book nerds love. Instead of choosing to tell small vignettes as Detective and Action did with their historic 1000 issues, he continued continuity while also setting up future stories.

Overall, the strength of the writing is what we’ve come to expect from Spawn all these years. It is disheartening to be going back to Jason Shawn Alexander’s art after seeing the other interpretations of the Spawn style. Again, I like JSA’s art and I actually really enjoyed it for the Dark Horror storyline. However, it just doesn’t look like the Spawn that I remember from my reckless youth. Oh well, put it in the “get over it” bucket with She-Spawn and enjoy the ride. Here’s to another 300!

On the Tabletop

My First Time……Playing MTG. (Redux)

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My first game was actually pretty memorable but not because of the game itself, but because it was on the day of the Boston Marathon Bombing. A friend had asked me a few weeks earlier if I was interested in trying out the game. He had played it back in his middle/high school years and wanted to get back into the hobby, the only issue being that he couldn’t find anybody to play against. After a day of thinking about it, I decided that it couldn’t hurt to at least try one game. I poured over the rules online, taking it all in, and instead of being overwhelmed or having tons of questions, I felt like it was all so easy and almost strangely familiar. Fast forward to April 15th 2013, I sat across from my friend, ready to play for the first time. I had bought a pre-made mono green deck from Amazon and nervously shuffled it, hoping that my knowledge of the game was as solid as my friends because, after all, I didn’t want to kill his good time by having to stop every twenty seconds to answer one of my questions. I drew my first hand and suddenly it wasn’t new to me anymore..it was natural to me. I didn’t win that game, or the game after that for that matter (f***ing white lifegain..), but something strange did happen..instead of having to ask a ton of questions, I was answering them. Now at the time, I didn’t read too much into it and just chalked it up as being a quick learner. From that first game on, I was hooked..when I wasn’t working or spending time with my girlfriend, I was scouring the internet for deck lists, then searching Ebay to buy the cards for those deck lists. I found out that my former roommate and best buddy/brother Shawn was looking to get back into playing and soon our once a month video game nights included MTG. We are pretty even players, usually going back and forth as far as wins and losses goes. I was always just happy that I could hang in there with someone who had previous experience and that I could actually put up a challenge.

February 23rd 2014

I received a text notification from Facebook that I had a message from an old childhood friend. I opened up the message and read..and was immediately confused. My friend was asking about a game I created when we were younger and if I had ever done anything with it since because he thought his son might enjoy it. I stared at the screen trying to grasp what in the hell he was talking about. What game? When would I have created a game? I leaned back and closed my eyes and really focused, shutting everything out. Suddenly, what I can only describe as a wave of memories came back to me all at once, bringing with it a fairly painful headache and leaving me stunned as everything I thought I had lost in my teenage years came back..

March 15th 2004

Stay with me, keep those eyes open, buddy..you’re gonna be fine.

I remember that phrase being repeated over and over to me..and every time I didn’t believe it. There was too much blood, so many things were broken, I could feel things moving that shouldn’t have been moving, my breaths getting harder and harder to take. I felt myself fading but it wasn’t scary, it was peaceful. I thought of my friends and family, said one last goodbye and prepared for whatever was next.

Ok, ok..I’ll get to the point..15 minutes earlier I was driving on the interstate on a chilly Sunday afternoon, when inexplicably something gave out in the rear end of my car, sending it careening into the median at 70 mph. The front end slammed into the dirt flipping the car over, trunk over hood. I was ejected out of the rear windshield of the car. I suffered a broken arm, broken back in 5 places, broken collarbone, collapsed lung, a hemorrhage in my right eye, and a concussion. The doctors were very worried that I would suffer some degree of brain damage, but miraculously I didn’t, I passed all of the tests: No brain damage, no paralysis, and most importantly, still alive. However, what did happen was that I suffered some memory loss..not total amnesia but I lost bits and pieces of my life..all of which were around the middle and high school years..which brings us to the final chapter of the story..

February 23rd 2014

I sat on my couch letting the memories wash over me. I remembered almost everything. My girlfriend kept asking me questions in an attempt to pull the last stubborn bits of broken memories into the light I remembered old classmates, old teachers, things I had done, people I had met, and finally sitting down in my parents basement (yeah, I know, keep the nerd jokes to yourself, b*tches) with my friends, reading comics, drawing, trading sports cards, listening to music, and playing MTG. There it is. The reason why the rules were so easy to learn, the game was so natural, was because I played when I was teenager. Strangely enough, back then I had always played a mono red deck, and sure enough my favorite deck now is a mono red deck. Red was my favorite card color back then and still is to this day. I tend to splash it into almost every deck I build as I did back then. Is it a coincidence? Maybe. But I rather believe that it was my memories, the younger me, letting me know that he was still there.

Fyi..after getting my memories back I realized that my first time playing was actually in 1995 when I was 15, a friend who went to Boston every summer, returned at the end of August with a few decks of cards, saying that everyone out in Boston was playing it now. He gave me one, taught me how to play (kind of), and that’s that. I guess I could have just said that, but where’s the fun in that?

Digital Playground

Marvel SNAP August 2024: Young Avengers

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Introduction

I thought the celebration of Deadpool and Wolverine might make me play more last month. I should know by now that everything about this game runs counter to my expectations. I play more in months when I least expect it and vice versa. Even with my limited play, I still received all of the rewards on the monthly track. And, the rewards for Deadpool’s Diner didn’t wow me enough to sucker me into that mode. Plus, if I’m being honest, at the heart of it, the game is really boring. So, I make no claims about how much I’ll play Marvel SNAP August 2024.

New Locations

Okay, after just saying how boring the game play is, they give me these two locations. What can I say? I’m a sucker for Vibranium. Even if they give you a rock in the location, a 1 drop with 4 power is pretty awesome, in my opinion. And, the other location fits in well with my “Ones” deck. I just need to start running Caiera in that deck to counter the plethora of Killmonger out there at the bot levels.

New Characters

Hawkeye (Kate Bishop)

Image 1 of 5

On Reveal: Add 2 Arrows to your hand.

I never read Young Avengers, so the characters ultimately mean little to me. I know about Kate Bishop from the Hawkeye TV show and I understand that Wiccan and Hulkling have a bit of a cult following. If you told me that the others were rejects from Deadpool 2’s X-Force, I’d have believed you. However, the cards themselves intrigue me. Speaking of “Ones”, Marvel Boy fits right into that deck. Who do I remove, though to add him and Caiera? Hmm, decisions, decisions. Speed works in my Evolution deck. Hulkling, too, but the random effect is kind of dumb in my opinion. I’m not sure where to use Wiccan right now, but Kate Bishop looks like my kind of fun randomness. Overall, an impressive bit of card design this time around.

The Verdict

While Marvel SNAP August 2024 brings unfamiliar characters, I like the design of the locations and the card text of the characters. I said I wouldn’t contemplate how much I might play in the next month. What I will say is, every time I think I’m out, they somehow suck me back in. Well played, you magnificent bastards.

Images SNAPped from Marvel SNAP Zone.

On the Tabletop

Warhammer Age of Sigmar 8 Paint Update

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Introduction

Another paint update comes with Warhammer Age of Sigmar 8. Next time, or maybe the time after that, we build a new model. I split the new colors on the models into two sessions because the painting became much more intricate this time around. Also, painting white on a darker color. I messed up a few times, but that’s all part of the learning curve. I think the models still look good and will bring something to the table if I ever find another person to play against.

The White Parts

When you look closely at the pictures, you’ll see what I mean when I say that I painted much more intricate details. Other than the insides of the capes, I painted around the border of the shield and the crests on their shoulders. The camera picked up the blue underneath (or maybe around) the white and tinged it light blue. But, in real life, I painted three layers, so it looks white to me.

Last time I wrote how much I looked forward to this part because I finally got to add more colors to the army. I still think that. However, that joy is tempered by the fact that I need to be more patient in my painting. Also, with practice, I’ll just get better.

The Verdict

Warhammer Age of Sigmar 8 paint update leads into another play through. This time, they add measurement and movement to the game. Of all the rules in these miniature games, that one gives me the most trouble. Because once you start adding elevation, too, then things get a bit complicated. But, I think that taking it in parts like this will help me to learn the rules quicker.

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DC Comics August 2024

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Introduction

For the first time in (forever? singing yet?) a long time, DC Comics August 2024 finishes up our week of comic reviews. I make no secret about my status as a Marvel zombie. And, because I purchased Spawn as my first non-Marvel comic book, the new Spawniverse books came in second. Now, have I saved the best for last? Let’s see.

Action Comics 1067

Writer: Gail Simone, Artist: Danny Miki. And, so begins the Gail Simone era on Action Comics. One of my favorite writers of all time taking over for what has been one of the best books of recent months. Two great tastes that taste great together? Or, too much of a good thing? I’m happy to report that it’s the former. Ms Simone gives it all to us. Great conversation, excellent action sequences, and all of it wrapped up in her signature sense of humor. My verdict: Great. PS – We lost Rainbow Rowell on She-Hulk, but she writes this installment of Lois and Clark.

Batman 150

Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Artist: Denys Cowan and Jorge Jimenez. I wasn’t a fan of the last story in the book. It wasn’t bad necessarily, it just didn’t hit with me. This one is an Absolute Power Tie-In, something that I have no interest in. However, the book and story itself is fun. So, maybe they’ll accomplish their goal and sucker me into buying into the Absolute line of comics when the time comes. My verdict: Good.

Catwoman 67

Writer: Tini Howard, Artist: Carmine di Giandomenico. I love everything about this story. Ms Howard brought a much needed new perspective to the character that’s been missing since Joelle Jones left after killing it with the reboot of the title. In this issue, alone you can feel Selina’s love for her team, desperation to keep them and her legacy in Gotham alive, and then the abject horror after the final reveal. The final issue of this story promises to be explosive when Howard’s reign ends and Grønbekk takes over. My verdict: Great.

Superman 16

Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artist: Jamal Campbell. Okay, well, damn. You get to see my famous change of opinion based on new information in real time. This book (plus some quick research) piqued my interest for the Absolute Power story. Damn you, Joshua Williamson. And, damn you, DC Comics. Why must you always eventually make sense with your decisions. My verdict: Great. PS – Still not interested in the “Absolute” line of books at all. Those things always end up going off the rails.

Wonder Woman 11

Writer: Tom King, Artist: Tony S. Daniel. The Tom King era in Wonder Woman took some time to reach its fullest potential, but I believe it finally has. One of the reasons that Absolute Power interests me is that the fallout in these books have made for strange bedfellows. I won’t spoil them for you because part of the joy this time is in the surprise. Trust me, you’ll enjoy the ride. My verdict: Good.

The Verdict

DC Comics August 2024 were the most enjoyable group of books this month. I said in the Marvel Comics article that this might be the best time in comics in quite a while. All of the marquee books have great teams on them. That is because there are so many great creators out there. The independent books show that. I know some of the success is being driven by speculators, but in this case I don’t care. If they keep the medium alive, that’s okay by me.

Images taken from the mother ship.

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Spawniverse August 2024

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Introduction

We decided to mix things up this week for a couple of reasons. One, the entire family (minus Quinn and plus Aiden’s girlfriend) went to and loved Deadpool and Wolverine. Also, because of anther soft reboot, a mix up in ordering, and shelving the issues related to Blood Hunt, that left only two Marvel comics to review. Even with the TMNT and the main title missing this month, I received three books for Spawniverse August 2024.

Gunslinger 33

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Carlo Barbieri. ONe of my favorite teams in the Uncle Todd stable, Uncle Todd and Barbieri deliver a well told and beautiful story. This must be what Chris meant when he said that he liked this one the best out of the Spawniverse. I saw some of this when I came on a little over a year ago. Then, the entire franchise started to become messy and disjointed. For whatever reason (I take some of the credit), Uncle Todd decided to shake things up and I’m glad he did. I enjoyed this book for the first time in months and look forward to the next few. My verdict: Good bordering on Great.

King Spawn 36

Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Jason Shawn Alexander and Yildiray Cinar. I felt like King Spawn suffered the most from the lag in quality in the franchise. When I came in, the story followed one of my favorite Spawn arcs in the last ten years, Dark Horror, and it hit hard. Then, all books got caught up in the war between Heaven and Hell for far too long in my opinion. But, the fallout is good. All Spawn are now human and the stakes are higher. Al finds this out the hard way and needs to go to his old buddy The Tinkerer in order to even the odds with the vamps. He also recruits an old “friend” that shows up in the final reveal. My verdict: Good. As an aside, when searching to see when I picked up Gunslinger, I found a comment from Chris about Jason Shawn Alexander’s art. He’s not a fan. I must say that I love the aesthetic for stories like this one. I think he’d also work on a Sam and Twitch title.

The Scorched 31

Writer: Layman with Uncle Todd on “Additional Script”, Artist: Dtephen Segovia. For my money, The Scorched kept its quality the best throughout. Granted, it dipped some, but for whatever reason, I love the dysfunctional adopted family that Uncle Todd put together for this title. Then, he brought Layman on to help out with this one and I completely geeked. In this one, Jessica works alone to try to take Jason Wynn out. In the process, she also finds an old “friend” and ends up running into the team again. I can’t wait to see how this pays off. My verdict: Good.

The Verdict

Spawniverse August 2024 continues the upward trend of the last few months since the reboot and restructuring of the teams. Uncle Todd took more of a central role in all of the books, which should have theoretically reduced the quality of the books. However, the time off for him and the fact that the books always echo his voice on some level, they actually improved for now. Hopefully he can keep this up for a bit.

Images taken from the mother ship.

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Marvel Comics August 2024

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Introduction

On a high after seeing Deadpool/Wolverine, I decided to keep the Marvel love going with Marvel Comics August 2024. Unfortunately, after taking out the offending Amazing Spider-Man (ironic because Zeb Wells, and all) and the Blood Hunt tie in, it leaves me with only two books. I also apparently missed the X-Men number ones and they killed off She-Hulk. Okay, you have the actual truth. I just can’t help myself.

As you know, I usually start with independent or the Spawniverse. However, they outnumber the Marvel books this week. So, this week gets shuffled. Marvel, then Spawniverse, then DC. I also wanted to branch out finally again into YouTube with some videos to accompany. They may still happen. Right now, all I can think about it my colonoscopy tomorrow. Get your butt checked, folks.

Captain America 11 (Legacy 761)

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski, Artist: Jesus Saiz. To add some insult to injury, this issue feels like one big set up. Steve and Sharon start the story on the phone where Steve tells her he will just be a few more days. It then goes to talk about the struggle that he’s working through. It’s not a new dilemma, but JMS works his magic on it to get us through to the end of the issue. The reason I call it set up is that reveal is pretty massive. Can’t wait to see what he does next. My verdict: Good and possibly about to be great.

The Incredible Hulk 14 (Legacy 795)

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Nic Klein. Speaking of tough choices, this issue ends with one as well. The set up for this issue gives us more action, though, which is fitting considering the characters involved. As you all know, I loved Al Ewing’s run on Hulk. Almost as much as the Planet Hulk run by Greg Pak. I must say that we are spoiled because this story nearly rivals the both of them as well. I’m enjoying it so much that I didn’t even mention the art this time around. My verdict: Great.

The Verdict

I read (again) somewhere about the slow, painful death of the comic book medium. As you know, both Chris and I discuss this eventuality a couple of times a year. I think as long as aging nerds like us continue to buy into it, though, it won’t happen in our lifetime. Even though I only read two books for Marvel Comics August 204, they both impressed me. This might actually be the best time for comics overall in a long time.

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Deadpool/Wolverine Thoughts

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Introduction

I texted my family last week with plenty of time to get them together to watch the new Deadpool movie on the day of the premiere. Since we all have lives, it took until yesterday to actually make and keep the plans. I thought we arrived 10 minutes late, but then realized that we actually showed up almost 20 minutes early. None of this makes any difference. And, it probably isn’t all that exciting. But, I’m simply painting a picture before giving my Deadpool/Wolverine thoughts.

Also, in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I usually like or love much of what I read, see, and hear. I can find the good in almost everything, except Zeb Wells recent run on Spider-Man. Funny enough, when I saw his name on the credits as a co-writer, I nearly gave up right there and then. But, without knowing what he contributed, I can only assume that he writes Deadpool well and not Spider-Man.

Besides, I have a saying. It starts like a familiar saying and then becomes my own (I hope). Those who can, do. Those who can’t, become critics. Furthermore, those who can’t do even that bitch about shit on the internet. While I’ve written (obviously) and made podcasts and videos, I don’t think of myself as one who does, so to speak. Even so, I don’t want to be lumped in with critics or bitches.

The Bad

I just got the idea to write this article as a response to some of the things I saw on the internet as a reaction to the movie. It feels like the most honest way to approach it after what i just said about critics and bitches. And, I always start with the bad to leave on a good note.

Self-Aware Twitter Thread: One of the articles I read said something along these lines of the movie felt like watching a Twitter (X? Whatever) thread that thinks that it is more clever than it actually is. All I can say in response is, “Tell me you don’t understand Deadpool without telling me.”

Nostalgia Trip: While not usually a part of the Deadpool repertoire, Ryan Reynolds must have made a deal with Disney to allow all of the actors to be able to say good-bye to a universe that they created and built over 20 years. Hell, they deserve at least that much. Plus, comic book nerds, you can’t simultaneously piss and moan about nostalgia and then piss and moan when they refuse to give into that nostalgia.

The Ugly

Hugh Jackman/RDJ Proves that Nothing Since Endgame Worked. Remember when I said that I like almost everything, I mean it. I loved WandaVision and Falcon and the Winter Soldier (in spite of its warts, it brought us The Thunderbolts), Black Widow, Shang Chi, Loki, Dr. Strange, Thor, and What If?. Hell, I even enjoyed She-Hulk, Ant-Man, and Hawkeye. I haven’t seen all of Moon Knight, but it looked good. I purposely left out Guardians of the Galaxy 3 because it exists on a whole nother plane from everything else so far. Obviously, I don’t agree with this assessment.

Let’s say that you do, though. Focus on Eternals, and the Marvels, Wakanda Forever, Secret Invasion, and whatever other projects that you felt didn’t live up to your expectations. If it is the end of a 10 year run that saw the studio rise to great heights and shatter box office records, then so be it. But, a few mediocre movies and TV shows don’t signal the end of the entire Marvel empire.

I will confess, though, that in reaction to the joke of Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine until he’s 90, I said “Forget that, Bob Iger will be CEO until he dies.” Then, when I debriefed with Chris this morning, I added, “They fucked everything up when he left and he came back to put it all together.” I know that puts way too much on one man and that’s not usually how I roll. But, I’m allowed to ignore nuance every now and then.

The Good

As part of the debrief this morning, I texted, “Movie was great. Everyone had a ball.” Chris replied, “It was the best Deadpool movie so far.” I can’t find a counterargument. The kill sequence during the credits to “Bye, Bye, Bye” complete with the dance a couple of times. When Wade travels to find another Wolverine and it becomes an excuse to simply rattle off knowing winks to the comic book nerds in the crowd. A “no cocaine” joke that became a string of hilarious “cocaine” jokes. More kick ass fight scenes. My favorite X-Men character, Gambit. More kick ass fight scenes, including one between Deadpool/Wolverine and 100 Deadpool variants. And, behind it all, the sincere beating heart of family and friends that keep us all going in spite of everything else.

The Verdict

I gave more Deadpool/Wolverine thoughts than expected. But, I think I covered most of what I wanted to say. I won’t fall into the nuance trap again and say that it will “save the MCU“, but I loved the movie and everything about it. Like the first two, I anticipate watching it several more times and at least once more in the theaters. Let’s fucking go.

Digital Playground

Marvel vs. Capcom Collection

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Introduction

I tried to branch out with Marvel Strike Force this week. While that experiment ended in failure, thankfully I planned to discuss something near and dear to our heart here at 2 Generations Gaming. Marvel vs. Capcom collection brings together some of the most fun fighting games from my teenage years and young adulthood. While they don’t fire the same nostalgia synapses as, say Street Fighter 2 or Mortal Kombat, at least one of them holds a very special place in my heart.

The Others

I never played Marvel Super Heroes or X-Men vs. Street Fighter at the time. I think, by that time, my interest in fighting games waned and I moved on to other games, most notably Resident Evil. So, Capcom still took much of my money. This interest in horror games then extended to Silent Hill and Fatal Frame. That still ranks as one of my favorite games of all time.

I played both X-Men: Children of the Atom and Marvel Super Heroes in the arcade. Like Darkstalkers, I welcomed the new take on the Street Fighter fighting engine with more stylized graphics. They eventually gave me the best of both worlds with Street Fighter Alpha, a game that I only played on home systems. By that time, I moved out and owned a full priced PlayStation (those of you who know, you know that it dropped in price a month after I bought it, thereby guaranteeing that I’d never again pay full price for a console) and lived alone. Games like Street Fighter Alpha kept me company during that time.

Unlike Darkstalkers, both X-Men and Marvel Super Heroes featured familiar characters, so I gravitated towards them in the arcade. In X-Men, I played Wolverine, Psylocke, and Cyclops mostly. Then, in MSH, I mained Spidey, Hulk, and Cap. Those preferences ran deep and carried over into the other game in the series that quite possibly sits at the top of my favorite fighting games list. I never actually made such a list and Mortal Kombat 11 occupied an insane amount of my time. Well, I have an idea for a future article.

The One

While I played and enjoyed Marvel vs. Capcom, the second one captured my attention when I played it. Then, I introduced my children to fighting games with that very game. We played the game together daily, enjoying ourselves almost beyond belief. I’ve written on more than one occasion that becoming a dad changes you. Honestly, those changes mostly strengthen and solidify you as a person.

I gamed growing up because it gave me an escape from the crap I endured at school daily. It allowed me to spend some time with my brothers and have fun instead of being the butt of everyone’s jokes. When I played games with my kids, I hoped to give them the same feeling of belonging and happiness. I think I succeeded. All of them still, to this day, play together in Minecraft and The Sims. We all play Mario Party and Mario Kart as a family during school breaks. And, now, with this collection, we can relive those fun times with Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

The Verdict

I bought the street Fighter collection years ago and played it once or twice. I think Aiden played with one of his friends a couple of times. But, overall, it collects dust as a forgotten relic of a teenage me, not grown up dad me. I think that if I buy Marvel vs. Capcom collection, it will be worth it just for the laughs that the second MvC brings.

On the Tabletop

Warhammer: Age of Sigmar 7 Paint Update

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Introduction

I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while. It finally adds new color and new detail to the models. I admit that looking at the same green/silver and gold/blue started to get old after a while. But, Warhammer Age of Sigmar 7 brings us brown leather and white!

About the White Part

I meant to finish both armies last night, but simply adding the brown to the leather bits on the Orcs took almost a full hour. By the end of that time, my eyes got tired along with my hands. And, frankly, I just got bored of painting. Therefore, you must wait until next week for the white parts of the human armor. They also have some brown that I suppose I could have finished last night. Maybe I will take care of them over the weekend. That way I can do just the white parts next week.

Personally, I love how much that simply one new color adds to the models. When they went from strictly green to green with silver, I smiled. Now that they have some brown in there, too, they look almost table worthy for play. I know there are more colors and more minor details to add that will make me even happier and more proud of my talent. For now, though, I love these guys and want to see what the white brings to the humans.

The Verdict

If you told me last year that I would have completed this much of an army, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. I always intended to get into painting. Initially, even purchasing the subscription wasn’t enough to push me to paint them. They just sat in a box in an unseen pile of shame. Then, I put together a schedule for my hobbies and that gave me the inspiration that I needed finally. Warhammer Age of Sigmar 7 brings me to a new standard in the hobby and is forcing me to refine my techniques going forward.

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