Tag Archives: Marvel

Free Comic Book Day 2015

May 12, 2015 Noob of All Trades Leave a comment

(Note: The first ones are free, Kid. After that, you gotta pay.)

I’ve been under the impression that our family made Free Comic Book Day a tradition and that we’ve gone every year for the last couple of years. Now that I look at this picture of our first (and only recorded) visit, I realize that memory is, once again, the worst witness. That was at least two–and maybe even three–years ago. A visit to Facebook to check the time stamp confirms that we took a year off from the annual celebration of five finger discounts on the funny pages and I’m not sure why. It might have been birthday parties or something. It definitely was not the quality of comics. Those were actually very good and quite impressive for free.

We missed last year, as mentioned, but I put it on the calendar this year. I also reminded everyone for days leading up to the big event. Some of he story of how the actual day went are told in my previous post. If you can’t–or don’t want to–read the story right now, I’ll give the TL:DR version. We got stuck in parade traffic, got to the comic book store late, got our comics, and didn’t stay for anything else. I almost got suckered into buying a set of Dice Masters. Bound to happen eventually.

So, what about the books? I don’t know if it was just because we were late, but the selection seemed quite underwhelming this year. Maybe it is because I haven’t been collecting for at least a decade. I didn’t recognize many of the comics. The ones that I did know didn’t look that appealing. I mean, really, they’re doing Secret Wars again? Come on, have some originality. In the end, I got TMNT (to see if the hype is real), Divergence, and Secret Wars because I’m a fraud. The boys got Pokemon, Transformers, Sonic/Megaman, and Teen Titans/Scooby Doo. Truth be told, their comics look more interesting, so I’ll leave those for last.

First up is Divergence. This is some DC book that contains three separate stories about their most popular characters. I’m a little frustrated that they’re rebooting again, but it is also maybe a good idea. How much are comics now? $3 isn’t bad. I’m intrigued. Wait, they killed Batman? And Joker? What the hell is this? I agree with Gordon. This is dumb. A reboot is good because it gives a good place to get back in, but will I? The next story is about Superman. The first thing that I notice is that JRJR is now with DC. That seems odd. Lois gave up his secret identity? Maybe I do want to check this out. The Wonder Woman story is also good and I actually write Chris that I’m considering a return to the comic book store. If only the Marvel books are as good.

Yeah, about that. They are not. Secret Wars is terrible. Ultimate End is awful. Inhumans is ridiculously inane. These are all previews and none of them make me want to buy the actual book. In what universe do we live that I’m more interested in DC books than Marvel? Clearly Marvel has given up on comics and prefers to exist in movies and television.

That brings us to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Both Chris and I had strong things to say about Donatello being killed off in a recent story line, but this is actually a pretty good book right now. The only name that I recognize is Eastman, but that might actually be a good thing. I still think that it could have been done without killing Donatello. Still, I might pick up some of the trades to catch up on the story.

Now, onto the books that the boys picked up. Liam read Pokemon as soon as we got back in the car. He called it weird and said that it didn’t follow the main story. It is one of the comics that reads backwards, but I don’t think that’s what he meant by weird. Many of the Pokemon comics are like that. I suspect that he meant the same thing with both statements. I haven’t read it yet, but I trust his judgement.

The Transformers comic is a full story one similar to the DC books that I read and they illustrate just how old I am. I only recognize Bumblebee, but I suppose that many of the characters are from the Transformers Prime. I’ve always meant to watch the show. Maybe this will be the introduction and reason that I need to start. There is also an interesting little introduction to Transformers vs. GI Joe. The book isn’t bad, but it’s definitely a kid book.

Both the Sonic/Megaman and Scooby-Doo/Teen Titans books follow the same format as the Transformers. They are full story introductions into the new stories that are coming during the summer. One thing that I notice is that there are multiple Sonic titles. They also blatantly plug a new video game, which is to be expected, I suppose. Megaman is much darker and more intense. Seems like it might be better for older kids and I’m somewhat interested to see how the comics and worlds will cross over. Finally, Scooby-Doo is much more like the older TV show that I remember than some of the more recent TV shows have been. That’s a good thing. I couldn’t even do Teen Titans. There was far too much happening in that book, color and insanity wise for my old brain.

In closing, other than TMNT the adult books were disappointing. DC was better than Marvel, but that’s not saying much because Marvel were awful. The kid books were all full story, mostly decent, fun, and more interesting than the adult ones. I doubt that I’d enjoy any of them as a month to month. There is some glimmer of hope. They are doing what Chris and I thought they should do and trying to hook young fans into comic books. I don’t know how successful, but both boys have asked to read some of my old books. I also asked them if they wanted to start collecting comics and they both said yes. Once again, they failed to hook me enough to get me to start collecting, but I might invest in trades of TMNT, at least, so that’s something. Also, definitely going to sign up for Marvel Unlimited because they have another free month trial. I’m not fully back and I might never be. However, I’m at least partly still in, so there’s hope for us old guys, too.

Digital Playground

Button Mashers Beget Button Mashers

April 30, 2015 Noob of All Trades Leave a comment

(Editor’s Note: Apologies again for our silence this week. I’ve been dealing with end of semester stuff. Hopefully I can maintain the schedule of posting twice over the next two weeks. If not, I’ll definitely be back when finals are over.)

My family took me to a local arcade (yes, they still exist!) for my birthday this year. It might be more accurate if I saythe local arcade since I believe it is the only one close enough to be called local. We do have a Chuck E. Cheese, but the arcade there is secondary. You mostly go there for the mediocre (really, terrible) pizza. Wait, why does anyone go there? A question for another time, perhaps.

The trip took me back to the years of my youth misspent in arcades from Erie, Pennsylvania to Silver Springs, Maryland. I got 2 hours to play Tetris, Dig, Dug, Rampage, NBA Jam, The Simpsons, Centipede, any many others. Sadly, no Q*Bert or Pac-Man and the Mrs. Pac-Man machine was out of order. Also no Mario Brothers and the only Neo Geo games were Bubble Bobble and Bust a Move. Aside from the more modern games like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, those were the old school games that I played in the arcade and at home. Still, I had so much fun and it is one of the best birthday presents ever.

10945751_10203468749060415_5892645993477266723_n — Button mashers in training

During one of my breaks to watch TMNT (They showed it on the big screen, but with no sound. That’s my only complaint, even if understandable.) and eat free fries (part of a Groupon deal), I noticed Liam and Aiden playing together on a machine and having a ton of fun. I went over to see what brought them such joy. It was one of those Street Fighter clones, but one that I’d never played nor even seen. This is noteworthy because I thought that I’d played them all. At the least, I was sure that I’d played the ones that featured Ryu as a character. I noticed he was on the roster during one of their character selections.

Now, it is bugging me again that I never knew the game existed and I forgot to write down the name of the game. I need to figure this out. Bear with me. Enjoy the musical stylings of Nick Winters while you wait.

Okay, I’m back! Google is a wonderful thing. Whether you need to find the name of a never before seen 2D fighter or directions to the Rhode Island Convention Center for an underwhelming trip to wach the SCG Open event, Google has you covered. Sure, they’ll catalog your search results, sell your personal information and data, and then use that money to lobby Washington DC for less strict anti-trust laws. That’s all a small price to pay for all that convenience.

Once they finished playing and it was time to go, I asked the natural question, hoping for a particular response. They looked like they had fun, but I wanted to be sure. “Did you like it?” I asked. They both said, “Yes, it was fun!”

Woo hoo!

It started with board games, branched out into Heroclix, Pokemon, and Magic, and now extended into 2D fighting games. My kids share many of my gaming interests and I’m thrilled by the prospects. In fact, they enjoyed the game so much that they didn’t want to leave. While I’m not entirely sure how they kept track, we only had technically two hours to play and our time was over. No tears were shed, but they definitely expressed their disappointment.

Oh, in case you were wondering, the game they were playing:

I remembered that Chris gave me a copy of Marvel vs. Capcom 3. This led me to download the second game on XBox Live. I mentioned to the boys that I owned a similar game to soften the blow. Naturally, my intent was to play the game with them. However, as happens (and happened too often this winter), the gamegot lost in the shuffle and forgotten for several months.

I don’t remember exactly how or why the game came up in conversation again. I think that it was just luck. We were sitting in the living room, Aiden had finished playing some ‘Splosion Man, and was getting ready to turn off the XBox. I grabbed the other controller to load up Marvel vs. Capcom 2. He got so excited when he heard the music and saw all the characters that were available. Neither he nor I understood the intricacies of the game, so we were on mostly level ground in that regard. I did have the advantage of knowing some of the special moves. That advantage disappeared quickly, though.

I’m not sure that he knew the exact moves. Then again, I’m not sure that he didn’t, either. He pulled them off with such frequency and skill that he might have stumbled onto something by mistake. Either way, he beat me legitimately more than once. I’m not proud of it, but it did happen. As someone who pretends to be a reporter on the internets, it is my duty to report news when it happens.

Breaking! 8-year old beats his father! Click herefor the rest of the story.

Hey, maybe I’m not just pretending to be a reporter. I seem to have learned the basics of web journalism already. I can generate click bait. What do you mean journalistic integrity? See, I’m a natural!

We moved on to Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Excited by the fact that, even though it takes them a while, Capcom can count to three, I assumed that meant that they also improved their games with each successive sequel. Sure, I knew that they often didn’t necessarily improve when they released the in between expansions for each game, but they had to make the sequels better, right? I excitedly told Aiden that they made the graphics better and added new characters. Sadly, only one of those was true. There were actually less characters and they didn’t even necessarily pick the good ones to include in the game.

Of course, the game featured all of the familiar faces from both Capcom and Marvel. Ryu, Sagat, Ken, Spidey, and Hulk all made the cut. So did some secondary characters like Dormammu, Moon Knight, the Darkstalkers girls, and the guy from Ghosts and Goblins. Deadpool and X-23 were added with a few others, but Zangief is gone. Probably the most egregious omission is the mummy guy from Darkstalkers. I accidentally discovered this move that turns the oppponent into this tiny zombie looking robot thing. Aiden and I laughed hysterically any time that I managed to land the attack. That’s what games are all about. Finding a move in a fighting game that makes both you and your 8-year old son giggle in the same way and spam it to no end.

Another strike against the third game is that Christine found the case. She asked, “Is this appropriate for them to play?” I asked what she meant and that I played it with Aiden and saw no problems. She replied, “It’s rated T.” I rolled my eyes. “Probably for cartoon violence or something.” To be honest, I never checked the ratings and felt a bit embarrassed by that. When I checked, I was flabbergasted. Partial nudity and sexual themes? WTF? I’m not sure that I played that game. I did a little research and I guess that it is due to the Darkstalkers ladies and Deadpool says a few potentially offensive things. I think that they were a bit heavy handed with the rating, but I can see their point. Some parents and children might be more sensitive to these issues.

All things considered, the second game seems like the obvious choice. No Deadpool and there are the ridiculously sexist costumes for some characters mentioned above, but they are overshadowed by the sheer number of other characters and easily avoided. I would give the game a try yourself first to see if that is something that you don’t find too offensive. If you find that it is okay for you and your kids, then get your kids to fight with each other and not worry about the destruction of property as a result.

…in a fighting game. Continue reading

Episode 5 – Marvelous!

Mini Marvel Masters

April 21, 2015 Noob of All Trades Leave a comment

(Editor’s Note: ‘Hulk Smash puny….wait, what this? ‘Hulk puny!)

Our other major topic of this weekend’s episode of the podcast was Heroclix. ‘Bear in mind that Chris hasn’t played a game and I’ve only (basically solo) played against a very young Aiden. ‘The segment is more about our reasons that the game interests us and this article will follow suit. ‘We will play some Heroclix (both constructed and sealed, if those are the same official designations) and return in a couple of months with our thoughts on the actual game.

I learned about the game thanks to Aiden. ‘Having kids really brought out the kid in me in a big way. ‘Liam’s discovery of (and subsequent obsession with) Pokemon got me back into Magic, gave Chris and I another outlet for our monthly “nerd nights” and ultimately led to the podcast and web site. ‘Aiden is younger than LIam by about two years. ‘As a result, he was unable to play Pokemon until recently when he learned to read. ‘He’s still not as interested in the game as Liam, but he will play. ‘Therefore, a couple of years ago, when we were in a local game store and Liam bought a new Pokemon deck, Aiden wanted something, too. ‘I steered him away from Pokemon and found the Heroclix. ‘I thought they were just miniature action figures and he really liked super heroes. ‘I never suspected the complexity of the game associated with these tiny guys.

Ostensibly marketed as a game for kids, it had a comprehensive rule book. ‘Thankfully, it also came with a quick start guide because I wanted to try the game. ‘Aiden still couldn’t grasp a majority of the rules, but he liked picking his team, moving the pieces, and pretending to battle. ‘ I liked being able to take control of my favorite comic book characters, using their powers, and the minor bit of strategy involved.

Heroclix appeals to a wide range. ‘When Chris and I started the podcast, I knew that we would have to be more than just Magic, fighting games, and Gears of War, so I started researching other games to cover. ‘I didn’t know how he’d respond to Heroclix, with its reputation as a kiddie game, so I initially looked into Warhammer and Hordes as options.

I had seen both games played at some prereleases that I attended. ‘I also have a friend who at least collects the figures, so they seemed like a more natural choice as an adult game. ‘I did some research. ‘Most gamers agreed that Hordes was the better game. ‘That might just be my hipster confirmation bias that everything popular is lame. ‘Nevertheless, I found a PDF of the rule book (because I’m cheap and the book is $70) and started reading the rules. ‘The game interested me since it shared fantasy elements with some of my other favorite games, most notably D&D and WoW. ‘I researched more.

Boy, was I wrong about either game as a better choice than Heroclix. ‘Sure the games are intended for a more adult audience. ‘They are to Heroclix as Magic is to Hearthstone. ‘They are more complex in rules and interactions. ‘They are also more expensive. ‘Much more expensive in some cases. ‘I may invest in an army later, but those games are certainly not entry point.

We went back to Heroclix. ‘Both Chris and I experienced a lull in our Magic interest near the end of last year. ‘We planned to play Heroclix to combat that and for the purpose of adding variety to the podcast. ‘Then, as it does, life got in the way. ‘We weren’t able to meet, record, or game for several months. ‘After things calmed down, the podcast came back, and Heroclix grabbed our attention again.

I’ve purchased two booster packs (Incredible Hulk and Guardians of the Galaxy) and the Age of Ultron starter pack. ‘Look for break videos on the Hulk and Avengers sets. ‘I’m saving the Guardians for a draft that we have planned for our next get together. ‘While Heroclix might not contain the same complexity as Warhammer or Hordes, it is by no means an easy game. ‘The rules are quite complex and I understand that deeper strategy awaits than when I played a five year old Aiden. ‘I’m excited by the prospect s of playing a new game that is completely different from card games.

Don’t get me wrong. ‘I still enjoy cards and spend an absurd amount of money on the hobby. ‘My discovery of streams, Chris’s idea to branch off into standard, the seeming break neck pace of new sets, and the boys showing renewed interest have all led to me finding new joys in cards. ‘Heck, even taking a break to play the dead and buried World of Warcraft gave me new reasons to continue collecting and playing.

Even so, it is good to try new things. ‘Variety, as they say, is the spice of life. ‘I don’t know who they are, but I’m sure somebody says that. ‘Heck, I’m somebody and I just said it. ‘How’s that for circular logic?

The price for Heroclix is right. ‘While Hordes and Warhammer cost 70 to 100 dollars for a starter set, you can get a booster brick (essentially a case) for 40 dollars for at least one set. ‘The Age of Ultron was 37 for 6 model. ‘Per piece, that is more expensive than Hordes starter sets. ‘You have to consider that Heroclix models are already finished and that you have to buy paint and potentially books that go for 30?/50? dollars each. ‘Plus, I don’t know how competitive those starter decks armies are for the other games. ‘There is definitely one competitive piece in the Age of Ultron set and maybe one fringe piece, too. ‘Worth the investment.

The rules are intuitive and easy to learn. ‘Kids can easily pick up and play the game with the basic rules. ‘The full rule book offers more of a challenge. ‘the strategy differs significantly from cards and the variety will lead only to good things. ‘It gives me and Chris another game to play. ‘I can try again to play the game with my boys now that they are older and better able to handle some more strategy and complexity.

Stay tuned to the page for more on Heroclix as we learn the games, play a few rounds of various formats, and attempt to teach the kids. ‘If you’re like us and don’t know much about the game, please join us in our journey and learn. ‘If you’re more familiar with the game, feel free to leave comments, emails, and more advice and suggestions.

On the Tabletop

The Death of Wolverine, the Walking Dead, and the State of Comics

April 17, 2015 Noob of All Trades Leave a comment

(1st Editor’s Note: This is a repost from our now defunct Entertainment Compendium site.)

(2nd Editor’s Note: Spoiler Alert: Wolverine dies’.or he already died.)

Either way, you would think that the death of one of Marvel’s most popular characters would cause more of an uproar than I’ve seen. Granted, I’m not as involved in comics as I used to be, but through my various social media outlets I’m connected enough to know that giving Thor a sex change over the summer created quite a fuss. Heck, when Kirkman killed off Glenn in The Walking Dead (spoiler alert!) last year, people went nuts and were going to boycott pretty much everything. Why, then, does nobody seem to care that Wolverine is either going to die or already dead? I talked about this with Chris and his theory was that comic book (and soap opera, if that’s your thing) deaths rarely stick for very long and that they will most likely bring him back in a year or so. I have heard that theory mentioned elsewhere and admit that it holds some water. However, I think that there’s more to it than just comic death fatigue.

There are two reasons that I think this and they are essentially the same. I will first go back to a lesson from history, The Death of Superman. This story is now over 20 years old and has since been reversed at least twice, but at the time it was a huge deal. DC was killing one of the faces of their franchise and the symbol of truth, justice, and the American way. Comic fans counted down the issues until the big event, the news covered it like it was an actual celebrity death, and DC even followed up with a tribute called Funeral for a Friend. Everyone knew that the death would be temporary. Sure, they faked it well by introducing four new ?Supermen? to take his place, but no way would DC actually allow Superman to stay dead. Still, everyone played along and enjoyed the ride.

The other example is more recent and I mentioned it earlier. Last year, the creator of The Walking Dead Robert Kirkman killed off Glenn in a very violent and (some would say) unnecessary fashion. Relax, fans of the television show, he said that the character is much too popular to do the same on TV. That statement speaks to the point of this article, but you must know by now that it will take a bit longer to get there. The internet became very angry about Glenn’s death. Fans threatened to never buy the comic again. Some went as far as to call both Kirkman and those who didn’t join the boycott sadists and far worse. Internet rage is not a new thing, but given the lukewarm reception of Wolverine’s death, I find the juxtaposition interesting. Especially when you consider that the title of the book is ?The Walking Dead? and that doesn’t refer just to the zombies.

Superman dies and he gets national coverage. Glenn dies and he is supported by the combined rage of the internet. Wolverine dies and his legacy is met with a collective yawn. Heck, even Thor’s sex change got more play than poor Wolvie. So, what gives? I think that a big part of it lies in Robert Kirkman’s assurance to everyone that TV Glenn is safe. Comic books were big in the 1990s. They have their roots in counter culture and blossomed through the love and admiration of young awkward boys who wanted to be heroes themselves. Those boys grew up and had their own money and comic books became so popular in the 1990s that several of the lesser known companies became big names and one company even sprouted from the ire that several artists and writers felt towards the big two. While collecting and reading comics might have still been considered a nerdy hobby, the internet showed that there were many nerds and some of theme were even conspiring to change the world.

Nerds grew up more and got married (sometimes to other nerds) and had nerd babies that are now growing up and discovering the wonderful worlds available to them. I ask the rhetorical question again in a different way. What happened? Comic books should be more popular than ever. This strange off shoot of comic book ?culture? is more popular than ever. Movies and television shows based on the most obscure heroes become huge successes. Two coastal comic conventions (that have little to do with actual comics other than the ?culture?) do huge business along with countless other local and cousin, like gaming conventions, draw massive crowds and continue to grow.

What happened to comics that even a die hard fan who collected as recently as Civil War (admittedly not all that recent) has completely given up on them? The 90s were the best of times for comics, as illustrated (pun intended) above. They were also the worst of times. All of those companies vying for what is ultimately a niche marked caused oversaturation of the market. The same happened with baseball cards. I was burned by the promised collectability of both and both have since been recycled. The quality of writing and art suffered as they tried to find more artists for the new titles and it seems that they never learn their lessons and repeat this pattern every 10 years or so. Comic books ahve also become very expensive. I often joke that it’s no wonder that half of this country is illiterate because nobody can afford to read. Seven years ago when I collected last, books were $1.99, sometimes $2.49 and the ?big? issues were $4.99. A quick check of the Midtown Comics web page shows that many of the books now retail for $3.99 and $4.99. That’s twice as much as I used to pay for a paper back novel (When I was your age’) and more than a booster pack of Magic cards. I can buy a comic that I will read once or 15 cards that I will use on a monthly basis. As the prices rise, other hobbies rise to capture those dollars, and the ?culture? is able to more accurately capture the spirit of the comics in other media, comics sadly decline.

Superman died during a resurgence of the Golden Age of comics. Glenn died and is a part of a show that isn’t shy about killing some of the most loved characters, but he had a rabid television audience. The feminine side of Thor could easily pollute the next movie that comes out. Wolverine is dying in a medium that has been slowly dying for years, but few seem to care. I’m a bit of a doomsayer when it comes to all print publishing (especially textbooks, those *******s need to die), but I honestly believe that print and all associated need to change or go extinct. As long as people are confident that Hugh Jackman (or someone else, if they decide to reboot since that’s big now) will pop those claws in the latest summer blockbuster, then nobody will care than he’s being killed for a year or so in the funny pages.

Digital Playground

We Are Builders of (Lego) Worlds

April 15, 2015 Noob of All Trades Leave a comment

(Editor’s Note: This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but it was VSL night and I crashed after that. Sorry.)

We recorded Episode 5 of the podcast this past weekend. I’m in the process of editing it and it should be live by next weekend. Hopefully, because it is a busy one with a Cub Scouts camping trip followed by a drive to Providence for the Star City Games event. Look for my article about that next week.

We discussed Heroclix and Lego Games in this episode. I already covered several of my favorite super hero themed games last week, so what better way to follow that and the podcast than with more Marvel Madness. Both the Lego games and Heroclix have DC counterparts, but I am an unapologetic Marvel zombie. Also, that alliteration at the end of the last sentence was so worth it, amirite?

I never used to be interested in the Lego video games. I shared the sentiment of a friend who said, “why play Lego games when you can just play Legos? ” (sic. I have since learned that there is no plural to Lego.) I owned Lego Indiana Jones as one of the XBox promotional combos and didn’t play it for the longest time. It wasn’t until they released the Lego Star Wars game that I gave them a chance. Almost immediately, I realized my earlier mistake of equating the games to actual Lego. I would say that Minecraft is more comparable, but even that isn’t the exact same thing. All three fit a niche nicely and can peacefully coexist.

The initial games were fun enough to keep me playing. Eventually, the boys caught wind of the game. It started with them joining me to play. I found this very frustrating because you were limited in how much you could move by the other person playing the game. When playing with young children, this often meant not being able to advance in the level because they didn’t understand this limitation. Unfortunately, no matter how many times I tried to explain to them, nothing changed. I’m not proud of this, but these gaming sessions often ended with me dropping out in frustration and coming back after they went to bed. How funny is that visual? Instead of playing Dead Rising or GTA as I had been, I got relegated to playing Lego Star Wars while they slept so that they didn’t mess up my progress. Alas, karmic retribution will find a way.

The boys figured out how to work the XBox 360 by themselves. As a consequence, they loaded up their new favorite game, Lego Star Wars, and promptly deleted my saved game. There was only one save game slot in the game. Luckily, the designers tackled that and now games have multiple files for saves. I was almost 70% completed, too. All things considered, I think that I handled the situation well. I did what any well-adjusted adult would have done, I complained about it on Facebook and disowned them. I wish them well, as always, with their new families.

Jokes aside, I got over the transgression and have visual proof that I beat the game 100%. It is one of only two games that I do so without help, so I’m proud of the achievement. (For the record, Jak and Daxter, not Ratchet and Clank, is the other.) Adding more slots for saved games is a component of one of the major selling points of the Lego series. Take Two could easily simply churn out decent game after decent game, slap the Lego brand on them, and people would buy them. They don’t.

Not only did they add the save games, but they make other quality of live improvements, too. Remember when I mentioned that playing with young children was frustrating because of movement limitations? No more. It started with a smart split screen that offered more range of motion, became a gameplay mechanic by adding a new puzzle type, and now offers both players complete freedom to move via complete split screen. On the topic of puzzles, the puzzles have been improved and made more challenging. Granted, the games are still mostly geared to kids, but there was at least one part in Marvel Super Heroes that had us all stumped for several days and maybe even as long as a week. The puzzles are varied, too, and often able to be solved in more than one way depending on the characters available. This is important because each successive generation of the game offers more and more characters. In addition (and this is one of the favorite things forLiam and Aiden to do) you can create your own characters. They made their own super hero team and created an entire story while playing through the open world map in Marvel Super Heroes.

I can admit when I’m wrong. It happens often enough that I’m used to it. I never thought that I’d willingly play a Lego video game. It seemed like a silly idea given that Legos (I know, not a word) are a thing and we have so many of them in the house. While we still enjoy playing Legos (there’s that non word again!) and other family toys (Lincoln Logs, Thomas the Tank Engine, board games, etc), the Lego games have become an integral part of at least our father-son game playing time. Christine even noticed the recent announcement of Lego Dimensions, so it is spreading to the whole family.

The Lego games are not only fun to play. They are also constantly improved in nearly every way imaginable. Like actual Lego, they can inspire creativity in players beyond the main game. They are kid friendly, sometimes challenging to adults, and encourage families to play together as a result. Even if you don’t have kids, there is plenty to enjoy about the games. I compared them to Grand Theft Auto in the podcast and there are many similarities, right down to the senseless violence of little Lego men exploding. There is no blood, drinking, drugs, or other elicit activity. If that’s your thing, then stick to GTA. Otherwise, pick up your favorite Lego franchise, convince someone to join you, and have an absolute blast. You won’t regret it.

On the Tabletop

I Wanna Be Your (Spider)Man

April 10, 2015 Noob of All Trades Leave a comment

(Editor’s ‘Note: ‘Do you have a module based on the comic where Peter Parker and Mary Jane get married?)

Once upon a time, a gamer was a gamer. ‘You played video, board, card, roleplaying, and sometimes miniature games. ‘You bonded with other gamers over your mutual status as outsiders from polite society. ‘Really, we were complete outcasts, but it is infinitely more satisfying to tell those tea drinking weenies to suck eggs. ‘To be fair, this might have only been true about me and my friends. ‘Not only is that presumptuous, but I have actual evidence to the contrary. ‘Growing up, I saw the same people in the arcades as in the comic book store and in the RPG section of Waldenbooks (remember that place?), so there was definitely a fraternity of gamers that I’m not sure exists anymore.

I don’t know how or when it happened, but like much of our society, the gaming community became segmented. ‘(I’m about to get real for a paragraph. ‘Relax, though, it isn’t going to get to the level of those Dove commercials, but I have some things to get off my chest.) As a result, certain segments of the population that consider only their peers to be “true” gamers. ‘Honestly, these “true” gamers are really only a segment of a segment. ‘Yet, they have held tremendous influence over the hobby for at least a decade. ‘They used this influence to push for only one type of game at the exclusion of all others. ‘The tide appears to be turning back thanks to efforts by other gamers and even game designers. ‘The designers have created games to appeal to a wider audience. ‘This “new blood” has understandably caused some friction and resentment on the part of the “true gamers”. ‘2 Guys Gaming is both inspired by this movement and hopes to serve as inspiration to others to keep it going.

So, what does all of that have to do with the old Marvel RPG? ‘As one of the games that I used to play with friends, I thought of it recently because of 2 Guys Gaming. ‘We try to approach games from a fresh perspective and strive to make games fun again. ‘I doubt that we will ever do a podcast segment because it is defunct and Chris never heard of it, but it works perfectly as an article topic.

I enjoyed the Marvel RPG more than Dungeons and Dragons. ‘Not only did the game allow me to play as some of my favorite super heroes, it also scratched my creative itch by allowing me to create new ones. ‘That was the most fun, in my opinion. ‘I liked reading about the dragon slaying adventures of wizards and warriors, but my fevered teenage dreams always revolved around fighting side by side with Spider-Man and the Hulk. ‘Marvel RPG gave me the opportunity to do that at a time when most video games were centered around the X-Men or TMNT.

Kevin (of missing Episode 2 of the podcast fame) and I created a team of mutants to cause havoc (no pun intended) in the Marvel Universe. ‘Those games were some of the most fun that I had as a gamer before getting back into Magic a couple of years ago ‘That led to introducing my kids to the many worlds of gaming, getting together with Chris, rediscovering my love of the hobby, and starting the podcast and website. ‘Naturally, this all led to renewed interest in the games that I used to play.

If you have been following, you know that some friends and I are trying to find time to play some Dungeons and Dragons. ‘Liam and Aiden have both contributed to my interest in Magic, Pokemon, and many of the other games that I’m currently playing. ‘I picked up a Star Wars introduction RPG because I thought they might like it. ‘We haven’t played yet, but I might start them on Marvel instead. ‘It is a universe that they are more familiar with and it is easier to integrate those familiar characters into a story. ‘I’ve recently discovered a page that offers all of the old books and modules as PDF downloads. ‘Time to do some reading to familiarize myself again with the game rules.

I always knew that there would be benefits to having children. ‘I never suspected that one of those benefits might be the beginnings of a playgroup for video, RPG, and card games, but I’m definitely happy that it worked out that way. ‘Whether your curious about the game or looking to recapture former glory, you can find a massive trove of resources here. ‘In closing, until the cease and desist letter arrives (not my first one, but my first one from Stan lee, so I’d get it framed), Excelsior!

Snap *censored* Pop Culture

Unlimited Marvel?

April 8, 2015 Noob of All Trades Leave a comment

(Editor ‘s Note: TLDR, Shut up Marvel and take more of my money!)

We are not just about games here at 2 Guys Gaming. I used to be a comic book collector. Wait. That isn ‘t the right verb tense. I still have boxes of comics in my closet. My name is Shawn and I am a comic book collector ( ?Hi, Shawn. ?) currently on hiatus. I started collecting as a teenager, but got rid of that collection when I no longer wanted to move those boxes. I picked up the hobby again a few years ago after moving into our house because I knew that we wouldn ‘t be moving again for a long time. Also, several of the story lines at the time intrigued me. This was during the Infinite Crisis at DC and Civil War at Marvel, so they didn ‘t disappoint. The books became more and more expensive but the profit margins stayed more or less the same for local stores. After moving once for cheaper rent, our town store finally went under and I had no easy access to that particular paper drug.

I kept collecting The Walking Dead, Y: The Last Man, and some of the Ultimate Marvel titles for a couple of months. The Ultimates were the first to go, then inexplicably Y, and finally I gave up on The Walking Dead last year just when it is reaching its most popular. I know I sound like a hipster, and I just might be, but I like the original stuff better. The story is getting too depressing for me in my old age. With the habit finally kicked, like any addict, I was ripe for another. As our oldest son grew up, I noticed that he shared my affinity for video games so I told him about Pokemon. He started playing and immediately became a Pokekid. When I then told him that there was a card game, we started visiting that section of Wal*Mart and Target more often. During one of these trips, I saw that Magic cards were still a thing. Enter a new cardboard crack ( ?Hi, Shawn! ?) after I picked up a Deckbuilder ‘s toolkit. Most of my hobby budget has gone to Magic since giving up comic books.

The reasons for this are threefold. First, a new set of Magic cards are released only every few months instead of every week. Instead of spending 25-50 dollars per week, I ‘m only spending 100-150 about three times a year. Second, the cards are much smaller and easier to store. I have thousands of cards stored in boxes that take up the same room as only a couple hundred comics. They were much easier to sort into those boxes, too. While the comics remain in disarray, the cards are separated by color and card type. Third, I rarely read comic books more than once. All of those comics sitting in my closet are most likely fated to remain there until the estate sale. I am constantly changing decks and adding new cards, so even the ones in storage probably won ‘t stay there very long. If they do, they still have a chance to be played eventually. Fourth (1, 2, 3, 4? Bear with me, I ‘m only a mathematician), the cards have a more immediate and larger resale value than the comics as long as you play the market right. This article isn ‘t about Magic. This article isn ‘t about Magic. Sorry, many of my recent articles have been about Magic. There is a point to all of this. What is the point? Oh, right. Magic clearly became my hobby addiction of choice.

However, as an adult child, I never truly outgrow any of these frivolous endeavors. Therefore, when I received an email for a free (or discounted, I can ‘t remember) month of Marvel Unlimited, I took notice. I promptly forgot all about it and missed the promotion. Luckily, there are many free comics available on the app to get me hooked and spend my money. Let ‘s see what this app is all about.

The first thing I do is scroll to the free books to see what is available. I recognize most of them from when I last collected, but a few catch my eye like the first issue of Red Hulk. That was about the time that I stopped reading. There are also two versions of Guardians of the Galaxy, one from 2008 and one from 2013. Finally, I recognize and file away 1602. I saw the title when I collected, but never checked it out at the time. Nothing else interested me in the free bin this month. They have other titles like Deadpool, but I feel like Deadpool by himself might get old. I really liked his team up title with Cable, but that one isn ‘t free if they offer it at all. Still, those 4 books might be enough to get me to sign up for a membership for a month at least.

I picked Red Hulk as my first book to read. I ‘m not sure why I didn ‘t read it when it was released. Jeph Loeb is one of my favorite writers and a must read. I think that I was so enamored with the World War and Planet Hulk storylines that I didn ‘t think anything could top them at the time. Reading issue #1 of Red Hulk now, I was right. I never would have gotten past this issue back then. That ‘s not to say that it is bad. It isn ‘t. The story got me interested and left off with a cliff hanger that had me immediately wanting to read the next part. It just wasn ‘t on the same level as the other two stories and would have gotten an unfair comparison at the time. Now, though, I definitely want to read the next issue. Point #1 to Marvel Unlimited.

I went with the 2008 version of Guardians of the Galaxy for my second pick. Guardians used to be my favorite title when I was younger and I ‘m glad to see that it is getting love again. Marvel made what some would consider to be a niche story into one of the most fun movies that I ‘ve watched recently. Okay, let ‘s read some Guardians. Well, that ‘s disappointing. Not altogether surprising, but still disappointing. When I opened the app, it immediately informed me that it stopped working. This happens only about 20% of the time and the app always starts back up with no problem. It is a minor inconvenience, but it is real. I wouldn ‘t call this a full point deduction. I already don ‘t like paying for digital content, though, especially buggy digital content from a publisher as large as Marvel. One half point from Marvel.

(As an aside, what is this score that I ‘m keeping? What scale am I using? How do I know when enough points have accumulated to purchase the app? This whole enterprise feels very arbitrary. Oh well, what are we around here if not arbitrary. Onward and upward!)

As far as the content of the two Guardians titles goes, they both more or less follow the standard for Starlord and the gang. Similar to the movie, Marvel uses both first issues to introduce the team of mostly lesser known heroes. Yes, I just made another thinly veiled reference that I liked Guardians before they were cool. It ‘s already been established that I am a wannabe comic book hipster.

I enjoyed the 2008 version better than the 2013 version. Both books were good in their own ways. It ‘s just that the 2013 book was written by Brian Michael Bendis. I usually like his stuff. His writing style didn ‘t seem to fit the personality of the Guardians of the Galaxy very well. I didn ‘t recognize the 2008 writers name, but he wrote the comic in a much more fun style. Guardians of the Galaxy is ultimately about the absurd and the writers (I just checked and there were two. That ‘s usually bad news for comic books or movies) captured that spirit much better than Bendis.

I also just learned that Neil Gaiman wrote the last free comic that I want to read. Yes, I am way behind the times, but we already knew that. Almost everyone is a fan of Neil Gaiman, even if they don ‘t know, and I am no different. Well, I am different because I do know that I ‘m a fan. You get what I ‘m trying to say. Hopefully you do because I ‘m not entirely sure and I don ‘t think that either of us is ready to suffer yet another of my lengthy explanations. So, we understand one another? Yes? Good. Let ‘s move on. Arbitrary 3/4 of a point to Marvel. Current arbitrary score: 1 and 1/4

1602 takes several familiar tales, some based in fact and some based in fiction, and fuses them into a whole new and highly entertaining story. Marvel Knights has always been famous for those types of comics and this one is a good introduction into the MK style, especially for non comic book fans. Even if you are a comic fan, there is enough to keep you interested and entertained. I don ‘t know how the comics rotate into the free app, but this one is free right now. If you ‘re somehow like me and never read it, I recommend that you give it a chance. Arbitrary 7/8 of a point to Marvel. Current arbitrary score: 2 and 1/8

Well, more or less, four for four (That was awkward to type and I ‘m sure just as awkward to read. Please don ‘t try to read it out loud. I ‘m afraid of the potential consequences.) on the free comics. For the low, low price of 9.95 (or is it 9.99?), I can have access to the rest of the issues and thousands more. I know that the content is digital. I also know that I sound much older than I am by making that statement. Hey, kids, get off my lawn with your internets and iPods! At least it is good digital content and much cheaper than the alternative. Takes up a lot less room, too. That is not a small consideration for a pack rat like me. I ‘m going to do it. I ‘m going to sign up for the paid version of the app for a month and reassess at the end of my subscription. I didn’t get sued yesterday, so let’s try again today. Give me an excelsior!

Digital Playground

Revisiting 2 “Marvel”ous Games

April 7, 2015 Noob of All Trades Leave a comment

(Editor’s Note: I know that I promised a video for Fallout 1 and 2 and haven’t delivered. Marvel Puzzle Quest is running a video contest, though, so I am planning a video for that game soon.)

We are recording episode 5 this weekend. The show is about Heroclix and Lego video games. We are going to concentrate on Marvel Super Heroes and Batman. I mentioned both Marvel Heroes and Marvel Puzzle Quest on last month’s show. They are both games that I play daily. I’ve planned to write about them several times, but haven’t featured them on the page yet. I thought this would be a perfect time to finally focus on comic book themed games on the website. All of these forces have conspired to come together as this article.

Let’s start with Marvel Puzzle Quest. In case you don’t know, the Puzzle Quest games are of the match three variety like Bejeweled or Candy Crush. Unlike either of those games, Puzzle Quest has a storyline that accompanies the sometimes tedious gameplay. Sure, Candy Crush has a story, but it is mostly an afterthought. The stories of Puzzle Quest are actually good and worth playing through the games to advance. I would say complete, but the Marvel version constantly adds new chapters.

The first Puzzle Quest story involved a typical fantasy setting with all of the usual cast of characters and plotlines. I’m a sucker for most fantasy, even the cheesy kind, so it was enough junk food for the brain to keep me entertained for about a year of playing a half an hour per day. It helped that the game is kid friendly at a time when we had two young children in the house. Liam enjoyed watching the game as I played and even asked me to make him a Steam account to play Marvel Puzzle Quest after he saw me playing it. He has done pretty well in the game. Aiden has an account, too, and we have made a clan in the game with a friend. It is an excellent family game.

In addition, as one of the match three games, it has been ported to mobile devices. I have only tried it a few times on mobile because I don’t know of a way to move my account data and I don’t want to start over again. I already lost my account once and it sucked to go back to the beginning. Luckily, they were able to retrieve my data, but I haven’t been able to find a way to transfer from PC to mobile. Just be warned if you decide to get started that you need to choose one or the other.

I’ve talked about Marvel Heroes on the podcast before and I have mentioned it on the web site, too. In case you missed it, Marvel Heroes is an ARPG like the Diablo or Torchlight games. The game stumbled out of the gate and people hated it with good reason. You could only choose from two free characters and there was no end game. The story was decent, but not enough to encourage replay. I stopped playing after defeating Dr. Doom (the end boss at the time) and I suspect that many others did, too, if they even made it that far.

Luckily, the designers of the game listened to player feedback and worked to improve the game. As I mentioned in my previous article on Diablo III, it was voted as most improved MMO in 2014 or 2015. They have added many new heroes, opened all heroes as free to play to level 10, implemented several end game options, buffed loot drops via weekly events, and many other improvements. The game is much more fun to play now. I play it on a daily basis and have even spent money on the game even though it is free to play. I want to encourage them to continue to develop and improve the game.

Liam and Aiden both started an account for this game, too. Liam and I even got a few chances to play the game together. The game isn’t quite as kid friendly and they’ve been more interested in Pokemon recently, so they haven’t played much of either this or Marvel Puzzle Quest. It is nice to know that we will have two more games to enjoy as a family that aren’t just Dance or Mario. Sure, those games are fun, but variety is the spice of life and such.

Both games are free to play, as mentioned. Marvel Heroes is constantly being improved. Marvel Puzzle Quest also updates regularly, but it is often unclear whether those changes are for the better. Most recently, they altered one of my favorite powers and made it decidedly weaker. I’m not going to be one of those guys that threatens to quit the game over such a minor adjustment. Still, I don’t quite understand what they’re trying to accomplish and it is frustrating to have to deal with something like that. (Side Note: I looked at the patch notes and I now understand, but it still makes little sense from a player point of view. Oh well, might be time to find another combo to abuse.)

If my children are any indication, then the games are relatively kid friendly. There is some questionable material in Marvel Heroes (mostly from Deadpool, of course) but it is easily avoidable. You should be aware. Puzzle Quest is simply a match 3 game, so it is much tamer and better for kids if you don’t want to take the chance. You could do worse than trying out both games. If you played Marvel Heroes and didn’t enjoy it, then give it another chance. It is a much better game and you won’t be disappointed. If you do try either game, let me know. I would be glad to play a round or two or let you get started in our clan on Marvel Puzzle Quest. At the risk of being sued, Excelsior!

2 Generations Gaming Present: New Games We Love

Tag Archives: Marvel

Free Comic Book Day 2015

Button Mashers Beget Button Mashers

Episode 5 – Marvelous!

Mini Marvel Masters

The Death of Wolverine, the Walking Dead, and the State of Comics

We Are Builders of (Lego) Worlds

I Wanna Be Your (Spider)Man

Unlimited Marvel?

Revisiting 2 “Marvel”ous Games

Adventure Awaits in February 2025!