These Tombs Aren't Going to Raid Themselves

"I hate tombs." - Lara Croft

There certainly have been a lot of bad Tomb Raider games over the years. I only really enjoyed the very first one as it was so unique and ground breaking for its time in storytelling, game play and graphics. Most of the games since have gotten lost in Lara's sexuality and/or felt more like Lara 'James Bond' Croft instead of a female Indiana Jones.

The latest edition, simply titled "Tomb Raider," goes back to the roots, actually before the roots. This is Lara on her first adventure, before she is a bad ass. She's ship wrecked on a "Lost" or "Arrow" style island full of ancient mysteries with supernatural events and bizarre human cults. The premise isn't new, but that doesn't matter. The game is just fun and is something that both fans of the original and those new to Lara's exploits should seriously consider playing.

Why? Follow me after the break...

How Tall Do You Need to be to Ride Dragons?

How tall do you need to be to ride the dragons of Skyrim?

Now that my daughters, my nephew, and all of their friends are hitting the big age 10 mark, I’m getting a lot of questions about video games. “My son really wants Halo for Christmas, but it’s rated M is it too gory for him?”

These are genuinely concerned parents who are not gamers and sadly don’t know their Skyrim from their Gears of War.  They’re not necessarily opposed to their kid playing a game with a weapon,  they just don’t know why I’d let my kids play Halo at age 10 but perhaps not Gears of War or Mass Effect despite the fact that all three games are rated “M for mature”.

Armed with the knowledge that all parents are different, all kids are different, and that parents know what their kids can and can’t handle, I struggled with a way to explain it to them.  Then it hit me... MOVIES!  

A 20 minute video on how to paint a model in 10 minutes

Folks were asking me for a video of how I 'quickly' paint up a model for Dust.  So here's my experimental first video...please be gentle!

A Euro and Ameritrash Game Walk into a Dungeon

Lords of Waterdeep Box Cover

There are few hobby board games that you can buy, pop open, punch out the bits, read the rules, and play a 5 player game with all new players in under 2 hours. Even more impressive if all the new players are focusing on strategy from turn one because the rules and graphic design are so clean.

Of these games, even fewer have BEAUTIFUL components, wooden bits, linen boards & cards, and fantastic artwork. Fewer still have a near perfectly organized rule book with slick quick reference on the back. And EVEN less games actually have a box insert that holds all the bits for transport, but also keeps them organized and convenient for play.

If you'd asked me to make a list of games that had all of the above in them, my list would be very, VERY short. In fact the only game I own in this category is Small World by Days of Wonder.

Now I have a second: Lords of Waterdeep.

Game at my Pad

(Originally posted 4/21/11, Updated 11/3/11)

Lately I’ve been getting a lot of requests for gaming recommendations on iOS devices, specifically board games and lately the focus has shifted from the iPhone to the iPad.


While love my iPhone I’m not the biggest iPad evangelist on the planet.  I received mine as a gift, and I’m still on a quest for the ultimate killer app that will turn my iPad from a neat techno-bauble into an indispensable tool.


That said, the iPad does make a great gaming aid, entertainment device, and my search for the practical side has not totally been without success.  So without further ado, here are some of my favorite apps:

D-5 - You Dropped My Battleship's Shields!

Yes really, Hasbro!

I've been looking forward to a new board game from Hasbro for some time now.  Growing up I played games with great components such as Chopper Strike and Carrier Strike.  The idea of a new space combat game from the designer of Heroscape along with the pictures of the ships made Battleship Galaxies a must buy for me.

So picked it up on Saturday and drooled all over it, then posted a bunch of pictures on the D6G feed:

 http://twitpic.com/tag/battleshipgalaxies

Then my wife and I played Sunday night... what a fun game.    Here are my quick thoughts...

The Mean Streets of LA

My wife and I have always enjoyed detective, cop, and murder mystery shows.  From old classics like Columbo, Murder She Wrote, and Hercule Poirot to more recent fair such as In Plain Sight, Psych, and Castle.  So when a game like LA Noire gets announced, it goes to my must buy list.

What's it like?  It's not like any other video game that's been published in the last 10 years, perhaps 20.  Let me explain...