Catching Fire

Catching Fire is the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy. Catching Fire begins right where The Hunger Games ended, so make sure you've read that one first or you'll be lost. As I said in my review of The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and the next book, Mockingjay, do not work as stand alone books. If you're going to read Catching Fire, you're committed to reading Mockingjay.

The Hunger Games

I recently finished reading The Hunger Games trilogy (anyone else hate when a series is just named after the first part of the entire work, like Twilight, and not given a proper name, like The Lord of the Rings?). I was going to write one post on the entire trilogy, but decided, for reasons that will become clear once I'm done with all three posts, to do each book separately. I'm going to try and do so without spoiling anything, but, as with any review of a story driven medium, some things will be revealed that you might not want to know, so proceed with caution.

Skyward Sword

I've now played enough of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword to feel that I can have a fair opinion of the game. As a long time Zelda fan, I have mixed feelings about the latest entry. Don't misunderstand me, the game is amazing. Nintendo improved greatly on a tried a true formal, but some of the changes aren't good changes, in my opinion.

A Call to Action: It's Time Google Put Apple in Their Place

If you follow tech news in general like I do, you probably know that Apple is suing everybody who has any affiliation with Google's Android at all. HTC and Samsung cases have received the most attention in the Apple biased blog sphere because they are cases in which Apple has won, though one case in particular that received a lot of fanfare from Apple fans actually voided one of Apple's frivolous patents. Apple fans the world over were too busy kissing Jobs' butt to notice. Motorola recently sued Apple over mobile technologies and won. This was largely ignored by Apple fans but reported on by Android and Microsoft centered blogs. All that to say that I won't blame you for thinking that Google and their Android OEMs are just bunch of thieves. It's difficult to search the web without reading from the Apple biased media about how Apple is awesome and Google (and Microsoft, for that matter) is garbage.

Play Games Help Kids: Memphis 2011

OK, so it's been a month or so since this happened and I'm a little behind. Cut me some slack.

Play Games Help Kids: Memphis 2011 was a success, even if it was a small one. Four people competed in various children's games for the ultimate grand prize: bowling, shoe rental, pizza, and drink for four at Cordova Bowling Center. Doug and Rachel Watson tied for first place. Since they're married, we didn't bother with a tie breaker.

Gaming on the Go: What Works and What Doesn't

For two decades, Nintendo was the undisputed ruler of the handheld market, and not for a lack of challengers. I want to take a few paragraphs and talk about why it worked for Nintendo, why it didn't work for anyone else, and why Nintendo is in danger of making some of those mistakes themselves. I'll take a a moment to ponder why smartphones as tablets as gaming devices are becoming popular.

My Weird Relationship with Sonic the Hedgehog

I'm a Nintendo guy. I always will be. Even as the Xbox 360 in my house receives more and more attention from me, I find that if I want a good, solid fun time, Nintendo is always there for me. Halo and Gears of War are both fantastic, and I'll continue to be fans of each, but Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid have a certain uniqueness, style, and way about them that isn't just great game design, it's also fun game design.