Gunslinger Gaming

Some of you may know her as Dria from the Gunslinger Forums, but many of you undoubtedly have chatted with her under the name TheCakeisaLIE. The Gunslingers have had the fortune to count her as a member for some time now, and it is high time we get to know her better! With that in mind, enjoy the following interview that will shed some light as to why her chat handle is quite apt.

GS: You joined the Gunslingers back in May, 2011. How exactly did you happen upon us, and was there a particular game that brought you here?

Dria: Not any particular game really. I joined after my boyfriend (Sosyc) told me about the site and I had recently given up my MMO at the time and was looking for something to give me the social aspect that I enjoy. After reading over the forums and the diversity of games and systems and then after spending time in the chat room I was hooked!

GS: Obviously, you like gaming, but what people may not know is that you have formal training in the culinary arts. How long have you been doing that, and when did you first realize decorating cakes is something that interested you?

Dria: I went to culinary school several years back. My family spends a lot of time watching food network, which had gotten my attention from the various cake challenges. I had been working at a toy store before that and felt I wanted to get out of retail. I always loved desserts and the artist aspect of cake decorating was super fun, challenging and something I felt I could do and enjoy.

GS: Based on the pictures, you have created some really complex cakes. Can you tell us how the process of molding objects out of sugar works?

Dria: Well for things like wedding or tiered cakes its always best for me to start out with a sketch of my idea based on either a theme or color scheme. Then I can make a list of what is needed for that cake in decorative aspects, e.i. Flowers, bows, bubbles, swags, or things of that nature. Sometimes it takes a couple days to make those before you even bake the cake. If its a fondant cake you can color the fondant yourself by kneading a gel coloring into white fondant, or you can buy pre-colored, or you can choose to airbrush (I prefer self coloring) after all that its just a matter of assembly.

GS: What was the most elaborate or hardest piece you have made, and how long did it take?

Dria: Most elaborate piece would be the three and a half foot sugar sculpture I did with dolphins,

An eleborate cake created completely by Dria

bubbles, kelp and shells. It took around three days. Sugar can be temperamental depending on humidity and how heavy handed you are. It requires a very delicate touch and good eye for assembly keeping in mind balance issues for when the piece is moved. I have a bad habit of wiggling my piece after attaching a few things to make sure things aren’t going to fall off. On the flip side, that piece didn’t fall apart until three and a half years later.

GS: According to your GS profile, reading is listed as one of your other interests. What genre do you most often read? Do you have any favorite authors?

Dria: Fantasy and Science Fiction are my go-to genre’s. Though I enjoy historical fiction, biographies, and I did go through a kick for a year or so that I read a lot of westerns. My favorite author at the moment…. a three way tie. Lois Mcmaster Bujold, Mercedes Lackey, and Terry Pratchett.

GS: In addition to being a culinary artist, you also dabble in drawing. Has that been a life-long interest, or is that something you have recently picked up?

Dria: Life long interest! Always thought when I was a kid that I wanted to be an illustrator for novels. Did competitions when I was in high school and ended up with a sculpture piece in Athens for a few months because of it. Don’t draw or paint so much now. I’m horribly out of practice.

GS: Being from Georgia, what are some favorite places that you could recommend to the tourists among us?

Dria: Technically I’m not really from Georgia. I grew up in Germany on a military base.Though I think that it gives me a better look at Georgia by not being from here. From what I have discovered of Georgia, Jekyll Island was a lot of fun to visit, River Walk in Savannah is beautiful plus the city of Savannah itself is interesting to walk through. The apple houses of north Georgia was very neat to visit with lots of fresh apple cider. North Georgia also has the Appalachian mountains that are scenic and with trout streams! Atlanta has an amazing symphony plus the High Museum of Art. Not to mention all the amazing restaurants with a very diverse culture.

GS: Your significant other, Sosyc, and you both enjoy gaming. How is it like being a gaming couple? Who gets dibs on the television?

Dria: We share a lot of the same interests so it works out very nicely. We enjoy the same shows and games for the most part. I like watching him play games as well as playing myself. I love being a gaming couple! He does tease me about my facebook app games, which they are silly but I still enjoy. I used to play Neopets too (though I don’t admit to it very often) There are alot of co-op games that we have such Borderlands, Dirt3, Portal 2, and Dungeon Defenders. And we have a lot of characters we play seperately on Skyrim, Fallout, 3d Dot Game Hero and Brink.

GS: Do you have any pets? If so, can you tell us something about them?

Dria: I have one pet, a ten pound white peke-a-poo named Murphy. He’s eleven years old now but still plays like a puppy. He’s a strange little dog who has a lot of cat like tendencies.

GS: And, most importantly, what is your favorite drink?

Dria: Vanilla Coke most assuredly!

Thank you for taking the time to do this interview, and thank everyone for reading it. Most importantly, thank you for being a Gunslinger, Dria!

We are kicking off the New Year by bringing back the popular Gunslinger feature, Monthly Member Spotlight! Every month, we will continue to select a Gunslinger member and have and share a virtual cup of coffee with him/her to find out more about them. Our group is getting bigger by the day (quite literally), so this feature will help get to know each other better.

The January 2012 Member Spotlight features none other than MikeyFromSantee! Here is how our interview went:

GS:  Mikey, you have been a member of GS since August 2008. In fact, you signed up with us back before GunslingerGaming.com was a registered domain and we all met up on a freewebs version of the site. How the heck did you ever happen to join the Gunslingers?

MikeyFromSantee:  As a fan of the Mario Kart series since the original back on the SNES, I really looked forward to playing Mario Kart Wii with my friends, both past and present. But the reality was that very few of my friends had a Wii or MKW, and the ones that did didn’t share the excitement of playing it often like I wanted to. So I searched for a group that was as close to what I was used to in the arcade… people with similar interests 18+ years old that enjoy Mario Kart Wii. And, despite my competitive nature, I needed something that wasn’t going to commit me to a constant gaming schedule, because hello, I’m a busy adult nowadays! So I searched around on MarioKartWii.com and found the Gunslingers clan.

GS:  You are known for your impressive gaming skills in the Mario Kart franchise. What appeals most to you of the franchise?

MikeyFromSantee:  The fact that people of all ages and skill levels can enjoy playing Mario Kart together. Even people who aren’t skilled at all still have a legitimate chance of winning any given race, and yet if you are skilled, overall you will still win more races and be recognized as such. Somehow that just seems magical to me that a game can be fun for everyone like that.

GS:  Racing is not your only impressive gaming skill. Based on your response to the “Your Crowning Achievement as a Gamer!” thread, you are the first American to ever score a perfect AAA on a Paranoia on in the Dance Dance Revolution arcade. Could you tell us more about your accomplishments in the game and how exactly it came about that you got so darn good?

MikeyFromSantee:  I learned how to play DDR at a local nickel arcade. At first, I was really shy, but when I noticed that my marching band skills from high school automatically made me better at it than everyone else at the arcade and I was losing weight fast on it, I started playing it religiously. When DDR Max 2 came out, which was technically supposed to be only in Japan, several arcades in San Diego got it immediately, one of which was the nickel arcade. And when I found out there was an official Internet Ranking… well I like dominating the local arcades’ scoreboards, that one’s just on a grander scale, right? Long story short, I ended up getting 3rd place overall total ranking and 2nd place overall average ranking on double mode. On a site that is completely in Japanese, comprised of Japan’s best players. From there, I just got better and better.

GS:  Mario Kart and Dance Dance Revolution is an unlikely combination. Are there any other games that would surprise us that you are or have been absorbed in?

MikeyFromSantee:  Well, I was into laser tag for a long time as we have 3 good ones in San Diego County. I became really good at it, too. My member name was “MegaMan.EXE”, after the NetNavi character in the Megaman Battle Network series on GBA and DS. But what might be more surprising is despite that, I’m NOT into FPS games at all. It’s not really that they aren’t fun games and all, but for me they aren’t fun because I get motion sick very easily and very quickly playing them, and because of that I can’t even play long enough to get used to the controls, let alone actually play competently… or play at all.

GS:  What was the very first game you ever owned?

MikeyFromSantee:  The very first game I owned? Well, when I got my first system, it was the Atari 2600, and with it I got Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Missile Command, Combat and Wizards of Wor. Loved every one of them.

GS:  So, we know MikeyFromSantee the gamer, but not much else. What other interests do you have a passion for in life?

MikeyFromSantee:  I love technology and playing music. And nowadays I never have the money for the former or the time for the latter. I currently work 2 jobs and am going to school to earn my Cisco certification and hope to score a job in the area of Networking so I can afford said technology and have time for rockin’ out on the alto sax on the side.

GS:  The origin of the username, “MikeyFromSantee” is pretty straight forward. Have you lived any place other than Santee, California? Ideally, where would you like to travel later in life?

MikeyFromSantee:  I’ve lived in my old house in Santee since I was 6 years old, but about 6 months ago I moved to an apartment in neighboring El Cajon. “MikeyFromElCajon” doesn’t really have that same ring to it though, so I’ll keep “MikeyFromSantee”, thanks.

I haven’t traveled much my entire life. One of my life goals is to visit all 50 states. They say that there’s so much to do in San Diego and that’s true, but there’s so much more everywhere else, too!

GS:  What was the last film you watched in a theater?

MikeyFromSantee:  Umm… The Muppets.   The new one. The one that has a cameo from Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. It’s good, go see it.

GS:  Not to get too deep (but we will), what is important in life?

MikeyFromSantee:  Pursuing your goals and dreams. I meet so many people that so want this and only dream of having that but don’t take that first step and act. Your goals and dreams may seem unreachable but you won’t really know unless you give it your best! And you know what they say… It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. Or something like that. Just do it.

GS:  What is your favorite drink?

MikeyFromSantee:  I don’t drink alcohol. I’d have to say Coke Zero. I blame it on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. O_O’

Thank you for taking the time to sit down with us, and, readers, thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about your fellow Gunslingers.  See you all in February!

Some of you have gamed along side with MargaritaMama on the PC. Others of you may have run and gunned with her on the Playstation 3. But did any of you know that she is also a classically trained violinist? Well, as May’s edition of the GS Member Spotlight, we all have a chance to get to know more about MargaritaMama in the following interview!

GS: You joined back on February 2nd of this year. How did you come across Gunslinger Gaming?

MargaritaMama: After getting tired of listening to the comments of children on Black ops I set out on a search to find a clan or group to game with. I originally searched for an all girls clan but the ones I found were too strict about K/D and # of hours played each week. I stumbled upon Gunslingers when I switched my search to adult clan. The recruiting thread on the COD forum had me sold with the mention of a Frosty pints night

GS: You play games on both the PC and on the console. For you, which came first, and which do you prefer?

MargaritaMama: I grew up with console and PC games, I can remember our old Atari and then the “lisa” computer. I think the first PC game I played was the first Might and Magic way back when. I used to play mostly single player/ strategy games on the PC and just recently started playing the FPS games on PS3 mostly offline with my husband. Black Ops was the first game I played multiplayer online with. While I really do prefer the PS3 console to the computer (probably because I get a bigger TV and comfier place to sit with the PS3) when the PSN was down I dove into L4D2 and BFBC2 on the PC and now I think I’m hooked on those as well.

GS: Your user profile states you are a classical violinist. How long have you been playing and what can you tell us about the talent that the rest of us may not know?

MargaritaMama: I started suzuki violin lessons at 3yrs old, then added the viola around 8yrs, (and then went on to get a viola performance degree) so it’s been a part of me and my life for as long as I can remember. It’s kinda funny when I compare the feeling I get when I play in a string quartet and when I game with a group of GSers. It’s actually a similar high, creating/accomplishing something temporary with a group of people. Each of us works together and has our part to play to win the game or make the music. I always leave rehearsal or a gaming session on a happy high

GS: Speaking of you musical talent, you are part of “String for Things.” What is it exactly and how are you involved?

MargaritaMama: This is my local string quartet’s website. We just gig around the area doing mostly weddings and then we try to give a charity concert with some real meaty music about once a year.

GS: You have created a topic in the Music section of the GS Forums asking what are everyone’s 10 ten most played tracks on their MP3 players. What sort of MP3 player do you personally have and what tracks do you find inspire you the most in your own creativity?

MargaritaMama: I have an IPOD touch (for running) but I generally just listen to MP3′s through my home computer (it’s hooked up to the nice speakers for our living room). Being a generally happy go lucky person I tend to gravitate toward happy peppy music, that I can dance with my girls to or clean the house to. I’m always on the lookout for new music so I made the thread to see if I could find some good stuff from you all.

GS: On the surface, it would seem that video gaming world and the classical musical world may not cross paths often. Do you find that so socially speaking? What games do you appreciate that exhibit some truly amazing soundtracks?

MargaritaMama: In college I had a little group of 4 musicians who would get together and game a bit. The more I ask people about music and gaming the more people I find are into them both! I generally game with the sound down low so I can keep and ear on my kids in the other room and not have the sounds picked up through the mic. When I watched my husband play Dead Space, it wasn’t really a soundtrack, but the game sounds would freak me out and make me jump!

GS: What got you into gaming? How long have you been gaming?

MargaritaMama: I always gamed a little here and there but ever since joining GS it’s become a real obsession for me.. Ooops.

GS: Have you lived in Florida your whole life? What places/sights do you recommend travelers to visit that may be often overlooked by tour guides of the state?

MargaritaMama: Yup, I was born and raised here, and just moved about the state, never outside of it. Florida has great beaches but the springs are what’s really beautiful around my area. My favorite springs in the area is Ichnetucknee Springs, crystal clear water, wildlife shade and tubing!

GS: Do you find that being a gaming mother make you the coolest mother on the block?

MargaritaMama: I’m either the coolest or the strangest, lol. I know gaming has made me the coolest aunt to my nephews though.

GS: Perhaps this is a bit too on the nose, but, MargaritaMama, what is your favorite drink?

MargaritaMama: Water! Of course it’s a margarita , silly!

Thank you for taking the time to answer the interview, and thank you for being a Gunslinger!

It is only fitting that our dear friend, Fist_of_Metal, is April’s GS Member Spotlight. We all got the opportunity to celebrate another birthday with him, seeing as he has been a member since August 18th, 2009. In fact, Fist_of_Metal first represented himself on a Gunslinger Master List with the Nintendo Wii’s Conduit, and, in April 2011, its sequel, Conduit 2, became the newest addition to the roster of featured games at Gunslinger Gaming. Spanning between those two games, Fist_of_Metal has been slinging the guns in various games, on various consoles with the rest of us. GS took a moment to sit down and get to know our friend with the following interview:

GS: You joined the Gunslingers back in August 2009. How did you first hear of the clan, and what games are you playing now days?

Fist_of_Metal: I registered in a forum at http://www.nintendowiipals.com, looking for gaming buddies on The Conduit. It all seemed a little…kiddish for me. I remember seeing the post about Gunslingergaming and thinking that is kind of a lame name. Then I read on to find out it was an adult only clan. So I checked it out and it was exactly what I wanted and more than expected. Well, I’m going to pick up my copy of Conduit 2, so that’s what I’m playing these days.

GS: While it is a given that you like gaming, you are also an anime fan. What are some of your all time favorite anime series/movies, and what was the series that first got you interested in anime?

Fist_of_Metal: My all time favorite series has to be Yu-Yu Hakusho, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was also very good. The first anime I watched was Dragon Ball Z, the original series, English subbed.

GS: You have been interested in Mario Kart Wii, MAG, and Call of Duty among others, which demonstrates a keen interest in multiple gaming genres. With that in mind, what was the very first game you ever owned, and in what ways do you think any childhood gaming has influenced your tastes today?

Fist_of_Metal: Well, the first game I owned was Mario Kart 64. I remember using that big steering wheel to play Mario Kart, it was awesome. I didn’t own but played my big brothers Genesis/Nintendo/SNES. I played most of the games he didn’t like Shining Force 2 and Secret of Evermore, two Role Playing Games that got me hooked on the genre.

GS: Being a zombie fan, what zombie horror films do you find as the best examples of that sub-genre of cinema?

Fist_of_Metal: Land of the Dead

GS: As stated above, we know you are a fan of gaming, zombie horror, and anime. What is another interest or hobby do you have that would surprise us?

Fist_of_Metal: I recently took a liking to jogging, after I quit smoking cigarettes I decided to keep at it by working my lungs more. It helps, I don’t crave anymore. Also, in High School I discovered I was a decent drawer, particularly portraits. I learned to do portraits using nothing but inkpens, turned out to be really fun.

GS: If you could bring one video game franchise back from the dead, which one would it be and why?

Fist_of_Metal: My serious answer would have to be Battletoads. Final Fantasy could use a resurrection. Every since Final Fantasy hit PS2 it just changed for the worse.

GS: Did you grow up in Ohio? If so, what’s a favorite memory of yours from your time in Ohio could you relate to the rest of us?

Fist_of_Metal: I did grow up in Ohio. My favorite memories are of times spent at Lake Erie, it made it seem like Ohio doesn’t suck so much.

GS: You just had a birthday this April. How did you spend it?

Fist_of_Metal: Well, I worked on my birthday, had a good Steak dinner. I could have taken work off for my birthday but I felt the day off would be better used for Conduit 2. I was right.

GS: What is the story behind the member name, “Fist_of_Metal”?

Fist_of_Metal: No story to be honest. Just a whim, I was eager to join and came up with something quick. That’s OK though, because since my time at GS, Fist_of_Metal has some history now.

GS: What is your favorite drink?

Fist_of_Metal: Jack and Coke or Chocolate Milk

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, and thank you for being a Gunslinger!

March 2011 marks Bolink654′s one year anniversary as a Gunslinger member. Bolink654 is a bit of a husband and wife—Jeff and Giggles—duo membership, and we had the fortune to sit down and ask “the better half” her thoughts on gaming, couples who game together, and other questions to get to know someone we have had a great time gaming with this last year.

GS: You signed up back in March 2nd, 2010. What made you join the Gunslingers back then, and what is keeping you busy around here now days?

Bolink654: Well, my husband and I bought the game [Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition] a few months before we joined and we just loved playing the game, but realized there were a lot of clans we were going against. That’s when we decided to look into it and see if we would be interested in it, and that’s when we found GS. Ever since we joined the clan, we always have a group of (adult) members to play with and enjoy the game with. And I would also like to point out that the reason I have a win/lose ratio of 3.02 is because of my fellow GS. If it wasn’t for them I would never have even got over 1. What keeps me busy is the tourneys, forums, and of course the game [Call of Duty: Black Ops].

GS: In the forums, you go by the name “bolink654.” In chat, it’s “TheHeims.” Many people, however, have grown fond of referring to you as “Giggles.” How did that start?

Bolink654: The “bolink654″ is just something Jeff has always put on the internet as the user name. Well, with the “TheHeims,” it’s because my husband and I both play, but as a lot of you know, Jeff won’t talk on Skype, so I was the one on there. And when we first started using Skype, I was so shy I didn’t want to talk to them, so every time something was said or done funny, I would always giggle. So, every since then I was called “Giggles.”

GS: You and your husband game together quite often. How does gaming online as a couple affect the experience?

Bolink654: Well, honestly, when we play together, we look out for each other more in the game than we would for someone else. But then again, if we are on opposite teams, we try to kill each other more. The game is great, but when we play together it actually makes the game a little better.

GS: Recently, you purchased a second Nintendo Wii system. What were your motivations for doing so, and do you recommend it for other Nintendo Wii playing couples?

Bolink654: We did it because we both love playing the game, but hated taking turns, and we figured if we got a second Wii, not only could we play at the same time, but, if no one was on, we would still have each other to game with. And for the couples, I very much recommend it. Like I said before, it makes the experience of the game better.

GS: Being a female player in a franchise, such as Call of Duty, with an obvious male fan-base must bring about some amusing moments. Can you relate one?

Bolink654: Well, the other day, we were going against another clan, which were all males. We whooped them pretty good, score limiting the game. And like most other games that happen like that, they start having something to say, so I will respond to them, and when they realize I’m a girl, they either start calling me a hacker or just won’t say anything at all.

GS: We all know you like to game, but what other passions do you have? Hobbies? Favorite movies?

Bolink654: When I’m not playing Call of Duty, I am usually playing in Photoshop. I love to work with pictures. I’ve always been the type to love art and graphics. But during the summer and fall, you will more than likely find me in the woods or out on the lake.

GS: What was the very first video game you remember playing? Have you always been into video games?

Bolink654: Yes, ever since I was old enough I have been playing all kinds of video games. The very first one I remember is Mario on the NES.

GS: If there could be one place in the world you could go to vacation, where would it be and why?

Bolink654: Even though I have been there more than one time, I would still go to Eureka Springs, AR. Its just so beautiful there, more than words can describe, and so much to do. The people that live there are some of the nicest people I have ever met. And the town itself has so much history, it would take you forever to learn it. My favorite part of the whole place is the Crescent Hotel that looks over the whole town. In that place alone, the history is amazing.

GS: You are a big fan of the zombie mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops. What is the horror film that, hands down, scares the crap out of you?

Bolink654: Hands down scariest movie ever is……The Strangers!!! I will NOT ever watch that movie again. I was on my seat the whole time during the movie, and jumping at every little sound! I know it’s not zombies-attacking-people kind of movie, but you try watching it on a stormy night, with all the light out, and by yourself!

GS: What is your favorite drink?

Bolink654: My favorite drink is a frozen strawberry daiquiri. Regular drink would be a Cherry Dr. Pepper.

Thank you for taking the time to answer a few of our questions, and we all look forward to seeing you and your husband on the virtual battlefields!

2010 marked not only a great year for gamers with all sorts of tastes in genres and gameplay, but it was also an amazing year for Gunslinger Gaming. Never before had so many fellow adult gamers have had the opportunity to vote in video game orientated polls exclusively for us older gamers. How did we cast our votes? Which games proved to be our favorites?

Here are the results for 2010 GS Game Awards!

Best Nintendo Wii Game of 2010: GOLDENEYE 007
Runner Up: Super Mario Galaxy 2
Last Year’s Winner: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex
Notes: One can never underestimate the power of nostalgia for Nintendo Wii owners. This Nintendo exclusive title tapped into the fond memories of the gamers who thoroughly cut their teeth on the first person shooter genre with the Nintendo 64 original of GoldenEye. As probably the best movie adaption video game title to ever be released, the remake published by Activision did not disappoint. As a group for parent and adult gamers, it is no surprise that the Gunslingers voted nostalgic title as their favorite Nintendo Wii title of 2010.

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Best Playstation 3 Game of 2010: CALL OF DUTY:

BLACK OPS
Runner Up: Heavy Rain
Last Year’s Winner: Uncharted 2
Notes: The best selling video game of all time, Black Ops, proved to also be one of the most popular titles featured at Gunslinger Gaming. Not only that, this mega blockbuster of a title also helped usher in the fastest growth in membership at GS in its history. At the time of the 2010 Awards results being finalized, the Playstation 3 division of our Black Ops community had over 230 Gunslingers registered on our contact Master List for the game.

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Best Xbox360 Game of 2010: CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS
Runner Up: Mass Effect 2
Last Year’s Winner: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Notes: It only seems right that our Xbox360 community voted Black Ops as the best game of 2010. The game was certainly built from the ground up with Microsoft in mind. Thanks to this historic video game title, the Gunslingers has been enjoying the largest number of Xbox memberships ever. With a Xbox360 Black Ops Master List containing over 200 registered GS members, Xbox360 Gunslingers are here to stay.

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Best PC Game of 2010: CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS & STARCRAFT II
Runner Up: N/A in a tie.

Last Year’s Winner: Plants vs. Zombies & Sims 3
Notes: The Gunslinger PC community stands divided once again in regards to their favorite PC game. Like last year, this year ended in a tie. Black Ops entertained the running and gunning souls while Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty engrossed the science fiction fans in intergalactic war strategy. Now, if Call of Duty would only get on top of making that space shooter, our PC community will be unified in fandom.

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Best Nintendo DS Game of 2010: DRAGON QUEST IX: SENTINELS OF THE STARRY SKIES
Runner Up: Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver
Last Year’s Winner: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Notes: The Dragon Quest franchise, while amazingly popular in Japan, has always struggled in sales when it came to sales in the Western hemisphere. That has all changed with the Dragon Quest IX, and Gunslinger members reflected that boost in popularity. With virtually unlimited replay value and customization, Dragon Quest IX launched the franchise in new territory yet stayed firmly rooted in the formula of previous titles it builds itself upon.

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Best Sony PSP Game of 2010: KINGDOM HEARTS:

BIRTH BY SLEEP
Runner Up: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Last Year’s Winner: Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier
Notes: If the PSP and the DS winners say anything about the Gunslingers taste, it is that we love our role playing games by Square Enix when it comes to handheld devices. The Kingdom Hearts franchise, which bizarrely yet successfully combines the worlds of Disney and Final Fantasty, has earned itself a rather large cult following. Now, if only Square Enix would put out that Playstation 3 Kingdom Hearts title…

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Best Role Playing Game of 2010: DRAGON QUEST IX & MASS EFFECT 2
Runner UP: N/A in a tie
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: One would think that there would never be a scenario in which the Nintendo DS and the Xbox360 crowd would butt heads, there is when it comes to the Gunslingers taste in role playing games. Dragon Quest IX appealed to Nintendo DS owners with a taste for Japanese themed role playing games, while Xbox360 owners couldn’t get enough of the somewhat new genre of futuristic action role playing games. Somehow I get the feeling that there will never be a Dragon Effect cross-over.

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Best Shooter of 2010: CALL OF DUTY: BLACK

OPS
Runner Up: GoldenEye 007
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: If there is one category that the Gunslingers are united on, it is the Shooter category. Black Ops easily won this for best shooter thanks to the collective voice of our Xbox360, PC, Nintendo Wii, and Playstation 3 members.

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Best Driving Game of 2010: GRAN TURISMO 5
Runner Up: ModNation Racers and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: What is arguably the best realistic simulation racing franchise ever came back with a vengeance with Gran Turismo 5. On and offline multiplayer racing. A pantheon of real, bad-ass race cars. Attention to physics. What else could you ask for? Well, don’t ask the GS combat racing crowd that question.

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Best Platform Game of 2010: SUPER MARIO GALAXY

2
Runner Up: Donkey Kong Country Returns
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: Nintendo has always been strong when it comes to publishing platform titles, and 2010 was no exception. Both the winner and the runner up were Nintendo Wii exclusive titles that perfectly captured the nostalgic child in all of us. Since Super Mario Galaxy 2 earned a perfect 10 rating from both IGN.com and Gamespot.com (the only game of this video game console generation to do so), it is no surprise that the Gunslingers give it the collective nod.

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Best Action/Adventure Game of 2010: RED DEAD REDEMPTION
Runner Up: Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: Game developer, Rock Star, single highhandedly brought the Old West back into the forefront of the video game experience. The game offers hundreds of hours of offline gameplay even before a person logs online for some shooting action. It also seemed all too right to start featuring Red Dead Redemption on the Gunslingers 3rd anniversary.

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Best Music/Dance Game of 2010: GUITAR HERO:

WARRIORS OF ROCK
Runner Up: DJ Hero 2
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: Big plastic buttons instead guitar strings or not, the Guitar Hero popularized a gamer’s love for interacting with rock music. Perhaps Warriors of Rock winning the category is a fitting tribute to a franchise that has been discontinued by Activision as of February of 2011.

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Best Sports Game of 2010: MADDEN NFL 2011
Runner Up: FIFA Soccer 2011
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: It should be noted that this category was caught in a tie between Madden and Fifa until the very end. By a single vote, Madden NFL 2011 won the category. I blame the vuvuzela.

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Favorite Game Featured at GS: CALL OF DUTY:

BLACK OPS
Runner Up: GoldenEye 007
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: Taking into account of all the games featured at the Gunslingers since its inception, Black Ops took home the title. Perhaps that was predictable. It did usher in the most members for a single title in GS history, and it is the most recent addition to the community. What actually is the surprising story in all this is what game did not get a single vote. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It was the only featured game. Even Jak X which had its online server pulled back in 2008 got a vote. Activision, not Infinity Ward, may have got the last laugh as it stands at the Gunslingers. Even the runner up in this category is an Activision title.

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Best GS Arcade Game of 2010: DONKEY KONG JR
Runner Up: Battleball, Connect Four, Resident Evil, & Word Jam
Last Year’s Winner: N/A
Notes: The Gunslinger Arcade, unlike so many other gaming forums out there, is customizable with the ability to hand pick flash games from an infinite library. Donkey Kong JR, an accurate adaption of the 1980s Game ‘N’ Watch Nintendo handheld title, proved to be king. Balki currently holds the high score, and this administrator is willing to pay someone under the table to knock him off his throne.

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That concludes this year’s Gunslinger Games Awards. Thank you all for voting and for reading the results. May 2011 prove to be another fantastic year!

Welcome to the very first edition of the latest Gunslinger Gaming tradition: Member Spotlight! Each month, we randomly select a member proven to be active in the Gunslinger Gaming Forums or Chats and interview them. This new feature allows for all of us to get to know our fellow parent/adult gamer better and encourage game contacts swapping.

Before we go any further, we should tip our hats to Gunslinger member, Fist of Metal. He is the one that came up with this idea, and it would not be possible without his brainstorming.

We are starting the new GS Member Spotlight this month by interviewing none other than the awesome Balki! He seemed like a perfect candidate to kick things off considering he has recently celebrated his two year anniversary of being a member here at Gunslinger Gaming. The following interview was originally conducted in January, 2011.

GS: Before we speak more lightly, it is hard to ignore the historic level of flooding taking place in your home country of Australia at the moment. The videos of it are both incredible yet frightening. Are you and your loved ones all right, and what impressions of the natural disaster do you have that may not be reaching the rest of us globally in our news coverage?

Balki: A friend on facebook today posted a link about how Brazil and Sri Lanka have much worse floods than Aus, and we have better resources to clean up. It’s been awful and fascinating to watch on TV, my stomach turns seeing politicians be all political then say, “this is not the time for politics.” Where I live is far, far away from the current floods, and it would never flood here. Thought we were going to be wiped out in Jan 2003 by a fire storm. Looked like Hell approaching, and I will never forget that sight.

GS: You have been a member of the Gunslingers since January of 2008. How did you find us?

Balki: MarioKartWii.com. After being shocked at the age of the people I was playing with, the word “Adult” stood out on the GS Thread. I held off joining for a while, then finally did (just being lazy, as a lot of GS people say – wish I joined earlier.)

GS: As someone who signed up originally to play some Mario Kart Wii, what are you playing these days?

Balki: Still Mario Kart, although no where as much as a year ago. I’m trying to play Call of Duty. It’s a tough game!

GS: Let’s talk about your music. You have been kind enough to share some of your song in the GS Jukebox. Obviously, you have passions in addition to video gaming. When did you start playing music? What was your band’s name, and what sort of experiences did you have with the band?

Balki: I started out with the band at 18 years old. We were just kids playing around, wasn’t very serious (we thought it was at the time, though). We were called Optimus Prime. All members of the band basically went separate ways not long into the band’s life. I am not a fan of the music industry. Film making is for me.

GS: If being musically inclined wasn’t enough, you are also an avid table tennis player. How did you get involved in that sport, and do you compete in competitive ladders or tournaments?

Balki: The Club is across the road from where I went to school so I always knew it was there. Friends and I were starting to play all the time in the lounge room, so we decided to check out the club and been playing there ever since. There’s 2 seasons per year. I’ve made it 5 grand finals over about 8 or more years, and won 2 out of 5.

GS: Do you have any pets?

Balki: I have a young cat, and lots of spiders in the backyard. From April 2008 (the week Mario Kart Wii came out), to Feb 2009, all 3 of my cats died. The 3 of them had lived together for about 10 years, and when the first one died (the youngest at 10 years old) the others went down hill, too. One was 14 years old. The other was 18 years old. Got him when I was 10 years old myself. I was really sad.

GS: What was the very first video game you remember playing?

Balki: It’s like my first cigarette. I remember it happening, but not sure of the exact details. Hand held games (like Nintendo’s Game ‘N’ Watch) aside, it’s either, Combat on the Atari 2600 at a family friend’s place at the coast, or Wonder Boy or Wardner’s Forest or Ghost and Goblins (which I never made it past level 2). Down at the local community centre, which had about 4 or 5 games, and it is definitely the first place I played an arcade game.

GS: “Balki” is an interesting choice for a forum handle. If it is in reference to the television program Perfect Strangers, what inspired that?

Balki: My DVD collection. Mario Kart Wii being online, I needed a Mii with a better name than “Fred,” so I glanced over at my DVD collection and thought, “Ah, Balki.” I was going through an 80′s sitcom rewatching phase at the time…ALF, Perfect Strangers, and stuff like that. Somehow today’s sitcoms like 2 and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother just don’t do it for me. Thank God for the Big Bang Theory! I never thought “Balki” would become my online identity. I just named myself “Balki” at MarioKartWii.com for convenience. I made my Youtube page years ago, never thought I would use it for video games, so my Youtube name is “hymma,” as in, “You guys get me down from hmyaa!!” -South Park.

GS: It is no secret that you are a South Park fan. What makes the satirical animation series so attractive to you, and what is your favorite episode?

Balki: I’ve always been interested in voice work, and I have huge respect for Matt and Trey as film makers/voice artists/writers, whatever. I’ve listened to every commentary they have ever done. The best thing about South Park is that it’s still going.

GS: What is your favorite drink?

Balki: Beer!

Thank you, Balki, for not only taking the time to sit down and answer some questions about yourself, but also for being a Gunslingers member!

My Nintendo Wii got put out of commission last night after my game of Black Ops froze, forcing a restart. After rebooting, it can no longer read any game discs; instead, I got the “Disc Cannot be Read…Consult User Manual for troubleshooting options” error message. When, after a prolonged period of the disc drive spinning, a disc could be read, it resulted in lagged gameplay. For example, the A Button was rendered unresponsive and I would spawn into the match after everyone else without a primary weapon in Black Ops. Additionally, my in-game character would start skipping across the map. In Guitar Hero, a skipping sound would occur on prolonged load screens and the note buttons would scroll completely out of sync with the beat of the song. Soon, however, the disc drive of the Wii could not load a disc at all. All regressive steps happened in the period of one evening of Nintendo Wii playing after the Black Ops game froze.

I have consulted Nintendo and had a long conversation with them in regards to system repairs and the role of Black Ops. The following is the information I got from their tech representative via phone call, some of which is absolutely at odds with Activision’s denial of software glitches for the Nintendo Wii copies of Black Ops.

1.) Nintendo has an open case on Black Ops. Whether or not Activision denies any responsibility for Wii system failures, Nintendo disagrees. Prior to mentioning that I was playing Black Ops when the disc reading errors occurred, the Nintendo representative was recommending that I purchase a Nintendo endorsed cleaning kit and see if that corrected the issue. If it didn’t correct the problem, I would pay $75 plus shipping fees (since my system’s one-year manufacture’s warranty had expired) to send it to a Nintendo repair shop for them to replace the disc drive. When I finally mentioned the game, the Nintendo Representative said, “Wow. You should have told me you owned Black Ops.”

2.) Nintendo will repair a Wii system for FREE if the damage is caused by Black Ops. They will pay for Fed Ex Express shipping. They will pay for replacing the disc drive in the Wii System. They will send it back with a new copy of Black Ops. Why? Nintendo acknowledges that, although this is damage caused by third party software and my warranty has expired, it is software that is legal and bearing the “Official Nintendo Seal.” According to the representative, they have had a multitude of similar cases in relation to Black Ops and, in his words, “Activision has caused us a lot of problems with Black Ops.”

3.) Disc Drive Errors relating to Black Ops are NOT due to faulty Nintendo Wii consoles. Both Activision and Treyarch have claimed that disc drive crashes have occurred only with Wii consoles with pre-existing issues or customer mishandling. Nintendo, again, disagrees. In contrast, the Nintendo representative said certain copies of Black Ops can “put the final nail in the coffin” for older Nintendo Wii consoles, and shorten the lifespan of new Wii consoles due to frequent game freezes. Nintendo believes this is the case to such a degree that it is fixing disc drives at its own cost and seeking reimbursement by Activsion on the back end of the process.

4.) Nintendo will not fix the problem if it sees software or hardware mods installed. The free fix of the disc drive errors is not applicable if the company’s techs notice software or hardware mods/hacks installed on the system, regardless if [u]Black Ops[/u] is the cause or if you are still under your manufacture warranty.

If you are a Nintendo Wii Black Ops player and have had the misfortune to have the game cause a disc drive failure, these are the steps in which to get your system fixed, shipped, and get a new copy of Black Ops for free:

A.) Call the Nintendo Tech Line: 1-800-895-1672

B.) Tell them that you have done the troubleshooting recommended in your Nintendo Wii User Manual and the “Disc Could Not Be Read” error message still persists.

C.) Tell them that the issue occurred while playing Black Ops. At this point, the Tech should acknowledge that Nintendo will fix the issue for free.

D.) After giving the appropriate contact information, Nintendo will send you a pre-paid Fed Ex Express shipping label to your email address that you will print out.

E.) You will use that label to send just the Nintendo console (i.e.: no accessories or cables) boxed up and the Black Ops game disc in a Ziplock back.

F.) Nintendo claims that, for United States customers, you will get your fixed system and new copy of the game in two-to-three weeks, and in less time for California residents because the main repair shop is based in California.

G.) Because Nintendo is well aware of the nature of the disc drive errors relating to Black Ops, representatives are fairly sure that game data and saved files will not be lost in the repair process.

I have just started the process, so I will keep you all up to date in how well it works. Personally, I am quite pleased with Nintendo’s willingness to, in a sense, bite the bullet for Activision, and I hope this can come to use for any Nintendo Wii Black Ops player out there feeling a bit discouraged with not only the breakdown of their beloved console, but also with the denial of causation by Activision and Treyarch.

[View updates on this article that have occurred after original publication HERE.]

The newest installment of the immensely popular Fall-Out franchise available both on the Playstation 3 and Xbox360 has sold well. But is it any good? Well, the Gunslinger from down under, GirlyGerms, took the time to capture some gameplay footage of the game and provide commentary. Take a look firsthand in her following video:

You can view over 400 hundred videos taken by Gunslinger members by visiting our official Youtube page.

We all know the classic game Goldeneye 007 for the Nintendo 64. Who could ever forget the extraordinary gameplay and crazy missions that really showed us what a First Person Shooter should be like.  It is considered one of the most influential FPS designs ever developed.

Looking back now Goldeneye is a highly praised classic no one will soon forget! Now the question is are you ready for the re-imagined version exclusively for Nintendo Wii? Activision is hard at work to bring us the next version of our favorite classic. It is due out November 2 of this year and many gamers are on the edge of their seats in suspense.  Here is the debut trailer everyone has been dying to see!

To discuss this game further with fellow Gunslinger Gaming members go here.

Source: Gamespot.com