8 - The Loose Cannon

             Yup, most League of Legends (LoL) players would immediately know which character, or rather, champion, I am talking about. Yes, it's Jinx. And it's quite obvious that she's a favorite, right? So, for the ones who don't play LoL, let me tell you about Jinx's lore. Jinx is a criminal who doesn't hold any regard for lives or property lost. Her usual arsenal style, as shown in her music video, is bombarding buildings with rockets. Her in-game weapons are a stun gun, a minigun, and a rocket launcher.

             Jinx is now (always will be) my "main" in LoL. Main means your favorite character, or something like that. LoLspeak is something I'm still not fully accustomed to. I think that what was weird about Jinx becoming my favorite is that I only chose her for her lore. I didn't even search about what her style was, or if she had a high learning curve or what. Turned out, she did have a high learning curve. And my first few (dozen) games with her were disasters. Didn't really help much that I am a REALLY slow learner. So, if ever fates strike that we play together (zabora76- add me), don\t expect a victory!

7 - Favoritest Video Game?

Ah, Favourites. You may not be aware of it, but asking someone their favorite something is one of the most common conversation openers. Well, in this case, it's not actually a conversation opening and- but let's get to the point. Being somewhat of a shut-in, I do adore video games (but not as much as books). I especially like retro games. And my favorite video game was already considered old by the time I started playing it, which was before I even hit six years old. And that game (which I'm suuuure you might have already guessed by my blog embellishment) is The Legend of Zelda.


             
Well actually, it's a franchise. To date, the series already has 18 games. The first game, The Legend of Zelda, was released on August 22, 1897, for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The franchise's latest game is The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (TLoZ: ALBW), which was released last November 22, 2013.

My very first Zelda game that I have played was Legend of Zelda: Oraacle of Seasons. I played this as a ROM file in our old Windows 98 computer. I was a kid then, and playing a video game was nothing short of miraculous. So you may be thinking (if you've never played this game before), what is Zelda all about? The game is (usually) about Link. Link is a commoner-until the world shall need him. Most of the Zelda games usually revolve around the Triforce, which was the embodiment of the world Hyrule's three goddesses. The Triforce was made up of three parts: Courage, Wisdom, and Power. Were one with impure heart would touch the sacred triangle, it would split apart. The one who touched shall get the part he/she most believed in, and the other two parts shall go their earthly embodiments.In the most acclaimed Zelda game, Ocarina of Time, the Triforce was put in such a state.

Well, just play the games, and you'll see. I'm really getting wordy with this one.

Some complain that the gameplay and story are just too linear. But let me tell you something, the real fun behind the Zelda series is in the theorizing about the storyline. give it a shot, okay?

6 - Didyouknowgaming

         
             "Remember, it's just a theory. A game theory!" - MatPat
             If you're someone into video games like me, especially the type where the game's main asset is the story, then you may be interested in little facts and theories related to these games. One of the most famous gaming-conspiracy sites on Youtube is a channel called "The Game Theorists" where the main speaker is usually a guy called MatPat. In this channel, you will find real eye-openers to things that you may have found tedious, which shifts to incredulous once you see one of his videos. Some of his videos feature the actual speed of Sonic the Hedgehog (who is actually slower than Mario according to him); the acceleration of Link due to his hookshot; the total force upon impact of  Banzai, Bullet and Golden Banzai bills; the Polybius conspiracy; reasons why Final Fantasy is ani-religion, and a lot more.
            I really recommend this to the story-focused gamer. Why? MatPat applies a purely scientific approach, and uses inter-gaming relationships when relativity of size is involved (he had to do this to calculate Mario's height). He lays out facts in a very orderly manner, yet not even an ounce of boredom does he inject. Try it out! I recommend, though, that you don't immediately exhaust all of his videos.

           And here's MatPat!

5 - Smashing Fun

             Ever played Super Smash Bros.? If you have, I hope you invite me to play sometime, but if you aren't familiar with this game...
             Super Smash Bros.-or 'Smash" as my siblings and I like to call it- is a side scrolling fighting game. It may sound like other games like Tekken, Street Fighters, or King of Fighters, but there are so many elements that set it apart. The major difference is that instead of a health bar, a percentage meter is present. The more damage you deal against a character, the higher and farther that character shall be launched off-stage. Also, jumping and dodging and grabbing are some of the elements. And of course there are the items. The bunny hood, a gigantic cannon named Daybreak, a ship called Dragoon, and the Smash Ball, which lets you unleash a visually stunning ultra powerful attack that is unique in each character.
             My first time with this game was when I had a chance to play the second instalment of the series: Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Gamecube which was given to us by some cousins. Eventually, through intense thriftiness, We (*ehem* *ehem*)  was able to buy through the fourth version, which is Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS released just last December. It has been many years, yet I still haven't tired of this game. It's because I have my siblings to play with. And let me tell you, things can get pretty intense especially when shouting and tempers flare. But it is still one of the most enjoyable games around.
             My most powerful fighter is Link, especially with speed-oriented customizations. Others are Ganondorf, Zero Suit Samus, Samus, Lucario, Marth (Lucina too!), Zelda, Peach, and the dreamland resident King Dedede. The ones that I hate fighting is that Little Mac, who, in my brother's hands, is one over empowered fighter.
             And that's it! I hope that someone who read this will actually invite me to play with them!