Level 22

It’s a whole year since I last levelled-up, and that means that I’m now at Level 22.

As expected, the occasion is giving me good reason to reflect on my progress and unlocks since the last time.

Level 21 was the most exciting Level of the persistent, open world, first-person, role-playing, real time strategy, action-adventure game that is my life so far.

At the Well-Red Mage, my debut post was published: Driver (1999), for the Playstation. I can in fact reveal that my next review will be Mario Kart: Super Circuit for the Game Boy Advance. Expect that sometime at the end of 2019’s first quarter. Mario Kart: Super Circuit was also #16 on the list of my Top 50 Video Games, a series that I’m transplanting from its original Twitter thread which is due to conclude this month. For some reason, the Well-Red Mage still wants me back after that time I threw a hissy fit and wrote a post about the seven definitive PC games for him with less than 24-hours notice and the most minimal effort I could summon from within me. One of the mages, the Hyperactive Coffee Mage, AKA Ryan Cheddi from Games With Coffee, became my 100th follower. At Adventure Rules, I sponsored the Driver series’ primary antagonist, Charles Jericho, in Blogger Blitz: Black Sheep‘s first round match, Parking Panic – and at Shoot the Rookie, I managed Batman from the Batman: Arkham games in the Bloggers Eleven team for the Video Game World Cup (it’s unbelievable, Jeff!).  At Kim’s Spring 2018 blog party over at Later Levels, I described a podcasting series that I may or may not do. Many other things have been promised that probably won’t ever come, as well. My inability to plan is something I’m working to fix. At the end of last year, the Well-Red Mage celebrated its 500th post and I proposed what became its method of celebration: the 1st Annual Mage Academy Awards, and was subsequently the guest presenter for the idiotically determined Best Antagonist category.

Other articles of interest:
Asking Big Questions #002: “Are video games art?”
Video games: Yes, it’s about the money
How Star Wars Battlefront II (maybe) ties-in to the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Is television the way to go for video game adaptations?
This Uncharted fan film is amazing
How the Uncharted film was killed by the Tomb Raider film’s failure
Halo series officially going ahead
Question of the Month: July 2018
Brief thoughts on random Steam games
Hidden gem PlayStation racing games
Sonic the Hedgehog film has cast the eponymous hero
Rampage (2018) unveils first trailer
Hollywood is giving Mario a second chance
Hitman heads to Hulu
Metal Gear film adaptation screenplay to be written by Derek Connolly
Sonic the Hedgehog speeds into Paramount

Big Questions Answered:
#003: “How do you overcome Writer’s Block?”
#006: “Do video games cause violence?”
#007: “What is a real gamer?”
#009: “What makes a good sequel?”
#010: “What Counts As A Hidden Gem, Anyway?!”

Reviews:
Doomsday Clock #1

But by far my greatest achievement this year was being awarded my Honorary Bachelor of Arts degree from Sheffield Hallam University. The graduation ceremony will be in November, when I’ll formally be given my diploma.

I already have an idea for what next year will involve, but I’m not going to announce anything in case it doesn’t happen. However, the following two posts will definitely be published:
A piece about Warcraft III for The Games That Define Us at Normal Happenings.
Sunshine Blogger Award, following my nomination from Shoot the Rookie‘s pix1001.
I also intend to finish my documentary about the Driver series in time for its 20th anniversary in June.

Thank you all for sticking with me over the past five years.