Console Games (Nintendo, Sony etc.) and Arcade Games/Expert Profile

Expertise

TOPICS I can answer questions about: Game Strategy, Recommendations (based on age or genre preference), History of a game, Recalling a game you played, Game music, Company or Creator info, and System troubleshooting GENRES: My specialties are Adventure, RPG, Survival Horror, Action, and a small amount of Strategy and Puzzle. I avoid sports games like the plague, and have little interest in any racing games save for a few, F-Zero, Mario Kart and Wipeout being the main ones. Nor do I know many fighting games, mainly Bushido Blade and a few others. I am not much of a fan of First Person Shooters either. I am especially well versed in RPGs, particularly Final Fantasy and most of SquareEnix's other titles. GAMES: Not limited to the following. These games are series, and I know them all. There are MANY other individual ones. Feel free to ask and I will let you know if I can help you. Actraiser, Alundra, Breath of Fire, Bushido Blade, Castlevania, Chrono Trigger/Cross, Donkey Kong, Dragon Warrior/Quest, Drakkhen/Dragon View, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, King's Field, Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver, Mana, Mario, Mega Man, Metal Gear Solid, Ninja Gaiden, Metroid, Parasite Eve, Resident Evil, Rygar, Silent Hill, Spyro, Star Fox, Suikoden, Tomb Raider, TMNT, Wild Arms, Xenogears/Xenosaga, Zelda, and Zone of the Enders SYSTEMS: I have recently added the Wii and PSP to my collection. NES, Super NES, N64, Gamecube, Wii, Gameboy Color, GBA, DS, PS1, PS2 and PSP plus computer, but I'm not really a big computer gamer. Systems I plan on getting in the future are XBOX 360 and eventually PS3 (When the price goes down...a lot) I am also a big fan of emulators on the PC. I have many of the old 8-bit and 16-bit systems and ROMS for my computer and know a lot about them. These include NES, Super NES, Genesis, Turbografx, MSX, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and GBA.

Experience in the area

I have been a video gamer for nearly 20 years. I started with the original NES way back in 1988 and have owned or played nearly every popular console since then. I have completed hundreds of games and played thousands. I have a large file cabinet filled with hundreds of hand-made maps, lists, and various stategies for many of the games I have conquered in the past two decades. I subscribe to 5 different game magazines to keep up to date on the newest stuff out there. I would officially call myself an expert on the subject of videogames. And if I don't know the answer, I can find out about it and direct you to someplace that does.

Publications

Nintendo Power magazine, and I am thinking of writing for Gamegrene and GameFAQs in the future.

Education/Credentials

Experience with games baby, and lots of it. Nothing formal if that's what you're wondering. Just good old playing and reading.

What do you like about this subject?

It has taken me a while to get to the root of why this pasttime appeals to me so much. But as I start thinking about what I could accomplish if I were to design a game, it makes me think of all kinds of possibilties.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

Ultimately, I would like to design games for a living. Part of the reason I find them so enthralling is because of the systems and intricacies of how they work. It is not a video game, but I am currently working on a Final Fantasy CCG. (collectible card game) I am also thinking of ways to improve the realm of MMORPGs.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Will Wheaton gives one hell of a keynote speech. If you haven't heard his speech from the 2007 PAX convention, you can get an MP3 here. Any gamer worth his Wii-mote needs to listen to this. http://www.penny-arcade.com/2007/08/27#1188198300 Some of it may be lost on the younger folks, but it is quite funny. There are a few swear words in it here and there though, so be aware.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

It fascinates me how a group of people can get together and create something so engaging, but that you can be a part of instead of just a passive observer too, such as a movie or TV show. The sights, the sounds, the gameplay, the direction, all come together to form a cohesive, and one hopes, playable whole. With SO much variety, there truly IS something for everyone.