Marty McFly & Doc Brown Visit Jimmy Kimmel Live

Back to Back Game Days

There are a few things that I look forward to, and Game Days are one of them.

When Rita and I got married, we decided to set up a family tradition of holding monthly Game Days -- dedicated days where we invite friends over to hang out, play games, and have fun. We find that it is refreshing to the soul, a time of respite from daily work, chores, and responsibilities. Some of our friends share this sentiment, and they come over to play, schedule allowing.

This October 3, we scheduled such a Game Day. Alas, all but one of our friends were available for it. And personally, it was a downer. But then, one is still better than none and we three -- Rita, Bryan, and myself -- are enough of a quorum for most games, so we pushed through with it.

Geme Review: Card of the Dead

While none can take away my love for tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs), there are some games that I came to like because they simulate certain aspects of TRPGs. Munchkin is one of them, Bang! is another. A third, easy to play game came our way via Gaming Library: Card of the Dead.

When Movie Reflects Meta: Thoughts on how "Heneral Luna" criticized today's moviegoers

When the news that the movie Heneral Luna will have its run shortened by theaters, many netizens wailed. Some, like myself, made plans to watch the film before it gets pulled out. Others, understandably, criticized the movie-going public's taste in movies. Still others campaigned and encouraged on social media to have more people watch it, sharing images like this:

What Heneral Luna taught me

After watching the beautiful but painful movie Heneral Luna with my cousin, Emil Flores, I can't help but think how thematically parallel it is with "The Dark Knight."

Movie Review: The Avengers -- Age of Ultron

The Avengers: Age of Ultron opened last April 22 much to the delight of many a geek. Here is this geek's reactions. SPOILERS AHEAD

David Hasselhoff - True Survivor

As a guy who grew up in the 1980s (and a fan of The Hoff's Knight Rider), this video really had me rolling in laughter while applauding its unabashed love for that era's action genre. It is littered with 80s things like the Lamborghini Countach (the dream car of my generation), vikings with Uzis, buddy cop tropes, and martial arts cops. Anyone who grew up in the 80s would definitely love this!



The Hoff just made me want to watch Kung Fury, the indie movie where "True Survivor" is the theme song.  

Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game Expansion Wave 7 looks awesome!

Fantasy Flight Games released Wave 7 of expansion packs for their Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game, and they look exciting!

Wave 7 is a mix of all three factions -- Rebel, Imperial, and Scum and Villainy. This wave is composed of Bossk's ship "The Hound's Tooth," a Rebel bomber (finally!) called the K-Wing, a Black Sun syndicate Kihraxz fighter, and an Imperial Punisher which looks like a TIE bomber on steriods.

See them here: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2015/4/20/hit-them-hard-and-fast/

Game Day April 18, 2015 part 2

For Part 2 of the April 18 Game Day, I'll let Bryan tell the story.

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[Quoted from our Tavern Adventurers email group. Pictures are Bryan San Miguel's and mine]

Game Day at the Magallona's.

There were just three of us, Ian, Paul, and I.

Finally got to roleplay again. I ran a game under a new system but we played it old school. No minifigs. No playmats. (well, we did use a playmat but only as a substitute for pen and paper) Just character sheets, dice, and our imagination. No heroic quests to complete, no monsters, no big bad. Also no pictures taken.

The whole game was about two guys, hired to be debt collectors, going about town, having misadventures along the way.

It was... something. But a good something. A great something.

Next we played X-Wing miniatures. 100 point build per faction. Paul and I were playing glorious Empire against Ian and his Rebel scum.


Here's the set-up at the start of the first match.

Game Day April 18, 2015 part 1

This Game Day is different because it was meant to be a dedicated RPG session. Only my friends Bryan and Paul came. I was disappointed with how the day unfolded, but looking back, there are some things that I am grateful for.

Bryan decided to go old school RPG: no minis, no playmats, just dice, pencils, paper and out imagination. Thus, no pics because, seriously, how interesting are pictures of guys talking around a table with dice, pencils and paper?

The story went like this: Two adventurers were in a tavern -- Vaden the Ranger (played by Paul) and Varbio the Barbarian who looks exactly like this guy:

Bob, the innkeeper/bartender, hires them to collect five gold pieces from Drago (who supposedly has chihuahuas the size of dobermans) and promises to pay them two gold pieces. So off our adventurers went.

Star Wars Episode 7 (VII): The Force Awakens Official Teaser Trailer #2 ...

My officemate came in this morning with a wide grin on her face. She excitedly asked me, "Have you seen it?" referring to the latest The Force Awakens trailer.



Saw it. Went giddy as a fanboy. The trailer was exciting, with plenty more action scenes. But that ending just blew me away. December can't come soon enough.



Here you go, and join this fanboy in his giddiness.

Happy International Tabletop Day

Today is International Tabletop Day, and I won't be gaming.

This sounds strange because, since last year, my wife and I have been hosting Game Days at our place about once a month. And on this international gaming occasion that's been running for three years now, I won't be gaming? Almost unthinkable.

One of my Game Day highlights: playing the X-Wing Miniatures game.

A new favorite of ours: Bang!

But then, it is for a good cause. My wife and I will be at a student leadership camp,  facilitating a session on love, courtship, sex, and marriage. That particular relational "game" has higher and more life-defining stakes and so these kids have to learn the rules of the game well.

But maybe I could bring a card game or two to the camp. Maybe I could find someone to game with.

Or I could just wait til the 18th, when we play an RPG again.

My Pathfinder stuff is ever ready.