Top 5: PS2 Racing Games I Bought at GameStop for 20 Cents A Piece (According to My Girlfriend)

Recently I took a trip to my local GameStop upon hearing of a sale that was right up my alley. Buy 5 Playstation 2 games priced at $.99 or less for $1. That means, 20 cents each! Also they did a Buy 2, Get 2 on anything $3.99 and less. I took advantage of both offers. For the 5 for a dollar deal, I chose all racing games. I picked out Pro Race Driver, Gran Turismo 3, Choro Q, Ridge Racer V, and Top Gear Dare Devil. For the others, I picked up SSX 3, Soul Calibur II, MLB Power Pros 2008, and Ultimate Muscle Galactic Wrestling. Nine games for about $8.50. Not bad. I figured one of these days these 5 racing games might make for a nice little article. Then something unusual happened.

I’m sitting in my game room one day when my girlfriend decides to pay me a visit. We live together, but she rarely hangs out with me in my room of game. So this was a rare occasion. She is also not a gamer by any stretch of the imagination. She’ll play the occasional Professor Layton game or Monopoly on the 360, but nothing more than casual gaming fare and no more often than roughly once every 6 months. So the next words out of her mouth caught me by surprise.

“Do you have any games I could play? Like, racing games? Not old ones, but something on PS2 or something.”

Oh… how the stars aligned for this one.

I quickly informed her of my recent purchase of 5 racing games I bought at Gamestop. Knowing her attention span (or should I say toleration) is short when it comes to video games, I had to work quickly. I asked her to pick a game. Our first game was Pro Race Driver by Codemasters, makers of one of my favorite racing games, GRID.

Well… it would have been, had the disc not looked like it lost a fight with a lawn mower. I decided to cheat a little bit and substitute SSX 3 in Pro Race Drivers spot. But for now, our actual first game is Top Gear Dare Devil! Select comments from my girlfriend will be highlighted in magenta italics.

What? One car? What the f*** is this? This game sucks already!

I have to agree with her on this point. From the outset, this game doesn’t look promising. Only one car and one track are unlocked at the very beginning. I can see maybe one track, but why only one car? I get that you want to get people to play the main career mode or whatever, but imagine if you and your friends sat down to play the new Street Fighter and the only available character was E. Honda. We begrudgingly pick our only options, a Mini Cooper-ish looking car, and the streets of Rome.

This game looks ugly.

Again, I agree with her, but I can’t be as harsh on it because I know that it’s a near-launch PS2 game. Still, there’s something about the cartoony HUD combined with the decidedly UN-cartoony environments that just clashes.

I can’t control this thing.

The controls are bad. Gentle corners require heavy breaking. The car doesn’t turn to the left or right as much as you’d think when you firmly press that button.

I ended up winning the race.

Overall Impression: That game sucked.

Agreed. Our next game is Choro Q. This is the sequel to a game I reviewed a while back called Penny Racers on the Nintendo 64.

What the f*** does “Choro Q” mean?

I have no earthly idea what it means, but explaining the finer points of Japanese culture to my girlfriend would take more time than I was willing to risk.

Hurry up and pick a car!

I couldn’t help but look at all the bizarre names for these cars. I can’t remember any of the top of my head, but they were pretty… unique. I had to scroll through and admire them all, but also admire the diversity of car types. Sports cars, sedans, Formula 1, cement trucks, utility vehicles, and more. She ended up with the cement truck and I ended up choosing a 3-wheeled car. Oh boy.

Ugh. I can’t stop spinning out!

If you turn too hard without hitting the brakes, you’ll spin out. Unfortunately, this is too easy to do, but it’s easy to avoid with controlled braking. It’s easy to forget though in the heat of a tight race.

She ended up winning the race. We both spun out on the final turn, but she didn’t take as long as I did to recover.

Overall Impressions: I guess that game was okay.

I agree. The controls take some getting used to, but I think this could end up being a fun game. I’d love to delve into the single-player mode. Next is Ridge Racer V from Namco.

Wait, why can’t I play?

Because I couldn’t find the 2-player option. Later research indicates there is a multiplayer option, but I couldn’t find it in RRV’s busy-looking menu screens. The game plays like any other Ridge Racer game. It’s fun, but there’s not much to it.
Overall Impressions: That game sucked because I couldn’t play it.

I disagree, because I did play it. It was alright. The next game is Gran Turismo 3.

…

She actually didn’t have much to comment on during the early part of our GT3 session outside of telling me which track she wanted to play. She ended up picking a dirt course, which meant we were using rally cars. Now, I’ve played GT3 before, albeit a long time ago, so I didn’t remember what rally races were like in this game. If they were anything like, well, any other rally racing game, the controls would be loose and precision timing would be required to corner effectively. I warned her of this.

I don’t care. Let’s play.

Rally racing in GT3 was surprisingly not bad. It didn’t play as loose as some rally racing games. I was trying to drift smoothly around corners and I ended up spinning out a few times, while her style of playing it straight as if she were racing a normal car won her the race. I decided we should play a race on the Super Speedway to capture the essence of GT3. She picks a Peugeot roadster, I pick a Nissan Skyline. My fatal flaw in the setup of the race is I picked Drift style over racing. As a result she blew me out of the water as on straightaways she was 15 MPH faster than me. I started the race over after her big win. I ended up choosing racing style over drift. The result was a bit closer, but with me winning this time.

You cheated!

Shush.

Overall Impressions: I guess that game wasn’t so bad.

Are you only saying you like games you win at?

Yeah.

Our last game is SSX 3.

This is actually pretty easy.

This game controls a lot differently than a traditional racing game, and it actually made it more competitive. We traded the lead back and forth before she captured the win.

Where the hell is the finish line?

We tried a one on one race afterwards and it confused the hell out of both of us. Where was the goal? It felt like we were going in circles.  I happened to find it first by sheer luck. She crossed the line soon after.

Overall Impressions: I liked that 1st race better. Not just because I won, but because we got lost during the 2nd one.

Fair enough.

So that will do it for this article! To summarize, Top Gear Dare Devil is a no, Choro Q is alright, Ridge Racer V is nothing new, Gran Turismo 3 is okay, and SSX 3 is better the 1st time around.

If you didn’t already find this article through my Facebook page, be sure to check it out. I also have a Twitter account! Also, if you’re on Steam, I am too!

 

Tecmo Super Bowl 2013: Week 3 (Lions @ Titans)

It was a wild weekend of football. Nothing will top the INSANITY surrounding the final play of the Seahawks/Packers Monday night game, but Sunday saw its share of craziness. In a wild comeback, the Lions were down 41-27 with 18 seconds to go. After a touchdown, 2-pt conversion, a recovered onside kick and 0:00-on-the-clock hail mary, the Lions sent the game into overtime tied at 41. The Lions went on to lose 44-41, however. It was a real gutwrencher, even before the final 18 seconds. Hopefully I can find some redemption against the 8-bit Titans.

Week 3: Detroit Lions @ Tennessee Titans

1^st Quarter

• Lions RB Kevin Smith returns from his injury.
• A wide open Megatron make the Titans defense look anything but titan. 7-0 Lions
• I accidentally kick an onside kick (it’s easy to do in this game) and the Titans run it back to the Lions 11-yard line or so. This may not turn out good.
• A few plays later, Titans RB Chris Johnson punches one in for the score. 7-7
• Stafford throws an interception and the Titans bring it back to the Lions 17 yd. line. Ugh.

2^nd Quarter

• Titans QB Jake Locker throws a TD pass to WR Kenny Britt on the first play of Q2. 14-7 Titans.
• A huge Stafford to Megatron pass goes from about the Lions 20 to the Titans 11.
• Stafford can’t find anyone open on the next play… so he decides to take it in himself for the touchdown! 14-14
• Suhhhhh gets himself a saaaaaaack!
• Titans are forced to punt. This makes me happy.
• Stafford throws what looked like an ICBM missile to Megatron for another TD. ICBM stands for I Can’t Beat Megatron. 21-14 Lions.

Interesting Halftime Stat(s)

• All of Stafford’s pass yards were to Calvin Johnson.
• Jake Locker has 1 completed pass on 1 attempt, the TD to Kenny Britt.

3^rd Quarter

• Jeez, who needs to pass it when you have Chris Johnson? He takes it to the house on the 1^st play of the half. 21-21.
• Titus Young would have had a great kickoff return… if he hadn’t fumbled it. Titans recover.
• Chris Johnson again. These running backs in these 3 games I’ve played are KILLING me! 28-21 Titans.
• A long bomb from Stafford to Nate Burleson saves the game. 28-28.

4^th Quarter

• We are tied going into the 4^th. Yikes.
• Suuuuhhhhh! Saaaaaaaaaaack!
• A couple missed passes and they’re forced to punt. Why have they abandoned the run? Oh well, I’m happy.
• No! I’m not happy! I’m pissed! Titus Young fumbles the punt return… AGAIN! Titans recover. If that didn’t sting enough, Chris Johnson was the one who recovered it.
• Corey Williams gets a sack in the midst of a series of goal line stands. No miracle touchdowns, please!
• I hold them to a field goal. Whew! 31-28 Titans.
• …
• No. There’s no way. Nope.
• No. Seriously. Did Titus Young REALLY fumble it AGAIN on the kick return? Did the Titans REALLY recover it?
• Yes.
• Well, a shot at quick redemption for me as the Titans go 3-and-out. I’m changing Kick/Punt returners after this game regardless if Young fumbles on this return or not. I have a few seconds to make some magic.
• LAST SECOND LONG-BOMB FROM STAFFORD TO MEGATRON WINS IT! 35-31 Lions!

Final Score: 35-31 Lions.

Stat of the Game: Calvin Johnson’s 252 receiving yards on only 4 catches.

This one had some similar last-second excitement as the real-life game, but a better result (44-41 Titans in Overtime).  The Lions take on Minnesota at home next week! Thanks for reading!

Tecmo Super Bowl 2013: Week 2 (Lions @ 49ers)

This week the Motown Lions look to strike gold against the San Francisco 49ers. Detroit hasn’t had much success against the Niners in recent years. Even during the 49ers down years. Both teams are coming off surprising winning seasons (2011 Lions were 10-6, 2011 49ers were 13-3). The experts are saying the real world match-up favors San Fran, but I have the power of Nintendo. Can I grab a win and defend the honor of my Lions? Or will Frank Gore make this game look like a horror movie?

Week 2: Detroit Lions @ San Francisco 49ers

1^st Quarter

• 49ers start with the ball. On the 2^nd play, Alex Smith passes to RB Frank Gore. Gore rumbles for about 30 yards before he fumbles. Lions Safety Louis Delmas recovers.
• Megatron (Calvin Johnson) transforms a pass from Matthew Stafford into a Lions touchdown! 7-0 Lions
• Frank Gore manages to hang onto the ball as he practically single-handedly brings the ball down for a 49ers TD. 7-7
• A big gain on a pass from Stafford to TE Brandon Pettigrew closes out the Q1. Must’ve been close to 50 yards.

2^nd Quarter

• A short curl route gets the Lions another TD. This time it was Stafford to WR Titus Young. 13-7 Lions (my extra point attempt was blocked! What?!)
• I get immediate revenge. 49ers fumble the kick return and Lions recover!
• A Stafford to Burleson TD pass on the following play makes it even sweeter! 20-7 Lions
• Frank Gore was unstoppable on the next 49ers drive, but they foolishly settle for a field goal to get quick points before the half. But there’s still 24 seconds! 20-10 Lions.

Interesting Halftime Stat(s)

• I have 0 rushing yards.
• Alex Smith has a 100% completion rate, but only on 2 passes for 40 yards. One was a 35-yard pass to Vernon Davis.

3^rd Quarter

• It was possibly a sign that I had 0 rush yards. RB Kevin Smith loses yards on the next 2 run plays before going out with an injury. I put in Jahvid Best.
• I go for it on 4^th down. The catch is made, but then fumbled! 49ers recover and bring it to about the 15-yard line. I have a feeling a touchdown is coming.
• Lions manage to hold them off and the 49ers settle for a field goal. 20-13 Lions
• Fumbleitis strikes again. Jahvid Best fumbles, 49ers recover.

4^th Quarter

• 49ers have the ball. Can they put together a drive to tie it up?
• Frank Gore pounds it in for the tie! 20-20
• For the first time… I shamefully punt the ball away. It’s a touchback, so the 49ers start on their own 20.
• I may lose this one. With 14 seconds left, Frank Gore is Superman as he breaks several tackles en route to a TD. 27-20 49ers.

Final Score: 27-20 49ers.

Stat of the Game: Frank Gore’s 209 rushing yards.

Compared to how the real life game turned out (27-19 49ers) this one was not much better. I hope to recover next week against the Tennessee Titans!

Episode 22- Surf Ninjas

Release Date: Summer(?) 1993

System: Game Gear

Rarity: 35%

Price/Location: $2.99

I’ve stated before that I wouldn’t play movie-based games for the blog, but I felt I had to make an exception in this case. 1.) This game was only released on one system. 2.) That one system was the friggin’ Sega Game Gear! Yes, the Game Gear was semi-popular in its day, but imagine if they released a game based on The Avengers movie over the summer, but it was a Playstation Vita exclusive. It’d raise some eyebrows. The history behind this game is interesting though and it explains some things. Sega and New Line Cinema teamed up for some cross-promotion action. Sega helped finance the film in exchange for some writers and producers to help create a game. The game ended up finished and available for sale before the movie wrapped up filming. As a result, the movie features several scenes where the game based on it appears.

It wasn’t a mere cameo. It was a freakin’ PLOT POINT!

 

I don’t remember much of the movie (I watched it all of once many years ago). It remains fresh in my mind as a joke amongst my friends however because it’s a “Rob Schneider movie” ala South Park.

Rob Schnieder is… a SURF NINJA!

With that said, I don’t know if these opening cut scenes are true to the movie, but then again, I don’t really care. I want to know how this game plays. How does it play? …surprisingly good. I was shocked by how decent this game is. Maybe calling it a good game would be too generous, but the controls are operable. A to jump, B to attack. You can press a different direction on the D-pad to do different attacks. You can also go into the pause menu to use support characters or purchase weapons and health. You can also get a “helpful hint” from the boy in the movie with the Game Gear.

His 1st hint for me was “Finish levels quickly.” I did not request future advice from him.

There are some bad parts to it (like you already didn’t assume). First, even though I mentioned the controls were good, the jumping mechanic takes a bit of getting used to. You have to hit the jump button, let go of it then press and hold it again to do a higher and longer jump. This wouldn’t be too much of a problem if the window of time you had to do this wasn’t so small. It’s sent me falling to my doom a few times because what I thought was going to be a nice big jump, turned out to be a short hop into the water. Also, the character sprite size in relation to their environment is way off. The environments are featured prominently and look nice for a Game Gear game, but the character sprites look tiny and indistinguishable. I wish I could find a good screenshot to illustrate what I mean, but you would actually have to play the game (or at least look at it on a Game Gear screen) to get the full effect.

 

Mostly because the Game Gear itself has a crappy screen (Note: This is a Game Gear emulator screenshot. That’s why it doesn’t look like barf).

Verdict: HIGH FIVE

Call me crazy, but I liked this game. Maybe because it surprised me because it wasn’t totally terrible, but it’s certainly playable, and kind of enjoyable. It’s not even close to the best game ever, but it’s pretty good action-platforming… uhh, action. If anything, it’s likely a case of the game being better than the movie it’s based on!

Surf on over to my Facebook page and give me a like! Or, stealthily make your way over to Twitter and follow me (but preferrably not like a ninja)!

Thanks for reading!

Tecmo Super Bowl 2013: Week 1 (Rams @ Lions)

When news broke of this game being available, I was geeked. This downloadable hacked NES rom of Tecmo Super Bowl requires an emulator to play, but with my trust Retrolink NES USB controller, it’s the next best thing to playing on a TV. So what is this game? It’s the classic 1991 NES game, Tecmo Super Bowl updated with rosters accurate as of the 2012-13 NFL season. Instead of doing a review of it (seriously, everyone knows how awesome TSB is anyway), I will be doing a season playthrough and posting about each game here on the blog each week. I will be using my Detroit Lions for the purpose of this series.

Without further ado… let’s uhh, do this thing!

Week 1: St. Louis Rams @ Detroit Lions

 

1^st Quarter

• Stephen Jackson for the Rams took it down for the TD on opening drive. Could not get one stop. 7-0 Rams.
• Stafford to Burleson on 3^rd and 15 on the following drive. Must’ve been a 60-yard pass. 7-7
• Defensive stop by Lions results in a safety. 9-7 Lions.
• Another long bomb from Stafford to Burleson as Q1 comes to a close. 16-7 Lions.

2^nd Quarter

• Another Lions defensive stop results in a safety on the following Rams possession. 18-7 Lions.
• I have to note at this point I’m not using the nose tackle to repeatedly dive for the QB or RB. Suh plays to the right of him. Suh consumes all.
• Lions running back Kevin Smith was running like a beast until he fumbles the ball on the 10-yard-line. Rams recover.
• Stephen Jackson fumbles the ball near the 50 on the following Rams drive. Lions recover. Starting to think maybe passing the ball is the best option.
• Stafford to Burleson AGAIN for a 29-yard TD reception. 25-7 Lions.

HALFTIME

Interesting halftime stat: Matthew Stafford has 167 passing yards; Nate Burleson has 167 receiving yards. Guess who’s getting the ball the rest of the game?

3^rd Quarter

• OK, so I lied. Very 1^st pass of the 2^nd half was to Calvin Johnson.
• Kevin Smith fumbles the ball again, but Calvin Johnson recovers it and runs it about 40 yards. Is Megatron getting jealous of all the attention on Burleson?
• Calvin is gonna have to work harder. Stafford and Burleson hook up for a 4^th time on about a 10-yarder. 32-7 Lions.
• Rams kicker Greg Zeurlein hits a decent-length field goal. Not worried. 32-10 Lions.

4^th Quarter

• Finally, someone else on the Lions scores as Kevin Smith runs it in for the score. I forgive him for fumbling twice. I’m betting he fumbles again before the end of the game. 39-10 Lions.
• The 1^st 4^th down turnover occurs as the Rams turn it over after putting together a nice drive. They shouldn’t give up on the run. I can’t seem to stop Jackson.
• Kevin Smith runs it in again for another TD. His TD/fumble ratio is now even. 46-10 Lions
• A last-second desperation heave by Rams QB Sam Bradford results in an interception as the clock hits 0:00.

Final score: Lions 46, Rams 10

Interesting stat of the game: Despite getting his 4^th TD catch of the game in the 3^rd quarter, Nate Burleson was virtually non-existent in the 2^nd half. He had only 12 yards receiving in Q3 and Q4.

 

Compared to the actual Week 1 result (Lions 27, Rams 23), I’d say this game was much better. This was a blowout very reminiscent of the 44-3 shellacking they handed to the Rams early in the 2010 season.

Well that’s Week 1 in the books! Check out my Facebook and Twitter pages sometime!

Thanks for reading!

Episode 21- Casino Kid

Release Date: October 1989

System: NES

Rarity: 16%

Price/Location: Gaming Warehouse (Grandville)

(Note: The fact that Episode 21, of all numbers, is a casino game episode is pure coincidence. Wish I could say I planned that…)

The first time I ever stepped foot in a casino was about 3 years ago. I went with my girlfriend and her dad. On the way there (about an hour-and-a-half/2-hour trip) I joked about how I would “re-define beginners luck.” I walked in with $100 and walked out with over $5000. I thought, “This casino thing is easy! I guess I got a leg up because I actually know when to walk away!” My view was skewed. I thought winning at the casino was going to be a given every time I went. It didn’t help that on the following trip I turned $100 into about $400. I was hooked. I loved going to the casino.

If only my friends would give me money every time I shook their hand.

The harsh reality of the casino soon sunk in… just in time for one to open 25 minutes from where I live. I’ve been there more times than I care to admit, but I’m over casinos now. I no longer have the desire to go. I’ll tag along or play on someone else’s money, but I’m not going to be the one initiating these trips. I still like card games though, like poker and blackjack and stuff. Casino video games are a different story. It’s rare that I find one that stands out. I played one on my Grandma’s PC  when I was a kid and thought it was really cool (the name of the game completely escapes me and research turns up nothing). Your opponents were colorful characters who would taunt you when you made moves. So when I saw Casino Kid, I was curious as to what the gimmick was. There had to be some kind thing that set this game apart from standard casino games, especially with a name like Casino KID.

Legitimate screenshot.

After struggling to get the game to even work (a 72-pin connector replacement is in order after this ordeal) we are presented with our plot: You play as the Casino Kid (not actually sure they said his name) and you have to work your way up the ranks to become World Casino Champion… or something.

Sums it up better than I can.

This has to be the worst casino ever. You’re essentially entering the casino as a rookie. You’re supposed to be going up to the tables to play and get better, but the dealers WON’T PLAY WITH YOU UNTIL YOU GET BETTER. Seriously, imagine you walked into your closest casino with $1000 in hand, and every single staff member there KNEW you had never played a casino game before, but they refuse to take your money because you’re not skilled. It’s either the most generous casino or the stupidest.

This is the kind of stupid stuff they’ll say to you instead of separating you from your money.

You’ll have to find the ONE dealer in the casino who will play Blackjack with you in order to start your quest to become Ultimate Gambling Hero. Once you do… it plays exactly like any other blackjack game you’ve ever played. Seriously, there is nothing special or unique about it. She’s an old woman and she’s fairly easy to beat. At one point I beat her on 8 straight hands. The 1st one she won after that streak, she says to me “Heh, that wasn’t a smart move was it?” I’m like “Bitch, you’re awfully cocky for someone, nay, a PROFESSIONAL CASINO DEALER who just lost 8 straight hands of blackjack to A KID WHO HAS NEVER PLAYED BLACKJACK BEFORE!”

“F*** you, sonny! I’ve been playing blackjack since before you were born… which was apparently 14 years ago.”

After you double your money on some blackjack, you’re told to seek out a man who wants to play poker with you. After searching for him, he declares the game is 5 card draw, and you jump into the game. This guy is slightly more challenging than the old woman, but in the same way 2×2=4 is a more challenging math problem than 2+2=4. At a random point in the game he declares he will go all-in if you will too. It wasn’t even a desperation moment for him. I was only winning like $1100 to $900. I beat him easily and moved on to my next opponent… another old woman dealing blackjack.

“We rule this f***ing casino, you young whippersnapper!”

Verdict: BARGAIN BIN

The RPG look of the game at first gives you a vibe that this may be something different, but it’s all a sham. This is nothing more than your average casino game in RPG clothing. It has a stupid premise and boring gameplay. A true gambling RPG would be a cool idea, but this game is not it. By the time I got to the 3rd dealer, I didn’t care about becoming Heavyweight Card Game Master, I just wanted to cash my chips and go home.

Thanks for reading!

Another Viral Award! Smashing Good Success!

It seems as if, once again, the fine folks over at Naturally Uncanny Reviews have nominated Five Dollar Gamer for an award. This time it’s the prestigious One Lovely Blog Award! There’s rules to this of course, so let me just go copy and paste them from NURs blog. I’ll be right back…

Here’s a picture of Britney Spears with a tiny kitten in her mouth to hold you over until I return.

OK, the rules are as follows!

•  Thank the person who nominated you and link back to them in your post.
•  Share 7 things about yourself
•  Nominate 15 bloggers you admire
•  Leave a comment on each of these blogs letting them know they’ve been nominated.

Thanks, Naturally Uncanny Reviews!

Seven things about Five Dollar Gamer!

1. My name is Scott.
2. I grew up and have lived in Michigan my entire life (more specifically, the Grand Rapids area for all but the first 2 years of my life).
3. I am a fan of all the Detroit sports teams (Tigers, Red Wings, Lions), except for the Pistons. Indiana Pacers are #1, baby!
4. Some of my influences for this blog include JonTron, Continue?, and Cracked.
5. Up until about 3 weeks ago, I went over a year-and-a-half without a car.
6. My favorite game of all-time is Super Mario Bros. 3
7. I had Xbox Live Gold for an entire year from June 2011 until June 2012 and not once did I use it to actually play with someone online.

15 bloggers?! I don’t follow that many!

• Knuckle Bomb is pretty cool. He makes sprite art and is doing the art for a friend of a co-worker of mine’s game, Bad Dudes 2, that hopefully will still get made (Yes, it’s an official sequel to Bad Dudes).
• Snesatitsbest consists of short and sweet reviews for a multitude of random games.
• Bosstiger mostly reblogs posts about the Fighting game community (which I don’t know a whole lot about, but I have several friends who are into it) but occassionally will reblog some other interesting gaming articles (including my own, hooray!). Give him a look if you like your fighting game news all neatly packaged in one blog!
• Ned is a friend and co-worker of mine who also works for a radio station here in Grand Rapids, 97.9 WGRD (metal, rock, alternative, etc). In addition to show editing duties, he is the Sunday morning DJ from 10AM-3PM. His blog on wgrd.com covers a wide range of topics from interviews with bands to video games that “you must try before you die.” The blogs on WGRD.com are powered by WordPress so it totally counts!

So yeah, cool beans. It only took me forever to notice I got nominated until I actually responded, but I did it! Keep reading the blog! I have Facebook and Twitter! Thanks for reading!