Gaming in the face of tragedy [Column]

I recently took a step away from my usual writing duties at Gaming Blend to explore something quite a bit more personal than the daily news and reviews.

My Pop passed away in March following a brief battle with cancer. Gaming continued to play a part in my life during those confusing weeks and, in this piece, I explore that role. It's a bit rough, I admit, and probably doesn't dive deep enough in order to create a real "point," but writing about it helped me work through some tough emotional issues.

Anyway, here it is:

Gaming in the face of tragedy: Cancer and Control

Reviews aplenty

I did a ridiculous number of reviews these past couple of months, so here's the rundown. No need for an intro this time around. Just get to reading. Go on...I'll be here waiting. Take your time.

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is a cut bellow

Ragnarok Odyssey ACE is worth a second adventure

Deception IV: Blood Ties is a trap well sprung

Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes review: Not Quite (Outer) Heaven

Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complte Edition brings epic war to the PS4

Dark Souls 2 impressions: An absolute blast

Dark Souls 2: Helpful tips for the recently cursed

Review: Toukiden: Age of Demons

Toukiden is finally out for the PlayStation Vita, adding yet another monster hunting game to the platform's growing list of genre titles.

With an accessible fighting engine, an interesting story and fantastic multiplayer, this demon slay-a-thon could mark the beginning of a great new franchise.

Toukiden review: Slaying with the best of 'em

Don't Starve: A diary of my first death [From Gaming Blend]

Witness now my story of madness and suffering...

Don't Starve finally arrived on the PlayStation 4 and I finally got around to giving it a whirl. I had a lot of fun writing this piece from the perspective of the game's protagonist, a doomed scientist struggling to survive in a dark and twisted nightmare world.

Don't Starve: A diary of my first death

Four more games columns from Gaming Blend

The holidays are always a slower time for video game news, as most of the big launches were out in time for the big shopping rush and developers typically like to take a little time to, you know, spend some time with their families like the rest of us.

That being the case, I typically take advantage of the opportunity to write a couple extra columns here and there, four of which recently went live on Gaming Blend.

My family is suddenly full of gamers

2014 could be the best year of gaming yet

Bravely Default censorship upsetting for all the wrongreasons

PlayStation 4 game of the year: The waiting game

End of the year columns and a short story

Now that 2013 is wrapping up, it's time to take a look back at the past 12 months and reminisce about the games that had us playing, smiling, crying and talking the most.

I recently pulled together my five favorite games for Gaming Blend, as well as a column concerning my favorite RPG (Or action adventure game, if you prefer) The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

Finally, I also wrote a (very) short story involving the Nintendo 3DS, StreetPass and...love? It's a work of fiction, so don't feel too bad for the narrator. This also happens to be one of my favorite things I've written in a while, so, yeah.

Thanks for following along and see you again in 2014!

Best games of 2013: Ryan sides with talking animals

Best RPG of 2013: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Final StreetPass: A Nintendo 3DS short story

Columns: Game of the Generation, The Minecraft Dilemma

The folks over at Gaming Blend asked me to do a piece highlighting my top game of the previous generation and, without hesitation, I began writing about Uncharted 2. It may not have changed the landscape of gaming like Mass Effect, BioShock or even Angry Birds but, when I look back on the seventh generation, Uncharted 2 will be one of those games that I remember most fondly. To me, it was a perfect dose of entertainment.

 Ryan's Game of the Generation: Uncharted 2

I also did a column for Gaming Blend exploring the idea of whether or not I've simply lost the taste for epic/long/overstuffed games. What most gamers see as great bang for their bucks tends to make me shy away these days, as the thought of spending 100-plus hours with any single title is a rather daunting task when I can only spare an hour or two at a time to actually play.

The Minecraft Dilemma: Can games have too much content?

Review: Killzone: Shadow Fall

My first review for the new console generation goes to Killzone: Shadow Fall, the latest installment in the long-running FPS series and a PS4 exclusive.

Is the game worthy of all that "next gen" hype? How does it compare to previous entries in the series? The answers to these questions and more once you hit the link.

Killzone: Shadow Fall forges a shaky new path

Nintendo: My unexpected reunion with Mario and Co. [Column]

Here's my latest column for Gaming Blend, taking a look back at my history with Nintendo consoles, our big break up in my high school days and our eventual reconciliation thanks to the 3DS.

Basically, I became exhausted with Nintendo's constant stream of sunshine and rainbows and unwillingness to do much outside of their staple series. After a number of years away from the Big N, however, that's exactly the kind of stuff I was in the market for; wholesome, fun, colorful, well designed games.

Nintendo: My unexpected reunion with Mario and Co.

Review: Ys: Memories of Celceta

The latest RPG for the PlayStation Vita also happens to be one of the best genre offerings for Sony's portable console.

Find out why in my Gaming Blend review.

Review: Ys: Memories of Celceta is a Vita RPG Triumph