Pokemon X/Y: I finally jump on the bandwagon

Despite having grown up in the age of Pokemon, I never gave into the hype and played any of the games.

Now, just shy of my 31st birthday, I've decided to finally dip my toe into those critter-filled waters and, because I can't do anything game-related these days without writing about it, I've put together a short series highlighting the events.

The first link will lead you to the pre-game article, giving a bit of background on my (lack of) history with Pokemon, my reasons for ignoring the series all these years, and my reasons for breaking the habit with the latest Pokemon for 3DS.

Article two gives you a rundown of my first day with the game, which was spent lounging around the house with six friends, all of us pouring a ridiculous number of hours into the game on the day of its release.

The third article circles back three weeks following the launch to see how I felt about the game after spending more than a day with it.

Enjoy!

Pokemon: Why I'm finally going to play one of these games

Pokemon: My first day with the series

Pokemon X, Y: I've Officially Been Converted

Review: Valhalla Knights 3

I reviewed Valhalla Knights 3 for Gaming Blend. There were a lot of interesting ideas here but, sadly, they were executed poorly in a game that is, to be blunt, a bit of a clunky mess.

For the full review, hit that link.

Valhalla Knights 3 review: Far from heaven

Reviews: Rune Factory 4 and Real Boxing

I've been tethered to my portable consoles these past few weeks, working on reviews for the PlayStation Vita's Real Boxing and the Nintendo 3DS's Rune Factory 4.

Games at the opposite end of the spectrum, obviously, but I enjoyed my time with each of them. Here's the rundown...

Rune Factory 4 Review: A bountiful harvest

Real Boxing Review: A solid contender

Reviews - Killzone: Mercenary and Sweet Fuse: At Your Side

I've been reviewing like made these past few weeks. The latest games I got to dive into were both played on the PlayStation Vita, giving me lots of gaming goodness on the go.

One is the first portable shooter to get the genre right on Sony's latest handheld device and the other is a niche visual novel title full of mystery and romance. Spoiler alert: I enjoyed them both quite a bit.

Killzone: Mercenary review - The Vita gets its shooter

Sweet Fuse: At Your Side review

Reviews: Killer is Dead and Divekick

My latest reviews for Gaming Blend are now live. I took a look at the latest action game from Grasshopper Manufacture, Killer is Dead, as well as the semi-joke-yet-actually-pretty-dang-good fighting game, Divekick.

Killer is Dead Review: Suda 51's Insane New Ride

Divekick Review: A Narrow Miss

Dragon's Crown: First impressions

My special lady friend and I recently started our adventure through Vanillaware's new beat-em-up, Dragon's Crown.

Find out what we thought about the game (from the controls and classes to the beautiful art and loads of loot) over on Gaming Blend:

Dragon's Crown: First Impressions.

My Animal Crossing: New Leaf confessions [Column]

In which I discuss how Animal Crossing: New Leaf for the 3DS started out as a fun and lighthearted romp and eventually turned me into a monster, bent on building a perfect city and amassing the greatest fortune the world has ever known.

My first (somewhat shameful) month with Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Game dev story: Zachary Snader [Interview]

I met Zachary Snader on the flight out to E3 this year and he turned out to be a really interesting guy. He's wrapping up college, interning at a game studio and organizing a game developer's conference focused on the future of the industry all at the same time.

He was kind enough to share his story with me, and now I'm sharing it with you:

Game dev story: Zachary Snader discusses his journey into the industry and the future of games

Gaming with Glass? A look into the future [Article]

With Google Glass gaining steam and The Big G reportedly working on an Android-based gaming console and Smart Watch, Gearburn had me dig into what the future of gaming could mean for Google products.

Gaming with Glass? A look into the future

E3 2013 coverage for Gaming Blend

E3 has officially come to a close and my brain is still trying to digest everything that went down in and around the LA Convention Center from June 10-13. I had the opportunity to attend press conferences for Sony, Microsoft and EA, as well as pile on three full days worth of interviews with developers and get in some hands-on time with loads of games.

My coverage of E3 2013 can be found on Gaming Blend or, for your convenience, I've compiled all 16 of my stories from the event here in one handy-dandy little post. Dig in!

An Xbox press conference diary
An EA press conference diary
A Sony press conference diary
E3 2013 made me finally buy a 3DS
Hands on with Dragon's Crown
Hands on with Killzone: Mercenary
Shinsaku Ohara discusses the insanity of Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z
Designer David Goldfarb dishes details on Payday 2
Creator Andrew Spinks digs into Terraria for iOS
Creative Director Jens Matthies shows off Wolfenstein: The New Order
Shinji Mikami talks about surviving The Evil Within
Xbox One reps dive into console's potential
Hands on with Saints Row IV
Eyes-on with the Destiny gameplay demo
Behind closed doors with Call of Duty: Ghosts
Exploring the crazy action of Killer is Dead
Tracking down monsters in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Narrative Director Steven Gallagher steps out of the shadows with Thief