GM17: Lego Genetics/Here Be Dragons Victors

I was getting worried there for a minute.

The Victors for the sixth round of the preliminaries are...

The Lizard

"You need to hurry...I'm...lossssing control....."

and...

Chronormu

"Hmm....haven't we done this before?"

It took several days for any of you to consider your choices, but in the end the matches turned out equal. Both Victors won their respective matches with a respectable 5 votes out of 7 total (71%).

Here's the breakdown. Check back tomorrow!

That'll get nerfed later.

Geekdom Madness 2017: Lego Genetics/Here Be Dragons

This week: animal-people and witty wyrms.

(Almost But Not Quite) Infinite Possibilities

With Disney Infinity beginning to cancel its online services at the end of the month, I thought it was high time to talk about this game that has enraptured me whilst my computer has been on the fritz. Though I've had it for a while and had experience with similar games before, it's only in the past months since its sudden cancellation that I've begun truly ulocking its secrets and my enjoyment.

This will be a long review with multiple facets.

Hanukkah 2013

So here's how I made out This year:

Site Update

Okay, so here's the scoop.

On the last week of April, I got hit with a stomach bug that took me out of commission, hence the only thing I was able to get out that week was the May the 4th article on New Hope, and I barely got that out. Since then, I've been too busy to do much other than the May the 4th reviews. So this is what's happening now.

This week, I'll post the May the 4th of Return fo the Jedi, plus an Anniversary Review of some more personal anecdotes regarding that film either tomorrow or Wednesday.

Also this week, I'll be posting the April and May Anniversaries.

The Skylanders thing I promised...while I still plan to do that, it won't start for another few months, not until more information comes out on Series 3 and what I can expect my lineup to be.

On the other hand, I should be posting more WoW Wednesday material by sometime in June. June is also Jar Jar June, so you can expect something special in that regard. June is also my vacation month from work, so posts may become more timely and numerous until after the 4th of July.

I thank all of my readers for being patient with me.

MM 1: Remember Skylanders?

Ahh, yes. Skylanders. Haven't talked about them much in the last few months, have I? Well, that's mainly because there's been a small hiatus on collecting them until very recently.

Calling All Portal Masters!

Okay, so a few weeks ago I ended up picking up a Series 1 Drill Sergeant because I had a buy 1 get 1 free coupon and he was pretty much my only option and...I don't really like the character and want to get rid of him. However, I'm not going to waste the money, so I'm sending out an S.O.S. If anyone out there has any of the following, new or used, I will propose a 1 for 1 trade. The characters I'm looking for currently are (in order of importance):

Series 1 Boomer
Series 1 Voodood
Shroomboom
Series 2 Gill Grunt
Series 2 Flameslinger
Sprocket

If you're interested in a good condition Drill Sergeant (series 1) and have any of the above guys lying around gathering dust, let me know by e-mail (nilbogsstorybookland@gmail.com) and we'll negotiate. Thanks!

MM: Skylanders update/Clone Wars update

Okay, so a couple of things.

First, being Monday I'm doing a pseudo-Mons-Day post regarding my Skylanders grades. I've recently decided to retire the O.W.L. system of grading the 3DS version and will post some revised stats alongside the console stats (which I'm researching on places like IGN and DarkSpyro). I'll also be taking some pictures to go along with these figurine reviews, so I should have the first batch up by...next week?

Secondly, a Clone Wars update. So far, StarWars.com has failed to post the full episode of the returning season that aired on Saturday, so my review of that may take a little longer. Hopefully not too long, though. From my understanding, this is either the 100th episode or the 100th episode is nigh, so I'll have more details on that front soon*

*"soon" is a registered trademark of Blizzard Entertainment and is appears here under fair use.

Hanukkah 2012: Day 8

This is the end...my only friend, the end...

Another Hanukkah has come and gone, but not without a few more parting shots.

From my Father:

Star Wars Vintage Collection Dr. Evazan. To be perfectly 100% honest, I was kind of hoping for Ahsoka, but at least I can finally complete the "Death Sentence on Twelve Systems" set I started with Ponda Baba earlier this year.

From my Wife:

Skylanders Series 2 Fright Rider. I know that his mount is canonically an undead ostrich, but since it looks far more like a Gastornis, that's what I'm calling it.

The 3DS grades and the Console Paths will probably be at least another week. Carissa and I got a "Buy One Get One Free" coupon for Series 1 Skylanders that's good until the 31st, so I want to group them all together.

As for Carissa's present, I saved the best (and most expensive) for the last day: A silver with aqua gems sea turtle necklace. And she did love it, really she did. But that's not what got the best reaction out of her this year. What she jumped up and down in excitement for was a few nights ago when I gave her the Sims 3 Ambitions expansion pack, since it includes a firefighting profession (she was once a volunteer firefighter) and contains a fire engine (which she goes nuts for) called, and I quote, the "Woo Woo 4000". Whatever, I'm always glad when I can make her smile.

Tell your friend Veronica
It's time to celebrate Hanukkah
I hope I get a harmonica
On this lovely lovely Hanukkah
So drink your gin & tonica
And smoke your marijuannica*
If you really really wannica
Have a happy happy happy happy Hanukkah!
- Adam Sandler


*Nilbog's Storybook Land does not advocate the use of drugs and/or alcohol, though if you do anyway it's none of my beeswax.

Hanukkah 2012: Day 6

Only two more of these....

From my Father:

Star Wars Vintage Collection Mawhonic. The dwarf Gran was the first to go down in the Boonta Eve Classic, which reading background information on the planet Malastare makes a very interesting choice (according to such info, the Gran colonized Malastare and displaced the natives - the Dugs). I missed this guy when Wal-Mart had the sneak peeks, but I'm glad I got him on his Vintage card.

From my Wife:

Skylanders Series 2 Pop Fizz. Okay, so he's exclusive to Giants, but Series 2 sounds better since he's not an actual Giant. This Jekyll/Hyde character was the only new character (aside from Tree Rex) I knew about prior to the release of Giants. I'm very interested to see how he handles.

The Twelve Days of Listmas, Day 1: Miscellaneous!

Welcome to the Twelve Days of Listmas! This first one is more of an honorable mention set of lists, since they didn't seem to belong with any other theme. Still, they're important to me and they shed a little bit of light onto the way my brain works.

Once again, this is all my own personal opinion. Feel free to disagree.

So without furthur ado...

Hanukkah 2012: Day 4

Halfway done *sigh*

From my Father:

Star Wars Vintage Collection Orrimaarko, a.k.a. Dick Tracy nemesis Prune Face. Yeah...just for a complete character collection's sake.

From my Wife:

Skylanders Series 1 Sonic Boom. More on her when I do the big Skylanders grading roundup at the end of this.

Hanukkah 2012: Day 3

Ahh, the magic three....

From my Father:

Star Wars Vintage Collection Nien Nunb. A.K.A. Chewbacca's Seat Warmer during the Battle of Endor. A.K.A. That weird guy whose name I can never pronounce.

My father always goes overboard with gifts, and I tell him not to get me anything. This year, after years of him never listening to me, I go "All right, if you have to get me stuff, get me Star Wars stuff." Since I have a sub-wishlist on Amazon devoted solely to the Vintage collection, this will probably be a theme this year. Not that I'm complaining in the slightest.

From my Wife:

Skylanders Giants Legendary Bouncer.

A testament to how much my wife loves me (and I love her for it) is that she didn't even look at my wishlist when she bought this, even though this specific and Toys R Us exclusive variant is prominently on there. She caught a sale, and figured I'd want the blue one over the orange one. Not only is Bouncer here my first backup giant, but he's also my first backup Tech Skylander (in Tech Zones thusfar, I was SOL if Drobot croaked). With any and all Skylanders I get this year, I'm waiting until the gift-giving is done to give 3DS grades (moot in Bouncer's case) and Console Upgrade Paths.

At this point I want to assure my dear readers that this giving isn't one-way. I broke the bank for my wife this year. She's been receptive to the stuff I've given her so far. Really likes all of it. But I'm saving the best for the last day, and THAT'S the one you guys will hear about....

MM: Skylanders Console Thoughts

So after getting into the swing of the console version of Skylanders Giants, I decided that while my main figure rankings will still apply solely to the 3DS version(s), I will share with any other Portal Masters my thoughts on upgrade paths. What follows are the paths I chose so far and why, as well as a promise that all future Skylanders rankings will include these little blurbs. Note that this isn't a full list of figures I have because I haven't been able to upgrade them all yet, but I can give you a decent list.

MM: Skylanders Grades Issue 3

Okeedoke, here are four more Skylanders to review. Yes, I did in fact get six, but two of them work exclusively with Skylanders Giants and since I only have Spyro's Adventure for the 3DS, we'll have to wait.

Once more, we're using Harry Potter O.W.L. grades here. Refer to my older posts to get what the letters mean.

MM: Skylanders Giants First Impression

Well, I did not expect to get this one, but...Skylanders Giants!

MM: Wait A Little Longer

It's October! Do you know what that means?

Pokémon Black & White 2 and Skylanders Giants are out this month!

And if I can scrape together funds to buy anything before the holidays, it'll be Mists of Pandaria.

So...it'll be a while before those reviews if at all.

And I have nothing else Monday Mons-Day related to talk about this week.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

MM: Skylanders Grades Round 2 + Vintage Jar Jar

I've finally got around to grading my newest batch of Skylanders. However, before I give you those grades I've been promising for nearly a month, I want to talk a little bit about the Vintage Jar Jar Binks.

MM+: Just call me Ramsoomair...

You know, there's a webcomic I'm quite fond of called VG Cats. And it's spin-off, Super Effective. The only problem I have is that it often goes into a horrific schedule slip. We'll have weekly comics for about a month and then three months of nothing.

I'm starting to sympathize with its creator, Scott Ramsoomair.

This past week has given me so little computer time to myself that it's been ridiculous. I missed WoW Wednesday even with my entry pre-written and already on Deviant Art.

With my work schedule returning to normal this week, I should (operative word should) be back on track by Wednesday. I'll have that missing article for you. Plus, by next Monday, I should also have all my new Skylanders tested out and ranked.

In the meantime, I can tell you a Poké-related story. My friend needed me to replace the battery for her Crystal version since I shared my success with Silver. Since I needed her to get me the other two Jhoto starters, we had an accord. Taking the screw out was much easier this time around, but loosing the battery from its connectors was not. I actually sliced my thumb open when the precision screwdriver slipped and the circuitboard went flying, nearly destroying it. However, in the end it still worked with flying colors and we were able to trade the day away (well, as best I could with a damaged thumb).

We also used that time to trade fifth generation so I could restart Black. You know, not being able to trade until the first gym is cleared was a pain in the ass, and I really didn't appreciate having to forgo my usual training method. But, I had to for the sake of time. At least I can go back and train the rest of my party with the trainers I missed.

Also This Week: Reviews of Brave and The Campaign as well as the anniversary of Pink Floyd: The Wall (The Film).

MM: More Skylanders coming soon

Hi all! This is another post-in-name-only, just letting you know that I've got a bunch of new Skylanders and I'll be testing them out soon to give you my two cents on them. Unfortunately, I also got Kingdom Hearts 3D so my time spent with Pokémon and Skylanders will be reduced, but I'll still bring you those themed updates every Monday.

WoW is suffering slightly too, but I've got this Wednesday's post already written. There's also Old Republic stuff to talk about in the coming Wednesdays, though I need a little more info myself....