Aggroqueen-Where Mommyblogging meets gaming

Got game? Some of the best games of 2007.

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 15:58:41 -0600

As the token gaming mom at BlogHer, I would be remiss if I did not list for you some of the top games of 2007. (The list is not nearly complete and will vary depending on who you talk to, but this is my top ten mix and match games of 2007 for your gaming pleasure.)

Gamers. Gaming families. We can be quite a picky lot. We tell friends and family that we love receiving all things gaming but when we open that box and see something somewhat akin to Pong circa 1972, we grumble. I want you people to be in the know. Besides, many of you may have received gift cards or cash and what better way to spend those than on games? (None for this gaming mom!)

So before we ring in 2008, let's see the games you want to have. *Note: These games range in ratings from Everyone to Mature. You must be the judge of what games you and your family can and should have in your home. (See my guide to ESRB ratings here.)

Are you ready to jump into the gaming world with me? Let's go!

1. Wii Boogie: If you were lucky enough to score a Wii, a big hit with families is Wii Boogie. It is rated E for Everyone and the average price is $59.99. For the hours of fun you will have, it is worth it! Family night, anyone?

2. Super Mario Galaxy: Again, you Wii-ers, here is a game that the kids love and, personally, I am failing miserably at but am still hanging in there. Super Mario Galaxy Rated E for Everyone. The average price is $49.99. Your kids will adore you for it!

3. Wario World Smooth Moves: Our last Wii game to represent is Wario World Smooth Moves. Sticking to the traditional WarioWare style of play, players can use 20 unique applications of the Wii Remote to chop barrels, turn levers, run races and more. It is rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and older. The average price is $49.99.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass: This game is for the Nintendo DS. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass offers new challenges for fans of the series and an easy-to-grasp introduction for gamers new to The Legend of Zelda. The single-player adventure will have Zelda veterans and newcomers alike engrossed by the story as they move through the game with the stylus. The ability to replay again and again with these winner-take-all matches is virtually endless. It is rated E for Everyone. The average price is $34.99.

5. Guitar Hero 3: This is one of those great games that crosses many gaming platforms. It comes for the Wii, X-Box 360 and the , PlayStation 2, PlayStation3 and Macintosh, Windows Vista / XP. It is rated T for Teen. The prices vary. It really depends on whether or not you go with a bundle or the game alone if you already have a guitar. The Wii bundle runs around $149.99. The X-Box 360 starts at $59.99 (the game bundle averages about $112.99) The PS2 starts at $49.99. The PS3 bundle averages $86.99. The Windows version runs about $74.99. Again, these prices are average. You will find some cheaper and some more expensive.

6. Rock Band: This awesome rock out game is for the PS2, PS3 and X-Box 360. Let your inner rocker be set free as you jam out with this game. Major record labels and leading music publishers have signed on to provide unrivaled access to master recordings and legendary rock artists - from punk, metal and alternative to classic and southern rock - including many master recordings from legendary artists, including acts like Metallica, Bon Jovi, Stone Temple Pilots and the Ramones! It is rated T for Teen. Prices run from $49.99 to $290.00. (Yes, I know that is a huge jump. You have options!)

7. Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction: This epic adventure will introduce new characters, new weapons, and all-new worlds for Ratchet & Clank to explore. It is for the PS2 or PS3. It is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and older. The average price is $59.99.

8. Crysis: This game is for Windows XP / Vista. From the makers of Far Cry, Crysis offers FPS fans the best-looking, most highly-evolving gameplay, requiring the player to use adaptive tactics and total customization of weapons and armor to survive in dynamic, hostile environments. It is rated M for Mature. This is not a game for the kiddos, people. But does it rock nevertheless? YES it does! The average price is $49.99. Not a light hearted game, but if you love first person shooter games, this is one that has been long awaited by many.

9. Halo 3: Now, I have to admit this one is one of my favorite first person shooter games out there. (And, yes, I even have the Halo edition of the X-Box 360 console.) "Halo 3 is the third game in the Halo Trilogy and the thrilling conclusion to the events begun in Halo: Combat Evolved. Master Chief returns to finish the fight, bringing the epic conflict between the Covenant, the Flood, and the entire human race to a dramatic, pulse-pounding climax." Now that is game, people! It is rated M for Mature. (Again, not for the kiddos.) The average price is $59.99.

10. Bioshock: This game was rated number one on many gamers lists. We have it and it was worth the cost and the anticipation of waiting for it. It comes for both the PC and the X-Box 360. There is great action, first person shooting and a bit RPG thrown in for fun. It is rated M for Mature. Put the kids to bed (or set them up on their Wii) and have fun! Great action! The average price for this game is $59.99.

YES! I am updating!

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:30:01 -0600

Guess who is playing again! Did you guess me? You are right! I have a character on Zul'jin. My character name is (Before I tell you...it was late, I was tired, the dog was bugging me, my feet were cold etc...) Hellnola. I am a Human Warlock. I have done the hunters to death. (Insert crude reference here.) (And again.)

I am having fun. I leveled from 0-8 in a day. And, yes, I fed the kids. Sooooo, if anyone plays and anyone plays on that server...let me know. I want to team up. I am WAY rusty on this and forgot how much fun I have playing.

Oh, yeah....mama is back in the World of Warcraft. Look out. (And feed yourselves!)

An open letter to Nanky which is really not his name so we shall call him Wanker

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 01:53:15 -0600

I absolutely love it when ignorant people comment on my blog. Why? Because ignorant people are fun to call out and, well, seeing as they are ignorant, rarely realize that they are being laughed at when in fact, their rants are in fact incredible fodder for humor and mockery. Let's take Nanky. (Not his real name of course. That would be brave and require balls. Nanky has none. We shall thus forth call him Wanker. Close to Nanky, yet more descriptive.)

Here is what Wanker had to say to me. (Thus proving he never read past my "how it all began" post into the depths of the blog which does in fact contradict everything he whines about.)

Shall we laugh at Wanker together?

What the f*ck is your problem? Your a total hyprocrite, you claim other
people are whiners. Yet, you whine about World of Warcraft, its designed as
a fun MMORPG, yes people do get addicted ITS THEIR FAULT!

"World of Warcraft is an online HELL set in the addictive-winning Warhell
universe. Addicts assume the roles or Warhell junkies as they explore,
adventure and quest for a bigger and better fix. World of Warhell is a
"Massively Addictive Multiplayer Online Rave That Will Cause Your Loved Ones
to Pull out Their Own Hair in Frustration" which will allow thousands of
players to interactively become addicted within the same version of hell.
Whether fighting together or against each other until their eyes are
bloodshot and half blind, players will form gangs, forge support groups of
addiction, and compete with enemies that are more batshit crazy from the
game than they are all in the name of non-existant power and glory."

I bet the only reason you started this blog was to whine. Someone in your
family got addicted to it, right? Well.. theres many other ways to take out
your frustration instead of ranting about a generally good game. So i
suggest you sort out your family problems and try the game for yourself.
Even if you consider yourself a "Blogging mom" Don't judge a book by its
cover.

From -Nanky

P:S Not including my real name, god knows what a physco like you would do
with it.

Oh, where to begin. First, with a physco [sic] like me, I could start anywhere. Like the end where he calls me a physco. (I looked it up. It means "much smarter person than the wanker commenter.")

Oh, Wanker. Wanker, you amuse me. You read one entry that was written long before I started to play the game. Long before I was alpha and beta testing for Blizzard. Long before I professed my adoration for the game. Silly, silly wanker. I assume you can read. Did you try to read more than one page or was that too taxing for you?

Let me help you, dear Wanker. I would like you to pause from your whining rant and look up a word for me. Satire. Or perhaps sarcasm. I know. Words that are not profane and are perhaps above your level. However, they might explain the one you flipped out over. It's okay. A lot of people don't understand the more in depth levels of humor. There, there Wanker. We don't judge you for it.

We do judge you for being...well a ball-less wanker.

SO, in summary, Wanker, look further before you go off insulting people and see what you are insulting. And I quote you:

Well.. theres [sic] many other ways to take out your frustration instead of ranting about a generally good game. So i suggest you sort out your family problems and try the game for yourself. Even if you consider yourself a "Blogging mom" Don't judge a book by its cover.

Did you miss the part where I became friends with folks at Blizzard? Did you miss the part where they invited me to alpha and beta test for them? Did you miss the part where I am on their Family and Friends list when they need these kinds of testers? Did you miss the part where I did in fact say I play, enjoy and am a part of the game?

I am guessing not because that would be too much...ohhhh, reading? Comprehending? Understanding?

Take your own advice, Wanker, and---what was it you said? Oh yes--- Don't judge a book by its cover.

Take care and happy gaming!

~Jenn

Oh and normally, I would never call someone out like this on the blog. I would much rather "correct" them in an email, but seeing as Wanker was afraid to leave a real name or email address, I had no choice but to talk to him about it here. Sorry, Wanker. I would have rather have talked to you personally. Next time, ball up and we can talk about your misconceptions. Until then, welcome to the Aggro side of Aggroqueen.

Hardcore vs. casual gamers. Whatever, whiners!

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:20:14 -0600

I am pissed off.

I have a rant about it over on Mommy Needs Coffee. I would love for you to weigh in on this one.

Wii gets fit!

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 19:32:53 -0600

Ahhh, summertime. That time when you should allow your kids to rest, yet enrich their minds. OR if you live with me, a time to stay up late, eat junk food and play games when we are not out in the sun and fun. (Seeing as there has been very little sun, we are doing a lot more inside "fun" here.) And what is the power game of choice? Wii! (And, no, I do not work for them, am not being paid by them and am gaining nothing by telling you how much I enjoy the Wii we have. Just in case someone decides they want to get all up in my grill about it. I'm just saying, I like it. Mikey likey!)

Here is the Queen of Our Wii holding court.

I have to admit, there are times I kick the kids off to play myself. I have fun with the Wii Sports and the Wii Play. In fact, here are some pictures of the whole family playing at the beach when it was either raining or everyone was too sunburned to go back out into the blazing Florida sun. Do you Wii? What is your favorite game?

I think I am in love with a new game coming out soon. I learned about it from E3 and found this video of it from the conference at Gametrailers. I am so going to get my hands on this one: Wii Fit. Check out that yoga, baby. Now that will be worth all of the YouTube payback videos that my sons post of me. Because trust me when I say both of my boys will love getting even that way. Take a look for yourself and tell me what you think. I think it is going to be a lot of Fit Fun!

In the extended entry you can see it in action.

In which I talk about one of my new addictions

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:10:18 -0600

I have these amazing friends, you see. They think it is fun to get me hooked on new games and new gaming systems. Take for instance these two game pushers, Erin of Queen of Spain--otherwise known as Queen Tureaud in Second Life and Karen of Vodkarella--otherwise known as Duchess Voom for instance. They are as bad as Jason and his WoW pushing. The problem with that? Jason got me HOOKED on World of Warcraft. (Still waiting for your next best thing, Jason, my friend!) NOW, these two ladies got me logged into Second Life to "just try it out" for a night. See? Game Pushing.

The first few outfits are free. Try this hair. Ohhh look, try this awesome dress. Look, you can ride this hoverboard.

Why is this a problem? Because I have work to do. And house stuff that is not going to do itself. And children that no matter how much I tell them to raise themselves, they just won't.

So now you get to hear about Second Life here, too. Yeah, you!

Oh, and my name. Tough one to figure out. Ready?

Aggroqueen Beerbaum

Catchy huh?

Tomorrow I will tell you how I was the pusher and got my entire family (all 18 of them) to play Wii and LOVE it. I am so going to ask for a commission when it comes to the consoles they are going to sell after this trip I took. Here is a sneak peek:

Wii like to party!

Sat, 12 May 2007 23:11:01 -0600

Oh, yes, my friends, I am the proud and thrilled owner of an amazingly fun Wii. Look at how pretty she is:

I kiss it. I tried to sleep with it, but Clint got upset with the blinking, bonking and blipping.

It came with the Sports package.

• Play Tennis, Baseball, Golf, Bowling and Boxing in the comfort of one's living room. No ball boys scurrying about, no oil from the alleys to get players dirty and no rain to keep anyone from a day at the court, park or course. Use the Wii Remote controller to mimic the actions of swinging a racket, bat or club, roll a ball down an alley or bring the left jab.
• Players can use their own Mii caricatures in the game and play them against their friends' Miis for a more personalized experience. As players improve, their Miis' skill levels will increase, so that they can see exactly how much better they've become.

• People of all skill levels can pick up and play any of the games in the unprecedented Wii Sports package, making this truly a title for everyone!

And yes, I did get it sent to me free. Full disclosure here, people. Of course, I couldn't accept it if I was in an ad network, but on this blog, I am ad free! Go ad free! Go free stuff! God Bless you Nintendo. I will bronze my first Wii controller and keep it on the mantle beside the bronze baby shoes I have. And a special shout out to my main Wii man who got me the hook-up. I would give out your name, but then everyone would hound you for free Wii's. But know that I adore you and think you just might be a hero to me by getting my family to all play the same game in the same room at the same time. Bless you, my new friend.

I will be writing all about the fun we have here as well as funny stories and pictures on Mommy Needs Coffee about the gaming fun we have. .

New games, goals, and attitude!

Wed, 09 May 2007 21:24:34 -0600

Holy crap, people, you are still checking in here? That rocks! Well, it looks like the whole getting the guild together, playing WoW as much as the spawn in my house do and blogging it just is not going to happen. At least not as I thought it would.

So, we are going to evolve a bit. Seeing as I am no longer within the bounds of an ad network (Aggroqueen just didn't fit the mold), I am going to take advantage of every opportunity to blog for myself and for my readers and of course to test out new games, new titles and new consoles. No, that does not mean I am selling out! What it means is I am no longer censored or fall under any guidelines as to what I can say or not say or what I can accept or not accept (so send me your games, consoles or whatever! I love free stuff I don't have to account for!) or who I can trash and who I should not. (Not that I am a trashing kind of gal.)

Here is your chance to (a) tell me what games you want me to try out (b) send me lots of free stuff --and boy I do love that you have! --and (c) advertise your little heart out! HA!

Actually, I am going to be blogging about WoW more. But I am also adding in the amazing and wonderful Wii! (Oh, people, you will love it! If for no other reason than the amazingly humorous stories that will come out of it.)

So what now? More WoW? Are we guilding? Wanna talk Wii? XBox? PS2? (Sorry. No PS3 yet.) Nintendo DS? Gameboy?

This gaming blog is coming out of the closet--so to speak-- and I am ready to raise some hell!

Are you with me?

Widow's Revenge is in labor!

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 18:06:21 -0600

Oh I really like Colleen's idea of Widow's Revenge. That settles it!

Now, when are we going to meet. Ummm, remember me? NEWBIE to WoW? Guide me, ladies!

Widow's Revenge, Draka Server, Alliance and my hunter is named Mythia.

Now, for the love of all things warcraft, now what?

UPDATE: Oh for the love of all things mind numbing, I just cannot do one more Dranei Hunter. I am still going to be a hunter and name her was changed to Maramala. (Had to keep the Marama aspect somehow.) She is a dwarf hunter. I just CANNOT do one more Dranei Hunter quest under level 20. (Remember I also alpha and beta testing this, so she would be my bagamillionth one to create.)

So here we go...AGAIN! Leave me your toon's name so I can add you as a friend.

WoW Widows- Guild birth

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 20:33:16 -0600

Okay, I received a lot of emails from people who wanted to play and join the guild but didn't want to be PVP or RP, so I went with normal. Right now, I have started a character on Draka. She is a Dranei Hunter named Mythia.

Any objections to Draka or Alliance?

As soon as you can, log in, find me and let's get this guild going.

Did we decide on WoW Widows?

Come on now, let's rock the WoW world while our Significant Others fix our dinner and care for our offspring (if we have them)!

It's time!

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 09:13:16 -0600

You thought I left you, didn't you. I totally did not! Now, let's get this guild going. This is what I need from you. What server do you want. Currently, I am on Twisting Nether, but I am up for anywhere. Name your server and whether you prefer Horde or Alliance and we are going to go with the most popular votes.

Ready?

Bring it, gaming women!

Let's get this party started!

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 23:46:07 -0600

Okay, ladies, it is time to get our guild together. Have you become a gaming widow because of your Significant Other? Did you get into WoW because they got your hooked? Do you want to get even? It's time to guild up, sisters. We need to decide on a server, a name and whether we want to be horde or alliance.

One name suggested was WoW Widow's Revenge. (Ha!)

Give it up. Let me hear your opinions on this and we can get it going.

Now, I know a lot of you have level 60's and are way way more adept at this game than I am. I have no problem being an noob of the group. Or we can start from scratch (seeing as I am an alt-o-holic) with everyone.

Bring it!

I'd like to thank the Academy and David

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 21:54:23 -0600

Apparently My Burning Crusade and the way I was ~~dragged~~ ~~pulled~~ brought into the game of World of Warcraft caused me to be the recipient of the first Blog Post of the Week over at DM Osbon.

Seriously for a blog that is rather new and one that people still can't figure out, I was thrilled that he noticed me and bestowed this honor on my humble blog. Thank you, David.

For those of you sticking with me and still reading, thank you. And when you comment, I am thrilled like a kid in a candy store with 3 weeks of allowance. Free cookies for everyone!

My "burning crusade"

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 14:11:26 -0600

Best conversation about WoW ever. Talking on the phone with a friend, we had the following exchange.

Me: "...Nah, I'm just tired. I went to WalMart last night and didn't get home until after midnight."

Her: "Why in the world were you there so late."

Me: "Well, sadly, you know, I had to go for The Burning Crusade."

Her: "Oh gawd I hate that. I'm sorry."

Me: "Well, I blame it on my husband. It wasn't so bad, though. I did meet a couple a of great guys who were there for the same reason."

*long pause*

Her: "The same reason? And you talked about it?"

Me: "Well, yeah. For about a hour or more."

Her: "They talked about your burning crusade for over an hour?!

[At this point I am pretty sure we are not talking about the same thing. I pause to try to figure out what she is talking about.]

Me: "Oh No! No! I am talking about the World of Warcraft game: The Burning Crusade. Not my burning crusade. This has nothing to do with Vagisil."

Her: "Thank God! Because that was one hell of a weird conversation!"

So in love I slept with them

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 07:43:56 -0600

Don't they make a beautiful couple?

Is it wrong that I slept with this:

I even licked it a little. And whispered words of love and devotion to it.

~~~~~

So, all those times I made fun of geeks for getting in line early for a midnight release of something and all of those times I rolled my eyes and all of those times I said, "You wouldn't see ME out at midnight for some stupid game!"...well, I owe you an apology. I won't actually give you one, but I do owe you one.

Monday night around 11:00pm I found myself in the electronics department at Wal-Mart with 2 other ~~geeks~~ WoW players.

I met up with Jordan, a saxophonist who has been playing WoW since back in the day of 2004ish. (The cult got him early.) He, too, was hoping to score a copy of the Collector's Edition since he scored one of the originals. (I hear you, Jordan! I was a bit freaked thinking I would have to play without knowing I had that big box announcing my cult membership.) He knew way more about this game than I could ever hope to know.

And then there was Doug who writes for Beckett Gaming. Leave it to me to end up with strangers and the writer in me strikes up a conversation with an editorial director of a magazine. And I didn't even hit him up to write for him or for him to write up this whole momblogger turned gamer experience. But it was late and I was obsessing about getting a copy of the CE. I learned a lot more about gaming and WoW just from this time spent talking.

Jordan and Doug were great companions to keep me entertained and educated while we waited.

As we waited for midnight, David--a store employee-- came by and told us and three other people that the store received six copies of Burning Crusade CE. Since there was six of us waiting patiently and rather well behaved that we would each be able to purchase the game. (I was number 3 thankyouverymuch!) We were told to go wait by the register and we would get our copy at midnight. (There was much rejoicing--in our well mannered way.)

Meanwhile, at a WalMart miles away sat my unsocial husband who didn't actually "meet" anyone but rather spoke briefly with others in his line. (Have I taught him nothing??)

Which leads us to the question: Who gets the Collector's Edition? The teen boy who brought WoW into the house in the first place? The tween who really wants to have something cool that his friends don't have? The husband who really knows more about this game than God Himself? Or me? Because Blizzard loves me?

What do you think?

tags: gaming, Burning Crusade, world of warcraft, Blizzard