PixlBit

You'll just have to come up here and buy it then!

Jason is pretty spot on with most of his answers. I do plan on starting them on the NES, probably specifically with Super Mario Bros. My son is nearing the age where he can play games and I've already cheated a little and got him playing Bit.Trip Runner with me. It's a tough game, but I was able to demonstrate to him the right times to hit certain keys to make different actions happen. He got a kick out of it, which was really exciting for me.

Part of the reason I started collecting was to share it with my kids one day and be able to play all the classics just as I did when I was a kid. So I'm really looking forward to that as my two sons grow older.

Also, I will probably break out some of the newer, more age appropriate games that I have in the collection for them, like Once Upon a Monster.

As for the ESRB, I think they do a pretty decent job for what they are. I'm not sure I totally agree with the rating system, but it's at least a cursory glance at the content contained within for parents to judge what their kids should be playing. Of course, I do think the onus is on the parents to research games and only purchase the appropriate titles for their kids.

No entity, government regulated or not, will be able to choose the right content for your kids. That's on your back as a parent, so of course, I plan on being quite diligent about ensuring that my sons play the games that are appropriate for their age.

Wow, that first one is a doozy. I love so many different games for so many reasons, it's hard to pin down just one that rolls all of that up conveniently. I'll cop out and say "Zelda."

I know it's not one game, but that series is indicative of what I love about games: exploration, adventure, puzzles, unique characters, and a story that gives you enough without overwhelming you. From the time I was young till now, I've always loved that series and I think that each one provides those core components in such a tactful and enjoyable way that nothing beats them (at least for the first time through).

I am a developer and I'd be glad to give you some pointers. My expertise lies in Java web applications, but I'm sure the concepts are pretty similar across other languages that do similar functions. If you have some specific questions that need answering, feel free to ping me via PM and I'll do my best to help you.

For sure. I'm also pretty enthusiastic about music. I listen to a pretty wide spread of different forms of rock/metal and acoustic stuff. I play guitar too, so I enjoy listening to people who are extremely talented at it.

Outside of that I'm into hobbyist type programming, which at the moment is solely upgrades to this site. However, I've dabbled in game programming (XNA) and will probably do some more of that in the near future using MonoGame.

And finally, I enjoy playing basketball. It's not something I get to do very often, but now that I live near one of my brothers I'm hoping I get a bit more time for it. My new house also has a pretty awesome regulation hoop put in by the last owner. So I'm looking forward to shooting some hoops when it gets a bit warmer.

1. Yes, absolutely. As a matter of fact, it has probably caused irreparable damage to my gaming habits. I now have an incredibly hard time seeing games all the way through because I've grown so accustomed to playing so many different games. Also, I have a little bit too good of a handle on what I know I like and what I know I don't like, so once I start playing a game, I almost immediately know what I'm in for and might just stop immediately if it's something I know is going to clash with my preferences.

In any event, there have been plenty of times where for a couple of weeks Chessa and I do nothing but veg out in front of the TV watching stupid HGTV type nonsense because we're so spent on games. It's a crappy feeling. There are definitely days I think to myself that I'd have been better never doing any of this and just continued on playing games just like everyone else.

2. I always play on the default difficulty. It's my reasoning that the developers made that the default because that's the way the game was meant to be played. If I take the game on in any other setting, I'm not likely experiencing the game in its "best" state. Doing this doesn't always translate to getting the review done quicker, but I think it produces better and more accurate coverage.

I'd probably opt for something with "game" in it. Naming the site was an absolutely grueling task. Chessa and I toiled over it for days, consistently debating over what exactly we'd call it that was catchy and game related but didn't have the word "game" in it. We thought it was kind of a tired naming structure.

In the end we landed on Pixel Bit, combining two words that were at least related to gaming. Unfortunately, pixelbit.com wasn't available, so we went back to the drawing board, looking for something better, but nothing else felt right. Ultimately we decided to drop the "e" because it didn't really change the name and mimicked the timely trend of arbitrarily dropping vowels.

Anyway, in hindsight, there were likely some benefits we could've reaped if "game" showed up in the name in some form. People would know what we were about on a surface level on name alone and we'd have likely placed higher in Google searches as a result of it. On the flip side, I really love the branding we've been able to accomplish with the name and I don't know that I'd trade that for anything.

I wish I had a better answer beyond that, but I don't even want to begin thinking of names again. What a pain.

Thanks for linking that, Joaquim. I was too lazy at the time, so that definitely helps.

Going to be dropping another update tonight. Nothing too major, but it's a nice little feature that I think people will enjoy.

Awesome news. Not too excited about that higher price point, but this one will likely earn it.

The music is pretty subdued. I'd say it fits the mood of the game, but it's nothing at all like the music in the older games. All in all, I'd call it decent, but ultimately forgettable.