GAMING NEWS: Return of Super Mario Bros, Life & ConQuest SF Snippets (4 September 2006)...

Hi Everyone,

Well... it's been a bit since I last posted, BUT I have great news to share...

I finally got the full-time, fully benefitted job that I've been struggling to get for a little over a year since I left my career as a public educator. I started a job with the State of California as a policy analyst this past week (28 August 2006). The contracts are signed, I've been performing my job well and I feel secure enough to publicly announce it.

The new job will involve a few changes for me and one of the most saddening for me on a personal level is that I'm going to have to give up my Wednesday night gaming group at A-1 Comics. Last Wednesday was my last evening with the guys and I took them all out to dinner as a parting gift. I still hope to see Dave, Dick and Kimbo around, but circumstances will keep me from enjoying their company on Wednesdays for awhile.

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Life's been pretty hectic for me recently too... between aggressively looking for better work, working up to three jobs at a time, trying to support an ailing now-ex-girlfriend, moving to a new apartment, seeing my friend Jon & my baby sister get married, and otherwise having the carpet jerked out from under my feet more times than I can remember.... things have been crazy!

The new job promises for a little more stability and chance to see things right again. Amen!

I went this past weekend to ConQuest SF, which was a shadow of its former self... the Bay Bridge received some much needed emergency earthquake refitting and I think that drove away a lot of potential convention attendees. I still had a good time, but there was a lot of work as well... I hope to write about it sometime in the next week or two... but I have a more important task ahead of me... I need to finish writing a few game reviews and make good to a very patient magazine editor.

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At the convention, I met a number of cool folks:

- Dave Arneson, the father of D&D along with Gary Gyax.

http://www.jovianclouds.com/blackmoor/

- Ken Hite, author of numerous RPG & gaming books / article sover the years including Chaosium Cthulhu products, GURPs and more.

http://princeofcairo.livejournal.com/

- James Ernest, the genius behind Cheapass Games and other cool stuff...

http://www.cheapass.com/

More information about those folks can be found here:

http://shorl.com/fynodegyprigry

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I also met many others including:

- Matthew "Judas" Sicarii, the famed gamer behind the design of Striker III.

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/ct-striker/

- Aron Clark, well-known Bay Area gamer known for ASQL (Alien Squad Leader), who threw a great Dirtside II game tourney at the con.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aliensquadleader/

- Ron Plunk, maestro of the cult gaming classic "B-17: Queen of the Skies" from Avalon Hill, who has been transforming a relatively simple number-generating game into a social experience that has been a local favorite for twenty-one plus years!

- Charles Gomez, local gamer extaordinaor, who ran an outstanding Monster Island game... had a blast playing it!

http://www.firefly-games.com/index.php

- Mark Steinberg & Mike McGraw, who ran some of the coolest spaghetti Western gunfight games in recent history...

http://arnicarealestate.com/

- Lawrence Golinowski, who ran the classic convention favorite: Aerodrome.

http://www.aerodrome-ww1aircombat.com/

- The Flagship Games guys, Rod & Thomas who made their well expected and respected magic...

http://www.flagshipgames.com/

- Terry Matheny and his friend Harry, who brought Screaming G.I.s III to the convention...

http://theminiaturespage.com/rules/ww2/sgi.html

- Chad & Alex, who brought Company Commander to the con, which is soon to be published by GMT Games...

http://www.gmtgames.com/

- Peter Bauer, who brought the magic of Starguard to the convention...

http://www.tin-soldier.com/sg/sg1.html

- Simon from Aberrant Games...

http://AberrantGames.com

- Eric from Conquest Miniatures...

http://www.conquestminiatures.com/

- Don from Wartorn Worlds...

http://www.wartornworlds.com/shopping/catalog/

- And so many others!

I'll have to write up a big post later.


But... in the mean time, a little treat for my readers...

Check out this link for Hard Rock Super Mario Brothers!

http://shorl.com/gyfudrulutygi
If you remember, it wasn't so long ago that I wrote about Socialist Super Mario Brothers, so it seemed only fair to share Hard Rock Super Mario Brothers! Enjoy!

http://briefurl.com/the_peoples_mario

I wish everyone the best!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.