The Liebster Award & The Maximum Utmost

Hello, everyone!  As they spread like wildfire across my WordPress feed, I’ve been nominated for a Liebster Award at long last.  The Liebster Award is a sort of self-propagating acknowledgement that is passed from blog to blog as a means of encouraging discovery and new connections between writers.  The basic rules of acceptance are to answer 11 questions posed by the nominating blogger and then suggest an additional 11 nominees and pose a new set of 11 questions to be answered by them.  It’s basically like an elaborate chain letter, but reading some of these award posts, I realize it’s a good way of getting to know other writers a little bit better.

I have been nominated by retr0pia75 amongst others, but retr0pia was the first, so I’ll be answering their questions.  Thank you to all those who have suggested me, however.  I really appreciate it.

1) Favorite plant?

An interesting question.  As my username implies, I favor the shortleaf pines which surrounded the small farm I grew up on.

2) Crash Bandicoot or Spyro the Dragon?

Crash Bandicoot, forever and always.  The Playstation is my favorite console of all time, and Crash Bandicoot was one of the games I got along with the system.  I had many good times with that game and its subsequent series, especially Crash Team Racing.  I love that big idiot marsupial.

3) Most disappointing game in recent memory?

Hmmmmmm, probably The Division.  I had high hopes as it starts off very strong, but eventually the game just devolves into a repetitious slog.

4) Favorite flavor?

Does pizza count as a flavor?

5) Best E3 ever?

This one was a tough call between E3 2015 and 2016, but I think maybe 2016 has it.  To be honest, all of the old E3’s sort of blur together in my head.  But 2016 had Breath of the Wild, Resident Evil 7, Death Stranding, Last Guardian, Wolfenstein 2, etc., so I don’t feel too worried about my choice.

6) Most overrated TV show?

Grey’s Anatomy.  Everyone in my office loves it, but it simply isn’t for me.

7) Favorite Nintendo character?

Donkey Kong, star of my favorite Game Boy game and my favorite kart racer.  He also had some not too shabby SNES games that you might have heard of.

8) Worst movie you’ve ever seen?

Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist.  I watched this on Netflix back in the days when the streaming selection wasn’t so great yet, and uggggghhh.  I had to cut it off at the 10 minute mark.

9) Best video game soundtrack?

So many incredible soundtracks to choose from.  I’m going to reveal an embarrassing secret.  In my high school days, I had a MIDI collection of FFVII tracks that I would listen too every day after school.  So, I’m probably going to go with that.

10) Most tragic downfall of a video game company/franchise?

I tried to think up a few different possibilities for this question, but, in the end, the answer is obvious.  Sega was gaming’s greatest underdog and had a style like none other, and the creative collapse that befell the company’s many talented teams after the Dreamcast era is easily the greatest tragedy in gaming to me.

11) Least awful Michael Bay film?

To be honest, I think the only Michael Bay films I’ve seen are The Rock and Pearl Harbor.  I guess between those two I would choose The Rock.

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And now for my nominations.  I tried to pick blogs that haven’t been nominated yet, but I apologize if any of you have already been selected before.

Nintendo Figures

Blow In My Cartridge

I Played The Game

Disco Dracula

Beauty and Gloom

Hungry Goriya

Skeptical Gamer

Nick the Gent

More Sleep Needed

And if they graciously accept, these are my questions:

1. What made you want to start writing a blog?
2. Outside of gaming, what hobbies do you try to cultivate?
3. Night Owl or Early Riser?
4. Book or movie that had the greatest influence on you growing up?
5. Favorite beverage to relax with?
6. Favorite character from a game?
7. Favorite season of the year?
8. What was the first game that really made you like video and computer games?
9. The Beatles or Led Zeppelin?  (Or neither?)
10. Pie or cake?
11. Favorite number?

Thanks to everyone for reading!