By ladyvader99
I was 19 and I saw it from across the room. It took my breath away.
In this past six months, I have gotten a tattoo on my inner right forearm of a Monster Hunter “forbidden hunter” seal. In the manga, a monster hunter is given this mark to allow them to hunt the most dangerous and the rarest of beasts. Seeing as I have over 3000 hours logged into the Monster Hunter franchise, I deemed myself worthy. There are a total of 10 entries in the Monster Hunter series, spanning over a variety of platforms, with only 4 released here in the United States. The most current installment, Monster Hunter Portable 3, is currently Capcom’s fastest selling game ever.
I was 19 (maybe 20…the years blend!) when I came across Monster Hunter for PlayStation 2. The game play was simple; you are a wandering young person who undertakes the task of relieving a small village of the monsters that plague it in exchange for room and board. These range from small, docile herbivores to HUGE dragons. The game forces you to use every bit of cunning and strategy you possess and the sense of accomplishment when you take down that first Rathalos is immensely satisfying. Every creature you take down allows you to carve material off of it to make superior armor and weaponry, thereby making you stronger and able to withstand attacks from stronger, more hostile and intelligent creatures. There is no “end” to the game, so you can literally play forever.
I got the most fun out of Monster Hunter when my now husband, two best friends and I bought Monster Hunter Freedom for PSP. A Saturday did not pass where we four were not huddled around our PSPs for hours of marathon gaming, A/C adaptors plugged into the wall so our PSPs wouldn’t die mid-quest. Monsters are typically more intelligent and the quest objectives for each are harder when you play online with someone via ad hoc or alone so they represented a bigger challenge. I love the creature design, the landscapes are PHENOMENAL, and it’s truly incredible how they always keep you guessing, even after you think you’ve got a creature’s movement pattern down.
Because Monster Hunter is my favorite game of ALL TIME, whenever I attend a convention, I zoom around the dealer’s room, searching for a statuette, a key chain, or plush of SOMETHING. Japan gets amazing Monster Hunter merchandise and I long to own everything I can! So far, I’ve been able to accumulate a Felyne statue (a cat that assists you in quests and hunter “duties”), plush of a Gigi whelp (white tadpole looking thing with teeth…adorable!), some posters, and a tiny Felyne key chain.
Monster Hunter is definitely not a game for those who want to hack and slash their way through it. This kind of approach will frustrate you since you will die very quickly and quite a lot. Monster Hunter is like the girl you want to take home to your mom. Approach with love, trust and commitment because before you know it, you’ll be 10 hours in and that’s it. You’re in love.
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By ladyvader99
I thought this kind of informative writing would be a door opener to fellow nerds. If you haven’t branched out and “met” a villain you loved to hate, maybe this will help! I first embraced villains as a young, messy haired girl of four. Speed Racer and Sailor Moon were watched almost 24/7 and let me tell you, Snake Oiler and Queen Beryl ruled my dreams. I don’t know if it was the kickass clothing or the devious way they held themselves that made them memorable.
Let’s start by defining what a “villain” is. Aw, who are we kiddin’, it’s the bad guy (or in the better story lines, IS it?)! I’ll begin with Marvel villains and I’ll dedicate this post to the lesser known Ultron and Apocalypse. My cohorts and I may post more of our faves so keep a lookout and let’s dive into the metal insanity that is Ultron.
By ladyvader99
Kate Finnegan is a robust, gorgeous 26-year-old ex-RN who currently
makes her living as a colorist for Big Dog Ink and Azurek Studios. This Irish
beauty hails from Pennsylvania and has a love for Batman that is unrivaled! Her
interests include Batman, comics, Star Wars, Batman, Game of Thrones,
Photoshopping herself onto men and her ideal mate must possess a strong
physical build, resistance to most diseases, sharp eyesight, acute hearing,
knowledge of wilderness survival, martial arts, and firearms/other weaponry.
L: Kate, I’m going to start off by saying you are my female soul mate.
How does that make you feel?
KF: It makes me feel like a unicorn farted in my chest and then sang me a
love song.
L: Hahaha, that is hilarious to picture! Here we go, question #1: if
you were a Star Trek [or Star Wars] character, which one would it be and why?
KF: For Star Trek, I would be Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S.
ENTERPRISE because I would be bald, smooth, and sexy. Plus, I could run around
telling people to “make it so.” For Star Wars, I’ve been told I’m like a female
Han Solo even thought I don’t smuggle things on a regular basis. If I got to
choose, I’d pick Chewie because then I would never have to shave my legs again
and my lush pelt would be a thing of beauty!
Give a big hearty welcome to our newest contributor ladyvader99! You should know her awesome brain thoughts from IHOGeek!
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By ladyvader99
If you’ve paid attention to what Marvel’s been up to, you’ll notice the words “Phase 2″ lurking over the collective films coming out from 2013-2015 which include Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Captain America 2, Avengers 2, Ant-Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy. While this might be the first time we all squeal over impending sequels and trilogies, the fangirl within can’t help but look off into what the future might hold as this is the best time to be a comic geek. Hundreds of heroes are waiting in the wings with years of story telling just begging to be brought to the big screen. While I would personally LOVE a buddy cop type of flick with Nick Fury and Agent “Cheese” Coulson, I’m going to try to be realistic in my wish list below. These are in addition to whatever other installments of Thor, Captain America, and Avengers Marvel decides to have greenlit, so let’s take a look, shall we?
![[insertgeekhere]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FfmQ7SqZV-4/TMygxBrZ3LI/AAAAAAAAABY/91UDYN9JDiY/S1600-R/IGH+Banner.png)
I was 19 and I saw it from across the room. It took my breath away.
