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It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Loses An Eye

Monday 6 June 2011

Greetings and welcome to my post for Alex J. Cavanaugh's It's All Fun and Games blogfest!

Taking part in this Blogfest involves listing my three favourite games. Wow, that's tricky. I mean, I couldn't even begin to name my three favourite computer games. Or board games. And do sports count?

Here's my list anyway. It would probably be different if I wrote it on a different day ...


Scrabble
I love wordplay in all its forms : crosswords, puns, poetry and fiction. Scrabble is a game I play constantly. For the record, the most I've ever scored with a single word was 176 for EDUCTION (played across two triple word scores.) True fact!

Cricket
Sport counts, right? It came down to a choice between cricket and gridiron (American football) : two games, it seems to me, with almost limitless depth and subtlety. Cricket edges it. One of these days I'm going to attend all five days of an England test match somewhere warm. What could be finer?

DragonQuest IX
Had to include a computer game. Ah, so many to choose from! Plants vs. Zombies? Lords of Midnight? Quake II? Elite? In the end I picked this as I'm currently playing through it on the Nintendo DS (adventuring alongside my elder daughter on her DS) and I'm utterly hooked. Wonderful game. Here's a picture of my Level 64 Mage called, um, Simon. He looks more like a warrior type, I know, but that's because he refuses to pander to stereotypes ...


There we go! Thanks for dropping by.

Posted by Simon Kewin at 08:00

41 comments:

  1. fairyhedgehog6 June 2011 at 08:19

    There are games that aren't computer games?

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  2. Simon Kewin6 June 2011 at 09:34

    Oh yes. Kids these days play them all the time!

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  3. Joe Romel6 June 2011 at 10:02

    You guys call it gridiron?? Why don't we call it that?! That's so much better (and accurate) than "football!"

    Sigh. Yet again, you guys prove why we should have invented our own damn language. We don't deserve yours.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Simon Kewin6 June 2011 at 10:07

    Joe,

    Yeah, most people would say "American Football" I suppose, but gridiron is understood too. Is that not common currency over there?

    I love American English idiom though - English isn't "ours" and it's great it absorbs so much from elsewhere.

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  5. Old Kitty6 June 2011 at 11:44

    Yay!! Scrabble got a mention!! At the moment Cricket somewhere dry and warm would be nice! LOL!

    Take care
    x

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  6. Alex J. Cavanaugh6 June 2011 at 11:46

    Great choices! Yeah, had to include a computer game.
    Did you add your blog to the list so others can find it?

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  7. Simon Kewin6 June 2011 at 11:52

    Thanks Old Kitty. Yes, maybe a game of Scrabble while watching the cricket?

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  8. Simon Kewin6 June 2011 at 11:52

    Thanks, Alex. Yep, I'm on the Linky list.

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  9. Ellie Garratt6 June 2011 at 13:39

    Great choices! I'm hopeless at Scrabble - Mr. G beats me every time!

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  10. Simon Kewin6 June 2011 at 13:49

    Thanks for dropping by, Ellie. Yes, I think it's a love-it-or-hate-it game really.

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  11. Nicki Elson6 June 2011 at 15:44

    A warrior w/ no pants, that is.

    A couple weeks ago my kids and I saw a pick-up cricket game going on at a local park---in Midwest USA! Pretty cool. I remember learning to play in gym class in grade school, but that' about the last time I've seen it.

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  12. Simon Kewin6 June 2011 at 16:07

    Nicki,

    No, no, they're special magical pants, honestly!

    Cricket in the mid-west? Pretty cool. I think I'm correct in saying the US won the first ever international cricket match you know!

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  13. Madeline Mora-Summonte6 June 2011 at 16:55

    I play Scrabble on my phone. I'm addicted! :)

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  14. Karen M. Peterson6 June 2011 at 17:08

    I love Scrabble. This is the second mention of cricket, which I've never played, don't understand, and sort of want to learn now.

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  15. Simon Kewin6 June 2011 at 17:11

    Madeline,

    Me too actually - I play online against my parents and siblings. Sometimes I even let them win ...

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  16. Simon Kewin6 June 2011 at 17:50

    Karen,

    You should! 'Tis a wonderful game. Mind you, I could happily watch baseball too ...

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  17. Jeff Beesler6 June 2011 at 18:11

    176 points for Eduction. That's hard to imagine, though in my defense I haven't really put in near as many hours of Scrabble as you have.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Simon Kewin6 June 2011 at 18:14

    Jeffrey,

    Heh, well, I don't normally make words like that!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Ciara6 June 2011 at 18:57

    Scrabble and Cricket are popular today. Great pics. I'm a new follower from the blogfest.

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  20. Simon Kewin6 June 2011 at 19:34

    Hi Ciara,
    Many thanks for dropping by! I'm pottering over to your blog now ...

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  21. Golden Eagle6 June 2011 at 20:52

    Hooray for Scrabble! :)

    I've never heard American football referred to as gridiron--but as Joe mentioned, it is more accurate!

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  22. Simon Kewin6 June 2011 at 22:13

    Golden Eagle,

    Interesting - I assumed it was a commonly-used term. I guess it isn't needed if you can just say "football".

    Go Giants!

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  23. M Pax6 June 2011 at 22:39

    I've seen some cricket. I'd like to try playing some time. I love all word games.

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  24. The Words Crafter6 June 2011 at 23:43

    I adore Scrabble and I'd love to learn about Cricket. It's fascinated me since I read about it in Narnia :)

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  25. Anonymous7 June 2011 at 01:01

    Oh, YES! Scrabble. Absolute classic!!!

    Had to check out your poetry label.
    Scifaiku....VERY interesting, a new one on me.

    Nice blog!

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  26. T.D. McFrost7 June 2011 at 01:01

    YES YES YES! I LOVED DRAGON QUEST IX!

    It was the best!

    I don't really adore Cricket, but I do know about it--not many people know what it is, so I'm glad I found another.

    Scrabble is another thing I love, so I'm very happy to meet you, Simon!

    Hit me up and we'll nerd about Dragon Quest and any other game you like. :D

    ReplyDelete
  27. Donna K. Weaver7 June 2011 at 03:13

    You know, I just realized after looking at your selections (and I have no idea why I remembered this here) but one of the games I should have listed on my blog list was Harvest Moon!

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  28. Precy Larkins7 June 2011 at 05:07

    Scrabble! I've just read 2 or 3 blogs before yours listing Scrabble as one of the top 3. ;)

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  29. Nicole Zoltack7 June 2011 at 06:23

    Ah, DragonQuest! I've played a few. Fun games.

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  30. Alison Miller7 June 2011 at 10:59

    Yay for Scrabble!

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  31. Simon Kewin7 June 2011 at 12:56

    Hi M Pax,

    You should; it's a lot of fun.

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  32. Simon Kewin7 June 2011 at 13:01

    Hi Words Crafter,

    Yes, it is a fascinating game. I find it endlessly fascinating.

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  33. Simon Kewin7 June 2011 at 13:02

    Thanks Bryce! Yes, they're an interesting market. I'm off to your blog now ...

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  34. Simon Kewin7 June 2011 at 13:22

    Thanks for dropping by T.D. Yes, Dragonquest IX is truly great. I've "finished" it now but there's still so much to do.

    Heading on over to your blog ...

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  35. Simon Kewin7 June 2011 at 13:31

    Donna,

    Thanks for dropping by - yes, I think my daughters might well have gone for Harvest Moon!

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  36. Simon Kewin7 June 2011 at 13:38

    Nicole,

    Oh yes! This is my first but I'm tempted to go and track down some of the others now.

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  37. Simon Kewin7 June 2011 at 13:40

    Alison,

    Absolutely!

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  38. K.C. Woolf7 June 2011 at 15:27

    I like Scrabble, I've never played DQIX and cricket confuses me. :-)

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  39. Simon Kewin7 June 2011 at 15:35

    KC,

    Fair enough - it confuses me sometimes too!

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  40. Reid Kemper11 June 2011 at 10:53

    I still haven't played the Dragon Quest series, so I should do that now that you mention it.

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  41. Simon Kewin11 June 2011 at 12:04

    Reid,

    This is the first I've played myself. Definitely going to try others.

    Thanks!

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I'd love to know what you think.