Tuesday, October 2, 2012

September Brewed - Coffees Consumed, Games Played!


Coffee Beans
Like coffee in my cup, the month of September is gone! If you skimmed an occasional post here and there during the month, here are some posts you might have missed during September:
With October already brewing, what coffees did I consume and games did I play in September? Brew yourself some coffee, and let's take a look!

Coffees Consumed
Maxwell House coffees were the dominate coffee blends in our house during September. We had three Maxwell House coffee blends in September that we enjoyed, those being:
  • Maxwell House House Blend
  • Maxwell House Dark Roast
  • Maxwell House Gourmet Roast
For the first time in a few months, we purchased some Starbucks coffee during the month, but it wasn't just for brewing. I had been wanting whole coffee beans to record the grinding sound with our grinder, for the Grounds for Celebration videos. Mrs. Coffee was out one day early in September, and I messaged her asking if she could grab some whole coffee beans before coming home. She purchased the Starbucks Blonde Veranda Blend, and it is an extremely light blend. If you don't like your coffee dark and very strong, this would be a good blend to try.


Over the last weekend in September though, Mrs. Coffee and I packed our bags and loaded the car with the boys, and headed off to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee with some friends. While we were in Gatlinburg, I searched for a local coffee shop that I could perhaps grab a cup of coffee from on National Coffee Day. I found a local shop, Coffee & Company, and tried their house blend for the day (either the Costa Rican Tarrazu or the Le Conte View roast).

Games Played
The short list for the games I played in September is: New Super Mario Bros. DS, Super Mario World, Super Mario 64, LittleBigPlanet, Mutant Mudds, Rage of the Gladiator, Blacklight: Retribution, Batman: Arkham Asylum, 2 Fast 4 Gnomz, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Bros., and BIT.TRIP RUNNER.

New Super Mario Bros. DS - Bean 1 is still playing this, even with a barely functioning bottom screen. He'll ask/tell me (or, I'll be volun-told as Chalgyr said) to play few of the levels from time-to-time, and we are currently back in World 3. I have been tempted to take apart the DS Lite, and see if I can figure out the touch screen problems; I even looked up a few YouTube videos on how to do it.
Super Mario World - Not much new here to report, but Bean 1 and I are still enjoying this one on the Virtual Console like most of the other Mario games.
Super Mario 64 - This one became Bean 1's Mario game of choice in September. He has improved GREATLY in the game. I have attempted to record footage of him in the levels a few times, but usually start recording a little late. He beat Koopa the Quick on September 9th, and enjoys running around the castle and levels; but like NSMBDS, I get asked/told to play a few levels and do a few things in it from time-to-time.
LittleBigPlanet - Bean 1 asks to play this as his last delay tactic before bed usually. He is pretty good at getting through levels in the game now, and he has found some incredibly designed player created levels, with Mario themes and even a Phineas and Ferb level that I was really impressed with. Like the Mario games, I usually get asked to play a few of the levels to help out, and show him how to get through certain areas.
Mutant Mudds - I purchased Mutant Mudds for my PC the first week of September, and I have really enjoyed my time with it so far. The game is definitely challenging, and platforming fans should enjoy it. I have been using the default controls in the game, but you can adjust them or use a separate gamepad if you want. Bean 1 has even attempted to play a few of the levels, which I found amusing to watch.
Rage of the Gladiator - I played a few matches again, and realized that there are quite a few bosses I haven't recorded/uploaded any footage from yet. I may do that for an October post, or two.
Blacklight: Retribution - I decided to give this one another try in September, and enjoyed my time in a few matches one night in September. I actually placed 3rd in a match, which I think is the highest I have placed so far. I just started attempting to change out my gear, and once finding where to look, it seems like a pretty easy process once you have the points and the required level in the game to use better equipment. If you have a Steam account and enjoy FPS games, I would easily recommend you giving Blacklight: Retribution a try considering it is free-to-play.

The game shows the top three players at the end of each match.
Batman: Arkham Asylum - I'm not sure how close I am to beating the game, but I think I have made some decent progress in it so far. Perhaps before the Wii U releases, I can finish Arkham Asylum, then give Arkham City a try on the Wii U. I'm still enjoying my time with the game, and I like how the game is challenging and makes me think of ways to clear rooms of enemies. Batman is not invincible!
2 Fast 4 Gnomz - Bean 1 clicked on this WiiWare demo from the SD card menu on our Wii. I ended up being volunteered by him to play it, and completed the demo. The game is insane, at least from my time with the demo. Think BIT.TRIP RUNNER style where you don't stop moving forward, but the graphical style kept making me wonder if I was going to have a seizure! One thing I did like that 2 Fast 4 Gnomz provided in each level was the number of times you had attempted it. So, if you hit spikes, fall in holes, or just miss your jumps 20, 30, 40, or 50 times, you know exactly how many times you have been tortured by the level. The level of difficulty might be too much for your average gamer also, but if you enjoy tough challenges I do recommend giving the demo a try.
Super Mario Bros. 3 - Another Virtual Console game that has shown to be a great value for us. Bean 1 is still running around in some of the levels, and can complete World 1-1 and World 1-2 now usually without any/many issues.
BIT.TRIP RUNNER - On National Coffee Day, I started with the Maxwell House Gourmet Roast, then the house blend from Coffee & Company, then a cup from McDonald's, then I ended the day/night with another cup(s) of the Maxwell House Gourmet Roast. Right before sleep took over Saturday night, I played BIT.TRIP RUNNER on Mrs. Coffee's laptop.

Questions
Did you have a coffee blend/roast of choice in September?  What video games did you play during September, and would you recommend any of the ones that you did play?

Also, if you have any questions about the games I played or the coffees I consumed in September, feel free to ask in the comment section below.

15 comments:

  1. Happy BDay to Mr Coffee today!

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  2. There's a serious Mario theme going on there.

    For me it's been a much narrower play selection than normal, with Madden 13 and Dragon's Dogma making up the lion's share of my playtime.

    I have filled in the gaps with some Orcs Must Die! 2, Super Penguins, NFL Blitz and Kid Icarus: Uprising.

    Probably my biggest 'distraction' game-wise has been CCG titles like Magic 2013, Guardian Cross and Rage of Bahamut. The latter two are particularly handy because with them on my phone, I'm able to play them just about anywhere, and for whatever reason, CCG's generally hit a sweet spot for me. I'm curious to see what the makers of Rage plan to do with the Transformers license they're supposed to be making use of this fall.

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  3. "with Madden 13 making up the lion's share of my playtime."
    I see what you did there. Got the Lions in with your comment on Madden.

    "NFL Blitz"
    0_0. Madden turned you back to the arcade style huh.


    On the, "Probably my biggest 'distraction' game-wise has been CCG titles like Magic 2013, Guardian Cross and Rage of Bahamut."
    My friend here is still playing Rage of Bahamut on his iPhone as well. I had no clue they had the Transformers license for a game, but it's interesting because I don't even know who the developer is! *goes to look it up


    Hopefully they can make a game better than the movies, but that's not saying much is it? -_-


    It's interesting you mentioned Dragon's Dogma today, as I was having a conversation just yesterday when someone told me I should buy it.

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  4. Happy BDay to Mr Coffee today!

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  5. My family and I went to Gatlinburg back in March for a week. Very nice weather, great drive. Did you happen to stop at the Donut Friar while you were there?

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  6. Walked by the Donut Friar probably 3-4 times, didn't go in though. Is it highly recommended?

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  7. LOL - well, no Lions for me this wekeend, they're on a bye.

    As for the Blitz game - it was the ps+ freebie so i figured I'd try it for a couple of games last night. not super impressed yet.

    Mobage games is the studio I believe. The Transformers game is supposed to be VERY similar to how Bahamut is set up. IGN had an article w/ a few screenshots a month or two ago.

    Dragon's Dogma is... interesting to me. It has a lot of sources of inspiration while not doing a whole lot 'new' (outside of the pawn system, which is decent). I obviously like it well enough since I keep playing, but it's nothing like Skyrim or even Kingdoms of Amalur to me at this point.

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  8. I highly recommend it. I was with my wife, the kids, my mother in law and my grandmother in law. My wife's mother and grandmother were walking around and they stopped in there for donuts and coffee. My wife and I were walking around with the kids and we were looking for her mom and grandma. We happened to walk by the Donut Friar just as they were coming to the door. We ended up going inside and had some of the best donuts I've ever had! The owner makes them fresh daily and they are so good. We actually ordered a box on our way out of town. We had a 9 hour drive back home and I remember eating some of the donuts on the drive and the rest the day after we got home. As for the coffee, it was quite good.

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  9. Better put them in the grinder, (wow, that's morbid!)

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  10. September was yet another busy month, though we did take a much needed vacation to the beach. I'm now counting the seconds until we can go again.. :) I switched from Melitta classic to Euro due to Amazon's lack of stock. It's about $4 more for the 4 cans, but does have a stronger flavor and we're enjoying it. Strangely enough we've also purchased some Starbucks VIA instant coffee packets which have been quite good. (i really don't like starbucks) They've been a nice shot of caffeine in the afternoons on days we really need it. I think we now have the Caramel and one of the regular flavors.




    I also hooked the Wii back up and have been dipping into some WiiWare and Virtual Console games again when I have time. So far I've been pretty good and have only purchased 'A Link to the Past', holding off on quite a number of other VC games I'm looking at. Still plenty to keep me incomplete though..




    The round up:


    Wii:
    The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
    Fluidity
    Bonk's Adventure
    Mega Man 9
    Mario Kart Wii


    (just a bit of gaming to test out a LCD: )
    Super mario Bros
    Metroid
    Dungeon Explorer


    3DS:
    New SMB 2
    Mario Kart 7
    Mutant Mudds
    Super Mario Land 2


    PC/Steam:
    CaveStory+
    Torchlight
    Super Meat Boy - well, I haven't played much, but my oldest has. She's mostly interested in pausing the game on the 360 controller then presses the ESC button to resume., but she's getting a little better each time. Though I started to pay attention to the game and it's probably not the best for kids. I mean Dr. Fetus gives you a 'double salute' when you pause. :D




    I've been itching to get LTTP for about the past 8-10 months now and have to say that it's as good as I thought it would be. (even with all the anticipation) Just a solid 2D Zelda experience that I think we're sorely lacking at times these days.




    I suspect I'll also be getting back to torchlight and other PC gaming a bit more in October with my new TV setup and HDMI connection for the laptop. (ps: Steam's big picture is awesome)

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  11. "I switched from Melitta classic to Euro due to Amazon's lack of stock. It's about $4 more for the 4 cans, but does have a stronger flavor and we're enjoying it."


    I may grab a small thing of Melitta one day (was tempted to a few months back), and I'll definitely look for the stronger roasts.


    I can't remember if I have tried the Starbucks VIA coffee, but I have tried another brand. Do you have a favorite VIA flavor, one you would recommend more than the others?


    When you're playing Mario Kart Wii, is that online, or just local stuff? On Super Meat Boy, does your oldest laugh hysterically when she is pausing/unpausing it? Ours used to in games, and still occasionally will do that and the youngest will start laughing hysterically as well.


    I will say your list of games was more than I was expecting, I guess the good news is that all of the listed games are still not complete?


    Fluidity is on my list to start this month, not sure if I'll finish it though...hopefully that Wii to Wii U file transfer works well.


    As for LTTP, we have on of them on our Virtual Console that Mrs. Coffee downloaded, I think it is LTTP, not positive at this moment though.


    "(just a bit of gaming to test out a LCD: )Super mario Bros
    Metroid
    Dungeon Explorer"


    Yes sir, you did! Thank you for that. As soon as a TV decision is made, I'm sure I'll update with news.


    Thanks for the comment/feedback!

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  12. Careful, you might get hooked on melitta. :) I don't have much experience with VIA, but the carmel is pretty tasty.


    "When you're playing Mario Kart Wii, is that online, or just local stuff?"


    Pretty much local-only right now, but it's primarily due to the lack of time and chaos that's the usual around here.


    "On Super Meat Boy, does your oldest laugh hysterically when she is pausing/unpausing it?"


    I think she was pretty serious about the pausing, but tells me all about it while we're playing. "a game, a game, I pause.." me: press A to jump. "a jump, a jump. ooohhhhh.. a funny".


    Thankfully though nothing is complete on that list. I'm pretty close on mutant mudds and should just put in some serious effort to do the last 2 main levels. and yeah, it's more than I expected to get in these days. You'll also notice that I don't list the total amount of time played. Some were just for 30 minutes, though I think I put several hours into LTTP.


    I'm not sure that I helped any on the TV, but hope that goes well.

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