Coffee Shop! Permanent Wii U price drops on games!

Coffee Beans
Yesterday, September 20, 2013, was the first day for the first official manufacturer's suggested retail price drop on the Wii U Deluxe Sets to take place. The Wii U system has been out less than a year now, releasing just last November in the U.S., and the Wii U Deluxe Set originally released with a MSRP of $349.99.

For those of you, unlike myself, that didn't buy a Wii U system when it released or before yesterday, you can now find at least two Wii U Deluxe Sets to buy at its new lower MSRP of only $299.99. There is the standard Wii U Deluxe Set bundled with Nintendo Land, and the newer Limited-edition Wii U Deluxe Set that comes with a digital eShop version of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, the special customized Wind Waker HD Wii U GamePad, as well as a digital download copy of The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia. If you're looking for the White Wii U Basic Set though, apparently that one is going the way of an honest politician, and will probably become more difficult to find as a new product.

So, while the Wii U has now seen its first official MSRP drop, what about Wii U games that have been released? Well, some Wii U games have now apparently seen official price drops, some pretty significant price drops.

Brew yourself some coffee, and see if any of the following new Wii U games prices and deals stand out to you, and if you would recommend any of them to your fellow Wii U gamers!

My very "coffee with games" birthday...

Coffee Beans
Last week, as has happened every year for my entire life on the same day, I turned another year older. Crazy, I know.

Last week, on my "September Brewed - Coffees Consumed, Games Played!" post, SOMEBODY attempted to spill the beans about my birthday in the comments. FYI, I know who you are, and where you sleep!

So, what items did I get for my birthday last week? Brew yourself some coffee (if you haven't already), and take a look below (picture included for skimmers)!

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:

• Caffeinated Thoughts on Mutant Mudds!
• Underrated? Overrated? Must Play? Muramasa: The Demon Blade U.S. Data Report
• Wii U's Release Date, Price, Games, & Features - Caffeinated Thoughts
• Is Kirby's Dream Collection worth $40? What do Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards' hours suggest?
• Time for Wave Race Wii U? Time for Wave Race 64 - Data Report
• Critics vs. Customers! Madden NFL 13 - PS3 & Xbox 360 Reviews Averages
• Grounds for Celebration! Award - LEGO City: Undercover

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.

August Brewed - Coffees Consumed, Games Played!

Coffee Beans
September 2012 is already upon us, and August has vanished like the Statue of Liberty when David Copperfield is around. If you just visited the site occasionally when you saw CoffeeWithGames posts pop up on other sites, here are a few posts you might have missed in August:

• Critics vs. Customers! New Review Feature
• Played more than Mario? Skylanders Spyro's Adventure Hours Report
• Critics vs. Customers! Best & Worst 3DS Launch Titles
• President Obama, Space Camp, & Six Flags Fun Park? How they are oddly connected.
• Did You Board the Nintendo 3DS XL Hype Train?
• Free Games Giveaway! Connect With Coffee
• CoffeeWithGames Turns 3!

September has just started brewing, but what coffees did I consume and games did I play in August? Brew yourself a fresh pot of coffee, and let's take a look!

Coffees Consumed

The three Green Mountain coffee blends I had listed for August, were from our trip when we visited family and we were using my mom's Keurig coffee machine. The Green Mountain Coffee Gingerbread, Green Mountain Coffee Golden French Toast, and Green Mountain Coffee Spicy Eggnog were all brewed and consumed in early August, before we made our trip back home.

The Maxwell House Dark Roast coffee blend was waiting for us when we arrived home from our trip, sitting on the shelf right where I had left it, imagine that! It lasted us a few more days, and when it ran out Mrs. Coffee purchased us the Maxwell House Gourmet Roast. The Gourmet Roast blend lasted us almost until the end of August, and then Mrs. Coffee purchase us the Maxwell House House Blend coffee. We still have right around half the container of it as September has started up, so it should last us a little while longer.

Maxwell House is our "go to" coffee blend now, for two reasons really. It has a good price and decent variety of coffee roasts available. We usually buy the "240 6 FL OZ CUPS" ground coffee containers, and enjoy them while they lasts.

Games Played

What's the "Instant Coffee" list of games I played in August? They are: Super Mario Bros. 3, New Super Mario Bros. DS, Super Mario World, Super Mario 64, PAYDAY: The Heist, Blacklight: Retribution, Rage of the Gladiator, Madden NFL 13 Demo, Punch-Out!!, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Little Big Planet, and GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64.

Super Mario Bros. 3 - We have made it I think to World 6 now, maybe World 7. It has been about a week since we last played it, but we are making slow progress in it. Bean 1 has greatly improved though, and can now beat multiple levels in the game just by going through them with normal items found in the levels.

New Super Mario Bros. DS - Bean 1 was really enjoying this one, until the DS he was using stopped functioning properly. He still runs around the game, but for some reason the DS' touch screen does not register touches, so changing World maps and using stored items in the game can't be done anymore. The bottom screen displays everything properly as it should, but for some reason the touch function just doesn't work, even after trying to calibrate it again. We had completed the game, and were working on all the secret exits before the touch screen stopped functioning.

Super Mario World - Bean 1 and I have beaten this one a few times, using the "Star Road" shortcuts. Bean 1 often calls the game "Mario Super World", but like Super Mario Bros. 3 he has made some great progress in improving his game-play, and can complete entire levels on his own now.

Super Mario Bros. - Playing through and beating the original is still challenging, and if you haven't played it, I highly suggest going into the final level with a fire flower at the least.

Super Mario 64 - Bean 1 has "finished" one mission in a level all on his own. He is able to run around most of the levels pretty well now, knows how to use the cannons, and enjoys climbing trees in the game. The first Star he found on his own was in "Course 1 BOB-OMB BATTLEFIELD".

PAYDAY: The Heist - I played another level on my Steam version in August, and it reminded me quickly of how touch the A.I. can be in the levels! It's definitely a challenging game and there are a lot of police officers, SWAT team members, etc., thrown your way as you try to complete your mission objectives.

Blacklight: Retribution - A free FPS game? Good. A free FPS game on Steam? Awesome! I have enjoyed my brief time with Blacklight: Retribution, though I haven't yet purchased any of the in-game items. I should probably start a video game "schedule" and post it up, where it will have certain times and games I will be playing and maybe some of you could join in. Otherwise, my schedule right now is pretty spastic.

Rage of the Gladiator - I played and completed a few matches in the game, and will probably be playing a few more this month as well.

Madden NFL 13 Demo - I gave the demo a try for the PlayStation 3. I won a few games, and lost a few games. The demo didn't sell me though, because of small things in it that I don't think the Madden series should have considering how long they have been making them. Players running through apparent hologram people on the sidelines, cars that look like they're made from cardboard boxes, no replay function, terrible camera shots of recently completed plays. Perhaps the retail version fixed some of the issues before it shipped, but the demo didn't sell me on the game.

Punch-Out!! - I'm still slowly making my way through Title Defense mode, I completed on more match in Title Defense mode in August, but didn't play it but one night.

Batman: Arkham Asylum - I think I have made decent progress in the game, and I have been enjoying my time with it. I did get "lost" or confused on how to make progress at one point, but that was resolved after taking a break and picking it up again. I'm not sure how many hours of game-play I can expect from it, but I have probably played it around 10 hours so far.

Little Big Planet - I started this up for Bean 1 randomly one night in August and he is making a little progress with the game-play, but having to hold the R1 button to grab onto objects is a little challenging for him still. I had never really played it before, and I am finding it interesting as I play through some of the levels with him watching. I might need to start a new file though, and start from the beginning to understand the storyline and more of the game-play elements in it, but so far the game-play seems pretty solid and I like the graphical style in the game.

GoldenEye 007 - Which one? GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64. The game turned 15 years old on August 25th, and I put many hours into back when it originally released. I have been playing through some of the single player missions, and enjoying the game. If I can ever "pull the trigger", I will have two posts up on GoldenEye 007 sometime this week (said that last week also!).

Thoughts/Questions

I enjoyed all of the games I played in August, even my brief games with the Madden demo, though it failed to sell me on the game. If you are looking for a great way to play the old NES and SNES Mario games, I think buying a cheap Wii console and purchasing the Mario games off the Virtual Console is a great way to go about it.

If you have a Steam account and like FPS games, I do recommend giving Blacklight: Retribution a try, especially considering its free. If any of you have PAYDAY: The Heist on Steam or for the PlayStation 3, and want to try some cooperative matches in the game, leave a comment below or feel free to email me at Scott(@)CoffeeWithGames.com to let me know when you play the most.

What video games did you play in August, and did you have a drink of choice while gaming? Are there any games you played in August that you would recommend others to check out? Also, if any of you are Nintendo DS owners, have you ever had an issue where the touch screen stopped registering any "touch" on it? If so, were you able to fix the problem?

Free Games Giveaway! Connect With Coffee

Coffee Beans

Do you like free games? Here's a chance for you to win not just one game, but four games! Fieldrunners, BIT.TRIP BEAT, SpaceChem, and Uplink are up for grabs, and each is compatible with Android, Windows, MAC OS X, and Linux platforms.

Not only will you get the games, but you will also get the official soundtracks for each as well. Now, how do you go about entering? Brew yourself some coffee, and take a look below!

May Brewed - Coffees Consumed, Games Played!

Coffee Beans
     So, May marked a "return" of sorts to a more normal posting schedule here on CoffeeWithGames, since the beginning of the year! What games did I play, and coffees did I consume in May? Let's take a look!

Coffees Consumed
     May was pretty simple as for the coffees. All the blends we had were Maxwell House, which Mrs. Coffee buys quite often. First up was the Maxwell House Master Blend. It is a nice mild coffee blend, which they say is "perfect for every morning.", but I can testify it's pretty good throughout the entire day as well.
     Second, we had a big container of the Maxwell House Gourmet Roast and its flavor description says it is "Deliciously Smooth". I prefer my coffee black, and RARELY (about as rare as the Bigfoot sightings, maybe more-so) put cream and/or sugar in my coffee, but I think I have reached a point now where if a coffee is "mild", I don't notice much of a flavor difference. It's definitely not a bad thing, and perhaps it's a reflection that I'm drinking coffee to help me to stay awake, more than just to enjoy...though I do both.
    The last blend in the Coffee House for May was Maxwell House Dark Roast. Its description reads, "Rich & Full Bodied", and I do think this one has the "Dark Roast" part down very well. It's definitely noticeable as a dark roast coffee, but not so much that it tastes burnt. Being that I enjoy "strong" coffee flavors, I enjoy this blend a good deal, and have a cup of it right now, with another cup in the pot.

Can you name them all?

Games Played
     Jett Rocket - I downloaded this WiiWare demo last year, and have played through it twice now, enjoying it both times. As I was preparing the above image, our oldest Bean saw Jett Rocket and asked, "Who's that!?", which then ended up with me finding a few YouTube videos for him to watch while I was piecing it together. I haven't downloaded a WiiWare game in a long-time, but I'm hoping that Nintendo will confirm next week that all WiiWare/Virtual Console purchases already made will transfer to the Wii U, without any major issue(s). If they can finally announce that, I might just perhaps download Jett Rocket and give the full game a try. If you missed the WiiWare Wednesday post on Jett Rocket's reported game-play hours, you can read the full report HERE.
     Sanctum - Sanctum is the very first demo I downloaded after I started my Steam account. I had attempted it last year I believe, and it ran pretty rough due to my GPU at the time. In January, I upgraded my PSU and GPU, and then at the beginning of May I finally gave the Sanctum demo another try, and completed the full demo. Sanctum is a "tower defense" type game with a FPS view, and it does have weapons to shoot at the enemies (not sure how this is compared to other tower defense games). It was the first tower defense game I can recall playing, and the more time I spent in the demo, it started to remind me of chess games. It really does seem to require a good strategy to setup the defenses around the level, and try to be planning ahead for the next waves of enemies that will be coming, even though you aren't sure what those may be.
     Rayman Origins - I started playing Rayman Origins, again, from the beginning on May 18, and finished the campaign yesterday afternoon. According to the Nintendo Channel data, I put just over 27 hours into the game, in 2 weeks! Now, I do know some of that time was the game being left on, as I was going to check on the little Beans at night, and I also recorded some footage one night for the data report on the game, but I would suspect most people should get a good 20 hours out of it easily. Which makes me wonder how/why the reported game-play hours for it are barely over 10 Hours "Per person", as I showed in my "Platforming Awesomeness! Rayman Origins Hours Report" post.
     Red Steel 2 - What happens when you reserve a game with $5 down on it about a month before the game releases, but fail to purchase the game? Then skip 2+ years into the future? Well, you can't remember if the $5 credit is still on the game, if you already used it on another game, or if the wonderful corporation that is Game Stop made it magically disappear. I reported on Red Steel 2's reported game-play hours over the last 2 years in May, and the same day I left the house and decided to stop by Game Stop to see if my $5 credit was still on the game. While the credit wasn't anywhere to be found, I did end up purchasing Red Steel 2, and so far I have played it just under 30 minutes. I'm enjoying the art style, but still getting used to the controls and I'll try to share more thoughts on the game when I either finish it, or perhaps as I progress through it more.
     Rage of the Gladiator - I decided to battle the first boss in Rage of the Gladiator using the game's Wii MotionPlus control settings before I started playing Red Steel 2. While I did defeat the first boss, I failed to defeat him perfectly! One hit too many. If you haven't played Rage of the Gladiator, you can find the WiiWare demo for it on the Nintendo Shop Channel.
     PAYDAY: The Heist - What happens when you go to Game Stop, and spend cash on a game? Well, you come home and find an incredible sale on a PC game, that you can't believe! Amazon.com had PAYDAY: The Heist on sale in May for only $5! I own the PS3 version, but was curious as to how/if my PC could run the game. For $5 bucks, I figured it was worth a try, and sure enough, the game runs pretty well, and I already completed the first "heist" in the game. When I was purchasing it from Amazon.com, I didn't realize the game was actually going to run through Steam, but that's what it does. Fortunately, I already had the Steam account, so that wasn't an issue for me.

Question
     What games did you play in May, and did any coffee blends help you survive the month?
     Also, if you have any questions about the games I played in May, or the coffees I consumed, feel free to ask in the comments below or by contacting me directly.

December Brewed! Coffees Consumed, Games Played - Happy New Year!

Coffee Beans
     Happy New Year! December was super busy, with January and the new year in full swing, let's take a quick look at the coffees and Ed Hardy Energy Snacks I consumed, and video games I played in December.

Coffees (and Energy Snacks) Consumed in December
     Maxwell House Dark Roast - I believe this was purchased by Mrs. Coffee for us early in December, and was one of the 270 cup coffee containers. It didn't survive through December, but we did enjoy it.
     Community Coffee - I consumed several different blends of this during December. We had some Community Coffee Medium Roast at our house, but we also consumed some Community Coffee blends while we were visiting family in Louisiana.  Mrs. Coffee's family likes to brew the Community Coffee blends.
     Folgers Coffee - This was another coffee blend I consumed when we were visiting family.  The Folger Coffees blends are what my mom likes to brew.
     Maxwell House Gourmet Roast - This is another big 270 cup coffee container, that was purchased after we arrived back home from Louisiana.  We still have a good amount left, and it should last us at least another 2 weeks or so.  I think Mrs. Coffee enjoys this blend a good bit, because it's the second time she has purchased it in 2 months.
     Trader Joe's WAKE UP Blend - Upon arriving home from Louisiana, we had a lot of packages in the mail.  One of the packages was pretty big, and it contained a 28 oz. (1 LB 12 OZ) container of this Trader Joe's WAKE UP Blend Medium Roast coffee.  Like in the past, this Trader Joe's coffee blend was mailed to me from fellow reader Charlie, who writes on his own blog at NicodemusAtNite.com.  Thank you Charlie!
     Ed Hardy Coffee & Chocolate Rocks - What do you do to stay awake while driving through the night? Well, I chose to eat some Ed Hardy Coffee Rocks, and the Chocolate Rocks, to help me stay awake.  I found the Ed Hardy Energy Snacks to be great while driving, as I was able to eat a few at a time, without overdoing it.  I ate them in moderation, so I would not become super caffeinated and get pulled over for driving 100+ mph, but I was in the driver's seat for about 13 hours with the help of Ed Hardy's Energy Snacks.  Not only did I find them useful, but I discovered Mrs. Coffee was sneaking some of them after we made our final stop!

Games Played in December
     Super Mario Bros. - I played this random nights in December, as our oldest son plays the "delay fish" game before bed.  Basically, the "delay fish" game is where he names everything he can possibly think of to delay going into his room by a few minutes, that I may fall for. Super Mario Bros. is one of those things.  I did end up beating Super Mario Bros. in December, when Mrs. Coffee and I had some friends over one night for a Christmas get together. It took me multiple tries, but I eventually made the dash just right, and hit the switch(if you have played it, you know what I'm talking about).
     Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - Played some more online, and a bit more of the single-player for a video project (not just the coffee one).  Haven't played it since we left before Christmas, and since we made it back. Perhaps a few rounds in a bit to see how it's playing would do well.
     Tenchu: Shadow Assassins - A game on my New Year's Video Game resolution list.  I had played this on and off, but really started playing it a good bit in December attempting to finish my resolution.  Did I finish the game?  That's for another post!
     New Super Mario Bros. Wii - When Mrs. Coffee and I visited family out of town, one of my friends brought this over to my parents' house and Mrs. Coffee, he, and I played through this in one night.  We "completed" the game, by using the canons (he knew where they were), and defeated the final boss in just over 3 hours.  I did record a lot of it, but my PC's HDD is almost 100% full, so I'm having to shuffle files around now.
     Endless Ocean: Blue World - Another game on my New Year's Video Game resolution list.  I had played this almost 2 years ago, but started a completely new file in December so I could try and actually pay attention to the storyline.  I have enjoyed my time with the game, actually much moreso than I thought I would.  Was I able to reach the end of Endless Ocean: Blue World though?  More later!

Filtered Thoughts
     Can you all believe another year has already flown by?  Crazy.  If any of you are wondering, "Coffee, why aren't you posting much right now?"  Well, we were out of town for a little over a week, then I was sick.  I have been working since we got back also, and now school is starting up.
     Also, to add a little more to my craziness, as I mentioned above, my computer's HDD is nearly 100% full (typing this on Mrs. Coffee's laptop actually), and I just installed a new PSU and GPU (Christmas gifts), and am waiting on a DVI to HDMI cable to show up any day now, because the one that came with my PC is AWOL.  Once I get my desktop back 100% functioning with the HDD cleared off some, posting should pick back up a bit.

Questions
     What coffees did you consume (or other beverages) and games did you play during December?
     Also, do any of you have Endless Ocean: Blue World by any chance?

November Brewed! Coffees Consumed, Games Played

Coffee Beans
     First, if you are the proud owner of a 2011 Club Nintendo Original Calendar, don't forget to change your month to December!

     Now, November was a great month! Not only was it Thanksgiving, and we have a lot to be thankful for, but we also had a family member visit us for a week. I was able to play a good bit of games, and consume coffee and caffeinated products throughout November. So, without further delay, let's take a look at the games I played and the coffees I consumed in November!

October Brewed! Coffees Consumed, Games Played

Coffee Beans
     I turned a year older early in October, and you can read about some gifts Mrs. Coffee got for me HERE.  I have been working more hours each week than I would like, especially with school and full-time family duties each day, but I am grateful for a job; especially one where I can grab a cup of coffee each day on my way home.  Speaking of coffee, if you missed my review post, "Surviving 48+ Hours Without Coffee?  Ed Hardy Energy Snacks Review", you can read that to see how I went for just over 48 hours without any coffee, and I didn't get a caffeine headache!
     Now with November brewing, what coffees and caffeinated products did I consume and what games did I play in October?  Let's take a look!

May Brewed - Coffees Consumed, Games Played

Coffee Beans:
     May was an interesting month for me.  Being that I had finished up school(and am out for the summer), I started looking for summer work.  I was hoping that whatever job I got might turn into a good part-time job when school starts back, but wasn't sure how quickly something would happen in this job market.  I ended up landing a job at Chick-Fil-A, and have been gainfully employed for about the last 3 weeks.  My first day of training I tried the coffee, and I also had it my second day, though I forgot to add it to my "Coffees Consumed" for May.
     So, with a new job and my same spastic nightly schedule, what coffees did I consume and games did I play during May?  Let's take a look!

April Brewed - Coffees Consumed, Games Played

Coffee Beans:
     April was an extremely busy month, and it's gone forever now...at least until next year!  So, with May upon us, let's take a quick look back at the coffees I consumed and the games I played during April!

Coffees Consumed in April:
     Maxwell House's House Blend (Medium Roast) - This was one of the 34.5oz, 270 coffee cup, containers that Mrs. Coffee purchased in March.  It was emptied in April, so I doubt we will see any more of it in May.
     Seattle's Best Coffee Organic Breakfast Blend - This was a surprise purchase for me, by Mrs. Coffee, back in March.  I finished this off during the last week of April, but enjoyed it while it lasted.
     Caribou Coffee Reindeer Blend (Medium-Dark Roast) - Somehow, this blend that I received at Christmas from Mrs. Coffee has survived 4 months, with a few more beans in the bag to make some more coffee!  I doubt it will last through May, but I've been wrong before.
     Maxwell House Original Roast (Medium Roast) - This is another 34.5oz, 270 coffee cups worth, container of coffee that was purchased around mid-April.  It's currently about 2/3rds full, and will probably last us the rest of May.
     New England Coffee's Colombian Supremo Blend - Like the Seattle's Best Coffee blend from March, this New England Coffee's blend was a surprise purchase by Mrs. Coffee.  Interestingly enough, I don't think this coffee, has the "coffee smell".  I don't know what it is, it just doesn't have the typical coffee smell I'm used to with basically every other coffee blend we have had.  I even asked Mrs. Coffee to smell the coffee, and she said it smelled normal...but I call foul!  I can smell the distinct "coffee smell" with the Maxwell House and Caribou coffees, but this New England Coffee blend, there's something different about it.


Video Games Played in April:
     GoldenEye 007 - I didn't play much of the single-player in April, but I did play a good bit of the online multi-player.  I played some matches with Robert from here on the site, and I also played some matches with Keith, from RespawnAction.com.  Hopefully, I should be getting a few videos of some matches uploaded soon.  Also, if you missed it, on April 5th I posted, "GoldenEye 007 - New List Price and Sale!", which showed how Amazon.com had dropped the game's list price by $10, but also had it discounted down to $29.99 at the time.
     Monster Hunter Tri - I picked this up at the beginning of April, and started working on the single-player campaign again.  I hopped online a few nights, and I did some monster hunting with other hunters from NinTemple.com and NintendoWorldReport.com on the one year anniversary for the game.  I also did a post on Monster Hunter Tri's game-play data over the first year, and included a video of a Great Jaggi hunt as well.  You can read that post/watch the video HERE!
     Greg Hastings Paintball 2 - I finished the game's Career mode in March, but I picked it back up and played some matches in April, while I was recording footage for my, "Greg Hastings Paintball 2 - Video Preview and Impressions".  I also posted a two part interview with the developer of Greg Hastings Paintball 2 in April.  You can read the interview, HERE and HERE.  Also, I announced that Greg Hastings Paintball 2 will be releasing on May 10 on the PlayStation Network, though because of the PlayStation Network's crash/downtime, I don't know if the game is still scheduled for release on May 10 now.
     Battlefield 1943 - I played this just two nights during April, kind of out of nowhere.  I decided one night just to try getting into a quick match, and I ended up playing for about two hours, over 2 nights.  The game is still fun, and I like the maps, vehicles, and destruction in the game.  If you never saw my videos of me playing Battlefield 1943, you can see them HERE and HERE!
     Fish'em All - This is a WiiWare title, and I'm going to have to post a video to show what the game-play is like.  I won the game from the developer, Abylight, after answering a few questions about the demo of the game I had played back in March.  If you want a free copy of the WiiWare game Fish'em All! for yourself, they still have 133 copies left they are giving away, HERE!  Not only that, but if you enter and get Fish'em All!, you will also be entered to win a Nintendo 3DS...you enter to get your free copy of Fish'em All! HERE.
     Rage of the Gladiator - I actually played a few rounds of Rage of the Gladiator, to give my Nyko Wand + and Nyko Wireless Kama controllers a try with the game's Wii MotionPlus control setting.  I actually liked the addition of the WM+ moves in the game, and though not perfectly executed every time, I think it helps add to the game-play.

Thoughts/Questions:
     While I didn't complete anymore games from my backlogged list in April, I have made good progress with Monster Hunter Tri's single-player campaign.  Once I finish that, I'm not sure what game I will attempt to finish next.  I enjoyed all the games I played in April, and will hopefully be providing coverage for some of them very soon!
     As for the coffees consumed, I favored the Caribou Reindeer blend the most in April, and I think it's because I brewed it more often at night, while studying for tests; so I had lots of time to drink and enjoy it.

     What coffee blends(or other beverages) did you enjoy during April, and what video games did you find yourself playing in April?

March Brewed, April Brewing - Coffees Consumed, Games Played

Coffee Beans:
     Happy April Fools!  March has been brewed and consumed, like a good pot of coffee; though there were a few bitter moments(delayed flight and major car repair!)...like coffee left sitting around too long!  If you missed the post earlier in March, the Reader Points page is updated through February, and March's Reader Points should be up by Monday.
     With April upon us, let's take a look back at the coffees I consumed and games I played, during March!

Coffees Consumed in March:

January Brewed, February Brewing - New Bean Roasting!

It seems like I was just writing my "Happy New Year" post, but January is done!

You may be wondering, "What's up with your 'Coffee Bean Family' banner, and what's this 'New Bean Roasting'"?  Drum roll...

Well, I'm happy to announce that my wife and I are expecting our second child!  Mrs. Coffee is doing well, and she's actually about 19-weeks along in the pregnancy.

We just had an ultra-sound last Friday, and found out we are having another little boy coffee bean, so I'll be adding another "Little Boy Bean #2", in a few months to the banner.  While we have known for a few months, I decided to wait until the ultra-sound to see if it was pink or blue...before making the announcement here.  The ultra-sound results were normal, and the baby bean was reported to be doing well.

In other not so big of news, school started back for me in January, so I'm doing my best to keep up and stay on schedule with my schoolwork...which is why my posting has slowed down some.
  
So, with the big news out, what video games and coffees did I play/consume during January?  Let's take a look!

Coffees Consumed in January:

• Caribou Coffee Reindeer Blend(Medium Dark Roast) -  You may recall this was some coffee that showed up Christmas morning, a gift from my wife.  I'm still enjoying it, but being that it's a whole bean coffee, and with my crazy school schedule starting back in January, I didn't find myself grinding it up very often, and would do it only about once, maybe twice, a week.
• Maxwell House Custom Roasted Dark Roast Ground Coffee - We finished off the container from December, and Mrs. Coffee purchased us another 270 cup container of it, toward the end of January. The new one will probably last us until the middle of February, or the end.

Video Games Played in January:

• Borderlands -  Keith and I played Borderlands a decent amount in January, but we still have a long way to go to finish the game.  I'm having a lot of fun with it, and it seems like the game has a wide range of weapons, and we haven't even seen them all yet.
• Donkey Kong Country Returns - This game is a blast!  Mrs. Coffee and I played through the game, and completed it 100% according to the game's data.  We are now going back through, and collecting all the puzzle pieces in each level, and we should finish that within the next week or so.  Donkey Kong Country Returns was the first game from my list for my New Year's resolution, that I completed.
• GoldenEye 007 - I'm still working my way back through GoldenEye 007's single-player campaign, on the "Agent" difficulty setting; and played through a few more missions in January.  I also played a the Golden Gun multi-player mode in January, though only a few matches of it.  It was fun, and I think once I figured out where the gun is in each map initially, I would do better.
• Greg Hastings Paintball 2 -  I am still working my way through the single-player campaign in Greg Hastings Paintball 2.  The game has a lot of levels, and I plan to do a more in-depth video "preview" when I finish the campaign.  I think I'm about 50% through the single-player campaign, and I did finally unlock the game's paintball rocket launcher, but I haven't purchased it yet.
• Monster Hunter Tri - I started playing this again in January, as part of my New Year's video game resolution, and I'm still enjoying the game.  I even played the game's online multi-player some, even though that isn't part of my New Year's resolution.  I'm almost finished with the quests in the single-player campaign, enough so that I believe my "final" quest has already been opened up for my picking.
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii - New Super Mario Bros. Wii was the first game I think we played in the New Year.  We had friends over, and after rocking out last year with music games from the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series, we ended up bringing in the New Year with New Super Mario Bros. Wii, with four-players, and having a lot of fun.

Thoughts/Questions:

So far, I have completed one of the twelve video games on my New Year's resolution list, and I played a few more, as listed above, during the month of January.  While I didn't drink as many coffees as I have in past months, I probably consumed about the same amount though.

If anybody has any questions about the coffees I consumed, or the video games I played, during January; please leave the question in the comments section, or email me if you prefer.

Also, you may have noticed the new banner at the top of the site, it was made by reader ArakniD, who also made the other banner I had been using.  I'll be switching the banners back and forth, so thank you ArakniD for taking the time to design me a new banner for the site!  I really appreciate it!

So, what video games and beverages did you find yourself playing/consuming during January?

Amazon.com Raises Prices of Third Party 3DS Software

Coffee Beans:
     I have been following prices and sales ranks on Amazon.com for a while now.  Amazon has had multiple 3DS games available for pre-order, since sometime in December, and it appears that 3DS games just got a bump in the MSRP that will be asked of consumers.
     Here's an image that shows what Amazon.com was asking for the pre-order prices on 3DS games, until this evening:

     I just checked Amazon.com, and here are the new pre-order prices for those same 3DS games...you can click the links to see for yourself, and pre-order if you wish:

• Nintendogs + Cats for $39.99(First party game, no change in pre-order price)
• Baseball 3DS for $39.99(Third party game, $5 increase for pre-order)
• Contra 3DS for $39.99(Third party game, $5 increase for pre-order)
• Frogger 3DS for $39.99(Third party game, $5 increase for pre-order)
• Madden NFL Football 3DS for $39.99(Third party game, no change in pre-order price)
• Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3DS for $39.99(Third party game, $5 increase for pre-order)
• Pro Evolution Soccer 3DS for $39.99(Third party game, $5 increase for pre-order)
• Winning Eleven 3DS for $39.99(Third party game, $5 increase for pre-order)

Filtered Thoughts:

     As you can see according to Amazon.com, it now appears $40 may be the standard MSRP price of new 3DS games.  Now with Nintendo's big event happening in a few short hours around the world, either Amazon.com is raising prices just to be safe, or they are preparing their site ahead of time to be ready for all the people looking to pre-order after tomorrow's announcements.

Questions:

     Do you think Amazon.com is showing the true price of 3DS games, at $39.99?  If so, do you think that $40 is too much for 3DS games?

     I personally, having the "Cheap Cheaper Cheapest" mindset, think $40 is ridiculous for portable versions of games...and yes, I'm judging a book by its cover, as I haven't played any of the games.  Perhaps once I do, the $40 will be justified...but call me a skeptic.

December Brewed, January Roasting - Happy New Year!

     The 31 days in December vanished!
     December started off with me preparing for finals, and college wrapping up for the semester.
     Mrs. CoffeewithGames' dad visited us for a week, and while he was visiting, I showed him how to operate Netflix on our PS3.  He was a professional at it by the time he left, and he was really impressed with the service.
     I ended up getting my first general doctor's appointment for the first time in probably 8 years in December, due to a pain in my abdomen, which still hasn't been "officially" diagnosed as anything.  After two office visits, and an ultrasound of my gallbladder, the only thing the doctor told me was I should cut back on my coffee intake...I may have to get another doctor!
     I finalized my registration in the middle of December, for my classes in the Spring Semester, which will be starting very soon.
     My parents flew in on Christmas Eve, and visited with us for a week, flying out on the 30th.  It snowed about 6 inches when they were here, and that was fun.  I didn't play many games at all during their visit, but my dad enjoyed using the Netflix service on the PS3, and he searched and found a lot of old detective and cop shows he used to watch.
     The month wrapped up with us having friends over for new year's eve, and we played a lot of games last night!
     So, here's a look at the different coffees I consumed and the different video games I played in December:

     Coffees Consumed in December:

• Maxwell House Coffee Master Blend - This was coffee from a 270 cup container Mrs. CoffeewithGames had purchased in November.  We finished it off early in December.
• Trader Joe's Organic Fair Trade Cafe Pajaro Blend Extra Dark Roast - What a lengthy title for some coffee!  If you missed my write-up on this coffee, you can read it HERE!  Reader Nicodemus_at_Nite, aka Charlie Chang, mailed this container of whole bean coffee, and I enjoyed throughout the months of November and December.
• One Cup of Starbucks' Christmas Blend Coffee - I ended up getting this cup of coffee early in December, I believe with my Starbucks gift card that still had a little money left on it.  The Starbucks Christmas blend is a blend of different coffee beans from around the world, and it had a nice flavor to it.
• Whole Bean Dunkin' Donuts Original Coffee - We have just about one pot left of this coffee, and then it will be gone.  I know Dunkin' Donuts has the slogan, "America Runs on Dunkin'", so I'm interested in seeing if I would enjoy their Dunkin' Dark roast more than this Original Blend.
• One Cup of McDonalds' Premium Roast Coffee - I forgot to add this to my "Coffees Consumed" list, but I purchased this the last day of school.  I had gotten up extra early to leave, and ran out of the house without making a pot of coffee.  I stopped by the closest McDonalds I knew of on my way home, and purchased their sausage burrito and this cup of coffee to go with it.
• Maxwell House Custom Roasted Dark Roast Ground Coffee - This is another 270 cup coffee container.  We still have some of it in our cabinet, and it should last a good ways through January.  It has a nice flavor for a darker roast coffee, that isn't one of the more "premium" brands.
• One Cup of Beyu Caffe's Heart & Soul Blend Coffee - Well, I discovered something new in December.  One of my neighbors told me of another neighbor that owns and runs his own coffee shop/restaurant in our downtown area.  It's called the Beyu Caffe, and Mrs. CoffeewithGames and I headed down there one weekend, to give the coffee a taste.  I tried the Heart & Soul Blend is Beyu Caffe's "signature blend", and it's roasted by a local coffee roasting company in our area.  It has a good solid flavor that was smooth, and it is a medium-dark roast.  I enjoyed it, and hope to try it again.
• Caribou's Reindeer Blend Coffee(Medium Dark Roast) - This coffee showed up underneath our Christmas tree!  Mrs. CoffeewithGames got me this as a Christmas gift, and it's described as, "Heavy, Spicy, and Caramely".  I believe Caribou's Reindeer Blend is like Starbucks' Christmas Blend, in that it only comes out around Christmas each year.
• One Cup of Beyu Caffe's Kenyan Sensation - My neighbor that told me about the coffee shop downtown, brewed a pot of this last night at his house...and he literally showed up on my front porch holding a pot of the Kenyan Sensation coffee!  He poured me a cup of the coffee, and I said out-loud at some point, "This has a nice sweet flavor."  Well, the description for it says that it has a "syrupy and sweet body" and I would agree.

     Games Played in December:

• GoldenEye 007 Wii - I have been working my way back through the game's single-player campaign, on the "Agent" difficulty setting.  I haven't been playing as much multi-player, just because we had a lot of family in visiting during December, but I'll be getting back to multi-player soon!  I'm enjoying my second play-through of the campaign, and I plan to try to complete the game on each difficulty setting...we'll see how that goes!
• Call of Duty: Black Ops - I played a little online multi-player in December, but not much.  I haven't even completed the game's single-player campaign yet!
• Rage of the Gladiator - When Nintendo finally started making WiiWare demos available again, I wondered if Rage of the Gladiator would get a demo.  Well, I contacted Ed Roman of Ghostfire Games, and he confirmed that Rage of the Gladiator is getting a WiiWare demo, but it may not be for a few months.  I posted the news of the Rage of the Gladiator WiiWare demo, along with a video from a match I recorded in December.  You can read the full news post and watch a battle against the ninja, Nagano, HERE!
• Greg Hastings Paintball 2 - I played some more of the single-player campaign, as well as a few online matches in December.  I'm having fun working my way through the single-player campaign still, and I'm finding some of the matches really challenging!
• Sports Champion - I was able to borrow the Sony Move set, with Sports Champion, from a friend for a few weeks.  So far though, the only games I have tried with the Move controllers are Ping Pong and the Gladiator Duel game.  Perhaps now that it's a new month, I can find some more time to play it, before I return it to him!
• The Beatles: Rock Band, Rock Band 3, Guitar Hero(III, IV, and/or another one?) - When we had our friends come over on new year's eve, our neighbors were some of them...and our neighbors love music video games.  I think they had six different "music" games between the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series, and we started with The Beatles: Rock Band, but moved on to the other games quickly.  What started off slowly, ended up with four people playing the games.  One singer, the drummer, and the guitar and bass.  We rotated playing the games, and we had fun doing it.

Thoughts/Questions:

     While I played a good number of games, I didn't play the games for as many hours as I did in the past few months.  December was good though, because we were able to spend a lot of time with our families that we don't see very often.

     What games did you all play during December, and did you find yourself consuming more coffee over the Christmas and New Year's holidays?
     Also, I hope that all of you have an awesome and happy New Year!

November Brewed, December Roasting

     Well, the 30 days of November have disappeared, like coffee does from my cup on a daily basis!  November was another busy month, with a lot of craziness happening.  I was sick, again, for about 2-weeks during the month; and as soon as I was feeling better, our son got an infection.  On Monday, November 29, I took my car(nicknamed Oreo) in for a "free" oil change, and it ended up being a very expensive car repair day.  The good news is November ended with everybody in the family feeling well, and the car running better than it was.  We also had a great Thanksgiving together as a family, and again, I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving as well.
     If you have been reading the site for a few months now, you may have noticed(or not) the "Coffee with Games Monthly Reader Points" tab listed at the top.  The page is currently updated through November.
     I really do appreciate the participation by everybody in the comments, and the feedback you all give on the different stories and the games you have played; and I'm hoping the "Reader Points" will end up working as an encouragement for you to continue, and others, to participate as well in the future.

     Another site note: when I wrote my article, "Should There Be Game Review Standards?" back in August, I had posted a poll on the site, to get feedback on the subject.  I have kept the poll results on the sidebar since it closed, but will be removing it now.  If you didn't see the poll results, I'm including the image of the poll question and results here:

     Now, let's take a look at the different coffees I had in November, and how many video games I found time to play during the month:

Coffees Consumed in November:

• Maxwell House Coffee Master Blend - This was another large 34.5 oz container of coffee Mrs. CwG found at the store.  It's a 270 cup container, and we have a little left to finish off in December.  The description on the coffee container labels it as "mild", and I think that's a pretty good description for the strength of it.
• Three Cups of Starbucks Regular House Blend Coffee - These cups of coffee were all purchased using a Starbucks gift-card I found in my wallet, that I had received last Christmas!  I drink my coffee black, 95%+ of the time.  I used to think Starbucks Regular House Blend from the stores, had a burnt taste; and about two years ago, it was basically the only coffee I would "leave room for cream".  I noticed in November though, as I was drinking my first cup black, that the coffee didn't have the burnt taste anymore, at least like I remembered it having.  I don't know if Starbucks has changed their "House" blend, or if my taste-buds have lost their tasting power, but I enjoyed all three cups of Starbucks House Blend black.
• Community Coffee Ground Medium Roast - This coffee was left over from October, when Mrs. CoffeewithGames' mom and grandma visited us, and had brought this up with them.  I enjoyed the blend, and if you are ever in Louisiana, you can find Community Coffee pretty easily, as it is a Louisiana based coffee company.
• Trader Joe's Organic Fair Trade Cafe Pajaro Blend (Extra Dark Roast) - If you missed my recent post, "Nicodemus_at_Nite and Coffee by Mail, Again!", you can read it HERE.  If you don't read it, long-time reader Nicodemus_at_Nite, mailed me the Trader Joe's Cafe Pajaro coffee blend, like he has mailed me several Trader Joe's coffee blends in the past.  I still have about half of the container left, and will be enjoying more of the Cafe Pajaro blend throughout December.
• Nescafe Taster's Choice Colombian Instant Coffee - My first "instant coffee" experiment in November, and I'm not really sure how to describe it.  I like my coffee strong, and I like my coffee black.  While I drank this "black", I can't say it was strong.  For me, it was like a watered coffee.  If you enjoy Nescafe Taster's Choice Instant Coffee, any blend, please leave a comment and let me know which blend you prefer.
• Folgers Classic Roast Coffee Singles - This is basically coffee in a tea bag, or at least that's the attempt.  Like the Nescafe Taster's Choice Colombian Instant Coffee, I think the Folgers Classic Roast Coffee Singles is a little on the "watered down" side.  Even after adjusting the amount of water used with each coffee bag, I still couldn't get a strong enough flavor; like my regular brewed coffee.
• One Cup of Starbucks Christmas Blend Coffee - This blend was purchased on November 29.  When my car was getting "repaired, I walked down the street and found a Starbucks to sit in and use their WiFi for a bit. This coffee blend was described to me as being "extremely strong, with a smoky flavor", and I think it applied well.  I ended up sitting in the Starbucks for about 2.5 hours, and heard and saw a lot.  A barista there named Charlie, seemed to know his regular customers well, and would call them by name as they entered the cafe; and I was extremely impressed by the customer service there.
• Whole Bean Dunkin' Donuts Original Coffee Blend - This is some whole been Dunkin' Donuts that we had left from October.  We still have another full bag, that will probably be used some in December.  I think this is a very mild blend of coffee.

Games Played in November:

• The Conduit - I had traded The Conduit off in October 2009 through the website Goozex.com, and in October 2010, I was able to get The Conduit back again.  I played a few online matches with a fellow reader of the site, GoNintendo.com.  I was destroyed handily by him, and a video of one match will be up shortly.  I did play a few missions in the single-player again, and I think it will be interesting to see how HVS has improved(hopefully) Conduit 2.
• James Bond: GoldenEye 007 - I purchased this the day it released, November 2, using birthday money I had saved up.  I completed the single-player campaign on the default difficulty setting on November 4, and have been enjoying the online multi-player since then.  You should be seeing a few of my online multi-player matches posted here on the site in the next few days, and if you subscribe to my YouTube Channel, some are already posted there.
• Call of Duty: Black Ops - I purchased this from Amazon.com, again with birthday money, and received it the day it released.  I purchased the PS3 version of Black Ops, and have played online Team Deathmatch and the online Zombie Mode as well, a good bit.  I haven't completed the game's single-player campaign, but I have started it.  Hopefully I will finish the campaign in the next week.
• Rage of the Gladiator - I ended up playing this late one night, after seeing a discussions pop back up on the message boards on NintendoLife.com about the game.  I still enjoy the game, and I may be uploading some more videos from it this month, to show off more special attacks in the game.
• Jett Rocket Demo - I'm glad Nintendo has finally brought back WiiWare demos.  I downloaded the Jett Rocket demo when it was released, and I played through the entire demo level.  I had fun with my play-time with the demo; and if you enjoy platforming games, you would probably enjoy this one.  Jett Rocket can be downloaded off the Wii's Shop Channel for just $10, or 1,000 Wii Points.
• Greg Hastings' Paintball 2 - I'm still working my way through the single-player events in this game, and didn't play any online during November.  The game's singler-player "campaign" has a lot of events to participate in, so this game will probably be a slow burn title I continue to enjoy through the holidays.  If you are a parent, looking for a non-violent FPS game for your kids, I would suggest giving Greg Hastings Paintball 2 a look.

Thoughts/Questions:

     If anybody has any questions about any of the coffees I consumed, or the video games I played in November, please feel free to leave a question in the comments, or by sending me an email at, Scott(@)CoffeewithGames.com.
     Also, if anybody has any of the games I listed above with online play, I have my friend codes and PSN information on my "Contact Information & System Tags" page.

     What games did you all play during November, and did you find yourself consuming more coffee with the Thanksgiving holiday and crazy shopping days during the month?