"Birds of Lore" by Ryan Durney (Book, ebook, iOS, Tablet)

Copyright © Ryan Durney 2013

As a fan of mythology, and art I consider myself lucky to have stumbled across a retweet that one of my fellow Twitter followers had passed along. The message was about a book kickstarter that had actually made it through the crowd funding process. Ryan Durney the author of this magnificent tale of mythological birds, and the time traveler who traveled through the past, present, and future to learn all that he could of them created a story that is not unlike an H.G.Wells novella. Both the art included, and the words that followed all held an exquisite tone that was truly rich in nature. Parts of the story definitely reminded me of H.G.Wells' "The Time Machine" while other parts seemed like tales inspired by pages, and inscriptions of ancient world myths. All of it came together quite nicely, and looked impressive enough to warrant the $30 price tag.

MvC3, Tomb Raider & Alice: Madness Returns Minimates (Diamond Select Toys)

Since 1999 "Diamond Select Comics" has been bringing to the forefront toys that cater to a more mature audience. Among their collection you'll find everything from comic book superheroes to movie villains of a vast assortment. Thing's like the sinfully sweet statues of the characters from "Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose" are not out of the question when it comes to Diamond Select's toy production line. This is one of the many reasons I sought to bring reviews on Diamond Select Toy's offerings to your attention. Toys are still very much a happening thing, and as such I know that some of you will be interested in knowing about what's available. Through my shared toy critiques I hope that you gain the knowledge needed to make a smart collector's choice, and that my reviews continue to enlighten you about today's Diamond Select toy offerings. Knowing what's available, and what's of good quality, or rarity are three important things that all toy collectors need to know if they are going to have a noteworthy collection themselves.

Super Motherload (PSN)

Russian cosmonauts, Dig Dug, Resident Evil, and DOOM are some of the things that come to mind as I play "Super Motherload". As with those games, and subjects there's a lot of gameplay, and plot material included that seems oddly familiar. Whatever your take on this mining strategy game is though there's one thing for certain, and that is the fact that "Super Motherload" is one of the more interesting indie titles you'll experience this year. Xgen Studios, the developers behind this Dig Dug inspired strategy game will have you investing hours upon hours literally trying to get down to the bottom of things. With a chosen character, and a helicopter drilling machine you will be doing the bidding of a shady corporation as you try to strike it rich with the combination of minerals that you gather. The deeper you dig into the martian landscape that the game takes place on the closer you'll get to the bottom of it all, and in more ways than one.

Diamond Select Toys & OtakuDante's Gaming Inferno

When it comes to reviews I'm a highly unorthodox journalist. I love to cover topics, and products that interest me as well as those things that reflect the kind of hobbyist that I am. This year I've introduced certain things to you such as the art of the very gifted UK artist Danielle Tunstall as well as reviews on the MTG trading card game. I'm a man of diverse tastes, and as such I love to share these topics of interest with you as often as I can. That is one reason I decided to start contacting companies earlier on in order to setup business prospects for 2014. I believe in being innovative, and bringing to the forefront reviews, and articles on things that dedicated gaming journalists wouldn't touch. Among the companies I've contacted in hopes of securing a partnership of sorts was the Diamond Comics Distributor's sister company "Diamond Select Toys". Unknown to even some of my earlier followers I've been trying to get on board with toy companies to do reviews on these products for quite some time. While this has been a failed attempt for the most part Diamond Select has given me a proper chance to prove my worth as a toy reviewer. For that I'm more than thankful.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory (PSN)

If cutesy anime girls with oddly perverse dialogue oriented scripts are your forte then "Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory" might just be the RPG experience you've been longing for. This latest chapter of the ongoing saga featuring the goddess-like CPUs brings to the table yet another otherworldy dilemma set in the fictitious lands of the GameIndustri. Neppy (Neptune), and all her kawaii little girly pals get lost in their lazy daily activities while paying no attention to the duties they should be tending to. In the heat of the moment Neppy parts ways from her GameIndustri CPU friends only to be spirited away to another dimension where the GameIndustri is less evolved than the one she came from. With the Seven Sages up to their usual antics it is once again up to Neppy, and her old friends as well as her newly found friends to set things right and thwart a plot to rid the GameIndustri of the CPU's authority.