My Top Ten E3 2015 Moments

This year alone, I've done two top ten posts, one about my favorite games, the other about my favorite WWE matches. Both posts were a huge success and are my highest viewed posts this year. I want to continue this trend but with something that is topical. E3 was this past week and MAN, it was a great show. I wanted to talk about my top ten moments from the show. You'll read about game announcements, release dates and such.

10. PlatinumGames Dominates - PlatinumGames is one of my favorite developers. MadWorld, Vanquish, Metal Gear Rising and Bayonetta all came from this amazing studios. With Microsoft announcing that their next title, Scalebound would miss E3 due to Microsoft's already, it looked like we wouldn't be seeing anything from PlatinumGames this year at E3. We couldn't have been more wrong. Three titles were shown at E3, all being developed by the studio. Star Fox Zero, Transformers: Devastation and a new game in the Nier series. I'm not a big Star Fox fan so I don't care too much about that. I'm not a Transformers fan either but PlatinumGames has made some amazing and flashy combo filled titles. All but The Legend of Korra have delivered. I'll give the title a chance. The title I'm most intrigued by is the Nier title. I liked the original Nier but it just didn't capture me like I wanted it to. Like Square Enix, I'm hoping with that PG will be able to breathe life into this series. They've done it with Metal Gear so Nier can be the next series they help. PlatinumGames is putting in work! While we didn't get to see Scalebound from them, the announcements that we got made up for it. Here's hoping their games live up to the hype.

9. New South Park RPG coming – Yay! What a treat for RPG and South Park fans alike! The Stick of Truth was really a great adventure. It was brimming at the top with personality and deep enough combat to continue to hold me longer in the town of South Park. It worked enough to get an unexpected sequel. The world of South Park is filled with many characters and storylines. They didn't even scratch the surface when it comes to different environments or characters. The possibilities are endless in the next South Park RPG and I'm really looking forward to seeing what the team can do again.

8. ReCore announced – This was a pleasant surprise. When anything new or different is announced for Xbox One, I jump right on it. This is the case with ReCore, from the minds of Keiji Inafune and some of the designers who worked on Metroid Prime. If I was to judge this game based on the work of the past, then ReCord could be something really special when it’s released around this time next year. Could you imagine a Mega Man esque game mixed with the exploration of the Metroid games? It would be a match made in heavan! The only reason this isn’t higher on the list is because they didn’t show any gameplay for the game at all. It was ALL trailer, nothing to show what perspective it would be, what type of gameplay would be involved or just exactly WHAT your fighting for. That’s fine though as it add a bit of mystery until they do show something more. ReCore may not have had gameplay shown, but it won me over due to the fact that it was different, amidst the heavyweights of featured on the same conference in Halo 5 and Gears of War 4.

7. Star Ocean V is coming west – It’s not like this was breaking news or anything but it’s always good to get confirmation. During the Square-Enix presser, they announced that Star Ocean V would be coming to America in 2016 for the PS4. Sorry PS3 owners, time to upgrade. The lack of a PS3 version is good to me. It’s time for people to start looking toward the next generation of gaming anyway. You all know by now that I love a good JRPG so whenever one is announced to be coming to the US, I get excited. This time, it’s an established series that I have a history with. I’ve been a fan of the series since 3, although I’ve only ever completed 4 when it released on Xbox 360. I’ve been clamoring for a new title ever since. The thing that I like about this game is that all party members you get in the game will participate in battle. In most RPGs, you’re limited to the few amount they allow you to have in battle, which is either 3 or 4. I saw 5 and 6 in the gameplay trailer. While not a big thing, it’s definitely going to eliminate the biggest pain I usually have with JRPGs; picking who’s in the main party and who’s on the bench. It’s so hard when each party member has so much to offer. Do I do a straight melee party or do I balance it out with magic. I had to go through this problem recently with Xenoblade and even though I got to the end before on the Wii version, it was still a tough decision the 2nd time around! There isn’t much known about Star Ocean V but I do know that once it comes to North America, I’ll be getting it first day.

6. Cuphead shines – Microsoft’s press conference was SOOOOO bland. They claimed that huge exclusives Crackdown and Scalebound wouldn’t be shown because they had a massive line-up of games. Sorry, as cool as a Rare collection is, it shouldn’t have gotten time over a new game like Crackdown or Scalebound. 30 games people have already played got more time than 2 BIG titles? It was ridiculous. They showed too many multi-platform games and too many remasters. Did we really need a Castle Crashers remaster? Come on guys! That’s why when a game like Cuphead showed its face, I got excited. Cuphead isn’t an AAA title that features the latest graphical upgrade or rousing multiplayer action. It’s a game that features the art style of a 1930s cartoon and platforming gameplay. They didn’t show any enemies besides bosses so it will probably be boss heavy. The 1 minute they showed of this little title got me excited to see more. I enjoyed seeing Rise of Tomb Raider and Gears, but I love the smaller titles as well. This is a real gem that Microsoft has and I can’t wait to play it in 2016.

5. Sequels, Sequels, SEQUELS – KH3, Mass Effect, Dark Souls, Fallout 4, Tomb Raider, Just Cause 3 – As with any E3, sequels took center stage once again. It was the year of 3s AND 4s. 3s representing Kingdom Hearts, Dark Souls and Just Cause and 4 representing Fallout, Mass Effect, Gears of War and Uncharted. The most surprising sequel of the bunch is Just Cause 3. We knew it was coming as it was already announced but I did not think it would look as amazing as it does. I’ve played both of the Just Cause games but they really didn’t win me over that much. 2 was a great game though but it didn’t drop my jaw. 3 had me salivating. I seriously can’t wait to delve into this world and just explore, glide around in my wingsuit and grapple things with the hook. December can’t come fast enough.

Kingdom Hearts III looks like it’s progressing well. We got our first look at a new Disney world in the form of Tangled. I’m VERY surprised, based on all the success of Frozen that it wasn’t featured but maybe down the line. I’m assuming Rapunzel will be one of the new princesses featured in this game. Due to the massive space between the releases of Kingdom Hearts II and the eventual release of III, they have a lot of worlds to play around with. Tangled is the first of hopefully many new Disney worlds that we will see. The action looked fantastic and I loved the Magic Mountain summon. KH3 is probably still in the early developmental stages but I can’t wait to play the finished product.

The worse kept secret of this year’s E3 was Dark Souls III, which will release in early 2016. I’m still reeling from Bloodborne so a Dark Souls III announcement, while welcome, wasn’t really needed for me. That means that there was no real rest in between these types of games. Dark Souls II released in 2014, Bloodborne in 2015 and Dark Souls III in 2016. I don’t want these games to be an annualized series. They claim DS3 will be the last one in the series but come on, how many times have we heard that?
Whatever your series, there are some good titles coming to consoles soon. Fallout 4 AND Tomb Raider being released on the same day is going to hurt my wallet but I can’t wait to juggle playing both of them. Xbox exclusive Gears and Playstation exclusive Uncharted will do battle next year. Those two series were the crown jewels in the last generation and it’s good to see they aren’t done just yet. Whether you like shooting, sandbox or throwing your controller down in rage because the boss has killed you for the 34th time, you’re sure to have loved some sequel that was shown at E3.

4. Mario, Luigi, and…PAPER MARIO?!? – The one surprise I was hoping from Nintendo was a title that made up for Zelda not being around in 2015. I was really hoping for a new Paper Mario title on the Wii U since the last PM game kind of sucked. I just could not get into Sticker Star. Well, my dreams were half way answered. Next year, Nintendo is doing another game in the fantastic Mario and Luigi RPG series but this time, Paper Mario will be along for the ride as well. That’s going to be an interesting dynamic. Paper Mario and M&L are both RPGs and Mario but it really does feel like a crossover event. From the trailer they showed, it looks like Paper Mario will use his transforming abilities to help the brothers in their adventure. There was a creature chasing the brothers and PM using his paper ability to slow down the descent of the brothers’ jump. It looks interesting and Nintendo is 4-0 when it comes to the Mario and Luigi series. Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam should feature more of the same.

3. Xenoblade Releases in December – YES! Nintendo didn’t have much to offer in terms of hardcore games. I mean, they closed their digital event with Super Mario Maker. That’s not a title that’s going to sell me on my Wii U, which is collecting dust after since I got done with Smash, which by the way now features Ryu from Street Fighter. I didn’t want that but that’s awesome! Anyway, their ace in the hole, Legend of Zelda, wasn’t shown due to the fact it’s releasing in 2016. That left the only games I really wanted to see down to two for Wii U, Devil’s Third, which no showed the digital event and Xenoblade Chronicles X.
I finally completed my journey in Xenoblade Chronicles this month. It was a LONG journey and the last boss was tough due to being underleveled but I did it! All I was hoping for was to finally get a solid release date. Tales did it so I was hoping for a date that didn’t interfere with them. I got my wish. Xenoblade Chronicles X will release on Friday, December 4th, WAY after all the blockbuster titles come out. It releases the same week as Just Cause 3 though so that should be a fun week. I absolutely loved the original Xenoblade and it was a breath of much needed fresh air for the JRPG genre. If the sequel is anything like that, XBX will be stealing ALL my free time during the holidays.

2. Persona 5 IS coming in 2015 – They didn’t show anything new in terms of gameplay but Atlus did announce that Persona 5 would INDEED be coming to America in 2015. Why is this a big deal? Well, my love for Persona 4 is, or rather, SHOULD be well known. It’s my 2nd favorite game of all time. I’ve been waiting for a sequel to this since December 2008. I was still a senior in high school when I first played P4. I’m a married deacon now. I NEED to play Persona 5. The fact that we won’t have to wait much long earns P5 this spot on the list. It’s already July basically, which means, in reality, there’s only about 6 months left before Persona 5 is released. A 7 year wait is almost over. Almost over…

1. Sony’s lineup – Hands down, Sony won E3 for me. In my eyes, the other two didn’t come anywhere close to what Sony has lined up for gamers. They opened the show with the first gameplay from the title that has been in development hell for YEARS, The Last Guardian. I don’t know if gameplay will get deeper than what was shown but there is a HUGE demand for the game as the last two titles that the studio put out are critically acclaimed as the best Playstation 2 titles of all time. A 2016 released was announced so it won’t be long before we finally get our hands on this amazing title.

They showed a new IP from Killzone developers Guerrilla Games called Horizon: Zero Dawn, which is my vote for best new IP announced. This is what I like; a developer trying to tackle a different genre. All they ever made were shooters so I’m very interested to see how they will do in an action RPG setting. From the looks of it, they’re going to succeed. As soon as the video started playing, the game reminded me A LOT of Enslaved and Heavenly Sword looks wise. That’s probably because of the red haired heroine and the post apocalyptic world. The game looks amazing and the demo was filled with some great, tense 3rd person gameplay. While it looked like the other two games I mentioned, it for sure was it’s own game. I wish other developers, like From Software, would venture off and try new genres like Guerrilla is doing because this looks like to be a surefire hit when it releases in 2016.

Square was up next and we all were hoping for some Kingdom Hearts III gameplay. Well, we didn’t get it. What we did get was a look at a new Final Fantasy titled called World of Final Fantasy, which features chibi versions of Final Fantasy characters. It looked OK but what followed is what everyone really popped for. Square showed a tech demo for Final Fantasy VII 10 years ago to basically show the power of the Playstation 3. Ever since then, people have been clamoring for a remake. Can you believe it was 10 years ago when they showed that? Well, after 10 years of waiting, Final Fantasy fans everywhere got what they wanted as they FINALLY announced that the beloved Final Fantasy VII was getting a remake. This pleased the crowd. While not the biggest advocate for FF7, a remake is something the fans wanted and Square delivered. The trailer said play it FIRST on PS4, so it could potentially come to XBO eventually.

This next announcement was, at least for me, more shocking than the Final Fantasy VII remake. Sony announced that Shenmue III was going to be doing a Kickstarter campaign and if the goal of $2 million was reached, would start development. This is THE announcement from E3 for me. Persona, Tales, Xenoblade and Star Ocean are all great but I’ve been waiting for Shenmue III since 2001. They cut to a guy in the crowd, who got up out of his seat after the announcement and just put his hand to his head. We could have NEVER guessed that Shenmue III would have been announced that night. The goal of $2 million was shattered a mere 9 hours after the event which just goes to show you people want this title. Now, the game on the Kickstarter page said something about not being released until 2017 so the wait will be a bit longer, but at least it’s officially announced!



There were also some games shown from Devolver Digital, which all look amazing. They’ve really been one of the greatest sleeper developers that Sony has in their arsenal. There was the brawler/beat em up Mother Russia Bleeds, which looks disgustingly violent, the action RPG Eitr, a hybrid of turn based, action and platforming game called Ronin and the action adventure Crossing Souls. All 4 look amazing and will be Day One buys for me once they release.

Sony also showed Star Wars Battlefront and closed with the expected Uncharted 4 but the lead up to them turned out better, in my opinion, than the two games. The triple threat line up of showing The Last Guardian and announcing the development of a remade Final Fantasy VII and the most wanted Shenmue III was enough to seal the deal for Sony at E3. Horizon, Street Fighter V, No Man’s Sky and the Devolver Digital games were just the icing on the already delicious cake. Sony proved they still know what gamers want and are the company to beat in the coming year.

E3 is done! Coming up, 2nd quarter review post! WWE might have found a strong match of the year candidate in the 2nd quarter while gaming started to pick up. Post is coming soon...

WWE Money in the Bank 2015 Predictions

Although not apart of the big PPVs, MITB has definitely earned its spot as a big event in the summer. This event will literally show you how the summer months will go as there is a big storyline in place that could be finally executed come Sunday. Let's talk matches.

Since there is only one MITB ladder match this yer, I think they should hold it off until later in the card. First up should be the tag team title match, pitting Xavier and Big E of The New Day VS Titus and Darren, WWE's PR dream team, consisting of an openly homosexual man and the father of the year, not respectively. I'm a huge fan of the Prime Time Players, have been since they first showed up in WWE. Their comeback was surprised, but welcomed as the division needed a great pair up like them. New Day's reign has been a successful one as they've been drawing massive heat from the fans and have won at three straight PPVs in a row. I don't think WWE is going to end it just yet, although I would love for the PTP to FINALLY win the belts. This is a hard one but after 10 minutes, the numbers game will catch up to PTP and New Day will retain again.

Paige will challenge tweener Nikki Bella for the Divas Title again. I'm bored with the feud to be honest. This division needs a major change. A change like a different Diva involved. Why can't they call up Charlotte? I know she's in a feud with Dana Brooke but come on, this division is slacking. Many people think that Nikki will be the one to break AJ's record as they are apparently starting to count how many days she's been champion. Is WWE so petty as to really allow that to be the only reason why she continues to be champion? Why not have Sasha feud with her? You see the excitement between Owens/Cena, so why not bring up the champion to pull double duty as well, especially since she wasn't featured on ANY of the NXT episodes after Unstoppable. Regardless, Nikki wins.

Ryback VS Big Show. Ugh. Ryback wins. It could be a good match but I'm not holding my breath. Please, just give the title to Neville.

I can't lie, I'm pretty disappointed with this Money in the Bank match. Does anybody really stand a chance with Reigns in the match? And where the hell is Bray Wyatt and/or Cesaro? While I'm glad WWE has spot monkeys Kingston and Neville in it, do they really have a chance at winning? Orton, Kane and Ziggler ALL won this match before, so if you're a betting man, that only narrows it down to Kingston/Neville/Sheamus/Reigns. I'd LOVE to see Sheamus with the briefcase and side with The Authority. I would absolutely love every bit of that. I love Sheamus as a character and his new look to boot. While this will definitely be a great and hopefully long match, it just could have had so much more to it. Next year, let's make it for guys who haven't won before or have won a World Title before. If they do that, the match could be a bit brighter. Sheamus is my #2 pick but this looks like it's set up for Roman Reigns to win. And we might not have to wait long before he cashes that contract in...

Kevin Owens and John Cena will once again do battle. Their first match is easily one of the best matches the main roster has put on all year and I'm hoping a lot from the rematch, more specifically, a Cena Leg Drop into a Powerbomb. Owens shocked EVERYONE when he beat Cena at Elimination Chamber. It would be twice as shocking if he can knock off the 15 time World Champion AGAIN. With not many matches on the card, hopefully they get more time to prove why this will be a major feud in the coming years. I didn't think it was possible for Owens to win the first match but I'm truly a believer. Owens still is undefeated in WWE, haven't losing since his debut in December. It's going to be a hard fought match but if you're building the future stars, you gotta have Owens go over again. It's not going to hurt Cena one bit. I don't know how but Kevin Owens will defeat John Cena again at Money in the Bank.

Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose will do battle once again in a main event of a PPV. This time, it's a ladder match for the WWE World Heavyweight Title. You see what's being done right, or, at least what I THINK is being done. Remember Hardy/Edge at Extreme Rules 2010? Hardy beat Edge, only to lose to Punk, who was cashing in his contract. Well, I think a similar situation is going to happen in this match. Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins will be the faces of this generation. They're already proving that so it makes sense that all these guys are feuding over the top prize. I think Ambrose and Rollins are going to steal the show, even past Owens/Cena. It's going to go down in one of these ways:

- The Authority comes out, only to screw over Rollins and have Ambrose win the title. They then introduce the man they NOW want to be champion, Roman Reigns. He cashes in MITB and becomes champion, turning heel in the process. This then sets up The Shield Triple Threat at Battleground and Ambrose/Reigns and Rollins/HHH at SummerSlam.
- Rollins retains thanks to The Authority, who are now on speaking terms again. Ambrose is furious over losing and beats up everyone with Reigns coming in and cleaning house, leading to him cashing in and winning the title, still as a face and getting revenge from Wrestlemania.
- Sheamus wins the MITB and instead of Reigns being the one to beat Ambrose, Sheamus does and becomes the new face for The Authority. This would lead to a Shield reunion, which has apparently been in the talks, maybe to even The Shield VS Sheamus/HHH/Kane.

Regardless, I don't see Rollins walking out as champion. He had a good reign, as far as a MITB winner goes and he will continue to cash for the title in the months to come. Out of all the likely scenarios, I like Reigns turning heel the most because it echoes back to when his cousin The Rock won his first title in 1998. Rock aligned with the then Authority, Vince and Shane and WWE was forever changed. It would be very poetic if Reigns did the same with Triple H and Stephanie. That's the one I'm banking on. (get it?) Roman Reigns walks out as WWE World Heavweight Champion finally.

Well, that's Money in the Bank! Will a big summer time angle start on Sunday? Watch to find out!

RIP Dusty Rhodes!

My Top Ten Favorite WWE Matches

UGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

This next list is very hard for me to narrow down as there are thousands of choices to choose from. For this list though, I picked matches that have stuck with me throughout the 20+ years that I have been watching wrestling. You'll see plenty of matches from the PG/Reality Era as that is the era I most associate with. There might be a couple matches from either the Golden Age or the Attitude Era but expect to see mostly 2000s matches. If anyone disagrees with these matches, and I'm sure you will, please tell me your favorites in the comments below or through my social media platforms. Alright, let's get on with the list!

Once again, these are MY opinions. I'm sure there are plenty of matches that you think that I missed but these are the ten that did something for me. My favorite match might not mean anything to you but once again, this is ALL OPINION BASED. Also, I don't have any matches from the 90s on here. NOTHING. I'm sorry if that disturbs some of you Attitude Era/New Generation fans.

Honorable Mentions

Batista VS Triple H - Vengeance 2005
Daniel Bryan VS Dolph Ziggler - Bragging Rights 2010
Brock Lesnar VS CM Punk - SummerSlam 2013
Brock Lesnar VS Kurt Angle - Wrestlemania XIX
HBK/HHH/Benoit - WMXX
Shawn Michaels VS Bret Hart - WM12


10. Edge VS John Cena - Unforgiven 2006 - Everyone likes to put John Cena and Randy Orton together as the top feud of this generation because they were perfect for each other. Both debuted the same year, won their first world titles around the same time, etc. WWE really pushed for these guys to be the next big feud in the company. It was a good feud but in my opinion, Edge and John Cena were always the perfect enemies.

Edge won his first World Title from John Cena in the beginning of 2006. Cena won the title back three weeks later. Edge won the title back during the summer and they went on to main event SummerSlam that year. This led to the match on this list, a TLC match for the title in Edge's hometown of Toronto. Edge just beat Cena at SS in HIS hometown of Boston. Cena also put his status on Raw on the line. If he didn't win the match, he was going straight to Smackdown. The match was on.

Edge got a massive reaction as expected while Cena was met with boos, not surprising AT ALL. Cena/Edge never had a Hell in a Cell match but this was a good feud ender for the time being. There were a lot of good spots, like Edge spearing Cena off the ladder, Lita pushing Cena into some tables and of course....THIS.



It's spots like that that ended Edge's career much earlier than he wanted. Edge and Cena were perfect rivals and the two always brought out the best in each other. This match was no different and they continued to have good matches until Edge finally retired in 2011. Still, their clash here was something to remember.

9. TLC 2 - Dudleys/Hardys/E&C - Wrestlemania 17 - These guys had no fear and it made for amazing television. These three teams were the TEAMS of the Attitude Era. They were always trading the titles around and revolutionized tag team warfare. After already having a Triangle Ladder match at WM2000 and the first ever TLC match at SummerSlam 2000, it was time for them to do it all again at Wrestlemania 17, which was the end of the Attitude Era.

These guys had the era leave in a blaze of glory. The amount of risks these guys took were unreal. Hardy would always put his body on the line and in one of the most iconic moments in wrestling history, Edge speared Hardy from the hanging titles to the mat below.



Truly and utterly amazing. The match itself is a highlight reel of death defying stunts. Edge and Christian wouldn't be denied as they once again won the tag team titles, cementing their legacy as the greatest team of this era. There's not much to say about this match. It's something everyone as a wrestling fan has to see because it's the perfect example of what a TLC match should. Tag match wise I guess. Easily the best match these guys all put on together/

8. Triple H VS Cactus Jack - No Way Out 2000 - This is one of the matches that made Triple H a household top heel in WWE. Mick Foley always did a good job of putting him over. It was very hard to rank this match over their chaotic Street Fight from the Royal Rumble but I had to do it. The story is simple in this one, Triple H never respected Foley and after beating him for the belt at RR, Foley wanted another shot. Triple H wanted his career and he put in on the line in this dangerous match.

First off, it was super risky for WWE to put their top stars in a HIAC match before Wrestlemania. Just saying. It was a risk and reward type thing as this was a fantastic way to end their one on one feud. This was a time when HIACs' happened inside AND outside the ring. These two wrestled on top of the cage! If you know ANYTHING about WWE, you should know the now iconic image of Foley falling off of the cage. When you put a guy like back up there, bad things might happen. And it did. This match had it all, blood, big spots and fire. What else could you want from a Hell in a Cell? The spot of the match is when HHH flips Foley from reversing a piledriver and Foley flings 20 feet to the ring. This was obviously planned, unlike his fall 2 years prior. It wasn't enough to keep Foley down though as Triple H STILL needed a Pedigree to finish off the career of Foley.



Career matches never stick in WWE and Foley had plenty of WWE matches after this, mostly on the losing end. This match was solely done to continue to push Hunter as a top heel, a heel that would be the first one to ever retain the championship in the main event of Wrestlemania. Pretty impressive if you ask me. Another great Attitude Era HIAC!

7. Undertaker VS Brock Lesnar - No Mercy 2002 - While I loved the HHH/Jack HIAC, I just think Lesnar and Taker was a tiny bit better. Brock Lesnar was having some year in WWE. He debuted in March 2002 and never looked back. He won the King of the Ring tournament in June, destroyed Hulk Hogan, and won his first WWE Title five months after his debut. Lesnar was on top of the world. He then met The Undertaker, leader of Smackdown. This would lead to a great feud between the two, one that existed in WWE and outside.

This HIAC is exactly what I imagine when I think about this match type. Blood and violence. A REAL FEUD ENDER. This is how you get two guys away from each other for awhile. Undertaker came in the match with a 'broken hand' so it had a cast on it. While a handicap for Taker, it became a weapon as well, one he used to strike Lesnar in the head plenty of time. Did I mention that this match was bloody? EVERYONE bled, even Heyman. Lesnar would eventually get the cast off thanks to chair shots and his own freakish strength. These two just beat the holy hell out of each other. In the end, Lesnar beautifully reversed the Tombstone into the F-5, giving him the definitive victory.



THIS IS WHAT A HELL IN A CELL SHOULD BE. A great, personal feud ending in a brutal and barbaric match, not a street fight in a cage. Sorry, Cena/Orton. Lesnar/Taker was a great HIAC, in a time when WWE was transitioning to focus on future stars of the company. This is easily my favorite HIAC ever.

6. Stone Cold VS The Rock - Wrestlemania 17 - The end of an era. This is the match to many what ended one of the most loved periods of professional wrestling; The Attitude Era. Wrestlemania 17 is lauded as the best Mania ever and this main event is definitely one of the key reasons why. Let's set the stage here.

Austin had a neck injury in 1999, which sidelined him for basically the entire year. In his absence, The Rock REALLY took over as the #1 face of the company, feuding with top heels such as Triple H and Kurt Angle. Austin would eventually return in 2000 and started his comeback tour. He won his 3rd Royal Rumble in 2001 and started looking toward who he would face at Wrestlemania 17. Rock and Angle did battle for the championship at No Way Out and many were waiting for Rock to do his part and give us the match we all wanted. Rock didn't disappoint as he punched his ticked to Mania with a great win over Angle and as simple as that, you have The Rock VS Stone Cold Steve Austin at Wrestlemania again.

Although a rematch from two years prior at the point, it didn't FEEL like a rematch. Both superstars were different men in 2001. Rock had become the face of the company at this point while Austin was desperate to get back in the limelight he left in 99. It made for a tense match between the two top faces of the Attitude Era. What followed was a match that closed out an entire three era that put WWE on the map.

The match was announced to be No DQ before the wrestlers came out, which made it even better. This match is on my list because it represents everything that the Attitude Era was known for. Violence, cursing, blood and shenanigans. It was the PERFECT match to end a fantastic era of WWE. How do we know it ended an era? Just look at the ending. After a brutal and vicious fight between the two, Austin took a chair from long time nemesis Mr. McMahon and bashed The Rock to hell with the thing. He would not let up. I never seen anyone win a championship by just swinging a title repeatedly over someone, but that's what Austin did. The real thing to end the era was the handshake between Austin and McMahon. When the two guys who had the longest feud of the era and really defined the era on its own end up being on the same page, yeah, the era is over and done with. Move on!

Austin and Rock had a great war but it's the long term effects that made this a classic in my mind. To close out an entire era with one moment, wow. It's going to be forever in my head as the moment WWF ended the Attitude Era. This along with a great representation of what the Attitude Era was made for a spot on this list.



5. The Undertaker VS Edge - Wrestlemania XXIV - Edge is a true success story in WWE. A fan all of his life, Edge went to WWE to live his dreams with his best friend Christian. They won multiple tag titles together and then Edge went onto win plenty of IC Titles before changing his look and gimmick to the Rated R Superstar. This shift in character propelled him to main event status and led to the first ever Money in the Bank cash in. Edge had the pleasure of ending the first WWE Title reign of John Cena. A guy that WWE said wouldn't be more than a mid card guy. Edge would continue to win World Title after his initial title win in 06. Eventually, he found his way to Smackdown and became World Champion after cashing in another contract on an injured Undertaker. This would set the stage for the main event of Wrestlemania XXIV almost a year later.

When Taker came back, Edge was now injured himself and eventually came back to cost Taker his shot at Batista inside Hell in a Cell. Edge wins back the title the next month while Taker wins an Eliminaton Chamber match to set up for this perfect match-up. Thanks to multiple injuries, this would be the first ever meeting one on one for the World Title between the two. Edge looked like a serious threat to The Undertaker's storied streak in the weeks leading up to Wrestlemania.

Edge got to main event his first and only Wrestlemania, over the Cena/Orton/Triple H title match. That was a big shocker for me. Edge deserved it though as he worked hard to return from injury, as did Taker. The two had absolute amazing chemistry together. This match was the start of a 6 month feud. EVERY match from their feud could be on this list. They were all that good but the original sticks with me. They went all out. Edge surprised everyone with his tenacity to kick out of all of The Undertaker's moves, even the fabled Tombstone Piledriver, which was preceded by Charles Robinson RACING down to the ring to get the pinfall.



Edge had a counter for EVERY move Taker threw at him. He really looked like he was going end Taker's streak. Undertaker wouldn't be denied though, as he locked in Hell's Gate and ended Wrestlemania with him holding the World Title. It would be the 3rd straight Mania to end with a submission victory. Anyway, it was a fantastic main event between two guys who never faced each other one on one.



In their first ever meeting, Edge and Taker stole the show of a great Wrestlemania card. This was only the beginning of their fantastic feud and what followed was probably the best feud WWE had since well Edge/Cena. This was another great main event on the grandest stage of Wrestlemania.

4. John Cena VS Shawn Michaels - Wrestlemania 23 - Around January 2007, it looked like WWE was prepping for a rematch between John Cena and Triple H at Wrestlemania 23, at least to me it did. Triple H unfortunately got injured at the PPV New Year's Revolution and was sidelined for the first half of the year. That left Shawn Michaels all alone on Raw and a new desire in life; to win the WWE Championship for his friend. HBK was unsuccessful in winning the Royal Rumble to secure his match with Cena but got there by beating Orton and Edge in a Triple Threat #1 Contender's match. What followed were mind games played between Cena and HBK, about when HBK would deliver his signature Sweet Chin Music. During this time, Cena and HBK won the tag titles and looked to be friends leading up to their match, until HBK finally delivered SCM on the lead up Raw to Mania 23. That set the stage for one of the best matches in Cena's career.

While many love the 45 minute rematch on the Raw before Backlash a couple weeks later, it was the original clash between these two that gets the nod for me. HBK took Cena to school in this match. Cena at this point in his career, was still fairly new to the main event scene. This would be his 3rd straight WWE Title match at the big event. Fans were tired of Cena, saying he couldn't wrestle and that he was a five move pony. Cena dominance of Raw angered many fans and many hoped HBK would put an end to Cena's reign of terror. Of course, we didn't know that Cena would only lose the title because of injury 5 months later.

The match was fantastic and proved to many that Cena can hold his own in a mat based wrestling match. This wasn't a war or a bloddbath. This was two top guys, fighting over who was the best. HBK was trying to win a title that he hadn't held in almost 10 years while Cena was enjoying being on top of the mountain. JR said a disgusting stat; Cena was champion for 22 of the last 24 months. That's insane! HBK had to challenge a man who was ruling Raw with an iron fist. He didn't get the job done though. There were many amazing sequences in this match and you could see how truly desperate HBK was to win the title. He even related to using heel tactics to try to win the belt. A spike piledriver on the steel steps? Sounds pretty heel like! This two waged battle for over 20 minutes before Cena locked in the BEST STF of his career and finally made HBK tap out. Cena once again entered Wrestlemania as champion and walked out as champion. Cena solidified his name at Mania, as he had now beaten JBL, HHH and HBK in three straight years. He would obviously go on to add Batista and Rock to his amazing resume as well.

HBK/Cena at Wrestlemania 23 was a display by WWE to show that their top guy can put on mat matches when the situation calls for it. Not just a brawler, Cena put on his finest performance to that date when he stepped in the ring with HBK. By beating HBK at Mania 23, he made himself that much more of a household name than he already was. This was HBK's way of giving his endorsement to Cena and Cena's been running with it ever since. Fantastic WRESTLING based main event.

3. Team WWF VS Team Alliance - Survivor Series 2001 - I love elimination matches, whether it's the Elimination Chamber, elimination tags or this, the traditional Survivor Series elimination match. I just love all the possible ways they can go. Out of all the ones I've seen, this one had the most on the line. Just to recap, in the past Stone Cold's career, The Authority's jobs and even being the General Manager of Raw have all been on the line in this type of match-up. This match was to determine which company would stay alive.

First off, let me say that the Invasion angle wasn't great. A lot of the original WCW stars didn't make the jump initially, like Goldberg, Sting, Hogan etc. Without those guys, it certainly hurt the angle as a whole. It wasn't a true WCW invasion. Thankfully, there were ECW guys involved as well but the lack of the big time WCW leaders really hurt this angle. They had to put Stone Cold and Kurt Angle on Team Alliance to compensate for this. It doesn't take away from the overall greatness of the match but it sure does make you wonder, what if? And we can't forget about Attitude Era mainstay Triple H. He tore his quad earlier in the year and missed the ENTIRE angle.

So, it was The Rock, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Kane and Big Show VS Stone Cold, Kurt Angle, Booker T, RVD and Shane McMahon. Once again, not really WWF VS WCW AND ECW but it will do I guess. The match was great and featured everything I love about these types of matches. Cheap eliminations, interference and an epic one on one between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. It was the big payoff needed for a long feud. It also embodies what a lot of people like about the Attitude Era. After over 40 minutes, Angle turned on his team and struck Austin with the WWF Title belt which led to Rock hitting the Rock Bottom and getting the three count. It was such a satisfying way to end, especially with the two top stars of the feud and the company. Rock and Austin always delivered on big occasions.

This match wasn't a wrestling classic like the next two matches on this list, but it was a whole lot of fun and was definitely one that kept many on the edge of their seats, even though the outcome was probably obvious. Weak storyline due to the major players not being involved, but great build and pay off match.

2. The Undertaker VS Shawn Michaels - Wrestlemania 25 - This match was money as soon as it was announced. WWE had done a great job of keeping these two away from each other since HBK came back in 2002. Both guys were the only two guys on the roster who were around when Raw first premiered. They were the top guys on their respective shows. A match between the two at the grandest stage of them all was very poetic and a dream match for the fans. And what a dream match it turned out to be.

The setup for the match really started in 2007, two years before the match even started. HBK and Taker were the last two in the Royal Rumble match that year and to my knowledge, this was their first time facing each other since the late 90s. This was probably the best sequence between the last two superstars in the Rumble ever. It was very tense and both guys were hungry to once again main event a Wrestlemania. In the end, it was The Undertaker who was victorious. They started the next year's Royal Rumble and HBK got revenge by eliminating Taker but their paths separated for a full year. HBK was in a storyline with JBL where he was basically his employee and they were going to have a match at NWO 2009 to get him out of his contract. Taker met up with HBK and they had a brief promo before the match. HBK won his freedom back and was back to being the old HBK. His new goal in life was to end The Undertaker's streak at Wrestlemania and after beating Vladimir Kozlov, he earned the right to face Taker at Mania. This is the first reason why this match is important. HBK and Kozlov fought for an opportunity at Taker, making the streak look just as important as winning a World Title. HBK was willing to do anything to get his match with Taker.

The build was great as well and it played on the fact that Undertaker was the darkness and that HBK was the true light. HBK showed some heelish tendencies during the build but never went full on heel. They both got shots in before the match and everyone in the WWE Universe were looking forward to the first one on one meeting between the two in over a decade. The match started with a grand entrance for HBK who was once again building himself as the light which calls to his real life as a Christian. Taker had his usual long walk to the ring. The match was straight wrestling with many chops and takedowns. The match really started to pick up when Taker tried his usual suicide dive. HBK pulled a cameraman into the way and Taker basically nosedived and landed on his head. It looked vicious and sounded even worse. The intensity on got better from there. Undertaker would proceed to hit all over his big moves, including an impressively reversed Tombstone Piledriver. The move that put away most of his other victims did not put HBK right away as he was able to kick out. There were a lot of close finishes in the match as well that made you truly believe that HBK was the one who was going to end the streak. HBK would go for a moonsault because, well, he's Mr. Wrestlemania and this match is big stakes. Taker caught Michaels with a Tombstone and after 30 minutes, The Undertaker finally defeated Shawn Michaels in a one on one match. It was vindication for the Deadman and improved his record to 17-0. They would go onto main event Wrestlemania 26 in a great match that saw The Undertaker end HBK's career.



This match wasn't one that projected two future stars but rather it was a match between two legends. It's kind of a sad match because you realize that since these guys are older, it's not something that will likely happen again. Good thing we got two classics from these two Hall of Famers. Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker told a fantastic story through their feud and it's one that wrestling fans won't forget.

1. CM Punk VS John Cena - Money in the Bank 2011 - There will never be a more perfect match up then when CM Punk battled against John Cena in his hometown of Chicago on his last contracted night with World Wrestling Entertainment. I call this match the match of the PG Era. It's a match that shifted things to reality because Punk was obviously very upset with the directions of the company. At the time this match happened, WWE has VERY VERY stale. John Cena just ended The Miz's title reign and was regular old Super Cena. He got destroyed by Miz in the I Quit rematch, only to do two moves and win it and then had a bland main event with R-Truth. WWE was boring, they didn't really try. Wrestlemania 27 was one of the worst WMs in history. They needed something fresh and different and they got it in CM Punk.

Punk won a Triple Threat #1 Contender's match that featured Mysterio and Del Rio. After winning, Punk dropped the news that his contract was coming to an end the day of Money in the Bank and that he was leaving with the title. Strong words but to be honest, no one believed him. Sure, we wanted to because we dislike Cena and all of his reigns but this is Super Cena we're talking about here. The guy doesn't just lose to anybody. The next week, Punk helps Truth beat Cena in a Tables match and then Truth vanishes from the title picture, never to return. It's on this date that Punk did his famous promo on the state of WWE. It was a promo with so much truth, things that were taboo to WWE were talked about. He referenced Brock Lesnar, who they never talked about. He spoke of other companies, such as ROH and NJPW. Funny that after this, WWE acquired Prince Devitt AND Kevin Steen, who were from NJPW and ROH respectively. Ironic huh? Punk just spoke from his heart and it led to one of the best WWE promos of all time. It's so good because the promo started to help WWE break out of its staleness, bit by bit. It wasn't an overnight thing but little by little, WWE started to change their ways. This promo helped with blurring the lines of reality and pro wrestling. Was Punk really leaving or was it all just to get attention? That kind of question helped build up to the match. Say what you will but this is PRO wrestling, where things are already pre determined. This isn't a real sport. While they are taking risks, they already know who's going to win or lose and due to this, the build is just as important as the match itself. This couldn't be more clear than with this match.

MITB came along and it was already WWE's best event in years. Every match was solid on the card. Daniel Bryan shockingly won the Smackdown MITB while Christian regained the World Title. The promo for the main event came on at around 10PM, which is very early considering WWE used to end PPVs around 10:40 usually. Punk came out to a huge ovation from his hometown. Cena was met with a chorus of boos. Boos like that weren't heard of since his days in the Hammerstein Ballroom. While you could see Cena fans in the crowd, by noise alone, Cena was by himself. The bell rang and what followed was the best match WWE has ever put on. Cena and Punk were so in sync with each other throughout the entire 33 minute match. Yes, 33 minutes these two wrestled and told a fantastic story. They knew each other's moves so well and had many great sequences together. Punk's reversal of Cena's signature Five Knuckle Shuffle was great. Punk making Cena use moves that you haven't seen from him was great. The AA reversal into the GTS REVERSED into the STF. Punk kicking out of TWO AAs. Everything about this match clicked. It was truly magical. This is a love letter to pro wrestling fans and paved the way for guys to come. You think Daniel Bryan or Seth Rollins would have had their Wrestlemania moments if Punk didn't tear down the house with John Cena on this fateful Sunday night? You think Kevin Owens would have beaten John Cena CLEAN had it not been for Punk doing it first? You think Samoa Joe, from the non-existent to WWE company TNA, would have ever signed to WWE if Punk didn't stand up for what he believed in? I love this match so much not just because of the great build or because of the great in ring spectacle it was. It led the way for all guys like CM Punk to come. Guys who were told they couldn't make it or that they would never succeed. It was the change Punk worked so hard for. WWE has become a much better company thanks to this match. This is why I call it THE MATCH of the PG/Reality Era. It changed so much of what we can expect from WWE without the blood and sex. I watch this match yearly because it's so fantastic. There are botches yes, but it didn't hold the match back at all. Pro wrestling is just as much about story as it is wrestling and in this match between CM Punk and John Cena, both were through the roof.

This is the greatest match of all time for me. Watch it for yourselves and see. There will NEVER be a match like this again. One that is on point with EVERYTHING. I'm sorry, I just can't be moved from this point. No match has ever meant this much. This is the same as Austin/HBK from WM14, where it started a new era or when Cena and Batista both won their first World Titles at Wrestlemania 21. It's going to be very hard to beat for me. Punk didn't end up becoming the face of the generation like he may have wanted to but he definitely changed the pace of WWE and paved the way for guys like him to come.



Yes, I'm sure you're going to disagree, which is completely fine. I'm entitled to my opinion and you to yours. Regardless, that's my list, please comment some of your favorite matches below or through social media. See you next week for my Money in the Bank predictions. We all know what WWE is planning right? Hint, it's very similar to Survivor Series 1998. Fair warning!

Chatting with the Fatman: Rick Curci

Alright, here is another collaboration on this blog! I have another friend from high school here who has his own channel about video games that I wanted to give exposure to. I saw one of Rick's videos on Mortal Kombat X and I knew I had to do something with him. So, we did a typical interview for my blog but the questions are mainly centered around video games because we both have a love for video games. For his Youtube channel though, we did a video talking about games as well. I had a great time talking to Rick all about games. He's one of the few people who can hold their own in a gaming conversation with me. The others being Roland and Brandon who both were interviewed for this blog. I hope Rick and I can link up again and do some more videos, maybe like an E3 review after that is over? Hint hint Rick! Anyway, below is both the interview for my blog and the video we did for his channel.




1. Who are you and what do you do for a living?

My name is Rick Curci and I am a Media Administration Specialist for NFL Films and a Television Broadcasting Instructor for the Connecticut School of Broadcasting.

2. What was the driving force for you to start your own Youtube channel?

When I went to school to learn about TV broadcasting, I realized I had an ability to edit videos. Seeing as I enjoyed playing video game and editing videos, I decided to combine the two. The videos started appearing on YouTube because after I made the content, I figured it was a waste to not share it with others.

3. Where do you see your channel going in the future?

My channel has gone through a few changes and has evolved a lot since I first started making videos. What I have kind of settled on is with my channel being more informational. Going forward I would love for my channel to be a go to for people when finding out if a certain game is worth their hard earned cash.

4. What was the first game that made you realize that you were going to be a gamer for a long time?

If I had to pick one, it would have to be The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. While not the first Zelda game ever released, it was the first one that I played. It had layers, a dark tone, and so much side stuff to do that I would just spend hours collecting and discovering as much as I could. It also opened the door for other Zelda games for me, I had to play them all. But it was the first game that made me think to myself, "Okay, this is going to be a thing."

5. What’s your favorite video game of all time?

I'm big into First Person Shooters but oddly enough my favorite game ever is an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game). I tend to avoid MMOs but this one, called Dark Age of Camelot, was a game I just clicked with. I understood the mechanics, the economy, the tactics, the politics. I was doing things in that game that I hate in most games. Grinding out levels, gearing up characters, and farming for gear. I spent years playing that game and at times, wish I could go back and play more. So Dark Age of Camelot has to be my favorite game of all time.

6. What’s your least favorite?

I've played a lot of bad games. Some of which have come out in the last couple years, Assassin's Creed: Unity and Call of Duty: Ghosts are two of them. But I think the one game that stands above the rest as my least favorite would have to be Eragon which came out in 2006. It's a game licensed from a movie that itself wasn't very good. It had lack luster controls, bad voice acting, and messy graphics. Even when you get to ride a dragon in the game, it's all on rails so you have minimal control over what you're doing. What's funny is that I've played this game recently. Even though it was a horrible game, it had easy achievements.

7. What company do you enjoy games from the most?

It's actually a toss up between two developers, BioWare and Bethesda. BioWare creates the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises. Both are story heavy role-playing games all about making choices in certain situations. Bethesda develops the Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises. Both are also role-playing games but also have massive open worlds to explore. Bethesda creates games that are all about creating your own character and his or her own story. You have more freedom to forge your own legend and I think for that reason, even though I love BioWare, I have to go with Bethesda.

8. If you could only play ONE system for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

I'm actually going to jump ship and say the PC. Normally I would have gone with the Xbox or PlayStation but there is no denying that the PC's power stands above that of any console. Even though I would have to say goodbye to some of my favorite franchises ever, I still have my Skyrims, Mass Effects, Call of Dutys, and they would all perform perfectly. If I had to pick one platform to play for the rest of my life, I'm going with the PC Master Race.

9. What do you do in your spare time, away from gaming and editing videos?

Movies, I am a big movie nerd. I love watching the summer blockbusters like Marvel movies but I also love to watch Oscar nominated films. I just like watching a quality film.

10. What’s your most anticipated game?

Right now it has to be Halo 5: Guardians. I am loving what 343 Industries has been doing with the Halo franchise and their marketing campaign for Halo 5 has been only raising the bar for me. I am really hyped up for that game.

11. Give me a brief summary of your job.

For NFL Films, my department is the first to get the footage after being shot. We take the footage, be it game footage or materials for a show that airs on NFL Network, and we process it. After being processed we place it on a catalog system and make it available for the video editors and producers so that they can use it to create their shows.

12. Have you played any other MMOs after Dark Age of Camelot?

I've dabbled a little. One that I really enjoyed and even named Game of the Year for 2012 was Guild Wars 2. I just really liked how there was no subscription fee, which in all honestly is one of the reasons I stay away from MMOs. But it also had this approach to it's questing and grinding. Usually in MMOs, if a player kills a creature you are fighting, the rewards are split between you. So as a result, because said player interfered, you now got less than what you would have gotten if you had done it alone. But Guild Wars 2 didn't split the rewards, if a player killed a creature you were fighting, you both had an increased reward than what you would have received if you had done it alone. I really wish I gave more time to Guild Wars 2 but for the little time I spent there, I really had a blast.

13. What's nonactive series would you like to see make a comeback?

That's a good question but I think I'd have to go with the old Star Wars title Rogue Squadron. Basically you piloted an X-Wing or other rebel ship and took part in awesome Star Wars space battles. We don't have many games like that anymore and I really enjoyed that series a lot. Hopefully with Electronic Arts at the helm of all Star Wars games, we could see it come back.

14. What's your favorite Marvel movie and why?

I love most of the Marvel movies, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and the first Iron Man are amongst my favorites. But for my most favorite, I have to go with the first Avengers movie. The Avengers was something unique, it was the culmination of years of build up. Seeing multiple movies join up for one epic movie was just mind blowing. The Avengers is something special, something that DC Comics and Warner Brothers are still struggling to recreate.

15. What's the most amount of time you've played games in one sitting?

I don't have as much time as I used to when I was a kid but I do remember long sessions. I distinctly remember beating games in one sitting which I did once for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. If I had to put a number on the longest I've played games in one sitting, I guess that at one point I had to've played games for maybe a 12-14 hour period when I was a kid. Now I barely spend maybe 5 hours on a new game, which I realize is still lengthy for an adult but hey, I like games.

16. What company has been better with their consoles; Sony or Microsoft?

I have a very complicated stance on this very topic. I feel that when the Xbox One was unveiled that Microsoft misstepped. They took a risk to appeal to more than just gamers by billing the Xbox One as an entertainment platform rather than a gaming console. As a result, gamers felt isolated and Sony, as they should have, took advantage and billed the PlayStation 4 as the console where gamers play. Microsoft is still trying to recover from that but has done a good job of shifting their focus back to gamers. While I do personally feel that Microsoft currently has better exclusive titles than Sony, I can't deny that the Xbox One is still very much behind the PlayStation 4 in sales. So if you're asking me who is CURRENTLY doing a better job with their consoles, I would say Microsoft for focusing up, learning from the mistake, putting more effort into first party games, and increasing sales as a result. I will recognize that the PlayStation 4 is the more powerful console and will win the fight when it comes to third party titles but Sony needs to start putting out better exclusives because eventually that momentum from them capitalizing on Microsoft's mistake will eventually stop.

17. How do you feel about the increasingly amount of remastered games from the last generation coming to this generation? Are you a fan of it?

It's situational really, I'm not necessarily for it or against it. I feel like Grand Theft Auto V was meant to be played on next-gen hardware. And when it comes to remastering older franchises like what Microsoft did with Halo: Master Chief Collection, then I'm on board. But remastering The Last of Us or Sleeping Dogs, I can pass on those. But I would love to see a Mass Effect remastered collection for the newer consoles, only because I loved that series so much.

18. Cliche question, but it's the zombie apocalypse. Name three video game characters you want in your party and why.

John Marston from Red Dead Redemption is my first pick for his ungodly accuracy. He's also experienced when it comes to zombies thanks to the Undead Nightmare DLC, my favorite DLC of all time by the way. I'll then go with the Master Chief from the Halo franchise. He as well is experienced with undead like creatures by battling the Flood. I also figure he would bring the muscle and awesome one liners. Finally, I would pick Steve from Minecraft. Once again, I am going with zombie experience here but he also has those crucial survival skills. He knows how to build a shelter, find materials to build weapons and tools and can find food to keep us all alive. I feel that Steve would be the single most crucial teammate during the zombie apocalypse. Marston and Chief are there to keep everyone else alive and look cool while doing it.

19. What game has surprised you the most? From what you expected to what you got basically.

Most recently I was surprised by Dying Light. I really didn't expect that game to be as good as it was with solid gameplay mechanics and and great characters. But I think what surprised me the most was oddly enough Minecraft. I thought that game looked incredibly stupid and the concept of building a house just didn't click for me. But, being an extremely popular game and me needing to know as much as I can with games, I tried it out. One million hours later, I still play that game. The game is just so much more than what you see on the surface and what some people can do with that game is amazing. Yes, it is a survival game but it gives you complete creative freedom to create a world that is truly your own, block by block. I'm not much of a builder but seeing the mind blowing creations that people can put together is insane. Minecraft is something else and you can't see that unless you play it yourself.

20. Now that we're in the 8th generation of gaming, where do games go from here?

Honestly, I'm not sure, I think the easy answer is to say that virtual reality is the future but people said the same about motion controls. I fully expect virtual reality to go the route of some games having it integrated but it's not required to play. You will have your occasional game built for virtual reality but I don't think it will have any real lasting impact. This generation is still very young, only about a year and a half old. It still looks very similar to the previous generation and I don't believe we have gotten that true next-gen game yet. But honestly, we didn't get to see the full capabilities of the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 until the very end of their times. I think that once developers take a couple years to really sink their teeth into the new hardware, we'll start seeing games that raise the bar in unexpected ways. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a perfect example with its Nemesis System. Having AI enemies remember you and their previous encounters with you was something I found to be truly unique. It was the first time that I saw something that was close to what we all pictured next-gen to be. When developers start pushing the boundaries in unexpected ways, that's the real future, when we start seeing games do things we didn't see coming.

There you go! Both the interview and video in one post! Please go like and comment on Rick's videos and also subscribe to his channel. He puts up quality videos! If you liked that video, continue to support him. Also, continue to keep an eye on this blog as well. It's June so it's time for WWE Money in the Bank, E3 and my 2nd quarter review come the end of the month. Also, my friend Bryan AKA DMB and I will be doing a wrestling video pretty soon, covering ALL things wrestling related. It will probably be a long video so be sure to have some time for it!

Anyway, thanks for viewing this post and the video! Subscribe to Rick Curci on Youtube! I'm out!