Nov182014

What’s a Good Candy Substitute?

FROZEN GRAPES! I kid you not. This is a family favorite of mine and I brought it into my own household and Hungry loved it! I don’t want you to be grumbly that I’m proposing fruit instead of candy–I always hear backtalk on that one. I promise you, this is different. When you’re feeling that sweet tooth call, don’t ignore it–trick it. That’s right. Your body is craving sugar (for any number of reasons due to nature or nurture) and you’re thinking of all the candy you could shove down your gullet. I dare you to give this candy substitute a chance.

Enter frozen oblong shapes of pure joy…that is, frozen grapes. Luckily, I grew up with this always being stocked in the freezer. Others may think it strange, but I promise that you will be hooked once you start. There are many factors to this. One, grapes do indeed have sugar. In fact, they are pure carbohydrates aka sugar. However, it’s the kind of sugar that your pancreas appreciates instead of other processed garbage you’d normally find in candy. Two, it’s a frozen treat. For some reason, we humans are drawn to delicious frozen treats, no matter the season! When the grapes freeze, or are half-frozen even, it becomes a delicious bite of yummy freshness. There’s something about grapes when they are frozen that they just seem like candy. It always feels like you’re treating or spoiling yourself.

With fitness, health, and goals, it’s important to take small steps. You can’t just cut out sugar all together or go on a crash diet…things don’t work for the long-term like that. If you’re trying to cut back on processed sugars like in candy, for instance, try frozen grapes. It’s very simple. Wash the grapes, put them in a bowl, and put them in a freezer! You can use any kind of grape you want–even seedless. It really feels like a treat and you can trick your mind into feeling happy and satisfied with such a snack. Your body will thank you later. Let us know what you think of the frozen grapes! And as always, stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

Nov172014

Dragon Age: Inquisition, Pokemon: Sapphire Release and MORE!

We planned on releasing everyone in the Video Game Brain Trust’s sixteenth favorite game of all time. That is, of course, until we took a day off from working and realized what is happening this week. We’ve been working so much lately that we lost track of time and video game release dates. BUT this week is HUGE. I can’t remember a release date this huge in terms of multiple solid releases, as opposed to one or two blockbusters. So, without any delay, here is what we are excited for this week.

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1. Dragon Age Inquisition: Fit has every game in the series and DLC for PC. Hungry has all of the above for PS3. We have both completed every part of the series so far and are absolutely in love with Bioware‘s RPGs. We’ve been waiting for this release for years and despite some unfortunate news of things that will NOT be included in this version, and the main character, we can’t wait to put at least eighty hours into this in the first month of release. We’ll be getting it on PC the moment it is released when the clock turns Tuesday. (Pre-ordered and instant download.)

2. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor: Yes, I know it was released weeks ago BUT not for PS3 and Hungry loves his PS3. He looks forward to getting it immediately and running through the PS3 version. Another Tuesday release that will most likely be picked up Target on Tuesday.

3. Pokemon Alpha Sapphire: Sorry Omega Red, but Hungry plays favorites and chose Blue in 1995 so you had little to no chance. Anything on the 3DS is a win-win since it can be played anywhere. I love portable gaming, especially with a few flights and long car rides coming up for Thanksgiving travel. Perfect timing Nintendo. After being at Target before the doors opened for the release of Black 2 in 2012 and X in 2013, you know where I will be Friday morning.

4. Grand Theft Auto V: Again, we all know that this game was release years ago, BUT not on the newest generation of consoles. Everyone is looking forward to replaying it with smoother controls, faster speed, and cleaner graphics. Not to mention the effects that the Dualshock 4 will have on it, as Sony has boasted about recently. Another Tuesday release that will sell plenty.

5. Super Smash Bros: I sound like a broken record but for anyone that doesn’t own a 3DS or enjoy handheld gaming, the release on Wii U will be huge… for anyone with a Wii U. Super Smash has been one of the most popular series in gaming since its initial launch on N64 and any addition or release on a new platform will make an impact in competitive gaming and Nintendo’s standing in the industry. Buy it on Friday.

6. Far Cry 4: I know what you’re thinking, how did this fall so far down the list? Well, honestly, we aren’t big on Far Cry but we know that a lot of you are and while we won’t be getting this one, watch positive reviews pour in as sales numbers grow rapidly. Tuesday for anyone interested in an amazing new first person shooter.

7. LittleBigPlanet 3: Another one that doesn’t mean a whole lot for us, but is probably one of the best releases of the week. Available for PS3 and PS4, all DLCs from the first two games are transferable and this game will be the first in the series with live voice actors. Available on Tuesday, this entry will surely be well received by critics and hopefully by fans as well.

8. Escape Dead Island: The first Dead Island spin-off, releasing on PS3 and 360, this game will be far from the original. The beta was not too well received but the ability to unravel the origin of the zombie outbreak will have fans of the series playing through to find out exactly what happened. It’s a release worth mentioning.

9. WWE 2K15: Already released for PS3 and 360, there’s nothing special about the new generation release of this annual wrestling institution. With a large number of match types missing, that were available in past versions, this game isn’t the most popular in the series. Still, die-hard professional wrestling fans with PS4 and One will be sure to pick this one up for the cleaner graphics. Not the most exciting, but good to know about for some.

10. Watch Dogs: It was one of the most loved games by the video gaming fan community in recent years. Now you can play it on Wii U. It’s not revolutionary to the industry, but this is a big deal to some people who never got to experience it.

No offense to anything that didn’t make the cut, but I wanted to keep it to 10. Try not to rip me apart fans of Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F 2nd. The first release for PS3 was definitely a great addition to the music and rhythm genre, but this applies to a very small demographic. As always, stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: Which of these games are YOU most excited about?

Nov132014

Cafe Korobokgur — Koreatown, LA

Although Los Angeles brings its hardships in living and finding our way, Koreatown is certainly not lacking in its culinary scene. Get ready for a ton of reviews on Koreatown restaurants. We love to walk around our neighborhood and find hidden gems to feast our faces on. We almost always come out smiling. Especially from places like today’s review– Cafe Korobokgur. Sound like a mouthful? We think so, thus we call it “that little gnome place.” And we mean it in the best way possible.

Cafe Korobokgur is an American-Korean fusion cafe. I keep wanting to call it “little” but it’s actually quite large for a cafe. It’s adorably decorated with cute things here and there (with Miyazaki things too which is a plus). It has an incredibly friendly atmosphere. It is certainly a place I would call “hip” but not overcrowded with people, which is nice. It has its own character and feel to it, which I really appreciate in food establishments. They are them and they aren’t afraid to show it. You’ll find cute quotes, sayings, and pictures all over this place. There’s a little “cafe front” and then we assume the kitchen is in back. This cafe is not just for drinks, but for food too. They also have an adorable restroom.

Can you find the Cat Bus?

We came here for dinner one night. There were other Koreans and Korean-Americans here–mostly our age–that brought their study supplies or friends to enjoy. Again, we come in with a smile to a relaxed atmosphere. When we are in good, generous moods, we like to spoil ourselves with food. And that means 3-course meals. After bringing us some fruit-and-cucumber-infused water, our waiter took our order. For appetizer, we got seasoned fries and fried calamari. They served different seasonings for the fries which was fun to try out and it was certainly delicious and cooked well. The fried calamari also pleased us. After appetizer, it was time for our main dishes. I got the kimchi fried rice and Hungry got Don Katsu. We were both satisfied with our entrees, though I couldn’t even finish mine. The kimchi fried rice was nice and spicy, so that I had to take slow. For dessert, we got something original by this place called a “Jarming.” Basically it is a mini mason jar filled with a dessert. We decided on the banana nutella sponge cake Jarming and it was absolutely fantastic. I seriously cannot stress enough how good this little thing was. They also make them in tons of different flavors and make seasonal ones too!

Fried calamari

Full of YUM

The service was a bit slow, so don’t come here in a rush. However, it is part of the relaxed atmosphere, I think. We are definitely going to head back to Cafe Korobokgur again and enjoy its adorable details and its yummy food soon. The drinks were rather expensive, but if nothing else, that Jarming will reel me in for another round for sure. If you’re in Koreatown, be sure to stop at Cafe Korobokgur and don’t leave there without a Jarming! I promise, you won’t regret it. And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sajah resting in between a set of reps

Nov122014

Help Save Lives

Recently, I received an email from change.org. I’m subscribed by choice and I typically read the petition and sign it if I believe in it. Sometimes I even share it on social media if I think it’s a worthy cause. However, sometime last week I got one that really resonated with me more than others. The email was titled “My son drowned on a cruise” and the petition was titled “Make it Mandatory for Cruise Lines to Employ Lifeguards.”

The story states…

“October 13, 2013 remains one of the darkest days of my life. My family of five was enjoying the last day of our Carnival cruise in the Caribbean when tragedy struck in a matter of minutes: my six-year-old son Qwentyn drowned in a pool.

Although it breaks my heart, I have come to terms with the fact that I got distracted and let this happen. Accidents happen, and that’s why I couldn’t believe that most cruise lines do not employ lifeguards on ships. With all the activities occurring on a ship deck at any given time, I believe that properly trained lifeguards — acting as an extra set of eyes and ears — will help to save more kids’ lives.

It has taken me some time to pull myself together to start this petition, but I felt that I had to do it so that other families don’t have to go through what my family and I have during the last year. I’m here to ask Carnival Corporation and the cruise line industry to employ lifeguards to provide greater passenger safety onboard ships.

Research shows that nearly two million passengers under 18 board cruises each year. Many cruise travelers can probably relate to the distracting nature of the deck — music, people, water activity, entertainment and noise are all constant. Despite this, only Disney puts lifeguards on its ships, a decision made shortly after our son’s passing. The cruise industry brought $42 billion in economic activity to the U.S. in 2012, so why can’t it require that companies hire lifeguards to ensure greater safety?

Make no mistake, parental supervision should always be a priority, but it’s clear to me and many others that the presence of lifeguards can only help to protect lives. Please sign our petition so we can make this important change sooner than later. Thanks for your support!”

My reaction was not just sympathetic to the family that lost a child. Despite being a person that feels responsible for nearly everything that happens to me, there is something wrong with this picture. As much as we can blame the father, and he obviously blames himself, there has to be some accountability. As an experienced pool manager, I have used the old put a sign up to remove our liability trick, but my staff was still trained to respond to emergencies and make sure no one loses their life on our deck or in our water.

The cruise lines are not going to be there to respond to the emergencies if they have pools and no lifeguards. That is something only private facilities can get away with, and believe me, I know. I also was the Director of an Aquatics Facility that was privately owned and we did not require a lifeguard on duty. Still, we had certified lifeguards teaching swim lessons and managing the deck, because safety matters. This way, we saved money because lifeguards are a black hole for costs, but still never lost anyone.

I have been on a cruise ship and swam in their pools, and I would be willing to pay an extra dollar in order to pay for a single lifeguard because if every cruise ship had one lifeguard per pool area, that child would not have died. Many individuals would still be alive. I hate it when people lose their lives when it is completely preventable. A major company being cheap and wanting to maximize profits is completely preventable.

So, I’ll go even farther with this petition and say that cruise lines can raise the price of cruises to compensate for the wages given to putting one lifeguard on duty per pool area. It’s such a sad story, and it never had to happen. While we continue to teach parents and children about water safety, let’s encourage the other side to have professionals keep us safe. Thank you for reading and please sign the petition.

Nov112014

Big Hero 6 Review

Today, for Veteran’s Day, I was lucky enough to have off. Plus, today was Chris’ late day which meant we had the entire first half of the day together which was nice. After a fun, sleepy arms workout, we went to a morning showing of Big Hero 6, a movie we’ve been eagerly looking forward to. The movie is based on of a Marvel comic of a team of superheroes. Although the movie diverts quite a bit from the comic, it still has its roots in the comic. I had never read the comic, so that didn’t affect my movie experience. Overall, we really enjoyed Big Hero 6 and would encourage anyone to see it!

The movie starts out with a young teenager, Hiro (our leading character), his brother, and their aunt. The parents died when Hiro was three and we don’t learn much more than that. Hiro graduated high school when he was 13 (he’s a genius) and has done nothing since “bot-fighting” since then. Bot-fighting is an illegal gambling sport where two people put their small bots to fight each other for money, but Hiro is very good at it. His brother wants him to do more with his brains and takes him to his “nerd lab” where his brother and his colleagues are inventing amazing things. Hiro is inspired by all that he sees (from super-lasers to super-magnets to super-carbon and beyond), but especially so by his brother’s invention, Baymax. Baymax is an adorable health care robot trying to serve those who need help. Hiro wants to join the school so in order to be accepted, he needs to showcase something incredible. He creates an absolutely amazing invention (Chris and I don’t think people appreciated enough how epic and awesome it is) and skipping a handful of scenes, his invention lands in the wrong hands. This leads to the necessity of gathering the Big Hero 6 team together and making things right.

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I won’t spoil any more of the plot than that, but–trust me–it’s good. The cast is fantastic. Some big names include Alan Tudyk and Maya Rudolf (personal favorites) and everyone played their character so very well. I wasn’t expecting how “emotional” it was going to be. Not that I was tearing up every other minute, but that despite being a kid’s movie and a Marvel movie, it really told a true story of human attachment and loss. That was probably my favorite part of the movie and why I liked it so much. It made you understand and feel for the characters. That was a really great part of it and I’m glad they took the time to craft that delicately. The characters themselves are great (my favorite is the Aunt played by Maya Rudolf and Baymax played by Scott Adsit). Baymax is just the best–you want to squeeze him to death. The humor is spot on and you will find yourself grinning and laughing on the regular with this one.

Another great component (though not necessarily major component) of the movie is the lesson it teaches. While I was watching the movie, I kept thinking “these people are so incredibly themselves.” I believe this movie teaches kids (and adults, for that matter) to be yourself whoever that may be and thrive doing so. If you’re a crazy-about-pink-talks-miles-a-second kind of person, be that person. If you love everyone around you and are not afraid to show what you love, do that. It really encouraged everyone to just be them and not hide the brilliant fact that they are them.

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The animation and effects were wonderful, but who would suspect anything less from Disney and Pixar. Everything was beautiful and crisp. You really felt as if you were with Hiro, running and flying around to save the day. It was interesting and fascinating that they combined San Francisco and Tokyo–made for a unique setting. The sounds were spot on and kept you reeled in as the adventure unfolded. There was a plot hole that bothered us, but in the end, it didn’t really matter. Hungry and Fit give a big thumbs up on this one. Never quit being yourself and put that brain to use! As always, stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: What did you think of Big Hero 6?

BONUS PUPPY PIC

Nov102014

Chocolate Coconut Oat Bites

To say the least, life is freaking hectic. You have responsibilities ranging from a full-time job to kids to pets to your health to education! You get out of breath just going through your list of responsibilities! Or at least I do. Life is stressful and there’s no way around it except to roll with it. How do you roll with it? By making life easier for yourself along the way!

A big part of our life is food (surprise surprise). We don’t want to skip meals or snacks, but at the same time, we don’t always have a lot of time to prepare those meals. So, I create recipes like this one, in order to keep us fueled on the go. It’s important to us that we eat healthy on the go, but it should taste good too! So…along comes Coconut Chocolate Oat Bites. What a wonderfully delicious name. With the help of Silk Coconutmilk, we were able to create one of the simplest healthy recipes for those on the go. Can you tell I’m excited about it? Let’s get to the recipe.

Chocolate Coconut Oat Bites

2014-11-10 22:01:40

A healthy snack on the go with amazing flavors

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Prep Time

7 min

Prep Time

7 min

Ingredients

1 cup oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2.5 tbsp peanut butter
3 tbsp maple syrup
3 squares dark chocolate
2 tbsp Silk Coconutmilk

Instructions

Heat the peanut butter, maple syrup, and Silk Coconutmilk together over low heat in a pan.
Have oats and cinnamon mixed together in a bowl
Once warm, pour the peanut butter mixture into the oats and cinnamon and really stir.
Break the squares of chocolate into small pieces
Once it is mixed well, fold in the pieces of chocolate
Cover and put in the fridge for 20 minutes
Take out and roll into small balls and store in fridge

By Hungry and Fit

hungry and fit https://hungryandfit.com/

I’m going to keep these in a zip-loc in the fridge at home AND at work, because you never know when you need a snack. It’s important to have a healthy snack accessible, because if not, you’re just going to binge on Red Vines and Sun Chips and then feel bad about it later. The Silk Facebook page inspired this recipe as they have a lot of great recipes and healthy living idea–go check it out and like it! Also, sign up for Silk’s online newsletter to get chances to win a year’s worth of Silk supplies to keep those tummies full with healthy sustenance! They also have other great giveaways like gift cards. Keep these beautiful bites nearby and you’ll never go hungry again! As always, stay hungry and fit!

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all ours.

Nov082014

Happy 1st Birthday, Noke!

Our little puppy is now one year old. It’s hard to believe that she’s already a year old and how time flies by. At the same time, I feel like she’s been in our life forever.This morning I was looking at old posts about Noke from when she was a puppy like How to Survive Your First Week Having a Puppy and Puppies: Advocates for a Meditative Lifestyle. She was so darn stinkin’ cute! She still is, but now she’s grown into a sleek-looking coyote. I’ve definitely been reflective today about how far we’ve come together and how we’ve grown. I am thrilled that she is a year old!!

Raising a puppy is tough work, but I can say now that it is truly worth it. No matter what, Noke can cheer up my day, give me plenty of kisses and tell me that she loves me. She’s my constant companion and I love her to bits. It wasn’t always easy–getting her out of her nipping habit, dealing with sicknesses, and more, but in the end, like I said, it’s absolutely worth it. Dog is man’s best friend, truly.

So today she gets to enjoy Santa Monica weather and I might even get her something from a local dog bakery just for fun. It’s her day, but more so a milestone of us being a team and getting through the terrible teens! Now it’s not like she’s going to be a perfect angel now that she’s hit a year old–far from that. However, it’s a big step into her first stages of adulthood. Thank you for being here with us for the journey of her growing up. And as always, stay hungry and fit!

A night time walk…she is such a pleasure to walk! No pulling!

cutie girl

A trip to Estes Park!! (yes that is a fanny pack)

Great walks with the pup

So cuuuuuuuute

Noke is learning every day!

Cuteness

Noke got to enjoy the sun as the whole family gardened

Getting Noke used to the car more

Noke made a new friend and we spent the morning hiking!

Which resulted in her passing out (yay!)

Hi I’m cute

Noke finally using her bed

Cute dogs

Good runs with cute dogs

Noke trying out for Sound of Music

and a hike!

Walks with Noke on the beach

Nov072014

Mark Bell at Barbell Brigade

Last weekend, through my reliable Instagram feed, I found out that Mark Bell would be doing a powerlifting seminar at Barbell Brigade. For those of you who don’t know, Mark Bell is very well-known in the world of strength training. He invents and patents products for training, makes one of the most popular podcasts, competed in powerlifting and professional wrestling, and appeared in the documentary that his brother made. (Bigger, Faster, Stronger)

Also, for those of you who don’t know, Barbell Brigade is a training facility in Los Angeles located a few blocks from Union Station. It is absolutely amazing and I will be doing a video there shortly so you will find out more. (200 lb dumbbells, sleds on turf, olympic platforms, monkey bars, freedom to do what you want, etc.)

I decided to go because it would be a great chance to see Mark present and check out the facility. It was inexpensive, so well worth my time if all went well. And it did… I even dragged Fit along with me. Now in all honesty, I’m happy with my squat, deadlift, and bench press, so my reason for attending wasn’t to get advice for myself. As a coach, I wanted to see how Mark presented to a large diverse crowd. There were all sorts of people there so I won’t even start to describe them. Nevertheless, he had experienced lifters demonstrate technique as he explained what they were doing and why they were doing it.

Typically, I find a few minor, or even major, points that I disagree with in other people’s clinics, but strangely enough… I was agreeing with nearly everything he said. It was actually a little creepy seeing someone else that you’ve never seen coach before explain topics in a similar way. (With the exception of some choice of words… I keep it PG, because I work with a lot of young athletes.)

So, that kept my attention and I particularly enjoyed how he answered most of the questions. Very open-minded to implementing various training practices while still staying true to core principles of powerlifting. Very relatable for the general populace and extremely entertaining. He had the crowd participating a lot and everyone was laughing a considerable amount. The group seemed comfortable during the “lecture” portion, which is important to creating an effective learning environment.

Us taking a creeper selfie with Mark Bell in background

Now, I wasn’t there strictly for business. I also wanted to ask Mark about the Slingshot, a product he developed that assists in the bench press. In 2011, I performed my best competitive bench press ever, and about one month later suffered a full SLAP tear of my labrum in my left shoulder. I decided to forego the only way to repair it, which is surgery and just deal with it. It took a while to get strength back, but I’ve built the bench up to nearly 70% of what it used to be by developing other muscles in the shoulder girdle. I asked Mark what Slingshot model and size would work for me, someone with nearly a decade of proper bench press experience, and a torn labrum, and he told me to order an XL Reactive, the first stage of four different levels.

Fit posing with Silent Mike, Mark Bell’s assistant

I should be receiving it soon and will write a full review on it. In the review, I will talk about how the product works for someone with a serious injury and also the uses of the product. I am sure I will find a way to use it for my non-powerlifting athletes so stay tuned for that. All in all, it was a great experience and even though we had to leave nearly 2/3 of the way through, we left completely satisfied. Fit even enjoyed it more than she expected! As always…stay hungry and fit!

Nov042014

Introducing Dani California Cooks

I wanted to use today’s post in order to introduce a new blog run by a very good friend of mine. When she told me about her idea, I was thrilled and couldn’t wait til it started. Well, it’s here now and it’s wonderful, beautiful, and everything in between. We’ve known each other since middle school and have kept in touch ever since. She has a huge gregarious personality and wonderful sense of humor–a deadly combo for a blog. I’m thrilled to present Dani California Cooks. Here is an interview with Dani from us:

And she’s pretty to boot!

1. What is the name of your blog and what is it about?

My blog is named “Dani California Cooks” and it documents all the things I cook, eat and do as I split my time between Los Angeles and San Francisco!

2. Tell us a little about yourself.

I was born and raised in California, but spent my college and several post-grad years living on the east coast. But then I came to my senses and decided to make the move out west again! When I’m not posting awkward pictures of me eating on my Instagram, you can find me at my management consulting job or hitting the pavement for a run no matter where I’m located. My mother calls me the “whirling dervish” as I am never in the same place at once – just in September I was in Baltimore, Washington DC, Tel Aviv, Seattle, and Los Angeles.

3. What inspired you to create and run this blog?

I have been an avid reader of many food and healthy lifestyle blogs for years now (like Hungry and Fit!) and earlier this summer I decided I wanted to join the community of bloggers and actually actively participate. I am so glad I went for it – it’s a truly inspiring blogosphere to be a part of!

4. What is your goal in having a blog?

I’m really looking forward to connecting with other food and foodie bloggers out there, pass along some ideas for amateur healthy home chefs, and document my own day-to-day culinary experiences to share with the world! You’ll find that my blog posts fall into two categories – recipes, and the rest of my life!

5. What’s your favorite food?

Besides the fact that I’ve already planned out my last meal on earth (penne bolognese and carrot cake, since you asked) I think my favorite foods are chocolate and a good tuna salad sandwich. Not together. Perhaps sequentially.

One of Dani’s pictures

Take it from us that her posts will have you drooling and laughing–sometimes awkwardly at the same time! Her pictures are absolutely gorgeous (way higher caliber than ours) and her writing style keeps you coming back for more. I can’t recommend checking out her blog enough! I know you will enjoy it. If you’re looking for some great recipes or other food-style posts, check out Dani California Cooks. And as always, stay hungry and fit!

Nov032014

#17 Greatest Video Game of All Time

We are battling our way through the teens of the greatest video games of all time–according to us, of course! This has been a lengthy project brought to you by the video game brain trust. As an overview, it’s a group of five of us who put a list of our favorite 25 video games of all time. I know, pretty fun, huh? If you missed these, check them out: #25, #24, #23, #22, #21, #20 #19, and #18. Let us know what you think in the comments!

Kai – Mario Kart series– For those who haven’t heard of Mario Kart, it’s a casual racing game with 8 iterations. You race in a fantasy location as one of the Nintendo characters, picking up items and shooting them at fellow racers to get ahead. It’s one of my favorite split-screen multiplayer games, easy to learn but competitive. Each race is short, making it easy to let new people rotate in and play, so it also makes a fun party game.

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Po – Toejam & Earl 2: Panic on Funkotron- The ultimate co-op chill sesh. Couple this with gunstar heroes and you’ve got the most balanced co-op gaming session on your hands.

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Andrew – Mass Effect (Series) – [SPOILER ALERT FOR MASS EFFECT] “I’m Commander Shepard and this is my favorite entry on this list”. The game is legend. From the start of the series you have the Normandy, which is an absolute beast ship that you have to upgrade in order to make it through some suicide missions and save some of your friends lives. You have the beautiful intertwining plotlines that BioWare is fantastic at. The visuals are fantastic. Legion is fantastic. Thane is fantastic. Seth Green is fantastic. Mass Effect 3 came out the week of my birthday and my 360 had just broken so I just had to auto-buy a new one. Had to be done (like when the new Zelda and/or Metroid games come out, must auto-buy a Wii U) I romance Liara 100/100 times throughout all 3 games and am devastated every time Legion gives his life. You’ll see some BioWare games higher up on the list, Mass Effect is lower because – 1) some of the games are better 2) Mass Effect 3 had a bad ending. The lack of companion explanations killed it a lot. The fact that it was overall bad killed it a lot. 1^st ending, 2^nd ending…didn’t really matter, they were overall bad.

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Fit – Call of Duty (1 and 2)– Call of Dutyyyyyyy! This is a long-time favorite. And I say 1 and 2 because I like the World War II Call of Duty, not this present day nonsense. My list is all about the memories that games bring me and Call of Duty is FULL of them. I really mean that. From pulling all nighters with my brother and friends, to pistol battles, to sniper wars, this game has provided hundreds of hours of fun and bonding time. It is such a fantastic game to play with others and have amazing fun. We would always all play in the same room and either go at each other or team up and try to beat the other team. It was always a blast. The game is a lot of fun–I was always a Kar98k gun kind of girl–a faster version of a sniper rifle. I would be patient with my prey, be silent in my positioning, and take them down! I’m a big believer in defense, so that’s what I always did in Capture the Flag games.

This game gets a respectable place on my list due to its replayable-ness and being a great social game. I can’t count how many good memories I’ve had with this game.

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Hungry – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PS3) – Oh man. Impending RANT. This was a pure gut instinct, change my list last moment kind of decision. There were a few games that were originally listed in a worse position that will now be higher because of my general frustration with the PS3 release, so this is very subjective. Another Elder Scrolls game, which I will not name yet, will appear VERY high on my list. Having experienced years and years of Elder Scrolls, my expectations for Skyrim were through the roof. The trailers were skin tingling and bone chilling. One of my favorite series ever plus dragons? It’s like a dream for me.

Unfortunately, Bethesda and Sony decided to not play nice and the fans suffered. It started well… we were there for the midnight launch, got the game and played immediately. I bought the game November 11th, 2011 and by mid December, 2011 I had piled up 284 hours of gameplay. The two main quests were completed and nearly every side quest that didn’t have a bug that wasn’t patched had been finished. I had every home, explored every cave, had almost every skill at 100 (except Illusion and Alteration), was at a very high level, had all the shouts, etc. The game was 99% done. I really actually enjoyed it a lot aside from the few minor glitches.

And then THE EXPANSIONS DID NOT COME OUT FOR PLAYSTATION. If they never made them, Skyrim would be VERY high on this list as well. Unfortunately, I downloaded all of them when they were released for PS3 at the same time and it actually corrupted my main file to the point I couldn’t even play it after deleting the DLCs and Sony couldn’t help me fix the problem. Well, to this day, I haven’t really played Skyrim since December 2011, they haven’t fixed my problem, and I might eventually start a new file on the PC, when I get time. It was just so disappointing and the game had so much potential for me. If that whole fiasco with Sony and Bethesda only never happened and the DLC came out on time without bugs… I can only imagine how high Skyrim would be on this list. But that’s just me. Those first 284 hours were magic though, pure magic strong enough to save this game’s place on this list and I am sure I don’t need to tell you why! FUS RO DAH!

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That sums up our #17 greatest video games of all time! We hope you enjoyed reading as much as we enjoyed writing. Be sure to be on the look out for #16. We are sneaking closer to our top 10! Have a wonderful Monday and as always, stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC