Articles written by Matt Bird in Hobbies & Games

What is Helium

About me - Matt Bird

What's there to say, really? I'm a Canadian Journalism student who loves to write. I've done it since I was a child and I hope to continue writing 'til I'm in my grave. Prior to Journalism I went to the University of Toronto, St. George Campus for English

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Hobbies & Games > Video Game Consoles & Accessories Console reviews: The Nintendo Wii: 1 of 58
There was a time when the Nintendo Wii was virtually impossible to find unless you actually worked at the store. (I should know. I was one such worker, and I managed to secure a Wii relatively early.) Even now that the fad has passed a bit and the units are more readily available it's still pretty tough to track one down.The ... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Consoles & Accessories Choosing a video game console: 1 of 45
Normally in an article like this I'd go with the current generation gaming consoles, but I realized that that's an improper method. What's wrong with the consoles of days past? Sure the games are dated and the graphics look kinda horrible compared to what we have today, but that's not to say those old games aren't still lots ... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Games (Other) My favorite video games and an explanation of why they are my favorites: 1 of 25
Whenever I try to write one of these favorite video game lists I always end up sticking half the games I've ever played on it. I have trouble being decisive with my favorites, and abhor leaving good games out. So, to prevent that from happening, I'm going to pick my favorite game from each system I've owned and go from there... More..
Hobbies & Games > Role Playing & War Games Website recommendations for free online role-playing games: 1 of 20
I'm not the kind of guy who can sit around role playing with a group of people for a long time. I did it when I was younger, and as fun as playing pretend may have been, there just wasn't enough structure for me to enjoy it. So when I talk about role playing games, my definition's going to be browser-based and relatively inte... More..
Hobbies & Games > Hobbies & Games (Other) Activities to do on a sunny day: 1 of 18
With winter finally giving way to spring and summer, people will invariably want to get outside. Once you're there, though, what's there to do? (And I'm not talking about bringing electronic devices with you - or, at the very least, limiting them to a music player.) Here's a list of some of my favorite things to do on those f... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Reviews Downloadable game review: Kukoo Kitchen: 1 of 17
Shouldn't a dog as cook be considered, I dunno, unsanitary?In a galaxy where other dogs, cats, slugs and a host of other weirdos come looking for nourishment from said cook, I guess not.Such is the setting of Kukoo Kitchen, a new task management game by Questtracers. It sports a fairly nonsensical plot: Jessica, the owner of ... More..
Hobbies & Games > Board Games Best family board games: 2 of 33
Just about every board game out there is fun for the whole family. If they weren't they'd lose all appeal, as board games are typically made to be enjoyed by multiple people at a time - and those people usually compose a family. Your game is probably a failure if a family doesn't enjoy it. But there are some games which mana... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Reviews Best video games ever: 7 of 114
A video game's worth is judged by a variety of criteria that, inevitably, changes from gamer to gamer.Some value graphics. Others, gameplay. Story, perhaps, or just the characters themselves and their inherent wackiness (or lack thereof).Me, though? I favor replay value. If a game has a built in clock that betrays just how ma... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Trends & Genres Remembering retro video games: 2 of 32
When I think of 'retro' video gaming, one word invariably jumps to mind.Difficult.Old games are hard games. That's just the way it was. You weren't destined to save Princess Toadstool, to stop the evil Ganon, to pump missiles into the cortex of the Mother Brain or knock out Mike Tyson: no, you were just supposed to wallow in ... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Reviews Video game reviews: Kingdom Hearts: 1 of 16
Disney and Squaresoft teaming up. Who ever would have thought such a strange coupling could take place in the video game world?Even stranger, who could have predicted they'd be successful?Yet they were. Their union bore the now critically-acclaimed and popular action-RPG Kingdom Hearts. And boy, what a weird and wonderful gam... More..