1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die

One of my Christmas gifts was this wonderful book. It does exactly what it says on the tin (or cover) and lists 1001 of the best, greatest and influential games since the 1970's.

I have just gone through the book and highlighted all of the games I have played. I was brutally honest, only highlighting the games I have spent a fair amount of time playing. Over the last 30 years. I have played 221 of the top 1001 list. I thought it would be more but like I said I only listed the games I can with all honestly say I have played (5 minutes round my friends house just doesn't count!) If I had been a little more lax I think I could hit 300 but that's not the point. What was interesting was how few of the Nintendo games I have played. Over the years I have avoided most Nintendo consoles, believing them to be too childlike for my serious gaming sensibilities (yes Ican be a twat). and despite having dabbled in a number of Super Mario Bros. Zelda and Metroid games I can with all honestly say I don't like them. I agree the ones I have played are good they just are not the games for me.

Horus Rising

This week I picked up a copy of Horus Rising by Dan Abnett. Now in the past I have never been a massive fan of GW published fiction, I found much of it of mediocre quality but Abnetts First Founding series was an exception to this.

In this book (and the series that follow it) we learn about events leading up to and during the Horus Heresy. A period when half the forces of the Imperium rose up in rebellion against the Emperor lead by Warmaster Horus, the Emperors most trusted Primarch.

I can with no word of a lie say, Horus Rising is one of the finest pieces of fantasy fiction I have ever read (and I have read plenty)! What makes this book such a pleasure to read are the characters, they feel like real people dealing with real issues.

If you have in the past been put of buying Black Library novels because of previous poorly written books (The Blood Angels ones spring to mind), then do yourself a favour and go out and buy this one, it is a treat to read and have already started reading it again.