Blogger Blitz: Round One Match Schedule

Hello and welcome, adventurers, to the first official announcement about the Blogger Blitz! I’ll be your host for this wacky and wild tournament where eight bloggers sponsor a video game character to compete in random events for glitz and glory. Round One is set to begin at the end of the month, so today I am happy to announce to you everything you need to know in order to enjoy this epic event!

THE BASICS
This competition is a single-elimination, blind-draw tournament where the order of events and the competitors facing off were decided randomly by drawing names from a hat – er, bowl, actually. The drawings were tweeted live Saturday evening on the Adventure Rules Twitter page, the best place to get up-to-date information about the event!

The rules are simple: each match, two competitors will compete in a wacky event. Each blogger will submit a 500 word post on why their character would be the best at the event. These posts will go up on the same day, at a time chosen by each individual blogger based on their audience and preferences. As the host for the event, I’ll be sharing the articles too so that as many people as possible can enjoy the bout!

After the posts are submitted, our panel of five talented judges will read the articles and determine which blogger made the better argument in favor of their beloved character. Once their vote is cast, I’ll compile their thoughts into a post here on Adventure Rules announcing the winner of the match. The winner will go on to the next round! Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s all over for the blogger who lost the match – more on that in the future!
THE COMPETITORS
Now that you know the rules, who exactly is participating in this fierce contest of wills? I have been very fortunate in that eight varied and unique bloggers have volunteered to take part in this event – some I know well, some I am getting to know for the first time. It’s already been a wonderful experience getting to know some new folks as part of this event, and now let’s take a moment for you to get to know them as well!

Side note: if you saw the live-tweet event and know the competitors and judges already, you can CTRL + F the word “finally” to skip to the part about the actual matchups.

LUNA – GAMERS UNITED GG – THE JOKER

Our first competitor and we already have a wild card! The Joker is well-known as a villainous madman who is capable of giving even the brilliant and mighty Batman a run for his money. His never-ending bag of tricks includes an assortment of deadly weapons – some are exactly what they appear to be, others are clown tricks that pack a nasty punch. The Joker can always find something to laugh about, especially if it involves human suffering.

His sponsor, Luna, is a blogger for Gamers United, a blog that touches on many interests of geek culture. Like video games? Of course you do. She’s got you covered. Like Netflix? Who doesn’t! She’s got something for you. There’s all kinds of goodies over on Gamers United, so be sure to go and check out her work. I particularly enjoyed her recent piece on a certain Mushroom Kingdom couple, so I definitely encourage you to read it!

LUKE – HUNDSTRASSE – CLAIRE REDFIELD
Claire Redfield may look like a stereotypically-attractive young woman holding a pistol for a photo shoot, but she’s so much more than that. She’s survived more zombie outbreaks than Rick Grimes (and with more eyes to show for it) using her incredible skills as a gunslinger and knife fighter. She’s a stealth expert, secret agent, and a great mentor to other young women in the midst of zombie hell. What more could we ask for in a competitor?

Claire is sponsored by none other than Luke from the gaming blog Hundstrasse. Luke is a fellow participant in the Question of the Month event that some of you might have seen me posting about the last couple of months, and he is a master of subtlety and subliminal messaging. Will that skill help him in the Blogger Blitz? Hard to say, but what isn’t hard to say is that you should read his article about five games he hasn’t yet finished. It’s an excellent and honest look at how we sometimes don’t finish even the good stuff.

LODESTAR_VALOR – LODESTAR_VALOR’S GAMING BLOG – POKEMON RANGER
The world of Pokemon has many more types of people than just your typical Pokemon Trainer. One particular authority in this amazing world is the Pokemon Ranger, a specialist who prevents poaching and other crimes against nature with the power of their special tool, the Capture Styler. Teaming up with one partner Pokemon rather than a team of six, rangers instead draw on the type energy of Pokemon to give their Styler new abilities and effects.

I’m particularly excited about seeing Pokemon Ranger here because his sponsor is very new to the WordPress scene! I met Lodestar_Valor when YouTube personality Derrick Bitner from GameXPlain retweeted the blog’s first article on Twitter a few weeks ago. You can check out that very first article right here, and I’m honored that Lodestar chose Adventure Rules and the Blogger Blitz as a first community event!

LIGHTNINGELLEN – LIGHTNING ELLEN’S RELEASE – LIGHTNING FARRON

When it comes to the moody male protagonists of Final Fantasy, I’d say we’re a tad over-saturated. Cloud, Squall, Noctis, Cecil – we get it, you guys brood, yeesh. Final Fantasy XIII changed the formula by giving us a serious protagonist with less brooding and more determination. That protagonist is Lightning, the gunblade-toting magic-slinging butt-kicking young lady pictured above. Lightning confidently takes control of every situation, so she’ll be ready to go when the battle begins for blogging glory.

Lightning’s presence in the Blogger Blitz is sponsored by none other than Lightning Ellen of Lightning Ellen’s Release. Try saying all that three times fast! Lightning Ellen is a staunch defender of Final Fantasy XIII, a divisive title in the series, but there’s more to her than Lightning. She’s enjoyed both Breath of the Wild and Horizon Zero Dawn in recent months, and even shared on article on ten things that make her happy. Which might just include a pretty sweet Lightning tattoo. 😉

TERI MAE – SHEIKAH PLATE – LINK
Do I really need to introduce Link? Since the early days of the NES, incarnations of this young hero have fought hard to save the kingdom of Hyrule. He’s traveled through time, prevented the apocalypse, and survived his own death so he could teach his successor how to be as awesome as he is. And all that is just one Link! But being a hero isn’t a guarantee of winning the Blogger Blitz – he’s gonna have to “hyah” some new tricks out of his sleeves to keep up in this competition!

Sponsoring Link is Teri Mae of Sheikah Plate, a blog all about cooking delicious food directly from the latest Zelda title, Breath of the Wild. While delicious meals are certainly a major selling point of Sheikah Plate, their are plenty of gaming articles there too, including this gem about how gamers can change the world. I agree wholeheartedly with many of her points – they are why gaming is an art form and why we all love games so much!

THE WELL-RED MAGE – MEGA MAN
In a world where a mad scientist uses the power of technology for evil, only technology can stop him. And no one does it better than Mega Man! This cute little sprite has platformed across more disappearing blocks than you can shake a stick at, charging up his Mega Buster to land the perfect shot and destroy evil one robot at a time. Able to integrate the technology of Robot Masters into his weapon, Mega Man has a huge array of abilities that make him both versatile and dangerous. He’ll need every one of them to get through this competition!

Mega Man’s presence in the competition is sponsored by The Well-Red Mage, who shares a blog of the same name. Known for his extensive reviews that carefully analyze each and every part of a game, lately Mr. Red has been hosting his own community blogging event – the 31-Day Elemental Challenge of July! This is a month-long exploration of different video game genres where he and his sagacious companions share their favorite titles. Can you name a favorite game in every conceivable genre? Go try the challenge for yourself!

NEKO JONEZ – NEKO JONEZ’S GAMING BLOG – INDIANA JONES

When I character is iconic, they are immortalized in every possible medium. A guy like Indiana Jones can’t stick to the cinema screen, so he whipped his way into the gaming world starting with the NES and he’s been around ever since. Recently getting the LEGO treatment, he’s starred in multiple games in a number of genres. Now he’s about to star in a whole new kind of challenge – the Blogger Blitz! Can his trusty hat and whip carry him through? Will the lady competitors be able to resist his rugged charm? Stay tuned to find out!

Indiana Jones is sponsored by a blogger who took inspiration from the heroic archaelogist, Neko Jonez! I got the opportunity to meet Neko pretty recently as a result of participating in Question of the Month, and since then we’ve been talking projects and kicking ideas around. He’s a great guy with a lot of excellent content to enjoy. I personally got a kick out of his first impressions of Dragon Quest VIII, my favorite game in the Dragon Quest series!

KIM – LATER LEVELS – GUYBRUSH THREEPWOOD
Don’t pretend to know pirates if you don’t know this legend. Guybrush Threepwood is the greatest pirate to ever sail the seas around Monkey Island. His sword is sharp and his wits are sharper, his biting sarcasm and clever sense of humor helping him to defeat the dread pirate LeChuck as well as charm the lovely Elaine Marley. With cutlass in hand and quips on the tip of his tongue, Guybrush is ready to take on anything!

Guybrush is sponsored perhaps unsurprisingly by Kim of Later Levels, who lists The Secret of Monkey Island as the game that got her into video games. Kim is the host of the Question of the Month event that brought many of these bloggers together, an avid supporter of the UK charity Special Effect, and an excellent blogger who covers many subjects in the world of gaming. Recently she eloquently tackled an issue close to the heart of many gamers – the perception of our hobby by certain “scholarly” individuals. I definitely recommend checking it out!

These eight competitors will go toe-to-toe in glorious battle to see which character is the best at the random events of the Blogger Blitz. Who comes out on top will be up to their skills – and to the five wonderful judges who have volunteered to participate as well!

THE JUDGES
Judges are an important part of any competitive event, their objectivity (or lack thereof) a defining part of what makes the competition a success. I felt it was important to the success of Blogger Blitz that I as the host not judge the event itself, and I also didn’t want to make the games a contest of followers. Instead, each blogger will be judged on the merit of their writing by objective folks whose only role in the competition is to see it carried out fairly. So let’s give some props to these wonderful folks!

ATHENA VETA – AMBIGAMING CORNER
Athena was the first to volunteer to be a judge! She’s already demonstrated objectivity and clear thinking on her own blog through many of her articles. Her background in psychology gives her an excellent lens as a judge and as a blogger, helping her to create masterpieces such as this series on media violence and its effect on kids. This isn’t the only real-life issue she’s tackled on her blog, so if you’re fascinated by the interplay between life and gaming then she’s definitely a blogger you should check out.

GEDDY – NOSTALGIA TRIGGER
Geddy and I just met (intermet!) earlier this year despite both having been around the game blogging scene for nearly two years. Geddy has a great sense of humor and relatable writing style that makes him approachable, which is a great quality to have in someone who is going to be casting judgment on your work! Despite the fact that he recently became the Over-Caffeinated Nostalgia Mage on The Well-Red Mage, he’ll be able to judge impartially as demonstrated by his carefully crafted and fair review of Ever Oasis on that very site.

JAMES – QTX
James is the blogging brains behind the gaming blog Quickly Tap X, and if you’ve ever read one of his articles you can never mistake his signature style. Full of enthusiasm and a unique voice, anything James pens is a delight to read, and I can’t wait to see that same enthusiasm applied to judging the competition. While he hasn’t quite decided on his approach to judging just yet, you can check out this review of Dying Light to get a basic idea.

CHRIS – OVERTHINKER Y
I met Chris pretty recently through the Question of the Month event, and we’ve been talking about other subjects as part of that group as well. Chris is a friendly and level-headed guy who, when I said “I’m looking for more people to participate in this event,” enthusiastically jumped in without a second thought. His blog, Overthinker Y, tackles not only gaming but also discusses episodes of various anime, a subject on which I am not well-versed but I know many folks in the gaming community enjoy. I recently enjoyed this article about the Kingdom Hearts release date timeline that concretely demonstrates just how long fans have been waiting for a third game.

DESTINY – ADVENTURE RULES
Behind every great man is a woman who keeps him from doing stupid crap. For Adventure Rules, that woman is my wife, Destiny. While she doesn’t have “official” staff credits as part of the blog team, she’s the sounding board for my ideas and has been there from the beginning. Whether it’s giving me space to write or giving me inspiration for articles (sometimes unintentionally), Adventure Rules wouldn’t be what it is if not for my spouse. And when I told her about Blogger Blitz, she not only supported the idea but wanted to participate as a judge! Destiny enjoys writing herself but even more than that, she is an avid reader with a clear and critical perspective. I’m happy to have her officially involved in an Adventure Rules event!

FINALLY, THE SCHEDULE
So we know the competitors, we know the judges, and we know the rules. Now let’s get down to the schedule of events!

Matches in Round One will be held every Monday beginning on July 31st. That means there will be a match on July 31st, August 7th, August 14th, and August 21st. The results of these matches will be posted here on Adventure Rules on the Friday following each match. So the first event’s results will be posted August 4th, the second event’s results on August 11th, the third event’s results on August 18th, and the fourth event’s results on August 25th. These will be the four matches of Round One. After that, there will be a break in order to prepare for the semifinal round. Semifinal matches will be held Monday, September 4th and Monday, September 11th, with their results posted on Friday September 8th and Friday September 15th respectively. After that, we’ll have another week break for preparations for the championship match, which will be posted on Monday, September 25th, with results posted on Friday, September 29th. This timing will allow the tournament to run til the end of September, which is a nice time to put a bow on the whole thing.

So who is facing off when? And what events are they competing in?

On Monday, July 31st, Neko Jonez (Indiana Jones) and Lightning Ellen (Lightning Farron) will face off in an event called Retail Rumble. Each blogger will choose a single product intrinsic to their character to mass produce and market. Whoever writes the most convincing pitch for their tool will take the event!

On Monday, August 7th, Kim (Guybrush Threepwood) and Luke (Claire Redfield) will take each other on in Mail Delivery. Which character can deliver mail the fastest while also being chased by Cerberus, the three-headed hound of Hell? Each blogger will argue why their character would be the best at this herculean task!

On Monday, August 14th, Lodestar_Valor (Pokemon Ranger) and The Well-Red Mage (Mega Man) battle to see who can produce the best music video in Dance Off. What songs will they dance to? Whose abilities will give them the biggest edge on the dance floor? Each blogger will pitch their music video to see who rises to the top of the charts!

On Monday, August 21st, Teri Mae (Link) and Luna (The Joker) will fight for love in the event Match Maker. When Marlboro – the horrifying abomination from Final Fantasy famed for its putrid breath – is looking for love, who will help it find its soulmate? Each blogger will explain how their character can find Marlboro its perfect match!

If you want to track the results of the matches on your own or even make predictions, I’m including here a quick bracket I put together (with the help of the printyourbrackets website) for the tournament: Blogger Blitz Bracket.

THAT’S ALL FOR NOW!
In just one week, the competition will begin. The best way to keep up with everything going on with the Blogger Blitz is to follow Adventure Rules here on WordPress and on social media on Twitter or Facebook. I’ll be sharing the articles from every competing blogger as well as posting the results. However, I highly encourage you to give a follow to the judges and competitors who are working so incredibly hard to make this event work. Adventure Rules literally couldn’t do this event without them, so they are the most deserving of support as Blogger Blitz moves forward!

I hope you all are excited as I am to see this competition get started! We’ll see you on Monday for the first match of the tournament – a Retail Rumble between Indiana Jones and Lightning Farron!