4 years later - I'm Back Babyyyyy!

Hi all!

Dan here. And it's been a whirlwind of a few years. I know I've been 100% absent, but I kept the domain (thank God) and well, life is what it is. My kids are older, we have #3 on the way (YAY!), and I've made some adjustments in my life. Here's what I've been up to...

The New Dad Gamer: Bonding with Player 3

Before Nathan was born, I had a very narrow idea of what having a kid was like. I imagined playing Super Mario Bros. with my little guy, teaching him how to solve a Zelda puzzle, decorating his room with plush Metroids and Pikechus etc...

I was only part right. Spoiler alert, babies don't play video games. If you give a baby a Joy-Con, It will likely end up in his/her mouth. Which is not where they belong. However, there are plenty of ways the junior can join in the fun.

The NES is 30! Here are the games that started it all for me.

It was my older brother's NES. But my parents were adamant that he share with the family, so I got to play occasionally. I was stuck in "younger brother" mode most o the time, having to settle for Luigi, dying too quickly, and having to watch my brother progress leaps and bounds further than me. But I was just happy to be hanging out with my older bro. Which never really goes away.

I was born the year after the NES launched, and my brother was 4 years older than me. So you can see how the dynamic played itself out.

Anywho, here are the games we owned, and what I remember about them.

Yoshi Kong Adventure: The game that never existed.

There is a game that never existed, but only in my, and my older brother's, minds. This game was called Yoshi Kong Adventure. It brought together two Nintendo characters that must have been separated at birth, considering how much their worlds have in common. Or so our pre-teen minds thought.

We imagined a rich high seas sailing quest with multiple continents to explore. We even drew the cover art for what would have been a GameCube game. But alas, Nintendo didn't think our idea had sea legs. And so here lies an idea that never left concept.

but it sure is fun to think about!

Just launched our Domain and Twitter account! Also, what to expect from us.

What can you expect from @TheBlockFort on Twitter? Lots of great stuff! Predictions, contests, links to some of out favorite Nintendo content around the internet, etc...

But more importantly, the personality and charm that makes The Block Fort what it is. So let's see that "Followers" number rise!

You can now find us at theblockfort.com! Can you feel the excitement!?


I realize that it's overly optimistic of me to assume people are just going to jump onto a bandwagon that they don't fully understand. But I'm excited. And I'm pretty confident that we have something unique here at The Block Fort.

One thing I want to keep pursuing is community. Although I'm the admin for this site, I want our readers opinions and thoughts to be heard loud and clear. Even the unpopular opinions. If I write something, and you think it's 100% wrong, say so! I'm not afraid of the criticism and I even welcome an open conversation, as long as everyone's respectful and you're ready for my witty rebuttal.

Being a Nintendo fan, I'm always finding a balance between past and present. Part of the pull for me has to do with the fond memories I have playing through all generations of Nintendo consoles. The ups, the downs, the in-betweens, all of it matters. and contrasting past experiences with modern games can be an eye opening experience. I'm all for writing about retro games as much as I am current ones. And analyzing Nintendo's arc as a whole can be fascinating too.

There's lots to talk about. And lots of you to do. I hope you'll jump in for the ride and see where it takes us! Welcome!