2017 Discoveries
My Year of Joy: A Survival Guide
There’s a lot that happens in any given year. Much of it is same-old-same-old, but 2017 was different. A new Commander in Cheeto® was sworn in, countless celebrities caught comeuppance, and then there was me, Andrew, discovering new ways to find joy in spite of it all.
Video Games
Nintendo Switch
I stood on line in New York City’s frigid morning air on March 4th to purchase what has quickly become my favorite gaming device of all time. I grew up playing video games, but I was never a “gamer.” I never really had the passion for the competitive, gore-tastic murder-fests that get associated with that moniker. But I always had a console from the latest generation. And usually it was two consoles, the Sony one and the Nintendo one. That was until the Wii U era of Nintendo. I had my 3DS and loved it (Pokemon FTW) but never pulled the trigger on the Wii U even though I looked on with envy at certain games. I already had my Nintendo machine, why did I need another?
That all changed with the Switch.
I bought in, in a big way. I have a half dozen games, more amiibo than I care to admit (more on that later) a few accessories, and a revitalized gaming routine. I’m still not sure if I’m a gamer or simply a Nintendo fan, but I know that without the Nintendo Switch, I’d be playing a lot less games.
Spaltoon 2
I’m continuously surprised by how often I play and come back to this game. “Shooters” have never been my thing. The only games I’ve played with guns in them over the last decade are the Metal Gear games, and I always play them non-lethal. I’ve also not been very good at these types of games. They require the kind of dexterity I just can’t seem to muster with my dumb fingers. Splatoon 2 though has a different take on the conventional shooter. The main mode doesn’t ask you to kill (or splat) enemies as the main objective. It’s a Turf War where you use your non lethal ink squirters (basically paintball guns) to cover the map in your team’s color. I’ve also been loving the community around this game and the monthly “Splatfests” that get players to take one side or the other of a silly debate (Werewolves vs. Vampire, Sci-Fi vs. Fantasy, Christmas Sweater vs. Christmas Socks). I’ve put just over 100 hours into this game and I’m just now trying the other modes it has to offer. And boy are they fun too.
Mario Odyssey
I tend to play video games as a way to get centered. I love nothing more than being set to a task I know can be completed and just working at it. Mario Odyssey gives me this escape and adds a thick layer of joy on top. I laughed out loud, may have shed a tear, and stared incredulously at this game nearly every time I sat down to play it. I made it to 999 moons and Am only stuck with 4 my fingers and rhythm won’t let me complete. It constantly innovated on itself, adding new mechanics and ways to bring joy out of every task. I have a long history with Mario and this game celebrated it with me.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
I’ve not been the biggest Zelda fan over the years. Something about the franchise always kept me at arms length, but Breath of the Wild invited me in to its world. I’ve played 220+ hours of this game and I still want more. Every time new content has been added, I step back into the world and drop off the face of the earth. Ask my friends, they’ll back me up on that. What I love most about this game is the sense of freedom it gives you. You can climb any mountain, defeat any enemy (however you want, and solve any puzzle a myriad of different ways.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
This wacky game surprised the hell out of me. At first blush, it looked, frankly, stupid. But the gameplay was interesting and that was, of course, what shined. I love strategy games and learning from failing, so this game was right up my ally with humor to boot.
Super NES Classic Edition
There were a bunch of games I never played as a kid. I either prejudged them saying that wasn’t for me or we didn’t have money for them all. The SNES mini has some of the best games I’ve never played on it and a few I played for years. Right now, it’s set up at the office and it’s been a mild hit, but soon it’ll come home and I’ll dive into the greatest games of my childhood.
Amiibo
I had owned three Amiibo prior to this year. This was something I was a little bit proud of. I hadn’t let my inner collector make poor financial decisions in the name of my inner child. I was doing good. But, I was weak. I bought three Amiibo for two of my favorite games ever (Mario Odyssey and Zelda: Breath of the Wild). I now have what I’m afraid can only be described as a collection. And while they’re gorgeously made and bring me joy. I worry this may be a habit I don’t really want to break.
Apps / Services
iA Writer
I have been sick of Microsoft Word for years. I’ve gotten by using Pages at work and some combination of those two and Text Edit for my personal writing, but I set out to find a purer, more elegant solution. I tried Ulysses and Scrivener this year, but kept coming back to the simplicity of iA Writer and how I could quickly complicate it whenever I wanted. It also has gotten me into writing in markup which is interesting, not sure I love it just yet, but there is a great sense of power that comes with being able to format your copy without taking your hands off the keyboard. Oh, and I love the iCloud backup. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cursed Microsoft’s name for lost progress or how much time I’ve saved being able to simply open iA on a different device and getting right to work.
VPN
I finally got a VPN. I often have to check my paranoia about most things but with the FCC voting to revoke Net Neutrality (Thanks 2017, you did it again!) it was time. It’s probably mostly a placebo, but I’m happy to have it in place if it offers any extra level of protection from my data being mined and profited on by corporation who I’m already paying for their services.
Open Dyslexic
I’ve intermittently struggled with dyslexia since I was a kid. i say intermittently because that’s how dyslexia works. It seemingly randomly decides to transpose numbers and letter in my brain and make it difficult for me to follow to the next line in whatever I’m readying. This year, I installed the Open Dyslexia font on my Amazon Kindle and found the joy of reading again. There really was nothing more annoying than getting taken out of a developing story by a misread word or a skipped line of dialogue.
Media
Would I Lie to You
I watch a good deal of British television. I really like their “panel shows” filled with comedians riffing around a game that doesn’t really matter. Would I Lie to You is a great distillation of this with a great hook for a game. I’ve often had a rather loose relationship with the truth, but I’m also a terrible liar. I laugh, smile, turn red, and give it all away pretty quickly. That happens sometimes on the show, but more often than not they fill the teams with world-class liars and entertainers who can spin and sell most any yarn.
The Leftovers
For years I put off watching The Leftover, especially because of the mixed critical and audience reaction to the first season. IN the seasons since, the tied has turned and the show has gotten some rave reviews and a hoard of evangelicals supporters. I gave it a go and I was beyond satisfied. The acting across the board is fantastic on the show. And it’s tackling big ideas. Big concepts. And asking tough questions it sometimes offers frustrating answers to. This show is a journey.
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
I still don’t like the name of Sam Bee’s show, but she’s doing good work. She covers topics other shows aren’t and bringing fresh takes to ones they have done to death. I am thankful it’s a weekly show though because the topics she covers and the outrage she leans into riles me up to unacceptable levels.
Pop Culture Happy Hour
As podcasts go, this one is pretty unstructured in its purview. That’s what I think I like most about it though. I have constructed a pretty comfortable bubble for myself and this show pokes at it pretty nicely.
Fox Sports Go
I can’t speak to the quality of the original content FSGO produces, but it did make it possible for me to watch the majority of the Yankee games this year thanks to Fox Sports Go. And for that, I’ll forgive them showing the same commercial for their show with Skip Bayless 10x per game.
Misc
Enamel Pins
I’m pretty sure I’m late to this trend, but I spent a decent amount of time this year looking for pins to put on my messenger bags. I honestly think it’s my tiny step towards “putting myself out there” which I’m happy about. But can we talk about how stupidly overpriced these things are? I bough between 7 of these and the average price was $9. Dafuq?
Peace Out Twenty-seventeen. Bring On Twenty-eighteen.
I made it through 2017 and you did too. Some of us are a little worse for the wear, but there are still ways to find joy in this world.
This was a rough year for sure, but we can take the good from 2017 and build on, and rely on, it in to not only get us through another year, but make it a better one.
Share the keys to your 2017 Survival Guide in the comments and share them with your family and friends. This world isn’t easy, but it’s better when we share what we love with one another. Happy New Year!
