And the winners of the 2064: Read Only Memories Vita codes are...

I promised I'd be giving away four digital codes for the Vita version of 2064: Read Only Memories today, and that's what I'm going to do.

Rather than prolong the suspense, let's just get right to it. Here are the winners:

• Felipe Martins
• Sera R
• Shiftyweb
• ZACH

If you're one of the readers named above, leave a comment here by, say, the end of the day on Wednesday, and then we'll figure out the best way for me to send you the code.

Sorry to those of you who didn't win. I'd give you all codes for this intriguing game, if I could.

Raise your hand (and leave a comment) if you want a copy of 2064: Read Only Memories for Vita

I recently interviewed MidBoss' Matt Conn about the just-released Vita version--as well as the upcoming Switch version--of 2064: Read Only Memories. (Keep an eye out for this one-on-one, by the way; I hope to publish it before the year wraps up.)

Shortly after he kindly answered my questions, Conn sent me four codes for 2064: Read Only Memories' Vita release.

Well, it's the time of year to give things to the people you love, so I'm giving these 2064: Read Only Memories codes to the folks who read (and especially comment on) this blog and push me to keep updating it.



All you have to do to win one of these codes is leave a comment (on this post) about why you're itching to play this version of the game. Oh, and leave that comment between now and midnight on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas day, I'll toss all of your names into a hat (really!) and the first four I pull out will get a 2064: Read Only Memories Vita code.

I'll announce the recipients here as well as on Facebook and Twitter that same day, so check out at least one of them on Dec. 25 to see if you're among the lucky winners!

And the winners of The Gay Gamer Giveaway™ (Drop Wizard Edition) are ...

Congratulations to the following trio for winning the Drop Wizard (iOS) codes the folks at Neuronized so kindly sent my way a week or so go:

* Rui
* Nightmare Bruce
* Justin Difazzio

Jeremy and Justin: I'll send your codes to you through Twitter and Facebook, respectively.

As for you, Rui, drop me an e-mail (bochalla at yahoo dot com) at your earliest convenience so I can get a code out to you, too.

Other than that, I'd just like to thank, once again, whoever mans the Neutronized Twitter account for being so kind as to offer up these codes.

The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: Drop Wizard Edition

Late last week, the folks at Neuronized offered me a free code for their just-released (on Jan. 8) single-screen platformer, Drop Wizard. (A game I previously discussed in this post.)

I had to turn them down, though, because I currently don't own any sort of iOS-enabled device. (At the moment, Drop Wizard is playable only on iPhones and iPads.)

Knowing that at least a few of you lovely people must own such gadgets, I quickly followed up that denial with a suggestion that I could pass along the code--as well as a couple of others, perhaps--to some of my blog's readers.



They liked the idea, so today I'm offering up three free codes for the company's lovely looking game (see trailer above), which apparently features more than 60 levels of Bubble Bobble-ish goodness.

Speaking of that Taito-made classic, if you'd like to nab one of these Drop Wizard codes, leave a comment below between now and 8 am Pacific time on Saturday morning that includes the name of your all-time favorite Bubble Bobble clone. (I'll announce the winners in a separate post later that same weekend.)

In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed in the hope that the powers that be at Neuronized eventually decide to bring this game to the Nintendo eShops, the PlayStation Store and Steam.

And the winner of The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: Snow Bros. Jr. Edition is ...

... Justin Difazzio.

Congrats, Justin, and condolences to those of you who hoped to win the copy of Snow Bros. Jr. but walked away empty-handed.

I know I said last week that this likely would be the last Gay Gamer Giveaway™ for a while, but I'm actually considering a couple more at the moment. So, keep an eye out for the posts that will be published about them in the near future--assuming you're interested in possibly winning a free game or two, of course.

Aside from that, thanks again to everyone who participated and shared their thoughts (in the comments section of this post) on their favorite single-screen platformers.

The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: Snow Bros. Jr. (GameBoy) Edition

So, here we are: my final Gay Gamer Giveaway™ (for the foreseeable future, at least).

As was the case with the last three such giveaways, this one features a loose copy of a Japanese GameBoy title. Specifically, a loose copy of the Japanese GameBoy port of Toaplan's Snow Bros.

To those of you who've never played--or even heard of--this single-screen platformer, it's an oh-so-capable Bubble Bobble clone that stars a pair of creepily cute snowmen (ignore the cart label art, below--the "official," in-game versions are far less adorable) who toss what I'm assuming are handfuls of snow at even creepier-looking adversaries until they're encased in towering snowballs that can then be rolled into other baddies or into the walls that line each stage.

It's all quite fun, plus it looks and sounds great. (I especially like its soundtrack--with the first level's backing tune being a particularly pleasant little earworm.)

Anyway, should my description of Snow Bros. Jr. make you want to own a copy of it, share the name of your favorite single-screen platformer (again, there are no wrong responses) in the comments section below between now and the morning of Monday, July 21--which is when I'll randomly point to one of those replies and send the person who published it the slightly abused cart seen above.

Speaking of this cart's slightly abused condition, I have to warn all interested parties that I've had a bit of trouble getting this game to boot on my GameBoy Pocket as of late. Sometimes the title screen pops up after I turn on the system, and sometimes it doesn't. Sadly, I don't know if a proper cleaning of the cartridge's contacts will put the kibosh on that little problem or not. So, just know that the cart that arrives on your doorstep--should you win the giveaway--may only work intermittently (or may not work at all).

See also: previous Gay Gamer Giveaway™ posts

And the winner of The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: Osawagase Penguin Boy Edition is ...

... Adam Lee.

Yet again, I offer up the sincerest of condolences to those of you who took the time to share your thoughts on your favorite arcade games but didn't walk away with the free copy of Osawagase Penguin Boy.

The good news is that at least one more Gay Gamer Giveaway™ is being prepped as we speak. Look for information on it to be published here within the next week or so.

In the meantime, congratulations to Adam and thanks again to all of you--not only for participating in these giveaways but for continuing to peruse this blog, too.

See also: all of my 'Year of the GameBoy' posts

The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: Osawagase Penguin Boy (GameBoy) Edition

Are you tired of being given the chance to win free Japanese GameBoy cartridges? I hope not, because I'm offering up another one today.

This Gay Gamer Giveaway™ is for the cart showcased in the photo below, which contains an adorably fun little ditty known in Japan as Osawagase Penguin Boy. (Elsewhere it went by the name Amazing Penguin.)

If you've never played this Natsume-made joint, it basically combines elements of Kickle Cubicle, Pengo and Qix.

Should that mean nothing to you, just know that the mash-up results in an enjoyable time-waster that calls to mind the kind of classic "quarter muncher" gameplay (see: Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, Pac-Man and the like--not that Osawagase Penguin Boy resembles these particular titles in any way) that's rarely revisited these days, even in the retro-tinged releases that still seem to be all the rage.

Anyway, should you want to own a copy of this unique title, share the name of your favorite retro arcade game (there are no wrong responses) in the comments section below between now and the morning of Monday, July 7--which is when I'll randomly point to one of those comments and send the person who published it the rather ragged-looking cart (sorry about that, it came that way) seen above.

See also: previous Gay Gamer Giveaway™ posts

And the winner of The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: Penguin Land Edition is ...

... Kaze. Congratulations!

Once again, sorry to all of you who offered up a hearty "yo!" but didn't walk away with the GameBoy cartridge. Don't worry, though, as I'm planning to hold two more such "Gay Gamer Giveaways" (at least) in the coming weeks--with the next one likely being announced this coming Monday.

This is how I wrapped finchiekins' Painter Momopie 

cart before sending it earlier this week.

In the meantime, Kaze, please send me your address so I can mail this copy of Penguin Land to you ASAP. We follow each other on Twitter, so maybe you could send that info via a direct message? If that's not possible, let me know and I can just share my e-mail address with you in the comments section below.

Congrats again, and thanks to everyone who participated!

The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: Penguin Land (GameBoy) Edition

I don't know about you, but I think it's about time we kick off another Gay Gamer Giveaway™, don't you?

The giveaway this time around will be a loose (as in just the cart--no box, case or manual) copy of Pony Canyon's GameBoy port of Sega's Doki Doki Penguin Land, which drops the Doki Doki in favor of simply being known as Penguin Land.

I've written about this game a few times before now, by the way. I first mentioned--and showcased a video of--it in this post, and then I spent some time chatting about its packaging in this post and its instruction manual in this post.

So, you may want to check out one or all of those previously published posts before you decide whether or not you want this cart.

Should you decide that you do want it, just leave some sort of a comment below between today and the morning of Monday, June 23. Even a simple "yo!" is OK if your username is unique enough that I should be able to tell you apart from all of the other people clamoring for their very own copy of Penguin Land.

See also: previous Gay Gamer Giveaway™ posts

And the winner of The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: Painter Momopie Edition is ...

... finchiekins.

Congratulations! Also, sorry to those of you who threw your hats into the ring but didn't walk away winners.

Don't fret, though, as I'm planning to hold at least three more such "Gay Gamer Giveaways" in the coming weeks. In fact, I'll likely publish a post about the second one early next week.

In the meantime, finchiekins, please send me your address so I can mail this copy of Painter Momopie to you, pronto. We follow each other on Twitter, so maybe you could send that info via a direct message? If not, let me know and I'll share with you my e-mail address.

Congrats again, and thanks to everyone who participated!

See also: 'The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: Painter Momopie (GameBoy) Edition'

The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: Painter Momopie (GameBoy) Edition

So, I'm going to do something a little silly over the next few weeks--I'm going to publish a handful of posts (like this one) that will result in one of you fine folks walking away with a free Japanese GameBoy cartridge.

Sadly, none of these copies are "complete"--you're only going to get the cart, not the box, the manual or even the plastic case--and all of them are a bit beaten up, but on the other end of the spectrum, they work and they're free, so who really cares, right?

The only rule for this particular giveaway: leave some sort of comment below that indicates you'd like to throw your hat into the ring for the copy of Sigma's Painter Momopie, a cute Pac-Man clone that never saw the light of day outside of Japan, seen above and below. (And if you're commenting anonymously, please share some sort of username so I can properly and easily identify you if you're victorious.)

I'll ship to wherever the winner may reside and I honestly don't care what the winner dos (keep, sell, turn into a piece of nerdtastic jewelry) with the cartridge he or she receives--although of course I'd love it if some or all of them actually get played by recipients.

The winner of this particular Gay Gamer Giveaway™ will be determined first thing in the morning on Monday, June 19. Shortly afterward, I'll publish a post that reveals the winner, and then I'll follow that with yet another post about the next giveaway--assuming there's any interest whatsoever in this first one.

Finally, should you want to read up on Painter Momopie before deciding whether you even want the cart shown above, check out this introductory post, this "Great Gaymathon" review or this "Manual Stimulation" installment that's devoted to this adorable title.

And the winners of the Elminage Original (PSP/Vita) giveaway are ...

... apricotsushi, Juan Garcia and Steve Pixel.

Congratulations to each of you! Send me an e-mail (I'll share my address in the comments section below) at your convenience and in return I'll send you a code that will enable you to download UFO Interactive's Elminage Original from the PSN store.

Sorry for taking so long to announce the winners, by the way. I intended to do so yesterday, but I got so caught up in all of those things folks tend to do on Christmas day (sleeping in, laying around, etc.) that it slipped my mind until now. 

Anyway, thanks to everyone who tossed their hats into the proverbial ring for this Gay Gamer Giveaway™.

The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: Elminage Original (PSP/Vita) Edition

I know what some of you are thinking. "What? Another giveaway? Already? Didn't you just have one?"

Why, yes, yes I did. Somehow, though, the gaming goddesses smiled down upon me (they all work at UFO Interactive, apparently) and sent me three PSN codes for Elminage Original, a Wizardry-esque dungeon-crawler that's playable on both the PSP and Vita.

I just started playing this Starfish-developed game myself (the aforementioned goddesses provided me with a PSN code, too), and although the localization is a bit rough (or a lot rough) in spots and the rest of the game is tough as nails, I'm enjoying it so far.

So, what do you need to do to nab one of the three PSN codes mentioned earlier in this post? Leave a comment ("yo!" is fine) below. That's it.

Note: Like the last Gay Gamer Giveaway™, you have to be able to access and download from the North American PSN store if you want to be able to redeem one of these codes, so consider that before tossing your name into the proverbial hat.

As for when I'll draw the winners' names out of said hat: I'll do so on Christmas morning, so get your votes in (again, by leaving a comment below) by 11:59 pm Pacific on Dec. 24.

One last thing before I go: I've decided to do things a bit differently this time around. Specifically, I won't be promoting this giveaway via Twitter like I usually do, as I'd prefer the winners to be people who actually read the blog once in a while.

That said, I'm not sure all that many PSP and/or Vita owners follow this blog. So, if you know someone who would enjoy a free copy of Elminage Original, by all means let me know about the giveaway.

See also: Previous Gay Gamer Giveaway™ posts

And the winner of the digital copy of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (Vita) is ...

... Alan Rappaport!

Come on down, you're the next contestant on ... oh, wait, this isn't The Price is Right. Sorry about that.

Seriously, though, congratulations, Alan! I hope you enjoy the stuffing out of your digital copy of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.

I sent a message to you via Facebook earlier today, by the way, so let me know (in the comments section below) if you didn't get it, will you?

Also, a hearty thanks, once again, to the generous guy who made this particular edition of The Gay Gamer Giveaway™possible: Matthew Carrington (@Segamaster matt on Twitter and Segamasterdude on deviantart).

Sorry to those of you who entered the contest but walked away empty-handed. Here's hoping you (yes, all of you) do better next time!

See also: 'The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (Vita) Edition'

The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (Vita) Edition

There's a rather awesome (in my opinion, of course) story behind this particular Gay Gamer Giveaway™, so I'm going to share it here. Don't worry, it won't take long to tell.

So, a few days ago (on my birthday, actually), I was blathering away on Twitter when Matthew Carrington (@Segamastermatt, also Segamaster dude on deviantart) asked me if I owned a Vita. After replying in the negative, I asked him if he had one. His answer: "No, I was going to wait on it for a while. I was asking you because I won a digital copy of PlayStation All-Stars for the Vita." After which he added: "Would you want it to give away as a contest prize or something?" Cool, eh?



As for the rules of this Gay Gamer Giveaway™: All you need to do is leave a comment below between now and 11:59 pm PST on Wednesday, Dec. 5. Don't worry about its content or length--even something like "Yo!" is fine with me. Just make sure you're identifiable in some way.

Also, should you throw your hat into the ring for this giveaway, be sure to pop your head into this here blog again on Thursday, Dec. 6, as that's when I'll announce the winner.

Please note: The code I send to the winner will only work with the US PSN store, so if you can't download Vita games in that way this probably isn't the giveaway for you.

See also: Previous Gay Gamer Giveaway™ posts

How badly do you want to play Donkey Kong: Original Edition?

I'm guessing most of you have heard this news elsewhere, but just in case a few of you haven't: Nintendo of America will soon make Donkey Kong: Original Edition--aka the NES port of Donkey Kong with the arcade version's "cement factory" level added back in for good measure--available to select 3DS owners.

I say "select" because the game will be given (for free) to folks who buy Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone, Crosswords Plus, Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask or Style Savvy: Trendsetters via the 3DS eShop by Jan. 6.



Is the promise of Donkey Kong: Original Edition enough of an incentive to prompt any of you to pick up digital copies of one or more of the above-mentioned 3DS titles?

For more information about this promotion, pay a visit to club2.nintendo.com/donkeykong/ at your earliest convenience.

(Via tinycartridge.com)

And the winner of the Ashley Anderson-signed 'Cabana Fever' poster is ...

... Viewtiful_Justin.

Congratulations, Justin! I'll be in touch shortly (via Facebook) in order to nab your contact information. Or, feel free to preempt my touching (hmmm, that sounds wrong) by sending your info to me through whichever channels you prefer.

To all of you who didn't win this awesome poster: My apologies. Thank you, though, for throwing your hats into the proverbial ring. Also, best of luck next time--since you know I'll have another Gay Gamer Giveaway™ as soon as possible (i.e., as soon as someone sends me something I can give away).

One more comment for those of you who don't win: You may want to check out Ashley Anderson's society6 shop, where art prints, stretched canvases, stationary cards, iPhone skins and t-shirts featuring this image can be purchased for as little as $12.

See also: 'Ashley Anderson's Cabana Fever'

The Gay Gamer Giveaway™: Ashley Anderson Edition

Atlanta's one and only Ashley Anderson recently surprised me by sending me the poster--of his crazy, sprite-filled collage titled "Cabana Fever" (below)--that was showcased in a recent issue of Young Foxy & Free magazine.

As much as I love the poster, I thought it might be cool to offer it to one of you via the second Gay Gamer Giveaway™. After mentioning this idea to Anderson, he said he'd send another so I could keep one for myself and give one away. Awesome, huh?

A few details about said poster before I get to how you can win it: It's approximately 18 inches by 23 inches. Also, it's been signed by Anderson. Oh, and it'll be shipped rolled up and in a tube (as opposed to folded and stuffed into an envelope).

Winning this particular giveaway is just as easy as the last one, by the way. Just leave a comment below between now and the end of the day (let's say 11:59 pm Pacific Daylight Time) on Friday, May 25. I'll announce the winner of this oh-so-fabulous poster on Saturday morning.

Those who don't win may want to check out Anderson's society6 shop, where art prints, stretched canvases, stationary cards, iPhone skins and t-shirts featuring this image can be purchased for as little as $12.

See also: 'Ashley Anderson's Cabana Fever'

And the winners of the Wizorb Steam codes are ...

Notice how I said "winners" and "codes" as opposed to "code" and "winner"? That's because the gracious guys at Tribute Games gave me a total of three download codes for the Steam release of their brilliant Breakout homage, Wizorb.

Illustration by Yannick Belzil

How did I decide who will receive said download codes? I wrote all of your names on a piece of paper, cut them out, folded them up, tossed them into a hat and then had my husband draw the winners, that's how.

As for which names he pulled from my hat, here you go:

* diaglyph
* Kevin
* Marcus

Congrats, you three!

When you have a chance, let me know in the comments section below where I should send your code. If you'd rather not share your e-mail address here, feel free to contact me at bochalla(at) yahoo(dot)com.

To all of you who didn't win: Thank you for participating. Also, if you have any interest at all in Wizorb, I would highly recommend buying it. It's only $3 and it's packed with content that will keep you busy (and happy) for many hours.

See also: 'A somewhat gay review of Wizorb (PC and XBLIG)'