Dworgyn’s Look Back at 6 Years of Wizard101

I’ve played Wizard101 since the beginning, and it’s been a lot of fun seeing how things have changed and evolved over time. Specifically for this blog post, I was asked to answer the question, “What were my favorite highlights each year?” That’s actually not as easy a thing to answer as it seems! I’ll break my favorites down by year, and hope I can give a little explanation to all my choices

2008
Wizard101 was brand new in 2008 and we were all busy running around The Spiral – on foot . . . without a mount! For me, this year was a time of discovery and I couldn’t have been happier finishing off the original final boss of Wizard101, the Jade Oni in MooShu. The Spiral was so brand new that we saw Halloween decorations for the first time in October and a then a Yuletide Tree in December. I think these festive touches were my favorite updates in 2008. There’s nothing quite as fun as seeing the world you know suddenly transformed with spooky or festive cheer.

2009
This is where it starts to get hard to choose just one update as my favorite. 2009 gave us Dragonspyre, followed by housing, then Open Chat, then Grizzleheim, then mounts, and finally school housing! How do you choose! I suppose looking back if I just had to choose one, I’d pick Dragonspyre. The epic conclusion of the first story arc was amazing. There is nothing like a new world to explore, and Dragonspyre specifically still holds a special place in my heart. I couldn’t be happier crushing Malistaire in his Great Spyre, and feel like I know the place like the back of my hand. It was an awesome feeling to know you saved the Spiral!

2010
This is also a hard year to choose a winner, but I’m going to have to say the introduction of Advanced Pets really changed the face of the game. Building the perfect pet is still a huge craze and racing pets was a favorite pastime of mine – I still wear my 1st age pet warlord badge with pride! We all waited for Celestia for a long time, but Advanced Pets changed the game forever.

2011
While I liked Zafaria and leveling my wizard, I really fell in love with the world of Wysteria, which would be my favorite update of 2011. I really liked the idea of a magic school competition and unraveling the mystery of this new world was a lot of fun. Exploring the strange schools of magic and meeting the off-the-wall professors that taught in Wysteria was a particular highlight. Zafaria would definitely be a very, very close second however.

2012
My life changed in 2012 as I transitioned from Wizard101 fan site owner to employee at KingsIsle, and while you can’t technically say the release of Pirate101 was an expansion to Wizard101 . . . it was just as important to me. Pirate101 took a universe I loved and gave it new depth. With Pirate101, I was seeing the game from the outside in, and it added so much richness to the Wizard101 mythology. That’s not to say that Avalon wasn’t one of the most awesome expansions Wizard101 ever had in my opinion, and I suppose if I strictly had to choose a Wizard101 update, Avalon would be it. I still have nightmares about the creepy house with Spider Legs!

2013
For me, my favorite update in 2013 was the new Halloween Quest with possessed vegetables and the hilariously spooky Nosferabbit. The Halloween quests really hadn’t changed since 2008 and their addition was a really welcome treat. In fact, I can’t wait to see these quests resurface in 2014!

2014
I have to give it up for fishing this year . . . even though the end of Story Arc 2 is about the most amazing thing ever. I just love the new fishing update! I love all the new hilarious fish, the stackable aquariums, and the fun way to spend my energy when I’m not gardening. Fishing brought new depth to an already incredible game and it was something that players have wanted for a long, long time.

Thanks for taking this look back with me throughout the years! While my favorite choices certainly may not be yours, I’m happy I was able to share them with you. Happy Birthday Wizard101!

What were some of your favorite updates from the past six years?