‘Tis the season for gift-giving, cold weather, days off from work or school, and… gaming. Because people tend to stay inside more at this time of year, winter gaming is a popular activity. Here are just four of the many reasons why winter is gaming season.
- When the weather outside is frightful, you can still play with your friends.
It can be frustrating when you want nothing more than to head over to a friend’s house and spend some quality time together, but the weather has other ideas. Even if you’re avoiding an impending storm, are already snowed in, or simply don’t want to leave your cozy house and venture out into the cold, you don’t have to give up on having fun! You aren’t doomed to a season of solitude after all, because if your friends are into winter video games like Wizard101, you can still hang out together in the Spiral. Running into each other by chance is easier said than done in a place as big as the Spiral, so if you’re 13 or older, be sure to connect with your real-life friends using True Friend codes.
- Winter gaming is a great antidote for cabin fever.
Once you’ve been stuck at home for a few days, the novelty quickly wears off. Cabin fever is common at this time of year, but winter gaming can provide the great escape you’re looking for. After you spend some time in Krokotopia, Zafaria, or Azteca, the snow outside your window will seem a million miles away. On the other hand, if you’re looking for someone to commiserate with about the frosty weather, the residents of Wintertusk and Polaris will definitely understand the struggle!
- Your loved ones may have a little more time for gaming.
If you enjoy playing video games with your loved ones, you’re probably all too familiar with their busy lives getting in the way of your precious game time. You know the drill—they want to play, but other stuff has to take priority. But there’s good news: Between scheduled holiday breaks and unscheduled snow days, people tend to be more available for winter gaming at this time of year.
- Winter video games go great with your favorite things about the season.
Roaring fires, cozy sweaters, and steaming hot chocolate are some of the best things about the season, and you can enjoy all these perks while taking part in winter gaming. Cuddle up on the couch with a warm blanket and your favorite mug, log into Wizard101, and make the most of gaming season sooner rather than later, because before you know it, the snow will be melting and spring will be here!
How are you enjoying winter gaming season? Tell us your favorite thing about cold-weather gaming below!
Music—much like online gaming—has the power to calm you down, pump you up, focus your attention and ultimately inspire you. In short, it can be a potent tool when you’re looking to set a mood. Think about how lame scary movies would seem without their spooky soundtracks, or how different a feel-good TV show would be without some stirring songs in the background. The use of music in MMORPGs tends to follow the same principle, but the Wizard101 soundtrack takes the idea to the next level. After purchasing Music Scrolls that feature the unique themes composed for different areas of the Spiral, Wizards can load the Scrolls into their very own Music Players and transform the ambience of their Dorms and Castles. But why limit the magic of the Wizard101 soundtrack to the world of the Spiral? Here are some recommendations for players looking for tips on how to apply the Wizard101 gaming playlist to real-world tasks.
Doing Homework
Krokotopia Theme 2 is a great choice of background music for when you’re doing homework or any other task that requires extreme concentration. Its rousing chords will keep you alert and focused, while its steady tempo will ensure you don’t get too pumped up and distracted. It’s dropped by Odji Sokkwi in the Hall of Champions and Taylor Froghead in the Grand Arena.
Other options:
- Grizzleheim Theme 1, as heard inside Skathi’s Nest and dropped by Jotun.
- Marleybone Theme 2, as heard in Knight’s Court and dropped by Jacques the Scratcher.
Working Out
The Krokotopia Dance Theme is a fun addition to any workout playlist. Its infectious rhythm and fast beat will have you picking up the pace in no time. Win this scroll by playing a Mini-Game like Skull Riders or Sorcery Stones, and hear the theme in-game while playing the Krokotopia level of the Dance Game in the Pet Pavilion.
Other options:
- Mooshu Dance Theme, as heard during the Mooshu level of the Dance Game and won by playing Mini-Games.
- Wizard City Dance Theme, as heard during the Wizard City level of the Dance Game and dropped by Baron Rotunda and the Great Troll.
Kicking Back
After you’re done with work and exercising, it’s time to kick back and relax. Whether you’re preparing for a low-key activity like coloring or Sudoku or simply getting ready for a nap, the Mooshu Main Theme is the perfect musical accompaniment. Thanks to its bamboo pipes and Far Eastern stringed instruments, you’ll be chilled out in no time. The Mooshu Main Theme can be heard in the Jade Palace and is dropped by the Jade Oni, Mika Skarka and Takanobu the Masterless.
Other options:
- Avalon Main Theme, as heard in Caliburn and dropped by a host of Avalonians, including Lady of the Blue Dahlia and Catalan the Lightning Lizard.
- Celestia Mysterious Theme 2, as heard in the Survey Camp and dropped by Procyon.
You can download many of the Wizard101 themes as ringtones from our website. What themes from the Wizard101 soundtrack do you like to listen to while doing everyday things?
Have you had a chance to try out the different Elemental Powers each of the Rise & Destroy monsters have under their belts? They can be quite convenient when trying to be as quick and destructive as possible. Read on to learn a little more about each one:
Fire
Spread a fiery explosion! This Power comes in handy for clusters of buildings in close proximities. While the Fire Power is active, destroying one building in a close group will result in the whole bunch going down—you don’t have to waste time or effort terminating each building in the collection! But, be careful! Sometimes it is better to NOT use this Power when the buildings you are targeting are not right next to each other. Buildings that would otherwise fall in the direction of others and take them out will not do so when they catch on fire!
Monsters with this Power: Frankie Forearms, Trevor Wrecks, Baron von Grizzlemoose, Brimm Stone
Ice
Send buildings slipping and sliding! Attack a building while your Ice Power is active to send it gliding across the city and taking down anything it comes in contact with. Each structure that you or your sliding buildings take out while using this Power will turn to ice and slip across the city until it collides with something to destroy or stop it in its tracks. Pro Tip: the Ice Power is helpful if you are trying to hold onto your combo and your monster can’t seem to get from building to building quite quick enough!
Monsters with the Ice Power: Blubbertusk, Sharberus, Moleton, Ivan Crushclops
Volt
Send a gap-jumping bolt! Destroy a single building to electrocute and abolish every other structure in the surrounding area. This Power can be great to destroy those pesky blue glowing laser buildings you don’t want to get close to in order to take down! The best part about this Power? You can even electrocute humans! Those humans close enough to a Volted building will be stopped in their tracks.
Monster equipped with this Power: Mecha Wrecks, Flutterspy 042, Maw Maw, Manny Leggs
Do you have a favorite Elemental Power? Which one do you like the best and why? Tell us in the comments!
Is gaming a sport? Some say it is, some say it isn’t. Let’s take a look at both sides of the argument!
It totally is!
Earlier this year, MarketWatch called competitive gaming a worldwide phenomenon that’s “well on its way to becoming the next major professional sport alongside the likes of football and baseball.” In case you didn’t know, there are championships centered on gaming professionals—and people are watching them in numbers that rival the viewership of major sporting events like the World Series and NBA games.
“[Competitors] study strategy, technique and opponents,” pointed out e-sports event organizer Michal Blicharz in an interview with the BBC. “All the elements are there—the excitement, the adrenalin, players crying tears of sorrow and joy.”
What’s more, since 2013, the United States government has granted professional athlete visas to players traveling to the country to compete in electronic sports (or “e-sports”) tournaments, effectively recognizing the sport of gaming.
“Eventually it got to the point where they were like ‘We have no reason to say no…. OK, this is legitimate,’” Nick Allen, e-sports manager at Riot Games, told Forbes.
But what if you don’t play at a professional level? Kicking a football around the backyard may not be the same as participating in the Super Bowl, but it still counts as playing sports, and for many people, the same logic applies when gaming on the couch.
Photo from Xiant
It totally isn’t!
Sports take many shapes and forms, but the vast majority tend to be associated with physical exertion. That’s something gaming lacks, although after a long session your thumbs and wrists may beg to differ!
“Sitting down for hours in a darkened room playing computer games doesn’t strike me as sport,” Tim Warwood, former British snowboarding champion, told the BBC. “When I was a kid, sport was all about getting outside, getting wet, muddy, out of breath—you’re not going to get out of breath smashing your thumbs on a controller.”
The technological aspect is another sticking point for people who think the term “the sport of gaming” is an oxymoron, and that playing video games should never be considered an athletic pursuit.
As PC Magazine pointed out, “Even sports defined by their man-made tools, like fencing and archery, do not feature mechanized or computer-aided technologies.”
So, when it comes down to it, is gaming a sport? What do you think and why?
Read the first words found on the Rise and Destroy website and you may soon be scratching your head, “Long ago, in the world of SERVOs and Monsters…” You probably know what a monster is (just ask any three year old what’s hiding under their bed), but what’s a SERVO?
In short, SERVOs are old and mysterious machines that have been partners with the Monsters of Rise & Destroy for ages. Even better, SERVOs are intelligent machines that will benefit your monsters . . . they even have names! Let’s get to know our SERVOs and talk about what they can do for you.
Minerva – The Teleporter SERVO
Those pesky humans dissembled a lot of the SERVOs . . . all except for the mighty Minerva! When you first meet her, Minerva’s power is low, but still strong enough to send out a distress single to her monster pal, Trevor Wrecks. Minerva is the backbone of the monster cave and your best monster ally.
Minerva will occasionally require a bit of gold to teleport you deeper into the human lands, so keep a bit of money handy for when you reach level 30. Just think of all the new monsters Minerva will help you free.
Eva – The Energy SERVO
If there’s one thing everybody needs in Rise and Destroy, it’s energy. Eva, the Energy SERVO, controls how much Energy you have and how fast it regenerates. Be sure to Upgrade EVA whenever you can so you can keep attacking those cities.
Wellington – The Leveling SERVO
Wellington is the leveling SERVO. A monster’s visit with Wellington is like taking them to the gym. In fact, when Wellington is through giving your monsters a workout, they’ll be bigger, faster, stronger, and ready to tackle the most difficult of puzzles. Better yet? Monster abilities get even more powerful at levels 5 and 10.
Dooplo – The Creepling SERVO
Sure you have SERVOs to help your monsters, but what about your monster’s friends?! Yup, Dooplo, the Creepling SERVO, allows you to clone 4 different types of Creeplings and power them up as well. How would you like a bonus chance at spawning an additional creepling when you use one? Level up Dooplo, and that wish could become a reality.
Blaze – The Fire SERVO
Blaze is the fire SERVO. Blaze is best buddies with monsters like Frankie Forearms and Brimstone. They’re such good friends that if you level up Blaze, your fire monsters are going to burn brighter (and longer) than you imagined. GO BLAZE!
Shiver – The Ice SERVO
Shiver is as cool as his name sounds. Monsters like Blubbertusk and Sharberus will thank you for leveling Shiver up. When you do, ice attacks can get pretty powerful . . . they can even create shields or freeze your opponents in place!
Static – The Volt SERVO
Love the zap you get when using Flutterspy 042 or Manny Leggs? If yes, then Static is the SERVO for you. Static will charge up your Volt Monsters and can send them flying on the screen! For example, at Rank 6, Static can give monsters a nice speed boost.
Now that you’ve become a bit more familiar with the SERVOs found in Rise & Destroy, which one is your favorite? Which one are you currently leveling up? Let us know in the comments below.
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