Call Me Crazy

Ah! Good ol’ NES. I can clearly remember waking up extra early to play who framed Roger Rabbit or A Boy and His Blob before heading off to school. In the fifth grade I was most popular for having the largest Nintendo Power collection. Who would have thunk it belonged to a girl? “Not I” said the cow.

I currently own an N64, Dreamcast, PSone, PS2, Game Cube, (2) Xboxes, a Wii, and (2) Xbox 360s — I bought one at launch and then later had to have the Elite (Damn those people in Marketing!) I’ve actually made boyfriend’s jealous with the amount of games I own. Admittedly there are a good handful that I haven’t beaten. Sorry guys, but it takes sweet graphics and an amazing story line to really draw me in.

The games I enjoy most are music games. You know; Frequency, Amplitude, Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band kind of games. Dare I say Space Channel 5? lol I love survival horror games though I scare easy and tend to be more of a spectator.

Something not many people know about me is despite being an avid gamer, many games actually give me motion sickness. I had to take Dramamine just to get through the Halo 3 campaign! I love this stuff so much it makes me sick! lol Has anyone else experienced this? or am I the only freak? It really sucks being 10 minutes into a great game and feeling like you’re gonna barf. Tony Hawk games do this to me every time. No offense Tony!

Growing up I always had a different perspective and outlook on life. In a world where majority rules this always made me the odd (wo)man out. They called me crazy. I guess when you hear something enough you start to identify with it, and thus my identity with SickNdehed was born.

I recently graduated from school in Winter Park, FL (psst…it’s the school you see in all those gaming magazines.) I’ve got a Bachelor of Science in Digital Art and Design and am passionate about all things Photoshop. I’m also pretty decent at Web Design and Development. Ideally I’d like to be doing game related graphic work, whether it be designing game ads, textures, packaging, or websites. It all sounds like fun to me!

Vandal Goes Psycho

I’m Vandal, … it’s true I can be crazy sometimes but that’s just how I leave my mark. If my name doesn’t stand out, my personality will. I’m the guy that brightens your day by either laughing with him, or laughing AT him!!!…..damn. My game is Halo – any of the trilogy (it’s all good!) – it’s easy to piss people off, I don’t do it on purpose, but some guys just get ruffled easy. Although, I’m sure I’ve upset a teammate before too, sorry guys.

When I first tried signing up for Xbox Live it was no surprise that Vandal was already taken. How kind of them to suggest alternatives. PoliteVandal? no. RuggedVandal? I’ll pass. PsychoVandal? hmmm… got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

I’ve been a fan of video games since my dad bought me a Nintendo Entertainment System. My, how things have changed. Video games have come a long way and you better believe I’m excited about it.

I’m a BIG fan of the Halo series (if you haven’t noticed), Guitar Hero (even though Sicky is better at it than I am), and many many others. But don’t get me wrong! I still love all the classics. However there’s one game in particular that I’ll never forget…..Halo 2. Not only did it cause a revolution, I fell in love (OK man yes, I did fall in love with the game, but more importantly “I fell in LOVE with a girl PLAYING that game!!!) We’re keeping it up to date though. We play Halo 3 together whenever we can. Unfortunately it’s been a while, but that’s cause I just recently sent my 360 in for servicing.

Have any idea what happens when you fall in LOVE on Halo?…….you get SickNdehed! At least I did.

Despite the Gamertag I’m a real friendly guy. Well… if you’re not on the other side of my barrel.

Sick And Psycho Against The World

It was a typical day in December for gamer PsychoVandal. Halo 2 had just been released, which meant all of his free time was spent fragging. (Frag, for the uninitiated, is a computer and video game term roughly equivalent to “kill”). His game settings were all screwed up again, which meant his roommate had been playing on his gamertag. Going through his friends list confirmed it. A tag he didn’t remember playing with had been added. The name SickNdehed instantly peeked his curiosity. Vandal later questioned his roommate who revealed Sick was a girl.

The next few weeks brought countless opportunities to play with her. In between matches they engaged in small talk. He learned she was from Brooklyn, New York, that they were close in age, and she had an interest in web design. In game he found himself sticking by her side and offering protection when she needed it, more so than with his other teammates. It wasn’t long before playing together became routine, and thankfully so. She made living in Melbourne, FL just a little more interesting.

When asked how their relationship went from XBL (Xbox-Live) friends to more, Sick said “I signed on one day excited to play with PsychoVandal, but he wasn’t there. I sent him a voice message (on Halo) with my phone number letting him know he could call me if he wanted to play. I never thought he’d actually call, but I’m glad he did.” They slowly began spending more time on the phone than in game. On March 17, 2005, although never having met in person, they officially started dating. The Halo teammates (whose real names are Desirai and John) fell in love shortly after.

“During one of our conversations I remember her telling me how she wanted to attend Full Sail in FL. She was convinced it wasn’t possible. I tried to change her mind and let her know I’d help in any way I could,” Vandal recalled.

In April, the gamer couple made plans to scout out apartments and attend a Behind The Scenes Tour, though more importantly, to finally meet face to face. By mid July of that same year PsychoVandal flew up to NY to help SickNdehed pack up her car and move down to Florida. She started the Digital Media program at Full Sail just two weeks later.

Trying to juggle school and a relationship was often difficult. They had their ups and down but their love for each other helped them through. On March 17, 2008 (their 3 year anniversary) he proposed. Sick and Psycho have since been excitedly planning their wedding. But just like this wasn’t your typical love story, it won’t be your average wedding. For them, it was ’A Match Made In Halo’ through and through, and they want to make sure everyone knows it.