Vitals: 35, with a mostly full head of hair

Education: B.A. from New York University, majored in Political Science with a minor in Journalism and Africana Studies

I, along with a slightly older twin brother, was born in 1972 in Brooklyn, New York. After a culturally arid existence in the 'burbs, I escaped to New York University's journalism program. Countless ramen meals later, I wound up at Teen People magazine, where I helped to initiate the magazine's videogame and tech coverage. Since then, I've gone on to write about videogames, technology, comic books and pop culture for Entertainment Weekly, Essence, AOL, the Washington Post, Stuff and Complex.

I consider myself lucky enough to be a professional nerd, making a living writing about all the obsessions he was teased about. Now former jocks beg me for free videogames.

Publications: Teen People, AOL GameDaily, Essence, Time Out New York, Time Out New York Kids, Time Out Chicago, Stuff, Complex

Platforms played: PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, PSP, Nintendo DS and Wii.

Genres played: Action/adventure, racing, fighting, puzzle.

Multiplayer or single-player: Single-player and co-op.

My favorite Top 10 games ever played (in no particular order, haters):

1) Portal
2) Shadow of the Colossus
3) Beyond Good & Evil
4) Flashback: The Quest for Identity on Sega Genesis
5) The modern Prince of Persia trilogy
6) Metroid on the NES
7) The Tekken series
8) Ico
9) Rez
10) Every Extend Extra
11) The Soul Calibur series
12) The Lumines games
I'll take all comers in Lumines Vs. Mode and will generally accept challenges in Tekken.

What makes me tick: Melanin, jazz music, hip-hop from the late '80s and early'90s, good comics and the energy of NYC.