Meet Mike and Sarah, a gaming couple from Torrance, CA!
If you would like to be featured in the 2 Player Spotlight, please email us at
2player@marriedwithvideogames.com.
Names: Mike Hendricks II / Sarah Blanchard
Status: Dynamic Duo! (Boy/Girlfriend)
Which one of you games? Both of us.
How often do you game?
Mike: I try to get in at least an hour a day, but it doesn’t always end up like that. Lame!
Sarah: It varies depending on how much free time I have, but usually about 3-4 times a week.
Do you prefer to play online multiplayer or locally?
Mike: It really depends on the genre. I love single-player RPGs and adventure games, local multiplayer for party games like Mario Kart 64, and online/local combos like Halo: Reach are awesome, because you get the best of local and online multiplayer.
Sarah: Locally, I always have a lot more fun when I play games in the same room as other people. I do love playing online multiplayer though because the people you meet online are usually so hilarious!
Do you prefer competitive or cooperative multiplayer?
Mike: I like co-op competitive myself, team-based games allow for much more strategy. Plus being MVP is more awesome when you’re on a team.
Sarah: I actually prefer competitive co-op games like Halo, especially when it comes to online multiplayer. I really enjoy the competition of online play and first person shooters in general but I’m pretty terrible at them. I like being able to work together with teammates, it’s the only way I stand a chance!
Fave game to play with others?
Mike: Locally – probably old school Super Smash Bros for N64, online I think it’s Halo: Reach so far.
Sarah: Just Dance for the Wii. It is impossible to NOT have a good time while dancing around like a crazy person to cheesy pop music.
Fave game to play with each other?
Mike: I like playing Warriors of Might and Magic for the DS with Sarah, she actually gives me some decent competition on that one. She always uses that stupid undead emo girl.
Sarah: At the moment, Halo Reach. Mike teases me because my kill-death spread is always in the negatives…but I’m getting a lot better!
Currently playing?
Mike: FALLOUT NEW VEGAS OWNS MY LIFE.
Sarah: Bioshock 2 and Metal Gear Solid. I also just got Fallout New Vegas which I’m very excited to start playing.
Do you consider yourself to be a hardcore or a casual gamer?
Mike: I guess I’m pretty hardcore, although that term has always bothered me. I’ve loved games forever, and it shows. I mean, I don’t act like a total douche online, and I try to curtail the bragging, but if you play with me, you’ll see that I let my gaming do the talking.
Sarah: I’d say I’m more of a casual gamer, although I do have hardcore moments when it’s hard to pull me away from my console.
What do you like about gaming with Sarah?
Mike: The fact that she’s right there next to me, so anytime I want to I can sneak a kiss in. I know that’s pretty corny, but my favorite parts of gaming with her are the little things outside the game. That and she always has some hilariously inappropriate commentary.
Sarah: I like that he’s very competitive and won’t just let me win if we’re playing a game together. If I do win I know it’s because I actually did well and not because he’s going easy on me. I also like that he has such a freaking huge collection of games that I can borrow. :]
What DON’T you like about gaming with Sarah?
Mike: I don’t like it too much when she thinks I’m upset. For example, if we’re doing poorly in a game, I might start dropping some F-bombs to myself and such, but not in a ragey sort of way, just the way you might spurt out an insult at a driver who cut you off. I think sometimes she might take it seriously and think that I’m upset when I’m really not.
Sarah: Sometimes he gets mad if I accidentally shoot him when we’re playing Halo, it’s not my fault you ran in front of me when I was shooting aliens!
What has been your most memorable gaming experience?
Mike: Jeez, there’s tons. The first thing that comes to mind for me was in the RPG Suikoden on PS1. At one point, a character named Gremio pretty much gets eaten alive to save you, after having been your family’s servant his whole life. But while it’s happening, he’s talking to you through the door about it and about how it’s ok and such. It seriously brought a tear to my eye.
Sarah: There have been so many it’s hard to name just one. In general I think the mutual love that Mike and I both have for anything video game related has allowed us to share a ton of great unique experiences. Just a couple months ago we went to E3 and Video Games Live which were a blast. I don’t think I would have had nearly as great of a time if I had gone with someone who didn’t enjoy that stuff as much as Mike does, and vice versa.
What has been your most frustrating gaming experience?
Mike: No specific event, but I think that being spawn-killed in any shooter game is an instant off-pisser for me. It’s like the developer just didn’t give enough of a crap to give you a fair chance.
Sarah: Any time I try to play the guitar or bass in Rock Band on hard mode. I get so thrown off by that stupid orange button!
Who is the better gamer and why?
Mike: To be honest, I think it’s me. Sarah’s catching up quick, she’s only been getting more hardcore with gaming maybe 2 years now tops, but she’s already got the addiction. I’ve gotta say though, that across almost any genre I can school her. To be fair, I’ve been playing avidly almost my entire life, so it’d be pretty sad if she were already better than me.
Sarah: Definitely Mike, he’s been playing video games since he was fresh out of the womb, there’s no way I even compare to that! Although I can totally kick his butt in a game of Tetris.
What is your system of choice and why?
Mike: My current one is Xbox360. The social aspect is much more streamlined, and I’m used to the controller. I was a Playstation kid growing up, but one of my best friends got me a 360 and Gears of War a few years back, and changed the game up. I’ve got a 60-gig PS3 as well, but I just don’t use it as much.
Sarah: PS3! I’ve grown up playing on PlayStation consoles, it’s what I love and what I’m used to. I will always be a Sony girl at heart.
Fave game of all time?
Mike: This one’s a supreme toughy. There’s so many types of games that I don’t know if I can pinpoint a single best. On the fly though, I’d say I’m feeling Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
Sarah: Final Fantasy VII. When I first expressed an interest in gaming Mike told me this was the game I absolutely NEEDED to play. He was definitely right, I loved playing it and it’s been my favorite ever since!
What do your gamertags mean?
Mike: Mine’s Unusanimus, it’s latin for Onesoul. I made Onesoul up back in middle school, it just seemed to fit. Than once that marvelous internet age picked up, I noticed people stealing it. So I loosely translated it into Latin and went with that.
Sarah: Mine is Sarahsaurusss, it’s actually the first instant messenger screen name I made when I was in the sixth grade. For the sake of my horrible memory I try to keep it simple and use the same log-in name for most things.
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