10 Things you didn’t know about Pirates and Ninjas before Games Master Challenge, Year 14

Games Master Challenge – with a twist! No more Brains v Brawn, AAA and Abigail, this year it was Skill v Strength! The difference? Uhmm... well, I'm not quite sure. Nor am I quite sure which team represented what. But either way, any real Pirate and Ninja will have to have both strength and skill under their belt, buckled or otherwise, to be successful in this year's Games Master Challenge.

The first challenge was choosing your team. Some may consider the offer to be a pirate or a ninja, by Captain Threelegs or Techo Master themselves no less, as a chance in a lifetime. But one over the other? I hope I wasn't the only one who sat there dumbfounded for a good twenty minutes. I probably didn't make the best first impression for either team...

Anyhow, onto the reason you're reading this! Here are ten things you didn't know about Pirates and Ninjas before the Games Master Challenge, Year 14!

#1

A dedicated Ninja starts each day when the clock strikes 12, not when the sun rises. For a true Ninja know that their challenger is much easier at this tired hour. Strangely enough, on Day 7 very first few minutes Ninjas found that each challenge only required a score of 5 to pass each challenge. Some hypothesized this was purely intentional, perhaps reading too much into the prize "Unfair Seesaw Toy", which depicted a Kougra in Ninja clothing outweighing a Pirate Angelpuss on a seesaw.

#2

Even Ninjas may

Find themselves out-Ninja'd by

the ole' Switch-a-Roo...

#3

A Ninja must possess the skill of patience... that, and dealing with frustration when things simply do not work (or load, or bullseye, etc).

#4

A Ninja need not to bounce around as much as a Pirate so show off their skill. Poised and articulate, as Techo Master says, a Ninja need not to spell H-A-S-E-E letter by letter to beat a challenge.

#5

Ninja and Zurroball do NOT get along. Period. I believe this is the sole reasons no Ninjas ever seem to be involved in Dr Sloth related plots, and similarly why Dr Sloth never seems to play a role in Mystery Island puzzles.

#6

Compared to the Ninja, a Pirate's life can be rather smooth sailing, despite the barfing Warf.

#7

The only thing more head-spinning than stormy waters after too much Ale at the Golden Dubloon are colourfully blinding spinning Geraptiku blocks... Sometimes late at night, when I close my eyes, I can still see them, forever spinning, from beyond the Geraptiku graves... It is not unlikely the city became lost once its citizens became compulsively obsessed and/or deliriously ill from Goparokko.

#8

It's not just shiny things that attract a Pirate; they like to look good too. When a male Pirate isn't busy grooming his stubble til it's totally fetch, he likes to dress up in elaborate wigs that represent their dramatic life on unsteady waters – complete with a miniature ship, which naturally represent how they manage to stay on top of life's pressures to stay glamorous.

#9

One should not consider a career in being a Pirate's Petpet. When you're not being fired out of a cannon, you're probably falling overboard into stormy waters, which I admit is still much better than being hit by (green) barf. I am very much concerned that TNT has not added the "no petpets were hurt" disclaimer to this game. :(

#10

Somehow, neither a master Ninja who can levitate, nor a famed Pirate who single-handedly raised up all battledomers, can elude the wrath of young red-headed Cybunny THIEF. Yes, you know what are Lulu. Beware, Neopia, for the next biggest villain!

And now, as a bonus: 3 Random Facts About Neopia I Discovered During GMC.

#11

Barf and Snot look awfully similar. Emphasis on the awful. Perhaps Meuka has a cousin, Gnorbarf. Perhaps even more disturbing is the particular shade of green snot and barf tend to be. Please, do not feed your Neopet excessive amounts of Glowing Jelly. Not only do we have no idea where it comes from, it doesn't seem to stay down very well.

#12

Neopians who use the Neoboards are hilarious. If ever frustrated or down in the dumps about missing out on a trophy, just hitting 10 points short of a goal, or any sort of grievance, visit the Neoboards (if you are over 13) for a good laugh at other's spin on events, and be encouraged by the fact that you're never really alone. Not in the creepy way though.

#13

You're probably better at flash games than you think. Come the first of each month, when the games high scores are reset and trophies are generally easier to get, I tend to go for the non-flash games, thinking surely there must be thousands of players much faster on the keyboard or mouse than I'll ever be. Trudging through 60 different qualifying games (the last Game Challenge on Day 7) you might discover some games are just meant for you, and your user lookup. Don't ever underestimate your talents, because you won't know what they are until you try. Some people found themselves winning trophies during GMC, very late in the month! Come the first day of the month, they could very well win a new shiny Gold trophy to make them smile every time they see it.

In conclusion, this year's Game Master Challenge was perhaps a stroke of genius on TNT's behalf. By utilizing the ambiguous team names "Pirate" and "Ninja", a true challenge was posed as those who pride themselves on puzzles were asked to develop their reflexes, and those with a quick hand were given the opportunity to get their heads up to speed.

Furthermore, the excessive difficulty in some games spawned much camaraderie amongst both Pirates and Ninjas in helping each other beat personal bests, overcoming fears in failing to get that golden tick, and general support when it came to dealing with the stress of gaming.

Those that survived these long seven days (or nine, with the extensions) should be proud to call themselves Pirates or Ninjas. In the end, it wasn't just a competition between two teams, but a challenge in helpfulness and support. With the bar raised so high this year, who knows what twist we'll get next time!