Interview #4: Kris & Rachel @ Double Jump

Blogging live to you and yours! It’s your boy TWOTALL4UFOOL! Happy Thursday! Today I got another interview for you guys. This is not with only one person but with two people. When I started blogging I found their website and was so blown away by their excellent content. From their game reviews, to their Character Spotlights, to their Friday Favorites you can find posts by them weekly on their gaming blog the Double Jump. My guests today fellow gamers Kris & Rachel. Read the interview, and I hope you guys enjoy it.

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2TALL: Kris, Rachel first of all thank you for letting me interview you two. So before we talk about games let’s talk about blogging. What attracted you two into the world of blogging?

Kris: I’ve actually been writing for the better half of my life, starting with fan fiction and short little stories. I grew up with the Internet and blogging sites like LiveJournal, and I enjoyed the idea of writing with and communicating more with a like-minded community. When I discovered WordPress, I started my own personal blog before a few years later when Rachel and I joined forces to start Double Jump.

Rachel: Like Kris, I grew up when the internet was growing. I copied everything Kris did, so I began writing my own fan fiction and stories. When I decided I wanted to be an author I knew blogging was a good place to start, especially as an “author platform.” I blogged for four years before Kris and I decided to start a second blog together to share our love of video games.

2T: That’s great to see you two have always had an interest in writing. What do you two like most about blogging?

Rachel: I love the community. I never imagined I would have made more friends through the internet than I have in real life. Plus, these internet friends all share the same interests as me – writing and gaming.

Kris: I’m seconding the community. I’ve always enjoyed sharing my thoughts on topics, especially ones that I’m passionate about like gaming, and blogging helped me find like-minded people to share comments and ideas with.

2T: Since I’ve been blogging the community has been great to me. I see you two have your own separate blogs. How do you manage time between them?

Kris: I don’t at the moment, haha! Aside from Double Jump, I also have a full-time day job. Juggling two blogs plus the day job became more harrowing than fun for me, so my personal blog is chilling on the back burner as an archive of posts about writing and books. Video games and journalism became more important to me, especially since I’m doing it with my sister, so that’s where my focus is blogging-wise. I do plan on returning to my personal blog at some point, but for now Double Jump is my main blogging site.

Rachel: It’s not easy to balance between the two. I post daily on my writing blog and 4 times a week on Double Jump. I set aside specific days to work on both blogs though. For example, Kris and I typically work on Double Jump posts on Sundays because that’s the day we both have some free time and can sit and work together. We write the posts at least a week in advance so that helps a lot to get ahead. I do the same thing with my writing blog, except I work on it typically on Thursdays. Still, I end up doing blog stuff for both sites each day. There’s always something to do.

2T: Kris I agree with you. Juggling just one blog and a day job is tough. Rachel there is always something that can be done managing a blog. What made you combine your love of blogging with your love for video games?

Rachel: We both love writing. Blogging was working well for us. Both of us wanted to start a gaming blog and we just decided to do it together instead of having two separate ones. Journalism in the gaming world is huge and we’ve gotten pretty into it and it has brought our writing and blogging skills to a new level. Also, we started watching more and more gamers on YouTube and Twitch and we were like, “We can do that!”

Kris: Growing up, having a job in the video game industry didn’t seem viable. I’m not entirely sure why, perhaps due to them being seen as something we’d grow out of? Of course, we now know that there are so many career options that go hand-in-hand with the video game industry — art, writing, music, game testers, programmers. After discovering the avid gaming community on YouTube and Twitch, we wanted to join in. Considering both of us having writing ambitions, blogging about video games seemed like the perfect way to let our voices be heard.

2T: Also how do you manage time between blogging and playing video games?

Kris: Sometimes it’s not easy, especially if we’re trying to play around my day job schedule and our family obligations. We tend to try to plan out what game reviews we’d like to cover in a month and set aside a bit of time a few times a week to play those games. Saturdays, when we don’t have other plans, tend to be a good day for that. Usually Saturday mornings we spend some time working on our own writing and the afternoon is dedicated to gaming.

Rachel: I’ll admit it’s easier for me since my full-time job is now blogging and writing, but I still have so many other projects going on that it’s tough to find the time to play video games. It’s hard to because when I have a lot of work sometimes I find myself just playing games and justifying that it’s “for work.” Which is true, it’s always something for the blog, but then I never get anything else done. I love writing, but there are some days when I wish I could just play video games all day long and make enough money from that to pay the bills.

2T: Time management can be real tough at times. Speaking of video games where did it all begin for you two?

Rachel: Similarly to the writing, I just copied whatever Kris did. I am the definition of a “little sister.” When I was younger, Kris was always playing games and I grew up watching her. I’ll let her explain the rest.

Kris: I was introduced to gaming by one of my uncles, really. I remember having an NES growing up, watching our older sister play a few games here and there, but I was introduced to Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda through my uncle on the SNES and Nintendo 64. The poor guy worked the third shift but was always patient whenever I “accidentally” woke him up from a nap to play video games at our grandparents’ house! Eventually, I learned to figure out the controllers and games myself, and our parents bought us our own consoles. Then Rachel came along as a willing player two and the rest is history.

2T: The NES or Nintendo as some like to call it is what I was introduced to. One of the things I like about your blog is you two manage to combine today’s games with the retro games of the past. What were some of your favorite games growing up?

Kris: Anyone who’s been around on Double Jump long enough knows one of my absolute favorite games is Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars for the SNES. That and the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time were the games that brought me into the world of video games. Pokemon Yellow, Blue, and Red were among my favorites when I got a GameBoy Color, and I remember Spyro the Dragon being fun on the original Playstation.

Rachel: This is a tough one since there are just so many great ones. My all-time favorite is Paper Mario for the Nintendo64. Pokemon, of course, being another all-time favorite franchise. I’ve played all the games, but I started playing Gold, Silver, and Crystal. Kanto came out when I was 5, so Johto was where I officially started my Pokemon journey.

2T: I saw you went to the gaming convention out in Canada EGLX back in March. What were some of your favorite highlights from that event? Would you two go again?

Rachel: This was our first gaming convention and (so far) the only one we’ve been to. It was certainly an experience and I’m glad we made the rash decision to hop on a plane and leave the country for a weekend. To be honest, the main reason we went was that our two favorite YouTube gaming groups were going to be there. They put on a show and had a couple of panels. So, for me, that was the main highlight. It was great to see them in person and get to talk to some of them. Playing the retro arcade games as well as new indie games coming out was awesome as well. Plus, there were speedruns going on live which is always cool. I would most definitely go back again and I want to go to all the conventions!

Kris: Seeing the Normal Boots and Hidden Block shows and panels live were definitely a treat, and those YouTubers were the main reason why I burst into our den to tell Rachel, “We’re going to Canada!” when I found out they were going to be guests at EGLX. Actually being able to travel to someplace new was a highlight for me as well — it was the first time Rachel and I traveled together out of the country, and I hope it won’t be the last. I also really enjoyed the Artists Alley, the section of the convention that was dedicated to all sorts of artists and craftsmen. Seeing all the creativity and passion behind their works was amazing! Room service every morning was also a highlight, haha! I would definitely go again, and I’m hoping that we’ll be able to visit other conventions as well.

2T: What games are you two looking forward to this holiday season?

Kris: I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how Smash Bros. Ultimate plays out. Being built from the ground up rather than a port of the Wii U version and being filled to the brim with every character that the franchise has seen sounds like it’ll be fantastic! The Let’s Go Pokemon titles are obviously high on our list as well, and I’m actually cautiously excited about Super Mario Party, if an October release date counts as the holiday season. Smash Bros. and Mario Party are nostalgic franchises to me, and Super Mario Party looks as if the game is returning to the franchise’s roots.

Rachel: I second all the titles Kris just mentioned. The Let’s Go Pokemon games are a top priority for me. I absolutely can’t wait for them to come out. I’m also super excited for Super Mario Party (hopefully Nintendo won’t disappoint again!) and, of course, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. It’s been a while since I’ve picked up the Wii U game, but I’m eager to get back into the fighting.

2T: I’m ready for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate let me tell you. So from your blog posts you have a Nintendo Switch and a Xbox One. Ever think of getting the trifecta and adding a PS4 to that collection?

Rachel: We actually have a Playstation 3. It was a hand-me-down from our brother-in-law and unfortunately, we have yet to use it. We play mostly Nintendo games and the games that can be played on the PS3 that we’re interested in, we already have for the Xbox. I’d love to get a PS4 someday just for the collection purposes, but it’s not on the list for anytime soon.

Kris: It definitely would be nice to have a PS4 at some point, but we also have plenty of games for the Switch and Xbox One to play through. We definitely are planning on using the PS3 more, though, to get more of a taste for Sony’s consoles and games, probably at a cheaper price. Who knows, by the time we’re ready to get a PS4, the Playstation 5 may come out!

2T: A lot of great games on the PS3. What features would you two like to see added to the Nintendo Switch?

Kris: A decent chat system would be nice. I personally haven’t tried the app voice chat system that Nintendo has now, but I haven’t heard anything favorable about it. With the online service coming this year, and Nintendo being an advocate for gaming being a social activity, I think it would benefit them to incorporate a solid chat system.

Rachel: A decent chat system, I agree. But I would also love to see YouTube and Twitch come to the console. Since there’s a screen capture on the joy-con and you can record little bits at a time, I’d love to be able to stream or record straight from the Switch and be able to support other gamers through it as well.

2T: YouTube, Twitch, more apps. Come on Nintendo! How much longer do you think the Nintendo 3DS has left?

Rachel: I hope it has a long time still. It’s my favorite system. Of course, everything they’re announcing is for the Switch and the Switch itself can act like a handheld and is portable. So I feel like the 3DS is going to fizzle out soon. Then again, during their Nintendo Direct back in March, they announced Gamecube’s Luigi’s Mansion as a port coming to the 3DS among a couple other games. So they’re still expecting the 3DS to last a little while anyway.

Kris: I think Nintendo will be banking on the 3DS family for a little while longer, especially considering they’re coming out with ports of other games and new designs for the handhelds themselves. They are heavily focusing on the Switch, especially with the failure of the poor Wii U, for right now, of course, but I hope they’ll continue to work on the 3DS family as well.

2T: Any advice to any new bloggers out there whether in our niche or another?

Kris: Write about something you’re passionate about and have fun. No writing is wasted, as every sentence helps you practice and improve your craft. If the topic is something that you love, your words will shine off the page (rather, screen). Don’t be afraid to reach out and communicate with others as well — writing doesn’t have to be a solitary task.

Rachel: Blogging is a lot more work than it seems and nothing happens overnight. Just enjoy yourself, keep writing, and socialize with other bloggers. You’ll learn a lot by doing and also by communicating with other bloggers. Keep going and have fun with it. As Kris said, write about something that excites you and it will surely show to your readers.

2T: Appreciate the great advice. Now time to have some real fun. Favorite author?

Kris: Leigh Bardugo and David Dalglish

Rachel: Erin Hunter

2T: Never heard of them. LOL! Favorite book?

Kris: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Rachel: (As of right now) Here Lies Daniel Tate by Cristin Terrill

2T: Once again never heard of them. LOL! Favorite color?

Kris: Green

Rachel: Blue

2T: Favorite cartoon character?

Kris: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Batman

Rachel: Tom & Jerry (It’s not cheating, they go together.)

2T: Kris Turtles are definitely one of my favorites. Rachel those old Tom & Jerry cartoons are hilarious. Favorite video game character?

Kris: Sheik or Geno

Rachel: This one is tough, but I’ll go with Luigi.

2T: Favorite food?

Kris: Cookies

Rachel: Goldfish

2T: Goldfish. Good one. Console or handheld?

Kris: Console

Rachel: Handheld

2T: Favorite genre of games?

Kris: RPG/Adventure

Rachel: RPG/Simulation

2T: Sony or Microsoft?

Kris: Microsoft

Rachel: Microsoft

2T: Nintendo or Sega?

Kris: Nintendo

Rachel: Nintendo

2T: Guilty pleasure?

Kris: Pajama days!

Rachel: Collecting Pokemon cards even though I have no idea how to play the game. But I have to catch ’em all.

2T: Kris, Rachel. Thank you once again for doing this interview. Anything you two would like to say to the readers or ask me before I conclude here?

Rachel: Just a big thank you for having us on your blog! And also to anyone who’s reading this. I hope you found it entertaining enough and always feel free to get in touch! 🙂

Kristen: Thank you so much for this interview and having the opportunity to reach out to more people! This was fun!

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Special thanks to those two sisters for coming on and doing the interview. If you want to check them out here’s a link to their site. This link here will take you to their Twitter page. If you follow them on Twitter tell them that your boy 2TALL sent you. Oh and they are also on Instagram too. I hope you all enjoyed this interview. Once again if you want to be interviewed please holla at cha boy and we can definitely set something up. Reach out to me before I reach out to you. Until next time blogging live to you and yours! It’s your boy TWOTALL4UFOOL! Remember that TOGETHER EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE! Thanks for reading folks and we’ll see you all next time! LATER!