We're less than two weeks away from the third anniversary of Giant Bomb going fully live, which means the wiki is also almost three years old. It's been a long road, but yesterday, I made it to 1000 pages that I've added to the database. Some I'm proud of, others not so much. But I figured I'd take a look back at some of my favorites and some not-so-favorites as well.

Just to be clear, these are pages that I've added, not necessarily completely built. Thankfully, a bunch of members of the Giant Bomb community have taken the initiative to fill in many of these pages. I can't tell you how awesome it is to revisit a page I've added and find that someone has decked it out with a ton of information. So, if you see anything below that piques your interest, please jump on it.

Here's the full list if you're interested: Marino's Created Pages

You Always Remember Your First

The first thing I ever did on the wiki was add Hyrule as a location to the Link to the Past page, but the first page I ever created was for The Attack. The TI-99/4A was the first game system that I had, so there's a lot of nostalgia there. That's why my first project on the wiki was to fill out the the library of TI-99/4A games like this one, Blasto, Car Wars, and Chisholm Trail.

PlayStation Underground

This was my first big page. I wasn't really sure there was a place for it on the site, but luckily Jeff gave me the go ahead to add it as a concept. Back in 1997, I received the first edition of PlayStation Underground because I had registered my PlayStation with one of those post cards that you get in the box with any new system. At the time, the idea of being able to play demos of games that weren't out yet and getting high quality video content was unheard of. The Internet was still fairly new, and you certainly weren't going to be downloading all this stuff like you can today. I had been teaching myself basic HTML at the time, so I decided to create a site about it. While in an AOL video game chat room trying to get people to check out my site, I got an IM from a guy claiming to work on PlayStation Underground. Of course I didn't believe him, but when he sent me an email from a Sony domain, I couldn't argue with that. Turned out that he was the producer of the whole thing, Gary Barth. I kept working on the site, which became fairly popular with fans of the CD magazine thanks to inside information provided by Gary pertaining to what was coming in each next issue. When Gary found out that I lived in Georgia, he invited my friend Christopher and myself to E3 in Atlanta. I was only 16 at the time, so we were told that if anyone asked, to tell them that we had won a contest from Sony. The site pretty much ended in 2001 when the magazine stopped being produced, so I'm happy that some of the site's content found a new home here.

Electronic Entertainment Expo

When I ran the Underground site, I built a sub-site specifically for E3. I was able to attend the show for 10 years from 1997-2006. I had a lot of documented info from my old site, but I had to create a bunch more especially for the years I didn't attend. Trying to find documentation online for an event that happened in 1995 isn't easy. Despite not having been to the show in five years, E3 is still one of my favorite times of the year.

• E3 1995 -- E3 1996 -- E3 1997 -- E3 1998
• E3 1999 -- E3 2000 -- E3 2001 -- E3 2002
• E3 2003 -- E3 2004 -- E3 2005 -- E3 2006
• E3 2007 -- E3 2008 -- E3 2010 -- E3 2011

EverQuest

For over three years, the world of Norrath was pretty much my life. It sounds crazy now, and maybe a little sad, but I enjoyed just about every minute of it. I've come to terms with the fact that EverQuest is likely the most fun that I will ever have in any game for the rest of my life. Nothing will ever match that first MMO experience and sense of community in a virtual world. It's hard to convey to people that didn't play it at the time. Anyway, I've only added two actual EQ games to the database, but there's a bunch other stuff related to the game that I've submitted.

• EverQuest Next (working title)
• Antonica -- Faydwer -- Odus -- Kunark -- Velious -- Luclin -- Taelosia -- Kuua
• Firiona Vie -- Lanys T'Vyl -- Lucan D'Lere -- Antonia Bayle
• Breezeboot's Frigid Gnasher #9000 -- Jumjum -- Ragebringer -- Water Sprinkler of Nem Ankh
• Iksar -- Frogloks -- Kedge -- Kerrans -- Sarnaks -- Vah Shir -- Shissar -- Othmir and although not unique to EQ... High Elves -- Half Elves -- Barbarians
• There are over 30 gods in the pantheon of EverQuest. Rather than list them all, someone else made this gods page which is quite good.

Mortal Kombat

After the TI-99/4A stuff, I started tackling MK related content. Specifically, I wanted to add the actors that portrayed the characters in the first three games in the series. Things branched off from there into NBA Jam secret characters.

• Kerri Hoskins
• Ed Boon
• Dan Forden
• Brian Glynn
• Lia Montelongo / Lia Montelongo
• Dr. Phillip Ahn
• Skarlet
• Edenia -- Netherrealm -- Orderrealm -- Chaosrealm

The Penny Arcade Expo

I've been to every PAX since 2008 including the East coast versions. I hope that those that aren't able to go can get some benefit out of the hundreds of pictures I take.

• Penny Arcade Expo
• PAX 2008 -- PAX 2009 -- PAX Prime 2010 -- PAX Prime 2011
• PAX East 2010 -- PAX East 2011
• The PAX 10 -- Boston Indie Showcase

The Wall of Shame

Hey, sometimes you come across a game, object, location, character or concept that doesn't exist in the database. It may not be "important" or "significant" or "good," but upon realizing that it's not there, it become your duty to make things right in the world. When building the E3 pages, I came across many games that required a page. Sometimes that leads to making a franchise page. And that leads to character pages. And that... it's a bottomless pit of despair!

• Disney Princess
• Cheetah Girls
• George W. Bush -- Newt Gingrich
• Phantom Entertainment
• The Experience
• Walt Disney Pictures presents Enchanted
• Just Dance 3
• Alteil
• The Berentstein Bears and the Spooky Old Tree
• Mort the Chicken
• Konami Kids Playground
• Mary Kate & Ashley: Crush Course
• Touch Darts

The Conception of Concepts

Concepts are easily the most loosely defined category on the site, so they are the ones that most often have their credibility questioned. Sometimes I come across something that still surprises me that we don't have a page for it. The hardest part sometimes is coming up with a concise, yet descriptive (and sometimes funny) name. Here's some of my favorites over the last three years.

• Discontinued MMO
• Friendly Encouragement
• Graphics Overhaul
• Inappropriate Attacks
• Sequel is in a Different Genre
• Retro Graphics Toggle
• Versus Screen
• Conjoined Twins
• Invisible Bridges
• Walking Through Walls
• Pre-Match Movement
• Color Cartridges -- Foil Box Art -- Lenticular Box Art
• Barefoot
• Rolling Horizon
• Raining Blood
• Cartography
• Kiting -- Pulling
• Kobolds
• Foraging -- Tracking
• No Drop Items -- Temporary Items
• Twinking
• Power Leveling

The Johns

John is a pretty common name.

• John Carlton
• John Elway
• John Lowes / John Lowes
• John Newcomer
• John Phua
• John Tobias
• John Vogel
• Jon Hey
• Jonathan Beard

#1000

Last night's 1000th created page came from my favorite console game of all time. I must accept part of the blame in this, but how on Earth is it possible that, after three years, we don't have every character from a game as popular as A Link to the Past in the database already? That's crazy! So, the descendant of the seven wise men of Hyrule became #1000. Thanks for all the help, Sahasrahla.

Makes me proud to contribute. =)

Wow, that's amazing man. Congratulations! I think I've added ten pages at most.

Awesome work! It's crazy to think of both how much one person like yourself can contribute to the site over the years as well as how many people collaboratively have worked to build the site to its entirety.

Here to 1000 more!

Man, I wished I'd kept track of all the pages I'd created. Congrats on reaching 1K, that's quite a feat.

You sir, are a galactic hero!

I think we all know the shame of creating questionable wiki pages. Just to make you feel better, I created both the pedophilia (who keeps trying to undermine my Majora's Mask edits to that page?) and Item Merchant pages (and pretty much fleshed out the latter). How do I sleep at night? I created the popular Fetus as a Final Boss page.

@mracoon said:

Man, I wished I'd kept track of all the pages I'd created. Congrats on reaching 1K, that's quite a feat.

Same here. The first few days of Giant Bomb's wiki were such a mess that it's hard for me to remember my first wiki contribution. Congratulations on all of the effort, Marino (and for recording your efforts).

@Video_Game_King said:

I think we all know the shame of creating questionable wiki pages. Just to make you feel better, I created both the pedophilia (who keeps trying to undermine my Majora's Mask edits to that page?) and Item Merchant pages (and pretty much fleshed out the latter). How do I sleep at night? I created the popular Fetus as a Final Boss page.

At least you aren't the weirdo that created the rape and incest pages. Who was the sick bastard that--oh, wait. That was me.

If I was decent at writing I would definitely contribute but I suck. Are there any non writing related tasks for the wiki?

@Hailinel: Based on this, your first created page was Ike.

@Marino said:

@Hailinel: Based on this, your first created page was Ike.

I'll be darned. I didn't even realize that list existed. Thanks!

While we're on this, can anyone tell me how I got these? As far as I can remember, I've not once done anything to the wiki.

Fantastic job mate, I hope that everyone takes this as a lesson in passion and we all strive for Marino levels of excellence.

@Aronman789: Have you added images to any of those pages?

Nice job, duder. Keep up the fantastic work.

@Aronman789: Have you added images to any of those pages?

Damn, that's pretty impressive.

Congrats and good job!

@laserbolts said:

If I was decent at writing I would definitely contribute but I suck. Are there any non writing related tasks for the wiki?

You can add images to pages, organize them into galleries, and give them captions. You can also take concepts and objects that don't have a large number of games associated with them and see if you can find any appropriate games that they haven't been associated with yet.

Great job man!! Hopefully we'll see 1000 more!

I don't know if it was just the cool, edgy name, but I remember feeling special being in the Playstation Underground..
 
@Chaser324 said:

Nice job, duder. Keep up the fantastic work.

Man you're a fucking wiki beast 
 
The only page i have heavy editing on is BF3, because it's the only game i feel i know enough about.. How can you know so much and find so much about so much? amazing!

Congrats man, your E3 pages are amazing.

That's really amazing. I've tried editing but every time I've been denied. Making 1000 pages requires a lot of dedication, and it shows how capable the Mods here are.

Nice work. I'm glad I've been keeping track of the pages I've created (only 108). I prefer making large edits/additions/contributions to pages rather than creating a bunch of them.

Keep it up man, I wish there were more people like you and I wish I could do better but I have as much talent as a sock.

Congratulations

You continue to be insane.

Congrats! :D

Congrats, that's a hell of a lot of work.

Congratulations! Can't wait to read this post and lear some history.

This makes me want to make more contributions to the wiki.

If only it didn't require me to actually do something... I'm on vacation dammit!

So when are they just going to hire you outright?

That is fucking crazy!

This is my one and only contribution.

Congrats on the milestone.

You are a value to the team and we appreciate what you do. <3

@cide: Yeah, Underground had that feel that we were getting stuff people weren't supposed to see. The demos and all that video content was really unheard of at the time. But, at the end of the day, it was a magazine, and once the Internet got bigger, having video content delivered every three months got kinda obsolete. As much as I hate to say it.

@PeasantAbuse: Thanks. They're fun to do. I'm just glad those hundreds of pictures I took at E3's over the years have been put to good use.

The emptiness of the Ed Boon page makes me cry.

@TheGreatGuero said:

The emptiness of the Ed Boon page makes me cry.

Please don't. That's the Ed Boon character page. He is playable in NBA Jam. The Ed Boon person page is much more filled out.

Grats on the work. I got really into the wiki keeping the The Old Republic page going for a few weeks, but then I logged in one day to discover hours of work destroyed when someone went in and screwed up the formatting. Would have taken a long time to fix it all, and I just gave up after that. Knowing that at any point some random person could come along and undo all the work you put it ruined it for me.

Link to the Past is the greatest Zelda game. There...I said it.

@FinalDasa said:

Link to the Past is the greatest Zelda game. There...I said it.

You'll get no argument from me, sir.

And may he live for a thousand more.

Keep up the great job

Congrats! Hope Jeff gives you a lap dance as payment for all your hard work.

Just want to say to all the editors and contributors: you guys are doing great work! And congrats to the milestone @Marino.

Noice! Also I remember checking out the PSUnderground site. Cool to know that was your gig / passion at the time. Really explains your dedication to the industry, and we're better for it.

Great work your making GB a better place for us all this has inspired me im going to stat doing some wiki stuff soon

High five man. Awesome stuff.