Gamer Spotlight: trixie360 interviews NuyoRiquena

She’s an Air Force veteran who plans tournaments and events in Los Angeles. Take a trip to the wild blue yonder with NuyoRiquena.

trixie360: What’s the story behind your gamertag? 

NuyoRiquena: My parents are both Puerto Rican and I was born in Brooklyn, New York.  The "affectionate" term for a Puerto Rican from New York is Nuyorican, or in Spanish, Nuyoriquena.  I am proud of my culture and heritage.

trixie360: Where do you live? 

NuyoRiquena: I currently live in Los Angeles.

trixie360: What do you do when you’re not playing games? 

NuyoRiquena: I plan tournaments and other marketing events involving video gaming.  So many companies want to utilize video gaming and tap into our demographic because they see a monetary value.  I try to make sure it is done well and with respect to our community.

trixie360: What’s the worst or weirdest job you’ve ever had?  

NuyoRiquena: Easily, bay orderly.  When I was active duty you had to do a rotation cleaning the dormitories.  I was a trained paralegal in Japan and had to clean up after grown men and women.  It was disgusting.

trixie360: How long have you been on Xbox LIVE? 

NuyoRiquena: Since 2006. Gears of War got me hooked.

trixie360: Do you have an arch enemy on Xbox LIVE? 

NuyoRiquena: Yeah. My fiancé. We have a very "friendly" competition on a multitude of levels.

trixie360: What’s your Xbox set-up like? Big-screen TV? Dolby sound? 

NuyoRiquena: The main set up is on a 42" HDTV.  I prefer the smaller ones when I don't want to compensate for possible latency issues but when I am just enjoying a game, it is very pretty.

trixie360: What’s the best feature of Xbox LIVE? 

NuyoRiquena: By far the community.  I can get on LIVE at almost any time of the day or night and find someone playing a game I have.  I have even found it can be a fun way to stay in touch with old friends.

trixie360: What is your favorite multiplayer Xbox game? 

NuyoRiquena: Still Gears of War and Gears of War 2.  It is hard to extinguish the flames of your first love.

trixie360: What is your favorite single player Xbox game? 

NuyoRiquena: Right now I am still playing Assassin's Creed 2.  I enjoy the story.

trixie360: What is your favorite Xbox LIVE Arcade game? 

NuyoRiquena: I fell in love with Braid instantly and very few have replaced its special place in my heart.  Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 has been my nemesis for some time.  I still haven't bested it so I keep trying.

trixie360: What do you think is the best game of all time?  

NuyoRiquena: That is such a tough question for me because I justify favorites by adding subcategories.  If I have to pick one I would have to say Gears of War because it changed the way I looked at video gaming in general.  Mortal Kombat was my arcade favorite (everyone hates when I admit that) and I still adore the Legend of Zelda for showing me a world beyond Pacman and Pitfall.  It's purely sentimental. 

trixie360: What do you think is the best film of all time? 

NuyoRiquena: I am a movie fiend!  Too many favorites.  I loved The Godfather and Memoirs of a Geisha for so many reasons but mostly because I never get tired of watching them.  I loved Crash.  And I will always love Boomerang and Grease 2...yes the second one.  But Memoirs of a Geisha is so beautiful and tragic and rich.

trixie360: Okay, you lost me at Grease 2. What do you think is the best comic book of all time? 

NuyoRiquena: Hands down The Long Halloween.  I simply adore Jeph Loeb and when my friend Chrissy introduced me to this book, I fell in love.

trixie360: What do you think is the best album of all time? 

NuyoRiquena: Jennifer Lopez!  Okay, kidding.  For me it was a Marc Anthony album Otra Nota.  It was out before anyone knew who he was and to this day I love every song.  My family will still dance and sing to that album.

trixie360: Rock Band or Guitar Hero? 

NuyoRiquena: Rock Band.  I love the song selection better overall.

trixie360: What is your greatest Xbox LIVE moment? 

NuyoRiquena: Getting every achievement point possible for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.  It was the first time I had done it and I still love that life sucking game.  (I lost many nights in Cyrodiil.)

trixie360: What’s your favorite TV show? 

NuyoRiquena: I am addicted to Fringe and Spartacus: Blood and Sand.  I simply cannot get enough of either.

trixie360: Who is your inner rock star? 

NuyoRiquena: She is a cross between Hayley Williams and Jennifer Lopez.  [Talent with Boricua rhythm and bling.]

trixie360: If they made a movie about your life, who should play you? 

NuyoRiquena: America Ferrera.  But she'd need contacts - I like my green eyes.

trixie360: They are beautiful for sure! What’s your karaoke song? 

NuyoRiquena: “Papa Don't Preach” – Madonna

trixie360: Favorite cartoon character?  

NuyoRiquena: Buttercup from the Powerpuff Girls followed closely by Hammy from Over the Hedge. 

trixie360: Favorite movie quote? 

NuyoRiquena:  "Just treat me the same. No better, no worse."  - - G.I. Jane

trixie360: If you could trade places with anyone for one day, who would it be? 

NuyoRiquena: At the risk of being cliché, no one.  I really love my life.  Besides, for only a day?  That's such a tease.

trixie360: It has been quite some time since anyone called me a tease! What celebrity would be the worst roommate? 

NuyoRiquena: Charlie Sheen. He looks like he stinks and would probably have the place under constant surveillance. 

trixie360: How many people are on your Friends List? 

NuyoRiquena: Depends on which list.  My real friends are a select, special group I can count on my hands.  I maxed out my Xbox LIVE list at 100.  Facebook is a couple hundred, I think.  MySpace was in the thousands but who looks at MySpace anymore.

trixie360: Not I! Who's your favorite Superhero? 

NuyoRiquena: Wonder Woman.  Need I say more?

trixie360: Hot celeb you’d like to be stranded on a desert island with? 

NuyoRiquena: Michelle Rodriguez. 

trixie360: If you could be any video game character, who would it be? 

NuyoRiquena: Dom Santiago.  I wish he was a girl though.  I want to say one of the female characters but truth is I want there to be more female characters I can relate to that can kick ass just as well in a best selling game.  /soapbox ended

trixie360: What’s the worst food you’ve ever eaten? 

NuyoRiquena: Yakisoba.  They are fried Japanese noodles.  I was sick for days.

trixie360: What’s the first video game you ever played? 

NuyoRiquena: I think it was Space Invaders.  The really old one that made a 'pew pew' like sound and had only two colors.

trixie360: “Pew Pew” is one of the best sounds in the world. What’s the last book you read? 

NuyoRiquena: Are You There, Vodka? It's me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler

trixie360: Complete this sentence: “People of Earth, ….” 

NuyoRiquena: wake the f&^# up!

trixie360: If you could go on tour with any band --past or present-- which would it be? 

NuyoRiquena: The Runaways.  I've always liked Joan Jett but after doing some more research (due largely in part to the movie being released) I found their time together was full of raw energy - good and bad.

trixie360: What do you predict will be the 'next big thing' in gaming? 

NuyoRiquena: 3D gaming.  I wasn't impressed at first but I had a chance to test it out with a FPS and if they can make a few more adjustments, it will be worth the investment on some levels.

trixie360: What do you think is the best thing about the Xbox 360?  

NuyoRiquena: Xbox LIVE and the arcade.

trixie360: What is the Xbox 360 Achievement that was hardest to get? 

NuyoRiquena: Hoard the Horde in Gears of War 2.  It took forever to get a decent team of people willing to stick it out.  Sometimes it is easier to get a tougher achievement when you only have to rely on your own skill.

trixie360: What would you like to be doing in ten years? 

NuyoRiquena: Hosting and/or producing live gaming tournaments on ESPN 21.  Or something like that.