PGC: What kind of bugs did you have to eat and how many?

Corey: I never said in my entry what type of bugs I would eat, and it wasn't until the day of the event that I figured it out. The morning of the contest, I opened up the yellow pages and called up PetCo. They informed me that they carried both worms and crickets for feeding pets, so I bought both. Once I got back to the hotel, I transfered the bugs over to separate "clean" containers to sort out what I was and wasn't going to eat. The final count of the bugs eaten was about 15 worms and 7 crickets.

On tonight's menu: WORMS!

PGC: Were the bugs live or cooked? Did you have to eat them plain, or were they "dressed" in some way? What did they taste like?

Corey: Again, my entry did not go into detail about this, but I decided to eat them live to prove my dedication to Nintendo. I ate the mealworms plain because they were easy to handle. The crickets, however, were very hyper, so I decided to add some honey to act as sort of a glue between my finger and the crickets' legs, making sure they could not jump away. Neither of the bugs had a distinct taste, but the worms let out a splash of juice when first biting down. The crickets tried to jump around in my mouth, but the honey slowed them down considerably, making it easier to chew them up.

PGC: Did it get more or less difficult to eat them as you went along?

Corey: It was much easier as it went along. Once you get your mind off the fact that you're eating live insects, it becomes much easier. I originally planned on only eating about 3 of each bug, but my adrenaline was pumping at the event, and for some reason I decided to clean out both containers, much to the crowd's delight (and disgust).

Corey prepares to drink down bugs

PGC: Did you think your performance was good enough for the top spot?

Corey: I think my idea was good because of the combination of stunts performed. Taking my idea apart stunt by stunt, it's not very impressive at all. But because my stunt was the only one that combined multiple variables, I believe it was more interesting.

PGC: How would you rank the performances of the other contestants? (Tell us somebody got all that craziness on tape!)

Corey: Unfortunately, we were all up on stage performing at the same time, so it's hard for me to answer this one. Lizzy, Matt, Jeff, and Jason & Jennifer were all great though. If you have TechTV, I've heard that highlights from the event will be aired on ExtendedPlay's GameCube special. It was shown over the weekend.

PGC: What was it like to mingle with Nintendo PR? Did you meet any Nintendo “celebs?”

Corey: Adam Sessler was the only guy at the event whose name I was familiar with. He was also the host of the contest, and from the little time I actually got to talk to him offstage, I can say he's definitely a cool guy to meet in person. Sadly, Miyamoto, the Nintendo God, was nowhere to be found. Hopefully I will get the chance to meet him someday...

PGC: The terms of agreement had some publicity stuff in it... Was that just for the contest or are you doing any additional publicity for Nintendo?

Corey: I did many interviews at the Cube Club after the contest. Since then, I've done some local interviews for newspapers around the Dallas area and for my school paper. I'm not aware of Nintendo wanting any more publicity with me, but if they are interested, I've got plenty of paint left :)

PGC: What did you think of the Cube Club and the games that you played?

Corey: The games I played most were Super Smash Brothers: Melee, Eternal Darkness, and Pikmin. I was amazed at how much better SSB:M looks from the original, yet still contains the same fast and addictive gameplay found in the N64 classic. Eternal Darkness is a title I've kept my eyes on since it was in the works for N64. I didn't get to play too much, but I enjoyed what I played. It's obvious, however, that there's much more to Eternal Darkness than the demo allows you to see. Finally.. Pikmin. If it weren't for the latest Miyamoto creation, we wouldn't be having this interview. I played the first level of Pikmin, and it took about a couple minutes to get the hang of the controls, and even longer to figure out exactly what I was supposed to be doing. I spent too much time exploring the garden with my Pikmin, and I failed to secure my spaceship parts. Regardless, I'm very intrigued by this title, and I look forward to picking it up in early December.

PGC: What was in the mysterious "software package" that you won (in addition to the GameCube, Game Boy Advance and $5,000 in cash)?

Corey: For the GameCube, I received Luigi's Mansion and Wave Race: Blue Storm. For the GBA, I got Super Mario Kart: Super Circuit, F-Zero Maximum Velocity, Super Mario Advance, and Advance Wars.

Mr. Pikmin wins a PRIZE!

PGC: Black or Indigo?

Corey: Indigo.

PGC: What do you think of the GameCube games you’ve been able to play on your new Cube?

Corey: I loved Luigi's Mansion. Even though it was a bit short, I honestly haven't had as much fun with a game in quite some time. It took me back to the times when I was kid and didn't care about trivial things like the length of a game, but rather how much fun I had with it. I also picked up Rogue Leader and Super Monkey Ball at EB, thanks to the early shipping dates. Every time I play Rogue Leader and beat a mission, I wonder just how much better the game can look, and it just keeps getting better. It's especially nice because I was never a big Star Wars fan, but this game is so incredibly well made it makes me want to watch the trilogy all over again, not only because the movies were great, but to compare the graphics as well! Super Monkey Ball is my favorite of the launch titles. Sega is easily one of the best developers out there, and this game only makes them better. The variety in the extra modes is awesome. Right now I'm hooked on the main game though, and I can get about halfway through the expert mode. Must keep practicing...

PGC: Besides Pikmin, what is your favorite series/character?

Corey: Super Mario Kart is my favorite videogame of all time. I'm hoping Nintendo brings the GC version back to its original roots like the GBA version and possibly throw in some online play. I have fond memories of playing Super Mario Kart against people across the county over XBand (the modem for SNES), and still have yet to find a worthy battle mode opponent. Whether or not they bring Mario Kart online, Nintendo at least had better bring back Koopa Troopa.

PGC: Do you have any special plans for the five grand?

Corey: I plan on going to Japan within the next 2 years, and I will be putting most of my winnings in the bank until then. Right now I'm in my first semester of Japanese, so hopefully in about a year and half I'll have enough knowledge of the language to travel abroad.

PGC: Any additional thoughts you'd like to add?

Corey: On my way through Chinatown, I found a new copy of Superman64 on sale for $80. At that price, I couldn't pass it up, so Merry Christmas Max. Seriously though, I have to express my love for the website. PGC rocks! Keep up the great work guys! See ya on the boards! And just in case any of the Nintendo reps are reading this, thanks for the awesome time out there Ehrin, Wes, and Edie!

PGC: Thanks a lot Corey! Enjoy your GameCube and congratulations!

Pictures provided by Corey Olcsvary!