By: Scott Steinberg

Call it love at first fight... Ever since spotting male model Fabio Lanzoni's chiseled pecs on the cover of 1989 NES classic IronSword, we've been looking for ways to work half-naked barbarians and the phrase "throbbing man-gristle" into ongoing industry coverage.

Happily, the perfect chance has now presented itself. Not only is Acclaim/Rare's Wizards & Warriors trilogy - of which it was the second action-packed outing - enjoying its 20th anniversary this year. The king of romance novels (not to mention erstwhile I Can't Believe Its Not Butter spokesman and pigeon-baiting beefcake) has also reunited with Electronic Gaming Monthly - whose third issue he starred on the cover of as 'roid-riddled swordsman Kuros - to provide a monthly reader advice column.

Now an official ambassador for Best Buy's Geek Squad as well, we caught up with the Italian Stallion at a recent industry gathering to see what games, gear and gizmos get his flowing locks twirling:

Q: Let's talk videogames, since it's the 20th anniversary of classic NES outing Wizards & Warriors, which you appeared half-naked on the cover of: What's your take on them?

A: Honestly, I used to play a lot of videogames, but I stopped a while ago. Back when I was about 21. The last time I bought any games was when my nephew spent about a month and a half with me. I bought a PSOne and a bunch of games and I played all the time. But I had to stop. It's great, but I have a really busy schedule. And truthfully, it really relaxes me to get behind the TV and wire up these systems, because I'm a home theater enthusiast. Being in front of the TV and playing and running around shooting things doesn't relax me so much.

Q: Any favorite titles you'd like to shout out?

A: I've always loved Pac-Man Fever. Like I said, it's been a long time. To give you an idea though, I like action titles. I tend to favor things like motorcycle racing simulations, aerial dogfights... anything fast and exciting.

Q: Does your oversized musculature ever present a problem when trying to get in the game, beefcake?

A: Not so much. You know, videogames, they're fun, but I have a very busy life. When I have free time, I prefer to ride motorcycles, mess around with audio/video projects and computers. I had a lot of fun with games once upon a time, but now I don't sit down with them as much. Even with the Xbox 360, which I just saw and looks amazing, I'd probably be more interested in the A/V aspects...

Q: So just what toys specifically are you playing around with in your spare time?

A: Well, you know motorcycles have these computers now, and you can download a map of the track you're riding on to the bike, and it'll know which course you're cruising. It's amazing: You can find out everything you need to know about upcoming turns and the speed and power required to race them.

Q: Are you impressed by how far the gaming industry has come?

A: Looking at the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, I'm stunned. The quality of the games and the content - the graphics are so good, it's like they feature real worlds and people. Technology never ceases to surprise me - just look how far we've come in the last 10 to 15 years. Think about it: Computers are about to go wireless all over the country. I remember I used to go to work with my father. He ran a company, and just the brain of the PC they had was bigger than an entire room. And it was slow, it was a slouch... It was big, but it wasn't that powerful! Even the smallest game system or laptop is about 100X faster - it's incredible what we've accomplished in the last 25 years. Changes are coming faster and faster too. I remember when even something as simple as a motorcycle received an update every five years - now bikes get changed out every two.

Q: Something people would never guess about you based upon your print, online and televised appearances?

A: I'm a technology geek. And I'm a very simple person - I love my toys, but I'm very down to earth. I think everybody's human and I think there's only one God.

Q: One piece of technology you wish they'd invent: Something to keep pigeons from attacking male models, perhaps?

A: I'd prefer one or two they'd un-invent: Nuclear weapons and atomic bombs. Eventually, some idiot out there is going to do something stupid...

Contact information for this author is not available.