PokePlay #3: My Thoughts on Pokemon Flora Sky

In today's post of PokePlay we look at yet another awesome Pokemon hack that focuses on the awfully cute Shaymin!

Pokemon Flora Sky

Base Rom: Pokemon Emerald

Pokemon Available: Kanto/Johto/Hoenn/Sinnoh/Unova

Regions Available: New Hoenn





Crowned the Hack of the Month for May 2010, Pokemon Flora Sky is an Emerald hack rom that comprises of Pokemon from all 5 generations. There are two versions to this game: Main Dex and Complement Dex. The main difference between both versions is the Pokemon that can be found. In addition, for the Complement Dex, some levels of the trainers are altered and the base stats of some Pokemon are also adjusted.

The adventure starts in Small Town, where the protagonist has to go search for Professor Birch in Mt. Fullmoon, where you get the Sinnoh starters (or Kanto starters in the Complement Dex version). From here, the protagonist embarks on an adventure across New Hoenn. Meanwhile, Team Magma and Team Aqua have their own plans of conquering Hoenn, and it is up to the protagonist to put a stop to their plans.

Difficulty Level: 3.5/5 mousepads thrown

Not a very challenging game overall, as the trainers levels and Elite 4 are not obscenely high. Interestingly, you get a chance to get the first in-game legendary Shaymin, the titular character of Flora Sky only after 4 badges. The norm in Pokemon games is that legendary events often occur after 7 badges, so it was more of a surprise to me. You are highly recommended to catch it, because it is after all a shiny Pokemon (and a legendary at that).

However, the post game is where the honeymoon period ends though. Levels have been greatly elevated after defeating the Elite 4 for the first time, which can prove to be quite tough for underleveled teams. There's apparently a post-post game if you are interested in getting all the legendaries, but it can be very long and is optional.

A Lvl.46 FEMALE Braviary?!
 I call shenanigans! :0

Gameplay Level: 3.5/5 slickness

Be warned: without a walkthrough or guide you can easily get lost and not sure where to proceed next in the game. This can prove a bit frustrating as you wonder aimlessly not knowing what to do next. There are also minor glitches here and there, but none that are game-damaging fortunately. 

Winter is coming...

Graphics Level: 4/5 Beauty Ribbons

As expected from Gen III games, the hack has maintained the same standard as that of RSE. In terms of Pokemon sprites, B/W sprites have been used and this greatly adds to the aesthetics of the game.





Overall, the gameplay experience has been an enjoyable one. It should keep players occupied to the game for a very long time, in part due to the post game and post-post game events.

My team for Pokemon Flora Sky (as of defeating Elite 4 for the first time):


- Infernape
- Flygon
- Ludicolo
- Ampharos
- Staraptor
- Gardevoir




Link(s):
http://pokemonflorasky.com/

PokePlay #2: My Thoughts on Pokemon Light Platinum

Apparently, 4 months+ of rest has resulted in me making truckloads of spelling errors in the previous post. I will try to cut down on the spelling errors.

That aside, today's review will be on another Pokemon hack that I have played. Introducing Pokemon Light Platinum, which is by far one of the greatest hacks made. Most of the hacks that I have tried so far have utilised graphics and texture packs of the base roms. However, the developer of the game, WesleyFG, has incorporated new sprites similar to that of Gen IV games while using Pokemon Ruby as the base rom.

Base Rom: Pokemon Ruby

Pokemon Available: Kanto/Johto/Hoenn/Sinnoh/Unova

Regions Available: new regions Zhery and Lauren







4 legendaries in the first 2 minutes,
and you wonder why Arceus sounds like a puppy...

Pokemon Light Platinum starts out in a whole new region called Zhery. As with all Pokemon games, the protagonist is entrusted with a starter Pokemon (in this case either Charmander, Bulbasaur or Squirtle). For those who are wondering, it is possible to get the starters from other regions. The protagonist then heads on an adventure across the Zhery region and eventually facing the Elite 4, while coming head to head with the evil organisation Team Steam. With new gym leaders, Elite 4 members and new rivals, this game promises to be one of the best hack roms ever played.

Difficulty Rating: 3.5/5 computer screens broken



A difference of 18 levels. Overpowered much. :/

Not the hardest rom I have played so far, although another set of 8 gyms and Elite 4 in the Lauren region after completion of Zhery region does pose a pretty nifty challenge. Expect to be heavily underlevelled against the Elite 4 of both regions, but with the right moves and Pokemon you should be able to get through easily. (Spoiler: Garchomp is still OP in a game where only moves up to Gen III are available, and it did take a couple of misses and 3 Max Revives to finish it off.)

Gameplay Rating: 3.5/5 slickness


Most of the storyline is quite linear so it shouldn't pose too much of a problem for newer players. One interesting aspect of this game is the presence of new TMs, such as Ice Smash (which replaces Brick Break) and Fire Blow (which replaces Overheat). This turns out to be a double-edged sword. While it is always good to have newly created TMs, it can get a bit cumbersome because most of these new TMs are required to clear obstacles throughout the journey. This means you are forced to use these TMs how matter how bad they are when used in battle. In addition, there are some glitches that should be fixed. One example is that when Electabuzz evolves into Electivire at Lvl.40 (this is because the Electirizer is not available in Gen III so they came up with an alternative evolution method), its level drops to Lvl. 37 and its gender changes and the Nature changes to Quiet (-10% Speed and +10% Sp. Atk). I have also read that users of Pignite will be in shock to find that it evolves into Scolipede instead of Emboar. Turns out the pig was a centipede in disguise after all.

Graphics Rating: 4.5/5 Milotics evolved

One of the game's main attraction is the graphics and sprites used in the games. It gives me a feel of playing a Gen IV game in a Gen III rom. Pokemon sprites in battles are also updated to that of Gen V. Expect to be awed by the beauty of the game.





Overall, Pokemon Light Platinum is a very interesting game if you want a whole new Pokemon game. So far, I have completed both the Zhery and Lauren leagues and will be going for the World Championship. If you love Pokemon and have not played any hack roms yet, this is a good rom to start with.

My team:
- Venusaur
- Electivire
- Milotic
- Typhlosion
- Swampert
- Swellow

Links:
http://pokemonlightplatinum.com/

PokePlay #1: My Thoughts on Pokemon Liquid Crystal

Finally after a hiatus of nearly 4 months, I am finally back and done with my first year of my university course. It feels really awesome to be back. I admit I was too tired to update the blog and left this page in limbo, but the 4 month "break" (not exactly a break since I am busy with assignments and projects instead) has really left me revitalised and energised to start writing again. :)

Anyway, I have been testing out and playing through several Pokemon games for the last 2 weeks. At first I started with the regular games starting from G/S/C, then progressing through FR/LG (FireRed/LeafGreen) and finally concluding at Black 2/ White 2. Throughout the years, the games have undergone a lot of developments, and the Pokemon roster has expanded to 649 Pokemon.

So I was thinking, why not try out some of the Pokemon hacks?

After searching the net for fan-made hacks, I found some surprisingly good hacks, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself whilst playing.

Pokemon Liquid Crystal

Base Rom: Pokemon FireRed

Pokemon Available: Kanto/Johto/ Hoenn

Regions Available: Kanto/Johto/ Orange Islands (partial as of 99% complete version)





Based of the storyline of the 2nd generation game Pokemon Crystal, this hack by LaZ and Zeikku is a complete remake with 3rd generation graphics and game mechanics. The important features that attracted me to play this hack was the availability of the Hoenn Pokemon and the expansion into the Orange Islands.



Apparently all Team Saturn members
are redheads...

As with the original version, we get to play as either a male or female character who gets to embark on a Pokemon adventure that encompasses both Johto and Kanto, and finally challenge against the Elite 4.
While the GSC remake Pokemon HG/SS has considerably far improved graphics compared to Pokemon Liquid Crystal, it is nevertheless a very fun game to play due to slight changes in the storyline and the presence of a new evil organisation called Team Saturn. The plot thickens.


Difficulty Level: 4/5 keyboards smashed



A Lvl. 33 Pidgey in Vermillion? Seriously?

I'll admit it, this is one of the toughest Pokemon games I have played. Firstly, it is imperative that you engage in all the Trainer battles and do a bit of training or you will be severely underlevelled. Levels have also been raised by up to 5 levels for gym leaders and Elite 4 members. With new Pokemon and moves available in Liquid Crystal as compared to the orginal GSC, this game may prove to be quite a challenge. There are also many instances where the Pokemon battles are so tough, that I feel like smashing my laptop screen in frustration. (Example: Umbreon as a staller and dragging a battle for 10 minutes thanks to WishProtect moveset. >:( ) Nevertheless, I relish the challenge of the game.

Gameplay Level: 4/5 slickness



Prepare for a storm.

There have been a few glitches here and there, but none of them are really severe and thus did not affect much of my gameplay experience. As with in Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald, you get to Dive down to the bottom of the ocean to discover new items and Pokemon. In addition, the EXP system has been enhanced to that of Black/White and there is also the Physical/Special Split as introduced in Gen IV games. Altogether, it is pretty much a complete package. Before I forget, there's also the Day/Night system along with the weather changes. This will affect the different types of Pokemon available in specific places. Expect to find yourself drenched in torrential rainfall with lightning during Spring or immersed deep in heavy snow during Winter.

Graphics Level: 4/5

Wow...this is too beautiful.

Considering that the hack is made for Gameboy Advance, the graphics are pretty impressive and well-polished. I really loved the design of the Pokemon Center. <3








Overall, I loved this game. SO MUCH that I actually played through the entire game twice. Anyway my team for the 2nd runthrough (in case if anyone is interested):

- Typhlosion
- Vaporeon
- Dragonite
- Exeggutor
- Slamence
- Crobat

FIFA 13: Finally, no Rooney on the cover photo! :P

After the considerable success of FIFA 12, which introduces many new features that enhance gameplay, it is now time to put our focus on the next instalment of the FIFA series, FIFA 13. FIFA 13 seeks to capture all the details of real-life soccer, and has announced a couple of innovations that serves to further improve on the already impressive features of FIFA 12. This includes Tactical Free Kicks and 1st touch control. As to how these features really influences the gameplay, we would have to wait until further details have been released.

And yes, for the first time, Rooney did not feature on the cover photo (although this requires confirmation) and Messi takes over as the poster boy! Not that I dislike Rooney, but he has been on the game covers since FIFA 06. Surely a change would be welcome, wouldn't it? :)

EA Sports has thus far released a trailer of the highly anticipated game, and here's a tongue-in-cheek review of the trailer by KSIOlajidebt. Don't take the jokes too seriously though. :P

Replay! -- Games Worth Re-Visiting! :)

I admit I am bored to death.

Yes, I remembering writing about me giving a review of "The Avengers", but in the end I decided not to. Sorry. :3

Anyway, I thought of revisiting some of the games I have played before. Man, they brought back so much fun memories. Among all, two games really stood out for me. So...here we go!

1. Robot Unicorn Attack

I played this game back in 2010, and it was indeed great fun. Unfortunately, it got monotonous after a while and therefore I stopped. Robot Unicorn Attack was released as a online video game in February 2010 by Spiritonin Media Games. Basically, the user controls the movement of a unicorn and the objective of this game is to last as long as possible without crashing into any obstacles (something linke Nyancat or Techno Kitten Adventure). The game gets increasingly difficult as the its pace gets faster, making it more challenging to get past the obstacles. The players has three lives (or "wishes", as it was referred to in the game) and the total score is tallied from all three turns.

Fast forward 2 years, and I am playing its remake of the original - Robot Unicorn Attack Evolution. While gameplay is identical to the original, the fun aspect of the remake is that the Robot Unicorn evolves into other robotic animals after a certain number of stars broken in a row.

Other than the excitement of finding out the subsequent evolutions of the robotic unicorn, as well as the fun of dashing past obstacles as the game picks up in pace, this game is attractive due to its looping soundtrack. As you play, the soundtrack "Always" by the British band Erasure keeps playing until you crash and burn. You know the one that goes:

"Always, I wanna be with you

And make believe with you

And live in harmony harmony oh love~"

Yup that's the one. In case this does not ring a bell, allow me to present you the video of this song! :P

In addition, there are also two other remakes of the game, namely "Robot Unicorn Attack: Heavy Metal" (featuring the song "Battlefield" from German metal band Blind Guardian) and "Robot Unicorn Attack: Christmas Edition". Try them at your own leisure. :)


2. Facade



Not something you
should say during a visit to your
 friend's house...

Unlike Robot Unicorn Attack, Facade is an artificial-intelligence based game created in 2006 by Michael Mateas and Andrew Stern. In this game, the player will reprise the role of  a close friend of Grace and Trip, a couple who recently invited the player to their home for cocktails. This pleasant gathering, however, is somewhat damaged by the clear domestic confrontation between Grace and Trip upon the player's entry. Hence, the objective is to interact and "speak" with the characters, and thereby solve their conflicts, or driving them mad (and risked getting chased out of the house).

The huge selling point of this game, is definitely its natural language processing features and other advanced AI routines involved to provide and enhance a real-life experience for gamers. This also meant the scenario will play out randomly & differently every time users play the game.

However, being a naughty little brat 6 years ago, I would exploit the system and do/"say" wierd things to get them irritated. Nearly every time, I would get chased out of the house beacuse I was deemed "rude and vulgar". However, I did succeed in completing the story once, but I shall not spoil the good ending - it's up to you to find out. :)

Rare Talents in FIFA12 Part 2: Winter Roster Update

With the Winter Roster Update coming in, there have been changes to the ratings of many players in the database. For those who may not know, players can update their squads by going to "Customise FIFA -> Edit teams -> Change squads/rosters -> Download updates". Once it’s done you’ll have the latest squads! :)

Meanwhile, we shall focus on some brilliant young players that can be found in this new patch, and also revisit the players that have been previously recommended to see whether their stock has rose and fallen.

1. Gabriel (Juventus) 66 -> 88

Juventus was quick to sign 17 year old Gabriel Appelt Pires before many other big clubs could do so, and The Old Lady had reason to be. This talented central defensive midfielder, signed along with his older brother Guilherme, was described as a "champion" by top European transfer guru Ernesto Bronzetti.

In FIFA 12, the Brazilian has a good passing range, with both his Long Passing and Short Passing stats above 70. Furthermore, his Ball Control and Vision stats are a whopping 72, pretty promising for a young midfielder who can dictate play in the heart of midfield and switch from defense to offense with his incisive passes. He can also shut down opponents pretty quickly with his decent tackling and intercepting abilities, so he's a definite must-have for FIFA 12 career mode players.

Before I forget, check out how he pressured Ronaldinho off the ball in a match against Flamengo (at around 0:35)


2. Nicola Leali (Brescia) 67-> 88

Prior to the Winter Roster update, the 18 year old Italian goalkeeper has an overall rating of 61 and a potential of 79. After the patch, he has grown to an overall rating of 67. Why is there such a big change over just half a season?

With clubs such as Sporting CP and Juventus (again!)tracking his progress, the Under-19 Italian custodian possesses great agility, a great sense of positioning and catlike reflexes, reminiscent of a young Buffon. With the club initally struggling, Leali has brought great assuredness between the sticks, and has helped steer the club to 7th place with his strong performances in goal.

In FIFA 12, what stood out for him was his Jumping and Reflexes stats, which are at 73 and 72 respectively. Other essential goalkeeping stats such as Handling, are all above 65 (with the exception of Kicking, which is a poor 55). Not bad for a 18-year-old.

3.  Mattia Destro (Siena) 72-> 87

Need a goalscorer? This Siena striker is the answer for you. On loan from Genoa, the 20 year old started his career in Ascoli. He moved to Inter in 2010, where he flourished under their youth system. He then moved to Genoa as a make-weight for Andrea Ranocchia's transfer to the Nerazzurri. The Italian was also capped at every level from U-16 to U-21.

In the game, Destro is perhaps one of the most promising goalscorers in the game. With both Positioning and Finishing stats at 78, expect this hotshot to score many goals for your team. He is also pretty quick (his Acceleration and Sprint Speed are at 79) and has pretty good Heading Accuracy.  His lethal finishing, combined with his quick feet, definitely makes him one of the most exciting attacking talents in the game. His only weakness is his Long Shots, but expect that to improve.

After discussing about the footballing talents that emerged after the patch, let's take a look at my previous recommendations after the winter update:

Roderick Miranda (65 -> 78) (Overall =, Potential -11) By far the most disappointing change, but oh well...
Federik Sørensen (73 -> 83) (Overall -1, Potential -4)
Cristian Pasquato (73 -> 86) (Overall -1, Potential +2)
Fernando Lucas Marins (71 -> 83) (Overall +1, Potential -4)
Daniel Johnson ( 60 -> 77) (Overall & Potential =)

So Many Things, So Little Time!

With so many things happening these couple of weeks, there's simply no time to update my blog!

I was randomly searching for things to watch on Youtube, when an interesting title caught my attention.

The title read, "Nonsensical Saints Row The Third". Now, we know that 'Saints Row: The Third' is an action-adventure open world video game which focuses on the urban gang war between the Saints (i.e.players) and three other gangs (namely the Luchadores, Deckers and MorningStar). With such a dark and violent theme, one would wonder how nonsensical it can get. After watching the first video posted by gamer Nova, I couldn't stop laughing from start to end. The silly/ridiculous things that Nova and his friend Spoon did in the game, as well as their enthusiastic commentary, blended well with the game's knowingly crazy and juvenile sense of humor. This series consists of 68 episodes, and I guarantee that each episode is fun-packed.

To watch the videos, simply click on this link and have fun!

Meanwhile, I had also been waiting for the highly anticipated Angry Birds Space to be released, and it has finally hit the Apple App Store on 22 March! This time, the battle between the Angry Birds and the pigs takes place in a whole new galaxy. Prior to the game's release, Rovio has released a couple of trailers which introduced the new birds (including the Ice Bomb Bird and Lazer Bird, among many others), and also featured a demostration of microgravity by NASA astronaut Don Pettit. Check out this video to see the physics behind the latest installment from Rovio:


That's it for now! Meanwhile, back to episode 36 of "Nonsenscial Saints Row The Third" for me...

Draw Something: The Ultimate Craze In Office!!! o.O

It's been a while since I posted! I have been pretty busy these days, hence the blog was not updated for quite a while.

A craze has been sweeping over my office for these past week or so. Everyone has been drawing stuff on their phones. Soon, even I got swept into the craze. :)

Introducing "Draw Something", a Pictionary-like game which is available on iOS and Android! It is created by the company OMGPOP and has taken the world (or least my office) by storm. Nearly a month into its release, it has garnered up to 6 million downloads. Awesome stuff for a newly released game!

Why is this game so addictive? Well, it is simple and social. You don't have to be a brilliant artist to play this game (although having an artistic vein will be a bonus for friends to guess the object you are doodling.). Armed with only a simple colour palette with 4 colours (black, red, yellow and blue), you are ready to impress people with your artwork! Depending on your difficulty level, the person who manages to guess the drawing will get a certain number of coins as rewards. 1 coin is given for Easy level, while 3 coins will be given for the Hard level. These coins can in turn be used to buy stuffs such as Bombs (which allows you to re-shuffle the words allocated to you for drawing if you are stuck) or to expand your colour palette.


The viral factor of this game lies in the fact that it allows you to engage with your friends on social networks, allowing players to enjoy the game with a very large circle of friends. You can have many sessions with your friends at one time, so there is no need to worry about running out of slots.

Here's a short video on the game


Anyway, if you are addicted to the game, you can also try the Facebook version called Draw My Thing. It's slightly different from the original version, as the Facebook version allows you to compete against random users as well.

Meanwhile, back to the drawing board for me! :)

Rare Talents in FIFA12 :O

Having played FIFA 12 for 3 months, I am still enjoying my time as a manager of Chelsea. As the game progresses, it is imperative for any manager to add value to the squad by buying better players or getting them from youth academy.

As I was playing, I found some real hidden talents that could grow into world-class stars if nutured properly. We are not talking about the likes of Gotze and Messi who are already outstanding players at a very young age, mainly because most of us probably will not be able to offer the sky-high transfer fees or even afford their wages. Instead, we are focussing on obscure young players. Their stats are not exactly brilliant at the start, but if they are played regularly in matches, they tend to gain experience very quickly. These are 5 of the players that are really worth a look...

1.  Roderick (Servette FC) 65 -> 89

Only 20 years of age, this Portugese player is a central defender on loan from Benfica and has already earned himself 15 caps for the Portugal Under-20 squad. He is also able to play as a defensive midfielder in front of the back four.

In FIFA 12, he starts off with an overall rating of 65, with his Strength and Aggression stats being his specialties (at 78 and 70 respectively). He can grow to a potential overall rating of 89, which is a whooping increase of 24 from his inital rating. Best of all, he can be bought a low price at the start of the game.

2. Federik Sørensen (Juventus) 74 -> 88

Valued at 8.5 million in FIFA 12, Juventus is most likely going to let him go at a much higher price since he has great potential (I paid 11.5 million to prise him off the Turin club in my Chelsea save game). And here's why: this Danish centre-back already has an impressive overall rating of 74 at the age of 19. He becomes a monster of a defender if you play him regularly, with a potential overall rating of 88! That should put him in the same bracket as Pique and Thiago Silva. He has the right attributes for a defender, with his Aggression, Strength and Marking all above 80.

He probably won't grow as much if left at Juventus, with Chellini and Barzagli in the starting lineup, so grab him if you can.

3. Cristian Pasquato (Lecce) 74 -> 84

This versatile Italian forward can play in any attacking position (namely CF, CAM, LW and LM), and has played for Italy at every level except full international.

In the game, the 22 year old striker is a awesome speedster and possesses great balance & agility. He is also highly rated for his ball control and dribbling skills. In addition, he improves incredibly quickly and can develop into one of the most dangerous attackers in the game. The only issue I have is that he cannot be bought in the first season has he has just joined Leece, but his stats improve consistently due to him playing regularly.

4. Fernando Lucas Marins (Gremio) 70 -> 87

A natural central midfielder who can only deputise as a defensive midfielder, this 19 year old Brazilian from Grêmio is definitely worth your money. He possesses decent physical and mental stats, with his Interception stats being the highest at 80. He also has superb vision and passing ability for such a young player. Still can grow a lot, and has a potential overall rating of 87.



5. Daniel Johnson (Aston Villa) 60 -> 77

If you are managing lower tiers clubs with decent financial ability, this is one player you should get early in the game to help your club progress to the top leagues.

While he may not grow as much as the rest of the players mentioned in this post, he can make a difference to your team in the first few seasons. The England central midfielder, who can also play on the left, is pretty quick and has a decent passing range & finishing ability for a 19 year old, so it's still not too bad. Plus, he can be snapped up at a pretty low fee.

That's all for now!  I think by now if you have not realised, this topic just came off my mind randomly - I have nothing to write this week actually :D

Start Your Season with FIFA 12!

Finally. The moment I have been waiting for...

My copy of the highly anticipated FIFA 12 is finally in my hands! (Cheers)

Prior to the game's release, there have been talks of how EA Sports have planned to give a complete overhaul of the franchise this year. This was more or less expected actually, as FIFA 11 was disappointingly more of an expansion pack to its predecessor than an improved game by itself. These are what I felt about the changes:

1. One of the most greatly discussed changes in FIFA 12 is Tactical Defending. Players should have known what they are in for when they start the game off with a tutorial on defending. The past iterations have been using Legacy Defending. To start off, let's differentiate between these two defensive styles.


Legacy Defending -- A button press will cause an AI player to hone in on the player in possession of the ball. Classic Fifa defending style.

Tactical Defending -- Pressing the Tackle button in this new system will not result in you going for a conservative tackle. Instead, it positions you to contain your opponents. This means gamers still have to do the tackle themselves, meaning timing and tactics are crucial.

To be honest, tactical defending is much closer to real-life defending, where players have to decide and know how to position themselves for a tackle or an important interception.

So after trying Tactical Defending for quite a while, it took me a flurry of red cards, matches strewn with defensive errors, and a losing spree to finally get used to this new system. Now I can interchange between both legacy and tactical defending. Yay.

2. Player Impact Engine is the new physics engine used in this game. It is built to deliver real-world physicality throughout the game. It also directly affects injuries sustained by players during a match. This makes contact and interactions between players more realistic, but I felt that the impact engine could have been too sensitive. A light tackle on your opponent will see him stumbling or falling too easily from the challenge. I think being a new system implimented in the game, the impact engine is not too bad, just that it has greater room for improvement.

3. Understandably, the AI of the players have greatly improved. Compared to previous editions, even playing semi-pro on this version does not guarantee the gamers to win by a landslide. ( But then and again, this could have been attributed to my poor skills. However, being an AWESOME guy, I prefer to push the blame on the enhanced Pro Player Intelligence.)

4. For the first time ever, two broadcast teams will be featured – Martin Tyler and Alan Smith and Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend. Fans can customize audio to their preferred commentators for any matches. However, the commentary seems to be off sync from the on-field action at times.

5. My favourite part of the game, Career Mode has been greatly improved with the calendar, news story displays and news feeds, which aim to make information such as upcoming events, transfers, and rumours more accessible. Transfer markets in Manager Mode and Player-Manager Mode are closer to real-life situations, with rival clubs targetting your best players and last-minute transfers. Unfortunately, Player Career mode seems to get too stagnant for me, as gamers only play matches like a real-life player and there is little interaction with other aspects of the club.

Overall, FIFA 12 is a great step forward in making the football experience more surreal for gamers. Possibly one of the best games to have this summer! :D

Kick It With Fifa Online 2! ^.^

While waiting for Fifa 12 to appear in stores starting from 27/30 September 11, I decided to look out for alternative sources to satisfy my footballing craze.
And here we go: Fifa Online 2. This game has been around for quite a long time since 2006 and is  jointly developed by EA Singapore and Neowiz Games.  Teams and their kits have been updated tokeep up with that of the current real-life season. Users can either play through a season or to play against other online players. Playing matches earns you LP, which is the in-game currency used to buy stuff in the game.

My encounters with Fifa Online 2 hd actually spanned over a couple of years. I started playing in 2009 but did not immediately fell in love with the game. While I was immensely glad that I had finally found a free downloadable soccer game, I was not particularly impressed with the graphics of the game and the lagging gameplay (partly due to my ailing computer, but mostly because of the slow connection to the servers) then.It was not long when I became frustrated of Fifa Online 2's shortcomings and quitted the game altogether. Seriously, take a look at that screenshot on the right, and you will figure what I mean.

It has been 2 years since I last touched this game, and when I tried it again for the second time, I was surprised by its many changes. The first thing that caught my attention was its considerably upgraded graphics. Players on Fifa Online 2 now looked much realistic and more alike to real-life players. Gameplay is a lot smoother and more challenging. Every touch of the ball by the players felt pretty real and it was as though I was orchestrating a real match. Now Peter Crouch looks a whole lot happier.

There is also a new World Cup 2010 mode, in which players can lead their favourite national teams to winning the coveted trophy. I tried playing with team Singapore and managed to lead them all the way to the quarter-finals until Paraguay gatecrashed the party with a Lucas Barrios penalty. Oh well.

In addition, there's also the team report card, which gives users an in-depth analysis of each team's performance. This includes personal performances of the players, as well as fouls, shooting accuracy and pass successful rate. Users get to better experience how it feels like to be a manager, who only gets to build the team and strategise tactics in the past before the major upgrade. Users can use the teams they build and play against each other in the PvP mode.


Overall, if you are looking for a online soccer game, this is the game to go for. It's not as brilliant as Fifa 11 or the upcoming Fifa 12, but it more than holds its own as an online game. Get kicking with Fifa Online 2 now!

No Pokemon On Facebook? Be A Tamer At Monster Galaxy!

Calling all Trainer wannabes! For those who are unable to satisfy your Pokemon trainer dreams on Facebook, then this is the game for you!

Monster Galaxy is developed by Gaia Interactive.  Like Pokemon, it is a role-playing game where players can fight and collect over a hundred wild monsters. The monsters, known as Mogas in Monster Galxy, have various element types which are classified according to Zodiac. A Moga with a certain Zodiac type has its strengths and weaknesses when facing off against Mogas of other Zodiacs. For example, a Turtlenie (which is of Virgo zodiac) is very good when battling against Aquarius Mogas but will fare poorly against Sagittaurus Mogas. This makes it challenging and interesting for Moga trainers, as they have to pick the right Moga to battle their opponents. Luckily, Monster Galaxy also gives Tamers a guide on how your Moga will fare in each battle (e.g. 3X more effective, less effective etc.), hence removing the hassle of memorising the strengths and weaknesses of each Zodiac.

As the game is still rapidly developing, Monster Galaxy is still adding new Mogas to its list. Wild Mogas can be found at every location, and its availability and capture rate is highly dependent on its Rarity, so it is not everyday you get to find a Legendary Moga. Monster Glaxy has also recently added the new feature of evolving your Mogas. To evolve a Moga, tamers will have to catch a certain number of the same Moga and possess a certain munber of Evolution Potions, depending on the species of the Moga. Naturally, evolved Mogas have much stronger stats and are much rarer. As Monster Galaxy is still adding on to its Moga variety, there are still many unknown evolutions and thus, many surprises are in store for us.

Other than the variety of Mogas one can collect, Monster Galaxy also has loads of quests that can engage the players in. These quests will reward Tamers with Blue Coffee (which is equivalent to Max Revive of Pokemon), Starseeds (like Pokeballs). Of course, adding to the challenge and fun is the Collection system, whereby Tamers can trade in Zodiac cared collections for items like Starseeds, and sometimes even Rare Mogas that can never be found in the wild! These cards can be found randomly after battles.

So what are you waiting for? Put on your Tamer boots and start your adventure in Monster Galaxy!

Flash Games FTW! :D

Flash games are always my favourite. Compared to other games, they are much easier to download, and they require little waiting or hassle. Most importantly, some of them are actually pretty fun and worth playing. Hence, whenever I am tired of my Nintendo DS, flash games are always the next in line as my source of entertainment.

As usual, I always like to go to sites like Armor games and Newgrounds to search for newly-released games. This week, I found a couple of awesome flash games that kept me well occupied!

1. Kingdom Rush
Ah, strategy games. I am not very good at strategy games (and hence my dislike for them) but this one caught my full attention. Produced by Ironhide Game Studio this year, this games bears resemblance to a typical Tower Defense game. However, it stands out on its own because of its creativity and graphics. In Kingdom Rush, you have to defend your realm against hordes of orcs, trolls, evil wizards and other nasty fiends; armed with a mighty arsenal of warriors and mages of your own.

The controls are fairly simple; all you have to do is click on a plot of land and you can start building your tower. There are four different types of tower, each having its own set of advantages and upgrades. My favourite towers are definitely the Musketeer Tower, which can hit high area damage when equipped with the ability Shrapnel Shot, and the Arcane Wizard Tower, which can penetrate physical defenses and comes with a Death Ray special.

Adding to the fun are the many types of enemies you can fight against. Ranging from the simple, weak Goblin to the tough, powerful (but luckily slow) Yeti, the game provides no end to the types of enemies available. Kingdom Rush is also user-friendly such that it provides the description of each type of enemy and gives you tips on how to deal with them effectively. My personal favourite is the Spider Matriach, which can be ridiculously hard to defeat for novices due to its high magical resistance and its ability to spawn spiderlings. And I never liked spiders anyway.

In additions, here are many types of terrains available, ranging from a town to the frosty icelands. Each terrains has own challenges, hence the same strategy cannot be applied across all the stages.

However, one downside to this game is that it restricts where you place the towers. Plots of lands have already been allocated for you to place your towers, so it reduces the flexibility of your set-up. But other than that, it is overall a cool game to play.

2. Achievement Unlocked 2
Always dying to unlock all the achievements in a game? This is definitely the game for you! Achievement Unlocked 2 is the sequel to the original game and has definitely increased in difficulty level. You will be playing as an elephant, and your objective is to be able to touch all the squares in the playing field and of course, complete all the achievements to win the games. The graphics are fairly simple, but it is the challenge of completing all the objectives that leaves you wanting for more! There are in total 250 achievements, ranging from a simple (but dumb) Playtastic (unlocked by finding the Play button) and Rollout (rolling the mouse off the game) to Best of all, you can either play alone, or you can play together with your friends in a single game!

P.S. Dying is also an achievement! Cool story bro!

What are you waiting for? Get started now! :)

Rushing With Your Best Buddies! :D

This was purely coincidental, but guess I got a lucky break. :D

After getting tired of my collection of games, I decided to look for greener pastures. And I finally found myself new entertainment.

Top on my gaming list currently is Buddy Rush, a single-player, action role-playing game application available on Facebook. This means that so long as you have a Facebook account, you can play the game - simple. There are a couple of reasons why I almost fell in love with this game.

1. First of all, it's 3D! This makes it stand out among most of the games on Facebook, as many of them are 2D. and the characters are so cute!!!! ^.^

2. There are many fun quests for you to complete, and they can done together with your friends on Facebook or with NPCs, so this makes the gaming experience more interactive.

3. Other than playing on a computer, you can also play Buddy Rush on your iPhone and iPad, so you can go rushing with your best buddies no matter where you are.

4. Out of stuff to do? Well, you can go challenge in the arena or dungeon at higher levels, or go fishing! In addition, if you have completed the quests once, there also the Hard version of the quests which you can attempt. Believe me, they have stepped up a notch on the Hard version, so it's not as easy as previous attempts.

5. Finally, it's simple and user-friendly. All you have to do is click! Many new players prefer to start and stick to a new game if it is easy to understand and the controls kept simple.

However, I felt that there are certain things that still need to be sorted out, as these niggling imperfections reduces the gaming enjoyment slightly. Firstly, the inventory items cannot be sold , and this means you have to clear out your inventory spaces for more stuff. It would have been cooler if iems that players no longer want could be exchanged for chips to buy stuff or new rushers. Next, the game tends to have some connection problems when saving one's status after clearing missions. It can get a bit frustrating after a few times.

But overall, despite the slight problems it have, it is a pretty fun game to play on Facebook! What are you waiting for? Start your rushing today! :)

The Adventure Continues... In Pokemon Black and White!

About 20 days after its release, a copy of it is finally in my hands.

Introducing: Pokemon Black and White.

Having played the last few installments of the game, I picked up Pokemon Black. It was better than I expected.

The 5th generation of Pokemon introduces up to more than 150 new Pokemon to the franchise, and this time, the adventure takes place in Unova Region, which is based off New York City. The game starts off with you and two other friends receiving a starter Pokemon as a gift from Professor Juniper. As with other versions, the aim of this game is to obtain all eight badges of the Unova region and challenge the Pokemon League.

In addition to the aim of becoming the Pokemon Champion, players would also have to thwart the plans of the games' main antagonist Team Plasma, a group that seeks to liberate Pokemon from human oppression.

The game starts off at a very slow pace (for me at least) as Professor Juniper will guide players through the various aspects of the game, such as capturing a Pokemon, so as to allow players new to Pokemon familiarize with the game.

New features included in this game include the seasonal cycle. This means that only certain areas can be accessed and certain Pokemon can only be captured in different seasons. Some Pokemon change appearance according to season as well. Another new feature to note would be the Triple Battle Mode, which increases the challenge of a Pokemon Battle.

After an hour of gameplay, I find the game fun but challenging. It can be quite frustrating for new players, as battles between ordinary trainers can now be quite a challenge even for veteran players too. I was however disappointed by the absence of the mascot of Pokemon -- Pikachu. Pikachu is the reason why many fans are familiar with Pokemon, and Pikachu cannot be found in Pokemon Black/White unless you trade it over from previous versions like Diamond/Pearl/Platinum/HeartGold/SoulSilver. Without this symbolic character, I felt that the game seems be missing something.

But overall, the introduction of new Pokemon and new game features make it an equally awesome gaming experience for old and new players alike.

Before I end this post, allow me to introduce the starter Pokemon of this series:

Tepig - Evolves into a Fire/Fighting final stage. It has the worst Defense, Special Defense and Speed of the trio's final evolutions, but makes up for its limitations with a high HP, Attack and Special Attack. Learns several strong moves to complement its offense-based stats.




Oshawott - Evolves into a Water final stage with an appearance of a sea lion. It is a balanced starter, and can learn all three of the Water HMs, i.e. Surf, Waterfall and Dive. Good for beginner players. Its movepool is decent, with good Water moves like Aqua Tail and Razor Shell, and also stat-boosting Swords Dance and Focus Energy.



Snivy - Evolves into a Grass final stage. Unlike Tepig's evolution line, it is more defense-oriented. It has the worst HP, Attack and Special Attack of the trio's final evolutions, but does have the best Defense, Special Defense and Speed. Pity the narrow movepool though, and its only decent level-up move is Leaf Storm of base power 140, learnt at Lvl.62 (groan).




So after all these talk, I can't wait to continue on my adventure in the Unova region! :D