Totally Goo-some!!

I first come by this game through Gamespot last year. Reading its review and seeing its remarkably high rating(1st in the best games list last year) gave me a shock. That was my first time seeing a PUZZLE game overriding other action-packed and more thrilling games, e.g Call of Duty 5: World at War and Grand Theft Auto 4.

Just about two weeks ago, I found this game through a server connection(site of uploaded and shared files) here. Without hesitation, I downloaded it right away and tried it to solve my many unanswered questions(Why such a high rating?).

"Wow."

That was what I said when I first get into the game. It was totally unexpected. I didn't expect it to be so..... cute and adorable. The game play is very different from other puzzle games cause it just had this potential to stick your brains and eyes to it for a long, long time. With it's spell blinding soundtrack and Gunbound-like-graphics(except that it's far better than Gunbound), the player will definitely play it till he/she reaches the last level where there is always a completely surprising and wonderful storyline(plot).

Without further a due, let me introduce to you the best puzzle game I've ever tried:

World of Goo

World of Goo is a physics based puzzle/ construction game.

The millions of Goo Balls who live in the beautiful World of Goo don't know that they are in a game, or that they are extremely delicious.

You can drag and drop living, squirming, talking globs of goo to build structures, bridges, cannonballs, zeppelins, and giant tongues. The millions of innocent goo balls that live in the beautiful World of Goo are curious to explore.

World of Goo is very addictive and wow-inspiring puzzle game that will set you on an adventure you'll never forget.

Another thing, it only takes up 76MB(approx.) on your hard disk after installed! Not to mention, you get to online with other Goo players too to construct the best Goo structure!

World of Goo screenshots:

Just a reminder, you cannot defy the laws of gravity.

See the pipe at the upper right hand corner? That is your goal to success.

You must sometimes build really tall(balancing it too) Goo tower to reach the top.(Patience and perseverance required)

I'll give World of Goo a superb 9.5/10 for its great and creative game play and campaign, as well as its fantastic features.

For more info and visual on this game, youtube.com is one the best sites to see players struggling with these globing goos.

Till then, take care and God bless.

Worms of War

Have you played Worms before?

I don't mean playing with the sluggy slippery-skinned worms you can find at your lawn or under some damp soil...

The Worms I meant are some brave fictional hardcore 'worm soldiers' who fight using weapons of mass destruction.

See what I mean?

Introducing a few of the really classic and best interactive-well known games ever made(developer- Team 17)-- the Worms Games.

The first Worms game(Worms PC) was released worldwide in 1995 when the best computer graphics can only support 2D games. The worms in Worms PC are seriously quite mature looking and seemed always ready for some heart-pounding session of gunfire shooting and grenades exploding right beside their ears. The weapons available in the game is of course, I reckoned, much lesser than its coming successors. Worms PC is really just the starting and pioneer for the future Worms Legacy that will catch every one's attention, young and old.

Worms PC(1995)

The list below shows the subsequent releases(after Worms PC):...As it grew(till Worms Blast), the graphics became better and better(in the sense that it became more 3D like but not yet). Not to mention, the sound and music became more intense and created a World War II like ambient. Not to forget, the worms definitely got cuter and cuter.(Warning: you would probably change your mind on this(cuteness) after hearing what your 'cute little' enemy worms could say and seeing your own worm soldiers brutally killed by them).

Do you see how cute and 'innocent looking' this worm is?(well, think again)

1) Worms Reinforcements
2) Worms United
3) Worms 2
4) Worms Pinball
5) Worms Armageddon
6) Worms World Party (Focus)
7) Worms Blast

After nearly a decade, Worms 3D was released. The game was the first in the series to be in 3D and also featured several new weapons. Some of the weapons operations are substantially different from previous Worms titles. I must admit that the game really caught my attention when I first played it. Rather than just walking right and left(in the early series), the worms in Worms 3D can move anywhere they want until you end your turn. The ingame landscapes(battlefields) are quite vast and owning. Using weapons like the rocket launcher and grenades, you can blow the world around you to pieces or leave it untouched (but i doubt it).

Worms Forts: Under Siege and Worms 4: Mayhem were released in the later years. Worms Forts and Worms 4 are quite similar to that of Worms 3D, except the number and theme of the battlefields that came with it. The campaign levels are also pretty challenging and mind bogging.

One of the extraordinary weapons featured in Worm Games is the 'supersheep'. It can fly about and somehow 'tear' its own mantle off when you want it to drop on a targeted zone. It is really useful and destructive if controled properly.

Supersheep: Don't be deceived by its looks

Other weapons are such as the renown 'Banana Bomb' and the 'Holy Grenade'. They are indeed powerful and could blast your enemy worm off the ground, throwing it high up the sky--and down into the sea(depending on the world played).

After playing most of the Worms games, I must say that the older Worms games are slightly better. It is much easier to play and control. Moreover, the landscapes available are much easier to monitor and managed(not too complicated) and the worms are more ingenious looking. The 2D version of Worms games are certainly addictive and have the potential to keep their players playing. Frankly speaking, I favor Worms Armageddon a lot.

In all, the Worms games are great in their own ways and I'm sure that these games can keep family members entertained during their free time playing it together.

War in the Tiberium World

I first played Command and Conquer(C&C) Red Alert in 1997 and Red Alert 2 in 2003 before I laid my hands on Red Alert 3 just recently. Tiberian Sun is also one of the C&C series in which it was released many years ago. Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, a real-time strategy video game, developed and published by Electronic Arts for the Windows, Mac OS X and Xbox 360 platforms, was released internationally in March 2007. I tried its expansion pack, the Kane Edition and found that it is much much better than its predecessor(Tiberian Sun) and comes with a new faction, which is the Scrin. The cutscene and graphics are simply superb. Not to mention, the sound quality further enhances the gameplay to the max.

This is it, Tiberium Wars(Kane Edition). Tiberium Wars returns the Command & Conquer series to its roots in the Tiberium story arc of the franchise, once again featuring the factions of the Global Defense Initiative and the Brotherhood of Nod, and also introducing a new extraterrestrial faction known as the Scrin.

Below are the factions that are introduced in the game:

Global Defense Initiative(GDI)

In my opinion, the GDI forces have the strength and power and not based on their number in attacking their enemies. They have the quality and not depends mainly on their quantity. However, their available units are quite limited. Their Ion Cannon is the best in enemy-base-massive-devastation. Just one attack of its superweapon can wipe out the enemy from the surface of the earth. The GDI's mammoth tank is also a mighty one. The Dreadganouth is even tougher as it can be restored to half-life after being destroyed.

The Brotherhood of Nod

The Brotherhood of Nod is a mysterious and highly militant Abrahamic society of allegedly ancient origins. The globalized brotherhood is led by a mysterious man who is known only as Kane, and its influence in the world at the advent of the events in which Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars takes place reached nothing short of the status of an unconventional superpower. Their units are more cruel than the GDI's and a little quicker in production. Their superweapon weapon is the nuclear missile, which replaces the cluster and chemical missiles deployed during Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun.

Scrin

The third faction featured in Tiberium Wars is an extraterrestrial force known only as the Scrin, who have come to harvest all of the Earth's Tiberium deposits. Its units are a little bit stronger than the other factions whereby its has an additional shield which protects it from enemy attacks, thus lenghthening its life span. In this way, their units are almost unstoppable if sent in large numbers.

Screenshots above: Scrin units, massive and devastating, isn't it?

Time for some comparison to Tiberian Sun, the previous series:

Spot the differences between these two games?

Overall,

I rate it a 8.0/10.0

P/S: Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath is out already!(another expansion pack)

Hello there again gamers!

It's almost a month now since I last blog. Time just flies, isn't it?

To hardcore gamers out there, these are some games that you shouldn't missed. The graphics is just undescribable(near to reality, but not yet) and the gameplay is excellent. Not to mention, its sound quality and special effects are also incredible. I tried them and gave them these ratings:

With its new faction, the Empire of the Rising Sun and other units(as well as superpower), it has definitely glued me to my seat while playing it. The graphics and effects are simply awesome. It preserved the classic Red Alert 2 gameplay whereby the gameplay and characters in it are still a little bit 'cartoonish'. In all, it was still a great game to be played. (8.3/10)

The opening scene is a job-well-done. It is intense and mind gripping. How about the gameplay? In this game, you are not fighting the relentless infected people(zombies) alone, you will be helped by 3 more teammates. The gameplay is quite easy but rather addictive. It is frightening sometimes when an infected man(or woman) appears suddenly in front of you and come jumping on the walls and leaps forward(onto you), and that's when you start busting its head off. Of course, to have the best gaming experience, your graphic card has to be superb. It is quite a realistic and bloody game, where as many as 30(or even more) + enemies will come running towards you and you start shooting the 'madness' out of you. (7.5/10)

Till present, I've played Call of Duty(COD) 1-4 and this is the best among all(Call of Duty 5 was released a few weeks ago and I think it's better, haven't played it yet though). As usual, you play as a Sergeant and your mission is to find this big-shot terrorist who is the mastermind responsible for all the global chaos caused. It is much more realistic compared to its predecessor. Again, a high-end CPU is recommended to play this game to the max. Of course, COD 4 still can be played under low performance but the end result of playing is not that satisfying. (8.8/10)

Need for Speed: Undercover strongly reminded me of NFS: Most Wanted, except that it has more cars and other stuffs. You get to choose the cars according to their 'nationality', from US to Japan, cool, isn't it? The gameplay is quite simple and very less complicated compared to NFS Underground 2. It is also more user friendly. You just have to click the 'Tab' button each time you want to race or get chased by some police who never get bored to chase you down. The environment is really breath-taking and the storyline is quite happening. (8.0/10)


I haven't really play it yet but I bet that it's quite a good one. Playing it the first time gave me an impression that it is a dark and mysterious game with this creepy little girl named Alma who will sometimes appear during the gameplay. (7.8/10)


This one is just O-K-A-Y. The characters are not very flexible in their attacks and movements and their moves available are quite limited. X-men Legends 2 is better. Not to mention, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is also one of the best marvel game. (7.5/10)

Please feel free to leave your comment if you have your own point of view on these games. Thanks.

In the next post, I'll be updating on the events that have been happening during my past few weeks, in and out of the campus.

Till then, please continue to pray for me and take care.

God bless. Jesus loves you!! :-)

HHHEEEELLLLLOOOOO there, gamers!

To hardcore gamers out there, this is a game that I strongly recommend you:

Developed by EA games, Medal of Honor: Airborne will definitely take your breath away with its immense battle across Europe and the Allies' relentless enemy, the Germans. Gamespot gave it a 7.0/10


These are some of its screenshots:

I tried it and was really caught up in the crossfire. The gameplay is quite realistic and it will get on your nerve sometimes when you keep throwing grenades at the enemy and they still keep coming towards you! Overall, your eyes will definitely be glued to the screen once you are airborne!

In the single-player mode, the player takes on the role of PFC Boyd Travers, a paratrooper in the US 82nd Airborne Division. Missions include various insertions into Italy, northern France, the Netherlands and Germany, each one beginning with a jump behind enemy lines, and success requiring completion of given objectives. Airborne also features a multiplayer mode available for online play, where users have the choice of fighting for the Allies and parachuting down to the battlefield, or fighting for the Axis and starting on the ground, defending the position from enemy paratroopers. - Wikipedia

Whereas for less die hard gamers, this is another game that I recommend you:

In Spore, you get to create your own creatures, vehicles, buildings, planes and even UFOs (all from a wide selection of cool gadgets and whole lot more)! You can change the size of your creature according to your taste and also create a creature with one or a pair of eyes....or even more! You also get to share the things you created with other people online. The gameplay is really cute and fun as well as interactive. From a small prokaryotic cell, you eventually evolve into a galactic commander! Try to go watch the gameplay on YouTube and you'll get what I mean. Gamespot gave it a 8.0/10

Spore is a multi-genre massive single-player online metaverse video game developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright. It allows a player to control the evolution of a species from its beginnings as a unicellular organism, through development as an intelligent and social creature, to interstellar exploration as a spacefaring culture. It has drawn wide attention for its massive scope, and its use of open-ended gameplay and procedural generation. - Wikipedia

Till then, take care and God bless.

Jesus loves you!

The other side of Laser Tag

"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." (Ephesians 6:11)

I went to play Laser Tag with some of my friends at a shop near Swinburne University(one of the shophouses behind KWSP building along Ong Tiang Swee Road) last Saturday. It was a thrilled experience for me and very tiring. I will recommend you to go and have a try. It involves teamwork and skill. It will be a bonus if you have played it before. Players are first divided into two teams, mainly red team and green team, each consisting 1-5 players. There are lots of game-modes, but playing unlimited is most worth your money. If you play unlimited mode, the winning team is the team that scores the higher points. It is like a counter-strike game except that you are holding a gun which emits(or shoots) harmless infrared to your opponent. It must be aimed at a 'laser detector' you are wearing. Your 'armor' and the gun is something like this(notice the two white patches in front? that is the place you must aim and shoot at your opponent, there are several more at your back.):

Gear up, people!


The place is just a room with lots of obstacles and few good hiding place. Once you are in action(the game starts), the room darkens and the music starts blaring out from the speakers. Lasers start to shoot crazily around and across the room and dry gas(formed from dry ice, the gas is actually carbon dioxide) is emitted for the best effects(like a Sci-fi battlefield, Star Wars perhaps?). The room is quite small and heaty so you will expect to have difficulty in breathing and lots of sweating after some time. A game costs RM 4 per person. There are two rounds per game, 10 minutes each. If you think this is just short time, think again. After my friends and I played a round, we went out of the room and each of us has the similar expression on our faces- exhaustion(not to be gross, if you carefully smell the air, you can catch some sweaty odour from your friends or yourself). In conclusion, it's a great fun if there are lots of players battling against each other.

When I reached home, I became curious and surf the net for more info about laser tag. I was marvelled by the designs and the sizes. Here are the reasons(just look at the pictures and compare to the one above):

Is this cool or what?

Is this from Star-Trek(nice design and looks good)?

Hmm...realistic

I also search more on Wikipedia and found this:

Soldiers training with the Laser Tag equipment

Went to Google and found this too:

Ready for battle

As we can see, these soldiers(including players) are wearing their full armor and equipped with high-tech guns to train themselves and gain some experience. How about in reality, what armor should we wear to protect ourselves from the spiritual forces of evil?

Well, we do not need to go to some blacksmith(if there is) and make a real tough armor. What we really need is the armor of God. "Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition of all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrow of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in this Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests....." (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Belt of TRUTH - His sovereignty, love, wisdom, and holiness. (Deut. 4:39; Ps. 18:1-3)

Breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS - Jesus Christ and His blood, which cleanses us from sin. The cross which frees us from bondage to selfish nature.

Sandals of PEACE - Our peace through our union and ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ.


Shield of FAITH - Our continual trust in God, His Word, and His promises.


Helmet of SALVATION - God's promises of daily and eternal salvation in Jesus Christ.

Sword of the Spirit His WORD - The power of God's Word to counter deception and triumph over spiritual foes.

I also want to share with you the following passage I read from a Christian website:

God's armor brings victory because it is far more than a protective covering. It is the very life of Jesus Christ Himself. "[P]ut on the armor of light," wrote Paul in his letter to the Romans, "...clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 13:12-14) When you do, He becomes your hiding place, and shelter in the storm--just as He was to David. Hidden in Him, you can count on His victory, for He not only covers you as a shield, He also fills you with His life.

"I am the vine; you are the branches," said Jesus. "If a man abides in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

Since living in the safety of the armor means oneness with Jesus, we can expect to share His struggles as well as His peace. Remember, God has promised us victory in the midst of trials, not immunity from pain. So "do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ..." (1 Peter 4:12-13) Christian heroes who have been tortured for their faith continue to testify to the supernatural strength--even joy--that enables them to endure unthinkable pain.

They affirm with Paul -

"that in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.... For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers.... will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39)

This wonderful truth has become reality to all who believe and follow Jesus. When you put on His armor, His life surrounds you, keeping you safe, close to Himself, and free to be His precious friend and trusted companion. So "put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27) He is your victory!

God bless.