Tuesday, December 25, 2012

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! from Just Got Played

And to celebrate the holiday, we would like to bring you this clip from Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!!


"Merry Christmas you filthy animal. And a happy new year!"

- Ruich

Monday, December 24, 2012

SONG PICK OF THE WEEK: 12/24/12 and Season's greetings from JUST GOT PLAYED!


Title: The Christmas Song
Artist: Nat King Cole

The staff of Just Got Played would like to greet anyone and everyone existing, existence-shifting, or non-existent, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  Anyways, this season is the time for love, giving, and all that stuff. So forget your problems, love one another, forgive any man who has crossed you, and just.. enjoy Christmas! Once again, Happy Holidays!!!!

- Ruich

Sunday, November 25, 2012

SONG PICK OF THE WEEK: 4 CHORDS SONG by AXIS OF AWESOME


Title: 4 Chords Song
Artist: Axis of Awesome
Genre: Compilation

Well, it doesn't get more awesome than this.

- Ruich

Sunday, November 18, 2012

SONG PICK OF THE WEEK: I'VE TOLD YOU ONCE by WOE, IS ME


Title: I've Told You Once
Artist: Woe, Is Me
Genre: Metalcore

Hey guys. This paragraph is dedicated to explaining certain things you need to know about Woe, Is Me. First of all, four members of the band left last year, leaving the rest doubtful of their musical future. But thankfully they've found new members to fill in the void that was left. Their new clean vocalist, Hance Alligood has showed his very powerful voice in their past singles, namely 'Vengeance', 'Fame Over Demise acoustic', and 'A Story to Tell'. And up there's another one.

The four members that left WIM recently formed their own band in, what I see, retaliation. This they called 'Issues'. In their single, 'King of Amarillo' you can see them hurling lyrical insults towards WIM. But lookee here, WIM does the same thing too. WIM, in my opinion, has the winning side on these "lyrical insults". Listen to this song for proof.

- Mikey McMike

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Saturday, November 10, 2012

SONG PICK OF THE WEEK: DEAD WALKER TEXAS RANGER by SLEEPING WITH SIRENS




Title: Dead Walker Texas Ranger
Artist: Sleeping With Sirens
Genre: Post-hardcore

#ZombieChuckNorris #HallowChristmas

Check it out people, you'll love it.

- Ruich

Sunday, November 4, 2012

-ANIME- 'K'

Hey! After a loooooooooooooooooong time of not posting anything, JGP is back with a new article. Well, first of all, I want to apologize and explain why we haven't been posting anything lately. We're sorry, if we've been idle for like, a bloody century. We've been busy with school and stuff, and we had a LOT of university entrance exams that we had to take care of. Sorry for that. We mean it.~

Thanks, Google, for this.


Now that being said, let's get this started.
Let's talk about K!! First of all, this is not exactly a review, since the entire season hasn't been leaked or streamed yet. Let's just call this a prereview. (not a sensible word, indeed.) Anyway, here we go.


K is a 2012 anime series animated by GoHands studio and directed by Shingo Suzuki. The show began airing in Japan on October 4 ,2012. And Animax Asia has also been broadcasting it at the same time as Japan.

First of all, what is the background of this show? What is it all about? For anime junkies, this question is not really important. But for people who are not that into anime but are looking for a good show, like me, this question is required as a way to determine whether or not we would want to watch the show. Well, K portrays a sort of Urban Clan-war. It's just a perfect portrayal of the modern world we live in with a battleground twist. And this is the one of the reasons why I considered watching this anime. A genius moving plot mixed with badassness, this anime is bound to make you ask for the releasing of more episodes after you've watched all the released ones.

The show features Clans represented by different colors; such as Red and Blue, that are battling for a still unknown reason. The sort of protagonist is a high school student who has seemed to have been framed for a murder of a person under the Red King's banner. Now, everyone seems to be after this innocent dude, and he gets involved in hell lot of trouble.

Anime fan or not, I RECOMMEND you to watch the series. Here's the link of the online streaming:
http://pinoyanime.tv/k-project-episode-1/. Enjoy! Till next time guys.

- Ruich

PS. Sorry for the short post. We'll be updating you through the way.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Project Genesis - CHAPTER I


CHAPTER I

            It is November 6, 2098. The world has become a wasteland filled with bandit scum and greedy, corrupt politicians. Women and their children scour the streets for food and shelter, yet instead they are murdered, raped, or sold into slavery. Gunshots and bomb explosions are heard almost everyday, thus newborns are already acquainted with the sound. Men either leave their families for wars, or just abandon them. It’s a hard time. It is hard indeed.
            World War IV had stolen the past 10 years of the lives of people. Families, along with tall buildings, perished. Guns are mere playthings to young boys, whom were recruited at the young age of 10. Once they got in the military, they never got out. They were never heard of again, probably dead due to the battles.
            But all of that is over. Endgame, as they would like to call World War IV, ended with the assassination of Mark Prince III, the dictator of the world. Everyone despised him, even his own men. He declared an all-out war with all of the countries, spreading lies to one another causing confusion and hostility among the nations for his own entertainment… watching his nations kill one another. The assassin, whom was never discovered, released confidential info known only to Mark Prince III and other associates to the public revealing the truth. Shortly after, the hostility died down and friendship among people loomed again. The worst was over… for now.
            Not all though wanted peace to be back. There were some who still wanted that power, the power to rule the world like what Mark Prince III did. They were just lurking in the shadows, waiting for their hosts and vessels to come to them.

            A resistance was formed during the years of the war. It was commonly referred to as The Resistance, as they have not named themselves publicly. They tried their best to only show the tip of their iceberg, and it never failed. The Resistance was run by a group of individuals who were unregistered in The Book, a list of people who were under the dictatorship of Mark Prince III (which was every single person in the world) may they be dead or alive. They technically do not exist.
            The topmost person among these individuals was a man called The Mask. No one knew his real name, or how he looks. His face was covered by a skin-colored cloth, and wore a black coat and tie all the time. Always would he carry his cane around as if it was his sword unsheathed. And a top hat for the finishing touch. Ominous is the feeling of everyone who would go near him. Fear grasped anyone who talked to him. His voice sounds like a man who is growing old and weak; but his physique is as a man who was at the peak of his physical abilities.
            There were around a thousand members of The Resistance. All of them had enough of the dictatorship which they have been treated. Some have even tried to go against Mark Prince III but have failed miserably, often leading to their deaths. Yes, they were desperate, but hope was always lurking within themselves.

- Mikey McMike

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Something new

Hey guys. I'm gonna put up a story which will serve as a change of pace. It will be published by chapter (probably per week). I hope you enjoy it. It has a hint of war and a post-apocalyptic world.

- Mikey McMike

Sunday, May 6, 2012

-GAMES- Batman: Arkham City Review


"You want to know something funny? Even after everything you've done... I would have saved you."

Batman: Arkham City is the sequel to 2009's award winning superhero game 'Batman: Arkham Asylum'. Now, it's back with a better combat system, a new plot, and the same ol' Dark Knight.

The game was published on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, and has a next one coming for the Wii U. A sandbox game game of its own, it gives the player the ability to freely roam around Arkham City. The classic stealth returns to give the player a sense of thrill. A better combat system returns, the Freeflow system, with new counters and better, wider range of moves for the Batman. New gadgets also arise which help the player in certain parts of the game, including fights with the enemies.

The plot revolves around Arkham City which was put in the center of Gotham, after the events of Arkham Asylum. Batman goes in to investigate, but he discovers even greater secrets, thus setting up the story of the game. The game features characters that weren't in the first game, such as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Tim Drake/Robin III/Red Robin II, Dick Grayson/Robin I/Nightwing, Hugo Strange, Solomon Grundy, Ra's Al Ghul (he was in Arkham Asylum, but he was dead there), Talia Al Ghul, Azrael, Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, and many others. The game is actually quite easy, to be honest. The bosses have patterns which are easy to understand and counter. So if you're a new time gamer, don't worry. Do not worry at all.

Graphics are great too. While roaming around, you may get the chance to get a glimpse of Gotham which is absolutely breathtaking. When fighting enemies, attacks may be zoomed in and slowed out to show a finishing blow which is awesome. You can say that the graphics are a bit too "shiny" though.

I never really noticed to the music of the game. It's either it was too quiet, or I didn't really care at all. I could only hear it from time to time, but the most prominent time of it is when I fight enemies or I'm being searched for. Aside form the original musical score of the game, they also released a soundtrack with the songs pulling inspiration from Batman himself. Such songs are 'Deranged' by Coheed and Cambria, 'Drown in You' by Daughtry, 'Mercenary' by Panic! at the Disco, and 'Trophy Widow' by The Damned Things.

After or during the main plot, there are side missions that you could do. The side missions have a short story of their own. These can be completely quickly, but others may take some time, such as finding Riddler Trophies around the city. Speaking of Riddler Trophies, there are also Riddler Secrets which you need to find out. There are other skins you can use for Batman if you get bored. You can also use Catwoman, Robin, and Nightwing by redeeming codes. There are also some Challenge Maps to test your skills. But after all of these are said and done, you may get a feeling of emptiness 'cause there is practically nothing to do.

Batman: Arkham City may be an excellent game and all, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it could've been more. After seeing the ending of the game, I'm absolutely sure that the next game after this would be more than this.

-Mikey McMike

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

-GAMES- Adventure Quest Worlds


Adventure Quest Worlds or simply known as AQW is a browser game developed by Artix Entertainment.

Adventure Quest Worlds can be played directly in your browser without any special plugins needed. The graphics are good for a browser game. It's also a good casual game. AQW is also considered kid-friendly.

Character creation is done during the registration of your account, where you get to choose 4 classes which are Warrior, Rouge, Mage, and Priest. The level system has 2 parts, one is for their level, which is basically their stats, and the other one is their class rank, which is for their class skills. Though players have only 4 classes to choose from at the beginning, as they level up they get to change their class, thus its unique multi-class system. If a player decides to change their class, their level will remain the same but their class rank will go down to one; but if you change back to your old class having a high rank, your class rank will return to the previous one.

The combat system of AQW is very simple as players just click the monster they find and use skills. You get experience points and gold as you kill monsters. Doing quests in AQW include killing monsters and getting a desired item for a quest.

You could upgrade your AQW using real cash to experience more content of the game, such as class advancement, areas and quests.

Simply put, AQW is a good casual type browser game.

-BlueRose
*Edited by Red Hood 05/05/12

Saturday, March 31, 2012

-GAMES- Jump Ultimate Stars



'Jump Ultimate Stars' is 2D fighting game for the DS developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo. It is the sequel of the game 'Jump Super Stars', also for the DS. The game was released last November 23, 2006. There have been no plans for the game to be released outside of Japan. This is largely due to the international licensing issues for the plethora of series represented. The game boasts 305 (56 which are battle characters) from 41 different Shonen Jump manga series.

If you're a manga and anime fan, you will surely love this game. One of the most popular animes and manga; Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Death Note, Dragon Ball, Hunter X Hunter, Yu Yu Hakusho, Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Rurouni Kenshin, Black Cat, Gintama, D. Gray Man, Shaman King, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Slam Dunk, Prince of Tennis, Eyeshield 21, etc, are in this game. Now you'll see Ichigo Bankai battling Naruto Kyuubi and some of you're anime dream fights. You'll definitely love this game.

The bulk of the gameplay is the use of komas ("panel" in Japanese, referring to the panel of a manga comic) that represents your charcter. Komas comes in various shapes and sizes, taking up from one to eight blocks. There are three types of komas: Battle, Support, and Helper. Battle komas are the playable characters you use in battle, they go for about 4 to 8 blocks. Support komas are characters which do damage, status and healing effects which are like assists in the game 'Marvel vs. Capcom', and they go for around 2 to 3 blocks. Helper komas are panels which boost Battle komas which go for a block. Each koma has a certain nature: Knowledge, Laughter, and Power which act like a "Rock, Paper, Scissors" way with Power beating Knowledge, Knowledge beating Laughter, and Laughter beating Power, which does more damage to the weaker type.

Top: The Battle komas fighting.
 Bottom:  Komas you use in battle
In order to K.O. opponents, you have to drain their health or knock them out of the stage. The game is similar to the fighting game series 'Super Smash Bros'. Stages of the game are like the pages from a manga comic book. You can build your own koma deck, and you can evolve komas in to a stronger koma. The game also features Wi-Fi modes if you want to fight online. 

Prepare for the epic manga battle
Personally, this is the best fighting game for the DS. I suggest it even if it isn't on English. I dare you to play this game. Any otaku out there should probably know every series. Also, if you're looking for an anime series, why not play this game to look for some? You can see dream fights of animes here. And if you think there isn't any good game for the DS... here it is. I've got to say, this is one of the games that DS owners should play before it's "too late".

OVERALL RATING: 9/10

-musicgamer

*Edited by Red Hood 03/31/12

Friday, March 30, 2012

Video Blog?

Hey guys. So I was thinking last night, should we make a video blog for the site? I mean, there are some things that we could explain better when we're saying it aloud. Truth be told, I've always wanted to try it. You know... being in front of a camera, talking and looking pretty... w-wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Seriously though, I'm really excited about this, so I think we should make one.

Wait around for updates regarding this, guys! See you around.

-Mikey McMike

Monday, March 26, 2012

-TV Series- Suits Review


"What if I told you I could consume knowledge like no one you've ever met and I've actually passed the bar?"
That's the exact line that caught my interest to watch this show.

'Suits' is a drama series starring Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams. It tells the story of young man named Mike Ross (Adams) who stumbles upon a job interview for Harvard lawyers who would want to work in Pearson-Hardman, a law firm, as Harvey Specter's (Macht) associate. The only catch is, that Mike Ross doesn't have a law degree and doesn't come from Harvard... but has actually passed the bar. And, a "counter"-catch if you must, has an incredible mind, to the point that he can memorize a sheet of paper full of numbers and symbols in a single glance. Yeah. He's that good. He's hired and does cases here and there, with the usual obstacles. But the main problem is, that he doesn't have a degree and that both he and Harvey lied. But they're doing a pretty good job.

I just finished the first series that was composed of 12 episodes. The ending was one of the most gravity-defying cliffhangers that I have ever watched. Good news that they announced a second season that would be released on June this year, which would obviously pick up from where it left.

The soundtrack for the show wasn't that interesting. In fact, I barely noticed it. The only music that I remember is the opening track; Greenback Boogie by Ima Robot. That, I absolutely loved. I found it catchy and such.

The script was awesome. Truth be told, my ambition is to be a lawyer, but I only understood about 25% of what these guys were talking about. That may make me sound ignorant, but I'm not. How about you try watching this with no interest of the law at all? Let's see what happens then. Well, anyway... I found each episode very interesting. It draws me in and leaves me in awe every time they close a case. I can't believe that there are people that good! Oh wait, it's just a show... but the script is real. Meaning, that whoever thought about that, is someone that smart. So, kudos to you!

'Suits' just made it into the list of my favorite shows. And now I'm just waiting for its second season with higher hopes and expectations. I'm urging you guys to watch it! Ciao!

-Mikey McMike

Thursday, March 8, 2012

-MOVIE- The Notebook Review


"That's my sweetheart in there. Wherever she is, that's where my home is."
This line here just stuck to my mind when I watched this. I could just feel the hope coming from it.

Okay. Okay. Before we jump into any conclusions, no girl made me watch this. I just happen to pass by a friend watching this and I watched it myself. I borrowed it and watched the whole film. But in all fairness? It's a great film. So here's a short review about it.

This film was based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks of the same name which was released in 1996, with the film last 2004. The two main characters were portrayed by Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. The movie tells the story of an old man telling another story to an old woman about two lovers and their trials (Gosling and McAdams).

First things first, the storyline. Pretty much predictable. Basic "Romeo and Juliet" concept. But this film was revamped to a "different" style. They added a "storytelling" effect with the constant twists one expects.

Its setting was in the WWII era. So you won't be able to see modern age technology. They used old kind of fashion in clothing, vintage cars, the vocabulary, and of course the scenery. It was pretty much done accurately, so no complaints here.

The soundtrack is beautiful. There was the constant playing of Chopin's Prelude Op. 28 No. 4, which fit well into the scenes, due to McAdams portraying a girl who knows how to play the piano. If I remember correctly, not a joyful melody was played here. All were melancholic with minor tunes. But I find it perfect.

So that's pretty much it. I couldn't talk about the movie that much, and I don't know why. I wish I could, I really do. I heard that it made some people cry, but I didn't, and again I don't know why. To be honest, though, it is a pretty touching movie and I could feel myself "touched" by it. So watch it. Pretty great film. Have yet to read the novel, so check out if I might make a review of it too. See ya!

-Mikey McMike

Thursday, March 1, 2012

-MOVIE- Justice League: Doom Review


"I don't belong here."
Guess who said that? It's Batman. Yup. Good 'ol Batsy being broody.

This movie is the latest among the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. It was based on 'JLA: Tower of Babel' arc penned by Mark Waid (who is currently writing Daredevil). There are a few alterations here and there, but still another wonderful movie made by DC.

The voice actors are veterans in the Animated Universe. Two of them, would of course be Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly, who voiced Batman and Superman respectively in their own animated series years ago. Susan Eisenberg also voiced Wonder Woman here, who voiced the same character in the Justice League/Unlimited series too. A hardcore fan of any of these series would sense a feeling of nostalgia when watching this. Think of it as a reunion between the "heroes".

The story is, as I said earlier, based on the 'Tower of Babel' arc in the JLA series. The arc was released back in 2000, if I remember correctly. To keep a long story short, the super-villain gets hold of the JLA's weakness and attempts to kill them. This is the basis of both the movie and the arc itself. In some parts, you need to be a comic fan (or at least know the story) to understand certain scenes. It's a fun film to watch, but it lacks the constant thrill and suspense that I find. Mostly, the film was action-packed with explosions and fight scenes here and there. More or less, the story was mediocre and didn't create much of an impact for me.

Since this is just a new movie, I'm expecting some reactions here and there all of a sudden. I have watched past DCU Animated Original Movies (namely Gotham Knight, Under the Red Hood, Superman/Batman Apocalypse) and I have like all of them. This one however was average and un-thrilling. But if you're DC fan (or at least a comic book geek), you would enjoy this movie, no matter what.

In loving memory of Dwayne McDuffie (1962-2011)

-Mikey McMike

Sunday, February 26, 2012

-GAMES- Call of Duty: Black Ops



Call of Duty is one of the most well-known First-Person-Shooter games, it is also known of being sold for over a million copies worldwide. If you've played Call of Duty, you know why this game rocks, but if you haven't played it yet, I'm forcing you to play it.

Call of Duty: Black Ops, an FPS, was developed by Treyarch and published by Activision for the PC, Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii. It also has a DS version which was developed by N-Space. Call of Duty: Black Ops is the third series of the game developed by Treyarch, just like Call of Duty: World at War.
Due to the sales, it breaks the record of its predecessor, Modern Warfare 2. Activision reported it has earned $1 billion in sales and on August 3, 2011, it had been confirmed to sell over 25 million copies worldwide.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is like any other FPS where you use guns; your primary weapons (AK-47, M16, DRAGUNOV), secondary weapons (Pistols and Launchers), and grenades. Oh, and yes, we can still use a knife. The player also has stances, like standing, crouch, and prone. Like other FPS games, you have your team which help you decrease the number of enemies. When the screen glows red, it means you're in low health, wherein other players do is to crouch or hide to regenerate your health back. When the enemies throw a grenade at you, it will show a grenade icon, and can be thrown back or you can just run away. There are new weapons in the game. They are the crossbows with bolts and explosives, Dragon Breath rounds and the ballistic knife.

The game also has a campaign which is the story of the game. It show the objectives of the game to move forward and checkpoints which lead the way. Each mission you can see troops which accompanied you throughout the mission, also you can use a helicopter which you're partner moves while you shoot enemies. The game also its best feature, Multiplayer. The online multiplayer mode have missions like Team Deathmatch which see who have the most kills on the team and Capture the Flag, which players take other flags and put it on their base. Additionally, there is Free For All which players don't have teams. Furthermore, the game has over 14 different maps. It has Combat Training which players fight AI alone or with friends. The game also have a split-screen for the multiplayer. For the first time you can record your clips from online games. Steam is an exclusive platform for the PC, and it is protected by Valve Anti-Cheat. The Wii version of the game includes voice chat which you can talk with other players online.

Online Multiplayer mode is cool.

The game is set during the Cold War. Missions take place in various locations in the world, such as the Ural Mountains, Russia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Laos, Vietnam, and the Artic Circle. The player controls an SAD/SOG operative, Alex Mason, who is strapped on a chair in an interrogation room. Most of the missions played are flashbacks of Mason. Black Ops features several historical figures like John F. Kennedy, Robert McNamara, and Fidel Castro.

The graphics of the game are more realistic. The soundtrack is good too; it features 'Sympathy for the Devil' by The Rolling Stones, which is played during a gameplay sequence and also in the credits. Eminem's 'Won't Back Down' featuting Pink is used for the credits as well.

Are you coming or what?

For me Call of Duty: Black Ops is the real deal. Though the story is very short, the gameplay makes up for it. For me, this the best FPS. You might feel dizzy sometimes, but you'll get along. Playing online may give a bit of a challenge. Also there are zombies here. Call of Duty fans have played this game, why not you try it too? You'll love this game. THIS. IS. THE. BEST. GAME.

OVERALL RATING: 10/10

-musicgamer

*edited by Red Hood 02/26/12

Thursday, February 23, 2012

-GAMES (MMORPG)- MapleStory Review


Hey guys! Here comes another review, which is about a game called MapleStory!

MapleStory is a Free-to-Play MMORPG published by Nexon. It is a fun, 2D side-scrolling with cute cartoony graphics, which are chibby/anime-ish. It is also one of the most popular Free-to-Play MMORPGs because of it's massive community!

Players start in Maple Island, which is the tutorial area of the game, and you start as a classless novice learning the aspects of the game and its "feel". The only downside of the game is that it is a grindfest, where you must kill monsters again and again to gain experience. But for you to have a fun grinding, try playing with a friend. It is also fun to grind alone.

The quests in MapleStory are also fun because of it's side-scrolling genre, like a platform game that involves jumping from platform to platform. Another thing about the quests are the Party Quests or commonly known as PQs, which commonly have a series of puzzles that the party must solve by cooperating with one another or sometimes by killing as many monsters in a certain amount of time. PQs probably changed the 'grindfest' concept of the game.

Oh, and another thing about the game is that it is always updated ever since it was released; compared to the early days of MapleStory, the world was very small with only one landmass called Victoria Island. Today, MapleStory already has new classes with a more massive world. If you like games which are always updated and never gets old, this is a game for you!

-BlueRose

*edited by Red Hood 02/24/12

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

-GAMES- StarCraft Review



Hey guys! I am back for another game review, and it's about StarCraft for the PC.

StarCraft is a science fiction real-time strategy game developed by Blizzard Entertainment and was released released in 1998. It is one of the best RTS games of all time.

Starcraft is set in the 26th century, with the game having three races; Terran, Protoss, and Zerg.
The Terran is the Human race of StarCraft where they are trying to adapt into the situation. They use technology from Earth. They serve as the middle ground between the two other races. They have access on good military weapons, such as tanks and nuclear weapons.
The Protoss is the Humanoid race of StarCraft with advance technology and psionic abilities. Their psionic abilities have the advantage over their structures such as the unit's fire psy-like beams.
The Zerg is the insect-like alien race of StarCraft which is somewhat weaker. They rely on numbers and speed to overwhelm enemies.

The great thing about its gameplay is how the races are well-balanced, for example is how one race could counter the other or even counter its own when controlled properly. The balance of the game makes it strategically fun, using endless combinations of units to make endless strategies to defeat your opponent. If you've played games like Warcraft and Yuri, you'll be able to use your abilities here because you'll be building your base, conquer other places, and destroy bases of the enemy.

Each race has 10 missions on the single player Campaign Mode, for a total of 30 missions to complete. The great thing about the missions is that it could give you information about the units you are using which could help you make a good combination for good strategy.

Playing on Battle.Net, a gaming online service provided by Blizzard, or even playing via local area network, also known as LAN, are one of the greatest ways to play with friends using your personalized strategy and your friend's strategy to defeat one another.

Starcraft is an amazing RTS game because of its balanced gameplay, great multiplayer features, endless strategies to use, and with a great storyline mixed with great cinematics!

-BlueRose

*edited by musicgamer
*edited by Red Hood 02/19/12

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Prom Night '11-'12

Hey guys. I'd just like to make an announcement that two of our admins won awards last night in our Prom. Ruich is part of the Top 10 Finalists on the other hand admin Klyne (name is not yet official) is Prom King! PROM KING. PROM. KING. Congratulations, guys! We're proud of you!

-Mikey McMike

Saturday, February 11, 2012

-ANIME- Death Note Review


"The human whose name is written in this note shall die."
The very first and the most influential rule of this anime. Yes, it is unbelievable, but that person shall truly die (well, in the show, of course).

'Death Note'. Hmm, what is 'Death Note'? It's anime about Light Yagami, a high school honor student with good looks and charm, who picks up a notebook that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Yup, you guessed it, it's the Death Note. The Death Note has the ability to kill a person any way you want, as long as you know the name and face. There are always a few rules and exceptions though. But wait, the notebook can't appear out of nowhere, can't it? It actually came from the Shinigami (god of death) Realm. One Shinigami got "bored" and decided to drop his notebook to the human world so that a human could pick it up and ease up his "boredom", and that Shinigami's name is Ryuk. The two meet, but weird enough, Light seems casual about meeting a Shinigami and doesn't even fret. Light tests the notebook and is astounded by its effect, and continues using it... but only on criminals. Society notices this after a while and government officials start finding a way to fix it, and they dub Light with the name 'Kira'. After the government loses hope of finding 'Kira', they hire 'L', a professional detective who has solved every case he has worked on, to find 'Kira'. Thus, the battle of logic begins as Light and L fight for justice and for what is right.

The story keeps you preoccupied pretty well. One minute you may know what's going on, the next, you don't know what the hell is happening. It's pretty Grant Morrison-ish, if you ask me. The thing that kept me going on in this anime, is the strategies that both Light and L use. It's like both of them are one step ahead of each other, which is practically impossible. The twists were a bit predictable, in my opinion of course. Maybe it's just due to all the stories that I've heard and read. Ever since Light met L, his main goal was practically kill L and all those who support him. Light's obsessed with this, and he would do anything just to get him out of the way. I remember in the penultimate episode, my heart was beating really fast due to the suspense. Yeah, that's how the story grabs people in. It really captures anyone's interest. There will be constant addition of characters, but all will be vital to the storyline, as lots of people hate addition of characters. Pretty much, the story's excellent.

The art is in the simple ways of anime style. It is drawn traditionally. It still has impossible hair-styled guys, with the over-reacted expressions of some characters, so on and so forth. One example would be that you can sometimes see Light completely insane with red eyes and a very eerie smile. It only lacks those "chibi" styled characters, but it's only natural since this is a very serious show. I'm short for words on this one since I'm not much of an "art" guy, for as long as the story's good, I can overlook the art easily.

Now, the soundtrack. WOW. I completely fell in love with it. It is extremely beautiful, and I'm not being biased or even lying about it. Notable ones would be "L's Theme" and "Light's Theme". Most of them brings about a mysterious aura around it. It is creepy and baffling at the same time. Seeming to fit the mood every time. It has the same effect when you're having an adrenaline rush and listening to 'Eye of the Tiger'. The show also has two opening themes and two closing themes, which changes right around the middle of the show's run. The first closing theme seems to be everyone's ringtone in the show, is named 'Alumina'. When the second opening and closing comes to the show, it changes from emo-ish/mysterious to heavy/angry. It stresses you out, but in an appropriate way. It usually uses a choir and stringed instruments, such as violins. When it comes to certain situations, you can hear electric guitars switching from clean to distortion, and acoustic guitars serving as the momentum; building up the intensity of the electric guitars. I am completely amazed by the soundtrack, and is one the best that I have heard.

'Death Note'. I heard of this about 5 years ago, if I remember correctly. I was astounded by it, but I never had the chance back then to watch it or even read the manga. But recently, I had, and I'm grateful that I was given a chance. I have never seen characters so well-made as this one. To be honest, me and Kira have the same ideals, so I guess that's one of the factors that has drawn me to this show. If I was given a chance, I would watch it all over again without knowing what would happen. I'm just sad that this show is a bit underrated and hasn't reached many people that much.

Always remember, 'Death Note' is just an ideal to show the world what we are today, and what we need. It is the never-ending battle between Justified Crime and Moral Justice.

-Mikey McMike

Saturday, February 4, 2012

-GAMES- Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective


Hey guys, I'm gonna do another game review, this time it's 'Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective' for the DS and iOS.

'Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective' is an adventure game developed by Capcom. It was developed by Shu Takumi, creator of the Ace Attorney Series. The game won awards from GameSpot for 'Best Handheld Game' and 'Best Game No One Played'. It has been nominated for 'Best Puzzle Game' and 'Game of the Year' categories. The game also won awards for 'Best Nintendo DS Game' on GameTrailers. It is also nominated for the 'Best Story' award from the same site.

Do you believe that ghosts are real? Well in this game, ghosts are real. If you think this game is all about ghosts who scare you, you're wrong. Is it about finding ghosts and putting it in jars or just a plain detective who can solve "ghostly" cases? Well, you're close enough. You play a ghost who brings the dead back to life. That's right, you bring the dead back to life.

In this game, you play as Sissel, the main protagonist of the series who is dead from begining of the game. From the very start of the game Sissel is a ghost who has extraordinary powers which are called 'Ghost Tricks'. As a spirit, you can switch between the Land of the Living, where time runs normally, and the Ghost world where time stands till. Sissel can travel through various objects, which is represented by blue cores, as well as talk to spirits who have died which represents yellow cores. Sissel can only travel through objects with certain lengths, which means that the player will have to connect through multiple objects in order to move forward. Sissel can also possess telephones which let you listen through conversations and travel through communication lines to other areas. By interacting with a dead body, Sissel can rewind four minutes before the death of that character. The player must use 'Ghost Tricks' in order to change the victim's fate. Later in the game, you'll be able to have a partner who is also ghost with extraordinary powers which has different powers.

In the Ghost World where Sissel is using his Ghost Tricks.


What I can say about this game, the game truly deserves to be the 'Best Game'. The game gave an amusing story to gamers which, of course, they enjoyed. The story, in fact, is overwhelming and full of twists. If you manage to finish the game but didn't understand the whole story, why not repeat it again? Every chapter you finish, puzzles get harder, that is why I love this game. The story and gameplay are the main things here. Why not try and play it? You'll love the game.

OVERALL RATING: 9/10

'Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective' out now on iOS wherein two chapters are free.

-musicgamer

*Edited by Red Hood

-MUSIC- Beats & Broccoli review

ALBUM: Beats & Broccoli
ARTIST: JedLi
GENRE: Hip Hop

If you want an awesome, fresh day with lots of good vibes to lighten up the mood, then Beats & Broccoli is the right playlist for you. Wait let me rephrase that. Beats & Broccoli is the PERFECT playlist for you.


Beats & Broccoli is the first all-instrumental album by beatsmith and emcee Jed Caba aka. JedLi. The artist reps People's Future; an underground hip hop trio based in Manila, Philippines.


Beats & Broccoli boasts a collection of slick, cool beats with that light touch that doesn't make the instrumentals too heavy. Whether you're a hip hop head or not, JedLi's genius beat production skills make you feel like you're in a different world.


As I said, the beats are light, not making them too heavy or hardcore-ish or whatever. Whether you're sitting in a corner, freestyling, or just chilling, Beats & Broccoli is the thing for you. Super recommended for hip hop heads. For none hip hop heads, give it a try! For gamers, I play this on my stereo while playing video games. (Yeah it's awesome listening to music while playing video games)

-Ruich

Thursday, February 2, 2012

-MUSIC- The Hearts of Lonely People Review



"Oh, as we share this simple night, do you understand that I could never tell a lie?"
That's the first line of the third track of the EP or Extended Play of Isles & Glaciers named 'The Hearts of Lonely People'. That song is called 'Clush' and one of my two personal favorites.

To start off, what is Isles & Glaciers? Well, it's one of the many "superbands" in the world. A "superband" is a musical group (or a band, obviously) that is composed of different musicians from other groups, and usually these groups are quite famous. This "superband" has a lineup of: Craig Owens and Jonny Craig on vocals from Chiodos and Dance Gavin Dance respectively, Brian Southall on guitars from The Receving End of Sirens, Matt Goddard on bass guitar, Nick Martin on guitars, and Vic Fuentes and Mike Fuentes on guitars/vocals and drums respectively from Pierce the Veil. They, though, have officially announced that this is just a one-time project.

To begin with, the lyrics have unique and varying themes. The titles are enough to make you think what the song is about! Let me give you an example; 'Clush'. What the hell is a 'Clush'?! How about 'Hills Like White Elephants'? The first thing that comes to my mind is about hills that look like white elephants, but it's not. But, as always people have said, don't judge a book by its cover, or in this case, don't judge a song by its title. I'll be honest here, the lyrics are so well-made, that it's so complicated, yet, it still maintains its elegance and beauty. The best line I've heard the whole EP is from the last track named 'Cemetery Weather', "I need somebody crazy enough to tell me "I will love you 'til we are buried.".". Hearing that song brings me back to the days before my problems weren't around. It manages to give me happiness and sadness at the same time... but let's try not be so personal on this one.

The music is beautifully made. You can hear both natural and techno/electro instruments at the same time. The guitar wouldn't sound like a guitar, and the drums would be morphed or natural. It's like a perfect mix of heavy and relaxing melodies, which is actually pretty nice. You can hear influences of post-hardcore, especially the screams, and electro/techno in each song. Think of it as 'Owl City Meets Asking Alexandria'. The perfect mix of heavy and soft. You are going to love the catchy guitar riffs with that blend of electro beats in the background. It's so beautifully mixed. You're gonna be headbanging all over the place, and emotional at some part, since this EP is so emotional. Not to mention that it's like you're listening to one song due to each track being "connected" to each other. The music you shall hear here is just one of a kind, and I doubt that you'll find something like this in the world.

All I have to say this is one of the best EPs (or an album as I like to call it) I have ever heard. You're going to be headbanging at one point, and be emotional at the other. Yeah, this is what this EP can do. I'm just disappointed that this is a one-time project, since this group has so much potential! With my favorite band, Pierce the Veil, here, I am blessed to have heard this group and all their songs. It's like a drug, but it also brings sadness with it. This group will forever be one of my favorites and I hope you guys have a chance to listen to their EP too. Ciao.

-Mikey McMike

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

-MUSIC- TAO LANG FT. QUEST by Loonie

For Filipino readers.
He's back. After a very long time of waiting, Loonie has finally released another track. This song, entitled Tao Lang is produced by Klumcee and was released last Jan. 31. Wait for Loonie's return on FlipTop @Ahon 3; to be uploaded soon.

-Ruich

Monday, January 30, 2012

-MANGA- Kagami no Kuni no Harisugawa (Harisugawa in Mirror World) Review

Hey there! This is Crimson Guitar checkin' in again for a manga review!

This time, I would be reviewing a manga series entitled 'Kagami no Kuni Harisugawa' (Harisugawa in Mirror World in English) written by Kano Yasuhiro. Fans of romantic manga series will definitely like this manga for it has an interesting plot with a blend of mysteries that will keep you thinking your brains out.

"Boys are creatures whose sight will follow the girl they like wherever she is. And if there comes a chance that the boy realizes that the girl is in danger, and if he is able to save her, they will feel the ultimate bliss in life." These are the words that Harisugawa Tetsu has pointed out, and true enough he has always been following with his eyes the girl named Satomi Mao.

Thanks to certain situations from their childhood, Satomi  has been always friendly to Harisugawa and developed a very nice relationship with him, completely unaware from Harisuagawa's feelings towards her. And as for Harisugawa's part, he preferred to stay friends with Satomi because of him being afraid of what might Satomi's reaction would be, and also, he wouldn't want to destroy their current closeness as friends. At first, its seems that this situation, a "stalemate" if you would compare it to a chess game, will never be broken until one day, Satomi saw a mysterious mirror from a thrift store which gives her a feeling that she must have that mirror. So Satomi bought the mirror without any second thoughts. But she is completely unaware about a very unexpected situation that she will be involved with, and that the mirror has a vital role in changing Harisugawa and her life.

So,  the two things that, for me, really stands out in this manga are the themes of love and mystery. Having these two genres mixed up together created the most exciting and yet a very romantic plot. And also, having a little, just a little, twist of 'ecchi'-ness and a lot of comedy involved in the story, made this manga more exciting to read, and that you would really anticipate the next events that would occur. Also, with Kano Yasuhiro using the range between semi-realistic to almost-'chibi' style of drawing in this manga will really let you appreciate the story even more because of the right amount of details included in his work.

So, if you're having trouble on searching a manga that has romance, mystery, and comedy, I would really recommend this manga series. With this manga being released last 2011, and has already published 27 chapters, who knows what great surprises that this manga might still have hiding under its sleeves waiting for it to be revealed

Overall Rating: 9/10

-Crimson Guitar

*edited by Red Hood

-GAME (MMORPG)- Tales Of Pirates review

Hello guys, this is a review of 'Tales of Pirates', a fantasy 3D MMORPG published by IGG.

'Tales of Pirates' is a simple game to pick up and also simple to  play, but also has plenty of content to keep you coming and the game's setting is played at land and at sea.


New players choose one of the four characters: Ami, Lance, Phyllis or Carsise. When you reach level 10, you can select from four beginner classes. A certain character has a certain class. These are:


Explorer- Ami, Lance, Phyllis
Hunter- Lance, Phyllis
Herbalist- Ami, Phyllis
Swordsman- Lance, Carsise




Players have 5 stats in the game:

Str-Damage
Con- Hp and Defense
Acc- Hit Rate
Agi – Attack Speed and Dodge Rate
Spr- Mana Points and Magic Damage





Players receive 2 stat points per level. Players can advance their class when they reach level 40. The following advances are:


-Explorers to a Voyager.
-Hunters to a Sharpshooter.
-Herbalists to a Cleric or a Seal Master.
-Swordsmen for Lance to a Crusader.
-Swordsmen for Carsise to a Champion.





After making a character you will choose from 3 starting cities which could either be Argent city, Shaitan City, or Icicle Castle.

'Tales of Pirates' is an awesome game because of Bosses and the PvP system. The cool thing about bosses is that you can't kill them by yourself, because you will always have the need for friends, guildmates, or other players to help you because the battles in this game are very challenging.

What I like about Tales of Pirates is the PvP system. You can have PvP battle in a certain area, which is like dueling with a single player, or using the party vs. party mode. When you are fight another player, you will be transported to an arena. When dueling, the first one to kill his/her opponent wins, in  Party vs Party mode the parties must kill all the members of the opposing party to win! There are maps and dungeons where you can get more experience, better loot of things, and equipment, but this zones are open PvP areas which is either on land or at sea. There are some maps which when you survive till the very end you’ll get a prize or a bonus if you call it.

If simple graphic styles and the pirate/sailing theme interests you, or you at least like PvP, give this game a try. 
-Dark Slayer
*edited by Blue Rose
*edited by Red Hood

Sunday, January 29, 2012

-MANGA- Kimi no Iru Machi (A Town Where You Live) Review


Whats up people? Crimson Guitar here for a review on a manga. This review is about a manga series entitled Kimi no Iru Machi or A Town Where You Live in its English translaltion. For all the readers of manga out there that has a very tight grasp on romance, this is a must-read manga for its interesting plot and a number of very unexpected twists and turns.

The story primarily revolves on two of its main characters, Haruto Kirishima, a self-conscious teenager, and Yuzuki Eba, an extroverted teenage girl. Yuzuki moved from Tokyo to his father's rural hometown in Hiroshima Perfecture. Having Haruto's father an acquaintance with Yuzuki's father, the Kirishima family has taken care of Yuzuki into their home. Haruto is not keen of the situation because he believes that Yuzuki who is a complete stranger, a girl at the same age as his, who is not a relative, and living under one roof will make complications for him. The misunderstanding that he wants to avoid most is that people to think of them as a couple because he already likes one of his classmates, Nanami Kanzaki. The only problem is that Yuzuki has romantic feelings for Haruto and is not timid in pursuing a relationship with him.
 
 For me, this manga really catches the attention of the readers mainly because of the story's twists which will make you continue on reading because of its unpredictable reasons on how the story will advance. Another thing that catches my interest is that the romance genre of the series is blended with comedy and a little twist of 'ecchi'-ness (search for the meaning of this term to avoid wrong ideas :D) that sets the mood of readers. Also, with its author Seo Kouji using semi-realistic drawings and a lot of chibi drawings for this manga, it perfectly fits the genre of the story.

I'm not a really big fan of romantic stories, this had me going for them. To sum this up, Kimi no Iru Machi is a great start-off for those people who loves romance and comedy. :D

Overall Rating: 8.5

-Crimson Guitar

-GAMES- Super Meat Boy

 

Hey guys, here for a review of 'Super Meat Boy' for PC, Xbox 360, MAC, and Wii

'Super Meat Boy' is an independent video game developed by Team Meat. It is the successor of Flash Game; 'Meat Boy'. In 2010, 'Super Meat Boy' received award for 'Most Challenging Game' from IGN and 'Most Downloadable Game' from GameSpot and GameTrailers.


In this game you play as Meat Boy, a red cube-shaped character, who attempts to rescue his girlfriend, Bandage Girl, who was kidnapped by the game's antagonist, Dr. Fetus. The gameplay is characterized by fine control and split-second timing as the player reach its goal through over 300 'Levels of Doom' while avoiding obstacles.


                                          Super Meat Boy with Bandage Girl and Dr. Fetus


If you think this game is easy, well it isn't. Seriously. Super Meat Boy provides tons of challenge to gamers especially me, that makes you glued to the screen. If you did play this game believe me, you'll die a lot. Death is unavoidable in this game. Every level is easy at first but when time passes, it gets harder. The game is divided in chapters, along with 300 levels. Each level is needed to reach Meat Boy's girlfriend Bandage girl while avoiding obstacles which let you die. Player can also jump and slide through walls. Upon reaching Bandage Girl, you've reach the end of the level. The gameplay has been compared on most known platformer Super Mario Bros. and Ghost n' Goblins.


When you completed certain number of levels, you'll be able to access boss stages which you need to finish to advance to the next chapter. The player will have unlimited number of attempts to finish each level. When Meat Boy is killed, the player goes back to the start of the level. Completing a level with A+ grade unlocks a harder version of the level in the Dark World, which is an optional difficulty level. Going to a Warp Zone warps you in a bonus level with a limit of three lives, which you control Meat Boy itself. You can also unlock different characters, with different attributes. You can unlock them by collecting Bandage Items which are placed throughout the levels. Some levels, such as Warp Zones and boss levels, are only played with specific characters.


                                                    First Boss Level. Run Meat Boy. RUN!


The game is great actually, it's just extremely difficult. The game doesn't lack sense of humor too. The only question is how they made such an extraordinary game. The bad part of it is dying alot. The game also motivates you to finish the game. You may play this to kill time. This game is great 'nuff said.


OVERALL RATING: 9/10 

-musicgamer


*Edited by Red Hood*

-COMICS- Batman #5 Review


"Now... Please."
Okay. Guess who said that? I'll give you a clue: he's close to The Bat. Well? Still nothing? Fine. It's Damian. Yup. Lil' Damian said that. Who would've thought that spoiled brat would say that? Definitely not me.

'Batman #5' just hit the stores recently with its monthly schedule due at every third week of the month, if I'm not mistaken. And so far, the arc hasn't disappointed me, unlike some of the titles that I'm currently reading.

Ever since the New 52 started, 'Batman' has been on mind and I ordered it right away. Tony Daniel, the previous writer of 'Batman' (pre-New  52/DCnU), switched places with Scott Snyder, previous writer of 'Detective Comics' (pre-New52/DCnU), so that leaves Daniel with 'Detective Comics' and Snyder with 'Batman'. I have to say, wherever Snyder may go, he never fails to bring a very eye-catching, mind-boggling story. To prove this, he's written the last arc of 'Detective Comics' (pre-New 52/DCnU) so well, it made me think about the last page too hard! Yeah, that's how good Snyder is. Not to mention, he also wrote 'American Vampire', which I have yet to read. The script in this issue shows Bruce's drama and his will to survive. Every corner, you will see Bruce pleading in desperation or him fighting back the Court of Owls. Never will you see Batman in this situation, not at least the way Snyder does it. But wait a minute, Bruce isn't the only one in despair. There's Jim Gordon pleading for The Bat's help, and Damian, searching for his father. Snyder, in my opinion, has done Damian better than anyone else that I have read. In this issue, you will see Batman's true strength and willpower to destroy the Court of Owls; the reason for everything that has happened in his life... at least that's what The Bat thinks.

But it's not all about Scott Snyder. We  also have Greg Capullo as the artist of 'Batman'. Out of all the titles I'm currently reading, Greg Capullo and Jim Lee are my favorite artists. Capullo has a style that captures my eye so much, I just want to stare at his art. His version of Batman is so dark, yet looks cartoon-ish, but very satisfying. I completely adore the way he makes Bruce crawl in desperation and plead for focus. It shows just how weak and human The Bat really is, especially at the second-to-the-last page. You can clearly see how beaten up The Bat is, with the rips and tears in the Batsuit (which is practically indestructible, if you ask me). Oh, and another thing. Thomas and Martha. Wow. The art of Thomas and Martha in this one's great. You see them really old, and when they have a "family reunion", they suddenly phase out into a owl-like monster which freaks the hell out of Batman, and then he "wakes up" from his "nightmare". And the way they twist the pages. It actually brings you into the comic, like you're experiencing what Bruce is experiencing! If I have one thing to say, it'd be this: "Greg Capullo, keep up the damn good work! I am eternally a fan of yours!"

 Long story short, 'Batman #5' is the best issue I have read in a long time. And do I mean long. Really, really long. I can't wait for the next issues, and find out how Batman takes back Gotham City, his city, his home. Gotham belongs to Batman, and no one else.

-Mikey McMike

-BROWSER GAME (MMORPG)-RuneScape Review

Hey guys I'm back for another review of another MMORPG called RuneScape!
RuneScape is a free epic 3d MMORPG browser game with P2P subscription options!
For it's graphics, is not really great but consider the fact that it is a browser game so it is not really a big deal. At first players get to Lumbridge as their starting area in the world of Runescape, players get to do various activities such as woodcutting, fire making, fishing, cooking, mining, smithing and other activities which are the skills in RuneScape and they get to train it anytime they want, like cutting trees to get logs and at the same time woodcutting experience points to level up your woodcutting skill and able to cut more specific trees as you level up and after woodcutting you could either sell the logs you get to get money or even use the logs for the skill fire making so you would also be able to get firemaking experience points! For combat, it has six divisions which is attack(higher chance of hitting), strength(higher chance of hitting with a high damage), defence(lower chance of being hit), constitution(amount of hitpoints 1 level equal 10 hitpoints), magic(using spells, the higher the level the higher the chance of hitting and higher damage and use stronger spell) and range(using bows and crossbows for weapon and using arrows and bolts for ammo, the higher the level the higher chance of hitting and use stronger ammo). Players could also do quests to have more adventure through out the game and it also have mini games that you could play in the world of RuneScape!
For it's subscription options, players get extra benefits getting a larger world compared to free players! They get to train 9 more member-only skills, access to 29 minigames, 100 more quests, full screen mode, exclusive member-only equipment and one of the best aspects of being a member is getting a skill cape or cape of achievement where players could get a skill cape when they achieve the highest level of a skill for example you achieved 99 woodcutting, you are now certified to wear the cape and able to show it to the people you pass by and the first thing that will pop up in there mind is "you got 99 woodcutting!" also, skill capes has a specific emote on a specific skill!
So basically this game is more on adventure! Try it out and start your journey today!

-Blue Rose

Saturday, January 28, 2012

-GAMES- Minecraft

Okay, what's up? This is Ruich checking in for my first review on a game. A review about Minecraft. Yeah, yeah I know; everyone knows about Minecraft. But just in case you've never heard of...wait who cares if you've never heard of it or not, I'll just do a review on Minecraft 1.1.



Since its Beta release, Minecraft has become a gaming sensation for both hardcore and hobby gamers. Notch and his team have created Mojang; an independent game producer to back up the Minecraft project. Since then, Mincecraft has changed lives, ruined lives, or occasionally did nothing. But don't take it as a bad thing, Minecraft is Minecraft. But fuck it, Notch might be God's best creation in the world of gaming.



So, Minecraft is basically a game- a never ending sandbox FPS that practically lets you do anything under the game's destroy and create play style.




Okaay. I've been putting to much time on the introduction stuff that I might have drifted off the topic. Alright, what is new about Minecraft 1.1? Well, it's still addicting as ever with a lot of new items on the list. Aside from the new items, what I've recognized while playing in Creative Mode was the eggs. From those oval spheres of genetics, you can spawn mobs like pigs, squids and the like. Hell, you can even spawn Creepers! (and I made an army of them) But what interested me the most was an egg named "Spawn Villager". Basically, villagers are a bunch of harmless mobs that doesn't do much. But they might be of some use. We'll find out.




Minecraft 1.1 has new and interesting Title Menu phrases, and a very slick language option system.



So that's basically it. It's not much but dont think that this is the last Minecraft article around here. I'll get you guys some new intel next time. Peace!


-Ruich 

PS. Beware of Creepers!

-GAME (MMORPG)-Atlantica Online Review


Hey guys, this is a review of the F2P MMORPG Atlantica online Developed by Ndoors

Atlantica Online is one of the best F2P mmorpg ever made, and it was voted as best MMORPG of 2008.

Atlantica Online is like a different planet when it comes to the MMORPG universe since it is a turn-based strategy tactical MMO, unlike other MMORPG which has the usual smash and hit combat style.

Players of Atlantica online has a good story line for them to enjoy the world. You play as an one of the descendants of the Atlantians and find the lost city of Atlantis! At first they get to pick their main class, as they  progress get to hire up to 8 mercenaries from specific NPCs found all over the game and some mercenaries are just walking around that you can hire having a total control of 9 characters! The great thing about the mercenary system is that it has tons of mercenaries so you could basically make infinite strategies to take down your opponent in PvE or PvP!

Atlantica Online's gameplay is excellent due to it's turn-based combat style where the enemy has its turn and you have your turn limited to 30 seconds and it also has amazing graphics and has awesome combat animations for every action you make during your turn in a battle!

So for all people who likes to use strategy or tactics when playing, try Atlantica online!

-Blue Rose



-MUSIC-The Drug in Me is You Review

                                                                         -MUSIC-



"I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!"
This line is from the opening of the second track of Falling in Reverse's debut album, 'The Drug in Me is You'.

A quick recap of what is Falling in Reverse. Well, FiR is the second major band of vocalist Ronnie Radke. Ronnie Radke's first major band was Escape the Fate with a lineup of Monte Money and Omar Espinosa on guitars, Max Green on bass guitar, Robert Ortiz (who strangely looks exactly like Slash) on drums, and Radke on vocals. After releasing their first album, 'Dying is Your Latest Fashion', trouble soon arose.  Radke was filed for a case and was given 5 years of probation and 2 years in prison. Because of this, EtF was forced to kick him out and have Craig Mabbit, former vocalist of Blessthefall, fill in, until he became the permanent vocalist of the band. After serving his sentence, Radke is out with a new lineup of Jacky Vincent and Derek Jones on guitars, Mika Horiuchi on bass guitar, and Ryan Seaman on drums, and with a vengeance with his piercing lyrics and dark melody.

I really admired the lyrics for this album. 'Raised by Wolves' is the opening track and has lyrics that clearly say 'FUCK YOU, ESCAPE THE FATE.' Actually, the whole album implies that exact thought. One of the good things about the lyrics are the catchy lines, such as 'I heard a knock upon my door the other day. I opened it to find Death staring at my face. The feel of mortal-stalking still reverberates. Everywhere I go, I drag this coffin just in case.' and 'What if the Devil was alive? What if God did not exist? So with all due respect, tell me what is death, if life is just a bitch?' Some just tells the story of Radke himself. 'The Westerner' seems to serve as 'The Day I Left the Womb' Pt. II with its story-telling lyrics. More or less, the lyrics are great and can be used to say 'Fuck you' to a person without them knowing it.

Well, I didn't fully appreciate the sound of some of the songs, due to it becoming a bit 'Pop'-ish. It feels so alternative and such. But nevertheless, most of them are still heavy and still Ronnie. Notable ones would  be, 'Don't Mess with Ouija Boards', 'The Westerner', 'Sink or Swim' and 'I'm Not a Vampire'. 'Caught Like a Fly' sounds creepy at first, but builds up to be a very emotional song. Whenever I listen to it, it never fails to remind me of Avenged Sevenfold's 'A Little Piece of Heaven' which both sounds like you're in a circus. The use of a synth can be heard here, which was never heard in Radke's previous album in EtF.

This album served as a great counter-attack to EtF, and I think it hit'em hard. You'll be having fun and thinking you're jumping around when listening to this album. This is just proof that Ronnie Radke truly is the 'King of the Music Scene'

-Mikey McMike