What kind of gamer in his right mind would not want this?
It's an Android smartphone and a PSP in one!
One great thing I have heard about the XPERIA Play is sound quality. Well I would expect that from Sony Ericsson, since my old SE phones have great sound quality, too. And that's perfect for gaming!
Reviews also commend the great video resolution on this phone, especially when playing games. Game graphics are of much better quality than the PSP's, although available games as of the moment are limited. Hope they release more games that are Playstation-esque, and not just those standard point-shoot, run-jump, cheap phone games of the late technological era.
Camera shots are pretty decent, too, at 5megapixels. This baby also shoots HD videos [Click here for more SE XPERIA Play specs]
Much cons that I have heard about this phone is the extra bulk (well maybe because of the slide-in gaming pad) and a not-so-sleek design. Maybe an improvised version of this phone in the future would fix that.
Still I think this is the best phone for me. It would be such a bulk to bring a phone, a PSP, a digital camera, and a laptop when I am on-the-go.
As for now, my dear XPERIA Play, continue remaining in my dreams as I work my ass off to buy you.. [you might also want to consider lowering in the future]..
So this is the latest game I am recently addicted to -- Pockie Ninja (maybe a short variation for Pocket Ninja), a computer-generated, turn-based online browser game, with characters based from famous hit anime series Naruto and Bleach. For anime fans like me, seeing that cool trailer would be more than enough to try out the game!
Gaara
Unlike normal turn-based games, the player has no control over immediate actions of his character during a fight. Winning a Pockie Ninja fight depends upon your level, skills equipped (40 skills, only 6 equippable, so planning is essential), items worn (ranging from ordinary to rare equipments), and pure luck! Start a fight and just watch your character fly and beat enemies to the dust..
Currently I play as Gaara, a tank-build character (tank means high health points, making it longer to kill). Some characters are agility builds (they pummel the opponent a lot of times that low agility ones), and some are strength builds (they hit hard, and their hits hurt!). Builds mainly depend upon the character (or should I say outfit) that one is wearing.
Players can change outfits if they want, maybe into a Naruto or an Ichigo. There are a lot to choose from, each outfit having it's own major stat build, specific skill advantages, and weapon preference. As for me, I am staying with Gaara from the anime Naruto, as he is one of my most loved anime characters (add the fact that Gaara outfit is a rare one in this game, too!)
what will I get this time?
In the game, you battle monsters in the wild to obtain items and stones (Pockie Ninja currency), or battle other players in the arena for medals you can use to get new outfits. You can upgrade your current outfit to make your stats better, or synthesize old equipments for a chance to make better (but random) ones. You can head to Las Noches and battle hoards of hollows for nice experience points, level-up and get new skills and abilities. Hatch a pet egg ( or catch one from the wild), feed it well, and it will have skills that will aid you in battle. You can also do quests to slay monsters from a distant land, and be rewarded for it. Sounds like a lot adventure, right?
Plus, get to meet online friends from all over the world that share the same game and anime addiction.
Las Noches battle with my pet Akamaru
Head here to create a game account and start an adventure as one of your favorite Naruto or Bleach characters! For game guides, click here for tips and tricks.
I have to admit. I am an online gaming addict. No doubt about it.
New games out there always had 'demo time' in my hands.. Well, of course not all passed my standards, and only a few moved in permanently in my hard drive. Mostly I prefer multiplayer online games, where you get to interact with other online gamers while living the adventure of your choice in a virtual world. It serves as my escape to my real world. It's not that I am trying to escape from my reality, It's just that I needed an instant outlet for the overflow of my emotions, my imagination, and my undying thirst for adventure. I'll go crazy in no time if I didn't.
So here we go, a new portal to a parallel dimension opens: The Land of Taborea. It is calling me, and my adventurous weakness plunges me into its realm.
Taborea.
It's set in medieval times. So I presume it's about dragons and castles, knights in horses, and damsels in distress.
Meet my alter ego, Typhus. Why the horrible sickly name? Damn government textbooks. When I was in an internet-deprived public elementary, my science book tells me the scientific name of the whale shark (raaawwr!), the largest fish in world, is Rhineodan typhus. After so many years, I found out that due to a typo error it ought to have been Rhincodontypus. OH what the hell, I got stuck with Typhus and lived with it.
Avatars are created by players to represent themselves in the gaming world. Typhus is my Avatar in Taborea now. MMORPG's (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) like these give gamers class selection -- the basic role one wants to be in the virtual world. I chose The Scout Class, adept in the use of the bow and arrow. I don't know what's with it, but in most of my online games, I always end up choosing a bow-and-arrow class (and the name Typhus, yeah I know it sucks!). Scouts can see their enemies in a distance and physically attack them at very long range. Being a scout in Taborea makes me feel like the new Robinhood in town.
Now having an avatar, it's time to explore the world.
I end up in this village in the middle of the forest. NPCs (non-player character) abound the village, and as I talk to them, some gave me valuable hints about the village and the surrounding areas. Some gave me quests and promised rewards if I kill a forest creature or if I bring specific items.
Now off I go to a nearby forest to explore and raise my level. Raising my character level by raising my experience will not only make my attacks more powerful, it will also provide me with new and improved skills. Raising experience is mostly done by killing creatures (before they kill you of course!)
My first monster encounter is a cute walking mushroom called a Fungus. Sorry creature, however adorable you are, you have to die, the poor thing. Arrows away! Hunting and killing monsters not only give experience. They also drop valuable items for certain NPC quests, and also sellable items you can trade for gold.
Well that's it for me for now. To fight more powerful monsters, I have to be more powerful myself. And that means more adorable Fungus creatures will suffer and eat my arrows.
Who knows what other adventures await Typhus in this new dimension I went into. Taborea here I come!
If you don't know Icefrog, then you definitely haven't heard or played DoTA. Non-gaming people I know haven't got the slightest idea what it is. Some perceive it as a computer game (which is actually true) that kids are so crazy about. Apart from that, they know nothing. Poor creatures. For their sake, let the enlightenment begin..
DoTA stands for Defense of The Ancients, and contrary to the DoTA-innocent population's belief that DoTA is a customary stand-alone game (I always get requests from friends, and friends of friends, to help them "install" DoTA in their PC's!), DoTA is just a customized scenario map of the popular Warcraft III game. If I only give you DoTA, it would obviously be unplayable and utterly useless without Warcraft. You get my point. Warcraft III made DoTA possible because of its World Editor feature, where players can create their own customized scenario and gameplay. So who's Icefrog? DoTA became the brainchild of a developer only known by the pseudonym Icefrog. Since its release, DoTA became a hit among Warcraft players, and made Icefrog an instant celebrity in the gaming world. The DoTA map itself had undergone numerous gameplay changes, new items and hero characters, and many balance tweaks through the years.
The default Warcraft III scenario map is the build-search-defend-destroy type, where you create buildings and command different units. DoTA is obviously different, as a player only focuses on one individual unit, known as a hero.
The DoTAgameplay revolves around one goal - destroy the enemy's base and fundamental building (known as as an Ancient, thus the title Defense of the Ancients) before they destroy yours. Two opposing teams battle using unique heroes with different abilities. Customized teamwork and strategy play vital roles in winning a DoTA game, as each hero has their strengths as well as weaknesses when teamed up or matched against other heroes. Items can also be purchased to improve attack and defense of a hero. With this fact, DoTA matches are practically nonidentical with each other!
So why do guys go loco over such game? Simple reason -- just the same as why male species in the animal kingdom fight each other -- dominance. It's a thing even the female species are having a hard time comprehending. In the human world, this takes form as army wars, political oppositions, sporting events, and street brawls. In the gaming world, DoTA became a perfect battleground host for dominance (no real blood and gore involved, only the mind and the fingers do the work).
For the not-so-DoTA-drowned individuals out there, here are some popular DoTA terminologies you might want to check out (some even used in non-DoTA conversations):
First Blood - It is the first kill of a DoTA match. The first player who gets to make an opponent hero eat dust gains additional gold (for item purchases) and the irreplaceable taste of dominance! Can also be used as a threat to real life enemies.
Godlike - The player with unstoppable consecutive hero kills gains this notorious title. Any opponent who kills this player stops the winning streak and gains additional gold in return. Also refers to people with very high almost-impossible achievements. Can also refer to my charm and good looks.
Creeps - are mostly non-controllable non-hero units in the game that play as army pawns or neutral monsters scattered in the map. Can also refer to people who are evident but have no significance to what is going on.
Roshan - the ultimate creep in DoTA. Killing this unit gives the team additional gold and the unique item Aegis of the Immortal. Also a name worth giving to destructive college professors whom you can only defeat once you have barely passed their rough exams.
Imba - short for imbalance. Some heroes are just way too tricky or have the upper hand against certain enemy heroes. Depends upon player's discretion when used. Also an effective alibi for noobs.
Noob- a newbie, commonly used in almost all games to refer to new, inexperienced players. Also a very effective insult in trash talks.
GG - (stands for Good Game) now known as Garena, it is a gaming platform that lets players around the world play against each other in various games, such as DoTA in Warcraft III. Download the platform here.
DoTA became so popular that it has been a feature in many international cybergame tournaments. Check out this cool DoTA-inspired techno-song by Swedish musician Basshunter (which, by the way made it to the 2006 European Single Charts), Vi sitter i Ventrilo och spelarDoTA:
For those who want to have a copy of the latest DoTA map, download it here in the official DoTA website.
For a gamer, DoTA is a taste of what a successful game should be. Not many games out there make it through the gaming market for many years and still be hot and worth playing for. Take it from the guy who has been playing DoTA since its debut release in 2005 up until now -- me.
