Gaming Zone: April 2009

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Those who regularly read my articles know that I normally am all about business, all about opportunities. I decided this week to talk about something totally different, yet very satisfying in certain moments: Internet Games! Yes, I'm talking about those time-consuming, highly addictive activities many of us spend time on! Well personally, I don't find them all that bad, and if you can control yourself, they are a fun (and free) way to get the tension out.

For the purpose of this article, I decided to sample and review a bunch of these games, and I then chose a few I will outline here, which had the biggest effect on my satisfaction level. Here they are:

1) Mario 2. Several years ago, like millions of others, I bought a NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) and discovered Mario and Luigi, those fabulous little characters still generating massive revenues for Nintendo 20 years later. Super Mario Bros. and all its derivatives is one of the most successful game franchise ever created. Well today you can enjoy a free, Internet version of Mario 2, one of the series! Even if you never played the original, you will get a kick out of this one!

2) Miniclip Rally. Who hasn't enjoyed racing games at some point in their life? Well Miniclip Rally will allow you to easily take control of different cars, on different tracks, and try to beat you opponents, and your high scores! Each track takes only a few minutes to complete so you can do a bunch to try and beat your record.

3) Gold Miner. Another one of my favorites. In each level you need to make more and more money (here I go again!) by grabbing the largest possible gold nuggets before the timer runs out. Between each level you can use your money to buy some bonus items that help you along the way. Really addictive, try it!

4) Fowl Words and Fowl Words 2. These games are somewhat similar to Scrabble, with a timer... and a twist! You need to form as many words as possible with the letters offered. The longer the word the more points you score. There are also eggs (!) to show you how many words of each length is available. Sounds easy, but finding all the words is another story!

Hopefully, once you've spent a few moments playing these games, you will have freed up your mind, and be ready to jump into another highly productive and profitable day!

Labels: games

posted by Moderator @ 10:05 PM 0 comments

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Why 80s Arcade Games are the Best

Reminiscing the 80s would never be complete without mentioning about 80s arcade games. An arcade game is a coin-operated gaming machine that you would usually find in entertainment centers, video arcades, and even in restaurants. Popular arcade games are redemption games that give players rewards based on their score in the game; computer-controlled video games; and pinball games wherein the player manipulates one or more metal balls on a playfield.

Flashback

Arcade games began to be so popular in the early 70s. Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney made Atari that released the Pong video game (based on ping-pong or table tennis) that became almost everyone's favorite. The success of the Pong video game spawned lots of imitations and created more and more avid video players. Eventually video game arcades abounded through the 80s. They can be found in the malls, department stores, bars and even in restaurants and movie houses. They're everywhere in the United States

Popular 80s Arcade Games

In the 80s, arcade games became even more popular. Some of the most influential 80s arcade games were the following:

Space Invaders - This game, one of the predecessors of modern video games, was created by the Japanese Toshihiro Nishikado. It was first released in 1978 in Japan. This arcade game mimics a shooting gallery with a movable laser (resembling a cannon) placed below the video screen. There were video aliens that were designed to disrupt the game by passing across the screen and by raining bombs and rays that are deadly. The goal of the player is to avoid those deadly rays and bombs and shoot the aliens so that they won't reach the bottom of the screen or else, he or she will lose in the game.

Pac-Man - This was created by Namco and was first distributed in 1980. It game remains to be popular today though it has already taken new forms. Compared to many 80s arcade games, Pac-Man was not violent, was easy to play and was enjoyable, which explains why it clicked both to young and old, girls and boys alike.

The yellow circle with a mouth called Pac-Man makes people remember this game so well through the years. The game is played by maneuvering Pac-Man through the maze, letting him eat small dots and different item prizes along the way. Ghosts named Blinky, Inky, Pinky and Clyde on the other hand chase Pac-Man.

Donkey Kong - Another video game that emerged so popular among other 80s arcade games was the Donkey Kong. It was made by Nintendo and was introduced in 1981. Basically the game is played by maneuvering the chief character, Mario (formerly Jumpman),across a series of platforms. As Mario goes through the platforms, he has to get rid of obstacles that prevent him from rescuing a damsel in distress from the hands of Donkey Kong.

The abovementioned are only some of the most popular 80s arcade games. There were also the Battlezone, Pengo, Tron, Tetris, Rubik's cube and many others. The craze for 80s arcade games only began to subside in the late 80s when newer forms of entertainment were being introduced such as advanced home video game consoles but 80s arcade games didn't totally die out until the coming of fighting games like the Street Fighter ll that required two players

posted by Moderator @ 6:42 AM 0 comments

Where To Find Great Quality Games To Download Or Play Online

A really cool website where you can download loads of broadband quality games is Shockwave which can be found at http://www.shockwave.com The kinds of fun games you can find on this site include car racing , card games, board games, music games, photo & strategy games, jigsaws, puzzles, shooting and word games, action, adventure, arcade, sports and kids games. So there is something for everyone at Shockwave. They also have an online games room where you can play games against other people online and a mobile games store where you can buy games for your mobile phone to help while away those quiet moments.

Another great website for broadband quality games is Yahoo! Games On Demand which can be found at http://gamesondemand.yahoo.com/play At this cool gaming site you can use their streaming games service which will enable you to play hundreds of the latest and best video and computer games, you will be able to try before decide to buy a game and you can buy and play a game the day it is released should you wish to. Yahoo! Games On Demand include in their range of broadband quality games: action, driving, classic, strategy, simulation and sports games.

If you are looking for free games to play online, then a good website for this is Free Arcade which can be found at http://www.freearcade.com Here you will find many free online games for you to enjoy including online arcade games, online shooting games, online puzzle games, online board games, online sports games and more.

Another good site for free online games is unsurprisingly called Free Online Games which you can find at http://www.freeonlinegames.com They have more than a thousand free games for you to play and also have a wide range of other entertainment content including odd news, odd facts, funny jokes, illusions, funny quotes, funny videos and funny video clips.

Games.com which is owned by AOL is one more site that has many games for you to check out, you can play trial versions of the games online for free or download them if you like. They have a range of word, casino, puzzle, card, board and arcade games which should keep you busy for quite a while. You can also buy any game that you particularly like.

One more good site for free games is Pogo.com which has a large online gaming community with up to 100,000 gamers online at the same time playing against each other. As well as free online games, Pogo.com have plenty of mobile phone games for you to play, have an extensive download section and a lot more besides. Have fun!

posted by Moderator @ 6:38 AM 0 comments

World of Warcraft: 10 Reasons to Make a Mage

1. Mages can summon infinite food, water and mana potions. Starting at a very early level, mages get the ability to summon food, water, and mana gems that are equivalent to vendor-bought food, vendor-bought water, and mana potions. At the maximum level, mages can summon food and water in one item, allowing them to save inventory room. This is incredibly useful for any and all aspects of the game, as everyone needs to eat and drink after most fights.

2. They are World of Warcraft's best nuking class. Mages are the ideal nuking class and are by far the best at it. A few other classes have specializations that make them a nuking class, but they do not compare to mages. Mages have a large arsenal of spells and abilities to pump out massive damage in a short amount of time.

3. Mages are the only class that is able to cast teleportation spells. Other than Druids being able to self teleport to Moonglade, which is a pointless location, mages are the only class able to teleport. They can teleport both themselves and their party/raid. This is not only a bonus as far as faster traveling is concerned; but it also allows a mage to set their Hearthstone to a non-city location.

4. They have three very useful specializations. Mages can specialize as fire, arcane, or frost. The raiding/DPS specializations are fire and arcane, both of which bring different aspects into DPS'ing. The frost spec is great for PvP, as it gives the mage incredible amounts of survivability. Most mages find themselves respec'ing frequently to test out different styles of playing.

5. Mages are the best Area of Effect damage casters. Most mages will level by AoE grinding. This is where a mage will gather up a large amount of mobs and use their AoE spells to mass-kill, granting them a large amount of experience in a very short time. Mages have many different types of AoE's, ranging from Blizzard to Blast Wave to Arcane Explosion.

6. They are one of the easiest classes to level with. With the above reasons, mages can level to 70 very quickly, very easily, and very efficiently. With infinite food, water, and mana potions; powerful AoE spells; great survivability; and incredibly fast traveling; they can level in a very astonishing short amount of time.

7. Mages are the game's best burst damage dealer. At the beginning of a long fight, mages can deal thousands of damage per second. They have many cooldowns to use and typically have very powerful trinkets. When combined, the outcome is a very high amount of damage. However, when their abilities are all on cooldowns, their damage output slows quite a bit until the cooldowns finish.

8. They are highly sought after for Groups and Raids. Because of a mage's ability to summon food and water, they have the game's best crowd control, and have high damage output; they are highly sought after for groups and raids. There are always at least two to three spots in a raid for mages, if not more. And almost all groups try to recruit a mage to run through an instance. As a mage, you will never have problems finding a group or raiding.

9. Their damage scales well with gear. Some classes are terrible with poor gear and gain lots with better gear while other classes are great with poor gear but do not gain much with better gear. Mages are special in this situation, as they are fairly decent with poor gear, but improve noticeably with the addition of better gear.

10. The Frost talent tree is one of the best for survival in PvP. A frost mage is one of the hardest classes to kill in PvP. They have an incredible amount of escape abilities and protection abilities against both Melees and Casters. They also have the ability to instantly refresh every one of their cooldowns, making them doubly as difficult to kill. If you enjoy PvP'ing and being able to self-sustain, then a mage is perfect for you.

posted by Moderator @ 6:36 AM 0 comments

Xbox Vs PlayStation

The current rivalry between the Xbox 360 and the coming PlayStation 3 is just the latest battle in the exciting leadership war that began in 2001, when Microsoft introduced the original Xbox into the console market. The PlayStation was the reigning champion of the console market. It had dominated since the mid-90s. The original PlayStation sold some hundred million units, a staggering figure at the time.

By the end of the 1990s Microsoft was worried about what is in our perspective the prospect of the PlayStation encroaching in the console market. Hence Xbox, was and still is a bid to win back territory for Microsoft in many of our gaming views. While Xbox might have been the new kid on the block, it had the might of all Bill Gates empire behind it. Before the Xbox, Microsoft had already ported Windows CE to the Sega Dreamcast, giving them experience in the console market.

More importantly, they had some of the best programming teams on the planet. One of their original plan, if not their main plan for this long-time distribution for the Xbox, focused heavily on integrating it with other Microsoft products, for example by including DirectX technology. The battle is about much more than just the console market. Sony and Microsoft are looking forward to a time of increasing integration of different electronic devices within the home. Consoles are increasingly becoming conduits for Internet access, for playing music, and even for personal computing.

Sony could be using the PlayStation 3 to push the Blu-ray disc format. In the past, it has come up with the PSX, intended as a multi-purpose device, able to record and play videos as well as being a gaming console. Microsoft, for its part, is putting a lot of weight on the Xbox Live online service, which we can expect to see expanding massively over the coming years. The continuing delays in shipping Windows Vista - the next incarnation of Microsoft PC operating system - has dampened the impact of linking it with the Xbox. Once Vista is released, we could expect to see a stronger focus on linking the Xbox 360 to a PC running Vista.

In short, everything is becoming interconnected, and the exciting console leadership war is at the very center of this battle. Whoever can dominate this market will have the say over how the digital homes of the future are laid out - and will be able to profit massively as a result. The stakes are high in the rivalry between PlayStation and Xbox. It is just an exciting rivalry to keep watching over the years to come, for sure.

posted by Moderator @ 6:35 AM 0 comments

Sony PS3 vs Nintendos Wii

Of the three consoles competing for market dominance in the latest generation, the PS3 and Nintendo's Wii are the most distinct from each other. While they are certainly both powerful systems, and similarities can be easily drawn between them, they have arrived on the market through very different design philosophies, with marketing strategies to suit.

On one hand, the PS3 is pushing every technological limit it can. Using an ambitious processor architecture, top-end graphics acceleration, and large stores of memory, the PS3 is one grunty system! It also includes a range of technologies that are either still at the bleeding-edge prototype stage, untested in mass production, such as the CPU that behaves like an eight-core chip and Blu-Ray Disk drive, or are considered the high-end of two alternatives, in the case of using licensed Bluetooth in favour of generic wireless technology, and the full HDTV support, HDMI output, and full 7.1 surround sound, rather than mere 5.1. If the E3 screenshots of the announced games are anything to judge by, graphically, they will challenge even the best-looking PC titles, which is rare for console systems.

Retailing for prices upwards of US$600 significantly higher in some countries and for pre-orders the PS3 is a truly extravagant system.

Sitting in defiant contrast to PS3's whole design philosophy is the Wii. Nintendo opted not to simply load their system up with enough grunt to blow every competitor out of the water in fact, their approach was to not even try. Nintendo have opted to instead take a prudent path, by offering a well balanced system, not ridiculously overpowered, yet perhaps still on par with a medium to high-end PC gaming rig.
Like with the PS3, they have produced a system that is highly backwards-compatible with legacy games and accessories, includes Bluetooth support, which their innovative motion-sensitive controllers make use of, again like the PS3. The console has legacy memory card, Flash card, USB, and ethernet support, allowing for LAN and Internet use. It's the choice of games on offer is the first indication that this is a different sort of system. Certainly some of the same demanding titles are in the list, but it's populated more by simpler platformer and parlour games, which both attract their own significant fan-bases.

The controllers, including the Wii Remote, and Sensor Bar, have been a huge hit with E3 and TGS attendees, already well-received by the gaming press. The main indicator to distinguish the Wii from the PS3, which may well give it the edge it needs to outperform the superior system in the marketplace, is its price. It starts at a much more manageable US$250, with the highest prices outside North America only reaching $100 more. So marked is the price difference, that Microsoft and Nintendo reps quietly put the word out at 2006's E3 Expo, that people would be better served by buying both an Xbox 360, AND a Nintendo Wii, rather than a PS3. To compound The Case Against Sony as their critics may well be phrasing it supply problems have recently caused delays for the launch of PS3 outside Japan, USA, and Canada, giving the Wii launch window three or four months with only the Xbox as competition.

When it comes to PS3 vs Nintendo Wii, the Wii does not compete on any technical level. It certainly has respectable system specs, but the PS3 is simply a more powerful system that will deliver better performance. Whether this translates to more fun is clearly a choice for each individual to make, because Sony has no short of critics saying that it does not. The three biggest criticisms the PS3 has had to face are a perceived lack of innovation, an arguably outrageous launch price, and a lack of supply during the most crucial period. This all contrasts with reciprocal praise on the same points of the Wii. As it stands currently, both systems are pre-selling like hotcakes, so it will be some time before a clear leader emerges, assuming one will at all.

posted by Moderator @ 6:33 AM 0 comments