Fallout is a 2.5 dimensional point and click RPG game. It is the first of the series of Fallout spinoffs which has a since-fiction post nuclear storyline. The adventure begins when the fallout shelter which has been keeping them safe, Vault 13, faced a water supply problem due to a broken filter. The main character controlled by the player is the one sent out to the outside world of wastelands to find a solution.

Interestingly enough he encounters mutated creatures such as odd looking two-headed brahmins which are relatively harmless unless provoked by an attack.

Even by attacking a innocent passerby might provoke the entire community of villagers against you whereby you will either have to fight them or retreat to a different location. All your actions will depend whether you will be a goodie or baddie, determined by the Karma level attained as you progress in the game. A very low Karma (such as being known as 'Childkiller') will set a group of bounty hunters against you. However a good reputation such as being known as a 'Champion' will enable you to converse with people more easily. Experience points is still awards for all successful combat acts carried out. Stealth can be used to avoid combats.

Zombies or rather, mutated inhabitants roaming around.

Red circles under the creatures indicate that they are initiated in combat against you. The red dots in the lower screen is the action point system calculating the number of moves you have.

Since it is a turn based game which uses an action point system. This means certain moves will take up more points to carry out and when your turn is done, it's the enemy's turn to make a move in combat.

The protagonist is given the PipBoy 2000 which is a device that can toggle between maps, objectives and bookkeeping of past events and skill levels.

You can 'spend' accumulated character points to upgrade the skills of your choice.

One anoying aspect of the game is the night time mode when darkness falls on the wasteland and sight is limited to within a short circumference around the character and also inhabitants will retreat to their homes which becomes inaccessible at night.

The game also has hilarious conversation with NPCs which keeps it entertaining such as trying to bed some of the female characters.

Despite being a predecessor of the 3D Fallout 3, this game gives a significantly different experience from the newer series.

One of my all-time favourite, Time Crisis II!!

Gameplay
Time Crisis II was released utilizing Namco's System 23 arcade board in 1998, and was ported to PlayStation 2 (with enhanced graphics and polygon textures) in 2001. The game utilizes the foot pedal system, just like Time Crisis, where players can shoot or hide from enemy fire. One modification to the hide and attack system was the "crisis flash" system which alerts the players whether or not the enemy attack would cause a direct hit, a feature not present in its predecessor, Time Crisis.

 
When a player presses the pedal, he or she comes out of hiding, allowing them to shoot the enemies. Releasing the pedal places the player in hiding; during this time, players cannot shoot, but are safe from harm. A player must defeat all enemies before moving forward. The player's gun magazine contains 9 bullets (though occasionally a machine gun is available, which contains unlimited ammo for the remainder of the scene). Releasing the pedal also reloads the gun.

 
When the player fails to release the pedal after he/she spots a "crisis flash", one life is lost. The crisis flash system fixed much of the unexpected life losses that rose from Time Crisis, though seldom unexpected life loss problems still remain. Each scene has a 40-second time limit, but unlike Time Crisis, in which seconds kept on running out even during wait animations, the timer only runs down when the battle is ensuing. The timer is reset to 40 and/or freezes when the player(s) are on "wait animation".
 
The time limit system is much more lenient than Time Crisis, as players only lose one life if time runs out instead of losing the entire game. Also, players can continue from the point their current position, as opposed to the Playstation version of Time Crisis, which required players to restart from the beginning of a section.

Plot
Neodyne Industries, LTD, has successfully completed a network of 64 satellites called the "Starline Network". Starline is supposedly a communications system which NDI claims will unite the world. Nevertheless, the covert agency VSSE discovers that Starline is actually part of a plan to launch a nuclear satellite into space.
Christy Ryan, the agent responsible for uncovering the corporation's hidden agenda, attempts to escape NDI captivity and report the details of the plot to VSSE HQ, but is detained by Jakov Kinisky and his bodyguards. VSSE sends agents Keith Martin and Robert Baxter to shut down the Starline Network and rescue Ryan.
Christy has already been taken away before Martin and Baxter are able to reach her, however, and Kinisky and his minions attack the agents inside Ryan's apartment. After a gunfight in the streets and a boat chase in a nearby river, Keith and Robert manage to recapture Christy's laptop, which reveals that the satellite in question belongs to the military. The agents proceed to NDI's train depot, only to have the satellite airlifted away before they can reach it.
Inside NDI headquarters, situated on an island, CEO Ernesto Diaz and the mercenary Wild Dog begin preparing the nuclear satellite for launch from a sea-based site when the VSSE agents arrive. The agents encounter fierce resistance, but are able to defeat Wild Dog and rescue Christy, who escapes by raft.
Upon reaching what appears to be the final preparations for the satellite, however, the agents learn that the "satellite" is a decoy and the real one is about to be launched into space. The final battle between Diaz in the decoy satellite and the VSSE ensues, with the agents successfully killing Diaz. The falling debris from the destroyed decoy satellite damages the rocket's thrusters, causing it to explode on launch and eliminate the real satellite.

Verdict
8.5/10 pure adrenaline as if you are really on a top secret mission. The bustling all round action keeps you on your toes throughout the game. It keeps you excited all the time. You have to be composed throughout the level if you want any sniff of going to the next level. The arcade version is harder as it is in their mechanisms to want you to die so that you will plant more money into their machines. However the playstation version allows you to set the difficulty level. But the calibration between tv sets should be better enhanced as sometimes our shots do not really shoot. All in all, the arcade version is better as its worth the while when dozens are looking at your progression in anticipation to see you clear the game. That kinda feeling, priceless.

Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person-shooter developed by Infinity Ward studios and published by Activision. It is a sequel to its massively popular Modern Warfare, which was released in 2007.

My favourite genre would be shooter games, especially one that relates to warfare. I have played every single Call of Duty franchise (a total of 6 games if MW2 is included). Without hesitation, it is without doubt that games that focus on World War II have saturated the shooter market for the past decade. These include the COD series, Brothers in Arms series, and the Medal of Honor series, Battlefield series, etc. I am sick of always wielding Thompsons, M4A1 carbines, Springfields, Kar91, etc. There was a brief break in this when Battlefield 2142, a futuristic shooter, was released but the WWII trend continued.

As it's name suggests, Modern Warfare 2 is a game that deals specifically with middle-eastern terrorism. Players will definitely lose out if they did not play Modern Warfare first as there are references, along with a surprise twist in the middle of the game. In the first, the game ended on a cliffhanger. The extraction team was ambushed and everyone was presumed to be dead. The player was severely wounded but was thought to have survived. The sequel continues 5 years after this event took place.

Players ultimately control 5 different players at different points in the game, giving the player a different perspective of the war each time. I really like this idea as I was impressed as this was the same flow that the movie 'Vantage Point' took. It is also a smart thing to do: if the game designer feels that one character cannot fully encompass the war, then the logical thing to do is to add more. Players primarily play 2 different characters, a Sgt Gary 'Roach' Anderson, and Private James Ramirez. However, they also briefly assume the role of an astronaut during mid EVA at the ISS station.

Graphics are fantastic. However, the graphics from the first game impressed me a lot more because of how they showed it off in the gameplay. In this sequel, there is little showing off. However, everything still looks beautiful and great.

What is interesting is how the developers manage to pack so many emotions into the game. They twist the plot of this game over itself. There is always a scene of betrayal and of sacrifice. In one particular scene, the top general who is in charge of issuing commands is realised to be the ultimate betrayer and so becomes the ultimate bad guy. In one always-spoken controversial level, the player plays a secret agent who is pretending to be Russian. They commit acts of terrorism in the Russian airport by killing lots of innocent and unarmed civilians. At the end of that particular level, the player himself is killed by one of his 'friendlies', which is assumed to have found out his true identity. This level generated so much hype that the game designers put a disclaimer before the level starts, stating that the player can skip that level if he wants to. However, he will miss out on a major plot development if he does.

Players play the role of SGT Gary 'Roach' Sanderson, who is part of an elite force called Force 141. It is an infiltration team that is on the hunt for Imran Zakhaev, who is the main antagonist in the first game as well. The game alternates between him and Private James Ramirez, a soldier that defends United States of America from Russian forces in the later half of the game. What I do not like about this setup is that by focusing on these two as chief protagonists, the player will feel that that they have an equal share to play in the plot. However, about 90% of the plot revolves around the exploits of Roach. This gives an uneasy feeling of how James Ramirez is able to have so much screen time even though he plays only a minor role in the game.

Throughout the game, there are non-stop adrenaline pumping moments. The developers have done a really good job in evoking such feelings not only in fast action scenes, but also very slow, tense, confrontational moments. An example of such is when the player invades an airfield to destroy it, only to realise halfway throughout the level that they were suddenly surrounded in a bunker. A brief confrontational moment occurs and the player is quietly instructed to detonate a bomb placed elsewhere earlier on in the level. The bomb is detonated and in the distraction, the enemy soldiers are quickly despatched off. Fast action scenes include a REALLY tense snowmobile scene where the players are pursued in a snow-covered level. The sense of speed as he flies over ridges and gaps is really insane. There is also a scene where at the end of the level, the player is seen grabbing on to a grappling hook attached to a helicopter and he is pulled up at an extremely fast speed up a chimney to emerge from darkness almost 50 metres above ground level. These are truly breath-taking moments.

Another is how the developers tried to expand as much as they could on game mechanics. One scene would be how the player is required to use both mouse buttons to control his ice picks to scale a mountain. The user is required to hold on to the left button, then hold on the right while releasing the left, and then holding on to the left while releasing the right, and so on. To me, it is not entirely epic because other games have done this before, but it is truly a commendable job on the part of the developers to try out something new.

Again, the game ends on a truly epic fight scene and also a cliffhanger. It is quite obvious that the developers left it like that and we can expect Modern Warfare 3 to be in production now. Most people have complained on how the first and its sequel is so short. This game is indeed shorter than most games: I managed to complete it in two sittings. However, I am a firm believer of quality over quantity, so I am satisfied to play a game like that.

What I really like also is how the developers teased the gaming world with its teaser. It is a brilliant, brilliant, short clip on an intro scene for the controversial level. However, instead of a usual video, the only visuals are that of soundwaves. However, if one plays REALLY close attention, the soundwaves are not real: they are created visuals and at some parts of the teaser, a person can actually make out some scenes in the game which are wel hidden in the soundwaves. There was a whole bunch of findings and collection of rumours in game forums which spanned almost 30 odd pages long.

This game is really epic, and is a fitting end to this review blog as well. I recommend everyone to try it.

Rating: 9.9/10

Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo DS
Release: 2009

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is the 2^nd installment of the Legend of Zelda series for the Nintendo DS. Like all its predecessors, this game is also an action-role playing game and has kept the perspective/viewpoint to those of the older 2-dimensional Zelda games while sporting 3-dimensional graphics. Once again, the game lets you control Link, the game’s protagonist, and assumes his adventure to save Princess Zelda. Though unlike Mario games, the protagonist you control in each games are different from one another and existed in different timelines and worlds even though he has the same name. Also unlike Mario games, Zelda games also have a fully fleshed out story. But as the story and characters in each game are not in continuity, it will not be necessary for gamers to play through previous games to enjoy this one.

It is quite a feat for Nintendo to have translated Zelda’s complex control scheme to a portable console. As the DS do not have enough buttons, Nintendo had decided to use the touch screen and the microphone as the interface. You are able to play through the whole game with just the touch screen and the microphone, although buttons can be used to access certain features easily. You move the character by touching the direction you want Link to move and the speed of the character’s movement is based on how far your stylus is from Link, the further the faster. Attacking with the sword can be done through 3 different ways. You can attack enemies by tapping on them, swiping a line between you and the enemy to do a horizontal slash or move your stylus in 360 degree around Link to execute the 360 degree circular slash. There are also quite a number of weapons and items to be collected and used. One interesting weapon is the boomerang. To use it, you switch to the weapon and then use you stylus to draw the path that you want the boomerang to follow. There are also other weapons which require you to blow into the microphone to activate them. The game also features this flute which requires you to blow into the microphone and use the touch screen to move the flute much like a harmonica to play certain tunes.

Movement in the game is not restricted to foot and as the title suggests, you are able to travel around the world on the spirit tracks in a train. The train controls are simple and requires you to either shift the gear to accelerate or brake. You are able to switch paths and attack enemies with a cannon.

The heart of all Zelda games is still the well designed dungeons. There is any mechanics introduced in this game that are not found in the previous Zelda game on the DS. Even so, the puzzles in the dungeons are cleverly designed and are varied enough to keep the gamers engaged throughout. Boss fights are satisfying although the bosses in this game are much easier compared to previous Zelda games. Generally, this can be considered the easiest Zelda game and is particularly noticeable if you have completed other games in the series. That doesn’t mean the game is easy and gamers new to the series will still find it of a decent challenge.

Like the previous DS outing, Spirit Tracks follows the cel shaded art style that was first used in the series by The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker on the gamecube. The graphics are bright and colourful and the cel shaded style allows for extremely expressive facial animations. Much of the game is pleasant to look at with only certain environments that used extremely low resolution textures marring the aesthetics. The music in the game is excellent and is made up of mostly remixed tunes from the past games.

The Legend of Zelda games have always been excellent with interesting story, characters, huge world to explore, tight gameplay mechanics, cleverly designed dungeons and satisfying boss fights. Spirit Tracks does most of that really well and doesn’t disappoint. A good game to tide Zelda fans through until the next installment releases on the wii.

Rating: 9/10
Weiwen

Developer: SquareSoft(now Square Enix)
Platform: Playstation 2
Year: 2002

What do you get if you combined the familiar Disney characters, some amazing characters from the Final Fantasy series and mix it together with some original characters and elements? You get Kingdom Hearts, an action adventure game that became surprisingly popular even with the weird mishmash. This franchise would go on to produce even more games and there are now presently six titles.

(left to right: Riku, Kairi, Sora, Donald, Goofy)

Summary:
You start as Sora, the main protagonist, on Destiny islands. Together with his friends, Riku and Kairi, the trio was planning to leave the island to explore new worlds only for their islands to be attacked and destroyed by the heartless, shadowy monsters without a body or soul and borne from hearts that are corrupted by darkness. Sora soon finds himself in Transverse Town where he meets up with Donald and Goofy (yes, yes you heard right). The two promptly teams up with Sora after finding out that he’s the bearer of the Keyblade, a weapon that can be used against the heartless, the ‘key’ that their king (hint: He’s a mouse. A very famous mouse and he’s not mighty mouse) had asked them to find before he left their world to fight off the growing population of darkness.

The three would end up travelling across different worlds, mostly based on popular Disney movies and cartoons, via a special ship called the Gumi Ship manned by Chip and Dale. Donald and Goofy are both looking for the King while Sora is out looking for Riku and Kairi. Each keyhole they find in that world and successfully sealed by using Sora’s keyblade would ensure that the world would not be consumed by the heartless. Meanwhile, one of the big bad in the game is Malecifient (villain of Disney’s sleeping beauty) who is out to capture the seven princesses of heart in order to seek out Kingdom Hearts, a collection of immense knowledge and power and the source of all hearts.

Gameplay:

The game keeps to many of the rpg elements, player can level up, pick up spells, learn special abilities, use items and change equipments. However the battles all takes place in real time so you really have to really run around fighting heartless and dodging them. The battles are not alone, as you’ll always fight with partners. Most of the time they are Donald and Goofy but you can switch to other partners, which are special citizens to the world they come from. For example, in Halloween Town, a world based on Tim Burton’s Nightmare before Christmas, you can switch either Goofy or Donald for Jack Skellington.

The gameplay follows a linear story but gives player the choice of which world to go and what to do first. Most of the time you need to revisit the world a few time be it to train and level up or as part of the story.

Something that irks me would be the camera angle in the game. Most of the time, the perspective the camera gives you during the battle fights can give you a headache. You either run around so you can get a clear perspective or play around with the manual camera. Another thing I didn’t like was the Gumi ship mini game level you will have to go through mandatory every time you want to head to a new world. Mainly, it is your typically space shooting game. The problem? I’m terrible at those sort of games. Failing that mini game meant that you could not unlock the world and you have to retry until you get through it.

The summoning part during battles can be weird too. Summon gems can be found by Sora during the journey. These gems are formed when the heart of one of the residents being too strong to be consumed from a world that has been destroyed by the Heartless. When summon, Sora’s partners will withdraw from the battle until the summon’s time runs out. Mainly the weird part comes from the characters used for as the summon. I’m alright with Genie from Aladdin or Simba from the Lion King but Bambi? That’s stretching it a little far

(Bambi's here to save the day!)

Graphics:
A standard enough that it seems you are really in a Disney based universe. It blends in the graphics from two different factions perfectly. The graphics is really what makes the whole game seems entirely plausible even with its bizarreness. The game doesn’t heavily borrow on the Disney graphics either. The designs for the heartless are extensive and also the Keyblade collections.

Audio:
Beautiful. Simply beautiful. Sure there are some of the tracks which are based from their original music but you can tell that they put a lot of effort to create the original ones.

Is it fun:
Yes. Surprisingly it was really enjoyable and fun. It's a great game to play if you don't find seeing Disney characters and final fantasy characters together....

Come along and sing a song
And join the jamboree!
M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E