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Sunday, November 04, 2007
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Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Fifa 08 - The Review
"The greatest battle of the new football season is not between any real world club but between the virtual giants of FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer. Konami’s game has always been the favourite but last year FIFA closed the gap to such a degree that the title race has never been closer." - a quote from Harrison Dent's review of the game, on Amazon.co.uk.
Gameplay | PS2: 9/10 | DS: 6/10
When playing matches, the PS2 is brilliant. It is very responsive to subtle movements on the controller, which can make the big difference. On both platforms (like usual), there is a very clever control system, which makes them easy to play, once you get the hang of the controls. However, the PS2 controls have changed slightly, so you may have to switch the controls via certain menus on the game, or master the new controls. Switching players has changed button, but now you can use the right analog stick - R3 - (on the PS2) to switch players. At times, this can be incredibly useful, far better than just pressing a button, as you are in far better control. Flick the R3 stick towards the player you want to control and the game will switch to that player. This can also get very annoying, though, if you get it wrong. Generally, I try to use both of the options. Unfortunately, the Nintendo DS can be quite unresponsive, and the players seem to be unable to make smaller movements, unless travelling slowly. You aren't capable of being able to do as much with your players on the DS, as the PS2, although this can be forgiven, as there are less buttons and the handheld console.
Game Modes, Extras & Improvements | PS2: 9.5/10 | DS: 6/10
Unlike the trend that most Fifa games seem to have got into now, which is only adding small things to the games, Fifa 08 has broken it, for the PS2 at least. The new 'Be a Pro' mode, is a clever idea in which you only play one player on the pitch. It boasts quite a lot of realism, but if you play in an attacking position, your team doesn't seem to concede any goals. This may be a good thing, but it lacks realism. The Be a Pro mode has also been expanded into a 'Be a Pro Career Mode', where you control one player, possibly sell him to new clubs, but most of all play matches with his team. Next comes the brilliant idea of making your own formation. This is easy to do on the PS2, but is difficult on the DS, as you are required to use the touch screen. This new mode allowed me to make the strategy: '10-0-0'. There is also a 'Zone Play' mode, but I don't quite understand what it does. To add to the new modes, Fifa 08 still boasts all the old modes for the PS2, adding new features to some of them. For instance, in the Manager Mode, you can now schedule Pre-Season Friendly matches, and have Mid-Week Training sessions. Both are great ideas, that are realistic in the sense that it can have a negative effect on your team if you're not careful. As usual, there are many, many things to unlock on the PS2. On the DS, however, there are no things at all to unlock, and virtually no new modes, which is very saddening.
Multi-Player Activities | PS2: 9/10 | DS: 9/10
Both platforms score equally as well on this category. As usual, the PS2 version has the wireless version in which you can play anyone in the world, create virtual leagues, or play real leagues virtually, with your favourite team. These are all great ideas, but can only work if enough people participate (and if you have an internet connection). I haven't tried it before, so I can't comment on this much. And of course, you can still do two to four player games, with up to four people on the same team, which can be very team. The DS also scores greatly on this. There is the expected 'DS Download' which only requires one cartridge of the game for it's use, as well as the Multi-Cartridge option, in which the players can schedule tournaments, pit their created teams against each other. But the thing I like the most, is the fact the game has a Wi-Fi mode, now, so you can play anyone anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, the chances are that they'll beat you hands-down...
Graphics | PS2: 8/10 | DS: 4/10
The PS2 graphics are fairly good. They look quite realistic, but could be improved if players had better facial expressions. Strangely, they've improved little from Fifa 07, which leaves me wondering if Fifa 08 has reached the PS2's capacity for graphics. And as for the Nintendo DS, the graphics are shocking. They have improved slightly, by a microscopic amount, from Fifa 06. That's two years ago. Two years, and the graphics are virtually no different from before, still in that appalling, horrific standard. Very disappointing.
Music/Sound Quality | PS2: 9/10 | DS: 5/10
Both games have a great variety of songs, many of them unheard of by most, but still great to listen to. Past examples include Get on the Floor, and Guten Tag, whilst a current example would be Young Folks, although this is all my (far from trendy) opinion. The PS2 version has good sound quality, but I assume this would depend on the quality of the television speakers you use with these games. Unfortunately, once again, the DS version lacks, with poor sound quality, which cannot be blamed on anything else, and is not made up for by the jukebox that Fifa 08 boasts.
Bugs/Glitches | PS2: 7/10 | DS: 9/10
Strangely, the DS version has beaten the PS2 version in this category. Unfortunately for the PS2, the commentating can be far off, claiming that the keeper saved the shot, when really it was miles wide, as well as getting player names wrong. Also, when the game is simulating match results and the transfer window, in Manager Mode, the music can momentarily stop, and the game can appear to freeze, for a few seconds, which I guarantee can be quite unnerving, if you are attached to your PS2. I've found no glitches or bugs with the DS version of Fifa 08, so it has outscored the PS2 version in this round.
Overall | PS2: 9/10 | DS: 6/10
So, now that I've covered all of the categories I can think of, it leaves me with a final thought. The PS2 version is brilliant, to be short. It has improved greatly from Fifa 07, which wasn't exactly too shabby itself. I can't wait for Fifa 09, the next game to come out, in which they could hopefully fix some of the bugs, and problems with the game. And for he DS version? Very disappointed. Even for a handheld console, it lags far behind the PS2 version with much less to do on the game, much less to unlock, as well as having appalling graphics and sound quality. I don't think I'll be buying another Fifa game for the Nintendo DS any time soon...
Thank you for reading, and I hope my review helps you.
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Saturday, October 13, 2007
Google - My Way
After the website address (http://googlemyway.com/), you can type in whatever you like, and it will come up in that Google font. However, it has to be under 19 characters, or else it won't work. And that really, is all there is to it. You can put spaces in your website address, but it doesn't come up with any special characters, I don't think, apart from numbers.
Still don't get it? Try this link. I hope you enjoy messing around with this. :-)
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Monday, October 01, 2007
My First Tab
E¦----------------------------------------------------------------------------¦
B¦----------------------------------------------------------------------------¦
G¦----------------------------------------------------------------------------¦
D¦----------------------------------------------------------------------------¦
A¦---5-6-6----5-6-6--6-5-3-3-----3-3---3------------3-6-6-----5-6-6----5-6-6--¦
E¦-6--------6------------------6---------6-4-4----4---------6--------6--------¦
It is my first tab, and it definitely isn't perfect, but I hope you enjoy. =) I am fairly new to guitar, so don't be too harsh if you wish to critique it. And that will be all. Bye!
* The actual Stand By Me music is played on Bass Guitar, so this tab will sound an octave or so higher than the real thing.
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Sunday, September 16, 2007
Remember This?
Well, do you? Of course you do! It's the GMail: A Behind the Scenes Video of course! Read the post just linked, if you don't remember. And, on the video above, if you haven't watched it, are all of the winners of the competition. There were some great little clips there, I thought, my favourite being the Lego one, or the one with the robot, which coincidentally was straight after it.
But there's more! Many, many people have submitted clips, hoping for it to get in the video. Unfortunately, they haven't. GMail, however, still allows you to see the clips that didn't quite make it. Have a look at the little flash thing, that looks like earth from a long way away, at the bottom of the page. Click here, by the way. That's all for now. Bye!
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Saturday, September 01, 2007
Summer Holiday Goals Results
Blogging
Yes! This is one (well, two really) of my goals complete. What a great start. Here, I've finished blogging about My Top Gaming Sites, as you can see, if you've read those posts. Also, I've finished blogging about the body (in CSS and HTML terms), on CSSBytes. That's two out of six goals complete, already.
Neopets
This is the bad one for me. I have completed none of my goals for Neopets. I have managed to code about three of my four petpages on Neopets (just about), but that isn't really good enough. I got sidetracked making userlookups, so really it's only my fault. And, to add to that, I got nowhere near raising enough virtual funds for the Secret Lab Map.
Reading
This is a positive one. I read the Harry Potter book (the last of the series) with plenty of holiday time to spare. It was fairly sad seeing the series end, but, all great things do have to come to one. I also cut it a little late, but I finished the Northern Lights, by Philip Pullman. The plot was ruined for me, when 'sin', and all of those things came into it. Still, that's three out of six so far.
And Finally
I have enjoyed my holiday. Yes, I've done a lot of things which I enjoyed (and some which I haven't, but nothing's perfect). So that makes four out of six. Not the best score, but a good one nonetheless, and good enough for me.
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Tuesday, August 28, 2007
My Top Gaming Sites - Miniclip
Miniclip has a very large variety of Games, all very well organized into categories, like on most gaming sites. The homepage is fairly well set out, showing off the newest games on the site quite clearly, with interesting flash animations, that loop between the three newest games. One of my favourite features on the site, is a list of all of their games, at the bottom of each page. You can choose to hide this if you do not want it. It's a quick way to find the game you want.
Probably my favourite bit of the site, is that with every game, it has simple instructions on how to play it. It shows you the controls, with small pictures of the keys you need to press as well, which some other sites do, but it also tells you the objective of the game, which at times, can be very, very useful.
Miniclip does allow you to embed some of their games on your own website, giving you the code and all, but unfortunately, most of these are the older games, which aren't necessarily the ones you want on your website. Nonetheless, below, is a game I particularly like, called smashing. The aim of the game is to break all of the boxes on each level. There are power-ups to collect and such, too. Move your mouse to control the paddle, and click, to release weapons gained from power-ups, if you get the right ones. Good luck!
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Friday, August 24, 2007
HIRO CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER?
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Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Another Short Break
are interested, I'll be going to Plymouth in that time. I'm not sure what I will do there, though. x3 So anyway, bye for now.
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Sunday, August 12, 2007
Summer Break Goals Update
As for the stuff on Neopets, I have now nearly coded three out of four petpages, but I am unsure about whether I'll complete that target or not. :( Also, I have roughly collected half the funds for the Secreat Lab Map, so that looks doubtful too. :(
I finished Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows ages ago, to be honest. I really enjoyed it, great book, but not perfect, and probably not the best Harry Potter book so far, but it's up there. As for the Northern Lights, I've nearly finished that as well.
And finally, I would say that I have enjoyed my Summer Break quite a lot so far. I still have a couple more weeks of it, so hopefully I can enjoy them too. I hope you enjoy (or have enjoyed) your Summer Break too. Bye!
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Friday, August 03, 2007
GMail: A Behind the Scenes Video
Basically, they want us, (ie: the people who use GMail), to add to this video, showing how an email can be passed on. They say that the best ones will be added to the current video, so you can see your own clip on the internet. It seemed quite interesting to me, so I thought I'd blog it. If you want more information, then click here. That's it for now, so bye, and good luck if you enter the competition.
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Tuesday, July 31, 2007
My Top Gaming Sites - Candystand
Unlike some of my other top gaming sites (such as AddictingGames.com, and Egg2.com), Candystand doesn't just show games made by any producer. Yes, that means they make all of their own games, but that isn't what's mainly different about them. Candystand is owned by the large company Wrigley's, so all of the games will subtly, or not, as it sometimes is, advertise their products.
However, do not let this deter you from enjoying the online games site. It still has loads of great games for you to enjoy, with carefully explained instructions. To add to that, it has something which the other top gaming sites don't. These are called trophy games. If you become a member on the site, you can do a lot of extra things, but one of them is trophy games. Basically, if you score a certain score on some games, you get a bronze, silver, or gold trophy. Your supposed to try and collect them all! My favourite games on the site would have to be the following.
Firstly, there's a game called Dodgeball. Yes, that pretty much explains what you do in the game. But how many other dodgeball games do you know of? None, for me. All the controls for it are explained, and it does take a while to get the hang of, but I still think it's a great game. Click here to play!
And secondly, there's a game called H.O.R.S.E. But I think I'll just be calling it Horse, to keep it simple. This a Basketball game, where you have to try and do certain moves, or you can play the classic game of Horse. Don't know what that is? Worry not, the instructions for it will explain. Click here to play H.O.R.S.E!
That is it for my review of Candystand. It might not have as many games as other sites, and yes, it is trying to advertise it's products, but nevertheless, most of the games are brilliant, the site is clearly set out, and there are loads of great features for members. I suggest you give the site a visit. I hope this review helps you!
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Monday, July 23, 2007
Huzzah! Finally, My Own User Lookup!
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Sunday, July 22, 2007
My Summer Holiday Goals
- To continue blogging on here, and to finish telling you all about My Top Gaming Sites.
- Also, to continue blogging on my other blog, CSSBytes, and finish explaining about the body (HTML-wise), and what you can do with it.
- On Neopets, to raise a lot of funds, and get the Secret Laboratory Map, so I can zap my Neopets.
- As well as that, I want to get all four of my petpages on Neopets up and running, with something decent, instead of the plain old default oner, which is terribly boring.
- To read all of the last Harry Potter Book - Harry Potter and the Deahtly Hallows, as well as The Northern Lights, a book by Phillip Pullman. Both of them are great!
- But most of all, what I want to do more than anything, is enjoy my summer break! Now then, that is the end of my post, but expect many more updates coming soon!
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Friday, July 13, 2007
Woohoo! Summer Holidays!
But, yes, there is a but, I won't be blogging on this blog, or CSSBytes, for the next week, because I am going to the lovely Dorset on holiday. Bye for now!
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Thursday, July 12, 2007
My Top Gaming Sites - Addicting Games
The site has lots and lots of games, all specified into their own categories, so that means that you don't have to search blindly for what you want. The games are mostly of a high quality, made by some top brands, like Mousebreaker, for instance. Some games are also made only for Addicting Games.com.
Some examples of some great games on the site, are Bloons, a game in which you need to pop all of, or a certain amount of balloons on a level, with your darts to proceed (I usually resort to going on Infinite Darts mode, because I'm rubbish), PacXon, a pacman-like game, although there are a few differences, which you'll find out if you play it. Also, there is Oversize XXL, which is basically a monster truck racing game, like the name probably suggests, as well as Electric Man 2, a game I've showed you in an earlier post.
Like one of the gaming sites showed before though, my favourite part of Addicting Games.com, is the fact that it allows you to embed some games onto your blog, or website, which is great. To show you this, I have placed a game called Pinch Hitter on the blog. It's a baseball game, where you simply move your mouse to get your bat in the right place, then click to hit the ball. You get points for how far you hit it. Beware, get three strikes and you're out, and if you get caught, then you're straight out! My top score is 8851. Can you beat it?
Play Games at AddictingGames
I believe that Addicting Games.com is truly a brilliant gaming site. My only criticisms for the site, is that there can often be a couple of annoying pop-ups, and the layout is a little messy. But apart from that, you should really visit it. And that's it for my review of Addicting Games.com. Thanks for reading!
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Thursday, July 05, 2007
The Turing Test
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Monday, June 25, 2007
Also...
Check this place out for some Glastonbury Highlights: http://scienceoftheinvisible.blogspot.com/2007/06/glastonbury-highlights.html
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Great Song, Great Video
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Monday, June 18, 2007
Wow...
But... in case you haven't noticed, the blog has a new domain name! Now, it's the AllTheThingsILike blog, instead of that old, fairly ugly one. xP
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