I Could Resist No Longer

After what seemed like months without it, I finally re-activated my World of Warcraft account. I had been weighing up the pros and cons for weeks beforehand. As I am on Uni holidays at the moment I felt like I had the time to spare. However, the fact that I knew I would quickly get tired of playing WoW held me back from buying some time. My girlfriend, initially at least, also held me back. She, and rightly so, warned me of the amount of time I would waste playing the game.

However, one night last week, she suddenly changed her tune. I am still unsure why this occurred, however I didn't really need to know. All i knew is that the most effective barrier to my playing WoW had just crumbled. A few days later, I traded in a few Xbox 360 games and paid the remainder for a time-card.

Like I do every time I come back from a WoW-break, I had visions of grandeur which, in this case, centered around of my desire to level an Alliance Death Knight on the Oceanic Barthilas realm. However, as I have previously found out (and must have chosen to ignore) I don't like playing Alliance on Barthilas, my favourite realm. As such, I was only able to level my Draeni Death Knight to level 61. My heirloom items helped quite alot.

After this failed attempt I flitted from realm to realm, character to character trying to find my niche. I tried some Alliance toons on Oceanic Dradmaul but I got bored of them quickly too. Currently I am playing my Orc Warrior on Oceanic Barthilas. He is level 47 and has been tanking using the new PuG system for the last few levels. I have really been enjoying tanking and have had mainly positive and nice people in my groups.

As of the moment, my favourite level-specific instance is Zul'Farrak. It is quite easy and quick to run with a good group. I like the look of the Troll mobs and even the casters are pretty easy to roundup and Thunder Clap. In the last few days of running PuG's I have only picked up 1 nice item that has not come from the loot bag at the end of each random run. It is this Helm of the Mountain and while I can't use it for another level, I am pleased with it.

I hope that my interest in my Warrior continues.....

Top 5 iPhone/iPod Touch Games

Number 1:

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars - AU $12.99

I had alot of trouble deciding what game I would chose for the number one spot in my countdown. I'll say up front that I have probably spend the least amount of time playing GTA:CW compared to the other games on my iPod Touch. If I hadn't already sunk countless hours into the Nintendo DS version of the game, however, I am sure I would have played the iPod version much more.

I really don't feel like it's necessary to go into the details of the game itself here. Suffice to say, GTA:CW sees the player control Huang Lee, the sarcastic protagonist, in a top-down version of what is, in essence at least, a fully-fledged GTA game. Rather than go into the details of the game as it has appeared on all the three devices it is available for, I will just discuss some factors that make it a great game for the iPhone/iPod Touch.


With its port to the Sony PSP, GTA:CW lost the touch-screen minigames that really did gave a certain character to the gameplay experience as a whole. The iPhone/iPod Touch version, however, brings the touchscreen activity back in a big and, arguably, better way. iPhone/iPod Touch users are no longer required to have a pokey stylus on hand while exploring Liberty City. I recall having a problem with the Nintendo DS version regarding where I was to keep my stylus during the driving sequences where it was not of any use. The ability to touch the screen directly feels much more natural than the Nintendo method and results in an easier time when attempting to hotwire a car or throw a Molotov cocktail. In regards to the touchscreen usability, I am a tiny bit disappointed that the iPhone/iPod Touch version is without the ability to 'flick' a coin into a tollbooth when crossing from one island to another. Unlike the Nintendo DS version, iPhone/iPod Touch users simply have stop at the tollbooth for a few seconds.

As far as visuals go, GTA:CW is one of the most graphically intense and thoroughly detailed games available on the App Store. The game features a day/night cycle as well as weather variability (when it rains pedestrians whip out their umbrellas). The missions themselves are short enough to be completed in 5 minute (or shorter) burts. If a mission is failed, there is an option to return to the cutscene that started the mission.

There are honestly too many good things to say about this game. The one that really sticks out in my mind, however, is the drug dealing system. Near the start of the game, Huang Lee is introduced to the burgeoning Liberty City drug trade. After a brief tutorial, the player is given the freedom of buying and selling a wide variety of illicit drugs according to current market swings. I know that this game within a game was the main reason I spent so many hours playing GTA:CW on the Nintendo DS. With the use of the drug-market analysis features found within the interface of the game, becoming a wealthy drug-baron has never been easier (or more entertaining).

Another thing I love about this game is its price. The Nintendo DS and Sony PSP iterations of the game can still retail for over AU $50. The fact that the version available on the App Store is superior to the other versions, in addition to the fact that it is less than a quarter of the price, makes Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for the iPhone/iPod Touch a bargain in every sense of the word.

While I love all the games I have reviewed in this top 5 list, I think the GTA:CW is the overall winner in terms of quality, longevity, widespread appeal and value for money.

Top 5 iPhone/iPod Touch Games

NUMBER 2:

MiniSquadron - AU $3.99

I am pretty sure that MiniSquadron has the honour of being my most played game on my iPod Touch. In a way not too dissimilar to Cartoon Wars: Gunner, MiniSquadron provides players with a rich visual experience while, at the same time, keeping players coming back for more through an addicting unlockable-extras system. Whereas in CWG, a game which sees the player work towards both the purchasing of new weapons as well as the upgrading of old ones, MiniSquadron focuses solely on the unlocking and use of new and improved aircraft. Each of the 8 levels in the game provide opportunities for the unlocking of planes. Going back to earlier levels with planes unlocked in latter levels sees the player reach higher scores and thus, unlock even more planes.


The concept of the game is quite simple. You are put up against waves of enemy aircraft and must survive the onslaught in order pass the level. The key to a good score depends on your skill with the plane you are piloting. Luckily the control system in MiniSquadron is amazingly responsive and easy to use. Given that every plane handles, shoots and receives damage differently, you should never find yourself desiring further aircraft variation. While you are initially given the controls of a basic plane equipped with a single-fire front-mounted gun, it is not long before you can experiment with an ever-increasing range of aircraft. While some planes fly slowly and deliver a cluster of bombs to any aircraft below them, other planes are able to quickly out-maneuver an enemy and provide almost continuous machine-gun fire. In addition to the more 'realistic' airplanes, MiniSquadron allows players to unlock other airdract including both laser-firing UFOs as well as unnervingly creepy planes that resemble animals. The combination of visual style, maneuverability, speed and both offensive and defensive attributes amongst the planes seems almost endless. The visuals of MiniSquadron are truly superb. The planes and environments in which they fly are so distinct and appealing that simply flying around in a level is a pleasure.

While MiniSquadron is one of the more expensive games I have bought for the iPod Touch, I would suggest this game to anyone who is interested in fun and enjoyment. It's that simple.

Top 5 iPhone/iPod Touch Games

NUMBER 3:

Cartoon Wars: Gunner - AU$1.19

After getting into this series with the original Cartoon Wars game for the iPod Touch, I was eager for more. As soon as I noticed that CWG had appeared on the App Store, I instantly bought it. Unlike the other two games I have previously reviewed, I can’t find as much to write about Cartoon Wars: Gunner. Anyways, here goes…

In CWG you play as a cool-looking black-and-white stick figure who battles hordes of enemies on a static battlefield. While this may sound like it could get quite boring, the weapons upgrade system makes this one of those games that you always want to play a bit more. While the plater initially only starts out with a bow and arrow, the game provides for many weapons to be unlocked when enough gold has been saved from killing enemies. Each weapon can be upgraded a total of ten times and it seems like other game-changing aspects (such as health, movement speed and damage improvements) can be upgraded limitlessly. The visual style of the game far outshines the the graphics of the original Cartoon Wars. The enemies are varied and spectacular, despite their uniform grey hue. This colour choice only benefits the game by proving a contrast with the vibrant colours produced by the various weapon effects.

Some reviews have complained about the simplicity and lack of gameplay-variation in CWG. While I do agree wih these assertions to some extent, I really feel like the core aspects of this game are enough to keep the player entertained for several hours at least. With the announcement of upcoming updates to the arsenal of weapons and range of enemies in the game, Blue GNC has ensured that the Cartoon Wars franchise has a long life ahead of it.

1 out of 2 so soon isn't bad eh?

After finishing my previous post regarding my new thoughts on the Apple iPad, I came across an article that instantly grabbed my attention.Yesterday, AppleInsider posted video footage of a conversation between Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal and Steve Jobs soon after the announcement of Apple's newest device. Mossberg's questioning of Jobs yielded some interesting facts. They are as follows:
-The iPad will be able to play over 100 hours of music before needing a recharge.

-The eBooks offered through iTunes will cost the same as those offered by Amazone for the Kindle.

-The iPad-compatible version of Pages (part of the iWork suite) will be able to save files in a Microsoft Word format!!!!!

A more in-depth rundown of the conversation, in addition to the video itself, is available here: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/01/29/steve_jobs_ipad_to_offer_word_support_10_ebooks_6_days_of_music.html

This last piece of news is fantastic for me personally. I am much more likely to purchase the iPad now, knowing that I will be able to word process at uni and then convert the file to a Word document for later editing and printing.

After I discovered this glorious fact, I researched the level of compatibility between Word and Pages documents. The 2008 Edition of iWork (I couldn't find confirmation of a more recent version), at least, allowed users to import both Microsoft Office 2007 and 2004 documents. It was also noted that this 2008 Edition only saved Microsoft Word files in the older .doc format, and not in the newer .docx format. While I understand that things might have changed since then, and possibly could change again with the advent of the iPad's iWork suite, I feel much better knowing that at least the later Microsoft Word file formats will be able to be used with the iPad's native word-processing software.

Come on Jobs, give me some multiprocessing news and be 2 for 2! For my sake and for yours. You can't advertise the iPad as a netbook killer unless it has the balls (read: multiprocessor) to kill a netbook!

My New Thoughts on the Apple iPad

I have spent most of my free time since the announcement keeping up to date with news, views and opinions regarding the iPad.

I have watched Steve Job’s prowl around the stage with the device in his hand several times. I think that the main thing people need to do is rely less on this video. Jobs does not really do the device a service with his overview. A good portion of the tech blogosphere has focussed heavily on Job’s presentation. As a result we are seeing an emphasis on the eBook functionality, internet browsing experience and media capabilities of the device. While these aspects are, of course, integral to the appeal of the iPad, I think we should look beyond what we can see right now, and focus on the possibilities that lie ahead for the device.

I mentioned in a previous post that the iPad could become useful for mobile blogging (by which I meant all non-typing intensive activities). As I have thought and read about it more and more I have begun to realise that the possibilities for word processing probably won’t end there. Apple’s new iPad-friendly version of iWork Suite will probably provide users with an adequate writing experience. While there is still the problem of being able to transport an iWorks document to Microsoft Word for all the non-Mac users out there (I am one of them), I assume/hope that Apple will allow this to occur. There is always the possibility that a 3^rd party developer might produce a program that allows for iWorks and MS Word compatibility and that Apple will approve it. If this were the case, the iPad’s popularity with many demographics, especially students, would sky-rocket.

Now that I have covered the potential for the iPad to allow for easy-to-use and possibly even MS Word-compatible software, I want to talk about the actual act of typing on the iPad. I have seen many many comments firing hate-bombs towards Apple in regards to the iPad’s touchscreen keyboard. I actually wonder how many of those haters have actually used an almost fully-sized touchscreen keyboard. Personally, the closest I have come is using a giant touchscreen keyboard at my local internet café. While that touch-keyboard is at least 50cms wide and 30 cms tall, I honestly can say that it is a breeze to use and feels very natural. While I know that the letters on the iPad’s keyboard will be smaller and closer together, I am of the belief that if the iPad’s keyboard is anything like the one I described, it will be more than useable. I would like to know how many people who espouse their negative views regarding large touchscreen keyboards have actually had the opportunity to use one.

As it stands now, even if it was compatible with MS Word, the iPad remains more like an iPod Touch than a netbook in one crucial way: multitasking. I do believe that the much of the disappointment over the iPad stems from the fact that for as long as the iPad runs on an iPhone OS system, it can never be more than a big iPhone. However, if multitasking capabilities were installed in OS 4.0, the gulf between the netbook and the iDevice would diminish greatly. From what I have read, there is every possibility that multitasking will be a main feature of OS 4.0. The ability to multitask would, once more, greatly increase the appeal of the iPad to many. Students, like myself, would surely flock to a relatively cheap and extremely stylish device that allows users to perform most of the tasks traditionally restricted to net/notebooks.

With the implementation of two simple additions (un-restricted word processing apps and the ability to multitask), Apple will have brought the iPad so much closer to its intended purpose: the netbook killer. This is what I mean when I say that we should not judge the iPad on the software previewed by Steve Jobs on Wednesday. We have no way of knowing what sort of apps will appear on the iPad in the coming months and years. Clearly, I have changed my tune regarding the device. I know I am truly excited about the potential of the iPad. With a few changes to the OS and with goodwill between Apple and the developers, the iPad could drastically change the way we view portable touch devices.

Top 5 iPhone/iPod Touch Games

NUMBER FOUR:

The Creeps - AU$1.19

I first fell in love with the Tower Defence genre with NinjaTown for the Nintendo DS in late 2008. For me nothing has ever topped that experience, despite the iPhone/iPod Touch becoming the spiritual homeland of the genre.

The Creeps is the closest I have come to bliss-like Ninja-Town excitement. The Creeps has a few neat features that distinguish it from other TD games. Firstly, the charming artistic design that oozes from every part of The Creeps is very memorable. Gameplay-wise, The Creeps gives TD aficionados a new challenge in the form of destructable terrain. Destroying neighboring terrain not only awards players with extra gold (that can be used for upgrading your towers) but also makes way for further increases to your tower arsenal.

The twelve maps feature varied environments and keep the game appearing fresh. In additon, the three game modes and three difficulty settings provide literally dozens of hours of gameplay. Survival Mode is the traditional wait-out-the-enemy-waves scenario. Endurance is an insanely addictive mode that rewards you according to the number of waves you destroy before being defeated yourself (good tower positioning can result in over an hour of play for just one Endurance match). Door Buster Mode tasks the player with destroying the door through which the enemies flood though. A nice, and thoroughly necessary, feature is the ability to speed up time to twice that of normal. This becomes particularly useful in the plus-300 wave Endurance sessions.

The varied range of tower abilities means that you are never left wishing there was a tower that did X effect to Y opponent. The standards are all there: slowing towers (modeled as charming glue guns); standard single target laser guns; multiple target boomerang-style towers; towers that only shoot in a multiple-enemy-piercing straight line; and energy guns that build up their damage the longer they are attacking a target. Added to this are several more interactive weapons such as the whirlwind, which requires the player to move it to pick up enemies using the acceleromter. The oil can is used in a similar fashion. Oil is slicked upon the course and the player must tilt the device to prevent the enemies from advancing further.

With the recent release of three sets of AU$1.19 DLC for the game, which will provide new maps and enemies as well as more difficult challenges, The Creeps is a fantastic little Tower Defence game and is worthy of my Top Five iPhone/iPod Touch games.

Top 5 iPhone/iPod Touch Games

This is a run-down of my five favourite App games. I'm almost positive that there are games out there that should be in this list; however, I have not exhaustively trawled the App Store and so do not know about them. Having said that, I do make sure that I frequently keep up to date with the latest news from the App Store on a number of dedicated sites. The list is as follows....

NUMBER FIVE:

Word with Friends - Free/AU$3.99

I have only recently discovered this popular game. It is almost identical to the boardgame Scrabble and provides just as much fun. I considered purchasing EA's official Scrabble game, however claims that the Scrabble AI tended the cheat combined with praise for WwF meant I went with the latter. While you cannot play against an AI opponent in this game, there is the option for a 2-player/1-iPhone game type. This means that you can compete against yourself...with yourself. The greatest thing about WwF is the online multiplayer. You can easily make an online profile and begin challenging your friends to a match. Facebook and Twitter friends can be challenged through the respective chat portals, while you can also simply challenge anyone as long as you know their username.

This game has become very popular with my girlfriend and I. Originally it felt slightly stagnant as we would have to wait for each other to take their turns (despite the fact that the game is very quick to update your opponents movements). This, however, was quickly surmounted by opening three seperate games together. This, added with the me vs. me game I usually play, means that I can almost continually be playing this game. Honestly, there is very little I could fault this game for. It surely wouldn't be the price, as FREE is pretty generous. It should be noted that the Free version does contain ads that must be clicked away between every turn. However this is not intrusive and only the most impatient of players would truly have a problem with this. While there is a non-ad version for AU$3.99, there is little use in purchasing the more expensive version.

The interface is very easy to use. The main page lists games in which it is your turn to play a word; games where it is your opponents turn; and games that have recently concluded. To zoom down onto a smaller portion of the board, you only need to double tap. Otherwise, the overview board view is good for finding the most recently played word (marked with a star).

Anyone who has any interest in word games will have a blast playing Words with Friends. After only a few days of playing it, it has made its way on to my Top Five games for the iPhone/iPod Touch.

Apps for the Musically Minded

I tend to flit from hobby to hobby. One of the hobbies that I keep coming back to is the classical guitar. Recently I have taken to surfing the App Store to look for apps that can be of use to me as an amateur musician. More recently (i.e. yesterday) I bought myself a cheap ukulele just to have some fun. These are just a few free apps that have been extremely helpful to me. FYI, the emboldened title is the exact name of each app.

Tuning Apps:

'Ukulele Tuner'

This is an extremely simple and useful app. Simply tap the four string buttons and it produces the audio clip required for each string. Unlike, its guitar tuner counterpart (mentioned below) this app has no issues with touch recognition.

'Guitar Tuner'

This app is similar to the ukulele app. However, instead of being able to touch buttons that correspond to certain strings, this app requires you to tap the string itself. This can be problematic because the touch recognition on this app is obviously flawed. Sometimes you will have to tap a string a few times before it emits the tone. However, for the price of FREE, I am not complaining.

Chord Apps:

'UkeFinger'

'FretBoard LE:Visualize Chords and Scales'

Both of these apps seem to be useful for anyone requiring a visual representation of any chord imaginable on the ukulele. However, I am quite impatient and have not been able (or bothered) to get to grips with their rather confusing interfaces. UkeFinger allows for up to three chords to be displayed at one time while FretBoard does not. Anyone who is willing to put in the time to understand how these apps really work will assuredly be rewarded with helpful and free ukulele chord-finding experience.

'Chord Master LE'

This isn't actually the app I use for my guitar chords, however, I can't track down the one I use on the App Store. It's name is simply 'GuitarChords' and if you find it, grab it. However, Chord Master LE is another free guitar chord app that is simple to use and has a really nice looking interface. As you can see from the picture, you can select the key on the upper slider and then the modifier on the lower slider.

Conclusion:

These sort of apps have really made playing my instruments easier. The tuners are especially useful in that they are dead-simple to use and the fact that most people keep their iPhone/iPod Touch nearby means that these apps are a must for any musicians.

Apple iPad: The missing link or an evolutionary failure?

After waking to the news that Apple had finally announced it's long-rumored tablet device, I was initially extremely excited. As I scrolled through Cnet's Live Blog of the announcement however, the awe that I initially had for the device began to dissapear. I had simply been conditioned by the many tech blogs in previous weeks into thinking that the iPad would be more computer than iPhone. Irrespective of the actual possibility that the iPad would be more computer and less iPhone, I was bitterly disappointed. I imagined an Apple tablet that ran a Mac/Microsoft-based OS that would allow the user to have most of the benefits offered by Netbooks, if not Notebooks. And while is it clear that the price-point of the iPad would not have allowed this sort of technology, it seems strange that Apple went about producing this device at all.

The iPad clearly does not provide the versatility of a Net/Notebook. Furthermore, it does not provide the portability of an iPhone/iPod Touch. Does Steve Jobs expect us to lug around this new device as well, when the combination of the older two (iPhone/Notebook) is more than capable solution to the requirements of the average person?

Ensuring that the iPad is hamstrung by the limitations of an app-based system was one of Apple's biggest mistakes, in my opinion. While a consumer can purchase an AU$400 netbook boasting, at the very least, Windows XP and the benefits inherent in typing using a tactile, if small, keyboard, the same cannot be said for the iPad. I am not saying that typing on the iPad is not a pleasant experience. I just question its capacity for extended typing sessions, in addition to the fact that a document typed-up on the iPad will never be automatically be saved as a Microsoft Word file. While heavy typing may not have been in the mind of Apple as they made the iPad, this omission is the most disappointing aspect of the device to me. Having said this, I can still see the iPad providing an adequate mobile blogging device.


The iPad still has some worthwhile features that will make it desirable to many. It is undisputedly the sexiest media-player in existence despite the fact that the sub-par memory storage (especially in the cheaper models) means that media storage will be somewhat hampered. As the big brother of the iPod Touch, the iPad will assumedly reflect the high pedigree of mobile gaming that Apple has achieved in recent years. Additionally, the increase in screen size and processing power will probably allow for even more complex, engrossing and visually pleasing games.

While at this point, I see the iPad as a rather pointless attempt by Apple to carve a new market where one does and should not exist, it is impossible to see what might be possible with this device in the future. If, for example, the new processing power of the iPad allowed for games such as World of Warcraft to be played on the device, I would seriously consider purchasing a unit. Furthermore, if Apple came up with a solution for the lack of Microsoft Word compatibility, not to mention the problem of data transfer without USB slots, then I could see myself getting some use out of the device. However, as the device stands at this time, I feel as though anyone who already owns an iPhone/iPod Touch and especially anyone who owns one in addition to a Netbook or Notebook should wait for Apple to really prove to consumers how the iPad should warrant the creation of a new market in portable devices.