Changes

Fellow Gamers, Zamboangamer039 from Zamboangamer will be moving to Pagadian City soon which means a sleeping blog. I wish a guest blogger would come up and post on the site while I am away since getting a PC to work in that location might be a difficult challenge.

Why am I moving to Pagadian City you might ask? Training. There comes a time in a man’s life when he has to change his lifestyle. I am and will always be a gamer, the training will not only make me more responsible buy will also help me to make a career because I will be studying a technical course. Something computer related so I can keep on blogging and playing games. That’s two birds with one stone.

What is the future for Zamboangamer then? Continuation is necessary since blogging has become an integral part of my life. I still have a lot to learn though, moving to a new domain not hosted by wordpress is hard.

I think as a gamer we are blessed to adapt to new situations. Earlier while looking on 9gag posts, Pokemon games were popping up and then I thought…”Pokemon is about adventure”. Life is an adventure,and from most RPG’s I have played. The protagonist will travel to many places in the world, and I will soon experience it also.

So until that time, its packing things and learning new skills. Till next time Zamboangamers

Rest Day

Fellow gamers, Zamboangamer won’t be posting today as we need a break wew. Hope all of you understand. 😀

It’s about time! – Plants Vs. Zombies 2 Review

For us Android users who were waiting for PVZ2 to be released. Good news its time to get it on Play Store and its free…what’s the catch you ask? Read on to find out.

 

PVZ2 improves on the recent Popcap installment which was a huge success. Zamboangamer039 himself got so addicted to the game back then that getting this one even before the Google play store release was an achievement 😀

For those of you new to the game its simple, you have to plant your greens onto the lawn and defend against zombies. Sunflowers are your bread and butter for harvesting sunlight which adds up to build plants that defend the lawn, turrets like peashooters cabbage-pults are back in business with some new friends like plants that shoot boomerangs and punch zombies are new things to look forward to.

 

 

 

Starting off with a tutorial is a great way to refresh us veterans and train the newbs on how to play the game. Crazy Dave is back with a new character, a time machine named Penny (knock,knock,knock). How did Crazy Dave even find a way to create it?

The whole theme of the game does not take place in your backyard anymore there are 3 new locations as you travel back in time for Dave’s Taco, I know the motive is silly because he wants to eat it again, (why not just buy one again?) but as you go back in time you will get to meet hordes of new zombies.

There is the Egyptian time period which Zamboangamer039 is currently competing with his girlfriend. An age of pirates and a western one. The various new types of enemies will make for a great challenge. Some of them will steal the sun, others will be shielded on bricked camel camouflage and others will burn through plants right away.

 

There are new added elements to the gameplay. You have to commence them in stages. Sometimes collecting keys from battles to unlock other plants or sub-levels. There are now superpowers you can use in a pinch (last resorts as a tip) and plant food which temporarily powers up your plants.

While PVZ 2 is free, the catch is that there is a store to purchase the plants and other items. The absence of the Growing Tree (I forgot the name) is probably gone and most of your coins are collected on the lawn. Most of your coins will be better spent of the superpowers for emergency usage.

 

The archives are a good way to get to know those lovable plants and zombies. They sometimes have back-stories on their adventures after the original game. Sunflower for example would want to get her career going after that major hit song “zombies on your Lawn”. the stats are important to review such as recharge time,attack power,cost and other factors that you might consider for your load-out.

PVZ2 improves with difficulty and retains the learning curve that was positively reviewed on the last game. It gets harder as you progress to each stage but it is still addicting. Once you have established an impregnable defense it becomes easy so start making stratagems. A perfect example is the previous image above those boomerangs are behind the walnuts  which are backed up by spud-mines for extra offense.

And now its time to get back on the action and finish the game. Keep on gamin’

Graphics: PVZ2 retains the cartoon style art which is easy to draw, the concept models fit their respective purposes such as peashooters, the zombie design is cool. The environments also match the time period to a good degree (I’m a history nut).

Sound: Those familiar tones that we all know and love have come back and is pleasing to hear. BRAAAAIINNZZ never gets old. The soundtrack gets an improvement on this one with music that also matches the time period.

Gameplay: Aside from the main tower defense routine, there are various mini-games like matchmaking to keep you entertained. The original formula still carries well and the addiction that gets the player to think on which plant to put next never gets old.

Overall: PVZ 2 gets a 8/10 for gameplay, the shop was the only thing putting it down but I guess its what they need to fund the company. There are minimal to no-ads that pop up which is good. I recommend this game to the avid fans and the android users like me who have been waiting for so long. Get it and have fun. *insert sunflower song here.

 

Woah!

We just hit 200 hits on our blog! I can hear that Final fantasy Victory Chime from a distance.

Thank you for visiting my site. Remember that we here at Zamboangamer are here to empower gamers 😀

For Mother Russia! – Company of Heroes 2 Review

Zamboangamer039 loves World War II battles, but why do most media cover it in the American side of the war? What about the other Allied Powers of the Axis themselves?

Playing Company Heroes was a blast for me, my friend Raffy Lovely and his brother Romeo as we would do LAN battles with a Russian Mod, I was speculating a sequel to the game due to its physics engine and realistic gameplay. Turns out it did come true! Come July, CoH2 was featured in a famous gaming magazine. Turns out Raffy’s prediction was true and mine wasn’t (I wanted a Japanese Faction)

CoH2 is the sequel to the original game released in 2006. This time it covers the Russian Campaign in Single Player from August 1942 Stalingrad all the way to The Reichstag in Berlin in April of 1945.

 

The menu is laden out just like a battlefield scenario, you have your usual single and multiplayer, the army customizer which is handy for painting and gearing your own private armies for the theater of war and multiplayer. Zamboangamer would like to apologizes that we did not cover mulitplayer in this time because we have no local community that play multiplayer as of yet.

The singleplayer is a mixed one though. It recounts the experiences of a young lieutenant in the service of the Red Army.

No, we are not going to Hogwarts. We are going to Siberia, to meet up with this lieutenant.

 

Mr. Isakovich is our man, and as his Comrade Colonel listens to his story, it becomes clear that this tale does not end happily. It recalls the horrors on the battlefield.

The journal Isakovich writes in becomes an interactive cinematic followed by the gameplay itself. It all begins with Stalingrad. Thousands of peasant conscripts charge in machinegun fire for fear of Order 221. No Retreat, No Surrender, Comrades! Traitors are to be shot! IF you have watched that movie with that particular Russian Sniper then you will get the idea. And it’s diabolically necessary to drive back the Germans. Stalingrad was a huge victory for the Russians but oh the cost….

Your first units are two squads of Shock Troops, they are equipped with PPSH 41’s the favorite Russian sub-machine guns. They are tasked to support our favorite tank the T-34, and there will be more units to control later on.

Your strategies in the game will require some exploitation of enemy weaknesses in gaps and flanks. Doing this will require some environmental manipulation of the environment. There are more details here than just attacking the enemy. For instance shock troops do well in close-quarters rather than long range which is for riflemen.

There is also cover which is really nice to look at as you zoom in to your soldiers and see them ducking and firing at enemies. really feels cinematic.

Environments can also be used for your advantage or disadvantage, this game introduces the harsh Russian winters which will freeze your units to death. Maneuvering to thick snow to your next source of heat via a fireplace or a building is tricky business.

A wide variety of units come into play which are new to me and well researched. We have heard of T-34’s but they are not the only tanks in the game. The Russians have this Juggernaut tank that is used to destroy buildings at a frightening rate.

The mix comes in when you want to save as may units as you can but sacrifice is necessary. With Isakovich the sympathy for soldiers dying quickly becomes a disposable matter as you roll wave after wave of fresh free conscripts in the game. You can even quickly outnumber the enemy with them.

Back to Stalingrad, As the Russians advance further into the city the Germans are in a panic and most surrender

 

Only to be shot at. There is a grim mood with this game as I play it. Only the usual Russian banter and joking by units about vodka gives me a slight grin on my face.

The Russians on the early stages of the Campaign are usually outmatched and outmaneuvered by Germans but come winter and spring, they bounce back up by orders of Stalin. The final mission at the Reichstag will probably not be as thrilling as when you did it in Call of Duty World At War but it still makes for a nice game to finally get the Russians raise their Red flag on the top of the Reichstag once again.

So what do we say about CoH2?

Graphics: The realism of this game makes it a perfect WWII fan simulation. The physics engine is sure to make strategy gamers glee with delights of bodies and explosions flying around. The usual destruction of…everything makes the game really feel gloomy which fits the time period.

Sound: The boombastic sound effects are worth the loudest speakers you got as long as you don’t get people to really feel the trauma of the recent incident. Voice acting as a Russian in this game feels like it could be improved upon but it is worth it.

Gameplay: This game is sure to make the fans proud. There are various improvements and missions to complete. It makes you feel more of the heartless commissar than the sympathetic officer that you are. The story was a bit controversial for the Russian government, but history is already written.

Overall: We give CoH2 a 8/10 for its improved gameplay, physics, and the explosions. This game was worth the wait. Hopefully a Pacific Theater sequel will come in as a third installment to the series. What are you waiting for comrade? By Stalin’s orders lets get into the battlefield!

Throwback Thursday – Persona 3 Review

In the final days of the PS2, Persona 3 was a game least expected but it turned out to be one of the best. Yet again in the glory days of the PSP did Persona 3 Portable came out.

Persona 3 Portable was actually Zamboangamers accidental discovery and I am damn happy to have experienced it. It was more than just a game, it was a life changer. And only few people in Zamboanga City could have played it. I know Rogueshield, Lara and Bea to be the only others who have played them.

You pick on two protagonists, the male being the default hero and an added female which takes on a different approach in the same storyline. I am sticking with the male this time and naming him canonically Minato Arisato.

This is a harem game then? Not exactly, depends on your playstyle though. You are taking on the role of a high school student who moves in to a typical dormitory to start the new school year. The start of the story is a puzzle, a girl who aims a gun at her head, the gloomy atmosphere, coffins on the street, a full moon, and a strange kid asking me to sign a contract. Sure let’s just sign contracts and not read the terms and conditions.

What is different from the PS2 is that P3P story plays out like a visual novel. Your interactions mostly depend on a blue movement cursor and interacting with locations,people, objects etc.

I even thought this game was really a visual novel, but things turn out to be different. At midnight some freaky stuff happens, people become coffins, electronics malfunction (its not midnight as I write this) and stuff called shadows pop up. Minato is suddenly woken up by Yukari and they make to the rooftop.

The first persona that Minato gets is Orpheus, a Greek mythology figure. Thanatos is way cooler but at the time I did not know what was happening. Turns out these Persona’s are…better explained like your guardian angels. In P3 they are represented by figures from different mythologies and religions.

Your first taste of combat is only a preview to more challenging battles. The real challenge comes from ascending this…

 

 

Tartarus (not the gateway to the underworld that’s different), this tower hosts a variety of evil that must be conquered and no, there is no princess trapped on the top this time. It comes out every night from your very own school.

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The team sets up from the ground floor, as you make your way to the tower take care of your stamina and your team mates. You get a tutorial by Mitsuru-senpai on battle mechanics, pay attention and your well on your way to reaching the top.

There is lot to do in P3P, as you attend school and fight shadows in the night it becomes a rewarding experience to go through the game. I spent oodles of hours building relationships to foster and forge, getting character stats to upgrade, Personas to collect and soundtracks to enjoy listening to. The game ends with a very emotional note (no spoilers here) and I know that those who played this game had so many wonderful memories with it. As I said few games have this sort of appeal and we want more. I cherished this game so much when I had my PSP and I believe that in the future other generations will get a chance to play this too. As for Zamboangamer playing the game again right now brings back so much.

Thank You Mitsuru-senpai.

Graphics:  Gotta love that anime-style artwork, the character models in game are kinda puppet-like. Enemy design is well-built and environment designs are awesome. Tartarus is likened to a dungeon-crawler with checkered floors and castle walls. The Velvet room is pleasing to the eye. Igor was a bit scary though, too much coffee? XD

Sound: The music is killer, had so much time enjoying it. Character voices are well done, could have voiced the entire game though since most of it is absent and only audible with in-game events. Get the soundtrack, a mix of rock,hip-hop,jazz,symphony,sentimental,classical genres is an ear-gasm. Shoji Meguro instantly became one of my favorites.

Gameplay: Expect the character dialogues to act like a visual novel, the combat will take a large chunk of your time as you ascend Tartarus. There are lots of twists to the story so be prepared. It makes for an addicting game to level up and engage in the storylines.

Overall: 10/10 This game is one of the best RPG’s on the PSP get it and don’t miss out.

Lessons:P3 covers a wide range of lessons to learn, so we will leave it to you to discover them.

If you can change your life for the better from a book, a movie or a video game then it will be a worthwhile story to tell the kids someday.

A mix of music genres is good to spice up your life.

Young as you are enjoy life to the fullest.

There are hidden gems among games. Time for you to discover them

 

 

Next on Zamboangamer

Fellow gamers coming up on Zamboangamer is Company of Heroes 2 and Lara Croft Tomb Raider Review. I got a lot to write about but it’s fun doing it.

We might also continue Steve’s Journey on Minecraft on our Youtube Channel so just stay tuned.

And since it’s Halloween soon we thought we might play a horror themed game…That’s a surprise coming to you as we start the countdown of ending the month of October 😀

Zamboangamer039’s Reaction to Two Employees playing Video Games

 

This was on national television last night and Zamboangamer039 was in delight to se and report this on the blog because of the popularity it is gaining on facebook and other social media sites. These two work at NAIA, Ninoy Aquino International Airport which has been labeled as one of the worst airports around. Honestly, Zamboangamer has never traveled before to a place like NAIA and will skip it to avoid traffic. Upon analysis of the picture the person on the left is playing Candy Crush and the other is unknown to me. Feel free to comment upon your closer inspection.

The many negative comments abound the pages of many news and social media sites. And while the picture features no people standing in line. The management has guidelines pertaining to video games at work (won’t bore you with the details).

These two will either be suspended or fired from work, suspension would be best since jobs are hard to come by. This brings us to advice our readers that playing video games at work is to your own risk. We know that boredom strikes you from time to time but better if you stay focused at what you are doing or if you can’t handle that then at least form a hobby related to the job or be a ninja and sneak in your phones to play.

This is Zamboangamer039 saying that video games are fun and society may hate us from it but don’t worry, love what you are doing and keep smiling even though times are tough because we can relate to you. 😀 Keep on Gamin’

Opinion 4 – Pieces of Plastic – Video Game Discs “MUST READ”

Zamboangamer needs to tell a story of his youth. We cannot stress the importance of spreading the word for there are better uses to your money.Before the discovery of “download” sites. Zamboangamer039 goes to Maskipop, it’s a game shop in the city at Mindpro Citimall on the 3rd floor in Greenlane. Every weekend or month was a joyous time to spend the hard earned school allowance on new games.100 Philippine Pesos a day was 500 in a week and most CD’s cost 80 at that time. After installing the discs would be stored in a cabinet (that was flooded). I had a lot of them till college, then it stopped.

One of the reasons is that these “download” sites are already giving me enough games to play with without wasting away cash, another is the money is not coming in as it once did. (I really need a source of income) 😦

Never mind if you are a console gamer back then, you need the discs to play your games but when you are a PC gamer the only purpose these disks had was to install the data, there are incidents when you need that one CD to play, but when “cracks” came the CD was now a disposable piece of plastic.

You could make money by renting or selling these discs but they always get scratched when returned and worse is that they don’t come back at all. This has led me to the opinion of never ever buying any new games again. Downloading is better and with little risks (as a tip).

I have a lot of regrets with my CD purchasing. That wasted a lot of my wealth were in I could have saved that to spend on something better like a gaming console, my education, books, posters, dates with my girlfriend or make that as a small business capital. 

Oh well, this is my opinion to my fellow countrymen. Some of you do have cash to spend on probably collectors editions of a certain game, believe me I am tempted to do so as well. I wanted lots of collectors items. But really what do these things really do aside from conversational pieces or trophies or dust collectors? There are better things to spend the money on than just that.

This is a piece of advice to many kids out there. Better spend your money on something worth investing on the future. Do not make the mistake that I did, you are even fortunate to have these “download sites” at your time. If I had only known sooner that this would be the future…

Remember that pieces of paper (MONEY) is more important than pieces of plastic. This is an opinion however, take it as it is.

A month long of posting!

Zamboangamer039 is so proud to have written many posts for a month. I never realized that I would be writing reviews and random posts for this long the least I was expecting was 2 weeks since that is the usual blogging life span.

With 50+ posts, 100+ hits and a following Zamboangamer039 wants to raise exposure in a way that means to own our very own site!

I really have no clue on how to do it and based on my various researches which I won’t bore you for sure. Getting our own website might be a tricky business.

So I am asking for your support on this one fellow Gamers, visitors and friends. We might be going under Patch 3.0 which means that we will move all the content on this site from wordpress to our own unique site.

I would also inquire on other details but better PM me on my FB site. There is lots to do and little time to do it. But till that time we will continue to post reviews. We hope WordPress does not take it off.

Thank you once again for visiting and keep on gaming 😀