Boom de Ah Da

I just have to make this post. Ever since the first time I heard this ad from the Discovery Channel (I Love MythBusters!!) , the song has pretty much gotten stuck in my head. It really does cheer people up even though the lyrics and even the rhythm is really simple. Here's the ad, "I Love The World".



Boom de Ah da, Boom de Ah Da !!!

The Final Chapter in Solid Snake's Saga

Firstly before I get into the juicy part of this review, I would like to apologize to people who have come into my blog and found not a single update for the past month. Partially it was due to the hype of Metal Gear Solid and also partially due to the mountains of stress to indulge in daily.

It has been over a year since I started blogging and this post marks the 100th post. For some it might not mean much, I know people who can right more post than me in a single day than I will in a week. At least for me, as much as I would like to share part of my life with people on the net, I do not want to spend another fraction on it, sitting on a chair typing my keyboard to write that much.

Also as this is the 100th post, I would like to make it special by writing a review on a game which has been on my waiting list since forever......*exaggerated*. So without further time wasted on unnecessary talk. By the way, the review is written to include as little spoiler as possible and for those ultra sensitive people who can't stand the sight of it, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS POST or prepare to suffer the consequences.

Metal Gear Solid 4 truly lives up to its predecessor as it brings along ever more improvement to all aspect of the game. Some of this changes lies in how the gameplay experience has changed throughout the game. One changes that veteran of the series will notice is the third person shooter of Metal Gear Solid 1 has slowly evolved to Metal Gear Solid 4's 1st and 3rd person angle battle system. By saying so, I am not implying that this game is in anyways a shooter game as its main objective still relies on being stealthy. For those who didn't know, Kojima has recently received a Guiness World Record for creating a first of its kind truly stealth base game.

In this installment, Metal Gear Solid 4 offers even more gadgets at ur disposal for playing the game the way it was meant to. Octocamo which improves on Metal Gear Solid 3's camo system, helps Snakes blend into the any environment much more effectively by quickly recreating the texture of the surface that Snake is lying/ pressing on. The drum can which is also a new item in your inventory, helps serve as both an offensive and defensive measure, as it can deflect bullets, serves as a hiding spot or even for Snake to roll in it. Of course these are only two of the numerous gadget that Snake has. Speaking of gadgets, this time around Snakes inventory of guns available for use has been increased up to a staggering 69 of them. Also about half of this weapon can be customized by placing scopes, laser sight, suppresors and so on which allows different player to use different weapon of their own choice. Of course some weapons are just plain useless other than seriving its purpose as a "joke" weapons. One of them being a gun that can absorb sunlight to be used as ammo, and another being an antique mathclock gun that can summon winds with a certain probability.

Now we know where the term "drum roll" came from...

Of course Metal Gear Solid's main element is not the stuff that you get to play with but more importantly the storyline which spans a duration of half a century. From 1964 (Metal Gear Solid 3) - > 1970 (MGS : Portable Ops) -> 1995 (Metal Gear 1) - 1999 (Metal Gear 2) -> 2005 (Metal Gear Solid 1) - > 2007,2009 (Metal Gear Solid 2) -> and finally 2014 (Metal Gear Solid 4). Previously in most, if not all, of the games, they will always be certain plot twist and unanswered question by the end of the game which will leave you craving for more. MGS4 instead serves to tie up all this loose end from the previous games and ensured that our years of wait has finally paid off. As complicated as the whole storyline may sound, veterans of the series will definitely come to appreciate Hideo Kojima's work over this past decade. Metal Gear Solid 4 is definitely for gamers who can appreciate a game for its storyline more than just for its gameplay values. It is NOT a game for people who skips each and every single cutscene and ends up asking "What's so great about the game?"

Who needs a weapon when God has blessed u with a pair of hands.

Metal Gear Solid 4 is a game that is unique for a handful of reasons but probably one of the part that stands out is their boss battle. Sometimes, you do not just go around pulling the trigger, hoping to kill the boss. In fact, in certain battles, guns and blades are of no use, and instead players are challenged to think critically about what are the most effective method of taking down an opponent.

Oh boy, this ain't gonna be pretty.

Fan service is abundant in MGS4, as some characters from previous genre makes a come back and in fact some of them look much better than they did in the previous games. By saying that, I do not mean that their faces are rendered more detailly. Just take a look at Naomi and Mei Ling, and you will notice a big change in their face from the previous game (they look much more attractive, if you know what I mean). Other that that, a personal favorite of mine, is the revisiting of a historical site which literally brings back a lot of old memory, as flashbacks are played back over and over again throughout the course of the game to refresh player's memory. [MAJOR SPOILER] in the next sentence, highlight to see. The fight between Metal Gear Rex and Ray on Shadow Moses Island is definitely another one of my favorite.The final battle is also a battle that has been long awaited by myself and the way the fight is done is definitely a great bonus for me. The battle quickly transitions between gameplay and cutscenes makes every second of it an unforgettable experience for years to come.

Needless to say, the graphics in Metal Gear Solid 4 are possibly some of the best in any games that I have seen up until now. It is truly not for me to say whether if it looks good or not, until you yourself experience what it has to offer. As for the audio, each musical piece is done to suit the every scenario that they put you into. From the heart accelerating song when a playing hide and seek with a Gekko, to the sad tune of a dying character (yes, somebody will die......duh). What Metal Gear Solid 4 presents is not just a game but an entire cinematic experience that will definitely get your jaws dropping as you awe at the masterpiece that is Metal Gear Solid.

Finally Metal Gear Online, the multiplayer counterpart of Metal Gear Solid 4 which comes with the blu ray disc. Personally I have yet to try this game out but from what I have heard from a lot of people, it is also a very enjoyable experience. Personally, I wouldn't mind having somebody who has played MGO to do this part of the review for me. Yes I am refering to certain friends who I know that also has a PS3 and defintiely plays MGO. What I know about the game is that, it plays the same as the singleplayer but of course without the octocamo and also without a grey moustache and hair and Big Boss's DNA etc etc. Although I have heard of a mode where players get to play as Old Snake and have to look for something, and in the meantime, the rest of them would go snake hunting. Konami is certainly generous enough to offer 4 maps for playing on, and in the near future, there would be further updates via Playstation Store which possibly need to be bought. Oh well, that's how things work when the company can milk the product for every cent it is worth.

Anyways, with that I would like to conclude the Metal Gear Solid 4 review by stating that this game is a fitting end to the Metal Gear Solid Saga. As some of you might have noticed by now, I did not include a scoring system this time around as being the fanboy that I am, you would expect no less than full marks for the review. It is also quite a subjective matter to whether a person would like it or not. There are people who don't give a damn about it and certainly this game is one which each and every person have to experience in order to understand the quality of it. Personal preference does play a heavy role in this matter, just as I do/will not play any sports game even if it features naked young ladies instead of sweaty fit man. =P Hope you guys like the review.

Quickie

I just noticed yesterday that my blog's background appeared differently on different monitor's resolution. So, if anyone of you is seeing a somewhat oddly positioned background, that's most probably because your resolution is not 1280 x 1024.

This week I had two quizzes, one for calculus (which I screwed up really badly) and the other was physics (which was surprisingly good). I was quite emo the day when I had my calculus quiz. I have done lotsa practice and the questions that were given were probably some of the easiest questions I have seen before. Yet, because I was careless, I went and complicate matters and eventually ended up answering the wrong things. Sad as it is that's two marks gone, another 98 to go -.-".

Also I have just finished MGS1 yesterday, I have to say good games withstand the wears and tears of time. Now onto the next game in the series, MGS2: Sons of Liberty. I'm preparing myself for a very deep plot now. I currently know most of the events that took place in Outer Heaven, Zanzibar, and also Shadow Moses. Unfortunately, MGS2 is my least favorite series among the few that I have played. Mainly because I am controlling pretty boy Raiden. I still prefer good old Solid Snake though. = (

Here comes a new PS3 owner!

The person I am referring to is none other than Mr Seow Szeten. Finally some one to replace Leon. Sadly the only game we can play online right now is GTA IV. Personally, after I have finished the storyline, there was nothing much to bring me about to insert the disc into the PS3. My attempts to get him to buy COD 4 has failed miserably and now the only option is Burnout Paradise. Frankly though I have been putting my PS3 on standby to do odd jobs only recently, downloading demos etc etc.

For now I am more focused on my PSP as it has 3 of Hideo Kojima's finest work, Metal Gear Acid^2, Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops and also the PSX's Metal Gear Solid. Metal Gear Acid is probably the one that requires the most thinking as for most people who have played any Trading Card Game. The decision to put in an extra card could greatly affect your gameplay. The size of your deck would also be a factor as the more cards you have, the lower odds you have of getting a certain card. Personally I was a bit disappointed with the multiplayer part of the game as there wasn't a choice to pick a map that I would like to play on. After MGA^2, I have just started a new game for MGS, it feels very nostalgic to revisit Shadow Moses island all over again and at times you can really appreciate the extra features that they have added to the current versions of the game. Once I'm done with MGS, I would probably be playing MGS2 and MGS 3 on the PS2 first before laying hands on MGS Portable Ops. I hope that I can finish all these games in time for MGS4. Just can't wait for another 3 weeks to past. I am still very undecided on which version of MGS4 I will be getting. Seems like there are equal pros and cons in this matter and I will probably be making the decision during the time when I will be buying it.

Summer is here!

Well at least in the Northern Hemisphere. For now, the season does not really matter but soon enough each and every of this seasons will be part of my life. For us in the AUP program, it is the beginning of a new semester now. This semester has started out fine if not good, yet there are a couple of stuff I would like to complain about. My C programming Class has too little people in it. Just the 5 or possibly 6 of us, guess computer related subjects are not that popular in our program. Secondly, I can't help but think that Dr. Chan (Cal3 Lecturer), does not like me, I have been late to both of her classes till date. It really isn't my fault as I have a previous class before then and she always starts her class at 10 sharp. She seems like a really impatient person, everything about her is fast paced. If you are not careful you might just end up as roadkill as she travels from one location to the next. The third one is mainly because a certain friend of mine will not be attending college this semester. This fella is going to the States for two weeks and thus skipping the sem. You know who you are, the only chance I can still see you is on PSN now. How tragic lol.

Well, GTA IV is quite fun, playing as Niko Bellic is definitely a unique person. He is not one of them typical gangster which goes around killing and hurting people for no freaking reason (of course you may do so if you choose to). From the storyline, you can see that he is a person who is just looking for a way to make a living regardless of who he is working for. Sometimes even working on the opposing sides. The game is probably one of the most detailed games I have played before, you can just relax in your safehouse watching the TV, go to a comedy club, go screw ....something, dating, playing as a vigilante, race (personally I hate the race because the driving is very cumbersome) and so on. The game is pretty long as I have been playing for over 40 hours and only close to 70% done with it. Even most RPG does not have that many gameplay hours if you are not including the time you spend on doing side quests and leveling up.

Well now that GTA IV is already out, the next big thing is none other than the much anticipated METAL GEAR SOLID FOUR: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS. I have been looking at that countdown timer at the sidebar of my blog for the past few days and it just never seem to go any faster. I want this game right here right now. If I have to sleep with Hideo Kojima to get it earlier, I would do it. LoL Sounds so sick. I want play as Snake, kill freakish bosses, kill Ocelot /Liquid hybrid, make Metal Gears go Boom, destroy everything that is not Snake. Give me the damn game already T.T

Okie now I'm really emo. That's all for today. See you people.