Silent Hill: Play Novel - Playable in Browser

Silent Hill: Play Novel is a GBA visual novel spin-off of the famous horror franchise. The GBA version was not released in North America, hence no English translation exists.

However, I stumbled upon this browser based adaptation of the game here. I tried it for a few minutes, but I did not finish it, seeing as I'm not really into visual novels.

But maybe you are. Give it a shot. By the way, the game is in beta so expect bugs.

CloudReady - An Easy Way to Install Chrome OS via USB

I originally saw CloudReady from Lifehacker.

But I think the video above is a great demo. It's a complete walk-through of where to download the OS up to installation.

I already have my 8GB USB drive burnt with the CloudReady Chrome OS. If you like the concept of Chrome OS and would like to try out a live USB version, watch the video above.

Btw, the live USB can install to SSD or HDD, but be careful and backup everything before doing this, as it erases the drives completely.

Sorry, no dual-boot yet.  

Interesting Business Idea Framework

I always liked the style of the Fizzle.co guys.

They really give the feel that they're always organized and systematized in attacking business questions. I like Corbett Barr among the four as he seems to be deep into the processes more than anyone else in the team.

What I got out of this video is the 9 Essential Questions to Choose a Business Idea. If you are interested in business or online business in particular, you need to watch this video.

Ipega Bluetooth Portable Game Controller Mini Review

Bought this thing from Lazada. I suggest if you are in the Philippines to buy from Lazada and avoid Dealextreme. Why? Because Lazada will ship in a couple of days, while DX probably 1 or 2 months.

No contest.

I love this controller. It's cheap and durable. The best thing about it is that it works. What do you want me to say? It's a controller, it controls via bluetooth. That's it. It works.

I used this thing on a few Android console emulators. It works great on GBA emulators, Genesis, SNES, NES, and even the free Playstation Portable (PSP) emulator.

I have not tried this on a DS emulator because, well, the DS requires a touch screen for most of its games anyway. And I don't want to shell out for Drastic (the only decent DS emulator). 

Also, the controller will not work flawlessly with the PS1 or PSX emulators because it lacks 2 shoulder pads. I don't know how much hassle that is, but frankly, I don't care because I prefer the PSP emulator better than the PS1, anyway.  

How to Discover Profitable Clickbank Products

A short video I cooked up on how to discover profitable Clickbank products to promote. 

It's really short and you'll learn things like gravity and other fine barometers of a great CB product. 

I think I'll create more explainer videos in the future. It's a fun little project and I'm learning video editing from it. Win-win situation for me.

DTC GT9-R12 is a Piece of Crap

This DTC mobile phone is a piece of crap.

The camera is okay. But I'm not really into that. 

The processor is 1ghz dual core? Maybe. I've not really tested.

The screen is big, but the resolution is just standard.

As you can see, I'm not really delving deep into it. I bought this thing years ago, and I'm only "reviewing" it just now. No real reason why, it's just what it is.

Anyway, the biggest problem of this phone is the internal memory. It is less that 200MB. E 'di wow! You can't fit much into this. Hell, I needed to uninstall Google Play updates just to keep the internal memory from filling up.  

Conclusion: Don't buy this one.

Capsule Review Cyberlords Arcology (Android)

(This post has been updated)

For folks who enjoyed the SNES and the Megadrive Shadowrun games, this Android game is for you.

I'm currently playing the ad-supported version of Cyberlords and so far I'm enjoying it. This game is a knock off of Shadowrun, and not in a bad way.

You control 4 characters with different skill sets. You can equip them and even give them cybernetic enhancements to make them stronger. As with Shadowrun, you take missions, but this time, from random people (not just Johnsons).

You kill enemies. You gain experience. Like I said, an almost perfect copy of Shadowrun with the convenience of touch UI and cool stylized graphics.

If you like cybernetics, running, and shadows--get this game now! There is a free ad-supported version and a paid no-ads option in the Playstore.

Dirt Poor Gamer

Not sure if I want to revive this blog you are reading right now. But I don't want to say it's dead.

That said, visit my new hobby blog - Dirt Poor Gamer.

If you don't have much time and disposable income to game, this site is for you.

Star Trek Text Game Mini Review (Android)

If you are one of those people who loved the new Star Trek movies, this game is not for you. This Star Trek Text Game has no lens flares or flashy graphics for you noobs. All you have is a grid and your starship is represented by the letter E. You are the captain of the Enterprise and you are tasked to rid the universe of all 22 Klingon warships.

That's it. And it is awesome. The gameplay is basically rogue-like so 'nuff said for gamers who aren't graphics whores. Download this free game now and be captain of your own starship.

Mini Review of Retroarch Android Console Emulator

If you want an all-in-one solution for your Android emulation gaming needs you gotta get  Retroarch. This emulator has almost all retro consoles and handhelds from Nes to Ps1. It can even run Doom and Cave Story as bonus. All this for free!

If you have Android ICS or JB, you gotta get this thing instead of pirating or paying for emulators.

Alcatel OT Soleil Mini Review

It is a cool dual core phone running Jelly Bean. BUT, if you value battery life, this won't last the day with heavy use.

Sayang, okay pa naman siya. Kaya lang charge ng charge lagi.

Cheap 7" Android Netbook Review

I was able to acquire a 7" Android netbook. Here is my capsule review of the hardware and software:

1. Android 4.0.3 ICS - Works great in this little package, all apps work and they are fast.
2. Keyboard - A little bit bleh. You will mistype a lot.
3. Screen - Very good.
4. Build - Sturdy and does not feel cheap at all.
5. Emulation gaming - Haha! Just downloaded Retroarch from the Playstore and this baby is rocking it.

The video review above is basically the same build, except that mine is ICS and with a little bit faster processor and higher RAM.

UPDATE: Battery life is excellent. Almost 8 hours of continuous video playback.

The Best Podcast Networks of 2012

Update: I forgot to mention the FrogPants network of Scott Johnson. I listen to the Morning Stream, The Final Score, Film Sack, and a whole lot of other audio content.

It is that time of the year again where I talk about all the awesome podcasts that I consume. This time I will tell you all about podcasts networks and not just individual shows. So without further ado here are the best podcast networks of 2012.

1. 70Decibels
A great set of tech podcasters led by Myke Hurley. My favorite podcast in the network is Home Work, a podcast about people who work from home. The host of Home Work, Aaron Mahnke and Dave Caolo share productivity tips and sometimes the challenges they face as home workers.

Aside from that, I find the shows Generational and Bionic to be interesting. Myke Hurley is a good host who knows how to let his co-host talk but can also take over the conversation if he needs to.

2. 5by5.tv
Dan Benjamin's podcast network where two of my favorite shows, Hypercritical and Build & Analyze just ended. With that in mind what shows can I look forward in the network now? There is still the Incomparable and Mac Power Users (even if I don't own a Mac).

3. The Geekbox
Last but not the least is the Geekbox Network. I listen to all their shows! I listen to the flagship show, the Geekbox. I also listen albeit sparingly to the Comedy Button, Good Job Brain, and the Comics Conspiracy.

And before I forget, let's not forget about Ryan Scott's frenemies, Rebel FM, the only general gaming podcast I listen to.

That's all the podcast and podcast networks I listen to for the year of 2012. Hope you find something you like in here.

PS: No Agenda is in a different league here since it is the best podcast in the universe.

F-Zero GBA awesome remake

Remember the Snes futuristic racing game F-Zero? Well there was a GBA remake subtitled as Maximum Velocity. This remake have improved graphics and a little bit of a tweaked control scheme. That said, this game is still fun but balls hard. I think this version is even harder than the original. If you have a GBA, get this game. Hell, get an emulator and give this title a shot. You will be pleasantly surprised how fun this is.

DBGL - Easy to Use DosBox Frontend

If you want to play old DOS era games then you can't go wrong using DBGL. DBGL or DosBox Game Launcher is a very simple, but powerful, cross-platform DosBox frontend. All you need to do is to mount the directory where the game is saved. Once you have defined the proper directories, just click on play and you're good to go. The best thing about this is that you really don't have to tweak and fiddle with the CPU, frameskip, and other settings. Although, you can change everything, if ever you need to tweak these options.

DBGL also offer pre-made packages of full version games (like Elder Scrolls: Arena and Daggerfall) to Shareware games (like Doom and Duke Nukem). To use packages just download the package and associate it with DBGL.

Playing DOS games have never been this easy. If you still have your old copy of DOS games, just use this app, no need to re-purchase classic games from GOG. 

Fallout 2 Revisited (GOG)

I'm thankful that Good Old Games exist. Now all of us old PC gaming nerds can revisit the classics at no hassle. If you don't know by now, GOG is having a Christmas sale for 50% off of all their games. There are 15 days left, so I suggest that you take advantage of this sale right now.

Look at Fallout 1 & 2 because these titles are two of the best RPGs ever made. They are barely 3 dollars each so any cheapskate can afford both titles for barely 6 dollars.

I remember finishing Fallout 1 years and years ago. I happen to find the alien blaster so my first go was not that difficult. The next go I tried to kill all the villagers in this one town, just to see what can happen. My next playthrough, I tried to specialize in small guns like pistols. I finished this game a number of times, yet I'm still not sick of it.

My memories of Fallout 2 were a little hazy. It was a dark time in my life when this title came out. I never got to finish this game probably because of gaming fatigue. But, as I said, thanks to GOG, we can now enjoy these games again. So I'm playing Fallout 2 again using a character that is a jack-of-all-trades master of none. This means I'm having a difficult time with the game, especially in combat and thievery. Anyway, I'm almost at the end of the game, I just need to level up some more to stand a chance against the last enemies (ha, I almost wrote a spoiler there).

The best thing about old-ish PC games is that they are really well before their time. Though they were limited by technology, PC makers aspired to create the best gaming experience for the players. This is why I'm becoming a PC gamer again because of GOG. Imagine, all these boxed games are now just 5 dollars and can even run on netbooks.

I Will Play Daggerfall In Celebration of Skyrim

Also known as I can't play Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on my old PC, so I'll just play Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall instead.

Download the Daggerfall exe here for free and legally. This executable package is actually the full game wrapped in Dosbox so that you don't have to dick around with the settings.

My Wife's Hobby Blogs - Anno1777 Tips & Gardens of Time Tips

My wife is running two hobby blogs about her favorite online games. Let me just link to them here so that she could get a little Google juice to her sites.

Anno1777 tips & tricks

This blog is about the money making game called Anno1777. You can actually make money by playing this awesome business simulation game. Click on the link above to play the game.

Gardens of Time tips & Tricks

Do you know that this award winning Facebook game can be played without Facebook? The link above will bring you to the official Playdom site wehre you can play the full game.

Dawn of Sorrow (J2ME Mobile) - Capsule Review

If you have a Java (J2ME) capable phone then you have to search for Dawn of Sorrow and play this awesome game. Dawn of Sorrow was first released on the Nintendo DS, but now, you can play it using any Java capable mobile phone. If you want to have a close to the console Metroidvania experience, then this game is a must.

As I said, this game is a port from the DS, but it is not a complete mirror-image. This game is optimized for the mobile phone experience. Do not expect perfect controls, though the control mechanism is close to perfect. 

The story follows the convoluted story of Castlevania that started from Aria of Sorrow. I was not able to follow the story closely, but it basically involves Dracula and monster hunting - 'nuff said! With that in mind, I have to say that I did not play this game based on story 'coz the gameplay is classic Symphony of the Night stylin'. 

If you have a fairly modern mobile phone, get this game at once. It is worth the money and time.

Dragon Warrior 4 (NES) - Retro Capsule Review

When I finished Dragon Warrior 3 for the Gameboy Color, I was convinced that this series is on equal footing with the classic Final Fantasy games. Now that I'm close to finishing Dragon Warrior 4 for the NES, I can safely say that this series lives up to the hype. Dragon Warrior 4 is the best Dragon Warrior for the NES I have played so far. Just to be clear, I have not played Dragon Warrior VII for the Playstation or Dragon Warrior 9 for the DS yet. I only played the Gameboy versions and the NES versions. That said, I have no regrets playing the NES versions. Sure, the controls are a bit clunky and old fashioned, but everything else holds up - especially the story.

Speaking of story, Dragon Warrior 4 might be the first RPG that splits the plot into chapters. In this game you have 4 chapters and you play different characters in each one.

Note: This review was cut short due to my own fault. I was playing the game and I was near the end of it but I had to stop due to real life getting in the way. So here you have the abrupt ending to this article. Sorry.