Moogle on spike!

I got my Moogle Final Fantasy strap yesterday and god are they one cute thing! Check it out!!

Purchase can be made HERE





-Because I Can-

Back in Stock Final Fantasy Artificial Leather Strap With Mascot

Remember all this Final fantasy Artificial Leather Strap which I highlighted a week or so ago?The first to run out of stock was moogle and chocobo followed by tonberry. Well, all 3 and the rest are back in stock now!

Go to HERE to make your purchase NOW!
-Because I Can-

Knight Rider 2008

2 hour Pilot. 2 hour of mind blowing return of KITT. I may be only 24 but I sure as hell remember the lovable electronic self preservation sarcastic robotic car! Aired over the weekend last week, Knight Rider makes a return after a 25 year gap in the film world. Casting the protagonist as the son of the first driver for KITT, Michael Knight.

I have read comment before the Pilot that the movie is more of an advertisement for Ford Shelby Mustang which quite frankly I have to agree. There is just so much I can take on the parallel shot of KITT driving and all its slick surface shots. What I want to see is not the outlook of the car. I want to see what the car CAN DO! In fact, shots of KITT talking gave me goose bump.

Ok before I go on, I also need to clarify one more thing. The Pilot is SUPERB for fan of Knight Rider but truth to be told, the acting and the shots can be a lot better. In fact, the script is a bit cheesy at times. Without spoiling the storyline let me give you an example, High speed car chase. Less than 50 meter braking space for a car and a huge trailer. Both vehicle brakes and does not collide. HALLO? REALITY CHECK! We all know that trailer can’t break for nuts! Not on a high speed chase that is. We also know that high speed chase means high speed and is not complete unless there is a semblance of car crash!

Then there is the acting. Ok, the acting is not half bad and I admit I am nitpicking here but good lord, can’t you guys act better? A dying person has the power to grab something from the pocket, passed it to another, then dies without physical trauma. You would know what scene this is when you see the show for yourself. Then there is Mike Traceur, he need to get his personality straight. Is he a playboy? Or is he a macho everybody heroes? More emotion man.. Seriously…

KITT though, good lord, now that’s a good voice over. Totally dead, when KITT talks, he talks like a robot and without emotion which suits KITT! Man, the whole movie, only KITT shines in voiceover. The rest though need to upgrade their acting and cinematography skill. Watch more car racing movie and car crash movie to get an idea of how to do car chase, or else Knight Rider is gonna look like a third rate B class movie.And keep David Hasselhoff away from the movie after the pilot. We don’t need him. His acting is getting worse. He has passed the reign over to his son. We get it. See yah.

Anyway, all in all, KNIGHT RIDER is a good series in the pass, I love it. I have no idea why. The new KNIGHT RIDER 2008 might not have a good cast and most of its actor need acting class, I still love the show. Not because of who they casted or because of the script. Its all for KITT. Knight Industries Three Thousand.

-Because I Can-

Spring Cleaning

That is exactly what I need. To start spring cleaning my room. The amount of junks! Good lord.. let me give you a description of how my room looks like now. Smack beside the door is a computer table with no computer on it but littered with paper, sweets, junk food, various miscellaneous item and 3 neck ties. Next to the table is a small shelf filled with books.

What comes next is boxes, 4 boxes of stuffs! Really now, its filled with stuffs! Junks to be exact. And one box of my "supplements" or more well known as junk foods.. Then there is 1 backpack, 1 travel bag and one huge basket filled with my clothes jam in front of the book shelf.

On the other end of the room is my single bed with two windows overlooking my bed. now imagine all this with the whole place messes up and no place to stack the boxes or stuff...

I need to Spring Clean my room and clear my computer table off junks so I can finally move my laptop there and hook it up to a speaker. In fact, I need to redesign the room to take advantage of the space and the power ports... As it is now, I need more than 2 extension cable and 3 plugs ...

BAH!

-Because I Can-

Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G Accessories Set

I shall refrain from saying anything except for these four things

Price: US$ 29.90 (~96.35 MYR)
Published on: March 27 2008
Compatible with: PSP Slim & Lite only
Can Be Pre-Order at HERE




More purchase information can be found HERE
-Because I Can-

Review: Jumper (Movie & Novel)

Cover for the Movie

One of THE most misleading titled movie/novel ever. Jumper has made a huge mark in my interest for Sci-Fi movie/novel. When I first saw this title on quicktime trailer website, I thought for a moment the movie is about people seeking thrill jumping off buildings or just... jumping around. You would have to pardon my skepticisms of the titled movie due to all this bad movie in the making, has been made and made it out in the market.

Anyway, Jumper is a superb movie for me. The possibilities and the narrating is cool in fact I find no fault for the actor choice for this movie in Hayden Christensen as a cool looking guy which has absolutely no clue on how dire his whole "Jumping" ability is. In fact, I LOVE the movie. The effect is cool looking and the possibilities of being able to teleport here and there with but a whim of a thought is exciting. But what the movie fails to provide is a good storyline. In fact, the storyline is a bit too unresolved and kind of "jumps" out at you (pun intended)

Without spoiling the story yet again for those that haven't watch the movie, the storyline Takes the whole Jumping ability a step further than what it is originally written as. Which brings us now into the Jumper Novel. The Jumper novel story and the movie story is two totally different story. There is no Samuel L Jackson in there, there is no other "Jumpers" in the novel and in fact the story is so different it might as well be another story altogether!

Cover for the Novel

But what the movie lacks is made up all in the novel. The character is lively, David (Davy) Rice is a struggling young kid hit with an implication of his new found ability and his parents took on an altogether darker and more humane side of story while Davy jumps around trying to comprehend what he needs to do and ultimately what he used his ability to do. If I were given a choice I would say, Watch the movie for the effects and the kicks of this jumping thingy but read the book for a better understanding on how his ability and his life works.

I would really recommended this movie if you like Sci-Fi and recommend the book if you find dissatisfaction in how the story of the movie goes. Steven Gould the author of the novel JUMPER did a very good job in building Davy's character and dialogs. In fact he did it so good, it is surprising to read that this is his FIRST novel. Truly a marvel..

Wallpaper taken from Main Jumper movie website HERE

-Because I Can-

Play-Asia Year of the Rat Lucky Sale!

A year ago Play-Asia did a summer smoothie sale, the gist of the sale is that there are over 5000 item that will be sold on discount prize, each item that are valued below 70 usd will also be entered into lucky draw to win either a PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, PSP, NDS and various other stuff. Here is their Press Release


But for those that are not keen on reading all this crap. Head over to HERE to start purchasing and look out for



this logo to get discount and eligible to join the lucky draw

Year of the Rat Lucky Sale - Over 5,000 bargains at incredibly low prices. Plus a chance to win fantastic prizes, including Xbox 360™, PS3™, Wii™, NDS™ Lite, PSP™ Slim & Lite consoles & more

Kung Hei Fat Choi! Play-Asia.com kicks off the Year of the Rat with another exciting Lunar New Year Sale. Celebrate the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar with us and enjoy thousands of brilliant bargains. But that's not all. Simply place an order for any discounted item and get a chance to win fantastic prizes.

Now is the perfect time to browse through our extensive offerings and find one or another product that was left on your Christmas wish list, with a good chance of it now available at a lower price tag. We have spent time carefully reviewing our inventory and the result is a total of more than 5,000 in-stock items, all of them now available at discounted prices and only for a limited period of time.

Just like we've done with our sales in the past, you will again have the chance to win fantastic prizes, including an Xbox360™ or PlayStation3™ Console, Nintendo Wii™, Nintendo DS™ Lite or PSP™ Slim & Lite, store credit vouchers and much more by simply joining our New Year Sale.


And this is how it works:

Joining the Lucky Draw is easy. All you need to do is to place an order for any discounted item eligible for the Lucky Draw at Play-Asia.com between February 13th and February 29th. You can recognize these items by the "Year of the Rat" icon located on each individual product page.

Every paid order item will automatically join the Lucky Draw. The more items you order, the higher your chance to win one of our prizes. The winners of the 50 main prizes will be announced in this news post during the first week of March 2008 and will also be notified by e-mail.

Prizes:

• 1st Prize:
  A: Xbox 360 Console (Halo 3 Special Edition) (Japanese Version) + 3 Xbox 360™ Games of your choice
  OR
  B: PlayStation3™ Console (40GB) (Japanese Version) + 3 PS3™ Games of your choice
  
  
• 2nd Prize: Nintendo Wii™ Console (Japanese Version) + 2 Wii™ Games of your choice
  
  
• 3rd Prize:
  A: Nintendo DS™ Lite Console + 2 NDS™ Games of your choice
  OR
  B: Sony PSP™ Slim & Lite Console + 2 PSP™ Games of your choice
  
  
• 4th Prize: GP2X F-200 Game System + Eigertec Easy Access Leather Case
  
  
• 5-10th Prize: A copy of Söldner-X: Himmelsstürmer [First Print Limited Edition] for PC
• 11-20th Prize: A store credit voucher worth US$ 30 each, redeemable for any purchase at Play-Asia.com
• 21-50th Prize: A store credit voucher worth US$ 20 each, redeemable for any purchase at Play-Asia.com

-Because I Can-

Final Fantasy Artificial Leather Strap with Mascot: Tonberry

Got this together with my PSP Crystal case, I really need to apologize for the camera quality but it seems my N73 is acting up and refuses to focus.. Time to reformat my phone again.. Haihz..



Purchase information can be found HERE
-Because I Can-

Review: PSP Slim & Lite Crystal Case (Capdase)

Tight Packaging

Considering the fact that my New Style PSP Pouch (Monotone) does not provide sufficient protection for my PSP Slim & Lite, I ordered myself a Crystal Case (Clear) from Capdase ( I have a soft spot for Capdase) Anyway, this casing though is a bit disappointment for me. Again, let me get to the heart of the problem later.

Front Cover, Back Cover, Strap

There are 4 parts inside the packaging. Front cover, Back Cover, Strap & unseen in the picture, an unbreakable screen protector. The Strap is standard issue for all casing sold by capdase, so no major shock there, the casing though is a bit of a disappointment to me. The casing feels a tad too thin for my liking and at best, flimsy. This feeling is further reinforced when I snap the casing onto the PSP. The casing does not feel protective enough! There is a touch of flimsiness left in it when I hold the casing and the PSP in my hand. Granted it provide sufficient protection against scratch, wear and tear but I highly doubt it will protect against any shock and drop.

Back Cover

Front Cover

What surprises me is that Capdase provided an "Unbreakable Screen Cover" interesting? Quite. I was hoping they would provide an "Unscratchable Screen Cover" instead as even though the screen cover is unbreakable the whole casing does not claim to be unbreakable. Food for thought no? The back of the casing provides a stand which allows your PSP to stand when you want to use it to watch movie on it. Interesting add on, bad application.

I tried putting it on the stand yesterday and this is what happened,

1. Pull Stand
2. UMD cover open, stand remain closed
3. Close UMD cover, pull stand again
4. UMD cover open, stand remain closed
5. Close UMD cover, hold the cover in place
6. Pull stand, stand comes out after a brief epic struggle

I don't know if this is manufacture fault or was built to be so but it seems that the stand puts up a fight when it needs to be open. To make thing worse, the stand can only stand on one posture, you cannot adjust the angle of the back stand at all!

Casing on PSP(Front)

Casing on PSP (Back)

Snap On Ensemble (Side)

New Style PSP Pouch Containing PSP with Crystal Case

Conclusion: This Crystal casing is nice, despite all my complain it provides sufficient protection against scratch, wear and tear but beyond that, the casing provides nothing good. The add on screen protection is a nice touch as it provides extra protection for your screen but it is not something mind boggling at all as I have seen add on which protects the screen only by Logitech and the screen protector is EXTRA thick. The casing feels flimsy after snapped onto the psp and the stand is a total failure.

I would give this casing a miss if there is a better choice out there but except for Hori which runs out of stock fast, this is the only casing available in the market. But that might soon change as I will try to scout for Blackhorn casing.

More PICTURE & PURCHASE information can be found HERE

-Because I Can-

Review: New Style PSP Pouch (Monotone)

2 Weeks after getting my PSP Silver and 1 week after total silence on Aww Snapped! It is about time I introduce you to the new member of my PSP family. the New Style PSP Pouch! This pouch is an "official" product from Sony. Which means that they have the right to charge you extra just for being "official"

Slick & Slim

Costing at a whooping US$ 19.90 for a simple pouch, this pouch has better be good. And to be frank, I have yet to find fault with it. Except for one minor problem which I will highlight later. The pouch has a soft linen & plastic cover which protects the inside from spill, but do not expect your PSP to survive in this bag if it drops into water. Simple spill, yes. Swimming, no.

Spacious space for PSP Slim or Phat

With the thin size of the pouch, the protection provided against shock is limited at best. Granted they did try their best by putting in soft sponge inside the pouch, but surviving from even a 1 feet drop is a no go. The padding is merely there to protect against minor bang and shock when the pouch is left inside your bag while you bounce around doing your thing.

Dual Compartment for accessories

There are two small compartment inside the pouch, one for UMD while the other one for your minor accessories such as cloth, earphone and what not. Designed to be slim and modern, this pouch gives a spacious area for your PSP to breath without scratching against things. Granted the two compartment might be too little for some but on further thought, I would say anything more than 2 would be too much for the pouch.

Great Breathing room for PSP

Conclusion: Overall this pouch is good looking and provide sufficient padding for your PSP as long as you do not drop it. The two compartment is not too big and is a good add-on for you to leave one or two of your accessories inside. There are 5 colours available for your choosing.

Grey, Blue, Green, Pink & Purple (Click each colour for more PICTURES & PURCHASE information)

-Because I Can-

Review: God Of War Chain of Olympus

Well, this is more of a review of the DEMO for GOW. Chain of Olympus. The demo session last only for 2 mini bosses but enough to get you heat up on whats coming soon in March this year and after only 2 minute of this demo, I can't wait for the real deal to come out.

The fighting is resorted to only 3 buttons, there is light attack which you can combo endlessly, heavy attack which can only combo a few times, grab where you grab onto your opponent and shred him to pieces and lastly the jump button. Simple and easy.

The graphic is not half bad, granted you can see that the graphic is stressing the limit of PSP to the edge by being shredded on certain aspect, to counter that there is a certain hazey feel to it is added onto the graphic, making the graphic and scene slightly blurry. Which in certain aspect is a refreshing things to see. Anyway, There is not really much things to judge for this game except for the fact that it is SUPERB in demo.

What we can do now and wait for the game to launch in march. Together with Crisis Core.. Hoo boy.. that month is going to be painful..

Do make your preorder now at HERE

-Because I Can-

Review: Wipeout Pulse

So, Wipeout.. After hearing so much about it, how futuristic the race it, the break neck speed and the killer power ups, I finally got my chance of playing the Wipeout series last week. But how do I define the series then? Well, let me put it in this terms. Playing Wipeout for the first time is like given the key for a Jet fighter with no instruction booklet while your commander pats you on the back and says,"Don't worry, there is an eject button somewhere in there. So go crazy"

My first 15 minutes of Wipeout is mayhem,crash and burn race. I had absolutely no idea how to break, use power ups, absorbs power up or even turn sharp corners! The break neck speed on where you are going does not exactly help either but 15 mins later I manage to find the break button, find out how to turn sharp corners and absorbs power. Winning though is a totally different matter altogether.

You starts off the race at always the position of number 8 (last) even though on by the 3rd lap you would still be on the last position, a proper speed and boost at the right amount would propel you to the 1st position. This of course apply the same to the AI where they can unexpectedly zoom by you in the matter of seconds! The tracks are designed with curves and turns where the first few time you are running through it you would be embracing the wall as if you have missed a long lost lover, kissing the wall every few yard and going straight into their embrace. So worry not if you would have to go through a track more times than you can count.

I have to admit though, most of the time I have been ignoring the sound track while I concentrate my best to steer clear off the walls embrace and keeping myself centered onto the track. One of those rare moments when I can actually listen to the soundtrack, I am bombarded with techno musics which hypes up all the futuristic race feeling. Granted, if you prefer Mozart while racing, Wipeout Pulse allows you to play your own tune from your memory card.

To advance to the next level, Wipeout Pulse comes in a grid system which is in the form of hexagonal beehive kind of thing. By playing through one grid, you will unlock the next adjacent grid and so on and hence forth eventually unlocking the whole grid. Each grid features different type of race, there is the time trial, zone (where you need to stay alive as long as possible while the speed increases slowly), tournament and the age old Elimination which takes the meaning Wipeout to the next level. In normal elimination level on every other racing game, the last racer in every track is kicked out. In Pulse, elimination requires you to wipeout the other racer using the power-up provided in track. Death Match on Track! Cool eh?

Wipeout Pulse takes on a whole new meaning of futuristic racing for those that are not familiar with this series, it reaches into your brain and gently squishes all thoughts out of you as you concentrate and let your instinct guides you through the next level. Turns and hairpins are abundance as you try your best to remember which turns are best taken without break and which turns ends with a straight strip where you can speed up and overtake everybody else. For those that love racing this is one racing game that you should not miss. The graphics are superb but does not really matter when you are trying your best to steer clear off the walls, the music gets your heart pumping and the AI try their best to outrun and eliminate you.

Truly, Wipeout Pulse is an experience to behold.

To purchase Wipeout Pulse, head to HERE

-Because I Can-