Simcity - Will You Build The Ideal City?

Start with a underdeveloped town (you name it yourself) and build it into a metropolis. Or, take on the challenge of rescuing a city overwhelmed with problems. Either way, taxes, zoning, crime, transportation, education, fire control, and other critical issues are in your hands.

Time is passing, and every decision you make has a future consequence. Your assistant, Dr. Wright, can help you make the right decisions. Just ask! Surprise catastrophes also threaten your growing city like fire, earthquakes, airplane crashes, even a giant Koopa who has a nose for industrial pollution!

Will you build the ideal city? Or will disgruntled citizens leave you with a ghost town?

SimCity was released for the Super Nintendo in 1991, being one of the first games released, right after the initial three (Mario World, F-Zero and Pilotwings). There really is not a whole lot to say about the story; You have been elected mayor of a barren land form (Plus some water) and your goal is to turn it into a Megalopolis of 500,000 citizens. Sound easy? It's not.

Game Graphics: 

The Graphics do fit within the game well and by themselves they are genuinely above average. The music is just simply great as the game play fits perfectly within the game structure. Making it all blend together very nicely, making this very enjoyable to play.

This game was not a showcase for the SNES's graphic capabilities, nor was it meant to be. Nonetheless, there were some pretty cool effects here like when the seasons change every three months, thus changing the color of the forests from green to brown to white. The ''zones'' do not look as they would in real life, especially when they are first built.

Airports and Seaports look pretty nice. It is also fairly easy to tell what is going on, which is always a plus for example when a zone needs Power, you will see a lightning bolt flash on and off it. Some structures are also animated, the Industrial Zones in particular.

Sound & Effects: 

To be honest, until you get to Metropolis (100,000 citizens), the music is really kind of annoying but before that, the Disaster theme will be one of the best you will hear. The music does seem to fit whatever stage of development your city is in. Of course, when the music does get annoying, it really does not help.

Sound effects wise, there's a really slim selection, besides the clicking of icons and the placement of zones. Sometimes you get a rail car starting up, or a Plane taking off (Or crashing down, right before that cool disaster music). Other than that, there is not really a whole lot to the sound effects through out the game.

While it is true that the game would really benefit from a mouse device, this game predated the SNES mouse by a year or so, so that was not an option. In spite of this, the game controls really well, and there's quite a bit to do, even in the light of this game's sequels, Simcity 2000 and 3000. You can set game speed, wreak disasters on your city at will (Though you can not invoke the almighty Nuclear Meltdown... ), or go to Dr. Wright for some advice.

Of course, in order to accomplish your goal, you will have to listen to your citizens, and give them what they want. The Icon interface allows you to access this info whenever you need it. As far as building your city goes, it's really simple: Just click on the structure you want to build, find a place for it, push a button, and "BAM" there is your structure.

Story line: 

While it's not really a story, the basic premise was very original for its time. You are the mayor of a city that you have to guide to Megalopolisdom. Keep in mind that Story was not a very important part of video games in 1991, not that the premise would have been any different. But let's face it, it is not the story that will keep you playing this game.

Overall Challenge: 

Quite honestly, I'm of the belief that pulling off a Megalopolis the right way is the single toughest feat in all of video gaming. And the Big Money Code you probably already know about does not really make it any easier. As with any game of its kind, you have to go slow and build up a solid financial base before you can build at any sort of decent pace (As such, you spend a lot of time with the Game Speed set to Fast, just waiting around). The Big Money code can make this faster, but not any easier trust me.

Replay Value: 

Admittedly, there is not a lot to do after you beat this game. Of course you probably never will beat the game, in the Megalopolis sense. If you get bored, you can challenge one of 6 scenarios, in which you are given a city with a problem ranging from the mundane (Traffic, Crime) to the near catastrophic (Nuclear Meltdown). You have a set period of time 5 or 10 years to make the situation right.

It is quite a challenge to stay within your budget for this amount of time, given that you will probably lose several hundred dollars a year, besides having to improve the city. Before you beat them, it's fun to play the game a lot, but afterward you really get kind of sick of it.

Final Thoughts: 

This was really the first Sim game that spawn all the others, and it is still one of the best. The functional graphics, ''Unique'' soundtrack, great control, and of course, the disasters, make this a game you will want in your collection if you are a fan of the Simulation genre.

You won't be disappointed. Overall this is just simply another classic game that exceeds on various levels. While it is not a terribly rare game like ''Final Fantasy III'' or ''Mega Man X3'' it is not a highly common one as well. (Though fortunately at least its price range is generally reasonable.) Its sequels may be bigger but the original title is still going strong...

For more reviews check us out at http://www.nextlevelgamerz.com!

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How To Play Pyramid Solitaire

Pyramid solitaire is a fun solitaire game that's quite different to normal solitaire- in most solitaire games you build up cards onto a foundation, but in Pyramid solitaire you remove cards! Cards can only be removed when they add up to 13. With it's easily recognisable layout (shaped like a pyramid), and requiring a combination of luck and skill, it's a popular solitaire game played by many.

The basic rules are...

• You win if you can remove ALL cards from play
• Cards are removed in pairs, when they add up to 13
• You can deal from the talon at any time
• You get 2 redeals of the talon
• Only a maximum of 2 cards are visible from the talon at any time

You can only use cards that are completely uncovered( If a card is in the pyramid but covered by another card, you cannot select it)
For example, if a part of the pyramid looks like this...

... K...

... Q.7...

..2.4.7..

.5.8.K.J.

Initially you won't be able to pair the Jack with the two (because the two is covered by the five and the eight cards). Start by removing the five and eight. Now the 2 card will be uncovered, and can be paired with the Jack card.

The possible pairings in Pyramid Solitaire are...

King

Six Seven

Five Eight

Four Nine

Three Ten

Two Jack

Ace Queen

Kings are a special case, that are removed on their own.

Pyramid Solitaire Tips

• Don't just automatically combine any cards you see. Knowing when to match and when to hold off is usually the difference between winning and losing.
• Always remove Kings as soon as you can. There is never any reason to keep them in play.
• Look for cards "trapped" by other cards underneath. You may need to remove specific cards in a certain order to get to them

Here is an example of a "trapped" card...

... 2...

... 5.3...

..8.8.4..

.7.8.6.6.

Notice the five has 3 eight's underneath it. Fives are removed with eights, so we'll need to pay special attention to this inversion. That 5 can't be matched with any of the eight's underneath it. Wherever the other 8 is, we will need to keep it for THIS five. If we use it on another five, then we will never be able to remove this one, and the game will become unwinnable.

That might sound a little complicated but don't worry too much about it- you'll start picking it up effortlessly the more you play.

Pyramid solitaire can be quite hard sometimes. In fact some deals are actually impossible to complete. You can still win quite often though- data collected from Dailysol show that you can win approximately 60% of games- so make sure you don't give up to early!

If you want to play some Pyramid and start applying what you've learnt, you can play for free on Android with 5 Free Solitaire Games

You can play for free on Windows, Mac, and iOS too- go to Dogmelon's solitaire page for more information.

Dan Fletcher: dogMelon

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How to Get Better at Stacraft 2

The best way to improve at Starcraft 2 is to play a lot. It sounds silly, but it's simply true. When I started playing, I was originally placed in gold league and stayed there for a full three months. Then, slowly but surely, I rose up until I was in the top 50 Grandmasters in America.

Obviously, not everyone can become a Grandmaster (it requires, amongst other things, exceptional reflexes, reaction time and coordination), but I firmly believe that, with practice, everyone can become a master at Starcraft 2.

The first thing to work on is understand the game mechanics, namely: armor vs non-armored, range, attack speed, damage reduction, hidden bonuses, splash damage, etc. For instance, one thing that makes the Terran siege tanks so powerful is the fact that they might hit not just one unit, but up to 8. Obviously, the 70 damage they can quickly become 300-400, making them one of the highest-damage units in the game.

Every unit has its particularities and becoming intrinsically familiar with them will greatly improve your play. Any Protoss player, for instance, knows how to individually blink their stalkers to save them as they are about to die. Likewise, a Zerg player knows not to group their mutalisks during a raid if the enemy has air splash damage, such as a Thor.

The second thing to improve on is your knowledge of group battles. Almost all Starcraft 2 games are decided by one large confrontation, where the loser will be left on the defensive, rolling back, while the victor will keep pushing and destroying the economy and production capacities of the loser. It is better, in my opinion, to retreat from a battle that is clearly lost rather than lose every single one of your units in a lost defense. There are such things in Starcraft 2 as pyrrhic victory, where you somehow manage to hold a magnificent defense, but lose so much time and resources in the process that your other bases are left defenseless.

Another key trick to improve at Starcraft 2 is to utterly master the art of macroing, i.e. producing units, mining bases and, most of all, expanding. If you watch professional games, you'll notice all of them expand very quickly, sometimes dangerously fast. While risky, an early expansion can bring him double the amount of minerals and gas you'd grab on one base, giving you a decisive advantage in the mid-game.

Lastly, take the time required to define and improve your style, whether it is micro-aggression, economy or turtling. Learning which race suits your best will also help you develop as a Starcraft 2 player and slowly grind up until you reach master. In my mind, with one or two hours per day, any player can become a master within 6 months if he practices correctly.

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How to Play Counter-Strike

Today I like to talk about an integral part of my computer/technology career. Unexpectedly, it is my skill on the game called Counter-Strike. I would like to impart to my readers my knowledge which helped me to be regarded as sort of an "expert" on the field of the said game. More than anything, I want to teach you how be the best on it. Also, I would like to discuss the significance it has in my life and the potential it has to touch others' lives too.

I can't imagine life without Counter-Strike (specifically the version 1.3 one). Needless to say, you can tell that I am nostalgic about it. I heard about the latest version that the makers of Counter-Strike are developing right now, which is Counter-Strike Global Offensive. I can already see the importance of your experience on playing Counter-Strike 1.3 on becoming good on that latest version; which can become handy especially now that on the tournaments of these stuff, you can get something over a million dollars as a prize.

So, let's go into the heart of it: how to be good on counter-strike 1.3? Number 1, Brightness. Enemies are hard to see with the default brightness of the game. Meaning, if you are not the server of the game this is a necessity (this might seem unnecessary but trust me it is. It sounds senseless but it is not). So, to be able to do it, type "map de_dust" on the console. Wait for the console to take you to (guess where) de_dust. After, click ~, and type and enter on the console "brightness 999." After that, enter "map de_dust" again. Wait until it gets you to de_dust again. Just now, it has the perfect brightness which will surely help you differentiate someone who is your enemy and friend on the game.

Number 2: Controls. Before even starting to play the game, go to the controls part. Click defaults. After that, change how you can buy with F1 instead of B; and how to buy bombs with F4 instead of M. For those of you who are curious, this would make you buy weapons, ammunition, and bombs faster which will make you more efficient on the game. Note, buy ammunitions with F1 + 6 and F1 + 7, instead of the alternative version. Trust me on this.

Number 3: Don't be the server as much as possible. This is quite crucial. The most important reason why is that you would not be able to use technique number 1, which is the brightness part. There is simply no way of doing it. Plus, if you are playing in an internet cafe, which is what most likely is the case (because that is the easiest way to play it with other people; trust me), you cannot quit just anytime that you want because you would annoy other players. When you quit the game, other players will be disconnected to the game too. I would not worry so much on this certain technique, but I just thought you should know something about it.

Number 4: Weapon choice. Let's face the elephant in the room. The only best weapon choice for the game is the sniper one. Pair it with pistol F1 + 1 and you have a perfect combo. The key here is practice. Train using the sniper one so that you kill enemies precisely as fast as possible and you would always be good to go. Plus, if you master using your pistol to kill enemies with headshots that would be a plus. Not that I am overselling, you can try other weapons but this would always be the perfect combo/one.
Number 5: Strategic positioning on the game. This is about where you go on the game (the path you choose). The trick here is choosing maximum efficiency. What I mean here is choose your position on the game so that you balance your safety and ability to kill enemies in the best way. Players on this game are very vulnerable. You can get killed in literally an instant. Protect yourself as much as possible without losing your ability to kill enemies. Since you already chose your perfect set of weapons, this would be like a walk in the park. With a sniper, choose a place where you can use it such that you are hidden but at the same time has the vision to hunt your preys.

Number 6: Map choice: you only have three options for this: cs_deathmatch, de_dust, de_dust2. Why? It is really tempting to say just because when you are already into the game, because it is just the way it is. However, for beginners out there, it is just the way it is because it would make the game fairer if you know what I mean. There is no special treatment and/or unfair advantage for either teams. Therefore, players equally enjoy the game (which is always a good thing).

Needless to say, it has a significant impact on my life. More than anything, it taught me how to be a team player and accept defeat graciously. It is a game where you can be yourself, make mistakes, get defeated or win with no pressure or someone judging you. Personally, it is a good environment to be in as a child. It might also added to my tech-savvyness. Despite it's violent connotation, I disagree that it has negative impacts on anybody. So far, it didn't lead me to be violent to other people. Contrary, it made me more compassionate, warm, and social.

I hope this helped you become better on Counter-Strike. Otherwise, if it made you curious about the game, great! Good luck playing it! I promise you it would be worth it. Try it as fast as possible now!

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Civilisation VI - How Will They Improve on the Previous Version?

Civilisation V was released in 2010 and went on to be a big success story. The franchise has sold over 33 million units over the years with Civilisation V being the best-selling version having sold around 8 million units sold worldwide.

And the gamer reviews for Civilisation V were pretty good too. G5 gave it 5 out of 5. PC Gamer gave it 98 out of 100, and Game Informer 9.75 out of 10. And Civilisation V took the 'Best Strategy Game' award at the 2011 BAFTA Games Awards.

That's not to say there weren't a few gripes with Civilisation V though. One major quibble was the quality of the AI game opponents and their lack of smarts when conducting negotiations and diplomacy.

So how have Firaxis Games tried to improve on the success of Civilisation V?

The latest version, Civilisation VI, is due for release on October 21 2016. The same team that developed Civilisation V have also worked on its successor. And it's already been named 'Best PC Game' and 'Best Strategy Game' at the Game Critics Awards.

So what's new? Well, the developers have suggested in various interviews that research found many gamers had come to find playing Civilisation V one-dimensional.

The big aim with Civilisation VI has been to create a game that makes gamers think on their feet a lot more. A more reactive experience is what the developers have tried to achieve.

And with that in mind they've made some big new changes for Civilisation VI. For a start city development has been overhauled. Now when you've built a city centre you have to specialise the function of that city. It can become a specialist military, industry or science city, say - but it can't contain elements of everything.

And that means terrain is much more important than in previous games. You have to think through and match up the function of your city with the landscape around it now for the best results. If you're building an industrial city you're going to need natural resources, for example.

That will impact on how you have to think about strategy too. There will cities that you'll need to identify as being vitally important to your opponents' infrastructure that you can attack, and cities that you'll need to place extra emphasis on defending yourself.

The AI opponents have been upgraded too. So the historical figures like Gandhi and Teddy Roosevelt that you're playing against will be more intelligent and cunning. Each has their own particular personality for you to read and monitor, but also hidden agendas that you'll have to work hard to decipher.

And unlike in previous Civilisation games there are much greater rewards to be had for developing the culture of your empire. In past versions of the game you will have found it much harder to succeed with an emphasis on cultural development compared to, say, science or your military. So for the first time developing drama, philosophy and poetry could be your route to victory.

The hottest video games for you this year all in one place at UKinGame! It's an exciting time for gaming releases, and we're delivering you the best ones here at the leading gaming hub in the UK. http://www.ukingame.com

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