Wallpapers Wednesday : Dragonica

Been seeing Dragonica stuff everywhere this week – from the ads in PCZine issue #31 and 360Zine issue #32 to the installation CDs at Challenger Funan and even Dragonica paper bags – so I’ve finally succumbed to my curiosity and checked out the official website(s) for this free-to-play MMORPG.


© Barunson Interactive

Obviously I’m not going to try it anytime soon since I really don’t need another extra addiction to tie me to the computer :) Dragonica does have some nice wallpapers and concepts downloadable from the official European website by gPotato. There’s also a fan site kit up at the Southeast Asian website by IAHGames (which I can’t download because it’s up at Megaupload).


© Barunson Interactive

Download these Dragonica wallpapers and artworks or try your luck getting the fansite kit off dragonica.iahgames.com.

MORE @ THE DOWNLOAD MUNKEY:
Korean MMORPG Wallpapers (X) – Tera Online
Project Coo! Wallpapers
Luminous Arc 2 Wallpapers
Warrior Epic Concept Art and Wallpapers
Archaic Sealed Heat Wallpapers

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Games Thursday : Faerie Solitaire

Quite enjoyed my complimentary copy of Faerie Solitaire from Subsoap (thanks Brian!) so here’s a little review of it and how it stacks up to Fairway Solitaire (recently reviewed here at The Download Munkey ).

First off, players familiar with good old Windows Solitaire will immediately feel at home in Faerie Solitaire. You see, unlike Fairway Solitaire where the underlying golf theme is closely tied into all aspects of the game, Faerie Solitaire definitely feels closer to an actual game of Solitaire albeit with a deck of cards adorned with fantasy illustrations. While this might suggest that Faerie Solitaire is inferior graphically and gameplay-wise, these differences actually work in Faerie Solitaire’s favour when it comes to really casual players like my mom (who still has difficulty relating pars and golf scores to their actual effect on each hand in Fairway Solitaire). The less cluttered screen also makes for faster gameplay which is why I much prefer Faerie Solitaire since I can blaze through 9 hands in under 10 minutes :)

Now, the gameplay in Faerie Solitaire is very similiar to Fairway Solitaire but it would be most unfair to dismiss Faerie Solitaire as a mere clone. The biggest difference between the two games apart from the obviously different graphical theme and sound effects would be the extra elements that carry over game after game in Faerie Solitaire to provide some continuity and replayability in what would otherwise be a series of Solitaire games.

You still have something similiar to Fairway Solitaire where you can buy optional game-enhancing items but there is now an extra incentive to continue playing each stage not only to unlock the next stage and advance the story. You see, Faerie Solitaire rewards long-term players with a selection of 32 little critters you can encounter and collect in your journey to save the faeries. It might seem a relatively minor addition but it does alleviate a lot of that repetitive feeling when there’s a (very small) chance to acquire a new creature in each hand that you play – and believe me, you can easily play over a hundred hands in a single hour :shock:

While the critters are an interesting diversion, the fact that they do not add any special abilities to your gameplay seems to be a rather superficial feature at best. Perhaps in a sequel :)

Overall, an interesting twist on the solitaire genre which will appeal to players who are looking for an addictive card game that’s simple to learn and play. The lovingly illustrated cards (I love the swamp lizards on the 6s) and the dreamy background music add a sparkly magical experience without overly distracting the player from the actual card game.

Download the demo for Faerie Solitaire from www.subsoap.com. The full version is now available for purchased at Big Fish Games at a promo price of 6.99 USD.

MORE @ THE DOWNLOAD MUNKEY:
Fairway Solitaire
She Asked … for a Bejewelled Clone
Giga Rensya Mini-Games Part II
Giga Rensya Mini Games Part I
Mytheria – Virtual CCG

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Games Thursday : Fairway Solitaire (Download Free Till 31 May 2009)

I believe most seasoned (or snobbish) gamers like yours truly don’t exactly regard electronic versions of golf and/or solitaire as extremely exciting games to play and any game combining both seems even less palatable. However Grey Alien Games’ awesome Fairway Solitaire has proven me wrong this time – yep, as much as I hate to admit it but it’s a damn fine game :)

A single player card game with a golf theme published by Big Fish Games (who are giving it for free till 30 May 2009, see this Jayisgames post), Fairway Solitaire is truly an addictive game especially for Windows Solitaire addicts, golf maniac or card gamers (or even if you’re none of the above).

I don’t understand golf (my very rudimentary knowledge stems from playing the archaic Fuji Golf on Windows 3.1) and neither do I like card games but this game sucked up the time I was intending to spend on playing Mount & Blade :P .

Like solitaire, its very easy to learn – just match cards from the deck with those numbered one higher or lower (the suit doesnt matter) to remove them from play. Play six or more than cards in a row and get a Long Drive bonus which gives a multipler to your cash earnings at the end of each hole. The number of leftover cards after each round minus the par for that hole constitutes your score and is capped at a maximum of five above par.

Special cards like iron cards which can be used anytime to match any card higher or lower by one, sand wedge cards to clear the corresponding sand trap cards and dreaded water hazard cards make it feel like a day at the golf course. Wild Shot cards add an element of chance to the game and adds a slew of minigames to mix things up and keep things interesting. These features and the Long Drives make winning in games of Fairway Solitaire more about strategy rather than a lucky deal.

If everything sounds too confusing, don’t worry as the excellent nine hole course at The Golf Academy serves as an excellent tutorial. And who knows, you might learn a interesting new thing or two, like wormburners :)

Graphics are pretty attractive for a casual game and for once I get to choose a granny avatar – you don’t get this in most games, do you? Sounds are minimal at best, the only things you’ll probably hear is some commentary and polite applause. (it’s a game of golf, not soccer, you know) However, Fairway Solitaire still doesn’t change my opinion of golf – golf fashion is really stuffy and yucky :(


Got to play better, Granny needs a new long skirt at the Golf Shop

Download Fairway Solitaire for free until 31 May 2009 – instructions at this Jayisgames post on 4 free Big Fish Games. (Azada is not too bad, but Fairway Solitaire rules!)

MORE @ THE DOWNLOAD MUNKEY:
Mytheria – Virtual CCG
Enter Cthulhu via The Necronomicon CCG
Giga Rensya Mini-Games Part II
She Asked … for a Bejewelled Clone

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Random Monday : 10 Years of LEGO Star Wars Limited Edition Poster

Commemorating the 10th anniversary of Lego Star Wars mini-figs, this limited edition poster was given out for online purchases at the Lego store on May 3 and 4 (for US and Canada customers only).

While I admit it’s too late to be posting about this now as I haven’t been regularly reading my feeds regularly these days, you can still see a very high-resolution version of this poster kindly uploaded by Andrew over at The Brothers Brick.


© The LEGO Group & Lucasfilm, Ltd

There’s Luke Skywalker in 8 different costumes, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in 6, Princess Leia in 5, Darth Vader and Han Solo in 4, followed by a bewildering array of droids, Republican clone troopers and Imperial storm troopers.


© The LEGO Group & Lucasfilm, Ltd

My favourite minifig : a blue-armoured Senate Commando

Download my personal backup of the Celebrate 10 Years of LEGO Star Wars poster originally uploaded and linked by The Brothers Brick by following this link (5.2 MB zipped). The link to the poster scan posted at Flickr had been removed by The Brothers Brick on Saturday night when I wrote this post.

MORE @ THE DOWNLOAD MUNKEY:
Lego Batman Demo Impressions
Lego Batman Wallpapers
BrikWars – War with Mini-Figs!

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Wallpapers Wednesday : Tizzy Bac!


© Tizzy Bac

Official promotional wallpapers for Tizzy Bac, a Taiwanese indie rock band comprising Chen Hui-ting (vocalist / pianist), Hsu Che-yu (bassist) & Lin Chien-yuan (drummer) and my bro’s band of the moment. The couple of wallpapers above feature artwork from their recently released 3rd album I’m Not Afraid of Demons If I’d Seen Hell (如果看見地獄,我就不怕魔鬼), which you can preview to at their official site. (I’m not really a fan of rock music so no comments on the music :) ). More info at Taipei Times.


© Tizzy Bac

These three wallpapers come from their music video for the first track 鐵之貝克. (Youtube link)

Download these wallpapers from Tizzy Bac’s official website.

MORE @ THE DOWNLOAD MUNKEY:
Elphonso Lam – Artist / Toy Designer / Punk Rocker
Android Jones – Musical Art & Much More
Ken Ishii – Extra MV
Audiotool – Virtual Music Production Studio

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