ANTI-FIT, TRIBAL | Cargo shorts, Skinny jeans

Moments ago, I’ve been to SM City North EDSA and shopped inside the department store. They are currently holding up to 50% off for most items on sale.

This time, I grabbed an Anti-Fit slim pants which costs me P1,499 (minus 10%) and a Tribal Gear brown baggy short which costs me about P1,399 (minus 10%) plus a 2011 calendar. Check them all out and go shop at SM Department Store now until the 50% off promo is still there!

|> The Ramones – The KK Took My Baby Away

DIARY | Spend your holiday at Duty Free Phils.!

It’s December 26 and everyone is still spending their christmas holiday vacation with their beloved family. So, where’s the good place to go? Firstly, if your a balikbayan, let your company take a smart shopping at Duty Free. And since we’re talking about that, we’ve gone there just some moments ago.

So what’s with this place and why will you have to consider it? Well well, here we go. It’s not just a public shopping mall, but more of a place that balikbayans and their family can hangout together. Yes, you can buy the common ones but also those hard-to-find things.

It’s goodluck for us. Currently, Duty Free Phils are holding a promo called Peso Power ($1 = P40) and a raffle promo called Vananza. Cool. I took a shot of one of the Christmas Trees there and those pretty little figurines.

Next thing is a place where you can buy common home equipments like dining accesories, bedroom and living room accesories.

Although it is already 26th of December, still, people are fond of shopping from here to there and it’s making me feel dizzy O.O

Look at my Tita. You can see how tired she is after all of those chocolates, drinks, leather bags that came pass us.

No, we are not at a Tiangge and we are not tumatawad! We are just asking for more freebies! Despite of that, we still look like we are at a Tiangge ^^

I even had the chance to capture Sugarfree’s performance where they perform a cover of Eraserhead’s Drive (click here to watch).

That’s how my 2010’s 26th of December worked out. I hope you guys are still having a very good vacation with you loved ones. Goodluck!

|> Hilera – Nothing New

DIRAY | Fridge, Aircon, Wall Fans…

It’s 2 days before Christmas Eve, and 2 days before Mom set on foot back in the Philippines! Despite of that, we, the three little bears are preparing everything, and to this day, we bought a number of electrical appliances so the Christmas Eve and the New Years Eve will be as good as the year of 1950, when electronics are still in the process of invention. We’ve gone to Trinoma and settled everything.

I am accompanied by my sis, my bro, Ate Jho and her daughter Jessie, my niece Nicole and Joanna. Look at them, they’re all so tired. Even I myself.

These are the rotating “elesi” we’ve bought. One is for the Salas, and the Asahi 12 incher one is for my room. In this photo, I’m gonna open those boxes and try to assemble them.

This is the rotating-elesi-na-invisible-pero-malamig thing. It’s a window-type 1 horsepower Aircon. Brand and model name is CARRIER WCARG010EC DLX, so if you’re curious that you’re looking for a rotating-elesi-na-invisible-pero-malamig, try to consider this one. We bought at a humble price of PHP15,500 (originally 17k). We installed this thing up after that.

This thing will stay in my Mom’s room for, hopefully, more than a decade!!!

This one here is our newly bought fridge. It is a single-door one with a height of 7 cu ft. from Kelvinator. Take note, I’m the one who chose this brand and this model so I wish it will last more than a decade also. The model number is KELVINATOR KSD225SA STL. Just like the fans and the airconditioner, this one is also bought at Western appliances with a humble and discounted price of PHP14,400 (originally 16k). Thanks to my convincing powers.

After buying all of these moving-things-via-electrical-powers, we decided to take a quick rest in some of the skirts of Trinoma mall. Look at that guy with the white T-shirt, oh gosh… I’m gonna spend the Christmas Eve with my long hair like that. Messy…

|> CN Blue – I’m a Loner

2010 | Mafia II – Joe’s Adventures

So you’ve finished Vito’s story and Jimmy’s Vendetta in Mafia II, but you’re still craving for more. I’m sure you are since you’re reading this now. The next DLC for Mafia II is already out, are you in doubt in spending your $9.99 for it? Of course you do. And now I’m here to convince you from here to there.

Joe’s Adventures is Joe Barbaro’s (Vito’s very bestfriend) own game. And since it is, expect a lot of action-packed moments from this fat guy. The game is set during the time Vito is still in the army after they have both failed in an operation:let’s-rob-the-bank!, and the second time Vito was sent to prison. Although this is a DLC game, compared to Jimmy’s Vendetta (which lacks story, cutscenes and is played in an arcade-style gameplay), Joe’s Adventures filled up the holes from the previous DLC. It has a lot of cutscenes, storyline is understandably amazing. Unfortunately, it is still played in an arcade-style gameplay, however, with a lot of improvements. A thing that made Jimmy’s Vendetta a disappointment is its repetitive missions. Joe’s Adventures, on the other hand, removed that thing off, thus the DLC file is a lot bigger than the previous (1.3GB compared to 300MB).

Just like the previous DLC, this one is packed with new features such as new cars, new locations, new clothes just for Joe.

And new Playboy magazine covers to collect!

I have finished this content just 2 days ago. I swear, it is as impressive as the main game. If you are good enough in playing games like this, you would be able to finish it in just 8 hours. But that is not as easy as you are thinking right now. There are some chapters that are harder than what you think. Try it yourself!

Lastly, here’s a video I caught while playing it:

Watch it directly in YouTube

|> After School – Bang!

EVENT | Girls’ Generation and BEAST album launching @ SM North EDSA

This day, I’ve gone to SM North EDSA just to buy my very own copy of the Japanese versions of Gee and Genie. It was not just for Girls’ Generation fans, but also for BEAST as MCA/Universal Records are also launching the boys’ new album. I came around 10AM, just the moment the mall opened for that day. There, I saw BEAST and the girls’ picture-friendly standees, awaiting outside, just in front of the entrance of Astroplus.

As expected, I saw lots of fanboys and fangirls out there, hanging out together. Sadly, I am alone, and I can’t stand it when everyone has their own company. I took some captures of the standees first.

Man, it’s so embarrassing to take a solo pic of myself together with these pretty ladies’ standees, with everyone watching you at that moment T_T. I wish I invited someone, atleast my sister, so I have company.

I find it hard to take photos of the girls’ standee. Everyone’s in there and I can’t get in easily. Anyway, at the back of BEAST’s standees, lots of SNSD calendar posters lies. Those will be given once you buy both single albums.

I rushed to the counter and asked the saleslady/cashier for the Girls’ Generation bundle, so I can go home earlier (my other plan is to look for window-type aircon and a fridge). Gosh, lots of CDs…

Now that I’m home, I’ve checked both CDs, the poster and the 9 promotional cards. No, I did not open the CD, that’s a thing I will never do. I find it useful to not open the CDs, even my older CDs are still sealed.

|> The Ramones – Sheena is a Punk Rocker

[2009] Slapshock – Cariño Brutal

Artist: Slapshock
Album Title: Cariño Brutal

Release Type: 6th Studio Album
Release Date: October 2009
Record Label: PolyEast Records (Formerly EMI Records)
Promotional Single(s): Can’t Stop Us Now; Cariño Brutal; Like Eskimo
Genre(s): Metalcore; Melodic Metalcore; Alternative Metal

This is “The Rap Metal king of the Philippines” Slapshocks’ 6th studio album. Released on October 2009, the band has again conquered the satisfaction of their fans from their country and even in the abroad. This album features the band’s shifting of genre and their experimentation from the old school Rap Metal/Nu Metal to Alternative Metal to Metalcore. All tracks are considerably Metalcore, with brutal musical elements and technical screamed vocals from the band’s frontman Jamir Garcia. Compared to their last release, which is Recollection (their 2nd compilation album), this is indeed a Metalcore album. Although considered as their 6th LP, the release only consist of 6 tracks, heavily and brutally produced by the band itself.

Tracklist:

1. Stronger
2. Alive
3. Like Eskimo
4. Forever
5. Can’t Stop Us Now
6. Cariño Brutal

All tracks are listenable, specially if you’re a true Metalhead. This release is for you. It features the band’s evolution from their last 5 releases. In my opinion, it can be considered to be similar to the styles of international acts like Trivium, Killswitch Engage, Bullet For My Valentine, etc. In fact, the first time I heard the song “Like Eskimo”, my first impression is that it really sound like a Killswitch Engage song, since it is a Melodic Metalcore song. The title song “Cariño Brutal” sounds a lot like a Trivium’s material, similar to their last release “Shogun” back in 2008. My favorite track from this release is “Cariño Brutal”. In fact, it is the only song in Filipino language, which is cool enough. I love the part where they shout “Hoy!” which sounds a lot like they’re promoting the country, and the phrase “Inukit mo ang dusa’t pasakit, kung ako sayo wag na wag kang lalapit!” being repeated a number of times while being screamed. Great job guys! I wish Slapshock will continue creating more songs like this in the near future. Recommended album, cheers!

|> miss A – Breathe

[2007] Slapshock – Recollection

Artist: Slapshock
Album Title: Recollection

Release Type: 2nd Compilation Album
Release Date: December 2007
Record Label: PolyEast Records (Formerly EMI Records)
Promotional Single(s): Agent Orange, Evil Clown, Madapaka, Get Away, Shezzo Wicked, Numb, Wake Up, Queen Paranoia, Anino Mo, We Are One, Misterio, Miles Away, Direction, Waiting, Adios, Sigaw
Genre(s): Rap Metal, Nu Metal, Alternative Metal, Metalcore

This is Slapshock’s 2007 2nd compilation album. The album includes all of the band’s most successful and well-known songs for the fans alike. Chronicling since their first album, wherein the band is still into Rap Metal/Nu Metal, you will notice a lot of their vocal and technical changes and improvements up until their later efforts. Slapshock is the Rap Metal king of the Philippines, formed in 1996, the era wherein the Rap Metal (Rage Against the Machine, Beastie Boys, Faith No More) scene are on its peak popularity and the growing community of Nu Metal (Korn, Limb Bizkit, Alien Ant Farm) are on its way, the band introduced both genres in their country.The band is just one out of a few number of musicians that sounded more of an international artists than a local band. They even toured together with some notable Heavy Metal artists in the world such as Korn, Machine Head, As I Lay Dying, Iron Maiden, etc. They even performed as one of the front acts during Trivium and Testament’s performance in Manila. Throughout their career, they have released a total of six albums, all of which are released through PolyEast Records. While started as a Rap Metal/Nu Metal act, as both genres declined in the world of music, the band has slowly shifted from their original genre to Alternative Metal and recently, to Metalcore.

Tracklist:

1. Evil Clown
2. Madapaka
3. Agent Orange
4. Get Away
5. Shezzo Wicked
6. Queen Paranoia
7. Numb
8. Wake Up
9. Anino Mo
10. We Are One
11. Misterio
12. Miles Away
13. Direction
14. Waiting
15. Adios
16. Sigaw

Tracks 1-8 are Rap Metal/Nu Metal songs. In fact, Agent Orange sound a lot like Korn’s most successful song Freak On A Leash. The song Madapaka features a screamed vocals of the word “Hudas” which literally means “Judas” but in the Philippines, it is used as an expression to call someone who betrays. The word “Madapaka” when sang in the song can be mistaken for the slang term, “Motherf*cker” easily. The song Wake Up features rap part that are reminiscent to the style of Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit) with a combination of some musical elements of another Nu Metal act System of a Down and a little bit of Chester Benington’s (Linkin Park) screamed vocals. Track 9 which is Anino Mo is an Alternative Metal, a slow shift from their older material. Tracks 10 onwards can be classified to be still Alternative Metal with some elements of Metalcore, specially Direction which is a very successful song unveiled during the era wherein Pinoy Rock is on its peak of popularity.

I recommend this compilation. It features the old school Slapshock and their improvements in their career. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Rap Metal/Nu Metal fan or a Metalcore fan instead. Just listen to this greatest hits album and enjoy every effort the band gave over almost 2 decades. I do not agree that this band is “The Rap metal king of the Philippines” while the band itself experimented a lot of genres over the years. It would be better if we put “The Modern Metal king of the Philippines”. Suits well. This is the end of my quick review. Remember to buy it in a store near you, since Slapshock is a NO-TO-PIRACY band. Adios guys!

|> Daft Punk – Digital Love

2010 | Metro 2033

Developer: 4A Games
Publisher: THQ
Platform: Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Genre(s): First-person Shooting; Survival Horror
Mode: Single-Player
First Released: March 16, 2010 (NA)
Played on: Microsoft Windows

If you are bored enough in playing standard FPS games such as the Call of Duty and Battlefield games, and misses a lot of the gory and shocking scenes from Resident Evil, this game is for you. No, it’s not as bad as Left For Dead 2. It is, however, will challenge both your shooting skills and your fright powers. Metro 2033 is both an FPS and a survival horror game. Set in the year of 2033, you play the character named Artyom, and you are in the post-apocalyptic era of Russia, particularly in The Metro, within Moscow. You are one out of less than a thousand more survivors, eating, sleeping, living inside the inner of the subway, just to stay away of those what they call “The Dark Ones”. These monsters are very scary, yet vogue. They are, however shaped like animals but with long sharp claws. There is a monster that looks a lot like the licker in Resident Evil series, and the lurker in the Silent Hill series, but this time it looks more realistic (without the tongue). I have heard that this game is quite similar to the games of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., and yes it is, it is proven by the game developers and that they consider it as an influence upon making this game. It is based on a novel also published around Russia, which is also referenced in a scene in the game, during Artyom’s secret departure using a cart, shown here:

Here’s the Intro video of the game:

A thing that caught my attention to play this game, aside from being exclusive to XboX 360 and PC (which means I won’t be able to play this on my PS3), is that it has demanding but awesome Graphics and Physics. Yes, it will push your GPU almost up to the limit, especially if you only have Radeon 3xxx or GeForce 9xxx. It is able to render graphics from Direct3D 9, 10 and even 11. What’s more good is that, whatever you choose among those 3 Direct 3D technology, the game will still look very nice (in my opinion), but still depends to your taste though. As for me, I only have a Radeon HD4850, enough to render high quality frames of the game. Thanks to it, I can play the game in DirectX 10 mode safely, all in high settings. But do not forget, use Direct3D Overrider to force Vsync and to completely say goodbye to screen-tearings and frame drops. In my case, I decently got 50~60fps in DirectX 10 mode with all the options set to high. It is also recommended to have atleast a dual-core processor, specifically Intel Core 2 Duo processors, however, to meet extreme performance, it is better to have quad-core processors.

Although it is graphically impressive, I can’t just let this game win my heart easily. I found some flaws during my gameplay. One thing is the animation. Of course, the animation is good but here’s something that bothered me for a while.

This monster above is actually dead. I killed it using a knife and as far as I know, it is supposed to be lying on the floor and not standing like that in a weird position. You get what I mean? In any way, that is the only major flaw of the game for me.

Here’s the whole gameplay video of Chapter 7 (Tower):

I have finished the game a month ago (late post). It is decently long, but what takes it long is because there are a lot of time wherein you’ll just wander around a community to look for bullets, and since bullets play very important role in the game, you’ll have to find it. There’s no currency or any paper-like you can use to buy ammo, instead, you’ll have to keep on looting used and old bullets (with different classes) to exchange for new and usable ones, body armor/suits.

Here’s the Ending cutscene of the game:

Final Score: 10/10 – as an FPS game, multiplayer is not really necessary. Everything is almost right, vast variety amount of firepower, realistic gameplay and environment. As a survival horror game, it performed well, but needs to show more. Although it is a very demanding game, which will let you upgrade your PC components off the air, it satisfies what you paid for, your visual and imaginative desires. Good storyline! Now let’s wait for the sequel Metro 2034!

|> Slapshock – Adios

Create your own LBP wallie!!!

I’ve been to the PlayStation Home location for LittleBigPlanet, and I admit, the area’s so fun. Tons of mini-games and the environment is just so lively, just like how you would expect since it is LBP. There is a game there where you will snap 5 various photos hidden somewhere in the area. And another thing is a mini-game where you can create your own personalized LBP wallpaper.

It is true that you can personalize the wallie in your own self but it is however limited. You are given 5 backgrounds and tons of stickers which will generally make it more stylized and unique. Stickers can be moved, rotated or enlarged. Isn’t;’t it cool? Create your own now! Just visit LittleBigPlanet’s place in PlayStation Home!

|> Hilera – Nothing New

DIARY | Shopping with Baby Zaf…

Baby Zaf… My 7 months old nephew Zafina, named after the Tekken character of the same name, is with me the whole day. We’ve gone to SM North EDSA together with her Mommy Christia.

For dinner, we ate at the mall’s newest and finest korean barbeque specialist, Koryo.

Gosh, it was my first time tasting asia’s favorite side dish, Kimchi! I even had my favorite Tofu by my side while the Korean chicken and beef barbeque took the center attraction. So damn bang for the buck for the price of 195 philippines peso.

I also bought some goodies from Tribal Gear and Anti-Fit just moments ago…

|> The Ramones – I Wanna Live