Balls of Stone

Sorry to disappoint. I was looking for steel but I had to settle with these balls of stone. It's not easy to find steel balls out there!

A photo posted by @ionbuck on Feb 27, 2015 at 6:31pm PST

New DuckTales in 2017

Woo-oo! New #DuckTales series is coming to Disney XD: http://t.co/fgE33xQCho pic.twitter.com/c8MQXDZr4n

— Disney (@Disney) February 25, 2015

Disney announced that new DuckTales will grace our TVs in 2017 and that brought my nostalgic childhood memories flooding back! I started watching DuckTales thinking Donald Duck would be in it. Unfortunately, he only appeared sporadically so I was disappointed but not for long, though, because (according to memories) the cartoon was great!

For the first time I saw a millionaire Scrooge McDuck (probably he will be a billionaire in the new series  - inflation they say) swim in gold and treasure and yet he could be so darn stingy. Donald's mischievous nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie were very much more well-behaved and mature here. I loved watching them go on adventures together with their clumsy pilot Launchpad. They even have their own version of Q (*ding, James Bond!*) in Gyro Gearloose. Such names. Hahaha!

I wonder if Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers will be resurrected next. Oh, and what about those chubby, bouncing Gummi Bears?

via Oh My Disney and Mashable.

A Majestic Golden Goat This 羊 Chinese New Year

If there are any shopping complexes that could come out with majestic festive decor, Pavilion KL has got to be at the top of the list. This year, there is a giant (and golden, of course) goat accompanied by two slightly smaller ones (siblings? Children?) standing majestically at centre court.

A photo posted by @ionbuck on Feb 21, 2015 at 7:52am PST

Gong Goat Xi Fa Cai!

ps. Whoever that came up with Goat Xi Fa Cai please own up! I'm kinda impressed that there is this but no sheep xi fa cai or sheepish fa cai or horsy fa cai or snaky fa cai or something to that tune.

衝上雲霄 / Triumph in the Skies (Film) Review

With a name like that, those who had never watched the two television series might have the impression that Triumph in the Skies will focus on how pilots and cabin crews overcome their daily challenges, particularly in civil aviation. On the other hand, Hong Kong TVB drama serial enthusiasts will feel right at home here. Featuring a stellar cast of Francis Ng (the original cast member), Sammy Sammi Cheng, Louis Koo, Charmaine Sheh, Chilam Cheung, and (because I'm a banana and not a Taiwanese series/movie fan, I don't know who this other person is), this film will sure attract a lot of viewers.

If I remembered correctly, after the TV series ended, a lot of my female friends were crazy about Chilam's Captain Jayden Koo, better known as Captain Cool. I don't see why they won't go crazy again after this movie.

The movie began with the original theme song by Eason Chan, a lot of slow-mo and artistic directing. Fans will definitely be impressed. Otherwise, and because I've not watched the television series, it would take some time to pick up what the movie was all about because I don't see the story leading anywhere at first.

It will later become evident that it's a light-hearted (mostly) romance movie with three main storylines. Throughout the movie, it was quite obvious the directors were flexing their artistic filming techniques with camera angles and colour filters, not unlike those you see in CSI: Miami minus the flares and an overbearing Horatio Caine.

If you're looking for a romance movie for the evening (really it's for Valentine's Day but just in case you miss it, there's still the Chinese version on the 15th day of the new lunar year), you can't go wrong with this. You might even get a few laughs here and there. 

Story wise, I don't think there's anything new here. Even the intended touching moments are predictable. You'll see all the veteran actors and actresses at their usual best although Louis Koo's and Charmaine Sheh’s tendency to outshine the rest is apparent here.

My Ratings

If you're looking to romance your partner with a love story, you're in luck - you get 3 with a little subplot for the price of one movie. Just don't go in expecting new materials. 3/5

Looking for some aviation adventure? Then this is not it. 2/5

In the mood for some of Hong Kong’s favourite hunks in big sunglasses and pilot uniforms? What about Hong Kong's (and Taiwan?) leading ladies? Look no further. 4/5

Overall, while the movie didn’t show how the pilots triumph in the skies, it is nonetheless a visual feast with love stories that are well suited for the purpose as a Valentine’s Day-cum-Chinese New Year film. 3/5

RIP, Michele Ferrero

The owner of the chocolate and confectionery empire that brought us the Nutella spread (which also tastes awesome if you scoop and eat it directly), Ferrero Rocher, Kinder eggs and (I never knew) Tic Tacs passed away on Saturday at the age of 89.

He was "a man of few words who shunned publicity, turning a local business from the Piedmont region into a global giant. He had a reputation as a forceful leader, but also as one who maintained generous working conditions and gave back to his community."

I personally appreciate all that he did in sweetening my life. May he rest in peace.

via Reuters.

財神到了!!!

I think I saw the God of Prosperity today and he was glowing! I suppose wealth shouldn't be too far away. XD

A photo posted by @ionbuck on Feb 15, 2015 at 12:55am PST

Cosmochoria - A Quick Review About Terraforming in the Nude

What is Cosmochoria? According to the developer:

Cosmochoria is a love letter to old-school action / arcade games like Asteroids, Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong. Cosmochoria is a mesmerizing way to kill hours: hopping between planets, unravelling forgotten mysteries, killing aliens and planting seeds to sprout new life across a long-barren galaxy.

I would personally like to add that Cosmochoria reminded me of the psychedelic Jeff Minter game Llamatron that everyone I knew loved (but obviously which I don’t and yet had spent hours playing it!?).

Ahem, personal nostalgic moments aside, lets get back to my take on the Steam Early Access version of Cosmochoria. Early Access would mean that the game is still in development but good enough to be played. In other words, it’s the beta or whatever version.

Under normal circumstances, I would not have purchased this but it must be the lure of terraforming (I'm still desperately searching for a good modern day God game) and what more, doing that in the nude in space except for a helmet!!!

Ahem, ahem. Anyways, in Cosmochoria, you hop from planet to planet but because your size is not proportional, it's like you are actually hoping from rocks to rocks... which makes it look rather appealing. You will need to plant seeds and nurse them to grow while at the same time fight off aliens that appear out of no where (I assume wormholes). There are boss battles, too after every few planets you save. Well ok, I apologise for the long winded narration when the whole game could be described in a paragraph. :D

Graphically this game is simple but at the same time rather appealing. 3/5

The gameplay can be a little slow at the start but will become frantic in no time. So provided this is your cup of tea, I'd rate it a 3/5. Would be higher if not for the very difficult boss battles (difficult for me, at least!).

There's basically no story there yet but probably things might come together better when the game is fully polished. I'd also like to see the save game feature return soon. Otherwise, I'd call this an above average game that's unique in its own way. 3/5

Update: Cosmochoria will be out of Early Access come Monday, 27 April 2015 and become a full game.

A Not So Healthy Leaf

Came across this plant today, slowly loosing its green lustre and turning yellowish. I'm not a plant expert buy I can see it is not very healthy and yet its leaf still gave an interesting texture. Nature, though week is still beautiful.

Rapid Transit for the Masses

Our next generation phase of mass transit is coming up rapidly... and safely, I hope.

A photo posted by @ionbuck on Feb 4, 2015 at 6:37am PST

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty - A Modern Day Remake of Abe's Oddysee

First played Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee on my friend's Playstation One, I started reading more about it in gaming magazines. I (hopelessly) got addicted to it and kept on bugging my friend to let me play the game until late into the nights. The game was awesome - it's got all the humour, puzzles and graphics that a platformer should.

Therefore, it's not surprising to be excited to find that there's a remake in the name of Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty and this time around, available for almost all platforms, including the Mac! The Mac had been deprived of all the Oddworld games so this is a most welcome change. The Windows, Mac and Linux versions are available for pre-order on Valve's Steam.

Below is the trailer of the new game:

And here's a comparison of the old and the new. Although the new game received raving reviews and praise, the person that uploaded the video here is not too enthusiastic, though, and if you have half an hour, you will find out why.

As for me, the remake is now in my wishlist and when the price is right... ;)

Peanuts, Now and Then

I'm not really a fan of Charlie Brown and gang but who wouldn't have heard of them, originating from the comic strip Peanuts. It's great to know that these legends will come to life in a new 3D movie this November. Judging from the trailer below, IMHO it's a nice touch to see the CGI done in a way that it actually looks like a stop-motion movie:

What you might not know, though, is that GoComics is running the original strips published way back from 65 years ago. Formerly in black and white, the online strip is now in full colour. Check out how the characters were in the early days. It's interesting no less. :)

The Lantern Has Moons

An electric (it'd be a miracle to see candle lit lanterns these days, eh?) lantern and its two orbiting moons. A sure sign that Chinese New Year is just round the corner.

Electric lantern from below... and its two moons.

A photo posted by @ionbuck on Jan 31, 2015 at 8:54pm PST