Thursday 31 July 2014

Gaming on a Budget : Where to Begin?


As a South African gamer I know that money is tight for this hobby called Gaming, and getting into Gaming can seem like a costly venture. So in this article I would like to give some hints and tips to fellow low budget gamers or soon-to-be gamers on how to Save Money and Game Hard!

Where to Start?
So first off you have to decide for yourself if you want to game on PC or Console, as each has their own Pros and Cons.


The PC Route has more customization options, a ton of free to play games, great savings can also be had on services like Steam, Gog.com, GreenManGaming etc.



While Console allows you to not worry about if the game will work correctly on your hardware or not, you have a bunch of 2nd hand titles to choose from, ease of use and the ability to "Rent" games at a video store.

The buying tips for both options do work out mostly the same though.

Locally, in South Africa, the places I'd say to look for some great second hand deals on gaming kit would be the following sites. Carbonite Forums, Mybroadband Classifieds, BidorBuy and Gumtree though with any and all second hand shopping always be wary of scammers. For the International Readers out there I've seen that EBay sometimes has some great deals.

Do take note that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have been recently released and with that the older Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 are receiving some price drops. Keep your eyes open for specials from Local Retailers like Dionwired, Game, Incredible Connection, Hifi Corporation and PicknPay. As even though the older console generation is quite dated, they have a far larger gaming library than the new ones and you should be able to find 2nd hand games quite easily. There are also some people selling their Nintendo Wii's with games for quite a bargain. And graphics aside I've had some great fun with my friends on a Wii.

So now you know Where to Start Your Gaming Journey. I hope this guide helped you. There isn't much more to cover on the console side of gaming from myself, but if you want a guide on New value for money options for PC gaming let me know. I'll gladly share what I know!

Monday 28 July 2014

Ghostship Aftermath \\ First Impressions Friday \\ #ReefTV

Thursday 24 July 2014

Must See Horror Anime

Everyone loves a good scare every now and then, and in Anime there are quite a few terrifying shows out there. So to help you in your journey of finding these horror filled shows. Here is a list of Must See Horror Anime.

Monster

Synopsis : Dr. Tenma Kenzou is a very talented Japanese doctor and he's praised by all doctors in Germany. But after he saw how a woman cried for her man who died because someone else got more priority, he changed. He decides he wouldn't let anyone pass; everyone is equal.

But one day, Tenma has to work on a little boy who was shot during the murder of his parents. He decides he will save the life of the boy, because he was first in line.

But then, the children disappear... and the murders begin. Tenma, feeling both guilt and worry, goes off to investigate the case since he feels that it somehow relates to him... and the horror begins, for both Tenma and everyone he meets in search for the children...
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvQNqO2gaWA
Thoughts : Monster has one of the most evil Villians ever Johan Liebert, a person that's is so detached from humanity that he has no qualms in killing everyone around him. This has some really tense moments as Tenma
tries to stop Johan.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

Synopsis : Maebara Keiichi, a young teenager, has recently moved from the city to the rural village of Hinamizawa with his family. He is adjusting quite well to his new life, making friends at the small school, playing games, passing time in relative happiness, when suddenly a gruesome murder occurs...

A mystery begins to unravel — tracing back to events five years ago. As Keiichi learns more about these strange events, he wonders if he will be able to face the truth behind all of this.
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dUcBAdPhSU
Thoughts : Initially comes off as a bit confusing as everything keeps resetting, but as the truth is revealed everything falls into place. This show had some really terrifying events in it..

Shinsekai yori

Synopsis : The story is set in Japan a millennium from now. Five children — the protagonist Saki, Satoru, Maria, Mamoru, and Shun — have been born and raised in a tranquil town that can be described as a utopia, overflowing with water and green foliage. The world is ruled by people who have the cursed power or the gods' power of telekinesis.

After a certain incident, Saki and the others come to realize the true nature of their world. Before long, they learn everything, including the bloody history that brought humanity to this state. The five throw themselves into life-threatening adventure and fight to protect friends and a world on the brink of collapse.
PV : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-vVNoZ2uIU
Thoughts : A fantastic anime that shows the evil of humanity, but also the good. One of the most original dystopian future shows I've seen.

Corpse Party: Tortured Souls

Synopsis : One rainy night after a school festival, a group of students from Kisaragi Academy decide to perform the Sachiko Ever After charm, which will unite them forever as friends. Once the ritual is done, a sudden earthquake transports them to Heavenly Host, a torn down elementary school. Unbeknownst to Satoshi and his friends, however, is the horrific past behind it which culminated in its demolition. As they look for each other and try to escape from Heavenly Host, they soon find out their lives are at the mercy of those affected by that same bloodied past.
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76vJ4awYjmo
Thoughts : Based on a Visual Novel which fills any "plot" holes one finds. The anime is truly terrifying as it depicts various ways in which the characters meet their fate. There is also no real happy end to this show...

Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror

Synopsis : Yotsuya Kaidan:

Tamiya Iemon is a samurai married to Oiwa, a beautiful woman, but he cannot bear the poverty they live in. One day, he is offered the opportunity to marry a rich woman and starts planning to kill Oiwa.

Tenshu Monogatari:

Himekawa Zushonosuke is a falconer sent by his master Harima to retrieve a falcon at the reputedly haunted Sirasagi castle. On his way, Zushonosuke meets a woman of an evanescent beauty bathing in a lake.

Bakeneko:

During the Edo period, the daughter of a family of samurai dies under mysterious circumstances, just before getting married. A wandering medicine seller senses that she was killed by a Bakeneko, a cat ghost. To fight it, he needs to know the form, the truth, and the reason why the Bakeneko has appeared, and the dark secrets of this uncommon family begin to unfold.
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHikWvVvE9I
Thoughts : A collection of short stories from Classical Japanese Literature, other than Bakeneko which is an original story. Really worth seeing, Some of the stories aren't as scary as the others though.

And that concludes the list of Horror Anime I feel is a must see for any horror anime fans. Do you like horror anime? Have you seen any of these shows? Which horror anime was your favourite?

As an added extra to the list. The people at /r/anime suggested I add Paranoia Agent to the list. So here it is!

Paranoia Agent
Synopsis : Mousou Dairinin is about a social phenomenon in Musashino, Tokyo caused by a juvenile serial assailant named Lil' Slugger (Shounen Bat, or Bat Boy in the original Japanese version). The plot relays between a large cast of people affected in some way by the phenomenon; usually Shounen Bat's victims or the detectives assigned to apprehend him. As each character becomes the focus of the story, details are revealed about their secret lives and the truth about Shounen Bat.
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_9EgkUw3VY
Thoughts : Anything by Satoshi Kon is worth your time seeing, and I'm sure there aren't many people out there that hasn't seen this show yet. If not I highly suggest making a plan to watch it!




Monday 21 July 2014

Top Anime from Yesteryear : 2012

Join me as I take a journey back in time. And sharing the Top Anime from years past. Starting at 2012 as I already have a Top 5 Anime from 2013 and moving back in time a Year at a time. If you are new to Anime in general and are wondering what shows to try out. Or just curious if you missed any shows from the past year. This list is perfect for you. Keep in mind there is no specific order to the list.


Fate/Zero

Synopsis : The Holy Grail War is a death-match between 7 magi (Masters) and their summoned heroic spirits (Servants). In this battle royale, the prize is the legendary Holy Grail, said to be an omnipotent wish-granting device which will produce any sort of miracle in order to bend reality to accommodate the wishes it grants. The winning Master and Servant shall be granted one wish each, after which the Holy Grail will not be activated until the next War.

As the 4th Holy Grail War progresses, several camps raise the stakes, and the challenges only become bigger and more difficult. Each Master and Servant will be faced with the impact of their own shortcomings, and some of the competitors would do well in remembering that deceit and betrayal do not send prior warning...
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-7PFiut1HI
Genre :  Action, Contemporary Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Magic, Novel, Seinen, Super Power, Swordplay, Tragedy, Underworld, Violence
Thoughts : Fate/Zero is what the Fate Franchise from Type-Moon needed to reinvigorate interest in the series. It was everything the Fate/stay Night series by Studio Deen was not. Very well executed and a must see.

Space Brothers

Synopsis : In the year 2006 the kid brothers Mutta and Hibito, on a nightly hunt for animal sounds in the local woods, unexpectedly see a blazingly bright rotating flying object in the sky, right above their home town. After a short moment the UFO accelerates towards the surface of the Moon. Witnessing this, the two youngsters vow to become astronauts and some day travel into space.

Now in 2025 younger brother Hibito, as the first Japanese, made it into the NASA team that will set foot on the Moon again. Mutta, on the other hand, defending his brothers honour, gets fired from his car designer job. The older of the two brothers has not forgotten about their dream from back then though... and on a fateful day his life changes.
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciS3fDqT1Vw
Genre : Comedy, Coming of Age, Manga, Sci-Fi, Seinen, Space Travel
Thoughts : Space Brothers is quite a lengthy series at 99 episodes. But it never felt dragged out. One of the best coming of age shows to come out in a long time.

Saint Young Men
Synopsis : Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha, the founders of Christianity and Buddhism, are living together as roommates in a Tokyo apartment while taking a vacation on Earth. The comedy often involves jokes about Christianity, Buddhism, and all things related, as well as the main characters' attempts to hide their identities and understand modern society in Japan.
Genre : Comedy, Daily Life, Manga, Parody, Seinen
Thoughts : One of the funniest shows I've seen in a long time. A Light Hearted comedy about Jesus and Buddha on vacation. Though it might rustle the jimmies of some religious folk, give it a shot.

Kyousougiga

Synopsis : Three kids are stuck in a strange city causing massive mayhem through the land. They are searching for an atypical rabbit in order to return home. Koto, the eldest of the three, seems to have some sort of connection to this weird place ruled by a monk, a demon, and a priest.
Genre : Action, Fantasy
Thoughts : A Show that initially comes across as a random mess, but as the story progresses a lot gets cleared up. The main focus of the show being family bonds. Strap yourselves in when watching this one. As it's very wild!

Sankarea

Synopsis : Furuya is obsessed with zombies. He collects any figurines, watches any movie, and plays any game with the living dead, and is even only interested in zombie girls. When his cat dies, Furuya begins trying to raise it from the dead using an ancient book of the occult he bought from a shop. But what will happen when he sees the idol of a nearby all-girls school walking close to where he conducts his experiment, wishing to die and be reborn as a different person?
Genre : Contemporary Fantasy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Love Polygon, Manga, Shounen
Thoughts : A Love Comedy with a Zombie in the mix? This show actually took me off guard. A combination of humour, great visuals. strong characters and a bit of darkness made for an enjoyable watch. The cat was probably my fave character of them all!

And there you have it. my top 5 shows from 2012. Which of these have you seen? What were your faves from 2012? Would you like to see more lists like these? The next being 2011 of course! Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading.

Saturday 12 July 2014

My Top Picks from the Summer 2014 Anime Season

The Summer 2014 Anime season is in full swing and by this time I'm sure most of us have their own choice of shows they are looking forward to. Here is my list. I've excluded sequels as they won't be applicable to people who haven't seen the seasons before them. In no particular order we have :

Barakamon :

Synopsis : Calligrapher Handa Seishuu moves to the remote Gotou Islands off the western coast of Kyushu, interacting with various people of the island.
Genre : Comedy, Manga, Shounen
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2KYJRshRdQ
Thoughts : The first episode of this show took my by surprise in a good way. In some ways it reminds me of Silver Spoon, really enjoying the characters in this show so far. Hope it stays good.

ALDNOAH ZERO :

Synopsis : In 1972, a hypergate was discovered on the surface of the moon, and humanity began using it to colonize Mars. Years later, war breaks out between Earth and the Martian colonists.
Genre : Humanoid Alien, Mecha, Piloted Robot, Sci-Fi
Thoughts : What an explosive first episode. The ending of it especially made me curious to see more. Great animation and use of audio in this show.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun :

Synopsis :  High school student Sakura Chiyo has a crush on schoolmate Nozaki Umetarou, but when she confesses her love to him, he mistakes her for a fan and gives her an autograph. When she says that she always wants to be with him, he invites her to his house, but has her help on some drawings. Chiyo discovers that Umetarou is actually a renowned shoujo manga artist named Yumeno Sakiko, and agrees to be his assistant. As they work on his manga Let's Love, they encounter other schoolmates who assist them or serve as inspirations for characters in the stories.
Genre : Comedy, Daily Life, High School, Manga, School Life, Shounen
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK04iGEpovk
Thoughts : Probably one of the funnier shows this season, first episode had me laughing out loud. Really loving the characters in this show. Do want more.

Hanayamata :

Synopsis: Normal appearance, normal intelligence, normal in arts and sports... just normal. This is the entirely normal 14-year-old, Sekiya Naru. While she admires Heroines she continues to live a normal life until one moonlit night she meets a fairy. This foreign girl then guides her into the extraordinary world of the yosakoi dance.
Genre : Manga, Seinen
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2uF35VwMEo
Thoughts : The first thing I noticed in this anime was the impressive visuals, also I am a sucker for cute girls. First episode had some good feels in it as well. Quite interested to see how this progresses.

That's my Top Picks for the Summer 2014 season. The list will change as the season progresses, as some shows can become better and some worse. Only time will tell which will be the Best at the end of the season.

What is your list for this season? Are you looking forward to any shows? Have you been dissapointed by some of the new shows? Let me know in the comment section below. Thanks for Reading!


Saturday 5 July 2014

What is Patreon and Why Did I join it.

First off I'll start with "What is Patreon?"

Patreon is kind of like an ongoing crowd sourcing project, it resembles Indiegogo and Kickstarter but there are a few differences, where you can support content creators to help them continue on creating content and improve.

With Patreon though it's a monthly payment, which can be stopped at any time if you no longer want to support the creator. By supporting a creator you also get various rewards. Each creator decides what rewards they will be though. And it also allows for a more personal connection with the creator in the form of feedback and chatting.

You can find out more about Patreon by visiting this link.

Now on to the big question. "Why did I join Patreon?"

As some of you know I create Gaming and Anime related videos. When it comes to gaming there are my Let's Play series, the First Impression Videos as well as the odd montage or co-op experience.

When it comes to Anime it's usually a review video or a blog of sorts. Though doing Anime reviews brought up their own problem, as the video content sometimes gets picked up by the Youtube content ID system, and gets an instantaneous world wide block on it.

Due to this my Adsense account has been suspended by Google. Which means two things.

Firstly no more annoying adverts on my videos for you the viewer, yay! :D
But that also means I can't receive any ad revenue for the content I create, which makes buying future games and hardware upgrades quite a bit more difficult.

So now I created a Patreon account to help fund my channel, and make sure I can keep on creating content for you all. Keep note that my content will be still free to watch on youtube. And as a Patreon you can opt out of pledging me money at any time.

So please check out my Patreon Page and even if you don't pledge, just share it.

Thank you for taking the time to read this!
Regards,
Reef




Wednesday 2 July 2014

The Worst Anime from Spring 2014

And now it's time to look at the shows that are a complete waste of time, which if possible you should avoid.

In no particular order here are the Worst Anime from Spring 2014


Fuuun Ishin Dai Shougun :
Plot : In the late Edo period, Japan faced an unprecedented crisis with the arrival of black ships from overseas. However, Japan drove away the black ships thanks to Onigami, giant robots that have existed in Japan since ancient times. The country has remained in self-imposed seclusion from foreigners ever since...
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHmS8xSVCDY
Thoughts : From the cheap animation, lackluster plot to paper thin characters. This show just oozes bad. It would make a great example of what a bad anime is like. Not even the fanservice in this show could be seen as a reason to watch it.


Kin`iro no Chord: Blue Sky :
Plot : Soon after transferring to Seisou Gakuin, Kanade finds the orchestra club in the middle of preparing for the national concourse. Teaming up with the other members, she will improve her skills, meet new rivals and create memories for what will become an unforgettable summer...
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zhT1c1VXTI
Thoughts : I'll admit I only tried watching this because I saw the original Kin'iro no Chord years ago and enjoyed it. Sadly this is nothing like that one and is a complete waste of time. The characters are lifeless, the apparent drama is overly forced and it lacks any redeeming qualities.


Blade and Soul : 
Plot : Alka is an assassin for the Clan of the Sword, on a journey to find the woman Jin Valel, who killed her master Hon Dougen. Jin is a demon-like woman controlling the Energy of Chaos and kills without feeling — not unlike how Alka has learned to kill in her work as an assassin. On her journey, Alka encounters three strange women, each great warriors in their own right, and grapples with her slain master's wish that she leave the life of an assassin behind.
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_bbOQD6E3M
Thoughts : To be fair I didn't expect much from a show based on a MMORPG. And I would like to say that the fights and fanservice was nice. But not really. About the only good thing about this show is the Ending Song.

And that completes my list of the Worst Anime from the Spring 2014 season. Did you watch any of these shows? Which shows do you feel were the worst of the season.

The Best Anime from Spring 2014

The majority of shows from Spring 2014 have ended and as such it's time to see which were/are worth your time and which you can ignore!

First off we start with the Best shows from Spring 2014 in no particular order.


Ping Pong : 
Plot : Two long-time friends Smile and Peco are both members of the ping pong club at their high school and are both very talented at the sport. However, Smile's quiet personality keeps him from being able to win against Peco. The club's teacher takes notice of Smile's talent and works to change his attitude toward the sport.
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmZVuMDlw-w
Thoughts : Ping Pong the Animation really blew me away, at first I was skeptical about the art work itself,
but the animation, music and story more than made up for it. I previously did a full review on it which can be found here


Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou :
Plot : Thanks to his parents' job transfer, high school freshman Usa Kazunari finally gets to enjoy living on his own in the Kawai Complex, a boarding house that provides meals for its residents. Ritsu, the senpai he admires, also lives in Kawai Complex, as do a few other unique individuals: his masochistic roommate Shirosaki; beautiful, well-endowed Mayumi who has no luck in finding men; and sly, predatory college woman Sayaka. Surrounded by these people, Usa never finds his daily life boring
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLo2Dc1srWQ
Thoughts : Really enjoyed this anime, it had great characters and good mix of laughs and feels. The art is great to look at and the music was pleasant. One of the shows I enjoyed most every week.


Knights of Sidonia :
Plot : It has been a thousand years since the Gauna, a strange alien race with no known method of communication, destroyed the solar system. A portion of humanity managed to escape using enormous seed ships like the Sidonia, which have allowed them to maintain the population while drifting through space. Tanikaze Nagate is a young man who has been raised deep in the bowels of the ship. When he goes into training to pilot the huge robotic weapons known as Gardes, Nagate is entrusted with piloting the legendary unit known as Tsugumori. Nagate and his fellow pilots put their lives on the line against the Gauna, in the desperate battle for the survival of humanity...
PVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFVaxGqCN9k
Thoughts : Ahh Knights of Sidonia a moody, futuristic anime filled with aliens, mecha and a very grim outlook on humanity's fate. Even though heavy CGI was used in this show, making the faces look more than just a bit strange, it didn't feel out at all, as this show features some of the best visuals I've seen this past season. Show also features some big mysteries, a ton of characters each with their own traits. And it also fills you with a real fear for the characters as they can die at anytime.

That's my short list of shows I thought was the Best of the Spring 2014 Anime season. My next blog post will be about the shows I thought were the Worst of Spring 2014.

Did you watch any of these shows? What are your thoughts on them, and what are your Best shows of the season?