Dear1 Dear2: Ace Attorney 20 February, 2008
Posted by dear1dear2 in Dear1, Leisure & Games.add a comment
Argghhh!
I dunno how to embed the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (DS) flash game demo onto this blog! I think it cannot be done…
Hold it!
Here’s the website: http://www.ace-attorney.com/aj/ so readers can still play this exciting demo before getting the actual game.
Of late, Dear1 and Dear2 have been playing lots and lots of DS, even more so after Dear2’s brother got her a pink DS for her birthday. So now, Dear1 has a black DS and Dear2 has a pink DS, and we can play multiplayer DS games with each other. Yeah…
However, we become hooked on this series of games that does not support multiplayer. The 3 games in the series are Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Justice for All, and Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations, the story flow in that order. We’re currently still at the 3rd case of the 2nd game. These games are originally released for the GBA and ported to DS so they lacked dedicated DS designs such as the use of stylus (except PW1 case 5 which serves as a proof of concept of what the game will be capable as a true DS game). However, there’s a new game in the series coming up, tracking the stories of a new defence attorney, Apollo Justice, designed for the DS. The demo in the link above is the online flash demo for this new game.
The series is quite really quite interesting. The player, as Phoenix Wright, goes through each case, investigating, finding evidence and finally defending your client in court by cross-examining witnesses, spotting lies and contradictions and presenting evidence to prove your client’s innocence. At least, that’s a really simple way of describing it.
I think the real attraction of the game is its story, slowing unfolding as u visit the crime scene, talk to witnesses and fighting it out in court. The strong sense of suspense of the story telling keeps me playing, eager to find out the next twist in the story, never knowing the real murderer until the last moment. Even if it becomes obvious who the murderer is, there’s still the task of proving it in court and getting defendant acquainted.
The overall story sometimes are related through several cases and characters introduced earlier reappear to help you, or for some other reasons get implicated in later cases. This make me as a gamer get attached to some of the characters and really add to the effectiveness of the story telling.
Looking at this game from another angle, it’s really a story telling game. It’s somewhat akin to reading a booking, just that the reader is much more involved in the development of the story. Another thing that I really liked about this series is that it teaches the player some basic things about the legal system, for example how contradictions are argued in court, how the process of cross examination is conducted, what kind of evidences can be presented in court, etc. Of course, these may be different from real life and different geographically, but it is still some basic exposure to people who have no idea at all.
Dear1 and Dear2 plays the same game individuals on separate DS’s and help each other out when one gets stucked. Haha… So after the past 2 weeks of Hold it! Take that! and Objections!, I’m proud to declare Dear1 and Dear2 as Ace Attorney in couple disagreements. :D Gee…
-Dear1
Confessions of a Working Wife 13 February, 2008
Posted by dear1dear2 in Dear2, Slice of Life.add a comment
Frankly, being a working wife is hard. Working wife, that’s right, not even a working mum I’m talking about.
Dear1 and Dear2 ROMed in Aug 2006, and had our house warming in Apr 2007. It will soon be 1 year since we shifted to our own place.
Juggling between work and house, Dear2 is really feeling all that strain. On Mondays to Fridays, even if Dear1 and Dear2 reach home early, say 8.30pm after dinner, it will be tv all the way until bedtime as the toll of the working day simply leaves one with tired bones and unthinking mind. On Saturdays and Sundays, it will be tidying up the house, laundry, hanging laundry out to dry, sweeping/ mopping house and cleaning. On a super fine day when all the clothes can dry on Saturday, Dear1 and Dear2 finally gets a chance to go out shopping.
In dual income newly-wed families like ours, Dear2’s waking hours at home revolves around tidying, laundry and cleaning. There is endless amount of tidying to be done – putting that plasctic bag back into place, putting the tv remote control back to place, putting that used water bottle back to place; you name it, we’ve done it. There is a constant stream of laundry to be done, by the fact that Dear1 and Dear2 consumes at least 7 items of clothes everyday. There is endless cleaning to be done – dust, hair, oil, dirt….. and the list goes on and on.
Dear2 is really tired. As a girl, the occasional household chore is fulfilling and rewarding. Being able to help Mum in the cleaning occasionally is a let’s-do-it affair, let’s go. As Dear2 grows up, the endless housework that eats into my leisure, relax and bring-work-home-to-do time really irks me (I’m sure that is evident from the lack of Dear2’s posts these past few months; and you know what, Dear2 is on leave today).
After all that unbalanced grumbles , Dear2 is still grateful to be able to have Dear1 with me. Thank you Dear1 for doing the dishes for me, for helping me with the chores, and for tidying up after my friends left. And thank you Dear1 for being by my side every night so that I can gain comfort from your smell and your warm snuggle.
- Dear2
We received Ang Baos this year too 10 February, 2008
Posted by dear1dear2 in Dear1, Slice of Life.1 comment so far
I remember asking this same question last year. We had intended to hold our customary wedding between the last Chinese New Year and this Chinese New Year. But alas, it did not materialize, we haven’t been looking for our wedding dinner venue the whole of last year. The truth is, we still haven’t. Haha… Delay delay and more delays. Well, actually, we’ve been to a few restaurants recommended by my dad, but it was just not up to standards. Either the decorations was too lousy or the food is simply not good enough.
Over the Chinese Year New visiting sessions, many relatives asked, “I thot u said last year? Why until now still haven’t found a place ah?” And we can only laugh it off, “This year. Surely this year. Hehe…” So when it comes to ang baos, we become more and more shy about receiving them, mainly because we’re supposedly married, and yet still not married in the traditional sense. Sigh… why the complications?
So, to solve this problem once and for all, we must actively go and search for our wedding venue and hold the wedding before the next Chinese New Year. This may prove to be a little difficult becos people always say that u have to book a wedding venue 1 year in advance but we’ve left with exactly 1 year until next Chinese New Year. But surely, if we search hard enough, we’ll find somewhere that will satisfy all our requirement. It’s time to start looking my dear, and it’ll be our turn to give out ang baos next year. Yeah.
-Dear1
Beer Battered Fish 3 February, 2008
Posted by dear1dear2 in Dear1, Food & Beverages.add a comment
Everybody knows about this Donut Factory outlet at Raffles City where there’s long queues as long as it is open. But did anyone notice this British Beer Battered Fish outlet directly opposite Donut Factory. Well, I didn’t, at least until a few months ago when Dear2 pointed it out to me. But it did turn out to be a rather surprising find, we very much enjoy the beer battered fish and there’s virtually no queue at all.
The battered fish comes in a packet of 10 fish pieces, with some fries at $4.60. You can also top up the main course with a large drink at an additional $1.60 which I thought was pretty cheap for a large cup of soft drink. So that’s our usual order, $6.20 for fish and drink. I have to confess, this is about the only thing we’ve ever tried from this outlet. They also sell other battered food like fried Mars bars and cheesey hotdogs. There also another outlet that we discovered at The Central, Clarke Quay. That outlet is a bit quieter since it’s not opposite a forever long queue, and there are seats and tables there for dining in.
Now, how do I describe the food. It’s fish pieces, coated with some kind of marinate and deep fried. The fries are coated with the same marinate and deep fried too. When ordering, you get to choose 2 types of sauces, salt and vinegar, or ketchup and mayonnaise, we prefer the latter. You can see actual fish slices when you bite into it and that’s what I like about it. I personally dislike meat patties becos you can’t see the meat and you dun know which part of the animal it is made from. Hmm… what else can I say? The verdict is, both Dear1 and Dear2 liked it, and you should just go and try it to find out how it tastes like.
Since it’s kinda expensive, $4.60 for 10 pieces, that’s 46 cents per piece of fish, we dun really eat it all the time. Rather, we always play small bets with each other and the loser will have to treat the winner to a packet of beer battered fish. Haha… What do we bet about? All kinds of things. And we just had a battered fish yesterday, becos I lost yet another bet. Unfair. I always lose the bet, there must be something Dear2 knows and not telling me. :P
-Dear1
