Moving on from last year's epic 7 games NBA Finals between the rivalry of Lakers-Celtics, we arrive to this season's climax the Finals. The same hype, the same thrill, same drama, same rivalry story, but the rivals from last year aren't back for this year's finals contest. Instead, a new rivalry that started 5 years ago returns to the spotlight and faces off to determine this year's 2011 Champs. This time, the West is represented by a German lead, veteran team of Dallas Mavericks will face the East's representative, the star studded Miami Heat. The two teams will battle it out as a rematch of 2006's NBA Finals where the Heat burned the Mavericks in six games.
To further understand the Finals 2011 series, lets dissect the two teams in opposite corners.
First off, the Western Conference Champs, Dallas Mavericks.
For the Dallas, the past experience of the finals was a bitter one. After leading 2-0 lead, the Mavs succumbed to the Heat after 4 games. For Dirk and Jason Terry, the only two members who was with the Mavs' 06 Finals team, the experience was both a should be forgettable and a fuel to remind them of bitter taste if they walk out the finals empty handed.
"Yeah, it's been a long stretch here," Nowitzki said. "Been trying to get back to this stage ever since and fell short a bunch of times. But this is a bunch of veterans who want to play and are unselfish." 1
Another sad ending for the Mavs is guard Jason Kidd's Finals story. The 2001-2003 season with the New Jersey Nets, the stellar season runs for Kidd ended in a sad note after being defeated by the Lakers and the Spurs consecutively. With the addition of veteran Forward Shawn Marion, young center Tyson Chandler, DeShawn Stevenson, the Mavs' core is locked and loaded.
"I think in training camp we knew we had the pieces," said Terry. "Last season when when we made the trade for Brendan Haywood, Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson, we thought with that team we would do it. But it was steps that needed to be taken."1
Sure enough, this veteran and well tuned Dallas team entered this season's playoffs as third seed entry tied the 2-time back-to-back champions, LA Lakers at the end of the regular season. Their path along the playoffs was indeed a hard fought one.
Like overcoming a loss with a blown 23-point lead in the first round against Portland. Steps like annihilating the two-time defending champion Lakers with a 4-0 sweep in the second round. Steps like out-fighting, outsmarting and outlasting the young and talented Thunder.1
"Well, I mentioned we've got a bunch of experienced guys, a bunch of veterans," Nowitzki said. "Everybody has kind of unique stories on this team."1
"Second chance," said Terry. "That's us."1
That is the Dallas Mavericks.
On the Far opposite end of the ring, is the 2011 Eastern Conference Champions, the Miami Heat. Ten months ago, the whole basketball world was shocked about convergence of three young superstars in Miami. Ten months ago, LeBron James made The Decision that made him Cleveland's number one enemy. Ten months ago, this union of stars gave birth to a much more scarier BIG THREE than that of the Celtics aging big three. With all the ruckus ten months ago, this Miami Heat team was clear from the start: with these stars, win another ring and hoist the championship trophy this June.
But all that Decision didn't just made Lebron a much more popular player, rather, his critics just stacked up.
The Legion Against LeBron is most famously led by three in particular: Mark Cuban, the mouthy Mavericks owner who bashed LeBron's decision to bolt Cleveland and took noticeable glee in the Heat's early-season struggles. Charles Barkley, the funniest and most influential basketball commentator on the planet, has always complimented LeBron's skill while never resisting a chance to tweak LeBron's shortcomings. And Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers owner who boldly predicted his team would win a title before LeBron and just last week, after the Bulls won the first game of the Eastern Conference finals, remarked: "Have to say, I'm enjoying it."
There's more. Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, his injured team pummeled by LeBron in the semis, recently appeared on Boston radio and said: "I want Miami to lose so badly. I'm rooting hard against the Heat," which means he's not a LeBron guy. Neither is DeShawn Stevenson, the Mavericks' starting guard who three years ago called LeBron "overrated" and could be thrown into the mix of players to guard LeBron this series.2
Those were just some of the famous critics of Bron, some many more adding up when he goes traveling and plays on road and the crowd just adds up.
Early this season the Heat's Big three with early failures, their critics just got louder. The first game loss to the Celtics, Bron's homecoming to Cleveland, with the whole Cleveland booing for him, the Heat was in a rocky and a loud start.
Slowly picking up the steam, the Heat and their big three, climb the standings slowly and solving their chemistry.
In the middle of the year, the Heat, packed with the stars, registered more wins than losses and finally ending up as 2nd seed 2nd to the east top, Chicago Bulls. On their path to the playoffs, the heat first met the 76ers. Finishing the 76ers in 5 games. Next up as their opponents is the last year's finals runner ups, the Boston Celtics. As many perceived it, the Cs would be a tough match up for the Heat. But as hungry as wild lions longing for an antelope, the Heat, had the Cs number and had a commanding 3-0 series lead. Unlike the Mavs stunning upset of the defending champs of a 4-0 sweep, the Cs took one game before losing to the younger big three in five games. And the Heat was just 4 wins away from the finals.
Then, there was the Bulls.
The Chicago Bulls was the next in their list. This time, the eastern conference championship was a battle between the the young bulls lead by this season's MVP Derrick Rose and the Heat's big three. As everyone saw, the Bulls first drew the first blood for the series. But the Heat, bounced back and swept the Bulls in four games, with a game 5 clutch performance from LeBron James and Dwayne Wade late in the fourth quarter. Now, on Wednesday (Tuesday in US), they will host the visiting West Champions as the 2011 finals begins.
Sure the Mavs have bitter stories with finals, but how bout the Heat? They have some.
James' first appearance of the Finals in 2004 was also ended in a bitter taste sweep against the Spurs. Bosh, this is his first time to be this far in post season, not to mention his starvation of an NBA Title. For Wade and Haslem the only 2 heat players who's with the team in their first title run, this is a defense. With the Mavs hungry to erase their 2006 loss to the Heat, its Wade and Haslem's job give the newbies the101 about the Match up against the Mavs.
For the Heat, this title run is just doing what they planned to do from the start, the reason they created this heat super trio: To win a ring and bring home the title back to South beach for a nice tan.
I personally, rooting for the Heat.
The 2011 NBA Finals Wed in Philippines, morning. You know where to watch it. Let see who's taking home the trophy.
1- (http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/fran_blinebury/05/25/thunder-mavs-game5/?ls=iref:nbahpt1)
2 -(http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/shaun_powell/05/29/lebron-james-feature/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Gundam 00: Why I love this Gundam Series
Gundam 00 is the an addition to the successful long running franchise of Sunrise's Gundam franchise. The series has two seasons and each season features the different exploits of a group called Celestial Being and their campaign to "completely eradicate war and conflict" in the face of the earth. Well, I am going not to give you a synopsis of the series but review the series and somehow explain to the newbies the series itself.
To begin with, I would like to start of with the things that I liked about the series:
1.) The GN drives. Why? I have not seen a gundam series that the gundams had built its core to its engines. Gundam Wing's gundams was based on the gundamium alloy that was used as the mobile suit's armor. 00's gundam's are built in the engines that powers them, the GN Drives. The GN Drive is a semi-perpetual power generator that produces the GN Particles used by mobile suits with their weapons and armor. The whole explanation about the GN Drives can be googled online, but the phrase, " semi-perpetual power generator" sounds like wow. Have you see Iron Man movie 1 and 2? Yep. The GN Drive is somehow similar to the arc reactor that Tony Spark uses as an engine to this Iron Man Suit. The good points: think about having the sun as the core/center of your Engine and as your fuel, an immortal power generator that doesn't need an outside fuel. Just like the Sun. Hence, that's why the GN Drive is also known as Solar Furnace. The bad point: this is an anime series and somewhat this technology is still far from being realized or just plain impossible. But the thought of having a power generator like this one makes you think, forget fossil fuel, think green, choose GN Drives. :D
GN Drives: The power source of Gundams..
2.) Solar power generation. The gundam 00 series starts off with the depletion of fossil fuel and about the earth looking for a new power source. This time the world turns to new fuel power, the fuel is the Sun's light itself. Officially known as the Orbital Elevation system, the structure was designed as a renewable alternative to the dwindling fossil fuel supplies. (wikipedia.org) Its like having GIGANTIC solar panels out in the space, collecting energy then being sent back to earth via a very very long tube attached to it. good points: it points out fossil fuel can be depleted any time soon and we need to have a new fuel source to keep us up. Its kinda doable. The series kinda pushes for a renewable, safe energy source rather than depend on fossil fuels.
3.) The Plot. As they say, plots from anime series' are just fictional but Gundam 00's plot is different from other robot-themed anime series. The series takes place in 2307 A.D., where man has been able to reach space and made colonies to live in. Mobile Suits (if you're not a fan of mecha animes, Mobile Suits are Giant Human like robots and a human pilots it just like a fighter plane) have now replaced conventional fighter planes and most tanks. But, still earth is still plagued with war. Then, a private armed organization called, Celestial Being stepped in performed their armed intervention between battles and wars armed with their super-advanced Gundam Mobile suits. Their objective is simple: to rid human kind of the scourge of war. Wow, sounds interesting. The plot is easy to understand and is realistic because its like the world today, still plagued with war, some nation makes with the other to conquer, some for justice, some for religion and other stuff. This plot makes the viewers look at the world at hand and realize the importance of understanding if we truly want peace to reign.
Aeolia Schenberg - Founder, Celestial Being; Inventor- GN Drives.
So, there you have it. The top 3 reasons why I love Mobile Suit Gundam 00 series. Hope you can watch it! :D
Rising Force: A review by me. RACES
Rising force online is a game developed by CCR Inc. and was then later on published as an online MMORPG game. The game is currently being published by Level Up! games in the Philippines. This is my own review, I wont promote game publishers, please be guided accordingly.
Rising Force/ Rising Force Online is a unique game in terms of story line although it mimics Starcraft by having 3 races fighting for resources but not really LIKE starcraft. Why unique? We'll, its one of the games that features a story line that balances mysticism and sci-fi fiction but ultimately sci-fi as the genre. To explain more, I would like to start off with the races that is shares the stage spotlight for this story.
Introduction to the races:
I've read some RF online info about the story line and I would like to share to you some info about the races.
An alien race, the Herodians, a race far more advanced than Humans, has been travelling the universe eliminating other races and now have come to the Milky Way galaxy and found the humans's home planet, Earth. As the Herodians began their destruction of the human kind, some we're able to launch off to space and hid from the eyes of the herodians. After a few light-years and centuries, the humans found themselves a place to stay and began to repopulate. The humans, then had three descendants: The Accretians, the Bellato and the Corites. So that's about the intro, now to the races.
First off, The Bellato Federation;
As the Accretians we're exploring their new galaxy, they decided to do some experimentation, the arrived to a planet with a gravity force that is more than x7 to earths. The accretians then left some subjects, human clones, to live there. The result, the subjects we're able to live, but they are shorter than average humans. But they are stronger than average humans in terms of strength. As the researcher found that these subj Talk about a midget version of superman. The bellatos is the only race in RF universe that can utilize both Force(magic) and technology efficiently, either by work or in the battle field. The Federation Union Bellato.
Good points of this race: can utilize both Force(magic) and Technology and use the two efficiently. The have the best of both worlds, Science and Magic. They're fast. They're built for speed. Speed attackers, sprinters. Everything about them is cored with speed.
Bad thing: They only know half and half of force and Technology. So you can expect that their spells wont be that damaging. They have MAUs or Mobile armored units, and these units can punish you in any given time, but, with the 2nd best tech the Bellatos got, a Full level Accretian Melee type Character can take on a MAU unit, toe-to-toe, one-on-one. Force dependent, some classes are just sitting ducks againts if their buffs are removed.
Then there's the Holy alliance of Cora;
As the Accretians were still conducting experiments in separate planets, one of those was about the development of "psychic powers" and the awakening of telekinetic abilities of a human mind. The result, the subjects' minds were opened and the human mind was able to unlock its hidden abilities that was kept within the deeper parts of the subconscious. The subjects were able to use there abilities to full potential, allowing them to live life to the fullest. But after a few years, the subjects rebelled against the scientist and kicked the Accretians out of their planet. Then, they discovered a greater power beyond their knowledge, the force (not to be confused with Star Wars' Force), from their god decem. As one holy race, armed with the will and the force of decem, they seek all creatures living in the universe, preaching the message of decem and eradicating all who does not believe. This is the Holy Alliance of Cora.
Why choose Cora? First, they're the original users of the force and their spells are far more superior than that of Bellato. All classes utilize the force. Means, your melee characters dish out heavier punishments with the Force buffs' help. Melee classes of this race can inflict a greater chance of critical attacks. Ouch! Corite Force users can summon creatures that can help them in battle. Talk about a pet that can fight! These summons can be a support type, damager type or tanker type. And just like master, these summons can get stronger! Yep, they also level up. :D
Why not choose cora? Their melee characters can punish other races with pure ease thanks to the force buffs help, but remove the force buffs, they'll slower and weaker. Force users or their Magus, are heavy magic damagers. But if you're a melee class and your able to get close to them, they're just plywood waiting to be chopped. And last thing, if your having trouble managing two units at the same time, then a summoner class ain't for you.
Lastly, the Empire Accretia.
As the direct descendants of humans that were originally from earth, the accretians continued to rome around the universe looking for a place to call home. They found a planet, much like earth but is usually plagued with natural calamities. The accretians, that much favored technology rather than faith, adapted to this harsh environment by creating for themselves, metal bodies. Yep. Robotic frames that replaced their flesh body. But how did the accretians replaced their bodies with robotic frames? Simple: they transplanted their brains in these robotic bodies and then life continued for them. Forsaking rotting flesh for lasting steel, the accretians rome the universe for the best genes from other races and establishing their empire in all corners of the universe. Empire Accretia, where they tell you that flesh is weak.
Accretian Launcher on a Siege Mode.
Advantages of being an Accretian:
Accretian is the race that has the best physical attack and defense in the game. Melee classes of the accretians won't just lay waste to enemies, they normally crush them. They make damages of other races look like scratches (if you armor has been upgraded to a fifth to seventh time). Accretians dont utilize force, so they compensate for it in creating super powered portable weapon systems. They don't have magicians, they have launchers, that carries a portable high powered cannon and lashes a fury of punishment to enemies standing in its range. Accretians get their support from a Battle Leader, their version of a chanter or a priest. Accretian Battle leaders have a higher defense rates than their flesh counter parts and needs no casting in spraying some debuffs onto enemies and supporting a comrade with buffs and/or healing. So, no need of minding the delay to use skills and the cooldown. The Accretian support classes wont need that much support skills because they get more debuffs from NPCs. Yup, most of their buffs and debuffs are just ammunitions available 24 hours a day, in your nearest Tool dealer NPC. Another thing is there capacity to deal and absorb damage is amplified with their accesories! Sample, in my RF Philippines, I have equipped my accretian warrior with 2(two) 25% Attack and defense headgears and 2(two) 25% Attack and defense bracers. All in all that's 100% percent attack and defense boost! Double the power! See? Accretians are just that wicked.
A Duel: Accretian Launcher vs A Bellato MAU
Disadvatages of being an Accretian:
First, speed. Bellatos and Corites buffed with a Lvl 7 Velocity, can make accretians eat their dust. Same goes with their attack speed. A second delay can spell victory and defeat right? Another is that their launchers are vulnerable when in siege mode. They can launch a fury of missile attacks but is unable to move to dodge enemy attacks. Every Accretian can carry grenade launchers that they can use to apply debuffs to enemies, but changing weapons in battle requires alot of management and is kinda troublesome when you are in a middle of a battle.
Blue MAU Down.. A Preview of RF Online's PVP
So, there you have it. Next time, I'll show you the basics of the game (leveling, Chip Wars, Raids, Mining, etc.) Until next time! :D
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