Computer Games on my laptop

The time i learned how to use computer, i got hooked into computer games.

From the PC Gorilla and Pong of the DOS environment to the present-day MMORPG games.

Under Windows 5.1, I used to like Sokoban, a challenge in problem-solving and logic. Then there was my first shoot-out game in Wolfenstein. I played this game during lunch. It is also on this game that i learned how to use "cheat codes" to enjoy the Difficult level.

Under Windows 98, i played a LAN game called Command & Conquer (C & C) , the original one. I was wondering then why my IT colleagues are quiet after lunch and huddled in their PCs. They were playing LAN game against the Engineers. But then, my boss noticed that the network goes down during lunchtime. Eventually, he discovered the reason and promptly ordered a sweep-delete of the game in all PCs with a stern warning.

On internet cafe gaming, i played Ragnarok, Gunbound, PangYa and MUOnline. I like GB and PY because I can play without buying top-up cards. The cards are only for points and gears. I also played Battle Realms and Age of Empires. I tried playing Starcraft but i founf the game slow and boring.

A friend showed me PC Halo, and i got hooked. I played from 9 PM till 4 AM and finally finished the game. Too bad the Halo 2 & 3 were for Xbox only.

These days, i have only two hardcore games in my laptop: Rise of Nation and Red Alert 2.
Rise of Nation (RON)

RON is like an improved version of AOE. I use cheat codes to speed things up and put the Game Level to Very Difficult. But hey, i only use the codes when the enemy has reached the third level ahead of me. I like to 'tease' my enemy by almost annihilating it, maybe leave 2 cities. Then I will pull back my troops and allow the enemy to re group and recapture some of my cities.

Sometimes it takes me 3 hours to finish the game. The game starts from hunting village and progress thru various stages. You have to cultivate foods (crops and fish), gather timber, find some resources and build mandatory buildings like Trader, University, Church, and Library. You will also build defenses like Infantry, Cavalry and Towers in strategic corners of your village.

Then you check for research on various industries to upgrade to next level. Things get hot when you reach the Information Age. By this time, you have to mine for minerals, pump oil and mechanized your army.

You are allowed to build 8 cities only. But you can add more as you conquer the enemy's cities by overwhelming air and ground assault. When the enemy is down to one city, then game is over.
RON also allows for use of nuclear weapons, but with negative consequence -- Armageddon or Mutual Assured Destruction. You or the enemy can unleash nukes up to 7 attacks. After that, game is over as either party managed to annihilate each other by nuke attacks. That is why i only use around 3 shots of nukes and then rely on my airforce and tanks to assault the enemy.
Red Alert 2

I like RA2 because it is a fast-pace game. I never use cheat codes here. I use to have the Yuri's Revenge expansion pack, but it eats too much of my small HD space, so i settled for plain RA2. I like to play with two enemies, Easy Enemy and Brutal Enemy. Under Yuri's, I can create teams and colors and i make sure i have a Yuri on my side. I then set the enemies to Random.

On RA2, i always choose America for its paratroopers. The toughest enemy thus far is the Soviet and Cuban forces. I find the Kirov airships and the suicide truck bombers as most annoying to handle. I like it fast-pace and most of the times i get defeated in less than a minute.

If I want an even play, I select only one Brutal Enemy. After setting up the Main Cosntruction Yard. I build one Power Plant. Then Barracks. I then click on machine gun nest, while building an Ore Refinery. While these two are building, i create soldiers and dogs. After the machine gun and Ore Ref, i build an airforce field so i can generate Rocketeers. I also order for anti-aircraft gun.

Now, depending on the enemy distance (battlefield chosen), i may have enought rocketeers and paratroops to ward off initial attacks. There were times that my Construction Yard and War Factory had been destroyed, with only barracks, Ore Refinery and Airforce base left. If the enemy stops sending air raids, there is an even chance of defeating it by encircling enemy camp with sufficient ground troops to prevent enemy forces from counter-attacking my vulnerable camp. Preventing their ore miners from getting minerals will also weaken the enemy position.

Aside from these 'strategy games', also played these Gamehouse and Popcap games like TextTwist, Bookworm, Bejeweled, Dynomite, Zuma, and Soduku. I also have this Kasparov Chess game.

I have 53 Popcap games but only installed Zuma and Bookworm.

Zuma is lethargic color-coded shoot-out game. You need to hit colored balls in three's and prevent balls from falling into the trap by hittin combination-chain shots to hasten the destruction of the balls. It was my Lebanese friend Johnny Elias who introduced me to it. Before long, we were competing on who can get to higher levels. Ah, well, Johnny was stucked at Level 9, while i succeeded making it to Level 12.

I like Bookworm so much i spent my whole day-off just to break the 1million points. I did finish 6.3 million points with carpal tunnel (CT) syndrome and back ache as reward . As you can see, all ten list of Action player is all mine. I like the Action Game because it is faster. The Classical is meant for first-timer as the tiles burn slowly.

My annoyance in Bookworm is that when i tried to submit my score to their online website, Popcap did not reflect it. Maybe because i was using a 'hacked' version of the game.
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My Sri Lankan friend, Ranjith, introduced me to this addicting shootout game of Air Assault. At first, i dismissed it as no-brainer. Later, i found myself competing with my housemates on who can finish first the entire game on Normal level. I was never able to make it past first level in Lagos. It was in Enugu i finally was able to find time (again, my Saturday day-off) to finally beat the game and finish it.

Lately i got addicted to Gamehouse's Casino Island. I'm not really into gambling. But if you know these casino games (except Ride the Tide), then you can afford to gamble here. Management of the Island gives initial 500 dollars gambling money.

I raised money thru video poker. And lost my money in Hold em poker. I thought that i got the pattern in video poker, but when i tried it on a real casino video poker, one thing became obvious -- you can never win.

I am looking for old 2-D games like Starcraft and Battle Realms.