So I got a mail “Critical Red Alert 3 Beta Test Update - read this Comrade”
Opened up my gaming gmail account yesterday and found this great e-mail informing me “Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Public Beta Begins!” Contents of the e-mail outlined the beta key required to access FilePlanet’s microsite to download the installation .. spent 30 mins in the public queue and finally got the file. Kinda late so didn’t get to install till now. Shall blog on the gameplay soon!
Games for big groups of friends
Ant introduced us to board games some time back and for awhile the whole group of us were quite into it. I guess work and stuff got into the way and soon we didn’t frequent the cafes as much. However, Nel n Ron invited the group over to their place to try out their newly purchased Wii and also board games.
Everyone was already there when we reached so we witnessed a lively Wii boxing match going on. On first sight, the Wii graphics really is quite “simple” compared to the high resolutions games I’m used to on the PC or even those seen on Xbox 360. However, the interesting controller gives it an edge since they managed to up the FUN quotient for large groups of people. There was this silly game “Crazy Wazoo” that had 10 of us doing crazy stunts with the controller in an attempt to stay in the game. It has 200+ mini games that keep rotating so you’re kept on your toes. Needless to say, it was entertaining stuff to see friends going wild trying to solve the puzzles 
The next game we tried as the group split up for some wanted to catch some tube time and in a smaller group, we decided to try Citadels, a card game whose ultimate goal is to build 8 districts using gold claimed from each round. Gold could be increased with the use of special “character cards”. Keeping things simple, we used the basic set and eventually after about an hour of scheming and plotting very much like a real political nest, Nel won with 8 cards completed and the most points too!
We also tried out Sequence, an interesting board game utilizing 2 decks of poker cards. The special Jacks (one-eyed and two-eyed) allowed players to either take or add chips to the board in the ultimate aim to reach a sequence of 5 in a row (straight or diagonal) using the other cards in the deck. We had teams of 3 since we had 9 players. Proud to say, Team Red/Ong/Wang won the first round with 3 sequences completed but alas we lost to Team Blue/Other surnames in the second 3 sequences round
When we finished it was already 2.30am! Has been awhile since we met up to have a good laugh and enjoy some games. Thanks Nel & Ron
Command & Conquer 3 Launch Event
I remember waiting eagerly for the first C&C game when I was in JC and even waited half a day at Ah Lim’s shop in Upper Serangoon just to lay my hands on the boxed set! Have had a great interest in the series and I must say, 12 years on, it still retains the same element of excitement reading about terms like GDI, NOD and now Scrin.
Managed to find some time to try out the 2 player skirmish on the demo released some time back and I must say I look forward to the online multiplayer maps. Looks like I’ll have to make time to get to Shaw Lido on 26th March!
Launch details : http://www.ea.com.sg/tiberiumwars/
Great fan site : http://www.cncden.com/
*Edit 2007/03/24*
I actually found out that Ah Lim is quite well known. More info here.
Computex Computer Services (aka Ah Lim’s shop)
756 Up Serangoon Rd #04-30
Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre
Singapore 534626
Telephone : 6285 7058