Okay, I shall just give an overview of the current system. Apart from academic studies, there is still the scholastic part, which worries the cohort the most. Because, if you get B3(65) or below for independent studies( ace + projects), you will be sent to 3Q.
Lets take a underachieving sec 2 boy as example, lets take it he gets 20 for semifinals, adding the 5 marks from prelims, total 25marks. Now, you will know that he needs to get at least 40 for his ace to get promoted. This is still possible to get promoted.
However, 1/4 of the whole cohort only gets around 16 for semifinals. In this case, adding the 5 marks from prelims will get them 21 marks. They need to get 44 for ace to get promoted. Losing 6 marks for ace is not difficult. Considering we have our studies to focus on, CCAs until 7pm for 2 out of 5 working days, and on those days reaching home at 8pm. To get enough sleep one needs to sleep for at least 8 hrs. Let's say students have to get up at around 6am (5:15am for me), then he will have to sleep at 10pm. 2 hours for homework, ace, dinner, entertainment.
I got 15 for Semis only, which leaves me 20 marks for Projects day. So I have to get 45 out of 50 for Ace. Fortunately, I managed to get 27/30 Ace for Term 1 and 2 so I still have some hope, I need to get 18/20 Ace this term or else I'm scr*wed. However, some people are not so fortunate, they lost a lot of ace for Term 1 and 2 and dropped out in Semis, leaving them no chance to get B3 for IS. I believe this system is just too harsh, some of us, like me, didn't really have a good group and a good topic. We would be sent to 3Q no matter how hard we worked, also by doing this, I believe many talents will be lost as they are not given a chance at all to showcase themselves.
The Hwa Chong syllabus is already much faster than normal schools, we still have to deal to two extra subjects, independent studies and oral communication. How is it possible? People will tend to forget and procrastinate(even if it is just for a few hours, it matters a lot in this kind of schedule). And when you do not get promoted, you go to the O level class. That equals to being sent to the bottom of the whole school. It is not simply getting transferred to another class. It also affects one's morale.
I suggest that we could tweak the system a bit. Instead of stating the criteria as C5 for oral and B3 for independent studies. Why not just let it be C5 for OC and B4 for IS since it is still a new subject to us. Though this is only a slight decrease in requirement, it is still valuable to many people. Moreover, we were only informed of this in Term 3 Assembly.
Dr Hon once said: "We believe in providing students flexibility, within reasonable limits, to pursue their passion and dreams." (In the SMB message on 17/8/10 by LiewPL titled "Hwa Chong in the News - Hwa Chong's Support for YOG Athletes") This new system is forcing us to speak up and send those whom might be talented but shy and those whom were perhaps careless during their Projects Day to 3Q. This also ruins our "dreams" and what we hope to become in the future, by sending us to 3Q we will only be demoralized and instead deprove, hence pulling us further away from our dreams...
I hope someone reconsiders.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Rayman Raving Rabbids Tv Party (Wii)
I will be reviewing yet another one of my favourite Wii games, I do highly recommend you to buy it if you have a Wii.
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV party is about a bunch of Rabbids(aka Rabbits)whom are stuck inside a television and they start re-enacting the shows in their own unique wackiness. All of the games are actually episodes based upon shows you might even recognize today. For example, you get a Dancing with the Stars knockoff that has you competing in a dance competition with the Rabbids as the judges. Then you get a COPS-like show where you’re trying to escape from the police. Each episode/game is presented in the crazy humor that will surely make you laugh.
Selection menu (presented in a way that is like a TV schedule):
There are about 50 mini-games in total and before each game, there will be a funny short video and a introduction/guide on what you are supposed to do. During the game, there will also be sudden "commercials" to make it feel like a real TV show. The games have been designed so that almost anyone will be able to play, with the most complex simply requiring only the use of some buttons in addition to movement of the Wii Remote and Nunchuck. A motorbike game turns the Wii Remote and Nunchuck into handlebars and a rather strange Pimp my Rabbid game simply asks you to dress the angry creature in a style that fits the description. These are just a handful of all that's on offer, but they represent the kind of games you're going to be playing.
Scene of a short clip before the game:
One of the wacky looking games:
For multiplayer you do get a Party Mode that can support up to eight players. The Party Mode offers Sabotage moments that allow gamers sitting on the sidelines to interfere and sabotage the players currently playing. You can have to look out for these moments since they show up only briefly before disappearing.
For me the best part of the game was the humor. This game is extremely fun to watch. There are plenty of funny moments with the Rabbids acting completely absurd. The overall look of the game does a great job of replicating the feel of the craziest and wackiest television programs you’ve probably have ever seen.
Graphics: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Content: 9.5/10 (There is a slight flaw as there is not a lot of mini games,)
I simply love this game.
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV party is about a bunch of Rabbids(aka Rabbits)whom are stuck inside a television and they start re-enacting the shows in their own unique wackiness. All of the games are actually episodes based upon shows you might even recognize today. For example, you get a Dancing with the Stars knockoff that has you competing in a dance competition with the Rabbids as the judges. Then you get a COPS-like show where you’re trying to escape from the police. Each episode/game is presented in the crazy humor that will surely make you laugh.
Selection menu (presented in a way that is like a TV schedule):
There are about 50 mini-games in total and before each game, there will be a funny short video and a introduction/guide on what you are supposed to do. During the game, there will also be sudden "commercials" to make it feel like a real TV show. The games have been designed so that almost anyone will be able to play, with the most complex simply requiring only the use of some buttons in addition to movement of the Wii Remote and Nunchuck. A motorbike game turns the Wii Remote and Nunchuck into handlebars and a rather strange Pimp my Rabbid game simply asks you to dress the angry creature in a style that fits the description. These are just a handful of all that's on offer, but they represent the kind of games you're going to be playing.
Scene of a short clip before the game:
One of the wacky looking games:
For multiplayer you do get a Party Mode that can support up to eight players. The Party Mode offers Sabotage moments that allow gamers sitting on the sidelines to interfere and sabotage the players currently playing. You can have to look out for these moments since they show up only briefly before disappearing.
For me the best part of the game was the humor. This game is extremely fun to watch. There are plenty of funny moments with the Rabbids acting completely absurd. The overall look of the game does a great job of replicating the feel of the craziest and wackiest television programs you’ve probably have ever seen.
Graphics: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Content: 9.5/10 (There is a slight flaw as there is not a lot of mini games,)
I simply love this game.
Mario and Sonic at the Olympics (Wii)
19/8/10
I do have a Wii but I would prefer a Xbox 360. I hardly play Wii because it doesn't have many nice games but out of 80% of the time I play Wii, I would be playing this either with my dad or my sister.
As the title says, it is about Mario and Sonic, along with their friends, competing with one another in a series of Olympic games. One of the game's big draws is that it lets you use characters from the Mario and Sonic universes. From the Mario side you can select Mario, Luigi, Wario, Bowser, Yoshi, or Peach etc. From the Sonic side you can play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Dr. Eggman, or Shadow. Each of them have their own special attributes and strengths. You can even use your Mii(it is the Wii character profile which you can create) if you so choose to.
Mario & Sonic lets you play 20 real Olympic events, as well as a few of the fantasy variety. You can play single events; a circuit, where you compete in four events and try to finish first so that you can unlock new sports; and missions, where you compete in multiple events but have specific goals. All of these contests use motion-based controls, and some of them require both the Nunchuk and the remote. Others require only the remote. Athletic events include: 100 meter dash, 4x100 meters, 4x100m relay, 110 meter hurdles, 400 meter hurdles, long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault, hammer throw, and the javelin throw. These events are really basic and require little more of you than to hold B and move the Wii Remote down to start, after which you alternate moving the Nunchuk and the Wii Remote up and down to run, and then wave the remote up to jump or press the B button and swing the remote down to pass the baton. Though it sounds easy, but it is really tiring, especially when you are competing with someone. For example, I always play the 400m race with my dad and you REALLY have to wave the remote very fast to win. Two or three games of it can already exhaust you, even leaving you with some sore muscles.
Character Selection menu:
Racing:
Graphics: 9/10 (Pretty good for a Wii)
Sound: 7/10
Content: 10/10 (Lots of events)
I do have a Wii but I would prefer a Xbox 360. I hardly play Wii because it doesn't have many nice games but out of 80% of the time I play Wii, I would be playing this either with my dad or my sister.
As the title says, it is about Mario and Sonic, along with their friends, competing with one another in a series of Olympic games. One of the game's big draws is that it lets you use characters from the Mario and Sonic universes. From the Mario side you can select Mario, Luigi, Wario, Bowser, Yoshi, or Peach etc. From the Sonic side you can play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Dr. Eggman, or Shadow. Each of them have their own special attributes and strengths. You can even use your Mii(it is the Wii character profile which you can create) if you so choose to.
Mario & Sonic lets you play 20 real Olympic events, as well as a few of the fantasy variety. You can play single events; a circuit, where you compete in four events and try to finish first so that you can unlock new sports; and missions, where you compete in multiple events but have specific goals. All of these contests use motion-based controls, and some of them require both the Nunchuk and the remote. Others require only the remote. Athletic events include: 100 meter dash, 4x100 meters, 4x100m relay, 110 meter hurdles, 400 meter hurdles, long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault, hammer throw, and the javelin throw. These events are really basic and require little more of you than to hold B and move the Wii Remote down to start, after which you alternate moving the Nunchuk and the Wii Remote up and down to run, and then wave the remote up to jump or press the B button and swing the remote down to pass the baton. Though it sounds easy, but it is really tiring, especially when you are competing with someone. For example, I always play the 400m race with my dad and you REALLY have to wave the remote very fast to win. Two or three games of it can already exhaust you, even leaving you with some sore muscles.
Character Selection menu:
Racing:
Graphics: 9/10 (Pretty good for a Wii)
Sound: 7/10
Content: 10/10 (Lots of events)
DJ Max: Portable (PSP)
19/8/10
Hi, can I get ACE for doing the Dead Poet's Society since not many people did it =D Anyway today I will be reviewing about DJ Max.
Well DJ Max: Portable is just like Tap Tap Revenge. Notes come down from the top of the screen. As they pass by the red bar at the bottom in time with the music, hit the corresponding button. Harder songs has "Holds" which require you to keep a key pressed for a certain amount of time and a certain type of note where you rotate the analog stick. Each consecutive successful hit you make will contribute to your "combo", which will increase the amount of points you get when you reach a certain amount of combo hits. Essentially what you're doing is filling in notes over the background tune as indicated by markers and the end-result is what the fully-instrumented song should sound like.
DJ Max Portable introduces different note-skins and "gears" which change the look of the playing field. Respectively, they can also give you a "MAX multiplier" or extra "HP". MAX is the "currency" of the game and is determined by your accuracy in hitting all of the notes in a song. Obviously, the more accurate you are, the more MAX you'll make. HP represents the amount of "life" you have which will be depleted by missing notes and regained by maintaining your combo. Different gears will either decrease or increase your maximum HP. Both gears and note-skins, as mentioned above, will change the look of your playing field, though sometimes it makes it harder to see the notes.
Some of the songs are really hard (for me) but I found out that you can keep pressing all the buttons at once to hit the notes without any reduction in your score, so I believe this is quite a major flaw in the game. I played this game quite long ago so I can't really remember everything about it.
Selection menu:
Gameplay:
Rating:
Graphics: 7/10 (Just videos playing at the back of your playing field.)
Sound: 10/10 (Its a musical game, so of course it has good music.)
Content: 10/10 (A lot of features/difficulty to choose from, you can play with 4 buttons, 6 buttons or even 8 buttons.
Hi, can I get ACE for doing the Dead Poet's Society since not many people did it =D Anyway today I will be reviewing about DJ Max.
Well DJ Max: Portable is just like Tap Tap Revenge. Notes come down from the top of the screen. As they pass by the red bar at the bottom in time with the music, hit the corresponding button. Harder songs has "Holds" which require you to keep a key pressed for a certain amount of time and a certain type of note where you rotate the analog stick. Each consecutive successful hit you make will contribute to your "combo", which will increase the amount of points you get when you reach a certain amount of combo hits. Essentially what you're doing is filling in notes over the background tune as indicated by markers and the end-result is what the fully-instrumented song should sound like.
DJ Max Portable introduces different note-skins and "gears" which change the look of the playing field. Respectively, they can also give you a "MAX multiplier" or extra "HP". MAX is the "currency" of the game and is determined by your accuracy in hitting all of the notes in a song. Obviously, the more accurate you are, the more MAX you'll make. HP represents the amount of "life" you have which will be depleted by missing notes and regained by maintaining your combo. Different gears will either decrease or increase your maximum HP. Both gears and note-skins, as mentioned above, will change the look of your playing field, though sometimes it makes it harder to see the notes.
Some of the songs are really hard (for me) but I found out that you can keep pressing all the buttons at once to hit the notes without any reduction in your score, so I believe this is quite a major flaw in the game. I played this game quite long ago so I can't really remember everything about it.
Selection menu:
Gameplay:
Rating:
Graphics: 7/10 (Just videos playing at the back of your playing field.)
Sound: 10/10 (Its a musical game, so of course it has good music.)
Content: 10/10 (A lot of features/difficulty to choose from, you can play with 4 buttons, 6 buttons or even 8 buttons.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Pes 2010
17/8/2010
PES 2010/ Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
Well, I haven't touched this blog for over 2 months or 3, now I'm in desperate need of LA ace so I can get a B3 for Independence Studies and not get sent to 3Q... Only after being told we would be sent to 3Q for achieving a B4 or more for Independent Studies today during assembly, did I finally realize how much I dreaded dropping out of iSpark and really have to buck up...
Pro Evolution Soccer(PES) is a soccer video game.It focuses on enhancing the excitement of matches between players or against artificial intelligence (which will occasionally outsmart you D:), making a truly challenging experience that constantly tests the player. Players have to constantly find new ways to defend and strategies to score a goal/break through the enemies' defenses as there are different difficulty levels in the game, each varying a lot from the other in terms of the AI, meaning the demand for new tactics to win the game.
PES 2010 focuses on being a real soccer simulation(which is much better than Fifa 2010 :D), as it requires both strategic play and quick reactions, as in real life. In addition to key out-field elements, goalkeepers are more versatile and with abilities matching those of modern shot-stoppers compared to the previous series. The game's referees have also been reworked, with smarter AI elements allowing them to make more balanced calls during matches. PES 2010 has undergone a major visual revamp, with its celebrated player likenesses and animations now even closer to those of real-life players.
I believe PES 2010 the most realistic football simulation available. I found out that PES Productions, Konami's Tokyo-based development team, has collated feedback on the series' strengths and weaknesses via fan forums etc and has incorporated a wide range of requests in the new game. This results in the most challenging, realistic and satisfying PES to date (to me). What more could you ask for? A portable, REALISTIC soccer game! I really love soccer (real or virtual), I can't really tell why but maybe it's just in the vein of males XD. Thought the graphics isn't really good, it is still considerably good for a PSP game. Moreover, it is better than Fifa (in my opinion) as it is more challenging and responsive.
Ratings:
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 7/10 (All you hear is the crowd cheering constantly and maybe increase their volume when you/the opponent is near the penalty box and the same ol' "It's a goal!", "Goal!" or "What a goal!" when you or someone else scores...)
Content: 10/10 (Alot of different games which you can play like Master League, UEFA Championship and a ton of other Cups. There is also a PES shop where you can buy secret features within the game. Or you can play Become a Legend, where you control only one player and try to "raise" him to the top.)
You HAVE to try it. This is now my favorite PSP game, not Metal Gear Solid anymore... =P
PES 2010/ Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
Well, I haven't touched this blog for over 2 months or 3, now I'm in desperate need of LA ace so I can get a B3 for Independence Studies and not get sent to 3Q... Only after being told we would be sent to 3Q for achieving a B4 or more for Independent Studies today during assembly, did I finally realize how much I dreaded dropping out of iSpark and really have to buck up...
Pro Evolution Soccer(PES) is a soccer video game.It focuses on enhancing the excitement of matches between players or against artificial intelligence (which will occasionally outsmart you D:), making a truly challenging experience that constantly tests the player. Players have to constantly find new ways to defend and strategies to score a goal/break through the enemies' defenses as there are different difficulty levels in the game, each varying a lot from the other in terms of the AI, meaning the demand for new tactics to win the game.
PES 2010 focuses on being a real soccer simulation(which is much better than Fifa 2010 :D), as it requires both strategic play and quick reactions, as in real life. In addition to key out-field elements, goalkeepers are more versatile and with abilities matching those of modern shot-stoppers compared to the previous series. The game's referees have also been reworked, with smarter AI elements allowing them to make more balanced calls during matches. PES 2010 has undergone a major visual revamp, with its celebrated player likenesses and animations now even closer to those of real-life players.
I believe PES 2010 the most realistic football simulation available. I found out that PES Productions, Konami's Tokyo-based development team, has collated feedback on the series' strengths and weaknesses via fan forums etc and has incorporated a wide range of requests in the new game. This results in the most challenging, realistic and satisfying PES to date (to me). What more could you ask for? A portable, REALISTIC soccer game! I really love soccer (real or virtual), I can't really tell why but maybe it's just in the vein of males XD. Thought the graphics isn't really good, it is still considerably good for a PSP game. Moreover, it is better than Fifa (in my opinion) as it is more challenging and responsive.
Ratings:
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 7/10 (All you hear is the crowd cheering constantly and maybe increase their volume when you/the opponent is near the penalty box and the same ol' "It's a goal!", "Goal!" or "What a goal!" when you or someone else scores...)
Content: 10/10 (Alot of different games which you can play like Master League, UEFA Championship and a ton of other Cups. There is also a PES shop where you can buy secret features within the game. Or you can play Become a Legend, where you control only one player and try to "raise" him to the top.)
You HAVE to try it. This is now my favorite PSP game, not Metal Gear Solid anymore... =P
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