My Two Cents on Pokémon X&Y (Review)

Hey Peeps,

     So a while ago I bought Pokémon X for the Nintendo 3DS and decided to share my opinions with you guys.

Rating: 5/5

     This game is my favorite Pokémon game so far and should be the standard for Pokémon games to come. I believe they kept some of the elements that made old games fun and adventurous while adding new options and better detailing for the fans.

New and improved:

     The new game has made a lot of changes in Character Customization. You can not only change your skin tone and eyes to basic colors, you can also purchase and wear different items from stores. Making your avatar look more like yourself and being able to dress them in your style is another way of making this game more personal for the players.

          http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Charizard_(Pok%C3%A9mon)

     The biggest most notable change in the actual Pokemon are that some selected Pokemon have Mega-Evolutions. Charizard, my favorite starter, has one…and it is badass. Not only do most Megas look badass but they also increase the stats of your Pokemon by a noticeable percentage.

Features that facilitate training and game-play:

    Exp. Share is an item that has been featured in Pokémon games before but has been altered to fit player's needs. In previous games Exp.share was an item that had be held by a Pokemon and it gave the holder a share of the active Pokemon's Exp. Points without it needing to be in battle. Now, this feature is a Key Item that can be turned on and off and shares the Exp.Points from the active Pokemon to ALL Pokemon in the party. Not only is this Key item available through out the game, but you are able to obtain it very early in the game (right after you beat the first gym leader).

     Breeding for Pokemon just got a little easier with the IV Checker. If you go up to him and he names stats  like attack power, special attack power, and such AND he says “Those stats can’t be beat!”, That means those IV’s are perfect! You can mark them on the Pokemon’s summary by clicking on the markings.

    Friend Safari is another new feature where you can browse through your 3DS’s friends list and view which Pokemon anyone you have added on the 3DS has available and you go in a secluded grass area and they are always available to you for catching. Most safaris have Pokemon with the hidden ability and can make breeding or catching Pokemon with such abilities easier. (The third Pokemon on the list only                                                                             shows up after your friends beat the elite four                                                                           on Pokemon X or Y).

     These are some of the other features in the game. A cool and extremely useful new feature are O-Powers. These enable you to get faster results in certain areas of the game. Such as Hatching Power, which if turned on decreases the amount of time it takes to hatch an egg. Another useful one is Bargain power, which decreases the amount of money you have to spend on items you purchase.

Wonder Trade is a brand new system where you send in a Pokémon and it trades a random one back to you. Whether you get one that is good or not is a gamble, but if you don’t you could just keep attempting to trade it away. This is another way to get perfect IV Pokémon or a rare one as well and can benefit you.

    Another new feature is the new Super Training Menu. Making it easier and faster to super train perfect stats onto your Pokemon. This paired with the IV-breeding method are sure to make super-strong and maxed out Pokemon. 

Minor Details:

      Poke-Amié is for all those Tamagotchi lovers. This features enables you to feed and pet Pokemon as well as decorate their space. It also allows Pokemon to mingle with people you've interacted with in the game (via trading, battling, or etc...). Most people I've spoken to find this feature pretty useless but I think it's just a fun little addition for all the people who get attached to their Pokemon and would like to interact with them.

      A minor detail that surprised me is the occasional zoom in when visiting the PokeCenter and speaking to Nurse Joy. It makes the view seem as if it’s from a first person point of view. I thought that was a cool way of making us seem like the players are actually there.

     Another minor feature is that you can take tourism snapshots of certain tourist spots/landmarks. While insignificant to most I feel that this really helps the adventuring aspect of the Pokemon games, making the player feel like they really are exploring and back-packing in search of new places.



     With all that in mind, I can honestly say that I am very satisfied with the game and the improvements made. I hope Nintendo keeps improving the Pokémon games and I'm really looking forward to Pokémon Sapphire and Ruby. You guys can obviously expect a post about that coming soon!

(PS: I am not hired by anyone to post this review, and I do not take compensation for posting this.)

Please let me know what you guys think of the post and let me know if you've played the game and what you thought about it by commenting down below!

Beauty: Acetone vs Non-Acetone...that's the question!

Hey Peeps,

   So I recently had my first run in with non-acetone nail polish remover. Before coming into contact with it I had always wondered what the difference is from non-acetone remover and acetone remover. As I normally use acetone, I figured I should try out the other to remove some of my regular red nail polish (the one I've used more than 5 times).

    The results were disastrous.

    My nails broke and started peeling off which has never happened before.

The finger on the left was not touched with the 

non-acetone, but the right finger was.

    The four fingers I applied the non-acetone are growing slowly and constantly need to be cut or it results in me scratching myself.

    I wondered if this was a regular occurrence and decided to do a little research. I first looked at yahoo!answers as I usually find varied opinions on subjects in such pages. I was surprised to see that 4 out of 5 people who answered said that non-acetone was gentler and contained less chemicals.

   Then I found this article  and a little light was shed onto my situation. It explains that since acetone is said to remove nail polish faster, it also dissolves faster and doesn't need to be reapplied or scrubbed in as much as non-acetone. Therefore non-acetone takes more product and might be more damaging due to quantity of exposure.

    I'm no rocket-scientist or dermatologist but I see results. Since leaving the non-acetone way I have seen an improvement on my nails. 

    I hope this benefits you all. Let me know what your non-acetone/acetone stories or opinions are below! 

   

PS: Yay for healthy natural nails!

DIY Interchangeable/Customizable Iphone 4 Case

Hey Peeps,

    I've been cute-ifying my accessories lately and came across a post on Pinterest (back when I used Pinterest) of a girl who made her own customizable iPhone case by using a clear case and wallpaper cut-outs (the kind for the walls, not your desktop).

    I obviously thought it was genius! I also thought it would really help me save money on cases.

    Needless to say I went on eBay right away and found a suitable case for my iPhone 4.

Here's the one I got for $2.99 Free Shipping

(Not from China, WOOT!).
 
     I didn't like the completely clear ones and thought the hard-case with a matte black rim added a clean finish to the pictures.

    When the case arrived I followed the instructions on Pinterest:

1. Cut out a picture of a magazine or wallpaper from the page.
2. Place the phone on the page and press down gently as you outline it with permanent marker.
3. Remove phone and cut the lines made.
4. Ta-dah! 

    Except it wasn't TA-DAH!

    The cut-out of the iPhone didn't fit inside the case. The rim made it impossible to get a correct outline.
    To say I was pissed was an understatement.
    So I did what any 22-year-old does when faced with a problem: I Googled it.

    I found this page: AHOODIE, and downloaded their Photoshop template for iPhone 4 cases.

Here's a how to:

1. Open up the template on your Photoshop.
2. Add a new layer and make sure to move the new layer under the template one.
3. Find a photo that you like on the internet or scan in a magazine/wallpaper.
4. Copy and paste that image onto the layer by using either right-click or ctrl+c then ctrl+v.
5. Stretch and position the image to your liking inside the rectangular perimeter.
6. Optional step: It's a good idea to crop out only the perimeter and leave out the rest (that you really don't want to waste ink on).
7. Another Optional step: You can erase the camera slot lines and take an X-Acto knife to manually cut out the camera for a cleaner look.
   
   
   
8. Click File, then Print. Make sure the file maintains it's actual size (do not crop to fit).
9. TAH-DAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Please let me know if you liked this tutorial and if you tried it yourself.
Also, what kind of pictures would you want to have as your phone background? Post below!

84 Questions Tag

Hey Peeps,

I thought it would be a good idea to put a get-to-know tag as the first official post on this blog. 

Share your thoughts or maybe your own down below!

-Em

1. Put your music player of choice on shuffle and list the first 10 songs.

1)”Batreaux’s Theme” from Skyward Sword

2)”Puritan” by Hatebreed

3)”Mother knows best” from tangled

4)”Bittersweet” by Apocalyptica

5)”Zelda’s Lullaby” from Skyward Sword

2. If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Would you take anyone with you?

I’d like to travel to many countries, but if I had to pick one it would be Japan. I find the culture and the people very different and fascinating as well as find the history and architecture beautiful and serene. I would also like to take my boyfriend or my oldest brother with me. 

3. What is your preferred writing implement? (eg. Blue pen, pencil, green pen)

I prefer writing on papyrus paper with a quill in black ink. I settle for a good black ballpoint pen if at school or on the go.

4. Favourite month and why?

December, because of the memories I had when living up north in MA (weather, family gatherings, etc). I also like it because it is the month of Christmas, my favorite holiday.

5. Do you have connections to any celebrities (even minor)? List them.

I’m related to a governor of Brazil, but that’s about it.

6. Name 3 items you could pick up from where you are.

My Iphone 4, my Purse, and my friend’s guitar.

7. What brand logo is closest to you currently?

Converse, as I am wearing beat up and accidentally-bleached converse shoes.

8. Do you ever play board games or other non-computer games? Got any favorites?

Hell yea! I play board games with my friends every week. I love Avalon, 7 Wonders of the World, Rune-Age, Super Dungeon Explore.

9. A musical artist you love that isn’t well known.

I really love Rosalia de Souza, a Brazilian singer that’s not very well known anywhere really.

10. A musical artist you love that is well known.

Usher.

11. What is your desktop background currently?

Red-headed blood-elf mage from World of Warcraft fan art.

12. Last person you talked to, what you talked to them about.

My boyfriend, and we were trying to see if we could effectively plan our friend’s birthday.

13. First color name you can think of that isn’t in the rainbow.

Teal.

14. What timekeeping devices are in the room you are currently in?

My computer and my cellphone. 

15. What kind of headphones do you use?

To listen to music at home I use my Urbanears, if on the go I use Skull Candy plug ins.

16. What musical artists have you seen perform live?

HIM, New York Voices, Simple Plan, The Big Four.

17. Does virginity matter to you?

No, but sex in general is a big deal.

18. What gaming consoles do you or your family own?

N64, Wii, Ps2, 3ds, Xbox, Ps vita, Psp, Ps4, Gameboy advanced.

19. What pets do you have? What are their names?

Cat, and her name is Midnight.

20. What’s the best job you’ve ever had?

Gamestop.

21. What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?

Some random Brazilian finance company.

22. What magazines do you read, if any?

Game informer.

23. Inspiration behind your URL?

My blog title.

24. Inspiration behind your blog title?

I used a common phrase “my two cents” that is supposed to mean my opinion.

25. Favorite item of clothing?

Probably my Warlock sweater from WOW.

26. Are you friends with any exes?

Nope, not really.

27. Name at least one book you loved as a child.

Matilda, the Goosebumps series, and My Best Friend the Vampire.

28. What’s your native language? If that language has distinct regional variations, which variation? (eg. AU English, US English)

Brazilian Portuguese.

29. What email service do you use?

Yahoo.

30. Is there anything hanging on the walls of the room you are currently in?

Some posters, a magnetic makeup pad.

31. What’s your favourite number, and why?

11, because it is perfectly symmetrical and forms a matching pair.

32. Earliest moment in your life you can remember?

Falling down the stairs when I was six months old.

33. What did you have for dinner yesterday?

A lot of Chinese food.

34. How often do you brush your teeth?

2-3 times a day.

35. What’s your favorite candy/chocolate?

Almond Joy for chocolate, and Butterscotch for candy.

36. Have you had other blogs on Tumblr? Do you have any other blogs currently?

Nope.

37. If you were suddenly really hungry, what would you choose to eat?

Spaghetti Carbonara.

38. What fandoms would you consider yourself a part of?

Harry Potter, Animes, Games, anything I like a lot.

39. If you could study anything, what would it be?

Music Education.

40. Do you use anything on your lips? (eg. Chapstick, gloss, balm, lipstick)

All of the above except lip gloss. lol

41. How would you describe your sense of humor?

Derpy humor with a sense of style and dark humor.

42. What things annoy you more than anything else?

People who have ill-intent towards others.

43. What kind of position are you in at the moment?

Sitting cross-legged.

44. Do you wear much jewelry?

I do wear jewelry often but it is the same thing every day practically.

45. Who is the leader of your country, currently? Any other levels of government with leaders? (State, region, province, county, district, municipality, etc)

Since I consider both the US and Brazil my country, I would say President Obama and President Dilma Rousseff.

46. Last 3 blogs on your dashboard, not including any of your own.

Zoella is the only blog I’m subscribed to. I’d like to add more personal blogs.

47. What do you carry your money in?

In my Zelda wallet.

48. Do you enjoy driving? Why or why not?

I enjoy driving, just not when there are inneficient drivers on the road....

49. Longest drive you have ever been on?

12 Hours.

50. Furthest away from home you have ever been?

Germany.

51. How many times have you moved house?

8-10 times.

52. What is on the floor of the room you’re currently in, not including furniture?

Clothes, a hamper, a cat, shoes, and a laptop bag.

53. How many devices do you own which can access the internet?

6.

54. Is there is anything that is guaranteed to always make you happy?

Cute animals.

55. Is there anything that always makes you sad?

Animals dying or dreams being crushed.

56. What programs do you currently have open?

Word, Mozilla Firefox, Itunes, Battle.net, Steam, Skype.

57. What do you associate the color red with?

Passion.

58. Last strong smell you can remember smelling?

The floor on which my friend’s dog peed in.

59. Last healthy thing you ate?

Wheat bread, yogurt, or fruit.

60. Do you drink tea or coffee, and how much per day?

I drink both. One cup of joe, and 2-3 cups of tea.

61. What do you associate the color blue with?

The ocean.

62. How long is the closest ruler you can find?

12”.

63. What colour pants/skirt/etc are you currently wearing?

Black tights, Green plaid skirt.

64. When was the last time you drank water?

1 hour ago.

65. How often do you clear your browser history?

It does so automatically every week.

66. Do you believe nude photos can be artistic, rather than erotic?

Of course.

67. Ever written fanfiction for anything?

When I was in middle school.

68. Last formal event you attended.

My graduation for my AA.

69. If you had to move your birthday to another date, which one would you choose and why?

December 11, because it’s my favorite month and day and it would snow.

70. Would you prefer to be at a beach or in the countryside?

Not sure, I like both.

71. Roughly how many people live in your town?

It’s a big city so a lot.

72. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you?

Yes, two people from my high school.

73. Favourite place to shop? Can be a certain store or a place where there are multiple stores.

Hot topic, H&M, Forever 21, Ebay, Amazon.

74. Do you have a smartphone? What kind? If you don’t, do you want one?

I have an Iphone 4, but I would like a Samsung.

75. What is your least favourite colour, and why?

Yellow, it’s too bright and it looks terrible on me.

76. How do you spell grey/gray?

Grey.

77. Go to your dashboard and describe the image shown in the radar section (below the “Find blogs” link)

I have no idea what or where that is.

78. What difference is there between how many followers you have, and the number of blogs you follow?

2.

79. How many posts do you have?

Including this one, 3.

80. How many posts have you liked?

Not many.

81. Do you post mainly reblogs, or your own content?

Own content.

82. Do you track any tags?

…what?

83. What time is it currently?

3:15am

84. Is there anything you should be doing right now?

Sleeping probably.