"Nice memories have their own scent. Whenever you are veiled in its scent...your heart can always return to that unforgettable past...together with your own scenery that will never fade away." - Kyoichi Kanzaki
It's been a while since I "strolled" around our village house...the past home of my plants(majority of them). We have two ponds located just in front of the main door entrance and the mini pond on the right side of the house. I bought some Water Hyacinth two months ago and placed it on top of my brothers biological water filter. It bloomed today with very interesting lavender flowers which has yellow markings on the top petal of each flower.
the Water Hyacinth
a close-up view of the Water hyacinth
a better view of the stamen, pistil and the yellow marking!Together with the Water Hyacinth, another water plant is in constant bloom during the rainy season in our area. This NOID plant has round leaves much like that of a nasturtium. It has creeping behavior thus hangs off the sides of the filter pot. The flower are very tiny and yellow in color. The plant has several flowers in one inflorescence. I would appreciate it if someone could identify this water plant. Thanks!
The NOID water plant.
A close-u
p view of the tiny yellow flowers.
Aside from the water plants, I was able to take a picture of a mini rose, or a petite-mini rose. This rose has single layered flowers and are bright red in color. I don't often see this kind of roses in trade...that is why I was so surprise to see the flowers since I bought it without blooms. I also took a shot of our Adenium plant. It has beautiful flowers and haven't stopped flowering since summer. Our Adeniums almost always shed their leaves and are left with only a couple of leaves in each stem. This is normal, so I don't worry about it.
The petite-mini Rose
The Adenium or Desert RoseThe next photo is my pilot entry to Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday!This is the Water Hyacinth photo above applied with KK's "The Ladder" texture.
Welcome again to PLANTS EXPOSED: Plants in Videogames! Today, I'll present the next two games that is on my list. But remember, this is just my opinion and opinions may vary among gamers. Hope you enjoy reading my new post. Thanks!
For those who failed to start this series. You may find the first of the series here.
#7 Dragon SpiritNAMCO
1987
Dragon Spirit was released in 1987 by NAMCO for the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES console. The storyline focuses on Amul, the chosen savior and his quest to save princess Alicia from the dark witch Zawell. The game features the use of power-ups that is made available by hitting on blue or red egg-like things.I was able to play this game during the late 80’s before the great earthquake and the eruption of Mt. pinatubo. My mother got if from Hong Kong when she visited our auntie there. Together with the Dragon Spirit game, she also brought us an original TETRIS game! By later research through the internet, it was actually the very first release of the game with mini-russians dancing with fireworks after every completed level. Anyway, going back to Dragon Spirit…at the start of the game, you will be given the option to choose between playing as the BLUE dragon or the GOLD dragon. Playing the Blue Dragon is more difficult compared to playing as the Gold dragon. Blue dragon game has the complete playable levels while Gold dragon game has only around half of the game levels to finish the game. Aside from the playable levels, the options differ on level difficulty and health gauges. The Gold dragon has twice the amount of health compared to the Blue dragon. The Dragon prince will save a princess within each level. The final level will, of course, save HIS beloved princess ?. (more like Super Mario…I
guess). Another feature of Dragon Spirit is the availability of two “firing” methods. By pressing A, it’s the high-level weapon while pressing B is the low-level weapon. If you need to destroy flying monsters, you will have to use the high-level weapon. Land based monsters and “eggs” are weak against the low-level weapon. Therefore, playing the game will not only challenge the gamer in destroying monsters and saving princesses but will also test the gamer’s strategy and ability to change actions.
The plant exposure can be found during the Third stage or level. This game is actually my favorite game level in Dragon Spirit. It’s not just because of the setting but the stage background music is the catchiest among the different levels in the game! This stage features the Forest Kingdom. The final BOSS in this level is a giant plant monster! The Boss has “eggs” forming at base of its roots while spewing out mini pollen monsters from its head. To defeat this Boss…you will have to first destroy all eight “eggs” from the roots while avoiding hits from the flying pollen monsters.
This game landed on the 7th spot since the plants are green…well most of them…even if they came out as antagonist evil monsters. I also included Dragon Spirit in the list because it is by far, the best dragon based game I’ve played with the 
NES(Nintendo Entertainment System). I also loved Wagyan Land, but it has no “plant-value” to be included in the list. Hehe! Dragon Spirit got me interested to mix and match different power-ups such as the small dragon, pink dragon, twin dragons and the very powerful green dragon that enables the “player” to breath out fire strips that is unmatched by all the other power-ups. Aside from the special powers, the player can also increase the number dragon heads you have! The game allows you to have a maximum of three heads but some power-ups will disregard your “heads”. Therefore, the game will really depend on how the player is challenged by the stage levels, how the player chooses his power-ups and how the player will maximize the available power-ups to finish each level of the game. Sometimes, it is necessary for the player to use a power-up to make it through the level in “perfect condition”! The game is strategic in some ways but the best part is that you get to see different game levels that are unique from the monsters to the catchy background music. Dragon Spirit is the name of the game!
#6 Ecoquest 2: Lost Secret of the Rainforest
SIERRA
1993
Ecoquest 2….is obviously the sequel to Ecoquest 1. :DI am not familiar with the first game since we only had our first computer in year 1993 with the black & white monitor and the speed of a 486 microprocessor. We weren’t able to play “sophisticated” games until in 1996 when my father bought us a better IBM with Windows 95 OS! One of the game I played with that computer was Ecoquest 2. The plot of the game revolves around the intention of Adam to save the rainforest and to find the cure to a disease that is caught by the local people. I wasn’t able to notice this…but according to internet sources…the game was intended to teach kids(like me) about the bad habits of being greedy and selfish! The game is really good for me then because I was just learning to use the mouse, the point and clickingmechanism plus the joy of seeing game played in a personal computer...a very different experience from playing 
NES games. Most of Sierra’s games used the same user interface…but the best Sierra game for me was King’s Quest IV. Haha! Anyway, Ecoquest 2: Lost Secret of the Rainforest is still a great educational game for kids.
The plant exposures in this game is practically everywhere! It’s because the setting is in a rainforest so you really get to see trees, plants and grasses in most of the game screens. However, the notable exposure is that of the old tree that is the “spirit” of the rainforest and the young tree sapling that Adam must also save to finish the game. The game is not really that great for me since I am not a point and click type of a gamer. It’s like playing Blue’s Clues in a videogame! However, the plant exposure is good enough for the game to land at 6th place on my list. 
The spirit of the rainforest(Tree) emphasizes the idea that trees are vital players in the ecosystem of a forest. It is where animals get most of their food. Trees are also used as shelters and home by some animals particularly the smaller birds. By playing the game, I was not only exposed to plants…but also to the knowledge of biodiversity, environmental concern and the three R’s*. Ecoquest 2 is one of the games that taught me to love nature, and do things that will not harm or endanger plants and animals in their natural habitat.
To be continued......but since you now know very well my top 8, 7 and 6 videogames with plant exposures.....I'd like to know yours! ;)
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I am offering these flower photos to Mr.Steve Jobs of Apple. I admire his innovative mind.
Even if I do not own any Apple products...I loved them but never had the money to buy them...but I definitely went to the moviehouse and saw Pixar cartoons! Thanks Steve...great jobS.
Rest in Peace.
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This post is linked to
and
Good day. Thanks!
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*Lately, I was told that there are already four(4) R's namely...Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and REPAIR!
References:
1 www.thefreedictionary.com
2 waynesword.palomar.edu/trfeb98.htm
Image References:
www.ign.com
www.kingPs3.com
mysite.verizon.net
krooze.wordpress.com
www.unikgamer.com
library.thinkquest.org
www.beastbeat.net
www.pinoypsp.com
www.emuparadise.me
www.Iparchive.org
www.gamerdna.com
chrono.gamewiki.com
videogameafterlife.blogspot.com
www.jap-sai.com
www.plantsvszombies.com
www.techpinas.com
http://gweenkent.blogspot.com
www.pippysays.com
www.cashgenerator.co.uk
http://chiptunemonkey.blogspot.com/2011/02/0075-dragon-spirit-pce-namco-1988.html
www.vizzed.com
Bibliography:
waynesword.palomar.edu/trfeb98.htm
www.blueplanetbiomes.org/plants.htm
www.gamefaqs.com
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patapon
http://www.thehouseofgames.net/index.php?t=10&id=318
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Erratum(10/2/11)
I changed one of my blogs of note. Even if I was so happy learning about the award very early this morning, I was so sleepy that I included my other blog in the list. I really have to apologize for that. Thanks! :)
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My blog was awarded with
THE VERSATILE BLOGGER award! Thank you very much Nat of
Happily Going for handing me this award!
To join in the fun...I am supposed to tell seven things about myself and then nominate others for the award. I agree to do the following things:
1. Thank the blogger who awarded me and link back to him/her
2. Share 7 things about myself
3. Pass the award along to 15 other newly discovered blogs.
More than 7 things about meI'd rather share more than 7 things about myself using my blog name as an acronym.
S.....I love Spaghetti, specially when it is done Filipino style!
O....Orange is my favorite color!
M...I recently got my Master of Science degree in Entrepreneurship.
E....I believe that Education is the backbone of development & progress.
R....I enjoy Reading Classics, Fairytales and those by Tolkein and Gaarder.
S....Super Mario Bros.3 is the best game I ever played in my life!!
A....I live somewhere in Angeles City, Pampanga.
U....I am an alumnus of De La Salle University, Manila.
L.....I find Napoleon Bonaparte a good Leader...but in the wrong century!
T.....I Tend my garden. If I'm not in the house, then I'm at the Garden.
C......I enjoy playing Civilization III, but haven't won any rounds yet!!!
L.....I Love gardening, photography, food and videogames.
O....I am an Oido. I can play tunes by ear...but they don't sound good. haha!
U....I'd rather walk through the rain than bring and use an Umbrella.
D....My patronus is a Doe according to an online application. :)
S....Squall Leonhart is my favorite Final Fantasy Character!
Here are my 15 blogs of note
the Water Hyacinth
a close-up view of the Water hyacinth
a better view of the stamen, pistil and the yellow marking!
The NOID water plant.
A close-up view of the tiny yellow flowers.
The petite-mini Rose
The Adenium or Desert Rose
