Parallel Kingdom - Location Based Game

If you have had your Android for any amount of time, you've probably downloaded a game or two to play when you're bored. You can only play so many Bust a Move knock-offs and word games before the whole phone game thing starts to seem a bit lame, which it certainly had started to seem to me, but there are a few games out there that have some very interesting mechanics.

One such game, which I have been playing recently, is Parallel Kingdom. Parallel Kingdom is actually a rather simplistic role-playing game, with nothing incredible in the way of graphics or storyline, but it does have a saving grace. Parallel Kingdom is played in an alternate world that overlays our own. That is to say, the game uses your Android phones GPS to determine your location, and overlays the game on a map of the world.

You start the game in your location on the map, and you can move your character within a game-defined radius. When you go to the gas station you can choose to travel to your current location in the game and fight monsters or explore. You can also travel by building flags and using them as waypoints, or by using the dog that is provided to you by the game to "hunt", or explore new areas.

The graphics are actually rather reminiscent of a shareware game that I played on windows around fifteen years ago, at least in the appearance of your character and the enemy characters as unanimated sprites moving on a very plain background, and there are a few server issues that I have experienced in the two weeks that I have played it, but I have still enjoyed expanding my territory.

As I stated before, Parallel Kingdom is not going to win any awards based on its artwork or storyline, but it is strangely addicting to plant flags in remote areas and attempt to build your kingdom, or, of course, try to destroy your neighbors kingdom. Check it out if you have the time, and let me know what you think!

Get Out There! Gowalla.

In today's world of computers, video games, movies and constant television, we often miss the opportunity to go outside, enjoy the sunlight, and meet new people. I'm certainly not trying to judge, but, to many of us, the tanning bed has taken the place of sunlight, and Facebook has taken the place of actually meeting people. It's just a consequence of living in this technologically advanced world. At times the things that we can do at home seem much more engaging and entertaining than anything that we can do outside.

The people at Gowalla feel that they can help you to enjoy the best of both of these worlds. They have created a social application that uses the GPS in your phone to make a game out of going places. Gowalla can be downloaded for free from the Android Market. Go ahead and get it, and we'll start your adventure.

On starting up Gowalla you should be prompted to create an account. After you have done so, you will be taken to the main screen, where you will see several tabs.

Activity

This tab will show the recent activity of any friends that you have connected to on Gowalla, and give you the opportunity to look for more friends. It is useful for those times that you are meeting up with friends in a downtown area, and you want to know if they are at the bookstore or buying coffee.

Spots

This is the main screen of the application, and the default page when you open the application. Here you will see a list of the locations and points that are close to your location. You can check into a location, and receive a stamp for doing so. You also have the ability to create an event. An event is a lot like a spot, in that you can check in there, leave comments or photos, you receive a stamp, and it is based on location, but it expires in twelve hours. There is no reason to fear that you are wasting your time by checking in or creating it though, as there is a page created for your event, and all of the photos and comments will be saved on it. If you have enough people check into your event, it will become a Hot Spot and be featured on Gowalla's home page. Quick tip: If you've turned off your GPS to try to reserve your battery life, you are going to need to switch it back on to use Gowalla. 

Trips

On the Trips tab you will find groups of spots organized into trips. You have things such as all of the sports arenas in the Dallas area that have won a championship, BBQ restaurants in Austin, or Off the Wall spots in Oklahoma City. Most of the trips are located in Austin, simply because the developer is based there as well, but there is an option on the website to take some of the spots in your area and make them into a trip. Your Gowalla Friends will then be able to see your trips and go on them themselves if they so please.

Passport

The Passport tab contains the photo and your statistics. You will be able to see the last place that you checked into, and whatever digital items that you may have picked up on your way. The digital items serve no real purpose, but you start out with a few, you are rewarded them for going places sometimes, and you can pick up ones that fellow Gowallaians have dropped if you check into they location that they did so at. From here you can also access your Stamps and Pins. You receive a stamp the first time that you check into a particular location, and you receive pins for accomplishments, such as checking into a certain number of locations, or completing trips.


All in all, Gowalla is a fun program to use. Setting trips up for you and your friends can be an enjoyable experience, and the competitive urge in a good many of us may cause us to try to get as many stamps and pins as we can. So, if you can't figure out what to do this weekend, get Gowalla. Get out there!