PEDRONE BLOG

Rise of Nations: Gold Edition includes both the award-winning Rise of Nations and the critically acclaimed expansion pack, Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots.

From acclaimed game designer Brian Reynolds and Big Huge Games, comes Rise of Nations an epic, historical, real-time strategy game. For the first time, gamers will experience the pulse-pounding thrill and speed of real-time gaming combined with the epic scope and depth of turn-based strategy games. The game brings to life 6,000 years of history from the ancient age to the information age not just in warfare but in city building, trade and diplomacy. Despite the long timeline in the game, Rise of Nations is designed with the casual audience in mind, meaning gamers will be able to move through the game quickly.

Rise of Nations: Thrones & Patriots, the expansion pack to the critically acclaimed, best-selling Rise of Nations, adds a barrage of new features to the original game. The expansion introduces six new nations, four unique single-player campaigns, more than 20 original units, new wonders and government types.

The original Rise of Nations has garnered several Best of 2003 awards and Editors Choice awards from major media outlets. Rise of Nations: Thrones & Patriots, released in April 2004, has also been awarded a number of Editors Choice awards and has been praised as one of the best expansions to date.

Key Features:

* Lead one of 24 highly diverse nations: With the Gold Edition, players can lead one of 24 nations in the single player campaigns or on a multiplayer battlefield. Each nation has its own distinctive national powers and special units.
* Engage in 5 single player campaigns and over 130 scenarios: Non-linear, single-player campaigns based on historical epochs will keep players busy as they plan their moves on the strategic outer map and play out battles in over 130 scenarios. Campaigns include Alexander the Great, Napoleon, the New World, Cold War and the ultimate challenge: the Entire World.
* Command over 240 different units: Players can lead their armies to fight on land, sea or in the air with everything from slingers, musketeers, tanks, massive Persian War elephants, aircraft carriers and nuclear missiles.
* In-depth game experience: Gamers will be able to create a truly strategic game experience by using national borders, flank attacks, spies and generals. In addition, as a nation advances through the ages, players can decide between six different government types, from socialism to capitalism, despotism to republic, each government type has a different power that allows players to customize their nations and open up new tactics and strategic possibilities. A unique Patriot unit is available with each government type, bringing a variety of powers to the battlefield.
* Cross-genre gameplay: Combining the speed of real-time gaming with the epic scope of turn-based strategy games, Rise of Nations: Gold Edition allows players to have a fast and fun experience with the option to complete a game in less than an hour. The games epic scope moves through eight historical epochs, tying together the mysteries of ancient philosophy and the wonders of the world.
* Multiple ways to achieve victory: Players succeed through nonmilitary and quasi-military strategies including espionage, political maneuvering, technology races and population growth. Players can also choose to win through military action.
* Streamlined multiplayer: Challenge up to eight players on the Internet or via local area network, including in-game matchmaking.

Upon removing the tag of a Tamagotchi unit, an egg will appear on the screen. After setting the Tamagotchi unit's clock, the Tamagotchi will hatch after several seconds, after which the player will be told of its gender and will be given the opportunity to give it a name, which can be 5 to 8 characters in length. From then on, the player is given the task of raising the Tamagotchi to good health throughout its life and attending to its needs, such as feeding it, playing games to make the Tamagotchi happy and keep it at a healthy weight, cleaning up its excrement, punishing or praising the Tamagotchi based on its actions, returning it to proper health with medicine if it gets sick, and shutting off the lights when it goes to bed. If the Tamagotchi is left uncared for, it will soon result in the death of the Tamagotchi.

As time passes, the Tamagotchi will evolve through various stages (Baby, Toddler/Child, Teenager, Adult, and Senior), the results varying based on the gender of the Tamagotchi, its current generation, and on the player's actions. A Tamagotchi that has been cared for well enough will result in a better and a well-mannered Tamagotchi, while excessive poor care will instead result in a Tamagotchi that requires much more attention and often does not behave well. Upon reaching a specific age and friendship level with another Tamagotchi, the player's Tamagotchi will be able to mate with another Tamagotchi of the opposite gender, usually arranged by an elderly Tamagotchi known as "the Matchmaker" or "Mrs. Busybody". Once the two Tamagotchis mate successfully, the female produces two infant Tamagotchis, one which is kept by the father, and the other by the mother. After 24 hours pass, the parent leaves the baby, starting a brand new generation.

Recent Tamagotchis, such as the Connection series, are able to communicate wirelessly with other Tamagotchis to develop friendships, exchange gifts, and compete in several different types of games.

Five years ago, Daiya Tsuwabuki was on a fishing trip with his father when giant monsters attacked. Daiya was saved by the crew of Daiku Maryu. In the present, Daiya believes that his father is still alive but no one believes him, not even his own mother. But when the same monsters attack the city, Daiya becomes the pilot of Gaiking and joins Daiku Maryu as they go to the world of Darius to stop them from taking over the earth.