Features

Fantastic Pokémon and Where to Find Them

Published

August 19, 2016

Michael Josh Villanueva

Wouldn’t it be great if you lived by a PokéStop or two? You could just sit on your couch, set a lure and have pokémon come to you? Don’t even think about it! Not only is that a lazy-ass idea, it’s not feasible. If you’re really serious about catching them all, you’ll need to put in the time, just like in the game or TV show, moving from place to place in search of them all.

Apart from Rattatas and Pidgeys that are literally everywhere, different types of pokémon spawn in different parts of the city. In Metro Manila, there are a few pokémon hotspots that are worth your while, we spent a week tracking them down and here are some of them. Goodluck!

Bonifacio Global City (Taguig)

Put on some running shoes and plan to spend an afternoon in Bonifacio Global City — home to some of the most diverse species of pokémon in the metropolis. If you only have time to see one place, BGC is the place to be. I find the best pokémon spawn along the edges of the Manila Golf and Country Club near three rotondas: Burgos Circle, De Jesus Oval by Kasalikasan garden, and Balanghai at the foot of Pacific Plaza. I’ve caught a few Vulpix out by Kasalikasan.

Pokémon also span close to the Mind Museum, diagonally across Bonifacio High Street, and along 32nd Street from S&R to St. Luke’s Medical Center. Popular pokémon in this area include Bellsprout, Bulbasaur, Exeggcute, Horsea, Nidoran, Paras, Pinsir, and Squirtle. I’ve also caught a Magmar, a Porygon, and a Scyther here — but maybe that was just pure luck.

best pokemon go locations in manila - sm mall of asia

SM Mall of Asia (Pasay)

If you’re hunting for electric-type pokémon, SM Mall of Asia is the best place to be. The massive shopping complex is teeming with Voltorbs and Magnemites. Because of its proximity to the sea expect to find a lot of Cloysters, Magikarps, and Poliwags, too. Occasionally, a few Pikachus will also show up. Many congregate on the corners of Seaside boulevard with Conrad Hotel on one end and Ocean Events Place on the other. Pokémon will pop up all around the MOA complex as well.

best pokemon go locations in manila - pearl drive

Pearl Drive (Ortigas)

The entire stretch of Pearl Drive in Ortigas near University of Asia and the Pacific is a treasure trove for water Pokémon. Walk back and forth between Lourdes Street and Exchange Road to farm for Magikarp – there’s no better place in the city to do so.

Pearl Drive is also a great place to find a Psyduck (or if you’re lucky, a Golduck — we’ve caught a few here, too), a Slowpoke, or a Staryu. Several times a day, the occasional Dratini will also spawn here — once I caught three in a span of 10 minutes. Dratinis will also spawn in front of the Philippine Stock Exchange Complex, and further down the road inside the parking lot of the Lopez Museum. Very rarely a Dragonair will also spawn in this area.

While you’re in Ortigas, cross over to Greenfield District in Mandaluyong across the road from Shangri-La Mall. The park is one of the few places in the Metro where Seel spawns regularly and to a certain extent Meowth. Come on a Friday or Saturday evening for the night market and the best-tasting Vietnamese Phở in town.

best pokemon go locations in manila - greenbelt

Greenbelt (Makati)

Not only is Greenbelt a PokéStop hotspot (most if not all always have lures, too) — it’s the best place to hunt for Growlithes. Almost always a Growlithe will spawn under the PokeGym in the middle of the park near the chapel. I recommend walking the stretch along the row of Greenbelt 5 restaurants from Museum Cafe all the way to National Bookstore at Greenbelt 1 — after an afternoon of hunting you should have enough candy for an Arcanine. Eevees, Magikarps, Poliwags, Staryus, and Tangelas are known to spawn here also.

While in Makati, another area worth checking out is the Ayala Triangle for all its PokéStops. Then head over to Salcedo Park, one of the best places to farm Eevies for those all-important Eeveelutions.

best pokemon go locations in manila - eastwood

Eastwood City (Quezon City)

We’re kinda bummed that there aren’t that many hotspots up north. If you live in the City of Stars, your best bet is the Eastwood Mall complex. The place has a good variety of pokémon not as much as BGC but good enough. You’ll find a lot of Exeggutors, Krabbys, Magikarps, Staryus, and Tentacools mixed in with a few random others. They spawn mostly along Orchard Road loop and the Walk of Fame. Haven’t seen him out in the wild, but my sister says she’s caught a Blastoise there as well.

best pokemon go locations in manila - ocean park

Manila Ocean Park (Manila)

You’d think that Luneta Park would be a hotbed for exciting pokémon , but it appears Manila Ocean Park is where it’s at. Apart from being home to a wide array of marine animals, the marine park seems to have also adopted a variety of water and electric pokémon . Unless you have a trip planned, we don’t necessarily recommend this place as the pokémon you can find here are found elsewhere, but we’re putting it in because it is a known hotspot. The place is teeming with Magikarps, Goldeens, Psyducks, and a healthy supply of Magnemites.

While you’re in the area try your luck by the Rizal Shrine and also around Fort Santiago. I’ve seen a few rare Pokémon spawn here from time to time.

We have anecdotal evidence of rares like Dragonites spawning in the wild but we haven’t seen one ourselves. We’ve seen a Charizard, a Lickitung, a Magmar, an Onix, a Porygon, and a Scyther randomly in the wild. But we have yet to find a place where they spawn regularly. Evolved versions of common pokémon (Wartortle, Arbok, Butterfree, Wigglytuff) also spawn randomly.

If you know of any good Pokémon Go hunting grounds in Metro Manila leave a message in the comments section below.

[irp posts=”7981″ name=”How to catch Ditto in Pokémon Go”]

Features

LOQ and LOAD: The Lenovo LOQ 2024 is for gaming and more

Your entry to PC Gaming

Published

April 23, 2024

GadgetMatch

Get your game on with the Lenovo LOQ 2024. This capable laptop is your entry point to PC Gaming and a lot more.

It comes an absolutely affordable price point: PhP 48,995.

You get capable hardware and the hood to support gaming and more. The Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I runs on the 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor and Intel Arc Graphics.

Those are key to bringing unreal graphics to this segment. Supporting latest tech like DirectX 12 Ultimate, players are able to enjoy high frame rates on the Lenovo LOQ.

Creating content? It comes with AI Advantage to help boost performance. Engines and accelerators boost the media processing workloads especially for creatives. It also works with Intel’s X Super Machine Learning, Leading to images that are as close to reality.

The laptop supports a configuration of up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD Storage.

As for its display, the device has a large 15.6-inch, Full HD panel that is more than enough for gaming, video editing, content consumption, and whatever else you do on a laptop. This display has 144Hz refresh rate, 300 nits brightness, and anti-glare.

Videos come out clear, crisp, and realistic. Audio is punchy and as loud as it gets. Windows Sonic elevates it more when you use headphones. And it just takes a few minutes to render HD videos on editing software.

As it runs on Windows 11, if you are going to use it for work, you can take advantage of various features. The Lenovo Vantage Widget is there for constant reminders, Copilot will help you organize your tasks, and Microsoft Edge is there for casual browsing.

There is an assortment of ports at the back for easy connectivity. And as this is meant for gaming, we put it to the test. Racing that looks better with high frame rate? Check. Shooting titles that require heavy work? Not a problem. You can play all your favorites and not worry about performance.

Best of all, it takes less than an our to juice up this laptop all the way to 100%.

So, whether you’re looking to get started with PC Gaming, or an upgrade for work and entertainment needs, the Lenovo LOQ has you covered.

This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and Lenovo Philippines.

Buyer's Guide

2024 Samsung TV: Buyer’s Guide

Which 2024 Samsung TV is your GadgetMatch?

Published

April 21, 2024

GadgetMatch

With all the options available in the market, shopping for TVs can get overwhelming.

One brand Michael Josh recommends whenever someone asks? It’s none other than Samsung.

They have TVs for every price point and every feature a user might prioritize.

But which one is right for you?

Keep watching our 2024 Buyer’s Guide to find out the latest Samsung TV that best matches your needs.

Features

Why choose the MSI Claw?

Is it the gaming handheld for you?

Published

April 18, 2024

GadgetMatch

The MSI Claw is the latest gaming handheld from a major PC and laptop brand. The competition in this emerging gadget segment is tighter than ever. So, what is it about the MSI Claw that can scratch your gaming itch? Here’s a quick list.

Best grip in the game

One quick glance and it’s hard not to compare the claw with another popular gaming handheld. But a closer look and actually holding the thing will reveal that its grip easily feels better.

It has a slightly deeper groove that makes it easier to hold. So, MSI’s “Grip and Game” tagline isn’t all talk. Its design truly does provide one of the better feeling handles among its competition.

The overall design makes sure it’s made for extended gameplay sessions. The buttons are where you expect them to be. That includes the four mini buttons on the upper edges of the screen. These are the View, MSI Center M, Menu, and Quick Settings buttons.

In addition, the face buttons and d-pad all feel great. The face buttons, in particular, feel comparable to those of regular console controllers.

The rest of the buttons and triggers have a very satisfying tactile feel. It also uses Hall Effect technology to get rid of any stick drift issues.

Up top, you’ll find the power button, MicroSD Card slot, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port, audio jack, and the volume buttons. These are intuitively placed and just makes sense given the overall design approach.

As cliché as it sounds, you’ll really think you got your money’s worth once you hold, touch, press, and grip the MSI Claw.

Dragon Vision

Now, MSI isn’t really calling it that but I thought it sounds pretty cool. A big part of the whole gaming experience is the display. Balancing resolution and frame rates is always tricky but the MSI Claw does it convincingly.

With this gaming handheld, you get a 7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Looks great on paper and it’s even better in real life. It’s the sweet spot in terms of both size and performance. There’s enough here to immerse you all while delivering a satisfying level of crisp and smoothness.

It’s comfortable to view whether you’re on the couch, on a desk table, or lying down getting a quick game in before you get some shut-eye.

Battery Life

At 53Whr, the MSI Claw has a 36% larger battery capacity than its contemporaries and promises 50% more play time.

MSI claims “elevated performance with extended endurance” using the Claw with faster charging capabilities.

These percentages are hard to measure in real life usage. What we can say for certain is that you get the expected performance and playtime typical of a handheld. That’s a little under two hours for graphically demanding titles, and close to four hours on less demanding ones.

The charging claim is legitimate. The MSI Claw juices up faster than most other handhelds, going from 20% to 100% in about a little over a K-Drama episode (roughly a little over an hour).

MSI Center M

Any self-respecting gaming handheld has its own software to make navigating the thing more manageable. While its direct competitors have an armoury crate and a space, MSI went with Center M.

The best part about MSI Center M is it puts your installed games front and center. Right when it launches, you get immediate access to the titles you have available on your machine.

MSI Afterburner is already the most commonly used app for taking a look at how your machine is performing while you play. That functionality is built-in to the MSI Claw. You can access it view the Quick Settings buttons.

Layout and functionality-wise, the MSI Center M is certainly one of the better Gaming Handheld softwares available right now.

Competitive Performance

A defining trait of the MSI Claw is that It’s the first gaming handheld to be powered by Intel Core Ultra. With it comes Intel XeSS tech. What it does is leverage AI upscaling to boost the fps of select titles.

As of launch, 50 notable games are supported. That number will certainly grow throughout the device’s lifespan. Some of the titles include Hi-Fi Rush, Dying Light 2, Forza Horizon 5, Call of Duty Warzone 2.0, Returnal, and many, many more.

Naturally, results will vary depending on the game mode you’re using. But in general, AAA games get anywhere between 10% to 45% better frame rate performance with Intel XeSS.

For our part we played TEKKEN 8 and the recently launched Horizon Forbidden West. Both graphically demanding games played relatively well on the MSI Claw. Frame rate performance on TEKKEN 8 is crucial and we got a relatively consistent fps, never dropping below 40.

Horizon Forbidden West is a much more graphically demanding game. We were able to run it in Medium Settings and while it doesn’t look as incredible, it still played relatively well with a frame rate surprising for a gaming handheld.

Extras

MSI made sure that if you wanted to, you could get some extra stuff with the MSI Claw. Its separately sold accessory set includes the Claw Travel Case, Nest Docking Station, Claw Lanyard, and Claw Keychain.

On paper, the MSI Claw lists its ergonomic design, AI Engine, and App Player as distinct advantages over its competition.

Whether it’s the Gaming Handheld that matches your needs is still ultimately up to you. If you have the opportunity to test drive the device, we suggest you do so. That might just solidify your purchase decision.