class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/play_ultimate1.png?54167" alt="" />Ultimate Frisbee has been around for years but in the last few years it seems to have been making a serious resurgence. With so many new players out there, it puts a serious burden on the guys who have been around to try and show these new players how the game needs to be played, and all the basic techniques that are required. Thankfully, there are plenty of websites that can handle this load for the old school players, and help the new guys learn a lot about the game off the field, so on the field they can focus on implementing, rather than learning.

It’s easy to think “I’ve been throwing a disk around since I was a little kid, Ultimate Frisbee should be easy for me”. When I first started playing I certainly thought this. However, as soon as I stepped on field and I realized just how many different ways you can throw a Frisbee, I knew it was time to do some digging for knowledge. At MakeUseOf, we have previously covered  class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-great-sites-for-beginners-to-learn-how-to-play-golf/">Golf,  class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/learn-fight-ufc-fighter-3-sites/">Mixed Martial Arts and many other sports, so now it is time for us to teach you all about Frisbee.

Best Websites To Learn Ultimate Frisbee

I hope to save you the effort I went through digging around for good websites on Ultimate Frisbee by showing you the ones that I have found to be the best.

1. class="vt-p" href="http://youtube.com">YouTube

Obviously, when trying to learn anything, YouTube is an incredibly valuable resource. It’s not going to be the most organized way to find specific information about Ultimate, but it certainly has a lot of videos. There are some very prolific users on there who are worth subscribing to such as class="vt-p" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/rjmcleod04">Ultimate Rob and class="vt-p" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/brodiesmith21">Everything Ultimate.

class="aligncenter" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/tube.png?54167" alt="" width="674" height="496" />

The one major thing YouTube offers that can’t seem to be found elsewhere is full games. It is very valuable for new players to watch high level teams play to really get a feel for how they position themselves, and what throws they use in certain situations. Plus, it is downright entertaining!

style="height: 430px; width: 580px;" width="580" height="430"> name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/P4Hx8oSsB4E?version=3" /> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="430" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/P4Hx8oSsB4E?version=3" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always">

2. class="vt-p" href="http://ultitraining.wordpress.com/">UltiTraining

Their website is not the prettiest to look at, and it doesn’t get updated as frequently as some of the other sites on the list, but they do have a bunch of great articles to help new players learn some techniques. One of my personal favorites is their article about laying out (a layout is a technique for diving to catch a disc).

class="aligncenter" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/ulti1.png?54167" alt="" width="632" height="340" />

class="vt-p" href="http://ultitraining.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/learning-to-layout-practice-progressions/">This article features some great drills for practicing laying out without hurting yourself. After all, in Ultimate Frisbee, style points can be worth just as much as actual goals.

3. class="vt-p" href="http://www.ultimatehandbook.com/blog/">Ultimate Handbook

Ultimate Handbook is another great site for techniques, but they take it a step further with a lot of strategy. They are the only site that I have found that features charts explaining the different plays and formations of Ultimate Frisbee. These charts are actually animated, so you can actually see how the play should break down.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/chartsulti.png?54167" alt="" width="556" height="617" />

One of the most frustrating things for a new player can be to have one of the more experienced players on the field call out a set or a play, like a stack, and have no idea where they need to be. With the information in Ultimate Handbook, they can rectify the situation and learn the plays.

4. class="vt-p" href="http://www.ultipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page">Ultipedia

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/ultipedia.png?54167" alt="" width="579" height="203" />

It’s pretty hard to make a list of the top websites for any topic without including a community based Wiki. The fact is, when enough knowledgeable people get together and share that knowledge, we all win. This is no exception with the Ultipedia. There is pretty much anything you would want to know about Ultimate Frisbee here.

Ultipedia also includes breakdowns of all the rules of Ultimate Frisbee. If you ever want to know how a rule works, this is the place to check.

5. class="vt-p" href="http://www.ultimaterob.com/">Ultimate Rob

class="vt-p" href="http://www.ultimaterob.com/">Ultimate Rob is a name that came up during the YouTube section, and while his YouTube channel is great, his website is where the real action is. There is such a wide array of information on his site that is mind boggling.

He has sections for the basics, for advanced players, technique breakdowns for every throw in the game, and even drills and training anyone can do to improve their Ultimate Frisbee game. Ultimate Rob even goes into the psychology behind the Ultimate Frisbee player. I especially enjoy his class="vt-p" href="http://www.ultimaterob.com/2011/05/19/positive-feedback/">article about positive feedback for new players.

class="aligncenter" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/rob.png?54167" alt="" width="681" height="573" />

Overall, just an incredible website with so much content that is a must stop place for any one who wants to play Ultimate Frisbee.

Now Go Out & Play!

Now you have all the information, you need to improve your game at Ultimate Frisbee. So hit the field and implement all these new techniques. For all you pros out there, share these links with some of the new players in your group, and prepare to be much less frustrated by how bad they are.

Do you have any websites you use for Ultimate Frisbee? Share them in the comments! />
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href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/learn-play-ultimate-frisbee-pro-5-websites/">Learn How To Play Ultimate Frisbee Like A Pro With These 5 Websites is a post from: href="http://www.makeuseof.com">MakeUseOf

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/intro6.jpg" alt="free online multiplayer games" />Continuing the tradition of tirelessly hunting down href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-five-free-online-shooter-games/">quality href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-sites-where-you-can-download-old-pc-games-for-free-nb/">free href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-awesome-free-opensource-games-enjoy-windows-mac-linux/">timewasters, today we’re highlighting some great free to play href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/online-games/">online games. If you spend much of your time in-game, casting spells or crouching to avoid a shower of bullets we’ve got you covered in this article.

Don’t forget to check out the minimum system requirements before downloading and getting disappointed. All of the games listed are free to download and play, though don’t be surprised when you’re asked to pay for additional in-game content (they’ve got to fill up the coffers somehow, after all).

href="http://www.leagueoflegends.com/">League of Legends

Originally based on a Warcraft III: Frozen Throne map called Defense of the Ancients, League of Legends is a session-based 5 on 5 multiplayer battle. Each team starts at opposite ends of the map, next to their “Nexus”, which they must defend. The winner is the team who destroys the enemy’s Nexus, simple as that.

width="580" height="430"> name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0vKpfxHU6oc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="430" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0vKpfxHU6oc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

At the start of the game each player chooses a champion (of which there are currently 76 in total), though your choice will be limited based on your progress, or willingness to pay to unlock further characters. There are two game modes, Normal and Ranked, with Ranked introducing tougher restrictions and a Level 30 requirement to play.

Getting started is as easy as registering a free account, downloading the client and logging in. Before jumping into battle and failing miserably you’ll be walked through a tutorial, and given a basic introduction to controls, items and spells. Then you’re free to take on the world for guts, gold and glory.

href="http://battlefield.play4free.com/">Battlefield Play4Free

Do you enjoy shooting things? How about driving and flying whilst shooting things? Then the case is clear – you need to play Battlefield. Dating back to September 2002 when Battlefield 1942 was originally released, the Battlefield franchise has gone from strength to strength over the years and this free offering might stave off the hunger before Battlefield 3 lands.

width="580" height="430"> name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zU6cA615Agc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="430" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zU6cA615Agc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

Incorporating heavily team-based capture and attack/defend game modes along with vehicle-driven warfare, your average match can be explosive to say the least. With tanks, planes, air strikes and fully destructible buildings there’s plenty of href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/desktop-enhancements/">eye candy and action to keep even the most seasoned players happy.

Certainly one to revisit if you remember the frantic, laggy yet golden days of BF1942 and Road to Rome.

href="http://vindictus.nexon.net/">Vindictus

Vindictus is a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) with some brutal hack-n-slash gameplay. Running on Valve’s fantastic href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-free-online-multiplayer-source-engine-mods-halflife-2/">Source engine, the game is visually pleasing even by today’s standards. The in-game objects can be interacted with, destroyed and picked up to be wielded as weapons.

width="580" height="430"> name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/p0C6BzI0l8E?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="430" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/p0C6BzI0l8E?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

There are currently 3 classes to choose from (though 5 are planned) and regardless of class, teamwork is essential if you’re to advance the game and beat Vindictus’ 6 story-based episodes.

href="http://combatarms.nexon.net/">Combat Arms

Taking its cues from classics like Counter-Strike and the Call of Duty franchise, Combat Arms is a jam-packed free first person shooter from South Korean developer Doobic Studios. The game features a levelling system, with the player earning Gamer Points to spend on additional weapons and customization.

width="580" height="430"> name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KXvJNOHlPG0?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="430" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KXvJNOHlPG0?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

There are a href="http://combatarms.nexon.net/Guides/Missions.aspx">ton of game modes to enjoy, including capture the flag, co-op play and various objective based game modes. Of course there’s always the option of flashing your cash, and this will allow you to buy unlocks with NX (the publisher’s credit system, which requires real money).

Combat Arms also features an integrated clan system and gaming leagues, making it quite a competitive corner of the web.

href="http://maplestory.nexon.net/">MapleStory

The final game on our list isn’t quite as meaty as the previous two, but may suit younger and casual online gamers. MapleStory is a side-scrolling MMORPG with simple controls and plenty of bright colours.

The game follows the typical RPG setup, with your character venturing into dungeons to defeat monsters, meeting fellow warriors, levelling up abilities and collecting in-game currency known as “Mesos”.

width="580" height="430"> name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6lM-_RD0bbs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="430" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6lM-_RD0bbs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

In addition to developing the ultimate warrior, players can also form guilds, get married and even form families. Unsurprisingly, MapleStory is huge in South Korea where it was initially developed.

Honorary Mention: href="http://www.thedutycalls.com/">Duty Calls

width="580" height="430"> name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eE_msAKWdOs?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eE_msAKWdOs?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="430" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

War. War never changes. Oops, it just did! Not strictly a multiplayer game (well, it’s not strictly a game at all) Duty Calls is a Call of Duty parody released alongside the recent Bulletstorm as a marketing ploy. If you’ve played Modern Warfare (or any Call of Duty game since) then you’ll be giggling like a school girl for the most part.

Conclusion

Hopefully there’s enough multiplayer carnage here to at least whet a few appetites. The fact that these games are free to play at least gives you the ability to fully evaluate them before deciding to splash out on some upgrades. Then again, you might never feel the need to pay a penny and enjoy some quality games for the sweetest price of all.

Do any of these free online multiplayer games tickle your fancy? Have you got any other suggestions for us? We love to hear what you think, give us the low-down in the comments below.

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/intro14.jpg" alt="uefa champions league" />For those of you who don’t follow href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/football/">football (the round ball, not the pig skin), the UEFA Champions League pits the crème-de-la-crème of European club football against each other for one of the most prestigious trophies in the world.

Football games generally require management, a fair understanding of the beautiful game or some impressive reaction times. Star Player is slightly different, and plays out in real time alongside the football match you’re watching at home, in the pub or round a friend’s house. Heineken calls it “dual screening” – sitting in front of the TV, watching the match and fiddling with your mobile. Now you can marry the two with Star Player, a free href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/facebook/">Facebook and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/ios/">iOS app that tests your knowledge and judgement, in real time.

Please note that landscape images depict the Facebook version and portrait images depict the iPhone version.

How It Works

The href="http://itunes.apple.com/app/heineken-star-player/id430931117?mt=8">Star Player app only allows you to play along when the football is on. Unfortunately this will not be for all major football matches, so forget playing along with the Premiership, Bundesliga and so on – this is top-notch European football only, and that’s because Heineken sponsors it.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/iphone_menu.jpg" alt="uefa champions league" width="358" height="518" />

10 minutes prior to the big match, players are able to join and wait in queue for kick off to begin. Once kick off begins, a timer appears on the screen (be it your PC via Facebook or your iOS device) which is synchronised with the time shown on your television. Whilst there can be slight inaccuracies in the time on your iOS device or laptop, you’re only at a disadvantage if your clock is behind; and it’s easy to re-sync.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/fb_kickoff.jpg" alt="uefa" width="580" height="290" />

Heineken Star Player is human controlled, and not an automated process. For each and every game there is an expert behind the scenes, controlling what appears on your screen.

During the match you will be presented with a number of Match Moments where input is required from yourself regarding a moment of play. For example, when the ball goes out for a corner you might be prompted to choose one of four options – Goal, Saved, Cleared and Missed. All you’ve got to do is second-guess the game, and if you’re right you get some points.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/iphone_matchmoment.jpg" alt="uefa" width="358" height="518" />

There’s also a 30 Second Goal button with 8 chances (plus one extra via a power up) per match. If you think someone’s about to score (either team) and you’ve hit your 30 second goal button, you’ll be glued to the TV willing your overpaid idols to score. The earlier you hit the button, the more points you get.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/fb_trivia.jpg" alt="uefa" width="580" height="290" />

You might also (during duller moments of the game) get a few href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/triviaonnet-online-mutli-player-trivia-games/">trivia questions pop-up. These are generally Heineken-tinged, but fun nonetheless – did you know it takes 78 regular-sized bottles of Heineken to fill the UEFA Champions League trophy? Nor did I, but it was a lucky guess.

Points, Power Ups & Badges

Your points are not only added to your Star Player profile, allowing you to keep track of your progress, but also help rank you amongst your friends. As well as a global leaderboard, fans are able to create their own 24-man leagues from within the app. These are free and unfortunately do not offer prizes; just a chance to brag. If your mates have already established a league, it’s easy to join too.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/iphone_duringplay.jpg" alt="heineken star player" width="361" height="516" />

In order to aid you on your trivia quest, 2 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-style “Power Ups” are provided to help you – a 50:50 (taking away two wrong answers) and Max Points (if you’re sure of your answer use it and you’ll score top marks). Your final power-up is an additional 30 Second Goal chance – use them wisely.

As you complete certain criteria, you will be awarded Badges (a bit like href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-free-downloadable-xbox-360-games-dlc-grab/">Xbox Live Achievements and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/foursquare/">Foursquare Badges). These are displayed on your profile, and whilst they don’t really serve any external purpose it’s fun to keep track of your performances.

Tactics or Guesswork?

The real question is whether the game relies on tactics or complete luck – and it probably depends how much you like football. If you eat, sleep and breathe the beautiful game then you’ll probably find Star Player tests both knowledge of football and your ability to read the game you’re watching.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/fb_palyingforgoal.jpg" alt="heineken star player" width="580" height="290" />

Waiting to find out exactly who will be taking the free kick, penalty or corner pays off (provided you’re familiar with the players). The 30 Second Goal button becomes hard to resist when you see a textbook cross, promising run or simply feel that goal is just round the corner.

Then again if you’re not a massive football fan, the game holds some promise there too. You don’t need any knowledge of the game to play along and the most you have to choose from in one action is four options – so you’ve got a 25% chance on every question.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/fb_penalty.jpg" alt="uefa champions league" width="580" height="290" />

The fact that Star Player is free is as good a reason as any to try out some pretty impressive, real time tech. There’s not an awful lot left of this year’s Champions League, but the Star Player app will continue next year giving you plenty of time to rack up the points.

Conclusion

Star Player makes for a great companion to a football match, without being too distracting. Well-timed Match Moments, fun trivia questions and a great competitive element should appeal to football fans and casual viewers alike.

One quick last tip – if you’re playing on an iPhone or similar, you’ll need a fair chunk of battery (50%) to make it through the full 90 minutes (maybe more if it goes to extra time and penalties).

Are you interested in real time football games? Will you try out Star Player? Who will win the 2011 UEFA Champions League? Let us know in the comments below.

 

href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/play-part-uefa-champions-league-heineken-star-player-ios-facebook/"> src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/play-part-uefa-champions-league-heineken-star-player-ios-facebook/"> href="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis/login?url=http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/play-part-uefa-champions-league-heineken-star-player-ios-facebook/"> src="http://www.makeuseof.com/images/rss-buttons/diggme.png"> href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/play-part-uefa-champions-league-heineken-star-player-ios-facebook/"> src="http://www.makeuseof.com/images/rss-buttons/fb.jpg"> href="http://www.google.com/reader/link?url=http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/play-part-uefa-champions-league-heineken-star-player-ios-facebook/&title=Play Your Part In The UEFA Champions League With Heineken Star Player [iOS & Facebook]&srcTitle=MakeUseOf.com"> src="http://www.makeuseof.com/images/rss-buttons/gbuzz-feed.png"> href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/play-part-uefa-champions-league-heineken-star-player-ios-facebook/"> src="http://www.makeuseof.com/images/rss-buttons/stumble.png">

 

More articles about: href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/facebook/" title="Facebook" rel="tag">Facebook, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/football/" title="football" rel="tag">football, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/ios/" title="iOS" rel="tag">iOS, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/online-games/" title="online games" rel="tag">online games, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/sports/" title="sports" rel="tag">sports />

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/intro14.jpg" alt="uefa champions league" />For those of you who don’t follow href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/football/">football (the round ball, not the pig skin), the UEFA Champions League pits the crème-de-la-crème of European club football against each other for one of the most prestigious trophies in the world.

Football games generally require management, a fair understanding of the beautiful game or some impressive reaction times. Star Player is slightly different, and plays out in real time alongside the football match you’re watching at home, in the pub or round a friend’s house. Heineken calls it “dual screening” – sitting in front of the TV, watching the match and fiddling with your mobile. Now you can marry the two with Star Player, a free href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/facebook/">Facebook and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/ios/">iOS app that tests your knowledge and judgement, in real time.

Please note that landscape images depict the Facebook version and portrait images depict the iPhone version.

How It Works

The href="http://itunes.apple.com/app/heineken-star-player/id430931117?mt=8">Star Player app only allows you to play along when the football is on. Unfortunately this will not be for all major football matches, so forget playing along with the Premiership, Bundesliga and so on – this is top-notch European football only, and that’s because Heineken sponsors it.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/iphone_menu.jpg" alt="uefa champions league" width="358" height="518" />

10 minutes prior to the big match, players are able to join and wait in queue for kick off to begin. Once kick off begins, a timer appears on the screen (be it your PC via Facebook or your iOS device) which is synchronised with the time shown on your television. Whilst there can be slight inaccuracies in the time on your iOS device or laptop, you’re only at a disadvantage if your clock is behind; and it’s easy to re-sync.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/fb_kickoff.jpg" alt="uefa" width="580" height="290" />

Heineken Star Player is human controlled, and not an automated process. For each and every game there is an expert behind the scenes, controlling what appears on your screen.

During the match you will be presented with a number of Match Moments where input is required from yourself regarding a moment of play. For example, when the ball goes out for a corner you might be prompted to choose one of four options – Goal, Saved, Cleared and Missed. All you’ve got to do is second-guess the game, and if you’re right you get some points.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/iphone_matchmoment.jpg" alt="uefa" width="358" height="518" />

There’s also a 30 Second Goal button with 8 chances (plus one extra via a power up) per match. If you think someone’s about to score (either team) and you’ve hit your 30 second goal button, you’ll be glued to the TV willing your overpaid idols to score. The earlier you hit the button, the more points you get.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/fb_trivia.jpg" alt="uefa" width="580" height="290" />

You might also (during duller moments of the game) get a few href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/triviaonnet-online-mutli-player-trivia-games/">trivia questions pop-up. These are generally Heineken-tinged, but fun nonetheless – did you know it takes 78 regular-sized bottles of Heineken to fill the UEFA Champions League trophy? Nor did I, but it was a lucky guess.

Points, Power Ups & Badges

Your points are not only added to your Star Player profile, allowing you to keep track of your progress, but also help rank you amongst your friends. As well as a global leaderboard, fans are able to create their own 24-man leagues from within the app. These are free and unfortunately do not offer prizes; just a chance to brag. If your mates have already established a league, it’s easy to join too.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/iphone_duringplay.jpg" alt="heineken star player" width="361" height="516" />

In order to aid you on your trivia quest, 2 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-style “Power Ups” are provided to help you – a 50:50 (taking away two wrong answers) and Max Points (if you’re sure of your answer use it and you’ll score top marks). Your final power-up is an additional 30 Second Goal chance – use them wisely.

As you complete certain criteria, you will be awarded Badges (a bit like href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-free-downloadable-xbox-360-games-dlc-grab/">Xbox Live Achievements and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/foursquare/">Foursquare Badges). These are displayed on your profile, and whilst they don’t really serve any external purpose it’s fun to keep track of your performances.

Tactics or Guesswork?

The real question is whether the game relies on tactics or complete luck – and it probably depends how much you like football. If you eat, sleep and breathe the beautiful game then you’ll probably find Star Player tests both knowledge of football and your ability to read the game you’re watching.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/fb_palyingforgoal.jpg" alt="heineken star player" width="580" height="290" />

Waiting to find out exactly who will be taking the free kick, penalty or corner pays off (provided you’re familiar with the players). The 30 Second Goal button becomes hard to resist when you see a textbook cross, promising run or simply feel that goal is just round the corner.

Then again if you’re not a massive football fan, the game holds some promise there too. You don’t need any knowledge of the game to play along and the most you have to choose from in one action is four options – so you’ve got a 25% chance on every question.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/fb_penalty.jpg" alt="uefa champions league" width="580" height="290" />

The fact that Star Player is free is as good a reason as any to try out some pretty impressive, real time tech. There’s not an awful lot left of this year’s Champions League, but the Star Player app will continue next year giving you plenty of time to rack up the points.

Conclusion

Star Player makes for a great companion to a football match, without being too distracting. Well-timed Match Moments, fun trivia questions and a great competitive element should appeal to football fans and casual viewers alike.

One quick last tip – if you’re playing on an iPhone or similar, you’ll need a fair chunk of battery (50%) to make it through the full 90 minutes (maybe more if it goes to extra time and penalties).

Are you interested in real time football games? Will you try out Star Player? Who will win the 2011 UEFA Champions League? Let us know in the comments below.

 

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More articles about: href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/facebook/" title="Facebook" rel="tag">Facebook, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/football/" title="football" rel="tag">football, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/ios/" title="iOS" rel="tag">iOS, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/online-games/" title="online games" rel="tag">online games, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/sports/" title="sports" rel="tag">sports />

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View full post on MakeUseOf

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/intro14.jpg" alt="uefa champions league" />For those of you who don’t follow href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/football/">football (the round ball, not the pig skin), the UEFA Champions League pits the crème-de-la-crème of European club football against each other for one of the most prestigious trophies in the world.

Football games generally require management, a fair understanding of the beautiful game or some impressive reaction times. Star Player is slightly different, and plays out in real time alongside the football match you’re watching at home, in the pub or round a friend’s house. Heineken calls it “dual screening” – sitting in front of the TV, watching the match and fiddling with your mobile. Now you can marry the two with Star Player, a free href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/facebook/">Facebook and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/ios/">iOS app that tests your knowledge and judgement, in real time.

Please note that landscape images depict the Facebook version and portrait images depict the iPhone version.

How It Works

The href="http://itunes.apple.com/app/heineken-star-player/id430931117?mt=8">Star Player app only allows you to play along when the football is on. Unfortunately this will not be for all major football matches, so forget playing along with the Premiership, Bundesliga and so on – this is top-notch European football only, and that’s because Heineken sponsors it.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/iphone_menu.jpg" alt="uefa champions league" width="358" height="518" />

10 minutes prior to the big match, players are able to join and wait in queue for kick off to begin. Once kick off begins, a timer appears on the screen (be it your PC via Facebook or your iOS device) which is synchronised with the time shown on your television. Whilst there can be slight inaccuracies in the time on your iOS device or laptop, you’re only at a disadvantage if your clock is behind; and it’s easy to re-sync.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/fb_kickoff.jpg" alt="uefa" width="580" height="290" />

Heineken Star Player is human controlled, and not an automated process. For each and every game there is an expert behind the scenes, controlling what appears on your screen.

During the match you will be presented with a number of Match Moments where input is required from yourself regarding a moment of play. For example, when the ball goes out for a corner you might be prompted to choose one of four options – Goal, Saved, Cleared and Missed. All you’ve got to do is second-guess the game, and if you’re right you get some points.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/iphone_matchmoment.jpg" alt="uefa" width="358" height="518" />

There’s also a 30 Second Goal button with 8 chances (plus one extra via a power up) per match. If you think someone’s about to score (either team) and you’ve hit your 30 second goal button, you’ll be glued to the TV willing your overpaid idols to score. The earlier you hit the button, the more points you get.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/fb_trivia.jpg" alt="uefa" width="580" height="290" />

You might also (during duller moments of the game) get a few href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/triviaonnet-online-mutli-player-trivia-games/">trivia questions pop-up. These are generally Heineken-tinged, but fun nonetheless – did you know it takes 78 regular-sized bottles of Heineken to fill the UEFA Champions League trophy? Nor did I, but it was a lucky guess.

Points, Power Ups & Badges

Your points are not only added to your Star Player profile, allowing you to keep track of your progress, but also help rank you amongst your friends. As well as a global leaderboard, fans are able to create their own 24-man leagues from within the app. These are free and unfortunately do not offer prizes; just a chance to brag. If your mates have already established a league, it’s easy to join too.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/iphone_duringplay.jpg" alt="heineken star player" width="361" height="516" />

In order to aid you on your trivia quest, 2 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-style “Power Ups” are provided to help you – a 50:50 (taking away two wrong answers) and Max Points (if you’re sure of your answer use it and you’ll score top marks). Your final power-up is an additional 30 Second Goal chance – use them wisely.

As you complete certain criteria, you will be awarded Badges (a bit like href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-free-downloadable-xbox-360-games-dlc-grab/">Xbox Live Achievements and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/foursquare/">Foursquare Badges). These are displayed on your profile, and whilst they don’t really serve any external purpose it’s fun to keep track of your performances.

Tactics or Guesswork?

The real question is whether the game relies on tactics or complete luck – and it probably depends how much you like football. If you eat, sleep and breathe the beautiful game then you’ll probably find Star Player tests both knowledge of football and your ability to read the game you’re watching.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/fb_palyingforgoal.jpg" alt="heineken star player" width="580" height="290" />

Waiting to find out exactly who will be taking the free kick, penalty or corner pays off (provided you’re familiar with the players). The 30 Second Goal button becomes hard to resist when you see a textbook cross, promising run or simply feel that goal is just round the corner.

Then again if you’re not a massive football fan, the game holds some promise there too. You don’t need any knowledge of the game to play along and the most you have to choose from in one action is four options – so you’ve got a 25% chance on every question.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/fb_penalty.jpg" alt="uefa champions league" width="580" height="290" />

The fact that Star Player is free is as good a reason as any to try out some pretty impressive, real time tech. There’s not an awful lot left of this year’s Champions League, but the Star Player app will continue next year giving you plenty of time to rack up the points.

Conclusion

Star Player makes for a great companion to a football match, without being too distracting. Well-timed Match Moments, fun trivia questions and a great competitive element should appeal to football fans and casual viewers alike.

One quick last tip – if you’re playing on an iPhone or similar, you’ll need a fair chunk of battery (50%) to make it through the full 90 minutes (maybe more if it goes to extra time and penalties).

Are you interested in real time football games? Will you try out Star Player? Who will win the 2011 UEFA Champions League? Let us know in the comments below.

 

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More articles about: href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/facebook/" title="Facebook" rel="tag">Facebook, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/football/" title="football" rel="tag">football, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/ios/" title="iOS" rel="tag">iOS, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/online-games/" title="online games" rel="tag">online games, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/sports/" title="sports" rel="tag">sports />

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/intro7.jpg" alt="html5 games"/> href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/tag/html5/">HTML5 signifies the href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-websites-html5/">evolution of markup language as we know it. Adding a range of new tags, multimedia capabilities and removing the need for many proprietary plugins, it is easy to understand how HTML5 is seen as a big step forward in href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/web-development/">web development.

Flash games were once the norm when it came to browser-based entertainment, but now thanks to the powerful nature of HTML5 many web applications, streaming services and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/service/games/">games are taking advantage of the new bells and whistles.

You’ll need a HTML5 compliant browser to join in, all of these HTML5 games have been tested with the latest stable href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/google-chrome/">Google Chrome on Ubuntu 10.10. Other HTML5 compliant browsers include Safari, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/firefox-4-internet-explorer-9-browser-showdown/">Firefox href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/firefox-4-internet-explorer-9-browser-showdown/">and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/firefox-4-internet-explorer-9-browser-showdown/"> I href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/firefox-4-internet-explorer-9-browser-showdown/">nternet href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/firefox-4-internet-explorer-9-browser-showdown/">E href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/firefox-4-internet-explorer-9-browser-showdown/">xplorer href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/firefox-4-internet-explorer-9-browser-showdown/">9.

href="http://canvasrider.com/">Canvas Rider

Blatantly inspired by the classic Line Rider, Canvas Rider allows users to create, share and ride user-generated tracks. If you’ve ever played a physics-based bike game (think Trials, or the more recent Trials HD) then the concept will be very familiar.

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/canvasrider.png" alt="html5 games" width="580" height="473" />

As a biker you must reach the end of the level, which is considerably easier said than done. Careful use of throttle and lean controls will help maintain your rider’s position on the bike, and when you’re sick of being thrown off all the time you can have a go at creating your own level.

There are hundreds of other users’ creations which can be easily filtered by popularity to reveal some beautifully-crafted levels. Chrome users can install href="https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/ebopbobaiphmoclojaeoenommfefljll?hl=en-gb">an extension for quick access to Canvas Rider.

href="http://www.mattpelham.com/vii/">VII

VII transforms your whole browser window into a monochrome platform world, with smooth animations, physics and responsive controls. Using both the mouse and keyboard you must navigate, manipulate and clear each screen before progressing. /> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/vii.jpg" alt="free html5 games" width="580" height="301" />

Your telekinesis can be used to move or surf objects and solve thought-provoking puzzles and predicaments. The quirky art style and character (who vaguely resembles Roger from American Dad) plods along at a sombre pace, allowing you to take in all the HTML5 goodness along the way.

Technically brilliant, graphically pleasing and completely free; VII is a great little introduction to the world of browser-borne platform games.

href="http://upsidedownturtle.com/boredboredbored/">BoredBoredBored

Whilst VII takes on a more relaxed pace, BoredBoredBored employs a different approach – frantic, death-defying href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/play-arcade-games-pc/">arcade action. Using the arrow keys and your space bar, you (quite literally a dot) must avoid incoming enemy fire whilst propelling yourself into waves of oncoming enemies.

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/boredboredbored.png" alt="free html5 games" width="580" height="303" />

Your only method of attack is accessed via the space bar, the longer you charge your shot; the greater your area of effect.

At the end of the game you will be given a breakdown of how terrible you are, that is unless you make it to the final wave. BoredBoredBored is a fine example of how HTML5 can be used to create an incredibly fast-paced arcade game that can run natively in a browser window.

href="http://gopherwoodstudios.com/sandtrap/sand-trap.htm">Sand Trap

Instead of taking advantage of one of the many physics engines for the Flash or Java platform, Sand Trap uses its own built-from-scratch HTML5 effort in this addictive puzzler. Each level contains a maze, and within that maze is a small amount of sand. By rotating the maze, it is your task to syphon the sand into the bucket.

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/sandtrap.jpg" alt="free html5 games" width="580" height="646" />

Playing on its simple nature, Sand Trap soon becomes complex and very addictive; especially if you have a soft spot for physics games. This game would probably be even better with a touch interface, if you’re lucky enough to have a tablet PC or similar.

href="http://www.freeciv.net/">FreeCiv

Civilization in your browser – need I say more? For those of you who do remember the original Civ, FreeCiv is a faithful representation of the Sid Meyer classic that stole so much sleep from those who played it.

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/freeciv.jpg" alt="html5 gaming" width="580" height="393" />

Those that don’t are in for a treat! Don’t let the flat, dated graphics distract you, in Civ the whole world is your oyster. You must explore, settle, trade, mine and generally build a turn-based empire from the comfort of your browser. There’s a tutorial to get you up to speed, and scenarios to play through if you wish.

The option to play against AI or href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-five-free-online-shooter-games/">other human players is yours, and you can fully customize your games beforehand. Bye-bye spare time!

The Rest

There were a few games that didn’t quite make the main list but distracted me long enough to warrant a mention, and these were:

href="http://www.benjoffe.com/code/games/torus/">Torus

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Selection_282.png" alt="html5 gaming" width="539" height="422" /> /> A nifty take on Tetris, replacing the usual 2D interface with a fully 3D hollow sphere.

href="http://www.pirateslovedaisies.com/">Pirates Love Daisies

A delightful HTML5 tower defence game that gives some of the premium efforts out there a run for their money.

href="http://www.somethinghitme.com/projects/jslander/">JSLander

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/jslander.png" alt="html5 games" width="580" height="277" />

A faithful Lunar Lander clone coded in HTML5 and JavaScript.

Hint: you’ll need a Y velocity below 6 not to crash and below 3 for the perfect landing.

href="http://www.worldsbiggestpacman.com/">World’s Biggest Pac-Man

An awesome selection of custom Pac-Man levels, all linked together. Bored of your current maze? Exit and seamlessly join the next!

Conclusion

If you’ve not upgraded to a HTML5 compliant browser yet, you’re probably missing out on the web’s hottest new tricks. As a Linux user, constant Adobe Flash crashes, glitches and sluggish behaviour is to be expected on my system. Not once whilst testing any of the games in this article did my PC flinch.

There are some things online that only Flash can do… for everything else there’s HTML5.

Any HTML5 games that tickle your fancy? Which browser do you use? Have your say in the comments below.

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/introwr.jpg" alt="home console emulators" />It’s time for the concluding part of my home console emulation series, and today I’m on the hunt for some tools to emulate some fairly recent machines. If you’ve missed the series so far you might want to check out href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-nostalgic-emulators-vintage-video-gaming-enthusiasts-19721980/">home consoles of the 70s, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-retro-emulators-play-early-80s-home-consoles-pc-19811986/">early 80s and the transition from href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-emulators-play-oldschool-16-32-bit-consoles-pc-19871993/">16 bit to 32 bit in the early 90s. Just don’t go downloading any games (ROMs) you don’t legally own, OK?

As the systems get more advanced, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/emulation">emulation becomes more demanding and you may need a fairly recent PC, preferably a dual-core processor and a dedicated graphics card to get the most out of these.

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1994 – Sega Saturn [ href="http://yabause.org/">Yabause]