Archive for November, 2005

Direct Link : Ultimate Football
Publisher : Smart Mobile Games

Price : $14.95

Graphics : 7 Out of 10
Sound : 8 Out of 10
Gameplay : 8 Out of 10
Longevity : 9 Out of 10
Overall : 8 Out of 10

Wow, two soccer games in quick succession, but they couldn’t be more radically different.

Ultimate Football takes the more traditional soccer route. Now I’ve said before that the Pocket PC isn’t the most ideal device for playing action games, but this more like an action game with a more thought based twist. Yes you play your team against the opponent and have to slot as many goals past his goalie, whilst keeping the ball out of your goal, but through the clever use of the stylus, the pace of the game is different, which means it’s a really great way to play.

From the kick off, your player nearest the centre has a big red arrow mark, indicating he is the player you are controlling and the direction you need to go for the opponents goal. You then tap on the screen where you want your player to go. If you have the ball and you click on another one of your players, the ball will be passed to him, but it will not neccessarily fall directly at his feet, you will then need to ensure he intercepts the pass, sometimes having to beat the opponent to the ball.

Whilst the graphics are nothing to write home about, they are very functional and the sound helps to add to the whole atmosphere. You also have the option of how you wish to view the play. You can either view from a side on birdseye view or a more conventional player view. I prefer the later as it gives you the chance to see the players goal before you when you shoot and hopefully score.

When you wish to play a game you can either choose:

• Tutorial : Get a brief tutorial on various aspects of the game
• Single match : Choose from Novice, Amateur, Semi-Pro, Pro and Champion skill levels, and select between 3 and 10 minutes per half. To further add to the configuration options, you can also select from 4 different formations and 3 different levels of aggression.
• League: where you have to play between 1 - 6 divisions with between 5 and 20 teams in each division. You also get to choose whether you wish to play in the English league or the Italian league.
• Demo : View the Pocket PC playing a game with itself.

Conclusion : Please do not be put off with the basic graphics of this game. The gameplay options are extensive and the actual gameplay is great. This is an excellent for sports afficianado. Now if this had a VGA options, I would be drooling at the mouth.

Direct Link : Word Challenge
Publisher : eSoft Interactive

Price : $9.95

Graphics : 8 Out of 10
Sound : 8 Out of 10
Gameplay : 7 Out of 10
Longevity : 7 Out of 10
Overall : 7.5 Out of 10

No Pocket PC is complete without a game to test the old gray matters ability to mess with letters and words. With Word Challenge you get not one game, but four:

• Word Jumble : Find as many words as you can from the 7 letters given. Complete each level by scoring 30 points or guessing the 7 letter word.
• Hunt-A-Word : Find all the words listed at the bottom of the screen within the 14×14 grid of letters. This is just the same as the word searches printed in newspapers and magazines.
• Hungman : This is an adaptation of the classic hangman word game. Guess the seven letter word by finding all the letters within the word. Be careful, for each wrong letter guessed, brings your man closer to the hangmans drop.
• Word Whiz : Create as many words as you can, by linking letters within a 5×5 grid of letters. Move to the next level by scoring 50 points.

Whilst none of these games is remarkable in itself, together as a collection they provide many hours of entertainment and will also boost your Scrabble playing abilities. As with all eSoft games, the presentation is top notch.

Registered users get to download an additional 50,000 word English or French dictionary to futher extend the games longevity.

Conclusion : This is a top notch version of 4 classic word games. At just under 10 dollars it won’t burn a hole in your pocket and may aid in your ability to beat that Scrabble bore we all know

Direct Link : FeeJo
Publisher : FeeJo

Price : FREE

Graphics : 7 Out of 10
Sound : 5 Out of 10
Gameplay : 7 Out of 10
Longevity : 7 Out of 10
Overall : 6.5 Out of 10

This is one of those bizarre little games, that if you are not careful, will drive you nuts. The saving grace is that even if it does drive you nuts, at least you won’t have paid for it. Yes people this game is absolutely free.

For anyone that remembers the Merlin electronic game from the late 70s, this is based on one of the games that came on the electronic marvel. You click on one of the lights on a 10×10 grid. Each light you click on affects the lights it is next to, either turning them on or off. You start with varying configurations of lights and progress to the next level when all the lights are turned off. This really does sound easy, especially when you say it quickly, but it soon gets very tricky.

The scores given, really do not reflect the overall quality of this game. The graphics are basic as is the sound, but when you consider this game is free, it really does give you a lot of bang for your non existent buck.

Conclusion : I really do enjoy digging this game out every now and then. Yes it drives me crackers, but I still keep coming back for me. FreeJo also have some other games on their site at very reasonable prices, so be sure to check them out.

Direct Link : Master Kick
Publisher : INDUSTRY Entertainment

Price : $14.95

Genre : Sport/Action

Graphics : 7 Out of 10
Sound : 8 Out of 10
Gameplay : 8 Out of 10
Longevity : 5 Out of 10
Overall : 7 Out of 10

I must admit I have never considered the possibility, that there could be a Pocket PC version of table football/fooseball, but in the matter of a few weeks, this is the second game I’ve seen. I approached this game with a sense of skepticism, but I have to say after playing for a while, it really is rather good.

The gameplay is just what you’d expect. The control mechanism is well thought out, but I have some reservations about constantly pumping the hardware buttons. That aside though, the gameplay is pretty fluid and is exactly how you’d imagine it to play. You move your men up and down using either the d-pad, or slide the stylus (or your finger) up and down on the screen. You spin the men by clicking on either the Select, Contact or Home button. Depending on how long you hold the button, determines how strongly you spin your men.

There are two different gameplay options, either single game, where once you’ve selected who you want to play as, you then select one of the remaining 5 opponents. The other mode is League, where you play all the other teams, hoping to finish at the top of the league. My only concern is that while this provides an excellent way to while away a few minutes, the league mode doesn’t really offer much depth, as you only play each team once. It would have been great, if the other mode was some kind of knock out competition, where you first have to qualify and then scrape through each round to reach the final. Failing that, if you at least had to play each team twice that would be better.

There are also two different modes of play. You can either play a timed game where the winner is the one with the most goals after 3 minutes, or play until one of the players reaches 5 goals.

Conclusion : Whilst this is an excellent implementation of the game on the Pocket PC, the long term playability is a factor. If you love to switch on and have a quick game with some frantic action this is a must buy. If however you like a game with a little more depth, then you may want to try this out first.

Direct Link : My Little Tank
Publisher : Astraware

Price : $19.95

Graphics : 7 out of 10
Sound : 8 out of 10
Gameplay : 8 Out of 10
Longevity : 7 Out of 10
Overall : 7.5 Out of 10

ATTENTION!!! ARE YOU READY TO DRIVE SOLDIER? GO!!! Wow every boys fantasy come true. OK, that’s not quite accurate, but I must say I’ve always fancied myself as a tank driver and now I’ve got my chance. Thinking back though, I did drive a tank a bit in the 70s with Atari’s Tank Battle. Oh yeah and I also drove a tank in the 80s in Atari’s Battlezone. The 90s were a lean period for tanks, but now we’re in the Noughties, Astraware have me back behind the wheel (or is it sticks) with My Little Tank.

First off, let me say congratulations to Astraware. Not only do they support the standard 240×320 display and the VGA 480×640 display, they also support the new 240×240 display, all within the same installed program. This is excellent news as I sometimes like to revert back to 240×320 for gameplay reasons. Let’s hope more developers do the same.

So what’s the game all about then. The basic premise of the game is to drive your tank around and blow up things. I said basic premise as there’s a lot more to the gameplay than that. As the levels (and there’s 60 of them) progress, the enemies get more and more aggressive and require more than 1 shot to destroy. The game also covers numerous terrains that scroll as you move and you encounter 5 different types of enemy tank.

As the game unfolds you also come across different power ups, that give your tank additional powers, for a limited time:

• Smart Bombs - Destroy all enemies within a given range.
• Life Bonuses - Regenerate your tank
• Speed ups - Give your tanks some additional speed.
• Invincibility - Makes your tank invincible
• Weapons Upgrades - Gives your tanks some additional weapons
• Freeze Bonuses - Freezes all opponents

Pocket PC’s weren’t really designed to play action games, but with some careful thought when designing games, many of the limitations can be overcome. With My Little Tank, you can either use the conventional control, i.e. the D-pad and the hardware buttons or you can use the stylus on the screen to tell your tank where you want it to go and then use the hardware buttons for firing. On the Dell X50v i much prefer the stylus approach, but some other Pocket PCs have the controls perfectly arranged for this kind of game.

Conclusion : This is a little gem of a game. The presentation is very well done and the gameplay is spot on. This game should provide quite the long term challenge. I would have liked an additional hard level, just to give the seasoned gamer an additional challenge, once the game has been completed.

Direct Link : Cactus Factory
Publisher : Cactus Factory

Price : $12.95

Rating : 7 out of 10

First let me get this over with once and for all. I HATE this game. It’s basic, simple gameplay is one of the main reasons. The other reason is it’s so bloody addictive. This game is the classic example of the ‘just one more go’ factor. Yes, an over used cliche and one I have used before, but let me tell you, it’s so bleedin’ true.

So what’s this game all about… mmm, let say matching numbers. In fact it’s slightly more than that, but not much. You basically have a grid of numbers and you have to remove the pairs, or a slight variation of this. The game has 5 different skill levels, with three different game types:

Blitz
Remove all pairs of numbers from the playing field as quickly as possible. You can gain additional points by removing pairs quickly and can also get additional points by removing two or more pairs of numbers within a certain amount of time. You gain the biggest bonus, by removing all numbers.

Timed
Remove pairs of numbers in any order. The difference is that pairs will appear to fill the blanks created. Similar bonuses to the Blizt mode apply.

Special
This is perhaps the simplest mode of all. Remove all the numbers from the field in ascending order, beginning with 0. Bonuses are awarded depending on how quickly you remove two consecutive numbers. Further bonuses are awarded for eliminating 3 or more numbers within a certain time.

Even though it’s a simple game, the presentation is very good. The graphics are crisp and clear and the sound is very atmospheric. I think the only real niggle I have, is that the price is a touch on the expensive side. Yes I know it’s one of my biggest grumbles, but when you compare it to some of the game with extensive gameplay that weigh in at a touch under $15, you see what I mean.

Conclusion : Yes it’s simple game and a touch on the expensive side, but in saying that, it’s not exactly going to break the bank and it’s still a fun game and one that will keep players old and young occupied for a while.

Direct Link : Girders
Publisher : Smart Mobile Games

Price : $14.95

Rating : 9 out of 10

If you want a game that sounds as interesting as watching paint dry, then Girders is your game. However all is not as it seems. Yes building bridges and towers, doesn’t sound too enticing at first, but from the opening level it just sucks you in.

Now I’m no architect, but I know that one of the strongest shapes is a triangle, especially in building, so off I go throwing in as many triangles into my bridge, as I can, but that only gets you so far.

The first level gives you 7 girders to span 30 metres. Pretty easy stuff, and quite possible with 2 girders. However each completed level gives you a breakdown of how well your bridge performs, maximum stress; minimum stress; average stress and fatalities. You can go back to all levels later to increase the performance of your bridge and improve your bridges score.

As the difficulty level progresses, the length of the required bridge increases (as does the amount of girders offered) and the terrain on which you get to build your bridge gets rougher. Should your bridge succumb to your inadequacies then you get to watch your poor passengers become shark food in the river below.

In addition to building bridges, there is also another mode of play where you get to build towers of predefined height. This provides similar gameplay, but with a number of different hazards including wind and earthquakes (in later levels). Now let me tell you building towers is a lot more difficult than building bridges.

As your bridges and towers are tested, you can see the weak areas as these flash red, to let your know the areas that need attention. You can keep tweaking your bridge or tower as much as you like, but you can only proceed to the next once the level has been completed.

Conclusion : Yes this isn’t your normal run of the mill game, but wow, what a doozie. The graphics are adequate for the purpose, the physics engine spot on. As well as 20 levels of bridge building, there are 10 levels of tower building, so there’s a ton of variety . This is one of those games, that you must try, especially if you like a game that challenges your mind. Isambard Kingdom Brunel eat your heart out.

Direct Link : Aeon of Discovery
Publisher : Trisystech

Price : $9.95

Genre : Strategy/Simulation

Rating : 9 out of 10

The Pocket PC is the prefect system to handle turn based games. Aeon of Discovery is a near perfect turn based game, with the emphasis on simplicity. You choose one of four maritime powers, either England, France, Spain or Portugal and colonize the 31 territories of the new world during the 15th century. You have many obstacles in your way including 31 different native tribes, pirates, plagues and enemy raids.

While you are building up your colony, the computer controlled opponents are doing the same. You each get along in your own way, until sooner or later your paths cross and then you either form an alliance or go to war.

The idea of the game is to become the supreme ruler wiping out all other civilizations. This is easier said than done, but then you do want to be challenged, don’t you?

The first thing you need to decide on is whether you want to colonize or trade with an area that’s indicated with a country scene icon, or send some of your men and an explorer into the unknown areas. The benefits of exploring are potentially large, but then so are the dangers. Once an area is colonized, you can then decide whether you want to:

• Hospital : To treat your territory if an outbreak of the plague occurs (You only get this option if your territory is developed enough)
• Develop : Upgrade your infrastructure, which costs a set amount of money for each development point.
• Coerce : Force the natives of your colony to do your bidding. Basically this forces the natives to be your slaves, creating an income
• Gift : Gice the natives a gift to appease them
• Garrison : Fortify your land against attack
• Attack : Attack the natives of your colony
• Delegate : Hand over 75% of the territories revenue in exchange for the mayor running things for you.

During your turn you can also hire colonists, soldiers, slaves and ships, but this comes at a cost. Each colony has the means to provide money and food to sustain you.

You can also choose to enter your opponents territories and either:

• Raid : Send in explorers and soldiers to attack. If successful, this can lead to plundered loot and the control of the territory.
• Diplomat : Send in a diplomat to negotiate terms of friendliness
• Tribute : Send a monetary gift to appease your opponent

Although the gameplay is relatively simple, when compared to games like the PCs Civilization, there’s still enough to do, to keep you occupied. I started an easy game, to find my feet about 6 days ago and I’m still playing. Mind you most of the screen now shows it’s controlled by me, so I have global domination to look forward to soon. It’s early days yet to determine how effective my gameplay is, but it seems to be working. I usually take control of a territory and then heavily develop and fortify and build a hospital as soon as I can. Once I’ve done that, I wipe out all of the natives and then move onto the next territory.

As of yet, I haven’t concentrated on my fleet of ships, but it seems that I can pretty much let them run themselves on the easy level.

Finally let us not forget the taxman. Every 10 years, the King asks for his pound of flesh (levied ta) and it usually entails you having to dip into your own fortunes if you don’t have enough in the treasury, which you acquire by raiding and coercing the natives. Your personal fortunes are not taxable, but you need to do your bit to send money back to the homeland. In return the King gives you ships, solders, colonists and slaves.

Conclusion : This game is an excellent example of value for money. Not only do you get excellent game play, but you also get real depth. The graphics are a bit on the basic side, but the music is very atmospheric. My only warning is that you can get engrossed pretty quickly and it’s sometimes hard to put the Pocket PC down, but that’s a complaint I can live with