Archive for December, 2005

From Friday 30th December for 14 days Astraware will be offering a different product each day with at least 50% off! Whether you’re a fan of action games, puzzles or word games there will be something for everyone. Be sure to check out the Astraware site at http://www.astraware.com every day at 8.00am GMT to see what the new discount title is!

Club Astraware members can still earn points - even on the Hogmanay games - which count towards discounts on future purchases. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up now? It’s free to join and only takes a couple of minutes - and you could earn 2500 points just for joining! Simply visit http://www.astraware.com/club to find out more!

Direct Link : Super Miners
Publisher : Infinite Dreams

Price : $9.98

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

Ah my childhood days are once again rekindled. Super Miners has the same basic premise as that age old game Boulderdash. The idea of the game is to travel around each of the 100 scrolling screens, collection all of the gems there are dispersed liberally. Where Super Miner differs is that a well as having all of the modern features of a modern day incarnation, it also features a whole range of power ups, befitting a super hero/heroin. Yes you play through the many levels as either Rusty(female) or Drill(male). Whilst the different characters have no gameplay differences, it’s nice to see girls being given the opportunity to play as girls.

One feature I really love is the in game tutorial. Yes there is a 17 page user guide available on the website, but there’s nothing like learning how to play a game, whilst actually playing the game. So you begin the game by going through the tutorial levels. This gives a nice slow introduction to the mechanics of the game, but don’t be fooled, it still requires some thinking and manual dexterity to proceed to the next level.

Each level comprises of a virtual screen that is larger than the physical screen. This screen scrolls around as you move to reveal the previously hidden elements of the level. Jewels are distributed around the screen for you to collect. Once you have collected the pre-requisite amount, a green swirling mist appears, move over this and you have completed the level. Collecting jewels isn’t child’s play. They along with rocks and boulders can fall on you, ending that attempt at the level. The further you get into the game, the harder the levels become. As with Boulderdash you can push single rocks out of your way, but unlike Boulderdash, you can also be bestowed with many other powers, once you collect the power-ups dotted around the levels. These power-ups include fireballs, magic ball, teleports, ghosts portals and many others. To further spice things up a big, the levels are also timed. Run out of time and you are out of luck.

Conclusion : This is an absolute gem(oops no pun intended) of a game. The graphics whilst small, are very well done and the sound enhances the game nicely. With over 100 levels of gameplay, it’s going to take a while to complete this game, especially with the additional multiplayer options.

Direct Link : Billiard Master 2
Publisher : Mobirate

Price : $14.95

Graphics : 7 Out of 10
Sound : 6 Out of 10
Gameplay : 7 Out of 10
Longevity : 6 Out of 10
Overall : 6.5 Out of 10

I love a good pool game. It’s great to be able to fire up Billiard Master 2 and reel off a couple of frames. The only thing missing is a few beers and the dim lighting. Whilst Billiard Master is a great implementation of Pool, it does lack in a couple of areas.

With all pool games I’ve played before, it’s always been possible to rotate the screen, which is great when you are playing down the table from top to bottom. This feature is sadly missing. Also I do have a concern with the longevity, as I found it pretty easy to beat the computer on all three levels of 8 ball, however I have always been relatively good at these kind of games. I’m used to UK rules, so 9 ball isn’t my forte, but it may provide an extra level of difficulty. This could have been a truly excellent version with some kind of league against varying levels of computer players.

However all is not doom and gloom. One feature that I have not seen on any other pool implementation is player versus player, via Bluetooth. This opens up a whole new area of play. I didn’t a get chance to test the Bluetooth play, but if the play is as smooth as regular play, I forsee no problems.

Conclusion : This is a nice polished version of pool, but with the lack of a table rotation feature and long term challenge, it does look a little pricey.

Direct Link : Enigmo
Publisher : Aspyr

Price : $14.99

Special Requirements : Dell X50V/X51V Only

Graphics : 9 Out of 10
Sound : 8 Out of 10
Gameplay : 8 Out of 10
Longevity : 9 Out of 10
Overall : 8.5 Out of 10

It seems good game ideas never die, they just lie forgotten until some bright spark, realizes what a good idea they were and resurrects them. Enigmo is a case in point. For anyone that remembers the excellent series of games in the 90s called Contraption, Enigmo will certainly be no stranger. In fact this is the second game of it’s ilk reviewed on “Games for PPC” so far, the other being Obulis, but this time the objective centers around fluids and not balls.

Let me get this caveat out of the way before going any further. This game is only available for the Dell Axim X50V and I assume X51V, this is due to the game requiring the extra graphics power that the Axim offers. Yes folks, not only is this a visually stunning game, but it’s in 3D, taking advantage of the Intel 2700G multimedia accelerator.

So what does Enigmo have in store. The basic premise of the game is to use various kinds of bumpers and slides to direct the different fluids (oil, water and lava) into their respective containers. With over 50 levels to complete and a whole host of additional levels to download from the website, this is a game that’s going to keep you occupied for a long, long time.

Nearly everything in this game has been well thought out, from the graphics and sound, to the gameplay and gaming levels. I’ve been playing this game on and off for a couple of weeks and I’m still only on level 10. I do however wish this game had some tutorial levels and indeed any kind of in game instructions. This almost led me to giving up on the game, but with a little perseverance, I slowly managed to work out what I need to do. If I had to think of any criticism, it’s that the positioning of the bumpers and slides can be a little fiddly. I also had a problem, in that a couple of times, a bumper or slide would disappear from the selection area on the left of the screen and place itself somewhere on the screen, my problem was then finding it.

For a game requiring the extra power of the Dell Axim X50V, it runs remarkably smoothly. The game launches very quickly and the gameplay itself is very smooth.

Conclusion : This is an excellent game for all puzzle lovers. I have to say, this is one of the most visually stimulating games I’ve seen in a long time . It’s a well rounded game, with lots of longevity.