Not much of a successful mission

Think arcade game? Think Space Invaders. And now, Space Invaders Pinball has come to yoru mobile. Taito the developer has been true to the original game. The visuals are very similar. From a first glance, you get a game that is fairly good.

Sadly, pinball is a different game to transfer from arcade to video screen to phone. The physics of a ball pinging around a table is hard to transfer to the screen .Space Invaders Pinball has the tendency to feel as if you have not control, like a game of chance, more than strategy.

There are two boards in this game. The Space Invaders theme works with the use of a cannon instead of plunger and the UFO as the target for the ball. You can make your board easier for the ball by gaining barriers that would prevent it from going down the shafts. If you hit one of the three yellow arrows at the top of the screen, you'll gain more power.

The second screen involves a giant alien and you're abliil9ty to flip the ball into the weaker spot to beat it.

There's lots of colour in this mobile game which make sit nice to look at and the sound in decent enough.

LAST WORD

Bringing Space Invaders to the mobile phone world was a good idea. Pairing it with pinball might not have been .The ball has too much a mind of its own that you'll find it's not long before you're throwing in the towel – or throwing your phone away.

Permalink: May 5, 2008

Call of Duty 4 hits the target, if not the bulls eye

With the Call of Duty 4 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or PC out, it might be easy to miss the benefits of this mobile game. Handled by Glu Mobile, Call of Duty 4 for the mobile is a game hard core gamers will want to take a look at.

The mobile game stays true to the console version. You're fighting against terror, as a member of both the British SAS and US Marine Corps. Terrorists from the Middle East and Russian Ultranationalist are out to destroy the world with weapons of mass destruction. The story plays out on your phone, in conversation and although not that riveting, you get the picture.

For the most part, you're the leader of soldiers and must take them through various dangerous situations. You have weapons and strengths like bravery to play against the terrorist, ultimately in an attempt to save the world.

Similar to the console game, you can restore your health by stopping and resting. There are a lot of opportunities for this, which helps keep you engaged in the game. This, however, can be a bit of a downfall as you may end up dying before you finish the mission – all the start-stopping getting in the way.

The men you're fighting with have not been programmed to be the smartest soldiers. While you dive out of the way, they're frequently running towards the line of fire, just shooting and eventually, dying. Other soldiers seem to appear so it feels a bit callous but you're not too concerned when they go. The most difficult challenges, however are when you have to keep your men alive – they just don't seem to get it and end up risking their personal safety.

Call of Duty four does hit on the mark in other ways, though. There are lots of different missions such as escort tanks and specific target attacks which keeps the variety in the game. Plus, they're quick and fast paced so you get a good range of playing types in one move.

You'll get good use out of your weapons – one of the advantages to Call of Duty 4 has over other mobile action games. Your sniper rifles is used to hit targets and obstacles.

The bazooka is fun to use. Melee attack helps you set your energy at close range.

There's no searching for ammunition either. It's a simple reload and not a hunt game for more bullets.

The number pad is easier to navigate the game than the directional pad, although you can use it. The colours are dingy and dark but his game needs that. Explosions and moving shadows add a realistic element to it. And the sound? Well, it's like you're already there.

LAST WORD

Glu Mobile has done well with Call of Duty 4. it's not the best mobile action game – the pacing can be a bit off – but the extensive use of weaponry outweighs any other negatives in this mobile game.

Permalink: April 28, 2008

Calling all Mobile Golf Professionals

Gameloft continues to compete with Electronic Arts (EA) in the mobile game golf arena with the latest Pro Golf 2007 Vijay Singh. Singh is the golfer name for this game and does well to go up against the golf God Tiger Woods. While EA's golf game got rid of swing meters, you'll feel right at home with Gameloft's Pro Golf 2007, which has everything you'd expect from a golf game just produced a bit better than before.

You won't see too much of a change from the older version but then, it's nice to feel in a comfort zone. Thinking and playing in 3D is the newest part of this edition, known as a "hillside management system".

It's not simply the putting that has the different ground heights – it's also the fairway that's a bit of a bumpy road. Your ball might not end up in forward motion, for example, if you don't hit the ball with the power it needs. Drop it in the wrong place and you'll likely be sliding backwards.

The visuals are very details. Your fairway obstacles are easy enough to see and allows for great precision when taking your shot. You feel like you're on a golf course, with all the difficulties that come along with that. If you're a beginner, you could get off to a good start but finishing a tournament with a good score may be tough. Don't worry thought, you always have Singh for advice.

You can build your skills and even accumulate points to buy better equipment. If you work hard at it, you could find yourself improving quite quickly, just like regular golf.

Pro Golf 2007 is certainly a professional's game. You have to work very hard for all the successes you'll get in the game. If you're looking for some light mobile game entertainment, this game might not be for you. If you're a hard core mobile golf game fan, you'll find this up to your level. Plus, in-game lessons from Singh can make any player just that much better and motivated to stick with it.

Visually, Pro Golf 2007 is a hit. The greens are easy on the eyes. Once screen information is easy to read. The sound is exciting too, making you feel as though you were right there, amongst crowds along the fairway.

LAST WORD

Pro Golf 2007 is for those who are serious about mobile golf games. The courses are well designed but difficult and the game gets really difficult, really fast. If you want a nice easy mobile game, Pro Golf 2007 is not for you. Want to get down to business? Game on with Vijay Singh.

Permalink: April 22, 2008

Kratos, the God of War, has decided to go forth and conquer....again

It's not on a PlayStation this time. He's downsized a little bit and brought his brand of destruction to mobile phones. Anyone in doubt of mobiles being a respected medium for games will have to think again, now that Kratos has jumped on board.

God of War: Betrayal acts as the missing link between the two stories in the other God of War games. This game tells the story of this rise before being crushed at the beginning of God of War II.

This is the first phone game for Kratos. It's built in 2D. Although the graphics can make it seem simplistic, it holds true to the God of War series name.

It's action packed game, which can take a toll on your keypads but stays in line with Kratos' savage fighting. The chain swords - Kratos token weapon - slice and dice all over the screen. There are a few combo options although you do have more of those in God of War II. He's not short on weapons - Army of Hades & Medusa's Head to name a few. The weapons can be used in a variety of ways, as can the magic attacks included God of War: Betrayal.

There are complex attacks you can administer however it is ill advised as it can involve lots of button pushing and are a bit tricky.

If you're familiar with the PS2 games, you'll recognize the red orbs which power up your weapons and magical skills. The upgrades are intense, allowing you to plow through the game a lot quicker. Different colored orbs - red, blue and green - are also available to be picked up. Blue for magic, green for health - you'll be able to find these in chests. These chests can be easy to find or are tucked away to make it a bit more difficult.

The phone game continues to speak to the gamer the same way the God of War games do. All of the features have carried over - enemy hordes, use of specific weapons etc.

Design of the levels is very slick. Sometimes you'll be mixing puzzle work with full on attacks. You'll find vertical and horizontal levels spread throughout, expanding the visuals of the game. Dark and mysterious; that's the color scheme and it couldn't me better for God of War.

If you're a big fan of the graphic and sounds in the God of War series, this phone game will not let you down. Kratos is beautifully designed. The slicing and dicing sounds are vivid. There is blood and gore everywhere.

LAST WORD

The God of War games are bloody, messy and very aggressive. If you're worried the phone version was going to be toned down, think again. The mobile version holds true to the God of War games of the past. If you're a fan, you'll love it. If you're not, you soon will be.

Permalink: April 11, 2008

THE Phone Game for Poker

Thought poker had lost it's appeal? Think again. And now you can go mobile - options from Series of Poker to Downtown Texas Hold-Em show that phone game poker players have some choices. However, Hand On Mobile's latest update is giving users what they needs, partly due to their capability to allow wireless players and PC players to play together.

World Poker Tour: Texas Hold'Em 2 is a good upgrade - sticks with the good in the old version but has all the added features users will love. Most significant is that you can download the game to you mobile and also use that same username and password to sign online at WPTmobile.net. You can play with mobile and PC users directly from your PC. Users are enjoying this the most, according to leaderboards so far.

You'll love the easy experience, whether you're mobile or using your PC. Connect by chatting - but keep it clean as the game will filter out profanity. Your buddy list is easy to put together. Get in touch with them to start a game or find a tournament you'd like to try your hand at.

You can now be picky about playing with people who are at your skill level and bankroll level. It's definitely one of the best applications for online poker.

You can always practice your skills first before you dive into an online game. You're avatar in the first game can have over 100 customizations - then when you're done practicing, you can use the same avatar online. For beginners, this is a good choice to become comfortable with the way the game works and its controls.

World Poker Tour: Texas Hold'Em 2 looks good but it's not about lots of visuals - bearing in mind that WPT isn't bad to look at in the first place. Be prepared for a simplistic view that has a few bells and whistles but nothing too fancy.

In a nutshell, WPT Texas Hold'Em 2 is full of content and features and works wonders for games with more than 2 players. Download it and start playing with people around the globe.

LAST WORD

World Poker Tour: Texas Hold'Em 2 is a perfect game for both beginner and veteran players. Single-player game has many benefits but the cream of the crop is the web-to-wireless capabilities, which make it an innovation not only for poker but for mobile phones in general.

Permalink: April 2, 2008