Rise of Antares

Reviewed on: 26/02/07
Reviewed with: Sony-Ericsson S700i
Developed by HeroCraft

Rise of Antares is a legacy of legendary "Master of Orion", although nowhere nearby to be a clone. It is quite solid turn-based strategy, neither too complicated nor primitive. The storyline is somewhat classic: 2500AC, the galaxy is ruled by Interstellar League which had already exhausted its resourses and abilities, constantly competed by several Galactic Corporations. To disable its rivals and extend its existance, the League has decided to occupy the Corporations by giving them absolute rights to colonize the uninhabited star systems. The League hopes that the Corporations shall spend all their time and efforts building up new colonies.

Beginning as a ruler of a star system with small population and tiny star fleet, you'll have to build up your colony, research sciences and technologies, expand your territory either founding new colonies, or conquering other's. The planets differ in climate and resources, so the best ones become subjects of constant battles. Studying new sciences you shall be able to research new technologies, which are divided into three groups: social, military, economical.

The people in colonies have three occupations depending on player's choice: farming, manufacturing and science. Each turn every citizen produces some points of their profession, which are used correspondingly either to feed the population, or build a spaceship or some administrative building, or develop new technologies. Special building and technologies increase farmer's or scientist's or worker's rate or even produce some points every tick automatically.

But, whatever strong your economy was, you'll need army to defeat your enemies and become the true master of the Galaxy. Here you can choose one of two ways: either you build standart spaceships or you start the new projects, making the spaceships on your own taste, playing with their speed, defense and attack abilities. For a stock starship it takes 3-6 turns to get to the nearby stars, although if you develop the ultra modern engines and put them on your own ship (which, by the way, you can name after yourself or anything else), it shall take only one turn to jump over even larger distances. The ship's crew gains experience for each successful battle, the more experienced is the crew, the better they use the abilities of their ship. Then, if you grow tired of this outdated piece of junk - you can move your veterans to a ultra-modern Star Destroyer.

Although there's not too much of animation, the graphics suit the atmosphere of gameplay. The helpfiles are available in any game screen, providing you with the necessary information. The tutorial game is available as well, preparing you for the real contest very well. There are three difficulty degrees, up to four AI opponents and four racial specializations giving you advantage in warfare, research or manufacturing.

The game music is great, although it'd be a nice add-on if there were more sound effects, such as sound of shots during the battle. Also, when you develop your technologies good enough, your colonies start producing at insane rate and often they complete the building in one turn, so you'll have to attend to them every turn - there's no auto-building of the last item.

I've spent many days trying to figure out the optimal strategy and came to the conclusion that there is none. The game perfectly fits both for the lovers of rush attacks and for those who prefer to build up the whole Empire and then crush their enemies like flies, using the Death Stars and ultimate battle droids.

Before Rise of Antares I wouldn't really believe that the old good games like "Master of Orion" may rise from the ashes on the mobile platforms, but this game changed my view and gave me really good time of playing. It will enrich the collection of strategy-lovers and may change the opinion of those who prefer other genres.

The Sims 2 Mobile

Reviewed on: 22/05/06
Reviewed with: Sony Ericsson K700i
Developed by Maxis

The Sims. Probably the most ingenious idea for a video game ever thought up, and an instant hit with virtually every PC gamer around the world. Everyone discovered that you could, in fact, have quite a lot of fun mapping out and living somebody else’s life, rather than getting on with your own. A phenomenon with the game developed, which caused EA to make a series of fantastic expansion packs and, eventually, a sequel. Along with versions for consoles and handhelds, the Sims 2 has been ported to the mobile platform, but, I’m afraid, it might not reflect the freedom and customization you got with the original.

Before you begin playing the Sims 2, like the PC and console versions, it will prompt you to create a character-only one character. You then deploy him/her into the Sims world, where they will make friends, get jobs, buy new appliances, fall in love and perhaps even in delve into the ultimate commitment-woohoo(people who have played the PC version will know what I’m talking about.). In the process, they will also eat, sleep, become angry, and occasionally shout at the screen, a bit like in the original, but with less sound.

Some gamers might prefer this version’s less cutesy graphics to those of the N-gage’s Sims: bustin’ out. They look far more similar to the PC’s look, and capture the Sims essence quite well. You also the famous little revolving crystal above your Sim’s head-only here, it’s stationary. The furniture and house graphics are also quite familiar (ah, that shower…). They can, however, appear a bit grainy at times. Animation here has been scaled down to suit mobile-instead of seeing your sim carry out his/her various actions around the house; you will be seeing a cloud covering them, which will represent what your character is doing. For example, if your character is eating or cooking, the cloud will contain moving pieces of food. The sound is less spectacular- the game lacks any music, while other sounds are also scarce, rearing their heads only when you complete actions or when your “virtual mobile” happens to be ringing.

There are a few problems with how the game itself works. The first, discovered when creating my character-you can’t type in your own name. This is one of a number of limitations preventing the game from reaching its full potential. I was, thus, forced to play through the game with a guy called “Dario”. The appearance and clothes options are also reduced to just choice of colour. I was also surprised to find that the game was quite linear- contrary to the usual Sims trend. All you basically have to do (or CAN do) is proceed with getting acquainted with a fixed number of friends, who will give you access to new jobs. The game is also devoid of free will, which will cause your sim to just wait there for orders.

This port could have been a lot better, had those little aspects which define the game been added.

3D Bomberman

Reviewed on: 08/06/06
Reviewed with: Sony Ericsson K700i
Developed by Hudson Soft

It seems like the Bomberman label is popping up on everything lately; bomberman kart, bomberman puzzle, bomberman pinball, bomberman panic……there’ll probably be a bomberman washing machines next, just you wait. So, Bomberman’s had a good run so far on the small(est) screen, but has never ventured anywhere beyond his good old two dimensions. Until now.

3D bomberman is basically a revamped version of the original Bomberman mobile and the later released Super Bomberman. As a result, the concept (and context) is more or less the same as before, only with some welcome additions-and some minor alterations, for example, instead of the aim being to get the key to open the door to the next level, you now have to blow up all the enemies to succeed. You’ll also notice that Bomberman himself, and indeed everything else, have grown a bit bigger to fit in with the new 3D environment.

If you haven’t gathered yet from the conspicuous title and what’s been said already, Bomberman 3D is a “3D” game, which means an instant jump in the standard of graphics from the last two games (I’m not counting the other mobile games which aren’t purely “Bomberman”). Unfortunately, frame rate is quite often still a problem in 3D mobile games, but not, it seems, with this game- it runs quite smoothly, with little pauses or problems, even while it’s showing you an overview of the entailing level. Kilobytes are also saved by just the terrain being in 3D- the rest of the environment, including Bomberman and the enemies, are still in 2D. The result is it looks like scaled down version of the Bomberman announced for PSP at this year’s E3- only Bomberman’s looking a bit pixelated, maybe on the grainy side. The sound, contrary to the graphics, hasn’t really changed a lot from previous mobile instalments- just short polyphonics beeps and music throughout the game, except for bomb blasts. As the 2D characters have to move around a 3D world, the animation is a bit dodgy- but works, to some extent. The game’s also pretty colourful, following in the footsteps of its 2D predecessors.

The bomberman mobile games have always been about getting a “quick fix”- blowing up a few fiends for a minute on the train, for example. It was always because the levels were short, simple but still sweet- giving you small maps to play, while simultaneously packing a reasonable challenge into it. 3D Bomberman does well to keep this spirit close during the transition into the third dimension. There are as many levels as you’d expect in a typical Bomberman game, while the 3D surroundings have allowed for some new gameplay elements-things like a new jumping ability, and springboards scattered around the level to elevate you around the jagged terrains. All the classic powerups are still here, while the bomb blast radius is still understandable. Lastly, the ever-famous VS mode introduced in Super Bomberman has been salvaged- and it’s still fun, I’m glad to report.

So, 3D Bomberman is good if you want to see the little guy in a new perspective, or are an avid Bomberman fan, you should give it a go.

2Fast 2Furious

Reviewed on: 07/02/05
Reviewed with: Sony Ericsson K700i
Developed by Digital Bridges

The Fast and The Furious mobile game did pretty well in the popularity department. I guess it is a no brainer then that Digital Bridges (DBi) decided to come up with a sequel. Now DBi could have went the lazy route and added new cars and new tracks to the already successful engine of the The Fast and The Furious game, but in 2Fast 2Furious, DBi went all out and introduced a brand new spankin’ engine to power those street racing urges within you.

If you thought the original overhead perspective was really cool, wait till you see the chase-car perspective that this sequel is sporting. As a result of the new camera angle, everything seems to be bigger and faster than before. Instead of Vin Diesel (as in the original game) lending you a helping hand as you start the game, Ludacris is given the reins to help break in a newbie street racer that is you. A lot of time and effort went into the production value of this game and it really shows. 2Fast 2Furious looks and feels like a high budget mobile game and as you continue to play the game you’ll appreciate it more and more.

As a street racing game, 2Fast 2Furious looks and sounds good. Everything from the trees, the road, and the cars look well done. The colors are just crisp and the car animations are pretty smooth. I especially enjoyed the intro music that pipes out of my phone’s speaker. It fits the theme of illegal street racing to a but the sound effects aren’t really in the same class as the music, but they'll do. When you’re having a lot of fun, the weak tire screeches don’t seem to have too much of an impact in your gaming experience.

The gameplay in 2Fast 2Furious is exactly the same as the original. You race a set of tracks in order to accumulate money. The money can then go into either unlocking new race tracks or into purchasing some nifty upgrades for you car. A quick tip is to purchase the Nitro upgrade as soon as you can. Like in the original game, Nitro boosting is the best way to win the early races as easily as possible. Once you find yourself having a hard time beating your opponents despite the assistance of the Nitro boost, you’ll need to start looking into further upgrades for your car. There are 12 tracks to accomplish within the game and each track has its certain quirks that can throw a monkey wrench in you dreams of street racing glory if you’re not careful. Tracks which have been unlocked can be raced again and again in order to race more money for your campaign and to help you sharpen your racing skills. The selection of car upgrades are enough to maintain your interest although a part of me wish that they’ve included a lot more specials and more car gadgets to upgrade to. Oh well, maybe the third iteration of the franchise will deliver the mecca of street racing customization.

You can have a total of four saved characters for the 2Fast 2Furious game as opposed to the three save slots you had in the original. The menu is easy to navigate and it is a cinch to figure out what each and every option is all about. The biggest complaint I have about the game is the atrocious loading time it takes to start the game initially. Wow! It took all of 30 to 45 seconds to boot up the main menu. After the long loading time, everything else went pretty smooth and the loading time for further sequences in the game is comparable to most of the loading time within other mobile games.

You get a lot of quality for that hard earned money you’ll be spending in order to download this baby. Overall, I’d say that once again DBi has solidified its claim of being the best in bringing movie licenses to spectacular life in our mobile phones.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary (Mobile Edition)

Reviewed on: 17/12/2007
Reviewed with: Nokia N-Gage
Developed by Eidos

Lara Croft.

Two words that get the pulse racing in games, and in teenage boys (and girls… this is the 21st century). While we’ve already seen her on Symbian OS (with the original Tomb Raider being one of the early posts to the first generation N-Gage platform) in her 3d glory, the latest Eidos Mobile release, Tomb Raider Anniversary, presents a new side to the heroine and a distinctly retro gameplay style.

While all the traditional Tomb Raider elements are here (death defying jumps, fingertip holds on cliffs, guns ablaze taking out distant switches, perilous balancing over fire and spikes, and so on), there’s one major difference in this smartphone version when compared to the consoles. It’s in two-d.

Yes, think traditional platformer with a side on view. The clue of course is in the distribution file. This is a seriously overpowered java midlet, optimised for S60 (other versions are available), and before you let that stop you, this version of Tomb Raider Anniversary is pretty spiffy. The learning curve and level design is just inventive enough for gaming on the move – this is the typical casual game format and challenge level – i.e. above average but still within range of mortals.

Graphics are of the sprite-based, cartoon style variety, but our Lara here (with bouncing pony tail) has her full range of movements, and no matter what she’s up to, it remains clear and obvious, even when running in the original 176x208 screens on older phones. The only catch is that when Lara pops up to offer ‘advice’ during the game it’s a beautiful CGI representation from the console versions, which detracts from the Saturday morning Kids TV feel the sprite graphics have. Don’t mix your graphics, Eidos! Controls are sharp and accurate – and they need to be – with walking, jumping and ducking, all driven from the cursor pad. ‘Zero’ sees you activating any carried items in your inventory under the fire button.

It’s always hard to judge just how long a game will last – with 9 levels to explore, I would think maybe 20 minutes on each level is a fair guess, but that’s ignoring the replay of the time trial option. It’s not much in the grand scheme of things but Tomb Raider: Anniversary is actually strangely addictive, rushing through it at the pace of a modern Hollywood movie.

As with all the Eidos Mobile games, I like the fact that it asks if you want the sound and music when you start the game, although after a week or so I was starting to tire of it and went 'silent'. While there’s nothing especially new or innovative here, it’s a well put together game, it’s easy to get into, and I’m happy to report I had a fun time studying my… archaeology. In the days between Christmas and New Year, with all the trips around family, I could see Tomb Raider Anniversary on Mobile being a good distraction.

-- Ewan Spence, 18 Dec 2007

Aminoid X

Reviewed on: 20/08/04
Reviewed with: Nokia 7650
Developed by Microjocs

Hypothetically speaking, what would happen if you crossed Moon Patrol with Metroid?
The result would most likely be a futuristic vehicle armed with hi-tech weapons that can maneuver on an alien planet and eventually climb walls. But there wouldn't be a need for such machine unless there was some reason, would there?

In Microjocs' game, Aiminoid X, there definitely is a major reason: The year is 3902. In times of war a team is sent to a planet known as "Aminoid X" to render the enemy defence system useless. However the mission is sabotaged and the crew members fall into the enemy's hands. The humans send a spaceship which launches a state of the art armed military vehicle, the HX300, on the planet which should get to the prisoners and bring them to the teleport so they can be sent back to the mother ship. And guess who gets to pilot that vehicle... right - it's you!

When the game starts you find yourself in the HX300 descending towards Aminoid X on asteroids. You must make your way down to the planet by hopping from one asteroid to another. In the beginning your vehicle can do only the basic stuff like maneuver left and right and fire it's primary gun which is a machine gun, but later in the game you will be able to add different types guns, one more powerful than the other. Each one is unique: - Magma: a series of orange magma balls. These look like the projectiles from the machine gun but are bigger and more effective.
- Plasma: these look very much like the magma balls but have blue color to them. they split on collision in several directions making them even more effective. The coolest gadget you can get however is a metal sphere that will hover next to you and shoot as you do. Not only can you change your current gun but you can change its too. As opposed to you it doesn't lose it's current gun when you pick up a new one, but instead ads it next to it's arsenal thus getting even more powerful. The available expansions for the metal sphere are
- Missile: shoots off auto-aiming missiles
- Blue magma: directs a blast wave in all four directions
- Purple sphere: three purple balls rotating in circle that act sort as shield
- Mini gun: sprays projectiles all over the place

Collecting more of the current gun will make the projectile size bigger. You can switch the current gun of the metal sphere with the numpad. You can navigate either with the directional key or with the numpad. You can also do short jumps which will help you overcome pits and get on platforms. One very important upgrade that you will find in the game is an upgrade gives your vechacle the ability to climb walls, craw upside-down on ceilings and stick to platforms.

The enemy is aware of your arrival and it will use everything it has to stop you from accomplishing your mission. You will face creeping robots, automatic guns mounted on walls spraying bullets, flying missiles and tactically deployed mines. But if you thought that once you pass them you're done, you're wrong as three massive end-level bosses will make your mission anything else but a walk in the park! But I don't want to spoil the fun and will leave this for you to find out on your own.
After you pass the first level you get limited lives. Lose them and you have to start the game from the beginning. You can regain back energy by picking up medi-kits. Eventually you will find an extra life to pick up. When you finally reach the prisoners you have to pick them up and bring them to the teleport.
Once you finish the task, you head back to the mother ship, but beware - someone is awaiting you...

The game draws your attention from the start on.
It has probably one of the best looking menus for a J2ME game. You can clearly see that the programmers have put in that extra effort. The menu has a rather futuristic graphical design with some animation, which makes you retain the game feeling, as opposed to other games that just rely on the phone's standard text menus, which one should wonder why they still use them in games. The navigation is very intuitive and the menu is very responsive.
The graphics use wisely chosen colors and the tiles have fine details. The gradient backgrounds and the parallax effect also add up to the game feeling.
You will however get somewhat disappointed from the sound. There aren't many sound effects and they are only simple tone sounds. It's typical for J2ME games that the sounds get the least attention because it takes up precious space which can be used for other things and to make porting easier but given the fact that there's is only Series 60 version of the game, they should have sacrificed few more kilobytes for sampled sounds. After all the file size isn't that huge for an S60 game. Kudos for the intro music though.

Nevertheless the game speed is smooth and the game itself is responsive. However what makes this game stand out from the others is it's original gameplay and level design. The levels look carefully designed and tuned. There's nice variations of game elements so it doesn't get boring.
The end-level bosses are great addition. They are tough to fight and very tricky. The final boss is pretty colossal and will really make you sweat.

To sum things up:
Pros:
- original gameplay
- catchy graphics and menu
- end-level bosses

Cons:
- very little sound effects, sound is limited to beeps and bops
- the only supported platform is the Nokia Series 60

The bottom line is - this is very good title which definitely won't let you disappointed. It guarantees for several hours long gameplay. Even if you're not fan of the genre, you might want to give it a try.

Welcome to S60 Game Reviews

This blog dedicated for all mobile games freak, especially on S60 platform. I will review the only best games, with a simple words and sentences :)

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