I've long been a fan of sports simulations, bringing outdoor games and activities into the virtual world of your always-with-you smartphone. So, even if you're stuck on a train or just lying in bed, you can still go driving, for example, whether in a car or on the golf range(!) Mobile Darts aims to take that most unathletic of sports and bring it in similar virtual form into Symbian smartphones. Which it does, at the expense of introducing an unexpected level of ability frustration...
Ah, Speedball 2. It's a name that is spoken of in reverential terms, because of the impact that it had on the computer gaming world in the late 80s and 90s. Now two of the original Bitmap Brothers, as part of Tower Studios, have updated the classic futuristic sports game for Symbian. Have they captured enough of the spirit of the original to make Brutal Deluxe a watchword for smartphone fun? Let's find out.
Some things shouldn’t work well together. Putting together a Bejewelled style match three game with a 'Sim Village' system to keep score strikes me as a four o’clock in the morning idea that's just wrong. But much like Run DMC and Aerosmith, 10tons's Heroes of Kalevala makes it work thanks to a smart learning curve and a huge dollop of style.
There are two types of music rhythm game out there – the first uses existing songs and performances and carefully pre-sculpts the musical beats you need to hit (Rock Band is a good example of this), and the second is where your own musical collection is used and the program will analyse the music to create the patterns to match on the fly. Where does Gamelion's Boom Beats fit in?
It's not often that you play a new game and wonder why on earth noone's thought of the idea before. But that's what I was thinking when reviewing Word Jockey. Not because of the horse racing metaphor for winning and losing, but because of the idea of a word game played with extreme time pressure. Word Jockey also manages to present a super-slick and rather pleasant interface, making it a sure fire hit all round.
If you like extreme sports and ordinary parachuting is too tame for you, then maybe you need a taste of Parachute Panic. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to guide parachutists in their descent through gruesome obstacles, then hopefully land them on boats which are sailing in shark infested water. The hand-drawn drawn graphics try to disguise the horror, but Parachute Panic is aptly named. Read on to find out why.
Remember the old kids game of patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time? And how frustrated you were that you couldn’t do it while your best friend could? I think that’s how Steve felt when he passed me Moto X Mayhem to review and I promptly labelled it as a fun, challenging but fundamentally a great game. “Too hard for me” said Steve, and he went back to taking pin-sharp pictures of shiny hardware while I started reviewing this great game title.
Where to start with Treemaker, the brand new puzzle/platformer from Mikrotie? How about one word: “Difficult". For me, though, that’s a good thing. This is a platform game you’ll need to work at to complete, and thanks to the great UI, wonderful controls and smooth gameplay, I think everyone else will appreciate it as much as I do.
Driving games show off the 3D skills of the developer, push a platform to the limit, and are great fun to play (if everything works). Fish Labs have a strong catalogue of 3D titles, and their latest release – Burning Tires 3D – lets them attack the motor sport genre. Have they passed the test, or are they still in the pits? Let’s find out.
If the idea of being a train driver was too sedate for you when you were a kid, then perhaps today’s game review might be of interest. Tank Hero puts you in control of a metal monster with which your aim is to be the last tank standing. With multi-touch controls and OpenGL graphics, do you have the skill to avoid incoming fire while aiming your shots? Read on to find out more.
