Software Reviews

Browser article heavily updated

Werner Ruotsalainen — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:08:39 -0600

I've heavily updated my latest Web browser roundup & comparison (which, incidentally, has been frontpaged at WM Power User in the meantime) with, among other things, a straightforward Verdict section and a lot of more info.

SplashShopper Review

Nate Adcock — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:34:39 -0600

This is the kind of review I hate to do, because I essentially have to be the bad guy. There are some old-school applications that are so useful and intuitive that they stand the test of time, even if they don't look pretty. I have to say, SplashShopper from SplashData could become one of those applications, but currently isn't.

FULL ROUNDUP: Browsing the Web on Windows Mobile just like on iPhone, incl. IEM6 review

Werner Ruotsalainen — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 21:45:56 -0600

After purchasing an iPhone 3G, I immediately fell in love with Safari, its Web browser. Granted, it's somewhat less capable as the best, comparable Windows Mobile (WinMo for short) titles (no Flash, no page saving, no copy/paste, no Opera Link, no explicit text size settings, no caching etc.) and, from time to time, it crashes even with the last, 2.2 firmware version, but it's still much better usable and much faster than anything on Windows Mobile.

10 for 9 in '08 - Skyforce Reloaded (the oops edition)

Eric Pankoke — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:17:22 -0600

It turns out that I inadvertently left out the category of Scrolling Shooters when I made all of the posts for this article. Unfortunately, my favorite scrolling shooter for the PocketPC didn't actually get nominated this year, which I suppose was my fault. In lieu of that the clear pick was Skyforce Reloaded, which was still a very good game in this genre.

Opera Mini + (W)VGA users, attention: a hacked, VGA-friendly Jbed version has been released!

Werner Ruotsalainen — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:05:58 -0600

(Technical note: as of 01/02/2009 2:57 AM CET, the images in the article and the mirrored download aren’t accessible. Hope they’ll become available in about 10 hours. That is, make sure you check back in 10-15 hours if you’d really want to see them. Sorry for the inconvenience - my database back-end has been having problems and the CS people have been away.)

Can You Dig It? - A Review Of Glyph

Eric Pankoke — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:43:48 -0600

Astraware certainly has a knack for bringing the right puzzle games to mobile platforms - anyone heard of a little gem called Bejeweled? However, as far as their relationship with Binoteq and Sandlot Games is concerned, the quality of products hasn't been quite so uniform. Thankfully, Glyph falls happily on the positive side of the unbalanced scale. Part Jawbreaker, part "uncover the picture", and part Simon Says, Glyph is a unique combination of sub-genres that blend together to make a fun and interesting game.

10 for 9 in '08 - Through Enemy Eyes

Eric Pankoke — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:39:07 -0600

We've come to the end of the year, and I've come to the end of this article. The last category I judged for was Top-down (maze) Puzzle. Through Enemy Eyes was really more than that, but even had it not been, it was by far the best game in this category.

Fly Away - A Quick Look At Butterfly

Eric Pankoke — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:30:11 -0600

If you're not familiar with it, I highly recommend checking out the monthly article The Arcade. It is thanks to this article that I've discovered a number of rather interesting freeware games, including the subject of this article, Butterfly.

10 for 9 in '08 - Spb Air Islands

Eric Pankoke — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 22:21:55 -0600

Well, I'm almost done with this series. This entry marks game number nine of ten, and the category is strategy. In my mind Spb Air Islands was the clear winner, primarily due to its unique mode of resource management. Without further ado, here are my favorite points about Spb Air Islands.

10 for 9 in '08 - Boneyboy

Eric Pankoke — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:10:47 -0600

I've tried any platform game I could get my hands on for the PocketPC platform, and up until Archibald's Adventures which was released a few days ago (you can read my review here), nothing has really stood out from the pack. However, of the ones that made it into the list of Jump & Run Scrollers for this year's awards, Boneyboy was definitely my favorite.

Are You Smarter Than A Travel Genius?

Eric Pankoke — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:08:53 -0600

HeroCraft has quickly become one of my favorite mobile phone developers. I can't say that I've liked everything they've done, but I admire the fact that they've developed such a diverse range of products. They also have a knack for putting their own spin on a classic style of gaming. Whether you're playing the laser-and-mirrors update Robo, the stylish Ball Rush Aqua that proved there was more to be done with Breakout clones, or the unique strategy game Gone In 60 Seconds, it's clear that HeroCraft purposes in their mind to bring you a different experience with each game t

10 for 9 in '08 - Obulis: The Second Epoch

Eric Pankoke — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 20:58:30 -0600

For puzzle games, my top pick was Obulis: The Second Epoch. To be truthful, this could almost go to either part one or two, it just happens that part two was the one nominated for the awards this year. Some of the puzzle design was a bit better in part two, but if you haven't played either, it's definitely worth your time playing both.

10 for 9 in '08 - Meltdown

Eric Pankoke — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:11:15 -0600

In the category of Non Run & Jump Shooters, Meltdown reigned supreme. Meltdown is a very addictive game that can be played with one button. While most timed games annoy me, Meltdown integrated it into the story in such a way that it compels you to complete the levels. The level design and pacing was also done in such a way that you get satisfaction out of completing a level. The graphics in Meltdown are great. All the animated foreground elements look really good, and while not spectacular, the multi-layered background of pipes continually caught my eye.

10 for 9 in '08 - Bejeweled 2

Eric Pankoke — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:51:09 -0600

I guess I need to speed this series up if I want it to be all about '08 :) At any rate, for the category of Color Matching games, there really was no contest. While there may have been some innovations to the genre since it's release, Bejeweled 2 is still the most captivating game in this group. Clearly the general populace agrees, as it continues to appear at the top of the charts on Astraware's best sellers list. Bellow are a couple of reasons that I put it at the top of mine.

10 for 9 in '08 - Earth Day

Eric Pankoke — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:24:04 -0600

Continuing the coverage of my "lost article" from the last issue of Smartphone & PocketPC magazine we have my top pick for the category of "Classic Arcade" from the 2008 awards. In this case I picked Earth Day, which was actually the first eSoft Interactive game I ever reviewed, even though I had been a fan of theirs for quite some time. For the simple premise behind Earth Day, it was quite an addictive thrill ride. Here's what I thought of it...

An Apple A Day... A Quick Look At FruitsDay

Eric Pankoke — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 23:07:22 -0600

www.zielok.com recently released a new freeware game called FruitsDay. If you haven't been to the site before, basically there are several PocketPC and Windows games available for free, and for a donation you can get the game Next Element Deluxe. I recommend checking it out if you get the chance.

Zuma - Frogs and Exploding Balls, Oh My!

Eric Pankoke — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:04:41 -0600

One sign of a good game is that it has appeal several years after it has been released. Such is the case with Zuma from Astraware, a mobile version of the popular action / puzzle game from Popcap Games. Addictive game play, intense challenge and a cool atmosphere make this an oldie but goodie that should be in your collection if it’s not already there.

Ultimate Comparison of the iPhone 3G to other Mobile operating systems and devices - Part I

Werner Ruotsalainen — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:59:50 -0600

At last, I was able to afford an iPhone 3G without an expensive data / phone plan (meaning a much higher starting price). Of course, I've been playing with the device since then. See my review HERE.

10 for 9 in '08 - Anthelion 2

Eric Pankoke — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:58:50 -0600

In the category of Action Games, I had a tie for first place. The other game that I thought deserved the spot of #1 action game was Anthelion 2 from PDAMill. This was actually a bit of an odd choice for me, because I don't normally care for first person flight sim / combat games. However, this one caught my attention, so keep reading to find out why...

Task2Gather 1.0 Review

Nate Adcock — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 13:30:45 -0600

The Task2Gather web service is a promising new (and mostly free) site that allows you to do collaborative task management, much like Remember The Milk (see my review here). Unlike RTM, the T2G Windows Mobile client currently has no integration with the built-in WM task app. There were some bumps to get T2G working, like having to re-install the initial download. It is however a powerful alternative for managing team-oriented tasks from your device.