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The game I played most this week: iSS Invaders

Space Arcade: iSS Invaders (Smartphone)

iSS Invaders (which also appears on the Pocket PC) is probably the only Space Invaders clone you can get for the Smartphone and that tries pretty hard to replicate the original coinop version of the game (not any of the other versions, and thankfully it doesn’t try to copy some of the other clones. Invaders offer three game modes: classic, deluxe, and bootleg. I’m not really a Space Invaders aficionado, but I believe the first two modes try to copy the first two versions of the game that appeared in arcades, while the third mode tries to copy one of the many hacked versions that were floating around in the 80s. The differences between the three aren’t huge, but they all do look quite a bit like what you’d see in the arcades during the 1980s.

While the games look pretty good, playing them on a Smartphone is a challenge. Unfortunately, you can’t remap the buttons on the game, and there’s no auto fire feature. Auto fire would make the game feel a little less authentic, but it would certainly be more playable. The game is playable with the directional pad (by pushing left and right to move and pushing down to fire), but it still has a frustrating lack of control. You can also use number keys, but you’ll have to use the keys on the outer edges to move and the keys on the inside to fire. I would much rather have the buttons on the left be the fire button and use the center and right key to control movement.

Letter Arrangement: Word Monaco Solitaire

I am getting a bit weary of reviewing word games (I love them, but there’s just not that many new things you can do with them at this point), but Word Monaco Solitaire is the most interesting title in this category that I’ve seen all year. The game is based on the idea of playing a word game based on solitaire at some sort of resort in Monaco (I could probably find better things to do in Monaco than play card games, but that’s the basic idea and it does give the game a nice atmosphere).

Here’s how it works: The game pieces consist of letters that are arranged in columns just like they are in solitaire, and the idea is to move them around until every letter forms a word. That’s the essence of the game, although three rule variations are offered along with nine difficulty levels.

The basic concept works well enough. Even though the number of words in each level is limited, getting all the letters into just the right spot provides a good challenge. Had the game been thrown together with limited sound and mediocre graphics, it would likely be overlooked as just another shoddy word game. What makes WM an exceptional title are not only the terrific graphics, music, but the overall feel of the game. While the graphics and sound evoke the famous French resort country and contributes to the game’s atmosphere as a casual game, WM provides plenty of feedback to the player. Once you successfully create a word, a green gem appears over that column. Dragging over a letter or group of letters results in a pleasant sound effect as well as the last “card” in the column to smoothly flip over.

News – Project Gotham Racing Coming to Windows Mobile

Project Gotham Racing has proven to be one of the better racing game franchises on the various consoles in recent years. It’s known mostly for its stellar lineup of cars and its “kudos,” system, which consists of bonus point allowing players to unlock cars, tracks, and other parts of the game.  

“PGR has set the standard in racing video games, and Glu is striving to make the mobile game as compelling and exciting an experience as Microsoft has done with the franchise,” said Jill Braff, general manager of the Americas, Glu Mobile. “From the physics and graphics in the game to the lineup of today’s hottest cars, we’re offering consumers the most compelling, authentic action-oriented racing game on mobile.”

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Allen Gall's The Week in Games  Copyright ) 2006 by Thaddeus Computing Inc.