Month: June 2008

NAME: Castlevania Aria Of Sorrow VERSION: 1.0.0 COMPANY: Konami PLATFORM: JAVA GENRE: RPG SIZE: 563 KB TEST PHONE: K800i RATING: 7/10 DEMO:

Welcome to Castlevania Aria Of Sorrow game review. We haven’t played the original Gameboy series of the same name so didn’t have any idea what the game was going to be about. Essentially we saw it as a platformer game with RPG elements such as character customization and special powers.

After a bit of research on the original game we found that the JAVA version for mobile phones uses the same story line! In fact the game mechanics are identical apart from the graphics. As a result the game is a rare almost full version of an original. That said we haven’t finished the game since it takes up more time than we have at the moment.

The story is all about defeating vampires, you play Soma Cruz character guiding him to defeating various enemies and realizing his true destiny. We won’t spoil the story for you but clearly the good usually triumphant over evil.

Game play is like the original so a hack and slash set using vampire and mystical attacks as well as metal based implements. Destroying your enemies sometimes results in them dropping items that you can use to increase your various stats. This includes money to buy items from a NPC in the game.

Graphics are mobile phone standard as is the sound. As a difference you can choose between standard background music or special effects sound only. (You can only have one or the other!) We’ve never seen this sound/music option before and think it’s an excellent idea. Anyway your character simply glides around the screen flicking out your sword or what ever weapon you’ve chosen when here’s an enemy nearb. Just remember to equip your character with upgraded items – it’s not automatic.

Game controls are very simple to learn with additional menus easy to activate, navigate and select. The options presented are clear. The only thing we are unsure about was the Tactical Soul System…

So if you want a classic RPG platformer style game on you phone Castlevania – Aria of Sorrow is a good start. It is easy to understand the game play since it is based on traditional rules, far easier than say Puzzle Quest to learn.  Note that the two games are completely different in concept.

Further comparisons it’s much like the Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull platformer but with character customization. The only flaw we detected in Castlevania was the need to find a ‘save game’ room before being able to save.

Overall a good game and worth getting if you have the time.

NAME: Centipede VERSION: 1.0.4 COMPANY: GLU PLATFORM: JAVA GENRE: Retro Shooter SIZE: 289 KB TEST PHONE: K800i RATING: 9/10 DEMO:

Welcome to the review of the Centipede game for the mobile phone. Lets start off by saying that we have been unimpressed by remakes of old games. The remakes are often poorly made and even if licensed by the original developer they still don’t do the original justice. So we where in 2 minds to get Centipede. However one of us took the plunge and the rest is history.

Centipede is a simple shoot game. Shoot all the parts of the centipede (which we feel is more caterpillar ) that turns into mushroom barriers and and anything else like spiders, fleas and even scorpions to get points. The game is has multiple levels and 2 types of game play. The classic mode that uses retro graphics and powerup mode which brings it up to date graphics and logically powerups. Aside from the two modes there is also 3 level of difficulty and different game themes to unlock. Fully packed for a retro game!

Gameplay is excellent. Controls work immediately and the positioning on the screen is precise. There is an autofire which suits the game since the phone keypad these days are getting smaller. Nothing to complain about. Even the in game menu and help system works well.

Very easy game to pick up and leave especially on train and buses. However it has one flaw – This game is addictive. You think you can just pick up and leave – but you are wrong. 5 minutes turns to 10 then you jet sore thumb because you’ve been playing for 30 minutes. This is especially so in the Powerup mode.

Graphics are retro in classic mode which suits the game completely. In Powerup mode the graphics have been updated to a modern 2D environment. The update looks good although you’re too busy shooting centipedes to admire the background and icons.

The games sounds are standard MIDI but with effects when new enemies appear or explode. Nice change from just generic BMG. (Back Ground Music) Strangely we rate the sound effects better than other games we’ve tried to date.

Conclusion: we where impressed with this remake! The gameplay of the original but actually enhanced with this release. Objectively, like the original there is no ‘ending’ which is not a problem but a story line would have been nice at least in the new Powerup mode. You will definitely enjoy the game for the first few hours but over time you will probably lose interest.  However we think this is a must have have game on your phone.

NAME: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
VERSION: 1.0.4
COMPANY: THQ
PLATFORM: JAVA
GENRE: Platformer
SIZE: 640 KB
TEST PHONE: K800i
RATING: 7/10
DEMO:

Welcome to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull JAVA game review. You’re probably planning to see the movie and perhaps even buy the game? Yes big movies these days have even bigger merchandising opportunities and the games aspect is no different! There are so many versions of the game released with the movie to go for – but is the mobile version worth it?

You play as Indiana Jones action adventure archaeologist tomb raider. The only weapon he has is his whip and physical skills eliminating Nazi enemies and dangerous animals. So jump, swing, whip and run as much as you can.

The game also alternates between Jones and his sidekick (aka son – Mutt) who doesn’t have any weapons but you must complete the various Mutt stages to unlock keys for later stages by doing time based stages.

The story line is not the same as the movie so it is worth the playing time.

The graphics and sound are standard mobile phone, so it’s a 2D and MIDI based game. There is nothing exceptional at all. However there is something nostalgic about hearing the theme tune again after so many years that adds to the anticipation of playing the game.

The controls are basic but it works better using the keypad as opposed to a navigation key. Easy to play in most locations you’re at.  The collision detection is forgiving enough to make the game enjoyable rather than a technical exercise in positioning.

There is nothing new or special about this game – it works well, better than the fiddly Tomb Raider series for the mobile phone but most of all Indiana Jones is entertaining. Worth the download.