Author: The Editor

NAME: Johnny Crash Does Texas VERSION: 1.0.2 COMPANY: Digital Chocolate PLATFORM: JAVA GENRE: Action SIZE:  200KB TEST PHONE: Nokia 6500 RATING: 8/10 DEMO:

Welcome to the Johnny Crash Does Texas mobile phone game review. As you can guess it is the sequel to the original Johnny Crash game, which we rate as a benchmark game. We had high expectations when we got it!

We noted that the game was released by Digital Chocolate although developed by Sumea who developed the first game. Judging from the website they where bought out.

The scenery is set in a Texas desert as opposed to a city in the original version. The graphic quality has been improved slightly although you wouldn’t really notice if not familiar with the original. The music is still industry standard for these sort of game – limited.

As far a playability goes the one button game play still works as good as ever and game speed is perfect.
The story line has changed to a Texas theme which means a different set of tasks to accomplish to open up new levels. There is now an in game distance and height balloon that tells you that the target is coming up. However even with the indicator thing the game is still enough of a challenge to keep you interested.

Overall we still loved the game. It is just as good as the original. However we couldn’t give it the same score as not enough enhancement has been done. Perhaps better in game SFX or even better graphics would have been nice. Check out out original game review for more info.

NAME: The Sims 3 VERSION: 7.7 COMPANY: EA Games PLATFORM: JAVA GENRE: Real Life sim SIZE: 542KB TEST PHONE: Nokia 6500 RATING: 9/10 DEMO:

Welcome to the The Sims 3 mobile game review. It’s cut down version of the forth coming PC game and to be honest considering past Sims games for the mobile phone have not been very good, the Sims 1 for the mobile phone for example was not even worth writing up.  So I hoped that the latest version would be an improvement.

Start the game up and your presented with a modern and very PC like introduction screen with witty comments scrolling across the bottom.  The main menu is now PC Sims like and the main theme song is an upbeat and high quality MIDI – if you let it play long enough. The theme isn’t the original Sims tune which is a pity.

The best part is that this games sound effects is that it has Sim-lish when you take to other characters, including the often funny speech bubble.

Gameplay is a replication of the PC version of the Sims games so you guide your customized Sim in going about daily activities.  One noticeable improvement is the reduction of the need to go to the toilet or take a shower every 5 minutes.

The games appears open ended although there are supposedly 75 goals, the ones I’ve been assigned with are just plain weird.  For example ‘be entertained for 3 days’ or ‘slap some’ huh?  You can also go to town, buy furniture or even get a job – almost everything to can do in a tradition Sims game.

There are LOTS of customisation options from normal to weird (eg green skin).  But there aren’t many body types though so your Sim will always be of average shape.  I would have liked perhaps shorter and extra tall bodies.  I guess that would be too much to ask for a mobile phone game.

On a personality side there are lots of different characteristics you can assign to your Sim including  Sleaze, Jerk and Manic where the funniest.  The character interactions are almost autonmous too.

Game speed is very good considering the often relatively slow Nokia 6500 test phone on other games.  I was also impressed by having the option to have 3 different Sims as saved games. (You can save the games at any time.)

Conclusion: EA Games have excelled themselves with the Sims 3 for JAVA.  It is by all accounts a clone of the regular Sims game.  Sure there are missing the ultimate and detailed factors of the regular PC versions but when you realise that its a mobile phone game – this is brillant!  The only critism that can be said is that if you have not played a Sims game before you will be a little lost for the first 30 minutes. If you like the idea of having a virtual ‘mini-me’ this is the game for you.  Overall – Yes a new benchmark game in our books on a variety of levels.

NAME: Star Trek (Mobile) VERSION: 4.2 COMPANY: EA Games PLATFORM: JAVA GENRE: Movie space shooter SIZE: 492KB TEST PHONE: Nokia 6500 RATING: 8/10 DEMO:

Welcome to the Star Trek mobile game review.  It’s game based on the movie but has got nothing to do with the story line from the movie – any of the past 10 movies.  It is essentially a top down scroller shoot them all game.

The game’s premise is set during conflict with the Klingons/Romulans and others (which we haven’t got up to yet)  for every ‘time period’ in the Star Trek universe.  Every enemy is a different variation of space craft. So its not for purist Trekkie fans.  The game has various comments and status reports with pictures of the various actors from the new 2009 movie.  This leads us to the conclusion that it was probably originally designed for any of the Star Trek series.

The games involves achieving various tasks like shooting 80% of enemies or avoiding all asteroids and so forth.  Completing each task will mean that you’ll get an equipment upgrade point.  The enemy numbers are outrageous and so are the powerups.  A ‘1942’ game set in the Star Trek universe. The difficulty level rises accordingly – so you’re very busy avoiding other weapons fire and obstacles.  The game speed probably needs to be slowed down a fraction.

Visually the game uses 2D effectively.  Lots of tractor beams, phasers and disrupters and proton torpedoes shields flashes and explosions.  Looks good even on the relatively low resolution screen.  The iPhone/iTouch versions are much more impressive though.

The games sounds seem more like WAV or MP3 rather than MIDI.  The quality is very poor.  In fact the worst we’ve heard for a long time.

Conclusion: We enjoyed game but it is seemingly a rush job since it would be very easy to replace the character images with any from the TV series.  Indeed it wouldn’t would take much to replace all the Star Trek images with say Star Wars or any other movie that was space themed.  Anyway it is highly unrealistic but fun.  The collision detection is probably the best we’ve seen.  Worth getting and more fun than the other ‘1942’ style clones.

NAME: 1940 Aces Of War (Luftwaffe) VERSION: 1.0.0 COMPANY: Handy games PLATFORM: JAVA GENRE: Movie platformer SIZE:  475KB TEST PHONE: Nokia 6500 RATING: 7/10 DEMO:

Welcome to the 1940 Aces of War java game review. It’s game set during World War II over the skies of the UK.  It’s also known as Aces of the Luftwaffe

Gameplay is standard top down scroller.  You control a WWII propeller fighter, presumably a Spitfire type and blast away at the enemies that fly and fire their over sized weapons toward you.  It’s set in chapters where you have to perform various tasks in order to unlock the next level.  Eg. fly over certain spots etc.. There is nothing new here.  There are various powerups which appear during the game like extra guns and missiles but they don’t appear all that often.  Game speed is very good not too fast or slow.

There is a character leveling system (based on the RAF) as well as game difficulty setting.

There are special moves you can activate but holding down the direction keys.  The move like rolls and dives look quite flashy…

The games graphics are high quality 2D with a mid-1990’s feel in the vein of predecessors such as the oft mentioned 1942.  Damage to your plane is indicated by black smoke coming from your plane and cracks on the screen.  The characters have a anime feel to them.  Suits the game perfectly in my opinion.  3D games on a mobile phone is completely overrated.

The game sounds are typical MIDI tracks with a few sound effects. It doesn’t add of detract from the game.

So it look good sounds OK but it does have certain issues.  The collision detection is slightly off.  When you think you’ve avoided an enemy the game records it as a hit.  So you really need to watch your positioning.  There isn’t an auto fire function.  It fires in bursts of about 10 shots then stops. You could say its more challenging as a result but I say – this is a flying game for a mobile phone game on a small screen with small buttons – get real.  It just doesn’t hit the right balance.

Conclusion: Its a decent game.  Graphic designers should be commended on decent plane sprites and backgrounds.  The programmers should do a little more work on the collision detection.  Otherwise it is an entertaining game.

NAME: James Bond 007 Quantum of Solace VERSION: 1.0. COMPANY: Glu & Sony Pictures PLATFORM: JAVA GENRE: Movie platformer SIZE:  KB TEST PHONE: Nokia 6500 RATING: 6/10 DEMO:

Welcome to the Quantum of Solace mobile game review. It’s game based on the movie and hence  follows the story line.

Gameplay is standard side scrolling platformer.  Its not much different from lots of other games like Indianan Jones, Batman and Hellboy. Gun reloading and switching to fists take more time than necessary but clearly designed to. Controls are precise but have enough leeway for key errors.   Most of the time characters move backwards especially when shot and disappear of screen but still firing away at you.  Overall quite good.

Game speed is very good considering the often relatively slow 6500 test phone.  As a result it’s one of the hardest games – in terms of difficulty to play.

Graphics especially the menus are very nicely done and Hi-Def.  The characters are vaguely 3D but lacking detail and the background scenery are not photo quality but perfectly acceptable. We like the animated NPCs – mainly the birds which fly out of the way as you approach.  The quality reminds me of the Lost game released a few years ago.

In terms of sounds it is typical and repetitive.  We like the new take on the 007 theme song – for the first few times…

The game chapters are a good length – so 5 minute play intervals are nice when on a train.

Unfortunately it does not match our new benchmark game – Watchmen which has noticeably better graphics, better action and definitely more enjoyable.

NAME: Tom Clancy’s HWAX VERSION: 1.0 COMPANY: Gameloft PLATFORM: JAVA GENRE: Air wars SIZE:  929KB TEST PHONE: Nokia 6500 RATING: 6/10 DEMO:

Welcome to the Tom Clancy’s HWAX mobile game review.  Branded by a successful writer who penned the books to the game’s back story you would expect a decent effort.  More so the console versions where well received  but that does not always translate to the mobile phone versions.

The storyline is the same – you play David Crenshaw and elite pilot whose services are for sale.  It basically means you’re flying you plane in a 1942 like game environment shooting down various enemies and other flying bosses.  Complete each chapter and you’re rewarded with more of the the story.

The gameplay involves the use of the regular phone navigation keys so it works quite well.  Flying about on the screen avoiding over sized bullets and their various patterns all works well but sometimes not perfectly.  There seems to be a slight response issue – could be due to the phone itself..

Graphics wise the most impressive part in the game menus.  Excellent work on the aircraft inspired options.  Unfortunately the in game graphics are not so impressive.  The planes and backgrounds are done nicely but not in the same league.  Surely they can make them better.  Why did they try to make it realistic as opposed to a more ‘cartoon’ like background which would probably work much better?

Sound is typical as with all mobile games, a nice title track in MIDI and various sound SFX but gets repetitive after 30 minutes or so.

There are a few planet based air-warfare based games and in terms of the ones we’ve tired it’s essentially a tie for all.  None standout – but when comparing to others of similar but space or other world themed games you’ll find greater joy eg. Star Wars or Centipede.

Conclusion: HWAX is a good game.  Worth a play if you’ve got nothing better to do.  It’s not a remake of 1942 with updated planes since HWAX does NOT  have the outrageous but enjoyable powerup system.  Put in prospective the previously reviewed Centipede remake was more enjoyable.

NAME: Call Of Duty – World At War VERSION: 1.0 COMPANY: GLU PLATFORM: JAVA GENRE: World War II SIZE:  KB TEST PHONE: Nokia 6500 RATING: 6/10 DEMO:

Welcome to the Call Of Duty: World At War mobile game review. The Call Of Duty series of games have been around for a few years now.  The mobile version we got was 2D and 3rd person view not the PC or XBOX 1st person and 3D view.

The storyline development is minimal.   Basically you play a special marine that has to perform various missions during the war.  Missions are open and shut or stand alone so there isn’t an overall storyline to the game.

Game controls are simple and easy to use.  There are 3 main weapons you can use for the missions a standard machine gun and grenades.  On certain missions you get to use a flame thrower.  We like the flame thrower the best.

Graphics are very ordinary – we expect better especially after playing the Watchmen mobile game.  The only cool graphics where the planes blowing up.  Sound is like wise standard MIDI fare.

The only problem is that the game difficulty is set too low.  You can finish the game and all its 19 missions in about 30 minutes if you try.  The structure of the missions is linear and unlocks then works as a save point.

Conclusion: Another good game for your JAVA enabled mobile phone – however it is overall slightly boring.  Feels much like the Stars War Clone Wars in theme except not as good.  It needs a more involving storyline and more weapon choices most notably.