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REVIEW: multiplayer-capable Air Hockey Challenge

It was some months ago that I’ve published a roundup of all Air Hockey clones on the Pocket PC. In the meantime, having seen the lack of a really up-to-date and, most importantly, multiplayer-capable Air Hockey clones, the excellent folks at 4Pockets have developed a really decent clone, which has just been released (therefore, the current, tested version is 1.0).
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There isn’t much to be said of the genre itself: if you’ve ever played an Air Hockey clone, you already know what it’s about. If you don’t know the genre, you’re strongly supposed to check out the demo – it’s really entertaining. Fortunately, the implementation of the game isn’t at all worse than the other, decent 4Pockets titles (see the Appendix for some of them).
Availability, compatibility
The game is available here and costs $14.95. There is a playable trial (which lets the players play some 1-2 minutes a game).
It’s compatible with most devices I’ve tested it on (WM2003SE VGA Pocket Loox 720, WM2003 HP iPAQ 2210, WM5 HTC Wizard (2.26 ROM), WM5 VGA Dell Axim x51v (A12 ROM)). Unfortunately, it’s incompatible with both the WM5 (2.01 ROM) HP iPAQ hx4700 and pre-WM2003 (Pocket PC 2000 / 2002) devices.
I've tested the title in all possible Bluetooth PAN and Wi-Fi peer-to-peer combinations (the former between Widcomm BT stack-based devices; the latter between Wi-Fi-capable ones) in multiplayer mode; I've never had any speed / lagging problems in either configuration. That is, it'll work just great in multiplayer mode, independent of your particular Pocket PC model. Of course, you may need to disable the particle effects if you play against/with a slower device because it'll cause considerable lag to both participants.
Note that while the homepage states the game requires a 300 MHz XScale/StrongARM CPU, it’s perfectly playable on the 195 MHz OMAP HTC Wizard too if you disable the particle effects (you can do this on every game setup screen – NOT in the general preference settings!)
Pros
Definitely better than any other Air Hockey clone on the Pocket PC, even Paul Ellams’ Air Hockey 3D. For example, particularly in Landscape, the screen estate is far better utilized than with the Paul Ellams game, which only uses a portion of the screen to render the board.
LAN-based (BT PAN & Wi-Fi P2P-compatible) Multiplayer, meaning compatibility with both all Widcomm/Broadcom Bluetooth-based and Wi-Fi-capable Pocket PC’s (unlike in other Pocket PC Air Hockey clones, which have absolutely no multiplayer support)
Good ambient sounds & effects (not stereo though)
As with all 4Pockets games and unlike all other Air Hockey clones, spectacular particle effects (must be turned off on slower devices like the HTC Wizard though)
Power-ups (unlike in other Pocket PC Air Hockey clones)
Playable on slower devices too
Selectable screen orientation: the presence of (selectable) Portrait mode is welcome news for devices having screens that (may) have polarization problems in Landscape mode (for example, the Dell Axim x50v/x51v)
Cons
No Bluetooth serial support any more, as opposed to 4Connect from the same company (bad news for Microsoft Bluetooth stack owners that don’t want to use Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connections to save battery life)
No Pocket PC 2002 support any more, as opposed to most previous titles (for example, Great Gold Rush or Harry Putter) from the same company
No in-game or menu music (unfortunately, most newer 4Pockets games lack this)
Considerably more expensive than even the so far best Air Hockey title Paul Ellams’ Air Hockey 3D (of course, much better too)
(No map editor, unlike in Paul Ellams’ Air Hockey 3D)
Verdict
If you are looking for the best Air Hockey clone, particularly if you need multiplayer, go for this title. You won’t regret it, I'm pretty sure - this title lives up to the (high - 4Pockets has always produced quality titles) expectations.
Appendix: other apps / games of 4Pockets worth mentioning
Some other games and apps of the 4Pockets folks are 4Talk, a great walkie-talkie app; some really fine sound applications (AudioBox, PocketRTA (Pro), Auto Tuner), multiplayer games (4Connect; The Great Gold Rush) and some really great single player games, for example Super Elemental (one of the best color matching titles with really great in-game music and explosion effects), Particle Wars (a great vertical scroller; while not as good as SkyForce (Reloaded), I still heartily recommend it), Marble Worlds (a very good Marble (Gyroscope) clone), Harry Putter's Crazy Golf and some other titles. Also see the Roundup of All Pocket PC Games Part I for more information on some of these titles.

how come this game is lag with my hermes using wm6? is there a way to lesser the lag? ty.

blyx21 said:
how come this game is lag with my hermes using wm6? is there a way to lesser the lag? ty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't tested it myself on the Hermes so I can only guess; most probably, because of the infamous HTC touchscreen CPU usage bug.

REVIEW: ConcreteSoft releases multiplayer-enabled 3D Constructo Combat!

This is the first “action” game from ConcreteSoft; their previous titles were all card games. Unfortunately, being a game of a, for the developer, completely new genre also means it has a lot to be desired. Read on!
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(A HTC Wizard screenshot is here; as can be seen, on slower devices, the game automatically decreases the view size.)
Availability
It’s available here for a whopping $19.99. It also has Symbian S60 and MS Smartphone versions. The former is really ($5) cheap; the latter $5 cheaper than the Pocket PC version.
There is a trial version, which is pretty limited: not only does it contain only one map, but also the game stops after two minutes. That is, it’s pretty impossible to judge the real merits of the game solely based on the demo.
Compatibility
It’s only compatible with WM5 devices. The demo can’t be installed on anything older.
It worked on all my VGA WM5 devices (HP iPAQ hx4700, Dell Axim x51v, HTC Universal).
On my QVGA HTC Wizard with the AKU3.2 KTamas/bepe ROM, first, it ran OK. When I couldn’t get out of a menu, I’ve soft reset the device; after that, the game wouldn’t start any more – only the title was displayed. An un-, and, then, reinstall didn’t help. After this, not even a hard reset did help – the game just wouldn’t start any more. I had to re-flash the entire ROM (now, switching back to Molski 2.26) to be able to install and, then, play the game again. (With the Molski ROM, I’ve also tested whether resetting the device results in the consequent inability to start. Haven’t encountered the same problem. That is, this problem may be AKU3.2 KTamas/bepe ROM related only.
Gameplay
An excerpt from the ad: “Build your buildings on a variety of landscapes and prevent opponents from doing the same. Use your grapple to grab building parts and weapons. Place pieces at acceptable locations and fire weapons at your enemies or their buildings; the green arrow indicates potential targets. If you have the most points when time runs out you win!
Take on computer opponents in single player mode and work your way through increasingly difficult levels to see if you can beat the high score or play your friends using Bluetooth enabled phones. See who can build the most buildings while taking down your opponent's in a race against time in one of the 3D worlds!”
I’d say it’s the best when played against human opponents. Against the computer, it can become pretty boring after a while – at least in my opinion.
Multiplayer
The title uses local native Widcomm-only Bluetooth support. Native means you don’t need to re-pair the devices before playing or set up a BT PAN between them. Local means it can’t be played through the Net.
On Widcomm-based devices, the main menu is populated with a Multiplayer option; this is not the case with Microsoft Bluetooth stack-based devices (HTC Universal and HTC Wizard screenshots), as with some other, Widcomm-only games like those of Infinite Dreams.
As far as multiplayer gameplay is concerned, the multiplayer originator only has the choice of choosing a level (as opposed to, say, 4Pockets' multiplayer games) before starting to wait for opponents.
The client, after having looked for servers, will list all the Widcomm-based computers in the vicinity regardless of their running a game or not. Then, after choosing the right one, the game will start.
I had no real stability, disconnection or lag problems playing over Bluetooth. The speed did decrease a bit and there was indeed a bit lag, but this wasn’t really serious.
Graphics
It’s pretty OK for a 3D game. It uses high resolution graphics on VGA devices. It, however, doesn’t take advantage of the 2700G accelerator in Dell Axim x50v / x51v models (that is, the “Compatibility: Pocket PC 3D Accelerator (Axim x50v/x51v)” in the ad only means “compatibility” but not “taking advantage of”. As with many other games, this can be pretty misleading for a lot of unsuspecting people.)
Music / Sound
There is absolutely no music in the game. The sound effects are scarce (only explosions and pick up/drop sounds) and not very good.
Summary
Pros
Runs in both Landscape and Portrait. In Landscape, it re-stretches the contents of the screen and, therefore, the text may be a bit misshaped compared to the Portrait mode
VGA resolution on VGA devices
Cons
WM5 only
Multiplayer-wise, Widcomm-only; this, effectively, makes it impossible to play multiplayer games on the vast majority of WM5 devices
No “Exit / Cancel” in many menus.
No music at all; sound effects are rare
While you can redefine buttons / functionality, you can’t use non-D-pad arrow buttons – they will invoke the original functions. If you un-map these functions in the system-level Buttons applet, you won’t be able to assign them at all – in the Configure menu, they won’t be at all noticed
Verdict
Well, this game still requires a LOT of work. First, implementing support for the Microsoft Bluetooth stack. Second, some in-game music would be welcome. Disabling in-game hardware buttons (so that they don't switch to the assigned application) would also be welcome.
Also, I think the price is way too high for a game like this. While you may consider the game amusing, IMHO, it’s a bit on the dull side and certainly wouldn’t pay 20 bucks for it.
Recommended links
Don’t forget to check out my other game reviews here. I also recommend the game reviews in the Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine's Expert Blog by Ben Stanley, Al Harrington and Eric Pankoke.
The Definitive Multiplayer PPC Game Roundup - everything you will ever need to know about multiplayer games on the Pocket PC.
(Original heads-up news source: PocketGamer.org)

REVIEW: Warelex releases flight simulation Sky Racer

Warelex, an established Symbian / Java developer but a newcomer to Pocket PC development, has just released their second Pocket PC title (the first, Sky Striker, was released back in July), a flight simulator title Sky Racer.
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The game, which is a traditional mission-based title, starts with a pretty simple tutorial (screenshot 2 3), which, then, is followed by more interesting missions.
Availability, compatibility
Te game is available here. The trial is pretty playable; the game costs $19.95.
Currently, while the developer advertises it as WM2003(SE)-compliant, it isn’t – it can’t be installed on these devices. That is, it only runs on WM5 ones.
As far as the latter are concerned, I have’t had any problems on mine.
Sounds, in-game music
There is no in-game music, just in the menu (the same as in the previous title, Sky Striker); the sounds are pretty OK.
Visuals
They’re pretty OK for a non-3D-accelerated title. If you are into nice visuals (and don’t mind the close-to-unplayable speed on even the, for gaming, fastest Pocket PC’s like the Dell Axim x51v), you may like the visuals. Needless to say, it doesn’t make use of the high-resolution capabilities of VGA devices – except for the space shooter Anthelion II, no 3D simulation title does that without true 3D hardware acceleration support.
Compared to Sky Striker
Pros
Controls at last definable (screenshot 2) – no more problems with few-button or PPC Phone Edition devices like the iPAQ 2210, the HTC Universal and the HTC Wizard
Support for different profiles
Touchscreen support at last (should be controlled in the lower right quarter only)
Screen orientation can be freely chosen: Portrait (great news for Pocket PC users of models (like the Dell Axim x50v/x51v) having polarization problems in Landscape) and two Landscape modes. Sky Striker only supported the two Landscape modes but not Portrait
Cons
Without explicitly switching to using low-quality textures, it’s pretty slow on the x51v - Sky Striker was definitely faster, albeit it had much worse visuals (no skies, pretty low-res textures etc). On the overclocked (!) HTC Wizard, it’s almost unplayable – in there, I needed to switch to even low-resolution (160*120), which, of course, looks pretty ugly low-resolution. With everything setting to low-quality, it’s pretty responsive – but, then, the visuals really suffer. That is, on some devices, you MUST manually decrease the graphics detail, while, on some other, the default “auto detect” will be OK.
Only available CAB installer is WM5-only – no WM2003 support any more (unlike with Sky Striker), despite what the official compatibility statement states
Generic problems
No pre-WM5 support – I’ve tested the (slightly different) CAB files on both the official homepage and Handango.
No in-game music and it uses exactly the same menu music as Sky Striker – I’d expect of a pretty expensive ($19.95) title at least a new menu music!
Still no OpenGL-ES / 2700G or any kind of 3D support. Developers, we do want hardware 3D support!
Bad English, a lot of typos (examples: the resolution setting dialog, the video scheme dialog
Screenshots
The new settings screen: advanced video settings: 1 2 3 4. Also see the homepage of the game for more screenshots.
Verdict
This title definitely has advancements over the first Pocket PC title of the developer, particularly controllability- and fine tune-wise – it seems the developers have really read my Sky Striker review and implemented what I’ve mostly complained about (except for OpenGL-ES / 2700G support).
I can also recommend it over OmniGSoft’s well-known Mini-Dogfight and Mini-Jetfight (please see the Multiplayer Bible for more information on these titles) because, now, controllability- and fine tuning-wise, this title is considerably better, not to mention the much better missions. You may only want to stick to the OmniGSoft titles if you need multiplayer support, which the Warelex title, unfortunately, (still?) lacks.
If you are a flight simulation fan, give this game a try.

REVIEW: HeroCraft's new Breakout clone BallRush Aqua

Russian multiplatform game developer company HeroCraft HiTec isn't a newcomer to the mobile (including Pocket PC) gaming scene. They have released several titles: Arcade Park, which I kinda like; its watered-down and, therefore, not recommended Arcades for Adults, the multiplayer Cake Press and the highly recommended (for multiplayer fans) Battle Cake. Now, they have come out with BallRush Aqua - a Breakout clone.
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As opposed to coin-up conversions (Arcade Park) or multiplayer titles (Battle Cake), there are quite a few Breakout clones for the Pocket PC. This means a new Breakout clone must be substantially better than the alternatives already available so that I can recommend it. Let's see how the new game compares to already-established games like Isotope 244 Graphics' really excellent Acky's XP Breakout, the, in my opinion, by far the best breakout game for the Pocket PC.
BallRush Aqua is a traditional breakout clone with a twist and some new, in Pocket PC Breakout clones, not used powerups and a slightly different approach to finishing a level (you don't need to destroy all blocks, just make sure the ball gets to the upper part of the screen; in this way, even an otherwise negative powerup ("Ghost") will help).
For example, it has an autopilot power-up, which makes the Pocket PC itself control the platform. (A side remark: unfortunately, this control is "sticky" and you don't have any chance to switch to manual mode, not even temporarily, to pick up bonuses. Furthermore, when you have more than one ball on the screen (for example, you've triped the number of the balls with the related powerup), auto mode will only follow one of these balls and won't try to keep all of them in game.)
In addition, it has another unique power-up, the radio control, which makes it possible to remotely control the ball. Controlling is pretty hard because you can only have a direct effect on the trajectory of the ball. Without some getting used to, you won't really find this powerup useful. When you, however, do learn how to effectively use this powerup, you'll find it OK.
Availability, compatibility
The developer's homepage still doesn't contain any information on the game. Therefore, you'll need to get it from, say, PocketGear.
As far as compatibility is concerned, it's compatible with WM2003+. Haven't had any problems on any of my (compatible) Pocket PC's: HP iPAQ 2210, Dell Axim x51v, HTC Wizard, Pocket Loox 720; it was only on the WM5-upgraded HP iPAQ hx4700 that it didn't even start.
Sounds
There are some three or four in-game tracked music tracks and a different menu music. All of them are sufficiently long (except for the menu music, which is about 1 minute long only) and played back in stereo. In this respect, this title fares better than, say, Spb Arkaball II but is still much inferior to Acky (Acky has probably best in-game music, as far as Pocket PC games are concerned).
Visuals
There is no high resolution support on VGA devices, unlike with Spb Arkaball II or Acky. This is a definite minus. Otherwise, it's pretty OK, albeit it doesn't really have much to write home about (for example, the exposions aren't particularly nice).
Other remarks
Unfortunately, the game uses the CPU all the time, even when there's absolutely no sound/animation on the screen (for example, on the starting screen). This causes high battery drain. Hopefully the HeroCraft folks look into this problem and, preferably, fix it.
Unlike with Acky and like many other Breakout titles, the platform can't be instantly positioned.
Compared to Acky
Pros
No need to destroy all blocks to pass a level
Cons
No instant platform positioning capabilities (you may, however, consider this a Pro instead)
Low-resolution graphics on VGA devices
Less and shorter music
Portrait only (Acky has native support for Portrait/Landscape orientation (you can play the game in both orientations))
$0.02 more expensive
As far as Spb Arkaball II (also part of Spb AirIslands) is concerned: well, hard to decide between the two titles. Spb Arkaball II is definitely cheaper ($9.95) and supports VGA natively. Its in-game music and sound effects are, however, in my opinion, far inferior to that of this title (and you can't change the in-game music in the former).
Verdict
While this title definitely isn't an Acky killer, you may still want to give it a try, especially if you dislike the in-game music of Spb Arkaball II.
Recommended links
ROUNDUP: 3D Arkanoid (Breakout) clones on the Pocket PC
REVIEW: Breakout clone Another Ball Magic version 1.8 by Paragon Software
Roundup of All Pocket PC Games Part I (for some other Breakout clones)

Isotope244 (Acky’s XP Breakout etc.) releases beta of GREAT RTS game Machines at War

Many game buffs know the name of Isotope244, the developer of Acky’s XP Breakout, the, in my opinion, (particularly music-wise) best Breakout clone for Windows Mobile Pocket PC’s.
Their latest development is an Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game, Machines at War, promised to be released in a week and already having a public beta HERE.
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((Q)VGA Pocket PC / Smartphone)
(176*220 Smartphone)
I’ve thoroughly tested the game and found it, apart from some problems (of which I’ll later elaborate on), definitely better than the two other native (!) RTS games for the Pocket PC, Warfare Incorporated and Argentum.
(Here, I don’t count in the Age of Empires port; neither do I take emulation into account. Just keep in mind that some early RTS games like Dune II can be very well emulated under even free (!) MS-DOS emulators on the Pocket PC and Smartphone. See THIS for more information on all this. Note that there are a lot of other “ancient” home computer / console platforms with early RTS games too; of them, however, you’ll want to prefer mouse-based ones like the above-mentioned MS-DOS emulators, the Amiga and the Atari ST emulators. See my emulation-related articles for more information. You might also want to give a try to n0p’s Stratagus & Wargus port to play, say, Warcraft II.)
As usual, instead of publishing a full tutorial to the game (just start playing the title and you’ll very quickly learn how to play it), I publish several tricks & tips, mostly in the extensive Comparison & Feature Chart.
What makes this game good?
First, great news for MS Smartphone (WM Standard) users: it runs on all kinds of Smartphones – even on low-end, 176*220 ones. Regardless of the lack of the touch screen, it’s pretty much playable even on these platforms – particularly, if you have a Smartphone with a built-in QWERTY keyboard. If you define keyboard shortcuts (in which this title is exceptionally good at) for, for example, group assignment / recall, you can really quickly operate even without a stylus.
There are some welcome additions missing from even desktop-based strategy games (for example, deploying the same building multiple times with a simple stylus drag (or, on Smartphones, D-Pad + hold down left softkey) operation, parallel unit production in parallel factories with little stylus (D-pad + left softkey on Smartphones) usage, really good stats (see the “Stats” row in the Chart for some screenshots to see how freaking good they are) or the ability to select any number of units at the same time. For example, Starcraft, probably the best RTS of all times on desktop Windows, lacks all of these features.
It allows for grouping units – only Argentum allows for this (and, of course, Starcraft) – Warfare doesn’t. What is more, you can even use hardware buttons / keys to quickly access these groups – which is particularly nice with devices having a built-in keyboard, which the game makes full use of (along with the traditional Pocket PC / Smartphone keys like red/green phone buttons, softkeys, volume buttons, home / back buttons on the Smartphone and app buttons on the Pocket PC).
It has full keyboard / button redefinition support. In this respect, it’s FAR better than anything else.
Graphically, the game is MUCH prettier than Warfare. Explosions are great, so are trails. Damage done to the terrain is visible throughout all the game – no other PPC RTS game offers this (and not even Starcraft, of course.)
Last but not least, the developer is REALLY open to discussions and requests. This means the bullets listed in the “Bad” section below may soon be last year's snow.
The bad
Currently, there’s no multiplayer support; albeit, the developer promised he will look into implementing it if the game sells well
If you only have a 176*220 Smartphone, some of the texts / explanations will be pretty hard to read (see for example the “Tech tree” screenshots in the Chart).
There is (still?) no multiplayer support, unlike with Warfare (and, of course, Starcraft)
The lack of Attack-move is a real pain in the back (as is with the two other native RTS titles – see the “Attack-Move (instead of simple move)” row in the “Unit movement & selection” section). Hope the developer fixes this – I’ve been discussing this issue with him in several mails. Incidentally, there are no Patrol and waypoint functionalities (see the “Patrol?” row) either.
Also, the game, currently (the developer also promised he will look into this) lacks automatic moving to position and answering to fire upon an attack to a very closely placed, friendly unit. In this respect, both Starcraft and Warfare Incorporated are far better – unless the units in the former are explicitly ordered to Hold, in which case they in no way will leave their position to answer fire out of their range.
The comparison / feature chart
It’s available HERE. As usual, it’s a MUST to check it out. Also make sure you check out the (several) screenshots linked from the chart – I’ve made a lot to show examples of what I speak of.
As I’ve already explained the meaning of most of the rows in the chart, I don’t elaborate on it any more. If you don’t understand something or need help with a specific issue, let me know, though.
Quick note for QVGA (as opposed to 176*220) Smartphone users
By default, as of the current beta (I’m pretty sure the problem will be fixed in the final, commercial version), the game runs in 176*220 mode. To switch this to QVGA (and to use the standard PPC GUI), you’ll need THIS file. (Right-click to download as it’s an XML file – don’t left-click it!) Just copy it into the home directory of your game, overwriting the old one.
Verdict
Without doubt, this title is by far the best and most promising title. A must, particularly if you “only” have a MS Smartphone (that is, without any other real RTS titles). I really hope it does receive multiplayer support, attack-move functionality and a way to disable the default ‘hold’ setting for units.

UPDATE (06/30/2007):
version 0.91 out with a LOT of enhancements and bug fixes, most of them are in direct response to my suggestions. This means the majority of my grieves with the game (for example, the lack of attack+move mode) are no longer topical. Please see the list of enhancements on the product feedback page.
PPCT frontpage.