Here is the deal: I've decided to stop updating the blog.That is probably obvious to those who come here often, but I wanted to make it official.
Even though I still like playing mobile games I've noticed that at some point I've lost my motivation to try the new titles out there. In fact I rarely find a recent mobile game that can keep my attention for more than 5 minutes nowadays.Perhaps it's because I've played way too much java games over the years and most new titles are far from innovative but I see no point in writing countless reviews basically saying "been there, done that". Besides the new 3d graphics just look butt ugly on most occasions.
The big companies decided to keep to the formula of "rediscovering classic game designs" which actually means keeping the truly original content to a minimum.
Over the years the world leader Gameloft, that started as the equivalent of Blizzard (small portfolio of truly great games) became the EA of mobile gaming (giant portfolio of sequels with minor to null improvements).
EA games mobile is quite the same but with even lower production values and Glu mobile seems to have lost its edge after the initial strong start.
Perhaps the problem is in me, but looking back over the last few months I see few decent attempts at originality (all done by small companies)and they all failed miserably due to the lack of marketing prowess.
So I decided it's time to retire from mobile game reviewing. The mobile gaming in its present state simply does not deserve my attention.This is especially true to the java based gaming platform.
I want to thank all the returning visitors for their attention and endurance :) and for staying with this blog through its short life.
Wish you all the best :)
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A late goodbye
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Week#12 - N-gage titles, iPhone games
I'm back. Not that I was away at any time but nothing really interesting was going on in the mobile game industry. Nokia tried to extort gamers to pay for their N-gage games more than once to play them on different devices. Than someone in their marketing department figured out it was a bad marketing move and they backed down, promising to find a better solution.
In other news some of the biggest players of the mobile game market are still working on a number of iPhone and ipod touch games. It is for the most part a simple (design wise) process and we can soon expect an onslaught of titles for these devices. Don't hold your breath though- the titles I know of are quite a boring selection, so no chances for your iphone to kick the PSP into oblivion (pun intended) as a gaming device.
MORE...Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Week#9
I've missed the traditional Monday Editorial (sorry about that). The truth is I've recently rediscovered a couple of my old hobbies and I have no time for mobile games.What this basically means is that I'm putting the blog on hold. Kind of. I'm still going to write materials, but I don't really guarantee that they will come frequently. I will however try to keep the editorials on time, so in case something significant happens you'll know about it :)
Have fun!
MORE...Thursday, May 15, 2008
WWE: SmackDown vs. Raw 2008- The best wrestling game on a mobile?
What is it: The title pretty much sums it up. Two championships, twelve wrestlers (plus one custom), normal and hardcore matches. It is also the series debut in 3d on a mobile phone.
What looks good: Customization options, Graphics(if you happen to prefer angular and jagged 3d over jagged and pixelized 2d)
What looks bad: Short, some moves are not animated well, repeatable gameplay, hardcore matches suck
Will I review if I can: I'd like to, but I probably won't.
Comments: It is the best mobile wrestling game so far, but sometimes the best is not enough. The customization options and the possibility to create your own wrestler with specific moves are great, but the list of moves is pretty short and the gameplay boils down to the following scenario:
Hit him times times, grab him for a couple of knees in the gut, bulldog, stomp 'im on the ground (power meter is probably full by now if not repeat until full), wait for him to stand up and execute finisher (not really necessary), pin him down.This works every time even on highest difficulty so the game isn't much of a challenge. Then again if you're a real wrestling fan you're probably spend a lot more time with this game than the 20 or so minutes you need to complete it for the first time.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Opera mini 4.1- the best mobile browser has a new version
This will have to classify as a Quickie:
Name: Opera mini 4.1
What is it: The newest version of the best Internet browser on a mobile phone
What looks good: Faster, easier to use, capabilities to match some desktop browsers
What looks bad: Nothing.Browsing on a small sized screen still sucks but the browser does the best job possible under these conditions.
Will I review if I can: I already did when it was still in beta version. Check it here
Comments: You can pick the appropriate version and download it to your phone or PC from this page
MORE...Monday, May 12, 2008
Week#8
This will be a Quickie week again- I have difficulties finding anything deserving a full review. There are however a couple of promising titles, I've been thinking about lately so I might write something after all.
I'm also thinking about one of those "How to" articles but I'll probably just lazy out of this one.
MORE...Saturday, May 10, 2008
ASPHALT 3: STREET RULES- the next Gameloft attempt at Need for speed's crown
Name: Asphalt3:Street rules (aka Asphalt3- N-Gage)
What is it: Urban, arcade style racer, heavily influenced by the Need for speed series. Remake of Asphalt 3: Street Rules 3D with better visuals and some minor extras
What looks good: Visuals
What looks bad: Unoriginal
Will I review if I can: No
Comments: It is a great game if you like the Asphalt series and/or the NFS series on PC and it is probably the best game available for the N-Gage2 platform at the moment. I wouldn't play it myself though-I hate playing games I've worked on, even if it was for the brief period of two weeks or so.
MORE...
