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Updates: Thursday March 01 - Saturday March 31
Galaxy Quest coming to the Pocket PC universe
[ Saturday, March 31 ]
Galaxy Quest, currently only available for Palm devices, is in the process of being ported over to Windows CE courtesy of Raymond Staten, who is "currently working with PTS Software". The game "should be available for all Pocket PC devices in a few weeks. This version will be a basic port of the Palm version, however, in the future, we will be making Galaxy Quest 2, with a special enhanced version for the Pocket PC, featuring high quality sound and 3-D graphics. To talk to us about the port, or find out more, you can go to the discussion boards."
New PocketGB beta: Now with NES!
[ Saturday, March 31 ]
PocketGB author, Aaron Oneal, wrote in to say that the a new beta version of the emulator has been released. Along with plenty of improvements to the Game Boy emulation, PocketGB now includes a NES plug-in as well. What's more, "Sega MasterSystem and GameGear plug-ins are on the way too".
The download link for the new version can be found on the Products page, and all helpful feedback is most welcome! Thanks also to John Lomax for alerting me to the new release.
Blending in with the 3D crowd
[ Saturday, March 31 ]
Ashley Jones pointed out an interesting Slashdot article talking about the fact that Blender, a 3D animation and game creation suite, was recently shown running on an iPAQ:
"With a textured game demo playback of 3-4 frames per second, without CPU optimization, it was another confirmation of the power of NaN [Not a Number] technology to shape next generation digital media. Mobile and PDA 3D gaming is arriving!"
Chopper Alley takes to the skies!
[ Saturday, March 31 ]
The most anticipated Pocket PC game yet, Chopper Alley, has been released! The long-awaited helicopter sim is currently only available to buy for the iPAQ, although versions for other devices are set to follow shortly.
One slight caveat, however. Due to a bug discovered late on in the mission code, the game will currently only run in "EXPLORER MODE."
What this means is "that Chopper Alley will run like a regular flight simulator, i.e. you can select mission, scenery, chopper, load your chopper with weapons and fly around and explore the sceneries. But the Mission Controller code will not be started. Without an active Mission Controller in the simulation, mission events, logic and sound will not be executed."
Registered users will receive an e-mail notifying them when the fix is available, expected to be next week. What's more...
"As a compensation, our registered customers will receive an EXCLUSIVE MISSION PACK shortly after. The mission pack will feature a new SCENERY with a RAILWAY STATION! It comes complete with moving trains for you to destroy!!!
A couple of train-related MISSIONS.
It will also feature a NEW CHOPPER! It's a very different chopper, with some unique properties.
Will the mission pack be available for everyone?
The mission pack WILL NEVER be public available! It will be DISTRIBUTED DIRECTLY to our registered customers as soon as the final release is out. After that, it will never be
available. It's a great mission pack, 100 % on par with Chopper Alley...and all the trains are just soooo cool! We never intended to give it away for free - but we care about having satisfied customers, and we hate not begin able to release a 100% complete product on time."
Pocket Quake out for Jornada
[ Saturday, March 31 ]
An SH3 version of Pocket Quake is now available, meaning that Jornada owners can sample the fun... and vote in the poll!
Double-dose of madness
[ Friday, March 30 ]
Visionary Design have released two new puzzle games, Memory Madness and Slider Madness. Memory Madness, costing $14.95, is a version of the memory game, Pairs, where the object of the game is to match up two of the same image. Slider Madness, costing $13.95, is a variant of the classic sliding-tile puzzle games, where your objective is to "rearrange the tiles to their original positions so that the picture is correct". Uniquely, adult versions of both games are also available for a slightly higher price.
JS Landscape now up to VGA standard!
[ Thursday, March 29 ]
Thanks to Jason Surguine for alerting to me to the fact that the latest beta version of Jimmy Software's landscape utility, JS Landscape, is now out. Incredibly, the maximum resolution is now the same as standard VGA - 640x480 pixels... although good eyesight is required!
Mancala
[ Thursday, March 29 ]
Mage wrote in to say that he has written "a version of Mancala, the ancient African board game. Players take turn moving marbles around the board, competing to get the most in their own score cup."
He notes that "this is my first game, and the first release of it at that, so it's missing quite a few features, such as game options, AI, etc... I plan on writing all of these into the game as soon as possible, but I have midterms at the moment so it's slow going."
Mancala PPC is available for all Pocket PC's, freeware, and the "source code has been included with the game so others can learn along with me, or else help me out with my coding skills."
Turjah II screenshots
[ Thursday, March 29 ]
Top French site, LudiPocket, were sent some Turjah Episode II screenshots (by Sudchay Kanchana). The game, from the legendary Jimmy Software, was on display at CeBIT. Thanks to Johan Palm for pointing this out.
Driven to Distraction
[ Thursday, March 29 ]
PocketGamer.org reviewer Jason Surguine has taken Palmtop Software's V-Rally for a test drive. But does the game offer more in the way of spills than thrills? Read Jason's definitive account to find out...
New Weeboo release
[ Wednesday, March 28 ]
Weeboo version 0.2 is now out, boasting plenty of new features. These include SH3 support, an easy installation program, a new, larger level to explore and plenty more besides!
PocketHexen available to download!
[ Wednesday, March 28 ]
PocketHexen is now available to download, as spotted by Mr Visitor in this Pocket Quake discussion thread. It would appear that the game offers support for all Pocket PC's (ARM, MIPS and SH3), and the site also offers you the chance to download the necessary accompanying shareware WAD (level) file.
Don't play it... Swap it!
[ Wednesday, March 28 ]
PDAutilities.com have released Swap it!, their latest puzzle offering. As taken from the site:
"The game is very simple however challenging. The target of the game is to take out as many items as you can by swapping two adjacent items. Once you eliminate some of the items (by achieving rows of columns of three of a kind) more are falling and so forth."
Swap it! is commercial software, priced at $7.99. A demo version is available to download.
Voxel demo heralds new game
[ Wednesday, March 28 ]
The voxel landscape demo mentioned below is actually "the first running demonstration of the graphics engine for a PocketPC game that is currently under development at Davilex". Check out the demo's homepage on the Davilex site which also reveals that although the demo only runs on the iPAQ, "the finished game will run on all major devices". Discussion in this Brighthand thread.
Sum puzzler
[ Wednesday, March 28 ]
Puzzle Express have released their latest Pocket PC offering, Cross Numbers. The object of the game is to "place numbers so that each column, each row and each 3x3 square contain the numbers 1 - 9 once and only once".
Cross Numbers features "50 puzzle grids", "4 difficulty levels" and an "unlimited number of puzzle combinations". A trial version is available; the full version costs $15.
Voxel techology demo
[ Tuesday, March 27 ]
Jacco Bikker, author of the Pocket PC Lemmings clone, wrote in to let me know that he has made available a "a nice voxel landscape demo" with "a spherical sky, reflective water with waves, a very smooth landscape and the demo is for PPC AND Win9x PC's". Available for the iPAQ only, the demo boasts some extremely impressive graphics and is well worth a look. Discussion in this Brighthand thread.
PocketHexen on the horizon!
[ Tuesday, March 27 ]
I recently received an e-mail from Terry Whiterod which contained some very interesting information:
"I am now 1 week away from releasing a port of Hexen to the pocket PC. I only have some final testing to do and the web site to setup. The port will be hosted by raven-games.com [note: different from the official Raven site].
The port is as close to the original as possible and includes:
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Support for shareware, full retail and custom wad files
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6 channel stereo sound with pitch bend (all done in software)
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Soft keyboard and soft game pad (for iPAQ users) so you can enter cheat codes and get over the iPAQ's button limitations
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Special compression for the wad files so they take up half the space but it does not slow the game down. In fact if the data is stored on a memory card then it should be quicker.
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Compressed saved games to keep memory usage low.
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Support for Arm, Mips, SH3 via the Microsoft GameAPI. Only tested on MIPS but should work on others as no MIPS specific code is used.
Due to be released Monday 2nd April."
BrainDrain: Beta application closes, forum opens
[ Tuesday, March 27 ]
BrainDrain have announced that they have now closed their beta application program and "are in the process of selecting participants now". In the meantime, the company has opened its official discussion forum, which is hosted at PocketNow.
Chopper Alley: Registration open!
[ Monday, March 26 ]
If you're one of those people who simply can't wait, you can now pre-order your registration code for the eagerly-anticipated helicopter extravaganza, Chopper Alley. This will allow you "immediate access to the full registered version on Friday 30th, March. Registration codes will otherwise be distributed within 24 hours of purchase."
More emulators on the way...
[ Monday, March 26 ]
Stuart Russell, author of the Atari 2600 VCS emulator, states in a posting in this Brighthand thread that he has "several more emulators in the works, including other Atari computers, ColecoVision, Intellivision, and Vic-20. Sources will be posted once the emulators are partially functional". In a later post, he indicates that the Coleco emulator will be finished first.
As if that wasn't enough, he's also "working on a 386+VGA mode 13 emulator to be simplify running 320X200X256 DOS games on the PDAs" which would open up a whole new world of DOS software to the Pocket PC. As this project "is a major undertaking", help is requested in both writing and testing the program. If you wish to offer your services, you should send Stuart an e-mail.
iTARI: Atari for the iPAQ
[ Monday, March 26 ]
The ARM port of the Atari 2600 VCS emulator is now online and available to download. Going by the name of iTARI, the port comes courtesy of Carpediem (with the website by 999).
Atari Emulator: Name wanted, ARM soon
[ Sunday, March 25 ]
The recently released Atari 2600 VCS emulator is in need of naming. Ideas should be e-mailed to the author, and the winner will be listed in the program's credits.
In other news, the emulator has now been compiled for the ARM processor of the iPAQ (courtesy of Carpediem) and a download link should be announced very soon. All that's needed is confirmation from the author, according to a post from 999 in this Brighthand thread.
Brainy beta testers sought!
[ Sunday, March 25 ]
Brain Drain Productions are the latest company to hit the Pocket PC gaming scene and their first release, a space shoot-em-up called G-Prime, will go into beta soon.
There's a chance for you to get involved, however, as the company are seeking beta testers to help with the game's development. For full details of requirements and how to apply, see the Beta Application page.
Atari emulator released
[ Saturday, March 24 ]
Stuart Russell is the man behind the latest Pocket PC emulator, PocketPC Atari 2600 VCS. Just in case its name wasn't enough of a clue, the machine being emulated here is the venerable Atari 2600 VCS, although at the time of writing the only supported device is the Casio E-125. The source code to the project is available, however, so versions for other Pocket PC's will hopefully start arriving very soon.
As quoted from the site, features include:
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Support for many 2k, 4k, 8k, 12k, and 16k ROMs conforming to the 2K, 4K, FA, F8, F6 and E0 memory mappings.
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Player 1 Joystick and Paddle (Touchscreen) are supported.
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Interlacing mode for double field games, such are Yar's Revenge and Asteroids.
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Landscape mode for true 320X192 graphic display. Controls are turned for left hand orientation.
As the emulator is very recent, there are still a few issues to be worked out and new features to be added. For example, "sound is "almost" ready, as are a few other features such as keypad emulation, and full mapping support". Credit goes to bf for posting the link in this Brighthand thread.
Galaxy found in Pocket PC!
[ Saturday, March 24 ]
Leopoldo Bueno Castillo, better known as the author of Leo's Flight Sim, has come up with another fun piece of freeware. Although it's not strictly a game, Leo's Void, a virtual reality planetarium, is still Very Cool Indeed.
Incidentally, the automatic installer didn't seem to work with my iPAQ, so you may need to copy across the CAB file and do a manual install (i.e. run the CAB file on your device from File Explorer). My thanks to LudiPocket for bringing my attention to this program.
AIM target Jornada users
[ Saturday, March 24 ]
AIM Productions, who recently released Pocket Wordquake, are looking for Jornada owners to beta-test their software. To apply to become a tester, simply send them an e-mail.
Nvidia to make 3D chip for CE?
[ Saturday, March 24 ]
It would appear that graphics gurus Nvidia are looking at making a graphics chip for Windows CE based devices according to this CeBIT article which states that "the product line is also going to be extended to the handheld market". Kudos to PDA Buzz for spotting this one.
New links pages: Multimedia, Skins & Wallpapers
[ Saturday, March 24 ]
I've added two new links pages to the site. The first, Multimedia, contains links to useful audio/video resources (e.g. MIDI/MOD players, video collections). The Skins & Wallpapers section, as you might expect, offers all the links you might ever need to customise your Pocket PC. If anyone knows of any potential additions, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Become a Pocket PC games programmer!
[ Saturday, March 24 ]
Jonathan Harbour has put together Pocket PC Game Programmer, a book that "focuses on the design and development of complete games, with special emphasis on "play anywhere" games using wireless technologies. Using the example code from the author's real game projects, users can immediately start their own projects. This book gives readers the knowledge needed to expand the performance and capabilities of their game projects using an event-driven Pocket PC Game Library that is developed from scratch with the following features: message handling, game timing, bitmaps, sprites, animation, sound effects, button and stylus input, infrared ports, and client/server networking."
Oh, and it features Pocket Millionaire, so it's got to be good! ;-)
Service Pack 1 available
[ Saturday, March 24 ]
It's not games-related, but I haven't seen this posted on any other major sites yet, so why not? Service Pack 1 for the Pocket PC is now available to download from Microsoft's PocketPC.com site. The package "contains a number of fixes for Internet Explorer for Pocket PC, but does not include any new features or functionality". Thanks to nanastas for pointing this out in this Brighthand thread.
PocketMotus
[ Friday, March 23 ]
As spotted on ce4you, Franįois Pessaux has released Pocket Motus, "a Pocket PC implementation of the well-known TV-game "Motus". The principle is about a Mastermind game with words. This means that you have to guess a word chosen by the computer in a database. For each suggestion you submit, you will be given clues indicating whether each of the letters are existing and/or right/wrong placed compared to the hidden word."
Pocket Motus is freeware, and its eVC++ source code is included in the download.
Chopper Alley: Out March 30!
[ Friday, March 23 ]
Here's the discussion thread where you can find full details of Chopper Alley's release. To sum up, the game will be released on Friday, March 30, when you'll be able to download the free demo version exclusively from PocketGear. Registering your copy of the game, which will cost $19.00, unlocks the full, unrestricted version of the game (more choppers, weapons, missions, scenery). You can register your copy in advance, starting from this Monday.
Chopper Alley will support the iPAQ immediately upon release, while a version for the E-125 and EM-500 will follow on Friday, April 13. Amazing Games have not yet decided whether to release a Jornada version of the game, as performance is "significantly lower" - this will be determined by the evaluation reports of a "selection of HP users". For @migo support, you are requested to "contact Amazing Games directly for details, as Chopper Alley for @migo will not be available in retail version just yet".
Thanks to Covert50, IndiQa and Jason Surguine for pointing out the link.
1-0 to the Pocket PC!
[ Thursday, March 22 ]
Many thanks to Jason Cooper for alerting me to the existence of Poccer, "a challenging one on one soccer game - you against the PocketPC. Score goals and defend your goal. The game adapts to challenge your skill level as you improve."
Having tried it out myself (being a fan of the beautiful game), I can say that it is extremely basic although in its favour the game, written by Groupworks Development Co., is freeware.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find a homepage either for the game or for the company behind it so the link is to a ZDNet product page. There is, however, a contact e-mail address for you to send in your comments, questions, compliments, etc.
Mega new games
[ Thursday, March 22 ]
Megasoft 2000 have released two new Pocket PC games in the shape of Sokoban and Game 15. The former is a version of the classic puzzle game where your objective is to push various objects into a target area. Sokoban is shareware, with a registration fee of $14.95.
Game 15 is a mathematical puzzler where the object of the game is to "order blocks on the playground according to the increase of their numbers from the top left to the right bottom". The game is also shareware, this time with a price tag of $12.95.
How to fly a chopper...
[ Thursday, March 22 ]
Check out Sven Myhre's latest posting in this discussion thread in which he takes you "through a quick flight lesson, so that you don't have to waste any time reading boring flight instructions after you've downloaded Chopper Alley". Release information should be out either later today or tomorrow depending on your location.
NewtonQuake: Just for a laugh...
[ Wednesday, March 21 ]
Ashley Jones wrote in to let me know about an old site offering NewtonQuake for the now defunct Apple Newton handheld, which was at one time apparently "the only port of Quake to a handheld PC". The port ran at a speedy 16 frames per second and boasted an impressive list of features. Just one slight problem: it was only an April Fool's joke - see the admission right at the bottom of the FAQ!
The FAQ contains a rather ironic item, however:
"Q: How about a WinCE version?
A: Since NewtonQuake uses a great deal of assembly language, a WinCE version would only be possible if there is a WinCE device that uses the Newton's StrongARM processor."
Pretty impressive foresight... :-)
Chess on AvantGo
[ Wednesday, March 21 ]
LudiGames, the people behind the upcoming Pocket PC Rayman port and the AvantGo adventure games, have made available a beta version of LudiChess, a chess game that allows you to play other players from the around the world "online" using AvantGo. You can sign up for the game in one of three languages: English, French or German.
Horace to beta in May?
[ Wednesday, March 21 ]
There's a post from Daniel Jackson, author of quite a few high-quality freeware games which you can find at his Pocket PC Games site, in this Brighthand thread regarding his platform game, Horace in Hogland that is currently under development. He states that "the engine is mostly complete (and manages 33fps on my 70Mhz MIPS). You'll have to wait until at least May for a beta of Horace".
Incidentally, on the next page of the same thread, Frederik Malmer confirms that he now has enough beta testers... so thanks, but no more please!
New Pocket PC from Siemens
[ Wednesday, March 21 ]
Siemens have announced a new Pocket PC which includes mobile phone functionality (using GPRS). The device will incorporate 32 MB of RAM, a CF and MMC slot, along with featuring a backlit 65,000 colour TFT screen according to the press release. Credit goes to CEfreak for spotting this and posting the news in this Brighthand discussion thread.
Chopper Alley shows quality, at CTIA
[ Wednesday, March 21 ]
The latest Chopper Alley info and pictures are now up in this discussion thread and show the various graphical quality settings that ensure "you should be able to find a setting that suits you and the power of your PocketPC".
If you happen to be visiting the CTIA event, be sure to pay a visit to the Microsoft booth as Dale Coffing (webmaster, PocketPCpassion.com) and Jason Dunn (webmaster, Pocket PC Thoughts) will be showing off a beta version of the game!
Turjah Episode II to make CeBIT debut
[ Tuesday, March 20 ]
Jimmy's off to Germany for CeBIT 2001 (it's alright for some!) and along with demonstrating JS Landscape 2.0, he'll be showing off Turjah Episode II, the sequel to the much-loved space shoot-em-up extravaganza, Turjah. So, if you're there, be sure to visit him in the Casio Booth (Hall 1).
As a result of his CeBIT trip, JS Landscape has been delayed slightly. The next release is now scheduled for March 28, and will incorporate support for "up to VGA resolution with zoom/pan features".
Battle of the Bubblers
[ Tuesday, March 20 ]
Bubbles. Bubblets. PocketPop. Just how are you supposed to tell these three apart? PocketGamer.org reviewer, Jason Surguine, takes a close look and bursts a few bubbles in the process. Read on for the full story...
Weeboo seeks beta testers
[ Tuesday, March 20 ]
If you fancy becoming a beta tester for the Pocket PC's prize platformer, Weeboo, then check out a posting from its author, Frederik Malmer, in this Brighthand discussion thread. He requests that applicants mail him as follows:
"In the e-mail please tell me a little bit about yourself, and why YOU want to be a beta tester, and should be "qualified" for it. I won't be hard or anything, will go by "gut feeling". So don't lie or anything. It won't help you.
Also, please describe what device(s) you own. I can't promise I will respond to all applications. I will also say in this forum when I got enough testers.
You must own a device with a MIPS, SH3 or StrongARM processor and PocketPC as the operating system. And you must be a experienced user. I don't want beta testers who don't know things like how to soft reset an iPAQ (or Casio for that matter).
PS. Knowing the name of the third zone in Sonic 1 on Sega Master System will be a plus. Or if you still wake up in the middle of the night with the irritating soundtrack of "Alex kidd in miracle world" ringing in your head..."
JoyPalm: Looking good...
[ Tuesday, March 20 ]
PocketGear's very own Nathan Miller pointed me in the direction of JoyPalm, a new PDA game software company. They offer an extensive line-up with the emphasis seemingly in the action department although, at the time of writing, the Pocket PC demo versions did not seem to be available to download. However, desktop PC versions and plenty of screenshots were available so, if nothing else, you can have a taste of what's on the way.
Fade becoming clear
[ Tuesday, March 20 ]
The new adventure game currently under development by a French team will apparently be known as Fade, according to this discussion thread at top French site, LudiPocket. Indeed, the posting says that new pictures will be released ā la Chopper Alley, so stay tuned for more. While you're at it, check out this Brighthand thread for a posting from the author, along with lots more screenshots.
Oliver working on cloning Galaxy
[ Tuesday, March 20 ]
As found on Peter's Home, "Oliver Lovaszi, author of the great free gamepack Oliver's ActionPack, is now working on a new addition, a Galaxy clone. The game will feature high quality graphics, sounds and background music as well as unlimited gameplay thanks to runtime generated action."
Peter's Gamebox reviewed, plans revealed
[ Tuesday, March 20 ]
The inexhaustible Henry Kong has taken a look at Peter's Gamebox in his review at The Gadgeteer. Along with a detailed look at the various games to be found in Peter's Gamebox, he also talks about Peter's future plans.
For Peter's Gamebox itself, the next version "will sport a new design as well as accommodate Pause, Level settings and a High Score table for every game". That's not all, however. Sound will also be incorporated, as well as some new games added to the collection. Henry's article also includes details on various other projects that Peter is working on, along with his give-it-away philosophy.
Pocket Quake: Mighty Maps!
[ Monday, March 19 ]
While the standard levels supplied with Pocket Quake are all very well, they tend to be a little too detailed on occasions for your poor, overworked, overheating Pocket PC processor. Therefore, Frank pointed me to a solution in the form of Mall Deathmatch, a multiplayer-only (i.e. against humans or bots) level designed specifically for the Pocket PC. The author, Fcorp, also gives helpful links and instructions should you wish to create your own levels.
In addition, Frank (a.k.a. 999) has come up with his very own creation, which you can find information on, pictures and a download link on this discussion page.
Chopper Alley: Release info this Thursday
[ Monday, March 19 ]
The following is taken from the discussion thread discussing Chopper Alley's release:
"We'll divulge all details regarding supported PocketPC hardware and release date on Thursday. Just a little hint: Its very close."
Mobile Home Run!
[ Monday, March 19 ]
Baseball fans will be happy to see the beta release of Pocket Baseball from Badgersoft. I have to admit that I know next to nothing about baseball so here's the blurb from game author, Tony Badger:
"Did you enjoy those baseball board games of your youth like Statis Pro, Strat-o-Matic, and Pursue the Pennant? Ever wish you could play a quick ballgame without having to drag out the game, set up the board, and play? Pocket Baseball has been developed for you!
My idea behind Pocket Baseball is to give the old board game experience a technology update while retaining its simplicity. Registering your copy of Pocket Baseball will give you free upgrades for life! During the Beta period (expected to last until mid-April) you can pre-purchase for $4.99. The release version will be $9.99."
Power Grip reviewed
[ Sunday, March 18 ]
Official site reviewer, Shuan Beane, casts his critical eye over Flux's tenpin bowling game, Power Grip. Is it gripping, or fit for the gutter? Read the review to find out...
New iPAQ, same old button problem
[ Sunday, March 18 ]
Mark Jackson wrote in to let me know that Compaq's new 64 MB iPAQ does not include a fix for the button problem. To quote what the company stated to him:
"The inability of the iPAQ to recognize more than one button being pressed at a time is a limitation of the hardware. There is no way to alter the unit to make this possible. This does not make it impossible to play games though. Here are links to several that will work:
[ Games section at Greg's iPAQ Software List ]
Even the new iPAQ models have this limitation."
This isn't really a surprise, but it's depressing to hear confirmation nonetheless. Hopefully, this is an issue which will have been sorted out in time for the release of the next-generation models, slated for release around September.
Weeboo to support SH3
[ Saturday, March 17 ]
Jornada owners will be pleased to read a post from Frederik Malmer, author of Weeboo, in this Brighthand discussion thread which states that an SH3 version is "in the works. Beta testers already got one and they say it runs fine. Some minor tweaking of the controls is necessary though, to make it nice in the menus..."
PocketSNES status page
[ Friday, March 16 ]
If you're a fan of PocketSNES (and let's face it, who isn't?), then you'll want to check out their newly-introduced status page where you can find "the availability of individual emulator features" along with what's being worked on for the next release.
Chopper Alley in-game shots!
[ Friday, March 16 ]
Amazing Games now have their very own discussion forum based at PocketNow.com and it's in this thread that you can find the very first screenshots taken from Chopper Alley's voxel-based game engine. Thanks to Mats Björnström, kay-el and Jason Surguine for telling me!
New PocketQuake MIPS release
[ Friday, March 16 ]
Thanks to Jason Surguine for letting me know that version 0.51 of Pocket Quake is now available for MIPS devices.
Ready, AIM, Wordquake!
[ Friday, March 16 ]
A new Pocket PC game development company is on the scene in the shape of Belgium's AIM Productions. Their first title is Pocket Wordquake, "a challenging word puzzle/arcade game" where your objective is to "guide the falling letters to form words, which will make the line disappear. Make longer words to get higher scores and keep the playfield clear".
The game, which is shareware commanding a fee of $14.99, is available for all Pocket PC's and a demo is ready and waiting to be downloaded. Additionally, there's even a choice of languages: English, French, German or Dutch.
But that's not all. The company are also busy working on what promises to be a slightly more controversial project: Pocket Strippoker. Featuring "exciting gameplay and extremely realistic high quality images in the most sexy Pocket PC game", the game is expected to be released in early April.
iPAQ to get gamepad?
[ Thursday, March 15 ]
There's an interesting post from oldgamer in this Brighthand thread in which he quotes a mail he received from WorldWide Widget Works, the company who make the gamepad for Palm handhelds, stating that they "are evaluating whether to issue an iPAQ version. We really like the bright screen. Check again on April 30, if you wish". Interesting...
Jimmy to support @migo
[ Thursday, March 15 ]
A message posted by Jimmy, the Big Cheese behind Jimmy Software, in this discussion thread indicates that the company will support Palmax's @migo "soon". Updated versions of the @migo are due to ship soon, and it is hoped that the various hardware flaws which plagued the early models will be fixed.
MameCE3 source code released
[ Thursday, March 15 ]
The source code for MameCE3 is now available to download. Thanks to Anonymously (methinks a name change might be in order!) for pointing this out.
Chopper Alley: Details emerge
[ Wednesday, March 14 ]
The first hard facts of Amazing Games' upcoming Chopper Alley have been revealed in this Brighthand thread, along with two more screenshots from the chopper selection menu (a game engine shot is promised for tomorrow). The posting states that "Chopper Alley comes with five choppers out of the box:
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Bell H13 - your old favorite from Mash!
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Huey Uh1b - Nam would never be the same without this one!
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Super Cobra - when I was a kid, I used to think Super Cobra was the coolest chopper in the world!
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Apache - I grew up before the Gulf War. Now we all know that the coolest chopper is named Apache!
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Sea King - this one is actually great for doing some rescue missions.
Five weapons are included: Machine Gun, Air-to-Air rocket, Air-to-Ground rocket and two Pod with rockets you'll have to aim manually.
Twenty-five missions takes place in five unique sceneries!
All choppers, weapons, missions and sceneries are packed into Expansion Packs, and are automatically loaded during startup. This means that you'll soon be able to expand your game for an even greater experience.
Chopper Alley requires about 4MB of storage, and 2MB free memory to run (preliminary numbers)."
New PocketQuake iPAQ release
[ Wednesday, March 14 ]
There's a new version of PocketQuake out in the form of beta 0.051. This latest offering, currently for the iPAQ only, gives the same rendering quality as beta version 0.04 but runs approximately 1.5 fps (frames per second) faster, along with offering various other enhancements. Thanks to Johan Palm for pointing this out!
Peter's updates
[ Wednesday, March 14 ]
The two game collections from Peter Balogh have been updated. An installation problem has been fixed with Oliver's Action Pack, and the graphics in Heaven Guard have been improved. Peter's GameBox has also seen several updates: "The graphics of Snake and the control of the Same game is updated. Smaller problems in Cannons were fixed as well".
Frog It hops it
[ Wednesday, March 14 ]
The Flash Frogger clone, Frog It, has had a change of address. The game can now be found here.
New PocketSNES skins
[ Wednesday, March 14 ]
Two new skins for PocketSNES are now available. The skins, created by Cethom, are for Super Pang and Kirby's Ghost Trap.
Chopper Alley continues introduction
[ Wednesday, March 14 ]
The latest screen shots (yes, two for the price of one!) of Chopper Alley can be found in this Brighthand thread, this time taken from the game's introduction sequence.
Brighthand doomed
[ Tuesday, March 13 ]
Brighthand's gaming columnist, Ellen Beeman, has written her second column, this time focusing on Jimmy Software's Doom4CE. Not only is it a good introduction to the quirks of playing Doom on a Pocket PC, it also provides a good general introduction to the basics of the game as well.
PocketAdventures latest
[ Tuesday, March 13 ]
Check out this Brighthand thread for the latest on PocketAdventures, including a link to a very early sample demo download. Interesting things to note are that the parser engine is now Microsoft's JScript (as used in Pocket Internet Explorer) and that it also makes use of Jacco Bikker's EasyCE, as found in his Lemmings game.
The Fly reviewed
[ Tuesday, March 13 ]
PocketGamer.org reviewer Jason Surguine takes a look at eSoft Interactive's arcade title, The Fly. Is the game worthy of a place on your Pocket PC, or is a good swatting all it deserves? Read the review to find out...
Chopper Alley: New day, new picture
[ Tuesday, March 13 ]
Amazing Games have released a second screenshot from Chopper Alley, their " 3D helicopter action simulator specifically designed for [the] PocketPC".
Check out this Brighthand thread for the first image, along with discussion of the game.
The French Adventure
[ Tuesday, March 13 ]
As announced on LudiPocket (discussion and more screenshots), a new adventure game is in the works. Below is a rough translation of what the important part of their news item says (any mistakes are entirely my own work!):
"... A small French team are currently working on an adventure game along the lines of Maupiti Island, Black Sect, etc... This game will offer around 200 different screens spanning roughly ten chapters, an inventory system, numerous meetings with different characters and a game life of around 15-20 HOURS!! ..."
A demo is expected to debut sometime during April, with the full version planned to make an appearance in May. Currently being developed for MIPS machines, an ARM port has already been announced. The game will come in both English and French-language versions.
Chopper Alley incoming!
[ Monday, March 12 ]
Be sure not to miss this Brighthand thread in which Amazing Games have announced that they "will soon release Chopper Alley, a 3D helicopter action simulator specifically designed
for [the] PocketPC".
A new image is promised for "every day until release" along with more details to follow, so keep an eye on the thread for the very latest...
MameCE3 update
[ Sunday, March 11 ]
There's a new version of MameCE3 out, with plenty of improvements. Version 9.0 includes a "long awaited Auto Installation file! No more juggling directories or wondering if the Rom Folder is in the right place. Just Double Click, select Next 2 times, and voila. Just add your favorite Game ROMs and start playing."
Additionally, there's now more choice over where you store your games, a GUI redesign, speed improvements (although these are only really noticeable in the ARM version), a more accurate frame counter and plenty of under-the-hood reworking to ensure that the source code (to be released soon) is as clean as possible.
Pocket Quake MIPS update
[ Sunday, March 11 ]
There's an updated MIPS version of Pocket Quake available to download, as announced by Carpediem in this Brighthand thread. At the time of writing, the new version, which fixes various graphical issues as well as once again upping the speed stakes, isn't yet listed on the Pocket Quake downloads page, so here's a direct download link.
PocketAdventures: Rolling demo soon
[ Sunday, March 11 ]
PocketAdventures is a title that hasn't been mentioned in a long time, but it would still appear to be alive and well following a post by Kaiton in this Brighthand discussion thread which states that a "rolling demo" will be made available soon.
Pocket Millionaire in Print!
[ Sunday, March 11 ]
It's not every day that I'll be talking about books instead of software, but Dan Hanttula's recently-released Official Pocket PC Handbook lists the one and only Pocket Millionaire as one of a select few programs to be listed in "Chapter 18: Killer Apps for the Pocket PC". Thanks, Dan!
For all those wondering, incidentally, I do have plans to update Pocket Millionaire at some point in the future although this site (and real life!) is keeping me fairly busy at the moment...
Peter's Casino opens for business
[ Sunday, March 11 ]
There's no need to gamble any money on the latest release courtesy of Peter Balogh. Peter's Casino is freeware and features "three well-known games, such as Poker, Roulette and Black Jack".
Pop2000 released
[ Sunday, March 11 ]
There's a new puzzle game out there for all you puzzle fanatics to get to grips with. Pop2000 is the first ever Pocket PC release from Oz Creations, and is shareware. The $10 registration fee gets you Pop2001, which has "many features not included in Pop2000". Please note that to run the game you'll need the appropriate PocketC runtime file, which is freely available from the Orbworks site.
A serious sort of Risk
[ Friday, March 9 ]
OKSeriously.com software are "sort of working on" a Risk game for the Pocket PC, as announced in this PureCE discussion thread. Evidently, a love of the game must be there because the site offers RiskRoller, a free Risk dice rolling utility for working out the results of battles without the hassle of losing the dice under the sofa!
As the post states, "If there are any developers out there who want to help me with writing a RISK game, I'd love your help. Also, any gamers out there [who] want to make suggestions feel free to send me an email".
Mobile Mankind
[ Friday, March 9 ]
There's a whole slew of new games to check out at MobileMankind.com. Not all are available to download or purchase yet, but here's the list of what's up and what's coming:
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NoNo: "A puzzle where you have to find stones hidden in a field".
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LinkM: "The objective is to remove all symbols from the board".
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RotatoR: "a game where you have to arrange the numbers in a numerical order".
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MinePro: "Locate different colored mines as quickly as possible without stepping on any of them."
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PopUp: "If you horizontally, vertically or diagonally line up 5 or more gems they will disappear."
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BlackBox: "You have to find stones hidden in a square field. Get clues by clicking on the sides of the fields."
Become a Chess Graduate
[ Friday, March 9 ]
There's a new Chess game out on the market, but it's a chess game with a difference. "GraduateChess is a program that is aimed at helping one improve their chess game. Built from the ground up with easy board setup and helpful functionality such as copy and paste of game positions including history make it perfect company while reading chess books or studying the game".
It's not all work and no play, however. "Of course it also contains a full chess engine complete with four levels all rendered in large full color pieces, so you can play when you're not studying".
GraduateChess costs $24.99 and runs on all Pocket PC's.
Weeboo: iPAQ version now out
[ Thursday, March 8 ]
Check out the Weeboo site for a newly-released version of the game for the iPAQ. Having tested it myself, I can assure iPAQ owners that it is well worth the download!
Weeboo: New version, for iPAQ soon!
[ Thursday, March 8 ]
There's an updated version of the Pocket PC's first ever platform game, Weeboo, which can now be installed to any folder of your choosing and comes as a single executable, with no external files to worry about. Also, an iPAQ version is on the way - the only work left to be done on it "is to find a solution for the button problems, and do minor speed adjustments, and then it should be working. Stay tuned!"
Jornada Doom: Jimmy's viewpoint
[ Thursday, March 8 ]
There's a beta version of Doom4CE for the Jornada doing the rounds (see this Brighthand thread), as was mentioned to me by Dan and Nick Schimek. However, when I mailed Jimmy of Jimmy Software about the game, he stated that he would have preferred not to have seen it made available:
"Actually, I do not want the beta from us to be distributed - you know, id software do not like their program to run slow..."
V-Rally reviewed
[ Thursday, March 8 ]
3d Accelerated.com have posted a review of V-Rally, the rally racing game recently released from Palmtop Software.
Site Search update
[ Thursday, March 8 ]
I've implemented a new site search engine as the previous one wasn't performing at all well, despite numerous efforts to get it working properly. The new search engine encompasses the entire site, including both the general pages and the games listings, and should give significantly improved results. Please let me know if you encounter any problems.
PocketGB expansion plans
[ Thursday, March 8 ]
Check out this post by PocketGB author, Aaron Oneal, in which he details his current plans for the emulator. Highlights include the fact that he is planning to add NES and TG16 (a.k.a. PC Engine) functionality, with the possibility - albeit less likely - of later adding support for SNES and Genesis (a.k.a. Megadrive - thanks to Lars Harrison and Omar for pointing this out!) games. Thanks to EK for pointing this one out.
Weeboo needs iPAQ
[ Wednesday, March 7 ]
Fredrik Malmer, author of Weeboo, has put up the following request on his site:
"Reports from a tester of an iPAQ build of Weeboo makes it clear that making an iPAQ version will not be easy due to the fact that I don't own that kind of device (I have a Casio EM-500). For me to buy one would be a too big expense, as it looks now the only option is that someone gives me one, lends me one or in any other way makes it so that an iPAQ becomes available to me. If you feel you can do something to change this situation please send an e-mail to [email protected]".
Weeboo: First ever platform game!
[ Wednesday, March 7 ]
Fredrik Malmer has released a beta version of Weeboo, the first ever platform game developed specifically for the Pocket PC. Currently for MIPS devices (i.e. Casio Pocket PC's) only, the game sees you in control of a little yellow rabbit in a "quest for something, whatever that is. Who knows? Anyways he is gonna do some serious running, jumping and bouncing through a multitude of levels, including The Volcano and The Ice Mountain".
As taken from the site, Weeboo features the following:
And, here's the current todo list for the game:
CECraft Pinball screenshot
[ Wednesday, March 7 ]
CECraft have posted a screenshot of their upcoming pinball game both in the PocketGamer.org forum and in this Brighthand discussion thread (thanks to Joe Blow for pointing the latter out).
Emulators: Henry strikes again!
[ Wednesday, March 7 ]
The Most Productive Writer On The Planet, otherwise known as Henry Kong, wrote in to let me know that The Gadgeteer has just posted an article of his on the best emulators for the Pocket PC. It's a good general introduction to the world of emulation on Pocket PC's and, as usual, is well worth the read.
Pinball: What's on offer
[ Wednesday, March 7 ]
I'm beginning to get seriously concerned... Does Henry Kong ever take a break?! He's written yet another article, this time for Brighthand, entitled Pinball in your Pocket. As the title suggests, this is a look at what your options are if you're a pinball fanatic with a Pocket PC handy and, as you might expect given the plethora of emulators that exist, there are quite a few...
Flash: All is revealed...
[ Tuesday, March 6 ]
Article-writer extraordinaire, Henry Kong, has been at it again. This time, he's written an excellent article on How To Get Started on Macromedia's Flash player for the Pocket PC, full of useful information and unmissable links. Whether you've yet to take the plunge into the world of Flash or are a seasoned veteran, this article is a must-read!
Slay update
[ Tuesday, March 6 ]
There's a new, improved version of Slay to try out (thanks to Dan East for alerting me to this). Updates from the previous version include:
However, please be aware that the new demo only allows you to play on the first 39 islands (whereas the previous demo allowed you access to all of them). While you're enjoying conquering those islands, don't forget to read the review!
Peter's GameBox, Oliver's ActionPack updated
[ Tuesday, March 6 ]
Peter's GameBox and Oliver's ActionPack have both been updated. The new version of Peter's GameBox features "enhanced graphics in Blocks, Blocks2 and Squash as well as speed improvements in the Same game". As for Oliver's ActionPack, there's a fix for "a bug in SnowWars. The speed of both SnowWars and HeavenGuard has been noticeably improved".
Slay Reviewed
[ Tuesday, March 6 ]
Whether you're a Risk fan or not, world domination is something that surely can't be bad. PocketGamer.org takes a close look at Slay, a game which allows you to do just that! Does Slay conquer all before it, or should it be surrendered to the trash pile? Read the review to find out...
Also, for those who have downloaded the demo and wondered where they can get hold of the full version, the ordering page is now online. Registration costs $15 and gives you access to the other difficulty levels.
Don't play it... Frog-it!
[ Tuesday, March 6 ]
Jan Koehn has written a neat little Frogger clone, Frog-it, which is specifically designed to work with Macromedia's Flash player for the Pocket PC.
Just hanging about...
[ Monday, March 5 ]
It's guess-that-word time again with the release of Noose, a Hangman implementation from The PDA Initiative. Catering for both one and two-player games, Noose's "single player mode reads in puzzles from special category files. New category files will periodically be available for download from our website, we also encourage users to create their own category files. Instructions for creating category files can be found in the readme file".
Noose costs $5, and can be purchased from PocketGear.
Lights, Camera, ActionPack!
[ Monday, March 5 ]
Containing not just one but two new games, Oliver's ActionPack is now available as a free download.
The first game, Heaven Guard, pits you as "Guardian 13, a gatekeeper of Heaven", whose job is to prevent the devils from entering by shooting them down with your angelic arrows whilst letting the good souls safely through.
The second game, Snow Wars, thrusts you into a snowball fight - simply tap to splat! Both games are simple, colourful and should work on just about any CE device around.
Review: Puzzle vs. Resco Blocks
[ Sunday, March 4 ]
PocketGamer.org reviewer Jason Surguine takes a look at two free puzzle games, Puzzle and Resco Blocks. Which one is worth the download? Read on to find out...
Ask4Soft Ataxx!
[ Sunday, March 4 ]
Ask4Soft have released PPCAtaxx, a Pocket PC version of Ataxx, a strategic puzzle game which you can find detailed information about on the Pressibus Ataxx page.
"The game is played on a 7x7 board with 2 stone types. Each player starts with 2 stones in opposite corners.
The rules are very simple. He can duplicate the stone by moving it to a neighbor square or he can jump to a free place which is one square away.
If he jumps, the original square is removed.
The game ends if no player has a possibility to move."
PPCAtaxx is commercial software with a price tag of $14.95. A demo version is available to download, and playing instructions can be found on the PPCAtaxx page.
JS Landscape 2.0 beta available
[ Sunday, March 4 ]
Visit Jimmy Software to apply for a beta version of the new JS Landscape 2.0 which, in addition to landscape mode, also features options to run your device at a resolution of 240x480 or 360x480 pixels. To get your copy, you should mail your purchase information of JS Landscape to Jimmy Software.
Flash Games!
[ Saturday, March 3 ]
Thanks to Gary for pointing out the FlashGamer.com site which contains a selection of Flash 4 games. Although not all work 100% (and I couldn't get them to work online on my iPAQ, although Gary could on his), they could well be worth a download using Swiffer.
Flash: EXE - SWF converter
[ Saturday, March 3 ]
AlphaFox wrote in to let me know of the existence of exe2swf, a free utility that converts executable Flash files (such as those found on the downloads page at JoeCartoon.com) to SWF format, which can be then be used on a Pocket PC in conjunction with Swiffer. He notes that not every file works 100% (in some cases, the sound is lost) which is probably down to the fact that they are Flash 5.0 rather than 4.0 compatible.
Slay!
[ Saturday, March 3 ]
Despite the name, this isn't another shoot-em-up. Rather, Slay is a simple, yet excellent strategy game which could well signal the end of Solitaire on many Pocket PC's.
"Slay is a simple to learn game of strategy and cunning set in medieval times. The island is divided up between the six players, and you must try to capture your enemies' land and link up your own territories to create larger and stronger ones. You begin capturing land by attacking with your peasants. Once your territories become richer you can combine peasants to make stronger and stronger people (Spearmen, Knights and then Barons) who can kill weaker enemy troops, or knock down their castles. Just be careful that you don't create too many expensive men or the territory will go bankrupt!"
Having played the original Windows version, I can confirm that Slay is one of those classic strategy titles: easy to learn, impossible to master. The game is shareware and although I'm not 100% certain, I think the registration price is $20 (I'll update this once I know for sure). What's more, I hope to be able to bring you a full review very soon!
ZIOGolf 2: Internet ranking, new course
[ Saturday, March 3 ]
Thanks to Johan Palm for pointing out that ZIO Interactive have now put online their Internet Ranking Beta Test for ZIOGolf 2. Additionally, you can now purchase an additional course (Omni Tucson) for $9.99.
Yacht 2.0 ahoy!
[ Friday, March 2 ]
There's a new version of the popular free dice game, Yacht, by Maximilian Wimmer. Don't forget to check out his Pocket PC Software site for various other neat games and utilities!
Quake Speed Tweak
[ Friday, March 2 ]
Thanks to Shatru for letting me know of a new CFG file (discussion) for the iPAQ version of Pocket Quake by 999. The file is specially tweaked for speed and amongst the changes, the onscreen weapon is eliminated. (To put it back in, change r_drawviewmodel "0" in the CFG to r_drawviewmodel "1", although this will result in a speed loss of about 0.2 FPS).
Additionally, Shatru has also made a similarly tweaked CFG file for Casio devices, which can be discussed in this Brighthand thread.
Under Development
[ Thursday, March 1 ]
As spotted by Ashley Jones (apologies for not crediting you originally, Ashley!) and then posted on Pocket PC Thoughts, GameDev.Net has an extremely interesting and detailed article regarding Pocket PC game development. Moreover, any article which states that "Pocket PC's are cool" and includes a link to this site is a must-read! ;-)
PocketPC.com reviews iGolf
[ Thursday, March 1 ]
Thanks to Johan Palm of PocketSpel.com for letting me know that Microsoft's PocketPC.com site has a review of iGolf, the golfing spectacular from CECraft. And, if Swedish is your language, check PocketSpel.com's comparison of iGolf and ZIOGolf 2.
AppleCE update
[ Thursday, March 1 ]
There's an new release of AppleCE which fixes a couple of bugs and features the addition of a "monochrome (green & orange) monitor for [the] die hard appler"!
Carpediem: Any last requests?
[ Thursday, March 1 ]
Carpediem has announced in this Brighthand thread that he is to build one last version of his MIPS port of Pocket Quake before bowing out. As such, he's looking for requests (preferably simple!) that could be incorporated into the new release. Thanks to Shatru for pointing this out to me.
Simple, but free...
[ Thursday, March 1 ]
Jacques Diebold's La page du Pocket/Pocket's Page offers plenty of simple but free Pocket PC software (although he does ask that you contribute a small amount to a charity of your choosing) to download. Included in his collection are the following games:
Please note that, at the time of writing, only MIPS and SH3 versions were available, so iPAQ owners are currently out of luck.
Pocket PC PADDing
[ Thursday, March 1 ]
You can now turn your Pocket PC into a Star Trek prop thanks to PADD, "a free application launcher for Palm-size PC's and PocketPC's with an interface inspired by the Star Trek LCARS computer interface."
"PADD features a customizable menu system allowing you to easily change the categories and programs available to be launched. The Star Trek inspired graphics and integrated audio clips combine to turn your PC into the ultimate Star Trek device."
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