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Updates: June 2000
iPAQ to get Gaming Sleeve!
[ Thursday, 29 June ]
Check out this PC Expo report at Pocketnow.com which includes pictures (only from a poster, sadly) of a sleeve designed to turn your iPAQ into a serious gaming device!
Site News
[ Thursday, 29 June ]
All the various Games Index pages have been updated to include at-a-glance download information (i.e. which devices and/or processor types are supported) and links. Also, there's a new Developers FAQ along with a few new link images.
New Games Index design
[ Wednesday, 28 June ]
Owing to popular demand (well, at least two requests!), I've redesigned the Action Games index to show at-a-glance processor information and download links, as well as splitting the index into three separate, faster-loading pages. At the moment, the Action Games category is the only one that has been altered on a test basis (you can compare it with the old layout).
If you have any comments on the new design, please either mail me or leave a note in the forum.
Pocket a Phone!
[ Tuesday, June 27 ]
BSquare has unveiled bInTouch, a new voice over IP software package that will allow you to use your Pocket PC as a phone/two-way radio via the Internet or a LAN. Available in the third quarter, you can find more details and a screenshot at the bInTouch page.
New Casio Pocket PC's revealed!
[ Tuesday, June 27 ]
Check out Dale Coffing's Pocket PC Page to see details of two new "industrial" Casio Pocket PC models, the IT-70 and IT-700, offering two CompactFlash slots (more room for games!), optional wireless LAN connectivity (can you say multiplayer?!) and 150 MHz processing power.
T-Plus Bridge - Pocket PC version
[ Tuesday, June 27 ]
As reported on CEWire, GradSoft have released a new Pocket PC version of their bridge game, T-Plus Bridge.
iPAQ - All you need to know!
[ Monday, June 26 ]
Pocketnow.com are obviously more than a little taken by the iPAQ seeing as they have not one but two reviews - one is a review of the iPAQ alone, the other a head-to-head comparing the iPAQ to the Jornada 545. Elsewhere, Jason Wagner gives his opinion on the machine, Byte have a new review of the three main Pocket PC players and Brighthand have opened an iPAQ discussion forum (there's also a Pocketnow.com iPAQ forum).
In brief, here's a summary of the major talking-points and opinions so far:
What's hot:
- Speed.
- Portability.
- Screen (not quite as good as the Casio devices, but better than the Jornada's).
- Sound - nice and loud.
What's not:
MameCE update
[ Saturday, June 24 ]
There's been an update to the MameCE site, detailing all the latest improvements and tweaks to the coding. To cut a long story short, you can shortly expect to see faster, better gameplay!
Free Sokoban game!
[ Saturday, June 24 ]
Kudos to CEWire for spotting that True Dimensions have released a free Sokoban game, Warehouse Guy, for CE 2.x devices.
Change Today!
[ Friday, June 23 ]
There's a free selection of colourful Today images available to brighten up your Pocket PC well worth checking out, courtesy of Feckman. Also, he's taken some revealing photos which demonstrate how well the iPAQ fares in direct sunlight compared to the Jornada.
Maximilian goes Dotty!
[ Thursday, June 22 ]
Maximilian Wimmer is at it again! This time, he's offering Pocket PC owners Dotty, a version of the pen & paper classic, Dots.
Jimmy's latest: Boyan's Crystal!
[ Thursday, June 22 ]
Jimmy Software have released their latest game for the Casio E-1xx devices, Boyan's Crystal. Think Puzzle Bobble, think beautiful graphics, and then think about buying the game!
Multitalented Multipalm
[ Tuesday, June 20 ]
Now that the iPAQ has finally showed up, here's something else to hanker after. It's been mentioned before on other sites, but in case you missed it, the Multipalm (thanks to PDAfrance for reminding me of the link!) looks impressive. An Internet-ready palm PC/mobile phone combo, its specifications reveal a 640 x 480 resolution screen, Bluetooth support and a 199 MHz StrongARM processor. All very lovely, but the downside (why is there always a downside?!) is that it might not show up outside of Korea.
iPAQ: Finally!
[ Monday, June 19 ]
Well it had to happen sometime. According to this discussion thread at Brighthand, various posts on the Windows CE newsgroup and confirmation by pdamart that their shipment arrived, at least a few iPAQ's have found their way into the hands of "real" people!
New free Pocket PC game: Hammurabi
[ Monday, June 19 ]
Is there no end to Maximilian Wimmer's creative powers? His latest free Pocket PC game is Hammurabi, a strategy game which pits you as the ruler of the ancient land of Sumeria.
New Feature: Auto Play
[ Sunday, June 18 ]
Windows CE isn't just for handheld devices; you can even get it in your car courtesy of the AutoPC. PocketGames reveals your in-car entertainment options!
Pocketnow.com reviews Turjah and ZIOGolf
[ Saturday, June 17 ]
Pocketnow.com have recently added a very thorough review of ZIOGolf as well as a (slightly less substantial) review of Turjah.
New free Pocket PC game: Logic
[ Friday, June 16 ]
Maximilian Wimmer has just written a free new puzzle game for the Pocket PC, Logic, which is available to download free of charge from his site.
iPAQ Obsession: A new art form?
[ Friday, June 16 ]
For all those obsessed by the thought of the imminent (or not) arrival of the iPAQ, take a look at this discussion thread at PDA Buzz (titled Get a Life!). Scroll down until you see the message from paqman, someone who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to use his artistic talent to show it! (Not games-related I know, but fun nonetheless!)
In other iPAQ news, a recent newsgroup post from Zach Welsh states that "Compaq will be completely opening up the electrical and mechanical specifications for the iPAQ, and they are already providing a bleeding-edge port of Linux (complete with X Windows)." More information can be found at handhelds.org which hosts all the relevant iPAQ information.
Search me!
[ Friday, June 16 ]
The Site Search feature has been radically overhauled so that it now actually works! You can also carry out an advanced search, which gives a range of useful extra options. If you encounter any problems with it, please let me know.
Pocket PC's to get cheaper?
[ Thursday, June 15 ]
In this discussion thread at Brighthand, Cool points out an interesting CNET article in which the introduction of Windows CE 3.0 is discussed, along with an associated price cut. What the article doesn't make clear, however, is whether this price cut will actually impact Pocket PC pricing - if sales carry on doing well, then there would appear to be little incentive for manufacturers to reduce prices.
iPAQ: The Saga Continues
[ Thursday, June 15 ]
The mythical beast that is Compaq's iPAQ Pocket PC may have finally flown the nest. Brighthand administrator, Steve Bush, spoke to Compaq's PR manager who claimed that units actually started shipping last week. That's the good news. The bad news is that it appears that these will most likely go to corporate accounts, rather than individuals. See this discussion thread for all the juicy details.
Apparently, if you want to be one of the first iPAQ owners, pdamart is the place to shop. This message from the company's CEO, Ken Schoenberg, indicates that their consignment is already on the way, and should be arriving soon.
Free games: Puzzle & Yacht!
[ Tuesday, June 13 ]
Pocket PC owners should surf swiftly over to Maximilian Wimmer's My Pocket PC software website where you can find two free games, Puzzle and Yacht. If that wasn't enough, there's also a free comprehensive unit converter to download.
PalmChess for the Pocket PC
[ Tuesday, June 13 ]
Synctel Software have released a Pocket PC version of their well-received chess game, PalmChess. You can read a review of the game at WiredGuy.com.
New NES emulator under construction!
[ Tuesday, June 13 ]
Check out this post in the games board at CEcity - the author, Niuko Orelis, is currently writing a NES emulator and intends to do others as well (Game Boy/SNES). It will be interesting to see which NES emulator will fare better - this one, or the upcoming iNES from Jimmy Software. Either way, this is good news for emulation fans!
Site-seeing: Developers' Heaven, Best of the Rest
[ Tuesday, June 13 ]
A couple of interesting new sites have recently entered into the fray - the first is PocketProjects.com, "where Pocket PC developers collaborate!". Useful for those looking at (or who are already) programming for the Pocket PC.
Next up on the list is The Best! CE Sites, a colourful creation from the creators of Gigabar, where you can vote for your favourite CE-related site in a long list of categories. Additionally, you can rate sites and submit your comments/reviews.
TV in your pocket, ZIOGolf Game of the Year!
[ Sunday, June 11 ]
No, an iPAQ TV sleeve hasn't been released! What is available, however, is PocketTV, a free MPEG movie player which now offers Pocket PC compatibility. Popcorn not included.
PocketTV was voted Windows CE Program of the Year at the ZDNet PDA Software awards. Winner in the Games category was ZIOGolf (although it should be noted that none of Jimmy Software's highly-regarded games were on the voting list).
From Pocket PC to Pocket PlayStation!
[ Saturday, June 10 ]
Interesting link on the Jimmy Software site to a CNN news story reporting that Sony are making a portable version of their insanely popular console, the PlayStation, to be known as PSone. Before you rush off to buy it, however, here's a couple of caveats: first, it's not that small and second, it needs an external power source.
How to write Pocket PC games!
[ Friday, June 9 ]
Well, OK, that's pushing it a little. But this Getting Started with the Game API column at PocketPC.com is a handy introduction to the basics of directly accessing the Pocket PC hardware - useful if you're hoping to create great games.
PocketRunner demo available
[ Thursday, June 8 ]
Jimmy Software have made a trial version of their LodeRunner clone, PocketRunner, available to download.
Free Blackjack game? Bet on it!
[ Wednesday, June 7 ]
The generous folks at Pocket PC eStore are offering Pocket PC users a free version of Microsoft Blackjack to download. (Thanks to CasioKween for pointing this out in this Brighthand discussion thread).
iPAQ's out on 15th!
[ Tuesday, June 6 ]
Compaq's iPAQ Pocket PC will leave for distributors (in the US) on June 15th according to a post in the Windows CE newsgroup (who referred to a Compaq sales rep as his source). To be taken with a pinch of salt, of course, but it sounds as likely a date as any. Compaq UK have stated mid-June as their release date on their iPAQ page.
Review: CEBall vs. JimmyARK 2
[ Tuesday, June 6 ]
It's clash of the Arkanoid clones as CEBall battles it out with JimmyARK 2. Seth Bilodeau gives you the lowdown on which game to go for.
Rally CE reviewed
[ Tuesday, June 6 ]
Seth Bilodeau continues in his role as star reviewer, giving his verdict on Jimmy Software's Rally CE.
Bomberman, ZIOGolf reviewed
[ Sunday, June 4 ]
Many thanks (again) to Seth Bilodeau who has submitted reviews of Bomberman and ZIOGolf.
Crossword's across the board, E-115 pockets Runner!
[ Sunday, June 4 ]
Do the team at Jimmy Software ever sleep? The answer would appear to be apparently not, as they have just announced that JimmyCrossword is now compatible with all CE devices, including Pocket PC's. Also, PocketRunner is now available for Casio's E-115 Pocket PC.
Downloads out, reviews in!
[ Saturday, June 3 ]
The Downloads section has died a sorry death as a result of its embarrassing redundancy. In its place is a (currently rather empty) Reviews section - as the name suggests, this will be an index of all the games reviewed on PocketGames.
Doom reviewed
[ Saturday, June 3 ]
Seth Bilodeau has submitted a review of Jimmy Software's space shoot-em-up, Doom4CE.
iPAQ looks Flash!
[ Saturday, June 3 ]
For all those impatient iPAQ owners-to-be, Compaq have just put up a very nice Flash presentation of the iPAQ Pocket PC.
(Not games-related I know, but I'm buying an iPAQ so that makes it all right!)
Turjah reviewed
[ Friday, June 2 ]
Seth Bilodeau has submitted an excellent review of Jimmy Software's space shoot-em-up, Turjah.
Site Suggestions
[ Thursday, June 1 ]
Some site-related stuff that I'd appreciate your thoughts on:
- Should I have a "Discuss this story" link for each news item?
- Downloads. Or not? With the off-site download page links, is the (currently empty) Downloads section really necessary?
All thoughts, suggestions and comments welcome - let me know your opinion in this discussion.
New version of Mille Bornes
[ Thursday, June 1 ]
DejaVu Software have released version 1.04 of their card game, Mille Bornes.
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