Updates: September 2000

Free FreeCell!

[ Saturday, September 30 ]

I dunno. The new site's only been up and running a few seconds when I get a mail from Perry Longinotti telling me that Microsoft have released a free version of FreeCell for the Pocket PC. Pure coincidence, or did MS want to celebrate the opening of PocketGamer.org in style? You decide... ;-)

Welcome to PocketGamer.org!

[ Saturday, September 30 ]

Welcome to the new home of the site previously known as PocketGames.co.uk. The new PocketGamer.org domain should offer much improved page loading times, and there's also a new design which should ensure that the site is completely compatible with Pocket Internet Explorer (as well as offering IE users a nifty drop-down menu bar).

The games listings now have their own separate domain, Pocket PC Games.NET, which is of course accessible from the menu at the top. This section is not yet fully complete (for example, links to the developers' e-mail addresses aren't yet working), so please bear with me while I sort everything out.

Likewise, there are bound to be some teething problems with the new site setup, so if you do spot anything amiss either here at PocketGamer.org or at Pocket PC Games.NET, please let me know. Please also note that in addition to my old e-mail address, [email protected], I can now be contacted at [email protected].

Flight Sim author interview

[ Friday, September 29 ]

Jerrytroll.com has an interview with Leo Bueno, the author of Leo's Flight Simulator, a game which by all accounts has taken the Pocket PC community by storm.

Flight Simulator supports more devices!

[ Thursday, September 28 ]

Thanks to Leo, the author of Leo's Flight Simulator, for informing me that his game is now available for many other devices, including the iPAQ and Casio Pocket PC's. Unfortunately, it currently doesn't appear to work with SH3 devices, such as the Jornada.

New Techmaster release

[ Thursday, September 28 ]

Thanks to Scream and Marconelly for letting me know that there's a new release of Techmaster's MAMECE for the Pocket PC, which is now faster and supports sound and more games (including Ghosts n' Goblins).

MS Entertainment Pack to be released soon?

[ Thursday, September 28 ]

Derek Brown, a high-ranking member of Microsoft's Pocket PC team has recently posted a couple of interesting messages in reply to people asking for a FreeCell game. The general gist was to wait until "next week", which may well indicate the imminent release of a Pocket PC Entertainment Pack.

Sim City for Pocket PC?

[ Thursday, September 28 ]

There's an interesting thread at Brighthand which seems to indicate that Jimmy Software are working on a version of Sim City for the Pocket PC although, once again, nothing definite has been confirmed.

New Free Tetris game!

[ Tuesday, September 26 ]

Ramon de Klein, author of Bubbles (which has also recently been updated to fix some minor bugs), has written a freeware Tetris clone which goes by the name of Tetris for Pocket PC. Despite the slightly uninspired choice of name, the game offers quite a few nice features including support for hardware buttons, a high score table, and the ability to synchronise high scores with other Pocket PC owners via the infra-red port.

Turjah: Need a hand...?

[ Tuesday, September 26 ]

If you're finding the going in Turjah a little tough, then take a peek at this thread in the Jimmy Software forum which includes a very interesting "hint" from Jimmy himself. Needless to say, if you don't agree with cheating, don't look!

CE 3.0 Add On-Pack released

[ Tuesday, September 26 ]

Thanks to Yianni for pointing me in the direction of news from Microsoft regarding the release of the Windows CE 3.0 Add On-Pack. Although not aimed at the general public, it may well be that owners of devices with a flash ROM (e.g. the iPAQ) will find the OS enhancements incorporated in a future patch or update.

Come Back 64 for E-115

[ Tuesday, September 26 ]

Thanks to Lutz Sammer for informing me of a new version of the Commodore 64 emulator, Come Back 64, is available for E-115 users.

Doom for iPAQ & EM-500: 1-2 weeks!

[ Tuesday, September 26 ]

Jimmy Software are aiming to release Doom for the iPAQ and EM-500 in "1-2 weeks", according to a post from Jimmy himself in this discussion thread.

Also, check out this posting on the MAMECE messageboard by Ipaqker in which he states that he received a mail from Jimmy Software saying that Doom for the iPAQ would be released "very soon with no beta".

Space Treker Pocket PC final version

[ Tuesday, September 26 ]

The Pocket PC final release version of Space Treker is now available. Top marks to CasioKween for spotting this in this thread at Brighthand.

It's a trivia game, Jim, but not as we know it...

[ Tuesday, September 26 ]

New Flight Sim for CE!

[ Monday, September 25 ]

Thanks to Leo for informing me that he has recently released a beta version of a flight simulator for CE 2.11. MIPS and SH3 versions are provided on the download page, although only the MIPS version has been tested and, if the screen captures are anything to go by, I will definitely be campaigning for a Pocket PC version!

New Techmaster release

[ Monday, September 25 ]

Thanks to Mark Rejhon and Marconelly for letting me know that Techmaster has released a new version of his MAMECE port. The new release fixes the colour problems of the previous version, as well as being faster, more stable and adding support for vector-based games (e.g. Star Wars, Tempest).

iPAQ Gaming Sleeve

[ Monday, September 25 ]

It's been mentioned before but seeing that the button problem now looks to be permanent, one more time can't hurt. Thanks to Frederic Beaufrere for letting me know that a picture of the iPAQ gaming sleeve, first shown at the New York Expo (and of which nothing more has been heard from Compaq as yet), can be found in this discussion thread at PDAfrance.

MAME: Même en Français!

[ Sunday, September 24 ]

Loser has created a French mirror site for iMAME, offering help with installation and the game, as well a list of compatible games.

Loser a créé un miroir français du site iMAME, qui vous offre de l'aide avec l'installation et le jeu ainsi qu'une liste de jeux compatibles. Discussion à PDAfrance.

The MAME Game Explained!

[ Sunday, September 24 ]

Confused about just which MAMECE port you should have on your iPAQ, what the differences are between the two that are available (iMAME and Techmaster's Build), and how exactly to get them working? If so, take a look at this helpful Brighthand thread created by Mark Rejhon.

Doom: It's on the way!

[ Sunday, September 24 ]

Surely the most frequently asked question of all time relating to Pocket PC games so far has been: Where's Doom?! If you've found yourself wondering that very question recently, you might wish to take a look at Jimmy's (a.k.a. Panutat Tejasen, head of Jimmy Software) posting in this thread at the Jimmy Software forum. In other Jimmy news, a messageboard for beta testers is reportedly on the way.

New Techmaster release

[ Thursday, September 21 ]

Techmaster has released a new version of his MAMECE version, "The official Port of MameCE to the PocketPC Platform", now including support for the iPAQ in addition to Casio devices.

Compaq: No fix for buttons problem

[ Thursday, September 21 ]

It would appear that the official verdict from Compaq is in, and the news is not good. Chris recently posted this on the Pocket PC games e-group:

According to Slashdot, Compaq yesterday started sending the following out in response to queries:


There have been a lot of calls and e-mails to Compaq, as well as posts on non-Compaq message boards concerning the iPAQ H3600 Pocket PC and the ability of the unit to recognize more than one application button being pressed at a time.

The official answer on this is:

1. This is not a design flaw. The iPAQ Pocket PC was not designed to operate in this manner and it is not feasible to alter the design to enable this capability.

2. Please understand that each Pocket PC hardware manufacturer designs hardware differently.

3. Please also understand that because of this, software designers writing applications for the Pocket PC OS have an obligation to test software with each OEM's Pocket PC device that they claim to support
before it is offered for sale.

Thank You,
Compaq eServices

Bubbles for MIPS/SH3 devices

[ Wednesday, September 20 ]

Thanks to Bubbles author, Ramon de Klein, for letting me know that his burst-the-bubbles puzzle game is now available (albeit in untested form) for MIPS and SH3 devices.

Cyber Man CE available for the Pocket PC!

[ Wednesday, September 20 ]

HardCover Software have made available their stylish Pac-Man clone, Cyber Man CE. For the full lowdown, be sure to read the PocketGames review.

Scott's CE Stuff

[ Wednesday, September 20 ]

Nothing to do with games (well, actually, there is one game on the site!), but I just thought I'd give Scott's CE Stuff a mention. In case you haven't had the chance, be sure to check out programs so simple yet so good you'll wonder why they weren't built in to the OS as standard.

And here's the E-125...

[ Wednesday, September 20 ]

It's only recently that Casio released the EM-500. Now meet its new sibling, the E-125! While all this was going on, Compaq was busy announcing plans to quadruple production of the iPAQ. Seems the Pocket PC is making a lot of friends!

EM-500: Here's the state of play!

[ Wednesday, September 20 ]

Plenty of new Jimmy Software titles for EM-500 owners to purchase! Currently, you can take your pick from Boyan, FireFrontier, JS Fun Pack 4, JimmyARK and Turjah...

Elsewhere on the Net, there's a test build of Darren's MAMECE port available to download for the EM-500. You can follow the discussion of this version in this thread at the MAMECE messageboard.

Ta!

[ Wednesday, September 20 ]

As promised, here's the credits for everyone who wrote in telling me about the news items below. Hmm... Well, thanks to Mark Rejhon at any rate! Fortunately the phone line problem is now sorted and, better yet, the new PocketGamer.org site should soon be fully operational.

An Apology...

[ Tuesday, September 19 ]

Owing to an unforeseen problem (a.k.a. British Telecom), I've been unable to access the Internet for a couple of days. During this time, in addition to not being able to update the site, I've also not been able to check my e-mails. No doubt plenty of people have written in to tell me the news items below... I can only apologise and promise and say that once I've been able to read my mails, I will credit you! Hopefully, assuming British Telecom can actually find the fault, normal service will be resumed in a day or two.

Turjah released for iPAQ; new EM-500 games!

[ Tuesday, September 19 ]

Jimmy Software's Turjah has been released for the iPAQ. In case you still aren't convinced that the game is worth your hard-earned money, check out the PocketGames reviews!

Boyan and JS Fun Pack 4 have also been released for the EM-500. Check out the Jimmy Software site for all the details.

C64 on iPAQ!

[ Tuesday, September 19 ]

The emulators just keep on coming! Now the Commodore 64 emulator, ComeBack 64, is available for the iPAQ. Follow the links from the ComeBack 64 site.

PocketPop 1.3 released

[ Sunday, September 17 ]

PocketFun.co.uk have released version 1.3 of their popular puzzle game, PocketPop. The release includes a new challenging "memory" mode which hides the colour of bubbles until they are selected.

Pocketnow.com reviews Fun2Link

[ Sunday, September 17 ]

Be sure to give Pocketnow.com a visit to check out this comprehensive review of ZIO Interactive's action-packed plumbing puzzler, Fun2Link.

PDA Games reviews Turjah

[ Saturday, September 16 ]

There's a (fairly sketchy) review of Jimmy Software's Turjah (currently only available for Casio devices, but set to be released for the iPAQ this Monday) at PDA Games. Don't forget that you can find a couple more reviews at PocketGames.

Taipei Solitaire for Pocket PC's

[ Saturday, September 16 ]

Puzzle Express have released another brain-teaser for the Pocket PC in the shape of Taipei Solitaire, a tile-matching game with the twist being that in this version cards are used instead of tiles.

iMAME available for SH3/MIPS

[ Saturday, September 16 ]

Thanks to Perry Longinotti for pointing out that iMAME is now also available (albeit in untested form) for SH3 and MIPS devices.

EM-500: Fine by Jimmy!

[ Saturday, September 16 ]

Excellent news for EM-500 owners as revealed in this thread at Brighthand started by Marconelly, which indicates that not only do Jimmy Software's games run considerably faster on the EM-500 than on the iPAQ, but that they will apparently be released next week. That's not all; there's even talk of a special 3D game in the works exclusive to the EM-500...

NeoGeo emulation possible?

[ Friday, September 15 ]

A very interesting post from Darren Fink (author of the MAMECE port mentioned below) appeared on the MAMECE messageboard recently. In it, he quietly raises the possibility of including NeoGeo games in the titles emulated by the MAMECE ports.

MAME for E-115

[ Friday, September 15 ]

Darren Fink has released a new test version of his Unofficial MAMECE release in which he has added support for the E-115's hardware buttons. All the details can be found in this post at the MAMECE messageboard.

Turjah for iPAQ on Monday!

[ Thursday, September 14 ]

It would appear that the release date of Turjah for the iPAQ has been pushed back a little. Thanks to Frank for letting me know of an e-mail he received from Jimmy Software saying that the game would be released "next Monday".

EM-500: Not as good as it should be

[ Tuesday, September 12 ]

It seems that manufacturers don't particularly want to encourage gaming on the Pocket PC. First there was the button issue with the iPAQ and now it appears, as detailed in this post on the MAMECE messageboard, that Casio's new EM-500 doesn't support true DSA (Direct Screen Access).

Basically, what this means is that the device isn't as fast at playing games as it potentially could have been. This information is from Larry Bank, the author of HiVE CE (the emulator behind Pac-Man in the Fun Pack), so looks to be reliable. This is pure speculation on my part but another consequence of this may well be that Jimmy Software will find it more difficult to get their top titles working on the EM-500.

Wireless multiplayer ZIOGolf!

[ Tuesday, September 12 ]

Check out this press release from Socket Communications and ZIO Interactive detailing an "agreement to develop and market Bluetooth-enabled multiplayer games for Windows Powered Pocket PC's". First off the production line is expected to be a multiplayer version of ZIOGolf. Thanks to Remit for spotting this, as found in this Brighthand thread.

New iMAME!

[ Monday, September 11 ]

It just wouldn't be the same without an iMAME update! Version 0.5 offers support for more games (Mappy, DigDug2, Dkong, Bagman), support for the action button to allow simultaneous moving and firing and various other enhancements.

(If you saw a phantom news item on Saturday about a previous iMAME update, by the way, that was a mistake on my part. Thanks to Gary for pointing this out. To become better organised, maybe I should get one of these Pocket PC things I keep hearing so much about...!)

Did I mention Turjah...?

[ Monday, September 11 ]

Turjah for iPAQ this week!

[ Saturday, September 9 ]

Jimmy Software's space shoot-em-up extravaganza, Turjah, previously available for Casio devices only will be made available for the iPAQ this week, according to Jimmy Software themselves!

More bubbles, anyone?

[ Saturday, September 9 ]

Just when you thought it was safe to go out, along comes another clear-the-board-of-the-bubbles game! So, what's different this time? Highlights include the fact that high scores can be transferred between Pocket PC's via IR, and the full source code is available. iPAQ owners should check out the Bubbles page to find out.

Voice recognition on Pocket PC!

[ Saturday, September 9 ]

HandHeld Speech could well be a company to look out for in the years to come if voice recognition turns out to be the Next Big Thing in the PDA world. You can try out a beta version of a voice-enabled contacts application, Lookup, for which versions are available for the iPAQ, E-100 and E-115. Having briefly tried it out myself, I was impressed with the standard of recognition that the program attained.

Bowled over!

[ Saturday, September 9 ]

Thanks to Wynn Rujiraviriyapinyo and Tom Kriplean for letting me know that Power Grip from Flux is now available for the StrongARM and SH3 Pocket PC's. There's a demo available to download, and you can also purchase the full version for $29.95.

Dashboard arrives!

[ Thursday, September 7 ]

Not games-related, I grant you, but when a program is this good, who cares?! The multi-talented Today screen replacement/enhancement utility, Dashboard from SnoopSoft, has finally arrived. I had the pleasure of beta testing Dashboard and I can safely say that this will be one of the Pocket PC's biggest success stories!

PocketGamer.org to replace PocketGames!

[ Thursday, September 7 ]

The end of PocketGames is nigh! But not to worry, because PocketGamer.org will be providing exactly the same service, only better! The change, to be effected hopefully within the next two weeks, offers plenty of advantages (OK, so they're mainly cosmetic, but I'm proud of 'em!) which you can read about on the PocketGamer.org test page.

The test page is as much there to try and catch any errors or problems with certain browsers that I wouldn't otherwise be aware of, so please give it a brief visit and let me know if anything is wrong! Unlike www.pocketgames.co.uk, the new site can be reached either with or without the "www":

• pocketgamer.org

• pocketgamer.org

Compaq: We can fix buttons problem!

[ Thursday, September 7 ]

Apparently, Compaq have found that the button problem can be fixed either at OS or ROM level, and are working with Microsoft to provide a fix. Or so goes a Compaq eServices reply, as found in this MAMECE messageboard post. This does, however, appear to completely contradict Jimmy Software's conclusion that a software fix was not possible.

Personally, I think it more likely that in this particular case Compaq are actually confusing the problem that multiple simultaneous button presses cannot be detected with the "down button" bug (where pressing down once actually results in the program scrolling down continuously until you press a button - especially prevalent in Reader).

On a related note, it would seem that at least one button, the action button, can be used in conjunction with the joypad. For a demonstration of this in action, simply download and play Tankzone 2000 (which you should do regardless!).

New day, new MAME!

[ Thursday, September 7 ]

Yet another MAME project update, this time in the form of a new iMAME release, which now includes support for DigDug, Pengo and Hangly (yes, those are games!).

The return of the Handheld PC!

[ Thursday, September 7 ]

Check out this CNet article, spotted by Niranjan in this Brighthand thread, regarding the introduction of the Handheld PC 2000. All very well, but are they are any good at games?!

Brighthand reviews Jimmy Fun Pack 4

[ Wednesday, September 6 ]

Jimmy Software's puzzle collection, Fun Pack 4, gets the going over at Brighthand in a well-written and detailed review.

New MAME releases!

[ Tuesday, September 5 ]

Techmaster has released yet more new versions of his MAMECE port, all of which can be found at Techmaster's Unofficial MAMECE page. Details and discussion of the new releases - which offer graphics fixes as well as support for more games - can be found in this message on the MAMECE messageboard.

CyberMan CE reviewed

[ Tuesday, September 5 ]

There's a review of CyberMan CE, a Pac-Man clone from HardCover Software soon to be released for the Pocket PC.

New "epic" RPG on the way!

[ Tuesday, September 5 ]

As spotted by PocketPC-Spiele.de, there's a new "epic" RPG on the way for PDA's (including all colour Pocket PC's) in the form of Solskia from Kyle Poole Software. Featuring a true isometric engine, real-time combat, lighting effects and a dynamic environment, the game certainly looks impressive. You might also want to pay a visit to the Solskia discussion area, which includes the FAQ.

Tanks very much!

[ Tuesday, September 5 ]

Stellarmetrics have just released Tankzone 2000 (available to download now), a first-person perspective 3D blaster which has all the look and feel of the arcade original. Tankzone 2000 is charityware, which is a nice touch.

CB64 for "many" devices; iNES on iPAQ!

[ Tuesday, September 5 ]

There's a very interesting post from Domenico Dato on the Come Back 64 messageboard in which he discusses his porting of Come Back 64 to the Pocket PC, and then mentions his NES emulator, iNES:

"I'm completely rewriting code in order to use GAPI library from Microsoft. This should make the emulator work on many PocketPC devices. Obviously i need some beta testers because i don't have an E-115 nor an E500. In the meantime i've ported iNES (NES emu) to the iPAQ and speed is nearly 100% on most games (but many are unplayable due to joystick problems of the iPAQ) ."

May the PocketForce be with you!

[ Tuesday, September 5 ]

Sadly, a Star Wars game is not on the way. However, the latest addition in a growing line of Pocket PC games developers, PocketForce, are currently writing a space trading game and are after some feedback (and encouragement!). Thanks to Adam Cheong of PocketForce for letting me know.

Panda fights UFO on Pocket PC!

[ Monday, September 4 ]

Did you hear the one about the panda, the UFO and the Pocket PC? Hong-Kong based Mizar Technologies have created a new Pocket PC game going by the unique name of Panda Vs UFO, an arcade style game currently available for MIPS-based palm-sized devices and Pocket PC's. There is a free demo version to try out, and the price for the full game is a measly $5.

RPG Survey: Part II

[ Monday, September 4 ]

With the original survey registering a high level of interest, it seems that the Pocket PC platform is to gain an RPG! There's now a second survey in place asking more specific questions on what type of RPG/adventure game you would prefer. as well as offering you the chance to sign up as a beta tester.

E-115 Mamed!

[ Monday, September 4 ]

Techmaster has released another new version of his MAMECE port which now works properly on Casio's E-115, as detailed in this post on the MAMECE messageboard. You can find the updated version at the Unofficial MAMECE page.

Compaq: We'll fix iPAQ's buttons!

[ Sunday, September 3 ]

Thanks to Mark Rejhon for pointing out this extremely interesting post at Brighthand (originally posted by eyen0de here) regarding the now infamous iPAQ button problem. Apparently, if there's enough demand, Compaq will fix it!

Compaq's service centre can be reached on 1-800-OK-COMPAQ in the US and, even if this button fix claim turns out to be wrong, you can always let them know what a blunder they committed with the buttons!

iAM under your command!

[ Sunday, September 3 ]

The author of HiVECE, Larry Bank, has written a neat application allowing you to control your iPAQ from a desktop PC. You can download an early evaluation copy of Virtual iPAQ from this rather barren page, and find discussion on its merits in this Brighthand thread.

New unofficial MAMECE release

[ Saturday, September 2 ]

Techmaster has released a new version of his MAMECE port, which you can find at his new Unofficial MAMECE page.

It's cool... or is it?

[ Friday, September 1 ]

Let's face it. In today's fashion-conscious world, there's nothing more important than recognising what's cool and what's not. Fortunately, AeonigmaSoft (try saying that quickly!) have recognised this and come up with a Pocket Cool-O-Meter. Even more fortunately, they've also written a few other free apps that are slightly more useful! :-)

Doom on an E-115: Here's how...

[ Friday, September 1 ]

Dario has posted a helpful message in the Jimmy Software forum explaining how to go about getting Jimmy Software's Doom4CE working on the E-115.