W I R E L E S S S O C I E T Y
Games To Go
Got five minutes to kill? A fistful of action-packed fun is available for download on your mobil phone
By Anita Hamilton
October 11, 2004
Cell-phone games give cheap thrills a good name. Costing about five
bucks a pop, interactive games via mobile phones are booming, with U.S.
consumers shelling out an estimated $250 million for them in 2004,
according to research firm Zelos Group. Verizon alone offers more than
350 titles. Old favorites like Pac-Man and Tetris have been redesigned
for smaller cell-phone screens. They rank among current best sellers,
along with card games like blackjack and poker. But there are also
plenty of sports and action games out for this fall. The newest trend is
multiplayer titles like Family Feud, which let you compete against
hundreds of other gamers in real time and see top scores—though often
the graphics aren't anything to write home about.
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
INVISIBLE LINK
Whether you're keeping your home safe or watching movies by the pool, wires aren't required |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
PHOTOS FROM SPOKANE
Sleepy Spokane, Wash., has a secret: it's the wireless hot spot of the future |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Wi-Fi Gets Rolling
The Web is going wireless in offices, schools, RV parks and more—transforming our lives like no technology since the Internet itself |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To get started, you'll need a mobile handset with a good color screen,
preferably one that came out within the past year. The larger your
screen, the easier it will be to see and play the game. You also need to
be connected to your cellular service to download games, but you can
usually play even if you don't have a clear signal to place a call.
Here are our top picks for games you can find on the nation's largest
carriers: AT&T, Cingular, Nextel, Sprint, TMobile and Verizon. To find
out about the latest additions, check your provider's website because
new titles are always being rolled out. Then get ready for some
fingertip fun!
Action
TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL PANDORA TOMORROW
You're a secret agent on a mission that begins in the East Timor jungle.
As you run through swamps, dodge land mines and avoid surveillance
spotlights, you must elude—or kill—terrorist guards to stay alive. You
can jump, crouch, climb and shoot your pistol. Stay in the shadows to
avoid detection. Elegant graphics and exciting game play make it a
winner.
MAKER: Gameloft
AVAILABLE: All but Nextel
PRICE: $2.49 per month; $4.99 to $5.99 for unlimited use
DRIV3R
As an undercover officer in the Miami police department, your job is to
track down an international gang of car thieves. First you need to learn
to steer straight (not as easy as it sounds), then to smash into other
vehicles without destroying your own. As you move through the game's 16
levels, you'll travel to Istanbul and Nice in trucks, motorcycles and
sports cars. It's a tough assignment but well worth the ride.
MAKER: Sorrent
AVAILABLE: All major carriers
PRICE: About $3 to $6
CALL OF DUTY
In this World War II fighting game, the secret to success lies in
strategy and planning. Choose your three-person squad from a variety of
troop types ranging from sniper to engineer. Then blast your way through
doors, blow up tankers and scramble across open fields. You decide when
to fire machine guns, throw grenades or sneak past the enemy. This
intense, action-packed game will give you a very sore trigger finger.
MAKER: Mforma
AVAILABLE: All but Nextel
PRICE: About $5 to $6
Sports
POOL
No need to worry about elbow room with this slickly designed game.
Simply rotate the pool cue onscreen using the left and right directional
buttons above your number keys. Once you have lined up the perfect shot
(a marker onscreen shows you where your ball should go), select the
power level from an onscreen meter and watch the balls roll. Play eight-
or nine-ball against the "computer," a surprisingly skilled opponent.
MAKER: Jamdat
AVAILABLE: AT&T Wireless and Cingular
PRICE: $4.99
BASSMASTER LEGENDARY LUNKERS
Even if you've never held a fishing rod in your life, it's easy to get
hooked on this game. First choose a lake, learn about the fish there and
select a lure. Since each species of fish behaves differently, you need
to learn the proper technique to reel them in. The game uses data
including weather and time of day from real-world locations to determine
fishing conditions. All fishing is catch and release, but you can save
digital snaps to show your friends.
MAKER: Dwango
AVAILABLE: Nextel and Verizon
PRICE: $5.99
FOX SPORTS FOOTBALL '05
Need a dose of interactive football while you're on the road? This
version will do. With large, onscreen characters and fluid graphics,
Fox's football game stands out from the small-screen pack. On offense,
pick your play from several diagrammed choices, then hit the 1, 2 or 3
button to pass at just the right moment. The ball shoots flames when you
throw it, so it's easy to follow. On defense, simply run and tackle.
(The phone vibrates when you succeed.) Special maneuvers include a dive
tackle and speed burst.
MAKER: Sorrent
AVAILABLE: All but Cingular
PRICE: About $3 to $6
Puzzles
BLOCK BREAKER DELUXE
This is an updated variation of the Atari classic Breakout. Your goal:
break all the multicolored bricks using a ball and paddle onscreen.
Unlike many games, Block Breaker Deluxe is simple to get the hang of and
has no elaborate key configurations to memorize. Just push 4 to move
your paddle to the left and 6 to go right. You can get very involved as
you try to demolish increasingly elaborate block configurations. Your
reward as you conquer Block Breaker's 50 levels? Brilliant special
effects and some cute surprises.
MAKER: Gameloft
AVAILABLE: All carriers
PRICE: $1.99 per month; $3.99 to $5.99 for unlimited use
BEJEWELED
It seems so straightforward: rearrange a group of three or more jewels
located near one another on a checkerboard-like grid so that they line
up in a row or column. You can reposition a jewel (ruby, sapphire,
diamond or emerald) onscreen by clicking on it once, then clicking the
square where you want to place it. The tough part is identifying the
matches. Once you have formed a string of jewels, they disappear and a
random assortment of new gems takes their place. Race against the clock
or another player to see who makes the most matches first. You can also
post your scores for other players to see.
MAKER: Jamdat
AVAILABLE: All carriers; multiplayer version on Sprint and Verizon only
PRICE: $2 to $3 per month; $5 to $7 for unlimited use
FAMILY FEUD
Anyone who grew up watching the TV quiz show Family Feud in the 1970s
and '80s will love this cell-phone remake in which you compete against
hundreds of other gamers in real time. The goal is to pick the top three
answers as quickly as possible from a list of choices presented
onscreen. Wait too long and a buzzer sounds to disqualify you. Recent
questions include "Name a place where you hear applause" (top answer:
theater) and "Name a gauge on your speedometer" (top answer: gas).
Richard Dawson not included.
MAKER: Mobliss
AVAILABLE: AT&T, Cingular, Sprint and Verizon
PRICE: About $3 per month
|
His life and death recalled in images
Premium Content
