KMGR of Commandos

Commandos is an old EIDOS 2D game that basically is a combat-oriented puzzle. The mobile version did not change much. The idea is command a team of different special operations soldiers in WW2 in enemy territory, performing various missions of sabotage, assassination, espionage, and such. The problem with this game is that the missions are too long, and lack of mid-mission save, makes the game WAY TOO frustrating, and the complexity is a turn off.

KMGR of Tricky Tracks

Image by railsr4me via Flickr

Tricky Tracks is basically a puzzle where you have to "rotate" the different pieces of tracks to form a route for the train to go. The complication comes in that you may have to perform changes on the track WHILE the train is still moving (on a different part of the track)! What's more, there are also "switches" to play with as you try to manipulate the route of the train by diverting it onto a different track. Add a time limit, multiple levels of success, and you got yourself one tricky puzzler.

KMGR of Saboteur

Image by Colony of Gamers via Flickr

Saboteur is a WW2 game where you play one of the resistance fighters taking the fight to the Nazis with your fists and some know-how with explosives and such. You will NOT be wielding guns (until the finale), as this is NOT a shooter. This is like Splinter Cell or Metal Gear, but in WW2. There are also console and PC version of this game. If you play the mobile version, you can unlock special hints and tips for the other versions. While the graphics is a bit on the primitive side, the action is fine and the tension is pretty high. Overall, it's a pretty fun little game.

KMGR of Blademaster

Image by J0nB0n via Flickr

Blademaster is a new "action RPG" from MinorAxis, a South Korean developer that is doing very good work adapting games for their market to American markets. These games are full-fledged RPGs with large maps, plenty of quests, lots of items, TONS of monsters to kill left and right, and three classes of weapons to master (slayer [big sword], regular sword, dagger) plus special "magic moves", plenty of enhancements, even "intensify" your items... This can be sold for $15-20 if it is a computer game, so it's a bargain at less than $5 for a month! You're talking about 30-40 hours of play time PLUS "extra tough" hero mode... Only Minor Axis RPGs give you that much play time.

KMGR of "Conspiracy Theory: Area 51"

While the title sounds like fun, the game is actually a "hidden objects" game pretending to be an adventure game. The game makes a joke of FBI, as these FBI agents break laws left and right, even overseas, and basically behaving like a couple idiotic criminals. The writing is lame, the scenario is lame, and the game itself is also lame. If you want hidden objects, you can do better than this.

KMGR of "Cooking Mama"

Image via Wikipedia

Taito's Cooking Mama is one of the first "cooking sims" which basically have you repeat a bunch of keypresses, meant to simulate cooking on a console. It has since spawned multiple clones on the mobile, but also made its own way to mobile. Is it any good? Not really.

KMGR of Tony Hawk's VERT

Tony Hawk's VERT is a cartoony skateboarding stunt arcade game, combined with a "photo shoot" minigame. It is a pretty good game giving you a taste of the skateboarding scene using the "standard" U-shaped ramp, but presented in a cartoony way.

You start with just one venue, each venue has different events. The first event you have is the tutorial, which is pretty much 'follow the instructions', and you're introduced to the different stunts... the ramp lip moves, and the flying moves, then the advanced moves, which requires a lot more "air". So the idea basically is do as many different moves, go as "high" and get as much air as possible, and do as many moves as you can.

One of the minigames is to snap shots of another skateboarder. If you got the advanced moves, and the guy is centered in the frame, you get good points. If you're off center, or got the lame moves, you get like 1 or 2 points. You need to score X points within Y shots.

Each "event" has two levels of success... regular, and expert. Expert has additional stipulations. For example, finish the tutorial in 90 seconds, or complete the 2nd event without falling once, or fly high enough to hit the train 3 times, and so on.

KMGR of Red Bull Soapbox Race

Image by pdgibson via Flickr

This game is not really about your typical soapbox racer, but rather a combination of keypresses. It's cute, it's customizable, but is it really soapbox race? I dunno. At least it is based on a real event.

When you begin, you need to customize your racer in terms of suspension and speed, durability, and such. The options doesn't seem to make THAT much of a difference though.

Then you need to perform a dance with your three racers. (No, I am NOT kidding) by pressing keys at random. (that's not in the real event that I know of)

Final previews of 2009...

Image via Wikipedia

And there are a LOT of titles! Let's do a record... EIGHT games!

Red Bull Soapbox Race -- ever want to play a game of soapbox racer on a phone? Neither did I.

Tony Hawk's VERT -- a cartoony Tony Hawk game for the mobile

Cooking Mama -- is a cooking game actually any fun on a keypad?

Conspiracy Theory: Area 51 -- a "find the items" game with a non-sense plot

Blademaster -- BUY THIS RPG! You won't regret it! I swear! One of the best RPGs you can get on a mobile!

Saboteur -- the mobile version is not bad, and lets you get special hints about the console/PC version as well!

Tricky Tracks -- routing a train to its destination has never been more fun... or frustrating

Commandos -- the "team work" action puzzle for PC finally gets ported to the mobile... and got killed with a fatal bug

KMGR of "Cro-Mag Rally"

Image via Wikipedia

Cro-Mag Rally is badly named. While it's supposed to be a "rally" using "primitive" vehicles, it is really "Mariot Kart" in pre-historic drag.

You run around a circuit, and collect various "powerups" which you can shoot at fellow racers, any way to get ahead. There are only like 6 tracks, and 4 or 5 vehicles, and controls are a bit sensitive. You "can" skid in a corner, and in fact, one of the powerups is "spike tires" to enhance traction.

Looks are primitive, as it's supposed to, but that's about it. Unfortunately, seems the 3D engine itself is also primitive as heck. Objects flash in and out of existence, texture tears and breaks. AI vehicles don't drive as much as "floats", and staggers, and somehow they move as fast as you, and even sometimes, faster.