Ever since I reviewed the first games from
AstraWare
at SPUG, I have reviewed more and more goodies from this top Palm game developer through the years.
Recently, friends of mine have been raving over some of their new releases. So on a day off, I visited their site and downloaded several of their new stuff. In this review, I will mention three that got me totally addicted. Like I have always maintained, the hallmark of all AstraWare's games is that they are elegant, well-crafted and fun to play. These latest offerings are no different. All these three games will run on every Palm OS device - from old 3.5 models to Sony's hi-res and the new superfast 5.0 models.
Ricochet
As a diehard Pong fan, Ricochet is a great ball breaker with a futuristic mystic look. The game appears sluggish on the Treo 270, but works great on my Sony NR70. The graphics and sound (albeit monotonous) is much better. It has everything a gamer looks for in a Pong game, and then some. There are 150 levels, 13 types of bricks (some rather funky) and 15 types of bonuses (including an 8-ball spree, the most number of balls I have seen in a game of this genre).
Both stylus and hard buttons are offered. After each level, there is a robotic build-up of the next level, plus a timely tip. This may take away the flow of the pace of the game for some; for others like myself, it is a welcome break and relief before moving further. An excellent non-violent game for young and old; one that will not be discarded even after you long upgrade to a newer model.
Dynomite
Bust-A-Move was an instant hit the moment it was released in the arcade halls. Up there in the ranks of Space Invaders and Tetris, it has been ported into every conceivable gaming machine including mobile phones. There are several good conversions of this game for the Palm OS; and Dynomite with the most bells and whistles, is amongst the best.
Like the original, it has cutesy little creatures. As part of the PopCap collection, its designers take the theme further by providing a prehistoric background with dino eggs and creatures. Very nice. Using the stylus is a great way for lamers like me. Again, I recommend the hi-res version, although the normal game is no slough. Sounds are great and it is a game that is as addictive as it is fun. There are the choices of a thinking game or action (fast and furious) game. Highly recommended.
Book Worm
Of all the 3 games, Book Worm works fine in all three modes, although I like the large, clear hi-res screen. It is extremely well designed - so intuitive, that you can start playing right away. A cross between Boggle and Scramble, I find myself addicted to it right away. It was the game I played the longest with.
Book Worm comes with a 35,000 word dictionary that doesn't take too many bytes nor that long to load. The bonus points is a good touch; so is the burning letters. The animated Book Worm eating the words formed, number of points as each word is completed and the longest word/best word at the end of each level are all icing on the cake. Learning has never been so much fun nor challenging.
