Looking for a great Real Time Strategy game for the Pocket PC?

BugLord is pretty old but, given that the Pocket PC severely lacks Real Time Strategy (RTS) games, is still worth paying attention to, particularly because there're very few RTS titles for the Pocket PC.

Upon answering a user question over at AximSite, I've just tested it for Windows Mobile 5 compatibility (it's compatible with all pre-WM5 operating systems, including WM2003SE VGA Pocket PC's and even with SH3-based Pocket PC 2000 devices (Jornada 54x) - unfortunately, not with MIPS-based ones); this info may be of interest to you. I've also found out a hack, which makes it possible to unlock the first n missions.

First, as far as WM5-compliance is concerned, the game is useless on Dell Axim x51v's (tested with an entirely clean, freshly hard reset, A06 Axim; both installed to the storage card and into the main memory). As I've reported many times, the x51v seems to have compatibility problems with several legacy applications, unlike (some) other WM5 devices. This is definitely Dell's fault.

My (also WM5-based) HTC Wizard (a.k.a. i-mate K-jam, Qtek 9100, MDA Vario, T-Mobile MDA) with the latest AKU2 i-mate ROM, on the other hand, runs the game flawlessly.

The number of currently unlocked missions is stored in the registry at

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Bearded Toad Entertainment\BugLord\Adv]

If you put, for example, 10 in there with a suitable registry editor (please see this article for more information on them), then, the first 10 missions will be unlocked.

Now, for the bad. The game is no longer available officially - the developer has gone out of business shortly after releasing the initial, 1.0 version. This means not even the multiplayer-capable version has ever been released, as I've pointed out in the Definitive Multiplayer PPC Game Roundup. Handango, PocketGear and ClickGamer don't host the game either any more. If you still have the game lying around somewhere (on, say, a mag promo CD or anything like that), it's definitely worth installing - you'll like it if you're into the RTS genre. (It's not a Starcraft but is still at least as good as Warfare Incorporated and is definitely better than, say, Argentum.)

I also recommend this review on the game.