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Special Limited Edition Bonus Issue

I thought of a lot of different titles for this very special issue. Some good, some bad, but all of them sounding better than me just admitting that I didn't get this particular edition sent in on time. But don't worry, this special flashback issue is sure to make you wistful and maybe even a little teary–eyed as you are transported back to that special week in late July of 2003.

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TipTop Shape

Hot on the heels of Big Money, Astraware has released TipTop, which is a sort of bidirectional version of Columns. The goal is to drop pieces from above, one at a time, to make matches of three. The trick here is that the computer is pushing pieces up from below while you're dropping them from above. Three modes are offered: “normal” mode, in which you take turns against the computer; “speed” mode, in which the computer plays continuously; and “strategy” mode, in which you control the bottom piece. The game actually works out pretty well, but the neatest thing about it is the ambience: everything is decorated in early 60's aquamarine art-deco Vegas casino kitsch. The only thing needed to complete the illusion would be some background jazz music and perhaps a martini. Hopefully there will be more games like this in the future and we'll move away from the drab, matter–of–fact graphics typically used in puzzle games like this one.

Blade of Betrayal (sorry, I just can't come up with any witty headings this week)

I discussed this game before in a recent issue. If you missed it the first time around (or are too lazy to click the link), it's a cartoony platform scroller similar to what you'd find in the late 80s or early 90s (Double Dragon, Duke Nuke ‘Em, Commander Keen, etc.), complete with ninjas. This one even has an interesting plot: two weapons companies duke it out for a government contract. Your father is murdered, you suspect the other company, and you're on a quest for revenge. It's a great way to get the action moving, and there's plenty of it here in a variety of locales. The beta version of this game was a little sluggish and unstable, but those problems have been fixed in this release. Extra weapons and power–ups should make this a popular title among those who enjoy walking around and killing endless hordes of enemies.

Thought of the Week

What's Going on with AvantGo, and How about Standardized Install Locations? (two mini–rants)

I've always liked AvantGo and the whole “Web clipping” concept. But lately, it seems like it's been going downhill. Over the past couple of months, I've had several channels that have either been discontinued, stopped working, or haven't been updated very reliably. So the other day I decided to add some new channels and delete some of the older ones. After clearing out the deadwood and adding about seven new channels from what seemed like an unusually skimpy amount of offerings, I synced again and decided to check out the new content. Two of the channels brought up error messages when I tried to open them, one was “invitation only,” and another was in a foreign language (the channel didn't indicate this when I signed up for it). I know AvantGo doesn't make much money (if any) from private users like me, but I've always considered the program to be an an integral part of the PDA experience. I remember getting my first Pocket PC and being really impressed that the program was built into the browser and that I could subscribe to the maximum number of channels. They need to beef it up and continue to add new content. I hope the program sticks around even after we all have true Internet on our PDAs—it's still a neat idea.

Next, there's an annoying trait I've been noticing in games lately. Most people know that by now, the days of copying raw executables over to your device and making your own directories and shortcuts are finally behind us. Most programs now have install routines, so you just launch an executable, make a click or two, and the program sets itself up on your device, complete with a shortcut and icon. Some of these installers even have slick graphics, logos, and music embedded within them, and that's neat—packaging is important. The problem I have is that companies all vary in where they think their program shortcuts should be placed. Some programs create an icon in the Games folder, some in the Programs folder, and some on the Start Menu (and sometimes all three!) This drives me crazy. When I go to look for a game, I'm never really sure where to find it, and my device becomes cluttered very quickly from the sheer number of games I have installed. In my opinion, all games should just go to \Programs\Games. I don't need any icons in other places. Having them on my Start Menu just clutters up the list (which is meant to be short), and having them in Programs is just annoying because I have to do a lot of scrolling, and game icons don't belong there anyway. I would suggest all game developers just stick one shortcut in Programs\Games to make things cleaner. People who prefer their icons elsewhere can simply cut and paste them to the desired location.

Oh hey, sorry for any e–mail you might've sent me this week (that is if you were even able to send them). My pocketpcmag.com e-mail is relayed to a POP3/IMAP account at myrealbox.com. The myrealbox server had a whole bunch of problems, likely as a direct result of the virus. So I really have a good excuse this week for being lazy and not responding to e–mails. If you sent me anything critical or something requiring a response, you'll need to resend it. Thanks.

Allen Gall’s The Week in Games is a free service of POCKET PC magazine and POCKET PC magazine ONLINE : in-depth articles, tips, an Encyclopedia of Software and Accessories, and links to the best Windows Mobile PDA and Smartphone Web sites

Allen Gall’s The Week in Games  Copyright © 2003 by Thaddeus Computing Inc.