Shiny Review: Astraware Mobile Games

A lovely lady at Astraware spotted my review for my new baby, the MDA Vario, and kindly decided to let me have some games to try out on it.

The ones I have been playing with are Chuzzle (pictured left), My Little Tank, SuDoku, TipTop, Super Slyder and Bejeweled 2. They cost between about $10 and $20 to register, though the free trials are perfectly playable.

The main aims of three of the above (Chuzzle, TipTop, Bejeweled) are all seemingly obsessed with the number 3 - meaning you need to get three or more 'thingummies' in a row, or next to each other, or on top of each other - then they go 'poof' and more thingummies fill up the space.

Sounds a bit simple doesn't it? But that's half the point, sometimes on the tube or similar, I didn't want to engage myself in my book or play something which needed too much concentration, and these were ideal. They all have variations, i.e. speed games, puzzle levels or continuous mind-calming thingummy-popping levels. I found the Chuzzles to be particularly cute, leave them alone for long enough and they fall asleep, poke them in the right place with your stylus and they giggle. Awh.

Also available is SuDoku - which I'm sure I don't need to tell you the rules of (if you need to know, try here), and a very nice version of SuDoku it is too. It allows what it calls 'pencil marks' in all the boxes and generally has a good looking interface.

My Little Tank - well I've not actually played on this much - but it kept a male friend of mine amused for a good 20 minutes. I think you just drive your tank around, shoot other tanks, and try not to die. Well there's probably a bit more strategy to it than that, but shooting ain't my bag, baby. I gather it was good for those whose bag it is. BUT I have just been told you can change the colour of your tank to match your bag, should you wish it. Next!

Finally Super Slyder is a bizarre little turquoise blob which you, er, slam into walls, wodges of gum and hopefully into a spinny green thing which is apparently where he wants to go. He also seems to have a mild case of Tourette's Syndrome. And he has a friend called Boffo who likes to follow him around. Sometimes to win, Boffo has to die. You know, that's just too complicated for me.

1 and 1 and 1 make 3, wheeeeee! Now, I can do those... If you want to try before you buy, not only can you get a trial version for your phone, but many of the games are available to play online at PopCap. Enjoy!  [Sara Wallen]

Read: Astraware / PopCap

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