Go Sudoku Crazy on your iPhone

I only recently discovered Sudoku when I was trying to kill some time between flight connections. I saw a Sudoku puzzle book at the airport gift shop next to the usual crossword puzzle and word search game books. I had heard about Sudoku but never tried it. I bought a bag of peanut M&Ms with it and settled down to play. I have to admit I was hooked from the beginning. I started with the easy puzzles just to get a feel for it. One hour into it, I realized that I was getting a little obsessive. I ran to the gift store and bought two more Sudoku books. I was ready for the challenging puzzles. This numbers game is very easy in concept, but quickly becomes difficult. The object of this game is to fill a 3x3 square with the number 1-9, but also horizontally and vertically, which are three, 3x3 squares up and down. I know it sounds confusing, but trust me when I say it's easy to catch on and get hooked.

When I discovered I could get free downloads of Sudoku on my cell phone, I was in heaven. Any time I'm standing in a line, I pull out my phone and play a few games. I can't carry a Sudoku notebook and pen on me everywhere I go, but my cell phone fits nicely in my pocket so I'm never without an opportunity to play. It challenges the brain, which is a nice change of pace from some of the mindless mobile games and iPhone games on the market. Give it a try. You won't regret it.

The Return of Space Invaders

There is a new version of the classic game Space Invaders that is now becoming very popular thanks to new technology that makes the whole game a free mobile game. That's right. Now you can play Space Invaders on any Internet equipped cell phone or PDA. Imagine waiting for a train or airplane while reliving your youth by playing this classic game.

Not sure if you remember Space Invaders? Let me jog your memory. You have a small space ship at the bottom of the screen. A relentless crowd of aliens slowly matches toward you. Blast them all the way before they make the way to the bottom of the screen to win.

Well, you never actually win. Every time you clear out all the rows of aliens, another whole field appears. The newer aliens are always faster and more threatening, firing their own missiles straight down at you. At the beginning, you have four bases to hides behind, but eventually the bases become destroyed by the rocket fire.

There is also a red space ship that is accompanied by a siren sound effect. It crosses the screen once firing randomly. If you kill, it you get a random number of points. Sometimes it is just worth thirty points, other times it is worth 300.

If you can manage to clear ten thousand points your first time out, you are not bad. But one look at the high scores on the Internet should make you humble. There are those who have scored over ten million points. By my estimates, these people would have had to play Space Invaders continuously for four days without a mistake. Now that kind of concentration is worthy of Tiger Woods! Yet for the rest of us, ten minutes makes a great game. Try it out!

Asteroids

In many ways, Asteroids is the classic video game. Long before the graphic rich environment of flash and java games were developed, this simple black and white, monoline plot game captivated a nation. Millions of people plunked down twenty-five cents to try and blast away at oblong, ameba like images that we were told to believe were killer asteroids. Our "star ship" was nothing more than a line drawing of the letter "A." The weapon? A space bar produced period.

Yet now that the game is available as a free mobile game, it is making a comeback. More and more people are reliving their youth by playing on their phone or PDA while waiting for a bus, a dentist appointment, or a boardroom meeting.

Yet Asteroids is not just for those over forty. Even twenty-something -- who have grown up in an age where you need three days to learn how to play the latest twenty gigabyte games -- are turning to Asteroids. Maybe it's the simplicity they crave. The game can be learned within ten seconds. Make that five. Yet it is challenging and addictive. I am waiting to finish this review so that I can give it one more shot.

Don't ever count a game out because of its age. Games like Pac-Man, Asteroids, and Star Gazer have a lot to offer. Think about it, if millions of people spent countless hours playing this game when it cost money, isn't a few rounds with a free mobile version worth your time? What they would have given in the seventies to carry a version of Asteroids with them on a cell phone. Now that to me speaks of the progress that gaming has made. Keep your Unreal Tournament, I will stick with the intergalactic battle of Asteroids!

ROBOT Spells Weird

The game is called R.O.B.O.T. Why they just don't call it "Robot" is beyond me. Perhaps they thought they were being clever. Who knows. The point is that Robot is a free game that can be downloaded to your mobile device. Whether you choose to play and for how long is entirely up to you.

You control the one good robot. Your job is to walk around shooting all the bad robots. Are you still following? Games like these tend to be very complicated! Yes, after killing lots of evil, bad robots, you go to the robot garage. At the garage, you can now decide what you want to upgrade. See, for every bad robot you kill, you earn a certain number of "cores." No one ever explains what these cores are, but they basically serve as money.

In the garage, you can either fix your robot up or buy more ammunition or even a fast set of legs (wheels?). Spend wisely since you do not have enough money to do everything. That is why it is so important not to get hit when battling other robots. Every core you must spend to repair yourself is one less core you can be spending on better abilities.

Of course, it almost goes without saying that if you waste ammo, you will not be playing for very long. After playing a bit, you will learn which bad guys go down with one shot and which will require a few hits. Then you won't have to wait and see if you have killed your target before firing again. Wait and see tactics save ammo but when you are being attacked from all directions, you don't have the luxury of unlimited time.

Now if you do have unlimited time you can play this game for awhile and learn to master all of its sophisticated nuances. But that shouldn't take more than an hour!

Smart Phone Roulette

When buying a cell phone today, you have to play what I call "smart phone roulette." There are so many brands and features, that you really want to do your research and choose wisely. Otherwise your "smart phone" may be dumber than your stapler. At least with the iPhone, it may cost a bit more than the knockoffs, but at least you know you are getting real quality.

The other thing you know if you choose an iPhone is that there are millions of applications out there that have been designed specifically for the iPhone. For example, you can play a version of mobile roulette -- not smart phone roulette but the actual casino game) using the touch sensitive screen to lay a wager and take a spin. This is not a mock up, it's the real game. if you win, then you win real cash which you can quickly download into your bank account all by using your phone.

The game looks and feels authentic. It also doesn't take long to play. Each round only has to last a few seconds. You can take longer but the choice is up to you. Everyone will end up customizing his or her gaming preferences. That is one of the greatest advantages that comes with playing on a platform as flexible as the iPhone.

So the next time you find yourself with some extra time to kill, take out your iPhone and play a few rounds of roulette. You will see why these phones have become so popular around the world.

Blackjack on the Hip

I am thrilled today because a friend just e-mailed me that there is now a version of blackjack that I can play on my iPhone. As you know, since getting the iPhone, I just don't go anywhere without it. With the nifty hip holster, I can take my little buddy anywhere. Whether I should need a phone, e-mail connection, mp3, or video player -- I have everything I need within a 2 second grab no matter what I am doing.

So until now, the only thing missing has been real games (ones that you can actually win some cash as opposed to a smiley face) that were developed with the iPhone in kind. Sure, you could try downloading some stuff and hoped it would work on your iPhone.

But now, I see there are casino game applications that have been launched that were specifically designed for the iPhone. This is huge news (although it was not unexpected.) So now that I can have my two favorite hobbies (playing with the iPhone and playing Blackjack) together, I am really pleased.

The iPhone Blackjack plays smooth and seamless. Everything you need is just a touch away, from payout odds to taking insurance to splitting your hand. You can play whenever or wherever you feel like it. With the touch screen, you can play as fast as you are able. There's no waiting for the game to keep up with you.

I am sure after a few hours I will try something news. But for right now, don't disturb me, I'm on a roll.

Mission Leprechaun

In essence, Mission Leprechaun is an Irish version of the classic game Packman. The strategy is the same. You control the protagonist, in this case a leprechaun, and you try and collect treasure and free other captive leprechauns. Along the way, you must avoid snakes and goblins and bombs and all sorts of other dangers. If they touch you, you are done.

However, you should keep in mind that there are also scattered throughout the maze, items that will give you special powers. One makes it possible for you to attack and kill the hazards. Another freezes them. If you can quickly freeze them and then touch the reversal button, you can score lots of points by eating up all the frozen hazards. When you hear the voice warning that your special powers are about to end, get out of the area fast. As soon as they end, the hazards resume their menacing attacks.

Obviously, the key is to work the maze over section by section. Move about the corners until the hazards starts to chase you. When they come after you, move on to a different section of the maze. Never stay in one place to long. you must keep moving.

What is great is that this game can be downloaded to your phone or PDA. So you can now play it anywhere you want at any time. While you are waiting for a meeting to start, try it out. Turn off the sound and everyone will assume you are working! Just don't smile too much. If it looks like you are having a good time, everyone will know that you are playing a mobile game.

I don't know why the Leprechaun theme is so popular. But the little guys grow on you. Much more fun than a "packman" (in my humble opinion.)