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Software--Palm May 2001 • Vol.9 Issue 5 Page(s) 64-66 in print issue |
Game Software Whistle While You Work With These Entertaining Programs | ||
 When you initially considered buying a Palm OS handheld, you probably compiled a list of reasons why it would help you be more productive at your job. Now that you've purchased a Palm, you're finding your initial reasoning was right on target: You've never been more organized at work. However, you know the saying about all work and no play. If you're ready to give your Palm device, and yourself, a well-deserved break from work, hundreds of Palm OS software developers are waiting to meet your entertainment and gaming needs. We've compiled a hybrid list of the Top 10 gaming and entertainment software packages for the Palm OS, based on recent sales figures (as tracked by PC Data) and on recent download statistics from various Palm OS software Web sites.
Global Star Software $14.99 each http://www.globalstarsoftware.com This collection of freeware and shareware games from Global Star Software is one of the most popular commercial gaming software packages made for the Palm OS. ( Freeware is software available for free from its developers. Shareware is software that's free to try. If you keep the shareware, you're expected to pay the developers a registration fee. Some shareware software contains limited features that are unlocked once you pay the fee.) Two volumes of 100 Great Games are available, each containing 100 games. The biggest downside to this software package is that most of these games are shareware games, meaning you'll need to pay a registration fee for the games you keep. Despite the extra expense, 100 Great Games does give you the benefit of a large collection of games you can try with little hassle. Both volumes offer a wide variety of games, including adventure, arcade, board, and card games. Some games are available in full color, while others are in grayscale. Both Volume 1 and Volume 2 have the same system requirements: any handheld device that supports Palm OS 3.0 or higher. Memory requirements on the Palm for each game vary, usually from 30KB to 100KB. 9-Ball Pinball LandWare $14.95 http://www.landware.com Pinball wizards will enjoy trying this game from LandWare on their Palm handhelds. You can play alone or with up to four opponents. Several different levels of difficulty are included with 9-Ball Pinball, and you can customize several settings for the pinball table, including bumper intensity and table slant. You even can select how many pinballs you can use per game or click on the Extra Slow setting to make the game easier. To win the game, you must hit nine targets. For a real challenge, try Shark mode, where you must hit the targets in numerical order. If you become frustrated, watch out for the game's tilt feature! Playing the game can be a little awkward because of the Palm's button layout. Once you're used to the layout and slight delay in reaction of the flippers, though, you should be able to—as the song says—play a mean pinball, too. 9-Ball Pinball requires Palm OS 2.02 or higher and needs 127KB of memory. PalmPilot Personal handhelds aren't supported; you'll need PalmPilot Professional handhelds or newer. Amusement Park 1 & 2 C.A.K.E. Software $10 each http://www.cakesoftware.com Two addictive versions of Amusement Park are available for the Palm OS from C.A.K.E. Software: Amusement Park 1 and Amusement Park 2. Each version of Amusement Park consists of 10 different visual games that require a quick eye and a quicker stylus. In most of the games, you'll be presented with a grid of pictures or numbers, and you'll have to solve a puzzle or click the correct picture to win each of the individual games. The faster you make the correct selections, the higher your score will be. Three difficulty levels are available for Amusement Park. The software tracks your best time or score for each of the individual games, giving you a mark to shoot for in later sessions. Many of the games in Amusement Park are suitable for older children, and free versions of each software package for younger children are available for download at the Web site, too. Each version of Amusement Park requires about 40KB of memory on the Palm handheld. It will run on almost any PC-Palm setup and works with any version of the Palm OS.
Global Star Software $14.99 http://www.globalstarsoftware.com The Arcade 2 Pak from Global Star offers a pair of full-version arcade games, Biplane Ace and Zap!2000, for the Palm OS. (Older versions of Arcade 2 Pak might contain a game called RockBlaster.) Biplane Ace is an airplane battle game, using biplanes. You must maneuver your plane through several aerial stunts to avoid your enemies. The game features sound effects and even parachuting pilots to help make things more realistic. Once you've mastered the game, you can submit your high score to the Astraware Web site (http://www.astraware.com), the maker of Biplane Ace and Zap!2000. Zap!2000 is a space-based game where players try to destroy a host of attacking aliens on any of several levels. You can choose to slow down the game's action a little while you're learning to play. More than 50 different types of aliens are included with the game. The game has surprisingly good graphics and sound effects, especially considering the Palm platform for which it was designed. Arcade 2 Pak requires Palm OS 3.0 or higher. Both color and grayscale versions of the games are included. You'll need about 200KB of Palm memory per game. Game Pak Deluxe Handmark $19.99 http://www.handmark.com Handmark, formerly Palmspring Software, has included several classic puzzles and games with the Game Pak Deluxe. The game includes 10 solitaire card games, such as Pyramid and Black Hole. Five casino games are included, too, such as Roulette, Poker, and Blackjack. Perhaps the best feature of Game Pak Deluxe, though, is its collection of crossword puzzles. You can download a new crossword puzzle every day through your HotSync with your PC and the Handmark Web site. When you can't figure out an answer, just tab a button on your Palm to see it pop into place. You can download puzzles you may have missed, too. The game contains a feature that allows you to share puzzles via infrared with other Palm handhelds that have the crossword software installed. The games are available in full color. Game Pak Deluxe will work under Palm OS 3.0 or higher. Memory requirements on the Palm for each game vary, usually from 30KB to 75KB.
Karrier Communications $39.95/$29.95 http://www.intelligolf.com If you're talking to a golfer who owns a handheld, and he's gushing about a great new software package he uses while golfing, IntelliGolf probably is it. Two versions of IntelliGolf are available, the Birdie edition and the Par edition. Both editions provide the ability to track your golf scores and each shot you make by club. You can compile a wide variety of statistics for the round of golf for multiple players, including driving distance and putting statistics. You can make notes after each shot about particular features of each hole you play. For those who like to bet during the round, IntelliGolf can track the wagering game you choose. Perhaps the best feature of IntelliGolf's Birdie edition is its downloadable scorecards. More than 10,000 golf course scorecards are available for download through the IntelliGolf Web site, allowing you to enter your scores directly into the correct electronic scorecard for the course you're playing. The Birdie edition lets you upload your rounds from the Palm to the desktop PC for further analysis. IntelliGolf works with any Palm OS handheld that has about 125KB of free memory. Your Windows PC will need 16MB of RAM to work with the HotSync. PacMan PalmGadget.com $10 http://www.palmgadget.com Those who remember the early days of video games certainly will remember one of the most popular games from the 1980s: PacMan. PalmGadget.com has done an amazingly accurate job of re-creating the PacMan game on this Palm software program. PacMan must chomp dots and avoid colorful ghosts while working his way through the blue maze. About all that's missing from this software, when compared to the original video game, are the sound effects. (Unfortunately, those maze patterns you spent hours learning as a kid won't work either.) You can download a full color version of PacMan on a trial basis from the Web site, but your game will be limited until you pay the shareware registration fee. After registering, you can submit your top PacMan score to the PalmGadget Web site and see how it compares to the top scores of other users. PacMan also has a two-player mode. The biggest problem with the game is trying to maneuver PacMan using the awkward Palm handheld button structure. If you prefer, you can steer PacMan by tapping your stylus on the screen in the direction you want him to travel. PacMan runs on Palm OS 2.0 or newer. The game file requires 30KB of memory. PocketChess Deluxe Pocket Express $24.99 ($9.99 to upgrade) http://www.pocketexpress.com Pocket Express recently released version 2.0 of the popular PocketChess Deluxe, and it incorporates a few solid new features, including the ability to play head-to-head with another Palm user through an infrared connection. You also can customize the game play to your level of chess expertise. You can save and share games in Pocket-Chess Deluxe with other users of the software. The game now ships with a desktop PC companion, letting you review games on your larger, desktop PC monitor. PocketChess Deluxe includes a hint feature when you're stuck for the correct move. Classic chess scenarios and games are part of the software, too, giving you a chance to learn more about chess by studying some of the key moves. The software is designed for full-color Palm handhelds, but it will run on grayscale models, too. PocketChess Deluxe requires Palm OS 3.0 or newer and about 250KB of free memory on the handheld. Pocket Express Entertainment Pack Pocket Express $29.99 (415) 446-5370 http://www.pocketexpress.com This software collection from Pocket Express offers eight different games, including Tetris Classic, Lode Runner, Pocket Express Blackjack, Pocket Express PokerDice, Pocket-Chess, and three solitaire card games. Tetris, where players must manipulate shapes to make them fit together, is one of the world's most popular video games, and it works well on handhelds. Lode Runner is another classic video game, in which players must work their way through various mazes and ladders in 150 levels, collecting treasure along the way. Most of the games included in the Entertainment Pack are full color, but you can run them on a grayscale Palm handheld. The games require a handheld running at least Palm OS 3.0. A demonstration version is available at the company's Web site. Each game requires about 30KB to 75KB of memory on the Palm. Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf Macmillan Software, with EA Sports $19.95 http://www.macmillansoftware.com http://easports.ea.com Playing golf with Tiger Woods on the Palm handheld is probably as close to actually playing with the young golfing superstar as most of us will ever get. This software package from Macmillan Software and EA Sports lets you play a simulated game of golf on one of three PGA Tour courses. You can play against any of several PGA Tour pros, including Woods (or at least his digital, Palm OS version). The game lets you select the appropriate club, depending on your distance to the pin. You'll also have to check the wind speed and direction and your lie in the fairway (hopefully). The Palm version of this game offers some similarities to the PC version of the game from EA Sports. The game requires a large chunk of memory on your Palm, around 500KB. You'll need Palm OS 3.0 or higher, too. The game can be purchased by download or on CD.  Find More Games. While this list of top-selling games was current at the time of this writing, new entertainment software for the Palm OS is being created continually. If the games listed here don't make you want to forget work for a few hours, check out the titles listed in the "Notable Mentions" sidebar or visit PalmGear H.Q. (http://www.palmgear.com) or PalmSpot (http://www.palmspot.com) to see a large collection of downloadable shareware and freeware for the Palm OS. Just don't forget to return to work!  by Kyle Schurman
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