GameBox Classics review

August 9, 2003 | Pavel Koza | format - Other (ar.) | viewed - 78x
rating -

(44 votes) | category - -

GameBox Classics review

PDAmill is a group of 6 very talented developers, graphic artists and musicians. I bet that every Pocket PC gamer knows Snails (affiliate link). One of my top-ten games, amazing graphics, cute music, smooth animation, really funny texts, multiplayer in the last versions... What can I say more, if you have never tried it, do it now, you won't regret!

Today, I would like to introduce you another very entertaining game from this company. Well, it is not only one game, it is a complete game-collection consisting of 6 games. If you think you have already had a similar collection from this company (or better say from Peter Balogh, the group leader) on your Pocket PC, you are right. Approximately two years ago, the original GameBox collection was one of the most popular and most downloaded freeware game for Pocket PC devices. GameBox Classics is a new remake of this collection. The idea of every game is the same, but everyhing else is quite new - graphics, music, sounds, game speed and playability.

All games are simple so you don't have to spend many hours reading a user manual. If you really don't know how to play, there is a short info about every game available directly iin the game, but I think you won't need it. Once installed and started, a lovely ambient music starts playing and the game menu is displayed. If you don't want to play "Aqua Blocks" right now, press the right arrow to change it. When you want to start a new game, tap the game image. Another menu, different from game to game, will appear including top five players list. You can also read game info or change game settings in this menu. But the most important button on this screen is the Start button. Well, time to play!

Game Nr. 1 :: Aqua Blocks

Piloting a submarine underwater is tough. If you had to arrange falling blocks in a logical order at the same time, it would be an impossible task! Luckily, you don't have to pilot the sub! As Captain Isak, you are stuck in your stationary sub, as you have stumbled upon an aqua block field! The only way to get past the blocks outside of your porthole, is to distintegrate them by arranging them to form solid lines as they fall down.

Do you know Tetris? No??? Okay, Mr. extraterrestrial guy, please return to your spaceship and go back to your planet. Now, I will ask again - do you know Tetris? Of course you do, althought that Tetris mania is not so strong as ten years ago, Tetris is still one of the most popular games ever created. A Tetris clone is also in this game collection. It offers you lovely, submarine-style enviroment with floating bubbles, aqua-style blocks, silent splashing of waves and slow, depressing music... To make your life easier, there is a light strip under every block so you can immediately see where will the block fit. There are two different block sets, the first with easier block shapes, the alternate with more complicated shapes. And that's all, folks!

Game Nr. 2 :: Aqua Blocks +

Piloting a submarine underwater is tough. Captain Isak knows this, after his first encounter with a field of Aqua Blocks. The Captain, continuing his journey through uncharted waters, stumbles upon another field of Aqua Blocks. However, this is a type he has never seen, or even heard of before... each Aqua Block was Multi-colored! Isak quickly learns that these Aqua Blocks must be disintegrated by forming lines of at least 3 of the same color in a row...

If you find previous game too easy for your fast fingers and bright eyes, here is a more difficult version. The game enviroment is exactly the same as in the other game, you have to control falling blocks and build a wall, but those blocks are not single-colored, they are multi-colored! It is not necessary to build a full row now, you have to form at least 3 of the same color in a row to remove them! There is only basic blocks set, but don't worry that the game is simple - you'll have really hard times to go even to the second level;).

Game Nr. 3 :: Jewel Master

Every century, the dwarves of the Melonchi Caves have to choose a new Jewel Master. The Jewel Master's job is to devise the most effecient way of mining gems. However, the gems of Melonchi can only be mined from the cave walls in equal color sets. And if there are any gems left over in a wall when picking them out, all of the gems are destroyed! As Grwyth the Dwarf, you must prove yourself worthy of becoming the new Jewel Master!

Jewel Master is another well known game type - there is a group of multi-colored gems randomly placed on the field at the beginning of each level and you have to pick them out so not even one will remain in the field. You can only pick two or more gems of the same color at the time, beware of the orphaned gems! If you cannot make another move and there are still gems remaining on the field, you lost one life. If you lost all four lifes, the game is over. The higher level you reach, the more gems of different colors are on the field. The game is great, but I miss a chance to start at the higher level, starting always from the first level is boring...

Game Nr. 4 :: Cannons

After his retirement, General Aggressive was in no happy mood at all. When last Saturday he's spotted an old HE-181 Tiger at the flea-market he felt his body filling with life once again. After paying the two pounds fifty and driving it home through (and over) half the city, he challenged his neighbour, Sgt Tolerance for a friendly duel. Ever since they've been having the most fun shooting each other to pieces.

Two cannons at the same place, only one can survive. You control the first cannon, your opponent controls the second cannon. The game is played in turns, you shot, opponent shots, if the cannon's shield equals to zero, cannon explodes and the game is over. When it's your turn, you can set angle and power, then push the red button and fire! Of course you have to consider the wind's direction and power, if you forget, your missiles will hit the ground far away from your target. If you want to fight your friend, you can. Cannons can be also played in the multiplayer mode (2 players on 1 device).

Game Nr. 5 :: Snake

Jimmy the Snake is hungry, and its feeding time! There is only one problem, once Jimmy starts eating, he can't stop! He'll eat anything that gets in his way, including himself! Take control of Jimmy and guide him safely through his favorite eating spots in Serpent Grove.

Snake was the very first game I have ever played on my mobile phone Nokia. Now I can remember the times and play Snake again, of course with much better graphics and with excellent music and sounds. You control a short, hungry snake in a small forrest. There is a simple task at the beginning of each level, usually "Eat X fruits of one kind", if you fulfil it, you can proceed to the next level. Anyway, be careful what you are eating! Not every thing in the forrest is tasty, eating a red mushroom or an old boot can be dangerous for such a little snake, not mention a small "pile of something":). Finally, watch your steps! If you bit your tail, your poisonous teeth will end your short life...

Game Nr. 6 :: Fireball

In the year 30X7, Tom Tulkit makes his living in spaceship maintenance. His job that brings him the most money is getting rid of space barnacles that collect outside of spaceships' hulls. These barnacles will slow down a spaceship and eventually start to eat away the hull.

Fireball is just another name for a golden game called "break the wall". You control a spaceship and try to break the whole wall before a small ball flies out of the screen. It is not easy because the ball is very fast! Sometimes, a small extra fall down from one destroyed brick, it is usually a good idea to catch it.