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When I was growing up, Doom was the PC’s equivalent of the Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat franchises- it didn’t matter where you lived, you knew of Doom. Even if you weren’t fortunate enough to have a PC to play it, you knew someone who had it. Before the days of multi-player gaming over the Internet and $500 video cards, Doom was a shining example that computer games could offer an experience not replicable on consoles and in the arcades.

Doom RPG (role playing game) in many ways retains the uniqueness of the original PC games in the transition to cell phone gaming. It keeps the original’s graphics, plot, enemies, and first person perspective while converting the shooter into a turn-based role-playing game. The control scheme has been perfected for the platform, removing the original’s emphasis on twitch-based gameplay. Yet, as well as the game plays despite the gameplay redesign, its decade-old source material also becomes a hindrance the father you progress in the game.

In most facets, Doom RPG can be considered a near replica of Doom PC. You take the role of a marine exploring a military base in Mars, which basically means you go into a level, clear everything that moves, and find an exit. It’s pure, simple gunplay. There won’t be any stealth or strategy involved and you’ll have a wide assortment of weapons to choose from, including the standard Doom pistol, shotgun, plasma gun, rocket launcher, and infamous BFG. Compared to the original games, Doom RPG places a greater emphasis on encounters with non-player characters. As you travel through the base, you will learn more about the game’s story through interactions with these characters and computers. While the overall story isn’t particularly interesting, the writing in these encounters is often laden with inside jokes, so talking to people and using computers is one of the better aspects of the game.

The RPG gameplay revolves around your character being able to make one move at a time, in which firing a weapon or moving 1 step counts as a move. Enemies generally follow the same rules as well. You can use the joystick on your cell phone for movement if you have one, but the keypad works just as well. As in most RPGs, as you progress through the game, your abilities will increase- you will gain additional hit points, your aim will increase, etc. Unfortunately, the leveling aspect of the games seems shallow as you never feel that you’re actually getting stronger. It’s more that as you get farther in the game, you get access to better, cooler weapons. This is why someone’s enjoyment will come from how much he was a fan of the original games in the first place. Doom RPG is extremely long (the game lasted 8+ hours for me) for a cell phone game, and while I was glad of this at first, I was tired of the game by its end. The switch to turn-based gameplay removes much of the tension and anticipation I felt playing the originals. Most fights feel the same, and there’s no particular difference in excitement in fighting a dog versus fighting the last boss in the game. The shooter gameplay in the original was repetitive as well, but this problem is highlighted more in the RPG.

Graphically, Doom RPG looks like Doom, for good and bad. The good is that the original’s 3D engine has been moved to the cell phone display perfectly, down to the limited animation of the sprites. Aurally, sound effects are usually only present when you’re firing weapons and there isn’t any music in gameplay. While it may come from a limitation of the cell phone platform, the absence of in-game music contributes greatly to the lack of atmosphere in the game and the monotony that builds over time.

Ultimately, your enjoyment of Doom RPG will depend on your past experiences with the game. The more you enjoyed the originals, the more you will like the cell phone version. Doom RPG really is Doom PC in RPG form. It is an excellent translation of the originals and the optimization for the cell phone platform is clearly evident. The original’s weaknesses are bigger problems in the RPG, however, because of the length of the game and the slower pacing of the gameplay. I didn’t feel much sense of accomplishment when I finished the game, and I don’t think I would be too excited to go through it again. Nonetheless, Doom RPG is a great value and worth checking out.

Test System: Sony Ericsson W800i

(originally published in GamersInfo.net)

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When it comes to Batman games, I am an apologist. That said, I know the difference between a good game and a bad one, and Batman Begins Mobile is fun game. Begins is able to take the movie’s emphasis on stealth and implement solid action and controls into the gameplay to create an enjoyable experience.

Batman Begins Mobile, like many cell phone games, puts 16 bit graphics and somewhat-mindless gameplay onto the cell phone. In this case, Begins is a better example of the type. Begins features the standard control set used by other mobile action games: use the numeric keypad or if you have one, the joystick on your phone. As you might expect, using the joystick is a much better control option. The controls work fairly well, but I encountered problems during several instances that required more agile control.

You take on the role of the superhero as he looks to bring down Carmen Falcone, the gangster boss in the movie. Although the game’s five missions can be completed quickly, the levels keep you moving, and if you’re familiar with side-scrolling action games of the 16-bit era, you’ll have a good sense of what to expect. Instead of killing your enemies, once you knock them down, you can tie them down to disable them. You have access to several of Batman’s tools, such as batarangs, explosives, and his grapple. You can also glide from building to building once you unlock the ability later in the game.

Stealth is emphasized in the gameplay, and while it isn’t critical to succeeding in a mission, you’re given some interesting options to take down enemies. One move, taken directly from the movie, has you hanging over an enemy, and you can drop right down on him. You can also creep up to someone from behind to take him down quietly. Otherwise, aside from your tools, you will rely on the basic punch and jump kick as your attack options.

Graphically, Begins looks solid, nothing super smooth or impressive, but you can definitely distinguish the world around you. Aurally, the same applies; solid, but nothing to be highlighted.

Batman Begins will be more interesting to existing fans of the license, but stands well on its own. With a solid tie-in to the movie material and fun gameplay, the only detractor for the game is its length. It can be finished in a couple of hours, but it is fun to revisit as a quick-play title.

Test System: Sony Erricsson W800i

(originally published in GamersInfo.net)

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The most difficult part of reviewing a mobile phone game is in understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the platform while also looking at the value the game provides. For example, XIII for mobile phones costs $3.00! When a game is that cheap, it is more difficult to evaluate because after all, what do you expect? Thankfully, the bottom line on XIII is that it is worth a purchase but you won’t remember the game beyond the time you spend playing it.

The story behind XIII reflects that of the original comic as well as the console versions of the game. You are XIII, identified by a tattoo you find on your body after you wake up with no memory of yourself or your life. As you progress through the side scrolling shooter, you fight to discover more about your past. As in most mobile games, plot development in XIII is light, and it helps if you’re familiar with the other games or the original source material. The action gameplay, however, is what drives the game, and the pacing of the levels is well done. Simply, it is fun going around the game’s levels shooting things. The action never gets boring, though the game can be finished in an hour or two.

Control in XIII is generally acceptable, but can be problematic in numerous scenes that require faster twitch control. Gamers with joysticks on their cell phones will undoubtedly have a much easier and enjoyable time playing the game; the game maps well to the keypad, but the faster actions scenes can be difficult to respond to on a keypad. On a technical level, XII looks good although I did experience a problem in which the game took up only 1/3 of the total size of my screen. The audio complements the graphics well enough.

XIII is a perfect example of a game you play when you need something to do. It’s short, simple, and generally easy. There’s nothing particularly memorable about the game, but it’s a good distraction if you find yourself wanting to play something. For some reason I can’t really figure out, XIII reminds me of SNK’s Metal Slug games (a good thing) and for its low price, XIII is definitely worth purchasing.

Test System: Sony Ericsson W800i

(originally published in GamersInfo.net)

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