Every now and then, a popular game will be scaled down and brought to the mobile venue. Sometimes it works like a charm and sometimes things don't translate well to the small screen. Concrete Software Inc. has released a mobile version of the popular PC game, Sid Meier's Pirates! ($4.99). The game's origins date back to the days of the Commodore 64 and Pirates! would see considerable success on the PC, MAC, and other gaming platforms such as Nintendo and Xbox.

Could the mobile version of this popular game be as successful as the previous versions?  Just past the break, see if Concrete Software has created a hit or a miss in bringing Pirates! to the mobile platform.

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If you haven’t noticed, one of the biggest things that I look for in a new game for my phone is how well it translates to the mobile platform. There are good reasons that my favorite game genre (First Person Shooters) haven’t made a big splash in the Windows Mobile arena; that is because there are certain controls that lend themselves to that type of game. Card games traditionally require a minimal amount of effort from the user to accomplish what they are trying to do, making them a good candidate for a mobile platform.

One developer that has made an effort to offer a number of different card games for reasonable prices is Panoramic Software. In addition to their card games such as Panoramic FreeCell and the subject of this review, BlackJack; Panoramic also offers other applications such as their Twitter client, moTweets.

To see if Panoramic BlackJack lives up to the standards that we have come to expect from Panoramic Software, hit the jump.

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I’ve said before, some applications (more specifically, games) lend themselves more easily to a mobile platform such as Windows Phones. The trick for software developers is to create an immersive gaming experience without making the game difficult to use or compromising performance. Tower Defense from Color Stone does an admirable job of entertaining the user while still being perfectly playable.

Click on through for the full review.

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Video or computer games typically fall into one of two categories. Either it is extremely addicting and squeezes hours of playing time out of your schedule, or it is the kind of game that can easily be played for just a few spare moments. While both have their pros and cons, the latter is often a better choice for people just looking for something with which to kill a little spare time.

Panoramic software is a developer that is starting to gain some momentum with their software and the recognition that they get from various sources. One of their software packages, moTweets, is a Twitter client that is being mentioned in the same breath as applications such as Twikini. One genre that Panoramic has put extra emphasis on is card games. Panoramic FreeCell was released October 15, 2009. Now in version 1.2.0, FreeCell is a great example of one of the things that I really respect about Panoramic. When one of their products is first released, they are constantly fixing bugs and listening to customer feedback in order to perfect their product.

For the full breakdown of what Panoramic FreeCell offers, hit the jump.

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One of the games that has defined cross platform gaming is Sid Meier’s Civilization. I remember back in the late 90s when Linux was starting to get more widespread, many of the Linux flavors shipped with Civilization. Because of this, it was no surprise to me when I saw it listed in the Windows Marketplace for Mobile.

Hit the jump to see what this game is capable of, and if it’s worth the $4.99 that it will cost you.

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If you think about it, our Windows Phones have more raw computing power than the computer systems that many of us were raised on. It stands to reason that many of the computing classics would be ported to the miniaturized hardware that we tote around every day. We’ve already looked at Tetris Mania by Electronic Arts, but it’s not the only old kid on the new block.

Namco has been in the arcade game business since the beginning. The folks that brought you legendary games such as Pac-Man have begun to bring their classics to the Windows Mobile platform. One such game, Galaga, is the subject of this review. For the uninitiated, Galaga is one of the original fixed- shooter game that were (and still are) very popular in arcades. This style of game lends itself particularly well to a small device like a Windows Phone.

Hit the break for my full review.

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I would be hard pressed to come up with another video game that is more of a classic than Tetris. That statement is partially based on my unabashed addiction to the game that is the standard for puzzle-based games. Various iterations and knockoffs have navigated the Windows Mobile space, with varied success. This review will focus on Tetris Mania, offered by EA Mobile in the Windows Marketplace for Mobile. Electronic Arts is one of the major game developers on all platforms, which is good news for Windows Mobile as a platform. Any time you have an industry heavyweight like EA devoting resources to develop software for your product; that is a big boost.

How well does EA accomplish the Tetris experience? Hit the jump for my opinion.

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It's time to break out that old Konami code and see what treats are in store -- the longtime videogame maker is bringing a half-dozen apps to Windows Mobile in December. On tap are Dance Dance Revolution S, Mobile Pawafuru Proyakyu (a baseball game), Konami Sudoku, Konami Solitaire, and shooters Gradius II and TwinBee. The releases also coincide with the launch of the Windows Marketplace for Mobile in Japan. With the exception of Mobile Pawafuru Proyakyu, all of the games will be available in the U.S., Canada and Japan. [Akihabara News via Slashphone]

A major factor that game developers must consider when working with a platform such as Windows Phones is the interface. The fact that Windows phones come in all shapes and sizes is one of the strengths of the platform, but in this case it can be a challenge. Developers must take into account things like the fact that the device hardware may not include hardware buttons and the screen resolution could be any of a number of configurations. One solution to this problem is to use the old K.I.S.S. design rule; Keep It Simple Stupid. One game that practices this rule to perfection is Meon from Manbolo.

One of the first Games to appear on Microsoft’s Windows Marketplace for Mobile, Meon is a puzzle based game that requires you to use strategy in order to direct light into different areas of the puzzle. A Lite version featuring about 30 levels is available for free, with the full version setting you back $2.99.

This game is highly addicting. If that sounds good to you, click on through. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you. 

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Still on the fence about buying a Zune HD? Not sure if it's ever going to have real apps? Look no further as we take a brief look at a couple of the new 3D games available. Join us after the break.

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