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Following a release for Palm OS(R) and Windows Mobile(R) devices earlier this year, Astraware(R) and Idigicon are excited to announce the release of Platypus for 3 more smartphone platforms. The squishiest shoot-em-up ever is now available for S60(R), UIQ(R) and BlackBerry(R) smartphones worldwide, including the new BlackBerry Bold!

Based on the cult classic for PC and Mac, Platypus is a fast, frantic and fun side-scrolling arcade shooter with a difference – the entire game is made from clay!

The vast continent-spanning city of Collosatropolis has finally reached the limits of its expansion, and tall buildings cover every available space. The Collosotropolan leaders decide to invade the neighbouring country of Mungola. They don’t anticipate much of a struggle as Mungola’s entire defence force consists of a single squadron of fighter planes – the venerable F-27 ‘Platypus’.

Your mission is to pilot your trusty Platypus and save peaceful Mungola! Fly across the squashy fields and trees, avoid the snowy mountains and protect your planet. Shoot down the enemy ships and marvel as they disappear in a splat! Collect fruit bonuses and a range of power-ups to aid you in your quest!

Platypus is a fantastic, fun arcade game featuring 4 massive worlds each with several challenging levels. It’s the perfect casual game for arcade gamers and the perfect arcade game for casual gamers!

Platypus is optimised to use d-pad controls on S60 phones, d-pad or touchscreen on UIQ phones, and the trackball on BlackBerry smartphones. For more information, visit http://www.astraware.com/platypus. Club Astraware members can get a substantial discount off all versions of Platypus for a limited time. Simply login here: http://www.astraware.com/club to check out the special price!



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SmithMicro is offering the all time classic and favorite, Monopoly, along with Sudoku: Latin Squares and Waterscape Solitaire: American Falls all for $29.99. While I’m old skool with my game play and I still prefer the cardboard version, the Mac application looks pretty impressive with animations, 3D graphics and the ability to save a game and come back to play later where you left off.

By purchasing this game package, you essentially get three games for the price of one. Pretty nice deal if you’re looking to build or start your Mac gaming collection.

Monopoly features include:

  • Unlimited Play
  • Own Your Favorite Monopoly Properties
  • Play Against Friends and Family – Fun for Everyone!
  • Fast-Moving Property Trades and Automatic Auctions
  • Bright, 3D Graphics Including Cleverly Animated Tokens
  • New Music and Sound Effects
  • Save Games in Progress
  • 4 Person Multiplayer Mode OR Play Against Up to 3 Computer Opponents with Advanced A.I.
  • 3 Computer Opponent Difficulty Levels: First Time Buyer, Entrepreneur and Tycoon


Thursday, May 29, 2008

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Astraware and Pazzazz Games are excited to announce the release of GTS World Racing for Palm OS(R) and Windows Mobile(R) smartphones and PDAs.

GTS World Racing is the must-have sequel to the highly acclaimed GTS Racing Challenge, and has been created by Pazzazz and published by Astraware.

Fans of classic coin-operated arcade racing games will love the retro style graphics and exhilarating sound effects. Experience the roar of engines as you select your car, race your opponents, set the fastest laptimes, score points for most race wins and burn rubber to gain championship victory!

GTS World Racing offers 64 track layouts across 16 worldwide locations – from snowscapes to dusty deserts; 3 car types to choose from each with their own handling characteristics; and 4 difficulty levels from Easy to Extreme!

The game offers 4 play modes to satisfy every level of expertise:

Single Race – check out the tracks and practice your skills before heading for the main event;
Challenge Cup – race at each of the 16 locations and achieve the required finishing position for your chosen difficulty;
Grand Tour – complete all 64 tracks in all 16 locations and achieve the required finishing position in each; and
Championship – complete the full 16 race season and score the most points to win the championship.

GTS World Racing is available for a wide range of smartphones and PDAs running Palm OS(R) 5 and later, and Windows Mobile(R) Professional, Classic and Standard 2003 and later.



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We here at SvenOnTech appreciate the finer things in life, hence the reason you haven’t found things that suck in our Review section. One finer thing we like is good, rich, quality sounding music. We like our bass deep and highs shattering just like those old Memorex commercials (which is kinda ironic since Memorex weren’t that good of tapes anyway.) So of course we really were excited when we reviewed the Axiom Audio M3 v2s last year. Now Axiom is bring those very same speakers to your garage. Or your game room or what ever other room dad “owns”.

In its gray cross hatch look, you’ll be able to mount these bad boys on the wall right next to that big elk head in your garage (’cause we know the wife won’t let us put it in the living room.) We warn you, though, be careful. With the great sound you’ll get out of these little speakers, that elk may start twitchin’ its head to the groove if it’s nice and smooth. Ya, lame joke, but great speakers.

Look for them in time for Father’s Day at a suggested price of $375 for the pair.



iNo – Music Trivia For Your iPod

Author: Sven Rafferty
Monday, December 17, 2007

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game system built especially for the Apple iPod; iNo™ brings music trivia to the next level with the ultimate iPod game that turns listening to music into an energized, social, interactive activity for friends and family.  The object of the game is to provide players the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of music by guessing the album, artist, or song that plays (or a combination of these) when an iPod is placed into the module (iPod not included). The iNo™ game system includes a high-quality music player with an excellent quality speaker, four electronic wireless remote controls that stop the music when activated and lock out the other players, and four color-coded scoreboards on the base of the device that keep track of players’ right and wrong guesses. 50 action cards keep the game fresh and exciting every time it’s played.

Available at Target.com, iNo™ requires 6AA batteries (included) with a suggested retail price of $99.99.



Ojom launches its first iPhone game

Author: Sven Rafferty
Friday, November 16, 2007
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Ojom GmbH, a leading creator and global publisher of mobile games, today announced the release of its first game specifically designed for the iPhone; adapted to drag, drop and twist just like the device. The highly successful mobile puzzler, Maya, has been adapted for the iPhone, and its Deluxe version was released in conjunction with the iPhone’s Euro Launch via Jamster and Jamba, where it is currently exclusively available. Maya can be played through the integrated Safari browser and is absolutely free to iPhone users.

As people flock to the shops to pick up the much anticipated iPhone, the team at Ojom has modified Maya Deluxe to utilise the iPhone’s innovative touch-screen technology. Released earlier in the year as Maya – Temple of Secrets, this puzzle game was one of Ojom’s best selling games so far and is guaranteed to find a large group of new fans within the fast growing group of iPhone aficionados.

Just like the iPhone, Maya twists and flips as you make your way through the jungle via a series of mind challenging logic games. In the game you must solve a series of puzzles in your quest to find the Maya Temple hidden deep in the jungle. The story goes that, inside the temple, you will find a number of ‘golden artefacts’ that hold the key to an unsolved mystery. Collect the golden artefacts by solving the puzzles and unlock the secret of the Temple of Mysteries. You will be flipping and twisting the triangles with ease on the iPhone’s touch screen and will be trying to master this game at every possible opportunity.

Thomas Brockhage, General Manager of Ojom GmbH, said: “This is a great opportunity for Ojom to show that we can adapt and innovate to suit new technologies. Maya was one of our most popular games and is perfect for the iPhone’s touch sensitive screen. We are proud to release our first game specifically adapted for the iPhone.”

Maya Deluxe is part of a series of puzzle style games from Ojom and is now available to play online with the iPhone only at www.jamba.de and www.jamster.co.uk.



Friday, May 18, 2007

Astraware is excited to announce their Packs of Fun promotion, where you can save bagfuls on their most popular value packs of games. From Friday 18th May to Monday 28th May you can save on a selected range of game packs with up to 6 titles in each.

Packs of Fun is a fantastic opportunity to pick up a bargain on PopCap Games Pack 1, featuring Bejeweled, Alchemy and 3 other great titles, or the Family Games Pack including Insaniquarium, Bzzz! and 4 more fun, family-friendly games. There are 6 different packs to choose from and every one is discounted by $10, so get them now, this offer is only available for a limited time!

To bag yourself a bargain, head over to the Astraware website at http://www.astraware.com, but hurry, the sale ends on May 28th 2007!



DXG USA announced today the new DXG-Roadster all-in-one Personal Media Center that lets you take your entertainment on the road wherever you go. The DXG-Roadster (Model DXG-521) is the only device you’ll ever need to capture precious memories and keep you entertained while traveling. The Roadster is a combination 5 Megapixel digital and video camera, video game and music player with FM radio, voice recorder and storage device, with 32MB of internal storage and an SD slot for additional memory.

Instead of being bored on a plane, waiting at the doctor’s office, at your kid’s soccer practice, or at the Department of Motor Vehicles, why not entertain yourself while waiting? The DXG-Roadster lets you listen to your complete collection of MP3s and videos anywhere you go. You can record TV shows and movies ahead of time directly from any video source via the included AV cable and then watch your favorite “American Idol,” “Desperate Housewives” TV shows, or NBA basketball games on the 2.5” bright TFT LCD screen.

As featured in the March 12, 2007 issue of Life & Style Weekly, the Roadster is the ultimate in design and functionality. Geared towards kids, teens, and young parents, where style, price, and usability are most important, the DXG-Roadster is popular for its price-performance ratio and the multiple features available in one easy-to-tote compact package. Not only can you store and watch your entire media collection of music, videos, and photos wherever you go, you’ll also never miss another once-in-a-lifetime photo-op with the Roadster’s 5 Megapixel camera and camcorder. Also, if you remember something important while on the road, you can record a reminder on the spot with the included digital voice recorder.

“Are we there yet?” How many times do parents have to hear this on a family trip? With the DXG-Roadster, kids can now enjoy their OWN entertainment. The DXG-Roadster features 4 pre-stored popular video games, such as Tetris, Boxman, and Gobang, and is shaped like the familiar Sony PSP™. And since the device is lower cost than competing products, you won’t be as worried about sticky fingers playing with it.

“No other product offers the amount of features at such a low price,” said Paul Goldberg, Vice President – Sales and Marketing, DXG USA. “The DXG-Roadster is a one-of-its-kind mobile experience at a user-friendly price.” Read the rest of this entry »



Tuesday, February 20, 2007

One of the leading providers of music video game software, Allegro Rainbow, has announced the release of Piano Wizard for Power PC and Intel based Macs. Piano Wizard is an award winning video game that can teach pretty much anyone to play piano using a variety of steps.

The method used is quite simple. First, users follow vertically the moving objects, this tells them what notes to hit. As the student progresses, the screen will rotate and the objects will move in a horizontal fashion, copying the lines of the staff on a sheet of music. After those first two steps, the objects become color coded notes on the grand staff, and finally transform to the traditional black music notes. Consumers can use Piano Wizard with any digital keyboard since the Wizard uses MIDI song files. These are available to download at online sites such as cybermidi.com and wizardtunes.com. Players have access to all their favorite music so their Wizard experience never gets old. As Bach put it many years ago: “learn by doing, simply by hitting the right key at the right time.”

“We are delighted to make our fun and exciting Piano Wizard videogame accessible to Mac users,” says Chris Salter, Allegro Rainbow CEO. “For the millions of Mac and iPod users who already enjoy downloading songs and listening to music, there is now yet another reason to buy a Mac. Piano Wizard is a breakthrough application that lets people learn to play the songs they already love to listen to.”



Telcogames Move Into The US

Author: Sven Rafferty
Thursday, December 21, 2006

Telcogames, a global publisher, developer and distributor of mobile games steps out into the US with the launch of award winning SiL on US carrier Verizon.

Verizon joins the long list of Telcogames distribution channels as the Smartphone publisher boldly moves into the BREW market with their award winning SiL title. Verizon is the first of many BREW carriers that Telecogames will sign up as it takes it’s own developed Smartphone titles into the US.

The first of these titles is SiL a 3D silhouette matching puzzle game available for Smart phone devices and for download on PC. The game was recently launched across carriers and non-carriers globally and has already generated buzz in the puzzle market having recently been awarded ‘Best Game’ at the Nokia Pro Awards.

Enda Carey, MD, Publishing, said,”the launch of Sil on Verizon networks is key to our US expansion and we in the process of signing other deals across the US networks’.
January 2007 will also see the launch of Super Drop Mania, which offers a novel twist on the Tetris puzzle with its addictive range of logic challenging reflex games.

Super Drop Mania will launch across operators globally and will be available to buy direct or on a monthly rental basis.