There are a lot of you out there switching from older devices, such as Palm OS, Windows Mobile, and standard non-smart phones, to the iPhone.  In fact, I think the ranks of the converts is growing every day. 

As most of you know, I do a lot of the game reviews around here.  One thing I started noticing after I picked up the iPod Touch was that a lot of the games I see around the iTunes App Store are updates of games we have reviewed on other platforms, specifically Windows Mobile and Palm OS.  And that got me thinking, for a lot of you, switching to a new operating system and a whole new device can be a bit daunting.  It can be reassuring to have a bit of “home” on your new device.  Hence, a familiar game which can follow you from that legacy, outdated Palm device, or Windows Mobile phone, straight to your brand new iPhone or iPod Touch.  In this first part, I am going to feature a few games I found in the iTunes App Store that came from one of my favorite game developers, Astraware (note that this is not a complete look at Astraware games in the iTunes App Store, just a few highlights.)  All of these games were originally released on the Palm OS or Windows Mobile platforms. 

eXact

This is a color matching games unlike any you have seen before.  Originally released for Palm OS as eXact II, the game has been completely updated in the release for the iPhone and iPod Touch.  Now, I know what you are thinking…yet another color matching game from Astraware.  Well, not exactly.  Like I said, this is not like any other color matching game you have played.

In eXact, you will find the board surrounded by colored tiles.  There is also arrangement of tiles hovering within the center of the board.  Your task is to eliminate all of the tiles from the center of the board.  To do that, just tap any of the colored tiles to launch it across the board.   It will continue to glide in a straight line until it hits something.  Once you have matched three or more like-colored tiles, they will be removed from the board.  Oh and just to make things more difficult, if a lane is completely open (an uninterrupted path from one edge to the other) then the tiles on the edge will be grayed out.  So plan your moves carefully.

I am a huge fan of color matching games, and I found this one to be exceptional.  I have no idea how Astraware managed to hide this one from the Windows Mobile crowed and jump it straight from Palm OS to the iPhone/iPod Touch.  The only thing I noticed about this game which could have been improved was that the tiles around the edge are a bit too small for my fat fingers.  It would be nice if Astraware had found a way to increase the size of these tiles, in order to avoid the large number of accidental tile taps (fortunately, there is an undo last move button.)  Other than this minor interface glitch, however, I found this to be a fantastic and addictive game.

eXact is available from the iTunes App Store for $0.99.

Glyph

The second color-matching game we are going to look at is Glyph, which I had previously reviewed for Windows Mobile.  Here, Astraware finally masters the juxtaposition of color matching and a really engaging back story.  In this one, you need to match the colored tiles in order to mine deep into the Earth.  Buried beneath these tiles are portions of astral pictures (kind of like constellations) called Glyphs.  Your job is to unearth all of the Glyph pieces and assemble them into the five Glyphs.  Assemble all five Glyphs and the planet Kuros will be restored.

Glyph was my absolute favorite color matching game on Windows Mobile, and I was thrilled to find it make its way to the iTunes App Store.  Gameplay is engaging, with numerous twists and turns along the way, which make it stand out from an ordinary color matching game.  I also found myself immersed in the story, which typically does not happen to me with color matching games.  In most games like this, the story is secondary, just an excuse to move you from one level to the next.  On the contrary,here, I found the story was extremely prominent in the game, often becoming the primary focus, with a Glyph assembly puzzle at the end of each of the five worlds.

With over 200 levels in this game, you will certainly be kept wondering what they can possibly throw at you next.  On the other hand, 200 levels is an awfully long time to wait for the ultimate payoff.  I found myself getting a little bored by the seeming redundancy of the levels somewhere around 150.  This boredom, however, was quickly overcome as Astraware soon pulled the next rabbit out of their color matching hat.

Glyph is available in the iTunes App Store for $4.99.

Sudoku

It is no secret around here that I am something of a reformed Sudoku nut.  I don’t play nearly as much as I used to, but I do still enjoy a good game from time to time. As such, it should come as no surprise that I have used or reviewed pretty much every Sudoku game I could find.  Heck, I even wrote a roundup of Sudoku alternatives for Windows Mobile.

To this day, however, the best mobile Sudoku game I have played belongs to Astraware, so I was thrilled when thy brought it over to the iPhone.  With this iPhone version, they kept everything I loved about the original Windows Mobile game, and made it even better with updated graphics and finger friendly controls.

Astraware Sudoku is also the only Sudoku game to include a puzzle-of-the-day feature.  These daily puzzles can be downloaded straight to your device or printed from your computer.  And that is in addition to the massive puzzle library which comes with the game, as well as the opportunity to input your own. 

The Windows Mobile version of Astraware Sudoku was the second game I reviewed here at JAMM.  Generally, I will love a game, but subsequently find others in the genre which surpass it.  In that case, when I revisit the game later, my opinion may have been tempered.  Not so here.  Over two years later (and two mobile platforms), this is still the best Sudoku game out there for any platform.

Astraware Sudoku is available from the iTunes App Store for $4.99.

Boardgames

Boardgames is one of three game packs recently developed by Astraware (the other two being Casino and Solitaire).  Boardgames is a fantastic game for you Windows Mobile converts.  Not only does it bring a touch of your Windows Mobile device to your iPhone, but it also brings a piece of your childhood as well.  Double points for that.  This one features eight classic board games.  The great thing here is that you already know all of the games, so you can just jump right in.

As with many of the other games Astraware has brought to the iPhone platform, the controls have been updated to incorporate the accelerometer.  For example, when you need to roll the dice, just give your iPhone a shake.  Now that is pretty cool.  You can even play against a friend connected to the same wi-fi network (though that does raise the question why you would not just get out the old cardboard and plastic versions of the game?)

Astraware Boardgames is available from the iTunes App Store for $4.99.

Westward

Westward is a relatively new game from Astraware, and they did not waste a lot of time getting it onto the iPhone.  If you grew up when I did, then you probably remember an early game called Oregon Trail (you never could feed Billy to the dogs.)  Anyway, Westward is not based on Oregon Trail, but it is a pretty similar concept.  The action takes place in a series of 19th century frontier towns.  Your job is to make the towns prosper, while eradicating the Copperhead Gang of criminals.

One of the things that makes Westward such a unique game is that it is non-linear.  What I mean by that is you do not simply follow an individual character through the whole game.  At various times, your character will stay in place while y follow a different character to a new location (or a sub-task).  This makes it extremely interesting, because you view the story from a variety of different points of view.  Regardless of which character you are following, the story continues to move forward.  I really liked this aspect of the game.

I thoroughly enjoyed this game, which was unique enough to stand out in a crowded field and not feel derivative, but not so far out there that it was impossible to follow.  Then again, Oregon Trail is rumored to be making its way to the iPhone…

Westward is available in the iTunes App Store for $4.99.

Hellfire

Here we go from one of the newer games to an older Astraware game.  We had not talked much about Hellfire in the past, because it actually did not make the Windows Mobile 5 transition.  It was originally released on the Palm OS and Pocket PC but was never updated beyond Windows Mobile 2003 SE.  So,I was pretty excited when I found this old friend (which I had played on my Dell Axim) on the iPhone.

Even more exciting than just finding the game was checking out the completely updated controls.  Instead of relying on a d-pad or touch screen, which I have always found to be clumsy in this kind of game, Hellfire relies on the accelerometer to help you fly your helicopter into enemy territory.  Your mission is a search-and-rescue, which reminds me of the old Choplifter game I used to play on the Apple II+.  You need to blow open the bunkers, and land long enough to rescue the hostages, then fly them back to safety. Oh and don’t worry, there are plenty of enemies waiting around for you to blow up as well.

Hellfire is available in the iTunes App Store for $4.99.

Deluxeware Darts

I have always enjoyed playing darts.  It was one of our favorite past times in college.  We used to hang out on the top floor of a bar called Attractions (which the locals affectionately referred to as Trash cans) where we spent more than a few evenings tossing darts at a small red, green, and black bullseye.  Usually we played Cricket, but often we would move on to 501 as well.

The thing is, darts is a pretty difficult game to replicate on a mobile device.  There is just too much going on to do it well.  That has been changing lately as the control mechanisms have become more and more sophisticated.  I have to say that I have never enjoyed playing computer darts as much as I do on the iPod Touch.

I enjoyed this iteration, which included several different darts games.  Still, though, before you rush off to buy it, you should also take a look at the free Darts App which is also available from the iTunes App Store.  Both are good renditions of the game, but the free app is….well…free.   Then again, if you like darts, I would download both.

Deluxeware Darts is available in the iTunes App Store for $0.99.

Deluxeware Bowling

The second Deluxeware game offered by Astraware is Bowling.  Both Darts and Bowling are updates from the Palm OS, which never quite made it onto the Windows Mobile platform.  Unlike darts, bowling has always made an extremely good computer game, especially on mobile platforms.

Astraware has made a nice version with this one.  You can play solo, against a computer opponent, or against up to three other players.   Once you have started, select your ball, from one of six different sized, and hit the lanes. 

I was pretty impressed with this one.  Although the controls are pretty simple to learn (just flick to send the ball rolling toward the pins) the game is not easy to master.  You will spend hours learning just the right touch to aim the ball as it rifles toward the pins.  And you will have a great time every step of the way.

Deluxeware Bowling is available in the iTunes App Store for $0.99.

So, there you have it.  Like I said, this is not a roundup of every game Astraware offers for iPhone.  It is a few favorites from Windows Mobile and Palm OS which we found in the iTunes App Store.  Of course, in addition to these, you may also want to check out: Bubble Shuffle (which Heather will be reviewing on the Palm OS soon), Golden Skull, GTS World Racer, Platypus, and My Little Tank, all of which are available in the App Store.  I do have to give Astraware credit here.  The expensive games cost a mere $4.99 on your iPhone.  These are games which typically cost $20 or more for Windows Mobile and Palm OS.  And stay tuned to this space.  Coming soon, we’ll take a look at more “comfort food” in the iTunes App Store for all of you Windows Mobile and Palm OS converts.

Related posts:

1. Press Release: Astraware Brings Glyph To Your iPhone
2. Happy Holidays from Astraware!! Save Up To $40 on Astraware Games at the JAMM Store.
3. Astraware Brings Sudoku To The iPhone
4. Astraware & Palm Announce announce first games for the Palm Foleo
5. Windows Mobile on Your iPhone, Part II: Concrete Software