This game was the big release title for the Tapwave Zodiac. It was one of the very few games in the system's lifetime to really get the high production value treatment. Most of the games were small efforts written for other Palm platforms with a few added nods to the Zodiac, like using the analog controller.
It actually took me awhile to warm up to this title. The top option is Arcade Mode, which does away with the regular game objectives. You still play the regular courses and have to get through them in a limited amount of time without being destroyed, but you get points instead of objectives.
You also get a top down view rather then the regular behind view. While still 3D, I guess it feels less 3D, and maybe less impressive than what the Zodiac can really do. On the other hand it's easy to pick up and play, and also to get your eyes accustomed to the small screen, washed out colors and frame rate.
Which isn't to say that these are completely negative. The screen (and frame rate) both compare favorably to 3D games on the much more recent Nintendo DS. I'm honestly not sure why the colors are so washed out in this game, I assume it's just the art style. The pack in game Stunt Car Extreme doesn't have any color issues. While the artwork looks nice, sometimes the landscape blends with the road a little too much.
The frame rate isn't terrible either, but in this fast game it makes the control a little touchy. This isn't helped by the fact that the control feels like it doesn't take good advantage of the analog input on the Zodiac. It feels very digital. If it does use analog for proportional steering and acceleration, it might be nice to have some adjustment. Also it would be nice to have an adjustment to shut off the acceleration and break feature of the main stick so I can just use the shoulder buttons for that. I kept getting tripped up there.
Another problem with the Zodiac hardware is that the right hand buttons are close together. I have fairly large hands, and using three of the four buttons to control my weapons felt cramped. I think I could probably find some comfortable hand arrangement eventually, but over the course of a few hours I couldn't quite get there.
I liked Mission Mode a little better. It has the "behind the vehicle" perspective from the major console versions that were originally released. I minded the touchy controls a little less, maybe I had an easier time getting into the game from this perspective. I did miss the practice track from the console versions, but otherwise the game played pretty well.
Another thing I did like was the way the enemies all behaved very differently. You really could learn them, and learn strategies for dealing with them in different combinations. The artwork for the enemies was sufficiently different to make them easy enough to tell apart on the screen, even when viewed from a difference.
This really is a decent looking game. Aside from the fact that I'd like more contrast between the background and the course, it looks great. While the frame rate may not match a PSP, it compares favorably to, say, Ridge Racer on the Nintendo DS. The controls also compare favorably.
The sound is excellent. Great score, sound effects, all meaningful and timely. And they even preserved small into animations, something you don't see often in portable games.
You also really need to step back and remember that this is a PDA, not actually a game console. I've never, ever seen anything even close to this good on a PDA. Compared as an apple to other apples, this game is outstanding.
I don't think it matters that I'm unable to review Tournament mode, since these were hosted on the long-gone Tapwave website. I also don't know anyone within Bluetooth range to play Multiplayer Mode, but I can tell you, if you do have a friend, you're definitely going to want to play plugged in, since Bluetooth drains the battery pretty quickly.
I am slightly offended that the storyline in the manual says that the bad guys are an Israeli company. They could have selected something a little less political. I went back to the manual for the "original" Spy Hunter remake on the PS2 and found the same thing, so I guess that's not unique to the Tapwave version. I probably never noticed before because I rarely read manuals past the page with the controller layout.
In sum, when I started playing, it was good enough that for a moment you forget you're not playing your XBox or PS2, and you're inclined to rate it harshly. And it does take awhile to find some comfortable way to hold the unit and play effectively. But then when you get into it, you find the game enjoyable, and while maybe not up to PSP standards, really a worthy play, even compared with modern gen games. If you put it in historic perspectives, for a portable game it's almost, but not quite, outstanding.
2008 ben langberg, all rights reserved.