Mobile Gaming comparison. I wrote this post last year but somehow never got round to publishing it. Slightly out of date now, as n-gage has been scrapped, in favour of just selling games though ovi store.
Mobile gaming.
Being an alpha adopter geek I have numerous mobile devices, all which have varying gaming ability’s from 100% to 5% of the overall intended use. So I decided to test them all, using a single game format available on all platforms, casual golf. I choose casual golf because there’s a title on each platform, it’s not overly demanding graphically and it should be possible to compare overall platform suitability rather than judging the games themselves.
Do here’s the contenders
- Sony PSP 1000 & Everybody’s Golf 2
- Nintendo DS lite & Touch Golf
- Nokia E71/N95 & Everybody’s Golf Mobile
- Apple iPod Touch and Let’s Golf
Sony PSP 1000
I played everybody’s golf 2, a slick and enjoyable true 3D golf game using the old school ‘three click’ method. Controls were simple and fairly intuitive, though the zoom is a bit messy. Graphics are outstanding, battery life on the psp is great. There is very little to fault. The ‘relativly’ massive screen is incredibly clear and the graphics really shine, the club selection estimated distances matched well, and the game is rich and full of content and extras like online gaming.
The downside is that the PSP is a large device and the games come on large UMDs, certainly too big to ‘pocket’ so its only really taken with me when I’m carrying a bag. One bonus is the recently improved playstation store which lets you buy and store games on memory cards - ending the need to schlep around loads of UMDs. The new overpriced PSP Go! removes UMDs and if you pack an 8gig memory stick you can load up games via the Playstation Store directly now.
Nintendo DS lite
I was initially surprised by the lack of golf games on the DS, just tiger woods and touch golf, while touch golf is the more casual title it’s not quite the super deformed cutesy ride of the other titles. Touch based controls worked well and the 3D graphics were adequate, but felt way behind the PSP and iPod. Overall the DS just feels a little bit second rate in delivery and requiring a stylus - its all a bit clunky. on the plus side the DS does seem innovative and able to launch niche titles, more so with the DSi and its ability to download titles and store on memory cards. The DS clearly comes into its own on numerous wonderful nintendo titles and other DS only games such as brain training, Doctor Layton etc.
Nokia E71 / N95
Now slightly unfair to compare the E71 to gaming devices, but lots of java games are available and titles like this don’t require amazing graphics to be enjoyable. This is a good case in point, while graphically Everybody’s Golf mobile is poor - it still entertains. The biggest problem is the speed, so I fired it up on a nokia N95 - with its 3D hardware acceleration, only to discover it ran at an identical sluggish response. Still all is not bad, the game still offers fun on the move, and is probably the poorest of all the titles but I still found myself playing it when I had no other devices available. The N95 supports n-gage, nokia’s gaming platform, which has some impressive titles like bounce boing voyage, one and star wars force unleashed. The only n-gage golf game is pro series golf, which is more in the ‘tiger woods’ simulation category, I gave the trial verison a go. Its quite nice - but workmanlike and nothing too exciting.
The N95 and n-gage is fun, but the phones just aren’t very ergonomic for gaming, and i fine myself often hitting the menu key (next to the joypad) which throws you out of n-gage and into the home screen.
iPod Touch / iPhone
One billion apps cant be wrong, but iFart is along way from a gaming experience. But getting on for a year after launch the app store is starting to throw up some gems. Let’s golf from gameloft is an out and out rip off of everybody’s golf (update - now also available for PSP via the online store). But it has enough subtle differences to let it live seperatly - but only just. It works because its so well done, and offers a touch based swing as well as a traditional 3-click method. The graphics are lush and almost upto the PSP standard - but not quite. Theres a similar set of game mode and 3 full 18 hole courses + one 9 hole one. All for £3.49. Price wise it’s a winner. The only fault is the club estimates tend to be a bit wrong and you often over or under hit, despite hitting the marks. But if you have an iPhone - its a game you’ll always have with you. The iPod touch is a fantastic form for portability. The only downside is things like fighting games and platform games dont translate well, though recent launch ‘assisins creed’ has show responsive joy pad style gaming can work in the iPod.
So summing up, the PSP is clearly the daddy, but isn’t portable enough to be with you all the time.
The DS is similar but clearly an underperformer, and the novelty has defiantly worn off, The DSi hasn’t added any graphics power to a tired looking console.
The nokias have some impressive titles, esp on N-gage, and are in your pocket - so why not, the downside is the controls are bad and n-gage has some restrictive DRM if you change phones it hard to move your game library over with you. The iPod touch/iPhone is the dark horse - there’s some amazing addictive titles. and its early days for the touch only platform, expect more from cupertino. (Update several months on and the App store is chock-a-block with top notch gaming titles across almost every genre, it’s still missing a good fighting game)
Of the games tested Everybody’s golf 2 and Let’s golf, are clear winners. As to every day gaming - for me while I love the PSP - its just not ‘always with me’ where asI don’t even notice carrying the iPod touch, and if you have an iPhone its the clear winner.
