Variety

Assaultaire (A-)

Assaultaire is a top-down scrolling shooter where you take out enemy targets with your tank. Assaultaire is the same type of game as My Little Tank (also reviewed in this issue), but it's much more sophisticated. Missions are varied, with some requiring you to destroy everything that moves, and others requiring you to discretely take out a specific target. Your tank has several attributes (such as the speed and strength of your tank, and the power of your weapons) which can be adjusted depending on the mission. For example, missions requiring you to take out everything will benefit from firepower at the expense of speed. You also receive bonus points during the game to add to your attributes. Assaultaire's blend of action and tactics make it a winner.

Assaultaire is a sophisticated shooting game involving tactics.

For more information on this game, visit the Clickgamer Web site (http://www.clickgamer.com). Assaultaire supports Pocket PC 2002 and newer devices. A demo is available, and the full version can be purchased for $12.95.

Bouncin' (B+)

Bouncin' is a cross between breakout and air hockey. Instead of just moving your paddle to the left and right, you can also move it up and down for more control. You can select from four different boards: The Retro board is a nice throwback to the original Breakout, but it's the unique Keys and Microgolf boards that really make the game shine. Keys and Keys II have elements of pinball and require you to shoot "key" balls to unlock chutes and hit switches. Microgolf requires you to bounce the ball in the hole and even has sand traps. I was pleasantly surprised at how original it was and how well it plays. Good work on this one!

Bouncin' looks like another breakout game, but unique controls and clever board design make it unique and interesting.

For more information, visit the Digital Smithy Web site (http://www.digitalsmithy.com). Bouncin' supports all Pocket PCs. A demo is available, and the full version can be purchased for $12.00.

My Little Tank (B+)

My Little Tank is a cute little overhead shooting game with excellent graphics and animation (especially in VGA mode). MLT's game play is very simple and focuses on shooting everything in sight. The enemies are pretty dumb and not overly aggressive, but the game is still fun and satisfying. If you want a similar game with a little more sophistication, check out Assaultaire.

My Little Tank is purely a shooting game, but it's a high quality game all the way around.

For more information on this game, visit the Astraware Web site (http://www.astraware.com). My Little Tank supports all Pocket PCs and Smartphones. A demo is available, and the full version can be purchased for $19.95.