Mobile games

It started with the much loved yet very basic ‘Snake’ at the beginning of the mobile gaming era. Now, we have Sudoku and cutting edge action adventure with graphics not a million miles from what you’d find on games consoles. So if you have a penchant for playing games of the electronic persuasion, may you never be bored again – so long as you have your mobile.

In a nutshell, they’re games you play on your mobile phone. Most phones have at least one or two games on the phone when you buy it, and 3G technology with its remote web access has opened up the gateway for playing games on your phone, with hundreds of games downloadable at the press of a button. 3G also makes it possible to play interactive games with other players via the web, but this could prove expensive as well as battery draining so make sure you check costs first.

There are literally hundreds of games available for your mobile phone. And don’t just think ‘space invader’ or ‘shoot ‘em ups’ – today’s mobile gaming world lets you play ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire?’ poker and brain teasing puzzles to name but a small fraction of the oodles of game types available.

Standard or ‘embedded’ games vary from phone to phone in quality and quantity but there are plenty available to buy. Whatever type of phone you have, there are so many websites offering free or cheap games that you can download to your phone. They’ll tell you whether your phone’s compatible too, so you won’t need to worry about it not working.

Although we’ve come a long way since good old Snake, the journey of mobile games has only just begun. Think real time Java games; interactive games via wireless internet and amazing 3D graphics.

As memory size increases whilst the space required to store it shrinks, as the longevity of battery life is explored and developed, the potential for a truly amazing graphic experience via your mobile handset becomes increasingly tangible.

Mobile gaming is huge and as technology leaps ever forward, there’s little doubt that this popular pastime has already secured its place in the world of tomorrow.

When looking to download games to your phone, you’ll come across ‘Java’ games. Java is a programming language, its immense popularity due in part to its cross platform compatibility, and because it allows the production of some excellent graphics. Java based games work on a wide variety of mobile phones.

When you go to a website to download games to your mobile, they’ll ask you the make and model of your phone and you’ll only be shown games that are compatible with your particular handset.

Games are complicated programs and therefore use tons of memory – which in turn, saps battery life all too quickly. Unless you’re happy to charge it plenty, go easy on the gaming. Five minutes at the bus stop won’t kill your battery, but playing for the entire hours commute might.

Game developers are however, working on games that are low power and batteries themselves are improving, so it won’t be long before you’ll be able to play all day – or at least a lot longer than you can at present.