Your Cell Phone's Game for Some Video Gaming

Eric Gwinn - Gadget Adviser - Chicago Tribune

If you have a cell phone, you've got a party in your pocket just waiting to happen. Tons of fun games are coming out all the time, so when your pals aren't returning your calls or your texts, a little game action is just what you need to pass the time.

You may be thinking that bumping thumbs with your phone is the last thing you want to do. Besides, you've played Solitaire and that darn Snake game until you lost the will to go on. But trying one or two of the newer games -- or a twist on an old favorite -- might make you think twice about using your phone for more than making calls.

You might think games are more expensive than they're worth, and you're right if you download them only from your wireless carrier. You could spend up to $7 for a game from them, but do it only for the convenience factor. The smart gamers use their computers to buy directly from the game publishers' Web sites -- for as little as $1 a game, depending on the Web site, your carrier and phone model -- downloading titles to the computer before uploading them to the phone. They save money on the purchase, and they avoid any airtime charges as the game is transferred through the carrier's network to their phones. Of course, it's quicker and more convenient to skip the computer and use the phone to buy and download games. It's up to you, so let the games begin!

Well, not quite. If you're buying from a game publisher's site, you'll need to know the make and model of your phone. Don't know it? It's on your owners manual (If you can't find the manual, your model number is also under the battery of your phone). All games don't work on all phones, so once you go to the Web site to choose your carrier and your phone model, you can download the game meant for your phone.

Ready? Grab your credit card and let's go online.

EA Mobile (eamobile.com)

Gamers love "The Sims 2 Pets." Create a Sim and adopt a puppy. Make sure Puppy is fed, groomed and regularly answers the call of nature, otherwise he'll die! Teach him to sit and roll over and play Frisbee, to keep him happy and entertained. A wagging tail is a sure sign that your pet is doing well. Use your Sim's disposable income to shop for treats at the Pet Store.

To win -- well, you don't. All you can do is keep your Sim and your pet alive. As in real life, mere survival is the name of the game in "The Sims 2 Pets."

Why do people love it? Unlike "Tetris," your Sims pet needs you, and it's nice to be needed. Curmudgeons, doesn't it feel good to have yet one more thing to be responsible for, weighing on your conscience with a sweat-inducing persistence that makes you forget everything going on in your real life? No? Then maybe "Tetris" is for you.

Gameloft (gameloft.com)

I like "Bubble Bash," a twist on the gather-three-similar-objects-together-to-make-them-disappear game. Swing a stick to launch your colored balloon toward bubbles in the sky. When three or more bubbles of the same color stick together, they burst, and you win points. You need great timing because your targets are moving, and obstacles keep getting in the way. Because it's simple but demanding of your concentration, time flies by while you play, and that's a good thing in a game.

To buy from Gameloft, download the Gameloft Connect program (gameloftconnect.com) to your Windows-powered computer.

Glu Mobile (glumobile.com)

The home of Pop Cap-made classics "Zuma" and "Diner Dash," Glu has another game worth checking out: "Insaniquarium." As fish swim back and forth in an aquarium, drop food for them. The more success you have, the bigger the fish get, and you're rewarded with coins to buy doo-dads for your aquarium. Hypnotic fun at its best.

Concrete Udder (concreteudder.com)

You've heard of "Dance Dance Revolution," no? It's a video game in the arcades and for the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 and Wii game consoles. As thumping dance music plays, colored arrows scroll from the bottom of the viewing screen to the top. As the arrows cross a line, you must stomp your foot on the corresponding arrow, in time to the beat. On your touchscreen smartphone, you tap your screen with your phone's stylus in time to the beat. "Tap Tap Revolution" is an oldie but goodie.

There are tons of other sites to check out, including namcomobile.com, http://www.iplay.com, http://www.digitalchocolate.com, http://www.mforma.com, and clickgamer.com. Keep the party in your pocket going.

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