The Arcade: A Monthly Roundup of Freeware Games (November 2008)

As much as I hate this time of year with the cold, wet, dark weather, I am encouraged that one of my favorite holidays is upon us.  Of course, I am talking about Thanksgiving.  For our non-US readers, Thanksgiving is the remembrance of how the early settlers were saved by the Native Americans who showed them how to make food from native agriculture.  Today, we celebrate that event by watching football (the American variety); eating a delicious feast of turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and more; and getting together with friends and family.   So, although the weather may be frightful, there is a lot to look forward to in the next couple of weeks.  And while you are waiting for the onslaught of family upon your home, maybe you want to relax for a minute with one of these free Windows Mobile games:

1. Halma

2. Butterfly

3. Rawalls

4. Fruitsday

5. Solitaire

Halma Sharp

This is an extremely cool game, which is actually an American original.  It was invented in the 1880’s by a plastic surgeon, and is similar to Chinese Checkers (though Halma was originally invented about 10 years earlier.)  The game is played on a square checkerboard grid (the Windows Mobile version is 8×8.)  Two players start in opposite corners with ten pieces each.  The goal is to swap sides.  The first player to land all of his pieces in the opposite player’s home area wins the game.  Pieces can be moved by sliding into an adjacent space, or by jumping over other pieces.  To win the game, you will want to find chains that allow you to jump from one side of the board to the other.  This was a great way to while away a few free minutes.

Butterfly

Here is a different take on the classic color matching game.  Like most color matching games, you have a board of colored bubbles.  In this one, though, each bubble has a butterfly trapped in it.  spin the columns to move the bubbles into place.  Connect three matching bubbles to release the butterflies.  I must say that the effect of all those butterflies being released made this game a real splendor to watch.

Rawalls

Well, here we go again with one of my favorite freeware developers Jean-Francois Mainguet.  This time, the French developer gives us a frustratingly ingenious numbers puzzle.  Here we find a simple collection of hexagons, linked together.  The board can range from six to over 40 spaces.  Each space emits light in all directions (tap the space to see the rays of light broadcast across the board.)  Your job is to ensure that the light from each space crosses into only the number of spaces written on the board.  To do this, simply open and close doors between the spaces.  So, if a space has a “1” written on it, then it must illuminate no other spaces.  A 9, however, means that you will be opening and shutting doors for a long time in order to find just the right combination.  I suggest you start with a small board in order to learn the rules and relationships.  but don’t stop there.  This game may start easy, but quickly draws you into the more complex arrangements with its addictive and unique gameplay.

Fruits Day

OK, folks.  Raise your hand if you remember the game Pac-Man.  if you do, then you will probably enjoy this clever twist on an old theme.  In this one, you play an insect (which looks to be a beetle).  you must make your way through a garden maze, eating the various fruits found along the way.  But watch out, because each level will have you facing off against an increasing number of enemy insects.  They won’t eat your fruit, but they will eat you if you touch them.  You will also want to remain mindful of the order in which you eat the fruit.  The more consecutive pieces of the same fruit you eat, the higher your score.  So, the challenge in this one is not just to eat the fruit and stay alive, but also to determine the best route to eat the fruit in the correct order and maximize your points.  I must admit that I was a huge fan of the Pac-Man genre back in the 1980’s, and I am thrilled to find it making a sort of mild resurgence.  And not only is it coming back, but to find such originality lent to what feels like an age old genre is fantastic!

Pocket Pazaak

I am a huge fan of Star Wars.  I have owned all of the movies on almost every media available.  I have read the books, listened to radio shows, even played the video games.  And if you are a fan of the Star Wars video games, then I think you have already figured this one out.  Pazaak is a customizable card game featured in the Knights of the Old Republic video game series.  And this was an extremely impressive reproduction and enhancement of the game.  I will say that if you have not learned of the game through Knights of the Old Republic, then you are going to be pretty much lost on this one.  But you can bring yourself up to speed by checking out the rules, here.  If, however, you have played the Knights of the Old Republic series, then get ready for a fantastic reproduction.  I was extremely impressed by the options, which even seemed to take the game beyond what was offered in the Knights of the Old republic series.  If you are a fan of that series, you will not want to miss this one!

That is going to bring a close to our looks at free games for 2008.  Next month, to close out the year, we will be bringing you our annual Best of the Arcade.  So, be sure to write into the comments and let us know your favorite games which have been featured in this space.  Next month, we’ll take a look at the best of the best to close out the year.  Until then, I hope everyone stay warm and dry, and has a fantastic Thanksgiving.

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