Konami brings GoPets to DS

It may sound like a cross between two of Nintendo's favourite DS games, but Konami's new pet community game GoPets has actually been available on the Internet since 2004. First launched in South Korea, the social networking/ virtual pet game enables you to create your own weird-looking cat or dog, which inhabits your PC, developing a personality, hobbies and learning tricks the more time you spend with it. As is the way of such beings however, their main reason to live is to be lavished with gifts from their supposed masters, so you'll spend your time (and in-game cash – in this case is based around coloured shells), kitting your pet out with everything from clothes to cars, planes and bathtubs. Still, they are sociable beings and will happily interact with other GoPets, using their special IKU picture language to talk and dancing their funny little dances. Users can also communicate via email and instant messaging services within the game. Perhaps the most significant thing about the GoPets is that they love to explore and visit like-minded people's computers. It's also something that happens regularly if you don't give your pet the proper care and attention (although technically, you can't kill them off with neglect). Konami plans to bring all these features within the purview of its DS version of the PC game, (called GoPets: Vacation Island), with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection providing the backbone communications network for swapping GoPets and socialising with other DS pet owners around the world. A travel journal will be included so you can keep track of all your new chums, too. For those without regular access to wi-fi, GoPets: Vacation Island will also have a single player mode that will feature one-of-a-kind pets that can only be created within its island environment, as well as various mini-games. One of Konami's most ambitious DS games of 2007, GoPets: Vacation Island won't be available until the autumn.

Horse & Pony: My Stud Farm

Format: J2ME

You wait ages for a horse game, then two trot along at once.

Gameloft's Pippa Funnell Horse Riding Academy was a decent attempt at an equine sim, albeit one that didn't last very long. Now HandyGames has stepped up with its own horsey title, based on a popular range of German PC and console games.

The two games are good news for the mobile games industry, showing that publishers are keen to appeal to new groups of gamers (that is, girls), but which one's best? Because here the whinny takes it all. Or something.

Horse & Pony follows a different tack to Gameloft's game. You're not a fresh-faced equestrian student: instead, you run your own stud farm. Your aim is to breed a bunch of champion nags by feeding them, grooming then, training them up and then entering them in competitions.

Bizarrely, it works a lot like HandyGames' existing Porn Manager game, with the same blend of wandering around a cartoony environment, choosing what to do, and watching quick animations showing your actions. (It must be an interesting pitch to the mobile operators: "It's like Porn Manager, except with horses, and aimed at teenage girls...")

Anyway, you spend the game pootling between your stables, warehouse, training yard and pasture, ensuring your horses are sufficiently well-fed and groomed.

The training yard can be used to school up your nags in a series of skills, from racing and vaulting through to polo, dressage and formation riding. Meanwhile, you have to keep an eye on ratings like sociability and health to make sure they're in tip-top condition.

All this food and training costs money, of course, so you'll need to earn a few bob by entering your horses in competitions based around their skills. The tournaments can be local through to international level, and provide the all-important source of income for your farm – aided by other people's horses coming to visit.

Finally, of course, this is a stud farm you're running, so you have to breed new horses – although understandably this process isn't dealt with in quite the same way as Porn Manager...

There's bags of depth to Horse & Pony, and you do get caught up in the intricacies of breeding that perfect polo champion. However, the game is frustrating in the lack of stuff to actually do with your horse.

See, while Pippa Funnell Horse Riding Academy was based entirely around riding your horse, the only time you get on the saddle in Horse & Pony is for a basic exercise minigame that involves galloping in a straight line and jumping the occasional obstacle.

When you train one of your horses, it just stays in the training paddock for two days. Register it for a tournament, and it disappears for three days, before coming back with a message saying how well it did. Both of these sections would be an ideal opportunity for some cool mini-games. And even if the lack of any is down to space restrictions on mobile, it still makes for a less satisfying experience.

There's also a question over whether Horse & Pony's target audience want to play a stud-farm management game, as opposed to just ride horses as in Gameloft's rival. Finally, the instructions and tutorial could do a better job of explaining the relatively complex game workings.

Horse & Pony isn't, well, pony, but it could be much more of a thoroughbred. Still, if the ups and downs of the equine breeding world (easy at the back there) appeal, there's enough in here to make it worth a whirl.

Final Fantasy III figures on the way

It doubtless has more to do with commerce than anything else, but at least Square Enix can argue its solid little Final Fantasy III figures tie in with the newly-3D status of the DS game. The DS overhaul saw designer Akihiko Yoshida reworking the game's originally 2D playable characters into a volumeric form, and now, in turn, that's resulted in the Trading Arts Mini set. It consists of five figures. You get Luneth in his initial freelance outfit, Arc decked out as a red mage � that's a low level job type that can use white and black magic � and Ingus in his knight armour. Refia, however, comes in two advanced job costumes � well she is the only lady in the group. There's the cute Devout cape (check out those big ears), and our favourite, the spiky Dragoon. For some reason Square Enix has dropped two figures � Refia as magus and dark knight � from the set that will be available in Europe.

Get your Head On A Stick for free

You can't beat the Ronseal approach to naming your mobile game. Head On A Stick boasts the most self-explanatory title since last year's award-winning Monkey Pole Climb. The aim: balance heads. Yes, on sticks. And that's about it. Developer Under Siege Studio promises 'unique two-thumb head balancing gameplay', as you have to keep a variety of heads aloft using careful stick-waving alone. The game also features a four-player mode, with you taking turns on the same handset, and has various levels, each with their own backdrops and heads. Gruesome, but fun. There's even online high-scores. What's more, Head On A Stick is absolutely free, via the GameJump portal, which offers free games by inserting adverts into the game loading screens.

Opposite Lock speeds onto phones

Format: Mobile
Sometimes you have to wonder what all these big mobile games creators spend their money on. Go to any industry conference, and you'll hear developers and publishers complaining about the technical challenges of creating mobile games, particularly multiplayer ones. And then along come two blokes from Liverpool with a racing game that supports up to eight-player Bluetooth action! Numfum is that developer, and Opposite Lock is the game, which is being released by publisher eFusion. It's a knockabout arcade racer with ten tracks and three game modes to play: practice, tournament or time trial. The multiplayer works by one player hosting a game and the others joining it – much like you'd do on a Nintendo DS, albeit using Bluetooth in this case. The game's just gone live on Samsung's Fun Club portal, and will be available from other portals soon too. From the screenshots and the preview version we've seen, it looks like it has the potential to be a big word-of-mouth hit, particularly as different phones can play each other in the multiplayer mode (for example, a Nokia versus a Motorola versus a Samsung). Let's hope other mobile games studios have a go...

ProStroke Golf: World Tour 2007

Format: PSP Of all the technological mountains that video games try to conquer, realism seems the most popular, the most insurmountable and, too often, the most pointless. Quite why painstakingly translating real-world atoms and physics into virtual pixels and engines should make a game any more fun is a mystery to those among us who actually quite like quirky characters, with their super-wide eyes and preposterous relationship with gravity that enables us to do the impossible. Nevertheless, many games continue to boast with puffed chests that they closest mimic real life in looks and behaviour.

ProStroke Golf 2007 is one such title, claiming to be the 'most faithful adaptation of the world's most challenging sport'. It's a bold declaration (in more than one way) but one that the game's humourless presentation, rudimentary character options, functional visuals and often-cruel difficulty curve quickly reiterate. Indeed, when sat beside the PSP's other two high-profile golf titles � the massively stylised and brilliantly fun Everybody's Golf and the slickly accessibile Tiger Woods � PSG seems a little too much like hard work for all but the greatest golf aficionados. That said, the least-handicapped latter might well choose to iron out its kinks (so to speak), such is the depth of simulation available here. Developer Gusto Games has sought to carve this niche in gritty-realism by engineering a new way of taking the shots. In orthodox golf video games, you select a club and angle the shot before perhaps momentarily switching to an overhead view of the current course to check a well-struck ball's predicted trajectory. Then you hit the X button once to trigger the start of the swing, a second time to confirm the strength of the shot and, finally, a third time to secure its accuracy. ProStroke Golf follows the set-up phase by rote but aims for revolution by mixing up the button inputs when it comes to hitting the ball. Here the R-trigger begins the back swing, setting off a power meter which slides up from 0 per cent to 100 per cent strength. Hitting the L-trigger then freezes the meter while, lastly, releasing the L-trigger at the right moment secures its accuracy. It's also possible to add extra power to shots by transferring weight to the front foot before the backswing is complete. Of course, in essence the system is only a mildly evolved version of the one we're used to but, nevertheless, the co-ordination required to hit a shot well takes a little while to settle into. Even when you have the desired muscle memory, just a small mistake with the slippery accuracy gauge will only thud the ball a few sorry feet. And just as soon as you're hitting more shots than you're missing the game's next tier of complexity reveals itself, as ball position, golfer stance and club face all play a big part in shot outcomes. By leaning your golfer left, right, forward and backwards with the analogue stick during set-up, you can provide various subtle shot modifiers. These include lowering the trajectory, drawing, fading, adding loft, roll or punch and all manner of other golfing terms that rival game approximations have so far failed to properly familiarise (or burden) us with. The system allows for an astonishing level of control, and it feels possible to play pretty much any shot you can think of. However, these depths just won't be accessible to many players and often seem a little out of place on a handheld. Of course, it's possible to get by without utilising all of the microcosmic features, but when the developer has seemingly compromised on aesthetics to focus on these details, it's a bit of a waste to ignore them. A stock career mode based around five seasons of tournaments and challenges forms the core of the game's scenario content, with quick play, tournament and single round options fleshing out these bones. As there's no online option, multiplay is limited to local wireless mode, which leaves a powerful but often cumbersome course editor as the only unusual extra curio to play with. ProStroke Golf 2007 is a little rough around the edges and, in truth, we prefer the more light-hearted, primary-coloured fun of Sony's Everybody's Golf. However there's no denying that there will be players for whom a realistic golf game that embraces golf geek sensibilities is very welcome. The game's depth provides potentially greater rewards to the most committed player and, as the game never pretends to be anything other than a serious golf sim, it's hard to knock its dedication.

America's Army invades your phone

While the world waits to see if George Bush's 'surge' strategy can turn the tide in Iraq, now's your chance to see how you'd fare in charge of the US army. America's Army: Special Operations is the first official mobile game focussed on the US forces. It's based on a PC game that has racked up over eight million downloads since its release in 2002. Gameloft's mobile version is centred on the fictional state of Corbalia, which has invaded a nearby country called 'Liberty', so needs to be handed its arse on a plate by the US army. I'm paraphrasing here, obviously. You get to pilot an Apache combat helicopter, drive a Stryker tank, and run around as an infantry soldier as part of the battle. Oh, and you get to do some sniping too. The game has 11 levels in all, with missions including blowing up a radar station, rescuing engineers, and escorting a helicopter to safety. Gameloft apparently studied real videos of the US army while making the game, which should make the operational cock-ups animation and tactics more realistic. America's Army: Special Operations is out now, and not just in the US.

Tennis Open 2007 ( format : J2ME )

Hands up if you seriously believe Andy Murray's ever going to win Wimbledon? Okay, the fiery Scottish teenager has blazed a trail into the world Top 15, but he's surely still more likely to spend the next 15 years flopping in the quarter or semi finals, just like Tiger Tim.

Of course, if Andy goes ahead and wins the tournament this summer, I'll just have to eat my words (or at least rewrite this intro). But my money's still on an early exit, possibly accompanied by a big sweary tantrum and at least a couple of smashed rackets.

Talking of which... tantrums are one of Tennis Open 2007's selling points. Sometimes, when a player wins a point, he chucks his racket at the floor in anger, while his opponent indulges in a spot of fist-pumping joy. It's a tiny visual touch really, which doesn't add anything to the gameplay, but it shows the craft and attention to detail that's gone into this splendid game.

Admittedly, Tennis Open 2007 isn't exactly the most original treatment of tennis. It's more Virtua Tennis than the official mobile version of Virtua Tennis is, what with its career mode, rankings system and training mini-games.

We loved the 3D version of Virtua Tennis Mobile Edition when we reviewed it last year, but Tennis Open 2007 is really going up against the 2D version of that game, which we've not reviewed. We have however downloaded it for comparative purposes for this review, and it's clear that Gameloft's is by some distance the better game.

At the heart of why we love it is its slick control system. Your player has eight-way movement around the court, with you having to get him into the right position for where the ball is going to land � signified by a white cross.

However, once in position, the cross turns red, and from now on your button presses control your shot placement, with '1' being the back-left of your opponent's court, '2' being the back centre and so on. '0' hits a lob, while pressing a directional button twice hits a sliced shot.

It works smoothly, and most importantly the pace is up to speed: no slo-mo jerkiness here.

The excellent Career mode is where you'll spend most of your playing time, hauling yourself to the top of the world rankings by competing in tournaments, while training up your skills and taking the odd rest to build up your stamina. Your player has five skills � Technique, Control, Serve, Speed and Power � which are improved through simple mini-games.

Perhaps the best thing about Tennis Open 2007 � besides those on-court tantrums � is the feeling of progression as you play through the game, improve your skills and rise in the rankings. You can start pulling off some marvellous cross-court slices and booming serves, although at the same time your opponents become better at sending you scurrying around the court.

There are distinct playing styles too, with some players coming in close to the net, while others lurk at the baseline � forcing you to mix and match your tactics for each new match.

If you're looking for sexy 3D visuals in a mobile tennis game, don't look here � Virtua Tennis should be your first port of call. But much like Gameloft's original 2D Midnight Pool kicked the arse of several snazzier 3D rivals, so Tennis Open 2007 is the slickest, most playable mobile tennis game we've seen. Ace, in other words.

New PSP firmware upgrade released

Right, just a quickie to let you know Sony has released the latest PSP firmware update. Version 3.10 offers expanded support for PlayStation Nework titles (of immediate use to those with a PS3) and the ability to play MPEG-4 AVC format video files under LocationFree Player (of immeditate use to those with a LocationFree Base Station. In addition, a Conserve Memory option has been included in the Internet Browser settings, and you'll now find a Dynamic Normalizer (surely a contradiction in terms?) feature under the Sound Settings menu. That's more or less it. You can download v3.10 from the official PSP site.

Rocky Balboa

Format: Psp

I've not seen Rocky Balboa the movie, but if the scenario depicted in the game of the film is anything to go by, it's an unconventional narrative. A boxer – Rocky Balboa – finds some way of cloning a version of himself from various ages. Additionally, he discovers some form of time travel and, for good measure, body possession. He can then jump between key points in his life or other people's lives in an attempt to beat other people or himself up, in a boxing ring or elsewhere. Scenarios soon become increasingly ridiculous, resulting in fictional '70s world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed fighting someone who in ordinary chronology would essentially be a foetus. All whilst dressed in stars and stripes pants. Actually, what I suspect happened is publisher Ubisoft decided the best way to port 2004's home console success Rocky: Legends to the PSP was to add a couple of new scenarios and characters, shoehorn a complicated control system onto a format that can't take it, and enjoy an association with a celluloid franchise that no-one asked for in the first place. The pre-match entertainment promises much. Players are offered a series of training bouts, exhibition matches, historical fights, quick brawls or multiplayer contests. Whilst winning conditions will vary, the agenda is the same: defeat someone from Rocky's history, either by knocking them down – often many times, frustratingly – or being awarded the most points per round. Then try again, but harder. And as the contenders dance into the ring, there is much to be excited about. The cinematic re-runs – complete with rousing score – will bring a smile to fans of the series, despite the time it takes to load them. In-game, Rocky Balboa is pretty enough too, with decent polygonal representations of silver screen icons bobbing and weaving convincingly. But from the first bell, it's clear that, like Rocky himself, we've seen much better before. Put simply, the game's control system is ill-suited to the PSP. Sure, it's admirable that the developer has crammed in four pages full of attacking and defensive options, but they're impossible to a) remember, and b) get to work, particularly as the analogue stick acts both as a regular joystick and an action key. Whilst some moves look easy on paper, in the heat of a fight you can't pull them off with any regularity. Pulling down on the analogue stick, and hitting Square and Triangle within a fraction of a second, for example, shouldn't be a chore. But it's hit and miss stuff. Pun not intended – because it's really not funny. Indeed, Rocky Balboa's fights soon descend into the style of brawl I used to favour at school: hit and hope. The temptation is to button-mash, but this rarely produces satisfactory results. It's a shame, because the game's paraphernalia hints at so much more. There are countless scenarios and stacks of options, designed to placate both those demanding some deep 'mano et mano' action, or those looking to while away some time on the bus. But each is just a simple variation on a common theme: beat someone harder than you, within a time limit or over a certain number of rounds. Over 15 rounds, it's a dispiriting and all too realistic exercise in stamina. There are moments that shine. During bouts – and providing certain conditions are met – there's the option to engage Power Mood, which slows the action down enough to more accurately plan consecutive punches. The sound changes, too: each hit ricochets like a shotgun. It's immensely rewarding, if frustratingly short-lived. But during ordinary play, Rocky Balboa becomes arthritic. Thumbs ache, knuckles crack. Which may be authentic, but it's not entertaining. In standard fights, opponents will get back up from knockdowns at least three times – a standard video game convention, but one which, in the ninth or tenth round, absolutely frustrates. Punching someone out – particularly if you've activated the slow-mo mode – should be a moment of satisfaction and of triumph. But knowing that if it's the first time you've done it, it'll count for little other than a points bonus makes it entirely unrewarding. The Rocky films should offer a rich tapestry upon which to paint a rewarding video game. Instead, Ubisoft has taken a concept which works pretty well on consoles with twice as many buttons, and reduced it to an unrewarding test of stamina. The last Rocky film I saw was Rocky V, in which an aging Stallone beat up a child in the street. Some of my fellow cinema-goers, during the rowdy climax, stood up and shouted at the screen. I was too embarrassed to do that at the time, but whilst gazing at the PSP this time around, I know how they felt. Only this time, it was in a bad way.