MobileChess

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.pocket-games.com/">http://www.pocket-games.com/</a><br /><br />I don't play chess myself, but this looks like a killer chess app for those of you that do - especially if you have a wireless connection, because it supports multi-player games! They have a game server that allows you to log in and play against other plays, live - and even chat with them. Nice innovation here - multi player games are a great deal of fun if you've never tried one before. There's a unique thrill in challenging the intellect of another human being instead of the cold AI of a computer.<br /><br />I have to give a nod to the developer for his pricing model: $25 for the game, which includes 1 year of free head to head gaming and free upgrades. $20 per year for using the game server after that - not bad at all!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/chess2.gif" /><br /><br />"MobileChess is THE FIRST multi-player game available for both PDA (PocketPC) and PC. Next to beautiful design, animations and dazzling sounds, the program features:<br /><br />• Online multi user one-on-one play mode<br />• Real-time chat<br />• Offline computer playing mode with different playing levels<br />• Searchable and updateable databases with games played by yourself and pro games<br />• Observe mode<br />• USCF (US Chess Federation) rating system<br />• Fischer and normal clock settings<br />• Live coverage of grandmaster tournaments<br /><br />Are you a chess fan? If so, have we got a contest for you - <a href="http://www.pocket-games.com/">download the free trial version of Mobile Chess</a> today, give it a try, and tell me what you think by responding to this thread. From the responses, I'll randomly give away <b>five free copies of the game</b>, courtesy of the generous developer by noon tomorrow.

[Master O'Mayhem]

look out Deep Blue!!

[lanwarrior]

Multiplayer on the PocketPc? Bring it on!!

[bandersnatch]

This is a great development...and a great choice for the first multiplayer PPC game! Just a little data to transfer for each move, a wide base of players, and I always depend on playing humans where they might make mistakes too. :D

[ctitanic]

that's what I was looking for a long time. The capability of playing chess with another guy in the same roon using your ir port or a bluetooth is really a plus.

[kidoco]

:o ,Cool Chess Game, I have been using a simple (freeware) one I got of the tucows website. But this one really beats it

[helios]

Your should probably mention that the game currently does not support MIPS processors.

[JornadaJ]

Awesome! I think (fairly sure) this is the same vendor that made this for my old Palm. It was the only game I kept each time I 'upgraded' Palms. (V to a Vx, then got the color version when I got the IIIc.) I really missed this game when I got a PPC...

[jmulder]

I'm no chess whiz, but this looks like a pretty good implementation. I wish I could still get at the start bar when it's running, but overall good.

(Incidentally, despite my interest in chess, I'm really bad at it. On the novice setting this game beat me in 11 moves!!)

[Wuss912]

ME like..
i love chess caint wait till i can ply my roommate from across the room &lt;G>

[Jason]

Just when I got really excited i realized that there is no MIPS..rats...guess its time to get a new PPC> :evil:

[BadgerSoft]

Very nice program. I wish the footprint was smaller, as I have a 32MB iPaq and can't install it to CF since that's for the network card. :(

But so far it looks good!

[wpruitt]

I wish someone would develop a novice setting that can be beaten. Along those lines I do not believe it ever enjoyed notifying me of...CHECK!

Warren

[AZMark]

Woooo Hooooo,,,,soon to be playing chess with my bro in Flordia!

AZMark

[GC2350]

I love this thing ..... I am starting to get a feel for this. I have always hoped that some day this would be a reality. Now all I want is the wireless capability.

[24va]

Well throw my name in the hat for a free game!

[jsolin]

Looks great. I'm downloading a copy now. It's about time that a developer stepped up to the plate and offered a multi-player game.

- Joe Solin
[email protected]

[jlp]

I'm in for the drawing as well.

[shill79]

Excellent chess game... Gotta register this, but I'll wait to see if I win it first :D

[Tycho Morgan]

In light of all these people posting short dinky little comments to put them in the running for one of the five copies that we are giving away, I find it neccessary to say something cynical and smart ass which with my luck will undoubtaly result in my winining a copy of the the game.
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How many of you see other Pocket PC users in your day to day lives? Not to many I'd wager. While there may be large clumps of us on this and other simialr boards, truth be told there aren't many of us around. IF you do see someone else with a Pocket PC chances are you are either in a work enviroment where you aren't going to be able to engage in a game of chess, or its one of your family members, in both cases if you aucticaly have time to sit down and play chess is seeting up a board that much of a pain?

Say you do see other Pocket PC users, say you do have a wireless connection, say you are to lazy to set up the board for a game of chess with your partner, your children, or one of your friends, and say the aformentioned chess oponent isn't compleatly pissed at you for being lazy. Then what are the chances of that person getting out their Pocket PC, having the wireless connection flawlessly setup, and having this software registered and up to date?

If I had to bet, I'd say that there are about five people out there who could really use a program like this. In which case it's a prety risky business plan to give away software codes to all of the people who are ever going to use the program. But to each, their own.
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I warned you, and may the best man (or woman) win...

Cheers,
Sam

[Dave Conger]

Though the computer seems to be very good even on Beginner (but maybe I am just no good at chess), this is a nice little progrm. On my iPAQ I find it runs a little slugish, but on my desktop it runs great. And network games between them is quite a breeze. Though the clocks get slightly off, it resyncs them nicely. I also like how the desktop version is still being played "in" a Pocket PC. I will be interested to play this over a unwired connection.

ctitanic mentioned Ir play...but I am not sure this is possible...Wired network connection works great though.

[Hurl]

This looks like the chess game I've been after. I love the multi player aspect.

P.S.
I'm soooo close to ordering one of those fountain pens!

[bogey]

It's going to be tough getting any work out of Pocket PC developers now that I showed them this package........ :wink:

[NewKreation]

I like being able to play it with the Compaq 3800 series skin on my laptop as well as my ppc. The sound effects are cool. I agree, for those without the Start Menu mapped to a hardware button, multi-tasking is tricky. I found that mapping iTask or ALT-TAB works, but the other programs respond, slowww....as molasses flowing uphill. The game playing is tough on the novice level. I enjoy a good challenge. However, the game takes up 1.8M of memory. Ouch!

Also, did you know? I found you can have more than one instance of the application open at once. Hmmm...

Overall, I think I will stick with my "free" chess game. I am not a chess guru/expert, so I won't notice the smart programming/algorithms much. I'm not sure I would install it if it were given to me. :wink:

[Jason Dunn]

How many of you see other Pocket PC users in your day to day lives? Not to many I'd wager. While there may be large clumps of us on this and other simialr boards, truth be told there aren't many of us around....

Now, now Sam - you're starting to sound like the guy who said it was stupid for someone to make a car racing game for the Pocket PC.

This concept is cool just because it CAN be done - don't ruin it by asking whether it SHOULD be done. :-)

[Tycho Morgan]

How many of you see other Pocket PC users in your day to day lives? Not to many I'd wager. While there may be large clumps of us on this and other simialr boards, truth be told there aren't many of us around....

Now, now Sam - you're starting to sound like the guy who said it was stupid for someone to make a car racing game for the Pocket PC.

This concept is cool just because it CAN be done - don't ruin it by asking whether it SHOULD be done. :-)


Fine, fine, have it you're way; I'm just trying to be realistic here.

Just for the record I'd like to point out to everyone that Jason didn't say I was wrong. Knowing his style and his usage of that smily, he aggrees with what I said, he just doesn't want to say that. :wink:

BTW, This is my 100th post. I know, I know, I'm slow...

Cheers,
Sam

[jmulder]

How many of you see other Pocket PC users in your day to day lives? Not to many I'd wager. While there may be large clumps of us on this and other simialr boards, truth be told there aren't many of us around. IF you do see someone else with a Pocket PC chances are you are either in a work enviroment where you aren't going to be able to engage in a game of chess, or its one of your family members, in both cases if you aucticaly have time to sit down and play chess is seeting up a board that much of a pain?

Sam makes a good point, but I got the impresion that you could play against PC users as well. Plenty of people have PC's (or so I hear).

-Jim

[Jason Dunn]

I'm just trying to be realistic here.


Come now Sam, we spend hours of our day writing/reading about little pocket computers! There's nothing realistic about how we spend our time. :-)

[Tycho Morgan]

Come now Sam, we spend hours of our day writing/reading about little pocket computers! There's nothing realistic about how we spend our time. :-)


Oh sure, Go ahead rub it in..

Cheers,
Sam

[jlp]

I'm very happy to report that I contacted Captain Mobile and I just received this answer today:

"We have some good news for you: before the weekend we will have
the SH3 and MIPS version available at our website
www.pocket-games.com. So you can finally enjoy your price
(congratulations!)...

Best regards,

Henrik
Captain Mobile/idGaming"