Menneisyys
12-21-2006, 02:39 PM
Would you like to play an Astraware's Tradewinds (http://www.astraware.com/all/tradewinds/) / Sid Meier’s Pirates! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Meier%27s_Pirates%21) clone? Do you find Tradewinds’ battle system far weaker than that of the Pirates, the father of all such titles? I have good news for you – read on!
http://www.winmobiletech.com/kuvat/HighSeasMainMenu.jpg
Unfortunately, there are very few Pirates clones on the Pocket PC – a classic game that is, as with Elite (see the Bible of Pocket PC Gaming Part I (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/menneisyys/052006MIPSGames.asp) on the latter), based on both trading and battling and can be played for weeks or even months long. Up to now, the only Pocket PC game that was, to some degree, similar to Pirates! has been Astraware’s well-known Tradewinds (http://www.astraware.com/all/tradewinds/) (not counting in the even less Pirates!-reminiscent Seven Seas (http://www.astraware.com/ppc/puzzle/sevenseas/?skucode=0023-000-0079), also by Astraware and also discussed in the Bible of Pocket PC Gaming Part I (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/menneisyys/052006MIPSGames.asp)), but, as it almost completely lacks all arcade elements, can be quite a disappointment for a die-hard Pirates! fan.
The new, recently released game High Seas is different in this matter – it has a far better battle system than that of Tradewinds. In this respect, Pirates! fans that wanted something more reminiscent of the classic may rejoice.
Availability, compatibility
The official homepage (http://www.venan.com/highseas/), the game being pretty new, still lacks some essential menu items. The title is available at Handango (http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=1&language=english&platformId=2&N=96806%2034&productId=201415&R=201415) and costs $9.95 (half the price of Tradewinds).
It’s, currently, only compatible with WM2003 and WM2003SE devices. It is NOT WM5-compliant! I had no problems running it on my WM2003SE VGA Pocket Loox 720 and WM2003 iPAQ 2210.
Visuals, music
Pretty OK; music-wise, not so good as that of Tradewinds though (in my opinion). Note that neither of the two games makes use of the high resolution of VGA screens.
Compared to Tradewinds (as of version 1.03)
Pros
Much better battle system, pretty close to that of Pirates!
Shows low / high prices in shops and, in about 50% of cases, even for remote harbors – this greatly reduces wasted time and routes!
Landscape version also available (albeit as a separate download (http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=1&language=english&platformId=2&N=96806%2034&productId=201441&R=201441)) – Tradewinds is portrait-only. (A quick note: the landscape version must be started in landscape mode; otherwise, you’ll be presented an error message (http://www.winmobiletech.com/kuvat/HighSeasLandscapeError.bmp.png) that can only be cleared by resetting the Pocket PC) when you start the game in Landscape
Only costs the half
Cons
As of version 1.00.08, no WM5 compliance
Worse in-game music
Not so spectacular
No PPC2k2 compatibility (Tradewinds is compatible with Pocket PC 2002)
Verdict
Give the trial a try if you have a WM2003 or WM2003SE device - you may like it.
http://www.winmobiletech.com/kuvat/HighSeasMainMenu.jpg
Unfortunately, there are very few Pirates clones on the Pocket PC – a classic game that is, as with Elite (see the Bible of Pocket PC Gaming Part I (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/menneisyys/052006MIPSGames.asp) on the latter), based on both trading and battling and can be played for weeks or even months long. Up to now, the only Pocket PC game that was, to some degree, similar to Pirates! has been Astraware’s well-known Tradewinds (http://www.astraware.com/all/tradewinds/) (not counting in the even less Pirates!-reminiscent Seven Seas (http://www.astraware.com/ppc/puzzle/sevenseas/?skucode=0023-000-0079), also by Astraware and also discussed in the Bible of Pocket PC Gaming Part I (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/menneisyys/052006MIPSGames.asp)), but, as it almost completely lacks all arcade elements, can be quite a disappointment for a die-hard Pirates! fan.
The new, recently released game High Seas is different in this matter – it has a far better battle system than that of Tradewinds. In this respect, Pirates! fans that wanted something more reminiscent of the classic may rejoice.
Availability, compatibility
The official homepage (http://www.venan.com/highseas/), the game being pretty new, still lacks some essential menu items. The title is available at Handango (http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=1&language=english&platformId=2&N=96806%2034&productId=201415&R=201415) and costs $9.95 (half the price of Tradewinds).
It’s, currently, only compatible with WM2003 and WM2003SE devices. It is NOT WM5-compliant! I had no problems running it on my WM2003SE VGA Pocket Loox 720 and WM2003 iPAQ 2210.
Visuals, music
Pretty OK; music-wise, not so good as that of Tradewinds though (in my opinion). Note that neither of the two games makes use of the high resolution of VGA screens.
Compared to Tradewinds (as of version 1.03)
Pros
Much better battle system, pretty close to that of Pirates!
Shows low / high prices in shops and, in about 50% of cases, even for remote harbors – this greatly reduces wasted time and routes!
Landscape version also available (albeit as a separate download (http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=1&language=english&platformId=2&N=96806%2034&productId=201441&R=201441)) – Tradewinds is portrait-only. (A quick note: the landscape version must be started in landscape mode; otherwise, you’ll be presented an error message (http://www.winmobiletech.com/kuvat/HighSeasLandscapeError.bmp.png) that can only be cleared by resetting the Pocket PC) when you start the game in Landscape
Only costs the half
Cons
As of version 1.00.08, no WM5 compliance
Worse in-game music
Not so spectacular
No PPC2k2 compatibility (Tradewinds is compatible with Pocket PC 2002)
Verdict
Give the trial a try if you have a WM2003 or WM2003SE device - you may like it.