GameBox Classics by HockeyDude

Introduction:

Balls of fire streaming toward you, beautiful gems at your fingertips, and a large green snake that eats anything in his way including himself--these are just some of the things you will have to deal with in PDAMill's Gamebox Classics. I must warn you though. This game pack is very addicting, and you may find yourself locked in a struggle for freedom as you try to escape its addictive power.
Included in Gamebox Classics are six excellent games: Aqua Blocks, Aqua Blocks Plus, Jewel Master, Cannons, Snake, and Fireball. Now I know these may sound like your everyday, run-of-the-mill PDA games, but by assuming this you would be horribly wrong. Classics has something that most others do not--amazing sound and superb graphics. As you play through each of the six games, you will see what I mean. This game compilation is sure to satisfy any PDA gamer.

Audio:

As with the graphics, PDAMill has always been known for their remarkable sound effects and background music. These sound effects were really first heard in Snails, and once again they show up in Classics. Every game in Classics, with the exception of Aqua Blocks Plus, has its own unique sound track. (Aqua Blocks Plus uses the same soundtrack as Aqua Blocks.) In Aqua Blocks, for example, the background music provides a very peaceful, soothing environment that is perfect for this “underwater” game. In contrast, the background music in Cannons will take you into the warring environment that the game is meant to be played in.

Game audio should never be limited to just background music though, and in Classics, it's not! Each game also comes with its own set of cool sound effects. These sound effects range from the soothing bubbles in Aqua Blocks to the funny burps, gurgles, and other obnoxious, yet appropriate, sound effects in Snake. When it's necessary to turn the sound off, such as when I'm in school, I definitely feel like there's something missing. This is because the sounds in Classics add a lot to the overall gaming experience. Audio quality and other sound options are also available in-game. Gamebox Classics is definitely not lacking in the audio area.

Controls:

Game controls can sometimes make or break the game depending on how they are set up and their ease of use. Gamebox Classics does a good job here, but there are a few things that I think could have been improved. Each game is different in the way you control it. Some use the d-pad and some just use the stylus. For the most part the controls are very good. The only problems I saw were with Aqua Blocks/Plus and Snake. In both games, you only have the option of moving/rotating with the d-pad. Although these controls work fine, it would also be nice to have the stylus option available if, for some reason, your d-pad is broken or if it just does not work too well.

Now, as you may have noticed, I said that in Snake you can only use the d-pad. On closer examination of the info section in Snake, you will see it mentions “you can control Jimmy by tapping your magic serpent wand in the area you want him to go, or by using the direction pad on your serpent remote.”(By the way, Jimmy is the snake.) I would assume that the “magic serpent wand” is supposed to be your stylus, but for some reason I cannot get Jimmy to move by tapping anywhere. Like I said though, the controls are otherwise very good. These are just some things I noticed that others may not be happy with.

Gameplay:

The gameplay in Gamebox Classics is very engrossing, and will pull anyone in very quickly. I will go through and give you a brief overview of each of the six games that are included. First there is Aqua Blocks. This is pretty much your standard Tetris-type game. The gameplay is also fairly standard, allowing you to shift the falling pieces and rotate them according to how you want them to lay so that they disintegrate. Aqua Blocks Plus is close to the same concept, except in this game you have to get at least 3 of the same color block lined up (horizontal or vertical) to get them to disintegrate. The blocks also differ in shape and size. Jewel Master is like many other jewel games where you have to tap the jewels of the same color to get rid of them all together. Keep in mind while reading this that, while these are fairly typical games, they have audio and visual effects to keep them very interesting. Continuing, Cannons is a game where you and the computer each have a cannon which you fire back and forth at each other across different types of terrain in order to destroy each other. In Snake, you guide your slithery friend across different terrain, try to pick up various fruits, and avoid obstacles such as yourself and your droppings. Finally, there is Fireball. Fireball is a breakout-type game that is very nicely done. There are plenty of falling goodies to catch as you bust away at the wall above you--which will sometimes hurt and sometimes help you.

For the most part, the gameplay of Classics is very fun and amusing, though there are a few times that it seems to become a bit dull. An example was when I played Fireball and could not get the darn ball to hit the last block. The only other complaint I have is that it seems the levels in Aqua Blocks do not progress very quickly and can also become the cause for some yawns. With that said though, the gameplay of Classics will surely keep you entertained for many hours.

Replayability is also a concern with most games, but in a game package like this there really is not too much to say about it. Each game has its own high score chart, so you can replay the game as many times as you want while trying to beat your high score. There is also an online system at www.pdamill.com that keeps track of high scores. So if beating your own high score is not enough for you, you can go see how other people have done and try to beat their scores. This feature will definitely keep people playing. Some of the games in Classics also have options that add a small twist to the game. This allows for a somewhat different gaming experience. Overall, I would say that Gamebox Classics has a high replayability value.

Conclusion:

Amazing audio and visual effects, as well as great gameplay, make Gamebox Classics an excellent set of games that, in my opinion, are easily worth the small price tag of $9.95. For all of you who may still be wary and not ready to commit to buying this software, I would highly recommend that you visit www.pdamill.com and try the demo. Experience the games for yourself, and you too will come to realize what a great set of games this really is. PDAMill has done an excellent job with this software, and I hope to see many more great games/game packages like this.

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