E3 2010: Konami Mobile (Impressions)

by: Tina - posted: 7/1/2010 6:07:00 PM

Konami had quite the expansive (and rowdy) collection of booths this E3. They also had an extensive stock of games for mobile devices, including the iPad. Take a look at three I got to play with on the floor.

Frogger

Frogger on the iPad is essentially the arcade Frogger circa 1981 in all its former glory. You have five frogs to help cross a plethora of dangers and obstacles over to the other side of the screen safely.

From your initial position on the grass, you have to help your frog cross a path of swiftly moving cars, and then hop logs and a stretch of turtles over to the indicated slots open for frog landing. As the levels increase in difficulty, you’ll find more obstacles such as crocodiles, as well as bonus items such as flies. These are all qualities of gameplay that were borrowed from Konami’s original arcade title.

The game has been revamped in terms of graphic, of course, but the basic art direction has remained relatively untouched. Even the music has that quirky arcade feel that the original iterations featured.

Silent Hill: The Escape

Silent Hill: The Escape is a first person shooter of sorts, strictly confined to dingy corridors outlined in a maze. Navigating said maze is slightly less confusing with the minimap, but being that it is confined to a tight radius, chances are you’ll still be wandering around a little aimlessly. After passing by what seem to be like really unenthused monsters ranging from faceless nurses to unoccupied wheelchairs, you’ll hopefully eventually find the hidden key to unlock the door marked as your destination point on the minimap.

Moving and shooting, however unfamiliar it may be from the start, eventually become very fluid once you’ve gotten the hang of it. Touching anywhere on the screen will draw up a D-pad to help you move around the corridors. In order to aim, tilting your iPad is all that is required. Shooting is as simple as the tap of your finger after you’ve aligned your sights on your enemy. Reloading is a minigame in itself, as you’ll have to align the revolver’s chamber against a grid in order to reload properly.

Enemies are slow, and easy targets. As you look around for ammunition and batteries, you realize you can just pass right by them and avoid the corridor they happen to be in until they turn in a different direction.

The game is already available for the iPhone, but is in development to be made for the larger screen of the iPad.

WireWay

The last iPad game I played with at Konami’s mobile section of E3 was by far my favorite. Originally a Nintendo DS title, WireWay is one of the more endearing puzzle-esque games I’ve seen for the iPhone/iPad App store. Playing as a squeaking little alien named Wiley Springer who is in search for his lost love.

As a wire miner, Wiley is able to utilize the lines of wire on each level to spring and jump his way across the board to each destination: a UFO that takes him to the next level. The map of each level is laid out in a minimap that shows the exact structure in its entirety to help you plan the direction of your next jump. By stretching the little alien on the wire in a particular direction, you can launch Wiley towards your desired destination.

There are various obstacles beside the structure of the level in your way, as well as bonus items to pick up such as stars and puzzle pieces. If you drop Wiley on the way, he’ll run around frantically until you drag a wire to his hands and get him back on his springing feet again.

This title from Konami is also already available on the iPhone, but looks much better on the iPad’s screen.