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It's the 'Appy Android roundup

Game and watch your Android

It's the 'Appy Android roundup

The Market’s in full swing now, and patterns are beginning to emerge that draw a rough outline around Android gaming.

It’s presumably a hardware thing, but we’re definitely not seeing the bigger, fancier 3D extravaganzas that are populating the iPhone. But as pocket gamers know all too well, graphics do not make a game – it’s all about gameplay, and the smaller, 2D puzzles, shooters and platformers that the Android seems to be favouring can be just as potent.

So we’ve asked the ‘App Android to take a look at five new G1 games, and in honour of our gallant politicians and friendly bankers, he’s chucked a free one in to help with the recession.

Exotic Blackjack Jenny (Minkster) Okay, so it’s a little pervy, but what better way to re-enthuse yourself about Blackjack than by taking on the delicious co-ed Jenny? Perform well enough, and you can unlock dealer Jenny’s photos and set them as your wallpaper. Jenny is the latest addition to the Exotic Blackjack line-up of card shark sweeties. She likes getting caught in the rain, making love at midnight, piña coladas and men with a big bulge in their pockets (caused by a G1, of course). Exotic Blackjack Jenny Android game
Spira Defence (Craig Hart) Spira Defence has been on the Market as a free demo for a while now, with the pro version recently appearing. It’s a tower defence game with very limited amount of room to add your defences, though towers can be upgraded almost limitlessly. It almost looks like a GPS application, but it’s being favourably received by Android gamers. The Pro version adds a gold tower, which allows you to ‘mark’ enemies, and then collect a bounty on them when they’re destroyed. Spira Defence Android game
Baseball Superstars 2009 (Gamevil) Everything looks better when you give the characters a manga-esque styling, which Gamevil understands profoundly with its Baseball Superstars series. Over eight million copies of these games have been sold apparently, and now the 2009 addition has stepped up to the wickets (or whatever equivalent the Americans have – pitching sticks, probably). But now you’ve got autograph sessions, commercial shoots and dates with the ladies keep the life of a major league baseballer all the more exciting. Baseball Superstars 2009 game
Eggs – Just You Wait (AmmiSoftware) The blurb tells us this game is based on a “popular Soviet game in 80s called Electronica IM-02”. But pocket gamers know what it really is – a Game & Watch clone! The original handheld Nintendo games are back and on the Android – specifically #44, Egg. Here, Mr Wolf has to catch all the eggs in his hat before they hit the ground. It’s a pixel perfect interpretation of the old LCD classic, though the proportions have been adjusted to fit the G1 screen. Nostalgic niceties all round. Eggs – Just You Wait Android game
Abduction! (Phil Symonds) Cow tipping is a popular free pastime, so Android freebie Abduction should prove equally entertaining to any drunk students who happen to have a G1. All your bovine buddies have been snatched by aliens, so it’s up to you to bounce on up into orbits and get them back. The little-use Android accelerometer is put to great use in Abducted, but be careful not to fall off the bottom of the screen of your caw becomes a bright red cow pat. Abduction! Android game

Spanner Spencer
Spanner Spencer
Yes. Spanner's his real name, and he's already heard that joke you just thought of. Although Spanner's not very good, he's quite fast, and that seems to be enough to keep him in a regular supply of free games and away from the depressing world of real work.