Cell Phone and Portable Retro Gaming

[CRTGAMER]

CELL PHONE AND PORTABLE RETRO GAMING

Cell phones can be used for a lot more things besides calls, texting and Web.
Pretty much the standards on current phones include Alarm Clock, Camera and MP3 player.

I recently upgraded my LG CU500 to a SAMSUNG IMPRESSION.

I didn't want an expensive iPhone or Smart Phone with high monthly charges.

I have been discovering new features some even hidden. It has GPS kinda like GARMIN
and Music ID for identifying songs. Personal Calendar and Calculator to keep track of
dates and money. Not on mine, but a friend sets up his phone as a universal TV remote!



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Here's an undocumented very cool feature:
How about a Handy REFERENCE BOOK in your pocket:

Did you know your phone might be able to read PDFs and Documents.

Just dump PDF's and Word DOC files in the Phone and run them.

Also since there is a built in browser, should be able to read installed Front Page HTML files!



The PDF and Docs reader are kinda slow. But they do work!
Compared to PDF's and Document files the Phone's Browser and Picture Viewer really fly.
Got to thinking there is a built in browser and sure enough I can read my Front Page HTML files!

Okay do this if you have a MAC Computer:
You can convert select single pages out of PDF's to JPG using Mac Preview.
You can also convert Word Doc files to HTML's using Mac Word saving as Web Page.
For the PC there are conversion programs out there.

Couldn't just copy folders to phone that were included in the individual HTML.
So I created same name folder on phone (document name_files) than selected
all pics of individual HTML_files from computer and transfered via Blue tooth.

To save Internal Memory room I made a new folder called Docs in the SD Memory card. Put all Docs there.
Now have a very handy off line reference book in my pocket.

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Looking at cell phone games, here are some I have come across.

Metal Slug
MS Pacman
Asteroids
Tetris
Alien Hominid Redialed
Crazy Taxi
Bejeweled
Sentry (Anyone remember this great Sentinel game?)
Space Invaders Evolution
Snood
Modern Warfare
Chessmaster
Lemmings Tribes
Dig Dug
Bookworm
Sims 2
Doom
Earth Worm Jim
Loco Roco (Yes that one!)





There are numerous Arcade and Home System Emulators for cell phones.
As listed above, There are numerous PC classics having a resurgence on the Cell Phone

heres a good collection of emulators for various cell phones:
http://www.emuwiki.com/index.php?title= ... tal_Phones

PalmOS: http://www.emuwiki.com/index.php?title= ... on_Palm_OS
Palm WebOS: http://www.emuwiki.com/index.php?title= ... Palm_WebOS
Pocket PC: http://www.emuwiki.com/index.php?title= ... _Pocket_PC

Lots of others on the site as well

The really neat thing is now I'm replaying and re-discovering a lot of old classics on a portable.
Keep in mind the Java Jar games go to the internal memory of the phone.
Look for a phone with lots of internal memory.

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The way cellphones are progressing, I think eventually it will become THE HANDHELD.
Not to mention the convenience of always having that portable Game that can fit your front pants pocket. The GBA SP is the other portable that can do this. Newer portable gaming devices are just too bulky.

"Oh crap I forgot the PSP, thats okay got the Cell with me ..................."

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EDITORIAL
Any portable is a great platform for the short diversion games. Great that current phones and portables have the power to run intensely immersive games and movies, but for me the movie and intense game more enjoyable to watch and play on a HDTV. The cell phone is taking a chunk of gaming market. Cell phone is always conveniently with you ready to game anytime. Direction pad and fire buttons is the main wall that keeps the portables in competition.

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A great site offering all kinds of info:
http://www.samsung-impression.org/index.php

Pick your phone:
http://www.youmobile.org/viewPage.php?ID=Forums

SPACE TANKS my Retro homebrew game, free!
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=278767#p278767

Some great music tracks from a forgotten game.
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=243488#p243488

Anyone else have any inside tips for their phone?

[blackmagepwns]

That's a pretty nice phone you have there sir.

[samsonlonghair]

I have a tip. Never pay for ring tones. just download .midi files people have recorded from their keyboards. Google search "song title midi". Transfer the files to your phone via bluetoothe or microSD card.

[CRTGAMER]

Also custom ringtones. Can be short MP3 Files.

I like Video game sounds.

I have the Metal Gear Codec as my default ring.


My incoming message use the Alert tone from Metal Gear also.
Really a kick when you see reaction while in Gamestop.

[samsonlonghair]

Tetris is the best-selling mobile game of all time.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/tetris-is-best-selling-mobile-app-ever/

[GamerMON]

I have shoryuken set up as my text message alert.

[Niode]

Also custom ringtones. Can be short MP3 Files.

I like Video game sounds.

I have the Metal Gear Codec as my default ring.


My incoming message use the Alert tone from Metal Gear also.
Really a kick when you see reaction while in Gamestop.

I had that back when phones started being able to accept mp3s as ringtones. Then EVERYBODY has it. Therefore making it utterly useless as a ringtone, the alert sound goes off and every single person in the room looks at their phone.

[CRTGAMER]

I have the Metal Gear Codec as my default ring.

My incoming message use the Alert tone from Metal Gear also.
Really a kick when you see reaction while in Gamestop.

I had that back when phones started being able to accept mp3s as ringtones. Then EVERYBODY has it. Therefore making it utterly useless as a ringtone, the alert sound goes off and every single person in the room looks at their phone.

its so old now, I find the reaction now is "I remember that ringtone but where?"

I started playing old Metal Gear Solid on the PC and the wife remarked "Your phone is ringing."

[CaptainWeasel]

So, how do you like the Impression, CRT? I've been in the market for a phone for a while now, and didn't have a clue as to what to get until I saw this. This might be my phone of choice. :O

[CRTGAMER]

EDIT
Added to Reply

So, how do you like the Impression, CRT? I've been in the market for a phone for a while now, and didn't have a clue as to what to get until I saw this. This might be my phone of choice. :O

Love the phone! First the only 4 minor disappointments.
1. The AMOLED is dim in sunlight, but indoors is very nice.
2. Non standard headphone jack, shares with power jack, bleah! Glad I don't need it.
3. Non-programable menu, you can only drag widgets out to the front screen.
4. I have heard when the In and Sent boxes are overfilled the phone will lockup during a message session. To clean up the In and Sent box a reboot of the phone and then delete all those In-Sent messages. No big deal, easy to avoid by housekeeping your phone once in a while. You can set up the phone to not keep a copy of the Sent messages and date stamp auto-delete received ones.

Okay now a lotta good stuff about this cell.
On screen keyboard or the beautiful slide out keys, your choice. With keyboard out or held horizontal auto switches to landscape mode. My son got the Mythic which is thinner and lighter. In all honesty, I like my thicker Impression, fits easily in the front pocket and just feels more robust. The 3 mega camera is clear though I wouldn't make an 8x10 photo with it. 4x6 photo album fine. A lot better then most other fuzzy cell pics I have seen. MP3 and Photos can be dumped direct to a plug in 16gb micro SD memory via blue-tooth. MP3s sound fine with phone speaker.

The best thing about this phone is the more standard screen size of 240x400 which means games-games-games. There are a ton of games with a lot working with the crystal clear touch screen. Keyboard arrows a little small for the non-touch screen games, but does work fine. Also having keyboard handy at menu selection of some touch screen games. On my son's Mythic, most games are too small on that higher res screen. Games are the standard Java .jar and .jad files. TK EXPLORER compatible also a very big plus! My review above mentions other uses including Word DOC and PDF compatibility.

Specifications
http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/mobi ... l&tab=spec

Here is the ATT Flash Presentation Guide.
http://www.wireless.att.com/support_static_files/demos/Samsung_Impression/

CNet review
http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phones/sam ... 73210.html

Be careful or Cell Brick like a YLOD-RROD.
http://www.samsung-eternity.com/samsung-eternity-tips-and-tricks/tk-explorer/