Fun and games with Wap

Orange is the first network to launch WAP games

By David Gibbon

By 2005, WAP gaming on mobile phones is set to be worth millions - according to research by Datamonitor.

Orange has recently revealed 14 games to its 10m British users - over 700,000 of which have access to Wap.

Although obviously not up to the standard of video games available on more conventional formats, there is a diverse selection ready to play.

And a good number of them are certain to keep the bored commuter or child amused.

Black Jack and Video Poker are amongst the more involving games

A set of five classic games is perfect for passing the time during rush hour - or during long journeys.

It contains versions of Black Jack, High/Low card game, Hangman, 4 in a row and Video Poker - all work really well and keep players happy for hours.

Black Jack and Video Poker are fairly complicated, while the others offer excellent brainless fun - and all feature some nicely done visuals.

As the name suggests, Chop Suey Kung Fu is a martial arts Wap game and features some surprisingly good colour graphics.

Most of us mere mortals will make do with a black and white display - but even then the graphics come across as clear and well defined.

Airlock is by far the most popular game and it's easy to see why

David Gibbon

To play, choose from one of six characters and begin the game with 10 points. Select a move from a range of six - the more powerful hits are less likely to work but will cause more damage if they do.

Similar to the old karate games found on formats like the Sinclair Spectrum, this is a good start for Wap but is a little too slow to keep users interested for long.

By far the most popular game on the Orange network is Airlock and - after a few minutes of playing - it is easy to see why.

Developed by Rage - well known for their hit games on consoles and PC - Airlock is a text-based adventure and also features some very nice graphics to illustrate where the player is at any time.

The idea is to locate team members of the crew who have mysteriously disappeared from your spaceship.

As with console adventure games, you can move around, collect items and see them in your inventory.

With some well thought-out puzzles to solve and excellent gameplay, this is one of the best Wap games currently available.