Mission Imposible III

Who would have thought the same man who favours the silent birth and promotes living at one with vegetables could deliver such an iconic portrayal of super-spy Ethan Hunt? Though he may have descended from space aliens (or something like that), this is a man who can still charm the ladies (and men, if the rumours are to be believed), dodge bullets and duck under exploding helicopters, all whilst maintaining his perfect coiffure.

We speak, of course, of Tom Cruise, whose immense stature � in terms of blockbuster bankability, rather than physical size � has been transferred to mobile phone for the second summer running.

Last summer it was War of the Worlds. This time it's Mission Imposible III, in which the obligatory bio-chemical weapons go missing, and you, as Ethan Hunt, are charged with finding them. Cue ten levels of scrolling platform action that'll take you around the world as you do so, with Gameloft incorporating most of the blockbusters' more adrenaline-filled scenes into the travel itineray.

The visuals and sound are also mission: accomplished. As you'd hope for in a movie tie-in, the graphics are very slick, with crisp animation and an engrossing style. In fact the overall presentation is every bit as polished as Tom's trademark grin, with the famous theme tune setting the tone from the game's opening. If you weren't feeling the spy-vibe before, you will from the moment you load up.

With so much playability and unapologetic high-octane action on offer, Mission Imposible III manages to capture some of the same magic that makes the film franchise upon which it's based so popular, squeezing out all of the bangs you'd want from your blockbuster buck.


Download: Rapishare Link

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Tropical Madness

With autumn on the way, most squirrels are busying themselves burying acorns while being generally bushy-tailed.

The last thing they'd want to be doing, you'd imagine, is taking on bats, giant snakes and crabs while dodging pits of fire and spikes. They'd rather prepare their nest in some hollow tree and get ready to sleep. I know I would.

The recent classic Super Monkey Ball games are an influence, as well as the older Marble Madness, which is itself now on mobile too. Tropical Madness tends towards the latter, as you directly control your spinning hero, rather than tilting the platforms as is the case in Super Monkey Ball.

Visually, Tropical Madness is undeniably a bit of a looker. Considering the viewpoint, Gameloft has managed to get a high level of cuteness, personality and detail to resonate from the tiny mobile screen.

Well-animated characters and colourful backgrounds shift along, with a smooth scrolling rate. At times the game ups the ante too, with Furrito hitting full speed and bouncing off the barriers and walls pinball-style, charging through loop-the-loops, leaping huge chasms and plummeting down water flumes. It's pretty impressive.

Overall, Tropical Madness is an enjoyable and challenging game that just happens to be easy on the eye. It's well worth a place on your phone's memory card.


Download: Rapidshare Link

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