Review: Pocket Quake 1 & 2

outlaw2_0 · 08-02-04, 03:30 AM

Quake 1:

Upon receiving my Axim X30H, and it being my first PDA, I was not sure which games were really worth what they were selling for. I tried X-Ranger. The installation was easy but game play was not. So I uninstalled it and started flipping through the many pages of this great site (www.aximsite.com) and found a thread or two mentioning Pocket Quake. Since I was about 8 I have been playing FPS's. Quake was one of the first I had played, right after Doom. I downloaded the needed files and heres how the install went.

Installation: Thinking it would be like any typical Pocket PC program I thought that a simple double click and a few OK's would install it, wrong. First make a folder wherever you want the program to be stored storage card, built-in or the RAM. I chose my storage card to save RAM for running programs instead of storing them. Then I read the readme because the site said to do so to install the files needed to play. The Readme states that you need to make a new directory called ID1 and to place the pak0 file(s) (Files needed to play) in the ID1 directory you just made. For newer PC users, just make a folder inside the Pocket Quake folder called ID1 and place the needed files in there. Upon finishing the installation process, I clicked on the quake executable and it did not work. I read through the readme again and again. I decided maybe all it needed was a soft reset. Even after the reset it still did not work. So I read the readme again and decided I had to change the main folder called Pocket Quake to just plane "Quake." The game started up.

Game Play: The game takes quite a while to load the first time but goes faster the second or third time. It runs smooth and was implement well. Although half the screen is taken up by a large box containing game info and the attack and jump buttons. The onscreen jump button is really only needed for getting to secret areas. The attach onscreen button is not really needed. The home button, center D-Pad button and pushing in the jog dial all work for attacking. Using the jog dial move upwards to go forwards in the game and pulling down goes backwards. This makes it much easier to use the stylus to aim the crosshair at the demon. It takes getting use to but once your use to it, the game play is awesome.

I deffinately recommend getting this game.

Download at: http://quake.pocketmatrix.com/

Quake 2: I learned about the Pocket verion of this game by visiting the same site for Pocket Quake 1. Once again you must make another folder (baseq2) inside the main folder and place the needed pak0 file(s) inside the folder baseq2. Unlike quake 1, quake 2 comes with an exe installation. Sync your Axim or PPC and install the main Quake 2 files by double clicking the executable and choosing where you want it. Then make the folder (baseq2) inside the main one and place the pak0 file(s) inside. Once again you must rename the main folder to Quake2. Note: It MUST be Quake2 and NOT Quake 2. Start the game.

Game Play: Quake2 did not take as much time to load as Quake1, but Quake2 was very laggy at certain times when there was alot of shooting and bad guys around. There was no sound when I played. I tried changing sound properties for my device and even within the game to no avail. Although the graphics looked better on Quake2, I believe that Quake1 plays better and is easier to manuever. I rcommend trying this game, but to think about looking for the next release as it is suppose to have sound and speed up the actual game play.

Site to download: http://quake.pocketmatrix.com/

Note: If you are downloading the games from the site I linked, you only need the pako files given there. 1 pako for each game. If you own the actual games and not the freeware versions for the PC. Simply place the premium pako file(s) into the same folder as the other pak0. Note that you may have to overwrite the freeware pak0 file.

Screenshots:

Quake Running on my Axim X30H:

Quake2 Running on my Axim X30H:

*****For both games when you start them they play a preview game. Click the onscreen menu button and use the jog dial to choose a new game. Puhh the jog dial in to select.

HighTymes · 08-02-04, 06:25 AM

ya i play quake 1 on mine and it is sweet. You know you can change the view to landscape right? It makes the whole bottom portion disappear. It is under options then video.

outlaw2_0 · 08-02-04, 06:30 AM

i did not know that. thx for the tip!

Tom61 · 08-02-04, 05:14 PM

Cool. I was wondering if the X30 high was able to play the Quake 2 port well, and it looks like it can. (most earlier PPCs ran the game at a snails pace of 2-5FPS)

08-03-04, 01:41 AM

Originally Posted by Tom61

Cool. I was wondering if the X30 high was able to play the Quake 2 port well, and it looks like it can. (most earlier PPCs ran the game at a snails pace of 2-5FPS)

At first I tohught you meant Snails the game from pda mill

nimowns · 07-29-05, 10:12 PM

on the x50v after you set it to landscape what button is esc to exit? none work for me so i cant do anything. i had to do a soft reset just to exit quake.

raines · 08-01-05, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by nimowns

on the x50v after you set it to landscape what button is esc to exit? none work for me so i cant do anything. i had to do a soft reset just to exit quake.

Try the audio record button on the axim's side, works for me.