When I was younger, my anti-boredom solutions ranged from eating even if I wasn’t the least bit hungry, sleeping, reading books I’ve already set my eyes on, and editing all the word files in my computer by capitalizing the first letter of each file name in my documents folder. But now that technology has pranced into my life, whenever I feel the makings of a bored episode brewing, I grab my phone and play Snake, a game I’ve always liked ever since I first toyed with it using my oh-so-durable Nokia 6110. It’s even more fun to play now using my Nokia N73 because of the sound effects and colorful jewel-like graphics of the current version. I can play for hours and hours, gobbling up all the diamonds that flash before me.

There are tons of games and applications available for Series 60 aka S60 phones, such as the Nokia N73. There’s an entire gaming universe waiting to be discovered and played. Why S60 you ask? Well, it’s really all about the software. The software found in S60 phones turns these mobile devices into small computers that are capable of an intuitive, full-colour interface so that you can enjoy using it as a gaming console.

To me, games that are pre-installed in mobile phones are huge lifesavers. What’s so great about it is, you can play them anywhere boredom hits you – while waiting in the doctor’s office, while commuting to and from work, or behind your office desk when you’re already done with your paperwork. Lucky for me, I upgraded the memory card of my N73 to a much higher capacity so I’m able to save tons of games, which I get from the net.

I’ve always been a fan of racing games. I used to be crazy hooked on this PC game called Need for Speed that I’d spend what seemed like lifetimes racing in every single lap, using each sports car in the line up. My ultimate favourite was the Toyota Supra Turbo because the acceleration was real quick compared to the others. When we had our first Playstation, I got addicted to Grand Theft Auto, although I didn’t play the game the way I was supposed to. I played the timed run where you simply drive around and get the feel of the game. What I did more was just drive. And drive. And drive. The graphics were very realistic and I super loved it when I’d hit something and my car would have a dent.

So coming across a game called Project Gotham Racing Mobile was a treat. To play this game well, you’ll need to channel your inner Fernando Alonso and keep in mind that you (just like what he said in the Mercedes Benz C-Class TVC), have to be "one with the car". Each car has different driving characteristics, so it helps to choose the right one to match the course and your driving style for the challenges - drift challenge, timed run, street race, and cone challenge.

Driving maneuvers such as drifting, becoming airborne, overtaking, and other feats that show off your skills earn you the key to more challenges, races, and sexy sets of wheels like the Lamborghini Gallardo, Ford GT, Aston Martin Vanquish, Mercedes AMG C-Class DTM, Toyota GT-One, Corvette C6, and Cadillac 16.

It has such realistic city graphics that, the first time through the courses, I paid more attention to sightseeing than racing. From San Francisco to Cairo to Shanghai, and with other far out places in between, this racing game is not just about who crosses the finish line first, but also about the style and skill that were exhibited along the way.

You love your job but you abhor the people in the office. When they talk to you, you pretend to listen because visions of punching them on the face or hurling a big stapler at them instantly come into mind. Fortunately, this game can help you release all your pent up anger, frustration, and other negative energy towards them.

Wall Street Fighter is a multiplayer game that lets you fight with a battle it out with a fellow corporate lackey using your suitcase, mobile device, and office supplies as weapons in your battle with other inhabitants of the business jungle. The scenarios change at every level of the game and you can become any one of six characters, who each have their own unique powers, and use three different combat techniques.

The objective of the game is to make it to the top of the business food chain by fighting everybody at the Office. Start by playing the initial two rounds in the Garage, then proceed to the Lobby for two more deadly combat sessions and make it all the way to the Board Room for the final showdown. Two different modes will satisfy even the most demanding businessperson. If you’re in the mood for a quick and fun game, select the single-player mode but if you’re feeling friskier and want to challenge other financial whizzes, jump into the multiplayer arena. Wall Street Fighter can be played on S60 3rd Edition and S60 2nd Edition devices that have global positioning system (GPS) capabilities.

One of the games I was extremely fond of before was X-men. Label ANY game X-men and I’ll play it till the wee hours. There’s nothing like using super powers in defeating the enemy.

"X-Men: The Last Stand" mobile is well, a prelude to the last Marvel flick. The mobile game allows players to become a character from the X-Men universe, from Wolverine to Nightcrawler, Iceman, Cyclops or Magneto. Players can command the authentic X-Men movie superpowers, including Wolverines’ combat rage, Nightcrawler’s aerobatic and teleportation, and Iceman’s freezing abilities. They can even battle Marvel villains such as Lady Deathstrike, Pyro, and Silver Samurai. This globe-spanning adventure has more than 12 different exciting stages taking players from Canada to Hong Kong.

To be continued…

Email the author at techiepen@gmail.com