Tonight brings yet another classic on to my N80. Using the ScummVM virtual machine for the old LucasArts games, it is possible to use the old files on the mobile. ScummVM is by the way implemented for a wide range of devices and OSes, including Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu and other Linux distributions, PalmOS, Symbian, Nintendo and so on.
As for the games, you’ll have to buy them yourself. However, those floppies you bought in the early 90s only had an expected lifespan of four till five years. Searching for abandonware zak mckracken, or download monkey island might get you what you’re looking for.
I previously mentioned a bar code reader for the N80 phone, however, it is rather cumbersome to use.
Enter Kaywa Reader. The scanning is simply impressive, and reads the code in “real time” using the live feed from the camera, rather than taking a snap shoot like the other reader. Once it has focus, it shows the content immediately on the mobile, and transfers about 200 characters in less than a second.
To download the app, go to the page using your phone, rather than registering on the web. This will save you the registration process.
Yes, the headline is correct. Tonight I just installed the classic FPS on my mobile! It is in fact rendering very well, and quicker than what I remember from 15 years back on the PC. True, the CPU on the mobile is probably ten times faster than the 33 MHz 386 we had at home, and the screen is very small, but I’m still impressed.
Two downloads are required:
1. The engine by Markus Mertama (go for the free “Core” shareware option)
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~mertama/downloads.html
(I had to transfer the SIS file to the memory card, since the “Services” application on the phone did not manage to read it as a binary.)
2. The WAD (resource) file, shareware edition. You can get it here:
http://www.3ddownloads.com/showfile.php3?file_id=7486
(http://www.doomworld.com/classicdoom/info/shareware.php)
Make sure you put the WAD file under E:\wads (on the memory card).
Now, you might think that is quite nifty. But it gets better! I recently bought a SU-W8 wireless bluetooth keyboard. And of course it works perfectly with the game too! Including CTRL for firing and ALT+LEFT/RIGHT arrows for strafing.
If the engine could flip the view 90 degrees to use more of the screen space, it would be perfect!