[rating:9.5] 9.5/10
$10.00 at the BerryReview store.
Some of our readers may be too young to remember this game, but most are probably old enough. 😉 I can remember it as far as 1996 on Windows 3.11, but it must be even older than that.
Thanks to a tip from a reader, Vicky wrote recently about GetJar, a site that basically offers a lot of Java-based applications for mobile phones. It’s never been a very interesting place to me because most applications available there won’t work withouth an APN and my carrier won’t let me use theirs, but I hadn’t been to getjar.com in a very long time and decided to check out what was new. And the first thing that caught my attention was this wonderfully addictive classic.
Netwalk sticks to the first rule of truly addictive games: it is based on a very simple concept. The central server (in the middle) provides connection to all the client computers around it. But the connection is broken because the cables are disconnected and jumbled. It’s up to you to rearrange and connect the cables until all computers are connected and “happy” again.
Movement is very simple too: you can use configurable letter keys on the keyboard, or the trackball, of course. The space key rotates the cables until you think they are in the right position. Although the keyboard is configurable, of course the trackball is a lot more intuitive for that. I just have no idea how to play this game on the Storm, though! 😕
You can’t lose the game since there is nothing playing against you. You are given a certain number of moves to solve the puzzle, but that is just a suggestion, the number seems to be unlimited. You rather play against yourself and your best scores. Every time you set a new record, it is kept in the game, and whenever you (or someone else using your phone) plays that level, your best score becomes the challenge, so to speak. You won’t be congratulated 😉 if you don’t beat
the best score.
Once you finish one level, you erm… move on to the next level, of course. But that is not enforced strictly. You can always choose which one of the 95 (ninety-five) levels you want to play. That makes the game challenging enough because you can focus on specific levels and on breaking records, but not annoying to the point of forcing you to solve 71 levels before you can play the 72nd one. It offers a perfect balance of challenge and convenience.
Note that there is a trial version with the first 10 levels completely unlocked for you to play as many times as you want. If you fall in love and want the remaining 85 levels, it costs $10 and is available at getjar.com or directly from Beiks or hey, it is available at the BerryReview Store too. Use this link if you’re browsing with your Blackberry right now. If you are in a real hurry to get addicted, here is an OTA link. I certainly recommend the BerryReview Store because:
- it is easier to access from your Blackberry (not only from a desktop);
- the BerryReview Store lets you download your purchased applications as many times as you need it (in case you uninstall the applications for some reason);
- you can usually download the application over-the-air or the desktop-based installation (zip or exe);
- the BerryReview Store keeps track of your registration codes in your profile page so it is easier for you to reactivate your applications;
- we know you love us and will always buy from us. 😉
If you buy the full game, you can be entertained forever with the more advanced levels, like these: 😈
I think Beiks is offering really a great port of the famous Netwalk game. In case you’re wondering, I didn’t give it 10 stars for one reason: I think the screen real estate could have been used more intelligently. The indicators could have been moved to either side and the big playing area could be bigger therefore more pleasant. Thus the elements wouldn’t look so tiny and hard on the eyes. And maybe there could be some sort of time limit to make the game more challenging, like one of those versions of Pipes, a variation of this game that “floods” the screen if you don’t fix the pipes fast enough. That would be fun too. 😉
