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Handhelds Portables (Games) Entertainment Games Hardware

TapWave's Zodiac Handheld Analyzed 26

Posted by simoniker from the scrying-the-future dept.
Thanks to GameSpot for their feature taking a look at TapWave's PDA-based handheld, the Zodiac. They argue: "After using the Zodiac for a bit, you get the impression that it's designed not as a handheld gaming system with some built-in PDA functionality but, rather, as a PDA that also happens to play games pretty well." While being impressed with fan support at sites like Zodiac Gamer, the reviewer suggests: "So far, TapWave has presented a fairly impressive package with the Zodiac, though its current lineup of top-tier games is a little too short to catch the average gamer's attention." The review concludes: "The system is also a little pricey for the gamer on a budget... [but] it's a fairly open platform due to its Palm OS support, so the amateur development community will likely keep the Zodiac stocked with amusement potential regardless of what the system's commercial developers turn out."
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TapWave's Zodiac Handheld Analyzed More

TapWave's Zodiac Handheld Analyzed

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  • I'm definatley going to be waiting for the PSP [playstationportable.info], looks like it's going to be nice. Either that, or I'll just stick to computer games.

    • Re:PSP (Score:2, Insightful)

      by hethatishere ( 674234 )
      I am too busy looking at the immense logic-defying hype surrounding the PSP. Sometimes I think they are selling the hype rather than an actual product. I really wonder about it. It's too early to pass judgement either way when all we have is the PR machine churning out ambiguity and propaganda.

  • Looks cool (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Old Uncle Bill ( 574524 ) on Sunday November 30, 2003 @02:36PM (#7593234) Journal
    Seems like it would be a lot better to design a good game system with PDA functionality, like this thing, than the opposite. If it's good at gaming, how tough is to add PDA features?

    • Re:Looks cool (Score:3, Interesting)

      by cyb97 ( 520582 )
      there doesn't seem to be a good match between requirements for gaming and PDAs, which probably explains why there's still room for PS2/XBOX/Gamecube etc....
      Controllers for playing games are usually not the best controllers for planing your next big project

      • Re:Looks cool (Score:3, Informative)

        by Cpt_Kirks ( 37296 )
        Controllers for playing games are usually not the best controllers for planing your next big project

        You just have to try the analog stick on the Zodiac. It's almost as good as a trackball.

        The Zodiac is as usable for PDA functions as any Palm device. And for gaming, there is no handheld device to match it.

  • New handhelds....Interesting (Score:4, Insightful)

    by tprime ( 673835 ) on Sunday November 30, 2003 @02:46PM (#7593277)
    Here is the tale of 2 new handhelds.. N-Gage, poor design but released with big name companies providing software for the unit. Tapwave Zodiac, good design, but not released with ANY big name companies backing it. Currently, N-Gage is taking a bath on the N-Gage (was $299, now it is $199(after rebate) with 2 free games.) And, to make things worse, the copy protection for the games has been cracked so that the games can be run on other Nokia phones. Tapwave is silently growing and seems to be continually gaining steam. They built it on a somewhat open platform, so software can be developed for it without any extensive licensing. It will be interesting to see where they stand 1 year from now with the PSP coming out and the idea that Nintendo might be bringing out a new handheld Q2 '04. Competition breeds innovation (and cheaper prices.)
    • J2ME, the N-Gage platform, is open too, how else did they get it to run on J2ME devices?
      • OK, OK, you got me on the Java Platform. On that front, both devices are similar. Except for one thing... Tapwave's games only run "well" on the Zodiac becuase of their special upgraded graphics accellerator and because no other palm OS's controls are condusive to gaming.

        However, the N-Gage's games are not supposed to run on other devices because of copy protection and their button configuration.

  • More of a gaming PDA? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by MajikMan ( 453619 ) on Sunday November 30, 2003 @03:56PM (#7593588) Homepage
    My biggest complaint about the Zodiac isn't really the lack of games or price right now, it's that theiy tried to make a Palm that's good for gaming, but it still looks like a gameboy.

    I want a gaming device I can pull out in class and not have anyone give a second thought to. Even if I pull out the Zodiac to jot down an exam time or some such, I really think most people would assume I was gaming.

    In most respects, it seems to be more of a PDA that games prety well than a game system with PDA features, but it still looks like another game boy.

    • Re:More of a gaming PDA? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Thedalek ( 473015 ) on Sunday November 30, 2003 @04:29PM (#7593756)
      Sure, it looks like a Gameboy. Unless you rotate it 90 and use it in portrait mode with the stylus. Provided you're not using the standard "gamer grip" (holding unit with both hands, operating controls with thumbs) and have the sound turned down or off, no one will care what you're doing. The PDA functions are easily usable with the included stylus.

      This would be true of any PDA with thumb-oriented controls. However, I don't think the idea was to create a stealth gaming device. For that, you might want to try a Texas Instruments graphing calculator and the wealth of software [ticalc.org] available for it.
    • I've noticed that. When I'm using an N-Gage people assume it's a gaming device and are surprised when you tell them it's a mobile phone.

  • price (Score:4, Insightful)

    by bigbigbison ( 104532 ) * on Sunday November 30, 2003 @05:05PM (#7593916) Homepage
    people keep talking about the price, however, it seems that when compared to other pda's it is reasonably priced. This device's market doens't seem to be people who are sick of gameboys, but for people who have pda's and want to game, so from that perspective it doesn't seem out of line.
    • The price would be right if positioned against other PDAs, but they put market as a gaming system 1st that just happens to be a PDA as well. This being said, if I didn't have a CLIE NX70, I would seriously consider this one. It is good to see a small company changing the way that we see things.

  • save it for later? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by August_zero ( 654282 ) on Sunday November 30, 2003 @05:10PM (#7593949)
    It looks to have promise, and while i am tempted to grab one quickly, I think i am going to wait it out and see how well it gets supported. The Sony handheld is just a bit over the horizon, and I am totally happy with my GBA SP right now so I just don't feel the need to own one. If I was in need of a PDA though, I think this would be my first choice.

    The arcade emulation is the one feature that most draws me to this, I love old arcade games from the 80s through early 90s.
    • Get one now. I bought a TRGpro back in the days of the Palm III and never felt like I had compromised by buying a fringe PalmOS product. I was only disappointed years later when they never wrote Bluetooth drivers for it, but no Palm from that era ever got BT support.
  • My brother needs a PDA for Xmas and this seems like the right choice for him. I have a Zire71 and a Visor Platinum, so I'm no stranger to PDAs. On the Zodiac's specs alone it's a great pda, plus it's designed with games in mind.
  • Anyone else notice the ambiguity in the quotations? "After using the Zodiac for a bit, you get the impression that it's designed not as a handheld gaming system with some built-in PDA functionality but, rather, as a PDA that also happens to play games pretty well." While being impressed with fan support at sites like Zodiac Gamer, the reviewer suggests: "So far, TapWave has presented a fairly impressive package with the Zodiac, though its current lineup of top-tier games is a little too short to catch the
  • I swear I'm going to scream at the next review that labels the ATI chip on the Zodiac as a 3D accelerator. It is a 2D/media chip. All the 3D games are using software renderers. You would think these major outlets would do a little fact checking?

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