To my delight, the selection went far beyond the basics to encompass all kinds of games and some familiar faces. Of course, the games suffered from the limitations of the platform, but the promise was there. Classics like Q*Bert were playable, but were definitely hampered by the teeny screen and the control. Some of the games made specifically with mini displays in mind, however, came across fairly decently.

Enter Star Diversion.

Dwango's latest is a real eye-opener to both those that think the 2D vertical shooter is dead and to those that think a cell phone game can't make them sweat. A loving tribute to the great ghosts of UPL, Nichibutsu, and Compile, Star Diversion is the kind of game I thought would never get made - an old-school hardcore wonder aimed at a cutting-edge crowd.

The action unfolds over five levels of swarming, bullet-spitting enemy turf, ranging from a crowded cityscape to an armada-patrolled stretch of space. The backgrounds and enemies are noticeably diverse, and true to the genre, each level culminates in a boss encounter.

Your ship is equipped with a double laser cannon up front that supports rapid fire. You can sweep through the enemy hordes, holding down the button and you'd probably get pretty far. Those used to the "B is for bomb" school of screen-clearing explosions will probably feel a tinge of some negative emotion or other upon pressing the secondary attack button. Instead of a ton of napalm or a river of electric death, your ship will shoot out 1-4 skinny homing beams. At that point, the less adventurous will probably decide to stick with the two-shooter, but not mastering the homing attack in Star Diversion is like only clearing one row at a time in Tetris. You're just not getting the point.

It works like this: As ships move from side to side, enemies directly above and below you are selected - sort of like in Rez, but automatic. Up to four targets can be in your sights at once, until you release your homing lasers or until one or more selected enemies leave the screen. As soon as the volley connects, you can take aim again. Killing most or all of your enemies this way, four at a time if at all possible, results in a much higher score than just shooting your main weapon, and the only way you're going to get on the high score table is to keep lining up the foursomes and taking them down wave after wave. The more four-shots you pull off in a stage without dying the higher your score will be. And high scores bring bonus ships - a very good thing. After all, aren't the two greatest goals in a shooter to score as high as possible and to make it through on one credit? (The correct answer is, "Yes.")

Not firing your main weapon 95% of the time forces you to adopt a more defensive style. Because of this, Star Diversion is an excellent title to cut your teeth on. Maneuvering through a wall of pink bullets while trying to lock on to that fourth ship is a great primer on moving as little as needed to get the job done - a crucial skill many players neglect. The difficulty level is definitely manageable for a beginner and there is always a way through the enemy fire.

Unfortunately, there is no advanced setting for masters, but getting through all five stages without using your main weapon presents an interesting challenge that kept me playing. (I did use my double cannon on the bosses, since that was not only faster but yielded a higher score.)

There were moments - a surprise secondary weapon attack here, a screen-filling constellation of projectiles there - that brought an appreciative smile of familiarity to my face. Besides talking to your sweetie, I know of no more enjoyable use of a phone than zigzagging through bullets and blowing things away. Even those of us who have lived through Ikaruga will find this trip worthwhile. It's just the kind of thing you want on your phone in case you get stuck in a waiting room somewhere and want to burn through some time (and some space vermin).

On the phone I was using (the NEC 515, which is the game's exclusive home as of this writing), there was noticeable slowdown in spots, particularly when I was holding down two buttons at once, but the graphics themselves are detailed and easy to look at, though not overly stylish. The sound was the most disappointing part of the experience. There were no sound effects and the looping snippets of music, while memorable, were just so short. Again, that seems like a hardware limitation, since the music that was used was well-chosen. The vibration that replaces the explosion when your ship is destroyed works just fine, but the aural landscape feels so empty without the formerly requisite zips and crashes.

Now that the SD's predecessor, Star Exceed is expanding its user base, I hope to see both titles on as many phones as possible. The world could use another reminder of just how thrilling this genre can be.

For a 1200x1200-pixel image of Star Diversion screen 2, click here.
For a 1200x1200-pixel image of Star Diversion screen 4, click here.

· · · Nick