WAP technology eventually gave way to J2ME (Java 2 Mobile Edition), BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless), Mophun (a modular API for gaming), and Nokia's own Series 40 and Series 60 operating systems, competing technologies that launched wireless games into the world of color, polyphony, and socket networking. The industry advanced in technology rather quickly from the days of Snake.

Jamdat Bowling.

Jamdat--headed by CEO Mitch Lasky, of Activision fame--released mobile's first major hit, Jamdat Bowling, in 2002. The game was simple but addictive. It lacked network multiplayer and audiovisual polish, but its giant, celebratory turkey--which jumped out at you after a few successive strikes--managed to win our hearts and our gaming dollars. Jamdat became the first of the mobile gaming giants, a position it still maintains, at least financially, despite heated competition.

As carriers launched more sophisticated download services to support this post-WAP mobile gaming renaissance, more and more mainstream publishers joined the fold. Companies like Sega, THQ, Namco, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft's Gameloft--all instantly recognizable to console and PC gamers--became known for their quality efforts in the mobile arena. Sega's Super Monkey Ball, which debuted on Sprint's burgeoning Vision service, was the first of many major console-to-mobile ports. Mobile gaming was, and continues to be, in the unique position of having big brothers to follow in the form of consoles and PCs. Once set in motion, the path for wireless gaming was clear as dew.

Sega's Super Monkey Ball.

As a community, mobile gamers grew used to ports, which continue to represent a large portion of major releases. The creation of a new franchise is risky business indeed, and releasing a game on mobile is a gambit to sate most companies' hunger for financial peril. This is why you'll continue to see licensed titles wriggle their way onto your handset yielding mixed results. Jamdat's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is sure to delight fans, while The Lion King will result in more long-term, psychological damage than a crack team of Rogerian therapists will ever be able to redress. Even as the wireless wheels of progress turn with an intensity rivaling that of the industrial revolution, production values on mobile have yet to measure up to their console counterparts. When a game is of reprehensible quality on wireless, it really is almost unplayable.

Jamdat's Bejeweled Multiplayer.

The first game to truly make good on mobile's promise of multiplayer delight was Bejeweled Multiplayer, Jamdat's update to its successful offline version of the Popcap classic. BM (how undeserving it is of that crude acronym) remains the only game reviewed by WGR to receive a 10. Although it is now several months old--ancient by mobile gaming standards--it remains the benchmark for a quality, online experience, something that Jamdat has been unable to re-create with titles such as its recent Fudomyo Multiplayer, whose unlikely mascot is the over-the-hill action star Steven Seagal.

Multiplayer isn't the only way to make a winning title for wireless, however. Gameloft has made a huge name for itself, winning several of WGR's recent Moby awards, by crafting quality single-player experiences--most of which feature no more bells and whistles than well-animated sprites and quality MIDI instrumentation. The hallmark of a Gameloft title is the overwhelming urge to shout, "They did this on a Motorola T720?!" New Gameloft favorites include Moby winners Nightmare Creatures and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, a port of last year's underappreciated multiplatform release.

Spy Hunter for the Zodiac.

Additionally, strides are being made in the realm of 3D, which seems to be the next big thing in mobile gaming. The technology is still in the novelty phase, much like first-generation PSX titles; however, with the advent of chording, or multiple key presses (a blessing we went too long without), and analog control, developers are beginning to get comfortable with the fashionable world of three-dimensionality. Nokia's N-Gage and Tapwave's Zodiac lead the pack in 3D performance. The N-Gage's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and the Zodiac's Spy Hunter--both Moby winners--are the new, collective ideal for mobile 3D performance. Emerging graphical technologies, touted by fierce competitors Nvidia and ATI, promise to further advance the field.

We hope that this brief overview has wet your proverbial whistle for the mobile content WGR will be bringing to the GameSpot team. Our goal is to keep you informed, happy, and in a state of consummate overstimulation.