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Other game sites

The network portals aren't the only place to download games. In many cases, you can buy directly from the game developer's own website. For example, Glu provides exactly this service at www.glumobile.com, where its entire portfolio of titles is listed. You can even try out demo versions of games online before buying. On sending a text message containing the relevant shortcode for a particular game, you will receive a text with a WAP link to download the file and the cost will be charged to your phone bill. Other developers, including Gameloft (www.gameloft.com) and I-play (www.i-play.com), have similar services.

Free games

Whoever said the best things in life are free obviously wasn't referring

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to mobile games. You definitely get what you pay for. A few sites offer mobile games for nothing, but they are of dubious quality. If you fancy getting something for nothing, though, try www.gamejump.com, one of the better free sites out there.

Another cheap option for the brave smartphone user is to install an emulator to recreate the experience of console machines from a bygone age. However, this can be an ambitious task. Online forums are rife with posts of users attempting to run versions of old Spectrum or Commodore 64 games with limited success. Be prepared to get your hands dirty, and be aware that sometimes, when games do work, they often run slowly and the controls can be awkward to use. If you are feeling adventurous with your smartphone, a good place to start is the forums at www.emulator-zone.com.

Getting More power

The mobile game market is big now, but it is about to get even bigger. The ambition of the developers and the quality of the games is constantly improving. As phones become more powerful, mobile games may eventually approach the quality of dedicated handheld gaming devices.

It won't be long before we start to see games that interact with products in the real world, or motion-sensitive handsets that link up to a TV for Wii-style gaming. This really will give the likes of Nintendo and Sony something to worry about.