spore-origins posts

Since its inception, Big Versus has been centered around comparing two similar games and commenting on which would score the player more entertainment value. When Spore came up as the next title in our on-going series we all stopped to scratch our heads. With versions released on the PC, Nintendo DS and iPhone/iPod Touch how do you compare three distinctly different games, each with its own gameplay structure? This Big Versus isn't like others because the call is too easy to make but we thought we'd walk you through what you can expect from all versions and whether or not you should pay attention to the portable versions of the PC world's hottest new release.

Most people might consider Spore, Maxis and EA's upcoming evolutionary simulator, a bit too ambitious for handheld consoles such as the Nintendo DS, let alone mobile phones. Beginning at the bottom of the evolutionary food chain, evolving into new shapes and sizes, starting a civilization and exploring the depths of space are actions that will no doubt require precise control and careful execution in many stages, something not often offered by the cell phone keypads.

Rather than overstep the capabilities of even the most powerful mobile phones by directly porting the game, EA Mobile has crafted Spore Origins, a custom version of Will Wright's anticipated simulator for the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod and regular mobile phones. During this year's QuakeCon, I had a chance to take the iPhone and traditional cell phone versions for a spin -- literally, in the iPhone's case.