Yes, the much vaunted "barbeque weather" hit most of the UK this weekend, but did it affect your gaming? It certainly did me, although I still spent a pleasant couple of hours on the official Ashes game. The game itself is good enough in its own right without the incentive of putting right the Headingly wrongs. Let's hope The Ashes finds a solid and reliable online community as I think this is the finest cricket game ever made. And yes, I appreciate there hasn't exactly been much competition over the last decade or so. But still, The Ashes strikes a great balance between accessibility and depth, even if the tutorial – with Warne and Botham – is essential.
There was still time for an hour on one more game though. Galaxy on Fire was released months ago on the iPhone and I finally got to spend some more time with it.
The space combat sim reminds me of Elite, Freelancer and the rest and is a another reminder that the iPhone/Touch are serious gaming devices. The controls are an issue mind, with neither the tilt or virtual joystick perfect for following marauding space pirates. But there is plenty to get stuck into here and it makes you wonder why this genre hasn't migrated onto other platforms (bar the PC). A Galaxy on Fire/Elite style game would be perfect for DS/PSP and postively exciting for Xbox Live/PSN. Why haven't we seen it then? Are gamers not bothered about space combat and trading any more? Wouldn't you buy Elite HD? Or is it only me? And what else have you been playing this weekend?
