MACH: Air Combat

In truth, 3D games are always a bit of a problem on mobile phones. While the latest polygon-hogging monsters on the consoles hog all the attention, the lowly mobile phone is, at current technological standards anyway, left with a game that can only manage 3D by updating sprites. Bless.

Such is the case with MACH: Air Combat, but the game's developer has managed to skirt around the platform's limitations and as such been able to deliver a game that's smooth, fast and deeply playable. The sprites update quickly, the feeling of speed is basic but well done (limited to speed lines on the screen when you go through a turbo ring) and there's enough gameplay variation to keep you playing for far longer than you might initially think.

There's even a plot, of sorts. You're entering the most deadly race ever created, the object being to win three tournaments against ten bloodthirsty opponents. Your futuristic vehicle not only has the ability to fly at 600mph, but is also equipped with a range of weaponry, too.

Flying is straightforward, as all you have to concentrate on is your movement. You will need to accelerate, though, and that's neatly handled by the inclusion of a chain of yellow hoops you need to fly through – the more you hit, the faster you go. Simple.

There are other hoops, though, and if you manage to get an orange one then any damage to your craft is automatically be repaired. Fly through a red equivalent and you collect a valuable weapon – we did say this was a deadly race.

Again, there are three types of weapon ring to pick from. A triangle rewards you with limited machine-gun fire, a square gives you a protective flare and the rhombus (which, geometry fans, is a quadrilateral in which all of the sides are of equal length) earns you a missile to fire off at an unsuspecting fellow racer.

There's also a range of game modes. Obviously there's a straightforward race option, but you can also indulge your gaming desires with the odd Time Trial or two, or take part in a Drone mode (destroy as many drones as possible) or a Slalom (don't miss a single ring).

Which, all in all, boils down to MACH: Air Combat revealing itself to be a very tidy little game. While the gameplay itself is solid, though nothing that's likely to refine genres, it's the inclusion of the various – and also very varied – game modes and collectables that gives it a very pleasing longevity.