I have been a portable electronic gamer since the Mattel LED handheld system era, though the last handheld dedicated gaming device I owned was an Atari Lynx, having less interest to play on a tiny screen with the advent of rapidly evolving PC gaming titles. However, that focus changed with the advent of the Windows Mobile platform, especially as I used the PC more for programming and network administration and less for pixel blasting. This especially became a reality once Microsoft provided API's specifically designed for improving the Windows Mobile gaming experience.

Since then, I've played literally hundreds of freeware, shareware and commercial games on my iPAQ 6315 and HTC Advantage devices. Consequently, picking the top three favorites among all these choices was a difficult decision. I've spent hours of satisfying gaming pleasure with such memorable titles as Astraware's excellent conversion of the 90's era Broken Sword graphic adventure and Mean Hamster's incredible conversion of Riven but once games like these are completed, the only time they are resurrected is to showcase the device or provide the opportunity for someone else (like my kids) to experience the game.

Ultimately, picking my three top favorites boiled down to looking at the games currently installed on my devices and recollecting on which of those I click on when riding public transportation or looking for a rewarding breather from a hectic day at work. The selected games are also those that I could never bring myself to removing from my device, even at the expense of un-installing a useful productivity application. With that prologue, I present my top 3 current favorite Windows Mobile games in countdown order:

3. Astraware's Bejeweled 2 - I knew of the addictive qualities of Bejeweled long before I actually played it, having heard of its rapid ascent on mobile devices (especially those outfitted with a J2ME virtual machine) but had already had my fill of object/pattern matching games from the host of freeware and shareware titles that varied the theme to death. However, my opinion of the game mechanics changed when I saw just how beautifully rendered and sonically pleasing the Windows Mobile translation presented. There's a reason why this game is Astraware's number one seller, as they has a knack in general for converting solidly entertaining games and making them shine beautifully on the Windows Mobile platform.

2. Isotope 244's Atomic Canon - This modern day remake of an old Atari 2600 game I used to play in the early '80's called Artillery Duel, based on an old cannonball-lobbing arcade game, has been updated with better graphics, better sound and multiple players. While one eventual addition to completely update this game for the 21st century would be network-enabled play, it nevertheless has provided me with countless hours of physics-arcing entertainment. Just thinking about the anticipation this game generates before the 'Fire' button is pressed is enough to make me want to play another round. Isotope 244 has done an outstanding job with combining an approachable, addicting, configurable gameplay with viscerally rewarding graphics and sound. There's something deeply satisfying hearing the boom of a virtual ordinance, watching it accurately arc and finally detonate a direct hit on the intended target.

1. Sbp's Brain Evolution - This is the one game I click on nearly every weekday morning my train commute into the city, thanks to its mentally invigorating qualities coupled with its mindful (as opposed to mindless) fun it delivers. The mini-game challenges range from simple math and pattern-matching exercises to Sudoku and mazes constructed to stimulate your brain. Another reason for my daily dose is the game's diary that tracks player's proficiency progress along with fortune cookie-style fun facts that reward players upon the completion of a gaming session. While I can't say for certain whether I have become more mentally agile as a result of playing Brain Evolution, it continues to provide a satisfying mental workout while delivering a meaningful diversion from the occasional stresses of everyday life. Now if Sbp could somehow create a game based on Arthur Benjamin's wonderfully entertaining and amazingly practical book Secrets of Mental Math, I would be first in line to play it.

So that's my current list, although with the 8th Annual Smartphone and Pocket PC Best Software Awards on the horizon, I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity for a new innovative game to make it into my list in the future. Until then, game on!!!