Military Video Games, computer games, games, gaming - Military Times

Shoot, move, communicate

When your long-distance provider is a Marine sniper, “getting dropped” means more than just losing a cell phone call.

Can you fear me now?

Those civilians you’re in line with at the supermarket might be content to play old-school games like Pac-Man and Tetris on their cell phones. But if you’re looking for something a little more military for those hurry-up-and-wait situations, consider Abandon Mobile’s new “U.S. Marine Scout Sniper.”

You play the role of a new scout-sniper on the way to combat. Your helicopter is shot down behind enemy lines and, after evading capture, you uncover a terrorist plot to detonate a nuclear device. It’s your job to stop that from happening. (What were you expecting — a twisting shocker straight out of “24”? It’s a cell phone game.)

Armed with a sniper rifle, pistol and explosive charges — not exactly subtle, but useful for breaching obstacles that stand between you and your next target — you work your way through snow, sand, forest and urban terrain. There are only eight levels, but they’re satisfyingly complex. To dodge an enemy and wait for him to turn his back on you, for example, you can duck into a closet or alcove (not that you’d ever shoot a man in the back).

Like other combat games available for casual play on cell phones, the controls for “U.S. Marine Scout Sniper” take some getting used to, particularly if your phone doesn’t have a directional pad. The old shoot-and-scoot maneuver isn’t quite as smooth when you don’t have a joystick in your hand and you’re squinting at a 2-inch cell phone screen.

The game was designed in cooperation with the Marine Corps Scout-Sniper Association, and 15 percent of sale profits will go to the association, a nonprofit veterans’ group that provides Marine snipers with field equipment to supplement their military-issue kit.

Abandon Mobile games are available for download through service providers including Cingular, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile in the U.S., as well as through other providers overseas. “U.S. Marine Scout Sniper” sells for about $6.

Get a better sight picture at www.abandonmobile.com.