It's the final day of 2007 and I have been spending it and several of the last few days slicing, grappling, shooting and blowing-up enemies in this mobile adaptation of the console hit, Assassin's Creed. It's not a direct port but more like a creative retelling of the fantastic console game. CigDangle was flying stand-by this week so I had a lot of back seat time during three trips to the airport and back, as well as the sitting at a local Starbuck's waiting to see if they managed seats on the plane. Well today they did and so now I have to write about what I have been playing.

The larger brother of this mobile Assassin's Creed will probably win game of the year in some places and if this version doesn't follow in its elder brother's footsteps I will be extremely surprised. The game is a 2-D scrolling platformer but it has many things that are lacking in some of the others. It even has some added features that its bigger brother is lacking, like a cool grappling hook. But I will get back to that later.

This game forgoes some of its big brother's storyline and plot points like the time travel while incorporating some other things like said grappling hook. The grappling hook allows you to reach places that would have been impossible before. But it's also a weapon. You can hook certain enemies and pull them over a pit. While doing so you can also jump out and then use them as a second step to clear a particularly large pit. An extremely cool idea and well executed in the game. Actually, aside from some very minor issues the gameplay is flawless.

The gameplay is fun and addictive. Additionally it's interesting and diverse. There are multiple boss types that have multiple attack patterns and each requires a well thought out strategy. While some of the levels are mildly irritating in that you have absolutely no guidance in how to get them Gameloft did a fairly good job of preparing you for the levels with helpful tips along the way. Then it is simply up to you to execute the moves and think of how to use the tools at your disposal. So be sure to bring your thinking cap along for this one.

Due to the graphics being so good it's easy to see when you need to use specific weapons or do specific tasks. The game looks really great. It's not the full on 3-D like those of you who played the console version are familiar with, but it's a mobile and for a mobile game it's fantastic. As a matter of fact I might even say this is the best looking mobile game I have seen all year.

Speaking of best of the year, this game may also be the best sounding game I have heard all year. The music is well done and appropriate to the game setting, the sounds of battle and such are good. The music is not annoyingly constant and monotonous which is nice. There is separate intro music, level music and when you are unfortunate like me, death music. Yes, you too will probably be graced by the death music as some of the levels are far more difficult than you might think. But the game is masterfully balanced.

Uh oh, did I just give it my vote for G:G Mobile GOTY? We'll find out soon. But in the mean time I will just leave it at this. If you are a fan of Assassin's Creed on the big screen then this is a Need It! game for your mobile. If you're not a fan or haven't played the Goliath-like brother of this game then you need to know that this is still a Need It! title. All around the game is good, graphics, gameplay, sound and even story are all here and present in equal parts which makes the game interesting, diverse and most important, fun.

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