Smart Gaming On The Go With The Ingenium Tablet

After getting my hands on Chinavasion’s Android 2.3 Gingerbread Tablet, the PC-13 Ingenium, I wanted to put it through its paces. As an avid gamer, I was particularly interested in what kind of gaming experience this tablet could offer me. To put the tablet through its paces, I installed a number of Android games onto it; these were from a variety of genres to get a complete picture of the PC-13’s gaming performance based on the different demands on its internal hardware.

Ingenium 2.3 – Android 2.3 Tablet with 7 Inch Touchscreen (WiFi, Camera, HDMI, 4GB)

These were the games used for the purpose of this blog:

So let’s take a closer look at how the PC-13 Ingenium performed in terms of overall gaming experience, with particular emphasis on lag issues, general performance, sprite handling and responsiveness.

Trial Xtreme (Physics Simulation)

As a motorcycle game based on a physics engine, I thought it be interesting to see how the tablet handled the graphics in terms of its 3D rendering performance. The frame rate remained steady while the motorcycle raced, jumped and flipped through the various obstacle courses. The game remained responsive with its accelerometer and touchscreen speed controls, minimizing any control lag. The tablet handled the 3D sprite and backgrounds without any problems.

Zenonia 2 (RPG)

The sequel to the mighty Zenonia game, this RPG improves upon every aspect of the former game. Gameplay experience remained smooth with no input lag detected. Navigating around the screen was responsive, even with narrow corridors at the start of the quest, with intuitive combat at all times. There were slight issues in terms of accessing the inventory options however this was more of a game design issue than a tablet one. Playing this game on a tablet form factor was very enjoyable, much more so than playing on a smartphone due to the generous real estate provided by the large 7” screen – the distinctive cartoon-style sprites benefited greatly from the display’s vibrant colors, resolution and contrast ratio.

Touch Pro 2D (Sports)

This game was developed for everyone who loves to play pool. While not the most taxing game that an Android tablet can run, it was reassuring to see pinpoint control for lining up each shot with precision, adding deft spin to the cue ball and perfectly timing the shot. Generally, these type of simulations require accuracy so this would be a fair representation of the tablet’s screen calibration. I was therefore impressed with the control sensitivity enabling me to sink some crazy shots like a pro!

Mini Squadron (Shooting)

One of my all-time favourite Android games, this game blends the need for responsive controls and the need for some solid hardware due to the sheer number of sprites that some levels throw at you. Faced paced and frantic in equal measure, I felt that the tablet remained on top of the action and remained playable even as the screen filled up with bullets, lasers and bombs. Any lag was barely noticeable and did not detract from the game, even if the level had a dozen planes or more to dogfight.

Myth Defence (Tower Defence)

One of the best examples of Tower Defense games available on Android, the tablet handled everything the game could throw at it. With a large number of maps, towers and enemies, the tablet’s impressive sprite handling went into overdrive; with the high speed fast forward setting activated, the tablet had no issues pushing the action regardless of the amount of the on-screen carnage! 😀 If your micro skills and co-ordination are up to the challenge, this is a good game to test the tablet with.

Wrap Up

Overall, the tablet is a great mobile gaming platform for those who enjoy their games on the go and on the move. The gaming experience it provides across a variety of genres is solid – smooth, responsive and enjoyable – thanks to the capable hardware. Of course the tablet offers so much more than just being an affordable gaming device however, as a dedicated gamer, I give the PC-13 Ingenium Tablet two thumbs up