SAN FRANCISCO--Namco America has already built itself a solid niche on US mobile phones by issuing remakes of its classic games--the smash-hit mobile Pac-Man being the primary example. The next arcade machine to get the mobile treatment will be Pole Position 2, which is due for release in the next few months. We got some hands-on time with the game at CTIA to see how the project is coming along.

　　According to Namco America, Pole Position 2 for mobile isn't a direct port of any existing commercial version of the game. Instead, it's been written from scratch, using MAME emulator code as a template. In any case, the game looks and feels true to the arcade cabinet, down to the flashing opening screens. The engineering team still has a little work to do to nail down some small bugs and tweak the racing physics slightly, but for all intents and purposes, this game should be Pole Position II as you remember it--a fast, fun racing game, where success depends primarily on your ability to shift gears on time.

　　Well, not quite. The wireless version will add a few new wrinkles to the mix, to reflect the current trends in mobile entertainment. For instance, the LG VX8000 version of the game features a bit of digitized speech: a female announcer says "prepare to qualify!" at the beginning of every race. Namco's also provided four control layouts, an autoshifting option (that will be less efficient than shifting manually), and an animated speedometer and stickshift. The Sprint PCS edition of the game will have some additional online features on Sprint's Game Lobby, such as leaderboards that track fastest times, most cars destroyed, and the like.

　　Judging from what we've seen so far, Pole Position 2 ought to provide a fun trip down memory lane for those who treasure arcade classics. Expect our full review in a month or two.