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Argentum, also known as "Ag", is a strategy PocketPC game that is still called the best RTS of the platform. 14 levels of fighting, firing, building and gathering Argentum. Your name is Steele and you are part of the Galactic Exploration Alliance (GTE) that has encountered an alien species called the Ni'rikei. The year is 2469. Humas and the Ni'rikei fight over control of a living energy called Argentum.
Your goal across the missions is to destroy Ni'rikei HQs and occasionally to hold out to their attack or rescue/escort a personality across dangerous fields.
Argentum makes use of aflablending techniques to give a realistic look to the action. The music is alert and keeps you focused throughout the game. One downside of the game is that you can only play the GTE side.
 You have to protect your Command Center because it is the starting point of your army. It helps you build ITBA's which are the little machines that gather Argentum. They also build other facilities like Barracks that output soldiers, Power Plants that give energy to all the buildings, Ground Factories that give birth to the Tank TG-25 and Quadwalker units and Radar Centrals. The Missile Tower and the Laser Turret protect you from enemy air and ground units. Later in the game, starting with mission #5, you'll also be able to build an Airship Factory and airborn units.
All buildings depend on energy. If you destroy the enemy's Powerplants, it's turrets and towers won't be able to fire upon you. If a building is attacked while it is being built by an ITBA, it's energy level will drop down while the ITBA will keep trying to restore it. If the attack stops and the building is finished, it's health level will be 100%, unlike in other TBS games that output half-burnt buildings while the attack is taking place.
There are not many unit types in the game. Each unit building facility can output two unit types. Each has six slots for building units, and each unit behind the one currently being built has to await it's turn to be born. The most Power Plants you have, the greater the building speed.
ITBA's tend to be very dumb units. When a mine is running out of Argentum, they don't return home and just wait for your command. The rest of the units can be also very stubborn, trying to go round obstacles but sometimes taking the longest path possible. The game slows down a bit when there are a lot of units on the screen and there's fighting and explosions going on (on my Yakumo Delta 400 PocketPC at least), but aside from these little hickups, the game is deffinately worth playing.
Sadly, Ionside, the company that developed the game,
dissappeared from online view never to be heard of again. This site is
a little shrine ot their only title and tries to gather addon levels
from all around the web.
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