Samsung has released its next batch of top Bada applications and as usual EA Games’ prime offering – Need for Speed: Shift is at the top of the heap. This is quite as expected, since it was being given away for nothing to the first half million people to have bought Samsung Wave.

What Samsung has in mind with creating this platform is quite clear – Bada (which is a Korean word for “ocean”), released in 2010, is a closed platform owned and controlled by Samsung, and all applications for Bada have to be approved by Samsung and the only way of selling them is via the online store – ‘Samsung Apps’. It is meant to provide the features of unlocked smart phones at a more universally affordable price, and comes with a development platform, which though nothing over-the-top in functionality is at least pretty comprehensive. There are sufficient UI controls, Flash, sensors, OpenGL graphics, SNS integration etc. The drawbacks are a lack multitasking provisions which makes quite a dent in making Bada universally competitive.

With the Wave, Samsung’s first device that is Bada compatible that has been released on the market, the reasons for using Bada have been given a boost. Still, other than EA no other famous gaming brand has lent its support. The other top Bada apps include Magic App’s Magic Torch, Caligo Chaser from Com2us, Stars Map coming from Rightbrain Communications and Leszek Bartkowski’s 3Bloki.

It is essential for Samsung Mobile Phones to try and get more major game publishers to make apps for its Bada platform. Only EA from among the recognizable names doesn’t really mean much in the long run. Moreover, more high-end devices are the need of the hour – fitting somewhat into this category are the Wave 2 and the Wave 2 Pro – given the alternative that Samsung makes good Android phones and has plans for Windows Phone 7 support.