Zombie Attack! Second Wave is a brave, but flawed, take on the tower defense genre. It has polish and charm to spare, but the gameplay leaves something to be desired.

Tuesday Morning App HQ?

It’s a fairly big week in the app store for game releases. Maybe the developers and Apple are teaming up to scare us reviewers (get it, Halloween… I thought it was clever) into working overtime to get all these reviews done. Just to name a few of them, we now have Doom Classic, Command and Conquer, Eliminate, NBA Live (last week), Asphalt 5, and Alice in Bomberland running wild in the app store, most of which are just dying for a review.

Productivity, Lost

I must say that working for an app review website is just about the best thing ever, but there is a major drawback. The reason half of the apps were made was to completely wipe out productivity. Some of the apps that are self proclaimed ‘master time wasters’ are in fact master time wasters. Every once in a while I’ll download something, you know, for work, and it’ll just decimate my productivity. This time, the culprit is ‘Words With Friends’, a Scrabble-like game that takes me back to my days of playing Scrabulous on Facebook. The game is paced however fast you and your opponent choose to play, and you get a handy push notification when it’s your turn.

If you ever want to play, my SN is chris148apps. Let’s make a pact though that if you beat me, you won’t tell too many people… I have a reputation to maintain!

Words With Friends

Our Rating: :: ADDICTING

Category: Games / Word
Released: 2009-07-19
Price: $2.99

There will be a new iPhone… shocker

I love reading Apple rumors, and today I found one that blew me away (brace for it). There may be a new iPhone sometime in 2010. Over at Gizmodo, they have pictures, from a seemingly reputable source, of what they are calling the ‘iPhone 4 Generation Midboard’.

Does anyone else see that Verizon logo in the bottom of the left panel? No? Am I just trying to start something?

My US pride is hurt
ngmoco:), the only company happy enough to put a smiley face in their name, made me quite sad last week. While waiting for Eliminate to grace my iPhone, I discovered that the Canadians… CANADIANS!!!(????)… got the game first. What, first the Winter Olympics, now Eliminate? What’s next… more new games, the iPhone, the next Taco Bell taco?

They can't have it!

Worried about the devs
I’ve talked to quite a few developers in my time, and they all seem to have a similar concern. They are just not sure how they are going to make any money in the app store without breaking into the top 100 apps, and even then are worried that the 99 cent pricing structure ruins their chance to make any money at all. After taking a look at the top grossing apps in the App Store, I can see why they are concerned. Only one app in the top 20 is made by an ‘indie’ dev, and the game, Pocket Devil, is just a knock off of Pocket God. Maybe EA’s $9.99 price scheme is really the way to go, as they have 9 of the 20 top grossing games out there.

This weeks sign of the apocolypse
There are so many fantastic apps in the App Store, but while digging through the list of top grossing apps, I found that the 28th app on the list is ‘Truth or Dare – 18+’. This makes me sad.

Truth or Dare - 18+

Category: Entertainment
Released: 2009-09-25
Price: $1.99

geoDefense Swarm Walkthrough Complete

With geoDefense Swarm being my current favorite game in the App Store, I decided that it would be fun to post a complete solutions guide to all of the levels (that can be beat, I omitted the endless levels) on our forum. Two weeks and countless angry moments of defeat later, my guide is finally finished, sitting on the forum for all to enjoy. Here is the link!

Now that it’s done, I feel that my life is an empty void… I need another game to post a walkthrough for. Leave me some ideas in either the comments section or in the forum.

NBA Live by EA Sports is everything that I thought it would be on my iPhone. Unfortunately, I had pretty low expectations.

Halloween Week – 4 Scariest Apps Ever!

Alive 4-Ever
Sure, it may not the scariest thing ever, but it’s really really dark, and your chances of beating it are really really bleak. The story is your typical Resident Evil style experience with a pharmaceutical company creating a drug that unintentionally turns everyone into a zombie. Keeping to script, you are in charge of zombie destruction, and can either play as one of the two government agents or one of the two survivors of the zombie infection. The game is a top-down shooter, like iDracula and MiniGore, but with some RPG character building elements built in. Expect a ton of blood and some intensely awesome gun fights.

Alive 4-ever

Our Rating: :: FANTASTIC

Category: Games / Action
Released: 2009-08-26
Price: $2.99

Hysteria Project
Hysteria Project was an interesting app to play through. It’s not the newest app in the store, but it is one of the first, and best, attempts to create a super creepy movie-like horror experience on the iPhone. You start the game tied up on the ground, and without an idea of what’s going on, you must frantically run from a creepy guy with a hatchet that, for whatever reason, wants you dead. As I said in the review, “There is always a driving sense of urgency, even at the beginning of the game when the axe murderer has yet to be revealed. You just know that, at all times, the axe murderer is right behind you and ready to strike.”

Hysteria Project isn’t the longest app in the app store, but the high quality video along with the intense sound effects might just provide the scariest experience in the app store.

Hysteria Project

Our Rating: :: CAUTIOUSLY RECOMMENDED

Category: Games / Adventure
Released: 2009-04-08
Price: $1.99

Doom: Resurrection
Sure, maybe it’s not a typical horror game, and it may not be indie enough for some, but Doom: Resurrection provides some of the most intense horror/action sequences in the app store. Unlike any other game in the series, Doom: Resurrection is an on-rails shooter that makes sure to put you in the worst situations possible to kill the monsters around you. The controls are tight, the graphics are quite impressive, and the sound effects are just the right amount of creepy. Make sure you play this one with headphones, because the sensation of hearing something growl behind you but not being able to turn around right away is surprisingly creepy.

DOOM Resurrection

Our Rating: :: PLATFORM SHOWCASE

Category: Games / Action
Released: 2009-08-05
Price: $6.99

Resident Evil: Degeneration
I just had to do it. What list of horror games is complete without Resident Evil? Being the most successful horror series in video gaming, we were quite excited to play Resident Evil on the iPhone. Fortunately, we weren’t disappointed by the experience. Expect your typical fare of creepy zombies and even creepier sound effects, along with a ‘made-for-iPhone’ experience. One thing that was disappointing though was the lack of blood. If I shoot something in the head, it should explode in a shower of red, not a whole lot of nothing.

Besides the blood, RE: Resurrection provides one of the creepiest experiences on the small screen. It’s definitely worth the price of admission.

Resident Evil: Degeneration

Our Rating: :: AMAZING

Category: Games / Adventure
Released: 2009-05-12
Price: $4.99

Hope you enjoyed the list! Join the discussion about the definitive scariest iPhone app ever on our forum. I’m never wrong, but I do like others opinions. Ha. Happy Halloween!

New iMac

Admittedly, this has nothing directly to do with iDevices, apps, or developers… but Apple just released a 27″ iMac that every warm blooded human should want in their house. “Oh, my desk isn’t big enough!” Ma’am, buy a new desk.

Just think about how many apps you could view in iTunes, or how easy it would be to use the SDK on such a ginormous screen! Look, I’m reaching for relevance here.

Ransom Letters is a fun little app that brings me back to the good ol’ days of iBeer and the Zippo Lighter. Aside from a few minor issues, this one is definitely worthy of a spot on my phone.

Rock Band on the iPhone is exactly what you’d expect it to be… pretty and polished but somewhat lacking in fun. There’s only so much delight you can get out of a rhythm game on the iPhone.

Asphalt 5 Gameplay Trailer

I’ve never hidden my love for a good gameplay trailer, so here is another great one from Gameloft.

From the trailer, I fully expect to see a fast paced, Need For Speed type racing game with (hopefully) easier drift controls and some cool looking shortcuts. The actually gameplay looks quite solid, and I’m hoping that some of the non racing features stack up as well, such as extra car customizations (new tires, engines, exhaust) and multiplayer stability. I’m definitely excited for this one to come out… so while we’re waiting, enjoy the trailer!

In App Purchase Now Available For Free Apps

Since the launch of 3.0, I’ve seen just about 0 successful attempts at in app purchasing. With the pricing scale the way it is, and customers unwillingness to buy things that cost more than a dollar, I wonder if it will ever take off, unless the in-app purchases are going for something around a nickel.

To beat this lack of use, Apple, unwilling to let anything not named Apple TV whither away and die, has decided to let in-app purchasing be available on free apps, making way for a new ‘buy it if you like it’ system.

You can also simplify your development by creating a single version of your app that uses In App Purchase to unlock additional functionality, eliminating the need to create Lite versions of your app. Using In App Purchase in your app can also help combat some of the problems of software piracy by allowing you to verify In App Purchases.

The app industry seems to have mixed feelings but all see somewhat excited about the change.

“This announcement changes the landscape of the App Store as we know it,” said Colin Smith, co-founder and vice president of Freeverse. “It’s not clear just yet how quickly it will change, but you can be sure that this will be significant. Freeverse is currently discussing how to incorporate this change into our development plans.”

Bryan Barletta, Developer Relations for Medialets and former Editor in Chief of 148apps, has an interesting take on the subject. “Part of me is excited. The ability to do one app that is both a lite and full version will reduce some clutter going forward once adoption has taken place and we’ll most likely see more free apps hit the store knowing that they can charge at a later time.” He warns though that “the App Store could easily turn into a pay-to-play market, where you download a shell of an app with no content in it until you purchase a DLC package. There will be people who use it right, and they will be showcased for it, but I’m still not sure this was the best idea. So few apps have actually implemented in app purchasing on a paid side.”

So is this the beginning of the end for lite versions of apps, or will this just become a really annoying way for apps to appear free, even when they aren’t? I can just envision the day that The Sims 4 comes out, for free, with no furniture or clothing available… I can’t wait.

Super KO Boxing 2 is a highly polished ‘Punch Out’ style boxing game for your trusty iDevice. It may look a bit cartoonish, but the slick graphics and intense challenge will certainly captivate people of all ages.

Zombie Attack! Gets A Sequel

Just in time for Halloween, Zombie Attack! is getting a sequel. For those of you who aren’t aware, Zombie Attack! is a big, bloody 3D tower defense game where you, as the last survivor of the Ultimate Zombie Apocalypse, defend your ‘fort’ from the incoming zombie attack.

“Zombie Attack! Second Wave. ZA! SW or ZA!2 is slated to be bigger, better and bloodier than ever before! It still keeps to the “tower defense with a twist” game play but throws in new zombies, more weapons and multiple, elaborate maps. “ZA! is our top selling game to-date,” explains IUGO’s Director of Business Development Sarah Thomson.

Expect Zombie Attack! Second Wave near the end of the month/ early next month.

Check after the break for some Zombie loving screenshots!
Continue reading Zombie Attack! Gets A Sequel »

Rock Band Coming To Your iDevice!

Rock Band, the granddaddy of all band games (I’m assuming that Guitar Hero is the graddaddy of only the guitar games) is finally coming to your iDevice. After seeing Tap Tap Revolution and multiple other apps not only appear, but do well in the app store, it was only a matter of time before EA jumped into the fray. My only concern was whether or not EA’s game would add to the genre, or just use the name to push to the top of the pile. After seeing some of the early screenshots, it looks quite amazing.

There are three things that stand out to me about the new iPhone version of Rock Band. First off, my favorite addition to the game is the ability to play all of the instruments that are available on the console version. Guitar, bass, and drums will all turn out to use the same standard tapping that all the other tap games use, but Rock Band is also including the vocal portion. I’m not quite sure how I feel about singing into my iPhone, but I’m sure it’ll be a blast.

My second favorite addition to the game is the live bluetooth multiplayer. I can just imagine being back in high school, riding the bus, playing Rock Band over bluetooth. I was of the generation that was plenty happy to play Tetris against each other on our TI-83’s, so this, to me is quite exciting.

On top of some of the features, the overall polish and depth of the game seems to be a bit better than most of the others in the genre. The graphics look quite amazing, the song list is superb (and can be added to through the in-game music store), and the sound is sure to be killer. Word is that Rock Band has already been submitted to the app store, and if all goes well, should be out sometime real soon.

Check after the break for the whole song list along with more screen shots.
Continue reading Rock Band Coming To Your iDevice! »

‘Sexy Girl’ App For A Cause?

I don’t typically write about ’sexy girl’ apps because they are typically ridiculous. Scratch that… they are all ridiculous… but this isn’t the point. The point is that More Blue Sky is actually going to do something good with the money that they get from their newest ’sexy girl’ app.

With October being breast cancer awareness month, More Blue Sky’s has joined with Boobie-Thon to help raise money to stop the disease. The way this works is that every time someone buys the app Peep Show – Hot Girls or Peep Show – Sexy Guys, More Blue Sky will donate 25 cents to Boobie-Thon, who will in turn, donate the money to stop breast cancer.

“Both apps feature a fully animated sign which blinks and sounds like a real neon sign; completely realistic, totally fun and you’re helping kick cancer’s ass in the process.”

So, if you are at all inclined to buy such an app, make this one the app for you. If you aren’t so inclined, you can always donate directly to Boobie-Thon at their donation page. Do it… you’ll feel good about yourself.

4Q Interview: Critical Thought Games – geoDefense Swarm

Being a huge fan or geoDefense Swarm, I decided to dig a bit deeper into the diabolical mind of one of the most challenging games in the app store. For this four question (4Q) interview, I snagged David Whatley, the President of Critical Thought Games and the President/CEO of Simutronics Corp, developers of the Hero Engine which was used most recently in Star Wars: The Old Republic. The questions meander from app store longevity to iPhone MMO’s, but most surprising are his plans to save the world from aliens!

Check out the full four question interview after the break. Enjoy!
Continue reading 4Q Interview: Critical Thought Games – geoDefense Swarm »

Derek Jeter Real Baseball Hitting App Store Soon

In a move that could mean that iDevice gaming has hit the ‘big time’, Gameloft has just announced the first licensed baseball game, Derek Jeter Real Baseball. I know practically nothing about the game yet, but I did dig up a fairly long gameplay video on YouTube. Enjoy!

Hopefully the game will turn out to be more Ken Griffey Jr.’s Winning Run than Roger Clemens MVP Baseball. I should have an official trailer for the game early next week, so tune back for more later.

Viral Video Confuses Some… Not Me

Viral marketing, the variety that was made famous by JJ Abrams (Lost, Cloverfield), is by far my favorite form of marketing. On a typical day, my e-mail inbox is a semi disaster, with a billion e-mails about a billion things. I love them all… I really do, but the first thing I do in the morning is skim them for things that catch my eye. This one definitely caught my eye. I’ll save you the filler text, but the e-mail basically consists of a youtube link and the phrase “have you seen the .?”

Why no sir, I have not, so I watched the video above.

Ok, so we have a dot being surrounded by some kind of red matter. It’s menacing in a way, but it also reminds me of how I get dressed in the morning. Things just hover for a while and then slowly bond with me (I can’t back that up). While pondering this thought, it hit me. In a freak moment of clarity, I figured out what the video was for. It all made sense. This was a video for the third installment of the Spot series… the long awaited sequel to Spot Goes to Hollywood! Needing a 21st century makeover, the story must go that Spot’s red shell has always been something similar to a Power Suit (the one in the Metroid series), which would finally explain how he was able to shoot off so many soda bubbles. Brilliant marketing move by 7UP, I must say.

Editor’s Note (Wait, I am the editor): After a few more moments of being awake, I decided to do a small investigation. I still don’t know much (I kind of like the suspense… I’ll just have to download the app), but I do know that this title has nothing to do with 7UP or Cool Spot. “.” was created by ustwo studios, otherwise known as ‘ The Studio Of Dreams’, during a seemingly insane 48 hour period somewhere in either London or Malmö. Apparently the red stuff isn’t a Power Suit either. I should have known by the menacing sound it made, but the red is evil… pure evil.

Being the current apple of my eye, I’ll definitely be looking to have a review of “.” up sometime early next week. Enjoy the viral video!

.™

Category: Games / Kids
Released: 2009-09-17
Price: $0.99

4Q Interview: Freeverse – Skee-Ball

As I sat back and thought about things last week, I realized that the site was missing something. Every news source worth their salt partakes in long form interviews, which are great, but for the most part aren’t read all the way through due to their length. Being the busy guy that I am, I completely understand, and in my understanding I’ve decided that four questions (4Q) is the length that interviews should take. So with that, I’ll leave you with the interview.
_________________________________________________________

Being a lifelong fan of skee-ball, I decided to reach out to Freeverse via e-mail to get some important questions answered about their new app, aptly named Skee-Ball (how was this not used already?). Fortunately, my desperate pleas for answers were answered by none other than Lydia Heitman, marketing director extraordinaire, and Justin D’Onofrio, senior producer/pizza guru.

Check out the full four question interview after the break. Enjoy!
Continue reading 4Q Interview: Freeverse – Skee-Ball »

geoDefense Swarm is, without a doubt in my mind, one of my top 3 favorite iPhone games. Its intense blend of challenging weapons and insane visuals make this one a must buy.

Skee-Ball by Freeverse will, if you let it, eat away the vast majority of the time you have left in this world. If you are prone to getting addicted to simple games, be careful!

Alice in Bomberland Trailer

I don’t know what it is about this game that has me so fascinated, maybe it’s the Alice in Wonderland theme. Or maybe it’s the fact that Alice in Wonderland has been put together with bombs and missiles. Regardless, here is the new trailer… hot of the presses. Enjoy!

Aera, by iChromo, is probably the prettiest game I’ve ever seen on my iPhone. The great presentation along with simple but challenging gameplay makes this one a winner.

Alice in Bomberland? Awesome!

Games based on classic literature always excite me. To me, having that familiarity with the games story, but with the expectation that there will be some kind of twist makes for a great experience. Being as jacked up as the story already is, Alice in Wonderland makes for a great video game adaptation (American McGee’s Alice). Sonic Boom’s (Puzzlings, Kill All Bugs!) newest game, Alice in Bomberland, takes this Alice in Wonderland story to the next level by presumably introducing bombs. I hope you are as intrigued as I am.

I don’t have much info about the game, but here are some details. The game is from the same designer/developer as Topple, has illustrations done by children’s book illustrator Mark Meyers, and has the same visual artist as Braid. If you haven’t played Braid yet on your Mac, pick it up ASAP, it’s so pretty. I have a few screenshots to hold you over until the game comes out, so enjoy! According to the developer, the game should be released in the upcoming weeks.

Check out all the screenshots after the break–>
Continue reading Alice in Bomberland? Awesome! »

Asphalt 5 Coming Soon

Being a huge fan of good arcade racing games on the iPhone (i.e. Need For Speed: Undercover, Asphalt 4), this title is pretty high on my ‘want to play very soon list’. My only complaint of the last Asphalt game was that the graphics just weren’t quite as good as some other racing games in the app store (see NFS). While I have no new screenshots to show or details, the Asphalt 5 demo at WWDC was quite revealing. The graphics look quite amazing, courses are quite interactive with short cuts throughout, and there is going to be worldwide WIFI multiplayer… something that, if done right, could make this game an instant iPhone classic. Well, until the next $6-$9 iPhone classic comes out… they seem to be a dime a dozen these days. Anyways, enjoy this new promo video. It’s quite slick and stylishly unrevealing.

Sniper vs. Sniper Soon

Com2Us, of Baseball Sluggers… er… Homerun Battle 3D fame, has a new game on the way. The game, Sniper vs. Sniper Online, is a significant departure from the friendly confines of their masterful homerun derby. After watching the preview video and checking out some screenshots, this may turn out to be the first non-sports game to really thrive online. I’ll never forget when Baseball Sluggers arrived in the app store. It was the very first online game that just worked… every single time, and amazingly still has a user base that plays online all day. If Sniper vs. Sniper works even close to as well, this one will be a surefire hit.

Much like Homerun Battle 3D, Sniper vs. Sniper allows you to seemingly instantly play against anyone online in the world. Also included is a co-op terrorist killing mode… allowing you to show some mercy on your poor friend that just can’t beat you. Another feature brought over from Homerun is the ability to earn special items within the 30 “special missions”… you know, to make your friend hunting sniper skills better.

The game should be live in October, and we should have a review up the following morning. In the meantime, enjoy some more screenshots and an extra video after the break!

Continue reading Sniper vs. Sniper Soon »

I’d liken the $4.99 purchase of ESPN FF09 to buying a Russian built car in Soviet Russia. Sure, I could complain until my ears bleed, but at the end of the day, I still need a car.

New Need For Speed On The Way

I make it no secret that my favorite experience playing an iPhone game, ever, was when I played/reviewed Need For Speed: Undercover. At the time, there were a ton of big games that just failed to meet expectations, not delivering on the polish and pizazz that one would expect from a grade A launch title. Need For Speed was different though. The cutscenes had actresses that I recognized, the quality of everything from the videos to the gameplay was of exceptional quality, and the driving controls were just phenomenal. I love Need For Speed: Undercover.

I was skimming @eamobile’s Twitter feed today and found that there are screenshots of the upcoming Need For Speed: Shift posted on their Facebook page. So, from them to me to you, here are some amazing looking screenshots!

More great pics after the break.
Continue reading New Need For Speed On The Way »

Krazy Kart racing is a full featured kart game in the Mario Kart mold, but it doens’t quite have the heart and soul to make it a must buy app.

Aera Is In Apple’s Hands

Aera, the amazingly smooth looking biplane flying game, was submitted to Apple Friday, and will hopefully be out sometime this week. I was already pretty excited about the game with its amazing graphics and innovative controls, but after seeing this video, this may be my most anticipated game the year. Well… that and Madden. Anyways, enjoy the video!

AppBox Pro is a dollar store shoppers paradise. Sure, dollar store toilet paper is quite rough, but it is oh so handy.