Holy crap. No, seriously, holy crap. Pixowl Inc, in collaboration with Bulkypix, are poised to unleash something major on the App Store. It might look like a simple toy at first, but make no mistake: The SandBox is packing some seriously intense concepts behind that cute facade.
When The SandBox first caught my attention, I thought it looked like a nifty little pixelated world-building game. In a way, it kind of is. However, I was thoroughly unprepared for just how many different aspects of this created world could be manipulated. Water will flow down hills, erode stone into sand, turn dirt into fertile soil, evaporate in extreme heat and freeze in extreme cold. Flowers and trees can grow. Weather will develop based largely on the environment. Players can even make rudimentary circuits to do anything from heating to creating light.
The SandBox is still very much in beta at the moment, but that’s no reason not to get excited. What’s already implemented is pretty amazing, actually. A lot of specifics are still up in the air, such as the final number of “story” levels (currently around 20), price and release date. It’s kind of a shame because this is all so cool, but then again it’s probably best not to rush things. Although the super-curious or anxious can try to get in to the beta. No guarantees, though. Regardless, be sure to keep an eye out for The SandBox whenever it does hit the App Store.
I make no secret of the fact that I am seriously addicted to Ticket to Ride on iOS. Of all the designer board games currently rushing to the App Store, none is as polished in presentation and gameplay as TtR. Unbelievably, the translation from analogue to digital is seamless.
Yet, something has been missing from the iPhone version of the game, Ticket to Ride Pocket.
Until now, that is.
Version 1.1 has just be released to the App Store and it contains what many fans (including me) have been waiting for: Multi Mode. Is Multi Mode true online play or something more akin to Words With Friends-style asynchronous play? From my experience, the answer is both.
Multi Mode is designed primarily to be played in asynchronous mode, with players taking turns at their whim over the course of hours, days, or even weeks. However, my experience has shown that many online players prefer to simply play their game online in real time, and Multi Mode easily accommodates that choice. So, it’s the best of both worlds: head-to-head play when time permits, and asynchronous play for when it doesn’t.
In fact, the straight-up multiplayer version of the game is preferable, as turns in Ticket to Ride can be very short indeed. While I don’t want to imply that there are no strategic choices to be made in the game (quite the opposite, actually), the time it takes to play a turn is miniscule compared to a turn in Scrabble or Words with Friends. Asynchronous play is a welcome addition, but you may find yourself playing more than one game in real time.
If you’ve never heard of Ticket to Ride (gasp!) or never played TtR Pocket, I urge you to take a moment and read our glowing review of the game when it was released. Then, take the plunge and start building your railroad empire. I’ll meet you online. My Gamecenter user name is Skinnerbox. Challenge me to a game anytime!
The darkness is coming. It won’t give up. Ever. The only option is to run. Dodge obstacles, plan ahead and only resort to direct conflict when there’s absolutely no other choice. But most importantly: Never. Stop. Running.
InterWave Studios, in collaboration with EVENT Interactive, is bringing one of the best indie runners this side of Canabalt to iOS. rComplex is a beautifully stylized runner with a story. One that will only fully reveal itself to those with the fortitude and reflexes to brave all seven of the world’s environments. Players control a nameless “running man” as he jumps, ducks, dodges and sprints from his seemingly omniscient pursuer.
Aside from looking super-awesome (no, really, look at those screens!) it also offers up a bit more variety than a standard runner. Each level involves running of a sort, certainly, but some use close-quarters to up the tension while others utilize lane-changing motorcycle chases. Plus there’s that story I mentioned that can be uncovered through a combination of progress and item/secret discovery.
There’s no official price announcement yet, but rComplex is due out at the end of February. All things considered, I don’t think I mind having to wait another month to get some hands-on time. I’m fairly certain it’ll be worth it.
It’s a series that may not be as insanely popular as other Capcom franchises, but it’s certainly no less loved by its fans. The Ace Attorney series is about to get its fifth title – only in Japan thus far and no confirmed platform, no other details are available at present – but it seems like the developer is also interested in giving the series’ roots some love. Andriasang has reported that they’ve also announced Ace Attorney 123HD, an HD remake of the first three Ace Attorney games (back when they were called Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney) for iOS and other platforms.
The original has already been brought to iOS, but it was pretty much a straight port. Once this Turnabout HD is released (sorry, couldn’t resist) anyone who owns this port can upgrade to the HD version. For everyone else, they can download the first two episodes/turnabouts for free then unlock more via in-app purchases. The prospect of digging into HD renditions of some of my favorite Nintendo DS games (all conveniently located in one place no less) has me very, very excited.
There’s no confirmed release date yet, but Capcom says Ace Attorney 123HD should be available “shortly.” Gotta love that intentionally obscure information.
At Macworld | iWorld this week, OmniGroup leader Ken Case showed off the end cap to the suite of iPad applications his company released right after the iPad was announced. OmniPlan, a popular desktop project management app, is now available for the iPad.
Featuring all of the main features you would need while pouring over project plans in meetings or while on the go, OmniPlan is the mobile cousin to the desktop app of the same name. While the version we saw isn’t finished, it already shows an impressive interface with the familiar gantt chart interface and support for multiple project plans. All of this data syncs back to the desktop version of OmniPlan.
No current release date or price is known, but the price will probably hit around $39.99 if past OmniGroup app pricing is an indication.
The iOS Moffee experience seems to be a bit of a mixed bag, what with the somewhat lackluster response to their dice app and the fun-but-flawed nature of TheColossusAge. Well if early impressions are any indication, the bag is going to get decidedly full of more awesome once they release The Temple of Ogrosh.
In a nutshell, The Temple of Ogrash is meant to be a gamebook set in the Moffee universe. For those without any prior experience with the genre, try to think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure book with major RPG elements such as an inventory system and dice combat. At the moment there isn’t a whole lot of info to go on but I can reiterate some of the tidbits from the press release. The game will include five chapters, each at about 130 pages apiece, for a total of 650 possible pages of gamebooking. There will indeed be an inventory, as well as experience, sleep and hunger systems. Combat will still involve dice rolling like most gamebooks, but will also feature element attacks (fire, ice, poison, etc…) and a ton of possible weapon combinations (1920, plus unique items). Add to all of that the inclusion of multiple enemies, difficulty levels, several heroes and actual animations (ANIMATIONS, guys!) and this is looking like one heck of an awesome thing.
The Temple of Ogrosh is still a ways out. No pricing or release info has been made available yet, but judging by the checklist in the press release it’s roughly around the halfway mark. We’ll do our best to keep everyone up-to-date on this glorious-looking adventure.
With not one but two popular MMORPGs under their belt already, one would think that Spacetime Studios might be interested in taking a little break. Nope. DroidGamers have discovered that, rather than simply being content with resounding success they’ve decided it’s time to make yet another one. It’s planned for mobile devices, it’s going to be “… a bit of a departure from the formula that Pocket Legends established,” and its called Dark Legends.
I wish I had more info to share about it, but after checking the initial forum announcement, their official Facebook page and the completely unhelpful teaser site (I know, what else could I expect from a teaser site?) I’ve come up with zip. Well okay, that’s not entirely true. It’s fair to assume that it’ll probably have a somewhat darker theme than either of the developer’s previous titles. It’s also looking like Spacetime will be refining their Massively Multiplayer craft even further, and given the leap in quality from Pocket Legends to Star Legends it’s certainly something to be excited about.
148apps will no doubt be keeping an eye out for further developments. In the meantime, I’d advise being patient. Or possibly keeping busy with one (or both) of those other mobile MMOs while waiting. Patiently.
In a move that’s not entirely unexpected, another popular Facebook title is being brought over to iOS devices. Bulkypix, in collaboration with Kobojo, are adapting PyramidVille for Apple devices. Dubbed PyramidVille Adventure this time around.
This is looking to be more than a mere straight port, however. While the developers have indeed carried the Ancient Egyptian city-building and citizen-gathering mechanics over, they’ve gone and added some new stuff as well. Players will be able to find special items that allow them to build special structures such as the Great Sphinx, as well as take part in a new collection of mini-games that can actually reduce the amount of real-time waiting required for various actions. And, of course, the entire interface has been redesigned for iOS with touch controls and the like.
Those looking to become the next Ramses (or Cleopatra!) will still have to wait a bit before they can experience the 6 million player strong Facebook phenomena on the go. PyramidVille Adventure isn’t set to come out for another month or so, towards the tail end of January. It’ll be free-to-play, and universal, so once it does come out there won’t be much of a reason to avoid it. Aside from the obvious ones like “free time” and “loved ones” anyway.
iMAME has hit the App Store — but for how long? Rarely has an emulator been allowed in the App Store, only when it has been tightly controlled have we seen them. That’s why it’s most surprising that the most popular emulator of all time shows up in it’s i-device glory, iMAME.
MAME traditionally offers emulations for literally thousands of coin-op arcade games – mainly classic ones, but still pretty amazing. This build includes support for iCade. Put this thing on your iPad, with a few thousand roms, slip it into your iCade and reach classic gaming nirvana.
If classic gaming is your thing, I highly suggest you grab it right this very second, if not sooner. It can’t last long.
Update: For those of you looking to, ahem, get more out of iMAME, check the source link below at Touch Arcade for all you need to know. Woo hoo! Classic gaming Christmas!
The team behind the great Hipstamatic artistic photography app today revealed a new app that brings the disposable camera into the digital age. Releasing Thursday, the new Hipstamatic’s D-Series app allows a group of friends to share a 24 exposure digital roll of film across multiple devices.
D-Series has the same retro camera hardware feel and pixel perfect design that the original Hipstamatic app has. D-Series adds an interesting social slant by allowing a group of friends to share a virtual roll of film. One user starts off by selecting the camera to use and inviting friends. From there the invited photographers start shooting and each user sees a shared shot count. Once all shots have been taken, and only once all shots have been taken, all invited users get to see the shots taken.
I got a chance to try out the new app and can report that Hipstamatic D-Series does indeed bring back the nostalgic memories of sharing a disposable camera and swapping double prints into the digital age. It’s a great idea and well executed. There’s even the anxious need to burn the last shot by taking a picture of your foot, just to get the roll developed quicker. It’s indeed very fun.
And this app wouldn’t be a Hipstamatic app without the unique selection of cameras and films that it is so well known for. When you download the app there will be one unlimited use camera included. Link up your Facebook account and you’ll get a second infinite use camera. Beyond that you’ll have the opportunity to buy unique limited use cameras as well. The way this works in a group is that just one user needs the camera for all to be able to use it.
Synthetic Corp previously released the 2010 App of the Year, Hipstamatic, one of my favorite photography apps Incredibooth (an old style photo booth simulator), and Swankolab (think Instamatic for any photo).
Hipstamatic’s D-Series will be released tomorrow in the App Store. Check our Twitter stream for a link once it goes live. Check out this (unfortunately non-embeddable) video for more details and the photo gallery below THAT for a bunch of photos from the new app.
There are very few details available at this time, what with it being just announced and all, but it’s going to be a Gamebook Adventure. Only set in the Judge Dredd universe and all that. So plenty of choices, equipment, branching paths, dice-oriented combat and so on. About the only specific things I do know is that it’s set to release in “Q2 2012″ for both the iPad and iPhone, and it’ll cost $4.99. There might be some kind of sale at launch if the recent release of Temple of the Spider God is any indication, but that’s pure speculation at this point.
Regardless, this is exciting news! I know I’m looking forward to a tabletop-styled quest through Mega City One. Anyone else?
Buttonless: Incredible iPhone and iPad Games and the Stories Behind Them is coming out December 21 (and available for pre-order now) to bookstores and online retailers everywhere. It’s a book about iOS games and their stories by Ryan Rigney, a freelance journalist who has covered the video-game industry from every angle for publications and sites including Gamasutra, PC Gamer and GamePro. We managed to talk with him for a bit about the inspirations for the book, among other things. Click through to the post for the interview AND an exclusive chapter from the upcoming book, all about Fruit Ninja.
Peanuts has got to be one of, if not the, most recognizable American cartoon strips in history. Not just the comic, either. Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown is one of those holiday classics that just has to be seen. It’s a staple of every Santa-loving child’s holiday. Suffice it to say, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of those not-quite troublemakers are a huge part of American culture.
They’ve been around a long time. Long enough, in fact, to have spawned more than a couple video game iterations. Now it’s time for the unnaturally bald man-child and his friends to try their luck on iOS with Snoopy’s Street Fair. I’ll admit I was somewhat surprised and confused by the odd choice of gameplay style at first, but after only a few seconds of that trailer down there I’ve completely changed my tune. I’m legitimately excited for this game.
Peanuts and a freemium “city” building game… Who in their right mind would have ever thought that would work? Players will help Charlie Brown and friends (21 characters in all) set up a street fair in the neighborhood, with all manner of stalls and other street fair things. Notable characters such as Linus, Lucy and more can also be recruited to run the kiosks and attractions. Of course, these all earn money that can be used to acquire better stuff, etc…
An interesting spin to the whole idea is Snoopy himself. The mischievous beagle will wander the neighborhood and cause all manner of light-hearted trouble. Depending on his current costume (such as the Beagle Scout) he’ll interact with the environment in various ways, and each of the three outfits unlocks a unique themed minigame.
There are also a bunch of collectibles to keep players doing what they do best while steadily earning income to build more structures to earn more income and so on. With over two-dozen trading cards and 45 original cartoon strips, well it’s got plenty of carrots to dangle. And through it all, the classic Peanuts style shines through with artwork faithful to Charles M. Schulz’s illustrations and “official voice talent.” Official voice talent (!).
Snoopy’s Street Fair will be setting up shop in the App Store November 17th. I’m calling it right now: unless there’s hypothetically some kind of insane bug (which I doubt), this game is going to do very, very well. Because everyone loves Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts troupe.
We got a chance to go hands on with a few new titles from Ubisoft. Let’s take a look at the most casual title, Monster Burner.
Monster Burner is a casual puzzle shooter where you send fireballs up the screen to burn the advancing monsters. Part Puzzle Bobble, part Space Invaders, Monster Burner has 40 levels, power-ups (spells), and enough interesting social features to keep you interested for a while.
In our short look at the app, due out next week on November 3rd, we were pretty impressed. The game offers an interesting take and we’re looking forward to the release.
I must admit I was more than a little surprised to see this game on iOS. It’s a pretty big hit on the Wii and I know a lot of kids both young and old that really love it. How can a Wii-Motion game / rhythm game translate to iOS? So far, pretty well.
The idea of The Michael Jackson Experience is that you are MJ, dancing away to his greatest hits. In try rhythm game fashion, you trigger events at key beats in the song. These events can be slide left, right, taps, and curve etc. The harder the level, the more events you need to trigger. All timed to and set to everyone’s favorite Michael Jackson songs. This version of the game is a port from the PSP Vita version. And while the final list of songs to be included is still being negotiated, you can expect all of the greatest hits here when it releases.
No release date or price has been set, but we’re really looking forward to this one. Take a look at the video of the Wii version below for a fairly good idea of what to expect from the iOS port.
Ubisoft really rolled out the new titles this year. They are taking over development of their titles, formerly developed by Gameloft, and are kicking it into high gear.
We saw not one but two new Assassin’s Creed titles. Assassin’s Creed Multiplayer Rearmed is the overhead multiplayer game we first saw earlier this year. Removed from the App Store, retooled, redone, and now retitled Rearmed. Also now it works on the iPad. Interesting experiment, but we’ll see if the new version will take off where the old version failed to gain a following.
Assassin’s Creed Recollection is a really impressive looking card based game. Deep and complex, this one will take a while to dig into. I know a couple writers here at 148Apps that will love this game.
Rabbids Go HD was the disappointment of the day. Rather than a real Rabbids game, it’s really just an interactive toy. You can do all the usual stuff, poke, prod, swipe. The Rabbid reacts. Repeat.
Prince of Persia The Prince of Persia we saw seemed to be the original retro title, much like the Prince of Persia Retro available in the App Store now. Same game, but graphics spruced up and made more modern. We’re still stuck with on screen controls and no a real touch control system though. No release date or price is known.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon An early build of this was shown, and while it seemed to be far from complete, we can reveal that they seem to be going for a turn based strategy game set in the Ghost Recon world. Graphically it was pretty impressive, top-down, well done 3D graphics. Could be a good one, we’ll see. No known release date for this one.
Ordinarily, it would sound pretty arrogant to suggest that a mere update to a game could quite easily be sold as a full title. When the update in question is for Pocket God however, then it becomes distinctly more plausible.
Since its release over 2 years ago, Pocket God has turned into a hugely successful phenomenon and one that has consistently evolved thanks to its many updates over the years. This time round is arguably the biggest update yet with a game within a game added to the Universal version of the title. That game? It’s called Decapithon and it’s very much like arcade platformers of old.
Much like everything else in Pocket God, Decapithon is easy to access with players simply moving over to the graveyard island and dropping a pygmy into the teleporter. In that teleporter, Pocket God turns into a whole new game but with all the fun and splendour that we’ve come to expect.
Players tilt their iPad to move from left to right along the islands and platforms of each level. It’s not that simple, though, otherwise that’d be dull. A plentiful supply of the undead get in the way of progressing and players must throw axes at them to chop their heads off. In typical Pocket God fashion, it’s still endearingly sweet. Controls are simple to use with tilting left to right moving the pgymy and tapping one of the two buttons to jump. Firing axes is done by tapping in the relevant direction, adding some flexibility to where can be fired at. It’s as simple as that meaning that anyone can join in.
Different enemy types emerge to keep things interesting and there’s even the prospect of boss battles too. While the humble Pygmy Zombie is pretty easy to defeat with a few tosses of the axe, the Moon Witch can throw acid ‘loogies’ and the Big Booga is as fearsome as it sounds. It’s a satisfying experience and excellent fun. The only annoyance I could really pinpoint is that of the tilt controls. I’m no big fan of them admittedly and with the size of the iPad, it would have been convenient to be able to switch to something button based, especially when playing on the move.
Despite that quibble though, Decapithon is just the kind of game that would easily work as a $0.99 title so as a free update for owners of Pocket God, it’s an exceptional addition. It’s been touted as one of the most ambitious updates for the game yet and quite rightly so. Fortunately it’s paid off with style.
Pocket God: Decapithon is available now as a free update for iPad owners of Pocket God or it’s priced at $0.99 for new owners.
Recently at the Eurogamer Expo in London, I had the opportunity to check out some upcoming titles from the casual gaming maestros at Chillingo.
First up was Super Crossfire, originally an Xbox Live Indie and PC game that’s now making its way to the iPhone and iPad. It’s a space shooter with a very retro style appearance and one very neat trick up its sleeve. The player can warp their ship from one side of the screen to the other, effectively flicking the action upside down and round again.
Having played it, it adds a great tactical element to things as besides just shooting at everything that moves, it’s important to remember to flip round to avoid being shot at. It’s clearly going to take a bit of practice to master but I think arcade shooter fans are going to lap this up as it offers a great, unique element to the genre. Hopefully other players will find themselves not quite as shockingly bad at it as I was!
Developers Radian Games state that there’ll be over 150 different enemy waves across five different chapters with a plentiful supply of upgrades to keep things interesting. In the final build, there’ll be three different control methods with virtual buttons, slide and tilt based controls to hopefully keep every gamer happy.
Super Crossfire is set for release this coming Thursday, October 13th and will be priced at $0.99 for the iPhone version and $2.99 for the HD iPad edition.
Following a more familiar line of gaming for Chillingo is Little Lost Chick. It’s an amalgamation of a number of different types of casual games. There’s Cut the Rope style elements with the need to cut rope that keeps the chick from his goal. It’s not just cutting and swinging though with bounce pads and blocks also helping along the way and adding an ever enjoyable original touch to the action.
I only played a few levels of Little Lost Chick but what I saw was enjoyable. While players can choose to just get to the end of the level, there’s also the prospect of collecting up three eggs scattered around each level and adding some longevity to the game. Each brief stage was consistently interesting, throwing different obstacles at poor Bruce the chick. It made for a puzzle adventure type experience than just the usual physics puzzle challenge. The full version promises 100 levels in all which should ensure an enjoyable time for puzzle fans.
Little Lost Chick is set to launch this month for all iOS devices.
Last but most definitely not least was Hank Hazard, my personal favorite of the three. Hank Hazard is the name of an adorable stunt hamster. Players must guide Hank around numerous levels whilst collecting stars and secret coins. Gameplay is a little similar to Little Lost Chick but considerable charm oozes from the title. Again, there are 100 levels on offer, each combining a mixture of physics based puzzling, fast reactions and a hint of racing.
As the screenshots below show, Hank is a daring hamster, not just falling through each stage but by flying across the air thanks to boxing gloves and bouncey pads. As a stunt hamster, fire and other obstacles like bombs must be avoided. It’s a simple concept but one that I think will be quite a hit if the preview I had is anything to go by.
Hank Hazard will be released for all iOS devices in November.
We’ll be sure to keep track of each game’s development.
After over two years of whining and pining, it seems that iPad owners are finally getting their way, in the form of a dedicated Facebook iPad app. It really comes as no surprise that the application was coming, given that earlier this summer there was a bit of a snafu, allowing jailbroken iPads access to a prototype Facebook app. Granted, this was only through the existing iPhone application, when installed on the tablet. The hole was quickly closed by the powers that be at Zuckerberg and Co., but it somewhat let the cat out of the bag that the software was on the way.
Previously we had reported that decision makers within the Facebook organization, Zuckerberg included, had stated that there was no way that there would ever be a dedicated iPad app due to it not being a truly “mobile” device. This was met with a massive outcry that was seemingly falling upon deaf ears. Thankfully numerous other developers stepped up to the plate and delivered fairly solid Facebook experiences on the platform such as MyPad+ and Friendly Plus, but it was hard to shake the feeling that something was missing.
Just when all hope seemed lost, today Facebook launched a new site, dedicated to promoting a new iPad dedicated application. The new tool, piggybacking on the initial iPhone app, transforms it into a universal application that installs a whole new set of software for iPad users.
Some of the highlighted features include:
Enjoy bigger, better photos -Your photos take on new life on the iPad. They’re big, high-res and easy to flip through—like a real photo album.
Focus on what matters – With less on the screen, it’s easier to zoom in on your friends’ photos, updates and stories.
Navigate anywhere, fast – Just tap, slide or pinch to get from one screen to another and back again in no time.
Never lose your place - Use simplified navigation to send a message, see your notifications or browse your bookmarks without switching screens.
Play games on the go – Play your favorite Facebook games wherever you are, and on a bigger screen.
Tap to send messages – A simple dropdown menu makes it easy to scan and send messages without visiting your inbox.
Probably the biggest step forward that the application makes is adding the ability to continue playing your existing Facebook games on the iPad. Thanks to the site’s new implementation that utilizes HTML5, developers will be able to port their existing games to the service and make them available on mobile. Our owner Jeff Scott is going to be heading to tomorrow’s Zynga Unleashed event, where he expects to hear several announcements on this front. A perfect example of what you can come to expect in the future would be titles such as Magic Land: Island, which is already up and running in the new HTML5 Facebook platform.
Stay tuned to 148Apps for more details on this exciting new development, as it breaks. In the meantime try not to lose the rest of your day cyber-stalking your friends from the comfort of your iPad.
Get those boards ready! Find a clean mop head! Load that shotgun! Chuck is back to protect and cleanse Niceville once more.
Taking it’s cues from the original Zombie Wonderland, Zombie Wonderland 2: Outta Time! puts players back into the over-worked and under-appreciated shoes of the town’s most renowned zombie-slayer/janitor. There haven’t been that many specifics given out as of yet, but it appears as though Chuck’s continued adventures in “Why the Heck Would Anyone Choose to Live Here, USA” will be a whole ‘lotta “more.” More clients, such as the viking, Jorund. More weapons, including the Wasp Grenade. More enemies like the Zombie Knight. And more time periods in which to mop up the living dead mess, then mop up the other living dead mess.
However, the biggest change (aside from being downright bigger in the first place) is that Zombie Wonderland 2 will follow a free-to-play model, with in-app purchases. Again, no other specifics have been given but I’m assuming that means paying real cash for either more in-game cash to buy upgrades, paying real cash up front for said upgrades/levels, or a combination of the two. Of course, within a few weeks there won’t be any more questions because the game should be out by then, but why not take a gander at the new trailer and gallery of concept art to whet that whistle?
To think, I’d nver heard of Bladeslinger before roughly fifteen minutes ago, but now I find myself obsessively searching for any kind of release date that’s more specific than “Q4 2011.” In my defense, I think it’s with good reason. Not to jump on the hype train, but Luma Arcade seems to have crafted a very compelling world and an awesome game to flesh it out with. Oh, and it looks freaking amazing.
Set in an alternate and rather depressing (although that could just be coincidental) future, BLadeslinger tells the story of William Glaston’s homecoming. A homecoming made much more interesting and game-centric when he finds Hammer’s Peak to be overrun with horrible mutants that are just as aggressive as they are ugly. He’ll have to fight his way through the town using a bunch of different weapons and abilities, then find and “fix” the problem at the heart of it all. So “The Usual,” basically.
According to the website, it’s a “3rd person action brawler” that utilizes gesture-based controls. It certainly has that air about it in the video below. I just hope it’s responsive and smooth, which it looks to be but there’s no way to know for certain until it’s out.
I’m also curious about these abilities that Glaston will eventually gain. I’m pretty sure one can be seen in the clip (where he does the Ground Pound), but it almost looked like a one-off. Like it’s some kind of single-use item or something. Then again, maybe it can only be used once per fight. Or maybe the “card burning” effect was only used to illustrate the activation of the ability and not “using it up” as it were. Gah! Too many questions!
I think it’s safe to say that expectations will probably be pretty high for this pseudo-steampunk alternate future mutant-fighting western. Assuming nothing goes awry, I think Luma Arcade can pull it off. I mean, it looks like they have a finished game already. Here’s to hoping we can nab Bladeslinger off of the App Store in the earlier part of Q4 rather than later.
Chomp, the leading app search company, has totally redone their iOS application making it quicker to search and easier to discover new apps.
The real story with this update, though, is the new discoverability features. Chomp goes beyond an app search app to provide the user with some great features to help find new apps either in pre-defined ranking groups or via groups based on an app category. Chomp powers our app search here are 148Apps. They also happen to have one great iOS app to search for and discover new apps. This 3.0 update brings some great app categorization beyond what the App Store does. These categories can help users find some great new apps.
The search box has been updated to provide live search. Just start typing and it will quickly suggest apps and app categories for the search. In addition, there are some new top level features to find the most popular apps, newest apps and all of the newly free apps. This feature is one of my favorites. With so many daily free app sites, this feature will give us all one single place to go to to get all those free apps, all in one place.
Check out the Chomp app and let us know what you think.
Turntable.fm, the site that lets you create your own DJ avatar and play music in front of a virtual room of friends or just random folks. If you haven’t used the website, it can be a lot of fun. Specialized rooms can be created, you can invite friends, save favorite songs, and give feedback to the DJ. When you become the DJ you can choose what song others hear. Here’s how the developers describe the experience:
turntable lets you play music together with your friends and other people online. Each DJ takes a turn playing a song and the entire virtual room hears the song. You can vote on whether the song is awesome or lame and if it receives too many lame votes, it gets skipped.
turntable is also truly social. You can chat with people in your room or fan your favorite DJs so that you can find them later. Help people discover new great music or just sit around and listen to the best curated music experience online.
Grab it now and let us know what your favorite room is.
To arms! The battle for cleanliness has begun anew, and it’s up to us to do our part in this war. Dust bunnies are everywhere; clogging up vacuums, massing under beds and waiting for the perfect time to strike. I say we need to strike first. We as a people need to band together and Dust Those Bunnies!
Okay, it’s a little campy but this game looks fun. From the minds of Utah-based Gamers Rejoice, Dust Those Bunnies! puts players in charge of some of the most devastating anti-dust weaponry (brooms, vacuum cleaners, etc.) and lets them loose the dogs of war all over the little buggers. It boasts two game modes, Wage War and Commando, both requiring players to sweep those dusty critters into a dustpan for victory. Wage War is more like a “full” game, with access to a full arsenal and the threat of dustpan-destroying bunny bombs. Commando is a bit less strenuous, with no bombs but also none of the fancy stuff found in Wage War. It’s just the player, a broom and the bunnies.
It’s too soon to predict whether or not Dust Those Bunnies! will find itself on a notable page in the App Store anytime soon, but it certainly looks to be doing its part. The black and white film reel visuals are a cute touch, too. Be sure to give it a look.
Photo Academy, from the makers of PhotoCaddy, is a nifty little photo app that’s just been released on the App Store. Why is this worth mentioning? Because it’s looking to be a must-have for amateur shutterbugs, that’s why.
This is no mere camera filter. No, Photo Academy is a massive cross-referenced database absolutely full of tips, tricks and techniques for almost any imaginable photo-op situation. Within reason, of course. Users simply have to choose a topic, then can browse through a number of sub-categories that range from how to handle different lighting situations to what equipment to use. Useful tips can even be bookmarked for later/repeated use.
Photo Academy also includes a “Photo 101″ guide for total greenhorns, example photos and a Shoot Diary for more adventurous users. The Shoot Diary lets them keep track of almost all the details surrounding a particular image, including weather, time of day, location and, of course, the photo itself. Diary entries can even be posted online through Twitter, email and Facebook in order to document personal achievements (i.e. brag) or offer up pointers for other users. I’m honestly quite interested in seeing if and how a community forms around this app.
Again, this is no mere iOS camera app. This is a full-blown how-to encyclopedia of photographic knowledge. These tips apply to actual cameras, with aperture settings, shutter speeds and the like. Some of the basics can be applied to the little hole that sits in the corner of a given iOS device, but it’s meant more for the real thing. Which is something that all amateur photographers are probably more interested in anyway.
It’s been done with with many iOS devices before. In public, no less. Pretty much everyone has done it, but there’s no shame in it. I am, of course, referring to using an iPhone/Pad’s wifi (or 3G) capabilities to look up an item’s price online while still in the store. Maybe it’s to check for a better price or even to see if it can be “flipped” for a decent profit, but no matter the reason people do it all the time. Now TechCruch has pointed out a new app that makes the process super easy.
Amazon Student, along with a few other Amazon apps, enables users to do all that and more. A quick scan of a barcode is all it takes, really. The idea is that it makes looking for a good price on textbooks easy, but it works on just about everything sold en-masse in a retail environment. The big difference here is that it also allows users to scan their own items to sell on Amazon if they’re eligible for trade-in. Just scan it, and if it’s a “yes” then Amazon will pay for shipping and send out a gift card.
To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what to make of Ciganoid. On one hand it’s an entertaining Arkanoid clone with the added incentive of purchasable upgrades. On the other hand it’s essentially an interactive anti-smoking ad which has players more-or-less playing the part of cancer as it destroys a smoker’s lungs. Brick-by-brick. It’s actually pretty twisted, the more I think about it.
It makes me a little uncomfortable when I play it, actually. The concept, I mean. I’m moving this cigarette paddle around, using the little ball (cancer?) to break up the lungs and grab falling green stuff (??). The green stuff can then be used between games in the store to upgrade the paddle or ball, but really it’s being used to make the cancer more effective. Creepy.
I find it a little odd to have an interactive anti-smoking ad that has participants play the role of the “badguy.” Although I suppose making it the other way around wouldn’t make for much of a game. Still, as a game and not a condemnation of one of the world’s most disgusting habits, it’s fun. Ignoring the moral dilemma, Ciganoid is actually a fairly enjoyable game. It’s retro in all the right places (looks and sounds), and I’m enjoying chasing the upgrade carrot quite a bit. As with most iOS games that taunt players with new, oh-so-close abilities, I want to keep playing (and inevitably failing) so that I can earn more cash and get better stuff. So I can use it to kill people more effectively.
It’s interesting that Black Phoenix Games‘ other title, Don’t Die, involves a vaguely similar idea. Granted it has more to do with unhealthy eating habits (and platforming) than lung cancer, but I’m starting to notice a pattern here. I’m not implying that they’re crusaders for public health or anything, but it’s interesting to see more developers creating games with a real message.
Games involving flying down narrow corridors using only a single button for lift have been around almost as long as video tennis. Some of these iterations get around the stigma associated with “classic” formulas by using attention-grabbing visuals or funky music. Still others just go nuts and see what sticks.
Doodle Plane, from the minds over at Chitralekha Productions, mostly follows the example of the former. It’s pretty much flying through narrow spaces and tapping a button to climb, but the colorful chalkboard graphics (and “sketchy” animations) make it a bit more interesting visually. The addition of a throttle, however, adds a (basic) new dimension to the idea. Having to carefully monitor height and speed make the levels a bit more frantic, and it’s all too easy to accidentally fly past a parachuting office worker (?) when not being careful. If nothing else, it certainly ups the challenge.
It’s also interesting how Doodle Plane forgoes the typical endless corridor design of most similar titles and instead uses stages with a definitive start and finish. Shortly after taking off the levels fall into the expected “one wrong move and BOOM” pattern, but after a bit players will reach an actual end and have to ever-so-delicately try to land their scribbly aeronautical nightmare. It’s not as tough as it sounds, but as with the hapless skydivers it can be easy to overshoot the target when not paying attention.
I doubt anyone who doesn’t enjoy these kinds of games will jump at the chance to play Doodle Plane, but I imagine genre fans will have a good amount of fun with it. Especially as the addition of take-off and landing segments, as well as mid-air rescues, make it more than just a simple re-skinning of a classic.
Genera Games is definitely on to something with TouchyBooks. It’s a clever little app that more-or-less digitizes the experience found in most “board books,” letting young readers (or lookers, really) tap all over the screen to generate sounds and movement. If I were a kid, my parents would never let me hold an iPhone, but if they did this would be a great alternative to a typical bedtime story.
As great as the app may be, this new 2.0 update sweetens the deal immensely. Among the plethora of additions that aren’t all detailed, including a revamped design and a search feature (wow, it must have been rough without that one), are a couple of ideas that are just as smart as the app itself. First, all of the books (full copies, not free samples) can be rated by users. The Amazon-like five star rating system may seem obvious now, but it makes searching through the store a bit less of a hassle. Secondly, there’s the autoplay option. Wow. I mean, the whole narration/interaction thing is smart, but adding the choice to automatically read through a title is borderline brilliant. It’s perfect for kids that are old enough to “read” along, but aren’t quite ready to start poking at things.
Were I a parent, I’d be all over TouchyBooks. This is an awesome app for kids that are just starting to tip a toe into the waters of literacy, as well as a solid tool for helping more advanced “learning-to” readers. Anyone even vaguely familiar with browsing the App Store will find navigation a breeze, and the titles in this limited (but still fairly substantial) library are priced very respectably. Parents, check this one out ASAP.
I’ve never really been “into” Escape games, but I have dabbled. It’s not that I dislike them, it’s just that I generally prefer my adventure/puzzle games to involve more character interaction and humor (i.e. of the LucasArts variety). The desolate environments for these kinds of games are somewhat of a downer for me, so I have to really be in a particular mood to want to play one.
Ellie – Help me out… please has put a Japanese horror spin on the fairly universal formula, adding an unsettling atmosphere to the isolation and loneliness that keeps the tension high throughout. It’s a bit graphic, a little disturbing and bound to get the heart beating faster. This is not a game I’d suggest playing before bedtime, no sir.
But creepy atmosphere and personal doubts about the innocence of the trapped girl aside, what makes Ellie stand out is its interesting use of in-app purchases. An “extra room” can be purchased for players who want to keep enjoying the disturbing story and world, naturally. However, unlike many “free” games it’s not ad supported nor does it lock users out until they pay for the full version. Instead, it allows users to unlock hints with real money at $1 apiece. It’s an interesting idea that might not work out all that well once people start posting said hints online, but it’s nice to see companies trying out new ideas when it comes to freemium pay structures.
Some may scoff at the idea of paying for answers to a couple of puzzles, but in all honesty some of these puzzles are very, very hard. That one with the drawers, especially. Sure it’s possible to jump online and try to look up the answers, but I expect a good many players might be too involved in their game to interrupt it like that. I think it might be easier for some to just bite the bullet and spend the buck so they can move on. And I think the folks at Ateam Inc are thinking that, too.
Only time will tell us if their idea works, but if it does it may well open up new possibilities for freemium games. I’m quite curious to see how this all works out.
Holy crap. No, seriously, holy crap. Pixowl Inc, in collaboration with Bulkypix, are poised to unleash something major on the App Store. It might look like a simple toy at first, but make no mistake: The SandBox is packing some seriously intense concepts behind that cute facade.
I make no secret of the fact that I am seriously addicted to 
Multi Mode is designed primarily to be played in asynchronous mode, with players taking turns at their whim over the course of hours, days, or even weeks. However, my experience has shown that many online players prefer to simply play their game online in real time, and Multi Mode easily accommodates that choice. So, it’s the best of both worlds: head-to-head play when time permits, and asynchronous play for when it doesn’t.
:: PERFECT PORT
The darkness is coming. It won’t give up. Ever. The only option is to run. Dodge obstacles, plan ahead and only resort to direct conflict when there’s absolutely no other choice. But most importantly: Never. Stop. Running.
It’s a series that may not be as insanely popular as other Capcom franchises, but it’s certainly no less loved by its fans. The Ace Attorney series is about to get its fifth title – only in Japan thus far and no confirmed platform, no other details are available at present – but it seems like the developer is also interested in giving the series’ roots some love. 
The iOS 
With not one but two popular MMORPGs under their belt already, one would think that 
In a move that’s not entirely unexpected, another popular Facebook title is being brought over to iOS devices. 
Not so long ago, 
Peanuts has got to be one of, if not the, most recognizable American cartoon strips in history. Not just the comic, either. Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown is one of those holiday classics that just has to be seen. It’s a staple of every Santa-loving child’s holiday. Suffice it to say, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of those not-quite troublemakers are a huge part of American culture.
There are also a bunch of collectibles to keep players doing what they do best while steadily earning income to build more structures to earn more income and so on. With over two-dozen trading cards and 45 original cartoon strips, well it’s got plenty of carrots to dangle. And through it all, the classic Peanuts style shines through with artwork faithful to Charles M. Schulz’s illustrations and “official voice talent.” Official voice talent (!).
Much like everything else in Pocket God, Decapithon is easy to access with players simply moving over to the graveyard island and dropping a pygmy into the teleporter. In that teleporter, Pocket God turns into a whole new game but with all the fun and splendour that we’ve come to expect. 
Having played it, it adds a great tactical element to things as besides just shooting at everything that moves, it’s important to remember to flip round to avoid being shot at. It’s clearly going to take a bit of practice to master but I think arcade shooter fans are going to lap this up as it offers a great, unique element to the genre. Hopefully other players will find themselves not quite as shockingly bad at it as I was!
Following a more familiar line of gaming for Chillingo is Little Lost Chick. It’s an amalgamation of a number of different types of casual games. There’s 
Last but most definitely not least was Hank Hazard, my personal favorite of the three. Hank Hazard is the name of an adorable stunt hamster. Players must guide Hank around numerous levels whilst collecting stars and secret coins. Gameplay is a little similar to Little Lost Chick but considerable charm oozes from the title. Again, there are 100 levels on offer, each combining a mixture of physics based puzzling, fast reactions and a hint of racing. 
After over two years of whining and pining, it seems that iPad owners are finally getting their way, in the form of a dedicated 
Just when all hope seemed lost, today 
Get those boards ready! Find a clean mop head! Load that shotgun! Chuck is back to protect and cleanse Niceville once more.
To think, I’d nver heard of Bladeslinger before roughly fifteen minutes ago, but now I find myself obsessively searching for any kind of release date that’s more specific than “Q4 2011.” In my defense, I think it’s with good reason. Not to jump on the hype train, but Luma Arcade seems to have crafted a very compelling world and an awesome game to flesh it out with. Oh, and it looks freaking amazing.
I’m also curious about these abilities that Glaston will eventually gain. I’m pretty sure one can be seen in the clip (where he does the Ground Pound), but it almost looked like a one-off. Like it’s some kind of single-use item or something. Then again, maybe it can only be used once per fight. Or maybe the “card burning” effect was only used to illustrate the activation of the ability and not “using it up” as it were. Gah! Too many questions!
:: GOOD IDEA, BAD IMPLEMENTATION
To arms! The battle for cleanliness has begun anew, and it’s up to us to do our part in this war. Dust bunnies are everywhere; clogging up vacuums, massing under beds and waiting for the perfect time to strike. I say we need to strike first. We as a people need to band together and 
I find it a little odd to have an interactive anti-smoking ad that has participants play the role of the “badguy.” Although I suppose making it the other way around wouldn’t make for much of a game. Still, as a game and not a condemnation of one of the world’s most disgusting habits, it’s fun. Ignoring the moral dilemma, Ciganoid is actually a fairly enjoyable game. It’s retro in all the right places (looks and sounds), and I’m enjoying chasing the upgrade carrot quite a bit. As with most iOS games that taunt players with new, oh-so-close abilities, I want to keep playing (and inevitably failing) so that I can earn more cash and get better stuff. So I can use it to kill people more effectively.
It’s also interesting how Doodle Plane forgoes the typical endless corridor design of most similar titles and instead uses stages with a definitive start and finish. Shortly after taking off the levels fall into the expected “one wrong move and BOOM” pattern, but after a bit players will reach an actual end and have to ever-so-delicately try to land their scribbly aeronautical nightmare. It’s not as tough as it sounds, but as with the hapless skydivers it can be easy to overshoot the target when not paying attention.
As great as the app may be, this new 2.0 update sweetens the deal immensely. Among the plethora of additions that aren’t all detailed, including a revamped design and a search feature (wow, it must have been rough without that one), are a couple of ideas that are just as smart as the app itself. First, all of the books (full copies, not free samples) can be rated by users. The Amazon-like five star rating system may seem obvious now, but it makes searching through the store a bit less of a hassle. Secondly, there’s the autoplay option. Wow. I mean, the whole narration/interaction thing is smart, but adding the choice to automatically read through a title is borderline brilliant. It’s perfect for kids that are old enough to “read” along, but aren’t quite ready to start poking at things.
But creepy atmosphere and personal doubts about the innocence of the trapped girl aside, what makes Ellie stand out is its interesting use of in-app purchases. An “extra room” can be purchased for players who want to keep enjoying the disturbing story and world, naturally. However, unlike many “free” games it’s not ad supported nor does it lock users out until they pay for the full version. Instead, it allows users to unlock hints with real money at $1 apiece. It’s an interesting idea that might not work out all that well once people start posting said hints online, but it’s nice to see companies trying out new ideas when it comes to freemium pay structures.
