Search results for: "pocket god" »

The Best App Ever Awards have been around ever since ever since the App Store first came into being five years ago. Each year the best of the best have been culled from hundreds (even thousands) of releases. This list represents five years worth of winners, as decided by Best App Ever readers. Five years worth of apps and games that have been chosen above all others due to their all-around awesomeness. Five of the Best Apps Ever.

Here they are.

2008

Shazam (Shazam Entertainment)
A lot of people were pretty excited when the iPhone first came out, and it was apps like Shazam that helped to keep them that way. In a time when smartphones were being scoffed at, being able to hold your phone up to a speaker and have it identify whatever song is currently playing was pretty freaking impressive. It goes so far beyond kitschy stuff like virtual lighters or photo booths. This is an app that serves an incredibly useful purpose; especially for those of us who enjoy finding new music.

2008 was the App Store’s first year, and even then there was no shortage of great apps and games for iOS users to enjoy. The likes of eWallet, Fieldrunners, Facebook, and Rolando were all exemplary nominees. However, in the end they just weren’t able to compete with the ability to identify any song that’s playing on the radio, in a store, or wherever else. It’s simply too handy.

2009

Pocket God (Bolt Creative)
I don’t want to be presumptuous, but Bolt Creative may very well be responsible for creating the current “Feel like something’s missing? Wait for an update!” environment that has overtaken the App Store. With 47 (47!!!) episodes released to date, Pocket God is just might be the most thoroughly supported app in the world. This funky sandbox of wrongness has seen so many tweaks and changes over the years that it provides users with mini-games that cover almost every single popular genre on the App Store.

2009 was very close, but Pocket God managed to take first place over apps like 2Do and Twitter, and some wonderful games like Real Racing and Flight Control. Perhaps it was due to all the diversity inherent in all those episodes, or maybe people just really like torturing small virtual islanders. Whatever the reason, Bolt Creative captured a lot of hearts (and probably zapped them with lightning or tossed them to the sharks) that year.

2010

Angry Birds (Rovio Entertainment Ltd)
Say and think what you will about Angry Birds and its current cultural phenomenon status; it’s still a clever game. Rovio’s little physics puzzler that could took the App Store by storm and has continued to do so with multiple spin-offs. Often duplicated, never replicated, this little bird-chucking game has solidified the genre as something synonymous with mobile gaming. There’s even one version that uses the “Star Wars” license. Honestly, there aren’t many other iOS games that can make that claim, and even fewer that aren’t directly affiliated with Lucasarts one way or another.

2010 saw the inclusion of a number of fantastic iOS games to the awards. Games like Infinity Blade, Real Racing 2, and Solipskier are all wonderful in their own right. That makes it all the more impressive so see them, and second place nominee Pocket Legends get edged out by a game about loading birds into a slingshot. Don’t underestimate the power of simple yet addictive gameplay.

2011

Jetpack Joyride (Halfbrick Studios)
Barry Steakfries wasn’t new to the App Store when Jetpack Joyride was released, but it is the game that cemented his mobile celebrity status. Barry’s hijacking of a jetpack made of machine guns wasn’t exactly groundbreaking in terms of gameplay (think a hybrid of endless runners and classic corridor flying games like Copter), but Halfbrick polished the heck out of all the mechanics and absolutely overloaded it with personality. To this day it’s still one of the best examples of “just one more try” games on iOS.

2011 was a great year for iOS gamers. Infinity Blade II, World of Goo, Tiny Tower, Where’s My Water, and a whole lot more all made the list. To see little ol’ Barry with his impossible flying machine sitting above them all is a great indication of just how powerful and compulsive an extremely well-made endless game can be. Especially on a mobile platform.

2012

Walking Dead: The Game (Telltale Games)
Telltale’s adventure games have been a bit hit-and-miss over the years, but pretty much everyone felt The Walking Dead was a major hit. Lee’s tale won over many a stone-hearted gamer, and the iOS release more or less cemented Apple’s mobile devices as viable gaming platforms. Making the tough choices isn’t any easier when it’s on a smaller screen, that’s for sure.

2012 was another great year; with games like Punch Quest and Outwitters, and apps like Clear and Action Movie FX narrowly edged out. It’s a testament to how far the App Store has come to see so many great and diverse offerings listed. And it’s a testament to Telltale Games’ ability to craft an incredible story about equally incredible characters to see Walking Dead: The Game come out on top.

The Pygmies have returned with part 3 of The Pygmies Strike Back. Things aren't looking so great for Ooga's group as they are lost in a desert and quickly running out of food and water. Meanwhile, Klik's group seems to be in better shape after the mysterious arrival that showed up in the final page of the last issue.

Issue 23 can be downloaded straight from the Pocket God Comics App, for $0.99 cents.

Bolt Creative has released new screenshots to its upcoming game Ooga Jump, an endless jumper that's set in the Pocket God universe, reports Touch Arcade. Ooga Jump will have players attempting high scores and will launch will three areas, Jungle, Underworld, and Space, which can be seen in the newly available screenshots.

The Pygmies return today with part 2 of The Pygmies Strike Back. The tribes are split up on separate missions and are facing danger around every corner. Issue 22 can be downloaded straight from the Pocket God Comics App, for $0.99 cents.

There's a new issue out in Pocket God Digital Comics app today, which begins a five-part story arc about a mysterious force that is hunting Pygmies. Check out issue 21 today, right from the Pocket God Comics app, which will still run you a buck for this and all the back issues, newsletters, and such that come along with your purchase.

The Pygmies Strike Back, Part 1 of 5.
After Nooby hogged the spotlight all last issue, this time everyone gets a bit of attention. But of course, in the world of POCKET GOD, a bit of attention can be Dangerous! The tribes have figured out that someone or someTHING is hunting them. So it’s Fight or Flight time! And the group is split about how to deal with that.

And what about that mysterious artifact-thingy that Nooby found last issue? How will that play into the decision?

This story kicks off the new arc that will divide the tribes like never before!

2012 has been a heck of a year for a lot of people, and I’m not much of an exception. When compared to my fellow 148Apps writers I imagine my list is a bit more game-centric but what can I say, it’s a significant part of my life and has been for close to 25 years. With that in mind, on with my personal 2012 favorites in no particular order. Okay, they’re actually in order of what I thought of first.

The Daily Grind

This might sound corny and/or contrived, but I’m being totally honest when I state that simply writing for 148Apps has been one of my favorite aspects of this entire year. Not only has it resulted in my exposure to a bunch of great iOS games, it’s also afforded me lots of fantastic opportunities to interact with the community. I get to talk to iOS developers on a regular basis, I’ve gotten sneak peeks at new projects, and have generally been having an absolute blast doing all the stuff that I probably should be taking for granted but can’t because I enjoy it all so much. Yes, even my awkward podcasts with our own Carter Dotson.

Dragon’s Dogma

Team ICO’s polarizing title, Shadow of the Colossus will always be one of my absolute favorite games, so naturally I was salivating over the idea of introducing a similar idea into a game that’s equal parts Monster Hunter and even a little Elder Scrolls. It took a couple rounds with the demo for everything to click, but once it did I was smitten. The combat is supremely satisfying even before crawling across the haunches of a griffon in mid-flight, to say nothing of the satisfaction of bringing said griffon down. Not only that, it’s also the one game featuring a customizable avatar that I’m 100% satisfied with and even proud of my results.
[http://www.dragonsdogma.com/]

Moving

My wife and I have lived in New York for just over six years now. Up until recently it was in Brooklyn, in a somewhat unsavory part of town that was certainly better than it had been but still has a ways to go. It was one of those areas that can be a bit scary at certain times of the morning or evening. On top of this, our apartment was pretty small. We’re two people with two cats and it was cramped. Anyway, after a shockingly painless search we managed to find a significantly larger apartment in a much more significantly friendly neighborhood in Queens for only slightly more than our old place. The move itself was terrible - probably because it was sweltering hot, we had no AC, and I was apparently coming down with pneumonia at the time - but it’s been an absolute joy to be here ever since.

Mass Effect 3

Say what you will about that ending (and I agree that it was pretty disappointing), but I love this game. It’s a total refinement of the gameplay mechanics, the best looking entry to date, and features multiplayer that I personally find rather awesome. Plus I was able to bring my particular Commander Shepard’s tale to a close after several years. Sure underneath the hood it’s all a bunch of if/then statements but the results felt completely personal. This wasn’t simply Mass Effect 3, it was MY Mass Effect 3, and I’m not entirely certain any other game will come close to evoking such a feeling anytime soon. For the curious: FemShep (vastly superior), default redhead (finally!), totally got it on with Garrus (2 and 3). And I let him win the marksman contest because he’s cute when he thinks he’s got an edge.
[http://masseffect.bioware.com/]

The Blockheads

I’ve been on a fairly significant Minecraft kick lately, across all three versions no less. Getting to try out The Blockheads has been something of an epiphany. See, the typical Minecraft experience has never felt quite right to me on my iPhone. Combining all that crafting and building - along with plenty of unique new recipes like clothing - with a god sim-like control over the workers is shockingly fantastic. Imagine combining the Mojang juggernaut with The Sims and you’ll start to get the picture. Tasks ranging form mining to smelting to gardening can all be queued up and the selected blockhead will get to work on their own. Provided they aren’t exhausted and in need of some sleep, of course. It might not technically be out in 2012 (it’s slated for an early 2013 release), but I’ve gotten the chance to play The Blockheads before the changing of the years and that makes it a significant part of this one.
[http://theblockheads.net/]

Pocket God digital comics are still going strong, and we've got two pages of artwork from the latest one-shot holiday special, "Ghost of Fishmas Past," to share with you right here. You can get the new issue as an in-app purchase form the Pocket God Comics app, as well as some sweet extras along the way.

Hop on board for one wild ride! We finally get a chance to see the world inside Nooby’s head. And you KNOW that’s going to be a party! …That boy ain’t right! You may have noticed Nooby go storming off as Gem Cell Research came to a crashing conclusion. Now we get to see where he went….and WHY. It’s a Trippy Fishmas for sure! Merry Fishmas everybody!

Click the title of this post to check the gallery for our exclusive pages, and be sure to grab the comic from the app store above. Merry Fishmas!

[gallery]

Seminal episodic app, Pocket God, is coming to the end of its long run with what Bolt Creative is calling the final update, ever. Pocket God Episode 47: Apocalypse, Ow! is available now with some interesting features. A new game is set to come out next year, Pocket God: The Runs, and the digital comic series shows no signs of ending, yet, either, so you'll still be able to get your dose of Pocket God Pygmy goodness after this final chapter.

The end times have come to the Pygmies of Pocket God, and the apocalypse brings with it friends new and old. Pocket God Episode 47: Apocalypse, Ow! opens up the Apocalypse Temple’s final room, the Closet Room, where a strange, couch-jumping, closet-hiding Pygmy named Tom holds the key to kick-starting the end of days. Forget the Mayans; it turns out that Hollywood’s pesky scientologists were behind the Apocalypse all along!

Back on the island, players can access the Closet Room and use the device within to release Thetans into the world. These pesky spirits may be cute, but they aren't all fun. Coax Tom out of the closet (…literally) and bring him to the front of the Apocalypse Temple to open up the Xenu room, where Tom and a baby Pygmy combine to form the dictator of the Galactic Confederacy himself, the terrible Xenu. Turns out L. Ron Hubbard was on to something!

Hit game Temple Run now has a digital comic book, ready for you to grab for $0.99 on the App store. Ape Entertainment, the folks behind Pocket God Comics, among others, promise to answer the hard questions, like what is the temple? And what's up with those golden idols and scary monkey demons? The first two issues come with the app, and then each issue after that will run you a tiny $0.99 each.

In the first issue, follow Guy Dangerous as he and a band of adventurers go in search of a lost Incan city and the treasure it holds. But when Guy comes face to face with a mysterious golden idol, they may get more than they bargained for!

Today, Ape Entertainment and Bolt Creative announced that Pocket God Comics issue No. 19 is now available. This is the final issue in a five part story arc called Gem Cell Research. Pocket God Comics gets updated an a frequent basis, and includes such goodies as The Pygmy Peril Newsletter and a remastered version of the first Pocket God animated video.

There are answers to questions in this issue - like what IS that seaweed creature? But when the answers are uncovered more questions pop up – like, really, what IS that seaweed creature??? Also, what happened with the Girls’ gem? Whereas it’s the relationships that help bind the tribes together, it’s the relationships that might also pull them apart! You just have to check out the story as Gem Cell Research comes to its crashing conclusion!

The pygmies are back, and they're sicker than ever--literally.

Please keep in mind that this daunting affliction is not limited to just Pygmies; all forms of life on every island, including gigantic apes, poo-slinging monkeys, hungry T-Rexes, and sharks with laser beams, run the risk of contracting this perilous malady. Even non-organic, inanimate objects can be contaminated, so exercise caution when using an outhouse, borrowing fishing poles, playing the bongos, and more.

So Pocket God has been a complete success. This is no real secret. The original game - with all its pygmy torture and ridiculous amount of mini-games that cover just about every popular genre on the App Store - continues to receive plenty of updates (and accolades!), it’s spawned a sequel of sorts, comics, and now an official theme song! Written by Parry Gripp, no less.

The Pygmy Theme made its first aural appearance in Episode 45: Dance Dance Execution and has been so well received by the fans that Bolt Creative has made it available for download on iTunes. Don’t fret; the song will also see Google Play, Amazon mp3, and Zune releases “… in the coming weeks.”

The tune can be had here for a mere $0.99, and I have to admit it’s pretty catchy. But don’t just take my word for it. Check out the surprisingly awesome music video below and hear for yourself. Pygmies! Pygmies!

Granted, half of the games on this week’s list fall squarely under my Nostalgia Vision, but it’s my list. So my rules!

Jay & Silent Bob in: LET US DANCE! - I will proudly admit that I’m a rather big fan of Kevin Smith’s special little rendition of New Jersey. Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and even the Clerks cartoon have been in my DVD rotation for quite a while. Especially Mallrats. So a tap/rhythm game based in the View Askew universe featuring Jay and his hetero life-mate is definitely something I can appreciate. It’s like it was handed down from God herself.

Sinbad - Ah, Sinbad. I used to watch taped TNT showings of many of his classic barely-colorized adventures constantly. Now I can play them, too! The game offers up many of the experiences one would expect from the timeless hero many often mistake for a washed-up comedian; high seas adventure, a personalized ship, plenty of swordplay with lots of unnatural enemies, and so on. All that’s missing is the Harryhausen visual flair.

My Monster Rancher - So I was a fairly massive Monster Rancher fan for years, even after the series started to slide into lameness (i.e. Monster Rancher 3). Admittedly this doesn’t completely scratch the itch like one of the console originals, but it does a decent enough job of whittling everything down into freemium-style pieces. Plus they brought back Monols, which is just flippin’ awesome.

This is the last stop on the Nostalgia Train, I swear. For this week, anyway.

Doodle Cat - It’s not quite a virtual pet and it’s not quite a game (sorta kinda), but it is mind-numbingly adorable. The way objects can be combined to create new objects, and that being the entire goal, is indeed familiar but now it involves keeping a fuzzy feline entertained. For my money – which actually doesn’t equate to much because the game’s free – I’d consider goofy cartoon cat interactions well worth my on-the-go time.

Spectral Souls - What’s that? A robust, “full-scale” tactical RPG on iOS? Funk yeah! It looks quite good, offers up quite a bit of content, and will doubtlessly please fans of the series. Probably of the genre, too. Full version IAP unlocks be damned, this has the makings of awesomeness.

Galaxy Life: Pocket Adventures - One of the first things that popped into my head when browsing the description for this one was “Man, there are a lot of **Notes**.” The second was a quote from one of the best TV shows ever; “With a warning label THIS big, you know they gotta be fun!” I suppose the colony building and persistent online world with lots of real time battles can stand on it’s own, but my goodness those warnings!

Ape Entertainment, purveyor of fine digital and print comic books, is at it again. This time, they're bringing runaway success of endless runner game Temple Run to the comic book format. It will be released both as a print book, available in comic book shops, and a digital download as its own separate app.

“Temple Run is by far one of my favorite adventure games on the App Store,” said David Hedgecock, CEO of Ape Entertainment. “The thrilling gameplay plays into our plans very nicely for an extraordinary storyline that we know fans will enjoy.”

Ape Entertainment may be better known as the publisher of the highly successful Pocket God comics as well as a Cut the Rope comic. They announced a licensing agreement with Imangi Studios, the developers of hit game Temple Run, which spawned an endless supply of clones with similar swipe and tilt mechanics.

“The Temple Run game left a lot to the imagination, with more questions than answers," said Keith Shepherd, CEO of Imangi Studios and a heck of a nice guy. "We look forward to exploring the world of Temple Run and the adventures of Guy Dangerous in more detail with Ape Entertainment and the comic series."

Source: Ape Entertainment
Via: Touch Arcade

The End of Days draws nearer. But rather than dwell on the inevitable destruction of the world, the Pygmies have been given a bit of a reprieve. Bolt Creative’s newest update to their sandbox of death involves a Pygmies-only dance club. Being Pocket God it should come as no surprise that the club comes with its own set of unique perils. It’s not called Dance Dance Execution for nothing.

Players can pull a balloon down from the ceiling and give it to a pygmy who will promptly suck out the helium and start to ramble a-la David After Dentist. Silly as that might be, the real fun can be found on the dance floor. Dragging a pygmy onto it will begin a Dance Dance Revolution-style mini-game in which the proper arrows must be matched or a massive disco ball will drop down and crush the little semi-naked rug cutter.

An all-new Dance Pack (available for $0.99) rounds out the new stuff, and includes more dance moves for the pygmies. Dropping one of them into the hanging go-go cage will get them boogying to a number of tunes, including the Pocket God theme. Pocket God Episode 45: Dance Dance Execution is live and available to download right now. So Macarena on over to the App Store and get to it.