This week at 148Apps.com things got a little bizarre, as Jennifer Allen spotlighted the various iOS projects that have risen since Bizarre Creations was disbanded: “In January 2011, British games developer Bizarre Creations was closed by Activision. Looking through the games that Bizarre were responsible for, it’s no surprise that many fans were hugely disappointed to see its closure. Racing titles such as the Project Gotham Racing series were seen by many as the pinnacle of racing games, with similar successes coming from the retro shooter Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved and the cartoony Fur Fighters. Unfortunately, despite the release of arcade racer Blur and James Bond 007: Blood Stone in 2010, it wasn’t enough and Bizarre Creations was dissolved.

What happened next, though? And why am I talking about console games on 148Apps? Because a number of new gaming studios rose from Bizarre’s flames, many of them iOS focused. Recently, I got the chance to see how things are progressing for a few of them.

Want to know more? Read the full article at 148Apps.

$0.99

David Haye's Knockout

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-06-10 :: Category: Games

GiggleApps.com got all mathematical on us this week with a review of Squeebles Fractions. Writer Amy Solomon says, “Squeebles Fractions is an interesting app to help children to understand fractions, creating a bright, colorful world in which to practice their math skills. I admire the cake theme found throughout this app, as players are able to, within the first section of this app, serve pieces of a cake to waiting monster-like Squeebles characters which correspond to a fraction seen on the screen, really helping children visualize the fractions they are working with.”

Read the full review at GiggleApps.

$1.99

Squeebles Fractions

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-09-09 :: Category: Education

And on AndroidRundown.com, Joseph Bertolini focused his KickStarter spotlight on iMpulse Game Controller. He writes, “Welcome, iMpulse, a tiny rectangular controller that is small enough to comfortably fit on any keychain. iMpulse was specifically designed to go onto keychains because they are with the player constantly. Anytime they leave the house their keys must go with them along with the phone; meaning that at anytime, gaming with a controller is possible. At about the width of an average palm iMpulse is small but it does not seem too small where it would be frustrating or unusable. Oh, and did I mention that it will help locate lost keys? For me, as forgetful as they come, this is almost more than worth the price of the whole device, gaming notwithstanding.”

Read more about this new device on AndroidRundown.

With that, we’re done with this week’s wrap-up. Join us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news, reviews and contests, and check out this post every week for a recap of the stuff you need to know. Ciao!

Coming soon to the app store is Hard Lines – a game that appears to happily capture the spirit of Pac-Man, Snake and Geometry Wars all in one go.

Like all the best arcade style games, Hard Lines is all about how long the player can last. Players must guide Lionel the line through the Geometry Wars style arena, ensuring that they don’t collide with an enemy’s tail (just like Snake).

Gaining the best high score is the order of the day here with OpenFeint support allowing for global comparisons, and there will be 6 different gameplay modes providing some fresh but fast paced entertainment. Developers, Split Milk Studios, promise a good healthy dash of humor too so it’ll be interesting to see how that works out in the full product.

Hard Lines will be available on the App Store in the near future and we’ll be sure to provide more information soon. For now, take a look at the screenshot gallery and trailer below.

I know this may be slightly blasphemous to say on a site like 148apps.com, but portable gaming, even iOS gaming in particular, owes quite a bit of its success to the proliferation of consoles.  Many of the ideas that are pioneered on platforms like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 eventually find their way to the iOS in one form or another.  This isn’t a bad thing, it just leads to issues when developers try to shoehorn console centric gamestyles onto a device that lacks the proper control mechanisms.

One such game that has made its impact on iOS platform in the form of numerous different titles is Geometry Wars.  Despite Activision actually releasing a proper Geometry Wars title, many other developers have found inspiration in everything from the control scheme and mechanics, to the futuristic art style.  Chillingo’s (now part of EA Mobile’s publishing wing) upcoming iPad release, Infinity Field, seems to be doing a little more than just borrowing ideas, as you can see in their most recent debut trailer.

As becomes very evident after viewing this footage, Chillingo is looking to bring their own perspective to the genre that Bizarre Creations built.  Featuring boss battles to go along with the standard barrage of enemies might go a long way toward helping to distinguish Infinity Field from Activison’s prior offering.  It will also be interesting to see what kinds of power-ups and weaponry are also added to the experience, seeing as how this was very limited in Geometry Wars.

If nothing else, Infinity Field looks like it could be a strong contender, given its iPad specific focus.  Using all of the extra real estate on screen that the device exclusively has, could make for very intense action, pending the controls are as solid as they look to be.  Clocking in at only $1.99, it might be worth giving a look and letting us know what you think in the comments.

$1.99

Infinity Field HD

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-01-27 :: Category: Games

It’s Friday! Hurray! Of course, for me it’s summer vacation and Fridays aren’t quite as exciting. But, we’ve still got our traditional sampling of delightful new releases from the past week, so that’s something. Big names like ngmoco and Illusion Labs make an appearance this week, as well as a few more mainstream companies like ESPN. Enjoy!

Godfinger
Godfinger from ngmoco allows you to build up a little world of cartoony followers and exert your godly powers on them. In Godfinger, you can be a kind, caring deity—performing Wonders and helping your civilization prosper—or a wicked demagogue, leaving a path of destruction in your wake. You can control sun, rain, lightning, floods, and fire. As you play Godfinger, your actions shape the terrain and your populace’s opinion. It’s almost ngmoco’s answer to Pocket God. Go on, give it a try and test out your godly abilities…Godfinger, like many of ngmoco’s newer games, is free.

FREE!

GodFinger

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-06-17 :: Category: Games :: Action

Geometry Wars: Touch
Geometry Wars was already a classic Xbox game, but it made its iPad debut back in March. Now, it’s a universal app, meaning that iPhone and iPod owners can get in on the action! Geometry Wars is a simplistic arcade shooter with basic, geometric graphics and a strong retro theme. It also was one of the first major games to make good use of the dual-stick shooter system that’s so popular on the App Store today. The iPhone/iPad version also includes a brand-new mode, Titan, in which you gradually break giant foes apart into swarms of smaller pieces.

$0.99

Geometry Wars™: Touch

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-04-01 :: Category: Games

ESPN Pinball
In honor of the World Cup, ESPN has a released a pinball app with some football-themed tables (ahem, soccer for us Americans). There’s also a Basketball table. The new pinball app is full of flashy graphics and boasts pass-and-play multiplayer, global and local leaderboards, and voice-overs from ESPN Sports Center host Jay Harris. It’s a marriage of a TV network, sports, and pinball…if that sounds a little strange, well, it is, but the game looks like some solid pinball fun nevertheless.

$1.99

ESPN Pinball

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-06-14 :: Category: Sports

Onion News Network
Where would we be without the Onion? In case you haven’t heard of this magnificent publication, the Onion is a completely satirical news network with both an online and a print publication. (Yes, that’s right: you can get a real Onion newspaper.) Their stories are funny, witty, snide, and clever; you’d be crazy not to enjoy browsing them. The Onion’s new app gives you mobile access to the entire Onion archives, including both textual stories and videos. There’s not much more to say: it’s a typical newspaper app. The only difference is that the Onion is anything but a serious, esteemed publication. It’s here to make you grin, and, perhaps, think.

FREE!

Onion News Network

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-06-11 :: Category: News

Foosball HD
Illusion Labs has long expressed an interest in touchscreen gaming on larger screens (think back to their tabletop demo of Touchgrind) and now they’ve released an impressive iPad-only title: Foosbal HD. Foosball HD takes full advantage of the iPad’s large screen, transforming it into a top-down view of a foosball table designed perfectly for “local multiplayer”: both you and your friend just play foosball! You can also play against the computer, of course, but multiplayer is the real draw. Foosball seems like a natural fit for the iPad, and it’s great to see Illusion Labs putting the iPad to good use. Sorry, iPhone users; this one isn’t for us.

$2.99

Foosball HD

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-06-11 :: Category: Games