Tag: Osmos »

Polls are still open across the United States, and it will be a few more hours before we begin to get an idea for who the next president will be. No matter who you want to win, waiting is a stressful, anxiety-fuelled process. Don't drive yourself crazy! Instead, take a break from the news and try some of these ultra relaxing mobile games while you wait for the final results.

Osmos initially released on the iPad back in 2010 with an iPhone version releasing later, which makes the game practically ancient by App Store standards. The game just became relevant in 2012, as an update with Game Center multiplayer has been released. The rules vary based on the 6 map types available, which are based on modes with in the singleplayer game, but the goal is generally to absorb the other player, or some central object, before they do the same. Levels are designed to be symmetrical, so no one player has an advantage over the other.

This means that games often have an interesting pacing to them: a slow build-up as players try to carefully tread on their way to becoming bigger, then when a player gets the opportune moment to strike, a rapid chase occurs. Of course, sometimes what happens is that one player gets stuck, but might still win if the other player messes up. Or a player chasing after the other might think they have a clear shot at victory by absorption, before a larger mote comes along and drains them enough, sending them careening to their doom. It’s something that makes for a surprisingly great fit with the established gameplay, while adding a whole new dimension to it. The update is live on both the iPhone and iPad versions of the game.

Dang, it's August already. Time for Back To School Specials and the slow waning of summertime, at least in the northern hemisphere. Here's another weekly dose of new releases onto the App store from the past week. Enjoy!

Osmos - Apple's App of the week. Our first look here.
The #1 hit iPad game, now available for the iPhone, with full Retina display support! Enter the ambient world that GameAndPlayer called "a work of genius," and IGN called "a beautiful, absorbing experience." Osmos features elegant, physics-based gameplay, dreamlike visuals, and a beautiful electronic soundtrack. Your objective is to grow by absorbing other motes; propel yourself by ejecting matter behind you; but be wise: ejecting matter also shrinks you. Progress from serenely ambient levels into varied and challenging worlds.

Yertle The Turtle and The Big Brag - If you're like me, you've grown up on Dr. Seuss books. They're a cultural touchstone for many of us, reaching deep into our consciousness, ethics, and worldview. Now that I have kids of my own, it's become important to me to pass along these treasures. I can do so, now, right on my iPad or iPhone. These apps will read to your child, either with a tap on each page to advance the story, or auto advancing through the whole book. They'll also allow a more traditional book experience, with the "Read It Myself" option, for those big boys and girls in your life that are reading on their own.

Feeddler RSS Reader Pro for iPhone - Big Google Reader user? RSS fan? Feedler has quickly become the cream of the crop with their Universal App for the iPhone and iPad. They've just released an iPhone-only version, which comes in at 2.8 Mb, as compared to the 5.0 Mb of the Universal App. They're also selling it for $.99 as a launch special, so if you want just an iPhone version to help your device save a bit of space, this is the one to grab. The devs continue to add great features to the app, like unread list filters, mark as read synchronization and the like.

Loopseque for iPad - As a musician, I'm always having fun with music in some way. This new app looks to be a cross between a music beat creator and a rhythm game. The developers have tried to make it as simple and intuitive as possible, which could lend itself to some great experiences for kids as well as adults. Two modes provide the interface for pattern creation, Big Wheel mode (for easy pattern creation) and Wheel Matrix mode for switching quickly between patterns. There's even two team play modes, Tap and Sync. Save your patterns and load them for further editing or just listening.

LIFE Wonders of the World Photography Book - Retailing for $22 in the dead tree edition, this truly breathtaking photography coffee table book from the amazing photojournalists at LIFE magazine is priced for launch at a much lower $4.99. It's for your iPad, and wow won't you love paging through this. Wait, I mean wow won't you love showing your iPad off with a total of 100 images of 50 wonders of the world. While it doesn't look like you can set it up as a slideshow (yet), there is a clickable Table of Contents and a filmstrip tool for easier navigation.

Osmos, the PC, Mac, and Linux game from Hemisphere Games, has been in development for a long time for the iOS, initially for the iPhone and iPod touch, but its first release was for the iPad. Now the game is available on the platforms it was originally designed for, the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Osmos for the iPhone and iPod Touch features an identical set of content to the iPad release, just for the smaller screen devices. You control an organism that can absorb smaller ones, and you can shoot pieces of yourself to propel yourself about the various arenas and game modes Osmos provides. The game comes with support for the iPhone 4's Retina Display as well, and is available on the App Store right now for $2.99.

The iPad version was well received by iPad owners, making it the number one game on the App Store shortly after release. I too a look at the iPad version and found it to be beautifully designed and a treat to play. This port should hopefully maintain the quality of the original computer versions and the iPad version.