The developer who helped bring Sonic CD to mobile platforms in a flawless port is back with a new port, this time of the original Sonic the Hedgehog. Christian Whitehead has brought his remastering touch to the Sonic game that started it all, dramatically improving and modernizing the emulated Genesis version currently on the App Store. Thanks to the rebuilt game's new native engine, the graphics now support the Retina Display, widescreen, and the iPad. The virtual controls are improved as well, and some minor tweaks and improvements to pathing that will make the game play better than ever.
For extras, there's the ability to see the US, EU, or JP version of the Sonic 1 cart in the menu, and to play a new Time Attack mode. This revamp releases in April, and will be a free update for those who already own Sonic 1 on the App Store, and will be available on Android as well with gamepad support.
SEGA, Sonic and Runner fans can now enjoy Sonic Dash for free. In addition to the free price, Sonic Dash has also been updated, adding daily challenges and rewards for players. Also, the obstacles have been fixed so players will no longer stumble into unavoidable death. Yes!
Sega announced today that Puzzle Pirates, currently on PC, is coming to the iPad as well and will feature cross-platform gameplay with the PC version. Puzzle Pirates lets players customize their own buccaneer and experience a world with over 20 interactive solo and multiplayer puzzles to complete.
SEGA showed off a bunch of new games today at the Games Developer's Conference in San Francisco. One promising iPad/Browser game, developed by Gogogic Games, is Godsrule: War of Mortals, a city-building, battling, real time combat game that's playable on iPad and any desktop browser. We're excited by the depth of strategy we saw, including character upgrades, real-time battles, and clan-based trading and resource production. This one should be out in the next couple of months.
Megan Fox of Glass Bottom Games discusses Jones on Fire, why she decided to switch the game from a free-to-play title with IAP to a game that will be paid without any IAP whatever, and why she feels this way. As well, she discusses why she doesn't consider it to be necessarily a 'higher standard' to be paid with IAP, why she doesn't see premium games on Android to be a lost cause, and the surprise about Jones on Fire's protagonist.
Brett Nolan politely listens to Carter rant about Sonic Dash and why he feels Sega is mis-managing the Sonic series.
Football Manager Handheld 2013 dropped its price from $9.99 to $4.99, letting you get addicted to managing your favorite football teams for a heck of a lot less cash. Don't worry though, you may still have time for other things as I was able to get away from the pitch long enough to tell you this!
From the creators of Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit comes a brand new associated iOS title, Hell Yeah! Pocket Inferno. You return as Ash, the prince of hell, in this side-scrolling action title, riding a deadly jetpack driller and blasting your way through gruesome monsters to avoid deadly obstacles.
•The simplicity of two button gameplay.
•50 unique levels set in 5 different worlds.
•Avoid obstacles whilst thrusting through the game in the high-speed jetpack action.
•Break through walls and kill monsters using cool weapons including a machine gun and a rocket launcher.
•Defeat more than 30 monsters and collect their tokens
•Collect gold and unlock 50 new masks and jetpack skins!
•Find the Doom Token hidden within each level to unlock secret areas
Sega has just released another classic game from the Dreamcast days - Jet Set Radio. Tag and grind your way to the beat of this super retro, much-beloved arcade rhythm game, now with new swipe-based controls, retina display, 29 of the 30 original tunes, and Gamecenter support.
It's an endless Sonic game, finally! Except it's an endless jumper, and comes with few creative elements to add to the genre, and little to appeal to Sonic fans.
Developer: Sega Price: $4.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPad 2
Graphics / Sound Rating: Game Controls Rating: Gameplay Rating: Replay Value Rating:
[rating:overall]
It’s a funny coincidence that just the other day we were talking about 3D games from the late 90’s and early 2000’s making their revival on iOS, because Crazy Taxi just got released for iOS. Controlling a taxi driver in one of two cities inspired by San Francisco, it’s all about picking up fares and taking them to their destination as quickly as possible, ignoring traffic laws because those are stupid. There’s different types of fares to pick up, with the color above their head representing how far it will take to get to the destination, but also how much money can be earned. There’s an overall timer and a timer for each fare, and if the fare timer runs out, then no money is earned, and if the overall timer runs out, it’s game over.
Crazy Taxi is a perfect fit for mobile: the game sessions only last a few minutes, so they’re great for pick-up-and-play sessions, and the amped-up pace keeps things interesting. The gas/brake and forward/reverse gear controls have been combined, which makes it easier to pull off a lot of the more advanced maneuvers, which is almost a good thing. The touch controls actually work really well, they feel like using the d-pad on the Dreamcast version, and the tilt controls work for those who actually like to drive their cars by "steering" them. I feel like I did as well as I did in the original game, and that’s all I really want from a port like this.
Thankfully, the soundtrack is even the same as it was before, consisting of 3 songs each by The Offspring and Bad Religion. It would have been easy for Sega to cheap out and leave the drum riff from “Change The World” that’s used as the main menu music out, but they kept it in. Is it all a bit repetitive? Sure, but they form such an integral part of the game’s character that to not have them would just make the game feel like it has something truly missing. In fact, the only thing missing is the licensed drop-off points, so instead of taking customers to KFC, they’re going to Fried Chicken Shack. That’s literally it: everything else from the Dreamcast version is faithfully represented, including the Crazy Box challenges.
I’m absolutely in love with Crazy Taxi on iOS: it’s a fantastic port of a bona fide classic. Maybe I’m being clouded by nostalgia, and forgiving the little things that annoy me nowadays, like the wonky-at-times physics and driving, but I don’t care. It’s Crazy Taxi wherever I want to go, and faithfully represented. The game is still quite original, and worth checking out for anyone who loves this title or missed it on the first go-around.
The game that reminds me the most of the Sega Dreamcast, Crazy Taxi, has finally been ported to iOS. It is imperative that if you usually play games without sound that you turn on sound for this one.
