It isn’t much of a surprise to see that Galaxy on Fire 2, one of the App Store’s most notable space adventures, is going to be getting a second in-game add-on pack. Let’s face it, the game is excellent and the added content from Valkyrie was more than welcome. FishLabs deciding to follow it up with a second batch of new things was only natural. Thus we have (or will have, really) Supernova.

Supernova is set to pick up right after the events of Valkyrie. Keith is taking it easy at the Deep Science space station, but it’s not long before another galactic peril makes itself known. The entire Mido sector suddenly finds itself threatened with annihilation as a supernova “of unknown origin” appears. Keith being Keith, he decides to get involved. The entire adventure is said to last “at least twice as long” as the previous add-on, with promises of 10 hours of gameplay, new mission types, more ships and more story.

Dates and pricing aren’t available at the moment, but it’s probably safe to assume it’ll cost about as much as Valkyrie ($4.99) and will be out sometime in the second quarter of this year. Be sure to keep a look out for release blurbs.

$9.99

Galaxy on Fire 2™

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Our Rating: :: IMPRESSIVE
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2010-10-27 :: Category: Games

Here’s a nice little surprise for Call of Duty fans: Activision just announced that it’s releasing Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies for iOS on December 1.

Black Ops Zombies is the successor to Activision’s 2009 experiment on the iOS platform, Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies. The game features similar gameplay to its predecessor, based on the gameplay from the zombies mode in the console version of Call of Duty: Black Ops. The game features first-person gameplay, utilizing the retina display.

There are also a number of improvements over the first Zombies foray on iOS. For one, Blacks Ops Zombies features Voice Chat using either the iPhone’s speakers or a Bluetooth headset. Additionally, this sequel adds four-player co-op via Wi-Fi or online matchmaking. Very cool. There is even an online ranking mode. It seems that Ideakworks Game Studios has really fledged out things with its sequel. The studio has also included three different control schemes. The first uses the accelerometer and has players use one thumb to move, one thumb to shoot and tilt their device to look around. The second uses a more dual analog-style approach – one thumb moves, the other looks. Finally, there’s a touch-style control scheme where one thumb moves and the entire right side of the screen is used to look and aim.

The game features the level Kino der Toten from the original Black Ops, as well as 50 levels from Dead-Ops Arcade. Activision says that the next level available for download will be Ascension, which will be available for free. There’s no official word on future map downloads and whether or not they’ll be free, but 1UP says that an Activision rep commented on the subject, saying the publisher has learned its lesson regarding charging extra for maps.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies has been optimized to run on any iOS device that supports iOS 4. It is available on the iTunes App Store today, December 1, for $6.99.

$6.99

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Our Rating: :: BRAINS!
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2011-12-01 :: Category: Games

Cave has released a number of shooters on the App Store, and virtually all of them have been very well-received. In the interest of preserving that tradition, they’ve just announced an iOS port of Bug Princess (also known as Mushihimesama). I’m hoping that I have all my facts straight, but bear with me here.

Mushihimesama was a big hit in Japanese arcades when it was released in 2004. Thanks in no small part to its “Manic” and “Ultra” modes, I’m sure. After all that success, Cave released a sequel – Mushihimesama Futari – in 2006, followed by a 2010 spin-off most iOS users should be familiar with at this point: Mushihimesama Bug Panic. Still with me? Good.

So, Cave is getting ready to release the original vertical-scrolling shooter Mushihimesama, now under the name Bug Princess on the App Store for our enjoyment. My head hurts a little now… Anyway, the original arcade title that led to the creation and release of Mushihimesama Bug Panic is headed our way. According to the developer, it’s going to be compatible with the iPhone4, 3GS, iPod Touch 3rd Gen and up, the iPad and iPad2, and will require OS 4.2 or higher.

There’s no specific release info yet aside from “winter 2011,” but there isn’t a whole lot of 2011 left so it won’t be too long a wait. As for pricing… Well, that’s still unannounced, but it’s a Cave game so I’d imagine it’ll range from $5 to $10 or so. Best get those App Store funds ready.

It’s one thing for slimy, slobbering aliens to go around stealing livestock. It’s something else entirely when they start pilfering cute little kitties. That’s crossing a line. On the other side of that line is a vengeance-fueled engine of mayhem and destruction hell-bent on recovering his lost friend while making his antagonizers wish they were never born. Or spawned. Or whatever the heck aliens do to reproduce. And his name is Dum Dum.

Gamelion has recently announced Monster Shooter, a soon to be released twin-stick shooter. Players will blast their way through all sorts of alien scum on three distinct worlds, featuring a humorous story and lots and lots of shooting. If they grow tired of the plot or structured level progression, there’s also a Survival Mode to put their skills to the test. And yes, the developers have mentioned that they’re already working on additional content which will be released as free updates in the future.

There’s no exact date for Monster Shooter‘s release just yet, but it should be out sometime this month. “… Within the next few weeks,” is the best I’ve got at the moment. Still, it looks funny and sounds entertaining. That combined with a non-existent price (read: it’s going to be free) makes it absolutely worth an inquisitive glance or two. Once it finally gets here, of course.