I play games on my iPhone a lot, as I’m sure many of you reading this do. The thing is, while many iOS games are great in their own right and function well for gaming in small bursts or extended sessions, there aren’t a whole heck of a lot that can be picked up, played, and stopped at the drop of a hat. Oh sure most can be suspended but I’m talking about games that actually allow you to quit entirely and come right back to where you left off no matter how long that may take. Games that auto-save constantly, can be saved at any time with a single button press, stuff like that. Here are our picks for four of the best.
Penny Arcade The Game: Gamers vs. Evil
Most of Playdek’s card games fall into this category but I’ve chosen this one because it’s the most recent. And because I happen to really like it. Gamers vs. Evil tracks progress in each match, however many there might be at once spread out over single and multiplayer modes. This means you can play a single hand or even stop in the middle of one, quit for whatever reason, and then start it right back up again from wherever it left off. It’s as perfect for micro-gaming sessions as it is for lengthy ones.
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-12-19 :: Category: Games
Junk Jack
I’ve been thoroughly enjoying this 2D Minecraft-like since its release for many reasons, but it’s the save system that’s always impressed me the most. Pausing the game at any point will save progress automatically, so stopping at a moment’s notice is never a problem. Even more impressive is the way Jack’s inventory can be saved and transferred between worlds, so even if you get tired of your current game you can always start a new one and keep all your cool stuff.
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-11-07 :: Category: Games
Game Dev Story
Kairosoft’s first iOS release continues to be their greatest as far as I’m concerned, but really all of their games are perfect for quick starts and stops of game time. That big Save button sitting on the main screen for every single one of their titles that saves progress instantly makes it incredibly easy to stop what you’re doing and get back to actual work. Not that I’m condoning that sort of behavior, of course.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-10-09 :: Category: Games
Zenonia 5
Much like Kairosoft, GAMEVIL also has the handy Save button down pat. Their action RPG series is plenty of fun and this most recent release is absolutely packed with features, and yet they’ve (thankfully) kept the one that makes it the easiest to play whenever and wherever. It’s comforting to know I can tap once to save and then bolt off of my train without having to worry about losing all that progress.
Gamevil’s hit RPG for the iPhone, Zenonia, is getting kind of old…actually, it’s been on the App Store for almost exactly a year. While I loved it at the time, the App Store moves quickly, and the passing time has allowed competitors like Inotia 2 to try and steal a piece of the RPG pie. Often, they include features that the original Zenonia lacks.
It’s good news, then, that the folks at Gamevil are preparing to answer their adversaries with the long-awaited Zenonia 2: The Lost Memories. The sequel is being submitted to Apple’s approval process by the end of this week. To add fanfare to the upcoming release, Gamevil has also released a new promo video. Careful…it’s got a scary butterfly-girl in it.
The video covers some of the game’s new features as compared to the original Zenonia title. We’ve heard many of them before: you can play four different characters with different storylines and abilities; there’s asynchronous multiplayer; in addition to Normal mode, dedicated gamers can also take on Hard and Hell modes. I don’t recall hearing about the “costumes” before, though. Check the video to see the new perks narrated by a perky Asian girl with butterfly wings. I kid you not.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Posted December 23rd, 2009 by Bonnie Eisenman Our Rating: :: MEDIOCRE
For a free game, Seed 1 is certainly good; however, as an RPG, endless fetch-quests, flawed controls, and a botched translation job mar an otherwise promising game.
Gamevil has just released a new teaser for their upcoming game HYBRID: Eternal Whisper, which is set to release in the US App Store this Fall. The product of the same team behind the amazing RPG Zenonia, HYBRID has a lot of promise. Gamevil’s calling HYBRID a “a new breed of stylish action adventure,” and it looks like it’ll focused more on combat and special moves than on a storyline. There will be 150 levels, a complex storyline, and plenty of challenge. If Zenonia’s success and level of polish is anything to go by, HYBIRD should delight the hardcore gaming crowd.
Gamevil doesn’t have a huge App Store presence on this side of the ocean yet (their only games with English localizations are Zenonia and Baseball Superstars) but from what I understand, they’ve got a solid presence in Korea. Like their other two US releases, HYBRID will be a port from a popular Korean title.
Gamevil is the fantastic company behind Zenonia and Baseball Superstars. I recently had the chance to review their latest game, Zenonia, and it blew me away; you can read my review here, but suffice to say that I thought it clearly surpassed other RPGs in the App Store. While the Korean-based company has only released two games in the US App Store so far (the other Baseball Superstars), both have been very well-received.
The president of Gamevil USA, Kyu Lee, generously agreed to answer a few questions about Zenonia, Gamevil, and the App Store in general. He has some really interesting and intriguing insights—it’s not often that we get to hear things from a mobile game developer’s point of view.
Parts of this interview were also used in my Search for Satisfaction editorial, but there’s plenty of additional content here!
Bonnie Eisenman (148apps): Hi, Kyu, and thanks for taking the time to do this! For starters, what inspired you guys to make Zenonia? I don’t just mean “why make an RPG”–I mean, “why make a good RPG?”
Kyu Lee (Gamevil): We’ve been developing and publishing mobile games since 2000 in South Korea. One of the most popular categories in South Korea is Role-Playing Games, and it is an extremely competitive category. We “had” to make good RPG games in order to survive through the tough competition. We have been developing RPG games ever since we launched “Last Warrior” in 2001, the first RPG mobile game in Korea, which was less than 50KB. ZENONIA was a project decided to be done after we launched our multiplayer network game, “Path of a Warrior”. Continue reading Interview with Gamevil (Developers of Zenonia and Baseball Superstars) »
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Posted May 25th, 2009 by Bonnie Eisenman Our Rating: :: EXCEPTIONAL RPG
Zenonia showcases what iPhone RPGs should look like. Sure, it has its flaws; the generic plot doesn't do it any favors. But beautiful graphics and amazing depth make this a must-have for most RPG fans.
CultofMac reports that, for the next 48 hours, Calendars+ by Readdle can be downloaded for free. The app works with Google Calendar and the built-in iOS Calendar and lets you manage your work, either online or offline, with an easy to use interface to navigate through. It’s originally priced at $6.99 and will return to [...]
:: PLAY IT.
Gamevil’s hit RPG for the iPhone, 
The president of Gamevil USA, Kyu Lee, generously agreed to answer a few questions about Zenonia, Gamevil, and the App Store in general. He has some really interesting and intriguing insights—it’s not often that we get to hear things from a mobile game developer’s point of view.
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