Tag: Action platformer »

What do you think of when I mention fur underwear, lots of muscles, and a really big sword? Okay, it calls a couple of different pop-culture icons to mind but what if I include flowing blond locks and an alter-ego that wears pink tunics? Couldn’t be anyone other than He-Man, could it? Well it is. And The Most Powerful Man in the Universe is getting The Most Powerful Game in the Universe at the end of the month by way of GlitchSoft (Destructopus, Star Marines) and Chillingo.

The developers have teamed-up with Mattel in order to bring the App Store an interactive celebration of the iconic 80’s action figure’s - I mean action hero’s - 30th anniversary. Hem-Man: The Most Powerful Game in the Universe is quite possibly the first iOS Tap n’ Slash, too. Players will tear through several different environments and over 25 levels throughout Eternia as they attempt to thwart Skeletor yet again. The game features destructible environments, un-lockable and upgradeable attacks, hidden artwork, a very tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, and a surprisingly clever control scheme. I didn’t get the chance to play around with it at all but it looks pretty intuitive with the left side for the screen used exclusively for movement and the right for jumping, attacking, and a bunch of special moves.

The glorious homage to one of the manliest toys ever to have graced the 1980s - with its self-referential humor, giant boss battles, and promise of more content in the form of new playable characters and levels in the future - is due out in the App Store at the end of the month, specifically October 25th. I wasn’t able to get a solid price point but it should go for between $0.99 and $1.99. Very soon we’ll all HAAAAVE THE POWEEEEEER! Make sure to use it wisely.

Being a cute and cuddly critter must really suck. It seems like the more adorable something is, the more likely it'll be harassed by zombies or space aliens or something. In the case of Kung Fu Rabbit it's decidedly the latter. An entire village of fluffy bunny children has been abducted and it's up to the lone remaining Kung Fu master to bring them all home.

Players will jump, slide, wall-jump/slide and beat the tar out of baddies throughout 70 levels. With two different difficulty modes, no less. Carrots can be earned and spent on various accouterments, lending a bit of a personal touch to each individual's rabbit. Some will no doubt also like to know that Kung Fu Rabbit will support Airplay (720p), iCloud and the iCade.

Release details are still a bit lacking in specificity, but Kung Fu Rabbit should be making its way onto the App Store in early March. There's also no official word on a price, but it's going to be universal so at least we know

When I first played Terra Noctis, I came away with an incredibly positive opinion. Sure it had its share of problems. In fact, it had a ton of small ones. However it was still a cool platformer that was well worth the somewhat hefty (comparably) price of $2.99 at the time. The cost has dropped down to $0.99 since then, but even that might be "too much" some some frugal shoppers. Which is why BulkyPix has brought in Everyplay Interactive to adapt a special free-to-play edition they're calling Terra Noctis: Free Dreaming.

Free Dreaming is more or less the exact same game, albeit with a few noticeable adjustments (and a lot that aren't so noticeable). It is, of course, free. Players can enjoy the same level of content found in the original, purchase power-ups in the shop, unlock levels with red fairies, etc... The freemium content is there, mostly in the form of purchasable fairies, but refusing to pay doesn't gate off content so much as evenly pace its distribution. With the exception of a "Fairy Cloner" that permanently doubles the amount of fairies earned, it can all be acquired normally with a bit of patience.

In addition to the new payment (or lack thereof) model, as well as some stylish hats, there have been a number of small improvements that add up to make this the version to own. The Pumpkin Shop is accessible from anywhere, even mid-level. The shop's interface is much easier to navigate. Virtually all of the tiny bugs and crashes have been squashed.

This definitive edition of one of the App Store's best (and prettiest) platformers is available right now. And as I've already said it's completely free. No more excuses, people.

I'm not entirely certain of the story behind TheColossusAge. I recall owning the exact same game, using assets from the exact same source (Moffee), only it was called "Wharr: The Colossus Age." This game had since been pulled from the App Store. Now it's apparently back under a new name. Yeah, I've got no idea what happened or why. Regardless, it's the same game it's always been and is a game I'd like to talk a bit about.

TheColossusAge is what most iOS gamers would refer to as a "Jumper" or possibly platformer. As with other games in the genre the point is to tilt the device from side to side in order to land on platforms so that the character can bounce up to the next level of footholds and so on. Unlike other games in the genre, it's not endless. Each stage is actually a massive boss fight of sorts, with the Orc Queen facing off against a number of colossi. Navigating from platform to platform is still essential, but players also have to contend with falling spiky things, changes in wind direction and the colossus itself. They can swipe with a finger a handful of times between each jump in order to directly damage these giants, as well as destroy those pesky pointy obstacles. It sounds tough, and it is, but thankfully any cash earned through victory can be spent to upgrade the Orc Queen with various special passive abilities (i.e. earn more gold, do more damage, etc...).

The very concept behind TheColossusAge is what makes it so interesting. The need to constantly chip away at the colossus' health while maintaining control and planning that next touch-down is unlike anything I've experienced in another iOS jumper. Being able to upgrade also keeps things from getting stale as the improved abilities can make quite a difference.

On the flip-side, there isn't a whole heck of a lot of variety to it. Granted that's the nature of the genre, but each colossus amounts to more of a scenery change than anything significantly different. They get tougher, but that's about it. The complete and total lack of any sort of music also makes the game feel more devoid of life than it really should. Sound effect are there, but everything seems so empty without any background tunes to accompany them.

Still for a one-dollar jumping game that isn't already well known by 95% of all iOS users, TheColossusAge can be pretty fun. It's certainly not as robust as other more popular games in the genre but it offers a more unique experience. One that I'd gladly recommend to people who enjoy this kind of stuff.

Egg Ball and BulkyPix are about to release a new platformer on the App Store. Please hold all sarcastic golf claps until I've finished. It's not exactly an under-represented genre, but JAZZ: Trump's Journey certainly looks to be a stand-out title.

It's not just the traipsing through New Orleans circa the 1920's. It's also the awesomely stylized graphics, as well as the plot (inspired by the life of one Louis Armstrong no less) involving bringing jazz music to life for the first time in human history. Then there's the way the game's music will build, layer upon layer, as Trump begins recruiting musicians. There's so much about this game that sounds awesome.

Of course, we'll have to wait for it to come out before knowing if it lives up to expectations. It certainly looks like it will, though. Fortunately it won't be an incredibly long wait. JAZZ: Trump's Journey is scheduled for a universal January 19th release. No word yet on a price but I'm going to assume that whatever it is, it'll be worth it.