Tag: E3 »

Sitting down with Michael Marzola today, President of Run Games, we got to take a quick look at his company's new arcade football game, Football Heroes. It's not your typical football game, either, with some Techmo Bowl and League of Legends game mechanics thrown into the chaos.

Check out the video below for a quick look, and stay tuned here for more details and a review when the game goes live once football season starts in the real world.

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We got a chance to take a look at off of the 5 story arcs included in the Walking Dead DLC to be released next month, 400 Days. The expansion to season one of The Walking Dead contains the stories of 5 new characters taking place during the first 400 days of the zombie apocalypse. The setting is in and around a truck stop in Georgia near where the events of season one take place.

Though they can be played in any order, the paths of the 5 stories overlap and intermingle in ways that will be both apparent and subtle. Once the story of all five paths is complete, it will tie in to season one and give a good indication of where season two will take us.

The Walking Dead 400 Days will be released to the App Store as a $4.99 IAP in July.

I went to the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) this year for the first time. The event is a sprawling, industry-level spectacle with huge press conferences during the first couple of days and then a ton of booth appointments and special behind-closed-doors meetings for industry insiders and outsiders alike.

The surprising thing to me this year was the prevalence of mobile gaming across all strata of the gaming conference, from heavy hitter console makers like Microsoft to newcomers with tons of cash, like Korean-based WeMade Games. In addition to stalwart, veteran publishers like Disney, EA / Chillingo and Gree, there were iPad and iPhone games on offer from traditional console game companies like Majesco (Legends of Loot, Sci Fi Heroes), Ubisoft (Watch Dogs with cross-play to iPad, Assassin's Creed: Utopia), and Square-Enix (Final Fantasy Dimensions).

Even Microsoft got into the act with SmartGlass, a new initiative that will let users control their Xbox consoles from their iPads, with the potential to interact on a game by game level in the near future. I'm pretty excited about this concept, to be honest.

Similarly, Sony Online Entertainment demoed Planetside 2, a massively multiplayer online first person shooter for the PC, with a killer feature: the iPad app that comes along with it. This app will let users voice chat (!!) in real time (!!!) with other faction members, access maps that are synced with live servers, and see a ton of info about weapons, armor, etc. Pretty darn slick, if you ask me.

And don't get me started about the brobdingnagian and competing mobile publishing booths placed a small walkway apart from each other on the show floor. Juggernaut Gree had a booth bigger than many small countries, with Korean-based newcomer WeMade Games a tiny Angry Birds slingshot distance away. Ignoring the games for a moment, the two companies vied for attention with bright lights, attractively clad women, and - in Gree's case - drink coupons for an on-site bar.

All in all, E3 was a blast, and incredibly instructive. Console makers, PC game publishers, and the folks from Japan and Korea have it figured out: iOS gaming is here to stay.

This week, 148Apps was all about Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2012. Take, for instance, Carter Dotson's report on new Xbox 360 features that may allow iOS integration: "At Microsoft’s E3 press conference, they revealed an interesting new feature that will integrate smartphones and tablets to the Xbox 360. Called SmartGlass, this is designed to operate a second screen during games, movies, and TV shows. This means that hypothetically, a game could display a map on the tablet screen, or even integrate interactive game elements like maps and play-calling in sports games.

Read more about this latest innovation at 148Apps.com.

Our kids-centric site, GiggleApps, reviewed Give A Day HD, which, as reviewer Amy Solomon states, "is a thoughtful children’s book app that helps create discussions between children and their adults about the world bigger than their families, as this app brings the topic of less fortunate children to the attention of young readers. This app is also available as an app for iPhone as well and is also part of the PlayTales Reader application."

Read Amy's complete review at GiggleApps.com.

And finally, 148Apps.biz covered the big news that Google acquired iPad app QuickOffice. Writer Kevin Stout states, "Quickoffice, the mobile document editing software (that particularly handles documents from the Microsoft Office suite well), has been acquired by Google. Announced on Google’s official blog, Google plans to intergrate Quickoffice‘s technology in to their own Apps product suite."

Read Kevin's full post at 148Apps.biz.

Our week that was is now did and done. If you'd like to keep up with the latest reviews, news and contests, all you have to do is click the links to follow us on Twitter or Like us on Facebook. That wasn't so hard, was it? I didn't think so. See you next weekend, fellow chupacabras!

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you were in a free fall, with nothing to stop your infinite drop into nothingness?  Well in our last game of E3 2011, we got the chance to relive just that experience, except we were blocks, roughly shaped as savannah creatures.  That's right, I said SAVANNAH CREATURES!  TransGaming Studios were proud to show off their newest creation, KULA BLOX, and believe me when I say that it is far more fun then you could ever imagine from my lackluster description.

Players are put in control of a rapidly descending beast and burdened with the task of avoiding collisions with creatures that are a larger block size then themselves.  Animals that are smaller than you, however, are supposed to become a snack for your ever growing critter.  The more of these prey gobbled up, the larger your block becomes, allowing you to stalk even larger creatures.

Adding another level to the complexity, players get to choose their plummeting predatory avatar of choice, each of which has their own unique powers and abilities.  At launch there will even be a store available where you can purchase even more powers and upgrades to make your character the "King of the Animal Kingdom."

Even from the limited time I was able to spend with the KULA BLOX, it was apparent that it will have a widespread appeal amongst the hardcore and casual alike.  Where the gameplay will get you hooked, but the leaderboards and built-in trash talking system that integrates with twitter will keep you coming back time and time again.  You can expect to see the game hit the App Store sometime in the next couple of months.  Until then, however, feast your eyes on these screenshots to satiate your hunger for jungle meat.  Enjoy the hunt!

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Thanks to the invention of services like the PlayStation Minis, porting games from iOS to consoles has become a fairly common practice.  This process has primarily been a one way street until recently, when SEGA announced that they had plans to move their console title Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing to the iOS.  Everyone's favorite hedgehog and his buddies should be invading your iOS device of choice very soon, but that didn't stop us from taking it out for a spin at E3 2011.

The first thing that stands out about the title is that you won't be stuck buying separate copies for your iPad and iPod touch.  That's right folks, it is a universal app!  All of that said, you don't need to worry about a lackluster overblown version of the smaller devices on the iPad, because the visuals seem to pop on both.  While yes, the visuals are definitely more refined on the iPad, the amount of detail is scaled down to run on all of your other devices admirably well. In fact, SEGA's representatives were quick to point out that the game will run on any devices that are iOS 4.0 compatible.

Once the green light flashed, we were off to the races using a select number of different characters that are included in the console iterations.  The tracks are also a sampling of what is found on the full game, but rest assured that there will likely be DLC expansions to the game that will add more content.  Whether these are free or paid for are still up in the air, but regardless, if what I played was any indication, players will want everything you can snag.  Oh, and did I mention multiplayer?  There will be both local and online multiplayer available at launch that will accommodate for matches between folks on both iPad and iPhone.

Look for Sonic and his high speed com padres to come racing onto the iOS very soon.



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For Chillingo's final trick of E3 2011 they showed of the new puzzle platfomer Blobster.  As you can imagine with a name like Blobster you are placed in control of, guess what, A BLOB!  Your blob is trying to do its part to protect the environment from an evil corporation bent on polluting everything.  I bet you didn't ever predict playing a game with hippie undertones...

Like any form of mutateable matter, this interesting creature has the ability to traverse right and left using tilt controls, or jump using an intriguing bungie mechanic.  The best way that this can be explained it to imagine your blob as a slingshot.  After pressing your finger on the screen in its relative position, you can slide your finger backwards and aim potential flight trajectory.  Once your finger is lifted off of the screen, the goo is slung in whatever direction selected.

Power ups can be collected throughout the navigation of the game's four worlds, all of which have a different effect on how the blob interacts with the environment around them.  In addition, enemies can also be jumped on, Super Mario Bros. style, in an effort to clear your path.  The key to completing each stage is paying close attention to how Blobby (as I like to call him) can have different effects on the world around him.

If nothing else, the enchanting art direction of Blobster should have no trouble winning over audiences everywhere.  Its disarming appeal is both lighthearted and fun, while also having a challenging edge that will appeal to the hardcore masses everywhere.  Make no mistake, while this is a game for kids, there is more than enough substance to keep adults entranced for hours.  Pay close attention, because Blobster is scheduled to fling itself onto the App Store by the end of the month.



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Next up in the Chillingo gauntlet of awesomeness was a game that was very obviously catering to the kind of audience that would have appreciated the publisher's prior smash hit, Cut The Rope.  No, Roll In The Hole isn't a sequel or even really a spiritual successor as much as it is borrowing from a very similar graphical art style and simplistic control scheme.  That said, not only is the game aesthetically pleasing, but the easy to grasp controls will surely catapult the game to the top of many's "must own" list.

Players are placed placed in control of a portly panda that is shaped like a giant beachball. This poor misshapen mammal is not only lost, but is in dire need of sustenance of the ice cream variety.  Sure, his doctor may be advising against massive lactose consumption, but the overweight heart wants what the heart wants.  In order to snag these frozen snacks and reach the end of each of Roll In The Hole's seventy two levels, the goal is to guide the gentle giant from left to right, using only a simple touch to the left or right side of the screen.

While navigation may be easy, the different terrains make it more difficult for this panda to move.  Ice, sand and grass all have different amounts of drag and effect how quickly your bear rotates and gains momentum.  Making matters even crazier, the ridiculously and purposefully ludicrous plot-line will take you anywhere from a desert to outer space!

If you couldn't tell already, this is the kind of game that is not concerned with being taken too seriously.  For that very reason, I can't help but think that it will be a smashing success.  Roll In The Hole has a little bit of something for everyone and come on, how could you not want to download the game when you see how adorable it is?  It should be rolling onto the App Store later this July.



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Developer RedLynx is well known for their PC and Xbox LIVE Arcade hits Trials and Trials HD.  With the help of Chillingo, the independent studio is looking to follow up their 2009 freshmen release of DrawRace on iOS with a new sequel.  This isn't just any sequel though, it is a MASSIVE update to the game that was number one in the App Store in seventeen countries worldwide.

For those that are unfamiliar with the original iOS game, the title revolved around using your finger to successfully draw your car's path around a race course twice.  The faster you drew, the faster the car would go, while as you also might assume, the slower your drew, the slower your vehicle drove.  Once you had finished drawing your laps the race would then commence with your car facing off against others on the track.  The problem with this game design was that it lacked the actual feedback and input during the actual race process.  This is the reason why in DrawRace 2 there are power boosts that can be used to blast your car far ahead of the competition, pending you use them wisely of course.

As is also very evident, DrawRace 2 has seen a significant graphical overhaul featuring highly detailed cars and lushly populated environments for the game's thirty-two different tracks.  On top of this, I was able to demo the "couch-play" multiplayer mode and found it to be tremendously challenging, yet still entertaining.  Factoring in each of the title's one hundred and eighty different single player challenges, this is the kind of game that will keep players occupied for quite some time.

Check out the trailer for the game below, as well as some early screenshots of what you can expect when the game goes live in the App Store later this July.



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At this year's E3 Chillingo had a very diverse offering including everything from zany fun to the downright visually striking. While there was plenty of the former on display, the upcoming Contre Jour definitely falls into the later category.  This unique and aesthetically pleasing platformer was just the tip of the iceberg for their 2011 lineup, but at the same time was one of their standout new titles.  The artistic and haunting visuals are very reminiscent of a hit or two from Microsoft's Xbox LIVE Arcade, but more about that in a minute...

Taking place a world masked in shadows and darkness Contre Jour is the definition of an "artsy-fartsy" game.  Every bit as much about the gameplay as the aesthetic appeal, at it's core, the game is primarily about getting the main character/blob/eyeball thingy from point A to point B.  Borrowing from a style that was proven successful in 2010 in Limbo on XBLA, this interested presentation is melded with a awesome navigation mechanic to create something truly special.

Utilizing a geographic manipulation control scheme that allow players to lift and kneed the ground under their character, they attempt to move their eyeball blob towards an exit portal, while trying to gather light orbs in the process.  Along the way several other obstacles come into the picture such as tentacles and warp zones, which are all key in the pursuit of the ultimate goal of escape.

Probably the feature that I enjoyed most was the zen-like soundtrack that lingers in the background.  This relaxing mix helps ease the frustration of trial and error, while still urging players to progress forward in the campaign.  While on its own the game may not sound like anything overly impresive it is very much a sum of its parts that we will keep our eyes peeled for when it hits the App Store soon.

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I think it would be fairly safe to say that James Bond is not only a popular film character, but an amazing spy to boot.  Channeling this collection of awesomeness, the last game that I was shown in my grand tour of Gameloft Grand Central Station at E3 was the espionage inspired Silent Ops.  Though this was the game that was furthest from being released, it easily shared the most promise of any of their games at the show.  Well, that will remain true as long as they can clean up on the rough build they had on display at the show.

This unique third person action game is very much inspired by the high tech, fast paced spy world of 007.  Players will have the opportunity to choose from any one of three different operatives, all with their own specific skills and specialties.  Each of these operatives are a member of a super-secret organization that's sole directive is to protect the world from evil masterminds all around the globe.  Are you up to the task?

What we were able to play, while in dire need of play testing, showed true glimmers of what could an outstanding undercover thriller.  Much of the demo centered around infiltrating a high tech facility, using Splinter Cell style tactics that would bring a smile to Sam Fisher's face.  The problem was that much of the mechanics needed to be tweaked, in order to make the mission objectives more straight foward.

Issues aside the core game present was still enough to get me excited to see where the game would be going.  If they can manage to meet even a quarter of my expectations for a spy centric game world, I would be more than thrilled.  I guess all of us will have to sit back and see what information on the project is released as the game inches closer to release later this year.



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Golf is one of the genres of sport that transcends the fairways of Augusta National and transitions well to a digital gaming format.  For this very reason golf titles have become increasingly popular on the App Store.  Never one to miss out on an opportunity to bring another game to market, Gameloft happily showed off the newest installment in their popular Let's Golf franchise at this years E3.  148Apps were able to get exclusive hands on time with the upcoming game, but believe us when we say that if you have played one, you have played them all.

Short of receiving a yearly refresh to a sports series, something akin to yearly updates to Madden, you would think that it might be difficult to find enough improvements to a game to justify a yearly update.  Defying this apparent misconception, Let's Golf 3 is back for another round of Hot Shots Golf inspired trips to the links, with a much needed dash of originality thrown in for good measure.

As far as updates go, this title is primarily focused on tremendously augmenting the currently stagnating online gaming ecosystem within the franchise.  For example, now players can take part in matches with up to four people at one time via WiFi or Bluetooth.  Better yet, the team at Gameloft has responded to the cries of their fans and added in a "couch play" version of the multiplayer as well, that only requires the use of one iOS device. Going along the same line of game enhancements, players will now have the ability to create their own avatars, for use in the game.  You will even have the ability to level up your character's skills and attributes using coins that can be earned throughout gameplay.

For more details on Let's Golf 3, as well as more of the features to be revealed later this summer, be sure to keep an eye right here on 148Apps.



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With popular developer, Gameloft, people seem to forget the developer and publisher's humble first forays onto the iOS platform in the form of Block Breaker Deluxe 2.  Nearly three years later, the studio has decided to return their breakout gaming roots, debuting their newest installment in the franchise at E3 2011.  However, this time out busting bricks are just the beginning.

Remember the days of early iPhone gaming when everyone was rocking out to Block Breaker's psychedelic visuals, purely because it was one of the only games on the plaftorm?  The game was in heavy rotation on my device, so you can just imagine my glee when during my meeting with Gameloft at E3

, I was handed an iPhone equipped with the previously undisclosed iOS installment of Block Breaker 3 Unlimited.  From the word go it is very apparent that the franchise is back and better than ever, with a few much appreciated tweaks.

First off, instead of clearing each room and then waiting to have the screen rebuild the next map, now players actually have to navigate their ball into the next room through a doorway.  On the surface this may not seem like that big of a deal, but when there are branching rooms, this could lead to interesting new ways to traverse the title's one hundred stages.  Also lets not forget about the power-ups, because there are going to be many returning favorites, along with a few newbies to mix up the already frantic action.

When you combine these features with a new map editor and eight different gameplay modes to complete each stage in, you can count on this package stealing quite a bit of your time when it launches later this year.



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At risk of beating the proverbial dead horse, it remains no secret that GameLoft has had much success with developing extremely similar 'homages' to popular games for iOS.  In a rare attempt to break this cycle, the developer debuted 9MM at E3 2011.  While it was supposed to be considered a completely new idea, not borrowing from other games that are on the market, I couldn't help but shake the feeling that this was disturbingly close to True Crime: Streets of LA, a game that previously existed in the last console generation.  That said, this is a completely new idea to the iOS that is totally worth exploring.

Players strap on the concealed holster of cop John "Loose" Kannon.  Despite the terribly cliched character name, Kannon is a crime fighting machine that takes action first and asks questions later.  His brand of renegade justice has worked well in the past, but when he steals millions of dollars from a drug lord after murdering a sibling, things get very hairy, very quickly.

Featuring a slow-motion bullet time mode that might be ripped from such groundbreaking titles like Max Payne, 9MM takes on the crime drama genre of gaming with all the subtlety of a shotgun blast to the chest.  Players will be running and gunning from place to place, wiping out any thugs that step in their path.  This style of gameplay is all fun and dandy, but the storyline needs to at least be on par with the action in order to urge gamers to continue to progress further.  As far as we could tell, the game mechanics remain solid, but we will have to wait and see how this wildcard plays out before making any final conclusions.

Keep an eye out for our full review when the game hits the App Store later this summer.



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Imagine that, a game that has a name that resembles "Brothers In Arms", would end up being a military shooter.  Pulling on the same same comradery heartstrings, Gameloft's recently announced first person shooter March of Heroes is a very much cast from a similar mold. What sets this shooter apart from the many others on the iOS platform is the use of the Unreal Engine.  That's right folks, the same guts that power Gears of War will breathe life into this title.

Set during the peak of the Cold War, the action that was being demonstrated took place in the middle of a dense and dank jungle.  Your helicopter just crashed and it is up to you to use whatever traditional shooter mechanics are at your disposal to dispatch the responding opposition.  Not to downplay the controls, but lets face it, a shooter is a shooter.  Luckily the unprecedented level of visual detail that the Unreal Engine facilitates can more than make up for the overall lack of innovation.

Throughout the action, players will be prompted to temporarily part ways with the traditional artillery action, in favor of brief quicktime sequences.  Though they amount to nothing more than glorified finger slides, these are very helpful in breaking up the monotony of perpetually blowing cannon fodder to smithereens.

In addition to the single player campaign, it has also been confirmed that the title will contain some aspect of online multiplayer.  Despite the fact that coop gaming experiences are one of the strengths of the Unreal Engine, they have also stated emphatically that the campaign will remain a solitary experience.  For those that are still looking to have some sort of a gaming experience with their friends, there will be deathmatch to sink your teeth into.  More details on the game will be shooting out in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned.