:: DRAGON TIME
:: The trailer for Glu Mobile's Transformers G1 is out today, and while it brought back some good ol' childhood memories, it was missing something. Watch the video, maybe you'll agree.
What it's missing is funk. Hit the play button below, mute the trailer sound, and then re-watch it. Brilliant!
Okay, so you have an iPhone .. and although nice, you're getting pretty tied of playing the same old style RPGs and puzzle games. How about something a little more left field, like Glu Mobile's new project called 1000 Find Em All. Explained in detail by Chris White, head of the studio, the game's concept is simple. Your goal is to find and build a collection up consisting of 1000 highly weird and wonderful 'things'. You start off in a grey, dark and lifeless world but as you guide your character around this world it will gradually bring colour and life to the objects and places around you.
Now for the fun part. Glu Mobile dropped 1000 virtual objects both in the real world and in-game, so it probably won't be surprising to hear that you can actually play '1000 Find Em All' without the need for GPS. There are three ways you can join in on the fun - the first being over GPS! Activating GPS in-game will instantly show you a map of your current surroundings and gifts available for pickup. To pick-up a gift you simply walk over it. Gifts you pick up are then stored in your virtual library within the game.
Some iPod touch users though may not have GPS, and therefore Glu have built the game to work in two other modes too. The first is in-game. Even when you're not connected to GPS, 1000 Find Em All provides a huge virtual world for you to explore and navigate, in an attempt to find these 1000 objects.
The last mode in the game is one which surprised me. Not by it being there, but how it will work. In Wi-Fi mode the game will pick up all the Wi-Fi hotspots around you and turn them into game characters. These are called 'Gifters' and become sources to collect gifts. With no release date or price mentioned by Glu, 1000 Find Em All looks to be a cool take on usual bog-standard gaming experience targeting the iPhone and iPod touch .. one I personally can't wait to play!
.. And the new year App Store sales just keep coming! Yesterday we got a tip from one of the more prominent iPhone development studios on the store, Glu Mobile, who told us that starting today, Friday, January 8th, they'll be staging a new year app blowout sale. Running this coming weekend only, the sale will see the studios well-loved hit titles such as Family Guy: Uncensored, Glyder and Bonsai Blast (among others), drop in price to just $0.99 each!
The sale will end the evening of Monday January 11th. Check out the full list of the apps on sale below, along with a short, quick-fire description of each to help you on your way with the decision to buy ..
Glu invited us into their offices again yesterday to take a look at some of their upcoming games. We saw some old favorites, some early prototypes, and a really innovative take on music games.
First up, let's get what I really came to see out of the way... I finally got my hands on Glyder 2. It's still early for that title -- just a few builds past first playable, but this exciting sequel to easily my favorite Glu game ever is already looking good. As we mentioned previously there will be customization of your character available -- both in the form of the suit she wears and the wings she uses. The different wings give you slightly different skills -- climbing, turning, speed, etc. Not enough to make a huge difference in the game, but enough to be noticeable.
There will be six or seven new worlds to explore. And in addition to the crystal collection aspect of the previous game, you will also have multiple point quests to go on. Glu heard from the passionate users of the game that they wanted more of everything in the first one and new things to try. And we're going to get it.
Take a look at this hands-on video of Glyder 2 from Slide To Play:
One of the most exciting bits of news about Glyder 2 was that Glu have committed to providing multiple free updates and expansions to the game after it launches. No specific time frame was given, but if the game remains popular, it could be for a good while.
Beat It takes a new twist on the music game genre. This game actually makes you listen to the music. It turns it from a rhythm tapping game into more of a puzzle game. The result is a very compelling game that I found very hard to put down.
The idea behind Beat It is that you listen to a short 3 instrument rhythm track and you have to re-create it on a sequencer board. You do this by tapping cells to turn on / off that instrument for that beat. You can switch from listening to your current attempt to the original anytime, which is nice to see where you are missing notes. When you have the notes for an instrument in a particular bar correct, they start to twinkle letting you know you can go on to another. The game ramps up from 3 instruments and 4 bars to I believe 7 instruments and 6 bars.
Take a look at this hands-on video from Slide To Play:
It should also be mentioned that this game has some amazing animated art. Your game is separated into multiple worlds and there is a story unfolding behind your sequencer grid in each world. Before each new level you see a little part of the story and as your music clips get more complex so does the story behind you.
In addition to the multiple instruments, there are 5 different instrument sets that are used in the game. These are also available to use in the free play mode that lets you create your own tracks. In a future update you will be able to share your tracks with others.
Read on for details on 1,000: Find Them All, World Series of Poker: Hold'em Legends, and Taxi Fight.
:: Random musings of the app store
App Alluvion
This week's only news story also has the sign of the apocalypse and the apps of the week built in - handy, eh? Over a 24 hour period, 453 new games were released! What happened Apple, did someone finally wake up? This is a great disservice to developers, as it's exceedingly hard for an app to get noticed when so many other good games are released on the same day. Sure, developers can set release dates, but if they do, their app is placed on the latest releases section in iTunes according to approval date not publication date, therefore burying it beneath the first page and limiting valuable exposure. Please fix this, Apple! Anyway, enough ranting, here are some of the most notable releases this week. We'll try to have reviews for as many as we can in due time, but until then, here's a quick rundown:
Hybrid: Eternal Whisper
Gamevil's action-RPG follow-up to Zenonia certainly has great aesthetics and a nice online component, but for me so far, the story has been too intrusive and the gameplay mediocre. At $5.99, you may want to wait for our review. Upon playing more, the gameplay has proven more fun and the story's role is minimized. Recommended!
Unify
Zach Gage's first iPhone game is a very stylish Tetris variant with OpenFeint integration. Instead of blocks falling from from the top, the fall into the middle from both the left and the right, where you have to manipulate them using multi-touch controls. Match four or more of the same color to clear blocks. The game starts out slow with only black and white, but quickly becomes challenging with the addition of more colors and faster scrolling. From my time with the game, I can say it's one of the more fun puzzle games on the App Store.
Aera
This beautiful flight sim had our editor Chris in a frenzy before its release. From initial impressions, it seems the game delivers on the hype, but if you don't want to shell out the $2.99 now, Chris will have a review up very soon.
Aves
Aves contains some truly magnificent animations and entrancing binaural audio, but with its simplistic gameplay, it plays more like a tech demo. Still, if you want to see some really cool technology, it's worth the $.99 price of admission, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for Ghost LLC's future projects.
Above and Beyond Air Combat
Young developer Josh Rosen's followup to SciFly is a totally different beast. It's still an arcade plane flying game, but it shines with OpenFeint integration, a huge level of customization, open-world gameplay, and shiny graphics. In any normal week, this would easily earn the app of the week award.
Robocalypse - Mobile Mayhem
Robocalypse is a humorous and strong entry into the RTS genre, which is relatively weak on the App Store. Featuring a lengthy campaign and full online multiplayer, Robocalypse is a safe bet for RTS fans.
Alley Gator
Alley Gator is Glu's entry into the quick $.99 games category with accelerometer-based gameplay.
Champion Archer
From the guys who made Sparta comes a port of an addictive online flash game.
Against the Fire!
Meridian's followup to their smash hit Alive 4 Ever is a similar survival shooter but with theme of a fireman putting out water monsters.
Dungeon Hunter (pulled from the App Store)
Otherwise known as Gameloft's Diablo clone, Dungeon Hunter was said to be very impressive, but was unfortunately pulled due to a bug in the game. The game should be available for download again soon.
Castle Warriors
Castle Warriors is another nice addition to the RTS genre on the App Store. The gameplay is similar to Galcon and the graphics are very nice overall.
Super Shock Football
After App Store giants Gameloft and EA turned out full football sims, you would expect Chillingo, publisher extraordinaire to follow up with one of their own, right? Instead, developer Steamroller studios has produced a light-hearted throw back to vintage vibrating football games that is ultimately more suited to the iPhone than either Madden or NFL 2010.
Underground
This Chillingo "shmup" is very stylish but adds little to the genre gameplay-wise.
Scarecrow
Scarecrow is Ezone's take on Doodle Jump and also the latest 3rd party game to incorporate ngmoco's plus+ network.
Apps of the Week
iBlast Moki
iBlast Moki is the best puzzle game on the iPhone, period. This physics-based puzzle game contains challenging gameplay. The goal is to, using bombs and eventually other elements like balloons, get all of the mokis to the exit of the level. It sounds simple, but some of the levels are head-scratchingly devious. There is almost unlimited replay value with over 70 levels, Plus+ integration, and a full-featured level editor/sharer.
Meteor Blitz
By the same token, Meteor Blitz is the best top-down space shooter for the iPhone, surpassing even the famed Isotope. The dual-stick control scheme is incredibly fast and responsive, the graphics are simply stunning, and the gameplay is livened up by the inclusion of RPG elements and many different weapons. The game also features superlative pause and auto-save functions.
Wow, so many great games, and I'm sure I'm missing a few. Of course, I won't expect any good game releases for the next month couple with reports of month-long approval times.
Yesterday we got a chance to get our game loving fingers on some new games from Glu. The biggest of which is Super KO Boxing 2, a continuation of one of Glu's biggest selling games on feature phones. We also got a chance to see a new tube racing game, Alleygator, a Family Guy game, and the nearly final version of Minigolf Wacky Worlds. Also got some great news about updates for Glyder and the Transformers Cypertoy.
Super KO Boxing 2
Super KO Boxing 2 is a very fun, comical boxing game that works well on the iPhone, even in the early version I saw. The game controls were an incomplete early version that we played but consisted on taps and combinations on certain hot spots on the screen.
You can play in multiple modes, career, challenge, verses, and endurance modes in 3 different circuits. Your opponents include some favorites from the original game and a some new ones, 12 fighters in all.
[caption id="attachment_14433" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Meet Big Gip"] 
Super KO Boxing 2 is currently scheduled for a September release. No multiplayer is currently planned, but they are considering adding it.
Super KO Boxing 2 - Name A Tough Guy Contest
In conjunction with the release, Glu are holding a contest to name one of the new boxers in Super KO Boxing 2. It's this cave-man looking guy, one of the games most powerful boxers that you need to come up with a name for.
The winner will get a $250 iTunes Gift Card and an iPod Shuffle. 4 runners-up will also win prizes.
For full contest details and to enter, you can submit a comment on this post, or enter at the event page on Facebook.
Alleygator
Alleygator is a casual game title from Glu, what they call a Glu Snack. In this timed racing game, you are an alligator trying to get out of the sewers as quick as possible. You swirl around the sewers avoiding obstacles and grabbing powerups on your way out.
There are 6 different sewers in the 25 different levels.
Alleygator is expected to release in September.
Family Guy Uncensored
A series of 7 different mini games, all of which contain lots of little inside jokes for Family Guy fans. The mini games in general look really fun and re-playable, and there's also a very cool story mode that guides you through all of the 54 levels. I think overall this will be a pretty good title. The only problem I see with it is that it doesn't have any voice acting in the game.
September is the planned release for Family Guy Uncensored.
Glyder Update Coming!
We also got some good news for Glyder fans. If you have completed the game, you'll be happy to know that Glu have submitted an update that gives you more gems to collect.
Transformers CyberToy
We also got to see an update to the Transformers CyberToy that takes great advantage for the music library access in iPhone OS 3.0. With this upcoming update you can make Bumblebee dance to the music you are playing on your iPhone. He has 4 different dance routines and will choose one based on the genre of music you are playing.
Transformers CyberToy is available now. The version 1.2 update will be available soon.
:: Highly Recommended
