Tag: Jumping »

Kickstarter is a great place to find new, upcoming games for iOS but sometimes it's hard to sort through all the projects to find one really worth pledging those hard earned dollars. We think Emerge by independent developer, Lucas Best, could be one of those worth funding.

Emerge involves a ball jumping from platform to platform. There are other games that do this but what's unique about Emerge is that the game takes place in a 3-D environment. The players will jump from platform to platform until they reach the next "tier" of existence. There will be a score system based on jumping on correct and incorrect platforms. In addition to a level mode, a free-play mode will be included where players jump on platforms until they miss the correct platform.

The developer, Lucas Best, is a recent graduate of Duke University (Spring 2011) with a degree in Computer Science and Visual Arts. His project needs $50,000 pledged by Saturday, June 9th. The money will go towards software (3D modeling software), paying artists for artwork, and advertising for the game. Rewards for pledging include the usual like in-game content, t-shirts, and recognition (App Store description).

Take a look at the video below and the Kickstarter page here.

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.

In the Incident, you play an everyman with a problem: heavy things keep dropping in your general vicinity. Your only chance to make it end it is to climb up the pile of objects until you reach the source and put a stop to the shenanigans. That thankless task -- climbing higher and higher on a constant pile of falling detritus -- is the sole goal of The Incident. Luckily, it's also a whole lot of fun.

You control the hero by tilting the device left and right, and jump him by tapping. It's simple and controls well, which means that you can quickly get to the job of staying alive. Like another popular jumping game out there, Doodle Jump, the premise is so simple that if anything in the game were poorly executed, it could easily be called repetitive -- dodge, jump, jump, dodge, grab a coin, jump. But The Incident does such a good job of keeping you on your toes, watching all corners of the screen, and scrambling for precious power-ups, that its simple premise is practically addictive.

The first few levels ramp up nicely, so that by the time things get really hectic, you'll be well versed in the art of dodging and jumping. Along the way you're earning enough extra lives that you'll probably never run out, and hitting frequent checkpoints so that you can hold onto your progress. There are only eight total levels, beginning on the street and ending in space, but each level packs enough challenge to make it feel like plenty of game.

The Incident's 8-bit style helps in that it's clean and well-executed. There's a large variety of pixelated, brightly-colored objects being thrown at you, many of them eliciting a little smile the first time they appear -- everything from taxis and sofas to Egyptian sarcophagi, garden gnomes, and Easter Island statues. There are not so many that you'll never see a repeat, but there are enough to keep the pile interesting. And when you die, you're granted a little death trophy of the object that killed you; "Death by Midcentury-Modern Door at 575m" is quite a way to go.

Any complaints about the Incident are minor. The aforementioned small number of levels is a limitation on replayability, and the lack of any online leaderboards or other competitive components will disappoint some. And yes, if the core game play doesn't appeal to you, you'll get bored very quickly, as they're nothing else to the game but jump, jump, dodge, jump. But none of these are significant drawbacks.

There's something sweet about seeing a simple concept executed well. The Incident is a great game that offers up a fun time with well-crafted retro sensibilities, and it's sure to appeal to a lot of iOS gamers. Download it today.

Update 10/18/10: Big Bucket Software has released a major update for The Incident, turning this already top-notch game into a true 5-star app. All of the (admittedly minor) issues we had with the Incident have been addressed in this update: a new "Endless Mode" and Game Center integration with online leaderboards have really enhanced The Incident's playability, and the introduction of an awards and achievement section allows you to go back and relive your best moments (and best deaths).

In addition, Big Bucket added a sweet new feature to the game: the ability to use an iPhone or iPod Touch as a controller when playing on the iPad. This feature works very nicely, and even uses the iPhone screen to preview the next falling object. It's a clever and well-implemented feature, and it has quickly become my favorite way to play The Incident. If you have both devices, you owe it to yourself to give this a try.

I was both excited and nervous about reviewing this application. I have played quite a few games that follow this trend: Take a successful game with an avid and loyal following from years ago, and bring it to the iPhone. Yeah, winning formula right? Well, plenty have gotten it wrong, and miss the mark by a mile. I can't put my finger on it, but Sonic delights me!

Here are some of the great things about Sonic:

When you click the icon to launch the game - it does exactly that! You pretty much go straight into the game play, you just need to click the screen. Really quick loading. I love that in a game, especially if you are just stealing a few moments to play it.

Also, the music is true to the original and just as cute & perky as always. Let me ask you, is there anything more satisfying than the little jingle ring sound that it makes as you collect them? I think not.

Although the controls of the game do not take into consideration the iPhones accelerometer I didn't mind that. It seemed really natural to play by using the control pad on the left and the jump button on the right. There is the option to play in arcade mode, which essentially gives the game the arcade look. However, this means a smaller screen and larger control area. I can not think why they have or who would use it. Apologies if you do but I don't want a smaller screen when I'm gaming.

The controls are very responsive, more so then what I have used in other games which makes this really playable and takes away the frustration of delayed moves / actions.

The game play is fast, as it should be. At times it did leave me wondering if I actually only moved my little sonic forwards and did nothing else, would I still succeed. It seems that you can. So don't try it.

The graphics are crisp and colourful and there is a nice range of monsters. There are ones you need to avoid on the ground, flying ones, ones that are still and drop down on you, shooting ones and bosses to name a few. There are also a great variety of loops, springs, spikes, platforms, bridges and other areas to negotiate to keep it interesting. (Oh and some totally fun swirly tunnel things where he really picks up speed!)

I played on it until I felt car sick (I wasn't driving) and in the end I did find a few things frustrating.

When all my lives were gone and I had to start again, I wasn't able to continue where I left off. I realize a lot of games are like this but I think maybe for the iPhone platform where game play seems to be more 'dipping in for a play', that this is becoming essential feature in a game. You can continue at the same place if you have to pause or come out of the game so that's good.

There are seven zones for you to play. You get green hill as your first and others include labyrinth. There are also bosses to fight, which I will admit I found a bit disproportionately difficult compared to the journey of getting to the boss.

The game is called Sonic 1 when you have the icon on your device. I am curious to find out if this means that we will be given several incarnations of the game. Will these be as updates, or as separate games to download & pay for? Note on the icon is that it is nice although I would like to see of a bit more iphone'd up. (I want a shiny Sonic.)

Be aware also of the amount of battery life this little cutie chews through. If you're going to be sneaking at work or meetings, be sure you have an extra source of charging with you.

I also feel like Mr Sega corporation should give us all a break and charge us a bit less for it. So many new & upcoming devs are giving us free or low cost apps and I wish the corporates would show us some love too.

Overall I really liked this but there's no one really hardcore selling point other than "Hey - it's Sonic". I guess this might be the true test of a games standing within the universe, that porting it to other platforms and other generations and it still works like magic. It's fast and fun. I like having it on my phone, and in some ways I feel it justifies my geekiness.