Tag: Nintendo ds »

Lately it seems like at least once per week some fairly big name games just sort of spring up on the App Store overnight. Although I suppose this week it was actually two. Looks like we can add 505 Games' doodle adventure Drawn to Life to that list now.

Back when it was first released for the DS the game attracted a lot of attention due to the way it allowed players to draw their own content. Characters, weapons, vehicles, etc - a significant number of objects could be edited or created entirely from scratch. And now you can do it all on your iPhone or iPad. I shudder to think of some of the screen shots people will inevitably end up sharing...

Anyhow, you can grab Drawn to Life off the App Store right now for $4.99. Keep it PG.

Fans of old-school sidescrollers rejoice. After releasing an ominous teaser image a few days ago, Wayforward Technologies has announced that Shantae: Risky's Revenge is coming soon to iOS devices. According to a report on TouchArcade, Shantae was originally released on the DSi download store in 2010, going on to win several awards - it was considered by many to be one of the best games on the system period.

Initially conceived as an episodic series, Risky's Revenge is sequel to the first Shantae, released on the Game Boy Color in 2002. This side scrolling platformer takes cues from games like Castlevania and Metroid. Players control Shantae, a half-genie with whip-like hair and the ability to transform into a monkey, a elephant and a mermaid. Using these powers, she traverses the land fighting monsters and the dreaded pirate Risky Boots.

There are few changes coming to the upcoming port. In addition to getting new touch controls the level design itself is being changed to accommodate the new input. For example, platforms are now wider making precise jumping easier. Owners of iOS devices have a great new game to look forward to.

[via TouchArcade]

Aspyr and Kaplan have announced that they're teaming up to bring their SAT Prep game, futureU to the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The game was originally launched on PC and the Nintendo DS, and features a number of mini-games which are designed to focus specifically in the reading, writing and math sections of the well-known college admissions test. The core version of the game is available for free on the iTunes Store, and four extended study levels are available for $1.99 each.

“As the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch play an increasing role in how students receive their information, it made sense for us to expand the futureU SAT test prep game to this mobile platform,” said Kaplan’s Executive Director of Pre-College Programs Kristen Campbell “Aspyr’s ability to deliver engaging games to students across multiple-platforms has enabled us to bring futureU to a new audience of SAT preppers.”

So in addition to traditional study books, courses and flashcards students can now cram for the single most stressful exam of their lives on their mobile devices. It's sort of ingenious yet horrifying all at once, as now you truly can take your test prep with you anywhere you go. Just looking at the screenshots of the app is bringing back a wave of sick nostalgia that makes me glad I'm not in high school anymore.

For technology-minded teens though this app may be a godsend, as it gives them a method to study that requires neither book nor sharpened number 2 pencil. Is a high school student more likely to pull out their iPhone to study than they are to text friends or update their Facebook status? Probably not, but at least it's something there to remind them, and maybe even spur them into expanding their vocabulary or working out a couple algebra problems while they're waiting to hear where everyone's meeting up for tonight. You've got to celebrate the small victories, right?

[via FingerGaming]

The Search for Satisfaction
Nobody really expected the App Store to be such an enormous success. There are currently over 41,000 apps in the store, and more than 12,000 publishers. (These stats come from our sister site, 148apps.biz.) Since its debut, the App Store has produced games that scorn typical expectations of "mobile gaming" and present polished, cheap entertainment in an easily accessible form. Apple has taken advantage of the iPod Touch and iPhone's gaming abilities, and is pushing gaming apps in its ads. By all accounts, the iPhone is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of handheld gaming.

But while the App Store is booming, there's a sad lack of real games in the App Store. I'm talking about games that draw you in with knotted narratives, games that you can really sink your teeth into. I'm talking about games that could make the folks over at Nintendo and Sony fret over the futures of their precious handheld consoles.

Just look at the Top 100, and you'll see what's missing. At the time of writing, the #1 game is Stick Wars—a "good" game, perhaps, but hardly an overwhelming demonstration of the iPhone's capabilities. The #1 free app is the "Urinal Test," which speaks for itself; the #1 paid app overall is the Moron Test—that's high-quality stuff right there. Two more examples: Doodle Jump and Flight Control are bestsellers that have met with both popular and critical acclaim, and for good reason; they're wonderful casual titles. But their success is a testament to a marketplace that craves casual play, a marketplace where the cheapest often wins. iPod Touch and iPhone owners tend to buy games as if they were candy: sugary snacks that can be consumed mindlessly, and thrown away once the sweetness has been sapped. Those aren't the kinds of games that will catapult the iPhone to true greatness as a gaming platform.

And that's what we gamers would love, really. The diversionary games are wonderful, but serious gamers are still lusting after real games. Imagine a world where your PSP or DS has been made obsolete by your phone. That's the world I want to be in; why carry two devices when you can have one? I want quality titles that will last more than a few hours. As a New York Times article lamented, "Those searching for a deep, meaningful, narrative-driven experience will generally have to

According to Carmen Pearson, Public Relations Manager for Gameloft, Assassin's Creed for the iPhone & iPod Touch is "slated to hit the App Store by early next week".

The game, which has no price as of yet, will once again place you in the shoes of Altair, Master Assassin for The Order of Assassins, as he attempts to retrieve "The Chalice" from the Templars in an effort to end the Crusades. According to IGN, "Assassin's Creed for the iDevices is indeed largely based on Altair's Chronicles, the DS prequel to the very first Creed game."