I know this may be slightly blasphemous to say on a site like 148apps.com, but portable gaming, even iOS gaming in particular, owes quite a bit of its success to the proliferation of consoles. Many of the ideas that are pioneered on platforms like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 eventually find their way to the iOS in one form or another. This isn't a bad thing, it just leads to issues when developers try to shoehorn console centric gamestyles onto a device that lacks the proper control mechanisms.
One such game that has made its impact on iOS platform in the form of numerous different titles is Geometry Wars. Despite Activision actually releasing a proper Geometry Wars title, many other developers have found inspiration in everything from the control scheme and mechanics, to the futuristic art style. Chillingo's (now part of EA Mobile's publishing wing) upcoming iPad release, Infinity Field, seems to be doing a little more than just borrowing ideas, as you can see in their most recent debut trailer.
As becomes very evident after viewing this footage, Chillingo is looking to bring their own perspective to the genre that Bizarre Creations built. Featuring boss battles to go along with the standard barrage of enemies might go a long way toward helping to distinguish Infinity Field from Activison's prior offering. It will also be interesting to see what kinds of power-ups and weaponry are also added to the experience, seeing as how this was very limited in Geometry Wars.
If nothing else, Infinity Field looks like it could be a strong contender, given its iPad specific focus. Using all of the extra real estate on screen that the device exclusively has, could make for very intense action, pending the controls are as solid as they look to be. Clocking in at only $1.99, it might be worth giving a look and letting us know what you think in the comments.
