Tag: Run »

It's the most wonderful time of the year for people who enjoy scaring themselves silly with haunted houses, movies, video games, and what have you. Mobile might not be the first platform you'd turn to for quality scares, but rest assured there are plenty of spooky experiences to be had. We highlight five of the best.

Are you ready to run for your life all over again? Season 4 of Zombies, Run! will be launching this Spring! The update will come with 40 new missions and a huge number of new options.

You'll be able to edit and delete run logs from inside the app and sync with the website, see your estimated mission duration, set your difficulty, and autoplay next mission if you find yourself ready to run two back to back. Six to Start has also improved the music playback so now it is even easier to use Spotify, Pandora, and other streaming music services. In addition, there will be a new user interface, in-app mission synopses, a Halfway-there notification, and more.

You can download Zombies, Run! for $3.99 on the App Store to start training.

The Apple Watch. Love it or hate it, the smart watch/fitness band has already caught the attention of the popular running app Zombies, Run! by Six to Start.

The app encourages runners to keep up the pace by playing a series of radio messages and voice recordings designed to make you feel like you are being chased by a horde of man-eating zombies. The game includes missions a ZombieLink Social feature which lets you share your progress with your friends.

Seems like a perfect fit for the Apple Watch, yes?

Zombies, Run! is all about zombies. So, uhh, run!! This fitness first app gets inside the head of the runner as they go on their jog, making them run just a little bit harder as they hear the zombies getting closer. While running, users will also earn supplies that they can use to build and grow a home base by the time they're done with their jog.

Need a reason to run a little bit faster or to make running a little bit more interesting? Throw on some headphones and begin running away from the zombies!

I know a lot of people have begun to get tired of zombies, but not me. Assuming the game they're in is good, of course. I mean I still like zombies in my games but Dead Ahead isn't getting a free pass. That said, I've been having a great time with it. Not because of all the Living Dead but because it's a genuine blast to play.

As one of possibly only a couple of living humans in a zombie-infested world, players will have to stay ahead of a mass of hungry corpses while avoiding all manner of obstacles in order to stay alive. Simple touch controls allow them to weave around derelict vehicles and barricades (and guide pursuing undead into them), accelerate to gain ground (or plow through zombies in front of them, and fire off their weapon behind them. Like all endless runners the idea is to last as long as possible but there are also a number of challenges that are issued that will increase the player's rank once each set of is completed. Higher ranks unlock better bikes and weapons, while cash earned by squishing zombies is needed to purchase and upgrade them.

I'm totally in love with Dead Ahead's visual style. It's semi-retro with visible pixels and such, but also quite detailed and extremely well animated. Watching zombies burst when running them over or faceplant and skid on the pavement when they trip over an obstacle is incredibly satisfying and never gets old. The constant push to move up in the ranks as well as to acquire better gear is also great. Ignoring the call of "just one more run" is difficult enough but knowing there's only one more challenge between me and the next rank, or only a little more cash for the next firearm, it's almost impossible.

I just wish there were another control option. There are already two (buttons or dragging), but the problem is that my thumb has a tendency to block oncoming hazards from my view for a few precious milliseconds. It's still possible to react and get around them for the most part but it can be pretty tough at high speeds. I hate to admit it since I tend to vastly prefer touch over tilt, but in this instance I think the latter would work even better for me.

Dead Ahead is a great endless runner with plenty to offer, even to those who have grown to hate seeing zombies in their games. I certainly wouldn't mind having a third control option for tilting to make dodging obstacles at high speeds a little easier (theoretically), but what's already there is more than enough to get the job done. I also never get tired of watching the gloriously animated zombie carnage, so there's that.

Part running trainer, part audio adventure, Zombies, Run! has just been updated to version 2.0, with a veritable horde of new features, missions, and an interface redesign. Get on this before you are eaten!

What's New in Version 2.0
- Season 2 begins! Seven free new missions, and new missions released weekly from April 29th. Find out what happened to Abel Township!
- Buy a Season Pass for access to the rest of the Season 2 missions as soon as they're released.
- A completely redesigned app and all-new new base building experience

Please note, if you depend on VoiceOver to play Zombies, Run! we recommend you wait for 2.1 before updating. See blog.zombiesrungame.com for more information.

COMING SOON

- Radio mode will be returning!

We've looked at some pretty intriguing games from Mojo Bones and Simogo, but this time round, it's the turn of a more exercise-focused app developer in the form of Six To Start.

What is Six To Start?: Six To Start describes itself as next-gen storytellers. Made up of a variety of different staff from backgrounds as diverse as the theatre and neuroscience, the company works on online games, as well as apps for iOS, each with the focus on storytelling as well as providing memorable experiences. One glance at the team page on the company site ably demonstrates just how varied skillsets the team offer.

What is Six To Start most famous for?
Zombies, Run! One of the most successful Kickstarter projects in recent times, Zombies, Run! manages to make running (or walking) fun by adding a zombie twist to proceedings. Stick your headphones in as you run and an immersive audio adventure kicks in, distracting you from the aches and pains as well as telling a fantastic story, courtesy of award-winning novelist Naomi Alderman.

What's next on the horizon?
There's been a steady stream of new content for Zombies, Run! since it launched earlier this year but CEO Adrian Hon has promised us that a new app, Zombies, Run! 5k Training, will be out in the near future, aimed directly at beginner runners. New updates for Zombies, Run! will continue, also.

Anything else I should know about Six To Start?
Yup! We asked Adrian Hon how Zombies, Run! came about.

148apps: What was the inspiration behind creating Zombies, Run?

Adrian: It came from a couple of places - I've been a runner for a long time now, but it didn't come naturally! I only really got into it with the help of gadgets like the Garmin Forerunner GPS watch, which at least helped you see how much you were improving. The problem was that they didn't make running any more interesting or fun, and even when GPS tracking apps became commonplace, no-one seemed to be making running games for smartphones, so it was something that I've wanted to do for some time.

The other half of the inspiration came from our co-creator and writer Naomi Alderman, who fairly recently joined a running club. When they asked people why they'd joined, some people said 'to get fit', others 'to lose weight', but one person said, 'to survive the zombie apocalypse'! We put two and two together, and that's where Zombies, Run! came from!

148apps: What’s your favourite thing about iOS development?

Adrian: There's a lot to like - the solid development environment, the consistency across devices (although the iPhone 5 does make our life a little more difficult!), the comparative smoothness of publishing on iTunes Connect, and the absolutely massive potential audience. It's not perfect, but it's very good.

Where can I find out more about Six To Start?
Quite a few places. The Six To Start website is a good starting place, there's also the Twitter page. For more zombie based updates, check out the official Zombies, Run! website and its Twitter account. And, of course, we'll keep you informed on any updates and the progress of Zombies, Run! 5k Training