Tag: Sim »

Do you have fond memories of playing SimpleRockets? Well, maybe "fond" is the wrong word. I mean those things are awfully prone to blowing up. But anyway, if you have a special place in your heart set aside for the madcap rocket-building sim, you should probably make room for the follow-up that just released on the App Store: SimplePlanes.

Much like SimpleRockets, SimplePlanes tasks you with engineering a very complex piece of machinery, then trying to keep it in one piece. This time you'll be snapping various parts together to make all sorts of aircraft - even some with VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) abilities. Where it gets ridiculous (in a good way) is in how pieces of your craft can break off as you crash into things or get shot at, which can have a pretty big impact on performance.

If you're in the mood to fly seemingly impossible aircraft that you've cobbled together yourself, you can grab SimplePlanes off the App Store now for $1.99.

Witchcraft has come to The Sims FreePlay in its newest update, adding Spell Casting and Broomstick hobbies to the free-to-play title.

The Spell Casting Hobby allows players to conjure up collectibles and hatch their own Pet Dragon, whilst the Broomstick Hobby lets players to rocket up into the clouds. Players will also find themselves owners of some free gifts to celebrate this, the spookiest part of the year.

The Sims FreePlay is free to magically appear download from the App Store now.

If you go to a casino, you might make a lot of money. If you run a casino, you’re guaranteed to make a lot of money. The choice seems pretty obvious. So while waiting for your shady real estate deals to move forward, get prepared with Tiny Tower Vegas, the latest follow-up to the smash hit sim Tiny Tower. We become mini casino moguls in this latest edition of It Came From Canada!

Tiny Tower Vegas will feel instantly familiar to fans of the original. Players build their gambling empire floor by floor while keeping customers happy and business flowing. New floors need new employees, and players can choose between who the best person for the job is and who is the most affordable. Customize the tower by putting pyramids or Greek statues on the roof, changing interior décor, and even sprucing up the elevator design. Players can also upgrade the elevator’s speed since they’ll be operating it by hand quite often to get guests where they want to go. And it’s all presented in the same great, low-key pixel art style.

But of course, the Las Vegas setting comes with its own demands - even if this seems based on new, classy, family friendly Vegas instead of old, seedy, good Vegas. While some new floors will be the occasional taco bar in need of restocking, the gambling is where the real action lives. Players can try their luck on slot machines and earn extra cash alongside customer revenue. Once the hot streak ends, would-be pit bosses can check up on how their “bitizen” guests are doing by reading the “BitBook” social network, or just sit back and watch the fireworks - the only things brighter than the massive glowing signs.

Current Tiny Tower players shouldn’t expect Tiny Tower Vegas to completely reinvent the wheel after its soft launch phase. It’s got some new ideas, so it’s not just a reskin, but it’s so close to the original it’s more spin-off or expansion pack than sequel. But you can decide for yourself once it fully launches.

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Is Real Racing not real enough for you? How about a game where you can drive cars, buses, and trucks in accordance with local statutes to try and get your license? Then that's what School Driving 3D will offer for you. Stop at train crossings! Wait for pedestrians! Safely overtake other cars! Use your blinker and obey all the rules! Awwwwwwwww yyyyyyyyeeeeahhhhh.

School Driving 3D's only unrealistic aspect? It's free, unlike real driving school.

Strike Wing: Raptor Rising, the space combat game from Dream Builder Studios and Crescent Moon Games, will soon be getting its biggest update yet.

Version 1.3 adds in a host of improvements, including a completely rewritten graphics engine, a new Story Mode, redone ship models, tweaked controls, improved enemy AI, and more.

Strike Wing: Raptor Rising is available for $0.99 on the App Store. The new update will be available later this week.

Evergreen Studios has announced that its upcoming game, Tales of Honor: The Secret Fleet, will be available for iOS devices via the App Store on April 24.

Timed to match the time period of the recently released 'Tales of Honor: On Basilisk Station' comics, the game follows the action of a newly minted naval academy cadet looking to save the day. For fans of David Weber's Honor Harrington, it should be a real treat.

Evergreen senior executives Scott Kroopf and Richard Browne are eager to the game hit the App Store. “Tales of Honor: The Secret Fleet is the next phase in the expansion of the Tales of Honor story world,” says Kroopf. “Now gamers can discover the unique battle tactics and enjoy the military authenticity of the Honorverse. The game, like the recently released comic, is intended to function as a standalone experience, yet we're designing them to be complementary. Our goal is to make it easy for fans of all types to explore the rich universe that David Weber has created."

Tales of Honor: The Secret Fleet will be available for free. The second comic issue of Tales of Honor: On Basilisk Station will be available in comic stores and digitally on Comixology.com on April 30.

For more information, please visit www.tales-of-honor.com.

SomaSim's 1849 is a sim about the California Gold Rush in the same vein as older objective-driven simulations and city builders. It's also got a surprising amount of puzzle-like elements as you'll quickly find yourself trying to figure out the best way to make use of the limited space you're given.

The core idea behind 1849 is balance. You need to mine gold and other precious metals to earn money. You also need food and lodgings for your citizens and workers or else they'll abandon ship in a heartbeat. But in order to do that, you'll also have to make sure to provide other amenities such as schools and access to a saloon to keep the citizens of your ever-growing city happy. The catch is that every city (of which there are 20, each with their own overarching goals to complete) has a limit to how far it can expand. So in order to create a successful self-sustaining city you'll have to pay close attention to where you place what buildings and how many you construct.

SomaSim is aiming for an early May release. A specific price point hasn't been locked-in yet, but 1849 will be priced at a premium and offer additional content packs in the future.

SomaSim Games has recently announced 1849; a city management sim set during the California Gold Rush.

You'll have to make good use of an area's topography as you attempt to expand several real cities from the time period - or fail miserably, of course. 1849 will feature a total of 20 different scenarios, most likely involving different cities and events, as well as a sandbox mode for those of you who just want to build and rake in the dough.

1849 is due out in May for the iPad.

I recently discovered something interesting. Checking out Aio Wireless, I discovered I could add data-only service to an old iPhone for as low as $15 per month all-in and no contract.

Aio Wireless is the new LTE pre-paid service from AT&T. It's not listed anywhere that it's run by and uses the AT&T network, but this is mentioned in press releases about the service. They offer both recurring and single month services.

Aio Wireless offers a set limit 250MB tablet rate for just $15/month. With additional GB available to add for $10/month. Not a bad deal. To use the Aio service a SIM card will need to be ordered from the site for $9.99 (make sure to order the correct size for the phone or tablet to use). In my test it got to me in just a day.

Once the account is set up and the SIM is registered for the $15/month tablet plan, the SIM will then work in any iOS device that is unlocked and compatible with the AT&T network. Even an iPhone. Voice and SMS won't work, and don't expect it to since this is just a data service. But iMessage will work as well as any other feature that uses the data connection.

The downside, and it's not a big one, is that the service provided for pre-paid cell phone services like this is never first-tier. Meaning it isn't prioritized on the host network like contract services. Aio Wireless specifies that the LTE service is capped at 8MB. Still a great speed, but well below the 30-40Mbps I have seen on AT&T LTE. So data rates will be slower, but still very usable. Especially considering the price.

I'm guessing this little loophole will be closed eventually, but until then it's a great way to give access to an old iPhone or iPad for an extra device for a relative, to use as a hotspot, or to have a device on another network.