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Posts tagged game
Glu Mobile Reveals ‘Alley Gator’, ‘Family Guy: Uncensored’ and ‘Super KO Boxing 2′ Screenshots
Jul 16th
Glu is hosting a iPhone Games Day today showing off several of their titles all of which have slowly being revealed via their Facebook page. Details are scarce at best currently, but the three games shown in this array of screenshots are Alley Gator, Family Guy: Uncensored, and Super KO Boxing 2.
We spoke with Glu at E3 about their upcoming Family Guy iPhone game. The game already exists for Android phones and the iPhone port was said to be originally due in September. There are 5 playable characters that can be played across a series of mini-games including memorable scenes such as peter fighting a huge chicken and robo-stewie (a homage to megaman). Glu said they were working closely with the TV show team to make it authentic to the show.
‘Resident Evil 4′ Mobile Edition Video, Accidental Early Release?
Jul 13th
Japanese iPhone site AppBank managed to snag a copy and video of Resident Evil 4 mobile edition which was released into the Japanese iTunes Store briefly. The app has since been pulled for unclear reasons, but not before they managed to get some screenshots and the embedded video below.
The game appears to use a version of Capcom’s 3rd person 3D that was also used in Resident Evil: Degeneration.
[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]
So, no idea when the game will return to the Japanese store and if/when it will arrive in the U.S. and other international stores, but something to look forward to.
Moonlights Review
Jul 11th
The tower building physics puzzle genre was one filled by only one game of any significance for a while, Tiki Towers. I bought it, and I beat it somewhat quickly, within days. Ever since then, there has been a gap in my gaming library. Once I bought Moonlights for this review, I have been entertained for weeks, and still have not beaten the game.
In Moonlights, by bonuslevel.org, you build towers out of small circles, and try to make any part of the tower reach and remain in the moon for three seconds. There are various objects that affect the structure, for example, pink circles destroy the tower, and ice circles freeze the entire structure. There are 42 levels, and a level editor is soon being added in an update.
Once you open the app, you can choose to select a level. You scroll down a list of the 42 levels, and tap one to start it. To start building your structure, simply tap near two of your other circles, and a new one pops up, attached to them. Keep building, and scroll around or zoom with two fingers. To delete some of the circles, make a box around those pieces by dragging with your finger. You can influence how a tower is balanced by tilting your device back and forth. There is an arrow in the lower left corner of the screen showing how much the gravity is affected. To pause the game, shake the device, and you can restart the level or quit to the main menu.
This game is better in some ways then World of Goo, a game in the same genre on WiiWare, and vice versa. In World of Goo, there are different types of Goo-balls, which in Moonlights, are just plain circles. However, Moonlights has more special additions, like accelerometer control, and the different colored circles that affect your structure. However, if you look at the games, overall, they are about as good as each other. Sure, Moonlights has simplistic graphics, but that is just a decision that the developer made which works well with the game. It comes down to the price. Are you going to get a $15.00 WiiWare game, which you can only play at home, or a $0.99 game that is just as good that you can take everywhere? The latter of the two is the most logical choice. That is why I highly recommend Moonlights, more than any other tower building game I have ever played, on the Wii, iPhone/iPod Touch, or any other platform which this applies to.
Pros:
42 Levels and a Level Editor Coming Soon
Intuitive Controls
Perfect Difficulty
Cons:
A Bit Hard to Delete Circles Accurately
Bottom Line:
If you liked World of Goo or Tiki Towers, get Moonlights. If you’re interested in an engaging game that’s cheap, you should also put this on your buy list.
Scores:
Graphics: 4/5
Gameplay: 5/5
Controls: 4.5/5
Replay Value: 4.5/5
Overall: 9.5/10 (not an average)
Link: Moonlights, $.99
To Win Moonlights for FREE:
Follow the directions on the Moonlights Promo Code Giveaway linked below:
Exclusive: Introducing EA’s Micro-Studio, 8lb Gorilla and ‘Zombies & Me’
Jul 11th
8lb Gorilla is a team of twenty-something year old developers set loose by EA executives, in their words, “on an island” to develop indie-style simple pick up and play iPhone games. These 8lb gorillas, backed by EA (the 800lb gorilla) plan on releasing these bite-sized games on a near-monthly basis, pending no delays with the App Store submission process.
Their first entry in to this market is Zombies & Me. Instead of taking place in a post-apocalyptic world, the game is set during the apocalypse. Zombies are rising from the ground and the military is throwing down missiles left and right to try to fend off the attack. You play as Guy, and are tasked with the duty of protecting your grandmother who stays inside her house and periodically shouts various things at you.
According to 8lb Gorilla, the average play tester was able to figure out how to play Zombies & Me within 5-10 seconds, and they weren’t kidding– The controls couldn’t get more simple. Tapping the screen determines where Guy moves, and the goal of the game is to round up the zombies that chase after you and position them under one of the missiles.
Initially only dealing with a few zombies, the longer you play, the higher the panic level gets. As the panic level rises, more zombies appear until eventually you are running from swarms of dozens of zombies desperately trying to find an incoming missile to destroy them.
The gameplay is on par with what you would expect for a 99¢ game, and the overall production value of the game is in line with other EA titles. Zombies & Me is due out on the App Store “very soon”, and needless to say, we’re not only anxious to see what other games the 8lb Gorillas come up with, but also how the gaming community as a whole reacts to EA encroaching on turf previously claimed by indie developers.
‘Need for Speed: Shift’ Coming to iPhone
Jul 10th
It appears EA will be bringing Need for Speed: Shift to the iPhone. The console version of the game is due in September and unlike their previous Need for Speed title, Shift is more of a sim racer rather than an arcade racer.
The news was noticed in our forums as a sidenote on a teaser trailer, but also appears on the official Need for Speed: Shift site:
Expect to be playing SHIFT in Fall 2009. It will be available on Xbox 360®, PLAYSTATION®3, PC and PLAYSTATION®PORTABLE (PSP) as well as on Mobile and iPhone.
The news was also confirmed by EAMobile’s twitter account.
The teaser/trailer for the console version looks impressive, but remember we don’t know what the iPhone version will look like yet:
Gameloft’s GTA-Like ‘Gangstar’ Revealed, Exclusive Screenshots and a Video
Jul 9th
Last week I posted about a mysterious video of an upcoming iPhone game. Forum members played a bit of a guessing game as we all speculated what the game would be about. Some were sure it was a trailer for Cartel, an MMO-type game currently in beta, others through some internet detective work traced the site back to Gameloft and hoped that we were looking at an upcoming Grand Theft Auto styled game.
Those of you who thought we were watching a trailer for Gangstar were correct. We just got some news and exclusive screenshots of what Gameloft has in store for us, and it sounds like a pretty ambitious title for the App Store.
Gangstar: West Coast Hustle is slated to be the first iPhone full-3D open-ended crime sandbox game. Players will be immersed in L.A. gang life and able to explore an entire city filled with buildings, cars to steal or crash in to, and missions that can either be completed or ignored as you drive around wreaking havoc.
Driving controls are said to be intuitive, with both accelerometer and touch controls. The gun fights you will undoubtedly find yourself in are controlled via a touch auto-aiming system and Gangstar comes loaded with several radio station options as well as the ability to play your own tracks.
Also included is some type of rags to riches progression system, where you will connect with people in the city, increase the strength of your gang, and generally grow in wealth and power. Naturally, this all needs to be accomplished while avoiding the police.
Meanwhile, German iPhone site iFUN.de just attended a semi-public preview of the game and posted this brief gameplay video:
The game will, of course, support all iPod Touch and iPhone models and is expected to be available “by the end of summer”.
iPhone Duke Nukem 3D Screenshot Revealed, Coming Soon
Jul 9th
While Duke Nukem Forever may be dead, or close to it, MachineWorks Northwest has been busy at work porting Duke Nukem 3D to the iPhone. Developed by the same company that brought us Prey Invasion [App Store], Duke Nukem 3D seems to borrow heavily from the control scheme of both Prey Invasion and 3D Hunting [App Store]. IGN broke the news this afternoon, and according to them-
Those wise-ass cracks, though? They are full intact.
IGN shares our concern over the controls, but describes the tap-to-shoot mechanic as “far more tactile — and enjoyable.” Either way, Duke Nukem 3D brings so much nostalgia to the table that fans of the series will no doubt find any control issues very easy to overlook.
I’ve emailed the developers, so hopefully we will have more information on the game before it’s released. Otherwise, IGN states Duke Nukem 3D will be on the app store “very soon.”
Apple App Store Turns 1
Jul 7th
Apple is celebrating the first birthday of its App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. A special page has been posted on iTunes to commemorate the event.
Light a candle and cue the music. Okay, forgive us for sounding like doting parents, but we’re just so proud – having watched the App Store go from promising newcomer to full-fledged revolutionary. To celebrate its first birthday, we’ve gathered some of our favourite games and apps. Part fun. Part function. Entirely amazing.
‘Dirt Moto Racing’ Powerslides Into the App Store
Jul 5th
iPhone developer Resolution Interactive, who brought us the highly enjoyable Aqua Moto Racing, has just released dirt-track ATV racing game Dirt Moto Racing [App Store] for the iPhone and iPod touch.
Dirt Moto Racing is an off-road racer that feels something like a scaled-back member of the Playstation 2′s ATV Offroad Fury series. Core gameplay involves working through the game’s Career mode, unlocking tours of increasing difficulty — eight in all — set across four different North American locations: British Columbia, Death Valley, Toronto, and the Florida keys. Tracks unlocked in the Career mode can be visited for a quick play in the Single Event mode.
The terrain, while somewhat basic, looks rather nice and polished. The graphical elements in general come together to deliver a smooth, “complete”-feeling racer that runs at a very good framerate on my test unit, the 2G iPod touch. In my early experience with the title, I found the forest scenery a bit more lavish than the desert runs, but every environ makes for a very playable racer.
Dirt Moto Racing utilizes a combination of accelerometer- and touch-based controls. Your vehicle’s left / right steering as well as mid-jump lean / pull are handled via accelerometer. Acceleration (unless the cruise control option is enabled), nitro boost, break and view change are handled via touch controls. In-air tricks are carried out by swiping in the center of the screen in any of four directions to indicate the desired trick to be performed. There are 12 ambitious stunts in all, across three difficulty levels. (The more complex stunts do take some skill…)
In a nutshell, some of the other standout features of Dirt Moto Racing include: a pounding 12-song soundtrack, online leaderboards, 21 unlockable achievements, 36 unique game events, customizable rider and vehicle and downloadable best-of-the-best ghost play competition.
In all, it’s really a great game that offroad racer fans have reason to embrace. The controls feel “right,” the physics are solid and it’s just a very enjoyable off-road racer that stands as the king of the genre in the App Store. And at $4.99, it comes as a recommended purchase
Our demo video, taken on a 2G iPod touch, shows early gameplay.
[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]
App Store Link: Dirt Moto Racing, $4.99
A Bugs Defense Review
Jul 3rd
As most app-fans know, the Tower Defense genre is an over-crowded part of the App Store. There are many great TD games, including Defender Chronicles, Fieldrunners, The Creeps, and Star Defense. 
Just when you though another couldn’t come out, it did. I saw it in the “New and Noteworthy” section in the App Store, and I kept looking at it, enticed by the crisp, cartoony graphics. I got myself a review copy, and the game exceeded my expectations. The game, is “A Bugs Defense,” $.99, by CDE.
A Bugs Defense is a relatively classic looking TD game, with four towers, and a hand icon at the bottom of the screen. The towers are a slipper that stomps on the bugs, a honey gun that slows down the bugs, insecticide spray, and an anti-bug laser gun. The hand icon is a unique tower though, because it does not cost anything, and has to recharge. You press the icon, and for ten seconds, you can attack the bugs by simply pressing on them using your finger. There are nine maps, three in each environment, such as the garden and the playroom. There are a few types of bugs, including beetles and flies, the latter of which can not be hit by slippers.
The main game screen is simple. There are buttons on the screen to start a new game, continue a game, if you left it, go into options, and get help. Once you tap “New Game,” you slide through the levels by swiping.
Then you tap again and start the level. Once in the level, you drag from the bottom of the screen and up into a square, to build a tower. To upgrade or sell a tower, tap on it again, and tap on the buttons on either side of it.
The graphics remind me of the graphics in The Creeps!, and that is a good thing. They make the entire game experience more fun. Also, the nine levels each have about 60 waves, so that can entertain you for a while. You can also replay the levels, and it is fun every time.
The only small flaw I can find in this game, which does not even affect me, is that it does not have support for different orientations. iPhone users might find it uncomfortable to have the headphone jack jutting into their lower left hand.
Pros:
Cartoony Graphics
Use a Finger to Squash Bugs
Nine Levels in Three Environment
Cons:
No Different Orientations
Bottom Line:
This is a good TD game, and is worth your $.99 just as much as The Creeps. An incredibly easy buy for a TD fan.
Scores:
Graphics: 4.75/5
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Controls: 5/5
Replay Value: 4/5
Overall: 9/10 (not an average)
Link: A Bugs Defense, $.99
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