EpicTilt recently released a new rhythm game to the App Store called TapStar [$0.99]. While there are a number of rhythm games available on the App Store, TapStar's claim to fame is that it includes exclusively licensed content from Sony Music. That means the first release include full versions of a number of known artists and songs including:
Lit/My Own Worst Enemy
Romantics/What I Like About You
John Mayer/Say
Britney Spears/I’m A Slave 4 U
Pink/Get the Party Started
Sarah McLachlan/Fallen
Cyndi Lauper/Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Warrant/Heaven
TLC/Creep
As well, the developer promises free updates with more songs in the near future. 11 that are listed as coming "very soon" include: Kansas/Carry On Wayward Son, Three Days Grace/Never Too Late, Cheap Trick/I Want You to Want Me, Cheap Trick/Surrender, John Mayer/Waiting on the World to Change, John Mayer/Your Body Is a Wonderland, Sarah McLachlan/Angel, Spin Doctors/Two Princes, Spin Doctors/Little Miss Can't Be Wrong, Los Lonely Boys/Heaven, and Warrant/Cherry Pie.
This first version of TapStar will seem a bit rudimentary to rhythm game fans as there are no special tap-and-hold or slide notes. Instead the game offers a pretty straightforward tap-mechanic without even many graphical flourishes letting you know how accurate you've been. So, compared to DDR, it's a bit of a bland experience. Meanwhile, the game uses Pump It Up style corner buttons that are mapped to virtual buttons on each corner of your iPhone.
The developer, however, has revealed that many features didn't make it into the 1.0 release, so we should be seeing more in future updates that improve the graphics and animation. He also predicts a total of 60 tracks to be added within the next 90 days for free, but can't exclude the possibility of micro-transactions beyond that.
While it's hard to recommend a game just based on future promises, the current $0.99 promotion price makes it hard to pass up if you love even one of the songs included.
One of the early high quality match/puzzle games for the iPhone has recently dropped in price all the way down to free. Tatomic originally debuted in October of last year at $4.99 and was well received.
The game is a Tetris variant in which your goal is to group atoms into like-colored chains. The game comes with three gameplay modes and is really well put together. Here is a gameplay video from the Lite version, but there's no excuse to not get the full version which is now free.
A few interesting lite versions of games we've covered in the past have appeared in the App Store in time for the July 4th weekend.
Assassin's Creed Free - There were some mixed initial reactions to this game due to memories of the DS version. But the game is technically impressive on the iPhone and the lite version is worth a try. The full version has also since dropped down to $4.99 from it's launch price of $9.99.
Siberian Strike Lite - A top-scrolling shooter also from Gameloft. The full version remains at only $0.99.
Ragdoll Blaster Lite - Here's a ragdoll physics game we really liked. The gameplay is simple, all you do is touch the screen and drag a crosshair to determine the direction and velocity you will shoot your little guy, and the physics engine handles the rest. Each level requires you to hit a certain target, and your goal is to hit it in as few shots as possible.
After a few sleepless nights of following our forums and ngmoco's Twitter, we're finally able to embark on the quest for the Golden Orchid in Rolando 2 [App Store]. Better late than never, Rolando 2 is already off to a great start with overwhelmingly positive reactions from our community.
Rolando 2 comes with 2.5D cell shaded graphics which look wonderful, as well as such a great soundtrack that I hope ngmoco follows Secret Exit's lead with their release of their Zen Bound [App Store] soundtrack as a free download to people who purchased the game.
TouchArcade reader reactions have been swift and also generally very positive.
Not surprisingly, forum member dannys95 highly recommendsRolando 2 to any fans of the first game, and anyone who enjoys Rolando Lite [App Store]. Something worth mentioning is that while Rolando 2 isn't currently available in a lite version, the lite version of the original will give you a taste of the controls and an idea of the sequel's gameplay.
Redking31591 agrees with me on the high quality of the soundtrack, and describes Rolando 2 as "well worth the long wait," and "a premier iPhone experience." Cjb43 follows up with the overwhelming praise that "every facet of the game is crafted to perfection, and it all adds up to a very fun game."
While Fu3lRac3r loves the new 2.5D graphics, he wishes there was a deeper introduction to the plot of the game and also feels the ability to tweak the sensitivity of the tilt controls is something important that Rolando 2 is lacking. A couple of other minor complaints have included some camera zoom issues and small Rolandos getting stuck under the water, though not enough to mar from the overall experience.
While one user, playing on an iPhone 3G experienced some random slowdowns, across the board, performance reports have been solid for everyone else playing on iPhones and iPod touches. Also, as you would expect, Rolando 2 on the 3GS is silky smooth and feels closer to watching a cartoon than playing a video game.
But perhaps the best testimonial for the Rolando 2 experience comes from Sizzlakalonji, who wasn't very hot on the first Rolando, but figured he'd take the plunge on the sequel. The thread continued on for a few pages, and he returned to tell us how much he's enjoying the game.
There's no doubt that this game is well worth the 10 bucks, the level of quality in every aspect is very high. I just felt that in the first game, some of the "wow" factor wasn't there. I'm feeling it here for some of the reasons mentioned by others. I like the characterization of the Rolandos, along with the corresponding vocalizations. I like the variety of Rolandos with their differing abilities, and like everybody else it seems, I like the soundtrack. These thoughts are coming from someone who absolutely was not caught up in the hype, didn't read all of the pre-release threads, and was just giving this a go to see if I was too hasty on the first. I'm not sure if after I finish this game I'll go back and get the first…possibly, but I'm certainly enjoying this iteration of the game and can easily recommend it even to those who weren't wowed by the first.
My personal favorite aspect of the game is the fact that each level has different goals associated with it, which are awarded by keeping all the Rolandos alive, collecting all the crystals, and beating the time limit. Idols are also hidden throughout the game, which can be used to skip levels. Also included is a massive list of achievements, all of which get send up to your Plus+ profile if you register an account. All of these things should add substantial replay value to Rolando 2.
All in all, Rolando 2 is an evolution of the original Rolando formula. So, if you liked the first, you'll like the second. The graphics and sound are great, and so far the bulk of the complaints we've seen are the usual ones about the premium price and the fact that currently Rolando 2 currently requires the 3.0 firmware.
If you're an iPod touch user and haven't upgraded yet, or if you've stuck with 2.2.1 because of jailbreak, you will have to hold off until ngmoco releases an update that's coming soon to enable 2.2.1 support. Otherwise, we're looking at what seems will be another classic title for the iPhone.
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F.A.S.T. — Fleet Air Superiority Training [App Store] is an aerial dogfighting game which is remarkably reminscent of the Playstation Ace Combat series that pits players against either AI opponents or actual players via WiFi and Bluetooth.
F.A.S.T.'s online multiplayer works surprisingly well, and the game offers a graphically impressive highly immersive flying experience.
F.A.S.T. throws the player into the thick of an aerial combat scenario involving multiple closing enemy targets over a variety of ground environments. The combat arsenal includes radar guided and heat seeking missiles for long-range attack, 20mm miniguns for close-range dog fighting, and flares for dodging in-bound enemy missiles. The game features accelerometer aircraft control that is pretty much perfectly implemented — it's just exactly right, surprisingly so. And while it does not provide an X-Plane-style true-flight simulation experience (nor does it strive to), it's more involved flying than more casual air comabt games, such as Top Gun.
F.A.S.T. is currently on sale for $1.99, and while I'm sure there will be some people upset about the price fluctuations, the game is a substantial value at its current price.
After a seemingly long wait, Ngmoco's Rolando 2 has finally made it's way into the App Store today. The $9.99 game is the sequel to the critically acclaimedRolando which was perhaps the first iPhone game to build up a massive following well before its release.
Rolando 2 improves upon the existing Rolando formula by adding a "2.5D" display system which provides a 3D-looking environment to travel across. Beyond just this aesthetic change, the game also introduces a number of new characters, skills, weapons/vehicles and puzzles throughout the game's 46 levels. The game shares the same basic controls as the original game with tilt movements to roll the Rolandos and swipe controls to jump.
We spent a bit of time with a preview version of the game at WWDC, and were pretty pleased with the improvements that had been made. It also seemed clear that if you were a fan of the original Rolando, you're certain to enjoy this sequel. We'll sit down and spend some time with the final version to provide a full review soon.
Here's a video walkthrough of some of the new features from developer Simon Oliver:
Rolando 2 also integrates Ngmoco's Plus+ network which allows you to maintain buddy lists and issue push challenges with your friends.
InMotion Software's I Dig It [App Store] puts a new spin on the classic gameplay found in Dig Dug [App Store], bringing unique graphics, an in-depth upgrade system, and resource management to the table.
In I Dig It, you play as Farmer Lewis, a man who is in a bit of a monetary pickle and needs to pay the mortgage on his farm. Naturally, when faced with financial difficulties, the first thing that comes to mind is retrofitting an old bulldozer into a digging machine to search for over 60 types of subterranean treasures beneath your homestead. The bank is coming in four hours, and you need to raise $100,000.
The gameplay is simple, yet challenging. Utilizing the on-screen analog controls, you dig downwards, stopping on your way to pick up the various valuable minerals you come across. When your cargo bay is full, the rocket boosters of your bulldozer turned high-tech digger come into play and help you fly back up to the surface.
Once there, you can sell what you've dug up, refuel, repair, and either buy upgrades or pay off your mortgage. Available in the shop are six different upgrades which cover every aspect of your digger. For instance, upgrading your drill to a titanium bit allows you to drill faster, and upgrading your hull from iron to steel allows you to take more damage.
On the surface, I Dig It is a simple dig for treasure game, but it's not until you play it for a while that you start to appreciate the strategy involved in choosing your upgrades and intelligently planning your dig routes. On top of all that, you're constantly faced with the threat of overheating, hull integrity, and you always need to make sure you have enough fuel left to make your way topside.
Digging deep is key to maximizing profits, but also comes with the increased risk of not making it out alive. Death is quite brutal in I Dig It, as there aren't any checkpoints and once you die your only option is to start over. If you get tired of the campaign mode, also included are five different challenge modes, achievements, and an unlockable free play mode.
I Dig It was a hit at WWDC, and unfortunately was lost in the noise of all the big name releases of the week. Since then, InMotion has released I Dig It Lite [App Store] and I Dig It 1.1 which features greatly improved controls, bug fixes, and Facebook connectivity.
Despite the harsh death penalties, I Dig It has kept me coming back for more. I'm a sucker for games that have a great art style, and there are few games that rival that of I Dig It. If nothing else, I'd definitely give I Dig It Lite a try.
London-based developer, Mediatonic recently released Must.Eat.Birds. [App Store], a "picnic defense" game which seems to be becoming a cult hit.
The main characters of Must.Eat.Birds. are the nomsters, who were enjoying a picnic of various desserts when a seemingly endless supply of parachuting birds launched their attack. The nomsters, left with no choice but to defend their precious supply of cupcakes and other goodies fashioned a makeshift defense using two forks and a rubber band.
To launch your counter-attack against the bird offensive, draw back the nomster currently loaded in the fork slingshot and release in the direction you want to fire. Nomsters can eat each other to create bigger nomsters, capable of clearing more birds off the screen by launching another nomster in to the existing airborne nomster.
Scoring is largely based on combos, you will want to launch your nomsters to clear out the most birds with each attack. As your combo grows, a multi-layered cake appears in the background. If you're able to score a large enough series of combos for it to reach the top, that's when the magic happens: Maximum Bake, which powers up your nomsters, easily allowing you to easily defeat even more of the bird invaders.
Must.Eat.Birds. comes packed with 9 mission levels of increasing difficulty with different type of birds that require more nomster hits before they can be eaten as the game progresses. Aside from that, there are also 4 unlockable challenge modes and an array of achievements to increase replay value.
Similar to Namco's smash hit series, Katamari Damacy, Must.Eat.Birds. is absolutely dripping with wacky over-the-top Japanese game show flavor. Everything is extremely colorful, and the game has a fun, fast paced Eastern themed soundtrack. Must.Eat.Birds. also has an (intentional) bad translation feel to it with English labels in black labels covering the various Japanese interface elements.
If you find yourself looking at screenshots and watching the trailer trying to make sense of what is going on in the game, I don't think you're supposed to. The absurdity present in Must.Eat.Birds. between the concept behind the game, Maximum Bake, and everything in between is a large part of what makes Must.Eat.Birds. so great.
At 99¢, Must.Eat.Birds. is a simple and strange game that goes so far off the deep end that you can't help but smile while playing it.
I wish there was more to post about this game trailer, but all standard Internet detective tricks haven't turned up anything worthwhile. What you see is what we know.
Featured in the trailer is a bank robbery, high speed police chases, and the ambiguous release date of "Summer 2009". It's anyone's guess whether this is going to be another GTA-like game, some kind of racing game, or even a shooter.
posted July 1st, 2009 11:54 AM CDT by Blake Patterson in News
Yesterday we pointed readers to Firemint's tech demo, which sprang from developer Rob Murray's desire to see just how far he could push the new iPhone 3GS hardware.
Murray created a test build of his studio's Real Racing [App Store], which normally features six cars on a track at the same time, and started adding cars in order to see when the new hardware would falter. He was able to push the game to 40 cars on-track at once without any perceptible loss in framerate. As he concluded, the results are fairly "mind blowing."
Pocket Gamer recently spoke with Murray, who shared his thoughts on what the more powerful iPhone 3GS means to iPhone developers, in general.
"To get value from your 3GS-specific investment you would want to feature and promote its benefits. However, when you do that, at the same time you can very easily give the non-3GS market false expectations," he says.
"So if you do differentiate the 3GS, you need to think carefully about how much noise to make about it. If you make too much noise it may backfire with negative user reviews from non-3GS customers, if you don't promote it at all then you haven't really gotten full value out of your investment."
Murray feels that the best overall strategy for developers is to focus on the lowest common denominator — the early iPhone platform devices — and let 3GS users enjoy the added smoothness that the device's beefier hardware brings. In fact, he feels that few games currently in the App Store are pushing even the earlier generation hardware.
"From what I have observed on the App Store, I don't think there are many apps that have pushed the limit of the existing hardware. For the vast majority of apps, there is little that they can do power-wise on the 3GS that they couldn't equally do on the prior models with just a little bit more care and optimisation."
With the base iPhone 3G selling at $99, Apple should be moving more of the lower-end devices than ever. And while the iPhone 3GS is indeed the new flagship of the iPhone family, it's higher-end specs are far from the "standard platform." It will be interesting to see how each developer approaches the problem of making all iPhone gamers happy with future releases.
See the Firemint 40-car Real Racing demo, if you missed it earlier.
EpicTilt recently released a new rhythm game to the App Store called TapStar [$0.99]. While there are a number of rhythm games available on the App Store, TapStar's claim to fame is that it includes exclusively licensed content from Sony Music. That means the first release include full versions of a number of known artists and songs including:
Yesterday we pointed readers 
