There's quite a few iPhone games in the works with trailers or gameplay videos that have been released recently that all look fairly promising. All of these games are in different stages of development, but each trailer is totally worth watching, especially the Giant Moto video if you have fond memories of Excitebike.
100 Rogues
We've been keeping a close eye on 100 Rogues since it first showed up on our radar late last year. Recently we took a closer look at the game at GDC this year, and this new video shows how playing the game will work in even greater detail.
Giant Moto
According to the thread in our forums, Giant Moto is going to come with 6 tracks, 4 different bikes, and AI opponents with 3 difficulties. I can't wait to get my hands on this game, as I've been waiting for a truly excellent Excitebike-like game for the iPhone.
N.Y.Zombies
Sure, there are a ton of zombie games on the App Store already, but this one looks like it could be cool. The benefit N.Y.Zombies has over the competition is that it apparently is going to be able to have over 40 zombies on screen at once instead of just a small handful like other similar games. We'll see if it succeeds in breaking out of the stereotypical zombie game mold when it's finally released. For more information, check out the thread in our forums.
IMO: The World of Magic
Com2Us is working on a MMORPG that looks fairly impressive. It sports some pretty intense character customization, multiple classes, and other neat perks. They're also running contests in our forums for various prizes while they build up pre-launch hype.
It seems that Mountain Sheep just can't catch a break with Minigore [App Store]. According to their blog, they are suggesting users skip the 3.7 update, as both forum members and iTunes reviews are reporting data loss upon updating.
If you value your Minigore game data, it's best to hold off until an updated version hits the App Store. Since unlocking everything in the game can take weeks, if you know anyone who is a Minigore addict, it might not be a bad idea to tip them off about the 3.7 issues as well.
Here's Part 2 of our iPad Game upgrade guide. Again, to be clear, most of the games we are discussing are great iPhone games. The question is whether the sold-separately iPad versions are worth paying for if you already own the iPhone version. If you've never played any of these games and own an iPad, the HD version is the one to get.
Here's our general rule of thumb:
Don't own it yet? - You need the iPad version if there is one.
Hated it on iPhone? - With few exceptions, an iPad version isn't going to magically turn your opinion on a game. Most games are very familiar to the originals with only a few visual tweaks and controls.
Loved it on iPhone? - If you absolutely loved a game on iPhone, it's worth upgrading. Practically all games gain some benefit from an increased sense of immersion that hardcore fans of a given game are going to appreciate. But, if you've already finished a game on iPhone, the incentive is less to upgrade depending on what's the developer might have included in the iPad version.
Here's our Part 2 list of recommendations on upgrading.
Recommended Upgrades
Labyrinth 2 HD ($7.99) iPad Features: iPad specific levels
With a bigger screen, Labyrinth 2 HD allows for even more elaborate levels filled with tons more obstacles than would ever fit on the iPhone screen. Just like the non-HD version, there is a seemingly endless supply of level packs to download and the top down tilting control method works very well with the iPad. Labyrinth 2 HD is also a great game to load up when showing other people your iPad, as it is not only visually impressive, but playing the game itself requires almost no explanation.
Scrabble for iPad ($9.99) iPad Features: Play up to 25 multiplayer games and new "Party Play" game mode.
The increased display resolution allows players to view and interact with the entire board at once, but the coolest feature of this new version of Scrabble is party play. In this game mode, the iPad acts as the host for the game and displays the game board. Players then use the free Scrabble Tile Rack [App Store] running on an iPhone or iPod touch (or even their own iPad, I suppose) to see their rack of letters. Playing Scrabble this way with over $1000 of electronics for a four person game might be overkill when you can pick up a copy of the board game for under $20... But that isn't anywhere near as cool.
Need for Speed Shift for iPad ($14.99) iPad Features: 8 New Cars, Physics-based acceleration, improved manual controls
Racing games are surprisingly good on the iPad. Being such visual games, the improved graphics add to the immersion. Despite concerns about the heft of the iPad, you can easily position yourself in a way where it hasn't been an issue. Depending on your taste in racing games, you should pick up this one or Real Racing.
Real Racing HD ($9.99) iPad Features: Apply images to your car, ghost racing and new controls
As mentioned, something about these high quality racing games just pop on the iPad. Real Racing is more of a sim-racer than Shift. Depending on your taste in racing games, you should pick up this one or Need for Speed.
Civilization Revolution for iPad ($12.99) iPad Features: World/Scenario Creator
Because of how Civilization Revolution was developed, all ports of the game from the PC, to the iPhone, to the XBOX 360 are very similar with only graphical and user interface differences. It's nicer to play on the iPad because of the extra screen space, and unlike the iPhone version, when you pan around the map the terrain doesn't constantly disappear and redraw. The maximum zoom in the iPad version is more expansive so if you plan on spending any time in the game, you should get the iPad version. Screenshots of Max zoom: iPad, Pixel Doubled
Words With Friends HD ($4.99->$1.99) iPad Features: Redesigned user interface.
Gameplay is identical to the free version of Words With Friends [App Store] which looks pretty good scaled up. If you're a heavy player, however, the UI changes are nice. We were actually torn on this one, but the price drop to $1.99 pushed us over the edge to recommending it.
Maybe
Plants vs. Zombies HD ($9.99)
iPad Features: Survival mode, New Mini Game, New Achievements.
Survival mode implemented, also, graphics look absolutely amazing at 1024x768. Other than that, gameplay and controls were fine on iPhone but both the native and pixel-doubled versions seem slightly easier on iPad since everything is bigger. If you need/want a survival mode, however, only the iPad version has it (so far).
Not Recommended
Dungeon Hunter HD ($6.99) iPad Features: On screen mini-map
Graphics look great and plays surprisingly well on the iPad's screen. Also includes a transparent mini-map which isn't there on the iPad version. I do like the button arrangement better on the iPad version than the iPhone version, so if I were to play through it all, I'd go with iPad. But if you're already played it, there's no new content.
Modern Combat ($6.99) iPad Features: On screen mini-map.
Actually feel the higher resolution screen comes in handy in this as you are often trying to pick off distant targets with your scope. The first person controls on the iPad are passable, but not as tight as on the iPhone. Again, no new content here so unless you are looking to play the game over again or are a big time online player, it's a pass.
Command & Conquer Red Alert ($12.99) iPad Features: Includes 6 Skirmish Maps that were DLC on iPhone version
One of the biggest disappointments given the excitement regarding the potential for desktop-like RTS games on the iPad is how little effort went in to the iPad version of Command & Conquer Red Alert. The game is identical to the iPhone version (+DLC), rendered at 1024x768, and significantly marked up in price. Screenshots: iPad, Pixel Doubled
We just got word from UK-based developer Mr. Fung Fung has been hard at work on the upcoming MiniSquadron Special Edition. We really enjoyed the original MiniSquadron [$2.99 / Free] in our review, and are expecting the same kind of arcade style shooter gameplay in this special edition pseudo-sequel.
MiniSquadron Special Edition is going to sport 8 brand new levels, 50 more planes to unlock, 2 new power-ups ("rapid fire" and "freeze") along with a new fireball weapon to unleash on the new enemy types which can be seen in the following gameplay trailer:
Best of all, MiniSquadron Special Edition will be free to download, and will include a pair of levels to try out. Following that, levels are sold in sets of two for 99¢ a pack. MiniSquadron Special Edition is coming soon, and definitely will be worth downloading if you never played the original just to see what you've been missing.
VH1 has released the iPhone and iPod Touch version of it's version of classic Intellivision games. The iPhone version of the game is a free download and comes with Astrosmash. The other five games are available for in app purchase at $0.99 each. In contrast the iPad version which was released late last week costs $2.99 but includes all 6 games together. Here's a description of all 6 games:
ASTROSMASH - Spin. Blast. And drop into hyperspace to avoid a killer asteroid shower. Power on. Attack computer engaged. Fire a quick burst at the alien antagonists. Got 'em!
CHIP SHOP GOLF - Fore! Select an easy or a hard course, or put together your own from a selection of 99 holes, many based on the most famous holes in the world!
NIGHT STALKER - You're on the run. Your attackers are relentless robots. Destroy one and it's replaced by an even smarter, faster robot. It's a nightmare.
THIN ICE - You control Duncan the penguin. Skate around the other penguins, dunking them in the pond. Avoid or dunk the seal and polar bears. Gobble shrimp cocktails for extra speed.
THUNDER CASTLE - Guide your knight through the deadly mazes of Thunder Castle, slaying evil dragons, sorcerers and demons as you go.
SKIING - Take a deep breath, dig your poles hard into the snow, push off...and you're speeding down a world class slalom course.
While each of the individual gameplay elements isn't particularly groundbreaking, Avatar's major achievement is the sense of immersion and scale that Gameloft has managed to create in an iPhone game. Movie tie-in or not, this seems to be one of the most ambitious iPhone games to date.
Overall, SuperFall is a great combination of casual ragdoll gaming with an extensive achievement/upgrade system that may lure in both casual gamers and hardcore completionists.
In our review, we had issue with the controls of Rayman 2 but some people seemed to take to them better than others. So here's your chance to try it yourself.
It seems like I just wrote about this game a few days ago but we have some more information to share with you. Just in case you don’t remember, ESPGALUDA II is a bullet hell shooter from Cave, the leader in creating games of this type. Our forums have been buzzing about this game since it was first announced. If you watch the new game play video we have below you will see why.
The official word on the release date is April 10th, 2010 with an introductory sale price of $4.99. The normal price is going to be set at $8.99. There will also be a lite version so you can see if you can handle bullet hell games before you buy. Also worth mentioning is, the game will only run on the iPhone 3GS and the 3rd generation iPod Touch. I can't wait for this one to come out.
Spacetime Studios' MMO Pocket Legends was released in the same massive batch of iPad games available at launch, and so far, people seem to really be enjoying it. We already posted about the iPad version and managed to dig up some details on the iPhone client, which they expect to be approved and appear on the App Store very soon now.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, considering the game was originally developed with the iPhone in mind, the differences between both clients are fairly minor. For instance, you have a larger chat window on the iPad, and can see the full spell and emote icon banks on screen at once. On the iPhone, you're limited to a a reduced range of camera motion that stops you from zooming in or out as far as the iPad is capable of.
Aside from that, everything else is nearly identical and the developers have assured me that players will have a great gameplay experience regardless of which device they're playing on. Here are some comparison shots to see the difference between the two clients. The iPad is on the left, iPhone is on the right.
Camera all the way out on both devices
Camera all the way in on both devices.
Emotes and skills able to be displayed on the iPad, while only one can be displayed at a time on the iPhone.
We're excited to see Pocket Legends make its way to the iPhone and iPod touch, and if the excitement in the thread for the iPad game is any indication, Pocket Legends is going to see an explosion of players from TouchArcade as soon as the second game client hits the App Store.
Engineous Games' Sketch Nation Shooter [AppStore] is not your typical game. In fact, it is arguable whether it is a game at all, featuring very little in terms of out-of-the-box content. Instead, Sketch Nation Shooter is a development platform for end users to explore the limits of their own imaginations, in a similar fashion to Sony's ludicrously popular Little Big Planet on the Playstation 3.
And, just like that title, Sketch Nation Shooter is designed from the ground up to facilitate the creation of an entire community of users who submit their creations and explore the work of others. It sounds like a sure-fire hit, but such an ambitious task is a first for the platform, and so we were anxious at first to see just how well the system is implemented.
When you first launch Sketch Nation Shooter you are presented with a depiction of a writing pad and a few menu options with very little fanfare. To start with, we'll look at the 'Play' option. A fresh install of Sketch Nation Shooter will have a few developer-created levels for you to mess around with. Launching any of these will reveal a rich-looking, colorful, themed setting, which ultimately showcase what can be done with the application. Your standard fare vertical scrolling shooter is there in the form of 'Zorx Attacks' and 'Air Support 1944' (which have some very cool comic-like artwork) but there are also a few surprises, in the side-scrolling 'Under the Sea' shooter, and a top-down 'against the traffic' avoidance game, Traffic. It is clear that a little creative thinking can go a long way in Sketch Nation Shooter.
And where that creativity will be best put to work is in the 'Create' menu. When you first go to create a game, you are presented with either 'Simple Mode' or 'Advanced Mode', dictating the extent of complexity you're aiming for with your creation. This is something we really appreciated, as showing off a game quickly to your mates isn't a protracted process; 'Simple Mode' lets you create a player, add enemies, and away you go. 'Advanced Mode' is where the big boys will go to play though, as it offers the full customization suite.
From here you can dictate player and enemy graphics, hit points, weapon effects, sizes, AI patterns and even rotation options. Graphics can be added either from your Photo Library, from a selection of pre-installed Art Packs, or by taking a photo of a page via the camera. We had a few issues where drawings with light-colored backgrounds imported from Sketch Book were not picked up (despite having thick, black borders) but overall our experience with the image recognization was a positive one. There is also a level editor, where backdrops can be imported and where obstacles, enemies and powerups can be hand-placed on each level segment (4 of which comprise an entire level). One especially neat feature is the inclusion of an 'Intro' page, which the developer levels show off as a cool way to give your levels some context through a storyboard.
All in all, whilst the creation mode is quite comprehensive, we felt it was lacking in some areas. To begin with, powerups and boss encounters are two elements set in stone that can't be toyed with as much as we'd like to. Bosses can have their HP and weapon effects changed, and can have their attack pattern selected from 8 pre-defined options. But that's it-- we would have loved to have seen multi-stage boss encounters, or bosses with customizable weak-spots to make these encounters less repetitive. Similarly, powerups collected in game number only 10 and seem pretty stock-standard for the genre. Which leads to another criticism-- that levels aren't really long enough to get a decent rhythm going, or to explore an interesting weapon or upgrade system to begin with. We expect to be blown away with what some users create with the platform, but it seems that user creations are largely restricted to a similarly sized and formulated level design.
Once created, levels are submitted via Facebook and are available for all to play under the 'Download' menu option. Unfortunately, Facebook is the only means of content distribution in Sketch Nation Shooter, a fact that introduces a number of issues. Firstly is the matter of privacy, where submitting a high score unwittingly splashes your full name across the Global ladders. As we speak, the developers have recognised this as a problem and are looking at introducing a pseudonym for high scores, a feature that cannot come soon enough. But we're still not convinced that using Facebook as the solitary delivery medium is wise, as it effectively excludes those that use Facebook solely for personal correspondence, and tend to keep their gaming separate. Granted, Sketch Nation Shooter does not spam your Facebook wall with activity, but instead neatly highlights it in a separate, in-game only News Feed.
If you can get passed the Facebook requirement (without Facebook you do not have access to any user-generated content), then there is already a wealth of very cool-looking content created by fans, and it seems to be growing by the minute. One particular favorite of ours is a TouchArcade themed level that simply must be played, created by forum user Tocarina (heads up: Arn and Eli feature prominently and hilariously). On that note, the developers are doing a great job of filtering out objectional and copyrighted material, and seem to be doing well in keeping up with submissions thus far.
Sketch Nation Shooter is easily recommended simply because it does something no other app can do-- it allows you to design competent games and share them with your friends. Some creations have already shown hallmarks of genius, but the ultimate fun is in seeing what your peers are capable of creating. On the flipside, the underlying Sketch Nation Shooter model remains largely derivative, and could do with even more customization options to differentiate the gameplay and keep user-generated levels fresh and interesting.
We're already looking forward to not only Shooter enhancements, but to see what other plans and genres Engineous Games have in store for their very nifty Sketch Nation game development platform. Be sure to check out our forum thread too, where users are sharing their many designs, plans and submission approval notices.
During the iPad rush, some developers have made a conscious decision to provide "Universal" support to their existing games. These games will run in native resolution on both the iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch. So, you simply buy it once, and use the same copy on both devices. The added advantage is that for anyone who has already purchased these games, the Universal updates are free.
Here are some notable universal titles that we've covered in the past:
Strategery ($1.99) - See our Review, this simple strategy game generated a pretty dedicated following. The iPad screen can cause for some massive map sizes.
Air Hockey ($0.99) - One of the iPhone staples - Air Hockey. Now available as a free upgrade to your iPad.
Isotope ($1.99) - See our Review. A really wonderful dual-stick space shooter that we loved on the iPhone. Unfortunately, the first universal version doesn't seem to work properly on the iPad yet. Again, we expect these issues will be addressed quickly once developers get iPads in hand.
Parcel Panic ($0.99) - See our Review. A Crazy Taxi-like driving/delivery game that's been updated for iPad.
Metal Gear Solid Touch ($7.99) - See our Review. We actually weren't that happy with the game on launch, but it's worth the free upgrade to check out on the iPad if you already own it.
10 Pin Shuffle ($3.99) - A nice combination of bowling and shufflepuck which feels nice on the big screen.
Implode XL - A fun demolition game where you take out buildings with precisely placed charges.
Igloo Games
Igloo Games Arcade ($6.99) - This one's actually a bit of anomaly on the App Store, as it's a Universal game that's not an update to an existing title. Instead, Igloo Games has taken all of its iPhone titles (Dizzy Bee, Dizzy Bee 2, Bed Bugs, Flipside) and packaged them together into one universal package.
On Saturday, Apple released their latest device that runs iPhone OS -- the iPad. The iPad joins the iPhone and iPod Touch in Apple's lineup of mobile touch-screen devices. As expected, the first thing that many iPhone/iPod Touch developers have ported their games over to the new device to take advantage of the higher resolution graphics and larger screen size of the device. For brand new iPad device owners, the question becomes -- is there any reason to upgrade my existing game to the iPad-specific "HD" versions.
Eli, Blake and I have been trying out nearly all of the HD versions of existing iPhone games over the weekend to see how they fared on the iPad. Overall, I'd say we were very impressed with iPad gaming as an experience. The larger screen size really does add a lot of immersion to practically every game we've tried. Enough that if you are an iPad owner, as a rule, you are going to want to buy the HD version of new games going forward. While pixel-doubling of existing games works reasonably well, they simply don't live up to the experience of playing a native full-resolution version. Beyond the obvious graphical improvements, in many instances, developers have made adjustments to on-screen controls to accommodate usage patterns on the iPad.
For those iPad owners who already have an extensive backlog of iPhone/iPod Touch games, however, the upgrade decisions tend to be more difficult. Is it worth spending money on upgraded versions of your favorite iPhone games? That's what we're hoping to answer here. Here's our general rule of thumb though:
Don't own it yet? - You need the iPad version if there is one.
Hated it on iPhone? - With few exceptions, an iPad version isn't going to magically turn your opinion on a game. Most games are very familiar to the originals with only a few visual tweaks and controls.
Loved it on iPhone? - If you absolutely loved a game on iPhone, it's worth upgrading. Practically all games gain some benefit from an increased sense of immersion that hardcore fans of a given game are going to appreciate. But, if you've already finished a game on iPhone, the incentive is less to upgrade depending on what's the developer might have included in the iPad version.
Fall somewhere in the middle? Here's our Part 1 list of recommendations on upgrading.
Recommended Upgrades
Creeps HD ($3.99) iPad Features: All new Maps.
Tower defense games really benefit from the larger screensize. Everything is easier to see, tower placement is easier and more accurate, and for Creeps HD, you also get brand new maps. So even if you've played through the original, there's more to enjoy in this sort-of-sequel.
Flight Control HD ($4.99) iPad Features: Three new HD airfields, Co-operative multiplayer on single device, Split-screen vs mode, 3D (magenta/cyan) mode.
A larger screen isn't just a pretty picture for Flight Control, it really changes the gaming experience. Full-size maps add new dimensions to the game, while it also comes with existing levels. This is more than just a simple upscale.
Zen Bound 2 ($7.99) iPad Features: New levels, new gameplay mode (paint bombs)
For such a visual game to begin with, the iPad version of Zen Bound 2 benefits greatly from the larger form factor of the iPad. The graphics and effects are much enhanced making the experience nicer. Note, however, there are a few performance and control glitches in the game in the initial release. This is a side-effect of developers not having units in hand until now. We've heard from Secret Exit that iPads being Fedexed to them as we speak to address these issues. So, we have confidence updates will come.
HD Upgrades Not Recommended
Sword of Fargoal Legends ($7.99) iPad Features: None Sword of Fargoal plays much nicer on the iPad's screen given the extra real estate, but given the zoomability, you can replicate the views on the pixel-doubled version. If you're a Fargoal addict, it's going to be worth it, but for everyone else the gameplay of the pixel-doubled version seems pretty identical. Screenshots: iPad, Pixel Doubled
iBlast Moki HD ($4.99) iPad Features: None
Despite the larger screen, the game doesn't play very differently between the iPhone version. Perhaps a testament to the good zooming mechanism in the original. In fact, aside from a few jaggies, the game plays quite well in pixel-doubling.
Fieldrunners for iPad ($7.99) iPad Features: None
Without new features, it's hard to recommend upgrading this one, even though the larger screen size makes it feel nice. But here's a tip: you can play with the same size/perspective using the pixel doubled version.
Angry Birds ($4.99) iPad Features: None
iPad resolution allows you to more precisely line up your shots and everything still looks nice when zoomed out, but without new levels, you're just playing the same levels again.
Soosiz HD ($4.99) iPad Features: None.
While we absolutely adored the original Soosiz, the iPad version of Soosiz HD doesn't bring much new to the table. The gameplay is identical and the levels are the same, so beyond the novelty of playing on the iPad screen, there's not a whole lot of reason to come back. Video: iPad, Screenshots: iPad, Pixel Doubled
Glyder 2 for iPad ($4.99) iPad Features: Touch controls, enhanced map / navigation system, 3D world viewer. Glyder 2 benefits from the iPad's larger screen in helping to convey a more immersive sense of flight than the iPhone version, but again, unless you were absolutely gaga over the first, there's not a lot new to see.
Minigore HD ($4.99) iPad Features: Premium (iPhone in-app purchase) characters included, Touch controls
Upscaled graphics look great, but the controls actually take a hit on the larger form factor of the iPad. The developers have added touch screen controls as an alternative, but we still prefer playing this one on our iPhones. Video: iPad
At this point we've posted about Freeverse's Warpgate so many times that linking to the various previews over the last year just seems excessive. From its very beginnings at WWDC '09, Warpgate piqued my interest, and as information slowly leaked out of Freeverse regarding the game's development, it seemed like it was set to exceed even my wildest expectations-- Provided they could live up to nearly a year of pre-release hype.
Warpgate HD [App Store] was among the initial batch of games available along side the launch of the iPad, and was the first game I loaded up following unboxing mine after waiting what seemed like an eternity to sync. Since then, Warpgate has sucked me in in the worst way. Describing games as "addicting" or "addictive" has become the absolute worst cliche of the App Store, both in descriptions and game reviews, but I'm having a hard time coming up with a better way to describe my attraction to this game.
To give some perspective, things I love in video games in no particular order includes anything to do with space, massive game worlds, warring factions you can take part in, an impressive sense of scale, and as much randomization as possible to provide endless replay value. Warpgate has all of these things and more.
Obviously set in space, Warpgate is host to a gigantic galaxy map that you slowly explore through a seamless set of campaign missions. Once you complete the initial tutorial, and start in on the "real" game, procedurally generated missions begin appearing that have you flying places, delivering things, getting in to battles with other ships, and other objectives. Because of this, the game never technically ends.
Warpgate is remarkably open, so much so that if you're the kind of gamer that requires a rigid goal structure with a concrete "end" to a game, it might just drive you crazy. The end goal of Warpgate is whatever you want it to be. If that means grinding up reputation with the space pirates and piloting the biggest, baddest battleship in the entire galaxy, killing everything in your path, you can. Or, on the opposite side of things, you can be completely lawful and play your cards so you're in good standing with all the factions of space.
Or, if you don't care about that, and you just want to have billions and billions of space bucks, Warpgate is conducive to that play style too. There's an entire dynamic economy in game and if all you want to do is ferry around commodities between planets buying low and selling high, you can. In-game news feeds will help you keep an eye on the pulse of the universe, and you can often make an insane profit by quickly delivering huge loads of much needed cargo to planets that show up in the news.
If you don't like power gaming these kinds of games, and just want to have fun in space, that works too. Warpgate seems to be balanced in a way that both rewards power gaming the economy and in-game faction system as well as being conducive to casual gamers just bouncing between campaign missions without getting too involved in the other parts of the game. Mostly, playing the in-game markets is optional, and you might only have to participate in buying and selling commodities if you're low on money and need to buy an expensive quest item or want to further upgrade your ship's weaponry.
Alternatively, if you really don't want to grind up money to buy things, there's an in-game store where you can buy a huge battle cruiser and tons of space bucks for a few real dollars. Other than that, you can just follow the campaign missions and have a great time.
It seems like App Store gamers are always clamoring for depth in games, something that has become exceedingly rare as pricing across the board has hit rock bottom. Warpgate has depth on top of depth. To give you an idea of how much content is in the game, the galaxy map is host to 36 star systems. Those star systems are home to 120 different planets and space stations. While you're marauding around the galaxy, you can pilot one of 172 different star ships, and equip your ship with the 60 included weapons. It's really just insane how much is packed in to this game.
As far as an iPad game is concerned, Warpgate HD is great. Since the launch of the device, we've played almost everything worth playing, and it seems like the control method that I've been preferring the most is one where you can comfortably rest the iPad in your lap, holding it with one hand, and playing with the other. This is exactly how Warpgate works.
You control your ship either by touching anywhere in the game world to fly there, swiping in the direction you want to fly, or touching one of the icons on the side of the screen indicating the direction of a planet, warpgate, or other point of interest. Context sensitive buttons appear to allow you to warp through a warpgate, land on a planet, scan another ship, answer an incoming communication, or fight another ship.
The camera is controlled using all the same familiar multitouch gestures such as two fingers to rotate and pinching to zoom in or out. Speaking of zooming the camera, this is one of my absolute favorite things about the game. With a pinch of your fingers you can go from seeing the minute details of your ship, then instantly and fluidly pan the camera all the way out to show all the nearby planets. This level of zoom control and sense of scale is so cool that the first hour or two that I played the game I couldn't help myself but just constantly zoom in and out.
If you're looking for a fast paced action game, Warpgate is not it. While narrowly escaping from pirates as you just barely warp before getting hit with a missile that would destroy your ship can be exciting, by and large the game is fairly slow. You will spend a lot of time watching your ship flying from place to place, and when you're actually fighting, combat isn't anywhere near as interactive as I had hoped it would be.
When you tap the button to enter a battle, the screen zooms, twists, and blurs just like a Final Fantasy. The game then quickly loads in to a battle sequence where your ship will be flying in a swarm with the other ship (or ships) you're fighting. You don't have any control over your ship's movement at this point, and all you really do is choose when to fire what weapons by mashing buttons that appear on either side of the screen and select the target you're firing on. It gets the job done, but feels surprisingly remedial compared to the rest of the game. If there's one area that Warpgate needs improvement, it's in fleshing out this battle system to add some strategy beyond mashing your weapon buttons as they come online.
Originally designed as an iPhone game, the non-HD version of Warpgate will be available on the 13th, Warpgate will intelligently scale across the entire iPhone and iPod touch family, enabling the different graphical effects depending on what device you're playing on. If you're playing the game on a 3GS or 3rd generation iPod touch, you'll see all kinds of fancy shader effects. If not, the game should still look good without them and run at a great frame rate to boot. Aside from the smaller screen size and a reworked user interface, the iPhone version of the game will be identical to the iPad.
iPhone Warpgate compared to Warpgate HD.
While I'm having a great time with Warpgate, one thing really makes me nervous about a game of this scope. There's no way to manage your game saves, back up your game, or anything like that. I have invested hours upon hours in to Warpgate, and I'd hate to think that I could lose it all from some update SNAFU, iTunes sync weirdness, and the countless other things I've run in to in the past that have resulted in random save game data loss. Especially with an iPhone version on the horizon, there's nothing more I'd love to see than some kind of online Plus+ powered save game synchronization between devices, or anything else to add some kind of security that my massive space empire is here to stay.
Overall, in my eyes, Warpgate has completely delivered on the months of pre-launch hype. Playing the game on my iPad feels like the future, and something that you would see some space kid playing on a similar tablet device in an 80's sci-fi movie. The mood of the game is great, the graphics are phenomenal, the in-game soundtrack has an epic feel to it, and even the icon is cool. Sure, the battle system could use some work, but that is just a small part of an otherwise remarkable game.
Warpgate HD is currently my favorite iPad game, and if you've ever enjoyed a space conquest game in the past, this is a game you need to download. If you don't have an iPad, the iPhone version will be coming April 13th, so keep an eye out for that.
App Store LInk: Warpgate HD, $7.99 (iPad only, iPhone version coming 4/13.)
Do you recall hours of sitting in front of a monochrome CRT, tapping away at the keyboard of one of the first home computers to hit the market, enjoying the magic of very BASIC but highly enjoyable, early text-based computer games? If your memory (and gaming life) goes back that far, then AkeySoft Group's recently-updated iPhone title, iBASIC [App Store], may be for you.
iBASIC is an app that delivers a collection of some of the most popular computer games from the late '70s and early '80s. Each game is launched from and run within a retro-looking 40-column text display with an onscreen keyboard for text input.
The author indicates that a future update will likely bring in-game saves as well as handwriting recognition for text input in landscape mode. There's also a free, lite version [App Store] featuring a subset of the paid release's bundled titles.
Be warned: iBASIC gives an interesting look at (very) early gaming, but the paid version is definitely for the hardcore retro nut only.
Solomon's Keep is a casual dungeon crawler that places you in the role of Sirius, a student at wizard college who's on the brink of graduation. For your final exam you're tasked with defeating the evil wizard Solomon Dark. It utilizes a dual stick control system and plays a bit like a watered down Diablo, and it's incredibly fun.
The dungeon itself is 10 floors high and is randomly generated with each new game. The enemies get tougher and increase in quantities as you ascend. There's usually quite a few enemies onscreen at once, and they come after you much like the enemies do in Minigore. You can get swarmed if you aren't constantly backpedaling in the available open space. Some of the enemies are stationary and fire at you from a distance with arrows, fireballs, or stun spells. There are two bosses to fight on the way to the final battle with Solomon on the tenth floor.
The combat with the enemies is pretty satisfying, mostly due to the interesting magical attacks at your disposal and all the different ways you can upgrade them. Your main weapons are magic missiles, fireballs and lightning. These are fired off in whatever direction you aim with the right stick. In addition you can equip up to two sub-abilities that range from large offensive attacks to strategic moves such as teleporting. When your character levels up, you're randomly given 3 options for upgrades which can include increasing your offense in different ways or boosting stats such as life and mana.
There are treasure chests spread throughout the dungeon that are filled with gold, and occasionally special items. You can travel back to town and spend your gold on things such as potions, rings, and staffs. Gold can be traded for experience points and also be used to upgrade some of your abilities without the need to level up. In your possession is a magic key that can transport you from the dungeon back into town at any time. Once you're finished, it places you back into the dungeon right where you left off.
The only thing that really mars an otherwise great experience are the many technical problems currently present in the game. I've experienced lagging, freezing, and music/text glitches. There's also an incredibly odd bug that has everything running in fast forward upon waking your device from sleep mode while the game is running. The developer has acknowledged the problems and is hoping to address them in updates. Even with these issues, the game never once lost any of my progress and the problem was always fixed by exiting the app and restarting.
Playing through Solomon's Keep is a blast. It's geared more towards the casual side, but that actually works to its benefit being on a mobile platform. If you're the type that needs a ton of different kinds of armors and loot, and enjoy grinding, there's a chance this type of game might not satisfy you. It can be beaten relatively quickly, and it's a decently challenging ride, but with the amount of different attacks and upgrades available it's impossible to do everything on just one trip through.
The game is so much fun you'll want to go through it multiple times, which gives you a chance to expand your character in different ways each time. If the developer Raptisoft can squash the bugs that made it into this current version, as well as add a little diversity in the way of enemies and dungeon interiors, this can be one of the top dungeon crawlers on the app store. Even as it is now, Solomon's Keep is still a highly entertaining game and is recommended.
While practically every other sport you can think of has graced our touch screens, I find it shocking that there hasn't been one legitimate option for the sport of ice hockey. This all changed last night as Hockey Nations 2010 was released. It boasts 3D graphics and simple gameplay with a fun arcadey feel, but misses the mark in a few key areas and falls just short of being the iPhone's first great hockey game.
Hockey Nations offers two different style tournaments as its main mode. Battle against other nations for a gold medal or international bragging rights. The players are 3D models that look slightly ugly and blocky up close, but look nice during the actual game when the camera is zoomed out. The animations in the game are fantastic, fluid and realistic, and are the high point of the visuals. There's only one arena, and it's graphically passable, but nothing memorable. The only music in the game is some slightly cheesy guitar rock during the menus, and there's barely any noise while playing in a game. Modest crowd murmurs and soft skating sounds are all you will hear, besides the occasional horn and cheers from the stands after a goal.
The game is controlled with just a virtual stick and three buttons. It's not overly complex, but there are a few advanced moves you can perform that are explained in the tutorial. It's a good pick-up-and-play game of hockey, but a couple of glaring issues can replace your fun with frustration. First, the AI is a mixed bag. The opposing team's players seem faster than yours, and are also able to make pinpoint shots and passes with ease. In contrast, the goalie AI for both teams is borderline brain dead. You'll get scored on, only to watch the goalie finally slide into blocking position as the opposing players' arms are raised in celebration. The second issue with gameplay is that puck possession changes far too easily. Most of your time is spent stealing pucks back and forth from each other, and your passes rarely go where intended. It's hard to stay in your offensive zone long enough to get off many quality shots. It can still an enjoyable game to play, but would be much more so if these areas were improved.
In addition to the tournaments, you can practice, play a quick exhibition game, or compete in a shootout. The shootout mode is actually a fairly entertaining mini game, and has each team exchanging one on one shots with the goalkeeper for best out of three.
There are the foundations of a really great game of ice hockey here. The graphics and controls get the job done nicely, but AI issues and some imbalanced gameplay get in the way of true enjoyment. The developer Distinctive Games has stated they are looking into fixing the problems with the game, as well as adding features like line changes, multiplayer, custom teams and fighting. Hopefully updates can improve Hockey Nations 2010 so it can earn its spot as the premier iPhone ice hockey game, without defaulting to that title by virtue of being the only one currently available.
We just got word from UK-based developer 
It seems like I just wrote about this 
Do you recall hours of sitting in front of a monochrome CRT, tapping away at the keyboard of one of the first home computers to hit the market, enjoying the magic of very BASIC but highly enjoyable, early text-based computer games? If your memory (and gaming life) goes back that far, then AkeySoft Group's recently-updated iPhone title, iBASIC [
