In our current fast-paced internet age, oftentimes classical arts and literature take a back seat to silly YouTube clips and 30-second Flash games. In times like these, just how do you get a generation prone to short attention spans and low-brow humor interested in a two hundred year old classic novel? Simple, you add zombies. And ninjas. This is precisely what author Seth Grahame-Smith has done with Jane Austen's critically acclaimed work Pride and Prejudice with the aptly titled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Taking the original text, he interjects his own bits of zombie and kung-fu fiction to come up with an alternate telling of the story. The results are borderline brilliant. Austen's quintessential tale of life as a young woman in late 1700's/early 1800's aristocratic English society juxtaposed with campy B-movie style zombie and ninja undertones makes for incredibly humorous storytelling. Others seem to agree as well, as the mash-up novel rose to #3 on New York Times bestseller list following it's release in April 2009.

Now, the fine folks at Freeverse have teamed up with the publisher of the novel Quirk Classics to bring the video game iteration of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies [$2.99] to the iPhone. It's a 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up similar to Final Fight, Streets of Rage, or TMNT Arcade of years past. The presentation of the game is a total success, both visually appealing and rife with bizarre humor. Unfortunately the gameplay itself isn't quite as strong, and feels somewhat shallow and repetitive. Surprisingly, this doesn't hamper the overall experience of the game that much, as the story is hilarious and remains a lot of fun to play through.

The graphics in PPZ look appropriate to the era, with sketch-style illustrations comprising the smoothly animated characters and backgrounds. It looks like a storybook come to life. The game is broken into 12 separate chapters from the book. The level of description in the game is obviously not as thorough as Austen's original novel, although it does hit on all the major plot-points. You are the second oldest of five daughters, Elizabeth Bennet, struggling to find love and social acceptance in England at the turn of the 19^th century. You are also the most skilled warrior in your family. Your mother wants nothing more than to see you married to a wealthy gentleman and secure your future. You want nothing more than to worry about your own future, and marry for true love rather than money. You'll do anything to defend your family's honor from public opinion while defending their lives from the constant threat of zombie infection.

(more...)

This afternoon I chatted with Brian Howard, founder of InMotion Software, who explained that the next iteration of the I Dig It series was submitted to the App Store today. After downloading a preview build of the game and installing it on my iPad, I can say with utmost confidence that iPad-owning fans of the I Dig It games are going to be in for a treat.

If this is the first you've heard of these games, here's what you've been missing: Around the time of WWDC last year, the original I Dig It [99¢] hit the App Store, and if it wasn't for a surprising amount of people talking about the game at the event, it likely would have never even appeared on our radar at all. In the game, you pilot a retrofitted farm tractor turned subterranean digger in attempts to raise $100,000 to save the family farm. Luckily, the ground under said farm is absolutely chock full of valuable things to dig up, and gameplay amounts to drilling tunnels, collecting diggin's, and selling your spoils to purchase various upgrades for your digger.

I Dig It was a huge success, topping the iTunes sales charts in a number of countries including the United States, so a sequel was only natural. I Dig It Expeditions [$2.99 / Free came next, expanding on the original gameplay of I Dig It as you take your digger on the road and search for archeological treasures in exotic locations such as the Antarctic tundra, the South American Amazon, and even under the ocean.

We loved both games in our reviews (I Dig It, I Dig It Expeditions) and lite version of Expeditions is on my short list of games I automatically recommend to anyone with a new iPhone asking me what games to try. So what's new with the iPad HD edition? Well, first off like many iPad adaptations of iPhone games, you can see substantially more of the game's environment. Also, your digger's radar has been moved from a completely separate screen to a mini-map that is always in the top left corner. These two things alone really improve the game, as being able to see more of your elaborate tunnel system and not needing to page back and forth between the radar makes for a much better overall experience.

The content of I Dig It HD is similar to Expeditions, although not exactly; so even if you've made it all the way through Expeditions, the HD version should still be worth playing. Also, there are new iPad-only challenges not found in the other games. However, the absolute coolest addition to I Dig It HD is the included level editor which fully utilizes the iPad document handling system to allow you to create, share, and import custom levels made by other people.

According to InMotion Software, the editor is what they're calling a beta, and is a little rough around the edges. Regardless, it still works well enough. Much like the document handling of the iWork suite, you can import/export custom levels via iTunes or by either emailing or clicking a link to a .idigit file. Even in its current state, it seems like there is quite a bit of potential if the level sharing community takes off-- Something InMotion Software is waiting on to determine how much more development effort to invest in the level sharing and creation system.

As mentioned previously, I Dig It HD has already been submitted to the App Store, and barring any unforeseen rejections or other issues, should be available very soon. As far as how many of these enhancements will make their way to the iPhone, according to Brian Howard, the ability to import community created levels is a "real possibility" but due to differences in screen size they don't see a level editor on the iPhone.

About two weeks ago we posted about a promising looking match-3 game called Sigma [$.99]. As a fan of the match-3 genre, I have been very much looking forward to playing Sigma after seeing the initial gameplay video. After a few weeks of waiting, I'm glad to say that Sigma does not disappoint and is truly unique. With the number of great match-3 games already in the App Store, it's amazing that one can still surprise you.

In Sigma, you have two independently rotating columns of square blocks on either side of the screen with a barrier in the middle. Tapping either side of the screen sends blocks back and forth across the screen and you can rotate each column freely for complete control over the blocks. The controls are very simple and smooth, and unlike other similarly structured games, it never feels tedious to reach any piece in the game. Your goal is to create vertical or horizontal matches of 3 or more blocks to score as many points as you can before completing the level. One cool feature is that after creating a match, you have a few seconds to add additional blocks to your shape in order to increase the score and earn more power ups.

There are three modes in Sigma. In Sector mode, you want to fill up the progress bar by scoring and unlock the next Sector. Each difficulty mode includes up to ten different sectors, which are essentially different themes of the game each with its own music track. In Time Attack mode, you have either 1, 5, or 10 minutes to score as many points as possible before the timer runs out. Finally, in Versus mode, you play in a local multiplayer match over WiFi or Bluetooth.

Sigma is suitable for all skill levels as you can set your own pace. You are not under constant pressure to create a match, nor do you need to be lighting fast to do well at this game. There is always plenty of time on the clock to complete a level. However, for the hardcore players, Sigma also offers quite a bit of strategy if you choose to delve deep into it. The game awards different power ups for larger matches, so it's rewarding to take the time to create the 5+ sized matches.  Since you are not penalized for each move you make, you can setup elaborate and thought provoking situations. There are also multiplier combos awarded for creating multiple matches of the same color before the combo meter runs out. I believe I've only scratched the surface on the potential of strategy that can be involved in this game and I'm sure many players will rise to the challenge.

The leader boards and awards are provided by Plus+ to compete against the world. The leader boards rank you by the sum of all the sectors in a given difficulty level. This layout offers an advantage to the players who complete all the sectors and I feel provides a good averaged representation of the skill of the players on the rankings. Achievements are given for completing sectors, playing the different modes, and creating large matches/combos.

Sigma is a brilliant looking match 3 game of top notch quality. The developer says the $.99 price point is a limited introductory price and will rise to $2.99 soon. If you are interested in Sigma, it's a good time to get it, as this match-3 is very much worth it.

App Store Link: Sigma, $.99

Last week we posted a preview of Adult Swim's Robot Unicorn Attack [$2.99] and really said everything there was to say about the game. Basically, here's the gist- Adult Swim has a free Flash game portal which contains many different games ranging from a suicide simulator to a Hook Champ-like swinging game. Robot Unicorn Attack is one of the more popular games on the flash portal, and as of this writing has been played close to 23 million times.

Set to Erasure's Always, you play as a robot unicorn and simply see how long you can survive. Much like Canabalt, gameplay consists of running to the right, jumping from platform to platform, and dashing through stars. I could go on explaining it, or you can just play the game in its entirety for free online.

Robot Unicorn Attack translates well to the iPhone, as most games will rarely last any more than a few minutes and both jumping and dashing is handled by default with buttons on either side of the screen or with optional gestures. Everything including the fantastic background music is preserved in the iPhone port, although the graphics have been scaled down to fit the resolution of the iPhone screen.

This is a game that is so ridiculous, you can't help but to love it. Between the silly soundtrack, rainbows everywhere, and both dolphins and sparkles popping up all over the screen when you're doing well, it's hard to not smile while playing Robot Unicorn Attack. Give the free flash game a spin, if you like what you see, $2.99 for the iPhone version shouldn't be too hard to swallow.

Only a few days following the release of the movie, Gameloft's Prince of Persia: Warrior Within [$9.99] has made its way to the App Store. They're promising a "console-quality" game that pushes the limits of the iPhone throughout a dozen chapters filled with enemies, traps, and everything else you'd expect from a Prince of Persia game. We're going to be putting the game through its paces and plan on posting a full review soon.

If Prince of Persia's switch to 3D isn't your cup of tea, last week Ubisoft released Prince of Persia Retro [99¢] which short of mediocre controls is a shockingly faithful reproduction of the original game. Stay tuned for our Prince of Persia: Warrior Within review, and really, give some thought to picking up Prince of Persia Retro if for no reason other than to see where the whole series started.

Update: It seems as if the game has been removed from the App Store. Per Gameloft's Twitter: "There is a little menu problem on Prince of Persia. The game will be removed from the App Store & we'll let you know as soon as it's fixed"

Our hands-on time with Highborn several weeks ago left us extremely impressed with what the ex-Westwood Studios developers (think Command & Conquer) at Jet Set Games had done with the turn-based strategy game and hopeful that its submission time with Apple would be a short one. Well, our prayers have been answered, as Highborn [App Store] is now available!

A strategy game clearly inspired by the richly inked, high-fantasy tilesets and characters of the acclaimed Heroes of Might & Magic series, but played similarly to other popular TBS titles such as Rogue Planet and Mecho Wars; Highborn takes the best credentials from these hits and takes them in a direction distinctly its own.

Highborn follows the story of Archie, an overbearing do-gooder Knight that more often than not frustrates his followers with his overt sense of righteousness, but who nevertheless follow him in his battles against the Arch-Lich, Floyd. The larger-than-life characters are a highlight in Highborn, from the flamboyant, once-famous mage Enzo to the many villains of 'Decay' whom you face off against (such as a Chef who holds entire towns hostage to his dreadful cooking); when characters clash the banter that results is consistently hilarious and peppers the 9 campaign missions with easily some of the best dialogue we've seen on the platform.

The gameplay in Highborn poses an alternate take on the TBS genre, foregoing the usual requirement of mass-producing units to overwhelm the enemy and instead placing a strategic focus on unit value, by placing a finite number of units at your disposal from the onset. The only way you can swell your ranks beyond what you begin each mission with is to capture strategic buildings. Capturing a monastery, for example, will bestow upon you a monk, whilst capturing a Tower will grant you a Mad Wizard.

(more...)

One of the games I most enjoyed in the early days of the App Store was Acceleroto's Air Hockey [link], which delivers a very nice one- and two-player air hockey experience to the iPhone. And, while it certainly has its range of peers, it's the air hockey game I've spent the most time with on the iPhone. Well, at least until recently, because developer Bryan Duke has just released his second take on the air hockey formula to the App Store in the form of Doodle Hockey [link].

Doodle Hockey, as the name may imply, is an air hockey game styled in the vein of the various "doodle" games that have swarmed to the App Store. There are several "paper" backgrounds and puck colors to choose from, and the overall visual quality feels well done for a game of this sort. More notable than any visual treatment, however, is the glass-smooth gameplay the handily outdoes that developer's initial offering.

The one- and two- player game modes are still present, as is the unique option for a dual-puck game, but added to the mix is an excellent Tournament mode that takes you through every level of difficulty and puck configuration on a quest for the leaderboard crown (which is tracked via OpenFeint). There's a definite "just one more game" vibe to this one.

See the developer's gameplay video for a look at the action.

If you like air hockey, you'll find the $0.99 price of admission well worth the fun. It's not the only enjoyable air hockey game in the App Store, but it's my personal favorite. A separate iPad version will be available sometime down the road. Stay tuned.

App Store Link: Doodle Hockey, $0.99

PosiMotion is responsible for quite a few games and apps on the App Store as well as gizmos like the G-Fi VS. Recently they've entered the iPhone and iPod touch accessory market with the PosiMotion Helix Gaming Grip, a grippy molded piece of plastic that you can snap your device in to in order to quite literally get a better grip on it.

Shaped a little bit like a Batarang, the Helix is cleverly designed to allow you to snap your device in to place in both a horizontal and vertical orientation. If you own an iPod touch, there is a secondary plastic piece you need to use in order to make it fit, and using this adapter didn't have any effect on the feel of the Helix. There are slots on both sides of it to route wires through, as well as a hole for the iPhone camera.

Much like the accessories you can snap your Wii controller in to while playing Mario Kart, having a grip on your iPhone that vaguely resembles a steering wheel doesn't add much immersion despite the "the authentic feel of being behind the wheel" that PosiMotion claims using the Helix evokes. So while playing Real Racing when using the Helix didn't exactly open my eyes to a whole new gameplay experience, the Helix definitely does excel in providing a comfortable grip for serious iPhone gaming sessions.

Now that there are games like Chaos Rings, and other extremely in-depth iPhone games that you can spend entire days playing, it seems that all too often I'm curled up on my couch with the end of the iPhone sync cable jamming in to the palm of one hand with the headphone cable rammed between two fingers of the other for hours. For me, the main advantage of the Helix was the onboard cable management that makes playing iPhone games for extended periods of time substantially more comfortable. Also, having something more to grab on to other than a thin iPhone (or even thinner iPod touch) really seems to put an end to the hand strain that anyone with large hands undoubtedly has experienced while clutching their device for hours.

Strangely enough, while the cable management is my favorite feature of the device, not much thought seemed to go in to making sure there are enough room to actually route the cables. When you've got a sync cable and/or headphone cable plugged in, both wires are subjected to severe bends and while I have more iPhone headphones and sync cables than I can shake a stick at, seeing the near 90 degree bend the Helix puts in your headphone cables would definitely make me nervous if they were my only pair.

It's hard to say how much need there is for a Helix Gaming Grip. What has always made the iPhone so awesome to me is that it is always with me and I don't need anything else to play everything on the App Store short of my iPhone and maybe its charger. The only situations where I'd throw the Helix in to my bag short of long flights or long car rides. It does substantially improve the ergonomics of holding the iPhone, but it's hard to say how many iPhone gamers actually play games in long marathon sessions.

The PosiMotion Helix Gaming Grip is available online and from Best Buy for $20. If the thought of having something more substantial to grip your iPhone with has piqued your interest, take a peek at it next time you find yourself strolling down the iPhone and iPod touch accessory aisle.

Disclaimer: We received a review unit to test this device. PosiMotion is also an advertiser on this site.

Rock Pocket Games' latest title, The Package [99¢], hit the App Store a little more than a week ago. As soon as we saw the screenshots in iTunes, we had to give the game a try. Truthfully, The Package had been on our list of games to review since then, but every time I'd sit down to write about the game I'd end up loading it up on my iPhone and toiling away trying to solve the 20 included levels instead of actually reviewing the game.

In fact, how long this review had been in waiting should serve as a great indicator of how much I've been enjoying the game. Some of my favorite games on the App Store are similar physics puzzlers, and they all work very well on the device because they don't require any kind of quick movement, and all of them can be put down for a few moments if you need to attend to something else without really even needing to pause the game.

If you're also a fan of these kinds of physics games, the premise of The Package will instantly be familiar to you. Taking place in some kind of crazy futuristic warehouse, you must get the package from the start to the green zone at the end of the level. This goal is accomplished by positioning various items in the game world such as fans to blow the box, ramps for the box to slide up, springs for the box to bounce off of, and other things.

The 20 levels increase in difficulty quite nicely, and much like Enigmo, it didn't take me long to get stumped to the point of experimenting for an embarrassing amount of time moving the different puzzle pieces around to get the box to where it needs to go. If you're an over-achiever, there are even golden packages for you to collect in game for additional bonuses. Also, the graphics of The Package are some of the best looking I've seen from a game like this, with third-generation device enhancements that are enabled if you're playing on a device that supports them.

The controls work well, although after being spoiled by the massive touch areas of the puzzle pieces in Enigmo Deluxe for the iPad, I can't help but hope they eventually release an iPad version of the game. The Package shares similar issues with all physics games in that in once you advance to levels that require complicated positioning, grabbing and manipulating the correct pieces can get tricky, but it never caused more than a few easily fixable mistakes.

At the launch price of $3.99, The Package was a little hard to recommend as there are tons of other games with far more content and very similar gameplay available for much less. However, at its current sale price of 99¢, this should be an instant-purchase for any fan of physics puzzlers, especially if you have an iPhone 3GS or 3rd Generation iPod touch.

Earlier this month we posted about Gamevil's next sports RPG, Soccer Superstars. Much like Baseball Superstars 2010 [$4.99 / Free], Soccer Superstars comes packed with the same fantastic anime-styled sprites, multiple game modes, and best of all, the ability to train up your own super players which adds an insane amount of depth to the game.

The controls in Soccer Superstars work quite well, what Gamevil did with the controls that I particularly enjoyed was the way you didn't always have to have your finger on the virtual joystick. Instead, you only need to move the joystick in the direction you want your player to move, and they just keep on running. Holding a direction causes your currently selected player to dash momentarily. A the series of on-screen buttons work exactly how you would expect them to if you've ever played any soccer video game.

In the games I've played, the AI seemed competent enough to provide a decent challenge and overall Soccer Superstars has an arcade sports feel to it, focusing more on fun than any kind of realistic simulation. Of course, realistic simulation goes right out the door as soon as you get involved in training up your super players as they're all capable of different super moves. My favorite one turns the soccer ball in to a giant fireball and sends it careening towards the goal.

If you're the kind of person who can get entirely too sucked in to any game where you're filling experience bars, much like Baseball Superstars, Soccer Superstars will likely suck you in in the worst way. Just like how I'd grind through baseball games for the next player upgrade, I've found myself playing game after game of soccer to improve my super players.

Soccer Superstars should be hitting the App Store very soon, and when it does, we'll be taking a much closer look at the game.

The incredible hype surrounding Pixelbite's upcoming Reckless Racing (formerly Deliverace) has been growing fervidly since we previewed the game back in March. But disappointingly, the game's release keeps getting pushed back, and when we'll actually be able to have the complete game in our hands remains uncertain.  This delay has allowed a competitor to steal much of that thunder, and for gamers who are looking for something similar that's available right now, LilRacerz [99¢] is a new top-down racing game from developer Blast One.

While not quite as ambitious as Reckless Racing, LilRacerz is a fun arcade-like experience with excellent graphics, a ton of tracks, and plenty of upgradeable vehicles to unlock. If you were ever a fan of Super Sprint or Micro Machines games on systems past, then this is as close as you can currently get to those classics on your iPhone. There are a couple of minor issues with the game, but any negatives are quickly forgotten as the core racing gameplay is so incredibly enjoyable.

There are 17 different tracks in Lilracerz, spread across 9 cups in 3 difficulty leagues. You'll race on desert, ice, dirt, and tarmac courses, and each surface handles as you would expect. The purposely floaty physics and handling of the vehicles can cause some miscues while racing, but is also what makes it such a blast to play. Some races you'll beat your very first try, blowing away the AI racers, and some races will take multiple retries before completing. One wrong move can spell the end for a race, but this inconsistent difficulty doesn't really diminish the overall enjoyment of the game. The nicely detailed 2.5D graphics give a firm nod to the 16-bit and arcade eras while still being impressive in a modern sense. An awesome chiptune soundtrack accompanies the action, adding to the retro-feeling vibe.

The weakest aspect of the game is the somewhat flimsy upgrade system for your vehicles. You'll collect money spread across the track as well as by completing races which can be used to purchase upgrades in grip, acceleration, speed, or steering. I seemed to be able to play a huge portion of the game with the very first stock vehicle, thus collecting an enormous sum of money and fully upgrading my later unlocked vehicles in one shot, rendering the whole thing kind of pointless. It's not really a huge issue, and could easily be tweaked in a future update.

Speaking of updates, the dev has been actively discussing ideas in our forums such as a hard mode, reversed tracks, night time racing, and new vehicles. There's even talk of some kind of multiplayer functionality, which would indeed be a very exciting addition to this fun single player game.  One nice addition already included is Crystal implementation, with many achievements to unlock and a leaderboard for every track.  Once you've beaten the single player campaign, going back to compete for times online is a great way to extend your play time.  If you're looking for some fast-paced arcade style racing, you can give LilRacerz a test drive for it's current sale price of 99¢.

Deadly Dungeon is a new 3D dungeon-crawling hack 'n' slash game for the iPhone and iPod touch. It seems to be somewhat Diablo-esque in the way the dungeon is presented, the real-time enemy combat, and loot collecting. It doesn't appear that there's much in the way of weapons or gear to equip on your warrior, but there are two playable main characters with a female warrior able to be purchased with in-game gold. The graphics and animation shown in the video are really impressive, with huge enemies and nice lighting and magical attacks.

Details from the developer:

• 8 levels
• 3 enemy types: Skeletons, Ogres and Goblins
• Collect gold to unlock extra playable Female Warrior and extra swords
• 4 magic spells per playable character
• Great 3d art/animations, music and sound effects
• OpenFeint achievements and leaderboards integration

While we're certainly impressed with the visuals portrayed in the video, we do have some reservations about the game. First, it doesn't appear that there's much variety in the dark dungeon setting. Playing through 8 levels of the same environment may get monotonous. On that same note, only having 3 different enemies seems a bit lacking, although those huge ogres are pretty cool. It may just be a bit too basic for gamers who are normally into this type of game, although that remains to be seen until we've actually played it. Still, it has a great look to it and a lot of potential. The magic attacks seem interesting and the ability to play as a female character is a nice addition.

Deadly Dungeon was submitted on Sunday for review from Apple. Barring any unforeseen complications, we should be seeing the game arrive in the next week or so. The price is said to be at 99¢ or $1.99, with the possiblility of being free at first release for early adopters. Due to the graphical intensity, it's recommended for newer hardware (2^nd generation iPod touch and above). We'll be taking a closer look at the final version when it's available.

We are going to be attending both WWDC in San Francisco as well as E3 this month. WWDC runs from the 7th to the 11th at the Moscone Convention Center, and E3 goes from the 15th to the 17th at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Readers can look forward to an avalanche of news, game previews, and other interesting things from both events.

Coverage from these events in 2009 is viewable either by taking a look at the E3 Expo 2009 or WWDC 2009 categories.

WWDC will likely bring about the official announcement of the new iPhone, even more iPhone OS 4.0 details, and potentially several other things floating around the Apple rumor mill during the keynote on the morning of the 7th. While game coverage from WWDC will likely focus on games by the various indie developers in attendance, the big players of the gaming industry will be in full force at E3. We're expecting a Sonic 4 hands on, and many other exciting developments from well known console game developers/publishers throwing their hats in to the iPhone ring.

If you're a developer or publisher and would like to meet up at either WWDC or E3, send us an email at tips@toucharcade.com or send me a message via AIM to schedule an appointment. Our event schedules usually fill up very quickly, so don't wait to long if you have something you'd like to show us.

There have been many top-down racers inspired by games like Super Offroad or Micro Machines for the iPhone, but so far the genre is fairly barren on the iPad. Racing Mania [99¢ / $3.99 HD] changes all that, bringing a real top-down racer with car upgrades, local multiplayer, 15 different tracks, and 10 cars to both devices.

On the iPhone, Racing Mania isn't much to write home about. There are other games (such as the recently released LilRacerz [99¢]) that offer more variety and a better racing feel. However, on the iPad, the claustrophobic viewpoint of Racing Mania (and other similar games) is pulled far back allowing you to see an amazing amount of the track at once which really changes the whole feel of the game.

iPhone left, iPad right.

On the iPhone, once you purchase a few top speed upgrades for your car, successfully navigating around the tracks seems to require more memorization than anything else as you will be going too fast to really be able to prepare for upcoming turns without bouncing off of them otherwise. On the iPad, you have enough screen real estate to plan out really precise racing lines and burn around the track with ease.

Racing Mania is hard to recommend for the iPhone, but may be worth checking out just for a taste of how well games like this work on the iPad. The upgrade system is a little basic, and the controls aren't ideal, but you don't have to play Racing Mania HD for long as all to realize the potential the genre has on the iPad.

Chinese developer UltiZen Games is on the verge of releasing Princess Fury, an arcade style beat 'em up with additional gameplay elements that could add quite a bit of depth to the game. In Princess Fury, the standard "save the princess" theme is turned on its head, as in this game the princess is the one responsible for saving the land from evil.

Princess Fury not only has an impressive art style, but also an equally impressive feature list. 20 different levels are included in locales ranging from forests to castles, along with 5 different objectives for completing the various levels such as killing everything, escorting someone, or slaying a boss. 100 enemies can be on screen at once, and mowing them down will require a balance of sword fighting, magical spells, and commanding servants in real time.

According to the UltiZen, intelligent management of your magic spells, as well as how you command your servants will be vital to completing levels. There is an experience system in place to both increase the strength of your princess as well as your servants. If you get stuck on a level, you'll be able to go back and grind through already completed ones for additional experience before moving on.

The developers have posted an official thread in our forums, and mentioned the release date as June 3rd. This is definitely a game we're looking forward to.