This morning Sega released a new trailer for the upcoming Sonic 4. The game is a cross-platform reboot of the Sonic series, going back to the roots of Sonic games with fast-paced sidescrolling instead of weird 3D platforming like recent Sonic titles.
If you've ever played a Sonic game, this trailer will make you drool:
Sega has scheduled the release of Sonic 4 for October 7th, but it's unclear when it will actually arrive on the App Store. Generally speaking, games scheduled to be released on a certain day show up for download the previous day at 11:00 PM Eastern, and filter out to the international App Stores hours before then. Sonic 4 has yet to show up anywhere, but needless to say, we're keeping our eyes out for it and plan on posting a full review as soon as possible.
At the end of August this year, developer Ossian Studios announced that they were creating a new 3D Western-style RPG for the iOS platform called The Shadow Sun. At the time, there was no indication of what the game would be like beyond a short text description provided on the developer's website. However, given Ossian's previous involvement in the Neverwinter Nights series and the fact that studio head Alan Miranda was producer of Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, there was definitely plenty of reason to get excited with that kind of RPG pedigree behind the project.
Now, just a little more than a month later, Ossian is finally ready to give players a peek at the world that they've been creating, as they have just sent over the first screens of The Shadow Sun.
The Shadow Sun will take place in a fully 3D world centered around an imperial city called Shar. Tensions between the inhabitants of this world run high, and beyond the outskirts of the civilized cities lie unknown dangers. Aliens have somehow tampered with the planet's sun, causing an ever-increasing shadow to encroach across the lands with horrible consequences. Ossian notes that they are aiming for the high adventure of the Dungeons & Dragons series, real-time combat inspired by games like Fable, The Legend of Zelda series, and The Witcher, and an element of sci-fi horror in the style of author H.P. Lovecraft. Here are some other key features as detailed by the developer, and a gallery of additional screenshots (click to enlarge):
Enter a story full of complex characters, intrigue, danger, and shocking surprises.
Explore the decadent imperial city of Shar and the exotic desert lands around it.
Battle enemies using magical powers and dozens of weapons.
Play as male or female with a character system that allows you to evolve your character’s abilities exactly how you want.
Ally with one of several companions to adventure with and fight alongside.
Make your role-playing choices wisely through dialogue or action, and become either a hero or a villain.
These early screens look gorgeous, and have me really excited to see more of The Shadow Sun. The iOS platform has already proven to be a rich resource for great role-playing games of all kinds, and Ossian Studios is claiming that The Shadow Sun will redefine the genre on the platform. That sounds like a mighty claim, but based on their background in RPGs and these stunning screenshots, it's certainly within the realm of possibility. The release date doesn't get more specific that "late 2010", but a discussion about the game has begun in our forums and we'll of course bring you more information on The Shadow Sun as we get it.
Zepto Labs'Cut the Rope [99¢] is one of those games that you could tell was going to be something special just by the preview trailer. Much like their previous game, Parachute Ninja [99¢ / Free], Cut the Rope takes a simple and popular gameplay mechanic (in this case, swiping to slice) and turns it in to a game that's almost impossible to put down.
Cut the Rope begins with a brief cut scene showing a mysterious package left at your door with a label on it that clearly reads "feed with candy." Inside you find a hungry green creature known as "Om Nom" who has an insatiable desire for candy... which oddly enough is suspended inside of his box with an odd array of ropes. Feeding Om Nom through the 100 included levels is a task that is easier said than done once you get past the tutorial portion of the game-- especially if you're looking to clear each level with three stars.
The above trailer does a fantastic job of showing just what is involved in feeding hungry little Om Nom. Basically, each level begins with a dangling piece of candy and our little green friend somewhere onscreen. Initially, all you need to do is figure out which strings to cut in what order to swing the piece of candy in to Om Nom's mouth. Before long, you'll need to be using multitouch gestures to cut multiple strings at once, juggle the candy with bubbles, avoid spikes, spiders, and electricity, and many other things.
Like many other puzzle games on the App Store, Cut the Rope has a star system for grading your performance on each level. A single star is easy enough to get, as once you figure out the solution to a level, executing it usually isn't too difficult once you get the hang of how the physics work. Getting two or three stars involves clearing levels while collecting all of the stars that appear, which often requires tricky acrobatics or carefully timed cuts to swing the candy in to stars outside of the normal path to Om Nom's mouth. Shooting for three stars seems to take many attempts at the same level, a process made much more enjoyable by an on-screen button to instantly start a level over.
Cut the Rope comes with both Chillingo's Crystal and Game Center support for online leaderboards and achievement tracking, and according to Chillingo in the Cut the Rope thread on our forums, more levels are on the way soon. You really have to get pretty nitpicky to find things to not like about Cut the Rope, but two things I'd love to see implemented in the future are both Retina Display support and multiple game save profiles to allow multiple people to play on one device. (Currently the only game save option the game has is to flat out delete all of your progress.)
If you've found yourself taking a liking to the various slicing games that have taken the App Store by storm, this isn't one you want to miss. Cut the Rope has everything a good puzzle game needs from a technical standpoint, a lovable mascot, and enough things to do between farming stars and achievements to keep any fan of puzzle games busy for quite a while.
With how fast the App Store news cycle moves, the original removal of Edge [$2.99] by Mobigame seems like a million years ago. TIGSource has an excellent and incredibly in-depth recap, but in a nutshell Tim Langdell has been trolling game developers for quite some time now by holding a trademark on the word "Edge" and has used that trademark to legally harass anyone who uses it in the title of the game. This not only resulted in Edge's temporary removal from the App Store, but also Namco's Soul Edge to be sold as Soul Calibur in the United States.
This trademark trolling was mildly successful for Langdell until he set his sights on gaming industry giant EA for their use of the word "edge" in the title of Mirror's Edge [$1.99 / HD]. This awoken a legal sleeping giant of sorts which as of this morning has resulted in an awesome court ruling that specifically cites "trolling", per Industry Gamers:
The court has denied Edge Games’ motion for injunction, citing that it believes that Langdell made fraudulent statements to the US Patent and Trademark Office and strongly believes that Langdell is “suspect,” and has been “trolling” the game industry for licensing opportunities. His actions could possibly warrant “criminal penalties.”
While we'll have to see what comes of the "criminal penalties" mentioned, this is a huge win for independent game developers like Mobigame who don't have the financial coffers to defend against an onslaught of frivolous lawsuits. However, something tells me this isn't the last we'll hear of Tim Langdell.
The other big game I got to spend some time with at Capcom's Media Tour event is Dead Rising Mobile, a portable version of the 2006 Xbox 360 game Dead Rising. In the game you'll play as photojournalist Frank West who has become trapped inside a zombie infested mall in the fictional city of Willamette. As one of the few non-zombified humans left, he'll have to fight off the attacking hordes of zombies using whatever means available to him inside the mall until military support can reach the location and offer aid. Dead Rising Mobile looks to encompass as much of this original console release as possible on the iOS platform, similar to what Capcom did with Resident Evil 4 [$1.99/Lite/HD] on iPhone last year. After playing the game I can honestly say they're off to a great start, but definitely have a ways to go.
The focus in Dead Rising Mobile is on the actual combat with zombies, and using the many different makeshift weapons spread throughout the mall to wreak havoc on them. Capcom is striving to have all of the different weapon variations from the original in the mobile version, though at this point the weapon selection I ran across seemed sparse. The number of zombies roaming around the mall also seemed in short supply, though this is something that Capcom is currently trying to improve upon. It's not clear how big the storyline element will be in Dead Rising Mobile, though you will be able to rescue other survivors during the game. Thankfully you won't need to escort them around the mall as you did in the original game, which proved a cumbersome and frustrating game mechanic. Rather you'll just be told that a survivor is in your company and must taken to another part of the mall before a timer expires.
One of the more interesting aspects to Dead Rising Mobile is the social network integration using Facebook and Twitter. If Frank is killed in the game, you can send a rescue call out over either service to show up in your friends' feeds. One of them can in turn respond to that call by entering a special code into their own version of the game, thus rescuing you and allowing you to continue on from the same point in the game. If your friend is unable to rescue you in time, or just plain chooses not to, then your character will turn into a zombie which they can seek out and kill in their own game. This is definitely a unique idea, and should reveal who your real gaming friends are, although it remains how well it will work in practice. Having my game progress hinge on a buddy's motivation (or lack thereof) to fire up his copy of the game and pull a rescue maneuver makes me nervous to say the least.
At this early stage it's hard not to be impressed seeing a game like Dead Rising running on an iPhone. The Retina Display graphics looked sharp, with a convincing mall environment and characters that are fairly detailed and animated nicely. As a huge fan of the original Dead Rising, however, the two standout features of that game were the sheer number of zombies in your vicinity at any given time and the incredible amount of interesting ways to dispatch them. At this point in time, Dead Rising Mobile just isn't quite to that level yet. The social networking aspect of being rescued is an interesting idea, but I'm not entirely sure how much that will add to the gameplay in the end. Hopefully in the next couple of months Dead Rising Mobile can evolve a bit more in the right direction. The game, which is currently being discussed in our forums, is scheduled for release during the holiday season, and we'll bring you any new information on Dead Rising Mobile as we get it.
During a Capcom Media Tour event yesterday, I had a chance to take a look at a new app they are developing called Capcom Arcade. More than just a collection of arcade titles, the idea behind Capcom Arcade is to give players the same warm and fuzzy feelings of visiting an actual arcade during the golden age that was the 80s and 90s. Bouncing in and out of different games, deciding which ones to spend your tokens on, and achieving unique goals for a particular game are all components of the arcade experience. These themes are what make up the Capcom Arcade shell that will house their classic titles.
Capcom Arcade will be free to download and initially contain four games: Street Fighter II, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Commando, and 1942. The plan is to add at least one new game every month to fill up the arcade, and there are several different ways to go about playing the games contained within. Every day you'll receive a ticket that is good for a limited number of free plays for whatever games you choose. The final number has yet to be finalized, but will likely be between 3 and 5 free plays per day, though the unused ones won't carry over to the next day. If you run out of free plays but would like to continue playing, you can visit a young lady at the cashier counter and buy tokens as in-app purchases. Finally, you can also choose to flat out purchase any of the arcade games for unlimited play.
Aside from buying play time for the games you'll also have the ability to purchase special in-game items, which are essentially cheats. For example, in games like Commando or Ghouls 'n Ghosts you'll be able to buy additional bodily protection that allows your character to absorb more hits before dying, rather than the one or two hits that would kill them normally. Also, since many of these classic arcade games have such a brutal degree of difficulty, you can choose to play a special iPhone-specific version from the options. This version will be more forgiving than the original, taking into account that virtual controls are not always ideal for certain games. This currently only applies to Ghouls 'n Ghosts but may be a feature in future games down the line as well.
I had a lot of fun in the time I played Capcom Arcade, and it definitely has a ton of potential given Capcom's huge library of classic games. The controls and performance were really impressive for each of the respective games, and Capcom was quick to point out that they aren't technically being emulated but rather are the original games reworked for the iOS platform. I really like the novelty of being able to buy tokens to play games, or just outright purchase the ones that I'll want to play a lot of. Plus, having a new game release every month will always give gamers something to look forward to as the arcade fills up with machines. One big part of the arcade experience that is missing here is some form of multiplayer, but Capcom assured me that it's something they are definitely interested in adding down the line but would most likely not make the initial release.
Be sure to stop by the upcoming games thread in our forums to discuss Capcom Arcade and check out screenshots of the individual games, and be looking for Capcom Arcade to release in the App Store early next month.
There are few things I like more than a good Viking game, especially one that is centered around a unique idea and colors it up with plenty of Viking humor. Two of my favorites that come to mind are Axe in Face [99¢] and The Horrible Vikings [$2.99], and now I can safely add I-play's Vikings Row! [99¢] to that list as well. In Vikings Row! you'll control a viking ship by rowing through twisting and turning levels, all the while collecting loot and avoiding hazards in an effort to get to the finish line before time expires. It uses a really clever control mechanic, has a wonderful art style, and a ton of content to play through including earning medals for each level and unlocking achievements. Every once in a while a game comes along that just feels right on this platform, and Vikings Row! is one of those games.
Controlling your ship in Vikings Row! is akin to controlling a tank. You'll swipe upwards on both sides of the screen in unison to move forward, and swipe downwards to slow down or move backwards. Swiping either the left or right side turns the ship, and swiping up on one side and down on the other causes you to turn more drastically. If you've played Vector Tanks Classic [99¢] or Extreme [$1.99], then you'll recognize the controls in Vikings Row! as being really similar, though from a top-down perspective rather than a first-person one. It just feels natural, like each swipe of your thumb is acting as one side of the ship's oars. A very nice tutorial level eases you into things, and with a little practice you'll be pulling off all kinds of maneuvers in your Viking ship.
The levels in Vikings Row! are twisting waterways laden with hazards and coins. The goal is to complete the level before time runs out while collecting a target number of coins and avoiding sharp rocks and wooden spikes in the water. Each time you hit one of these hazards you'll lose one of your Viking comrades, and if you lose all five then you fail that level. Each of the 48 levels are cleverly designed with hidden nooks and crannies that will reward the curious with extra coins. A minimum number of coins must be collected to earn a bronze shield and pass the level, with silver and gold shields attainable if you can collect enough loot.
Cruising around in my ship and beating the levels in Vikings Row! is a ton of fun, but there are a couple issues that bugged me. For one, the game can be really difficult. Just beating some levels with the minimum coins required is a challenge, and going back for silver or gold can be downright brutal. It's a satisfying feeling obtaining gold for a level, but it can come with some frustration. Another thing is when starting a level the camera quickly pans over the whole area, but when you're actually playing it can be difficult to tell where you're going. With so many branching paths that lead to dead ends an overhead minimap would be useful, though this is also part of the game's challenge. Also, while you must beat a level within a certain time limit, it doesn't keep track of how fast you do so. Online leaderboards would add even more replayability to each level and allow you to compete with friends for best times.
Even with these minor complaints, there is a lot to like about Vikings Row! The cartoony graphics look great and are Retina Display-ready, and in-game cutscenes and dialogue are really humorous. Just controlling the ship through the waterways is a lot of fun, and attaining medals on each level is a real test of your skills. The game does get pretty hard, but in an inviting sort of way that begs you to keep retrying until you finally have that one flawless run. If you have a penchant for pillaging, swilling brew, beards, collecting loot, and cruising around in your mighty Viking ship, then take a look at Vikings Row!
Top: Stunt Car Racer for Amiga. Bottom: Upcoming Fumes Stunt Racer for iOS
I am guessing some of you may have squealed -- like a small child -- just now.
Don't try and deny it. There are those out there who will certainly have had that reaction to the pair of screenshots to the right. Those presently excited individuals would be the oldschool gamers who recall the incredible excellence of Geoff Crammond's seminal Stunt Car Racer (aka Stunt Track Racer), originally released for the Commodore 64 in 1989, but perhaps most popular on the Amiga and Atari ST.
What's tha--ahh, you're still squealing! Well, then, I should put you out of your misery and say right now that -- no -- an official port of Stunt Car Racer is not (as far as we know) headed to the iPhone platform. But something pretty close, and quite solid looking, is.
Andrei Nadin, Senior Producer of Australian studio Sector3 has given us a heads up on their upcoming Fumes Stunt Racer, a "retro-inspired" (and not just generally so...) iOS racer with native support for all three iOS screen sizes. The game features 15 varied tracks, each full of huge jumps, banked corners, fast straightaways, humps, switchbacks, and drops.
Pretty much everything those of you who know Stunt Car Racer have come to enjoy about the best acrobatic stunt racer out there. And that's because Fumes Stunt Racer is a clear remake / homage to the superb Crammond original. And when it comes to Stunt Car Racer -- I'll be honest -- we fans will take it however we can get it.
We should be getting a preview build of the game shortly and I promise to personally provide a similarity / awesomeness factor on Sector3's title as soon as I'm in a position to do so. Until then, have a look at the studio's trailer video, and feel free to compare it to Crammond's original in action.
Stay tuned for more on Fumes Stunt Racer.
UPDATE: Nadin has gotten back in touch with Touch Arcade to provide a few details surrounding the game's update roadmap.
Coming in the v1.1 update:
Game Center Integration
OpenFeint & GameCenter Achievements (it already has Leaderboads)
7-10 new tracks
Selectable number of laps (currently set to 3)
AI drivers
At least one new game mode against AI
iPod [music] integration
Coming in the v1.2 update which will follow:
OpenFeint challenges
In game leaderboards (pulled from OF / GC)
Responses to customer feebback
More game modes
Saving game state
The initial release of Fumes Stunt Racer is expected to arrive late this month, with the v1.1 update close on its heels.
We've gushed at length many times before about Adult Swim's Robot Unicorn Attack [$2.99] for the iPhone between our initial preview, release announcement, its subsequent updates such as when it gained OpenFeint and even the recent announcement that Robot Unicorn Attack Heavy Metal was in the works. If this is the first time you've heard of it, you really need to just stop whatever it is you're doing and get to a browser with Flash to play the free online flash version.
The gameplay of the recently released Robot Unicorn Attack HD [99¢] is identical to that of both the iPhone and flash versions of the game, except it runs at 1024x768 and the graphics are noticeably improved. The robot unicorn is much better looking, along with everything else. The terrain looks a little rough in screenshots, but it isn't apparent at all when you're actually playing the game.
If you own an iPad, you need to have Robot Unicorn Attack HD on it-- especially at its launch price of 99¢.
It wouldn't surprise me if I went back and ran the numbers that Donut Games is responsible for more favorable game reviews than any other developer, or, at least, somewhere near the top of that list. Each Donut Game always seems to include so many things that make for great iPhone games such as online scoring, a tiered scoring/star system to enhance replay value, and gameplay mechanics that somehow go from incredibly simple to insanely difficult as the games progress.
Urban Ninja [99¢] has all of these features and more. In the game, you play as a fat French ninja looking to escape whatever obstacles are in between you and the rope dangling from the bottom of your escape helicopter. These often include a number of different types of bad guys, platforms, ropes, buildings, and other things. An energy meter on the top left corner of the screen serves as both your health meter, and an energy meter.
Getting from the start of the level to your escape helicopter involves careful jumping, as each jump depletes your energy and you die once you run out. To refill your energy (and increase your score), stars are scattered throughout each level that can be picked up. Also, a score bonus is awarded by ending the level as far down the helicopter's rope as possible, something that is usually easier said than done.
Like other Donut Games, Urban Ninja features a three star grading system for each level. Clearing the 40 included levels with a single star should be easy enough for most people, and scoring two stars is usually much more difficult. Scoring three stars, it seems, is a matter of completing a level absolutely perfectly. If you're the kind of person who can get sucked in to earning stars like this, Urban Ninja will have a ridiculous amount of replay value.
If you're looking for another quick pick up and play game to spend some time with, Urban Ninja is a great choice. If you like it, give some of the other Donut Games a look. Some favorites of mine include Cat Physics, Comet Racer, and Action Buggy.
Trudging through the forums of TrendyEnt'sDungeon Defenders, an upcoming game on PC that recently caught my eye, has upturned some pretty juicy developments. Apparently, Dungeon Defenders' release in November and a console version on the way hasn't prevented the busy developers at TrendyEnt from finding the time to post their work on an iOS port of the game, too. And it's looking mighty fine, even at this early stage.
The Dungeon Defenders website describes the game as a hybrid between a Tower Defense game and a Co-op Action RPG, where 4 players take on the role of heroes tasked with defending the onslaught of enemy creep waves by building defenses and directly attacking the horde themselves. There seem to be rich underlying RPG concepts driving Dungeon Defenders, as heroes collect loot, level up, lay traps and even get their own familiars along the way.
It seems as though Dungeon Defenders' iOS release may not be too far away, either. A video released by the developers on YouTube (below) shows Dungeon Defenders already being played co-operatively on 4 different iOS devices. On initial observation, it looks to have many of the features of the PC version, with the touch interface effortlessly replacing the standard point-and-click and the bright, colorful, cartoon-like graphics remarkably in-tact in its translation to the handheld device.
The PC release is described as having an extensive campaign, lots of planned DLC, detailed stat tracking and the ability to seamlessly mix both online and local participants, all features we'd love to see carried over to the iOS port too. Little information is actually known on the project so far, beyond what has been released in alpha demonstrations. We have contacted the developers to see what else we can get from them, and will keep you up to date on any further developments.
11 is somewhat of a milestone for EA Sports, being the number of players each team has on the field. As such, there were lofty expectations of Fifa 11 [App Store] to deliver something really special. Things start out great with Fifa 11-- when you first load up your first game, you are treated to some of the best looking soccer ever created on the iOS platform. Retina support is crystal clear and ultra sharp, but even the older models will enjoy the brilliant and believable life-like animations and the finer details as EA have tried (and succeeded, we think) to give a fair bit of recognition to their player models and stadiums.
Of course, EA's licensing credentials mean that all the 31 leagues and their respective squads are well represented, and appear to be largely up to date. There are also a very respectable 50 stadiums to play on, fortunately only a few of which are generic models. The iconic stadiums from around the world nearly all feature here and look terrific in both the day and night settings available.
Regretfully, the overall visual appeal of Fifa 11 was marred for us during our review with a frustrating slowdown bug. This affected both our 3GS testing device and the iPhone 4, with many users on our forums indicating similar problems. We're hoping that EA address this in a fix soon, as we could barely get through a game without requiring a restart to get the game back to speed.
That problem aside, when it was working well, the gameplay in Fifa 11 is definitely a more measured approach than what we're used to. No longer can you press for a through ball and get a perfectly weighted pass to your runner. Passes now have a power indicator, and a degree of skill is required to do what was previously effortless. Of course, this is dramatically altered by your difficulty setting, with the lowest settings giving you that extra helping hand.
If you do struggle with the controls, you'll appreciate the default 'casual' settings, which offer a limited, but descriptive control set. Instead of the advanced A, B and C buttons, casual mode includes a context sensitive pass, shoot and through buttons, which change to switch, tackle and slide when you're in defence. Pressing longer on the pass button will intelligently lob the ball, as the game tries to second-guess your intentions. If you're after greater control though, you can't pass up the Advanced mode, which offers the more skill intensive slide-off buttons, where lobbing requires you to slide your thumb off the pass button, and through balls are performed by sliding from the middle C button to B.
This latter button combination caused more frustration than it should have, particularly for an action as frequently used as the through ball. It took alot of wrestling with the controls to get used to, and I can't help but feel there was a better way to go about this. On the flipside, I really liked the new touch gestures in Fifa 11. Tapping on the screen would perform a skill move such as a step over; dragging on a teammate would cause them to sprint forward into space; and tapping a player in defense would switch control of that player to you. I appreciated the fact that a little thought has gone into making the most use of the iOS interface.
The Fifa series is reknown for the quality of features that support the actual gameplay. In some respects, Fifa 11 doesn't depart from this. The fully voiced commentary (that thankfully doesn't seem to make as many mistakes as previous versions, and has the voice-work for even the smallest of teams) that contributes to the hefty 858mb filesize is easily the best of these. The availability of 3 game modes on top of the exhibition games (a cup mode, league mode and practice arena) also serves to keep things fresh. I've yet to see a comprehensive manager mode as the console versions have enjoyed, and it seems like we may need to wait a while longer for that to happen.
The menus and options in Fifa 11 also depart a bit from the expected standard. There seem to be far too many greyed out and inaccessible features in Fifa 11, the largest of these being an exciting multiplayer mode which I cannot wait for. Team strategies present a large list of toggleable options with only few of these actually available for each formation, which are largely rigid and canned. I'm not sure what the deal is with this, but it's certainly odd to see a lack of tactical flexibility. I're also disappointed to see no tooltip assistance is given on any of the options, making them prohibitive to new users and those not familiar with the soccer jargon.
I can comfortably say that Fifa 11 is the prettiest soccer game to grace our devices. I can't overstate just how life-like the player interactions are, whether it's jostling on the ball, celebrating goals, or performing cute dribbling maneuvers; the iOS platform has closed the gap dramatically with its console cousins and is a definite step up from last year's offerings. Unfortunately, the release build's nagging performance issues really hampered my time with Fifa 11, so we do advise caution until a fix is released. That aside, the scaleable difficulty and greater emphasis on player input and skill should prove a blessing to both experienced fans and newcomers alike. Ultimately, the verdict is still out on whether Fifa 11's gameplay can stand up to the other heavy-hitting soccer sims such as Gameloft's recently released Real Soccer 11 and Konami's Pro Evo 11 (if it ever arrives). We still feel there's room for improvement though, particularly where the finer controls are concerned, and we're sure that EA's starting 11 will have to look a little different next year to continue to impress.
Update (10/10): We have just heard from EA Mobile regarding the slowdown problem on certain devices. They're aware of the issue causing it and are working on a patch to address it. Unfortunately they haven't given us a timeline for the fix, but we will update this post again when we know more.
Last week we reported that premier '80s game studio Elite Systems would soon begin bringing classic ZX Spectrum game titles to iOS (via emulation) with the coming release of ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection (Vol. #1) [App Store]. This weekend the game went live in the App Store, shortly following a press release issued by Elite, meant to manage expectations of the unreleased title.
In the release, Elite's Steve Wilcox said,
The media and consumer reaction to the announcement, in late September, of Apple's approval of ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection has been extensive and enthusiastic. Our concerns now are to ensure that both groups understand that Vol. #1 of the App is a work in-progress, a rough diamond if you like and that we're committed to developing the App (eliminating some of its more obvious shortcomings and adding new features) over the weeks and months ahead.
...
If we're to achieve our goal of offering (and enabling others to offer) access - via mobile and wireless devices - to many of the thousands of fantastic ZX Spectrum games, we need to restore some order to the market and adjust expectations amongst developers, publishers and players.
Wilcox promises that the application will always be priced at £0.59 (Euro 0.79, US $0.99) and that within a month, six more game will be released via a free update (Vol. #2), with a further free update to come within the following month (Vol. #3), bringing with it an in-app game shop.
This Volume 1 release features the following six popular Spectrum titles:
The bundled games in this release features on-screen, directional "key" controls configured for each specific title. Gameplay can be carried out in either portrait or landscape mode, depending on player preference. Audio is fully reproduced, as well, bringing the Spectrum's lavish soundscape to discerning iPhone gamers. (A bit of wit there...)
See Elite's brief trailer video.
I've not yet spent a great deal of time with this one, but can say that the emulation seems to be running games at full ZX Spectrum speed. (And I'm happy to say I've not hit a single R Tape loading error.) We'll be following Elite's progressive releases in this series closely.
The popular PC and console puzzle game Peggle [99¢] was released in the App Store way back in May of 2009. Curiously, Peggle came without the background music found in other versions of the game, with developer PopCap promising that it was in the works and would be released in a future update. Many months passed without any news of music being added to the game, and it seemed that it would never come. Then this past June, more than a year after Peggle's App Store release, PopCap shocked everybody by nonchalantly releasing the long-promised background music update for the game.
Earlier tonight, PopCap once again released a surprise update to Peggle. This new update adds the entire sequel Peggle Nights to the original Peggle as an in-app purchase for $2.99. There are 6 demo levels for you to try before you buy, and the full Peggle Nights upgrade features 60 new levels across four game modes, with new challenges and trophies to earn. This video from YouTube shows some gameplay excerpts from the PC version of Peggle Nights:
Ever since the release of Peggle, people have wondered if Peggle Nights would also be coming to iOS platforms, but I don't think anyone ever imagined it would come as an in-app purchase to the original game. If you've played Peggle to death on your iOS device and are craving more, then make sure and grab the latest update and buy the Peggle Nights add-on for $2.99. If you don't already own Peggle, now is a great time to pick it up as it's currently still on sale for 99¢.
Update: It appears that some players in our forums and in the comments below are experiencing problems with the game after updating. I have played through a large chunk of the Peggle Nights content without any problems on my iPhone 4, but others are saying the game is crashing at the PopCap splash screen on their device. You may want to hold off on updating until PopCap can issue a fix, and if you are suffering from problems you can send them an email on the PopCap support portion of their website.
Update: The Peggle Nights in-app purchase is now on sale for 99¢.
Fishing games are a niche genre, little heard of before the popularity of the iOS touch and tilt interface. Games like Flick Fishing and Fishing Kings have introduced many newcomers to the sport in a more arcade-like way that has proven quite successful. So much so in fact that mega-publisher Activision have ported their take on angling to iOS, in Rapala Pro Bass Fishing [App Store], a universal app for the iPad and its smaller siblings.
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing starts off with a gutsy speedboat cutscene, in typical Activision flair. The intro movie kicks off what becomes a trend in your fishing career, as each victory is met with an over-the-top cutscene looking more like an MTV award night. Fortunately, everything in Rapala Pro Bass Fishing looks as great as these movies do, particularly the in-game environments which are fully fleshed out landscapes across many fishing hotspots.
In this respect, Rapala Pro Bass Fishing has addressed the crticisms of similar games that have come before it, and ensured a wide variety of locations that are completely explorable in your trusty speedboat. There aren't just several static fishing locations to cast your line at, but instead at each locale you unlock, there are a number of potential fishing spots to set your anchor at, necessitating your use of a trusty map to find the exact one with the species you're currently looking for.
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