Over the last two months, Elite has broughtZX Spectrum: Elite Collection Vols. 1 & 2 [App Store] to the iPhone and iPad. An assortment of '80s ZX Spectrum classics wrapped in an emulation and touchscreen control system, Elite Collection offers iOS gamers a fun taste of the early UK home computing scene.
The studio has recently updated the collection, making Vols. 3 - 6 available as in-app purchases at $.99 for each six-game pack. The new collections consist of:
Gremlin Collection Vol. #1
Skate Crazy
Moley Christmas
North Star
Monty on the Run
Wanted! Monty Mole
Auf Wiedersehen Monty
Gremlin Collection Vol. #2
Super Scramble Simulator
Switch Blade
Avenger
Krakout
Jack the Nipper
Jack the Nipper II
Vortex Collection Vol. #1
Android One
Tornado Low Level
Highway Encounter
Deflektor
H.A.T.E.
Scuba Dive
Software Projects Collection Vol. #1
Astronut
Manic Miner
Ometron
Orion
Thrusta
Tribble Trubble
As of the previous update (mid-November), the system features what Elite calls iDaptive controls. A user-definable controls system, iDaptive controls allow the size and placement of each game's control buttons and/or sticks to be customized as per the user's preference.
Elite indicates that an additional four six-game collections (Vols. 7 - 10) will be available for ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection as in-app purchases, within a month.
Looking back at our review of the original Real Racing [$4.99 / Lite / HD], we had a few disappointments, but overall had no issue calling it an "unrivaled racing experience." While EA has released a few great racers from the Need For Speed series, Real Racing was always my racing game of choice... Making me wonder what game was going to boot Real Racing off my personal throne of favorite racer on the platform. Unsurprisingly, Real Racing 2 [$9.99] was the game to do it.
The original Real Racing received universal acclaim from the gaming media, and even went on to take home an Apple Design Award at WWDC this year. Real Racing 2 is everything a good sequel should be in that it builds on top of the excellent foundation set by Real Racing, adding often requested features and other surprises we weren't expecting all while improving nearly everything that was retained from the first.
Just like Real Racing, the sequel is host to a variety of control options that mix and match touch and tilt, along with various automatic systems that can be enabled or disabled depending on your skill level. By default, Real Racing 2 is incredibly easy to play. Steering assist and anti-skid default to on, and the brake assist is cranked up as high as it can go. Controlling this way, the games handles almost everything for you, and all you need to do is tilt your phone right or left to steer. Alternatively, you can turn everything off and drive completely manually, controlling both the brake and the gas while either steering with touch or tilt, along with many options in between. Unfortunately, it seems that there isn't any way to manually change gears.
The graphics in Real Racing 2 are substantially improved. Both the tracks and the cars themselves seem much more detailed, and while you can change the camera to several positions, the most awe-inspiring is the cockpit view where each car's interior is modeled with extreme precision. Speaking of cars, one of the most surprising reveals before the game was released was the inclusion of 30 different fully licensed real cars. Brands range from VW to BMW to Ford and much more.
The number of cars in each race has been cranked up to 16, which I think is one of the most substantial improvements. Previously, iOS racers all felt pocket sized in one way or another. You never really got the full experience of a console racer because in most racing games you were only ever competing in 8 car races. Doubling this makes for races that are just crazy, especially on higher difficulty settings where the AI racers seem to actively try to prevent you from passing them-- Often creating epic battles between cars as you attempt to slowly climb to first place.
These 16 player races aren't limited to single player either, for the first time on the App Store you can play up against 16 players online. These huge online races are absolutely awesome, and work effortlessly. You tap the online multiplayer icon, and seconds later you're tossed in to a lobby with other players. Following a short countdown you're at the starting line of an online race. Real Racing 2 seems to prioritize quick matching to full races, so if you're playing at an off time you likely will get matched with fewer players. One thing I'd like to see in the future is if there was some kind of slider that you could set whether you prefer shorter wait times or larger races. Often times I wouldn't mind waiting a little bit longer to play with more people.
Also added is a new career mode, which Firemint is claiming should keep you busy for around ten hours. Playing through career mode will have you making your way through various events, earning money, buying cars, and upgrading them. The career mode also serves as a bit of a tutorial, as the early events require you to do things like upgrade your car to a certain performance threshold, win a certain number of popularity points, or even paint your car a different color. One minor complaint I do have about this is that at the start of the game you're given a small amount of cash to buy your first car. This requires you to go through all the different cars searching for one you can actually afford. While I suppose this initially gives you a good idea of just how many cars there are, I would have much preferred to just have the option to select an available starter car instead of needing to search through everything else.
Though Real Racing 2 may have a few things I'd like to see changed, it's without a doubt the current king of iOS racing games. I'd go as far as calling it the perfect iPhone game. The controls are perfectly suited to the platform, the graphics are fantastic, and Real Racing 2 is compatible with every iOS device, even the ancient 1st generation iPod touch. The online component is fantastic, the career mode is a welcome addition, and there's even a new car damage system that reflects just how much you've been bumping in to things. There aren't many other games that showcase what the iOS platform is capable of more than Real Racing 2, so much so, that Apple should just be bundling it with their devices. Do not miss this game.
Last week we brought you new video and information on Rocketcat's newest iOS game Hook Worlds [99¢]. The aim of Hook Worlds was to be more accessible to people who felt put off by the somewhat hardcore nature of their previous offerings Hook Champ [$2.99/Lite] and Super QuickHook [$2.99]. Hook Worlds is a collection of 3 (or 4, depending on when you're reading this) endless running-style games, but featuring the grappling hook mechanic that is a Rocketcat trademark. Hook Worlds definitely succeeds at being more accessible, and although it lacks the structured level progression of their previous games it does not lack in gameplay or fun.
Each game included in Hook Worlds is its own complete experience built off of the same general idea of hooking as far as possible in a randomly generated level. The hardest adjustment to make playing Hook Worlds compared to the previous hooking games is getting used to your character automatically running to the right. This simplifies the controls down to just two moves though, an action button on the right and launching your grappling hook by touching anywhere else on the screen. This scheme works really well, and lets you focus squarely on the action happening in the level instead of worrying about the controls.
Hook Worlds initially comes with 3 different game worlds to play, but if you buy the game before this coming weekend is over then you'll get access to a fourth world and a couple of exclusive items that are part of an early buyer program. If you miss out on this, the fourth world will become a permanent addition to the game with the first update about a month from now. Each world feels like its own complete experience, and comes with local and online leaderboards for comparing high scores. Sadly there is only OpenFeint integrated at the moment, but Game Center is a possibility for a future update. The shop system from the previous games has been streamlined in Hook Worlds, and unlocking new items is now based only on earning medals or hitting total point requirements in each of the different worlds.
World 1 in Hook Worlds features the character Gramps as he tries to escape an evil spirit that is frantically chasing him down after finding out his sacred idol has been stolen. Gramps' special move is a recharging rocket boost that will launch him into the air and propel him forward. World 2 stars Zelle from Hook Champ, and features ghost enemies and the ability to shoot them with a revolver. The point of this world is to collect as many coins as possible before dying. Zelle has a 3 heart life bar that depletes by hitting enemies or hazards in the environment, and when it's empty it's game over. These first two worlds are a lot of fun, and combine elements from the previous games, but world 3 is where things get really unique.
In World 3 you play as Gnomey from Super QuickHook, only in the distant future where it's illegal to be a Gnome. Here you are trying to escape the Gnome Police who are constantly on your tail, and Gnomey's special move is the ability to flip gravity. The gravity flipping adds a whole new dimension to the hooking gameplay formula as you'll need to hook while upside down at times, something that resembles pole vaulting. It's hard to wrap your head around this at first, but once it clicks, world 3 offers some of the most exciting and intense gameplay in the entire game. My favorite world though, if I had to pick one, is world 4 which is a Commodore 64-esque retro take on Hook Champ. Gameplay here is similar to world 1 in that there's a chaser after you and you have recharging rocket boots, although movement is much faster. I don't know if it's the overly simplistic graphics or the pureness of the hooking gameplay, but I can't ever seem to get enough of world 4.
That is the great thing about Hook Worlds though, there's basically 4 complete games in one. It's a breeze to hop in and out of each as you see fit, and I love just bouncing back and forth through all of them. I do miss the progression of working through set levels like the previous hooking games, but I understand that isn't what Hook Worlds set out to do. What it did try to do is create a more approachable hooking game with near endless replay value, and at this Hook Worlds succeeds beautifully. It's my new favorite Rocketcat game, which is saying a lot considering how much I love the previous two, and our forum members are loving the game as well. If you ever felt intimidated by Rocketcat's previous hooking games, or you're already an established hooker looking for a new fix, then you'll want to give Hook Worlds a shot.
Pardon the messiness with this one. Earlier, Subatomic Games sent us word that it pushed a new update for both versions of Fieldrunners [$2.99 / HD] to Apple. We're still not sure what's in the iPhone / iPod update, but we do know the contents of the iPad update, which is live and has been, apparently, for more than 24 hours.
So what's in it? As the headline so boldly states, new maps, new towers, and a new same-screen multiplayer component have been added. Specifically, the update adds a total of five maps, three of which are single-player only. The other two maps (which are takes on the added maps) support versus and cooperative, same-screen multiplayer.
Each of the single-player maps adds a new tower to the mix. Subatomic shot us a list of all of these:
Plasma Tower -- creates combo attacks when used with other plasma towers! Shotgun Tower -- fires a devastating volley of drill bits. Lava Tower -- incinerates all nearby fieldrunners in a giant wave of fire.
While the exclusivity might be a bummer for the iPhone and iPod owners out there, take comfort in the fact that you might also be getting these three single-player maps and turrets. Subatomic wasn't clear about this point at all, so we've tossed an e-mail to the studio to confirm the contents of this supposed update. We'll let you know as soon as we know.
In the meanwhile, check out this screen of a level that could be yours, provided the smaller-screen App update gets what we think it will. Basically you're looking into a window to the future if our hunch is right. But, again, we're checking with Subatomic.
UPDATE: Still waiting for word, but the information we can confirm is up there.
Given the incredible success of Street Fighter IV [$9.99] since its release on the App Store, I've always wondered if its 90s arcade competitor Mortal Kombat would ever grace our touch screens. Just a few days ago, it was confirmed that indeed an iOS version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 was in the works from the folks at EA Mobile. And just like that, yesterday Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 [$6.99] was released in the App Store.
I'm a diehard Mortal Kombat fan, going back to the very first release in arcades almost two decades ago. I've since owned just about every version of every Mortal Kombat game for every console over the years. I even bought and suffered through the abomination that is Mortal Kombat Advance on the GBA, so I can definitely recognize a terrible MK game when I see it. And Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for iOS is far from terrible, and in fact it's pretty good. It gets a lot of things right, and even does some interesting new things, but some of the changes will alienate longtime fans who are looking for a trip down nostalgia road, and the poor execution of the controls can make the game difficult to enjoy.
The most significant thing to notice about Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is that despite its name this is in no way a direct port of the arcade game. The biggest change is that the game is completely rendered in 3D. Purists will likely cry foul at this design choice, but I have a more positive feeling towards it. The characters are comprised of fairly basic 3D models but they look like their originals for the most part, and this also allows them to appear extra crisp, especially on the Retina Display. I can't imagine the old digitized sprites looking especially great on iOS screens, and the many frames needed to animate them would likely cause performance issues. Because of these points, I understand and accept the decision to go 3D.
One huge disappointment though is the lack of available characters. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 in the arcades boasted a healthy roster of 22+ fighters, whereas the iOS version only has a selection of 11 including two unlockable characters, and I believe the two bosses are playable though I have yet to verify that myself. Hopefully they take a page out of Street Fighter IV's playbook and offer frequent updates with new characters, because as it is now the roster feels lacking.
The best part about the game being in 3D is that the redone backgrounds look downright gorgeous. Again there is only a selection of 10 stages from the original arcade game's 16 or so, but the ones chosen here are the best of the bunch and contain all of the levels with stage fatalities. There's really nothing like knocking someone in front of a subway train or into a pit of spikes in 3D. On that note, all of the fatalities, babalities, friendships, and animalities are included for each of the characters. Some of these look better in 3D, and some I would prefer the original, but either way it's still hugely satisfying to pull off a finishing move on a defeated opponent, and that's what's important.
Regardless of your feelings about the graphics, none of it would matter anyway if the game didn't control well. Here is where Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 slips up the most. It offers two control schemes and the ability to move the buttons for each wherever you want on the screen. The joystick remains fixed, but it's in a pretty good default position anyway.
The first “pro” control scheme has all 6 buttons of the original arcade game, and all the moves are performed just like in the original. This is my preferred way to play because it's what I know, but it also makes it difficult to pull of moves that require multiple buttons to be held down at the same time, like Sub-Zero's slide for example. The second “easy” control setup features only 5 buttons - punch, kick, block, run, and special. This scheme changes all the special moves and fatalities into simple combinations of the special button and joystick directions. Both setups have their strengths and weaknesses, and neither is completely ideal, but they are both competent enough to get the job done.
The real problem with the controls has to do with the responsiveness. It's a strange phenomenon, really, because at the beginning of the match they work just fine. But as the match prolongs they stop responding as well. Button presses have a way of getting bunched up, and moves that you were trying to perform will play out much later than you intended. There's no way to stop this from happening either, so you'll just have to sit there until the string of button presses is completed before you can focus back on the action of the current moment. It doesn't render the game unplayable, but it's a frustrating problem that definitely needs to be addressed.
Content-wise, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 contains an arcade mode with 4 tiers of difficulty, a local multiplayer mode over WiFi or Bluetooth (complete with the 6 symbol code entry functionality of the arcade game), a survival mode, and a Shao Karnage mode. Shao Karnage mode is brand new, and is actually pretty neat. It pits you against Shao Kahn using the character of your choice, sans health bars for either character, to see how many points worth of damage you can do to him in 99 seconds. There are supposedly online leaderboards for both survival and Shao Karnage modes, but for some reason I have yet to get them working.
Initially I was turned off by Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, but I stuck with it and the game grew on me by leaps and bounds. I've had a lot of fun playing it, and there's all sorts of potential here for it to be a stellar Mortal Kombat game. Assuming you can get past the lack of characters and the new look of the graphics, the only actual problem with the game is the laggy controls. They're workable now, but I'd really like to see them improved in the future. Of course, adding more characters couldn't hurt either. For being the first Mortal Kombat game on the App Store, I ended up being pretty impressed, and there's a lot of positive impressions of the game in our forums as well.
If you're a fan of Mortal Kombat then you'll likely get enough enjoyment out of this version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 to justify the purchase, but if you're looking for a comparable fighting experience to the iOS version of Street Fighter IV then you may want to hold off and see how this game evolves over time.
I always like the good news first, so here it is: Secret of Mana for the iPhone will be released this year, presumably before the App Store freeze on the 23rd. The bad news? That's really all we know. The game's producer, Masaru Oyamada, isn't giving out any details on the Squre Enix Facebook page aside from the fact that it's done, and he's happy. Look how happy:
In addition, they're also not discussing pricing aside from the fact that it won't be 99¢, and it will cost less than Chaos Rings. So, basically, what we know for sure is that the game is being released at some undetermined point in the future, and it will cost money. Also, here are three new screenshots:
Secret of Mana was one of the many classic RPGs that SquareSoft released for the Super Nintendo. Instead of turn-based battles like previous games, Secret of Mana is played in real time, similar to a Zelda game. Also, Secret of Mana had a really awesome coop mode where you could play through the game with the help of another player. Last month, I would have doubted that this mode would make its way to the iPhone, but with Sega implementing Bluetooth multiplayer in their Genesis games, I'm not even sure what to think anymore.
At least it sounds like we won't have to wait much longer to find out.
Epic Games has released another build of its acclaimed Unreal Engine Development Kit and the reason why we're informing you is because this specific beta has iOS support built-in. Yes, the tech that powered Epic Citadel [Free] and Infinity Blade [$5.99] is now available to us plebs and game developers alike via this official portal.
We're not tech magicians or cybernetic voodoo priests, so we aren't going to be coding an iOS game or two in the near future, however, you can if you'd like with this specific release, provided it's a non-commercial or educational product. (If you'd like to license it for commercial use, the legal mumbo jumbo of the stuff is available here).
For most of you this probably means nothing. But what if I said there's some cool and fun stuff tucked into this build? Oh, are you a bit more interested? Great, let me share this with you real fast: in addition to adding content streaming functionality and advanced lighting and shadowing junk, this build of UDK iOS offers users the full source and content of Epic Citadel AND an extra castle.
Also, there's a neat proof of concept iOS dual-stick shooter in this build starring Jazz Jackrabbit. Jazz was the star of the PC classic Jazz Jackrabbit, which wasoriginally created by Epic Games in 1994. He hasn't been seen since 2002... until today!
And just so we're clear, we're about 99.9 percent sure this doesn't mean a new Jazz game is happening. It's just, again, a neat little addition to a very important release by Epic Games.
The absolute best puzzle games can all be described in a single phrase. "Fling the birds at the pigs," or "feed the monster candy," or in the case of Geared 2 [99¢], "connect the blue gear to the yellow gear." Following on the success of the original Geared [Free], the second installment of the series is everything a great sequel should be.
If you haven't played the original Geared (and really, there's no reason not to, especially now that it's free), I'll explain how the game works in greater detail. Each level is composed of a set of gears, one yellow gear and one (or more) blue gear(s). Utilizing gears of different shapes and sizes, you must connect the two so everything spins. Neither Geared and Geared 2 have any kind of grid the gears snap to, which allows you to place the gears anywhere you want inside of the game.
The challenge comes from the limited set of gears available for each level, in addition to obstacles in each level such as crossed off areas where gears can't be placed but the can be dropped in to. While it all might sound fairly easy, it won't take long until you're flat out stumped on a level, and are left sitting there desperately trying to figure out how in the world to position the two gears you're given with the five you have to spin. Thankfully, the Geared games allow you to skip forward a few levels in the event that you're really stuck.
Geared 2 takes this excellent gameplay formula and expands upon it in every way imaginable. Obviously, the sequel comes with a whole new array of levels-- These levels also introduce new gear types that apply additional layers of complexity and depth to the game. For instance, in later levels, there are ghost gears that must first be illuminated by nearby sun gears before they can be utilized, gears that apply different gravitational effects, and more. 60 levels in all are included, with another 20 on the way in a planned update.
But what happens when you finish those 60 levels? Well, that's where the level editor comes in. Players can create their own levels, utilizing all of the obstacles and gear types available in the game, then submit them online. Similarly, if you're more interested in other people's creations than your own, you can download any of the player made levels within the game for free. To prevent the issue that so many games with user-created content have (in that a lot of it is junk), the Geared 2 developers have built their own little approval process where they play through levels first, and assign their own difficulty rating to them-- A welcome addition considering many games with similar level sharing systems are clogged with simple "hello world" levels. Currently it looks like there are around 20 great player-made levels online, a number I expect to increase as the game becomes more popular.
We're told that the entire game engine has been completely rewritten from scratch, allowing for all kinds of new tweaks and additions. Instead of just congratulating you for completing a level, the game now displays your completion time in addition to not only the number of moves you made, but also the distance that your gears were dragged in total. This new game engine not only allows for the different types of gears mentioned previously, but also future gears. In the next update, they're adding a water gameplay element with gears that create droplets and other gears that float.
The new types of gears are what truly makes Geared 2 a worthy sequel. The difficulty in the original Geared often seemed to stem from pixel-hunting as you nudged your gears around to find the perfect spot for them to spin against the other gears. Geared 2 seems to rely much more on puzzle solving skills than touchscreen accuracy, which is an incredibly welcome change. Also, a cute little hamster has been introduced, oddly adding much needed character to the fairly sterile original.
If you haven't heard of Geared before, stop whatever you're doing and download it while it's free. If you enjoy it, you're going to have a great time with the sequel. Similarly, if you followed along and vanquished every level in the original, you're going to have just as much (if not much more) fun playing through Geared 2. It's even universal for the iPad and comes packed with Retina Display graphics. All in all, the Geared games are just as classic as Angry Birds or Cut the Rope, and really shouldn't be missed.
Now this is a curious development. According to the PlayStation Blog, Sony is on the verge of releasing an official PlayStation iPhone app. In the initial version, which is launching "very soon," players will be able to connect to PSN to see their trophies and see what their friends are doing. In addition, you'll be able to browse through game listings, get hardware information, see announcement, and then share those things via Twitter, Facebook, and Email. The free app is also going to be updated with "tons more features" in the future.
What's got us scratching our heads about this is that it's no secret that the iOS platform is a fierce competitor not only to the Nintendo DS, but also to Sony's own PSP. Historically, console rivals have taken great pride in the exclusivity of their associated networks. You can't access PSN via a Xbox 360, much like how you can't access Xbox Live via a PlayStation 3. Microsoft has even had apps removed that connect to Xbox Live profiles.
Either way, we're incredibly curious what these additional features are going to be. Just for the sake of wild speculation-- The Psx4iphone emulator available for jailbroken devices can run PSone games at respectable frame rates on newer iOS devices, meaning that eventually this PlayStation app could technically be capable of running the same PSone classics currently available for sale on PSN. Realistically, we don't ever see that happening, but at the same time... Who ever thought we'd be playing Sonic games on a non-Sega console?
We'll have to wait and see what this app evolves in to, but in the meantime, I can't help but wonder what Marcus thinks of all this.
We don't have any new details on what the Mac App Store is actually going to be like, but as of this morning, we at least know when it's going to be here. On January 6th the Mac App Store goes live, and we've already heard from a few developers that they're seeing their Mac App Store submissions approved and ready to go in iTunes Connect. We're still not sure how the Mac App Store is going to pan out from a gaming perspective, but we've heard from a number of big-name developers that they plan on investing substantial development resources both in bringing their existing popular iOS titles over, as well as potentially developing new titles.
We plan on doing previews of some great Mac App Store games that we've heard of closer to launch. If you're a Mac user, the 6th is going to be an exciting (and likely, expensive) day.
In 2009, Telltale Games resurrected the Monkey Island series with the first Tales of Monkey Island, a classic point-and-click adventure game. Since then, original Monkey Island creator LucasArts has started rereleasing Monkey Island classics and Telltale has finished its series based on the highly-regarded IP. Both series' (including the rereleases) are successes, so it's only natural that we're seeing them on the iOS.
The first Tales game, Launch of the Screaming Narwhale [$6.99], just hit the App Store for the iPad yesterday, actually. And like its' PC and Mac brethren, it successfully combines all the wit, the character, whimsy, and braininess of its SCUMM forerunners.
But I often think that Telltale's greatest accomplishment in Launch of the Screaming Narwhal specifically is that it manages to make you feel like the franchise never died. It starts at the end of a game that was never made with an inventory filled with exotic items and dialogue that references adventures that we'll never see. Telltale pulls this off smoothly with reverence and an informed idea of what the MI series is.
There's a careful balancing act going on in Narwhal. On one side of the proverbial scale are character and the accoutrements of the MI franchise. On the other end of the scale are the game mechanics and systems -- all of the stuff that makes the game spring to life, work, and operate as a logic-focused puzzle game.
To Telltale's credit, it manages to balance this stuff pretty well. The puzzles are fun and original and the logic fueling them are often bursting with MI-typical absurdity and wit. Of course, there are problems with this puzzle formula inherently; game-side logic is often frustrating because it's not conventional. Take, for example, the lighting of a bomb, which requires not a match, but an actual full-on open flame. Ridiculous. However, once you get a handle on how the game wants you to think about combining items or flat-out using them, you'll do just fine within the its confines and have a good time -- at least, you'll never look at a flower pot in the same way, that's for sure. And as far as the game world and systems are concerned, they mesh well with all of this, complimenting the absurd puzzles and providing few hindrances to the experience, which overall, is pretty damn well-written and goofy.
In Narhwhal, You control loveable buffoon Guybrush Threepwood, a man who thinks he's a pirate and often stumbles into situations that make him seem like he's an actual pirate. In this iOS version of the game, you scoot him around by pressing onto the screen and activating a virtual joystick that allows for three-dimensional movement. You can also click an interactive object and he'll automatically move to it.
Item combination and item management are bigger deals than movement, and these key components translate well to a touch screen. On the right-hand side a giant bit of UI activates an item screen where you can click and drag to combine, equip, and examine your loot.
This all works well for the most part, but there's a couple of catches. The Jungle Puzzle, for example, will make you want for more precision as you crawl to maze exits in an attempt to pick the right one. While timed puzzles, like the Boarding Puzzle, will undoubtedly have you desiring a snappier interface. I want to be real clear here and note that these puzzles are do-able. My point is that the UI is sluggish and movement wasn't made a priority. And for further clarification, I've yet to spot problems on the scale of Sam & Max Episode 1: The Penal Zone for iPad [$4.99] yet.
On the technical side, Narwhal for iOS looks like a medium resolution port of the other versions of the game. Textures are rich, vibrant and as detailed as the game's aging engine allows. This isn't blow-your-mind quality stuff, and really, it doesn't need to be. The game's bubbly art style reflects the tone and captures the spirit of the game so well that you won't be desiring more. I'll note that you'll encounter a few visual oddities here and there, as well as some slow down, but I think you can suffer through it.
In large part, you can deal with this stuff because the world is so rich. Characters don't have real depth, sure, but each dweller you'll meet has a quirk and a touch of wit and absurdity that mirrors the game's vibrant, offbeat world. The dialogue in particular (voiced) is great. There are obvious references to past games in the series within it, as well as neat culture references, jokes, and the unusual buffoonery.
End of the day: I've always felt like Narwhal was a great start to a new MI series and it still is on iOS platforms. Ticky-tacky problems aside, I can't recommend this game enough to adventure game fans or logic puzzle lovers. This game is good and deep. Also, the ghosts of the series' past are alive in this recreation, making it an easy pick-up for anyone who grew up with MI (or, strangely, are just now getting their start via rereleases). Check it out.
It seems like whenever a holiday rolls around in the US, all of the major developers put their catalog of iOS games on sale in an effort to ride a wave of publicity into the top app charts. Electronic Arts is no stranger to this practice, and in observance of a very special holiday this Winter they have dropped a huge number of their games down to 99¢. Yes, that's right, EA is having a sale to celebrate forum moderator ImNoSuperMan's birthday. Just kidding. It's a Christmas sale. Or rather, a "Holiday" sale.
Whatever the politically correct reason for this event is, the bottom line is that you can get a ton of EA games for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad for just a dollar each right now. (Note that some of these titles actually launched at 99¢, or have been that price for a while, but have been added to the list anyway):
Whew, that's some list. If you still have a few dollars left over after the absolutely ridiculous amount of new releases this week, there are definitely some gems to pick up out of this selection of games for 99¢, especially for iPad gamers where some of these games have been drastically reduced. You could practically buy every iPad game listed here for the regular price of Madden 11. That's just insane. Also, don't forget that you can peruse our brand new price drops forum for all of the latest deals, and can also pick up the universal Appshopper app [Link] which was recently updated with push notifications letting you know when price drops and updates hit while you're on the go.
Note: These links are for the US App Store only, but the EA sale is worldwide. If you happen to be outside the US market, then these links will not work for you but you can find these games by searching in your country's App Store.
The story behind the creation of Aralon: Sword and Shadow HD [$6.99] is almost as interesting as the game itself. Aralon started as a project by the two developers, Jason and Sam, that comprise Galoobeth Games. They created an incredible RPG game engine for the iPhone that was more robust than anything previously seen on the platform, allowing for multiple character races and classes, the ability to mount and ride animals, a touch of alchemy and item combination, and oh so much more. All of this functionality was set in the expansive open world of Aralon, but as exciting as the framework for the game was the visuals were completely lacking.
Then back in May of this year the guys at Crescent Moon Games, who had previous experience in open-world action games with their own Ravensword [$2.99/Lite], stepped in to give the entire Aralon game a complete visual makeover. The stunning transformation can be seen in the comparison screenshots we posted in June, but it really hits home just how far the game has come when you watch the original trailer side-by-side with an updated one. All of this pre-release hype had caused Aralon to be one of the most anticipated game releases of this year, which was reinforced by an upcoming games thread in our forums that has achieved more views than any other in the history of TouchArcade.
Today that anticipation comes to a head, as Aralon: Sword and Shadow HD has finally been released in the US App Store. It's a moment that's bittersweet in that as happy as I am to see the game finally arrive, I'm equally as sad due to how much fun it has been following along with the game's progression. Any feelings of sadness quickly fade away, however, because as soon as you fire up the expansive world of Aralon on your iOS device you realize that you're in for an experience that's unlike anything you've ever seen on the platform before. I could literally write for hours about all the different aspects to Aralon, but instead I will try to touch on the major points as well as my feelings about playing this masterpiece of an iOS game.
You start off in Aralon by choosing one of three races - a human, elf, or troll - and from there you further refine your character by choosing its class. Both humans and elves can be male or female and pick from warrior, rogue, ranger, and mage classes. Trolls can only be male and either a warrior or a rogue. Each class has its own skill tree to master as your character levels up, and they all play quite differently from one another giving plenty of reason to play through the game as each. You then customize the look of your character model using a decent selection of hair and face choices, and although the options here aren't as robust as what you would find in a console game, it's certainly the most extensive on the iOS platform.
The story of Aralon then begins, and follows a tale of betrayal and a Kingdom on the brink of collapse. As fate would have it, you are the key element to solving these problems and restoring The Kingdom of Aralon to its previous state of peace and harmony. It's certainly the kind of story that follows clichés of the role-playing genre, but it's interesting nonetheless and serves as a good motivator to carry on and see things through.
After you're introduced to the premise, a very nice tutorial gets you acquainted with the controls in Aralon. A small directional stick controls character movement, and contextual buttons handle interacting with people and objects in the environment. You can scour chests spread throughout the environment or the bodies of fallen characters to collect items. There's an impressive amount of weapons and armor to equip, each of which will actually change the look of your character.
The real fun begins when you are let loose into the world of Aralon to explore and complete quests. The expansiveness and detail of the lands is jaw-dropping. The draw distance is limited and you'll notice an occasional wonky texture here and there, but by and large the huge world of Aralon is wholly impressive. There are main quests that pertain to the storyline as well as a number of side quests to complete, all of which are neatly tracked through a helpful quest log. The log will give you plenty of information on where to go, who to talk to, or what to do in order to complete each quest. This is aided by a map that points out the different areas in the game and your location relative to them, and at no point during Aralon did I feel lost or have a hard time figuring out what to do if I'd taken a break from the game for a while.
During your exploits you will run into countless enemies roaming the land. Battles take place in real time, and while they are largely button-mashing affairs there are some strategic elements to consider. A single button performs an attack based on what your character is equipped with, like a sword or a magical attack, and a second button handles defending or parrying. The defense system is timing based, and it's quite fun to work out the correct rhythm of attacking and quickly holding up a shield to block an attack. You also have a number of special skills which you slowly unlock and enhance through the skill tree as you level up. These skills, along with practically any other item or ability, can be assigned to up to 10 quick slots at the bottom of the screen. This ensures easy access to them and lets you mix up your tactics when taking on the enemies in the game.
For as much as I could wax lyrical about all the great thing in Aralon, the reality is that it does have some problems. The most glaring of these is the sometimes sketchy animations and behaviors of the graphics in the game. You'll notice things like when you mount a horse that it immediately teleports the creature to the correct position for you to hop on, or that as you're running through the world the game will occasionally freeze for a moment while it tries to catch up with drawing the environment. Given the incredibly expansive nature of the game, these are largely forgivable and don't hinder the experience too much, but they are there.
My other issue has to do with the controls. For the most part they work incredibly well, and the ease at which you can navigate menus and the many options contained within turns something that could easily be frustrating and overwhelming into something that is pleasantly simple. The problem comes with how the game highlights characters or objects in the game world that you can interact with. The range at which it highlights something is much too far, and it will remain locked on a character even if I'm in a building and on a completely different floor than they are. Also, if a character is standing close to an object like a chest, the game has trouble determining which one you want to interact with. You can remedy this to a degree by actually touching the object you intend to engage, but it still causes some cumbersome moments when navigating through the game.
Finally, it has to be said that with the incredible amount of quests associated with the main storyline as well as the many side quests, a lot of them can tend to feel repetitive. Don't get me wrong, they're still very enjoyable and the developers do a great job of trying to add variety to them. But in the end the majority of quests boil down to fetching or delivering items, killing a certain character or stable of enemies, and the like.
There is so much more to Aralon that it isn't even funny, like joining guilds, combining and creating items, or becoming an outlaw. But these things either don't fit within the scope of this review or are things that can only be experienced firsthand, like the first time the sun sets and gives way to a breathtaking night sky overlooking the vast land before you. I used to look at my iOS device as a small window into new worlds and fun experiences, and with Aralon I feel like I actually have a fully realized living and breathing universe sitting snugly in my pocket.
Even with some of the warts that come with an initial release, Aralon is one of the most enjoyable games I've played on the App Store. Additionally, Crescent Moon has an excellent track record with collecting player feedback when considering game updates. They have already created an Aralon suggestion thread in our forums, and are monitoring the feedback in the official release thread as well. I have no doubt that a game of this magnitude will continue to evolve and improve over time with new content, gameplay tweaks, and bug fixes. Still, it's a thoroughly enjoyable game as it is now, and I don't only suggest Aralon for fans of Western RPGs or expansive open-world action games, but I think every iOS gamer needs to pick up this title just to experience what is possible on this constantly expanding mobile platform.
Today is the eve of the final Thursday in December before the pre-holiday iTunes Connect freeze. Starting on December 23rd and running until the 28th, developers won't be able to release new games or updates, or change any of the prices of their games. Last year the top sales charts also got frozen, and no one knows if that's going to be the case again this year or not. What we're seeing now is the mad rush to get everyone's games released before the freeze. If you were looking forward to a game with a holiday release date that isn't in this list, it's still possible that it will get released, but it's looking more and more unlikely as we get closer to the 23rd.
All of these games should now be available worldwide. Get mashin' that buy now button-
Aralon: Sword and Shadow HD, $6.99 - [Forum Thread] - The highly anticipated collaboration between Crescent Moon Games and Galoobeth Games is almost upon us. We were impressed with the depth of the game in our preview last week, and the excitement for Aralon couldn't possibly be higher in its massive thread in our upcoming games forum.
Real Racing 2, $9.99 - [Forum Thread] - Last week Firemint revealed the full details on just what to expect in Real Racing 2. A career mode, licensed cars, and tons of track are all some of the goodies that we're going to be in store for. Oh, yeah, and there's also 16 player online multiplayer that basically rewrites what to expect of iPhone online multiplayer gaming.
World of Goo for iPad, $9.99 - [Forum Thread] - As mentioned in our recent review, World of Goo on the iPad is simply incredible. It was a remarkable game before it hit the App Store, winning buckets full of awards and scoring many 10/10 reviews... and the touch interface only serves to make the game even better. I've been unable to put this game down since we scored our preview copy. If you have an iPad, you need this game.
Dungeon Defenders: First Wave, $2.99 - [Forum Thread] - This is the second game available on the App Store that utilizes Unreal Engine 3, but the graphics aren't what's impressive about Dungeon Defenders. What's truly awesome about it is the Game Center-powered multiplayer that allows four players to play together in a cooperative mix of tower defense-like gameplay mixed with an action RPG. It's even universal.
N.O.V.A. 2 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance, $6.99 - [Forum Thread] - Gameloft is back again with a second installment in the N.O.V.A. series. This one will have you battling through 12 chapters in the singleplayer campaign, which I have a feeling will take a back seat to the 10 player online multiplayer. 10 maps are included for online play with 5 different game modes which include standard and team based deathmatch, capture the flag, freeze tag, and instagib.
Geared 2, 99¢ - [Forum Thread] - We loved the original Geared, and its sequel seems better in every way. Gameplay amounts to figuring out how to place gears to make the target gears spin, and unlike other gear-based games there isn't any kind of grid for the gears to lock on to, allowing you to place them wherever you like. Oh, and to make things better, it's launching at a buck and is universal.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2, 99¢ - 15 missions are included as well as 4 player online multiplayer. In comparison to other games being released today, that doesn't sound like a whole lot, but it's a game from a popular franchise that's also launching at 99¢-- A price I'm not sure many expected.
Shadow Guardian, $6.99 - [Forum Thread] - Gameloft's take on the Uncharted series. Gameplay involves lots of running, gunning, jumping, climbing, and of course, treasure hunting.
Hook Worlds, 99¢ - [Forum Thread] - Evolving the Hook Champ and Super QuickHook world even further is Hook Worlds, a swinging game that Rocketcat Games is calling four games in one. Four game worlds are included, and while they all rely on swinging of some sort, each world looks and plays different thanks to four different characters with their own abilities.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, $6.99 - [Forum Thread] - An incredibly unexpected release by Square Enix, especially as I (and I doubt I'm alone on this) were expecting their next games to be their classic ports of RPG's they've been talking about forever now. Sadly, the port leaves much to be desired as mentioned in our first impressions post. Definitely wait for an update to fix critical issues before buying.
Altered Beast, $2.99 - [Forum Thread] - My mother would literally murder me if she had any idea just how many quarters I pumped in to the local Altered Beast machine. I'm surprised it took Sega this long to release this game, as in my eyes it's just as classic as Sonic. Either way, it comes loaded with their new bluetooth multiplayer compatibility for two player beasting.
The Game of Life for iPad, $6.99 - [Forum Thread] - While The Game of Life is nowhere close to as near and dear to my heart as Monopoly is, I love board games on the iPad. This version has a few exclusive features such as being able to view the whole board and local multiplayer with up to 6 players at once. I'm still waiting for my iPad version of Mouse Trap!
Pix'n Love Rush DX, $3.99 - [Forum Thread] - I still can't get enough of the original Pix'n Love Rush for the iPhone, and the iPad version seems to be dripping with even more high scoring retro charm.
ZombieSmash HD, $2.99 - [Forum Thread] - We thought the original was great in our review, and from the looks of it, the iPad version provides even more zombie punishing action. The HD version adds multitouch controls for even more zombie mayhem.
Pocket God: Journey To Uranus, $4.99 - [Forum Thread] - This not-so pocketable version of Pocket God comes with an awesome new space interface, two new minigames, and other fun things. And of course, Bolt Creative is promising tons of updates.
Space Miner HD, $2.99 - [Forum Thread] - We absolutely adored the original Space Minerin our review, and while it would be cool if the game was universal, this is one HD we don't mind re-buying.
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, $6.99 - [Forum Thread] - Mortal Kombat with Retina Display graphics? Street Fighter proved that a fighter could work well on the iPhone, and hopefully Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 continues that tradition.
Back in the early 1980s, when the game machines of the day were the Atari VCS, the Intellivison, the VIC-20 and the like, a small video game studio known as Imagic was formed by several ex-Intel and -Mattel employees to create games for the game machines of the day. The studio, which many who were gaming at the time might liken to Activision in its early days, released around 20 titles in its five-year existence, but were probably best known for Demon Attack, Microsurgeon, and Atlantis. The last, we're happy to report, has been faithfully recreated by Nemo Games as the Universal release Atlantis Invaders [link] for the iPhone and iPad and is currently available in the App Store.
In Atlantis Invaders, the underwater city of Atlantis is under aerial attack by the deadly Gordon fleet. It's your job to save the day by manning three, fixed defense turrets in a bid to knock the enemy fighters out of the sky before they can lay waste to your city with their horrible deathray.
In the game, the leftmost turret is aimed at a fixed point toward the top-right of the screen, while the rightmost turret is aimed at a fixed point toward the top-left of the screen. Between the two is a mid-screen turret aimed directly upwards. Each turret can be fired by tapping on it, and the trick is to use the three in concert -- where timing is key -- to blow up every ship that buzzes the city. If an enemy ship makes it across the screen intact, it will reemerge at a lower altitude again and again until it's low enough to bring the deathray. It sounds extremely simple, and it is. But somewhere in there is an addictiveness that makes the rather basic gameplay pretty engaging.
Regarding the iOS adaptation, Mojtaba of Nemo Games said,
We tried to make the exact clone of this fantastic game with its marvellous atmosphere in every possible aspects of the original game (sounds, graphics, gameplay, scoring, etc.) and added few touches here and there, like adding OpenFeint for online scores. We took pictures of the original game and placed all parts of the city with high accuracy, we also recorded videos of the original game on emulators to calculate the speed changes of enemies and missiles one by one and used the results in the clone. We also thought about adding features like combos, more enemies, etc. but we realized that they'll change the original feel of the game and its fantastic gameplay atmosphere, so we changed our minds and tried to do a perfect clone instead.
See a video of the Atari 2600 version of Atlantis running in an emulator.
Atlantis Invaders, like the original Atlantis, is basically a re-jiggered take on the Missile Command formula that, to today's gamers, will exude a retro feel. I was a big fan of most of the Imagic releases I encountered and, as such, have enjoyed spending time with this one, but gamers without a particular retro bent may want to try the free, lite version [link] before making the jump.
Right now Atlantis Invaders is on a 50% off sale at $0.99 [link].
Gremlin Collection Vol. #1
Looking back at 
Pardon the messiness with this one. Earlier, Subatomic Games sent us word that it pushed a new update for both versions of Fieldrunners [$
The absolute best puzzle games can all be described in a single phrase. "Fling the birds at the pigs," or "feed the monster candy," or in the case of Geared 2 [
In 2009, Telltale Games resurrected the Monkey Island series with the first Tales of Monkey Island, a classic point-and-click adventure game. Since then, original Monkey Island creator LucasArts has started rereleasing Monkey Island classics and Telltale has finished its series based on the highly-regarded IP. Both series' (including the rereleases) are successes, so it's only natural that we're seeing them on the iOS.
The story of Aralon then begins, and follows a tale of betrayal and a Kingdom on the brink of collapse. As fate would have it, you are the key element to solving these problems and restoring The Kingdom of Aralon to its previous state of peace and harmony. It's certainly the kind of story that follows clichés of the role-playing genre, but it's interesting nonetheless and serves as a good motivator to carry on and see things through.
