Back in February, EA Mobile released NBA Jam [$4.99/Lite] into the App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. It was based on the well received new version of the long-standing series that hit home consoles late last year, and for the most part made the transition extremely well to iOS. The key missing features were a couple of the less popular game modes and any form of multiplayer, but the core campaign along with all of the hidden bells and whistles remained intact and as fun as ever. Here’s a brief synopsis taken from our original review of NBA Jam from February:
The familiar NBA Jam gameplay returns here featuring a relatively rule-free game of 2-on-2 basketball with an emphasis on pulling off insane physics-defying dunks and ridiculous shooting sprees. Besides adhering to a 24 second shot clock and a no goaltending rule, pretty much anything goes in NBA Jam. Any player that makes 3 consecutive shots will then be “on fire” and during this time will make a higher percentage of shots, have unlimited turbo, and be immune to the goaltending rule. If you’ve played NBA Jam in the past, not a lot has changed here, but that’s most likely for the best.
The iOS version of NBA Jam uses a smart control system that works incredibly well. There’s a virtual stick for movement, a turbo button in the opposite corner, and based on if you’re on offense or defense a button for passing/stealing and another for shooting/blocking. Using your limited turbo meter not only increases your player’s speed but also enhances your other moves, like turning a simple steal attempt into a full-blown shove of an opponent. This is cleverly and elegantly handled by holding down turbo and then sliding to one of the other two buttons, which works great in practice.
If you're an iPhone or iPod touch owner who has been anxiously awaiting Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP since we first saw it at GDC 2010... be mindful of family, friends, and neighbors as a sonic boom is unleashed from your finger from quickly mashing the "download now" button. Joining Sword & Sworcery EP [$4.99] is Sword & Sworcery EP Micro [$2.99], the iPhone-specific version of the game.
On the smaller screen, the game basically plays as described in our original review of the iPad version. There are things to like about both versions of the game. I like the game on the bigger screen of the iPad, but it looks awesome on the retina display. It's easier to share the experience with someone else on the iPad, which doesn't matter much if you're playing by yourself. What I like much more about the iPhone version is that the rotation of the device to sheath and unsheath your sword feels incredibly natural compared to, as stated in the review, like driving a bus.
If you already own the iPad version, you'll be happy to hear that it has since been updated to be universal. If the update isn't showing up for you yet, give it a few. Updates often don't propagate through the App Store as instantly as new apps appearing.
The developers behind Game Dev Story [$3.99 / Lite] and Hot Springs Story [$3.99] have released another simulation game on the Japanese App Store. It’s called, roughly, “Pocket School Story 2,” and it looks like a solid follow-up to Hot Springs Story.
In the description for the game on its official web page -- and mind you I’m looking through the lens of Google Translate, which is useful for little more than a vague idea of what's going on -- Kairosoft says you’ll be somehow responsible for the training of students’ abilities all the way up to their graduation. Things like love, as well as clubs and activities are mentioned, but I can’t say with certainty how these mechanics will be pieced together and form a cohesive whole. Also, it's a good possibility that you'll be in charge of building rooms and such similar to Hot Springs Story.
As for a US or international release... it’s hard to tell what Karisoft plans to do. Hot Springs Story made it to the US, and Game Dev Story was a tremendous hit for the developer, though, so at least there's precedent. We’ll have to wait and see on this one, but for what it’s worth, I’ve sent out an e-mail.
Graeme Devine is a hip guy to say the least. You should store his name somewhere in your brain: he was the co-founder of Trilobyte and did a bunch of work on the original The 7th Guest as well as other core titles like the RTS Halo Wars for Ensemble and Doom 3 for id Software. He even worked for Apple for a bit. Now, he’s doing his own thing and creating “casual” titles with his actual family.
We last caught up with him at GDC and things seemed good: in addition to speaking to the experiences he had with his Full Deck series, Devine also chatted with us about his idea for an item shop game and a fun little ARG-like title called "Super Unicorn." On his blog, he provided a fresher update on his progress on the latter.
“Well, the cat came out the bag a little with an article in the press. But yes, I’m really excited about this game,” he wrote. “I think as much as 7th Guest made something of CD-ROM that opportunity exists and is even stronger on the iPad.”
“I’ve been working on this game for many years, really, in my head. Writing bits down here and there prior to working at Apple and then since leaving having become intent on producing the real thing,” he explained. “A game that is like no other, but a game that makes you get up, go places, look, wonder and experience an adventure on your own.”
Sounds neat, right? As for how his casual games series are going, Devine seems up on them. They’re not making money because they're free, but he is having fun with his family, and hey, that's what counts, right?
N.O.V.A. Elite actually plays pretty well for a browser-based game, and comes with loads of different items for customizing the look and weaponry of your created character. But much like most free-to-play Facebook games a large portion of this will require using an in-game virtual currency called Facebook Credits which can be purchased with real money.
I'm more than a little disappointed that N.O.V.A. Elite isn't a new iOS title, as the previous games in the series have been pretty excellent. I guess it's entirely possible that N.O.V.A. Elite could still show up on the App Store at some point, but there's been no confirmation from Gameloft about this.
Coin Drop is a cool mobile-focused game. By that I mean, it’s easy to pick up, easy to put down, easy to resume, and a blast to play wherever. But more important than its breeziness, Coin Drop [$.99] rocks. It’s a little like Peggle [$2.99] in the sense that you’re playing a game that involves pachinko-like rules and attributes. In Coin Drop, you have control of a set amount of coins. On the board, which is full of various obstructions that twirl, rotate, or react to weight, there are other, bluer coins that you need to “capture” by hitting them with your coins.
Surprise! It's Wednesday! (I know, it was a surprise for me too.) Aside from the only day of the week where you don't look like a total weirdo making "hump day" jokes, it's also the day that scheduled iOS game releases slowly start leaking out through the international markets before magically appearing for download in the grand ol' US of A at 11:00 PM EST on the dot. If your App Store region is east of us, these games will be available sooner. All of these links (aside from NBA Jam because EA does things differently) will work in every region, so feel free to go nuts clicking links as soon as midnight approaches in your neck of the woods. Oddly enough, tonight's big name releases seem to be more iPad-centric than iPhone for once.
Remember late last month when we learned that Firemint’s Real Racing 2 HD [$9.99] would be getting full 1080p output to your TV using an iPad 2? Well, in case you missed it, the gist of it is that connecting an iPad 2 running Real Racing 2 HD to your television using the Apple HDMI dongle will let you display the game on your HD TV in full 1080p. The iPad then acts as the controller for playing the game on the TV while simultaneously displaying a track map and other information pertaining to your race. The game runs full screen without any borders and at a solid 30 frames per second.
Today the update containing this feature has gone live for Real Racing 2 HD. You can get an idea of just how it works by checking out the following demonstration video that Firemint has put together:
One of my favorite games that never seemed to get a lot of attention is Noodlecake Games’ Stick Golf [99¢/HD], which was released in May of last year. Far from being a traditional golf game, Stick Golf was more of a 2D artillery style game where each shot required figuring out the correct trajectory to launch your ball in order to get it into each hole in as few shots as possible. This particular gameplay fit extremely well as a golfing game, and Stick Golf featured a ton of content with 16 different 9-hole courses that ran the gamut from fairly typical to wildly fantastical.
Then this past December, the sequel Super Stick Golf [99¢/Lite] was released, and improved upon the original in practically every way. It contains all of the courses from the first game plus 13 brand new courses, and it introduces special ball types that you can use for extra abilities like more powerful shots or saving yourself from landing in a water hazard. Due to a trademark problem, the game is now known as Super Stickman Golf, and the original game will eventually be renamed to Stickman Golf as well, but this minor name change doesn’t diminish the fact that the Stickman Golf series is a total blast to play.
It's crazy to think that Pocket Legends [Free] came out a year ago. I've heard that one year equals seven in dog years, but with how fast the App Store moves, I'm not even sure what one App Store year would equate to. Lots more. Anyway, Pocket Legends is a free to play MMO of sorts that works quite a bit like Guild Wars both in actual gameplay and with the amount of expansion content they have for sale.
Well, to celebrate the game's anniversary, all of that expansion content is free for a limited time. Better yet, all of this is entirely cross platform and universal, so you can play with friends online regardless of whether they own an iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or even an Android device. We reviewed the game last year, but honestly, so much has changed that you're probably better off spending some time on the official quick start guide to get an idea of what the game is all about now.
Fantastic news, guys. The folks over at Telltale are creating another new series of games based on a popular multi-media brand -- a brand with proven staying power, a brand that deals with hard issues with aplomb, a brand led by the visionary Dick Wolf. That’s right. Telltale has announced that it’s partnering with NBC Universal to put out some Law and Order: Los Angeles video games in 2011 for the PC, Macintosh, consoles, and of course, mobile platforms.
Who needs the next Monkey Island [$6.99] episode when this is in the pipe, right?
Not much in the way of detail is available at the moment, but PR has advised press that the game will focus heavily on interrogation and investigations. Also, courtroom drama has been confirmed. Again, I remind you, DICK WOLF.
“Law and Order: LA fits very well with the style of episodic entertainment experiences Telltale has been building since our very first days,” said Telltale co-founder and CEO Dan Connors in a fancy statement. “The talents and skills that we’ve been building at Telltale are ideally suited for the structure and storytelling approach of televised procedurals like Law and Order.”
Yesterday we posted a highly speculative article regarding Apple potentially changing the App Store charting algorithms to put less weight on the sheer number of downloads an app has, and instead potentially prioritize other metrics that better represent what people are actually using rather than downloading and deleting for bonus credits in freemium games/apps. Well, quite a bit has happened since then, and according to our Xoom-using friends at PocketGamer.biz Apple has started actively rejecting updates to apps that offer any kind of virtual currency in exchange for downloading another app.
It all comes down to the gloriously vague phrasing of 3.10 from the iOS developer program license agreement which all developers need to agree to in order to be listed on the App Store:
Developers who attempt to manipulate or cheat the user reviews or chart ranking in the App Store with fake or paid reviews, or any other inappropriate methods will be removed from the iOS Developer Program.
Remember all the fuss in the various discussions both on our forums and in the comments thread of virtually every Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP [$4.99] regarding it being iPad only? It's totally understandable, especially considering the early previews were all on iPhones, but somewhere along the development the team switched gears to the iPad, which obviously resulted in the iPad game hitting the App Store first.
Well, we just got word that all the iPhone version of the game will be launching this Thursday for $2.99. In addition, much like World of Goo [$2.99 / HD], the existing iPad app will be updated to be universal. And if all goes as planned with this week's release, the universal update and the new iPhone app will hit at the same time. I for one would really love it if this recent trend in making "HD" versions universal catches on like it seems like it might be.
If you haven't yet, check out our Sword & Sworcery review for more information on the game. We loved playing through it on our iPads, and expect the iPhone version to be just as awesome.
Early last month, we were quite impressed with the video for Simogo’s upcoming platforming game Bumpy Road. Not only did the game feature incredibly charming graphics and music, but it employed a unique gameplay mechanic that I hadn’t quite seen before on the iOS platform. As a happy couple drove along in their car, you could manipulate the ground below them with a simple touch of the screen, raising the elevation to either push them forwards or backwards or to bump them up into the air. It seemed like a great idea, and a perfect fit for the touch screen.
Simogo has since given us a preview copy of Bumpy Road, and after playing around with the game for the past few days I’m even more impressed with the mechanic in practice. It works just like you would expect it to from watching the video, and the springy response of the ground manipulation makes for an interesting take on platforming. Interacting directly with the ground feels very intuitive, but it also takes some practice in order to get the car doing what you want.
The one level available in my preview build of Bumpy Road is an endless, randomly generated level full of platforms to jump on and treacherous pits to avoid. As you drive along, you’ll collect an assortment of different gizmos that act as fuel for your car. Filling up your fuel gauge will send you rocketing along in a silent film-style sequence for a short period of time, letting you concentrate on collecting as many gizmos as you can. Some platforms also have special features like springs that shoot you into the air or timers that will cause the platform to disappear from right beneath you if you aren’t careful.
At the end of a run, your score is calculated by the total distance you were able to travel, as well as bonus points for all the different types of items you picked up along the way. In addition, there are also special “memories” you can collect, which are photos that unlock in a gallery and tell you the life story of the couple riding in the car. There’s just something endearing about these characters and the entire game in general, and I find myself looking forward to learning more about their lives by collecting photos, which is a unique attachment to have for an endless-style game.
The full version of Bumpy Road will contain the endless level Evergreen Ride as well as a second level called Sunday Trip which is focused on time trials. Game Center will be included for leaderboards and achievements, as well as Facebook and Twitter integration. I’ve really enjoyed my time with Bumpy Roads so far, and I think that its special mix of visual splendor and unique gameplay could make for a really successful entry in the App Store. Simogo hopes to have Bumpy Road out sometime next month as a universal app, and until then you can drop by the thread in our forums where members are discussing the game.
This past September, FDG Entertainment released Beyond Ynth [Free/HD], a puzzle platforming game starring an adorable bug named Kribl. In Beyond Ynth, the goal is to get Kribl to the end of each level by way of various types of boxes which he could enter and move from within. Rolling boxes from the inside allowed Kribl to negotiate the terrain in each level, but there was a heavy puzzle element too, as you had to think ahead as to how each box would match up in order to make your way to each new one.
Beyond Ynth has a wonderful art style and tons of cleverly designed levels, and while we really enjoyed it in our review we did note that it could be frustrating since dying caused you to have to replay a level over from the beginning. FDG went ahead and fixed that though by offering a fantastic rewind feature in an update a couple of months after release. With the rewind feature in place, the frustration levels were minimized and I was able to enjoy the great content in the game.
Now you can grab all that great content in Beyond Ynth for free for the next few days. Both the iPhone/iPod touch version and the iPad native version prices have been slashed to free for the next 72 hours. While I have pretty much nothing but praise for Beyond Ynth, don’t just take my word for it, as the game recently won the IMGA awards for Excellence in Gameplay and for the overall Game of the Year. For zero dollars, it really is recommended that you download Beyond Ynth for your iOS device of choice during this free promotion.
Back in February, EA Mobile released NBA Jam [$4.99/Lite] into the App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. It was based on the well received new version of the long-standing series that hit home consoles late last year, and for the most part made the transition extremely well to iOS. The key missing features were a couple of the less popular game modes and any form of multiplayer, but the core campaign along with all of the hidden bells and whistles remained intact and as fun as ever. Here’s a brief synopsis taken from our original review of NBA Jam from February:
Coin Drop is a cool mobile-focused game. By that I mean, it’s easy to pick up, easy to put down, easy to resume, and a blast to play wherever. But more important than its breeziness, Coin Drop [$
Surprise! It's Wednesday! (I know, it was a surprise for me too.) Aside from the only day of the week where you don't look like a total weirdo making "hump day" jokes, it's also the day that scheduled iOS game releases slowly start leaking out through the international markets before magically appearing for download in the grand ol' US of A at 11:00 PM EST on the dot. If your App Store region is east of us, these games will be available sooner. All of these links (aside from NBA Jam because EA does things differently) will work in every region, so feel free to go nuts clicking links as soon as midnight approaches in your neck of the woods. Oddly enough, tonight's big name releases seem to be more iPad-centric than iPhone for once.
It's crazy to think that Pocket Legends [
Fantastic news, guys. The folks over at Telltale are creating another new series of games based on a popular multi-media brand -- a brand with proven staying power, a brand that deals with hard issues with aplomb, a brand led by the visionary Dick Wolf. That’s right. Telltale has announced that it’s partnering with NBC Universal to put out some Law and Order: Los Angeles video games in 2011 for the PC, Macintosh, consoles, and of course, mobile platforms. 
Yesterday 
This past September, FDG Entertainment released Beyond Ynth [
