We first caught wind of the Crescent Moon Games and Blowfish Studios collaborative effort Siegecraft [99¢] back in July with some early screenshots, and got our first glimpse of it in action the following month with a brief teaser trailer and an intended release date of early October. And, just as promised, earlier this week Siegecraft went live in the App Store.
Siegecraft is something of a fixed-turret tower defense game, but with a more hands-on approach than your typical title. Your job is to defend against approaching enemies by firing on them with various weaponry, like arrows, catapults, and more. You accomplish this by simply touching and dragging on the weapon to set the speed and/or trajectory of its ammunition and letting go to fire.
For many gamers, especially those in their late twenties and early thirties, the first experience with gaming on an Apple computer would have to be with the iconic The Oregon Trail. I know that that was my own personal first experience with an Apple computer, as we were allowed to play the edutainment title in my early grade school years in the computer lab on our modest collection of Apple II machines (not before we had finished up our math learning programs, of course).
In early 2009, Gameloft brought an updated take on the classic game to the App Store with their modernized The Oregon Trail for iOS. The core gameplay of the original was kept mostly intact, but with brand new visuals and an assortment of touch-centric mini-games added into the mix. Despite the huge potential to alienate a countless number of fans who have emotional ties to the original game, this new The Oregon Trail was actually quite well-received and paid proper respect to its roots. Even 30 years later, the core concept was still pretty damn fun.
Whenever anybody brings up the question "what game would you love to see on iOS?", it's almost always a guarantee that somebody will bring up developer 5thCell's Scribblenauts series, which has led a fairly successful life on the Nintendo DS platform since 2009. The gameplay hook of typing in words to create objects in the game world, which then help you solve the puzzles in the game, is a hallmark of the Scribblenauts series and would be a perfect fit for iOS devices.
Well, Scribblenauts enthusiasts, your time has come as 5thCell and Warner Bros. Interactive along with Iron Galaxy Studios have just released Scribblenauts Remix [$4.99] into the US App Store.
Scribblenauts Remix is sort of a "best of" version of the previous titles in the series, developed specifically for the iOS touch screen. There are 40 levels taken from both the original Scribblenauts and its sequel Super Scribblenauts, as well as 10 brand new levels that are exclusive to this iOS version. Additionally, there is Game Center support, iOS 5 iCloud saves across separate devices, and literally tens of thousands of words within the in-game dictionary, ensuring there's no lack of items to create to solve the various puzzles.
We'll put Scribblenauts Remix through the wringer and come back with a full review soon, but early impressions in our forums are extremely positive and if you're already a fan of the Scribblenauts series then chances are you've already hit the buy button before finishing reading this post.
Mos Speedrun [Free] from developer Physmo is a retro-inspired platformer that was released this past April. I pretty much fell in love with Mos Speedrunwhen I reviewed it upon release, and the game has only gotten better since then with updates that have added things like new levels, a fun video replay feature, and support for the iCade and Joypad Game Controller [Free] app.
So basically, Mos Speedrun has been one of my favorite platformers on iOS, and has only been getting more awesome with the developer’s commitment to updates. Now, for the first time ever, you can snag Mos Speedrun for the incredibly reasonable price of FREE.
It should go without saying, but if you somehow don’t have Mos Speedrun yet, then you need to run straight to the App Store and pick it up during this free promotion. It’s Universal, and plays wonderfully on either the iPhone/iPod touch or the larger-screened iPad.
Physmo has also hinted that another set of new levels is currently in the works, so even if you blast through the 25 included levels (plus additional web levels which can be found on the Physmo website) then you can look forward to some more in the very near future. At any rate, don’t miss your chance to pick up this gem of a platformer while free.
Zero dollars is the final asking price for Forever Drive [Free], Supermono Studios' latest and easily its most ambitious project to date. The game cleared certification and hit the App Store just yesterday after an unfortunate setback or two kept the game from hitting as planned.
We’ve covered Forever Drive exhaustively over the last month or so, but it’s unusual approach to the racing genre still hasn’t lost its luster with us. In brief, it’s a game that leans a lot on its users, asking them to create all of its 2D tracks and colorful instances. Each and every race you participate within the game is a product of its sharp track editor, and you’ll be encouraged to make your own whenever you’re not busy with the driving forever part of the core experience. Here’s a little teaser from one of our pre-release report-y things:
With Forever Drive, Supermono Studios is taking a way smarter approach to user-created content design: instead of asking players to shape entire experiences, it asks that they mold a fraction of a blip of an infinitely expandable super-highway. By managing expectations before you even start creating, Supermono is freeing you from failure and the game’s players at wide from having to filter out tons of garbage. Most user-created content leaning titles, including Media Molecule’s venerable series, don't enforce any kind of control or creative constraint, which makes Forever Driveunique, and as we’ve been discovering, pretty fun.
Zero dollars isn’t a lot, so even if the idea of the game sparks some sort of reaction from your squishy grey matter, you may as well give it a spin. We’ll definitely get you a full review in the near future, though, if you’re the cautious type.
We first told you about Pixel N Texel, a new development studio comprised of two former id Mobile and Method Studios alumni, back in late July when they announced their upcoming iOS action RPG Fara.
The brief teaser trailer for Fara really caught our attention due to the game's stylized visuals that had an almost painted look. Fara also seemed interesting in that it really is trying to fully utilize the iOS platform, with special attention paid to being able to manipulate objects in the environment with your finger and control certain aspects with tilt functionality. This is enhanced further with the use of the Box2D physics engine, which also gives an element of weight to the objects in the game and the characters during battle.
After a couple of months of relative silence as Pixel and Texel toiled away at Fara, today they have posted to their website a brand new trailer that features a more substantial look at the gameplay:
Besides the new trailer, which looks quite stunning, the developers have also announced today that Fara will be available later this month, on October 21st.
I've seen plenty of these types of ambitious projects with small development teams seem to get stuck in perpetual development, with dates getting pushed back and work on the game never seeming to end. It's refreshing to see this two man team releasing news for their game along with a release date that's just over a week away. This is especially true since I've been looking forward to Fara quite intensely since it was announced, and I selfishly would love to get my hands on the game as soon as possible.
We'll have more on Fara when it releases later this month.
Mika Mobile’s side-scrolling follow-up Zombieville USA 2 will miss its summer launch window, but development is still rolling. In an e-mail update given to us alongside a hip new teaser trailer, the studio said it’s in the final testing phase with the game and hopes to get it out of the door a little later this month. It added “we’d rather ship a good game slowly than a crappy one today,” which is a sentiment we totally agree with.
From what we're gleaning, Zombieville USA 2 is primed to be a significant upgrade. It'll boast new faces, an assortment of shiny new weapons and interesting firing mechanics, and some cool character customization, of course, but it'll also introduce 3D movement that actually let's you dodge enemies and a fresh new take on the level formula by the way of mission-based play.
Mika Mobile announced Zombieville USA 2earlier this August. In the same month, it also 2011-ized the original game [$1.99] with Universal support, retina display visuals, and support for “fast app switching.” We hope to grab a build and report back to you in the near future, but until then, we definitely suggest you keep yourself busy with the first romp.
Mediocre’s Sprinkle [$.99] got a little bigger and presumably a smidgen more controversial with its fans this afternoon. In a new update, the studio added Game Center support and tacked on two new levels to Sprinkle’s initial world. It also added a new juicy 12-level world to the core game, bringing the level count up to a healthy 60. In a strange twist, this update also packs in a separate six-level content update exclusively for those who grabbed the game’s IAP back when it was available.
If you haven’t been keeping records at home, Sprinkle came under some fire after its initial release for offering level unlock functionality via IAP. Medicore removed the IAP, but kinda left those paying owners a little high and dry in the process -- until now, at least. We just wonder how that same crowd who let their feedback be known will respond to this move. (more...)
Don’t count out the possibility of a handset version of Botanicula. In a chat with Pocket Gamer, Czech dev Amanita Design said it was at least considering the idea of bringing the mind-meltingly gorgeous point-and-click “exploration game” to phones. Fleshing that comment out, it cautioned that Botanicula for phones is “still just an idea and we need to carry out a few experiments before we can talk about it seriously.”
Botanicula was revealed earlier this month and is currently slated for a release at some point in early 2012 across the PC and Macintosh. Its premise goes a little something like this: five bug-like friends go on a journey to “save the last seed from their home tree which is infested by evil parasites” and, apparently, spiders.
"Mind-meltingly gorgeous" is probably an understatement on my part, by the way. Botanicula is... just, wow. We sincerely hope a touch version will prove viable for the studio.
Like most, I think of myself as a reasonably intelligent person. I'm no genius, but I'd like to believe I've got a few brain cells to rub together. SpaceChem Mobile [$5.99], a puzzle game that's just made its way from PC to iPad, shakes my confidence about my own intelligence -- and then it leaves me feeling brilliant, just moments later.
Zachtronics Industries' puzzler hit the PC indie scene earlier this year, wowing critics and players alike. I tell you this to keep you reading, because the other shoe is about to drop: this is a game about chemical synthesis. And it's not some sort of dolled up, sexy chemical synthesis. This game puts players to work creating chemical products from their raw elements in the simplest terms possible. You'll be bonding one chemical symbol to another, creating workflows out of color coded paths to move them along. And you'll (probably) love it.
I say "probably," because SpaceChem isn't for everyone. You'll need a heavy dose of curiosity and creativity, plenty of patience and just a dash of masochism. But if you're still reading this review after seeing the screenshots and learning what it's about, I'm pretty sure you'll love this game.
Xurge [$0.99] doesn’t try to wow you with a particularly deep gameplay experience or with awe-inducing graphics. Rather, Xurge is one of those retro-style games that seeks to get you hooked on simple gameplay that becomes progressively more difficult and challenges you to simply get better at what it offers. As far as simple arcade games go, Xurge does a good job of hitting its mark.
Xurge doesn’t bother trying to create any kind of story to serve as a backdrop to your gameplay. You can discern that there are alien invaders attempting to take over your planet, and the only thing between them and world domination are your four cannons. Obviously, the goal then becomes to take out all the invaders with said cannons before the intruders take them out. Before a cannon can be fired, however, you must tap on it to prime it. Once primed, taking a shot is as easy as pressing the big ‘Fire’ button on the screen.
Sierra On-Line’s edgier point-and-click adventure franchise, Leisure Suit Larry, will live a new life in this fascinating age of revivals and downloadable games. Replay Games, an outfit headed up by an old Sierra employee, has managed to grab the ancient IP and plans to release an HD version of Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards in Q4 2012. This will be followed by several other re-makes and maybe even a new game or two if things pan out.
We wouldn’t be feeding you this information if the games weren’t slated for the iPad and the iPhone, but in case you’re curious, Lounge Lizards HD is also slated for every other platform under the sun, including PC, Mac, XBLA, PSN, Android, On-Live, and Gaikai. Original creator Al Lowe is “working closely” with Replay Games on the re-makes, which should help these games realize their new potential on touch devices and other mediums.
“I’m overjoyed to see Larry released from his digital dungeon after all this time, and be placed in the hands of someone who understands him and wants to see him, brought back to the forefront by people who love him and understand him,” Lowe told EGM exclusively.
Leisure Suit Larry first debuted in 1987, and even though it saw a re-release in 1991, it’s still a crazy old property. Here’s to hoping that the formula that made the games so great back in the day still holds up.
Super Cyclone [99¢] is a challenging 2D dual-stick shooter released by Miniclip.com and UK-based developers PlayerThree. It involves shooting aliens, dodging and blasting asteroids, collecting pick-ups and trying to stay alive long enough to protect the star-gates from waves of alien attack.
Whereas most dual-stick shooters occur within a rectangular playing area, the space battles in Super Cyclone are set within a circular zone. In the center of the playing area is a star-gate. The invading aliens want to breach the star-gate, to gain access to our planetary system. You're on patrol to ensure that doesn't happen, by shooting them all down. If any enemy-spawning alien nests enter the star-gate, it's game-over.
I used to love strategy RPGs but as age has warped my enthusiasm so has it stolen my patience for all the genre’s clutter, meandering UI constructs, same-y production values, punishingly difficult fights, and oftentimes tedious leveling systems. The Game Bakers’ Squids [99¢] is a great change of pace. It’s a kinetic, clean, charming, and particularly streamlined entry in an aging genre that has a ton of character, fun, and unique constructs to share. I'm not particularly turned on by its free-to-play functionality, but it's an otherwise solid game.
Squids' setup goes a little something like this: in a troublesome period of squid life, you’ll be tasked with stopping an evil black ooze that threatens to destroy civilization with its ooziness. To accomplish this great deed, you’ll need to assemble a team of eclectic and multiple-armed things, all with different abilities and varying degrees of awesome, and take the fight to the core of the conflict. (more...)
Remember WAAYYYYYY back, oh I don't know, like, 9 hours ago when we told you that the Unreal Engine powered first-person shooter Warm Gun was hitting the New Zealand App Store and slowly worming its way throughout the world? Well, those sentiments have just a bit more meaning now for those of us in the good ol' US of A as Warm Gun [$4.99] and its free spinoff Carnival of Bullets [Free] are now available in our little neck of the woods.
We first caught wind of the Crescent Moon Games and Blowfish Studios collaborative effort Siegecraft [99¢] back in July with some early screenshots, and got our first glimpse of it in action the following month with a brief teaser trailer and an intended release date of early October. And, just as promised, earlier this week Siegecraft went live in the App Store.
Mos Speedrun [
Zero dollars is the final asking price for Forever Drive [
