A lot of exciting news came out of today's Nintendo Direct. A new Zelda was announced. A Wind Wakerre-release was, too. And a new Mario 3D game was teased. But one announcement in particular was more relevant to our interests than the others: apparently, an actual Mii-verse app is headed to smart phones this spring. Shacknews writes that it'll launch as a basic browser of the 'verse with "more functionality" slated to hit later.
Mii-verse browsing with a phone or a tablet was announced at last year's E3, but nothing Nintendo said at that event had us thinking it intended to make a dedicated app. Today's news kinda has us excited, as a dedicated app can do so much more than a web page. Here's a promo shot of the functionality from E3:
It'll be interesting to see how this shakes out, what Nintendo decides to throw into the app, and how well it supports it down the line. We've got a lot of waiting to do before we know, though.
Neat: Ubisoft finally got around to alerting people to Far Cry The Outpost [Free], an official Far Cry 3 companion app that's been kinda hiding on the App Store since the freeze. With the app, you can decode your weapon mods and swap your multiplayer load-outs on the fly. You also get access to the game's stat-tracking functionality, allowing you to see exactly how much time you've been piddling away in the game's competitive modes.
Basically, The Outpost is just like ever other multiplayer-focused companion app we've stumbled across so far. That's not necessarily a bad thing if you're rolling deep in the game's competitive modes and decoding mods like a demon.
The app is free and available now. There's also a Google Play version, too, if you've got an Android phone handy.
That Pokedex app we were talking about last month has appeared on worldwide on the App Store as a Universal app. With an initial purchase, you'll get access to every Pokemon available across the "Unova region" in the games. Additional $5.99 purchases unlock all the other regions. There's a total of four other regions, to be a little more specific.
Pokedex for iOS [$1.99], as its called, is a digital encyclopedia of Pokemon that tells you how to find a specific Pokemon, how a given Pokemon fights, dishes out details on evolution, and gives you the skinny on its ability tree. The app includes 3D models of every Pokemon and supports retina visuals. Here's some screens:
We're not sure what the actual use case for this is, but Pokedexes appear to be a thing people want, if the oodles of non-official apps can be taken as an indication of popularity and desire. In fact, there's so many of other Pokedex apps out there that The Pokemon Company's marketing effort actually includes the line: "search for 'Pokédex' on the Apple App Store and choose the following icon [picture of the app's icon]" just to make sure people grab the right one.
It'll be interesting to see how many third-party Pokemon Pokedexes disappear in the coming days since The Pokemon Company has its own. We'll see, eh?
Late last month, Rantmedia Games leveled up the state of retro in the App Store with the release of Vectrex Regeneration [Free], their effort to bring the authentic Vectrex experience to iOS gamers. We took a close look at this vectorscopic one-stop-shop, and found that they had largely succeeded, but with a few rough edges just out the gate.
I'm happy to report that the folks over at Rantmedia have been listening to feedback and quick to respond to issue reports and general suggestions. The first update to Vectrex Regeneration, since it debuted, has gone live and addresses a number of issues voiced in my review:
Earlier devices supported — The original iPad and the iPhone 3GS are now supported, with performance improvements on the iPhone 4.
Wireless controller improvements — In the initial release, there was a problem with non-diagonal directional control, which is now fixed.
Joystick sensitivity — Joystick sensitivity settings are now saved per-game, rather than the previous same-setting-for-all situation.
Black screen — A fix for certain (jailbroken...) devices experiencing a black screen on startup.
MineStorm — Garbled lines appearing on level 2 have been addressed.
Box art & instructions — Minor corrections to box art and instructions have been made.
This update notably improves this already-excellent virtual game console, which should not be missed by anyone with any kind of fondness for retro gaming.
Interest in the retro gaming scene has really expanded in the last few years, thanks in no small part to the proliferation of capable mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad and the App Store behind them. As such, retro-minded iOS gamers have a wide range of games to choose from, such as retro-inspired new releases, retro remakes, as well as the actual games of olde brough forth through faithful emulation. It is in the last arena that, early this year, Rantmedia Games decided to toss its hat, sharing word of their upcoming Vectrex Regeneration, a one-stop-shop for fans of the much vaunted, early '80s Vectrex console.
We have been following Rantmedia's progress closely since then, and are pleased to have finally had an opportunity to put their Vectrex emulation / game library through its paces. Vectrex Regeneration [Free], a universal app for the iPad (2 and up) and iPhone (4 and up), is now live in the App Store, and here's the low-down.
First, some needed history. Released in late 1982 by General Consumer Electric (GCE), the Vectrex is a highly unique game system. Unlike every other console of the time, the Vectrex features an integrated CRT display -- but not of the standard, horizontal-scan variety. The Vectrex utilizes a vector monitor, which is similar to an oscilloscope and draws its graphics on the screen in a fashion similar to the display process of a laser light show. It's the only console from gaming's past defined by a complete lack of jaggies.
Since August, we've been tracking the upcoming bundle of glowing vector goodness known as Vectrex Regeneration, a universal iOS app that emulates the much vaunted Vectrex game console of the early '80s. The app will come bundled with the system's entire original game library (nearly 30 titles in all) and will offer indie titles released after the Vectrex left market (in 1984) as in-app purchases, along with various feature packs, such as the multiplayer Controller Pack and the iCade pack.
Developer Anton Faulconbridge over at Rantmedia Games has been keeping retro fans closely following this one up-to-date via the Vectrex Regeneration twitter feed, where he's currently counting down to release -- just three days left now -- and offering peeks at the system in action. (more...)
If you're the kind of person who has spent a ridiculous amount of time building scale Minecraft replicas of things you wish you had in the real world, Minecraft Reality [$1.99] is going to be right up your alley. Created by 13th Lab, and officially supported by Mojang, using the app is as simple as uploading your .mca files to the Minecraft Reality site, waiting for them to process, then using the camera on your iOS device to plug things into the real world via augmented reality.
Check out the video:
Minecraft Reality seems pretty cool, although the actual web uploader does seem a little clunky right now. The good news is, said uploader is loaded with messages about a new significantly more user-friendly version coming soon.
Yup, The Pokemon Company has released an official Pokedex app across iPhone and iPad on the Japanese App Store. It's not a "new" app, mind; people are saying that this is a port Pokedex 3D Pro, which landed on Nintendo 3DS this July in the Japan. The iOS version is a paid app with in-game purchases.
If you're new to this whole Pokemon thing, a Pokedex is basically an encyclopedia that has all sorts of information about the little monsters that populate the series. This one in particular dishes out info on every Pokemon that has been in any game in the long-running series. It also has nifty animated 3D models of each, if you're into that sort of thing. The catch is that certain "sets" of Pokemon are locked behind IAP. Kotaku Australia reckons the app will run people $20 if they want everything.
The Pokemon Company is a subsidiary of Nintendo, so this isn't exactly a Nintendo app. It's probably of note that this is the second app The Pokemon Company has released on iOS.
The Call of Duty Elite app [Free] has been updated with Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 support. Now, you can track your career stats, recent matches, customize your classes, and follow your challenge progression from the app, provided you link either your XBL or PSN profiles to the service. Steam integration, unfortunately, is still not a thing for whatever reason.
BLOPS 2, which saw a release on PC and consoles earlier this week, has a cool new feature for the MLG among us: video streaming. And the Elite app also supports that. Like you can already in the game, you can watch other players rock out in BLOPS 2 via the app.
The stat-tracking part of this update was pretty necessary since this game is the new hotness and all, but it's nice to see the core functionality of Elite change up.
We are living in a time when mobile games have the power to infiltrate pop-culture on such a massive scale that they inevitably bleed over into other areas. Just go to basically any kind of retail store and try to spot the Angry Birds merchandise - it shouldn't be too difficult to find. Fruit Ninja, Pocket God, Doodle Jump and Temple Run have all seen similar kinds of success, though not quite to the scale of Angry Birds, but they've still found ways to leap off of the touchscreen and into the mainstream.
Speaking of Temple Run in particular, we recently noted that they've opened up shop and are selling some pretty sweet merchandise featuring their iconic, uh, icon art as well as the game's protagonist Guy Dangerous. Last week, as we had first heard back in July, Temple Run took another step in that direction by stepping into the world of comics, a close cousin to video games and a huge part of geek culture. The Temple Run Comics [$0.99] app, which is the #1 Paid iPhone Book App at the time of this posting, will cost you a buck to download but comes with the first two issues of the comic for free.
In December of last year, Microsoft released the official My Xbox Live app which allowed Xbox Live members to use their iOS device to do things like view friends lists and achievements, send messages to friends, or mess with your avatar. It was pretty cool, though kind of limited, but for a free download it was worth having for Xbox Live enthusiasts.
Today Microsoft has updated that very app to version 2.0 called Xbox Smartglass [Free], and it greatly expands on the initial concept of accessing Xbox Live from your mobile device. Xbox Smartglass actually connects with your Xbox when you're online and allows you to do things like navigate the Dashboard from your device, type into text fields on the Xbox using your iOS keyboard, and even control navigation of the built-in Xbox Live internet browser using the touch interface.
More exciting than this beefed-up interaction with the Xbox Live service itself is that Xbox Smartglass is also "smart" enough to recognize when you're playing certain Xbox 360 games that offer additional content, and will display said content on your iOS device giving you that "second screen" enhanced experience that seems to be all the buzz as of late. You can see some of what Xbox Smartglass is capable of in this demo video from Microsoft.
For some strange reason, Microsoft didn't take this update opportunity to add widescreen support to the app, so it's letterboxed on iPhone 5 and 5th generation iPod touch. I'm really hoping they have an update in the works for that. It does support Retina Display though, and look quite lovely on the newest iPads and makes for a perfect couch companion on the iPad mini.
We're gonna play around with the new Xbox Smartglass some more to see what it's all about, but if you're an Xbox Live member and an iOS device owner make sure to grab the free app and see for yourself how much it enhances the console experience through the second screen.
Out of the box, Gearbox Software's Borderlands 2 has robust mapping functionality that clearly displays the layouts of a given area. Also, like most modern games, Borderlands 2 isn't afraid to make it rain waypoints to quest objectives, big or small. But what it doesn't do is show you where collectibles and chests can be found, which is part of the reason why we want to, at least, name-drop the Official Borderlands 2 Map App [$2.99].
In addition to giving you layouts, the Borderlands 2 Map App reveals rare chest, Cult of the Vault, and collectible locations. And through the map's UI, you can mark off each of these as you find them, which actually makes the external mapping app handy. If you want to collect everything, this seems like a good friend to have.
You've seen apps like this before. Dishonoredrecently got one, and most notably, the latest Batmandid, too. If you used these, you'll feel right at home, as its made by the same folks behind those: Brady Games.
The other reason we wanted to mention this, by the way? Because it also lets us mention that Borderlands 2 is a blast. It's an inspired, off-beat hybrid RPG shooter that does loot right and has insanely fun co-op. Give it a shot.
It hasn't been hard to get into the Steam Mobile beta, but if you couldn't for some reason here's some good news: Steam Mobile [Free] is now accessible to anyone with an actual Steam account.
Word of this comes courtesy of the app's latest update notes. Which, by the way, in addition to opening up the platform, Version 1.1 of Steam Mobile sees a lot of needed stability tweaks, including better menu rendering. Also, the app now supports iPhone 5's big screen.
Steam Mobile lets you chat with your friends, buy or pre-order games, and check out the latest Steam news among other, mostly community-driven things. If you're deep in the PC scene, it's a pretty cool tool to have. Check it out.
Getting lost to Arkane Studios' Dishonored is a problem. For example, instead of writing up this post immediately, we've been playing Dishonored. But getting lost in the game will never be a problem; Its official map app, which displays just about anything you could want, has us covered pretty well.
After grabbing it earlier this morning, Dishonored Official Map App [$2.99] is proving to be a solid companion piece. It has layouts for every level in the game and lists everything that can be collected. As the user, you can also cross off what items you've picked up, so things don't get too messy.
Dishonored, in case you've been hiding in a cave, is a gritty first-person stealth-action game set in a gorgeous steampunk world. It's out now across Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
Sure, the iPhone 5 is blowing up today but there's also some crazy news in Diablo land. If you haven't played Diablo 3 yet, it's a action RPG that involves lots of mouse clicking and lots of looting. In fact, I'd argue looting is the entire point of Diablo 3. The problem with that is when you're out and about you really can't show off the sick oranges you've farmed up, along with the various other statistics of your dude right on your phone.
D3 Connect for Diablo 3 [Free] is a free utility that uses the basics of a new Blizzard API to grab these sorts of character details. I'm not particularly into Diablo 3 anymore, but I'm sure there's someone out there that is going to be very excited for a companion app.
A lot of exciting news came out of today's Nintendo Direct. A new Zelda was announced. A Wind Waker re-release was, too. And a new Mario 3D game was teased. But one announcement in particular was more relevant to our interests than the others: apparently, an actual Mii-verse app is headed to smart phones this spring. Shacknews writes that it'll launch as a basic browser of the 'verse with "more functionality" slated to hit later.
Neat: Ubisoft finally got around to alerting people to Far Cry The Outpost [
