Namco has recently released I Love Katamari [App Store] for the iPhone and iPod touch through the iTunes App Store.

I Love Katamari for the iPhone is the fourth installment in the Katamari Damacy series of puzzle games.  The series, which is spread across various platforms (PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, and iPhone), involves rolling a magical, highly adhesive ball called a katamari around various locations, collecting increasingly larger objects.  It sounds bizarre–and it is–but the series has received high praise from reviewers and collected a cult following of gamers.

As the story goes in this iPhone release,

The King of All Cosmos has accidentally knocked all the stars out of the sky during a crazy night out. It is up to the pint-sized Prince to put the twinkle back in the heavens in i Love Katamari. i Love Katamari delivers an experience only possible on the iPhone.

Have a look at a gameplay video of the PS2's Katamari Damacy which is similar to the iPhone version:

The game features several play modes: Story Mode (find and roll-up the King's requested object), Time Attack Mode (roll up as much as possible in a limited time), Exact Size Challenge Mode (match exactly a requested katamari size), and Eternal Mode (roll at your own pace without any time or size limit).

I Love Katamari has been rather well received by our readers, but some accurately note that as the katamari increases in size, the framerate of the game dips to a rather low level, making for sluggish gameplay.  And, frankly, this iPhone installment is somewhat graphically bland as compared to the earlier console versions.  But unique gamplay it does offer–in droves.

Hopefully the performance issues will be addressed in future updates.

App Store Link: I Love Katamari, $7.99

Last night, Ngmoco released their fourth iPhone game called Dropship [App Store]. The game was said to be inspired by both Geometry Wars and Thrust and it shows.

The retro-looking shooter puts you in command of a "Dropship" whose goal is to rescue stranded allies and also recover lost pods. The game is essentially a 2D game but set in a 3D environment. This causes some disorientation when you first play the game, but the end effect is remarkable.

The game succeeds on many levels, but perhaps the most critical piece that they got right were the controls. Your ship is controlled by your left and right thumb which can be placed anywhere on their respective sides of the screen. Left thumb controls thrust and right thumb controls the direction of firing. There is a slight learning curve to this control method, but it ultimately allows very good control of your ship and avoids the major problems that come with a fixed button system (using up screen real estate, and accidentally hitting the wrong button).

The game offers two basic modes of play: Free Play and Campaign.

"Free Play" is a more classic arcade mode in which you play progressively more difficult timed stages in which you must save a certain number of your allies before moving on to the next level. You will have to fight off turrets, tanks and interceptors in the meanwhile. Your ship loses energy as you take on damage, but this can be resupplied by collecting the blue debris left by your destroyed enemies.

"Campaign" mode offers 18 missions in which you must recover a lost pod. You have to descend the level with your Dropship while fending off enemy cannons. Once you find the lost pod, you must pick it up with your tractor beam and fly back to the surface. But the pod can easily become dislodged if you go to fast or hit obstacles, so you have to be a bit cautious.

As an added bonus, extra levels can be downloaded from within the app itself, with three additional levels already available. The mechanics of the game are well balanced which makes this a very fun and highly recommended game easily worth the $1.99 asking price.

This gameplay video shows off both Free Play and Campaign modes (low bandwidth version):

Gameloft released the much anticipated Brothers in Arms: Hour of Heroes [App Store] and it's an impressive effort.

We've played the game briefly — enough to give you this gameplay video embedded here.

The game is a 3rd person shooter where you control your character across various missions. As a relatively free-walking 3rd person shooter, the game controls had to be flexible enough to allow you to move across the terrain and also view/aim. The default system Gameloft came up with is a virtual directional pad on the bottom left, which controls your walking direction. Meanwhile, your other hand can swipe anywhere on the screen to change your view direction. Together, the controls take some getting used to be seem to be relatively effective but feels somewhat imprecise. (Note, there are alternative controls which we haven't explored yet)

Shooting involves hitting a button on the bottom right, and special weapons (such as grenades) appear on the top right. Gameloft has added a number of additional special modes/features that keep things interesting. Grenade throwing and gun reloading uses the tilt control on the iPhone. Sniping and bazookas can be aimed more precisely with pinch gestures.

We haven't gotten that far in the game, so it's hard to judge value/difficulty. As you can see in the video, the first level seems relatively easy without much risk of getting killed by simple gunfire (though a tank takes me out towards the end). Gameplay is linear with specific checkpoints that must be reached. We'll try to provide a more thorough review in the near future.

App Store Link: Brothers in Arms, $9.99

While we had generally considered the iPhone and iPod Touch to be one cohesive platform, as games have started to push the boundaries of these devices, it has become apparent that there are differences in performance between the different models.

Handheld Games Corp's CEO Thomas Fessler has reported to Touch Arcade that performance of their 3D TouchSports Tennis game [App Store, $4.99] is noticeably different across models. TouchSports Tennis delivers some impressive 3D rendering (video) and required optimization specifically to run consistently on every device.

Our first step to increase fps performance was to introduce hardware dependent levels of detail. Where we can easily display two 1500 polygon tennis players with 32 bones each on the iPod touch 2G and maintain fast and fluid game play, the original iPod touch just chokes, and in some instances so do the iPhones. To speed up the touch, we reduced the players to 800 polygons in farther away moments of gameplay, and are now using 1000 polygon models for close ups, bringing the original iPod touch game play performance level close to that of the iPhone 3G. We've taken this approach across the board with great results.

The most clear difference is that fact that the iPod Touch's processor was quietly boosted to 532MHz (up from 412MHz) with the 2nd generation model introduced in September. Meanwhile, the iPhone 3G, Original iPhone and 1st Generation iPod Touch continue to run at the original 412MHz. Though not the intended purpose, this video from Handheld Games Corp shows that the app load time of the 2nd Generation iPod Touch is notably faster than the 1st Generation model.

It seems that there are additional factors, however, as there are performance differences even found between the models that run at the same speed. The models rank in the following order (fastest to slowest) for 3D rendering, with the 2nd Generation iPod Touch being the fastest "by far".

#1. iPod Touch 2nd Generation
#2. iPhone 3G
#3. iPhone (original)
#4. iPod Touch 1st Generation

Due to the heavy 3D nature of his game, Fessler speculates the GPU speeds could have been tweaked as well, but there is no hard evidence of this at this time. Due to these findings, Fessler even says he would not recommend anyone interested in gaming to buy a used 1st generation iPod Touch.

Our in-depth look at the iPhone's internals, "Under the Hood: The iPhone's Gaming Mettle," has been updated to reflect this new information.

Touch Arcade recently had the opportunity to conduct a half-hour interview with ng:moco founder Neil Young regarding the company's recent announcements, the state of iPhone gaming, and what the future holds for this promising iPhone development house.

Ng:moco is responsible for Topple [App Store] and MazeFinger [App Store] and will also be publishing the highly anticipated platformer Rolando.

Young revealed a number of insightful observations and predicitions concering the future of iPhone gaming.  He believes that in order for the iPhone gaming market to realize its potential, it has to get to the place where developers can reach an average per user revenue in the neighborhood of the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS–an average of $53.50 spent on games per year.  ($0.99 game pricing isn't likely to do it.)  As well, the company plans on bringing an Xbox Live-type experience (achievements, friend management, etc.) to the iPhone.  And as for the newly introduced Android handset, Young doesn't see it being much competition for the iPhone as far as mobile gaming is concerned.

Young is also quite enthusiastic about their upcoming title Rolando which was created by independent developer Simon Oliver. Young has been so impressed by Oliver that he compares the Rolando developer to Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto.

Touch Arcade: Thanks for speaking with us, Neil.  It's been quite a big few days for you and ng:moco of late, what with the recent release of Topple and Maze Finger as well as the announcement of ng:moco as the publisher of Rolando.

Neil Young: Yes, it has.  I think it said in the press release but we have over a dozen games that we're working on and planning to release in the next few months and Maze Finger and Topple are the first of the fast apps and then we've got a number of premium apps of which Rolando is the first one and we're super super excited about that.

[ Read on for the full interview transcription. Omitted from this interview transcription are portions concerning ng:moco's upcoming iPhone take on a Geometry Wars / Thrust combination, which we detailed in an earlier post. ]

(more…)

Neil Young of iPhone game development house ngmoco recently was kind enough to grant Touch Arcade an interview regarding the company's recently announced titles, the Rolando announcement and what lies ahead for iPhone gamers.  The full story is coming soon, but a particularly interesting point from the interview is an as-yet unnamed title that should hit the app store before the holidays.

The game in question is a shooter that is more or less a marriage of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved and Thrust–and for those unaware, those are two of the best games ever written for any platform. 

Geometry Wars is a modern title (XBOX 360, PC, Wii) with a retro / psychedelic feel that is basically Robotron on steroids…in space.  Thrust was a popular 80s game, originally released for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron, that takes Lunar Lander and adds perfect physics–a superb title.  Being a die-hard retro gaming fanatic (and a rabid fan of both of the aforementioned games), I can easily say that I am more excited about this title than any other in the App Store.

Gamers not on-board with the retro gaming surge need not fear, however.  Neil indicates that with this title, ngmoco is not simply bringing an old contept to a new machine, but is incorporating the control, graphical flair and energy that modern iPhone gamers are looking for.

Presently the game features 200 levels, which Neil indicates is probably too many–expect a reduction. What's more, the final game may (or may not) feature fully editable levels.

I was unable to hide my excitement for this upcoming title and, noting this along with my retro obsession, Neil indicated that the game is probably everything I am hoping it is.  I can't wait.  Stay tuned for more on this title as information surfaces.

FOX Broadcasting has launched a web and iPhone-based game called Ambush [App Store] that ties to its TV series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.  Ambush is a simplistic MMORPG that places the player in a virtual city and relies upon real-time iPhone GPS location information to track players within the game world.

The player must create an account at the web-based game site terminatorambush.com and choose to play as either a Human or a Terminator.  The player's mission is simply to survive in a fight to either protect or eliminate Skynet, the self-aware computer network bent on destroying the world.

Ambush can be played either online or on the iPhone.  The online player's goal is to predict the movements of their targets in the virtual city and set traps in an attempt to terminate their iPhone opponents.  The iPhone player's goal is to survive within this virtual city by sending real-time GPS location information and avoiding traps set by their online opponents.

Web version of Ambush

The website's rules listing adds clarity to the gameplay:

Welcome to Skynet. Your goal is to earn as many points as possible by setting traps to terminate your iPhone opponents.

Each icon on this map represents an iPhone player. Red for Machines, White for Humans. Select an opponent from the map.

Your opponent's last 5 locations are displayed on the map. This path is based on the real movement of the iPhone player as he sends his location in real time.

If you wish to track this player you may add them to your Targets.

Your goal is to terminate your target by setting a trap in the location where you think your target will appear next.

Your trap is set. You will now wait for your target's next move.

You may reset your trap at any time or leave your trap where it is if you are certain your target will move to that location.

You can track up to 5 targets at a time.

A player's activity refers to how often they set their locations. A player's level is a reflection of their score.

Ambush [App Store] appeared today as a free download in the iTunes App Store.  Obviously as more iPhone players jump onboard gameplay in the game's virtual world will become more active than it is, here on day one.

FOX's Ambush has beaten another upcoming location-based MMORPG to market: Parallel Kingdom, which we looked at back in March.

[ UPDATE 9/25: Ok, which one of you out there got me...??!! ]

It appears that Atari's legal team has kicked into action and is demanding the removal of at least three iPhone games, and likely more.

iPhone developer Bootant had posted yesterday in our forums that Atari had requested the removal of BreakClassic [App Store] and BreakTouch 3D [App Store].

As it turns out, Spiffyware, the developer of Super Pong 2 [App Store] has also been asked to remove their app.

Some very unfortunate news, I have been asked to remove SuperPong 2 from the App Store at the request of Atari Interactive due to infringements against the pong and breakout copyrights.

Student developer Noah Witherspoon ran across a similar issue when his popular Tris game had to be pulled due to a copyright claim made by the Tetris company.

In the case of Witherspoon and Spiffyware, both are student developers who do not have the resources to mount a legal battle, and they have both expressed some doubts about the legal scope of these demands.

Update: Gyrocade's 3D Vector Pong [App Store] has also been contacted by Atari. The developer's solution appears to simply be renaming 3D Vector Pong to 3D Vector Ball. Though no official response from Atari has yet acknowledged this change as sufficient.

Apple, today, released the much anticipated iPhone 2.1 firmware update.  This is a major update that addresses a number of issues, not the least of which is the app crashing problem plaguing certain users that have lots of 3rd party apps loaded on their device (myself included).

Features include:

• decrease in call set-up failures and call drops
• significantly improve battery life for most users
• dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes
• improve email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts
• faster installation of 3rd party applications
• fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes if you have lots of 3rd party applications
• improved performance in text messaging
• faster loading and searching of contacts
• improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display
• repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages
• option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts
• Genius playlist creation

Any significant OS update brings with it the chance that certain applications will break due to under-the-hood changes.  The iPhone is no exception to this rule, and so far we've seen one application break under firmware 2.1: Zen Pinball: Rollercoaster from ZEN Studios.

Seeing this, we expect to find a number of other apps similarly afflicted by this latest update.  Developers of applications so affected will certainly post updates that restore compatibility soon, and we will keep readers updated of which apps require an update as we encounter them.

Please let us know of any such incompatibilites you encounter.

( Thanks Raphael Salgado for the initial report )

As we recently reported, EA's much anticipated Spore Origins [App Store] for the iPhone and iPod touch is now available in the iTunes App Store.

Spore Origins is an abbreviated, mobile adaptation of Will Wright's Spore, one of the most highly anticipated computer games ever released.  As Wikipedia describes Spore,

Spore is a multi-genre "massively single-player online game" developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright. It allows a player to control the evolution of a species from its beginnings as a unicellular organism, through development as an intelligent and social creature, to interstellar exploration as a spacefaring culture. It has drawn wide attention for its massive scope, and its use of open-ended gameplay and procedural generation.

While Spore is a massive title that takes the player through five distinct game phases (Cell, Creature, Tribal, Civilization, and Space), Spore Origins is a more modest undertaking that is entirely based around the Cell phase of evolution.  EA demonstrated an early version of the game at Apple's iPhone SDK event back in March, and since then it has been one of the most eagerly anticipated App Store releases.  (Both Spore and Spore Origins saw a nearly simultaneous release in the last few days.)

The game features 30 levels of play and offers two distinct game modes: Evolution and Survial.

In Evolution Mode, the you must move your organism through a variety of environments from the Primordial Ooze to the Sandy Coast, evolving along the way.  Eating smaller creatures fills the DNA and Heart meters at the top of the screen.  For each filled heart, your organism increases in size which puts more creatures on the menu, so to speak.  Once the DNA bar is filled, your organism moves to the next level.  Along the way, various symbiotes can be collected which enable temporary capabilities such as shield, speed increase, and poison.  The Creature Editor allows you to customize your organism to make it smarter, stronger, and faster.

Survival Mode presents a more simplistic play scenario.  The goal is simply to stay alive in order to reach the highest level possible.  Avoid all other creatures and pick up food pellets in order to fill the DNA bar and move to the next level.  Various power-ups can be collected along the way: Vortex, Shrink, Bomb, Shield, Clock, Blades, and Lightning.

The iPhone's accelerometer controls are used to guide the organism through its environment, with a tap to the screen activating power-ups or offensive "special parts" added through the Creature Creator.  The controls work well and feel "natural" and the relative tilt angle can be calibrated through the options menu.

Spore Origins feels every bit a big studio title.  It features some of the loveliest graphics ever seen on the iPhone.  The creatures are cute and colorful, the levels are highly detailed, and the hazy backdrop animations amid the ooze goes hand in hand with the fitting ambient soundtrack to deliver a pleasant sense of immersion in the game world.  Tricky Software has delivered a highly polished mobile adaptation of the Maxis original.

Spore Origins is certainly one of the most engaging games available for the iPhone.  Using the Creature Creator to evolve your organism–to better equip it to eat and not be eaten in the dangerous game world–and to watch those changes work to advantage is highly satisfying.  And while an iPhone port of all 4GB of the Mac / PC flagship title would've really made us happy (we can dream…), little brother Spore Origins is a great game that's well priced in the App Store at $9.99.