With Pac-Man Remix [link] fresh in the App Store, iPhone gamers in a love affair with that little yellow dot-chomper are busy getting their retro maze munch on. But don't fill up too much, because a dose of Pac-Man goodness that should far exceed Remix will soon be making its way to the App Store. G4tv has gotten word that Namco Bandai will be releasing the highly acclaimed Xbox Live Arcade title Pac-Man Championship Edition for the iPhone and iPod touch later this year.
What many have called the first "real" update to Pac-Man in 29 years, Pac-Man Championship Edition contains major differences from the 1980 original. The Xbox Live version, aside from supporting on-line leaderboards and high-definition graphics, is a race against the clock in every game mode. There are several different play lengths to choose from for each electric-looking maze, and the goal is simply to score as many points as possible in the relatively short time limit. The more points you score, the faster the pace of the game. Each maze is divided into two halves. Eating all the dots in one half causes a bonus fruit to appear in the other. Eating that fruit causes a new maze (that may differ in layout from the previous) to appear in the other half. It's back and forth, back and forth. And enormously fun.
We've got no information at present as to how the iPhone version will differ from the Xbox Live original, but will keep you updated as details come our way. But, if it's anything like the Xbox Live version, Pac-Man Championship Edition for the iPhone is going to bring some serious addiction to the platform.
See a video of the Xbox Live version to get a feel for the game.
Deisgner and artist Antti Ojala came up with the idea for Treasure Grab [App Store] based on the combination of Thief and Pac Man. In the game, players will find themselves sneaking through maze-like houses stealing everything they can get their hands on while avoiding guards and picking locks.
The main game mode of Treasure Grab is Master Thief. In Master Thief, you take control of main character Alya Loot and one by one drive the nobles out of the city by stealing their heirloom items and everything else they own while you're at it. Each level has one special heirloom item hidden in it, and collecting the heirloom item doubles the value of everything you stole that night. Steal all the heirloom items in one mansion and that noble leaves the city.
When each night starts, you're greeted by your fence who tells you what he's looking for that night and it can be anything from furniture to books. These items pay triple when collected. The desired loot type is randomized each night, so there should be a decent amount of replay value as you go back looking for the specific things the fence asks for.
The more things you steal, the more alert the nobles become to your presence, and the more guards they will have patrolling their estates in future nights. Get caught by a guard and you lose all your loot. If a guard notices you, you may be able to run and hide but the more loot you pick up the slower you move so there is a delicate balance between how greedy you can get in picking up items before leaving the mansion. Pick up too much and you'll be too encumbered to stand a chance at getting away from guards. Leave too much behind and your score will suffer.
Assisting you along the way are various trickster spirits which you slowly unlock. At the start of each level you choose which spirit will be by your side, these spirits give you special abilities like being able to look around the map, briefly disguise yourself, loot everything near you instantly, and other perks. All the ones I've come across so far have been pretty useful, but I've stuck to using the instant loot trickster spirit as it really increases how quickly I can fill my pockets.
Each level has a loot timer, and when the timer reaches zero an alarm sounds and you're unable to steal any more items or use trickster spirits. All you can do is run to the nearest exit without getting caught.
The guards in game behave a lot like guards in other stealth games, but really remind me of the phantom guards from The Legend of Zelda - Phantom Hourglass. They patrol around, stopping to think and talk to other guards. Little red arrows on the side of the screen indicate where the guards are, which are easy to avoid in earlier levels but once the nobles dispatch more guards the game becomes very tricky.
The controls are very well done and work great with the game. Instead of a static virtual D-Pad, you simply touch anywhere on the screen and that becomes the new center of movement. To steal items you just walk close enough to them, and to use your trickster spirit you tap the button in the top right corner. Treasure Grab has fun music, and cute sprite based graphics that are reminiscent of sixteen bit games.
Aside from the main game mode, there are also 36 time-based challenges to complete where you have a certain amount of items to steal as quickly as possible. These challenges add a neat twist on the standard gameplay as in Master Thief where you would previously cautiously wait for the guards to pass, in Challenge mode you have to try to run by them and don't have time to wait.
The one unfortunate thing is that Challenge mode lacks global leader boards. I'd really like to see how my speed runs rank with other players, but really this is a fairly minor complaint.
Here is a brief video of me playing a level in Treasure Grab:
Overall Treasure Grab is a fun game and you can definitely feel the design inspirations as you're playing. All of the mansions have a very Pac Man level maze-like feel to them and infiltrating houses to steal heirloom items is very Thief-ish. I wasn't sure what to expect when I first read the Treasure Grab App Store listing (Especially after playing other THQ iPhone games.), but I must say, I'm pleasantly surprised.
Namco Networks has just announced that it has submitted Pac-Man Remix, a modern take on its 1980 arcade classic, to the App Store.
Based on the world-famous arcade hit, PAC-MAN REMIX showcases enhanced graphics and lots of new exclusive features like boss battles, stage-specific gadgets, and power-up items! Guide PAC-MAN through the maze and avoid the brightly colored ghosts while chomping up all the dots. Eat a power pellet to temporarily turn the tables on the ghosts. Gobble up as many ghosts as possible while they are blue. Chomp the ghosts consecutively during one power pellet to score major bonus points!
The game holds onto the core Pac-Man game mechanic, but expands greatly upon it, both as far as visual presentation and gameplay are concerned. Pac-Man Remix is played across six different stages (with five levels each) and features various power-ups that can be acquired to help beat those familiar ghosts and their six new boss ghost friends. These include:
Jump -- jump over ghosts or walls
Dash -- move faster
Lucky Item -- all the pellets turn into Power Pellets
Ninja Item -- Trick the ghosts with an illusion of Pac-Man
Two methods of control are offered in the game: on-screen directional buttons and swipe controls, like those used in Namco's iPhone version of classic Pac-Man.
The game appears to be an evolved / extended adaptation of the studio's well-reviewed 1996 release, Pac-Man Arrangement, which is an excellent remake I've spent considerable time with on the Gameboy Advance. If Remix is anywhere near as good as Arrangement -- which it should certainly be -- then iPhone gamers are in for quite a treat.
Pac-Man Remix has been submitted to the App Store and should appear later this week at a price of $5.99.
Namco also took this opportunity to announce the launch of a new division within the company, dedicated exclusively to the iPhone and iPod touch. The new 'Apple Games' division is headed up by former I-Play Mobile Gaming producer and designer Jonathan Kromrey. And while the announcement of Pac-Man Remix brings a smile to my face, the creation of the new division within Namco focused entirely on iPhone gaming, and the studio's commitment to the platform that such a move reveals, is a much more significant turn of events.
We can't wait to see what the studio has in store.
Continuing the trend this week with an avalanche of free versions of games, here are three games with lites that are worth giving a try if you're looking for something new. Each game seems to have its fans.
GloBall Lite (GloBall, 99¢) - Take a basic accelerometer ball rolling game, add in all kinds of crazy power ups and particle effects, then pile a surprisingly well done location-aware global scoreboard on top and you've got GloBall.
Leaf Bound Lite (Leaf Bound, 99¢) - A hand drawn jumping game with similar gameplay mechanics to the Orisinal classic Winterbells, you jump from leaf to leaf collecting food and stomping on mechanical monkeys before reaching the end boss of each level. This Leaf Bound video shows the different levels and bosses.
Radial 50 Lite (Radial 50, $1.99) - A new "spin" on brick breaking games, Radial 50 features a circular array of blocks to bust with a paddle that rotates along the outside by sliding your thumb up and down the right side of the screen as shown in the gameplay demo video.
Here's one that falls in the just-for-fun writeup category. How so? Well, this is a fairly enjoyable, very simple dodge-the-obstacles game that almost certainly will only appeal to the highly nostalgic, retro gaming crowd (of which I am the leader).
Did you ever have an IBM PC in the early '80s? Did it have a monochrome screen? Did you game on it anyway? If your answer is yes to all three, then you'd have loved spending some time in front of 8bit Games - Flying [App Store] on that clunky classic computer.
And, if you answered no to any of the above three questions, then move on -- nothing to see here....
8bit Games - Flying is what arcade heaven would have been way back when on your Hercules graphics-equipped 8088-based PC. With a gameplay mechanic similar to Cube Runner, the game puts you in accelerometer control of an airplane flying through a cityscape with the goal of dodging everything. And it's a challenge, because your eyes are bleeding while you play.
The game offers three different monochrome screen colors (with a fourth that's unlocked based on true play skill) and a global scoreboard. It's fun, but retro, retro, retro.
If you don't crave retro -- do not buy this game. But if you do, it's pretty amusing. You've been warned.
I have fond memories of hours spent playing Activision's 8-bit, movie-inspired title Ghostbusters on my Apple II as a kid. Some of you out there surely share these fond memories. And so, it was with high hopes that I awaited the release of Ghostbusters for the iPhone after Sony Pictures Television's announcement of the forthcoming game early this year. The game has arrived and, as my earlier post indicated, it has slimed the App Store.
But sadly, not in a good way.
Ghostbusters for the iPhone sounded pretty meaty. As we posted back in March, Sony indicated an iPhone version of the game was on the way, alongside the the X360 / PS3 / Wii release, and that it would feature a storyline written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and would effectively serve as the third installment of the big-screen ghost-hunting story, according to Aykroyd. Voice roles from most of the movie actors were promised, as well.
This appealing description may apply to the home console version of the game (which I've spent no time with), but it definitely does not apply to Ghostbusters for the iPhone, which is a port of the mobile version.
In short, Ghostbusters for the iPhone is basically Magnetic Joe 2 [App Store], but with lesser graphics and choppier animation. Though it does feature a dash of Ray Parker Jr....
The goal of the game is to use your proton packs to move a ghost through various mazes from start to finish, ultimately trapping it in the ghost trap at level's end. The game features all five NY boroughs and three play modes that are unlocked based on skill: Adventure (standard play), Time Attack, and Ghost Fever (limited ammo), as well as a novelty collect-the-Ghost-Cards mechanic. The player must avoid slime covered walls and pedestrians to prevent the ghosts from taking over the city.
If you have an '80s Ghostbuster poster framed in gold on your wall, you might enjoy the home console version, but even the most diehard fan will be haunted (in a bad way) by this release. Spectral goodness, this is not.
Back in March we previewed Virtway's upcoming Graviton, an iPhone gravity game in the vein of classic Thrust. The game has just arrived in the App Store [link], published by Chillingo.
After devastating the largest cities of Earth and extracting all of its natural resources, the Xugg'zak left behind a planet buried in debris.
As the pilot of the Graviton ship, your mission is to salvage the scarce energy spheres that the Xugg'zak have left behind, and take them to a safe place where will be processed to rebuild what's left from the human race.
In Graviton, the player is given tilt-based control of a ship equipped with a magnetic grappling hook. The mission is to pick up a metal orb with the hook and carry it through a series of five different post-apocalyptic environments filled with a variety of obstacles, some of which are interactive (drop the orb into a moving cart, charge the orb to unlock doors, etc).
The game features "2.5D" graphics and a realistic physics model that delivers gravity, inertia, and momentum, adding to the challenge of completing the objective. In-game tutorials explain the action, three levels of difficulty help tune the game to the player's particular skill level, and on-line leaderboards add to the competitive value of the game.
I've played through several of the game's environments and find it to be a worthy take on the Thrust formula, with particularly clever obstacles. My only real complaint with the game is to do with its hovering mechanic. While most gravity games require constant triggering of downward thrust to remain aloft (which can be very challenging in close quarters), Graviton's ship will remain safely pinned in mid-air if the device is held at the proper angle. It's a control mechanic that I find a bit too forgiving for my taste, but isn't reason enough for me to recommend that gravity fans pass on this challenging title.
Back in March, Shawn Kollat released a fun little game that we missed when it hit the App Store. Race for Home [App Store] is the tranquil and surreal affair of guiding young Grace and her magic umbrella on her journey home.
The physics-based game takes place through a variety of sky environments and involves tapping various floating items to lasso them and swing ever towards the three floating presents per level that must be collected to advance, guided by an onscreen arrow. There are seven levels in all and protective upgrades can be collected along the way to help Grace avoid a variety of hazards and enemies bent on keeping her from finding her way home.
It's a rather simplistic game and it could be longer, but the lovely classical piano audio tracks and the peaceful act of swinging from item to item make for a rather placid and enjoyable gaming experience. While hardcore arcade fans might find it a bit light, the casual gamer may well enjoy this unique iPhone title. But don't take my word for it -- try the lite, three-level version of Race for Home [App Store] before making the paid app jump.
See our gameplay video for a look at the game in motion.
Psychosis Studio has just released 3D Tunnel Vision [App Store] for the iPhone and iPod touch.
A number of "tunnel games" have recently appeared in the App Store and those we've checked out really haven't impressed us. 3D Tunnel Vision, on the other hand, is actually a rather fun, simple game for those with coordination enough to fancy a high speed run down an obstacle-filled tunnel.
3D Tunnel Vision features several game modes to choose from. Arcade mode is a five life, level-to-level run through 10 progressively harder tunnels filled with narrow passages, rotating obstacles, and slowly opening gates. Mines mode presents one long tunnel littered with floating mines--how long can you last? Survival mode gives you only one life to see how far through the levels you can go. And any tunnels unlocked in Arcade mode can be individually played in Replay mode.
The game features both a tilt and a joystick mode, the latter offering control of your craft by touching any point on the screen and dragging in the desired direction. I find the latter to be the far superior method of control.
While it's not terribly difficult to make it through all 10 tunnels, making use of available speed boosts which are collected along the way (and refraining from using the collectible slow-downs) adds challenge as your skill increases, and the Mines mode brings a nice variation to the core gameplay. 3D Tunnel Vision is a fairly simple iPhone maze racer, but at its $0.99 limited time introductory price, it might just be worth your while.
See our brief gameplay video to get a feel for the action.
Back in February, HD Publishing released a free iPhone version of their highly rated mobile title Magnetic Joe [App Store], indicating that they wanted to introduce the title to the iPhone gaming community and then follow it up with the second and third installments as paid apps. As promised, Magnetic Joe 2 [link] has just appeared in the App Store.
Magnetic Joe 2 offers similar gameplay to the original but rises above it by offering 100 levels (twice that of the original), four new games modes, Internet ranking, opponent best-time downloads, and the following unlockable items:
Cloak: Joe becomes invisible, making the levels even more challenging
Bad: Makes Joe stronger, letting him destroy walls more easily
Rerverse: Reverses the controls. Now you have to demagnetize Joe
Josephine: She is light and floats better
Bot: Makes Joe immune to robots
Fire: Makes Joe immune to fires
Hood: Makes Joe immune to spike balls and green monsters
Magnetic Joe 2, like the original, is essentially an inertia game in which you must control the path of Joe while avoiding various obstacles. But, instead of rocket thrusters, you influence the movement by strategically activating Joe's magnetic abilities. Simply tap on the screen to turn it on, and the magnets will do the rest. You have to be strategic, however, to avoid hitting unwanted obstacles (such as spikes).
The graphics are nothing to write home about, but the unique play mechanic makes for a fun game. The original was well received by our forum members, and anyone who likes what they see there should find Magnetic Joe 2 to be at least as entertaining. The free, initial release [link] should serve as a nice demo of the concept for those considering this sequel.
Not to make this the Friday of Upcoming iPhone Games...but Digital Chocolate has posted a video of their upcoming iPhone title California Gold Rush. While details, at present, are scant, it looks something loosely like a cross between Boulder Dash and Oregon Trail.
Have a look:
California Gold Rush is set to hit the App Store at the end of Q2 this year. No word on price, as yet.
In the nine months since the App Store went online, over 35,000 applications have been written for the iPhone. Of these, the single largest category is games. Lots and lots of games...which, of course, means lots and lots of takes on the same formula. Match-three is likely the most repeated type, but not far behind are the "snake" games. They have a simple premise: you're a snake. Move about the playfield eating things, to grow in length, but don't eat your tail or bump into obstacles. I own a camera that has a built-in snake game -- they're everywhere. And the only real difference between them is just how much prettier one is than the next.
And so, I was rather pleasantly surprised by French developer DigDog's recent release, SnakeGalaxy [App Store], which puts a new spin on the snake game proposition.
In SnakeGalaxy, you are a snake, but in a departure from the standard formula, the playfield is a 3D planet. You must slither about its surface (as the planet rotates beneath you) collecting food rations and super food rations to accumulate points and increase the score multiplier. Each time a ration is collected, your speed and length increase, the score multiplier increments by one, and a timer starts to dwindle. Collect rations fast enough and the multiplier will increase, but if time runs out, it returns to 1x.  Oh -- and don't eat your tail.
The game features five different planets, each well rendered and of a different theme, and with a different set of challenges. On the Village planet, you must avoid wooden fences while traversing its cobblestone surface. On the Jeans planet, avoid buttons and rivets while slithering across its denim surface. On the Graphik planet, your tail is the only enemy, etc. A Mission mode lets you choose any unlocked planet and play from there to the next planet, and so forth, while a Quick Play mode sets you on the most recently unlocked planet to go for the highest score.
The game is best played with two thumbs. Upon touching an area of the screen, the snake will head in that direction. It takes a little getting used to, as a tap to the left or right of the screen is not a "turn in this direction until I let up" control, but simply a turn to the area of the tap -- no further. After a number of hours with the game, however, it becomes much more natural, in my experience.
I confess that, upon seeing this title appear in the App Store -- another snake title -- my heart did not go pitter-pat. But after downloading it and spending considerable time with the game, I find it to be the most unique snake game I've come across. It's enjoyable and even charming, with lovely graphics. If you need just one snake game on your iPhone or iPod touch, it should be SnakeGalaxy. And at it's limited introductory price of $.99, it's a solid buy (regularly $2.99).
See our gameplay video for a look at the first three planets.
It's been a busy 24 hours in the App Store. A number of anticipated releases have been released into the app store including Fishing Cactus' maze / puzzle game Equilibrio [App Store].
The $3.99 title is a gravity-based game in which your job is get your ball to the end goal by navigating ramps, trampolines, spikes, and more. While the premise of the game may seem familiar, the game incorporates a number of twists to keep it interesting.
There are 5 types of balls each with different properties and gameplay characteristics. These include rubber, glass, steel, stone and paper. Levels include obstacles such as spikes and acid that destroy the balls on contact. Tilting your iPhone will allow you to build up momentum to jump obstacles and avoid danger. Part of the challenge, however, is also avoiding shattering your ball, so proper control becomes a major issue and you can't just speed through each level.
The game offers 3 play modes including Conquest, Challenge and Random Level challenge.
Conquest - complete all levels in sequence, though you can skip levels to avoid frustration
Challenge - Play 5 of the levels with specific rules (within a time limit, don't lose more than 2 lives, play against a ghost ball)
Random - a level is give to you at random
This gameplay video shows some of the early levels:
The challenge mode with its unique level goals offers you longer-term replayability in quick 5-level sessions. Individual levels, unfortunately, have a rather poor high score system. As it stands, it's very hard to tell which levels you could improve on. While individual scores are kept for each level, they are relatively hard to access.
Overall, the game is very well produced and is easily one of the better "tilt/ball" control games in the App Store. Like all of those games, however, there is a distinct level of frustration that can accompany them. Equilibrio, however, does offer level skips and "solution" replays to allow you to bypass being completely stuck at any stage of the game.
The $0.99 game throws you into a randomly generated three dimensional maze (with ladders) and your job is simply to get out as quickly as possible. You are optionally allowed to use a compass and breadcrumbs to mark your way, but these speed up the timer. Your best times required to escape each maze is kept in a high score table.
The developer describes the game as having "fantastic lighting effects, beautiful graphics, and a sublime soundscape combine to create a mysterious atmosphere". And it's true. The atmosphere of the game adds a lot to the overall experience.
The game allows you to pick from 5 different sizes of maps from "Tiny" to "Insane". "Tiny" and "Small" are relatively easy but once you try "Normal", a distinct sense of claustrophobia sets in as you unsuccessfully attempt to navigate the maze.
This gameplay video is me trying to make my way out of a "Normal" maze.
At its core, the game is quite simple: it's just a maze game. And if you think that's a boring prospect, you probably shouldn't get this game. That said, Realmaze 3D is surprisingly well implemented and for only $0.99 delivers a great version of a simple concept.
During the Game Developer's Conference late last month, Touch Arcade had the opportunity to sit down with Glu and spend some time with a number of their upcoming titles.
One of the more impressive games we saw was Glyder [App Store], a casual flyer in which the player takes on the role of Eryn, an unfortunate girl thrown through a dimensional rift, who's just trying to find her way home. We've since received a copy of the final release version of the game which is now available in the App Store and have spent most of the day soaring about the game world trying our best to get Eryn home.
In Glyder, Eryn is equipped with a da Vinci-esque flying apparatus and must complete a series of missions across six different island worlds, collecting floating crystals of various colors in order to open a portal that will lead her home. Along the way, she can get speed boosts by picking up power-ups and gain altitude by flying into thermal pockets (corridors of updraft air) spread about the game world. Additionally, various mini-missions crop up from time to time, such as flying from one side of an island to another by way of purple platforms, etc. And, at any time, the player can move to the next world by flying beyond the boundaries of the current world towards a distant, visible, neighboring island.
The overall feel of Glyder is highly reminiscent of Pilotwings 64's "birdman" secret flight mode, where the player dons a pair of wings and flies freely about the game world. While there's no actual flapping involved, the thermals and general flight model are quite similar to the Nintendo 64 classic. (And this would be a compliment to Glyder.)
The game features accelerometer-based flight control that feels responsive and works well, but lacks a calibration option which limits play orientation (home position is at an approximate 45-degree angle). Achievements – 50 in all – are unlocked by performing various feats such as visiting every area of a given world, achieving maximum possible velocity in a power-dive, completing mini-trips, and the like. The combination of gem collection, mini-missions, and achievements does instill some sense of progress to an otherwise laid back gaming experience.
Graphically Glyder is impressive. The 2D title and menu artwork is clean and the 3D in-game graphics are well rendered and feature notable draw distance. However, the game does sometimes suffer from occasional framerate issues, especially on lesser devices than the 2G iPod touch, which is the fastest iPhone platform device of the lot. It's nothing that really gets in the way of playability, but it is noticeable from time to time.
See our gameplay video for a look at three of the game's six island worlds (recorded on 2nd Generation iPod Touch):
Glyder's pleasant sense of soaring, combined with the title's soothing soundtrack, makes for a relaxing game experience. That's not to say that there's a lack of challenge to the title; some of the narrow corridors that must be negotiated in order to secure that last crystal are quite harrowing. The game is well implemented and offers a very different type of gaming experience on the iPhone -- one that people generally either really like or really don't.
We believe those who find Glyder's concept and video appealing will indeed find it to be a very enjoyable experience that is well worth the game's $1.99 introductory price. Exploring all the 6 worlds, completing each achievement and collecting all gems also offers plenty of gameplay time.
Glyder is a casual collect-the-crystals flyer somewhat reminiscent of Pilotwings 64. There are no enemies, just you and the crystals, which makes for a rather relaxing experience.
