Orbotix is an unconventional developer with a project we posted about a while ago. Its mission is to bring smartphone controlled, open devices to market. The first of these is Sphero, a robotic ball that responds to inputs from an iPhone or iPod Touch via Bluetooth and an device-specific app.
It’ll be about six months before Sphero is ready for store shelves, but the lack of polish didn’t stop Orbotix from taking their balls on the road to CES in Las Vegas where, of course, Mac Rumors got their hands on them.
The demonstration, which took place in a mini-arena of sorts, yielded some neat pieces of intel about Sphero. Most relevant to us is the fact that Orbotix wants to release the API to App Store creators, allowing anyone with the knowhow to sculpt games around the device.
At the event, Orbotix suggested soccer or bowling games could be made, which yeah, I totally could see that happening if the device took off. But will it take off? I don’t know. I lost my fortuneteller license in a fire. But I do know that people like crazy little devices that can move around.
Orbotix hopes to launch Sphero in “late 2011” for under one hundred bones -- and hopefully well under $100 if it hopes that more than 12 people will take a look at it.
Here's something awesome: You can rock out Max Adventure [$.99] with a projector, TV, or any other video display device with a VGA input and a Apple Dock to VGA adapter. (It also might work with the component and composite adapters as well, but Imangi hasn't had a chance to test them -- let us know if you own either of these cables and are able to get it going.)
To show you how, Imangi Studios has released a neat little YouTube tutorial video about these "video-out" capabilities -- tech-speak for "yo, you can plug a cable in your thing to make a game work on a TV or whatever." Check it out!
This capability isn't new by any stretch, but only a small number of iOS games take advantage of it. Each time a really good game like Max Adventure adopts the tech, we get excited like we just found a Zero bar buried in our couch.
Max Adventure's video-out, by the way, runs natively at that projector's full screen resolution, which is 1024x768. We're told the actual implementation of it was pretty easy -- Imangi was able to drop it into Max Adventure in a day. The possibilities!
Of course, totally wireless iPhone-to-TV would be better, right? That's something Imangi is thinking about. The studio told us that it wants to develop for Apple TV so it could stream content over AirPlay. And while there's no solid way to do that with the SDK as it is, Apple could, theoretically, write up some APIs that would allow real-time streaming in lower resolutions similar to how OnLive operates. The needed hardware is, apparently, already in the iPhone 4, according to Imangi.
In case I lost you there, no worries. I was just spitting out some stuff about grey magicks and tech voodoo that I don't even completely understand. What I do get, though, is that Max Adventure is pretty rockin', so give that a check if you're in the mood for a game.
Brick and mortar game peddlers will never die thanks to the creative minds of Kairosoft, the creators of Game Dev Story [$3.99 / Lite]. Hours before we donned our tinfoil hats and celebrated the New Future Year of 2011, the studio released a new game called "Waiwai! The Game Dealer" across the Japanese App Store. (Waiwai, we're told, roughly translates to "yay, yay!")
As its name and the studio's pedigree implies, Waiwai! The Game Dealer is a simulation game that puts you in the role of a game store manager, much like how GDS put you in the role of a game studio manager. Hilariously, it appears as if you'll also dabble in the video game studio stock trade and -- get this -- offer food to your store customers.
Yeah... we're not so sure what the latter is all about, but whatever -- GDS had a monkey that could program. Screens below!
We've e-mailed the fine folks at Kairosoft to see if Waiai! The Game Dealer will be localized and we'll let you know when we find out. I think, though, that it might be safe to assume it will, provided Japanese sales are strong enough. As we've noted in the past, Kairosoft dug the reception of GDS and have confirmed that its sequel will see an English-language release. I'd imagine GDS2 won't be the end of the line for its localization efforts.
[Additional translation help given to me by owner of Rockmelon Soda, Topher! Thanks, dude!]
Soon, Secret of Mana for the iOS will be released in North America and I'd like to go ahead and put some skeptics' fears at ease: it appears to be a faithful, technically sound port of its SNES source material. Exhaling feels good, doesn't it?
This means, though, that all the issues of the original are present. In that weird, overly sentimental way, I want Secret of Mana to retain its baggage. It wouldn't feel… so right otherwise. Perhaps you share this thought. If you don't, beware.
The controls are the lone new feature I've noticed. Square has implemented a virtual controller into the game, allowing for basic movement and action. Flicks and swipes control the radial menus, while character selection can be done via taps. Strangely, you can't interact with the environment by tapping into it. You'll need to use a context-sensitive action button to do so.
Overall, the controls are serviceable. Despite its appearance as a hack-and-slash type of RPG, the action in Secret of Mana is pretty spaced out, meaning the occasional slip-up and response delay associated with using a virtual button spread doesn't interfere with the experience too much. That said, whenever the game does require precision or fast actions, you'll probably be left wanting a controller. But do note, again, that the controls are serviceable. You don't need a controller, but hey, wouldn't it be nice? Also, wouldn't it be awesome to own a Ferrari?
And, really, this is a Ferrari of classic RPGs. Go out and give it a spin if you're a fan or a newcomer. It's a great game and this is a pretty good port.
App Store Link: Secret of Mana, $8.99 (Will be available in US App Store at 11:00 PM EST.)
The first Infinity Blade [$5.99] update Chair Entertainment spoke about last week is coming tomorrow, according to a recent press release. As mentioned, this "booster pack" raises the game's cap to 40 to 45 courtesy of the five new swords, shields, helmets and the additional set of armor it adds. The update also adds the Marrow Fiend to the game, the first of several new enemies promised to come in later updates.
There are a couple of surprises bundled into this booster as well. One of those aforementioned helmets will be a "Santa-themed" helm. Also, Chair has added the ability to listen to your own music while playing through the game on top of several bug fixes and "optimizations."
Perhaps the biggest surprise is that this update will allow you to purchase gold in the game with real world cash. Chair PR says it's added this due to "popular demand," but something tells us the smell and taste of green was a great motivator, too. And good on them, really. Chair created a fantastic game, released it at a low price, and deserves the extra money.
However, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the game's precious balance is maintained in future updates and DLC -- either paid or free -- moving forward. I'd hate not to get rewarded with as much gold as I'm accustomed to because people like to buy fake currency with real currency. Benefit of the doubt, though. Again, Chair did a bang-up job on Infinity Blade. It's one of the coolest iOS titles this year, for sure.
Dungeon Defenders [$2.99] is an ambitious title full of carrots that propel a basic hack-and-slash experience. It also has systems and content out the wazoo, providing a level of good depth rarely seen in App Store titles. But as effective as its smoke and mirrors are, and as much as it has to offer, its controls and interface are a pain to use and navigate, making it hard to recommend.
A lazy bit of shorthand to describe Dungeon Defenders is "Diablo meets Tower Defense." Dungeon Defenders has the hack-and-slash appeal and the character classes from the former, and the tower building and flow of the latter. Overall, the two mesh into a good whole, providing a ceaseless stream of stimuli to play with.
You'll spend more time hammering away at fantasy foes with the "action" button than anything else, but this basic offense is always in the service of defense of large, neon-blue crystals that sit in the middle of the game's instance-based levels. These crystals have their own health meters, and if foes manage to pummel it to zero, it's game over.
What makes defense manageable is the scripting and flow. A preset number of monsters amble out of spawn doors on scripted routes during each "Wave" of play. You can choose to confront these foes with weapon in hand or set up defensive towers via a character-specific radial menu. But maps are huge and enemies spawn in every possible corner, so towers quickly become the star of the show.
The placement of towers versus your decision to be in a certain place during a certain "Wave" is satisfying and rewarding. And there's no shortage of towers. Each of the four character classes -- the mage, the archer, the knight, and the warrior monk -- have different spins on the same five or so towers, presenting some unique gameplay opportunities when coupled with the Rock, Paper, Scissors nature of the strategy you'll need to consider.
Player-side, the combat boils down to basic hack-and-slash. Each of the classes do bring their own style of combat, which helps to mix it up, and the loot and grind lust that the game encourages with its constant drops keeps things interesting, too.
Dungeon Defenders has a neat online multiplayer compliment to the play and the characters are balanced in such a way to provide a rich experience. The catch is that the single-player balance is off, so you'll need to get with some pals to push through the later levels.
For the most part, the network code appears to be stable. You'll encounter a fair amount of latency and matchmaking oddness as you get into and attempt to find matches. And the lack of voice chat is annoying on a fundamental strategy level.
If the game controlled well, this would easily be a highly recommended game. Alas, the controls and interface are terrible. It's painfully obvious that this is a game designed foremost and balanced for a dual-analog controller. Instead of integrating good touch-based controls, Trendy Entertainment has chose to just put all of a controller's functionality up on the screen. It's littered with buttons, bubbles, and dials to the extent that they obscure play.
But Dungeon Defenders is also fundamentally an awkward game to move around in, in part, due to the terrible 3D camera which needs to be babysat with an on-screen pad. As you can see below in the image of the game's overlay, the camera control is not in a convenient or intuitive location, meaning you have to take your eyes and hands off the action in order to swivel the camera to a sensible spot. Also, a virtual d-pad for movement?
(Edit: There's a virtual joystick-less control option that you can turn on from the game's menu, but it's no good.)
Dungeon Defenders iOS is a deep, sometimes entertaining game… but the controls are a core, critical, nasty flaw that I don't think can be "fixed" or addressed in any meaningful way. The game, quite simply, requires all the stuff the UI is lit up with. There's a chance that if you're the kind of guy who can play, say, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light without issues, you might be able to get into this one. If you're not, I'd stay away from Dungeon Defenders until it hits Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, and PC at some point.
Just a note: Dungeon Defenders is a Universal App. Playing on an iPad does reduce the UI clutter by virtue of being a bigger screen, but it's still a mess and doesn't alleviate any of overwhelming button overload going on here.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light for consoles and PC is a great, isometric action-adventure that successfully combines the exploration, the high-octane action sequences, and the puzzle elements of a solid Tomb Raider title with the combat of a good dual-stick shooter. It's not a perfect game. I think the setup to larger tasks is often are boring (go here; grab this; repeat) and the crowd control options are lacking, but overall it's a fun game with a satisfying level of depth -- especially in its item and equipment systems which allow you to boost Lara's skills by doing optional tasks or finding items scattered throughout the world.
Surprisingly, Guardian of Light will soon be available on the iOS in North America, and it appears to be a faithful port in regards to mechanics and game world, which is why I've mentioned all this. But during my playthrough of this version, I've discovered that the things that don't come across so well are the visuals, sound, frame rate, and control. I know -- bummer!
A lot of textures in the game look terrible, while some needed sound effects simply aren't duplicated. Take, for example, the tumbling bridge section right outside the Spider Temple. No crumbling sounds are emitted in the preceding cut-scene that betrays the bridges' stability. And while that's bothersome, the fact that Lara can clip through the final bridge's geometry and fall to her doom after said cut-scene is even worse.
This scene, despite all of its action and stupid missteps, manages to hold up well in regards to frame rate, which makes it all the more mystifying whenever frames start dropping during low-octane portions of the game.
You can deal with these things; I can deal with these things. But, I think the real deal-breaker is Guardian of Light's on-screen controls, which make shooting, jumping, rolling, and basic item navigation a nightmare. The game is playable, sure, but it's obvious that the enemy balance wasn't tweaked -- nor were its scripted action sections -- for on-screen UI. Guardian of Light feels like a game built for users with a controller, which is a problem since, well, you aren't using a controller to play it.
Guardian of Light "proper" has a fantastic online co-op component that has one player playing as Lara while the other handles a warrior named Totec. What makes this such a compelling addition is that the game changes in meaningful ways with two people; puzzles that demand interdependence and unique scenarios are made available in this mode.
Sadly, this iOS version of the co-op appears to be shoddy. Between Master Eli and I, our game's crashed a total of five times while starting up a match, and our invites to each other didn't work in the first place. We had to, hilariously, use random matchmaking to even find each other. I shouldn't say this component is broken exactly, but it's obvious someone needs to take a look at this component's implementation.
What kills me here is that there's a great game buried in Guardian of Light iOS -- a game that has satisfying combat, great loot systems and upgrade paths, a fun story, a good co-op component, and some good head-scratchers. But... these silly problems are killers. The good news is that most of the problems are fixable, particularly the ticky-tacky geometric, sound, and network stuff. The question is, is someone going to address these issues? I hope so. Guardian of Light is fantastic and I wish I could enjoy this version just as much as the others. It kinda goes without saying, but we'll hold our official in-depth review until we see a patch since it's really hard to recommend this game as it is on launch day.
UPDATE: We've been informed that the multiplayer is not cross platform, which excuses why Eli and I weren't able to connect the first three or four times (I was on an iPad, while he was on an iPhone 4). This doesn't explain why the game even let us attempt to connect to each other, but it totally makes sense why we couldn't. However, we still experienced the same connection and crashing problems while using two iPads. As you might have assumed, that one positive match we had before the game crashed was with two iPads.
App Store Links - Note: This game is currently available internationally, but won't be available in the US App Store until 11:00 PM Eastern.
Worms 2: Armageddon [$4.99] is getting a bit bigger today. Developer Team 17 has just released a new expansion for the title called "Worms 2: Armageddon Battle Pack" across PSN and the iOS. The content, which is available on the App Store for $1.99, is packing new weapons, a new campaign, and a few new features.
Specifically, Team 17 says that it adds a total of 30 new deathmatch levels, a new "Warzone" theme, a game-style called "Forts Pro," and a bunch of new weapons and items including "termites, ferrets and worship statues." The heftier PSN version of this update will be getting one more feature, a "Body Count" mode which pits you against an endless horde of enemies.
To be crystal clear, we wouldn't suggest the average App Store hawk to go and grab this simply because Team 17 supports the title. In our original write-up of the game, we've pointed out that the iOS version of the game's UI is a mess and the visuals leave much to be desired, especially if you have an iPhone 4. That said, it's much better than the original Worms [$2.99], so this would be the game fans should flock to if they're eager to get their Worms on with an iOS device.
Admittedly, I have shied away from board games on the iPhone; very few of them offering the accessibility and multi-player fun of dusting off an old classic and sitting around a coffee table with friends. Even still, I had never heard of the award-winning German tile-based board game named after a world heritage listed French castle prior to our preview last month. But that's all water under the bridge now, as Carcassonne [App Store] is definitely hot right now and set to rocket up the App Store charts.
For those apparently hiding under the same rock as I have been; Carcassonne is a board game played with 71 tiles, artistically depicting fortified structures, fields, cloisters and roads (these being the key elements of the game). Tiles are randomly drawn and played on the table in turn by each player, of which there are up to 5 players at once, and placed next to each other so that each landmark aligns perfectly. Points are awarded by placing one of your limited tokens, your 'Meeples', on an element of the tile you've just played; be it road, structure or field. Points are scored both during the game and at the end, with completed city structures awarding bonus points.
Carcassonne has undoubtedly raised the bar high for spit and polish. Every menu, game screen or tutorial is painted in gorgeous wooden hues as a tribute to its hand-crafted, table-top origins. The tutorials themselves comprise both fully-voiced demonstrations and a thoughtfully illustrated game manual which does wonders to explain the initially abstract scoring system.
Carcassonne isn't a difficult game to grasp, but it does have an extraordinary amount of depth. Advanced considerations such as where to play your farmer Meeples (which aren't retrievable after placing them) so that they are in the largest field possible supplying the most completed structures (thus scoring points) will often prove the difference between a game otherwise left largely to luck of the draw.
The release of Denki Blocks! [App Store] and Denki Blocks! Free [App Store] sees the critically acclaimed Gameboy Advance puzzler by Denki finally in our hands and well on its way to turning our grey matter to mush over the last week that we've spent with it.
The concept in Denki Blocks! is simple: join all the like-colored blocks together each level. The solution is far less straightforward however, requiring you to navigate the blocks around each level-- easily done by the tap of a finger in any direction-- in an attempt to force them together. All the blocks on-screen move in the same direction simultaneously unless they are blocked by a wall or obstacle, a mechanism that is paramount to get them to meet.
Once they have done so, they'll stay fastened together, allowing you to focus on the next block and the next, and so forth. In many ways it's like lego; only, there's no instruction manual, and you can't pull the pieces apart if you place them incorrectly (well, technically you can, as there is an undo option and you can restart each level if you're really stuck) . It's a devious formula that starts off easy but ramps up to become very challenging.
To further add to the difficulty, each level has a Master Challenge for you to tackle, and it's usually not for the faint of heart. Whether tasked with completing a particular shape or finishing in only a set number of turns or seconds, these master challenges will require lots of forward-thinking and less reliance on that undo button (which takes up time). Fortunately, your efforts do go rewarded, unlocking bonus levels when 12 of these Master Challenge stars have been collected (though we're not sure your brain will thank you after being reduced to paste only to be given additional challenges!).
There are over 100 levels in Denki Blocks!, making it the equivalent of Disney Land for puzzle fans. The levels and blocks are all rendered in colorful and vibrant hues to keep the game visually stimulating, and the soundtrack is appropriately light-hearted to encourage healthy synaptic firing. The level designs themselves have a lot of character too, some appearing with a maze of obstacles to negotiate, and others as locking mechanisms or contraptions completely enclosing your blocks.
We were a little disappointed that Denki Blocks! doesn't include online high score tables right off the bat, as we couldn't think of a more fitting model than the time and score challenges offered here. Perhaps it's something to look forward to in a future update (take note developers, if you're reading this).
In any case, Denki Blocks! has enough content to keep your puzzle needs satisfied for a very long time. We're confident that even the puzzle prodigies amongst you will be challenged by Denki's formula (particularly the Master Challenges) but we encourage even beginner puzzlers to give it a go as there is a ton of levels to see and not all of them need to be completed to progress.
At the very least, check out the Lite version of Denki Blocks! (link below) for a hands-on preview of the gameplay and to see for yourself what all the fuss is about.
One of the mainstays on our devices since its release almost a year ago is Cobra Mobile's aerial bombardment game, iBomber. Evidently many of you liked it too as it enjoyed long bouts as the #1 best selling game on the App Store last year. And now, Cobra Mobile has bought us the long-awaited sequel as iBomber 2 [AppStore] finally deploys.
iBomber 2 theatre of war takes place over North Africa and Europe between 1943 and 1944, prompting a change in scenery from the Pacific Island setting of the original game to also include deserts, frozen tundras and forests too. The game engine otherwise remains untouched, so expect no graphical improvements beyond the new landscapes, which are all richly drawn and detailed.
Instead, iBomber 2 focuses on a few added features to sell its sequel. Naturally, the stars of the show-- the artillery-- had to receive an update. They now include torpedos and depth charges (specifically designed to fight submarines), artillery strikes (which places a marker for a broad-ranged attack to commence) and carpet bombs (a lot of ordinance, all in a neat row). Other new, non-artillery power-ups include the wingman ability, which calls in 2 wingmen to fly below you and soak up your damage for a time.
Missions and enemies are the second spruced up feature in iBomber 2. There are now tanks to contend with, some of which may even fire surface-to-air missiles (leaving a great looking smoke trail) that you have to avoid or suffer a huge damage hit. Additionally, some of the 12 new missions require you to protect or destroy a number of fleeing vehicles, assisting to mix up the usual search and destroy objectives of other levels. We were particularly fond of one level where you supported a spy to flee after he comes under fire when infiltrating an enemy base. Seeing other units benefiting from your actions gave added context to the ongoing war, something we felt should have featured more prominently.
Another major inclusion to iBomber 2 is the new touch control scheme. Cobra Mobile have listened to cries for a non-tilt option, and have implemented a virtual thumb-stick of sorts. Swiping your finger on the left of the screen reveals a small analogue stick, indicating the direction you are currently heading. Swiping left and right steers the bomber, whilst swiping up and down changes your speed. We felt that while the new touch controls were a thoughtful addition, they proved too fiddly to master and were prone to causing your ship to spin erratically. For a change, the tilt mechanism is tried and true, and continues to work best here.
We were surprised to see a rather paltry list of added features in iBomber 2, appearing to be little more than a map expansion despite the addition of a few fun new weapons. We were really hoping for an improvement to the core gameplay of the first game, but aside from the abovementioned chase missions, other objectives are largely the same. That said, when your original game is met with the sort of success that iBomber enjoyed, perhaps more of the same is exactly what customers are demanding.
If this sounds to your liking, then we're confident you'll enjoy playing through the 12 missions in iBomber 2 and seeing how you'll fare against your friends via the new Plus+ high score integration. If you're still not sure though, check out the developer's trailer above for a look and flick through other users' impressions on our forums.
A few weeks ago I previewed Babo Crash from PlayBrain and I told you how it made me excited about match 3 games again. Well it’s now been released in the app store so you too can experience the gem destroying joys of this game.
Basically, Babo Crash takes the standard match 3 formula and adds to it crazy power ups. I explained how it did that in my preview:
When you match more than three gems you create a hero gem. Each color of gem creates a different hero, when you use them in a match you activate their special ability. This is where the game gets good. One of the abilities creates a ball on the screen that you control by tilting you iPhone which destroys every gem it touches. There is something very satisfying about destroying gems in this manner.
The responses in our forums have been positive with a few reviews posted by our readers. Some people are upset, however, that there is no survival mode. Still, this is a great game to pick up if you are bored of other match three games but don’t want to give up on the genre. It did refresh the way I look at match three games since it proves that you can make one that's visually stunning and features frantic game play.
XS Games, a New York based publisher, announced Friday that they plan to release an iPhone and PSPgo port of “The Red Star” early this spring. The Red Star was a popular shooter/action game for the Playstation 2 that was based off the graphic novel of the same name.
The game was a blend of top down shooting and side scrolling beat ’em levels. It also had some RPG elements, with characters being able to upgraded abilities at the end of levels.
Here is a trailer for the PS2 version:
XS Games says that both the PSPgo and iPhone are the perfect new home for the game. They say by releasing the game on these platforms it will allow them to improve the game play and graphics of the game while keeping the price fair. We will have to wait till spring to see if they deliver.
With the NHL playoffs quickly approaching and after an amazing gold medal game at this year’s Winter Olympics a lot of people (and not just Canadians) are excited about all things hockey. I am one of those people, so when I found out that a new hockey game was coming out of the iPhone I just had to share it with you all.
Ice Hockey Nations 2010 is the first full hockey game to come to the iPhone. When I say full I mean, six on six hockey with all the trimmings. The developer, Distinctive Games, claims they will be able to pack all the action and strategy of the sport onto the small screen of the iPhone. They even went as far so to do live motion capture of real players for the game at Centroid 3D. We will not be able to see if that paid off until the game comes out, the developer has yet to release game play footage.
As you can probably already tell by the title, the game is not licensed by the NHL. So instead of playing with your favorite pro team you will have to pick your nation of choice out of the 14 nations featured in the game.
The game is set you be launched in March with a price tag of 4.99.
Features include:
The first full 6 on 6 Ice Hockey simulation game on iPhone/iPod Touch.
Take control using touchscreen d-pad and control buttons.
Make line changes at the touch of a button.
Sin-bin and powerplays
Real player movement animation using motion capture.
14 National teams to choose from.
Quick play, practice, tournament and league game modes.
Orbotix is an unconventional developer with a project we posted about a while ago. Its mission is to bring smartphone controlled, open devices to market. The first of these is Sphero, a robotic ball that responds to inputs from an iPhone or iPod Touch via Bluetooth and an device-specific app.
Here's something awesome: You can rock out Max Adventure [
