I'm kind of at a loss as to what to do with EA's Madden 12 [$6.99 / HD]. I mean, a game like Madden we sort of need to review, but I've spent a considerable amount of time with the game and honestly couldn't even say what's different between Madden 11 and Madden 12 aside from adding one more to the numerical suffix, redesigning some menus, and updating the roster. So, I've just updated our Madden 11 review:
The Madden series hardly needs an introduction, as football player turned coach turned commentator John Madden has had his name on football games for the better part of 20 years now. On home consoles, it has become tradition for EA to release a new Madden game each year with updated rosters, a few new features, and other various tweaks. As of tonight, the second third yearly installment of the Madden series has arrived for the iPhone.
Last year Two years ago we took a close look at Madden NFL 10 and thought it was a really great football game for the iPhone. Madden '10 came loaded with all the licensed players, stadiums, logos, and everything else you'd expect of a Madden game along with game modes ranging from single exhibition games to full seasons. The two hip new features of Madden NFL 10 for the iPhone were hot routes allowing players to draw on the screen to control players, and "action control time" which switched the game to slow motion mode allowing for precise maneuvers with the virtual controls.
If you’re an avid sports gamer and an NFL football fan, then chances are pretty good that you know that today, August 30th, is the release of Madden NFL 12 on consoles. Also coinciding with those console releases are the iOS versions of Madden NFL 12 [$6.99/HD], which are now available in the App Store.
Following the formula of most sports titles, Madden NFL 12 appears to be just an incremental upgrade to the Madden released last year. The game description boast new features like expanded rosters (though, some players have noted in the iPad version thread in our forums that they’re not totally up to date, showing Donovan McNabb still on the Redskins rather than his new team the Vikings). Also, collisions are said to have been improved along with the graphics and an expanded playbook.
The classic iOS fruit-slashing game Fruit Ninja [99¢] made the jump to Xbox Live Arcade today. The concept behind the game is identical with the major difference being how the game is controlled. Instead of swiping with your fingers, Fruit Ninja Kinect utilizes the Kinect accessory to allow you to wildly flail your arms around to slice fruit. This is all presented in a really clever way, with your body appearing as a silhouette behind the fruit on the screen.
A huge update for Kard Combat [Free] wormed its way through Apple certification today and is now available for all owners of the premium version of the delicious card game. The tentpole addition is the four new mages: Demon, Chaos, Deception, and Arcane. Each deck adds a special a slew of special spells and new cards to use, and each is free for owners of the game. Two new modes of play, Challenge and time multiplayer, have been added as well, shoring up a suite of options that were already pretty satisfying to the player base. The former mode, by the way, is a basic riff on the Tower, while the latter should make for some much, much quicker online battles.
An update wouldn’t be an update without fixes and tweaks, right? New visuals, new sound, and new animations have been added in addition to multiplayer slot, mana counter, and several other bug fixes. Also, you’ll now be able to switch the difficulty of the game mid-campaign instead of having to start over.
One of my favorite things to do in the Battlefield series is take a helicopter, set C-4 all around it, get people get into it, and then take them on a... trip. Sometimes I bail so I can watch the turmoil unfold from afar. Sometimes, I’ll just stick it out and see the deed done in first-person mode. People don’t like to be the victim, but I get a laugh out of it.
X-Plane for iPad [$9.99], as well as the series as a whole for the iPhone and iPod Touch, has just been updated with a new system failures tab that simulates various woes that can lead to a sure and quick fiery explosion. It’s like creator Laminar made an update just for me!
It’s stupid-fun for me to set up some of the incidents. For example, earlier this afternoon, I set up a four-engine failure coupled with a bird strike. You can also go easier and set up easier problems to cope with, like elevator system, landing gear, reverser failures. You can also set up “unreliable” mechanical issues, though I think this is more for the serious bunch of X-Plane pilots out there.
X-Plane is an ancient series in App Store terms, but they’re good for what they are, which is to say, serious flight simulators. There is even an Apollo mission IAP option built into the iPad version I’m currently checking out!
Obviously, there’s more to the system failure options -- good pilots will get a kick out of trying to right the ship, so to speak, and fight the aerodynamics of these issues.
What an update! Now, excuse me while I go see what happens when trying to land with three tire blow-outs combined with landing gear problems.
The name Spiderweb Software is a bit misleading, after all, it's mostly the work of one man, Jeff Vogel, who has for almost twenty years given us some of the most intricate RPGs on PC and Mac. Until now, at least, these were often an inclusive, old-schooler affair. But Avadon: The Black Fortress HD [$9.99] is one of the first to be easily approachable -- it's also the first to hit the iPad.
You'd be forgiven if you've glanced at screenshots and balked at the idea of playing Avadon, it's not a pretty game. Visually, it falls somewhere in the '90s, pre-CD-ROM drive, which is to say it's an isometric RPG akin to something like Baldur's Gate, Ultima or even Fallout. It's filled with old-fashioned tilesets, hardly animated sprites and a locked camera that doesn't allow you to zoom nor rotate. While I'm getting things out of the way, I should probably also mention there is no musical score. The sound, when it does exist is hardly worth paying attention to and the amount of modern day polish slathered on here lays somewhere between murky and non-existent.
But none of that has anything to do with what makes Avadon a good game, because it's good based solely on the actual game, not the flair.
Avadon isn't as hardcore of an RPG as it might look on first glance and it's also considerably more approachable than Vogel's earlier games. You start the game by picking one of four pre-built classes and typing in a name. No complex stat sheets, no guessing what abilities you'll need and what you won't. You'll meet other adventurers along your journey who will join your party. You'll level up through your adventure, but it's done mostly through a small skill tree, not a vast collection of unknown abilities leading to more unknown abilities.
Combat is turn-based and works well, provided you enjoy turn-based combat. If you don't, consider this an ample warning. Depending on the difficulty level you chose, you'll need to concentrate on your strategy in different ways. There is, quiet literally, something for everyone here. A complete RPG-virgin can pick it up and walk through the game with little trouble on Casual, but the higher levels should provide adequate challenge for players of all backgrounds. Naturally, you'll pick up loot, outfit your team with different equipment and change around your stats. For the most part, this is all relatively self-explanatory, although the menus don't make things easy if you're swapping items between party members.
It's the story that really matters here more than anything else, it's what's going to keep you going through the night. That story bends to your will and your actions and like the best RPGs, you're not always aware of it when it's happening. The core of the narrative comes from you enlisting as a Hand to the Pact, a high-horse power created by a group of nations bent on protecting the good of itself and its people from a fortress called Avadon. This doesn't just mean they protect the borders, it also means they'll burn down villages, kill helpless creatures and lock people into prisons.
As with most of Vogel's games, the writing in Avadon is well done and sprinkled with enough wit and humor that you don't feel oppressed by the seriousness of it all. Within a few hours you'll have a good grasp on the Avadon's structure, the religions, your fellow fighters and a number of the NPC groups. You'll also start getting the sneaking suspicion the Pact and Avadon aren't all they're cracked up to be.
As you play through the game's 20-30 hour campaign, you'll start to notice how your actions are affecting the larger story, from minor quips in dialogue or descriptions to fully-fledged moments that couldn't have existed had you not done something earlier. The dialogue options aren’t the color-coded morally simple choices of modern RPGs, nearly every time you need to respond to a situation it will sit somewhere on a gray scale between good and evil and you'll never know for sure if you're making the right choice. The plotline is basically linear, save for a fair share of side quests, but you still feel like you're having an affect on the world, for better or worse.
The translation to iPad is relatively fluid. I had a few crashes and memory errors while playing, but nothing that set me back too much. The touch screen works well for this type game, although you'll occasionally accidently move your characters around when you mean to fight because you'll tap on the wrong part of the grid. The item screen, as mentioned earlier, is a bit unwieldy with a touch screen and requires an excessive number of taps to get to business, but you'll get used to it. If you've played Spiderweb's RPGs before, you'll know what to expect, but Avadon is considerably more linear and less open than much of its previous work. That's not a bad thing in this case; it's a good entry point into a deeper RPG for iPad players and a great throwback to people who've been playing for a long time. It's streamlined, yes, but not to the point where you feel like you have no control. You still have to read signs to get directions, take note of what people say and remember (in your head, not in an objective screen) where you're going and why you're going there.
Avadon: The Black Fortress HD might take a little while to sink in, but if you get enmeshed in the narrative and the world, it's hard to walk away from it. It's been a long while since I accidently stayed up all night with a game, but Avadon managed to do that without even bothering with fancy visuals or voiced dialogue. It's not going to be a game for everybody, but if you're weary of spending the completely fair price of $10 on the iPad version, I'd suggest checking out the demo for the PC or Mac versions. The experience is similar, although the iPad version will occasionally run into some frame rate drops and has a lower resolution. If you're a fan of '90s RPGs and have been craving something that doesn't hold your hand or guide you along on the iPad, this is the perfect game for you.
Ah, the thrill of riddling aliens with bullets. It never gets old, ever. Fortunately for us, EA is hip to this universal truth. In an effort to deliver more bullets-against-alien-flesh action in Dead Space [$6.99 / HD], the publisher has just pushed out a brand new update that does just that in a new mode called “Survival.” It has also added a fresh pulse rifle with a heavy twist that can be purchased with in-game credits or even via the in-game store.
Survival mode, in a nutshell, is a “Horde” mode that pits you against an “all-out rush” of Necromorphs. It’s also a convenient way to collect more in-game credits that can be used for all sorts of stuff in the game, including the brand new “Heavy Pulse Rifle.”
This update also adds “Nightmare” difficulty, a fascinating way to play if you’re not into regenerating health or dumb enemies. As if that wasn’t enough, the update adds chapter select functionality to the game, meaning you can re-live your harrowing experiences as much as you feel necessary.
That’s some big deal stuff for an awesome game. If you haven’t checked out Dead Space yet, you’re crazy. Seriously. Give our review a read and click “buy."
Even without Game Center support, Carcassonne [$9.99] was our runner-up Game of the Year last year. But now, with the release of a new update adding said support, what’s the GOTY Advisory Board supposed to do? Create a time machine? Nah. How about a “Missed Connections” category? Perfect!
While we figure this issue of great import out, play against some of your Game Center friends in one of the best board game turned video games on the planet. Also, enjoy some of the other perks of Version 2.20, which is sure as sure the last “big” update to the game until the first add-on graces the App Store. New leaderboards, 43 new achievements, score sharing, improved stability, chat time stamping, better power consumption, and an ELO bug fix are all a part of this free update that should see some significant hold-over until game creator The Coding Monkey hits fans with some rivers, Inns, and Cathedrals.
What I didn’t mention ever so slyly in the above is that these expansions won’t see the light of day for three billion years Standard Internet Time -- The Coding Monkeys is cautioning fans that it’ll take a couple of months before “The River II” and “Inns and Cathedrals” hit. The good news, however, is that these will be quality bits of content as a result.
It’s hard to believe that someone still hasn’t checked Carcassonne out, but if you’re that dude, give this review a read. Seriously, this is a fantastic title. Just click “Buy app” already. Jeesh.
Board games turned video games have serious legs. I don’t personally understand the phenomenon, but I dig the support that happens as a result. Take this for example. Carcassonne [$9.99], which hit the App Store in June 2010, will soon be updated with Game Center support. Also, in a new blog post, The Coding Monkeys has revealed that its preparing to release two add-on expansions, “Inns and Cathedrals” and “The River II” in the next few months.
The reason why Carcassonne didn’t support Game Center from the get-go has to do with the time it was originally released. Game Center didn’t exist in today’s form while the game was being produced, so The Coding Monkeys had to shape and create its own series of tubes to connect people with each other.
“We initially released Carcassonne before Game Center was available and had to build our own multi-player experience, so it’s great to now be more tightly integrated with existing games and friends by supporting Game Center as well,” the blog reads.
The update is expected to hit within the week, so keep your eyes peeled.
Fishlabs' highly anticipated add-on to Galaxy On Fire 2 [$9.99 / Lite] recently hit the App Store, and is likely sitting in your pending updates listing if you already own the game. (Assuming of course you haven't already updated.) This update actually comes in two parts, a free component and the actual Valkyrieadd-on which is unlocked via a $4.99 in-app purchase.
In this update, everyone who owns Galaxy On Fire 2 will be granted access to three ships from the original Galaxy On Fire: The Phantom, Vol Noor, and Wraith. Also, you'll be able to get a personal space station to store multiple ships as well as all your loot, cargo, and other items that you want out of your ships' cargo holds.
Last month, indie developer Ryan Mitchell and his studio Banshee Soft released Mission Europa into the App Store. Combining a deep RPG experience with a first-person shooter, Mission Europa is really unlike anything currently available for a mobile platform like the iPhone. Now you can get a taste of this with the recently released lite version of Mission Europa.
The complete game is spread across 5 episodes and 170 missions, with 50 different levels to explore and at least 50 hours of gameplay. There are a ton of different armor types, equipment, combat skills, and weapons to customize your character with, not to mention an item and equipment creation system that expands that even further. Beyond the impressive single player offering is an online battle arena where you can take your created character into battle against players from all over the world, adding what amounts to endless replay value to the title.
Strictly speaking in terms of content and depth, Mission Europa is unmatched, and the fact that the entire game was built from scratch by one person over the course of 2 years is an insane accomplishment to say the least.
Back in February, EA Mobile released NBA Jam [$4.99/Lite] into the App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. It was based on the well received new version of the long-standing series that hit home consoles late last year, and for the most part made the transition extremely well to iOS. The key missing features were a couple of the less popular game modes and any form of multiplayer, but the core campaign along with all of the hidden bells and whistles remained intact and as fun as ever. Here’s a brief synopsis taken from our original review of NBA Jam from February:
The familiar NBA Jam gameplay returns here featuring a relatively rule-free game of 2-on-2 basketball with an emphasis on pulling off insane physics-defying dunks and ridiculous shooting sprees. Besides adhering to a 24 second shot clock and a no goaltending rule, pretty much anything goes in NBA Jam. Any player that makes 3 consecutive shots will then be “on fire” and during this time will make a higher percentage of shots, have unlimited turbo, and be immune to the goaltending rule. If you’ve played NBA Jam in the past, not a lot has changed here, but that’s most likely for the best.
The iOS version of NBA Jam uses a smart control system that works incredibly well. There’s a virtual stick for movement, a turbo button in the opposite corner, and based on if you’re on offense or defense a button for passing/stealing and another for shooting/blocking. Using your limited turbo meter not only increases your player’s speed but also enhances your other moves, like turning a simple steal attempt into a full-blown shove of an opponent. This is cleverly and elegantly handled by holding down turbo and then sliding to one of the other two buttons, which works great in practice.
Remember late last month when we learned that Firemint’s Real Racing 2 HD [$9.99] would be getting full 1080p output to your TV using an iPad 2? Well, in case you missed it, the gist of it is that connecting an iPad 2 running Real Racing 2 HD to your television using the Apple HDMI dongle will let you display the game on your HD TV in full 1080p. The iPad then acts as the controller for playing the game on the TV while simultaneously displaying a track map and other information pertaining to your race. The game runs full screen without any borders and at a solid 30 frames per second.
Today the update containing this feature has gone live for Real Racing 2 HD. You can get an idea of just how it works by checking out the following demonstration video that Firemint has put together:
Nearly two years ago, EA released Tiger Woods PGA Tour [99¢] into the App Store. This game was remarkable at the time for providing a fairly robust golf experience that was akin to the Tiger Woods series on home consoles. While the graphics were fairly lackluster, the frame rate was incredibly smooth and it was exciting to have such a fully featured golf game in your pocket. The real standout feature, though, was the touch screen swing meter which offered a very direct and organic way to swing clubs in the game, which we talked about in our original review of Tiger Woods PGA Tour.
Now, after skipping a new release last year, EA is back with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 [$6.99/HD]. This iteration of the franchise brings with it several new features and greatly improved graphics, but the gameplay feels extremely similar to the last version. This isn’t necessarily bad, as the gameplay was the strongest aspect to the last iOS Tiger Woods, and if you enjoyed that game then you’ll likely enjoy this one even more. If you’re looking for a completely new mobile golfing experience however, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 doesn’t offer that.
The meat of this year’s Tiger Woods is again the PGA Tour which has you entering and competing in the various golf tournaments for cash prizes. Your winnings go towards buying better equipment to improve your game and entering subsequent tournaments throughout the year. Besides this mode, a Tiger Challenge mode has been added where you can play through a number of different types of mini challenges for money, which typically have alternate rules and are generally better suited for a quick play session than playing an entire round or multiple rounds of a tournament.
All the way back in January of 2010, Ryan Mitchell Games released Necromancer Rising [Free], an RPG of impressive scale. Utilizing their own in-house developed "Soul Engine", the game comes packed with tons of content and customization while still being capable of running well on ancient iOS devices. The graphics look a little dated, but if you can get beyond that you'll be in for 60 hours of gameplay across 50 in-game dungeons with 49 different bosses.
Check out the trailer which shows a bunch of bosses, dungeons, and gameplay:
Anyway, the whole reason that this game is free is because of the launch of Mission Europa, a Sci-Fi themed title based on the same engine which has an additional year of development under its belt. Again, the graphics in Mission Europa are definitely rough around the edges compared to modern video games, but the amount of content and customization is crazy. The 50 hours of gameplay is comprised of 50 different levels over 5 episodes and 170 missions. Also included are 180 different enemies, 50 bosses, and 30 unique armor sets.
Give the trailer a look:
One odd thing about Mission Europa is that it comes in two different editions. First off, there's Mission Europa Collector's Edition HD [$9.99] and Mission Europa Standard Edition HD [$3.99] they seem to be the same game, but the Collector's Edition comes with all of the content while the Standard Edition has it for sale in-game via IAP.
It sounds weird, but people on our forums are absolutely in love with the game. It had a ridiculously huge thread in our upcoming games forum, and now that it's out there's an equally massive thread in our games forum. In addition, there's even a FAQ thread filled with forum members helping others with the game.
I'd definitely give Necromancer Rising a try first, as the game mechanics are similar enough that you'll easily be able to get a feel for whether or not you can deal with how the game feels before getting involved in Mission Europa. Either way, it's impressive seeing indie developers like this releasing games of this scope and scale, so swing by the forums and see what others are saying about the games.
The Madden series hardly needs an introduction, as football player turned coach turned commentator John Madden has had his name on football games for the better part of 20 years now. On home consoles, it has become tradition for EA to release a new Madden game each year with updated rosters, 
