Well, we gave it a spin this afternoon and now we know for sure. Sonic Dash is a behind-the-back endless runner, similar to, say, Temple Run or one of the other billions of its derivatives out there. It feels pretty same-y as a whole, but it does have a couple neat spots of original-ish design. The one that sticks out the most for us is the risk versus reward coin mechanic, which is borrowed from Sonic games of old. In brief, if you hit an enemy in Dash, you lose whatever rings you picked up. But at certain points in runs, you can opt to "bank" your rings. If you choose not to, you'll play a mini-game and increase the standing amount you've got. Get hit, though, and it's all gone.
If you'd like to see the game in action -- and you should because the production values are out of this world -- go ahead and check out our TA Plays below. We go over more than just the running part; we also dive into the persistent upgrade system, as well as play around with the IAP.
So, yeah, Temple Run: Oz [$0.99] is real, and as you're probably expecting, it plays a lot like Temple Run 2 [Free]. At least, all the core mechanics that make that game sing -- the upgrades, the quick turns, and the leaping -- are all present.
What might surprise you, though, is that the fit between film IP and Temple Run feels pretty natural. This also seems like a much more active take on Temple Run. Roads constantly crumble, tree limbs fall, baboons swoop in after you; you've got stay on your toes as you play, which is neat.
Anyway, you've seen some images of the game, but if you'd like to see it in action, just check out what we've got below. Eli and I gave it a spin the other day and tried to show as much as possible in a short time. We go through two environments, as well as explore a few of the game's new persistent systems.
Just a note: a lot of our conversation hovers around IAP since I decided to go crazy in my mad dash to show everything. What I didn't do a good job of explaining is that this, like Temple Run 2, doesn't require your real dough. You can have a lot of fun without it.
We're into playing whatever you guys think is cool, so we decided to give Towelfight 2 [$0.99] a shot after an awesome commenter (and Eli) suggested we do it. And you know what? It's an awesome game. It's sorta like an ultra light rogue-like mixed with a dual-stick shooter. In the game, you play as monocled-man swept up in a battle between gods. He's warped to a strange world with rabid animals and is tasked with getting out. Unfortunately, this world looks a lot like an old-school 2D dungeon and there's a lot of different ways to go and to approach things.
We're calling it "ultra light" because Towelfight isn't all that punishing. If you die, you go back to a warp spot, which is basically a checkpoint that makes your dude throw up. (Don't ask.) BUT, the rest of the game has some rogue-like sensibilities like, say, a huge grid-based map to explore and a pretty deep weapon system.
It's a little pricey as far as App Store games go, so if you'd like to give it a good long look (and watch us fail over and over again) check out the below:
4 Pics 1 Word [Free] is a word guessing game. It presents you with four pictures and then tasks you with guessing what specific word fits with the theme of the photos presented. It's a simple game that really seems to be clicking with people if the App Store charts are any indication. It's also a weird game. Most of the time, the themes are much too simple and we're not 100 percent certain that this is the original 4 Pics 1 Word. There's a lot of them on the App Store, some by different developers.
Anyway, we played this game today because some really awesome dudes on Twitter said we should. As you can imagine, our playthrough had less to do with the actual mechanics of the game than it did with puzzling out why this thing is so popular.
If you'd like to see a few minutes, click on the video below. Also, we're totally open to TA Plays suggestions, so feel free to throw some below. Just, you know, don't suggest 4 Pics 1 Word Animal Edition or something because I'm pretty sure we couldn't handle it on the inside.
King Cashing 2 [$2.99] has a lot going for it, you might have heard. In brief, it's one of those sequels that basically doubles down on what its predecessor did so well while layering a few notable, though kinda minor, iterative tweaks on top. This time around, you've got a bunch of new characters to work with, a much more refined leveling system, and new items and weapons to use to kill dudes. What more could you want as a fan?
If you've been out of the loop, the hook of King Cashing franchise is its pairing of RPG and slot machine mechanics. In battle, you spin a three-reel slot machine to beat up bad dudes. Whatever variables, including misses, land in the center, is what will happen. As you play, though, you discover that you can sorta bypass the randomization by just leveling up and making your guys so strong that it doesn't matter.
Anyway, we've got some video of the game in action below. Definitely bang that link -- this game has more going on that you'd think:
I gotta hand it to Spunk and Moxie [$1.99]. It's a 2D platform game that actually plays to the strengths of the iPad and iPhone's touch screen while still offering a challenge. It's also a looker, too, and has a ton of charm to spare.
Backing up: in the game, you play as a blob that auto-runs. You're in charge of jumping and the timing of those jumps with one-touch screen controls. The longer you hold down on the screen, the higher and longer a jump. The level and scenario design does all the heavy lifting. As you play, you'll be tasked with squeezing through passages by timing a jump perfectly, avoiding pits, and generally progressing through each level's maze-like structure. There's also potions, which give your characters' powers. The red potion is the one you'll see the most in the following. It gives Spunk the ability to smash crates that would otherwise be blocking the way. The catch is that the effects are timed.
Anyway, if you're in the market for a new platformer, you should probably check out our video. This game is really fun and surprisingly difficult at points.
Earlier this afternoon, Joseph and I spent some time with The Gods: Rebellion [$0.99]. If you couldn't tell by the name, this is a video game. Specifically, it's a character action game that tasks you with beating up lots of fantasy dudes with combos, special attacks and two mean-looking axes. As you'd imagine, the game offers an extensive campaign, as well as a bunch of persistent upgrade systems that'll keep you grinding away.
Also, it uses virtual buttons extensively courtesy it's old-school combat design, which has you bashing away between three different moves to chain up combos and counter-attack. Oh! And it's an Unreal Engine 3 game, so it looks pretty sick.
If you'd like take a look, put your eyeballs on the following. It might click with ya:
There's a ton of endless arcade action games on the App Store, but few have the sense of style and speed that Solipskier [$0.99] does. Ported from its humble flash beginnings by creator Mikengreg to the iPhone in 2010, it's a psychedelic and frantic skiing game that has you making the mountain that your avatar blazes down. A great run isn't just about speed; it also has a lot to do with your ability to pull off sick tricks as well as guide your guy into various gates.
In our original review, we talked a lot about this game's originality. What we couldn't discuss was its staying power, which has been amazing. Solipskier has managed to have a home on all our devices throughout the years. That says a lot.
If you haven't seen this game yet, give our Rewind video a look. You can grab it now for 99 cents on both iPhone or iPad, if you're interested.
In case you didn't know, Tiny Tower and Pocket Planes creator NimbleBit has been working on a new game, as studios generally do after they wrap up super successful projects. It's called NimbleQuest, and it's probably not the game you'd figure would be the Next Big Thing from a studio that has basically mastered simulation games.
In brief, NimbleQuest is Snake, except on steroids. In the game, you control a conga line of fantasy adventurers, and, with a combination of ranged and melee attacks, you battle it out across a variety of settings against archers, skeletons, bats, and a whole lot more. Imagine if your old-school, traditional Snake snake could somehow attack incoming enemy snakes and you've got the picture. That's not quite Tiny Tower 2, right?
If you don't have the picture, we've got some moving ones below that'll definitely help you get your head around what NimbleQuest is all about. Before you hit play, we want to note that this is FOOTAGE FROM A GAME IN BETA. You'll see a few points where the video out functionality stumbles specifically, which is something we're sure will be addressed when the game is actually a thing that everyone can play. In other words, don't worry.
Anyway, NimbleQuest should be out soon, if the stability and polish of this beta are saying anything. Also, did you hear that music? That's Whitaker Trebella of Polymer [$2.99] fame. Cool tunes, bro! In fact, high-fives all around; this game is rad. Oh, and another super-sweet thing about NimbleQuest is you can actually upload game replays to the internet. Check out what people have been uploading here to get a look at folks who are way better at video games than we are.
I already posted a review of Backflip Madness [$0.99] earlier today, but to truly descend into the maw of madness you need to see the game in action. So, here's a TA Plays to the rescue. As mentioned before, this is a game about backflipping. You'll see just how crazy the physics are, and just how simple the game actually is... Along with us failing over, and over, and over (and over) to land backflips.
This is a game that came out of nowhere that we're having a ton of fun with and can't stop laughing at. Check out the video, and flip out a buck if anything you see even vaguely appeals to you. Take a look in the forum thread if you need additional convincing.
While most of our community seems busy being blown away by Simogo's recent release, Year Walk [$3.99] we figured it'd make some sense to shine some light on another game of theirs which we also like quite a bit: Bumpy Road [$2.99]
We gave it five stars in our review which hit a little less than a year ago, and really liked how Simogo took the platformer formula but switched things around to have you control the game world instead of the actions of a specific character inside of it. This shift is a bit of a brain-teaser to start, but once you wrap your head around it, you'll start to do really well.
There's also a photo collecting mechanic that slowly unlocks the story behind the game, adding an additional clever twist to an already clever game. Anyway, check out the video:
The iPad version of House of the Lost [Free (HD)] hit last October, and it has taken F5 Games until now to get the pint-sized version out for the iPhone. House of the Lost Mini [Free] is the same game, but trimmed down to the smaller screen of the iPhone. It's really hard to say which version of the game we like better, as both seem to be really fun.
In a nutshell, House of the Lost feels like an approachable roguelike, almost in the same vein as Spelunky on home consoles. It has a top down view, and a totally randomized house filled with monsters to kill, weapons to pick up, keys to find, doors to unlock, and bosses to kill. Brad and I had a lot of fun with it, and best yet, it's totally free to try with a $2.99 IAP unlock to get access to the rest of the game if you also find yourself enjoying it.
For us, tonight's most notable new release is Year Walk, a moody 2D first-person puzzle game from the creators of Beat Sneak Bandit and Bumpy Road. We've been talking about it a lot over the last few days because it's an intensely clever and atmospheric game that manages to do just about everything really well. From puzzles to music to visuals, this thing sings. We've been having a blast with it, you could say.
In case you're more interested in seeing the game in action instead of reading about it, Joseph and I went ahead and recorded this TA Plays, which runs through the first 18 or so minutes of the game. We gotta warn ya: this thing has spoilers. Also, our yammering kinda robs the game of its horror and suspense, which are two of its strongest elements.
Our suggestion is if at any point you're like, "you know, I think I'll grab this," just turn off the video. Year Walk is best experienced in isolation, and you don't want to rob yourself of your ah-ha moments, do you?
One of today's more notable releases is Fallon's Fury [Free], one of two (count 'em) upcoming iOS game tie-ins for Jack the Giant Slayer, a film that seeks to take the whole Jack and the Beanstalk tale to the next level. Boil it down, and it's just a silly little adventure that revolves around breaking stuff. In the game, you're put behind the wheel of a lumbering two-headed giant and are tasked with killing dudes, smashing buildings, and eating cows. Every time you do one of these things, you earn points. Points are a good thing, we think.
Fallon's Fury only has one level and you can push through it pretty fast. In our play session this morning, Eli and I managed to "beat" game twice in about ten minutes. So, take that as you will.
If you'd like to check out, give the following a look. I should also note that our second run was a pacifist run. Ever heard of a non-human killing giant? We're flipping the script over here!
Turns out that dying is a pretty easy (and costly) thing to do in Die Hard [Free], a new tie-in movie game based on the latest Die Hard flick. In brief, it's a lane-based runner with a rudimentary shooting mechanic and some borderline aggressive IAP functionality. You play as tough guy John McClane's son (what?) and basically keep him safe as he runs through a bunch of broken down environments. You tap to shoot, swipe vertically to jump, and swipe left or right to move him out of harm's way.
This isn't exactly an endless runner, or at least it doesn't appear to be -- there's a lot of checkpointing, which implies this thing has an end. But, at the same time, using a checkpoint is kind of a pain. You have to pay with two currencies just to use one.
You'll see what we mean if you dig in below. This isn't exactly thrilling stuff, but we're also kinda struggling to think of any film to game adaptation that isn't named Chronicles of Riddick that hasn't been meh. So, hey, Die Hard everyone:
Well, we gave it a spin this afternoon and now we know for sure. Sonic Dash is a behind-the-back endless runner, similar to, say, Temple Run or one of the other billions of its derivatives out there. It feels pretty same-y as a whole, but it does have a couple neat spots of original-ish design. The one that sticks out the most for us is the risk versus reward coin mechanic, which is borrowed from Sonic games of old. In brief, if you hit an enemy in Dash, you lose whatever rings you picked up. But at certain points in runs, you can opt to "bank" your rings. If you choose not to, you'll play a mini-game and increase the standing amount you've got. Get hit, though, and it's all gone.
