Here we are only two days from the arrival of the iPad and gaming news surrounding the device is coming at a fever pitch. Games are now continuously appearing in our Upcoming iPad Games forum and on the App Shopper iPad area. We’re doing our best to keep readers in the know regarding upcoming titles that’ve got us excited.
Have a look at three that we’re anxious to spend some time with.
Galcon Fusion
Phil Hassey has just sent us details of the upcoming iPad version of his arcade-strategy game Galcon [App Store], winner of the 2009 IGF Mobile Innovation in Game Design award. Galcon Fusion for the iPad features online realtime multiplayer support and takes full advantage of the iPad’s ample screen real-estate.
Features, as listed by the developer:
- Beautiful new HD graphics
- Multi-player, team games, and solo missions
- Achievements and detailed rankings
- 8 single player games including Stealth and Assassin
- Online games with up to 12 players
- Play against PC, Mac, and Linux users
See the developer’s Galcon Fusion page for more iPad screenshots.
Battle for Wesnoth HD
Back in November we took a look at David White’s iPhone take on the open source, turn-based strategy game Battle for Wesnoth [App Store]. We were quite impressed with the game’s online multiplayer implementation that allows iPhone gamers to go up against desktop-based competitors. A major shortcoming, however, is the small iPhone screen and an in-game interface that’s not ideally suited to the cramped quarters. All that should fall away with the recently announced iPad version, rendered to its 1024×768-pixel screen.
The above screenshot (click for full-size) shows the iPhone version, inset, to give an idea of the additional play area provided by the iPad version.
Battle for Wesnoth HD will arrive in the App Store at a download price of $0.99. See the forum thread for discussion and more in-game images.
AirCoaster XL
Ziconic’s AirCoaster started out as an interesting sort of iPhone toy / demo that let users careen down a variety of floating roller coaster tracks, adjusting certain physics details along the way to change up the experience. With AirCoaster Pro [App Store], things got a lot more interesting with the inclusion of a track editor allowing you to create the coaster of your dreams.
The developer has recently announced support for the iPad in his upcoming AirCoaster XL featuring lovely 1024×768-pixel graphics, the integrated track editor, and an improved touch interface, thanks to the additional screen real estate offered by the iPad.
With the iPad I was finally able to create a multitouch roller coaster track editor that is truly usable. Trying to create a roller coaster on a tiny iPhone screen never really felt right.
See the developer’s forum post for additional iPad screenshots.
