Official Super Crate Box is coming this month: http://vimeo.com/28818182 Now which should I get? I suppose I'll wait and see how SCB is reviewed - I've got plenty to play in the mean time. Oh, it specifically notes iCade support. Nifty. Not that I have an iCade....
Muffin Knight is the perfect example of a developer taking an established gameplay mechanic and expanding on it dramatically in terms of personality, graphics, sound, music, levels, story, and new powerups and perks; MK is also already slated to receive new characters and weapons. SCB for iOS, on the other hand, is what you get when developers rest on their laurels and attempt to claim superiority solely by virtue of having used a mechanic first. SCB for iOS is bringing nothing new to the table over the very limited computer version, and the fact that there are people still trying to paint the MK developers as the "bad guys" is disheartening, particularly when the SCB devs are being lazy, for want of a better word, and doing the least amount of work required in order to cash in on their existing "fame". Pick SCB up if you were a fan of the original, or prefer the retro aesthetic over MK's cartoon style, but otherwise the original game is inferior in most every way to Muffin Knight's offering.
I have never heard of SCB until I picked up MK... and ended up checking it out a couple days ago... and was actually pretty disappointed. I thought MK's gameplay was pretty much copied the way people were talking, not copied, and massively expanded... I am enjoying SCB, but I agree, they're going to have to bring a whole lot of new mechanics to the game for it to be interesting after playing MK...
Seriously, what is Toucharcade waiting on? This isn't by some obscure Dev, these guys made Guerilla Bob. Instead I have to read inane articles about Sushi Cat 2, a game that hasn't been announced or hinted at yet for iOS, just a wishlist from an editor. In the last few weeks TA has really dropped the ball on a lot of good games that everyone else reported on a month prior. They need to step their game up. I asked Vlambeer in the thread and they said their mission was to make a good port of the PC game. They won't be any content updates unless there's huge demand, so most likely what you saw in the PC version is what you be getting for iOS.
That's just what's bugging me, I read this site and other sites for consensus, and some of the smaller sites have surprisingly been quicker to the draw on a few games that TA doesn't seem to get around to until a lot of time has passed. That stuff about Sushi Cat 2 I mentioned? It's not that I don't want you to write about a game I don't care about (I would never do that). My problem is that lately a few fluff pieces have slowly started creeping into TA's front page when more could be put upon games. Maybe you guys are trying to inject a touch of personality to diffrenciate you from other sites, but a simple wishlist daydream an editor like that seems more appropriate for an off-topic podcast. Yes I understand and appreciate that you guys have a heavy workload, and you can't write up about every bush league game spewed out by every Tom, Dick and Harry. That said, come on, you guys can't be getting scooped by smallfry Appsmile and Modojo for over a week (or even close to a month, like Early Bird) on games and previews. There has to be some sort of streamlined way to figure out how to spot games (indie or big budget) that are good enough to be spotlighted, and knowing how to get around highlighting them. Instead of rambling on other games I'll stay on topic with MK. AngryMobGames has made enough of a name for itself with Guerrilla Bob and Predators to be under the radar. Their games have been previewed and reviewed with good scores across the board and on this site. Muffin Knight has been beta tested on our community in a large and popular thread. There's no reason why other sites have reviews out before you guys even have a single preview on it. This is the biggest iOS gaming site and the largest and most devout iOS community; I wouldn't be here for over 2 years with everyone if it wasn't. That was because other sites hadn't stepped their game up. I just want you guys to do it again.
Hey, here's a cool excerpt from a blog piece on Muffin Knight from Super Crate Box's Vlambeer. http://www.vlambeer.com/2011/09/09/supermassive-blog-post/
right on... thanx for sharing that arta! I think I'll like SCB when it's on the iOS better than the PC... I've just come to really enjoy iOS platformers... even though, yes, I do love an actual controller... I've gotten VERY comfortable with touchscreen virtual controls over the last couple years. There's a few games that I enjoy more on my iPod than on the PC... Frogatto, Robot Wants Kitty, Ninjammin... I probably mis-spoke earlier... well... not mis-spoke... but I do have the habit of typing what Im thinking right then and there... Now that I've thought about it more, and looked back at all the iOS games that have similar gameplay, one usually having more content and stuff thrown into the game... but I still almost always enjoy both games. And there are times when I just feel like playing a more minimal type game... for instance, right now , Race Illegal vs. Asphalt 6... I'm really really liking Race Illegal because it's just focused on the driving, not about short-cuts, power-ups, ect... Anywho... I've gone on enough... I'm sure I'll enjoy SCB quite a bit...
Yeah me too. Both games are too well polished, fun and affordable not to get. I just like that one game came out earlier and seems to be more willing to add content. By the way, I can't play platformers on the PC well. I can hold my iPod Touch the same way I do with a Nintendo DS or my Dual Shock 3. Trying to do tricky jump and midair correct stuff on a keyboard is awkward to me (and this is coming from someone who plays Mugen on his PC).
Seriously? Aren't your readers your customers? It wasn't like he was being a jerk, he was providing feedback. Are you that averse to any criticism? Everyone here enjoys your site, we appreciate your job etc..but jeez bro, relax. Listen to criticism see if there is any validity and if not say thanks for your input, or ignore it, but don't say, "if you don't like it leave." I understand this is the Internet and a forum, but I didn't think it meant manners and customer relations no longer apply.
Glad to see that even Vlambeer acknowledges that Muffin Knight did ALOT to differentiate itself. Makes Appspy's "downgrade" of its review from a 5 to a 4 look even more stupid. Even they reference that it wasn't even close to the Ninja Fishing incident. Anyway, there is room for both games. And I respect Vlambeer's decision to, well, respect Muffin Knight on its own merits.
Agreed, I don't know what that snide quip was about, either. That Appspy change to the review score was ridiculous. Completely based on fanboy drivel outcry upon this single game rather than some ethical standpoint.
We cover games that we think are awesome, and since ramping up our staff we've doubled, and at times tripled our content output over this same time last year. I'm sorry if you disagree with the games we choose to focus on, but there so much on the App Store and coming out of it on a daily basis that I'm really not sure what difference it makes if we're "scooped" by obscure blogs on random games when we're pumping out more reviews than we ever have, along with all sorts of relevant industry news, sale posts, and update notifications. We focus on making the site a good daily read, not an exhaustive encyclopedia of every game on the App Store.
I can understand that. There's no way you could cover every game that comes out. But I do see the point of view that there's been a lot of forum activity around this game, so I think it probably does merit a review. So the "go to another site" may have been a little over the top. On the other hand, I've seen other sites review games that just came out and the same site has a review on another game that's been out for months. There's not a way to please everyone, but your forums probably are a good indication about what games people are really taking a liking (or hating) to.
I already said I understand you can't do every game under the sun, but there are clearly games that are good enough to be worth a look. And while those other sites are lesser than you guys, they are good enough to get tabulated on Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/game/ios/muffin-knight I don't like Gran Prix Story type games but I can understand why they'd be big news on the frontpage. Again, I'll be specific with this game - you truly saying you couldn't find space for a Muffin Knight review in the past week, or a preview in the past two months? Even if Muffin Knight turned out to be a bad game, the pedigree of the developers, the popular upcoming/ beta testing thread, the popular release thread, the controversy with Vlambeer's Super Crate Box (which you did a podcast and preview upon), hell just mere curiosity arousal at the visuals, alone should have pushed this game near the top of the spotlight pile. This never set off an alert? Never?
Just wanted to throw out there that I actually probably value the opinions of the fellow members on this forum (syntheticvoid seems to share a lot of my tastes, for instance) than reviews anyway. Sure, I look at the reviews, but any way you look at it, it's just one person's opinion. Not any different than the opinions on the boards. Back to Muffin Knight, some people probably do look for reviews and don't participate in boards, so I still hope it does get the exposure it deserves (and not just the petty kind on Appspy recently). I'm enjoying the hell out of it. P.S. ---Shameless plug to follow/ --- I know it doesn't have the more mass appeal of something like this, but would love to see Aurum Blade get some attention too!!! --- End shameless plug
No, because you were busy being initially dismissive, implying I only singlemindly wanted you guys to cover the games I like (anyone who's seen me post at this forums knows that isn't true), then attempting to justify why this game hadn't received coverage a lot earlier. Hopefully I've provided information and evidence to the contrary in this thread. Glad to hear about the upcoming Muffin Knight review. There's other games I personally wish received ample timely coverage, but I'll leave that to the community to bring to bear. Thanks for the dialogue. That's fine, my current peeve isn't TA's outright opinion on games but rather the coverage. And yeah, I hold the work of the community the greatest part of being here, I just like the Front Page stuff as well.
Understood. I think especially games like this deserve coverage and get the attention they need to be successful.
Game made STP's Under The Radar list. http://www.slidetoplay.com/story/under-the-radar-september-8-2011 Also: http://twitter.com/#!/angrymobgames/status/112098718165118976
