dat moment

(Source: phantasystar, via rustybucketbay)

usenowayasway:

I recently got a 3DS letterbox message via spotpass from none-other Mark Bormann a.k.a NekoNinja and was quite chuffed that I was mentioned across the state at a Canberra Nintendo & 3DS StreetPass Fans meet-up.

Appreciate the mention and had to share.

I’ve been to Canberra once, maybe one day I will return.

=3

That’s great!

marycrossing:

help me

He needs a firefighter tee, because he just wants to watch the WORLD BURN

(via animalcrossingwii)

So Steam updated and now my username gets its own giant button. I feel so spesh!

I’ve missed this game.

dotcore:

Pokétryoshka.
by Michael Myers.

via Marlene Doll.

(via realindevelopment)

Another week, another thirteen!

Hunters: Episode One



In short: A top-down, grid based, strategy shooter.

In Hunters you are a bounty hunter overlord, who send his minions out into space to perform hits. You get choose from a variety of unit types, and then then send them off to warehouse-esque looking locales to bump off goons. As said, the game is grid based, so you will tap your way around the virtual board to move and attack. Each unit will have a set number of ‘action points’ per turn; represented by orbs next to their health meters. This means you can move that many times, or shoot that many times. The amount of action points a unit has is also influenced by the armour they have, so hiring a unit with light armour will give them less protection, but will give you more action points.  As well as moving on the set grid, you can also freely rotate units, so you can keep entry points covered at all times if you need to. Each of your units also has two overlapping health bars: armour (white), and after that runs out, then health (green). So uh, yeah, there is quite a lot going on at once, and it can feel quite a deep and involved, even laborious process, just to make it across a room. Thankfully though, if you are struggling to understand everything, there is a brilliant help system that can be activated on any screen with a two finger swipe. It is an excellent feature, and one that more games should employ. Even in the menus though, there is so much to do. New hunters can be hired, hunter names can be changed, weapons and armour can be bought, sold and equipped.Some of the default hunter’s stats and weapon choices were little perplexing: Why would the melee expert (hammer wielder) have only light armour? Actually picking a contract is tough too, as they change every 24 hours. So can’t really plan ahead. Instead you must maintain a flexible team of hunters. Overall, the game does have one continuing annoyance; lots of tapping. Tap and double tap to confirm a movement in the game. Tap to select and item in the shop, then somewhere else to purchase it. Tappity tappity tap. Maybe it will feel less like a chore if I play a little more.

Verdict: An interesting collision of top-down shooter and strategy genres. I think I should reserve my judgement on this until I’ve played a little more. It is quite involved, to the point of being a little intimidating, but maybe over time it will become more rewarding. It looks like it is still free at the moment, (maybe it has gone free to play; I did notice some optional adverts I could watch for in-game rewards), so give it a crack and decide for yourself.

I’ll be keeping this for a little while and seeing if it grabs me more.


About Love & Hate and Other Ones



In short: A puzzle platformer that oozes style and substance.

In this game, you control two black blobs: Love (the one with the flower) and hate (horns). By tapping the button in the bottom left of the screen, you can switch between Love and Hate, and then you can tap anywhere in a level to send either one to that spot. Eventually, you’ll want one of the protagonists to reach a big red button, as this allows you exit the level and move on to bigger and better things. The only catch is that both Love and Hate can only jump one space higher than themselves, so you need to move them strategically; cover a hole, jump on top of each other and so forth. Love and Hate also have a special ability each: By tapping, you can make Love can draw “other ones” (they grey-green blobs) one space closer, and with Hate, the opposite is true; they move one space away. This allows you to use the same mechanics of filling gaps and jumping on heads on a larger scale, to climb out of pits and climb over walls to reach the ends of levels. It is quite an ingenious little game mechanic, and while the puzzles haven’t been super difficult so far, I still feel a sense of accomplishment when completing a level. I imagine the difficulty will ramp up, but luckily there is an instant-rewind feature that will take you back one move at a time, so frustration should be at a minimum. The game also has a great sort of rustic visual appeal, and the music is dorky sort of catchy. There is also no fluff here; there are no extra goals in each level, no time limits, no leaderboards, no achievements. Just pure puzzle platforming at your own pace.

Verdict: All in all, there is a happy little experience to be had here. Definitely worth the asking dollar download.

I’ll be gladly finishing this one off.


Word Bird



In short: A laid back word assembling game.

Unlike many word games, such as Word Seek or Wordsworth, Word Bird does not employ a time limit. And unlike other more social word games like Words With Friends, you aren’t under any pressure to compete with friends. You are only limited by a quota of turns (moves you can make) in each level (levels are called ‘pages’ here). Other than that, all you need to do is use each letter in a word at least once, and you will receive a score bonus for longer words. Gold letter are worth more than silver and so forth, but there are also special gem letters that offer big bonuses and may grant you a special power, like an auto-finding of the biggest word beginning with a letter of your choice. The only other restriction is that each word must contain one previously unused letter, so it gets tricky toward the end when you have a consonant like a ‘V’ without any neighbouring vowels. Thankfully though, you can use the shuffle button or the hint button to help you out, at the cost of one turn. In my experience, the hint system was useless, but the shuffle can really save you from a dead end. You basically continue through random pages of letters until you reach the turn limit in a mode called ‘Supreme’. But there is also a ‘Classic’ (endless; due to ever increasing turns if you play well) and a ‘Daily Challenge’ mode (where the world all plays on the same page). Plus, there are badges to earn and sixteen Game Centre achievements to strive for. So there is plenty of content for fans of relaxed word games. The game also lets you play with two control methods, by either drawing words with a continuous line, or tapping each letter individually to make them. Most word games only use one of these control schemes, so this is flexibility is nice.

Verdict: This does do a few things differently from other games in the genre, and should appeal to a broad audience.

I’ll be keeping this around for a bit.


Ready Steady Bang!



In short: A master-class in less-is-more design.

Less really is less: Basic, 2D grey-scale visuals are all this game has to offers visually. The game is also dead simple: You face off against a real opponent (in multiplayer, pictured) or against the CPU (presented the same way without the second HUD), in a first-to-five cowboy duel. The game will say “ready, steady… bang” both on the screen and from the speakers. You just need to tap anywhere on your half of the screen as quickly as you can after the “bang.” It is that damn simple. But the tension created in that brief time window between “steady” and “bang” is tangible. The single player game sees you face off against increasingly harder opponents who begin as slow old blokes, but soon become real sharp shooters. The game is a great time-waster, as you know each round will only last seconds, but is also has Game Centre features which add a little longevity. There is also a cool little kill gallery where you can watch the varying types of death animations that your opponents perform as they hit the ground.

Verdict: There are plenty of other things you could spend a buck on on the App Store, but I really do admire this game’s simplicity and restraint: It could easily have become a convoluted game with boosts and currency and a shop, but it keeps it clean and simple.

I’ll be keeping this for ages I think. It takes up no space, and will always be there if I need to kill a few seconds waiting for a coffee or a bus.


Red Baron’s Revenge



In short: Draw lines to land planes… This seems like a familiar formula…

This is an exact clone of the iOS classic (yes, iOS has classics, bitches) Flight Control with a lame WWI skin. If you’ve never played it, the game takes place at a airfield, presented from a 2D top-down perspective, and you are required to draw a line from different incoming aircraft that directs them to an appropriate runway (or helipad) for landing. You are able to redraw an aircraft’s path at any time, and you will need to do so, as the speed of incoming planes quickens over time. The game will continue until you crash two planes together. Red Baron plays exactly like this, except it offers a different array of aircraft, such as spitfires and blimps, that fit the war theme. Everything here is ripped from Flight Control; right down to the warning red circle around two planes on course to crash, the exclamation mark that indicates a plane is about to appear on screen, and the little messages of praise that appear and then fade as you land an aircraft. Unlike FC, this game is barren visually. It is generally blurry, nothing pops, the colours are dull and it just lacks personality.

Verdict: Just avoid this.

I’ll be deleting this pronto.


Motorblast



In short: A realistic take on the kart-racing genre, if such a thing can exist.

I say ‘realistic’ because the cars are physically plausible, and the weapons are things like machine guns and landmines rather than turtle shells. But the powers are still pretty crazy: Cars will sprout landmine-deploying cannons from, crab-shell-like shields, or jet engines from their roofs. However, it borrows as much from the Burnout franchise as it does from Mario Kart. Car models show an impressive level of damage; door hang off and so forth, and you can also “take-down” opponents just as you can in Burnout. As the descriptions above might suggest, the game does have some pretty excellent graphics. The cars are well modeled, and there is a decent amount of foliage on the edge of tracks. Sadly, there are only four cars in each race, and there aren’t a huge amount of tracks on offer. However a diverse range of race types helps to make up for this. So far I’ve played in eight different race types! There are things like Goal Run (checkpoints), Time Trial, Treasure Hunt (coin collection), No Weapons, Full Race (normal race with all items) and then races that permit only one type of item, like Boost Only or Mines Only. The game also offers three camera perspectives, which is an unexpected bonus. You can view the race from the traditional close 3rd person viewpoint, but also in first person, or a pulled back 3rd person view, that makes the cars all look like little RC cars. The last view really does accentuate the fact that the tracks are actually really wide, so this won’t demand the most precise racing from you, and I think that’s a good thing. Speaking of precision, you’ll want to steer clear (pun intended because its a racing game trololol) of the tilt controls, as they are slow and offer nothing even close to precise control. Thankfully, there are touch/swipe controls offer and these are far better, though they do still take a bit of getting used to. It would be nice to have the option of a d-pad or analogue stick, but over the course of this week, I’ve managed to comfortably adapt. I’m not sure how the difficulty will curve over the course of the game, but it seems a little inconsistent at the moment, as the one-item-restriction races are far more difficult than the rest. But races are unlocked based on you earning X amount of stars in other races (bronze = 1, silver = 2, gold = 3, and so forth), so maybe it doesn’t matter. Other cars, a totaling six, can also be unlocked this way. If working through the campaign isn’t enough, there is also a multiplayer component, but when I tried this, there was nobody online.

Verdict: A rollicking racing experience, and something a little different on iOS. At four bucks, it isn’t exactly cheap, but it is pretty great. If it ever goes down to a dollar or free, you really shouldn’t pass this up.

I’ll be keeping this for sure!


The Creeps!



In short: Another addition to the already teeming tower defense genre.

This follows the usual formula of the genre. Enemies come in waves. They travel from an entry point toward your point of defense. You need to then place a variety of different turret types along the path (done with a simple tap) to automatically shoot your foes. Money is earned from each kill, and this can be spent on more turrets and upgrading already placed turrets. I can’t really see anything here that is new or different. It is only separated from other TD games by the “creepy” enemy types, like mummies an so forth, which is hardly enthralling. The game is also infested with ads, notifications and in-app-purchases. There are twelve level packs that you can buy, and only a few offered for free. I wouldn’t be spending money on any of them, because as I have said in prior weeks, I just am not a fan of watching the game play out before me as tends to happen in any enemy-wave or tower defense games.

Verdict: I think even the most die hard TD fans could find something more worthwhile on the App Store, so most should pass on this.

I’ll be removing this pronto.


Dungelot



In short: A self proclaimed ‘casual roguelike’.

Which is a pretty apt description. This has very simplistic gameplay. Each ‘dungeon’ is a grid, and with a simple tap-to-reveal mechanic you can clear spaces, break barrels, open chests and reveal/attack enemies. On the way, you will find potions to heal poison as well as power-ups (the icons pictured in the bottom-right) which will weaken or damage enemies en-masse. After a while you will soon realise that no waiting is required in this game, and you can just tap wildly until all enemies are revealed. Some squares will still be blocked by enemies, but by attacking the weakest enemy, you may just be able to reveal the dungeon’s exit and move along. Though that is always a balancing act: Sometimes you may want to try and get a bonus for defeating every enemy, but other times you may want to just get to the next dungeon and hope for more health etcetera there. In the end though, you will inevitably die, as this is a roguelike. But there is something nice about the game’s throwaway nature. Since this is so short and sweet, you aren’t able to become too invested in your character; you don’t need to ponder over what stats to boost, or what hair colour he should have. This high-turnover type of game is a perfect fit for the platform. It also may introduce a new genre to iOS users, as it is, despite a few complexities, able to compete with the time-waster apps that dominate the iTunes Store. There are also a range of Game Centre achievements here, thirty in total, which are ironically ‘lifetime’ achievements like get 100 of this or that, but they are related to things like how often you die.

Verdict: A fun game that finds opens up a genre well suited to the platform. Certainly worth looking into.

I’ll be getting a few achievements out of this, but I’m not sure it will be a long-term drain on my play time.


Unknown Orbit



In short: A 3D ball rolling game.

My iPod had a lot of trouble with this. The frame-rate was shockingly bad, nigh-on unplayable. So this review may be a little unfair. But if a device is supported, it should be playable on said device. Maybe it has something to do with the Unity engine, though I’ve had that work fine with other titles. Anyway, the game’s premise is not that great anyway: You control a comet that orbits, or attempts to orbit, a planet. You tilt your device to steer the comet, and by touching and releasing, you can drop into crevasses, and launch out of them. If you’ve ever played the iOS stalwart Tiny Wings, its basically a 3D version of that. I gather that there is also a temperature-balancing mechanic, whereby your comet’s ice core will melt if you spend too long close to the planet’s surface, even though doing this will get you higher scores. There are also items like snowballs to collect and these will help keep your temperature in check. The game’s graphics might look half decent, but it was pretty hard for me to tell, and I think there’s a limit to how good lifeless rocky planets can look anyway.

Verdict: If you can run this properly, then you should make your own judgements. But I would pass on this one.

I’ll be deleting this.


3volution



In short: A game of well considered ball pinging.

The “3” in name of this one gives me a good method of explaining it: There are three balls. They can be launched around the playing field (the size of the screen) via a touch-and-pull slingshot action. Pulling further will obviously result in a more powerful shot, and vice-versa. There are only two core gameplay requirements: One is that you can’t launch the same ball twice in a row, and the second it that the ball ypu launch must cross over the straight line that is formed between the other two balls. Failure to cross that line will result in the loss of health, and will eventually spell game over. So in the images above, you can see the two grey ” ” balls and the red ” :/ ” ball. The grey ones can be fired, and the middle grey one has the easiest shot at crossing the line between the other two. This is a tough thing to explain in writing, but it is a pretty simple mechanic to get your head around once you start playing. Though I should point out that the game’s launching mechanic is a forward-pull, rather that the backward-pull that you see everywhere else (i.e. Angry Birds) and that takes a little getting used to. Each game is endless, but you will earn points for successfully crossing those lines, and you score will advance you to new stages. More complex stages start to introduce lots of collectible items and other objects, as you can see in the screen-grab. Some of these, the smaller orbs, simple add and detract points from your score. The bigger ones are more hazardous, and make it harder to cross that magic line between the other two balls. Some of them though, are destructible with a few hits, so if you can manage to both hit the enemy orbs and cross the magic line, then you can really boost your score. Boosting scores is what it is all about. There isn’t a campaign to speak of, so this is a game for those who like to beat their own, or others high scores. iOS 6’s new Challenges feature in Game Center is ideal for this game, but I’m not sure if it is utilised, despite the many leader-boards and the forty-odd achievements on offer.

The other part of the game’s name, the “volution” describes the visual aesthetic on offer here; hence the cellular-looking bacteria-amoeba-things. Everything is bright and colourful and looks squidgy, so they really nailed that side of things.

Verdict: The game is what it is. There are simple set of rules, and it is up to individuals if they want to play by those rules. $2 might be a slightly ambitions price to set for a game that relies on users motivation, but there you go.

I’ll be hanging on to this for a little while maybe.


Luna Bears



In short: A lighthearted platforming romp.

You dear player, control a star (or maybe a Luma from Super Mario Galaxy), who likes to sleep with a teddy. Sadly, some ghouls steal you teddy, so you must strive to reclaim to in each level. As well as ted, there are three stars to collect in each level (forming the ubiquitous 3-star scoring system that you’ll see me comment on every bloody week) and also coins. The game is an auto-running platformer. So the little star dude will float along by himself, and at your touch, he will rise to ascend over objects. Now I’ve used the words ‘float’ and ‘rise’ deliberately, because that’s how this works: You don’t really walk or jump, but rather, float. So this isn’t really a platformer in the traditional sense, maybe its more like a 2D maze game. The way you move might make the game sound simplistic, but there is skill required here. You can only ever walk forward, so in order to reach some items or avoid some enemies, you will need make your floating very precise. In some circumstances, you will need to use environmental features, like a bouncy jelly wall, to spring backwards against the game’s flow. Levels also sometimes have divergent paths, with one offering a star, and the other, coins. So completionists will be encouraged to return to each level just to get all the dosh and achieve three stars. Even if completing each level perfectly isn’t your thing, there are still sixty levels (with more promised) to work through, and thirty-three Game Centre achievements to tick off. You’ll probably want to hang around anyway, just to enjoy the cute art style that is dished up here. Little star man shouldn’t be smiling, since his teddy has been nicked, be he’s full of joy, and he and the worlds he explores are bright and smoothly animated. Another thing the game does smoothly, is use the gyroscope: The word will tilt a little with your device. This is purely for shits and giggles, and adds nothing to the gameplay, but I thought is was a cute little addition.

Verdict: A well crafted platformer that tries to do a few things differently, and generally succeeds. This is certainly worth a look for a buck.

I’ll be playing this one through.


Distant Star



In short: A lo-fi resource management strategy game.

The idea here is to take control of a planet and build a mighty space empire. You can build ships, like probes to explore, frigates to attack, and colonisers to conolise other planets. You can also invest in research on your home planet, into areas like weapons, defense systems, but also economics and ecology. The game bases itself around a system of turns. In each turn, you can start as many process as you can afford; you can start construction of many ships and fund research, but to progress you must end your turn. Each movement then, tells you it will take X turns. So moving a ship from home to planet X could take six turns, while economic research may take ten turns to be completed. Things obviously start to get serious when other planets start sending out ships, and you need to keep up with their movements as well as just expanding your planet’s wealth and power. The game, as I said is very lo-fi, so this is only one or two steps above a text-based game. There are a lot of menus to navigate, and also branching skill trees in the research area of the game. So immediately, this won’t suit all gamers. There isn’t much action, and it is a slow process of planning and strategising. Aside from building up a space empire, there isn’t much else t this game. There are a handful of achievements, but no way to interact with the interstellar creations of other players or view records.

Verdict: Personally, it isn’t my cup of tea. But for real strategy fans, this might be worth a look.

I’ll be removing this.


Temple Run 2



In short: The sequel to the king of runners.

If you haven’t played or heard of Temple Run before, get your head out of the sand. It is a 3D endless runner that uses the title and swipe features of iDevices to let you control an Indiana Jones-esque adventurer who is fleeing from giant killer apes with treasure. It became a staple of the iOS platform, and naturally inspired many other copycat endless runner, some of which are pretty decent in their own right. Now a sequel has arrived, and really needs to show some improvement over the original to maintain it’s mantle. Thankfully, there is just enough spit and polish and new stuff here to re-energise the Temple Run name. To start with, there is an improvement in the graphics department. The textures are new, and most models are a little crisper. Most noticeably,  the draw distance is far better than in the original. Like the first game, there is a store where collected coins can be spent on improving the strength of power ups (that appear randomly in the game), as well as one off boosts. This has been fleshed out a bit now, and also includes new characters and other perks. The game plays just like the first, though there is now more variety in the types of obstacles you face; so things such as mine carts and zip lines have been added. Temple Run 2 has also taken a leaf out of the book of many other running games by including an system of objectives such as ‘run X distance’ or ‘collect X coins’ that will earn you extra coinage. These have not replaced the Game Centre features from TR1 though, so there are still forty-four achievements of earn and leader-boards to scale. The only real downside to this game is that the graphical enhancements may alienate the users with older devices. But that’s life when with anything technology related.

Verdict: A must have sequel, that is fun and most importantly, FREE! If you’ve just gotten over your addiction to the first game, then you’ll be in trouble.

I’ll be removing this.
_ _ _ _ _

This will be my last concurrent weekly episode for a while, as uni goes back next week. So this will become a more intermittent series for the foreseeable future. Thanks to those that have read any week, or any week. I’ll be editing and republishing previous posts (pre-XIII) on Potaku under the title “Keeping an Eye on iOS”, so check out that site and it’s podcast.

Adios!

Bam!

Meow Meow Happy Fight



In short: A nonsensical top down shooter.

This is a silly that doesn’t really offer any excitement. It is just a top down dual stick (or single stick depending on your preference) featuring weird characters and lots of lasers. But these aren’t weird characters like Angry Birds or Om Nom (of Cut the Rope fame) because the game just doesn’t give them any personality. To be honest, it isn’t always obvious where any felines are, despite the game’s name. There also just isn’t any gameplay hook to make this at all interesting. Every level is governed only by a time limit. No lives, no health, no ammunition limits. So nobody dies! They just always respawn. The game also doesn’t appear to have any retina graphics, but to be fair, I guess the neon style does pop nicely.

Verdict: At full price ($2) this is a no-no. But if you like twin stick shooters, give it a look when it is on sale. Otherwise, check out BigPixel’s other iOS games, as they have quite a few better than this one.

I’ll be removing this.


Endless Road



In short: A modern and attractive take on the traffic dodging racing game.

This is a game that really packs a visual punch. It features a great minimalist style and nice effects; such as the way the road folds upwards from oblivion as you progress, and falls away in chunks behind you. The grey, white, black and red colour scheme reminds me of Mirror’s Edge actually… The game has an isometric viewpoint, but has fully 3D models, so it all looks fluid and crisp. Gameplay-wise, it is largely what you’d expect. There is traffic to dodge; trucks, cars and the like, as well as other hazards. There are slow/fast arrows on the road that act as advertised. There are a few things to spice it up though. There is a subway system that runs under the road, which you can sometimes enter. It is free of hazards, but you will need to make sure you exit it at or before the last exit otherwise you will crash. So its a classic risk/reward element. You also need to keep your speed at 80 (kilometres or miles, I can’t recall, but it doesn’t matter) otherwise you won’t keep up with the pace of the road as it falls away behind you. So avoiding traffic and slowdown arrows becomes vital. The game is endless, but you will pass through different stages of increasing difficulty as you go, and it does get pretty tricky after about 5km or so. The game also has a really great menus, something I will always mention, because I love a good, clear, attractive menu. In terms of content, there are a swathe of Game Centre achievements, leader-boards, and an objective system that rewards you with coinage which can be spent in the game’s shop. A shop filled with new cars, boosts, visual enhancements and so forth.

Verdict: Endless Road is a pretty full package, and certainly a step above the usual endless, time-waster fodder that fills the App Store.

I’ll be keeping this one.


Heist: The Score



In short: An authentic gangster themed on-rails shooter.

There really aren’t enough tommy-guns on the App Store. Thankfully Heist offers plenty of that. It is a simple game to play, you just need to aim by sliding your finger around, shoot by pressing on the right, and take cover by pressing on the left. Movement may be strictly on rails, but the game’s enemies have a habit of really pinning you down, so you don’t really feel that restricted by the controls as much as you do by your adversaries. You also usually have to choice of a couple of cover spots in one area, so you can dodge grenades or get a better shot by moving around. The game is really fuelled by it’s typical, but nonetheless entertaining story: You two companions argue about what exactly the bank is guarding, the organisation’s hierarchy, and things of that nature. One is the typical violent gangster, while the other is more sophisticated. The banter between the crooks is done with full voice acting, which is great. The game’s tutorial also deserves a shout out: It takes place in a car on the way to the bank and does a wicked job of introducing you to the characters and the controls. For example, your first shot fired is considered as ‘first-job nerves’ by your buddies. The graphics are great overall; the cars outside and the bank’s decor all looks very authentic. Admittedly, the character models are a little on the N64 side of things, with square heads, square hands and when they move occasional clipping occurs. However this is more than made up for by other touches, such as normally static objects like chairs, actually falling over when you shoot them. The only downside here is the lack of content. They are only seven chapters, and they all take place inside the bank, and there are no achievements or objectives to fulfil. But it is a solid game, well worth the asking price of 99 cents.

Verdict: As an overall package, this one is short an sweet. It isn’t an oft-updated keeper like some more casual iOS games, so just download it, enjoy it, and delete it.

I’ll be finishing it, then taking my own above advice.


King of Opera



In short: A decent, light-hearted, local multiplayer party game. Not something you see everyday on the platform.

This is a dead simple one. There are four (red, green, blue and orange) portly opera singers vying for the spotlight. You and up to three friends (or CPU opponents) need to bump each other off the circular stage and try and avoid the same happening to you, using only one button. The opera singer will rotate on the spot, and walk forward when you press your button. Once you’re in the spotlight, you’ll start boosting your score, and the light will follow you as you attempt to dodge the other singers. As well as this mode, there is ‘Phantom’ mode where the spotlight vanishes once gained, making it more of a capture-the-flag affar rather than king-of-the-hill. There is also a third mode called ‘Fat Lady’, where all four singers compete with a fat lady who is determined to hog the spotlight. The game is very whimsical, and the soaring “la-la-laaaaa”s are constantly punctuated by slapstick sound effects. This could be a great little distraction to play with friends, though it is probably suited to the largers screend of the iPad/Mini. At $2, it might be a little expensive for what it is. But at least it is a universal app.

Verdict: A neat little distraction that offers some muliplayer on a platform starved of it.

I’ll be keeping this.


Majesty



In short: An isometric kingdom building game in the vein of Age of Empires.

Unlike AoE though, you can’t control your people. You can build plenty of buildings, sure, anything from warrior guilds, to wizard guilds, to marketplaces, to blacksmith shops. But you cannot directly control people. Instead you must lure and entice them by placing monetary bounties on enemies (an ‘attack flag’ for warriors) or by placing a ‘scout flag’ on unexplored locations (for other adventurers). This is a really interesting mechanic that immediately changes this from a “God game” to a more realistic “ruler game”, because you’re powers come up against real-world limits. The game’s intro and ongoing story is pretty whimsical; detailing how the last king went insane due to his love of rats. But once you hit the actual game, its all serious: You’re worrying about what level of castle collects what amount of tax, how many warriors your guild can hold and so forth. It isn’t that confusing, because everything is laid out pretty well, but there is a lot to take in in a short space of time. The aims in each level are fairly basic, like defeat X and reach point X, but I imagine this will become more complex as you progress. On the audiovisual side, things are swell. The music is pretty naff, but passable, and the details on the visual are so crisp that you will quickly forget that you are really just playing on an isometric field. Screen real estate is at a real premium here though. Fonts are small, and everything feels a little hemmed in, so if you were to play this, I’d recommend doing so on an iPad. The game also uses a lot of double-taps to confirm things, which often means that after lining up a proposed building site, you accidentally move it a tad on that second tap. This is a little annoying, so again, I’d recommend an iPad, where there is greater margin for error.

There is a big negative though: Seriously, how shit is the tagline “SEVERAL DOZEN SPELLS”. Wow.

Verdict: Despite initial appearances, this is not a lighthearthed little title. It is in fact, deep and involved. So I wouldn’t recommend it to all, and I would advocate getting it on an iPad if you can. It is universal, so your $2 is probably well spent on any device.

I’ll be keeping this around for a little while.


Storm the Train



In short: A run-and-gun platformer. On a train.

This is an endless, high-score-chasing, and objective-fulfilling affair. You can move left and right, and also jump, double jump and shoot. But running along and blasting enemies, you will earn currency which can be spent in the (wait for it) in-game store! You will be able to complete objectives, such as reaching a certain distance, or killing a certain boss enemy, and gain more currency to buy more upgrades in the store. These include boosts and power-ups, like flying turrets that will aid you in your spree. It really is the typical iOS gaming circle of life, and like in so many games, it just feels like a revolving process without much soul. At least the visual themes make the game a little interesting: You are usually pitted against skeletons and zombies, but further on, you will be able to leap from the front of the train, onto the back of a new one, such as the ‘future train’, which features robots and other sci-fi enemies. Despite my cynical attitude to the game’s store and such, I have another gripe with the game’s jumping physics: Even in the air, you will keep up with the speeding train. I’ve heard discussion on this in real life, and I can’t remember if this correct real-world physics or not. Maybe it is just that I’ve been playing Donkey Kong Country Returns a lot lately, and there it works a little differently. Another big issue is the lack of retina graphics. The font used by the game is prompts is tiny; bordering on unreadable. I have an 4th generation iPod Touch, and there have been two iPhones and another iTouch model since then that also have retina displays, so it isn’t really acceptable on 2013. But maybe that is a bug at my end, because the screenshots look pretty good. The game does have all the Game Centre fruit, and it is free, so while it isn’t revolutionary, it might be worth a look.

Verdict: It is a decent little romp, but one of many, many romps that can be had on the App Store. Not something to get too excited over.

I’ll be removing this.


Spice Bandits



In short: A tower defence game that follows the usual conventions of the genre.

Like a lot of iOS games, this has an absurd premise. You are some sort of octopus-looking space pirates, and you really like plundering, especially if it means you find spice. Eventually, you need to come to Earth to get more spice, and that is where the game kicks off. Enthralling, huh? The mecanics are like any other tower defence game: You have a base, usually a ship of some sort, that has landed, and you must defend it from oncoming humans with a variety of turrets. You don’t actually fire the guns; the game is all about the strategy involved in placing the weapons on the map. Placing a gun will const you money, as will upgrading it, but you earn more dosh each time you blast a human. The spaces on the map are indicated by a hexagonal grid (rather than square in some games) that shows up when you decide to build a gun, and you are also told where the humans will enter the map from, so you need to place your defences thoughtfully between the entry point and you base. There is also magic that can be used by you, that acts in addition, and independently of your constructed defences. As you’d expect, there is also a shop where you can buy new guns and magic abilities.
The game is presented very well. Every level has its own theme, wrapped in the same great cartoon style. The menus are also really crisp, and extra kudos go to the game’s tutorial, which is both simple enough to understand and complex enough to be all you need to start the game immediately.

Personally, I have a long standing gripe with any sort of ‘wave’ gameplay. It is just too stop-start for my liking. The tower defence genre is also a bit too passive for my tastes. There’s a lot of setting up, but no involvement in the actual action. In fact, I’m letting the game wage it’s own war while I’m typing this post. Oh, its now over. And I won.

Verdict: The App Store is flooded with tower defence titles, and while it is visually appealing, I don’t see that there is anything new here. The game does nothing to alter my prejudices against TD games either, so I’d recommend it to TD fans only.

I’ll be giving this game a little time, because I feel that it actually pretty good: I just need to overcome my impatience and aversion to the genre.


Pony Trails



In short: Here’s an accurate description you wouldn’t expect; iOS’ answer to Pokemon Snap.

I expected this game to be a simple, casual affair culminating in the riding of a pony through the woods, thus allowing me to be comedic in my review. But that isn’t what Pony Trails offers. It is actually a surprisingly extensive photography game! Sure, you do ride a pony on a trial through different types of wilderness, but the idea is to stop along the trail, and snap some pictures of wildlife and scenery. These pictures are then scored by the game (as one, two or three star photos) and can then be compared and shared these socially if you wish. There are deer, bears, goats, skunks all lurking in the woodland trail alone. The actually process of taking the photos is surprisingly intricate, since photos are captured automatically, and will only do so when you are very still. So precision movement of the camera-controlling d-pad is needed. Unlike Pokemon Snap, you are a little limited in what you can take a photo of, rather than being free to take your own, potentially hilarious pictures, regardless of how terrible Oak considered them. The games controls, as stated, require preceision and are a little finicky, but overall they are bearable. Pony Trails  also has a shop with different saddles and reigns and other horse gear that offers bonuses: Like a quieter horse, or one that rides better at night (yes, there are day/night versions of each trail). Visually the game is also pretty darn sophisticated. It clocks in at under 90MB, and yet has a fully 3D world. Sadly, this means it didn’t run terribly well on my iTouch4, but it was serviceable.

Verdict: This is not the casual fare I expected. It really isn’t time-waster game, the opposite in fact. Sadly, the combination of required precision and touchy controls means isn’t really a great fit for the platform. It might be better on an iPad, but I think it is just to fiddly for my tastes.

I’ll be deleting this shortly I think, even though it is a real surprise package.


Critter Escape



In short: A competent line drawing strategy game.

All you need to do in this game, dear player, is guide your ‘critter’ (it looks like a potato with legs) to the exit of each level by drawing a line with your finger. Your critter will then set off. If he gets into trouble though, you can freeze time redraw the line at any time to avoid an enemy or obstacle. Each level has three objectives, and this forms the ubiquitous three-star scoring system. One is for completing the level, another is for collecting a red gem and the last if for being sneaky; remaining undetected by enemies. These can all be achieved in a single playthrough, but the idea is obviously to create some replay value. To my mind, the game moves a little fast when you draw lines, so you have make a conscious effort to move slowly. The detection of you finger is also a little buggy, but thankfully the game does a good job of evening out the kinks in your path. Visually, the game looks alright, though the colour palette is a wee bit bland, and it isn’t super smooth: There is a bot of lag here and there, and instant-restarts are sorely missed. Maybe it just isn’t optimised for my device. The content on offer here is pretty extensive. There must be easily over a hundred levels, and there are a swathe (thirty-six) Game Centre achievements to keep you occupied.

Verdict: It isn’t overly compelling, but it is a solid title nonetheless. Personally, I’m already covered for line drawing games, with titles like Flight Control, Flight Control Rocket, SPYmouse and Time Ducks, which I would recommend above this if it was a one-or-the-other choice.

I’ll be playing a little longer, but probably deleting this.


Infectonator



In short: A point-and-click of apocalyptic proportions.

The zombie apocalypse that is. It is your job to unleash your very own zombie virus across the globe, from Australia to Austria, China to Chile. In World Domination mode domination mode, that is how it goes down: You select a region, then by city, you gorge on the humans. The game’s mechanics are dead simple, to the point of boring if I’m honest. You just tap a spot, and watch the zombies go. It takes some strategy, and you need to infect a set number of humans before your zombies rot, but generally it isn’t too hard, especially when you employ the various power-ups that run along the base of the screen. Said power-ups can be bought in the game’s store, where you can spend coins (dropped by dead humans) on viral upgrades, boosts, and you can also raise the stats (like the lifespan, and speed) of your zombies. The game also features an Endless Mode, which just feeds you wave of ever-increasing humans to infect, and lets you stock up in the shop between waves. The game certainly deserves some props for its art. It features a pixellated retro look, that extends beyond the in=game sprites, to the menus, and to news-report-style statistics at the end of each level. The game also has eleven Game Centre achievements and also leader-boards, if you’re keen on earning bragging rights. Apparently this has only recently gone free-to-play, so there are ads, and this has annoyed some players who paid previously, judging by iTunes reviews.

Verdict: A well made, but ultimately repetitive zombie romp. At the (non-existent) asking price though, it is worth looking into.

I’ll be removing this shortly I think.


Extinction 3D



In short: More zombies! This time though, it is a 3D, top down, action affair.

Extinction offers and old-school GTA (pre III) experience, in a zombie infested environment. Visually, everything is three-dimensional, and the game takes place in 2019, but the actual gameplay is pretty rooted in the past. You just walk and shoot the undead, or drive and crush the undead. You also need to navigate the city with the GPS system, and locate survivors and transport them to the safe zone (a helicopter). Each game is endless, but you are scored on how many zombies you kill, and how many survivors you rescue. Getting a good score might unlock a better weapon for the next time you play. The game is riddled with inconsistencies: When driving, you will splatter a zombie even at snail’s pace, you can knock over trees but not lampposts, and you can idle happily in fire without dying.the game also has a terrible time deciding where to direct your gunshots when you on foot. Your little character jitters and jumps, and usually fires in the opposite direction to where he is facing. I guess fear does that to you. Or bugs. One of the two. Overall, the game feels like it lacks polish. The menus are blood stained and feature “hardcore” guitar riffs, which can’t help but give off a slightly ‘try-hard’ vibe. Not to mention the iTunes image gallery that features the tagline; “drive anything, kill everything.”

Verdict: A top down action game that leaves a lot to be desired. Like the zombies it wants you to hunt, Extinction lacks soul.

I’ll be deleting this promptly.


Ninja in a Barrel



In short: A 2D grid based puzzle game.

This is a fairly straightforward game to explain. You just simply swipe in one of four directions to roll the barrel to its goal(s). The goal is usually some sort of mushroom-looking enemy that you need to bump into. This will trigger the ninja to pop out of the barrels and slice the enemy to bits. Sometimes, there environmental hazards and other objects, like boxes which need to be slid from place to place in order to get to a certain spot. The aim it to finish each level in the least amount of moves, and you will be scored accordingly; between one and three stars. It actually requires a bit of thought to reach the goal in some levels, and fans of this sort of low-risk, inoffensive puzzle gameplay will have fun. That said, everything here has been done before, so it bring much anything much to the genre. The visuals are fairly decent, and the graphics will alter in different themed levels, such as the winter season pictured. The game is totally free, and as a result, there are some advertisements. But the payoff is pretty big: For your $0 you do get almost one hundred levels, so if you like the look of this, don’t hesitate.

Verdict: I’m not a huge fan of these sorts of games, so I’d pass. But for those who dig it, it is pretty generous.

I’ll be deleting this.


Captain Nova



In short: A short, slow retro platformer.

Captain Nova is a fairly standard experience. The idea is to navigate a series of levels and do three things: Avoid or stomp enemies, collect bolts, and at the end of each level, collect a piece of spacecraft to fix your crashed rocket. The enemies are all pretty much variants of what you see above, and the colours of the sky and the ground are constant. So it is then, pretty dull. The captain himself has a jump that is on par with Mario platformers, but his movement is pretty darn slow, so the game become a pretty monotonous affair. It is made all the more monotonous by the single chiptune that plays over and over again. I gather the game mush be pretty short, as there is no level select screen and no option to continue. Nor is there anything else on offer in the menu: The main menu simply has a ‘play’ button, and the pause menu offers only on/off controls for sound and music. I reached level seven before I ran out of lives, and to be honest, I won’t be going back.

All that said though, the game is a dollar, and it is a two-man project, so I won’t knock the developers for making this, as it plays fine, even if it isn’t overly exciting. Though there does seem to be one bug: The captain always starts levels jumping automatically, and I had to press the jump button to regain control of the jumps. Maybe he’s just super keen to fix his ship…

Verdict: An average little platformer. Take it or leave it.

I’ll be removing this.
_ _ _ _ _

Until next time!

Another week! Now also published on Potaku.

Jay & Silent Bob in: Too Fat To Fly



In short: A run-of-the-mill launching game.

This app follows a pretty simple formula; you direct your slingshot, and then after keeping an eye on the scrolling power gauge, release to fire. Then, as your man-cannonball flies through the air, and bounces along, there are objects will help and hinder his flight: Blue items provide another little launch, giving height and speed boosts, while yellow items slow him down, and red items will stop him completely. There are coins and money bags to collect, which can be spent in “The Stash”, which is again, the usual casual iOS in-game store. (Despite the endless possibilities of shop names, lots of games also use “stash”, notably Jetpack Joyride, so its pretty unoriginal). There’s the usual stuff in there: Boosts, gadgets, new slingshots, and also skins, most of which will increase distance and high scores. The only tweak to the usual launching shtick is that with each shot, there are five fireworks that can be used to boost the height of the flying dude. The game also has a slow motion mechanic that kicks in when a red object approaches, so it is pretty easy, too easy in fact, to get out of the way by using a firework.

The only really draw that this game offers, is the cartoon likeness of Jay and Silent Bob, who are characters from a weird canon of American comedy films including Clerks. I’ve seen a bit of said film, and it didn’t really appeal to me, so I don’t really find this game any more enticing. I might be missing some references, but even so, it seems like a pretty thin addition to the game. Furthermore, it appears that the game is based on a spin-off cartoons series, so it is an extra step away from the film(s) for fans. Aurally and visually, the game isn’t very exciting either, though the characters are a good representation of the aforementioned cartoon’s characters.

Verdict: A fairly bland and basic game that does nothing to advance the genre. Fans of the characters are about the only ones that should consider this, even though it is free.

I’ll be removing this this one.


Monster Dash



In short: An 2D endless runner that has a bit in common with Halfbrick’s (the world-beating Aussie developer’s) other games.

This plays like any other 2D auto-running, shooting platformer: You’ve got a jump button, a shoot button, pick-ups scattered through the level and enemies and environmental hazards coming at you with ever increasing rapidity. The game is set in may locales, giving it a chance to show off its nice pixelly artwork. You will change areas every 1km that you run, through exceedingly diverse worlds like Zombie Metropolis, Demon Dynasty (running along the Great Wall) and Yeti Heights. Gameplay is exactly the same in each area, but the world (including enemies and objects) is re-skinned.
Each enemy has their own quirk that makes them challenging: Zombies can pop up from the ground, while vampires swoop in in bat form. The power-ups are fairly standard, but are good fun. SMGs and rocket launchers make an appearance, as do items that made it into latter Halfbrick games; the “bad as hog” and the famous “machine gun jetpack”. I keep making all these comparisons to other Halfbrick games because I think time will forget this creation, as it was totally usurped two years later by the master-class of iOS gaming that is Jetpack Joyride. But this remains a fun romp. The only issue is that the game freezes if you try and access Game Centre achievements (of which there are 26) from the menu, which is annoying but not deal-breaking.

Verdict: This game cannot exist now without being compared to Jetpack Joyride. If feels like a prequel to that game, rather than a game in it’s own right, which is a shame, because it is quite a bit of fun!

I’ll be keeping this for a little while, and racking up a few Game Centre achievements.


Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots



In short: A return to the winning fruit slashing formula.

Halfbrick had runaway success with Fruit Ninja, and you and me both could be forgiven for thinking that this tie-in with Dreamworks Puss in Boots would be nothing more than a dirty cash in. It is far more than this. FN:PIB is actually quite a robust companion to the orignial game, even if it falls just short of the titles ‘successor’ or ‘sequel’. Aside from the occasional appearance of the eponymous Puss, the use of some Spanish names and items, and cat-related stuff, the game retains it’s fruit slashing focus. (Mind you, I haven’t seen the Puss in Boots film, so I may be missing some references.) Unlike the first FN game, there are only two modes offered here. One is ‘Desperado’, which is the classic survival mode from the previous game, where you go on slashing until you deplete your three lives. If you’ve never played, it is just a swiping the screen affair, with points awarded for chopping more fruit with the one slice. Fruit must not fall out of sight un-sliced, and bombs must be avoided at all costs. The second mode is the all new ‘Bandito’ mode, which offers twelve challenges split into three rounds, and a final boss. These challenges expand significantly on the classic slice and dice gameplay: They some times impose tough time restrictions, or ask for only a certain fruit to be cut. There are also environmental hazards that fruit will bounce off (pictured), as well as fixed bombs that fruit passes around in patterns, fruit attached to balloons, and fruit hidden in opening doors that test your reflexes. In these levels, you will be scored on fruit sliced, accuracy, and reflexes. Since you have three lives in this mode, so you can make it to the boss fight even if you take a fail a few challenges. Bandito mode is where this game comes into it’s own, and actually become a worthy addition to the Fruit Ninja series. A game like this still needs online features to give it a bit of pulp, and thankfully all the Game Centre fruit are here; both short term and long achievements totalling 24, and leader-boards. The game also has the unlock system of the previous game, with new blades and backgrounds on offer as rewards for skilful play. Oh, and there are tomatoes! I don’t think those were in the original!

Verdict: Almost worthy of being called a sequel, this is certainly not a quick cash grab. Definitely worth getting for existing Fruit Ninja fans, and almost equally recommended for newcomers. Though it is unlikely to ever receive the post-release love (updates etc.) that Fruit Ninja has/is, so keep that in mind.

I’ll be keeping this.


Grooh



In short: An isometric, colour coding, puzzle game.

Grooh asks players to guide Grooh, a rotund teddy-like thing, through levels, one grid-space at a time. There are coloured tiles that need to be matched and ‘exploded’ to open a door at the end of the level, as well as boxes to be picked up and placed strategically depending on the puzzle. Grooh absorbs colour much like de Blob, and this is what causes the coloured tiles to explode like a landmine when he jumps off. This doesn’t really make much sense, but that’s how the game works. All this, despite the fact that the game scores you on your number of moves, awarding gold, silver or bronze depending on how economical you are with your movement. Grooh is, I suppose, a cute little character, and the whole game world is bright a clean. The animation is also pretty good, except there is a little to much of it, making this game an unnecessarily time consuming affair. I’m not sure if there are issues with translation, but the tutorial and later mid-game prompts have quite a few grammatical and tense errors, which is a nitpick, but it really irked me. Furthermore, Grooh is supposed to be talking in some of these prompts, and so nonsense sounds like “rrrh” and “rooh” have been added to the ends of words, which is even more annoying when you are trying to learn the ropes of the game. You also can’t skip tutorial pop-ups, even when you’re retrying the very same level. The game is also two dollars, which is more than the average game. But you do get close to 150 levels, Game Centre features and reliable performance, so it is a decent proposal for those interested. I gather it gets quite tricky later on too, judging by this screenshot.

Verdict: I’m not a huge fan of these types of games. But if you have the time, and don’t mind the silly languagerrrhhh, then Grooh is a safe bet.

I’ll be deleting this one shortly I think.


Spaceteam



In short: A zany, unique multiplayer experience.

This has to be one of the most original games I’ve seen on iOS. Spaceteam is a local multiplayer (Bluetooth/Wi-Fi) game that pairs up to four iDevices together to fly a spacecraft. But this isn’t flying in a normal action-game sense; no, this is all about pressing buttons, flicking switches and twisting knobs. Player one will have a set of instructions to shout (in the real world) to players two, and vice versa. Each command must be enacted by the other player before the timer (the green bar pictured) runs out, otherwise it will be replaced by a new command, and the ship will take damage. As the game goes along, through a series of rounds with different controls, the pace quickens, until eventually things start to fall apart. Steam will issue from the instruments, things will fall off and hang precariously, and you might even need to wiggle your device to move a broken dangling knob. Eventually, despite frantic shouting, your ship will implode and it will be game over. This really is a lot of fun, and hilarity really does ensue as you play, largely thanks to the ridiculous names for you’ll need to shout for different buttons and levers, like “flushbypass” or “set prismneck to 4”. I’ve never played anything quite like this before. It is similar to when banter is exchanged in a multiplayer console game of, say, Super Smash Bros., yet it is a different experience because the banter and yelling is the core mechanic of Spaceteam.

Verdict: This is something you really should try out, even just once. It does require at least two iDevices, but thankfully it is a free game. If you do want to throw down some dosh, there are a few extras that can be purchased too.

I’ll be keeping this one for sure.


Ichi



In short: A beautifully simple puzzle game that requires good timing.

ichi is a game that is easy on the eye, and easy to control. But it will require much planning, or alternatively, quick reflexes. The yellow ball must be guided to each of the goals; the hollow yellow circles. The ball will rebound off any surface, except for the spikes, which will destroy it. After touching the screen, the ball will start moving, and further touches will rotate the red equilateral triangles. The aim of the game is to use the forty-five degree angles of these to direct the ball safely through each goal. Later on, other objects are introduced to spice things up, such at the breakable grey rock (pictured) and the swirly yellow portals (also pictured). The game features shimmering sketch visuals that are restricted to bright primary colours. It is an attractive, clean look that makes it easy to remember the game’s mechanics. So you can never really be confused, and any failures will be your own fault and not the game’s. The UI also lets you know how to achieve A, B and C ratings in each level, based on the number of rotations you make in each level. There are sixty levels and seventeen Game Centre achievements here, so there is a fair amount of content. Still, I might have criticised the usual $2 price, if it weren’t for the full level editor that is offered. This also means that there are currently 13089 user created levels (yes, there is a live tally in the menu, how cool) available to play. These can be played, rated, tagged with labels like “hard” “fun” “fast” “puzzle” and optionally, shared to Facebook. Most of the levels were pretty damn hard, so there is plenty more on offer for those who beat the games packaged levels.

Verdict: A well made package with great longevity. Definitely recommended.

I’ll be keeping this one and working through it.


Wizschool



In short: A combination of the classic match-three formula and other flimsy wizard stuff

Seriously, there are so many of these games on the App Store now, that combine match-three gameplay with some sort of over-arching story. Here, it isn’t done well. There are ‘cut-scenes’ or rather static images with dialogue, that feature cartoon witches with sexist body proportions, and there is also a map of Hogwarts a castle that will move you between levels. All of this stuff is boring and uninteresting, and just distracts from the game at hand: Making potions by matching things. Sadly the matching side of things isn’t much fun either. Apart from being potion-themed, with weird herbs, flowers, mushrooms and the like, it plays like every other bog-standard Bejeweled clone out there.

Verdict: I’m sure there are game that really do a good job of linking match-three with other mechanics but Wizschool fails to do so, and just isn’t very exciting in it’s own right. Pass.

I’ll be deleting this, and getting my matching-game fix Zookeeper Battle.


Squids Wild West



In short: A 2D top-down perspective game that successfully meshes action and turnbased strategy.

Like so many games on the App Store, the most famous of which is Angry Birds, this game too features a slingshot mechanic. The squids in your party, of which there are four, must use their tentacles to sling themselves in the direction of enemy crustaceans. Thanks to their array of sturdy headgear, they can defeat enemy crabs and lobsters and move onto the next level. However the game is strictly turn based, so while it is your turn, you must think methodically about how you can cause maximum damage before your enemy can move or attack you. This may mean pushing an enemy into a spike, or ricocheting your squid into multiple enemies with the one shot. I have no idea why the squids are in the Wild West, but since they are, this means that some of the squids can deal bonus damage with their pistol prowess, and it also means lots of cowboy hats. The hats aren’t just for show either, as there is a shop where better headgear (like hockey masks that increase defence) can be bought along with power-ups, and new squids can also be recruited. I imagine that as the game progresses, certain squid’s powers will need to be chosen and used strategically. One squid is a healer, for instance, so I’m sure that will come into play more. Each level will see you scored with the iOS-ubiquitous three star scoring system, with one awarded for completing the level within a certain amount of moves, one for keeping all squids alive, and then there is a third hidden star in each level. This game is actually a lot of fun. There’s also a lot of love gone into it: The artists have had great fun, the music is adventurous and twangy in places to suit the Wild West theme, and there is even a brilliant little quasi-3D title screen that uses accelerometer. Content wise, there are easily 60 levels, along with over 20 Game Centre achievements, and also bonus comics. Lots to look forward to.

Verdict: Despite all the zany characters and the generally absurd premise, this is quite a fun game, that manages a perfect balance of action and strategy. I played the original Squids, but I didn’t endear itself to me the way this has.

I’ll be playing through this.


Mad Skills BMX



In short: A surprisingly smooth, good looking, and challenging 2D racing game.

Upon first launch, this game could be dismissed as a port of the oft-seen flash game of bikes racing over bumpy courses, with shonky physics and much head splitting. However, this game is a step and a half above those. The visuals are really really nice. The riders are all drawn in a semi-anime cartoon style, and pop nicely on the retina display. The physics don’t feel at all shonky; there is no crazy stretching suspension, nor are quadruple back-flips encouraged. The controls are also fairly complex, or at least, the timing of certain movements is pivotal to winning a race, and takes some time to get used to. A touch on the left side of the screen will make your rider pedal, while an array of swipes on the right will perform jumps, flips, and speed-inducing wheelies. The game is also overflowing with content. There are plenty of tracks to race through already, and there are more on offer: One is free, one is for facebook fans, and the rest cost a buck. I’ve mentioned facebook there, and that is one annoyance I have: The game requires facebook for any type of leaderboards, which a real game breaker, since I think you could only go so long in a game like this without some sort of real-world benchmark for your race times. The reason for this is of course, the fact that the game is also on facebook. Stunts are also poorly implemented. There is almost no advantage in doing a flip, as the four seconds of adrenaline you gain (a speed boost) is nullified by the time spent in the air losing speed. The bigger issue is a lack of variety. Each race is just a time trial with you and a single CPU opponent facing off. There is no multiplayer and no stunt mode or anything. So I don’t think think this is type of game you could stick with until the end.

The game also had a crushingly hard tutorial, but thankfully this was replace with a simpler one in an update this week. So I won’t harp on about that.

Verdict: A good looking game that doesn’t reach it’s full potential, and is bogged down with facebook integration. It is free though, so if you don’t mind hooking up facey, go for it.

I’ll be deleting this one.


Word Derby



In short: A word building game that dabbles in horse racing.

Okay, even calling it a dabble is a stretch. The horse racing is really just a graphical representation of who is winning. Basically, all you need to do is make a word with twelve random letters, and one additional anchored starting letter. You are then scored, letter for letter, Scrabble style and also receive bonus points for how quickly you crafted that word. Then, it is your opponent’s (sourced from Facebook, usernames or randomly) turn to create a word with the same letter. Then the tiny bit of horse racing comes into play: You and your opponent are represented on horseback, and the points you score will propel you along the track toward the finish. Of course, there is in game currency, though it is pretty much an optional component of the game, and this is earned by placing bets on yourself to win. (You can select a never bet option which is a well considered addition, and slightly ironic since jockey’s aren’t supposed to bet on themselves.) The menu layout of this game is almost identical to Words With Friends. The only thing Word Derby has going for it is the ability to play against three other people in the same match. Though this means races will take a fairly long time. There aren’t a massive amount of people playing this either, so don’t expect to instantly find an opponent.

Verdict: A word game that does a few things different, but not really enough to stand out from the ever-growing crowd.

I’ll be deleting this one.


Galaxy On Fire II



In short: A 3D space shooter with all the bells and whistles.

This is one game that has taunted me for ages. It’s price travels almost fortnightly, visiting exotic locales like $10.49, $7.49, $5.49 and $0.99. So when it finally went free, I had to have it just out of spite, even though it is a whopping 440MB app. Now most of the time, it is pretty damn expensive, and the developers seem to know this; putting things like “TRUST THE MEDIA” (a hilarious statement) and “TRUST THE FANS” in the iTunes description. Now for free, this is a substantial game, but I wouldn’t be paying full price for it. I’ve mentioned before that iOS isn’t really suited to big 3D space games, as it is hard to get your bearings and sense of direction in an open, seemingly endless environment when you have your fingers obscuring the screen: There are swiping motions for speed and dodging as well as the virtual joystick and other buttons. The story isn’t too bad here: You are attacked by space pirates and marooned in an unfamiliar galaxy. Luckily, some alien has taken you in, and mining is the way you will accrue currency to upgrade your ship and repay the guy for saving you. Asteroids can be mined by your clunky (at first) ship. These contain crazy made-up elements like ‘orichalzine’, but also good old ‘gold’. You’ll also be ambushed by pirates during mining operations, in some cases you will deliberately set out to find their hideouts. The game has a GPS with a fast-forward system to help you get you to further locations quicker, but even then it is all a bit slow. As well as this story mode, which I should mention has a convenient-for-shared-devices five save slots, there is also a ‘Supernova Mode’: Which is a a friend-challenging minute long shoot-fest with leader-boards. It’s not a bad inclusion, but again, the controls aren’t really suited to speedy manoeuvres and precision shooting. One of the things this game seems to pride itself on are it’s visuals. These are pretty good, but don’t believe the iTunes description hype. It is well put together as a whole though. Menus look great and there is full voice acting in the campaign mode. The biggest let-down is that the game has ads! I’m not sure if it is to do with the current free offer, but if it was full price, that would be outrageous. There are also in-app purchases offered in GoF2, such as the usual $2 for 100,000 in-game dollars, then there are actual expansion packs, but these are getting up over $5 dollars, so they are just as expensive as the game.

Verdict: A good looking title that can’t feel a little bloated and slow. This genre isn’t really suited to iOS devices, in my opinion, and the developers seem to be forgetting that to compete in the App Store, your prices need to be cheap.

I’ll be deleting this one, and regaining half-a-gig, thank you very much.


Where’s My Holiday? / Where’s My Valentine?



In short: A free introduction to Disney’s Where’s My… puzzle games.

This is a demo basically. It offers six levels of both Where’s My Water? and it’s sequel Where’s My Perry? and runs with a vague seasonal theme; so it was Christmas with Holiday but has now updated to Valentine in February. Both games are all feature puzzles that require you, dear player, to manipulate each level so that water can flow to a certain point: Swampy (the crocodile in Water) needs it for a bath, while Perry (the duck in Perry) needs it to operate an elevator that takes him away to the next level. Often, this means that you will use your finger trace a path through dirt so that a pool of water will drain from point A to point B. Things are more complicated if you want to collect all the items (usually a little buried gnome thing) in each level. There are always three of these and this forms the typical three-star scoring system seen in so many iOS games. There are also a few other mechanics that add to the puzzles. For instance, in the Water levels, there is foliage that will grow when touched, and thus use up all your precious water before you can finish the level. In Perry levels, things are much more technological, with heat rays and ice rays that will zap bodies of water and either evaporate them or freeze them. All these puzzles are quite fun, and offer a similar level of casual engagement that iOS stalwarts like Cut the Rope and Angry Birds do. However the package, while totally free, is a little stingy: There are only 12 levels in total, and even if these are exclusive levels, and even though this has it’s own Game Centre listing and achievements, the game is just too riddled with advertisements. There are menu button ads for buying the full versions or Water and Perry, pop-up banners for the full versions, and also pop-ups for other random games. It is nice that there is a standalone demo for people to try, rather than littering the full games with IAPs, but I think they really could tone down the ads, or offer more than a dozen levels.

Verdict: A stingy introduction to what appears to be a great duo of puzzle games. It doesn’t offer a lot, but it is better than nothing, and allows players to try before they buy.

I’ll be deleting this one. But my interest in the series has been piqued.


EDGE Extended



In short: A great minimalistic, puzzle/platforming game that doesn’t render it’s predecessor null either.

Edge Extended builds on the foundations made by Edge. Both games feature a colourful cube that players navigate across blocky worlds as quickly as they can. The cube is moved with simple finger swipes in any given direction (diagonals, thanks to the isometric perspective) and the cube will continue in that direction until your finger is raised. As well as reaching the exit (a coloured square in the floor) in the fastest possible time, there are also coloured prisms to collect, the number of which varies from level to level. The number of prisms collected, the number of times the cube fell to it’s doom, and the speed at which the exit is reached, will give players a grade from A down to D. Levels often feature moving blocks, thin blocks that break, elevator blocks, portals, and even blocks that form together to make a robot that destroys the level as it moves. The game features stark grey-scale worlds, which helps payers to concentrate on the traps and puzzle ahead, and also allows the coloured cubes to really stand out. Differences between whites and greys will need to be noted by players, as this often signifies collapsible or moving blocks. The music is also fairly minimal, offering a quiet groovy techno vibe that suits the mood perfectly. Extended isn’t a huge leap forward from the first game, besides offering 44 more levels. However there is a slightly more dynamic camera here, that zooms in and out at pivotal moments, (one of the benefits of a new 3D engine) and there are new sneaky tricks in the levels that even players of EDGE won’t be familiar with.

Verdict: Overall, it is definitely worth getting for both new and old players. Extended is actually cheaper than the original too. Those without iOS and Android can also grab it in Steam, where both EDGE and Extended content is bundled together.

I’ll be keeping this one, and aiming to finish it.
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Until next week!

On time this week! K, go!

Dungeon Story



In short: Another match-three plus game! (This genre seems to be exploding at the moment!)

Dungeon Story is like WarGames from a few weeks back, and like some others from prior weeks too probably, insofar as it combines match-three gameplay with an overarching game. You, a faceless adventurer, faces-off against other faceless opponents. The battles are decided entirely by how you match the threes. You and you’re opponent are only represented by an name and a health bar: i.e. “Skeleton 17/30.” The icons in the matching area offer similar functionality to most of these games; there are swords for attacking, coins to earn money, hearts to replenish health, and then there are also icicles and flames to perform magical elemental attacks. There are five dungeons to work through, though these are just a battle-until-you die affair. There are also quests you can accept in the alehouse or something, but these are really just thinly veiled objectives like ‘defeat fifteen enemies’ and the like. To be honest, all the games I’ve looked at in this genre prior to this, did a better job if integrating the match-three system with a greater story/game. But to be fair, it all works pretty well. You get to buy little perks from the randomly-appearing merchant, like the ability to deal damage with each turn, or replenish health each turn. However I still have a hurdle with the game, and this genre as a whole. Match-three games are simple, and addictive, so why do you make me wait thrice during what should be fast-paced gameplay: 1) for the enemy to ‘make their move’, 2) to deliver me an arbitrary ‘Skeleton attacked you’ message, and 3) for my health bar to deplete. I know it is part of the attempt at making an overarching RPG, but it ruins and insults the game’s own core mechanic.

Verdict: I’m sure match-three mechanics can be paired up with other mechanics in a game successfully, but not this time.

I’ll be deleting this one. Even though review have been pretty positive… I can’t see it getting hugely better as I go on.

I’ve persevered with this one a bit longer. I’ve got used to the pacing, the responses of enemies, so it doesn’t feel so slow now. I’m also noticing that in some battles, the board is refreshed on eah turn, which keeps things interesting and hampers your planning. The quests in the tavern actually have beneficial effects on your character, and the Game Centre achievements (of which there are a shock EIGHTY) are becoming quite motivating. I think I am changing my mind a little.


Crumble Zone



In short: A shooting game, a little like Asteroids but without the ability to move.

Instead, you are a stationary creature who is required to protect a small planet (or maybe it is an egg), from incoming planetoids/asteroids. If you let the egg/planet get destroyed, it is game over. As you shoot the space rocks, they will break down into smaller and smaller chunks, until finally they become colourful gems that you can collect. As well as a fire button, there are left/right movement buttons which allow you to move your little guy around the planet to aim or to collect gems. Said gems can be spend on power-ups, which I will discuss shortly. The game is basically endless, but you do progress through ‘levels’ of increasing difficulty, which means that there is an increasing in the size, speed and frequency of oncoming aggressor planets. From shooting larger planets, or ones with extra craters and even water on their surface, you may be rewarded with a power-up of some description. These power-ups seem to activate automatically and are usually a different weapon; one that is more powerful, fires faster, bullets that bounce, bullets that can orbit the planet for a few seconds destroying all it their path, or ones that creates a little gravity that pulls asteroids together for an easier shot. There is also a limited-time metal shield for your planet. Visually, the game has a very bloomy, hazy, and very green aesthetic. It looks nice but I’m not in love with it. I should mention though, that this game has excellent menus, with smooth animations and nice transition effects. (I’m a sucker for a good menu, remember). Overall though, this game does not really hold much appeal for me. But I recognise that what it does it does well.

Verdict: A smooth take on the 2D scrolling shooter thing, but not something that I would sink time into.

I’ll be deleting this shortly.


Bean’s Quest



In short: An adorable platformer that can be adapted to the abilities of most gamers.

Bean’s Quest starts like many platformers: A damsel is kidnapped! However, the game’s hero, some little Mexican, is also turned into a bean! This means that he cannot walk or run, only bounce through many perilous levels to save his lady. So players will be spending a lot of time jumping, and the mechanics are pretty floaty: You can easily make two noticeable changes of direction in a single bounce. But I soon adapted to this, and quickly focused my attention back on the platforming at hand. Each level has four goals, and this is where the game can either be straightforward tricky, depending on your ability and how you want to play. The obvious goal is to reach the goal in each level. Additionally, you will earn a badge for: a) collecting all gems, b) finding each level’s hidden axolotl, and c) completing the level without exceeding a prescribed number of bounces. Now, I’ve ordered these roughly in order of difficulty. Gems are easy to see, so you just need to make accurate jumps, and in places, take your time to make sure you collect them all. The placement of the axolotls varies, so they aren’t always easy to spot, and often take a really precise jump to reach. The limited-bounces thing is basically speed-running: Since you can’t actually run, completing the level in less bounces means you did it faster. Fulfilling this is a tough gig, as you will need to read Bean’s bounces like a book to fit into 1x1 gaps without using extra bounces. So there is a lot on offer in each level here, if you’re up for the task, and even if you’re not up for it, you’ll still have fun. The game rarely causes frustration, as there are checkpoints within levels that you will re-spawn at if you perish, though you will of course lose any gems you collected between the checkpoint and your demise. It is also hard to rebel against the bright and cute visuals/music, reminiscent of 16-bit era platformers. This is handy, because 50 levels would be a lot to work through if it wasn’t a fun experience. Speaking of levels, there is also a cute, zoomed out miniature level in the background of the stage select screens. How neat is that!

Verdict: A great platformer that is only as challenging as you want it to be. Highly recommended to all.

I’ll be playing through every level at least, and maybe testing myself on completing the additional challenges.


Run’n’Gun



In short: Another portrait-orientation runner, but with more shooting than usual.

That’s how it sounds anyway. Which is all I have to go on for this one, because it’s a crasher for me. A bit of loading screen is all I get before it goes. Apparently support for devices older than the iPhone5 was only added to the most recent update, so maybe kinks are still being ironed out. Or many I just got unlucky. Either way, it’s all up to you folks. It’s a free game, and only weighs in at 40 odd megabytes, so go check it out for yourself if you’re a fan of runners.

Verdict: null.

I’ll be deleting this, unless an update rolls in the the next few seconds.


Ghost Racer



In short: A fairly average top down racer.

I have enjoyed the odd top-down racer, but this one just feels very flat. You just race against the clock and against ghosts. The graphics too, are very flat: There doesn’t feel like there is much depth to the world, and everything looks pretty simplistic. Everything is here though, you get all the buttons, lap times, speedometer, and a map all packed onto a small screen, which is pretty good. I read somewhere that the car physics were actually quite deep, and so on, but I’m not really feeling it myself. It just feels to me that an unnecessary level of precision is required to race competently. I’ve never been a fan of sim-racing games, and I think top-down style races are better as more casual affairs myself.

Verdict: I would pass on this one unless you really have a thing for top-down and simulation racing games.

I’ll be deleting this.


The Blockheads



In short: Another open-ended world builder in the vein of Terraria/Minecraft.

This is much like last week’s Growtopia, however this game can be almost totally described as ‘Minecraft on a 2D pane.’ The 3D models scream Minecraft, as do the blocky characters and their movements. One of the things that differentiates The Blockheads is it’s perspective. The word around you exists on a 2D pane, however it is actually a globe, so you can keep walking in one direction and eventually wind up back where you started. It seems silly to offer 3D Minecraft visuals in a 2D pane when part of MC’s appeal is creating awe-inspiring creations that can be traversed and explored. I haven’t played enough Minecraft to comment on the crafting system, so I’m not sure how it compares, but here it is all about creating workbenches: A woodwork bench, a tool bench etcetera, that let you create their namesakes from resources like wood, dirt, fruit, flint, rock and so forth. Making tools will help you to harvest or mine resources more quickly and efficiently, but they will break in time. Everything in this game is controlled by tapping various spots. Tap above the earth to move to that spot, tap on a block of earth to dig, tap on a tree to cut it down. I don’t like this system personally; I’d much rather have the use of standard run/jump platformer controls. However, one cool feature of the control system is that it allows you to queue tasks. So you can instruct your dude to mine five squares, and then way over to the left, go and chop a tree. The downside of this is that there is a lot of waiting around. This isn’t an online MMO, so there’s nobody to talk to while you wait, and besides, your iDevice is likely to turn off the screen and lock itself in the time it takes you to get through a batch of tasks, so it can be a counter-intuitive system. There is a two player mode on offer here. I haven’t investigated it, but I presume two devices are used, as I can’t see this working on a shared device. Frankly, this game is a little slow for my liking. The movement and crafting all take a lot of time and leave the user with a progress bar to watch, and as I said, there is nothing else to do in the meantime. At least with Growtopia, you could leave the world, talk to someone, or just exit the game while you waited for things to grow.

Verdict: A decently looking crafting game, but might slow and nothing revolutionary. It is however, free, so go for it if you want.

I’ll be removing The Blockheads.


Cute Kill



In short: An fairly unexciting auto-shooting, shooting game.

The main idea here, is to outrun zombie hoards, and kill them while doing so. Yet, the core two aims; run and shoot are handled automatically. So there honestly isn’t a lot of fun to be had here. All you to is tilt your device to make the girl run in that direction, and occasionally hit the melee button when the undead get too close. The baby on here back does all the attacking, which is why this is called “Cute Kill”. But this baby with a gun isn’t at all cute. Maybe it could be in some different context, but here it feels like it is in slightly poor taste. This sort of thing doesn’t really bother me, but here there is just no context, so it seems highly unnecessary. The rest of the game if par for the course: Coins are earned, and used on upgrades, chiefly more and better guns. An extra negative mention has to be made of the controls, which, in both tilt and tap modes, are slow even on highest (default) sensitivity.

Verdict: A uninspired, largely boring shooter with unnecessary amounts of children.

I’ll be removing this.


Hyperwave



In short: A 2D space shoot-em-up.

This is a fairly standard shmup affair. Enemies come toward you on a scrolling pane that looks a little like the Guitar Hero fretboard thing. You shoot automatically, but you have the ability to move left and right, and also direct your fire in those directions, via two L/R d-pads on either side of the screen. there are also a variety of power-ups that will come your way that you must move toward to collect. Your health is shared with the line at the bottom of the screen, so letting an enemy touch you or the line will eventually spell game over. I don’t really understand why this game gives players the option to direct their fire, as most shmups just have you firing forwards only. As a result, the ship in Hyperwave feels much slower, and I find it hard to adjust to controlling the fire and the movement separately. On the graphical side of things, this is yet another game that uses the neon-outline style, albeit with different patterned backgrounds. (I think the pictured one is supposed to be circuitry?) Anywho, I don’t think it looks particularly attractive this time around. There are Game Centre achievements on offer, though they are few and basic; like pass word one, world two etcetera. There are seven worlds to work through, plus an endless mode to unlock. However I think it will become quite a repetitive affair to get through them all.

Verdict: A standard entry into the shmup genre. I think there are better things to drop two bucks on.

I’ll be removing this.


Car Jack Streets: Director’s Cut



In short: An top down, open-world game full of violence and crime.

The game starts off quite well. The story is actually quite clever: Your motivation to carry out missions is to earn enough dosh to pay off gambling debts. This also introduces an clever gameplay quirk that will keep you on your toes; payment is due in instalments. Missions seem to be varied, even in the early stages. Anything from carrying out hits to delivering stolen cars to a warehouse. The world city is open to you to explore, but thankfully there is also a well implemented GPS system that will point you to mission locales. Like the newer Grand Theft Auto games, you have a place to call your own. In the safe house you can escape the cops and also store your vehicle. There is a four-star wanted system that works just like GTA too: Blowing up cars and running down pedestrians will gradually increase it. If you die, you will wind up all better, but lighter in the hip-pocket, outside a hospital, again, just like GTA. Visually, the game features the top down, sprite based graphics reminiscent of (again) the Grand Theft Autos of old (I, II, London, Advance, etc.). Sadly, it is quite a dated look if you ask me, as they haven’t gone with a pixellated look or a crisp look, just some sort of blurry middle ground, and there is no real visual hook here to make things at all exciting for the eye. The game does have a few problems of its own that differentiate it from GTA. There are inconsistencies in AI behaviour; drivers rarely stop, and people can easily get stuck in corners trying to run away from you. When driving, you whiz through light posts as if they were transparent, but bushes and fire hydrants can be pulverised. Overall, the car physics feel a bit off, and this is not aided by the at times unresponsive controls. Even the confirm/advance-the-dialogue button during a scripted sequence is particularly finicky. The game just feels a little old and clunky, a fate shared by the old GTAs if you play them today.

Verdict: A game that just feels outdated. It also seems a little rich to slap ‘Director’s Cut’ on a title like this. But it is free (presumably to promote the the 3D sequel), so give it a look if you still enjoy the 2D GTAs and would like a decent story to go with it.

I’ll be removing this from my device.


Polyroll



In short: A retro styled platformer that borrows more from Sonic than Mario.

Indeed, many platformers see Mario as the franchise to borrow from, but Polyroll, borrows from Sonic, emphasising the “roll”. Just as Sonic spins lethally, so does the thing in Polyroll. You spin when you jump (B), and also on the ground when you press A. A more powerful ‘rocket roll’ can also be performed by holding A. The enemies that suffer the wrath of your rolls are fairly typical of all 2D platformers; creepy crawlies, and flying things along with environmental hazards like spikes. Mostly, enemies feel easier to defeat than in the standard Mario-derived pound-to-kill platformers, because you can just jump straight at enemies without needing to read their movements to get on top of them. Along the way, each level also has a few flowers, and jumping on these will you grant you a power of some sort, like limited time invincibility, deployable bombs, or the ability walk on spikes. Usually these are strategically place, are necessary to find the big gem from each level. So you will need to tread carefully and avoid losing any health, as this will also cancel the power-up. Unlike a lot of other platformers I’ve gone through so far, Polyroll does not reward speed, but rather exploration. Levels are big and open, with a multitude of paths to choose. Usually you will have to backtrack a little to find some gems or hidden collectibles. The game encourages you to seek these gems in a rather self-fulfilling way: Collecting ten gems will net you an extra hearth in your health bar, thus allowing you to take greater adventurous risks. There are 28 levels, but I am guessing that they will only get larger, and judging from the stage-selection screen, may potentially have multiple exits. The game’s retro art is also very nice to look at, offering bright worlds, and old school sprite animations.

Verdict: A solid retro platformer that definitely offers some fun. Despite getting it free, I think it looks to be worth it’s $2 price at the moment.

I’ll be playing through this one.


Cubed Rally Redline



In short: A cute isometric endless racer.

I only call this a racer because it features cars. But there isn’t any racing; this game revolves around survival, and chasing high scores. You control a car as it zooms along and isometric roadway. The game’s modes though, are 3D, so the game looks very smooth in motion. The car and track will rotate at corners, but the camera stays in a fixed position. There are five lanes for the car to travel in, and it is up to you to move the car between these lanes to stay safe. Game-ending enemies include moles (in the dirt), trees (anywhere), rocks (anywhere), barriers (anywhere), cows (anywhere and on the move), and lakes (which can sometimes be jumped if there is a ramp). Game-aiding collectibles include blue drift tokens, which allow the car to drift around corners and earn points, gold coins to use in the store, and fuel to sustain your drive. Ever so often, there will be a chequered strip across the road, and this indicates a checkpoint, which will ‘bank’ any coins that you have earned. As said, the coins can be used in shop to buy new cars. Cars have a rating from one to three stars, but I imagine that the differences are largely cosmetic, given the gameplay on offer. There is also an ‘emergency time brake’ at the bottom of the screen, which will allow you to slow down briefly when you need a bit longer to dodge an obstacle. Though the brake overheats and needs to be used sparingly. As you would expect with this being endless, there are objectives to complete as you play, though these, for better or worse, are tied to Game Centre achievements. So the game has a whopping 55 of them. Kudos are in order for the music here; bright catchy chiptunes abound. Sadly, this game is leaning toward being labelled ‘freemium’: There is a dollar IAP that will unlock a mode that features 20 time trials, and also remove ads. Granted, the adverts are pretty infrequent anyway, but it is always a little annoying to feel like you’re missing out on some of the action.

Verdict: A undeniable cute little endless driving game. Not overly deep, but it offers a little fun.

I’ll be deleting this soon though.


Rail Rush



In short: A 3D endless runner in a mine setting.

This is another typical into-the-screen 3D endless affair. The mine cart barrels along, but to keep it doing so, players will need to avoid various hazards by; leaning (left/right tilt), jumping (swipe up), ducking (swipe down) and jumping between different rails (swipe left/right). There are also gold nuggets and gems to collect to use in the (wait for it) SHOP, which offers a plethora of the regular power-ups that you would expect. The game is free, so it has a few ads. But that doesn’t really excuse the outrageously expensive in-app purchases. Like seriously; $5.49 for a new character that you will mostly only see the back of… Totally crazy. I’d hate to be a parent with a kid that liked this game… The game does look pretty good: But it must be lovely for Miniclip to be able to re-energise and re-monetise flash games on iOS. Overall, Rail Rush lacks the adrenaline of Temple Run, the undisputed king of these runners. It takes longer to speed up, and there are no no giant killer monkeys chasing you so, always feel like it is your own fault when you die. This game also uses any excuse to sent push notifications, so if you do decide to give this a try, I’d recommend denying push notification privileges.

Verdict: A competent game, but one that doesn’t bring anything new to the genre. Pass.

I’ll be deleting this.


Munch Time



In short: A physics puzzle game starring a hungry chameleon.

Quite simply, all the chameleon wants is food: The pink grub in each level. To reach it, you will have to grab onto flowers with his tongue. If you time your grabs and swings well, you will be able to collect three stars in each level, and this makes up the typical scoring system, although you are also scored in points based on your collecting abilities and your speed. The chameleon can obviously change colours too, so sometimes levels will feature different coloured flowers, and you will need to grab an orb of that colour before you can hope to grab onto a flower of that colour. Each flower is a single-swing only, adding to the strategy required, but some special flowers (i.e. pink) will swing you around forcefully and can be grabbed many times. The chameleon can also walk to a point by touching that point, but this is slower, and he will be stopped by the slightest edge, so swinging on the flowers is preferable if you want a decent score. Once you get close (maybe 1.5cm) to the grub, the chameleon will automatically grab it with his tongue, so again, it is best to utilise your swings to the fullest extent so that you can finish fastest. I expect that as the game goes on, more types of flowers, and perhaps different environmental factors will influence the gameplay, so I think this will be come quite the puzzler. As you can see, the game features the cartoon artwork that we have come to expect from many iOS games. But it looks nice and crisp and inoffensive. There are also twenty-one Game Centre achievements to display in your virtual cabinet as you progress through the game.

Verdict: While it is in a similar vein to plenty of other titles, Munch Time is a polished and fun experience. I’d go for it.

I’ll be playing through this one.
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See you next week.