Archive for the ‘2.1’ tag
‘Rimelands: Hammer of Thor’ Developer Hands-On Video
has a lot going on recently between the price drop of Ravensword: The Fallen King [99¢ / Free], the upcoming Ultra Kid: Mystery of the Mutants, and two different collaborations with other studios: Aralon: Sword and Shadow with , and Rimelands: Hammer of Thor with . We've been following Rimelands for a while, and have made mention of both their and which features oodles of information both about the gameplay of Rimelands and the lore behind the game world itself.
Today a new video was released showing a surprising amount of gameplay footage as developer Josh Presseisen goes over the various parts of the game including the battle system, inventory management, skills, and even a boss battle. The video is a little long, but will show you more than enough to get you excited about this turn-based RPG:
Rimelands: Hammer of Thor development is nearing completion and is expected to be available for download inside the next month or so. Of course, when the time finally comes, you can expect a full review from us. In the meantime, swing by the where the developers are actively participating in discussion about the game.
[]
‘Sonic 4′ Confirmed for iPhone, Delayed Until the Second Half of 2010, and New Trailer Released
Two big pieces of news just , and it's really a toss up as to which is the more substantial tidbit to gamers. Around these parts, most will likely be much more interested in the fact that Sonic 4 is officially coming to the iPhone, just as we suspected in early February of this year. We don't know much more than that currently, although it's likely safe to assume the game will be controlled like other platformers on the device and hopefully will perform much better than the emulated Sonic games previously released by Sega.
Secondly, the release of Sonic 4 has actually been pushed back by Sega to "ensure that Sonic 4: Episode I is a game worthy of bearing the weight of its name." This marks a substantial change of pace for Sega, as the entire Sonic series, arguably going all the way back to the Dreamcast, have been decidedly mediocre. As a proud console warrior who grew up in the heat of the battle between Sega and Nintendo, nothing makes me more happy than Sega actually giving a Sonic game the attention it badly deserves.
Stay tuned for more details on Sonic 4, and if you're really craving some Sonic action on the iPhone check out Sonic the Hedgehog [$5.99] and/or Sonic the Hedgehog 2 [$5.99]. They're both emulated games, and a little hard to recommend for reasons detailed in our Sonic 2 review, but if you really want a Sonic game on your iPhone, there is no substitute.
[]
Upcoming ‘Crazy Goblins: World War II’ – Promising Looking 3rd Person Shooter
have been promoting their upcoming 3rd person shooter Crazy Goblins World War II in our since January. They started off with a brief description and a non-gameplay teaser video, but recently posted some very promising screenshots of their game.
It's still early, but the game is a 3rd person shooter that is going to be offered up as a series of missions stringing together a larger overall goal or story line. While no enemies are depicted in these early screenshots, they are described as German-goblin-style enemies that you will be combating.
We'll keep a close eye on this one. The development team is made up of only two individuals and we're told a gameplay video is still a few weeks out. While the graphics looks impressive, we hope they'll have the resources to properly flesh out mission designs. Follow the for ongoing updates.
[]
‘Akihabara’ – Who Needs Flash Anyway?
Owners of the original iPhone will remember the dark days before the App Store or even the original jailbreaks and third party software when games and apps consisted of nothing more than clever web pages, usually loaded to the brim with javascript. The games were basic, and the "apps" consisted of little more than simple database-powered applets and tip calculators, but they did the trick.
is a HTML5 toolbox filled with all kinds of neat goodies that creative developers can use to make browser games. there are five demo games ranging from a simple Tetris-like game to a basic Zelda clone. The cool part is, these games work on every modern non-Internet Explorer browser, including the browsers of the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and apparently even other touchscreen phones like the Palm Pre.
Depending on what platform you're playing on, all of the proper controls appear on screen or you use the keyboard and arrow keys. On the iPhone, virtual controls pop up at the bottom of the screen and while they're not as responsive as a native game, it's still pretty amazing to think you're essentially playing a web page– Without even a smidge of Flash.
All of the games on the are free, and really worth a spin both because they're really impressive pieces of web development but also so you can appreciate what things were like before the App Store came around.
[]
Notable Game Updates – February 21-February 27
Doodle Jump [App Store]
Current Version: 1.14
Our Review
This new Doodle Jump update adds in a brand spanking new theme, a Jungle level in this case. The new theme is free to download and will be the third alternate theme added to the game. Lima Sky describes it as "THIS IS OUR MOST AMAZING UPDATE EVER!"
Glyder 2 [App Store]
Current Version: 1.2.1
If you're like me, every time you've booted up Glyder 2 in the past you've thought to yourself "what this game really needs is an Isle of Friendship!" Lucky for us, Glyder 2's developers have heard our call, and now players can earn friendship points by simply adding "Glyder friends." These points can be spent to unlock new wings, outfits, and other secrets, the latter of which probably isn't that exciting if they didn't name it explicity in the update description.
Eliminate Pro [App Store]
Current Version: 2.0
Our Coverage
New multiplayer environments, new gear and enhanced matchmaking. The best news is that all of this is 100% compatible with Eliminate's soon to be released Co-Op mode. This update of Eliminate Pro comes Al Gore-approved, as you can now recycle extra gear for credits.
Jet Car Stunts [App Store]
Current Version: 1.3
Our Review
Jet Car Stunts just got even more awesome. You can now engage in some friendly "ghost racing" through challenges and replays. Even better, replays can be downloaded directly from leaderboards. The menu system got a much-needed reworking as well, so this game is going to feel pretty fresh the next time you boot it.
Compression [App Store]
Current Version: 1.2
Our Review
Compression is a great game, but even I'll admit that I was getting a bit bored its mechanics after playing the game for hours on end. The new "Blocked" mode is absolutely pefect for me, as it adds in a ton of variety in the form of obstacles and bombs. The game plays significantly differently in this mode, so everybody who thought they were done with Compression needs to go give it another run.
[]
Upcoming ‘Vector Tanks Extreme’: You’re Not Ready [Out Now]
Earlier this month we posted an update on Peter Hirschberg and his glowy bit of retro vector goodness known as Vector Tanks. As we indicated in that post, Peter has recently setup his own studio, , and through it has released an update to Vector Tanks known as Vector Tanks (Classic Version) [App Store] at $0.99. As one might suspect, denoting the current game as "classic" indeed betokened the near-term arrival of a rather revamped take on the original.
That game is Vector Tanks Extreme, and Peter has given us an exclusive look at the release version of the title before it makes its App Store debut.
The game has been split into two versions to provide, as Peter tells it, a version that delivers the "retro-simplicity" of the original, along with a version that's "a Vector Tanks experience WAY over the top for those seeking a bit more of a challenge."
Vector Tanks Extreme offers everything the original did, plus more tank types, more weapon types (my personal favorite is the Rail Gun), airborne enemies (helicopters), and downright frenzied action. The standard play mode is Combat, which is a desperate bid to wipe out as many enemies as possible before losing all your lives, while Rage mode gives you unlimited lives and ammunition with the goal of wiping out as many enemies as possible before a two-minute timer runs out. Both modes are brutal, let me assure you. An integrated online scoreboard shows the world your strength (or weakness) and network play support is a planned addition, to arrive in a future update.
I've had the final build of Vector Tanks Extreme on my iPhone for the past few days and have spent considerable time scoping down enemy tanks, jeeps, and copters. Having become quite familiar with the title, I can definitely say that "WAY over the top" is in no way an overstated description. This is perhaps the most intense iPhone shooter I've ever encountered. If you enjoy Vector Tanks and feel it's a little on the difficult side — stay away from Vector Tanks Extreme. You don't have the stuff.
As we mentioned in our earlier piece, in moving from Chillingo to his own BlimpTime Studios for the original Vector Tanks, now known as Vector Tanks (Classic Version), Peter was unable to make the latest version of the game (v1.3.2, posted earlier this month) a free upgrade. But, to help get every owner of the original up to speed on the latest version, he will be offering Vector Tanks (Classic Version) as a free download during the week following the launch of Vector Tanks Extreme. Thanks Peter!
Have a look at the Vector Tanks Extreme to get a taste of the action.
Vector Tanks Extreme has been submitted to the App Store and should be available for download sometime in the next few days at a price of $1.99.
Update: It's come out already: Vector Tanks Extreme, $1.99
[]
Notable Game Updates – January 31-February 6
Updates are an integral part of the App Store and its economy. They allow developers to (instead of rushing out new games) draw fresh eyes to their old games by providing more content, crucial bug fixes, and general improvements. Updates are, however, as numerous as they are important, and it's sometimes difficult to find much to say about an update other than "new levels, hooray!"
With this in mind, we've decided to take steps to "update" our coverage of updates with a comprehensive article summarizing the most important updates. Worry not, these lists will not drone on about minor bug fixes and the like; only games that have been updated in at least somewhat substantial ways will be covered.
Battle of Puppets
Current Version: 1.1
[App Store]
[Our Review]
Battle of Puppets really stepped up to the plate to address player complaints, adding in a new tutorial and a complete hint system to help out new players. Other changes include increased performance on all hardware versions and a bunch of random bug-smashing.
TileStorm
Current Version: 1.0.2
[App Store]
[Our Review]
This update has been long-coming, but a lot of user-friendly options have finally been added to TileStorm to make it less of a hassle to navigate the menus. There's now a pause menu, the ability to restart a level without having to exit it and reselect it, and a "back" button was added to the level select screen. The other big fix in this update is the inclusion of the ability to "surrender" up to 10 times throughout the game. This counts the level that you surrendered on as a completed level (sort of) so you can unlock more levels and come back to the difficult levels later.
Parcel Panic – Post Car Racer 3D
Current Version: 1.2
[App Store]
[Our Review]
OpenFeint has been added, and along with that, of course, comes online leaderboards and achievements. Other issues addressed include the ability to add boxes during free ride and some slight texture work to improve the game visually.
Bust-A-Move
Current Version: 2.1.0
[App Store]
[Our Coverage]
OpenFeint 2.4 has now been included in Bust-A-Move, so high-score chasers and achievement lovers can rejoice! Facebook and Twitter connectivity was also added in this update for the social networking addicts out there.
Words With Friends
Current Version: 3.06
[App Store]
[Our Review]
Along with a bunch of various bug fixes, an entirely new dictionary has been integrated into Words With Friends. The dictionary is being touted as "a big improvement" from the developer, and will probably ease a lot of frustrations that people had with earlier versions.
Little Metal Ball
Current Version: 1.2
[App Store]
[Our Review]
A bug in the spotlight levels that was wreaking havoc on iPhone 3Gs has been issued here, but the biggest reason that this update is worth talking about is the substantial performance improvements that you'll notice while playing the game. I really enjoyed Little Metal Ball and made that clear in my review, but it doesn't seem like many of our readers ever really latched onto the game (especially given the low number of comments on that review). I'd like to seriously recommend that anyone who likes Labyrinth-style games check this out, because it's a ton of fun and deserves some love.
Ravensword: The Fallen King
Current Version: 1.2
[App Store]
[Our Review]
This isn't exactly a major update for Ravensword, but I'm sure that plenty of users will appreciate the integration of Crystal for online leaderboards and achievement support. Being a single-player game, Ravensword could benefit from a little bit of community integration, so I'm pretty happy about this particular update.
Battle For Wesnoth
Current Version: 1.3
[App Store]
[Our Review]
Kyle Poole just keeps on delivering with episodic content updates for Battle of Wesnoth, and the newly-added Episode 3 reportedly will clock in at over 10 hours of gameplay for those who delve into it. Not only has an entirely new campaign been added, but a whole slew of bug fixes (including one that reduces memory requirements to make the game more stable) and OpenFeint 2.4 with achievemens has been integrated. That, my friends, is how to do episodic updates. Bravo, Mr. Poole.
Diner Dash
Current Version: 2.0
[App Store]
[Our Coverage]
In an unexpected show of love for one of their original hit games, PlayFirst has delivered an update for Diner Dash that promises enhanced graphics (with a focus on larger sprites to make control easier), difficulty adjustments, and 10 new levels. Facebook connectivity has also been added, just in case there's a single person on your friends list who cares about your progress in an iPhone game.
[]
Apple’s "Our Newest Creation" Event – iPad Starting at $499
CES 2010: Parrot AR.Drone – An iPhone-Controlled Quadricopter
While we won't be on the floor of CES until tomorrow, the internet is already on fire with buzz surrounding the Parrot AR.Drone remote control quadricopter that is controlled by creating its own WiFi network that either an iPhone or an iPod Touch connects to. The Parrot AR.Drone is then maneuvered using the accelerometers of the iPhone combined with a video feed from the forward facing camera on the drone itself.
A smart piloting system intelligently compensates for wind and other environmental conditions, and utilizing a second camera which faces the ground can perform a flawless stationary flight on its own. If at any point you take your fingers off the iPhone autopilot engages stabilizing the drone, and if you quit the controller app or lose your connection to the Parrot AR.Drone's WiFi network the drone will stabilize itself and land all on its own.
As seen in the following video, the Parrot AR.Drone has two different hulls– A fully enclosed hull that protects the rotors from bumping in to walls and furniture indoors, and a hull for outdoors that sacrifices rotor protection for better maneuverability.
As if being able to fly around a drone using nothing more than your iPhone wasn't cool enough, an additional video on the demonstrates some augmented reality games you can play with the Parrot AR.Drone complete with picture in picture showing what the video feed and in-game HUD looks like. It apparently can even recognize shapes in 3D space to overlay different 3D models, such as the boss fight seen at the end of this video:
On top of all this, Parrot even has a featuring whitepapers that detail how to develop third party games that use the Parrot AR.Drone via an open API. All of these resources are available for free, and while the games shown in the above video were cool, I can't even imagine the potential if third party development support takes off.
Needless to say, we'll be keeping a close eye on the Parrot AR.Drone, and will post more information as it becomes available.
[]
‘2XL Fleet Defense’: War on the Open Seas
has built a solid reputation in the iPhone game space as a maker of quality offroad racing games with their 2XL Supercross and more recent 2XL ATV Offroad. And so it was with some surprise that we took a look at their most recent App Store release, 2XL Fleet Defense []. An offroad racer, this is not — but so much more hangs in the balance…
Caught in the middle of an international crisis, you are the naval aviator charged with the defense of your carrier and the lives that depend on it from the enemy’s relentless attack. Fortunately, you are in control of the world’s most advanced jet fighter. The F-35 is a modern marvel, centralizing all information and controls at your command.
With the ominous threat of a looming nuclear attack, millions of lives hang in the balance. Can you navigate the perilous political waters to save the lives of your crew while preventing a nuclear war? The entire world is watching your every move…
(And that's just a small part of the gripping backstory.) As indicated, Fleet Defense puts you in control of the carrier-based F-35 in a bid to defend your ship and crew. It works like this: You're presented with a 2D, top-down ocean playfield with a carrier at the center and enemy ships and aircraft encroaching from all directions. A pop-up radar aids in choosing which crafts to eliminate first. Spending any time with the game reveals it to have a feel similar to Flight Control and Harbor Master, in that dealing with oncoming craft in exactly the proper sequence is key. But, rather than drawing lines to plot the course of inbound boats and planes, you scroll about the playfield and tap on an enemy craft to target, which sends your F-35 on an intercept course. When your fighter gets close enough, it fires a missile and destroys the craft, allowing you to select the next target.
Your carrier base can take a certain amount of damage from enemy vessels before being completely destroyed, and it can heal itself while your F-35 is on deck and it's not under attack (tap the carrier to land). The carrier itself is not without defenses; it is equipped with a highly powerful defense system known as the Phalanx, which is basically a volley of ordnance in all directions, but it's very slow to charge and, as such, must be used only at critical moments.
See our brief gameplay video for a look at the action.
[ | ]
The game includes an achievement system as well as online leaderboards which add to your skill incentive. Fans of either of the aforementioned craft management games should find Fleet Defense to be a challenging (and enjoyably frustrating) twist on the formula. Fun isn't all about offroad racing, after all.
App Store Link:
[]
