Archive for the ‘Android’ tag
Valve Releases Steam Mobile On iOS And Android
Man, these digital platform companions apps come out of nowhere. Today, Valve, the creators of Half-Life and everyone’s favorite PC download platform, Steam, announced [Free]. It’s what you think it is, which is to say, it’s a companion-y type of experience that’ll let you chat with Steam friends, view Steam groups and profiles, check out video game screenshots, and just about anything else Steam-related, including sales.
Best part? It’s available right now across iOS and Android. Worst part? This particular version is still in “closed beta.” To get in, you’ll need to sign into Steam through the mobile app as a way to “express interest in the beta.” Users will be rolled into the beta eventually.
Steam sales are deadly for our collective wallets under normal circumstances when we’re sitting at our computers. I’m not sure I’m ready to live in a horrible future where I’ll be able to impulse-buy $2.99 PC games from the toilet.
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Remake of C64 Classic ‘Barbarian’ Hitting the App Store Next Month
Developer and publisher have announced that Barbarian – The Death Sword will be hitting the App Store early next month. Barbarian is a modern remake of the classic Commodore 64 title Barbarian – The Ultimate Warrior, also known in the US as simply Death Sword. Released in 1987, the original Barbarian was a one-on-one fighting game pitting buff and brutal warriors against each other.
Despite the fighting genre being in its infancy, Barbarian was critically acclaimed for its competitive gameplay. However, most of its notoriety outside of the gaming world was garnered by its violent nature where you were able to decapitate your opponent in a shower of blood, as well as the scantily clad models featured on its packaging.
The new version of Barbarian looks to be a similar one-on-one fighter, but with visuals that have been crafted in 3D. Check out the promo video below, which features both scantily clad women and violence just like its original inspiration:
One other really cool aspect about Barbarian – The Death Sword that was pointed out in the video is the ability to compete against other players across different platforms. I’m not sure if this extends all the way to the PC and Android platforms, but at the very least you’ll be able to play against your buddies no matter if they’re on a Mac, iPhone or iPad. Another thing I’d like to find out is if this multiplayer is online or just local. But, it shouldn’t be long before we can find out, as Barbarian – The Death Sword is set to launch in the first half of February, and we’ll be checking it out when it hits then.
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‘Dungeon Raid’ Goes On Sale, Now $.99
Dungeon Raid [$.99 / Lite], a match-3 that TouchArcade President-in-Chief Eli Hodapp freely argues is the greatest game ever created, has been updated on Android. You probably don’t care about that considering this is an iOS-centric web site and all, but here’s the twist: in a tiny celebration of the fact that DR has made the platform leap, the iPhone version’s price has been reduced to $.99 from $2.99. Neat!
The RPG component is what hooks people as hard as Eli Hodapp. The integration of items, abilities, equipment upgrades, and character classes is seamless and super clever; they end bridging a gap you didn’t even know existed in the well-worn genre. Our glowing review, which pours over all of the game’s fine details, is available here if you’d like to learn more before taking the plunge.
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‘Age of Booty’ Coming to iOS, Android
Earlier this week, announced the “impending arrival” of a “new” version of for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Being developed in a partnership with , Certain Affinity promises that the duo has taken what fans didn’t like and has piled on new stuff, including fresh interfaces and visual flair, based on consumer feedback. Twitter and Facebook are also being jacked in, alongside new levels and new “strategic opportunities.”
Take note that this isn’t a true continuation or a follow-up. This is Age of Booty with new stuff (see above image), and hopefully some key improvements. And, hey, even though it’s not all-new, Age of Booty on iPad and iPhone sounds like a cool thing. We’re hoping to give you some impressions in the near future.
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CAVE to Focus More on Social Games Following Poor Earnings
Here’s some unfortunate news. that Japanese developer is switching up its strategy following some disappointing earnings from the first half of their fiscal year, which for them starts on the first of June. As a result, they’ve downgraded their forecasts for the rest of the year, which runs until the end of May, and have reportedly put some of their current titles on hold to allocate more resources into “social games”, according to the company’s recently released earnings report summarized in English by .
Now, us iOS gamers associate CAVE with their awesome App Store shooters like Bug Princess [$4.99/Lite], Dodonpachi Resurrection [$7.99/Lite], and Deathsmiles [$11.99/Lite]. I don’t really like thinking about the developer of some of the most hardcore games around suddenly switching gears to the surging social/casual games space.
However, CAVE has a separate division focused on their mobile titles and I would imagine they are reasonably pleased with the performance of their games on iOS and Android. I think the problem lies more in getting people to buy a somewhat niche product like a bullet hell shooter on the home consoles for $60 or more. Their earnings report indicates that in the face of a stagnant retail gaming market, retailers are more hesitant to buy and stock as many games as CAVE had projected them to.
It’s not indicated which projects are being put on hold, and hopefully we’ll see CAVE continuing to bring their fantastic library of shooters to iOS, as well as more original titles like Mushihimesama Bug Panic [$6.99/Lite]. It will be interesting to see what direction CAVE moves in both the mobile and console space in 2012, and we’ll definitely be keeping our eye out for any new developments.
[Via and ]
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Call of Duty Elite App Launches Tomorrow
Call of Duty Elite for mobile, the companion to the , is coming to iOS tomorrow and Android next week, . And it’ll bring a few interesting control options with it. Inside the app, you’ll be able to check your stats and other players’ stats, hit up after action reports, scope map information, track your challenge progress, and modify your loadouts all without ever having to look at your console.
While that’s a ton of cool support, fans will inevitably be noting what’s missing. In a conversation with , Beachhead Studios Chacko Sonny said Beachhead learned a a few things about Elite’s stunningly bad launch, so it won’t be tossing out features until it knows they’re “at the level” fans actually want.
Speaking to the MacRumors about future features, Sonny said:
“We view this as the foundation. We want to hear from the community: how do they use this? What parts do they like? What parts aren’t as useful? We want to drive additional development going forward from people who play the game every single day. That’s going to help us deliver a better set of iterated features going forward, and for the forthcoming tablet version as well.”
During the rocky launch, we’ve all kinda gave up on Elite. The release of the mobile app definitely gives us reason to give it another shot, so we will. Tomorrow!
[via ]
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Rift Mobile Connects You To ‘Rift,’ Gives Users Loot
, a fairly popular MMO from , has a mobile companion app. Earlier this December, the studio pushed out a free “beta” build that lets Rift users do all sorts of cool stuff, like, for example, chat in real-time with friends and guild mates, as well as peruse “the latest wall postings.”
Rift Mobile [Free], as it’s called, also comes stocked with a trio of mini-games — Planar Invasion, Craft Critters, and Shinies — that give players, and apparently not just ones with a Rift account, a “chance” to win in-game crafting and artifact loot. These games all seem pretty simple, but hey, loot.
Trion describes this release as the “first stage” of an overall Rift Mobile rollout. The final launch, accompanied by an Android app, is expected in Q1. We’re pretty stoked to see where this goes — no-one has really nailed an MMO companion app, so it’ll be fun to watch it grow and, hopefully, become truly awesome.
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‘Grand Theft Auto 3′ Is Actually Incredibly Moddable
Grand Theft Auto 3 [$4.99] is good and all, but wouldn’t it be better if you could, say, adjust the draw distance? Or turn up the Awesome on those muddy A4 chip textures? Some of our more technically savvy and adventurous message board users are , believe it or not, and without a jailbreak.
How? Turns out that Grand Theft Auto 3 on iOS and Android has the exact same file structure as their PC versions, which opens them up for modding after a bit of directory digging. The is a guide of sorts if you’d like to get in on the action. If you’re looking for how to do it, or have questions along the way. That’s the place to go.
speculates that modding could lead to Hot Coffee-type inclusions into this version, if modders wanted to go that far with additional content. It’ll be interesting to see how Apple would react to that. Guess: not favorably.
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‘Wind-up Knight’ Review – The Little Knight That Could
Picture Super Mario Bros. Got a nice image in your head? Good. Now imagine Mario could never stop moving and would only change direction if he hit a wall. A little tougher. And what if absolutely everything could kill him in one hit, and there was no such thing as a checkpoint? That sounds like the sort of game that would have you cursing, spitting, and contemplating throwing your controller, and it also sounds a lot like Wind-up Knight [$0.99]
Occasionally a game will come out on Android that looks so good I slaver for a port. Wind-up Knight is one of those games. Released on the Android Market a couple months back, the side-scrolling adventure looked slick, adorable, and hard — all the things I look for in a platformer. Now that it’s arrived on iOS, I can finally confirm: this game is outstanding.
Like the Energizer Bunny, the wind-up knight keeps going, and going, and going. The only things he’ll stop for are death and the end of a level. Otherwise he’ll keep going one way until he hits a wall, and then he’ll turn around and go the other way until his little clockwork bits wind down. Really, it’s just another way for the poor fellow to die.
Not that there’s any shortage of deaths to be had. Pits will get him, and must be jumped. Some need to be double jumped instead, but the wrong choice will again mean death. Then there are the rocks that fall from the ceiling. Those need to be blocked with a shield. Sometimes there are monsters, and they must be slashed or, occasionally, leapt over. And quite a lot of the time there will be spike walls or other obstacles perfectly placed at head height. Rolling will solve those.
Each of those commands is placed on a virtual button beneath one of your thumbs. They’re spaced out comfortably, so you’ll rarely mix them up. Precise controls are absolutely vital, because Wind-up Knight demands perfection. To complete a level, you have to be able to dodge, slash and block absolutely everything. Every obstacle is telegraphed in advance with coins or other indicators, so you’ll never be completely surprised. Expect, however, plenty of do-overs, because seeing, processing and reacting correctly is a skill that takes practice. Knowing the level is half the battle.
But completing all 48 levels isn’t the end. True knights need to master every single level. That means collecting every single coin, and finding the hidden card in every level. You can’t always do both at once, since finding the card usually means taking an alternate, secret path that skips over some coins. So you’ll be seeing each level a few times.
There are good reasons to keep going back. Collecting full suits of cards unlocks special equipment. Collecting most of the coins in a level will give you an A rank, and earning A ranks throughout an entire chapter unlocks an uber-difficult Knightmare level. Collecting absolutely everything will give you S ranks across the board. If that gives you anything other than bragging rights and a valuable Game Center achievement, I don’t know about it — there’s not much chance I’ll ever get that good.
I’m happy to keep trying, despite the many, many replays I undertook to make it through the main game. The presentation on display in Wind-up Knight is top notch. The game runs as smooth as silk (thankfully — any slowdown would be murder). The music is compelling, and changes by chapter and tone. The knight himself is adorable, and the environments he travels in are lovely to look at. Even the menus look great.
You might be turned off by the presence of IAP. You probably shouldn’t be. You can purchase Notes, needed to buy pieces of equipment. Most of the equipment is unlocked by playing the game. You can afford more with the Notes you earn in the game, though there’s no opportunity to grind them. If you want to have absolutely everything you will need to pay, but the equipment just offers small advantages for certain situations. It’s closer to a set of cheats than actual gear.
While there’s no true story to speak of, there is a loose narrative to be discovered. I’d rather not get into details, because its slow reveal is one of the things that charmed me most about this game. I’d hate to spoil that experience. Suffice it to say that you should pay attention to the tips while loading each level. I’ve rarely seen them used to such Machiavellian effect.
Wind-up Knight was worth the wait. Though it can be extremely frustrating, it rewards the player who pushes through the painful parts. Each time you replay a level you’ll learn more, memorize more, become better at the game. The rush you’ll get when you finally reach the end of a challenging level is worth the trouble, every time. So get this game. When you’re too frustrated to go on, take a break and visit our ; let us know what you think.
TouchArcade Rating: 
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‘Sonic CD’ Releasing Tomorrow, New Trailer Hits
We’ve been giddy for the Sonic CD iOS release since it was finally officially announced back in August, Sega has finally revealed the release date for the game: and it’s tomorrow! This will coincide with the release of Sonic CD on the console digital download platforms Xbox Live and PSN this week as well. Pricing on consoles will be $4.99, but iOS gamers get a special introductory price of $1.99. Sega has also confirmed that Sonic CD will be coming to Android and Windows Phone 7, but not until early next year.
This was going to be an absolutely insane week for releases already, but when you throw a heavy hitter like the beloved Sonic CD, coming with all sorts of enhancements and bonuses over the original, into the release mix then things quickly get turned up to 11 and beyond. We’ll let you know as soon as Sonic CD officially hits the App Store, and you can be sure we’ll be playing the heck out of it with a review soon to follow.
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