Archive for the ‘bluetooth’ tag
‘RoboHero’ Review – A Challenging Turn Based Puzzler
I used to think I had a knack for strategy games. Then I checked out RoboHero [Free], a turn-based tank puzzler from . Now, I’m not so sure if I have the chops to handle a game of this difficulty. While the game incorporates relatively simple (and slow) gameplay, this is buttressed by a wide variety of weapons and puzzles, along with a difficulty that’ll either keep you coming back for more or giving up in frustration.
RoboHero places you in the role of Blue Robo, the last defense for Earth in its fight against an evil robot army. As a last resort, you’re sent to the robot ship in order to infiltrate and destroy all the forces. As you progress through the game’s story mode, you’ll unlock new weapons and face new enemies and obstacles. However, the goal of the game is always to either get to the other side of the level or take out a certain amount of enemies.
You’ll accomplish this by planning each move for Blue Robo 15 turns in advance. Every turn, movement, shot, and even weapon change counts as a turn. Once you’ve planned everything out, you hit the start button and your robo executes its actions while the surrounding environment (and enemy baddies) executes theirs. There’s a lot of timing, predicting, and planning involved with each set of turns, much more than I think most players are used to.
The game is also quite unforgiving with planning turns – mistiming a turn or shot can spell doom for that entire set of turns (or even worse, put you in a position to get destroyed). Also, you have to plan out 15 turns; if you try and start the round sooner, your robo will simply stand still for those turns you don’t plan anything, effectively wasting precious moves.
RoboHero’s biggest strength is also its potentially biggest weakness. When all is said and done, this game is hard. You better have some pretty damn good timing and analytical skills if you want to completely finish this game by collecting all the level stars (three stars for each of the thirty missions).
Each level lets you earn up to three stars by accomplishing three different criteria. You can earn a star by collecting all the stars in a level, by keeping your health above a certain threshold, and by passing the level under a certain amount of turns (every individual action counts as a ‘turn’). Normally, I can do well enough to earn one of those at any one time, and if I tried pretty hard, I could probably handle both the health and collectible stars.
However, if you want to land all three, you’re going to have to do a lot of work analyzing your moves, the movements of your enemies, and creating the most streamlined route that takes out only the necessary enemies and gets you where you need to go without coming to harm. It’s an exercise in patience and planning that I rarely see in games these days.
It’s important to note that the difficulty is mostly restricted toward earning stars. In the case of simply wanting to pass a level, RoboHero is a little more forgiving, especially since Blue Robo has the ability to glimpse the future movement of the surrounding enemies and environment. However, you only have a limited amount of foresight, and it doesn’t really make it any easier to time some movement.
Regardless, later levels will still test both your reactive and puzzle solving senses. Annoyances such as the fact that you have to start over if you die make the later levels more annoying to complete (especially considering the latter half of the levels will take some time to actually run through and complete).
In addition to the Story Mode, RoboHero also features an Arena Mode and Multiplayer. I found Arena Mode far more enjoyable than the story mode, as you’re simply tossed into a small level with a bunch of other computer opponents with the sole purpose of kicking the crap out of everyone else. It’s very reminiscent of Bomberman and I think RoboHero does a great job capturing that frenetic feel in a turn based game.
Multiplayer is restricted to pass and play, which I think loses a lot of the excitement that might have occurred with Bluetooth or Wifi modes (asynchronous might have been interesting as well). Thankfully, online multiplayer is supposedly on the horizon.
If you’re on the fence as to whether a game such a RoboHero is for you, here’s some good news: The game’s first ten levels (as well as Multiplayer and Arena) are offered for free, with IAP covering the other 20 story levels. In this regard, I suggest picking it up if you’re even remotely interested. Its slow, turn-based gameplay is a much different take than most tank games I’ve played on iOS, and it’s bound to turn some heads, but only for pretty hardcore puzzle or strategy fans.
TouchArcade Rating: 
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CES 2012: Hands On with the iCade Mobile
So, in the madhouse that is CES, I managed to track down the booth to get some hands on time with the new iCade Mobile.
The details remain the same as when we previously reported on it. The iCade Mobile will be priced at $79.99 when it launches. It’s got eight buttons, and a d-pad. Like the original iCade, it connects over Bluetooth.
What’s nice about the design is it supports both landscape and portrait modes. The iPhone or iPod Touch sits in a specially designed cradle that can rotate freely.
Of course, one side effect to this design is that it makes the whole device pretty big. You’ll be able to see in the hands on video that it adds a considerable amount of bulkage to your iOS device:
Unsurprisingly, control-wise it felt the same as the iCade. Some people seem to complain of a very slight lag in controls, but as you can see in the video, it’s pretty minimal. To my hands the controls felt nicely spaced out, though I didn’t really get a chance to test out the shoulder buttons in action. As with any of these accessories, it’s hard to imagine lugging one around with you everywhere you go, but the added convenience (over the original iCade) of being able to lean back in your couch is nice.
And here’s an official video from Ion Audio showing people having a hilarious time with it:
You too could look this happy. The device is coming this spring at $79.99.
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‘Lunar Racer’ Review – Jump, Flip, Shoot and Win
The first batch of new game releases in 2012 last week was relatively quiet, but Lunar Racer [99¢] from (the makers of Super Stickman Golf [99¢/HD] ) have got things off to a positive start by releasing a new lo-gravity racing game with plenty of jumps, heaps of flips and a couple of weapons.
Lunar Racer starts with a basic driving test, to secure your lunar license. During your rookie training, you learn that tapping the left half of the screen activates “gravity assist” to pull your vehicle towards the ground, while tapping the right side activates nitro boosters for a burst of speed. There’s no steering controls, as this game is all about timing your speed-boosts and jumps to beat your opponents.
Once you’re airborne, tilting the device left or right does a backwards or forwards flip. These flips are essential as each flip replenishes your nitro tanks, allowing you to pass opponents, jump higher, flip more and hopefully win. But if you don’t land safely on your wheels, you’ll crash, incurring a slight delay. The further you turn the device, the faster your racer spins and the more nitro you earn. There are also coins (MoonBux) to collect, both on the ground and floating, which is another incentive to go aerial.
You can use the MoonBux you collect to unlock 16 different vehicle chassis and a similar number of wheels, canopy colors or nitro styles (eg: perhaps you want pretty stars or a green flame shooting out when you turbo?). I believe that adds up to 16 x 16 x 16 x 16 possible combinations, which equals… a lot! The customizations don’t actually improve the attributes or performance of your vehicle, but it allows you to personalize its appearance.
The racing, jumping, flipping and customizations are all fun, but there are also weapons. You can use mines or missiles to attack your three opponents and deploy bubble-shields to protect yourself from their attacks. Once you pass over a generic power-up icon, a specific upgrade is randomly chosen and appears as a button to activate. Some users found this button uncomfortable to reach on the larger iPad screen, but it works fine on the iPod touch or iPhone.
The first race occurs on a space-station near Earth, but by winning races you gain the stars needed to unlock additional moons around Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The developers plan to release more moons in future, to cover off the rest of our Solar System. The last two moons currently require local multiplayer wins to unlock, which isn’t ideal for those playing alone, but the developers plan to remedy this in an update, perhaps by allowing those levels to be unlocked by stars just like the other levels.
Lunar Racer currently has single player mode (racing against 3 AI-controlled opponents) and local multiplier mode (Bluetooth or WiFi for up to four players). The developers are already investigating the feasibility of an online multiplayer mode, however there’s issues with all the flipping and lag to deal with and NoodleCake told us they won’t release it unless it runs flawlessly, so it’s still an investigation in progress. They also revealed that they’d like to add an ‘endless’ arcade racing mode, where the terrain on the moon is generated procedurally.
Once you win a race with three stars, it unlocks a PRO tour mode for that moon with harder competitors.
This gives you an opportunity to earn three more stars for unlocking new moons. There’s also three specific goals listed for each moon, like: “Do 10 or more back flips” or “Get 15 perfect landings”. If you complete all three goals for a level, you get to play a special bonus round which focuses on collecting as many MoonBux as you can, without any opponents. Game Center and OpenFeint are both integrated for high scores and achievements.
Lunar Racer is already a fun title which I’ll be playing for a while, but it feels like it could be much more. Here’s hoping for more levels coming, an extra game mode planned & the possibility of online multiplayer mode. If they’ve got any spare time, perhaps they can put iCloud synching on their to-do list too.
TouchArcade Rating: 
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What a Couple of Weeks! ‘Sonic CD’, ‘Grand Theft Auto III’, and Things You Might Have Missed
WOW! This week, or actually, the last two weeks have been insane. We’ve been pulling some crazy hours here getting everything up, and as a result, the front page of TouchArcade has been moving at about mach 3. I’m pretty sure Brad, Jared, and I all Tebowed at one point this week in hopes that the emails would stop coming.
Anyway, here’s a reverse chronological recap of the stories really worth checking out over the past couple of weeks, in case you missed anything! If you’ve already read everything I’m linking here, congratulations, you just earned your TouchArcade holiday season merit badge.
Best iOS Games November 2011
Our ratings for games we reviewed in November are now in place, and we now present to you the ones that are on the top of the heap. Each game reviewed receives a 1-5 star rating relative to the other games from that month. Generally, a three-star or higher is considered a “good” rating.
The ‘Time Ducks’ Trailer Will Melt Your Brain
A couple of weeks ago, released their first iOS game called Time Ducks [$1.99], and I’m going to be honest, I bought it based solely on the fact that it was called Time Ducks. I figured with a name like that, there was no way I could go wrong. As it turned out, Time Ducks ended up being a pretty fun and unique take on line drawing games, and it sort of sat on the back burner as something I’d been planning on writing about.
Controller Update: More on the GameBone, A Bluetooth 4.0 Revelation
iPhone controller accessories have been generating a good bit of news, here lately. More and more existing iOS titles are gaining physical control options via updates, and just last week we detailed the upcoming Gametel Bluetooth controller that will soon become a game-enhancing iOS controller option, alongside the iCade and iControlPad. The more the merrier, true, but long time readers may recall yet another controller we covered over a year ago that has been off the radar ever since. Does anyone remember the GameBone?
Microsoft Releases Official Xbox Live App
Microsoft, via , has just announced the immediate release of the company’s first Xbox Live iOS app, My Xbox Live [Free]. It’s a free app that basically acts as a mobile companion to some of the more important aspects of the service. You can read and send messages to anyone on your Friend’s List, manage that list or invite new people onto it, edit your profile, gander at all of your hard-earned achievements, or even mess with your Avatar’s apparel.
The OnLive iOS Client is Finally Arriving
At E3 back in June of this year, we got an impressive hands-on demo of the OnLive service running and playable on the iPad. In case you’re not familiar, OnLive is the cloud-based gaming service that allows you to play from a fairly large selection of console and PC games by way of streaming them to an OnLive client running on your computer or a specially designed set-top box that connects to your TV. In simpler terms, it’s a lot like instantly streaming movies over NetFlix, except it’s video games, and you get to actually play them in real time with minimal lag if you’re internet speeds are up to snuff.
Out Now: ‘Batman Arkham City Lockdown’, ‘Mini Motor Racing’, ‘Six Guns’, ‘TXT Fighter HD’, and More
Holy jeez! We’re pretty used to the typical Wednesday onslaught of new releases in the App Store, but today has been a truly insane undertaking. Between Batman making a surprise drop from the shadows and into the App Store with Arkham City Lockdown, the exciting OnLive iOS client finally seeing the light of day (soon anyway), and the normal barrage of new releases we usually see every week, it’s been a wild roller coaster ride of iOS craziness. To top it off, Eli is out in Finland hobnobbing with The Mighty Eagle, ensuring that Brad and I are up to our ear balls in busy work.
Dragon Shout: A Great ‘Skyrim’ Map App
Dragon Shout [Free] has cleared the certification hurdle and it’s available now at the low, low price of $0. What it does, it does well, and it proves a point. Games as deep as should be embracing mobile companion apps across the board. Dragon Shout is an app that not only makes Skyrim better, but down the road, it might add an entirely new layer to the experience: social.
‘Chrono Trigger’ Hits the App Store
Hey guys! Here’s a surprise, Chrono Trigger [$9.99] just came out of nowhere. Well, not entirely out of nowhere, since Square Enix had mentioned that it was coming this month… But after the rampant delays that Final Fantasy Tactics saw, my hopes that they’d hit this release window could be best described as “cautiously optimistic.”
Apple’s “App Store Rewind 2011″ Features ‘Tiny Tower’ and ‘Dead Space for iPad’ as Games of the Year
If you’re new to iOS devices, or haven’t been following the scene as closely as you should have been over the last year, Apple’s year end feature App Store Rewind 2011 has an incredible amount of must-have games and apps that, in my opinion, you can basically just blindly download as they did a great job of picking out the cream of the crop.
‘WildChords’ is One of the Coolest Things I’ve Seen the iPad Do
Earlier today I got a live demo of Ovelin’s WildChords [Free], an edutainment musical game that never really had much reason to be on my radar. But using nothing more than an iPad, any kind of guitar, and some technical wizardry on their end, WildChords can teach you how to play the guitar.
‘Batman Arkham City Lockdown’ Review – The Dark Knight Tries His Hand at ‘Infinity Blade’
Earlier this week, Warner Bros. and Mortal Kombat developer NeatherRealm Studios surprised everybody by dropping Batman Arkham City Lockdown [$5.99], an iOS spinoff of the critically acclaimed console series, into the App Store.
Remember ‘Star Command’? Well It’s Still Coming, Here Are Some New Screens
Easily one of my most anticipated games this year, and I’m sure many of yours out there as well, is ‘ Star Command.
‘Kinectimals’ Review – Making Connections
Kinectimals is an experiential game that does a solid job of luring its users into forming an emotional bond with its assortment of on-screen, rascally pets.
Out Now: ‘Bug Princess’, ‘Ice Rage’, ‘Marathon 2′, ‘Sonic CD’, ‘Trenches II’ and TONS More
If you’ve been sitting on a waiting for the right occasion to open the first gallon sized can of preserved potato chunks, this might be it.
‘Sonic CD’ Review – Absolutely Incredible and Redefines Expectations of iOS Ports
The only way I can start this review is with a little history lesson, both for people who aren’t familiar with Sonic CD, as well as those of you who might not have been reading TouchArcade since the summer of 2009. Let’s start at the beginning, so everyone can truly appreciate just how wonderful the very existence of this game is.
‘Grand Theft Auto III’ Review – Ten Years Later, Still a Great Game
Prior to Grand Theft Auto III I’d say I had fun messing around in Grand Theft Auto games, but never really enjoyed myself. The top-down view felt incredibly claustrophobic, and, at least for me, made getting immersed into the game world incredibly difficult. I don’t think it’s hyperbole at all to say that GTA 3 changed everything.
Remember when we wrote about the fact that Carcassonne [$9.99] will receive expansion support in the future? It has that right now.
‘Mad Dog McCree’ Coming To iPhone Next Week
’s so-awful-it-ends-up-being-good FMV shooter, , is coming to the iPhone and iPod Touch this December 20, according to caretaker . This is a port of the original arcade release of the game, so don’t expect anything too fancy, however the team is noting that it has converted the game’s silly footage for phones and even added an “all new casual mode” for those without hardcore gunslinging skills.
‘Bug Princess’ Review – Unsurprisingly, CAVE’s Latest Bullet Hell Shooter is Another Winner
In April of last year, iOS gamers scored big when longtime Japanese developer decided to task their mobile division with bringing some of their classic shooter titles to the Apple App Store. All of these games – Espgaluda II, Dodonpachi Resurrection, and Deathsmiles – received critical acclaim from media and gamers alike, and set the benchmark for what we should expect from our bullet hell shmups on the App Store.
I told you it has been a crazy couple of weeks! I only cherry picked the really good stuff that we posted for this list too! Now, it’s time for a beer and a weekend away from my inbox…!
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Controller Update: More on the GameBone, A Bluetooth 4.0 Revelation
iPhone controller accessories have been generating a good bit of news, here lately. More and more existing iOS titles are gaining physical control options via updates, and just last week we detailed the upcoming Gametel Bluetooth controller that will soon become a game-enhancing iOS controller option, alongside the iCade and iControlPad. The more the merrier, true, but long time readers may recall yet another controller we covered over a year ago that has been off the radar ever since. Does anyone remember the GameBone?
Once again, Stuart Carnie of Manomio (whose C64 for iPhone just got iCade support) reached out and pinged me to share a bit of exciting tech he’s had his eye on, and I’m quite eager to fill the rest of you in.
Stuart showed me the following proof-of-concept video done by Jason Chan of Australian firm , the main man behind the GameBone controllers, depicting the venerable — a standard, 9-pin Atari-style joystick — tethered to a Bluetooth controller board, controlling Stuart’s retro iOS port of Flashback [App Store] via iCade emulation. It’s pretty awesome stuff.
I got in touch with Chan and inquired as to what his intentions are regarding this demonstrated technology, and also regarding the GameBone controller we last heard about so long ago.
Chan informs me that he and his team are currently deciding whether they should supply the GameBone Bluetooth Module (GBM) to game accessory manufacturers, to the general public as a DIY kit, or to both. As far as I’m concerned, even if I have to bring out the trusty old soldering iron, the prospect of using any Atari-style joystick I want with iCade-compatible games is a magical one, not to be missed. Chan also let us know that 22Moo is working with a PC / PS3 /XBOX 360 game accessory manufacturer to bring this technology forth in the form of both single- and dual-stick -style joystick boxes for iOS and Android devices.
That’s not the end of the GameBone news, however. Chan has made us aware of three coming devices that are currently in development and will be made available to iOS gamers in the future. The devices in question are:
- GameBone Racer – A desk-mounted steering-wheel accessory for the iPad that will enter the final prototype stage by week’s end (pictured).
- GameBone GSR – A device that attaches to two of the user’s fingers that allows him or her to effectively control games with their mind. The GSR uses biofeedback technology similar to that used in lie detectors. 22Moo is partnering with a Polish firm that has experience with this technology on the PC. The first prototype is completed and a second prototype is scheduled for February 2012
- GameBone VT / Virtual Touch – A system in the very early stages of development that allows users to attach tiny “fingers” to a device’s screen in order to simulate physical touch by way of push buttons on an external control device. The GBVT is designed to be integrated into classic gamepads and joysticks to allow them to work with games designed purely for touch.
These are all devices that we were, previously, unaware of. The GameBone device that we have heard of, the one that we spoke of back in September of last year, is now known as the GameBone Pro, and we can’t share what we’ve learned about it with readers just yet, unfortunately. News will come in time, however…
In the discussions with Stuart and Jason Chan, something else we were unaware of came to light. And, I’ve not seen this reported anywhere, and so I think many are in the dark on this — and it’s a pretty big thing for accessory makers.
Some time back, we explained that the reason the iCade emulates a keyboard — and that the reason, until recently, that no analog sticks would work under standard iOS — is due to restrictions Apple places on the type of Bluetooth connection that an accessory can make with an iOS device. That is indeed the case for Bluetooth 2.x, which is the standard protocol on all iOS devices. There is one iOS device, however, that is capable of communicating via Bluetooth 4.0 LE (low-energy): the iPhone 4S. No other iOS device — not even the iPad 2 — is able to utilize this protocol. The exciting thing about this is that an accessory can, right now, connect to an iPhone 4S via Bluetooth 4.0 LE in a manner that provides the roomy datastream that can easily and properly accommodate things like multiple analog sticks — and without the need of any sort of approval from, or cooperation with, Apple.
So, there it is. There’s nothing in the way of vendors creating and selling full-featured controllers with zero latency, other than the want of the protocol on more (future) iOS devices. Of course, Apple could always choose to open up Bluetooth 2.x and allow all iOS devices to support such high-bandwidth connection profiles, but it’s unclear if they ever will.
Stay tuned for more details on the upcoming line of GameBone accessories from 22Moo as well as any of the other accessory makers out there.
[ Chan will be providing us a more detailed video demonstrating the GameBone Bluetooth Module later in the day, at which point we will update this story, so stay tuned. ]
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Controller Update: The New Gametel Controller, iControlPad Analog Stick Support
While the iOS device’s multitouch screen has introduced a whole new way of interacting with software and enabled game developers to rethink the fundamentals of game control, there are definitely areas where it falls short. One such area is in the on-screen approximation of a physical control stick or D-pad. Ever since we first mentioned the iControlPad, three and a half years ago, button mashers particularly frustrated by virtual controls began eagerly waiting for such physical controller accessories to arrive. This summer, the iCade and iControlPad did arrive and developers wanting to go that extra mile began adding in support for these controllers, where it made sense.
Gametel controller
In a short time from now, the controller market will be gaining another iOS-compatible unit for gamers to choose from in the form of from Fructel AB. News on this one began spreading a couple of weeks back, but we only just learned of the device, likely due to the Android-centric PR that surrounds it; there’s scant mention of iOS devices on the product webpage. Luckily, C64 for iPhone [App Store] developer Stuart Carnie of Manomio pinged me to let us know that the unit works quite well with iOS devices (by way of an iCade emulation mode, the addition of which was driven by Stuart, himself), and that he is particularly impressed by the unit’s ergonomics.
The Gametel controller pairs with any iOS device, appearing to be a keyboard to the host unit. It has a spring-loaded arm / brace extending from the top of the unit that allows it to firmly grasp most any type of app phone, including all iPhone and iPod touch devices (not the iPad, of course). The unit sports a digital directional pad, four main action buttons, a Select and a Start button, and two shoulder buttons. (It lacks the analog nubs offered by the iControlPad.) The Gametel device delivers 9 hours of battery life — for itself only, not the host unit — and is charged via micro USB cable.
Jimmie Johansson, involved with the project, informs me that the 120mm x 67mm x 24mm unit is light weight and durable and fits easily into a pocket. Production of the first batch of devices is happening right now, as I post this, and it should be available at Amazon UK before Christmas for around £50.
Oh — and it has a super feature: pressing Select and Start together instantly toggles in the on-screen keyboard, to enter high scores or search for an app to launch. It’s an extremely welcome feature to anyone that’s used an iCade, which lacks such functionality.
iControlPad
The Gametel controller isn’t the only news from the iOS controller scene. The folks behind the iControlPad have been busy working on firmware updates to better the experience of iOS gamers.
Remember, back in the review of the iControlPad, how I mentioned that only jailbroken iOS devices and other platforms could utilize the sweet, dual analog nubs on the iControlPad? Well, I’m happy to have been proven wrong. Now, it’s not as wonderful a scenario as if Apple had begun allowing the type of iOS Bluetooth pairing that an HID device with a set of analog sticks really needs. No. Instead, the iControlPad firmware developers created a new interface mode called “special packet mode” in the latest test firmware that sends the coordinates of the two analog nubs as strings of characters — from the perspective of an iOS device, they’re being sent by a keyboard. It’s a pretty awesome workaround in the face of an Apple restriction that we truly wish the company would see fit to dissolve, and it lets legitimate games in the App Store take advantage of physical analog controllers.
A perfect example of this mode in action is Warner Skoch’s [App Store], a space shooter in the vein of (a retro and rather simplified) Super Stardust HD that we’ve not covered directly, but that has in our forums where readers are enjoying it. It was in the OpenPandora forums that of this little gem. Have a look at a fan video showing iControlPad analog nub gameplay on an iPad. (The video also shows D-pad play of Super Mega Worm.)
Oh, and that pop-in-the-onscreen-keyboard trick the Gametel unit brings — the iControlPad, with the latest test firmware, has that as well (it just takes a few more seconds of button-holding to kick in).
iCade
So, with all this exciting news about the Gametel controller and the analog stick support from App Store games for the iControlPad, I went ahead and contacted to see if there is anything exciting on the horizon for the iCade. It turns out that while, sadly, the pop-up-keyboard trick isn’t a planned thing for the iCade right now, I did glean, from extremely vague terms, that there may be some interesting things to come in the iCade’s future. No specifics, unfortunately, but it’s something we’ll keep an eye on.
And there you have it — a round-up of physical controller news. The introduction of a new controller, the Gametel unit, will only sweeten the proposition for developers to support for such devices in their games down the road, and that’s definitely a good thing for iOS gamers. Stay tuned for more controller news as it unfolds.
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‘Ticket to Ride Pocket’ – Popular iPad Board Game Now Available on iPhone
Ticket to Ride is a popular board game created by board game gurus Days of Wonder. Back in May, Ticket to Ride [$6.99] was digitally converted into an iPad game, one which we thoroughly enjoyed in our review. Ticket to Ride had an excellent computer AI to play against, but the real fun was in playing another real life person. The iPad version contained a slick online multiplayer mode for up to 4 players, but was criticized for not having a local pass-n-play mode, something that should be a core element of any game based on a real life board game. Thankfully, pass-n-play did eventually come in an update a couple months following release, and there was much rejoicing.
Yesterday, Days of Wonder has gone and released an iPhone version of Ticket to Ride, dubbed Ticket to Ride Pocket [99¢]. Many iPad gamers, and of course non-iPad owning gamers, have been clamoring for a portable version of Ticket to Ride, so this release certainly should make quite a few people happy. However, Ticket to Ride Pocket has almost the exact opposite problems that its iPad counterpart had on release. It does contain a pass-n-play mode along with its single player, but does not contain an online multiplayer mode. Days of Wonder has stated this was a conscious decision, as they didn’t want to compromise the online experience with interruptions that are inherent to phones like incoming calls and spotty network coverage.
Besides lacking online play, Ticket to Ride Pocket also nixes the extra Europe and Switzerland maps from the iPad version, instead focusing on just the American map. This was another conscious decision by the developer, as they felt that the additional maps contained too much detail to be sufficiently playable on the smaller screen of the iPhone and iPod touch.
While Ticket to Ride Pocket is a more limited experience than the iPad version, it doesn’t make it a bad game at all. In fact, quite the opposite. The single player AI is quite good, and pass-n-play is adequate for when you have a friend close by. There’s also multiplayer over local WiFi or Bluetooth if you’re close by friend(s) happens to have their own device and copy of the game. Perhaps best of all is that the pocket edition is just 99¢ as of this writing.
I still think it would be nice to see online multiplayer and the additional maps added into the game, despite the developer’s concerns, and that may happens sometime down the line. But for the cheap price of entry, Ticket to Ride Pocket is a great mobile take on the board game that’s worth having a look at.
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Tons of ‘Skyrim’ Sales Today – ‘Shadowgun’, ‘Peggle’, ‘Scribblenauts’ and More for 99¢
In honor of the release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim today, tons of iOS developers have dropped the price of their games. I suppose this sale could also be for Veteran’s Day, but that seems to be just as weird of a reason to slash prices of iOS games as the release of Skyrim. So, since everyone else has abandoned me for Skyrim, I’m just going to assume that these sales are some kind of consolation prize to give me something else to do today other than be forever alone.
Out of all the things on sale, this is the ten bucks I’d spend:
Cowboy Guns HD, $0.99 – [Review] – Sure, there’s a billion dual stick shooters on the App Store, but I’ve got to tip my hat at any that have an actual story-driven single-player campaign to play through instead of just throwing you into a pit full of monsters to see how long you can survive.
Flapcraft, $0.99 – This game was a little hard to recommend when it first came out because of how short and linear it was for a “see how far you can fly” kind of game. But, for a buck, it’s totally worth picking up just to see how incredibly detailed the graphics are on the Retina Display.
Grand Prix Story, $0.99 – [Review] – My latest Kairosoft obsession. Take the gameplay of Game Dev Story and apply it to racing. It works really well, and unlike other Kairosoft games features gameplay which seems fairly clear-cut and sensible. Upgrade cars, do better in races, trick out your garage, etc.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, $0.99 – [Review] – We didn’t think a whole lot of this game when it was originally released, it was expensive, buggy, and felt awkward as an iOS game. Well, a price drop and a few updates fixed the first two problems, but I’m not sure what can be done about the third.
Peggle, $0.99 – [Review] – Is there a person on this planet who owns an iPhone and doesn’t have Peggle on it? I certainly hope not, but if you fall into that group I’d seriously fix that as soon as possible. Peggle is amazing.
Scribblenauts Remix, $0.99 – [Review] – The Scribblenauts games for the Nintendo DS were incredible, so naturally, when you take those two and cram ‘em together into one iOS game that’s also universal and supports iCloud syncing? …Yeah, you need to get this game.
SHADOWGUN, $0.99 – [Review] – Like Madfingers’ other games, Shadowgun is very heavy on the eye candy and a little light on gameplay. Regardless, if you’ve got a recent iOS device, for a buck you should totally check out the graphics Shadowgun can make it pump out.
Super Crossfire™ HD, $0.99 – [Review] – This is what happens when you take the classic game of Space Invaders and crank it up to 11 with bright colors, particle effects, and a really cool warping mechanic that puts a new twist on the whole thing.
World of Goo, $0.99 – [Review] – I wouldn’t really say the small screen of the iPhone is the ideal way to play World of Goo, but this game is so good that you should try it anyway. Although, if at all possible, check out the HD version on the iPad.
WORMS, $0.99 – [Review] – Even though I still don’t think the port is the best, it’s still really rad to be able to play Worms on your phone. A recent update added Bluetooth multiplayer, so if you’ve got local iOS gamer friends, this is a solid purchase.
Also, just like most holidays, there’s tons of other games on sale (and quite a few even free) for the release of Skyrim. I’ve written up a handy-dandy guide for finding everything that’s on sale or free. Alternatively, you can check out our to see what forum members have found.
Happy Skyrim release day everyone!
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Freebie Alert – ‘Piyo Blocks 2′ Updated with Retina Display Support and Currently Free
, creators of the adorable physics puzzler Land-a Panda [99¢/HD/Lite HD] and the cat-tastic dual-stick shooter Meow Meow Happy Fight [$2.99/HD], have temporarily dropped the price of one of their other major titles, Piyo Blocks 2 [Free]. A sequel to the original Piyo Blocks [99¢/Lite] that was released in 2009, Piyo Blocks 2 takes everything that was great about that first game and improves upon it, resulting in one of the most enjoyable match-3 games around.
I know what you must be thinking, “A match-3? Seriously? I am like, SO over that”, and normally I’d totally agree with you. Except that Piyo Blocks 2 just happens to be my personal favorite match-3 out of them all (just slightly ahead of Gemmed! [$1.99/Lite], in case you were wondering), and if you don’t already own this game then downloading it while free is a mandatory action. There really isn’t a more feature-rich match-3 game available on iOS.
First off, you have 6 different modes for your single-player pleasures, each utilizing a slightly different set of rules or visuals based on the core match-3 mechanics. Each mode is quite fun in its own way, and there’s heaps of Game Center/OpenFeint achievements and leaderboards to keep you occupied as you get your match on while solo.
However, one of the coolest things about Piyo Blocks 2 is that it contains multiplayer. You can go head-to-head against somebody close to you by way of Bluetooth or a local WiFi network, or you can jump online and play people from across the globe. In fact, that is part of what spurred this freebie promotion, as Big Pixel wants to enlarge the player pool for online matchmaking. There’s really no better way to do that than to lower the barrier of entry to free.
This trailer is a bit outdated as far as listing some of the features, but it should give you an idea of what you’re in for after you download Piyo Blocks 2:
In addition to all of the above mentioned features, Piyo Blocks 2 was also just recently updated with Retina Display support. This is something I had been hoping for for a long, long time and it pleases me to no end to see all the little Piyo blocks in such crisp resolution. Big Pixel Studios are known for their wonderful sounds and visuals, and Piyo Blocks 2 is no different. In fact, I would suggest downloading the game for the soundtrack alone, as it is dangerously catchy and gets stuck in my head on at least an every-other-day basis.
I understand that there are a ton of match-3 games out there, and with so many options which one ends up being your favorite largely depends on personal preference. That said, Piyo Blocks 2 earns top spot for me, and I really can’t recommend it enough. Make sure to snag it while it’s still free, which should be at least another day or two.
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‘Zombieville USA 2′ Review – Zombieville Harder
It was easy to overlook the issues in the original Zombieville USA. When it hit, the App Store was as foreign and exciting as our new iPhones. Plus, there was no real measuring stick; we just knew it was a fun and cutesy side-scrolling shooter starring the world’s favorite bullet-sponges, the undead. Zombieville USA 2 [$.99], on the other hand, has released in a period where we have expectations. Awesomely, Mika Mobile knocks them out of the park by both refining and creating within the confines of the original game.
Tightly-constructed, well-executed, charming, different and entertaining are all words I feel like I can freely use when describing Zombieville 2. For the most part, it’s a near perfect iterative entry to the franchise. It artfully hones in on and turns up the volume on the two best parts of the original: the shooting and upgrade models.
Zombieville 2 just gives you more — more zombies, more weapons, more people to play as, and more to unlock as you rummage through levels collecting cash from boxes and other environmental items. The upgrade model in particular is a killer. Like a modern Call of Duty, this game has a tendency to inspire constant replays, as the next best weapon or character perk is always just a few more sessions away.
A smarter Xbox-like button system allows for up to three weapon switching on the fly, while the harder-hitting melee weapons ensures you’re never up the proverbial creek and unable to defend yourself against the zombie hordes that populate each of its cutesy, though still post-zombie armageddon environments.
Zombieville 2 introduces several key changes, including a huge out-of-game item store. For me, the most impfactful change is its re-moldeled structure. Levels are now instance-based and timed and you move between them freely. For the most part, the free-form appeal of the action has been retained. Whatever you do during your time in a level, be it running steadily to the right or staying put, is up to you.
This puts everything that happens on your terms — you pick the weapons, you pick the approach and you choose how and when to kill. You probably won’t come out of the action with a ZombieVille Moment to share with friends since the core model isn’t all that interesting from a strictly mechanical run-and-gun standpoint, but you’ll end up molding your own strategies or tactics inadvertently. A lot of weapons in the game have varying amounts of knock-back or cause adverse side-effects on the undead, allowing you room for more sandbox-y and satisfying play.
You can meet your undead, uh, death quota with a friend, too. A Game Center co-op mode adds a second player to the action via Bluetooth or online. The core action doesn’t pop like you think it with more than one dude pummeling zombies due to schizophrenic spawns, but it’s a welcome reprieve to doing it all by yourself.
Most sophomore efforts in a franchise just see incremental refinements to what made the game a success enough to spin it off in the first place. While you’ll see a lot of that with Zombieville 2, there are some great and impactful changes to check out, as well. If you had any doubts, stop. This is a stupid-fun game with some sharp features and systems that’ll keep you invested and having a good time.
TouchArcade Rating: 
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