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Lightopus [$2.99] by BulkyPix and Appxplore is an arcade-style title with an emphasis on beautiful environments, item collection, and indirect combat. More importantly, Lightopus does a great job succeeding on all these fronts, particularly in the visuals department.  This success allows players to overlook an otherwise shallow narrative to focus more on basic gameplay.

As the only adult lightopus left, your goal is to enter the abyss and rescue the remaining younglings of your race, also known as bulbies. Gameplay is divided into zones, and each zone has a minimum amount of bulbies that must be collected before moving on. You are free to collect more bulbies to increase your score, but the longer you stay in a zone, the more aggressive the baddies seem to become. Each zone also has optional stars which boost your total score for the zone. Collect enough of them and you can also travel to a special zone with unique battles in which you are on the offense.

While the collection gameplay of Lightopus is engaging enough, the combat serves as the star of the show. Your lightopus can’t attack anything head on, but the bulbies you collect form an army that continually follows you and attacks anything in its path. Combat becomes a perpetual dance of dodging enemies charging at you, and indirectly maneuvering your bulbies until they’re in the path of the baddies.

The more your bulbies attack, however, the more you of them you lose, forcing you to balance combat with collection (especially when you encounter bosses that love to quickly kill your poor bulbies). Various obstacles also alter the path of your followers, adding to the strategy of maneuvering. Power-ups are also available to strengthen the bulbies in different ways.

The combat may sound relatively simplistic, but Lightopus does a great job of transforming it into a mesmerizing play of quick movements and strategic planning. The framerate is very smooth, and the path AI of the bulbies just feels realistic. Gamers control the lightopus’ (and thus, bulbies) direction via virtual joystick or tap mechanics. Both work well-enough, although the controls weren’t as tight as I’d like. Still, I find it interesting how well-done combat works, considering that the majority of conflict can be avoided if desired.

Environment-wise, while the abyss may be cruel, it is also a beautiful.  The visuals in Lightopus are a stunning mix of neon colors and constantly moving backdrops that do a great job transporting you into a different world. Graphical flourishes on your lightopus and bulbies are a treat and add to the action. The same goes for the music which features tranquil compositions that can quickly turn dark when you encounter a boss enemy. Every feature adds to a superb overall presentation that just works.

Despite the gameplay and presentation, one area that Lightopus lacks is in its story. Besides the app description and a few cutscenes, there’s very little in terms of narrative. Of course, this hardly affects the actual gameplay, but it does turn Lightopus into more of an arcade-inspired score chaser than a game with an emphasis on plot. I would have liked to see more of a story-mode myself, as I think it would have done the rest of the game more justice.

Still, while the lack of a story may turn some folks off, it may not be that important. The more I played, the more I realized that Lightopus isn’t a game of destinations; it’s a game about journeys. Each play through is a new and somewhat unique adventure through this beautiful world. While some games offer the greatest satisfaction from completing it, others (like this one) are simply a joy to simply play. That’s not to say that I still would have preferred more narrative, but I believe it plays a secondary role to the journey. Regardless, check out Lightopus now, and I hope you enjoy that journey.

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Last fall we took a look at Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion [$4.99 / Lite], and it absolutely knocked our socks off. If you’re into strategy RPGs and have been holding off for any reason, now is the perfect time to jump in. A huge content update just hit that nearly doubles the length of the game, and it brings a few user-friendly features along with it.

The defining feature of Ravenmark may well be its carefully crafted world and the compelling characters that inhabit it. It’s a game you can sink your teeth into, and the characters are worth caring about. The Suneater Campaign, new in this update, brings in a whole new cast and more lore to digest. It turns the story of Ravenmark on its head and brings the perspective around to the nation of Kaysan, formerly the villains of the piece. Rather than defending the lands of Estellion, the new campaign sees players striking out to take their land back from the Empire of the Raven.

The update adds eleven new chapters, bringing the expected length up to somewhere near the 20 hour mark, no small feat. It also mixes up the gameplay, as the swarming Kaysan must use different tactics than the organized armies of Estellion.

There are several other big changes in this update, including iCloud support and a lower difficulty mode. The latter increases the health of player-controlled units, making it a little easier to stomp all over the enemy. There are also new challenges to complete in each chapter for players looking for more difficulty instead of less.

Witching Hour Studios has mentioned two crash bugs that slipped into the Suneaters update. If you get either of them, simply load the chapter you’re trying to access from the Campaigns menu. The studio has already submitted a fix, so you’ll be able to get your epic strategy RPG on without a hitch in no time.

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Circadia [$0.99] looks like a meditative experience, but that’s a lie. The elements are all in place for a soothing time: a minimalistic design, gently ringing music tones, a wide expanse of black and nothing to distract you. That just means it’s devilish; this is a practical joke. Rather than lulling you into a centered state of mind, it will take all the attention you can spare. Expect to have your eyes and ears fully occupied. For an ultra-minimalistic rhythm puzzle game, Circadia is intricate.

It’s also gorgeous. The stark, elegant aesthetic is a big part of its draw. Each level consists of a black field, a faded level number and a nearly imperceptible menu button. Otherwise, there are dots: white ones that can’t be manipulated, and colored ones that can. Touching a colored dot plays a single note and sends out a circular pulse, like ripples in a pond. The level is complete when the pulse hits the white dot.

At first this is obscenely obvious—a single pulse has no choice but to hit a single dot eventually. Then a second dot appears, bearing a different color. It may play a higher tone, or a lower one. This determines the speed at which the pulses move. To progress, all the pulses need to hit the white dot at the same time. When they do, their colors mix on screen, their tones chime in a single chord.

Circadia quickly becomes a game of careful timing, lining up one pulse with the other so they land together precisely. The tones themselves give timing cues: it’s far easier to keep track of the time between two sounds than it is to establish exactly when you should repeat a tap on visual cues alone.

As you travel through the game’s chapters, more and more challenges pile on. Lining up three or more pulses that all move at different speeds is difficult; doing the same when the white dot is moving is much harder. Sometimes Circadia throws more white dots at you, and all of them must be hit at the same time. It requires incredible precision, and later levels can’t be forced through with wild tapping.

I stalled out eventually, unable to make all the elements of one level line up no matter how I tried. With more patience, more skill, I’m sure I could have made it through, but it wasn’t meant to be. I do wish I could have skipped past that wall. I hate knowing that I haven’t seen all 100 levels, and that there could be even more insane challenges to come.

That aside, Circadia is a game you can dig into. Tinkering and experimenting is rewarded— it’s a joy to see every moving part a half-moment from lining up. The elegance of the later levels, as each piece takes its part in a grander pattern—that’s something worth experiencing. Assuming, of course, you can get that far.

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In early December we told you about a neat little iOS project called Rocket Bits [Free] from RegularKid Games. The idea behind Rocket Bits was that it started out as an extremely basic free roaming cave flyer but would evolve over time based on player feedback. Basically, the developer wanted ideas from fans to shape what kind of game Rocket Bits became.

Well, Rocket Bits received its 3rd update last week, and it seemed like a good time to summarize the progress that it’s made so far. It’s actually turning out to be a pretty cool little game. Originally, you could only boost around in your little rocket using left and right boosters and explore a randomly generated cave. And that was about it.

In mid-December, the first update to Rocket Bits added the ability to get out of your ship and collect gold pixels as a form of currency. What do you collect gold for? Who knows just yet, but it’s somehow still fun to grab as much as possible. You’re also able to place light beacons anywhere on the map, to either light a specific area or to mark it so you can find it again someday.

In January, the second Rocket Bits update was released and added even more complexity to the gameplay. Basic missions could now be found scattered around the map, and when outside of your ship your little dude now had his own jetpack to putt around with. You could also place bombs and blow up parts of the terrain, though it didn’t really have a purpose beyond just being destructive. An improved mini-map and UI accompanied the ability to randomly generate much larger maps to explore.

Finally, last week brought the 3rd update, and it further builds on the elements introduced in previous updates. There are now enemies who don’t do much more than very, very slowly move towards your position, but they can become a nuisance if you ignore them too much. There’s also a new mission type that requires you killing these enemies with strategically placed bombs.

Your spaceman has health now too, so if you get hit too much by an enemy, let your oxygen run out while outside your ship, or just plain blow yourself up with a bomb then you’ll end the game and will have to start anew. There are 3 save slots now so you can keep multiple games going or let other people play their own profile.

I can’t quite explain it but I love playing Rocket Bits, and so far it keeps getting better with each new update. It’s still free too so there’s really no reason not to at least check it out. I’m really interested in watching as it continues to evolve, and if you have your own ideas for the game then share them at RegularKid.com, over Twitter at @RegularKid, or email to bryan@regularkid.com

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Fans of tower defense should feel lucky; it seems like we get at least one marquee release every month. Following this trend is iBomber Defense Pacific [$2.99], sequel to Cobra’s iBomber Defense [$2.99] and the latest Chillingo TD title. Building on everything we loved in the original, Pacific does a great job adding new gameplay twists while fine-tuning the traditional TD formula that has made the genre so popular.

From a gameplay perspective, iBomber Defense Pacific is a great mix of old and new tower defense elements that combine to create an experience that is far more ‘interactive’ than most traditional TD titles. Like its predecessor, Pacific still has the armor/tower repair mechanic (along with the rewind function), as well as the standard tower archetypes and upgrade levels. Pacific changes up some of the tower names, but they’re really nothing new and should be instantly be familiar for all TD veterans. New to the mix, however, is the ‘Dig In’ mechanic, which is a good addition and puts a greater emphasis on micromanagement and strategy.

By telling a tower to dig in, you can increase the range, damage, and armor of the tower but at the sacrifice of vision (instead of attacking from all angles, a frontal cone becomes your only attack range). However, you can rotate the tower’s cone of range at any time which basically provides an inexpensive (and significant) upgrade to your towers, assuming you can effectively manage your aiming.

I’m a huge fan of this mechanic because it feels like tower defense finally has a nice supplemental mechanic that rewards extra interaction. This is also shown in the ‘Bomb’ tower, which is a passive tower that slowly builds bombs that can be dropped on any part of the map. These sorts of interactive elements are certainly not unique to Pacific, but the quality in which they’re implemented is something not usually seen.

Other nice additions include a ‘perk system’ that allows players to assign three perks that range from starting with more money to faster tower targeting (and are unlockable via a variety of objectives). Pacific also greatly expands on the ‘Victory Point’ leveling system from the original – allowing for a bit more customizability and thus strategic play styles.

Besides gameplay, most other aspects of Pacific share the same devotion to detail that Cobra has provided in the past. Visuals are fast, fluid and colorful, although the backdrops at this point aren’t as special as the original. Maps start off simple and end up large and hectic, with some missions having you defend on multiple fronts including simultaneous land, water, and air attacks. Three difficulties, multiple objectives per map, and bonus missions provide a wealth of replayability. Even the sound effects are well done, especially when heard via headphones.

Complaints in iBomber Defense Pacific are few and usually limited to minor issues such as the occasional miscue when trying to rotate your dug in tower and a few random crashes. The biggest issue, however, deals with the lack of a mid-mission save state outside of keeping the game in memory. Considering the fact that iOS devices love to quit apps while multitasking, this is a glaring omission and could lead to a lot of lost progress if you quit the game before completing a mission. Players looking for a striking narrative will also need to look elsewhere, as Pacific offers the bare minimum in story to keep the action going.

Still, you’re not going to be playing a game like iBomber Defense Pacific for the story. You’re going to play it because you’re looking for the next big TD game to get your fix. In this regard, Pacific offers nearly everything you need for an enjoyable and deep tower defense game.

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Way back in 1984, English teacher-turned-game developer Mike Singleton released a vast and innovative adventure gamed for the ZX Spectrum home computer called The Lords of Midnight. The game was extremely well received and garnered high praise for its gameplay, the expansive world in which it is set, and its use of a clever graphical technique known as “landscaping” to render the scene with pre-scaled sprites. The Lords of Midnight turned out to be Singleton’s most well respected title and is considered by many to be one of the best video games ever created.

Versions of The Lords of Midnight were soon released on a few other (mainly European) platforms of the day, and in 1991 DOS PC versions of the game and its sequel, Doomdark’s Revenge, were released, originally developed as reverse engineered fan conversions by Christopher Wild. (Singleton gave his stamp of approval to Wild’s conversions — see Wild’s 2004 Retro Gamer two-piece article / interview with Singleton.) Not long after, Wild began thinking about doing Windows versions of the games and thus began his work on The Midnight Engine, a system that would allow the Midnight games to run under modern operating systems and, thanks to data abstraction, would also allow new games to be created under the same framework.

At this point, the astute reader has probably figured out that I am not just waxing nostalgic for the simple fun of it. No, I am happy to say that there is reason for my taking a few moments to bring the uninitiated up to speed, here, and that reason is a project that has been underway for over year now to bring The Lords of Midnight to iOS.

In January of 2011, original author Mike Singleton reached out to Christopher Wild, suggesting a collaboration to get his 27 year old classic in the hands of a new audience. Since that time, at a varying pace, the project has been underway.

Wild has been posting progress updates to his blog throughout the year, and indicates that it is definitely the intention of both he and Singleton to do this conversion just right.

Let me firstly assure you that we are not developing a freeform, realtime, 3d game. We are not developing [the less well-received sequel to Doomdark's Revenge] the Citadel. We are not going to f*** it up!

Lords of Midnight is about the landscaping. It’s about those 2d panoramic views. It’s about moving some characters and pressing night and the end of the turn and waiting for the dawn to break to find out what happened.

So, the landscaping stays. Yes it will get an update. Graphically we will try a few things to help us justify bringing a 27 year old game back to the future. If you’ve followed the history of [The Midnight Engine] with the Lords of Midnight and more importantly Doomdark’s Revenge, you’ll have an idea of some of the things that means.

We’re going to make a few changes to the AI. Nothing drastic. This is not about turning Lords of Midnight into the style of RPG/Adventure games that are currently available. The AI in lords of midnight works – it’s a little simplistic, but it’s perfect for the style of game. However, there are a few little things that no longer sit comfortably, and to be fair, probably didn’t when Mike originally coded them. So there will be a couple of tweaks and additions.

The affect of these additions is that the game will not play like it used to. In spirit it will be the same, but don’t expect to be able to fire up the emulators and watch the old spectrum game play exactly like the new one. There will likely be some surprises, but I think everyone will enjoy.

Wild also indicates that certain AI changes will be made to facilitate multi-user gameplay and that it will remain turn-based like the original — not real-time. The picture that he paints of the conversion goals should appeal to those iOS gamers who loved the title in decades past.

The iOS conversion of The Lords of Midnight is being developed under the Marmalade SDK (née Airplay SDK), will run natively on both the iPhone and the iPad, and should make its way to various other platforms, as well. Doomdark’s Revenge will also be brought over, some time after The Lords of Midnight arrives.

The team has just posted a demonstration video, albeit preliminary and somewhat rough, of the game running on iPad hardware.

That a whole new generation of gamers will have easy access to such a rich classic is wonderful news, and rest assured we will keep readers apprised as progress on The Lords of Midnight for iOS marches on.

( Embedded screenshots are from the ZX Spectrum original and graphics in the demo video are placeholder — not final versions. )

[ via Gaming on the Go, thanks @gnomeslair ]

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Most studios shy away from announcing products months in advance, but Square Enix is not a company that seems to get the App Store all that well. Back in May, just days after it released Chaos Rings Omega, it announced the franchise’s first, actual sequel: Chaos Rings II. We’ve seen a couple of Japanese-language teasers since, and well, here’s another. But get this: the game is coming soon. Like, this Thursday soon, according to the footage below. See what they did there?

We don’t know what exactly to expect from the sequel-sequel, but it seems like a safe bet that Chaos Rings II isn’t set to rock the boat. Also, this song, guys. This song.

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Yesterday we caught wind that this “new” Dark Meadow [$5.99] that we’d heard rumblings about wasn’t new at all, but instead originally was planned to be an update that converted the existing app into a free to play game. Predictably, even with the vague offer of “exclusive upgrades” for existing owners, news that Dark Meadow as we knew it was going away fired up our community like few things can between the actual article comments and the Dark Meadow forum thread.

Thankfully, it seems Phosphor Games has made a last minute decision to cancel the complete free to play conversion, and instead will be keeping the existing Dark Meadow and releasing a new free to play companion version. Per a Phosphor representative on our forums:

Our intention was that we’d have one version of the app, so (future) leaderboards, etc could all be shared by same community. We always planned on turning off ads and gifting premium players, so we didn’t see any negative to what we were planning.

BUT it sounds like the community really wants them to stay as separate versions. From reading the forums, one large issue is it sounds like a lot of users have completed the current version, deleted it (as it is a large file size), and would like to check out the next one, but there is a good chance they won’t have save data, and they’d have the hassle of downloading the current one just to have a save game, then download the newer one, etc. All an annoyance we’d rather not give our fans.

SO we are keeping the Premium version of Dark Meadow separate from the Free one, and both will get all the new features. So anybody who previously purchased the game can update whenever they want, and they will just get new stuff. …Read More

So, that’s good news. But, it still is a little strange that keeping two version seems like such an eleventh hour decision, as this sort of community reaction to plans to load a previously-paid game full of micro transactions couldn’t have been easier to predict.

So, put away those pitchforks and burning torches, as it sounds like Phosphor Games is doing the right thing after all. Since this update was scheduled to land this week, I’m guessing it’ll be a bit longer before we see the new free to play version as at the very least this decision means another trip through the Apple approval process.

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Who doesn’t like a good old-fashioned surprise sale, right? This afternoon, we were stoked to see that Ravenous Games has put the League of Evil series on the block. As of right now, it’s offering both titles for an agreeable $.99. To put that in perspective, League of Evil 2 debuted earlier this February at $2.99, while the original has hovered around $1.99 or so since last year. Dollar(s) off, people!

We’re huge fans of both games, by the way. The sequel is a much improved version of the original’s high-octane, trial-and-error platforming, but the first one really nailed it, too. You can read our review of the first game here and League of Evil 2’s write-up here before you take the plunge. Spoiler: these games are tough.

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