Archive for the ‘Hardware’ tag
Cave Releases New ‘Dodonpachi Blissful Death’ Trailer
A couple of weeks back we told you that Cave was readying a release of Dodonpachi Blissful Death for iOS, a port of the Japanese shooter Dodonpachi Dai Ou Jou and the fourth game in the Donpachi series of bullet hell shmups. Over the weekend, Cave released the first promo trailer for Blissful Death on iOS.
It sounds like Dodonpachi Blissful Death will follow the formula of their Bug Princess [$4.99/Lite] iOS port in that it will forgo a retooled Smartphone mode and will only have the arcade version of the game. It’s too bad, as I really enjoy the Smartphone modes in their previous iOS games, but it’s also not surprising given their recent poor sales results. It could be that they just can’t dump as many resources into iOS ports anymore.
The upside to that was that Bug Princess came in at a lower price than their other iOS shooters, but Cave has yet to release any pricing info for Blissful Death, or a firm release date beyond just February. Also, you’ll need at least 4th generation hardware or an iPad 2 for the game, and Cave is being a bit cheeky regarding whether the game will be Universal or not. We’ll let you know if any more information surfaces, and you can bet we’ll be all over Dodonpachi Blissful Death when it launches next month.
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‘SoulCalibur’ Hitting the App Store January 19th
Back in October we told you that Namco’s classic 3D arcade fighter SoulCalibur was coming to iOS, and now it looks like we have a release date for the game. According to (and noted by ), Namco Bandai will be releasing the iOS SoulCalibur as a Universal app this coming week on the 19th.
SoulCalibur on iOS will feature 19 different fighters and lots of game modes, including arcade, time attack, survival, extra survival, practice and museum modes. Sadly, there is no sign of team battle mode or any kind of multiplayer mode, which is pretty odd for a fighting game. The lack of online multiplayer isn’t really surprising, but I sure hope we see some sort of local multiplayer option in an update in the future.
But even with the lack of multiplayer, SoulCalibur is an absolute classic that I spent countless hours with on my Dreamcast and I’m really looking forward to playing again on my iPhone and iPad. There will be Game Center support for 3 of the above modes, so there will be somewhat of a competitive aspect. Unfortunately, it looks like at release only owners of 4th generation devices or either version of the iPad will be able to run the game. Hopefully the hardware requirements will be able to be lowered down the line at some point.
We’ll be sure to give SoulCalibur a spin and see how it’s stood the test of time when it hits the App Store this week, and you can check out our forums for further discussion of the game.
[Via and ]
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Taito’s Classic Vertical Shmup ‘RayForce’ Hits the App Store
Just before the new year, we caught wind of Taito’s plans to bring one of its classic properties to the App Store. Originally released as RayForce in arcades in the early nineties, it made its way to the Sega Saturn with its name intact but due to trademark issues was released in various other international markets under different names, including Layer Attack, Gunlock, and Galactic Attack.
Now it’s once again been resurrected yet again as RayForce [$11.99] for iOS devices, and is now available.
Taito is touting this as a pixel-perfect adaptation of the arcade original, which while being true to the original also looks like it hasn’t been enhanced visually for the much more advanced iOS hardware. However, it does feature original arcade controls for purists as well as an easier iPhone control mode made specifically for the touch screen. Also, there are plenty of customization options so you can suit the play to your own particular style, and there is full Game Center support for leaderboards and achievements.
Since I never played much of the original RayForce back in the day, I’m really stoked to be able to finally give it some proper attention on my iPhone nearly 20 years later. Also, it will be interesting to see if Taito will bring the next installments in this trilogy, RayStorm and RayCrisis, to the App Store as well. As we dig into RayForce to see what it’s all about, you can grab the game with the link below or check out some player impressions which are trickling .
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Imagination Spills the Beans on PowerVR Series6 GPU Family; 20x as Powerful and Likely Headed to iOS Devices
Imagination’s PowerVR GPU’s have shipped in every iOS device since the release of the iPhone 3GS and the third-generation iPod touch. Those early devices used the PowerVR SGX, while the iPad and iPhone 4 moved on to the PowerVR SGX 535, and finally the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S came packed with the PowerVR SGX543MP2. At CES today, they got ever-so-slightly more specific regarding the Series6 family of PowerVR GPU’s, and it seems incredibly likely that we’ll see them included in future iOS devices, judging by Apple’s three-generation track record of utilizing Imagination’s GPU technology.
Per the , gamers will be able to expect 20 times the performance of current generation hardware, along with a 5x boost in efficiency. Imagination has announced that 8 different outfits have signed up to utilize these new GPUs, but curiously enough, only list 6 of the companies. If I were a betting man, I’d put Apple as one of the two unlisted chip makers.
Needless to say, the potential these new GPUs have is just crazy to think about. The iPad 2 and iPhone 4S are already graphical powerhouses capable of rendering beautiful games like Infinity Blade 2, and imagining the next generation of devices potentially being 20 times more powerful is incredible.
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‘Frontline Commando’ Review – The Freemium Train Moves To Cover Shooters
We’re certainly no strangers to action-oriented freemium model and, whether you love it or hate it, Frontline Commando [Free] looks to follow a very similar format. Sporting great visuals, tons of content and a decent control system, this third-person cover shooter certainly has some positives going for it. However, its freemium system, along with a lack of gameplay variety, may be enough for some to simply pass on it.
Like a lot of other war-themed shooters, Frontline Commando places you in the role of a soldier stranded in the middle of a battle zone with the goal of single-handedly taking down all the enemy forces out to get you. You’ll complete this daunting task through various missions with objectives that include Elimination (kill all the baddies), Survival (kill all the baddies until time runs out) and Rescue (kill everyone but the civilians).
Successful missions reward ‘war cash’ that can be used to buy some of the available weapons. An experience system also serves as a barrier to picking up stronger weapons until you earn the requisite amount of experience by playing missions. The story is nonexistent and the general presentation doesn’t offer anything new, but at least it doesn’t detract from the experience.
One area that Frontline Commando excels is its graphics engine. Environments look great on the latest iOS hardware, and the game plays smooth and at a fast framerate. Your character’s model also looks decent, although the enemy ones not so much (they shouldn’t last very long on the screen anyways). It’s not the best looking game we’ve seen on iOS, but Frontline still does a great job showcasing its visuals and graphical effects.
Another good point is its control system, which doesn’t impose unnecessary constraints on the player and actually offers enough precision and smoothness to execute headshots with ease. It may seem like a simple point, but so many shooters botch up the aiming system that it’s worth mentioning when done correctly.
As a cover shooter, Frontline Commando drastically limits what you can actually do in each mission, thus restricting the overall gameplay. As one can imagine, staying under cover is the key to survival as you poke out and take potshots at the opposing forces. Typically, each environment will have several cover points you can run to, with one of them also doubling as the ammo station. Stay under cover in the same place long enough, and the enemy will actually chip away at your cover point, forcing you to either relocate or begin taking damage from errant shots.
It’s important to note that you don’t actually have direct control over your character – your sole control choices are moving from cover point to cover point (with pre-done animations), moving in/out of cover, and aiming your weapon. Folks looking for an actual third person shooter with free movement are not going to find that here. Still, Frontline Commando manages to implement its own gameplay with little hiccup.
Freemium comes into play in Frontline Commando with the standard dual-currency model of progression. In addition to the war bucks mentioned above, there is also gold, which is the premium currency and can be purchased using IAP (and consequently converted to war bucks if needed). Like Gun Bros, there are a wide variety of weapons, armor, and items that can be purchased either with war bucks or with gold.
As is the standard with these types of games, you’ll quickly discover that the best weapons are those that can only be exclusively purchased with gold (and will cost more than you’ll ever earn without IAP to boot). Sure, there are tons of weapons that can purchased with war bucks, but there will always be something better that’ll require some cash. Combine this with the occasional hard mission, and you’ll find yourself wanting to pick up some of those premium weapons just to scrape by. This is certainly not a new issue with the freemium model, but I feel compelled to mention it whenever it’s encountered.
The main problem I have with Frontline Commando is that, when all is said and done, there’s not enough variety to keep me coming back. The different locales you eventually unlock are nice, and the different weapons provide some small changes in strategy, but the core gameplay is still the same and hardly changes.
In addition, the freemium elements make it unnecessarily hard to pick up new weapons (which are your only hope for some variability). If the game progressed using a normal non-freemium pace, then I think Frontline Commando would work a bit better from a gameplay perspective. However, with the grind currently the way it is, the lack of variety really seems to stand out.
In the end, your likelihood of having a great time with Frontline Commando is directly proportional to your opinion of freemium elements in action games. There’s nothing inherently wrong with Frontline; it’s just that games based on free-to-play economies tend to become long and drawn out (if you don’t pay), which tends to introduce the issues I mentioned above.
Regardless, if you don’t mind the grind and are willing to put forth lots of time (or money) to progress, then Frontline Commando is a good game to check out. However, if you have an issue with freemium or you’re looking for a game with a bit more variety, then I’d recommend giving it a pass.
TouchArcade Rating: 
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Best iOS Games: 2011 Buyer’s Guide
Each year before Christmas we’ve put up a buyer’s guide listing the best iOS titles of the year. Looking back at the 2009 Buyer’s Guide and the 2010 Buyer’s Guide, we’ve come a long way. Below you’ll find all of 5 star rated iOS titles, as well as the standout 4.5 star games.
If you just opened an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad for Christmas, this is a great place to get started. To make this list a little easier to digest, we’ve broken these games into a few very vague categories. Oh, and if you also opened an iCade this Christmas, don’t forget to check out our list of iCade supported games.
Casual
Tiny Wings, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – It’s not every day that Angry Birds gets knocked to the #2 position on the top sales charts, but Tiny Wings did it. It comes packed with delightfully simple single button gameplay that even kids could enjoy along with increasingly difficult goals that even hardcore gamers will find challenging. Get this game, now.
Angry Birds Rio, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – As easy as it is to groan at Angry Birds Rio getting a 5 star rating, it’s a fantastic game. It obviously takes the original Angry Birds formula and builds on top of it with the Rio tie in, boss battles, and some spruced up interface elements. There’s also a few extra layers of parallax scrolling that really make this version of Angry Birds look much better than the others as well.
Bumpy Road, $2.99 – [Review] – [] – It’s not often that a game comes along in the App Store that makes you think, “Wow, why didn’t someone think of this sooner?”. Bumpy Road is just that kind of game. The control system to control the game world rather than the car is remarkably clever, and since its initial release it’s even seen some update love from the developers.
Tiny Tower, Free – [Review] – [] – NimbleBit set some sky high expectations with Pocket Frogs [Free], their previous (and first) foray into the free to play world. I’d go as far as to say that Tiny Tower is even better, as it has completely taken over my household.
Temple Run, Free – [Review] – [] – Imangi Studios doesn’t release games all that often, but when they do, they sure are good. Temple Run takes the endless runner formula, adds a third person chase viewpoint, some tilt mechanics, and heaps of power ups to cheat death. Additionally, Temple Run was voted the when it was first released.
Platformer
EDGE Extended, $2.99 – [Review] – [] – We thought the original Edge was incredible, and Extended somehow takes that same game formula, applies a substantial layer of awesome, then knocks it out of the park. Clever platforming mechanics combined with fantastic music really just create an experience that you can’t miss.
Bring Me Sandwiches!!, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – Adult Swim is batting 1000 lately with fabulous iOS games, and Bring Me Sandwiches!! keeps that tradition going strong. It’s a cross between the collect-everything-you-see gameplay of Katamari Damacy with a platformer game. Additionally, tons of control schemes make the game great to play no matter what your control preference might be.
Sonic CD, $2.99 – [Review] – [] – Here we have the best installment of one of the greatest gaming franchises, which received both flawless review scores and game of the year awards when it was originally released ported with complete perfection to iOS. This is a game you flat out need to buy if you even vaguely consider yourself an iOS gamer. Not only because it’s such an impeccable port of an important piece of gaming history, but because we need to vote with our wallets to tell Sega (and anyone else who might be watching) that this is the quality we demand out of retro games brought to the App Store.
Whale Trail, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – Most games you can plot along a line graph with “gameplay” on one end and “presentation” on the other. The best games wind up somewhere in the middle, and Whale Trail definitely sits deep into the “presentation” side of things. Still, the game looks fantastic, and the incredibly vibrant graphics almost make you forget the gameplay is so simple.
Wind-up Knight, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – 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.
Adventure
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, $4.99 – [Review] – [] – This is the closest thing to what we’d call a “system seller” of a video game since the iPad was originally released. Sword & Sworcery is an absolutely incredible experience, a thought that has not only been shared by the gaming press, but also the mainstream media as well. If you have an iOS device and $5 to your name, there’s no excuse not to spend it on this game. If you don’t want to fork over a couple bucks more for the universal version, Sword & Sworcery Micro [$2.99] is just what the doctor ordered.
Machinarium, $4.99 – [Review] – [] – This game generated a heck of a lot of controversy when it was revealed that it’d only run on the iPad 2 only, which had us more than a little worried about its performance if it requires top-end hardware. It turns out, Machinarium runs fantastically, despite its Adobe Air-based innards. If you’ve got the hardware, don’t miss this remarkably clever adventure.
Aquaria, $4.99 – [Review] – [] – Imagine if a Metroidvania went underwater with a fantastic touch-based control scheme. That’s what Aquaria is in a nutshell, but you’ve got to appreciate its fine touches and vision even if its formula doesn’t jive with you.
Retro
Forget-Me-Not, $1.99 – [Review] – [] – In our review we called Forget-Me-Not the “retrolicious lovechild of PAC-MAN and Rogue,” and I’m really struggling with a better way to describe the game. An amazing scoring system combines with fantastic retro graphics that only bolster how much fun Forget-Me-Not is to play. If the thought of PAC-MAN combined with dungeon crawling at all piques your interest, stop what you’re doing and download Forget-Me-Not immediately.
The Last Rocket, $2.99 – [Review] – [] – Retro-inspired games are fairly common on the App Store, but The Last Rocket is one of the best examples we’ve seen of a modern-day title that could have easily passed as an absolutely fabulous NES game. The Graphics and music are all delightfully 8-bit, but even without all these retro trimmings the gameplay could stand on its own.
Velocispider, $1.99 – [Review] – [] – This fantastic tilt-controlled shooter has sucked up entirely too much of our time. With nods to retro shooters like Space Invaders, awesome pixel art, and universal compatibility Velocispider is simply fantastic.
Another World – 20th Anniversary, $4.99 – [Review] – [] – It’s hard to find a game on the App Store with more history behind it than Another World. Touch-based controls (as well as an optional virtual D-pad) along with both original and remastered graphics make for an outstanding port of this classic adventure game.
Role Playing
Infinity Blade II, $6.99 – [Review] – [] – We put incredibly powerful devices in our pockets and on our laps daily, but rarely do we see games that utterly embrace this like Infinity Blade 2 has. It’s a showcase piece; a technically and visually gifted game that consistently delivers eye-popping stuff. The gameplay is great, too.
Mage Gauntlet, $2.99 – [Review] – [] – Almost too many games lean on pixel art and chip tunes just because it’s in style, but Mage Gauntlet draws inspiration from that era and allows it to permeate every aspect of the game. If you have any fond memories of Super Nintendo-era action RPGs, don’t miss this game.
Pocket RPG, $2.99 – [Review] – [] – Crescent Moon Games’ latest is this awesome spin on entirely randomized Roguelike gameplay mixed with the action-packed style of a dual stick shooter. It’s a combination that works incredibly well, and being entirely randomized, is infinitely replayable. If you don’t feel like springing for the universal version, there’s also a cheaper Pocket RPG iPhone Edition [99¢].
Strategy / Sim
King of Dragon Pass, $7.99 – [Review] – [] – No lie, I’ve spent more time playing this game than all the other games that we reviewed in September combined. If my exhaustive review wasn’t clear enough, here’s all you need to know: If you like simulation games, you needed King of Dragon Pass on your iPhone yesterday. I’ve still got my fingers crossed for an iPad version, but I’m more than happy managing my clan whenever I’ve got a few seconds to spare on my iPhone.
Great Little War Game, $1.99 – [Review] – [] – As mentioned in our review, this game is anything but little. Great Little War Game is a turn-based strategy game that we consider a must have for anyone even vaguely interested in the genre. The developers are remarkably active in our community, and thus far GLWG’s updates have been fantastic, both in implementing new features as well as forum feedback.
Pocket Academy, $1.99 – [Review] – [] – It seems like ever since Game Dev Story [$1.99 we just can't get enough of Kairosoft simulations. This one in particular puts you in charge of a school, and while many of the mechanics might not be immediately apparent, once the game grabs you, it doesn't let go.
Tiny Heroes, $1.99 - [Review] – [] – geoDefense and geoDefense Swarm cranked tower defense on the App Store up to 11, and, dare I say it, Tiny Heroes makes a great attempt to crank it to 12. Or, at least, 11 and a half. This fantasy-based tower defense title should not be missed by anyone who even vaguely fancies the genre.
Sid Meier’s Pirates! for iPad, $1.99 – [Review] – [] – This pirate sim is a game with a ton of history behind it, and 2K Games did a marvelous job of porting it to the iPad. It has depth on top of depth, and will keep you busy for quite some time if it manages to suck you in. We’ve got our fingers crossed for more ports like this of incredible games that work phenomenally on the iPad.
Anomaly Warzone Earth, $0.99 / HD – [Review] – [] – Who knew that turning tower defense in reverse would make for such an incredible game? If you’re even vaguely interested in anything to do to tower defense, Anomaly: Warzone Earth needs to be on your iOS device. The mechanics are solid, the atmosphere is cool, and it’ll leave you wanting for a sequel.
Action / Shooter
Dead Space™, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – “Console quality” is a phrase that’s thrown around a lot to describe portable games, and really, it’s a fitting title for this iOS-exclusive version of Dead Space. We tend to prefer Dead Space for iPad [$9.99] over its iPhone counterpart, but both are fantastic games that should be a part of your collection.
Battleheart, $2.99 – [Review] – [] – This single player game perfectly combines everything that’s good about complex party-based realtime battles found in MMO-style games with wonderfully simple and intuitive touch controls. Multiple character classes are included, as well as equipment upgrades. It’s incredible just how much flexibility there is for tweaking your party and how you play the game. Battleheart is fantastic on the iPhone, but you can’t miss it if you own an iPad.
THE KING OF FIGHTERS-i-, $2.99 – [Review] – [] – Back in the day of the arcade fighter arms wars, it was Street Fighter versus The King of Fighters with as fierce of a rivalry among gamers as arguing Nintendo vs. Sega. KoF has arrived on the App Store, and it’s every bit as good as its Street Fighter, although it remains to be seen if they’ll match the online play found in Volt.
Jetpack Joyride, Free – [Review] – [] – This is our favorite game of the month, as this endless power-up packed single-button flying game is responsible for sapping days of productivity across the entire TouchArcade staff. There are so many hooks to keep you playing that you can do “one more game” for hours through achievements, missions, unlockables, and all sorts of cosmetic customizations.
Bug Heroes, Free – [Review] – [] – Much like how Dungeon Raid took typical match three gameplay and made it awesome, Bug Heroes takes the dual stick shooter to the next level. The core of the game is based around the typical dual stick shooter formula, but multiple playable characters (each with strengths and weaknesses) as well as elements of both castle and tower defense make this a game that everyone needs to check out. Just keep in mind, it will be very difficult to go back to your basic survival-mode dual stick shooter after this.
Zombieville USA 2, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – Tightly-constructed, well-executed, charming, different and entertaining are all words we freely use when describing Zombieville 2. It’s a near perfect iterative entry to the franchise, as it artfully hones in on and turns up the volume on the two best parts of the original: the shooting and upgrade models.
Grand Theft Auto 3, $2.99 – [Review] – [] – Even though GTA 3 wasn’t designed for virtual controls, you’ll have a great time with it, even if all you do is drive around Liberty City listening to the fantastic in-game radio stations. (My favorite is the talk station.) As you become more accustomed with the splattering of virtual buttons all over the screen, you’ll find hours upon hours of content to plow through. Having played GTA3 to completion many times in the past, I’m incredibly happy to be able to take it anywhere with me on my phone of all things.
Bug Princess, $4.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Aside from a few small quibbles, Bug Princess offers yet another stellar entry in CAVE’s series of iOS shooters. It’s probably the most straight forward and least complex out of them all, which makes it a great starting point for bullet hell newbies, but it does have its share of depth for those looking to master its strategies.
STREET FIGHTER IV VOLT, $2.99 – [Review] – [] – Capcom is following their time honored tradition of relentlessly re-releasing Street Fighter with Street Fighter IV Volt. This time around there are three new characters as well as online multiplayer.
Dark Meadow, $5.99 – [Review] – [] – Atmospheric horror is a game genre that never really seems to translates to portable devices very well, but Phosphor Games did a great job of it with Dark Meadow. Set in a creepy hospital, and utilizing the Unreal Engine, the game looks and sounds great. A repetitive combat system drags down this otherwise fantastic title.
Puzzle
Where’s My Water?, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – This super-fun liquid-centric physics game puts you in the driver seat of helping an alligator take a shower. Sure, it’s hard to come up with a more ridiculous premise, but maybe that’s part of this game’s charm. A wacky scrolling mechanic on some levels is the only thing we have to complain about, otherwise Where’s My Water is fabulous.
Dungeon Raid, $1.99 – [Review] – [] – As mentioned in our review of the game, with the number of fish in the match three sea, it takes a lot to make one that’s just as fun (if not more so) than the match three staples like Bejeweled 2 and other classics. Dungeon Raid accomplishes this by distilling the Puzzle Quest formula down to its basics, and providing match three gameplay that retains its simple nature while offering a shocking amount of depth via random equipment and character upgrades. Also, there’s much more to matching than just high scoring, clearing each type of block has a purpose, and the order you clear them in can mean life or death. This game has stolen hours of my time, I can’t recommend it enough.
Casey’s Contraptions HD, $2.99 – [Review] – [] – There are tons of contraption-building games on the App Store, but few are as good as Casey’s Contraptions. The theme of the game is gloriously whimsical, and you can spend hours delving through the clever and convoluted solutions your friends post via Game Center.
Gesundheit!, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – This stealth-centric sneeze-powered puzzle game comes with fantastic controls, some of the best hand-drawn art we’ve seen in action on the App Store, and details like shadows moving relative to your iOS device’s gyroscope readings. We prefer the iPad version, but only because you’ll want as much screen real estate as possible to enjoy this game’s incredible art.
Wooords, $1.99 – [Review] – [] – Games where you search for words within a pre-defined set of letters have some serious roots, heck, this kind of puzzle was published in newspapers before video games even existed, and there’s a zillion variations on the App Store. Words totally impressed us with its slick presentation that feels less like playing a word game and more like moving magnetic letters around on a refrigerator.
SPY mouse, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – Firemint has managed to de-throne Angry Birds from the #1 position on the App Store with this line-drawing-powered stealth game. Collect cheese, evade cats, use various tricks, and even fight bosses. All the gameplay elements go together incredibly well, and Firemint even managed to remove a lot of things that have historically annoyed us about stealth games in the process.
SpellTower, $1.99 – [Review] – [] – Word games can still be fun. Elegant, clever and fun, SpellTower a complete package, brought together by Gage’s trademark use of cheerful colors, simple patterns and elegant typography.
iBlast Moki 2, $2.99 / Universal HD – [Review] – [] – This game sets the standard of what gamers should expect of sequels. It’s got familiar puzzle-centric physics mechanics of the original with tons of new features that add complexity and all kinds of new ways to solve puzzles. Additionally, a perfectly integrated solution system can show you how your friends completed a level if you get stuck.
Monsters Ate My Condo, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – Adult Swim and Pik Pok joined forces to bring us one of the craziest matching games we’ve ever seen on the App Store. The game requires matching similarly colored floors while appeasing nearby color-coded monsters, each with a more ridiculous super-power than the last. Also, you can score billions if you’re good. Billions!
Scribblenauts Remix, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – Originally released on the Nintendo DS, Scribblenauts is a game that’s so unique that you simply must play it. Remix combines the best elements from both of the DS games along with 10 iOS-exclusive levels. In addition, it’s even universal and boasts complete iCloud save syncing support.
Bejeweled Blitz, Free – [Review] – [] – Popcap takes the glorious match-three mechanic of the classic puzzle franchise, pumps up the volume on the jewel and match bonuses, and then condenses it all down into frantic, one-minute bursts of eye-gasmic, point-laden play.
Sports
NBA JAM by EA SPORTS™, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – iOS gamers really couldn’t ask for much more when it comes to EA’s port of NBA Jam… Multiplayer was even added in an update! All of the massive dunks and secret modes are intact, making this a surprisingly faithful port. EA even recently updated the game’s roster, bringing it in line with this NBA season.
Pocket HalfPipe, $2.99 – [Review] – [] – This incredibly awesome skateboarding game is highly reminiscent of the halfpipe in the classic NES series Skate or Die, but with much better graphics and crazy dual stick controls that allow you to pull off all kinds of moves. The game could easily be described as basic, but it’s so much fun that we don’t care. The tricks you’ll be able to pull off after a bit of practice are cool, and stringing a massive chain together is hugely rewarding.
Fight Night Champion by EA Sports™, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – A surprisingly competent boxing game that feels like an equal to its console counterpart instead of a typical watered-down mobile version. Great touch screen controls combine with different game modes to create a boxing experience that is among the best that the App Store has to offer.
Music
Groove Coaster, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – There have been a ton of rhythm games released on the App Store, but none have the amazing presentation of Groove Coaster that almost makes it less of a game and more of an experience– And this is one experience you really can’t miss especially if you enjoyed its creator’s other game, Space Invaders Infinity Gene.
Radballs, Free – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – We fell in love with RadBalls inside of the first few seconds of , and by the time it was over we were ready to yield our first born to its creator. Oh, yeah, the game is fun as hell too. It’s a music-centric matching game that even allows you to use your own tracks. Check it out.
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All of CAVE’s Major Titles Are On Sale Until January 10th
Developer CAVE is looking to make it a bullet hell holiday for its fans by getting in on the year end sale bandwagon. CAVE just recently dropped Bug Princess [$4.99/Lite] into the App Store, a game which we liked a whole bunchwhen it released, and thought was quite reasonably priced to boot. Now, you can pick up all of their previous major iOS titles at a discounted rate from now until January 10th.
Espgaluda II, $7.99 → $5.99 – [Review]
Espgaluda II HD, $13.99 → $10.99 (iPad 2 Only)
Dodonpachi Resurrection, $7.99 → $5.99 – [Review]
Deathsmiles, $11.99 → $6.99 – [Review]
Mushihimesama Bug Panic, $6.99 → 99¢ – [Review]
If you aren’t sure about a purchase, each and every one of these games has a lite version you can check out, and there are even versions of Espgaluda II that are split into separate “Arcade” and “iPhone” standalone apps that are available for a cheaper price. Also, make sure you’re equipped with at least 3rd generation hardware or above, and in the case of Espgaluda II HD, you’ll need an iPad 2 specifically to run that bad boy.
At any rate, all of CAVE’s games are high quality offerings worthy of your dollar, so be sure to hit up this sale while it lasts.
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‘Infinity of God’ is an Impressive Looking ‘God of War’ Clone Made with Unreal Engine
Initially, I rolled my eyes a bit when I saw posted for a game called Infinity of God. After the sweeping success of the Infinity Blade series, tacking “infinity” onto your title in any way has just about as much effect on me as if it was “doodle” or “angry.” That’s to say, the predetermination is that what I’ll find will be a low quality knockoff of the highly successful games that have made those words ubiquitous on the App Store.
For better or worse, Infinity of God actually does not resemble Infinity Blade so much, but it definitely does not hide the fact that it’s a God of War-inspired game. In fact, it appears that in the developer ’s native Chinese, the subtitle reads as “Wrath of God of War”. And so it goes.
However, no matter your feelings on games that are very blatantly “heavily inspired” by other successful games, the trailer for Infinity of God looks mighty impressive:
A few more tidbits of information can be found at Asian gaming blog , and while I’m not totally sure how much is lost in translation, it looks like Infinity of God is already in the review stage with Apple and waiting for approval, at which point it will hopefully be released this month for $5.99. We also know that the game is being developed in Unreal Engine 3, the storyline will follow a classic Chinese mythology named Shan Hai Jing, there will be 10 unique upgradeable skills for your player, and two game modes including a Story and a Racing mode. The game will be compatible with 3rd generation hardware and up, and will have additional enhancements for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S devices.
I haven’t totally figured out if this is some dodgy knockoff that will look great on the surface but contain little substance, or if this will be the type of high end action game we’ve all been waiting for but just seems dodgy due to language barriers. Either way, I’m at least interested enough to give Infinity of God a spin if and when it launches sometime this month.
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‘BigBot Smash’ Review – Giant Robots Smashing Stuff is Good Fun
In BigBot Smash [99¢], the universal game from , you get to totally smash up a city using a giant metallic robot. You can demolish entire city blocks building-by-building by walking into, jumping at or shooting the 3D structures. Concurrently, you blast police cars from your antenna, stomp on the puny humans below, escape from tanks and generally create havoc in three different game modes.
The main campaign sends you to over 20 cities / levels (San Francisco Los Angeles, Mexico City, etc) to recover the parts of your robotic love-interest. She was shut-down, dismantled and scattered around the world by the nasty humans. Each level involves searching for and destroying the red buildings which contain her hardware (and the locations change if you replay the current level). You can also smash up other buildings for points, parts and pure destructive pleasure. Meanwhile, the humans try to destroy you.
Once you complete a city level in Campaign mode, the next city level starts, however you’re unable to replay the completed levels, which is a shame because it stops you from gathering more parts to upgrade if you rushed through the early levels without collecting parts. Also, although each level in the campaign is set in a city , the levels all look very similar. However, on a positive note, the background music is specific to certain levels / cities, such as Australian didgeridoo music playing during the Sydney level.
In ‘Speed demolition’ mode the aim is to destroy a certain percentage of the buildings within a time limit, without being destroyed yourself. While ‘Survival’ mode throws increasingly difficult waves of attack at you, to see how long you can last. Game Center is used for high scores and 48 achievements.
You can choose from three different robot chassis. The blue “Blockbot” is slow, but tough. The “Grimbot” uses hover-jets to jump or fly, but is poor at stomping, while the “Cyclobot” rolls on one wheel, with extendable buzz-saws for hands. There are three game slots, so you can save your progress separately for each type of robot. And each robot handles quite differently.
There are 13 temporary power-ups to collect from the ruins of destroyed buildings. This includes repairs, extra energy, increased speed / jumps and bonuses for damage caused. In addition to power-ups, you can collect parts from destroyed buildings to build hardware upgrades like: Anti-matter pulse weapons, death rays, fusion reactors and even 1-million hamsters on a giant wheel as an energy source.
The graphics are reasonable, but not breath-taking. When buildings collapse, they turn into unimpressive triangular debris. However I didn’t notice this too much as I was too busy destroying stuff. Some graphical clipping occurs, with the robot moving through intact buildings and some of the text messages display upside down (probably confused by the tilt controls). And the humans are so small that sometimes they kill you before you notice them.
The two control options should have been named: “Reasonable touch controls” and “Nasty tilt controls”. The touch controls are not typical controls, but work fairly well. You swipe the background to make the robot walk, tap the robot to jump, or swipe from the robot to jump in a particular direction. By tapping the screen, you can shoot your weapon at police cars, tanks, buildings or crowds of humans and a tutorial walks you through these basic controls. There’s a button to change the camera perspective, which is useful when you’re between buildings.
Whereas, the alternative tilt controls are not particularly intuitive. If you tilt your device left, the robot walks right which feels strange, but there’s no option to invert the controls. And if you want to turn, you must rotate your device orientation, which sometimes involves rotating it completely around. An option to change the camera angle by tilting is provided, but it’s awkward to use in conjunction with touch controls. The good news is that you can simply choose the touch controls to avoid the tilt controls altogether and then there’s no problem!
To recap: The gameplay, music, robot hardware upgrades, power-ups and touch controls are all good and destroying the city is fun, especially with a faster robot. However, the graphics are just okay and the tilt controls are not recommended. BigBot Smash was over-shadowed by some big-name releases, but the top-down urban robotic rampages offer destructive fun, especially if you love big bots (and smashing stuff up!)
TouchArcade Rating: 
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Still Alive: ‘C64 for iPhone’ Gets iCade Support, iPad Coming
It’s been over a year since the last update, and many in our forums were worried that the app had been abandoned, but I’m happy to report that has released an update to C64 for iPhone [App Store], the Commodore 64 emulator and game store (at over 50 titles right now) for iOS, that we’ve been tracking since way back in 2008.
Stuart Carnie of Manomio filled me in on the license tangles he’s been dealing with since late last year which stymied work on the app, but indicates all is now resolved and that he’s excited to bring this update, as well as return his focus to development and the acquisition of new licenses for C64-loving iOS gamers.
The big news in this latest version of C64 for iPhone, version 2.2, is the addition of support for the iCade and compatible devices (such as the iControlPad and Gametel controller we recently covered), which is huge news given the nature of the typical Commodore 64 game title. In this initial implementation, iCade support means joystick and fire button emulation — certain games with extended features, such as , still require tapping the screen for key input and the like. This update also brings full support for iOS 5.
It’s worth pointing out that, presently, C64 is not a Universal application, and so using it on an iPad in the iCade means running the iPhone app at 2x video magnification. However, Stuart has big plans for the app and shared a short-list of what’s coming, down the road…
- A new, Universal app!
- This is a rewrite in order to add all the required features
- PRO: By not replacing the iPhone version, we can keep existing users with old hardware on the current builds
- PRO: For compatible games, we’ll continue to add them to C64 for iPhone
- Activate your original C64 for iPhone purchases if you have it installed
- Cycle-exact emulation — will require ARMv7 devices
- Same OpenGL ES 2.0 retro visual effects currently in progress for iAmiga
- iCADE / iControlPad / Gametel support
- TV-out
- Network play
- More in-app purchases, including existing titles
- A big pack of free games to get you started
- Retina display support
- BASIC mode, with 1541 “disk” save support
We’re very glad to see Stuart out of the woods and moving forward with his efforts to bring retro fun to today’s gamers. We will keep readers in the loop on the latest from Manomio as the news unfolds.
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