TouchArcade.ru

During E3, we met with Taito who revealed a number of their future App Store plans. One of them was a major update to Space Invaders Infinity Gene which adds a new side-scrolling play mode and a new playable ship:

Space Invaders Infinity Gene is getting a huge update, with both free and paid components. Everyone who owns the game will get access to a new ship, and the ability to turn the game sideways to shift the perspective in to a horizontal shooter. In-app purchases will be available to unlock different themes for the game.

A new trailer shows off the new side-scrolling view:

Also included will be DLC theme packs Darius, Metal Black, and Night Striker. Check the video for a peek.

[source]

This afternoon I met with the guys from Taito outside of the west hall of E3. Unsurprisingly, they have quite a bit on their plate right now both between updating their existing games, releasing new ones, and promoting an odd array of Space Invader themed utilities. Originally I was rather confused, both wondering why Taito would release these utilities and who would download them… Then I realized exactly who would download them– The army of people with severe Space Invader fetishes like our own Blake Patterson.

These utilities all have been done before, but never with a Space Invaders theme. They're all free, and the calculator is actually pretty cool with various easter eggs if whatever you're calculating results in certain special numbers such as 1978, 41, and 10 others. They all include various advertisements for Taito games, and there is a 99¢ version of the calculator that strips these ads.

• Space Invaders Clock
• Space Invaders Battery Meter
• Space Invaders Business Card
• Space Invaders Calculator (Ad-Free Calculator, 99¢)
• Space Invaders Timer
• Space Invaders Flashlight
• Space Invaders Timer

Gardening Mama is in the works, an iPhone port of an existing Nintendo DS game. Just like Cooking Mama [$6.99 / Free], Gardening Mama will use the touch and tilt interfaces of the device to plant and cultivate various plant life instead of cooking. All we need now is a way to hook the two games together so you can cook in Cooking Mama with the ingredients you grow in Gardening Mama. Gardening Mama is still in development, but they expect it to be released later this summer.

Space Invaders HD is scheduled for release in July, and is going to be the classic game of Space Invaders redone for the iPad. It's a little hard to not roll your eyes at a "HD" version of a retro game like this, but they've actually done quite a bit to make the game really cool. Most notably is a single device two-player mode that works just like the cocktail table arcade machines, with players taking turns and the screen orientation switching just like back in the day.

Taito is using Space Invaders HD to test the waters before determining what else to do with the iPad, but not having "HD" versions of their existing games shouldn't dissuade you from checking them out on your iPad. The pixel art used in their iPhone games all look great with the iPad's scaling.

The next retro classic Taito is bringing to the App Store is Bubble Bobble, and I doubt I'm alone in hoping this game gets the same amazing treatment as Space Invaders did in Space Invaders Infinity Gene [$4.99]. Today all they were able to show is a basic demo of the game running with touch controls, but they assured me that Bubble Bobble for the iPhone would feature both a "retro" mode, and a new game mode they weren't willing to talk any specifics beyond telling me to not "expect something just like the original."

Moving on to game updates, Taito is committed to updating their popular games, both either through free updates or via in-app purchases. Cooking Mama has already had a few updates with new recipes, and there are even more coming. Taito is even debating recipe packs, potentially with seasonal or holiday themes.

Space Invaders Infinity Gene is getting a huge update, with both free and paid components. Everyone who owns the game will get access to a new ship, and the ability to turn the game sideways to shift the perspective in to a horizontal shooter. In-app purchases will be available to unlock different themes for the game.

These themes include Darius, Metal Black, and Night Striker. Each theme comes with their own unique ships, bosses, and remixed music that any fans of the original games should instantly recognize. Taito hopes the update will land on the App Store sometime next month.

As I mentioned before, they've got quite a bit in the works at Taito, and it's hard to not look forward to their future efforts on the platform especially with how great some of their recent releases have been– Especially Space Invaders Infinity Gene.

[source]

CDE Humble Gaming was at WWDC 2010 showing of their upcoming trading card game Arena 9. Game developer and long-time Magic: The Gathering player Jeff Lyndon described how they were trying to create an iPhone suitable experience for a collectible card game.

High amongst their priorities was an accessible game that was easy to learn, but also one that didn't overwhelmingly advantage those who had simply collected better cards. The game revolves around a collectible cards that are earned by the user. An initial set is provided, but over time, new cards can be collected by earning in game experience or through in-app purchase. Cards are organized into 5 card decks that you can take into battle.

Battle will primarily be on-line against live opponents. While single-player (offline) mode does exist, it's primarily intended for practice and training as experience points aren't earned.

Battle is waged on a 3×3 grid. Each player's hands is in plain view to the other player, and cards are placed on the grid in alternating turns. The goal is to win as many cards as possible by "turning" opponents cards to your own. The initial rules are simple. If the adjacent number on your the card is higher than the opponent's number when side-by-side, then you turn the other card to your own. Additional rules, however, such as lining up same numbers on two sides or surrounding an opponents card with similar elementals can act as special moves. In addition, the board also has randomly placed elemental-marked tiles that either enhance or detract from a card's power if placed on that space.

Each battle should take about 3-4 minutes and a matchmaking system tries to match you with a comparable opponent. The game is expected to launch during the first week of July and will be free for the base game. Additional cards can be purchased in packs or can simply be earned with enough experience points and wins.

[source]

As promised during yesterday's keynote address, Activision released an official version of Guitar Hero for the iPhone and iPod Touch yesterday.

The game costs $2.99 and comes with 6 songs with additional song packs available as in-app purchases. The included songs include:

• Queen – We Are The Champions
• Rise Against – Savior
• The Rolling Stones – Paint It Black
• The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
• Weezer – Say It Ain't So
• Vampire Weekend – Cousins

Despite the rather short tracklist, impressions have been positive with particular praise for the game's fun notecharts:

Gotta say i'm pretty impressed thus far. Much better than I expected and way deeper, more challenging and fun than Rockband. I really like the variety in the gameplay created by the slides and "strums" – it adds a lot of challenging segments and can be much more interesting than the somewhat stagnant note charts from TTR3/RB.

More feedback and impressions are available in our discussion forums.

[source]

Backflip Studios, the company that brought us such massive hits such as Paper Toss and Ragdoll Blaster, has released their latest game into the App Store. Strike Knight is a casual flicking game based on real life puck bowling arcade games of the 80s and 90s.

We met with Backflip Studios during this year's GDC where they had an early build of Strike Knight. The game is free ad-supported game that follows the basic structure of bowling but places you in control of a puck. Like their insanely popular Paper Toss game, Strike Knight is controlled using the simple flicking motion to send your puck hurtling towards the pins.

Each game lasts 10 frames. Scoring, however, has a bit of a maddening twist. Your score for either strike or spare is based on the timing of your shot. A score indicator is constantly cycling through the top of the screen and freezes at the moment you flick.

We had a great time with Strike Knight at GDC, and it being a free download makes it easy enough to give it a try. Ads can be removed through a $0.99 in-app purchase.

True to its dive-bar origins, we spent one late night gambling away with the developers in head-to-head sessions. Backflip has had a lot of luck with high quality free ad-supported games, and Strike Knight is a great addition to their lineup. They have an aggressive plan for many more releases in the near future.

[source]

Less of a game and more of a demonstration of each and every working part in 5 different handguns, Gun Disassembly is a technical app with an extraordinary amount of detail in both the included weapon models and their many animated parts.

To begin, there are two handguns to choose from, the Colt 1911 and Glock 17. Selecting one of these enables you to view a complete demonstration of the gun being completely disassembled and then re-assembled. The demonstration and the game component itself is set around a 3D model of the weapon, with the camera able to zoom and pan around various components. The demo runs through the correct steps (complete with full animation of even the smallest screws being removed) and the game mode then has you replicating these steps to achieve the best time score possible.

The controls are straightforward– you merely need to select the correct component on the gun, and then press an on-screen button to remove it automatically. It sounds easy, but when there are excess of 50 steps to take in the correct order, it gets quite challenging; particularly if, like us, you have very little knowledge of how these things work in the first place. The camera is controlled by the traditional swipe to pan and pinch to zoom gestures.

High scores are recorded on the OpenFeint platform, and an additional 3 handguns (the Desert Eagle .44, Sig P228 and Baretta 92 FS) can be purchased for $0.99 each to further your high scores. There are also 5 OpenFeint achievements awarded for completing any of the games without using the in-game hint system.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1wp192D8j0

Though it is promoted as a game, Gun Disassembly 3D is nonetheless a technical app with very limited appeal. That didn't stop it from piquing at our curiosity however, as it can be quite a singular experience to see a firearm like this being taken apart before your very eyes, let alone being able to go about it yourself.

App Store Link: Gun Disassembly 3D, $0.99 (With In-App Purchases of $0.99 each).

[source]

In just a few days Fabulapps plans on releasing its first game called CrossRoads in to the wild. CrossRoads is yet another line drawing time management game, but it sets its self apart by adding a few extra gameplay features all wrapped in a slick art style.

Similar to existing games on the App Store like Car Mania [99¢], you guide cars to their destinations by drawing lines on a map. Fabulapps takes this concept a little farther by adding unique events that occur on each map. For example there is a map were you have to crush zombies in your path as you route cars around. On others, you will need to pop balloons, shake clouds off the screen, and break ice when your screen freezes over.

The feature that most piqued my interest is the multiplayer mode, which allows you to play against another player with the game via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Similar to the multiplayer found in Flight Control [99¢] and Harbor Master [$1.99 / Free], you will be able to route cars off your screen and on to your opponents to add even more vehicles for them to manage.

CrossRoads will launch with 4 included maps (one as a free download) and 3 additional maps available as in-app purchases. Each add-on map includes new music, special effects, and new vehicles. The game should be out sometime this week for $1.99.

For more details on the game as it nears release, take a look at the thread on our forums.

[source]

One board game that our readers have continually mentioned as a worthy candidate for the AppStore is the hit German tile-based game, Carcassonne. This is undoubtedly due to Sierra's well-received adaptation of the game for the XBOX Live and several indie spin-offs that we've already seen on the AppStore. In any case, we're pleased to announce that developers The Coding Monkeys together with Hans im Glück, one of the publishers of the original boardgame, have heard your cries, as Carcassonne is almost done and ready to hit the App Store sometime in May.

The Carcassonne website provides a very brief description of the features included in the initial release. From what we can muster, Carcassonne will include all the tiles from the original board game tileset, with the expansion tilesets (of which there were several) coming later as In-App purchases. It also offers the full suite of multiplayer options, including pass-and-play, local (WiFi and Bluetooth) multiplayer and online multiplayer, which is terrific to see as this sort of title would be stunted without the ability to find willing opponents at any given time. Of course, there is also the option to play against the computer, with a range of AI difficulties available to test yourself against.

Screenshots of the game so far are promising, and the game really looks like it's getting a thick layer of polish. So far, the developers have announced an English and German translation for the iPhone/iPod devices only, but have promised that the app itself will be universal, incorporating iPad support at a later date. We're looking forward to getting a hands on preview with the game in the near future where we'll be able to provide further information before its release later this month at the introductory price of $4.99.

[source]

Pocket Legends was a big hit with us when it released earlier this month. There was something special about having an full-blown 3D MMO playing in our hot little hands that really wow'd us, particularly as Pocket Legends actually had solid match-up mechanics and an action-packed gameplay to write home about.

Since its release, developers Spacetime Studios have been hard at work pumping out server-side patches to address bugs, tweak balancing, and even introduce a new in-app purchasable level pack in the form of 'The Lost Expedition' — a set of levels based on the frigid snowscape of a Yeti Fortress, complete with new ice weapons and armors. Perhaps even more exciting though is their first update to the application itself, requiring a traditional iTunes app update to patch your game to version 1.1.

The full feature list is a long one, comprising of a raft of UI tweaks and bug fixes, but the major gameplay features that have been added (as provided by the developer) are as follows:

• Gifting: Items can now be traded one way (given) to other players
• Stashing: Items can now be stored in a stash, which can also be used to transfer items between your characters
• Vendors: NPCs now sell different items in towne
• Conversations: NPCs now offer backstory
• Consider Mobs: Target display (left of health indicator) shows relative level difference
• Booting: Game hosts can kick players from their game
• Store: Added Platinum for premium items and packages

While most of the new features are self-explanatory, we'll expand on that last point to clear any confusion. Being the busy, supportive developers that they are, Spacetime Studios have encountered an issue with the in-app content process– chiefly, they are creating content too fast for Apple to approve it in a timely fashion, and as each in-app download has to be separately submitted, approved and priced, this has caused quite the delay and frustration.

Their solution is a simple but clever one that has financial benefits for its customers too. In-App downloads will now comprise solely of 'platinum' purchases, a new form of currency introduced to Pocket Legends. With that platinum, you can then purchase from a (now much larger) list of in-game items and content, some which may potentially be below the Apple-mandated in-app price of $0.99. This means that Apple only has to approve the platinum in-app purchase once, and the rest of the items are handled by their faster, more regular update processes. Note, the developers have indicated that until the new system is fully migrated and the old in-app system removed, they won't be able to review their prices, so you may want to hold out on item spending until they do so.

With all these updates and both PvP and Secure Trading promised in the next update (the current patch introduced only a lightweight 'gifting' system), there is certainly a lot to look forward to in the world of Pocket Legends. We'd also like to mention that the entire interface has been given a nifty face lift with an emphasis on help tooltips and assisting new players, so there's never been a better time to get on board Pocket Legends!

App Store Link: Pocket Legends for iPhone, Free & Pocket Legends for iPad, Free.

[source]

The last few months have seen an explosion of online games hitting the iPhone. Developers are waking to the fact that in today's WiFi world and speedier mobile internet, online content delivery for the iPhone has finally entered the mainstream. Com2Us have tapped into the mother load of online genres, the behemoth (to pronounce) Massively Multiplayer Online RPG, through its release of IMO: The World of Magic [AppStore].

IMO adopts the controversial 'freemium' model, where games are released free to the public, but charge an in-app fee for premium services and items. Instead of just recommending you an app that you can try for yourself, this review should assist to shed light on what is actually available to premium users, and what free users may be missing out on.

Many would be surprised to learn that IMO is in fact a port of a 2006 release on older mobile devices in Korea. The in-game artwork is a give-away in this respect, not being as high-resolution as you would expect from a native iPhone app, but still sporting the vibrant colors and cute characters that the Korean game market is known for. Another apparent symptom of the port to iPhone is an ever-present stutter as the game world scrolls around the character, a factor that detracts from the fluidity of the game and lends it a sometimes lag-like quality.

This shouldn't detract people from enjoying The World of Magic though, as it also happens to be a surprisingly comprehensive MMO that is a heap of fun to play with friends. There are three unique characters to play; a warrior, mage and archer, each of which has a well-developed skill tree up to level 50. These characters can have their appearances customized to a small degree at creation, but to a much greater scale through the many different armor and weapon sets expected of an MMO. IMO also features a full-scale guild and party system, as well as PvP battlegrounds, challenging dungeons and an expansive, open world.

What is more astonishing is that all of the above is available completely gratis. Where your wallets do come into play though is through the auction system. In the middle of town are two traders, both of whom are inaccessible to 'free' players. On purchase of a 'Starter's Pack' for $2.99, the player is bestowed with a Premium Member Ticket. This ticket enables players to access the auction house system, as well as removing in-game AdMob ads that pop up on occasion and cause minor irritation. Prospective traders may also choose to dig further into the purchasable items, as they can have their trading slots expanded to 10 and then to 15 for $0.99 each.

To entice players to pay, the 'Starter's Pack' opts for the carrot rather than the stick. Together with the Premium Ticket, you are given a 7 slot bag (an otherwise expensive in-game item), a random Costume Hat (I got kitty ears!), and a slew of consumable items that cannot be purchased through the in-game currency (and cannot be found either, from what I can tell). Each of these consumables have special effects such as resurrecting on the spot, summoning friends, insuring against item breakage or — strangely — permitting you to shout to all regions. If you had to buy them on their own, they cost between $0.99 and $2.99 for between 3 and 10 items, making the Starter's Pack a bargain.

It really seems as though the Starter's Pack is enough for most to get by with, but in any case IMO is not as restrictive as other 'freemium' games. In fact, it has no inherent requirement to purchase anything at all– so long as you are happy with the ads and aren't using the auction system. The consumable purchases are of questionable use, particularly as they are offered in rather paltry bundles. Whether they become more useful in the latter game is yet to be seen though, as IMO also features a steep levelling curve that appears to require a substantial amount of grinding for both gold and experience.

If you can get past the MMO grind– a fact made easier by the regular PvP battlegrounds that are a real spectacle– IMO has alot going for it in both its social features and its huge game world. It may prove inaccessible to those not willing to ask questions though, as the game documentation is currently a little sparse. Having said that, this is an enjoyable, practically-free title that is capable of consuming countless hours and have you still clamouring for more. Our readers are certainly responding well to IMO, with hundreds of impressions already streaming in to our forums. IMO: The World of Magic can be played over both WiFi and 3G internet.

App Store Link: IMO: The World of Magic, Free (With In-App DLC).

[source]