Archive for the ‘mouse’ tag
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.
[]
‘iDOS’ Returns… Sort of, as ‘Aemula Oldies’
Let’s wind back the clocks a bit so those of you who weren’t around for the great iDOS fiasco of 2010. It all started with Apple ever-so-slightly easing up on their which opened the floodgates for quite a few apps (such as the Google Voice apps) that seemed to eternally be trapped in approval limbo. Whether this had anything to do with iDOS or not is debatable, but it seems awfully coincidental otherwise. Anyway, on the morning of October 26th last year, iDOS hit the App Store. It was a shockingly full featured DOS emulator complete with keyboard and mouse support, as well as a basic virtual gamepad, multiple screen modes, and so much more.
The crazy part about iDOS is there seemed to be nearly no limit to what it was capable of. If you scroll down on this story you’ll even find someone successfully installing Microsoft Windows, within iDOS, on their iPad. iDOS was quickly pulled, then re-appeared in late January of this year with quite a bit of its functionality stripped. Regardless, people quickly figured out how to load things into iDOS, utilizing utilities like iExplorer and other Mac/Windows programs that allow you to fiddle with the file system of your iOS device. Once again, iDOS was removed from the App Store.
Yesterday, iDOS hit the App Store once again, this time as Aemula Oldies [Free] for the iPad and Aemula Oldies S [Free] for smaller screen devices. There’s also the Aemula Gamepad [99¢] which works a lot like the other gamepad apps and pairs with an iPad playing a game. It seems that the functionality has been stripped even further, as all the previous command line access has been traded for a simple menu to load the included games.
The freebies packed in with Aemula Oldies are Mille Bornes, Commander Keen 4: Secret of the Oracle, Duke Nukem, Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion, Scorched Earth, CD-Man, The Catacomb Abyss, Bio Menace, Monster Bash, StarMines II: Planet of Mines, 4D Prince of Persia and CHAMP Kong. They all seem to work decently well, too.
I sort of think third time is the charm for iDOS, err, Aemula Oldies, as I’d imagine that there aren’t any holes for slipping other things to emulate in left anymore. Of course, I could be totally wrong on that, so if anyone figures out any tricks, be sure to let us know.
Aemula Oldies S, Free
Aemula Oldies, Free (iPad Only)
Aemula Gamepad, $0.99
[]
Christmas Sale: Every EA Published Game $.99 or Free
We’ve come to expect EA to never mess around with its sales, and we’re pleased to report that it certainly isn’t messing around with its latest. From now, and presumably until shortly after New Years Day, all of the publisher’s gargantuan premium catalogue is an agreeable $.99. That means games like Madden 12, Trenches II, and many others have been reduced up to 90-percent off the original asking price. Whoa, right?
This same sale happened last year around this time, too. You probably know the story, but EA managed to choke the App Store’s charts with its titles and pushed everyone out of its way. It was a powerful move that set the yuletide savings tone moving forward.
We’ve got a list, but just as a note, we haven’t listed every single EA game, just the ones in this “holiday sale.”
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – $2.99 → $.99
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2 HD – $9.99 → $.99
- Battleship HD – $2.99 → $.99
- Bop it! for iPad – $ → $.99
- Coconut Dodge HD – $1.99 → $.99
- Command & Conquer: Red Alert HD – $4.99 → $.99
- Dead Space – $6.99 → $.99
- Dead Space HD – $9.99 → $.99
- Draw Jump HD – $2.99 → $.99
- Dragon’s Lair 2: Time Warp – $2.99 → $.99
- FIFA 12 – $4.99 → $.99
- FIFA 12 for iPad – $9.99 → $.99
- Fight Night Champion – $4.99 → $.99
- The Game of Life for iPad – $6.99 → $.99
- High Caliber Hunting - $2.99 – $.99
- Madden NFL 12 – $4.99 → $.99
- Madden NFL 12 for iPad – $12.99 → $.99
- Max And the Magic Marker HD – $2.99 → $.99
- Mirror’s Edge HD – $9.99 → $.99
- Monopoly for iPad – $9.99 → $.99
- Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition – $2.99 → $.99
- Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition for iPad – $ → $.99
- NBA Jam HD – $4.99 → $.99
- NCAA Football – $2.99 → $.99
- Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit – $4.99 → $.99
- Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit HD – $9.99 → $.99
- Need For Speed Shift 2 Unleashed – $2.99 → $.99
- Need For Speed Shift 2 Unleashed for iPad – $4.99 → $.99
- Need for Speed Undercover – $2.99 → $.99
- PICTUREKA! HD – $4.99 → $.99
- Reckless Racing HD – $4.99 → $.99
- RISK -$2.99 → $.99
- RISK HD -$6.99 → $.99
- Scrabble -$2.99 → $.99
- Scrabble HD – $9.99 → $.99
- SimCity Deluxe HD – $6.99 → $.99
- Snood HD – $4.99 → $.99
- Spy Mouse HD – $2.99 → $.99
- TETRIS HD – $7.99 → $.99
- Trenches II – $1.99 → $.99
- Trenches II for iPad – $2.99 → $.99
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 – $4.99 → $.99
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 for iPad – $6.99 → $.99
- Trivial Pursuit Master Edition for iPad – $ – $.99
- The Sims 3 -$6.99 → $.99
- The Sims 3: Ambitions – $4.99 → $.99
- The Sims Medieval – $4.99 – $.99
- The Sims 3: World Adventures – $2.99 → $.99
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon – $2.99 → $.99
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon HD – $4.99 → $.99
- Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 HD – $4.99 → $.99
If you’re looking for something else, hit up EA’s publisher page on the App Store. You’ll see its entire selection, including games that were already $.99 courtesy its Daily Deals seasonal program.
[]
Firemint Gives ‘Spy Mouse’ A Holiday Update And ‘Flight Control’ New Levels
Guys, Christmas is right around the corner. Real Racing creators delicately reminded us of that we’re zeroing in on the holiest of holidays with one well-positioned holiday-themed update to its awesome puzzle game, Spy Mouse [$.99 / HD].
Starting now with an update, World 1 in Spy Mouse and Spy Mouse HD have been turned into winter-y paradises, complete with snow, candy canes, and other decorations. The team has also turned the game’s icon on its head with a bit of Christmas cheer and even added a new challenge to Agent Squeak’s backpack.
Flight Control [$.99 / Lite] for the iPhone and iPod Touch have also been updated, though not with anything Christmas-related. These two versions now have a new level featuring a vicious thunderstorm with lightning that can damage your planes. The HD version [$4.99], on the other hand, now rocks a “Moon Base” map with asteroids and four new vehicles: land shuttles, satellites, rockets, and UFOs.
Interestingly, all three versions of Flight Control now have a “rewind” feature, which allows you to, er, rewind time in order to, say, avoid a collision. The catch? They need to be purchased.
[]
Coming Tonight: ‘Age of Zombies Anniversary’, ‘Extraction: Project Outbreak’, ‘Homerun Battle 2′, ‘Minecraft Pocket Edition’, ‘Superman’ and More
‘Spy Mouse’ Updated with Global Leaderboards, New Challenges, and More
This past August, Firemint brought us its first release since being acquired by Electronic Arts, called Spy Mouse [99¢]. Taking their expertise in the line-drawing genre that the developer almost single-handedly popularized with their premiere iOS offering Flight Control [99¢/Lite/HD] and applying it to a stealth-heavy action/puzzle game, Spy Mouse offered an incredibly enjoyable and straight forward experience that we highlighted in our review.
The task at hand was to direct the game’s mousey protagonist Agent Squeak safely through a level, staying out of the path of roaming cats and collecting cheese and powerups along the way. It’s a formula that proved quite successful, and most importantly, fun.
Today, Firemint has released the latest update to Spy Mouse which adds in the often requested online leaderboard functionality. You’ll need to sign up with EA’s Origin service which is built into the game and then can track your level scores with fellow Spy Mouse-ers across the globe.
Also part of this update is the addition of 5 brand new Challenges to be found in Agent Squeak’s Backpack. Additionally, Firemint has lowered the required Squeak friends requirement to unlock additional elements in the Backpack to just one. If you find yourself having trouble passing certain levels, Kiska’s assistance is now available once per hour instead of just once per day, and Firemint has on getting past the game’s first boss, and I’d imagine they’ll have similar videos coming out in the future.
Spy Mouse was definitely a fun game to begin with, and a fresh mix on both the line-drawing and stealth genres. Plus, it’s just plain cute pretty much all around. Be sure to grab this latest update to Spy Mouse and check out the new features for yourself.
[]
‘Jelly Defense’ Review – Jelly Worth Defending
’ Jelly Defense [$.99] is a well-made by-the-numbers tower defense joint with an embarrassingly unorthodox and captivating art direction that arterially informs and fleshes out its otherwise boring core mechanics. Without this direction it’d look and feel as flat as a modern FPS, but its detail, vividness, liveliness, and the raw skillfulness employed in making it this way morph it into an experience.
Conventional tower defense games are demanding, punitive, and scripted pretty harshly. You usually have to “get” the vision the designer had in mind for levels, which leaves a lot to be desired from a play perspective. Jelly Defense doesn’t depart from these norms, nor does it do much to differentiate on any other level outside of its look. You build towers. Those towers fire on specific enemy types and have certain effects on them as they crawl towards an ultimate end goal. If they reach the goal enough, you lose. If you pick bad towers, you lose. If you try to be unconventional, you lose. If you spend poorly, you lose. There’s a lot of losing in general until you understand and execute on proper placements, upgrade paths, and memorize the order of waves.
Tower defense does have its charms, though. As punitive as it is, you gotta love the blood-pumping splendor of successfully completing a level without losing any of your goal, which in this specific game, are stars. I also appreciate the simple pleasures of memorization and execution, as well as the frenzied “should I upgrade this or this or put this here” thought progression that happens in every level, this game included.
I haven’t spotted any meaningful refinements on the TD formula on display in Jelly Defense, but there are some noticeable subtleties in the towers, enemies, and levels in general that make it stand out a little bit. Your team, the jellies, are composed of wavy lifeforms that jiggle to and fro and shoot adorable little bolts of lightning and big old cannonballs out of oddly placed holes or antennae. The other team, also made out of jelly like material, come in all shapes and matters of form. They’re often differentiated by reds and blues, which ties into a core mechanic — colored towers can effect only like-colored enemies. It’s a neat touch, as are the contrast-catching greyed out levels and their wavy, jelly-ish design that has enemies bumbling and swaying down paths instead of lumbering in straight lines.
Levels are divided up pretty well in small, instance-based missions with a point. Special boss conflicts, standard wave-based play, and constricting scenarios like, say, Enemies Don’t Drop Loot, all play out inside a world map-ish 3D structure.
The map in particular is a great touchstone for the thing Jelly Defense has in spades: character. The map has this super distinctive, almost… child-born doodle feel to it that compliments the overall playfulness and vividness of everything else in the game. It’s a charming world with charming characters and it looks fantastic on the iPhone and iPad. This isn’t a technical beast, but it’s easily one of the most impressive looking games on the App Store. It almost reminds me of how Wind Waker caught the eye with its starkly different look and feel without having to be some sort of graphical juggernaut.
But it’s still surprising how well Jelly Defense runs. It’s as smooth as butter, even when the action gets intense. Also, it plays well as a native game — drag and drop controls, as well as simple touches and swipes control nearly everything. As you'd hope to expect, but don't always get, it doesn’t feel like a game in a genre originally created for a mouse and keyboard.
The App Store is clotted with tons and tons of tower defense games and Jelly Division doesn’t have a mechanical spark that differentiates it from most others. It is however a decent-enough tower defense game with an utterly fantastic look and vibe. Its art alone is worth the price of admission, but the game part holds up alright despite the orthodox approach.
[]
Best iOS Games August 2011
Our ratings for games we reviewed in August 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 3 or higher is considered a "good" rating.
Our final scores are not the product of any traditionally objective measures such as graphics or sound, but simply reflect the games we would most recommend to others.
5 Stars
Jetpack Joyride, $0.99 – [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.
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.
EDGE Extended, $0.99 – [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.
iBlast Moki 2, $0.99 / 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.
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.
Anomaly Warzone Earth, $1.99 / 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.
4.5 Stars
Contre Jour, $0.99 / Universal HD – [Review] – [] – If you take the environmental modification mechanic found in Bumpy Road and combine it with a stupidly cool amount of style, you've got Contre Jour. Chillingo is on a serious streak of releasing incredible games, and Contre Jour fits that description in every way.
Sprinkle: Water splashing fire fighting fun!, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – Who knew that putting out fires could be so much fun? In Sprinkle, you've got to control a crazy fire hose to complete various physics-centric water puzzles. As an added bonus, the water looks and behaves beautifully and how well this mechanic is done makes Sprinkle worth picking up even if you're not normally that crazy about physics games.
Rogue Sky, $0.99 / HD – [Review] – [] – This balloon flying and fighting game has fantastically simple controls, both for flying as well as firing your cannons. Great graphics and a cool mood greatly add to the overall experience, and collectable in-game coins do a good job of making the game as difficult as you want it to be. Collectables can be ignored, or hunted down for an additional challenge.
Fractal: Make Blooms Not War, $1.99 – [Review] – [] – It seems that the best puzzle games evoke an argument amongst our community as to whether the game is fun or frustrating, and Fractal certainly has spurred that kind of discussion. We had a great time with it, and loved the ambient soundtrack. This is definitely one game you'll want to play with the sound on.
Mega Mall Story, $3.99 – [Review] – [] – Kairosoft's winning simulation formula, this time applied to a crazy multi-level shopping mall. This both seems significantly deeper, and comes packed with a building mechanic that seems to make significantly more sense to us Americans than previous offerings.
Silverfish MAX, $2.99 – [Review] – [] – We had a great time with the pocket-sized iPhone version of Silverfish in our review, but the game really comes alive on the iPad especially when paired with the iCade. A real joystick turns this game into an action-packed arcade experience that makes us glad that the coin slot on our iCades doesn't actually require quarters.
Kickin Momma, $1.99 / Universal HD – [Review] – [] – Many developers have tried to duplicate the Peggle formula, but it seems like few if any have had much success. Somehow Hothead Games seems to have broken this trend, and created a game that feels just Peggle-y enough to seem familiar, but different enough to be totally enjoyable on its own.
Special Mention
Pocket RPG iPhone Edition, $0.99 / HD – [iPad Review] – [] – Launching last month as an iPad exclusive that we had a great time with, Pocket RPG iPhone Edition brings the same entirely randomized dungeon-crawling gameplay to the smaller screen of the iPhone and iPod touch.
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS, $15.99 – [Review] – [] – After a wait that felt like an eternity with how fast the App Store moves, Final Fantasy Tactics landed with a bang. Hardcore fans will likely overlook all of the game's shortcomings, but the fact remains that this is an incredibly lackluster port with many technical issues that prevented us from having anywhere near as much fun as we wanted to with it.
Full Deck Hold’Em, $0.99 – [Review] – [] – While it's a little difficult to get excited for another poker game, Full Deck Hold'Em feels like a game that should come pre-loaded on every iPad 2. Sporting in-game video chat with up to four friends in real-time multiplayer, it makes playing games without video feel archaic in comparison. Alternatively, if you don't have an iPad 2, you can give Word Chat [99¢] a spin with any iPhone 4 or 4th generation iPod touch to see similar video chat magic.
The rest of the game ratings can be seen in their respective rating categories (also found in the sidebar navigation): 5 Stars, 4.5 Stars, 4 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 3 Stars, and 2 Stars.
As always, we expect there will be some debate about relative scores, but keep in mind that everyone's personal ratings may vary based on individual tastes.
For more of our favorite iOS games, check out our "Best iPhone Games" category which includes all of these monthly posts as well as other special compilations of the greatest games the App Store has to offer:
- So You Just Got a Verizon iPhone… Let's Get You Up To Speed!
- So You Just Got an iPhone 4 – An App Store Gaming Guide
- Best iPod Touch and iPhone Games: 2010 Buyer's Guide
- 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Eli
- 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Blake
- 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Brad
- 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Jared
- Best iPod Touch and iPhone Games: 2009 Buyer's Guide
[]
‘Spy Mouse’ Review – Firemint Does It Again
Firemint’s Spy Mouse [$.99] probably won’t spawn a billion copycats like Flight Control [$.99 / HD] and it lacks the jaw-dropping 3D prowess of Real Racing 2 [$4.99 / HD], but it’s a mechanically solid and visually pleasing game that, in addition to being flat-out entertaining, breaks down a lot of stealth game barriers of entry. Basically, I'm just saying it's really good.
Stealth games are notoriously fickle things; genetically linked to arcade stock that treated players like quarter-pumping cattle, stealth’s central conceits have revolved around failure, punishment, and the gaming of its systems instead of things like fun and rewards. Spy Mouse mitigates a lot of the not-so-fabulous parts of its mechanics by being pretty up-front about its moment-to-moment stealth: it clearly shows you enemy pathways, its top-down perspective quickly gives you a handle on what you can do and when, and it’s mechanically simple, which eliminates execute grand schemes or interact with complicated systems in second-long bursts.
In a couple of words, it’s strikes me as a ‘balanced’ game. It isn’t super action heavy and as forgiving as the new title, but it’s also not as stringent as an early or a . It’s challenging without being stupidly hard; its AI is predictable but capable; its level design provides allows for autonomy but doesn’t sacrifice vision; its boss battles are tough while simultaneously entertaining; and it gives you just enough information to succeed without overloading you.
It’s also pretty pure. This is a game about a mouse grabbing cheese underneath cats’ noses. The cats patrol on highlighted pathways, while you move around similarly to how you draw a plane’s path in Flight Control. It’s indirect, but it serves the game well and keeps pacing on an even keel, ensuring few stealth "Oh Crap, Get Behind The Wall Quick" messes.
There are times in which I really, really want more direct control over my character, but those are few, and frankly, it’s because I’m approaching situations in stupid ways. Just like Flight Control, Spy Mouse is all about economy of movement and good planning; it’s not about dancing in front of cats and stumbling away in the nick of time, even though you can, if you want, do just that.
What strikes me as odd is that the core mechanic in this joint isn’t its biggest draw. I’ve been having more fun with the situational content that you apply movement to, as opposed to drawing raw joy from stalking around behind corners. For the better, Firemint has loaded Spy Mouse with oodles of levels, all of which have something fun or strategy-light to offer. It even throws in a bunch of power-ups, side cheese, and hidden areas into the mix, brightening up and differentiating the overall offering, while still maintaining a cohesive feel.
And, sure, while Spy Mouse does a great job of tossing out a lot of stealth game garbage, trial and error are still very much a part of this package. The catch is that it does a fantastic job of putting you right back in to the action in a snap, Super Meat Boy-style.
Artistically and visually, I love what I’m seeing. I’m not the kind of dude who usually reflects on this stuff, but it’s hard to deny the appeal of the soft, Disney-like overall aesthetic. It oozes character without beating you over the head with it, and, you know, its colors and contrasts also look pretty sharp on ‘HD’ devices.
If you couldn’t tell, I’m pretty pleased with Firemint's latest offering. It’s a neat change of pace from a talented development house, and more importantly, it’s a fun and good game. Give it a try, especially if you're into stealth without a lot of the mess.
[]
The TouchArcade Show – 14 – Weed Whacker
On this week’s episode of The TouchArcade Show, I brave a tropical storm, Jared survives a day without hits toilet, and Eli fights through the dulcet tones of a weed whacker. Amazingly, we came together and managed to talk about games while doing all of this. Topics include Halfbrick’s latest game, a premium listing in the App Store, Steve Jobs retirement, and other fascinating things.
As usual you can download or stream the podcast just below. You could also throw us a bone and subscribe to us on iTunes or the Zune Marketplace where you’ll get all our episodes the very second they hit our server for the awesome price of $0. What a deal!
iTunes Link: The TouchArcade Show
Zune Marketplace: TouchArcade.com Podcasts
RSS Feed: The TouchArcade Show
Direct Link: TouchArcadeShow-014.mp3, 38MB
Music notes are included at the back end of the podcast, but for your reading pleasure, here is what we talked about this week:
GAMES
- Peggle HD [$2.99]
- Jetpack Joyride
- Enviro-Bear 2010 [$.99]
THE KITTY KORNER
- Cat Games [$1.99]
FRONT PAGE
- Fish Labs CEO talks premium model, App Store Space
- Steve Jobs Resigns
- Machinarium Hitting Soon For The iPad 2 Only
- 'SPY mouse' Now Available, Score It for Free at Starbucks Starting Next Week
[]
