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It was little more than a week ago that we were lamenting that Starcraft 2 would not be coming to the AppStore any time soon. Unbeknownst to us, indie developer Pixel Stream has been working on the silver lining to that news for almost 8 months, with the release of their Starcraft-esque real-time strategy game, Armada – Galactic War [AppStore].

Firstly, let's dispense with one important fact early– Armada is a no-nonsense, online-only RTS, at least until a promised future update releases offline play too. This means from your very first game you'll be facing real competitors over your WiFi or 3G networks and won't be charging through a pre-scripted, story-based set of missions. Fortunately, you aren't thrown entirely in the deep end, as a brief page-by-page tutorial offers an introduction to the game's mechanics and features.

Each Armada army, of which there are 3 — the Humans, Cyborgs and Aliens — has 4 distinct classes of units. There are no buildings to concern yourself with, so the scope of your campaign is entirely in considering whether to deploy your Mechs, Tanks, (flying) Ships or your solitary Mothership. Unit effectiveness is determined by a loose rock, paper, scissors formula, where Mechs are effective against Ships, Ships are best against Tanks (who are the only units that can't attack air units) and Tanks use their splash damage to chew through Mechs. Each unit class (with the exception of the Mothership) is further broken down into 3 units of increasing strength and cost. The Mothership is the hub of each team, a goliath of a ship that is both your source of units and a competent fighter against all the other classes. Its destruction serves as the overall objective to achieve victory in Armada.

Your entire army is funded by sending your Mechs to harvest the green crystals scattered across the map (sounds familiar?). Selecting units and ordering them to a task is ingeniously simple in Armada. You enter select mode by holding one finger on the yellow square at the top left of the screen and can either drag a box around your units, or tap them individually to select them. Releasing the select box allows you to then issue commands by tapping on-screen, such as sending Mech units to mine crystal.

It's a wonder that many developers have cited difficulty in translating traditional mouse controls to the touch interface as the major reason RTS games aren't featuring on the AppStore (just read the comments from Blizzard above). Pixel Stream have managed to come up with a control scheme that feels both intuitive and responsive and allows for a surprising amount of micromanagement too. That's not to say we were completely satisfied with the control options, as we would have liked to see a way of de-selecting units and assigning control groups (to on-screen buttons perhaps?) or selecting all units of the same type to better co-ordinate your army in combat, but the basis for a successful system is certainly in place. A few tweaks could make it really exceptional.

We were very impressed by the online service provided via Pixel Stream's Zing Network. Private matches were simple to setup and the matchup system found opponents nearly instantly, or would revert to an AI player if players weren't available. Games played on WiFi naturally ran very smoothly but we were surprised to find that 3G connections were just as capable. Armada's netcode and graphics performance also appeared to be in peak form, as we piled scores of units on screen at once, upwards of 30 or 40, and noticed no perceivable performance hit on our 3GS device. Our 2G Touch device skipped only a few frames too, but combat certainly remained playable.

The 5 maps initially available in Armada can be played in any configuration from 2-4 players, with 4 player battles being a (manic) highlight in our time with the game. The maps all have different configurations and slightly different themes, though their function is more strategic than aesthetic, as each has a number of crystal farms for you to expand to in order to gain a leg up on opponents. The units themselves are crafted in simple 3D; they are evidently low-poly with low resolution textures. That's not to say they don't look nice though, as they are all easily recognised on the battlefield and get the job done. Each race has a completely unique style individual to their personalities too (for example, the Cyborgs are clean-lined and shiny, whilst the Humans are more rugged looking).

Armada also features an underlying upgrade system called A.R.M.S in-game, which we are admittedly on the fence about. 10 customizable upgrades (in total) can be applied to your profile, each one boosting the abilities of 1 particular unit in your arsenal. For example, a Mech 1 speed upgrade will boost the movement speed of any 1st tier Mech that you create by 30%. There are hundreds of upgrades to choose from covering the whole gamut of attributes for each unit (and the mothership too). Upgrades are purchased by credits which are awarded for playing matches, with wins and larger scale matches equating to larger returns.

The A.R.M.S system was intended to offer an additional layer of strategy, but it ends up playing out more like a ranking system on FPS games, where players that stick with the game have a significant advantage over those who play infrequently. To give an example, one player on our forums, backtothis– who is currently on top of the leaderboards– claims to have upgraded his level 1 Mechs to the point where they can destroy level 3 Tanks. This costs an exorbitant amount of credits to do however and won't be an option available to the average player for quite some time. We sincerely hope the developers will keep an eye on this, as the upgrade system could be a major source of serious imbalance issues in future match-ups, something that is far more detrimental to RTS' than other genres.

Armada makes serious inroads into capturing the essence of popular real time strategy games on a portable device. It is clearly influenced by the greats such as Starcraft, and in some ways actually manages to distil the epic unit-to-unit match-ups and combat strategy that made that game a hit. Its focus on unit management over building management ensures a narrower scope of battle that is well suited to shorter, more intense matches. It already has a tight control setup in place (which could still use some tweaking) and a match-up system that works– and works well. Our major concern is with the potential abuse of the upgrade system, the effect of which largely remains to be seen, and whether the developers can keep up with the inevitable balancing updates required.

At this stage though, we're ultimately impressed by what 3-man developer Pixel Stream have done; they have catered for RTS fans in a way that other larger developers had thought too difficult. With the promise of offline play in the near future, Armada is an effortless recommendation to any RTS buff looking to test their APM on the touch devices in a competitive environment. To check out the gameplay for yourself, take a peek at the developer's trailer above or hit up our forums for other readers' impressions.

App Store Link: Armada – Galactic War, $0.99 (Introductory Sale Price).

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Our April game ratings are in place now, and here are the top of the heap. Our monthly "best of" round-up summarizes the top rated games that we looked at in the previous month. 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 traditional measures such as graphics or sound, but simply reflect the games we would most recommend to others.

5 Stars

Chaos Rings – One of the most ambitious RPG games we've seen so far for the iPhone. The graphics and gameplay are exactly what you'd expect out of a Square Enix RPG. Battle in parties of two in classic turn-based battles as you make your way through a story that's just as ridiculous as any other Japanese RPG. (Review, App Store: iPhone)

4.5 Stars

Babylonian Twins – Sixteen years in the making, Babylonian Twins delivers an amazingly challenging yet satisfying iPhone and iPad puzzle platformer. In many modern platformers, I've felt like I'm just mindlessly going through the motions to make it to the end of each level. Babylonian Twins, however, really keeps you enthralled throughout. (Review, App Store: iPhone, iPad)

Pocket Legends – This free online multiplayer game for both the iPhone and iPad that is a ton of fun and playing in a party with your friends is especially impressive while you're playing via 3G as the netcode does a great job in providing a lag-free experience. Additional content is available via in-game DLC, but you can really get a good feel for the game before you ever need to buy anything. (Review, App Store: iPhone, iPad)

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 – A surprisingly competent port of the classic skateboarding game. Everything is included from the original, and once you get used to the virtual controls, you'll be performing endless combos in no time in the many included skating locations.(Review, App Store:iPhone)

Espgaluda II – Bullet hell at its best on the iPhone. Even not being a huge fan of the genre, we fell quick and hard in love with Espgaluda II. It is the best 2D shooter experience in the App Store with great touch controls. Note: It will only run on the latest generation devices. (Review, App Store: iPhone 3GS, 3rd Gen iPod Touch, or pixel-doubled on iPad)

Honorable Mentions

There were several additional games this month that we felt we should highlight even though they didn't fall in the highest tiers.

Warpgate – A space conquest game with an amazing sense of scope. Warpgate has cool graphics, an interesting faction system to get involved in, and a dynamic in-game economy that can keep you busy for as long as you remain interested in the game. (Review, App Store: iPhone, iPad)

Geometry Wars iPad – A marvelous port of the XBOX Live Arcade game, it includes all the different game modes and has individual online leaderboards for each of them. The graphics are great, the music fits perfectly, and overall we just really want this game on our iPhones as the dual stick control method doesn't feel ideal for the iPad. (Review, App Store: iPad)

Sketch Nation – While the gameplay of the games created in Sketch Nation are generally just simple vertical shooters or other very basic games, the ability to draw and create your own game is one of the best uses of the iPhone camera we've seen. Even if you can't draw, you can still have a great time making a terrible game based on your own art that you photograph. (Review, App Store)

The rest of April 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 2.5 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.

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When the original Sword & Poker [$1.99 / Free] was released early this year, it served as a perfect example of a game concept that sounded so insane we just had to try it. The idea of a poker-powered RPG was extremely unique, and the original Sword & Poker was a huge hit, both on our forums and amongst my circle of friends.

The basic gameplay remains identical to the first. From our review:

At the core is a card-based strategy/adventure game where battles take place by making poker hands on a 5×5 grid. When each game starts, nine cards are dealt in to the center of the grid and you take turns with the AI opponent placing pairs of the four cards you're dealt on the perimeter of the game board to form hands down, across, or diagonally. Jokers are wild, and as you play more hands a gauge in the bottom left slowly fills which allows you to swap a card for a joker as well.

There is a surprising amount of strategy in placing cards, as you need to look at what you've been dealt to try to determine the best order to play them as your opponent could also have plans for the same squares you hope to utilize on your next turn. Furthermore, as the game board fills up, you can potentially form multiple hands. A well-planned hand placed on the diagonal could also form many other hands going down or across.

The "Sword" portion of Sword & Poker comes from the roleplaying game layered on top of these poker battles, which could practically stand alone as its own game. Instead of just playing poker battles of increasing difficulty, the games are structured as floors in a dungeon and the challenge differs based on the type of monster you're fighting. …Read More

We absolutely loved the game the first time around, and eventually ended up rating it 5 stars along with the other January iPhone games. The good thing about Sword & Poker 2 [$1.99] is that it's extremely similar to the original, almost to the point of feeling like less of a sequel and more of an expansion. This is also the bad thing about Sword & Poker 2, as if you didn't really like the first one, or simply are looking for more than just even more dungeons to make your way through, Sword & Poker 2 has very little to offer.

If this is the first you've heard of Sword & Poker, I highly recommend at least giving Sword & Poker Lite [Free] a try. If you like it, you should give some serious consideration to picking up Sword & Poker if not Sword & Poker 2 as well.

And chances are, if you played the first one, all you need is the iTunes link to the sequel:

App Store Link: Sword & Poker 2, $1.99

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Early this year we first caught wind of the hybrid poker RPG Sword & Poker [$1.99 / Free] and instantly fell in love with the game to the point of awarding it 5 stars in our January best iPhone games listing.

The basic premise of the game is explained in our review:

At the core is a card-based strategy/adventure game where battles take place by making poker hands on a 5×5 grid. When each game starts, nine cards are dealt in to the center of the grid and you take turns with the AI opponent placing pairs of the four cards you're dealt on the perimeter of the game board to form hands down, across, or diagonally. Jokers are wild, and as you play more hands a gauge in the bottom left slowly fills which allows you to swap a card for a joker as well.

There is a surprising amount of strategy in placing cards, as you need to look at what you've been dealt to try to determine the best order to play them as your opponent could also have plans for the same squares you hope to utilize on your next turn. Furthermore, as the game board fills up, you can potentially form multiple hands. A well-planned hand placed on the diagonal could also form many other hands going down or across.

The "Sword" portion of Sword & Poker comes from the roleplaying game layered on top of these poker battles, which could practically stand alone as its own game. Instead of just playing poker battles of increasing difficulty, the games are structured as floors in a dungeon and the challenge differs based on the type of monster you're fighting.

We don't really know anything yet about Sword & Poker 2 other than that it is coming soon, and the other sparse details on the Sword & Poker 2 web site. Obviously there are going to be new dungeons, and even new weapons and magic to players to wield. The story is a continuation of the original game, and from the sounds of it, Sword & Poker 2 is going to provide even more Sword & Poker gameplay.

Personally, I can't wait for the sequel. Sword & Poker really surprised me with how much fun I had with the game and I look forward to making my way through even more dungeons in Sword & Poker 2. If this is the first you've heard of Sword & Poker, please, if nothing else, try the lite version.

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Chaos Rings [$12.99] producer Takehiro Ando posted a note on the Square Enix Facebook page today that confirms the existence of Chaos Rings HD for the iPad. Ecstatic with the success the iPhone version of the game has seen, Ando has the game running on the iPad, but admits it needs quite a few tweaks to get everything how it needs to be before it's ready to be released.

Chaos Rings seems to be a massive success so far, annihilating the top grossing charts in multiple markets and even beating out the $14.99 MLB.com At Bat 2010 app- A particularly massive feat, especially considering how early we are in the baseball season. The Facebook notes doesn't give much detail beyond the above photo showing the game running full screen on the iPad Ando thinking that Chaos Rings on the iPad is a "good idea".

If this is the first you've heard of Chaos Rings, go take a peek at our review. We enjoyed the game a ton. It's not entirely clear right now whether the iPad universal compatibility is going to be updated in to the original Chaos Rings as well or if Chaos Rings HD is only going to be its own standalone game. If you haven't picked up the game yet and own an iPad, it might not be a bad idea to wait for more news on Chaos Rings HD to leak out of Square Enix first.

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Admittedly, I seem to be behind the times when it comes to modern-day board games. So when Gameloft announced the release of Blokus [AppStore], it barely registered on my radar, despite its award winning table-top origins.

For anyone else in my position (though I'm sure the majority of you are better informed) a description of Blokus is warranted. A colorful, tetris-like affair, Blokus has you competing against other players to cover more of the board in your tiles than can. The trick is that you have at your disposal 21 differently shaped tiles, which can only connect at the corners– no adjacent or touching tiles are allowed of your own color or the move is invalid. Each player takes it in turn to play one tile, until players are eventually eliminated by being unable to play a valid turn. Squares are then counted up, with the player owning the most tiles on the board claiming victory.

It's a simple process that evidently has an enormous amount of strategic value for those wishing to understand the nuts and bolts of the gameplay and really get good. Fortunately for the uninitiated, Gameloft have compiled a set of single-player tournaments to teach you the basic strategies and handling of the game. The controls are smartly designed and easy to learn– tiles are twisted and flipped with intuitive swiping and rotational gestures, and are picked up by simply tapping the tiles in the bottom tray. After mastering the controls, the rest of the single player Tournament mode introduces a number of gameplay variations to keep things interesting, including the two player board game variant, Blokus Duo.

While the single player Tournament mode is challenging enough, offering 6 cups to unlock scaling up to the Legend difficulty, Multiplayer is where the game appears to shine. I say appears because at the time of this writing, I came across no games to join, nor were any that I created populated. This was really a shame, as it is clear that a game as rich in strategy as Blokus supporting up to 4 players simply needs to be played competitively. Gameloft have done a great job facilitating the multiplayer element of Blokus too, offering both an Online mode (WiFi and 3G supported) and a Network mode to connect to your friends.

If you're a fan of the board game, you won't need me to tell you that this is a game that really gets you thinking. You'll soon learn through lots of trial and error (and cursing, as your opponent deftly blocks your entire gameplan) just when and how a particular piece should be played, or how to shut down a particularly aggressive opposing player. It's a great looking, quick-paced game that is perfectly suited to the App Store, and shouldn't require much thought to pick up for those interested in strategic and competitive multiplayer puzzlers.

Here's hoping that more people get on board the online multiplayer system!

App Store Link: Blokus, $4.99.

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Yesterday we posted our close look at the excellent RPG Chaos Rings [App Store], an iPhone exclusive and the latest from Square Enix. In celebration of the release of this new title, the studio today began a two week sale on all of their games.

• Final Fantasy, $8.99 → $6.99 [ review ]
• Final Fantasy II, $8.99 → $6.99 [ review ]
• Crystal Defenders, $7.99 → $5.99 [ review ]
• Vanguard Storm, $4.99 → $3.99 [ review ]
• Sliding Heroes, $2.99 → $.99
• Hills and Rivers Remain, $6.99 → $4.99 [ review ]
• Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes – Encore, $9.99 → $7.99 [ review ]
• Final Fantasy XIII Larger-than-Life Gallery, $8.99 → $5.99

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Last month news broke that video game giant Square Enix was bringing a brand new RPG exclusively to the iPhone, and that it was being developed by a team whose combined resumé consisted of work in both the Wild Arms and Final Fantasy series. Needless to say, expectations skyrocketed with such an announcement, and to top it off this ambitious project is based on an entirely new, unproven IP. Now that Chaos Rings [App Store] is finally available, does it actually deliver? After putting the game through its paces, I can safely say it stands to not only meet any high expectations but exceed them in remarkable fashion. With stunning visuals and captivating gameplay that is tailored specifically for Apple's device, Chaos Rings defines what an RPG experience should be like on a mobile platform.

The story revolves around a dark tournament in a mysterious place known as the Arka Arena. Take control of one of four two-person teams as you advance through the arena's enemy-laden dungeons, ultimately preparing to square off against the opposing teams themselves in a fight to the death. The last ones standing are promised eternal youth and immortality. The reason each combatant has been summoned to this tournament and exactly why they have been paired with their particular partner slowly unfold via text cutscenes as the game progresses. Each team has their own storyline to play through, and they all intertwine with one another in intriguing ways. It's all very well written and remains interesting while still being suitable for on-the-go play, avoiding the problem of an overly convoluted story that is hard to follow in short bursts.

The bulk of the game is spent traversing through the Arka Arena's four distinct dungeon locations. Here you'll engage enemies randomly in a combination of indoor and outdoor settings, and each dungeon has a mid-level and end-level boss encounter. The random fighting is broken up with an occasional logic puzzle that must be beaten to advance in the game by granting an item or access to a new area. The style of the puzzles varies based on which dungeon you're in and what team you're playing with. They're a fun distraction, and force you to think hard while delivering a breather from the constant enemy confrontations.

The battle system is turn-based and has you controlling both characters in your party with an easy to use touch menu interface. The two members of your team can either attack individually or pair-up for a combined strike. This collaborative effort can deliver a more devastating blow, but leaves your combatants vulnerable to being counter-attacked in tandem. There's also a number of upgradeable magic abilities and weapons in the game that are obtained from defeated enemies, treasure chests, or the in-game shop. Control outside of battle is handled simply with an analog stick that appears anywhere the screen is touched, and one multi-use action button in the corner.

The structure of Chaos Rings is intelligently designed, and caters to a broad variety of players. Before entering a dungeon, you can choose the difficulty level of the enemies you face within. The higher the level you play on, the more treasure and rare items you will come across. A more casual gamer can choose to fight the easiest tier of enemies as they make their way through the story. In addition, you can toggle random enemy encounters on or off at any time for a more streamlined play experience. On the other hand, you can spend as much time on character leveling as you want. Any of the dungeons can be replayed at any time, so feel free to go back and endlessly grind your way to more powerful weapons and spells. It's a smart, flexible system that allows you to choose how to tackle the different aspects of the game. It took about 8 hours to beat the game with my first team, and once finished you can start a new game using the same characters and retaining much of your equipment and experience from the previous playthrough. Coupled with three additional teams to play as, there is a mountain of content here that should last most players a long time.

Graphically Chaos Rings really impresses. Beautifully illustrated 2D backgrounds make up the environments, while characters and monsters consist of detailed 3D models. It has a look that's evocative of classic Playstation-era RPGs. The battle sequences are fully rendered in 3D and really showcase the gorgeous enemy designs and fluid animations. The huge bosses in particular are downright intimidating as they fill your touch screen with their presence. A dramatic soundtrack accompanies the action and provides a unique sound for each of the locations in the game.

In the end, it's not really about how Chaos Rings does anything especially new, but rather how it takes all the pieces of a traditional role-playing game and packages it together in a way that feels natural to the platform. The result is something more akin to an action-adventure game with heavy RPG elements. The turn-based fighting is gratifying and never got old, and the story and character development remains immersive even in short play sessions. The entire experience feels like a high quality console offering shrunk down to portable size. Chaos Rings is executed brilliantly on just about every level, and has all the makings of a true classic. The fact that it's exclusively available for the iPhone makes a huge statement for the legitimacy of gaming on Apple's device, and is hopefully a symbol of many great things to come in the future of App Store gaming.

App Store Link: Chaos Rings, $12.99

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Two games we really enjoyed recently had lite versions appear on the App Store– Ragdoll Blaster 2 [$2.99 / Free] and Transformers G1: Awakening [$2.99 / Free] both are games that you really should try, especially if you've enjoyed physics puzzles in the past, or happened to be a Transformers fan at some point in your life.

Ragdoll Blaster 2 – Review

The sequel reveals a more polished title than the original, discarding the hand-drawn art and instead drawing heavily from the steampunk genre to create a rich game world of oiled cogs and shiny bronze contraptions. It is thanks to these machinations that the gameplay in Ragdoll Blaster 2 does vary a little to the original, if still sharing that same overall feel of blasting (and resetting) over and over again until you reach your target in as few shots as possible.

The new objects you'll come across include teleporters, additional cannons, objects that adversely affect gravity, ice blocks and mechanical arms to name a few, along with the expected array buttons, cogs and switches. All in all, levels feel more purposeful thanks to the new mechanics, and we're confident that the 150 levels that make up Ragdoll Blaster 2 will continue to be interesting (and undoubtedly difficult) and show the same attention to detail throughout as the ones we've played up to now. …Read More

Transformers G1: Awakening – Review

Originally available for mobile phones back in 2008, Transformers G1 Awakening is a solid strategy game that takes fan service to a whole new level. If you grew up on the original Transformers cartoon from 1984, you’re going to squeal like a 6 year old when you see some of the choices the game has made. The cast is comprised of series mainstays like Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, but the game happily makes room for fan favourites like Grimlock and Ironhide. True to the television storyline, the story starts with the crash of the Ark and continues through to the Space Bridge built by the Decepticons. Jetfire’s first appearance is even true to his back story, starting out with the bad guys and quickly switching sides.

Gameplay here should be familiar to anyone who’s played turn-based strategy games like Rogue Planet or UniWar. Each unit will be able to move a certain number of squares, attack opposing forces, and capture important structures. Unique to Transformers however, is the ability to -– well -– transform. Every character can transform from robot mode to vehicle mode and back again. Vehicle mode offers a major advantage if you need to cover ground as you’ll be able to move around with much greater ease, but it also comes with a major disadvantage as you won’t be able to defend yourself from attacks. …Read More

App Store Links:

• Ragdoll Blaster 2 Lite, Free
• Ragdoll Blaster 2, $2.99

• Transformers G1: Awakening Free, Free
• Transformers G1: Awakening, $2.99

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In many ways Aftermath is the zombie shooter I've been waiting for.

You find yourself walking the streets at night of a zombie infestation, trying to fight your way out of the city. It's dark and raining. The entire scene is dark with the exception of your flashlight. You move around frantically trying to take out the incoming zombies when a flash of lighting reveals a horde of them right behind you.

The mood of the game really is perfect. The lighting effects, 3d engine and sound come together to give Aftermath a great feel. Your character is controlled by two thumb pads, but not in the traditional dual-stick format. Left is movement while the right one lets you turn left/right. Meanwhile, firing at zombies is automatic when you point at them with your flashlight. While this may sound awkward, it works quite well and makes the game feel a bit more realistic and frantic as you must be facing your opponents to fire at them.

Another aspect of the game that really stood out was the large city map in which the levels take place. There are blind alleys, cars, and buildings. You need to navigate your way around parts of the city to make your way through the level goals. This is a refreshing change from other dual stick shooters such as Alive 4 Ever which have all taken place in small square-shaped arenas. In Aftermath, you really feel like you are getting lost in the city.

Check out the video for the gameplay:

The game, however, only comes with an 8 level story mode and a final survival mode, but is integrated with OpenFeint for high score achievements.

While there is some replay value in the existing story levels to improve your score (and, of course, the survival mode), the main criticism about the game is this relatively short level structure. The early levels can go by really quickly and leave you wanting for more.

Still, it's hard to find too much fault in the game at only $0.99 when other games launch with much less. If you're looking for an atmospheric zombie shooter, this one's an easy recommendation.

App Store Link: Aftermath, $0.99

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