TouchArcade.ru

Pac-Attack [$2.99] is a new puzzle game from Namco featuring everybody's favorite ghost-munching yellow circle. You may already be familiar with the game from its original SNES/Genesis release, or from one of the many Pac-Man compilations over the years. This new iOS version is a bit different from the original, featuring graphics that are more akin to the retro Pac-Man rather than the cartoonish look of the 16-bit offering and an online competitive mode through Facebook. Gameplay remains largely the same, however, and if you liked the original game then you should also like Pac-Attack on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Pac-Attack plays similar to Tetris or other block clearing puzzle games. Groups of three blocks consisting of solid pieces, ghosts, or Pac-Men will drop from the top of the playing field. Filling an entire row with solid blocks clears that row, and when you drop a Pac-Man block he'll make his way down into any available spaces in his path eating ghosts along the way. The solid blocks and ghosts both abide by gravity, so if there are openings below them they will fall down to fill the space, adding a bit of strategy to how you lay down blocks. After eating a certain number of ghosts a fairy will appear as a block at the top of the screen and will eliminate any ghosts in the eight rows directly below where you place her.

There are three main modes in Pac-Attack. The first is aptly named Pac-Attack mode, and is essentially an endless high score run which has you earning points by clearing the board as the game progressively speeds up, and if you blocks reach the top of the screen it's game over. Before starting the game you can choose one of four difficulties as well as the starting speed of the falling blocks, which is a nice touch.

Next up is Puzzle mode which features 100 different preset levels in which the goal is to clear all the ghosts on the board. The groups of blocks you receive are predetermined and must be placed in just the right way so that Pac-Man can run down the board and gobble up every ghost. This mode is a lot of fun, but can be incredibly hard as you get farther into the 100 levels. Finally there is Scramble mode, which is essentially a timed version of Pac-Attack mode that lets you compete with your Facebook friends.

Pac-Attack isn't an incredibly remarkable game, but it is well made and can be pretty fun if you enjoy Tetris-like puzzle games. The graphics are sharp and controls work really well, offering four different onscreen button layouts or a direct dragging option. The Puzzle mode is where I spend most of my time, and there are some fiendishly clever game boards contained in that portion of the game. The Scramble mode with Facebook Connect is nice, but I would have much preferred Game Center integration for high score tracking. If you have a soft spot for Namco's famous mascot, or have nostalgic feelings for the original game, then give Pac-Attack a look.

[source]

Ponos is one of the App Store developers that always gets my attention when they release a new game. Their first title was the underappreciated Puzzle Prism, a 3D-tower take on Tetris. Their followup titles included the enjoyable and original Mr. AahH! and Mr. Space!!.

With Puzzle Cosmos they return to their block dropping roots and have released what can best be described as a cross between Tetris and Lumines.

In Puzzle Cosmos you are presented with dropping square shaped pieces made up of up to 4 different colored blocks. The goal is to match up to 4 different like colors in order to eliminate them from the board. Once a piece falls down, you are able to move it to the left or right on the board. The piece "rolls" along the board changing its orientation (along with the colors it is composed of). Once you are happy with the position, you can drop it into place. If you match up four colors they begin to glow. After a short period of time, those pieces are eliminated from the board. However, you can continue to add like-colored pieces during that small window to build up chains and increase your score.

Throughout the game, the board steadily rises pushing the entire board towards the top of the screen. So, it becomes a fast-paced race to stay ahead by eliminating blocks as quickly as possible.

The game comes with both flick and customizable button controls. I thought the button controls worked perfectly and never bothered switching from the defaults. Global high scores are included as well as 4 different game modes: Standard, Time Attack, Dead Line, and Flash / Rain.

In some ways, I love this game. There were a few people in our forums for which the game never seemed to "click". But for me, the fast paced nature of the game really gave me a frantic Tetris vibe that I hadn't had in a long time. Little design decisions like being able to rotate a block in place when it is up against a tall structure adds some strategy/skill beyond the luck of the drop. That said, this game is hard. Unlocking the additional modes require you to score 50,000 or higher in Standard. I've only been able to hit that score a handful of times, and when I do it seems as much to do with luck of the pieces as it does with my skill as a player. The game just ramps up really quickly, and I'd love to see a more casual mode where you could take your time.

[source]

In celebration of this holiday weekend, several game companies are hoping that you'll load up on some new games while loading up on burgers and hot dogs. Four of the biggest iPhone developers have discounted a selection of their games for this event, and a few other random sales are occurring as well. There's bound to be something on this massive list that piques your interest, so in between lighting off tiny explosives in the name of freedom and stuffing your face with barbecued treats make sure you hit up these sales before they're gone.

Gameloft:

• The Settlers, $4.99 → 99¢
• Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X., $4.99 → 99¢
• Rayman 2: The Great Escape, $4.99 → 99¢
• Driver, $4.99 → 99¢
• The Oregon Trail, $4.99 → 99¢
• Brain Challenge HD (iPad), $4.99 → 99¢
• Hero of Sparta HD (iPad), $4.99 → 99¢

Namco:

• ACE COMBAT Xi Skies of Incursion, $4.99 → $2.99
• Alpine Racer, $1.99 → 99¢
• Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima, $4.99 → $1.99
• Dig Dug REMIX, $2.99 → 99¢
• Galaga REMIX, $2.99 → 99¢
• Garters & Ghouls, $1.99 → 99¢
• GATOR PANIC, $1.99 → 99¢
• i Love Katamari, $4.99 → $2.99
• Inspector Gadget, $2.99 → 99¢
• Isaac Newton's Gravity, $2.99 → $1.99
• Lt. Fly Rise of the Arachnids, $1.99 → 99¢
• Mr. Driller, $1.99 → 99¢
• Ms. PAC-MAN, $4.99 → 99¢
• PAC-MAN, $4.99 → 99¢
• PAC-MAN for iPad (iPad), $4.99 → 99¢
• PAC-MAN Championship Edition, $2.99 → 99¢
• PAC-Match Party, $1.99 → 99¢
• PAC-Match Party HD (iPad), $1.99 → 99¢
• Pole Position: Remix, $2.99 → 99¢
• Pool Pro Online 3, $4.99 → 99¢
• Pool Pro Online 3 for iPad (iPad), $1.99 → 99¢
• Star Trigon, $1.99 → 99¢
• Tamagotchi: 'Round the World, $4.99 → $1.99
• Time Crisis Strike, $4.99 → 99¢
• Tinseltown Dreams: The 50's, $2.99 → 99¢

Glu:

• 1000: Find 'Em All!, $2.99 → 99¢
• Beat It!, $1.99 → 99¢
• Bonsai Blast, $2.99 → 99¢
• Brain Genius Deluxe, $1.99 → 99¢
• Build-a-lot, $2.99 → 99¢
• Cooking Star, $1.99 → 99¢
• Mini Golf Wacky Worlds, $2.99 → 99¢
• Space Monkey, $1.99 → 99¢
• Stranded: Mysteries of Time, $2.99 → 99¢
• TRANSFORMERS G1: AWAKENING, $2.99 → 99¢
• World Series of Poker Hold'em Legend, $2.99 → 99¢

EA Games:

• Skate It, $4.99 → $1.99
• Scrabble, $4.99 → $1.99
• Tetris, $4.99 → $2.99
• Connect 4, $2.99 → $1.99
• Battleship, $2.99 → 99¢
• FIFA 10, $6.99 → $2.99
• Mass Effect Galaxy, $1.99 → 99¢
• Boggle, $1.99 → 99¢

Other Sales:

• I Dig It HD (iPad), $9.99 → $6.99
• Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies, $9.99 → $7.99
• Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies II, $9.99 → $7.99
• Highborn, $2.99 → 99¢
• Fantastic Contraption, $4.99 → $3.99
• Moxie 2, $1.99 → 99¢
• Big Buck Hunter Pro, 99¢ → Free
• ZombieSmash, $1.99 → 99¢

[source]

The release of Denki Blocks! [App Store] and Denki Blocks! Free [App Store] sees the critically acclaimed Gameboy Advance puzzler by Denki finally in our hands and well on its way to turning our grey matter to mush over the last week that we've spent with it.

The concept in Denki Blocks! is simple: join all the like-colored blocks together each level. The solution is far less straightforward however, requiring you to navigate the blocks around each level– easily done by the tap of a finger in any direction– in an attempt to force them together. All the blocks on-screen move in the same direction simultaneously unless they are blocked by a wall or obstacle, a mechanism that is paramount to get them to meet.

Once they have done so, they'll stay fastened together, allowing you to focus on the next block and the next, and so forth. In many ways it's like lego; only, there's no instruction manual, and you can't pull the pieces apart if you place them incorrectly (well, technically you can, as there is an undo option and you can restart each level if you're really stuck) . It's a devious formula that starts off easy but ramps up to become very challenging.

To further add to the difficulty, each level has a Master Challenge for you to tackle, and it's usually not for the faint of heart. Whether tasked with completing a particular shape or finishing in only a set number of turns or seconds, these master challenges will require lots of forward-thinking and less reliance on that undo button (which takes up time). Fortunately, your efforts do go rewarded, unlocking bonus levels when 12 of these Master Challenge stars have been collected (though we're not sure your brain will thank you after being reduced to paste only to be given additional challenges!).

There are over 100 levels in Denki Blocks!, making it the equivalent of Disney Land for puzzle fans. The levels and blocks are all rendered in colorful and vibrant hues to keep the game visually stimulating, and the soundtrack is appropriately light-hearted to encourage healthy synaptic firing. The level designs themselves have a lot of character too, some appearing with a maze of obstacles to negotiate, and others as locking mechanisms or contraptions completely enclosing your blocks.

We were a little disappointed that Denki Blocks! doesn't include online high score tables right off the bat, as we couldn't think of a more fitting model than the time and score challenges offered here. Perhaps it's something to look forward to in a future update (take note developers, if you're reading this).

In any case, Denki Blocks! has enough content to keep your puzzle needs satisfied for a very long time. We're confident that even the puzzle prodigies amongst you will be challenged by Denki's formula (particularly the Master Challenges) but we encourage even beginner puzzlers to give it a go as there is a ton of levels to see and not all of them need to be completed to progress.

At the very least, check out the Lite version of Denki Blocks! (link below) for a hands-on preview of the gameplay and to see for yourself what all the fuss is about.

App Store Link: Denki Blocks!, $4.99, Denki Blocks! Free, Free.

[source]

Owners of the original iPhone will remember the dark days before the App Store or even the original jailbreaks and third party software when games and apps consisted of nothing more than clever web pages, usually loaded to the brim with javascript. The games were basic, and the "apps" consisted of little more than simple database-powered applets and tip calculators, but they did the trick.

Akihabara is a HTML5 toolbox filled with all kinds of neat goodies that creative developers can use to make browser games. On the Akihabara web site there are five demo games ranging from a simple Tetris-like game to a basic Zelda clone. The cool part is, these games work on every modern non-Internet Explorer browser, including the browsers of the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and apparently even other touchscreen phones like the Palm Pre.

Depending on what platform you're playing on, all of the proper controls appear on screen or you use the keyboard and arrow keys. On the iPhone, virtual controls pop up at the bottom of the screen and while they're not as responsive as a native game, it's still pretty amazing to think you're essentially playing a web page– Without even a smidge of Flash.

All of the games on the Akihabara site are free, and really worth a spin both because they're really impressive pieces of web development but also so you can appreciate what things were like before the App Store came around.

[source]

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.

[source]

Having played my share of matching games, it takes something a little different to really capture my attention. What immediately stood out with Cubetrix 3D was the fast paced/arcade nature to the game – like Tetris on the later levels. The game is a row-matching game where your job is to clear the board as quickly as possible. To accomplish this, you can move a single block around the perimeter of the board and slide it in. The block that slides out can then be moved to a new position. It doesn't take long to figure out how to move the blocks to line up matches and combos. The high energy soundtrack adds to the experience.

Watch the developer video to see how it plays:

Beyond color block matches, the game also introduces a few other elements to the gameplay. Fixed blocks will prevent you from sliding blocks into certain rows, while the bomb elements add an even higher level of frantic rushing to the harder levels. Finally, some levels use colors and numbers that must be combined in sequential order to eliminate rows.

Here's a short hands on video showing normal and hard levels:

The hard level is crazy from the start, as bombs will randomly reshuffle the entire board in an instant.

Cubetrix 3D really sucked me in from the start. The game contains 20 Easy, 30 Normal, 30 Hard and 30 Puzzle levels. With fast paced gameplay and a great overall experience, I highly recommend it.

App Store Link: Cubetrix 3D, $2.99

[source]

In 1989, influenced by Tetris and tic-tac-toe, Dave Akers and Mark Stephen Pierce created Klax, originally programmed in just a few weeks in Amiga Basic. Nearly 20 years later, Akers flying solo with the help of Super Happy Fun Fun released Star*Burst [App Store], a matching game with tons of particle effects and all the gameplay from classic Klax turned upside down as the rights to the original Klax seems to be trapped somewhere in Midway's bankruptcy-powered licensing purgatory.

If Klax was before your time, or you just never got around to pumping quarters in to a Klax machine, here's the basic gist of the Star*Burst– Randomly spawning bricks come down a conveyor belt towards a paddle which can catch and hold up to five bricks at once. Moving your finger around controls the paddle, and swiping down throws a brick back up on to the conveyor belt, while tapping the paddle throws the brick up to the five by five grid at the top of the screen.

Blocks on the top of the screen are cleared by matching them horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and other more complicated layouts such as forming arrows, an X, or stars. The more blocks you clear the more points you earn, and as blocks are removed the existing blocks compress to fill any spaces that may have been created as blocks disappear– Allowing you to chain massive combos (and earn point multipliers) if you can set them up.

When you get farther in to the game, wild blocks that will match any color and bomb blocks appear that can destroy nearby blocks on the grid. Just like Klax, achieving high scores involves thinking ahead and intelligently managing which blocks you keep on your paddle, which blocks you flip back up on to the conveyor belt, and how you arrange the blocks on the grid. The game is over when you either fail to catch five blocks from the conveyor belt, or you run out of spaces on the grid to place new blocks.

If you were a fan of the original Klax, you need to have Star*Burst on your iPhone. The touch controls work well, and really my only gameplay criticism is that the on-screen button to make the conveyor spit out blocks (the small square with two arrows near the top in screenshots) seems to be awkwardly positioned. You really only need to speed up the block conveyor in the earlier levels when blocks come slower, so this is a very minor issue.

Star*Burst has online scoring and tons of achievements, but unfortunately uses Facebook instead of Plus+ or OpenFeint so the online scoring/achievement functionality is fairly primative and seems to be limited to your Facebook friends and spamming your Facebook wall. With a better online scoring system, Star*Burst would be amazing.

App Store Link: Star*Burst, $1.99

[source]

Little White Bear Studios joined us on our podcast this week and discussed their latest game Compression, the iPad and their experience with FreeAppADay.

Little White Bear Studios

• Compression – Their latest game in which Tetris meets Bejeweled. This husband/wife team made the switch to full time just this past September and talk about their success and plans for the future. We also discussed the new iPad and their participation in FreeAppADay.com

Games We Played

• Vector Runner ($0.99)
• Angry Birds ($0.99)
• Arctopia ($1.99)

Podcast music provided by Overclocked Remix.

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes or Direct Download (M4A, 38MB)

[source]

As a match-three game on a platform already overcrowded with such games, Compression had to do something to set itself apart from the crowd. Its developers realized this and created a new kind of puzzle game, while still managing to capture the familiar, fun feel of classics like Tetris or Bejewled.

Compression works very similarly to Dr. Mario. There are various colored pieces scattered across the game board, some hollow, some filled in. You control blocks that drop from the top of the screen and attempt to match these blocks to the hollow pieces in order to get three of the same color in a column or row, which removes the pieces from the game board. Removing all the hollow pieces from the game board will take players to the next level, where the difficulty will be raised slightly by the presence of even more hollow pieces and faster-falling pieces to be dealt with.

The twist in Compression's gameplay is in the walls, which move in closer and closer in a set pattern after every third piece is dropped into the board. A set of white dots appear on the section of the wall (either bottom, left, or right) that will compress inward next, so players can tailor their placement of blocks to best deal with the walls, which can remove blocks from the field if there is no more room for them after the board gets compressed.

A player's score in a game of Compression is calculated by a number of different factors. Getting rid of as many blocks as possible in one sweep will reward a player with a lot of points, but finishing a level early is important as well, as all available empty squares are worth 50 points each. The game has a full set of leaderboard features via OpenFeint, which should please anyone who is into achievement points and all of the community features that OF offers.

Compression's art uses a rather dark palette unusual in puzzle games, but everything is done in a clean resolution, so the game looks great on the iPhone screen. The game's music is good, but not great, although the track does feature a slow drumbeat that nicely matches up with the dropping of the falling blocks.

Compression is one of those puzzle games that seems to get everything right. The core gameplay is different enough to set it apart from the umpteen-million other match-three games on the App Store and simultaneously familiar enough that anyone can pick up the game and be relatively adept within minutes. This is a game that should give players something fun to distract themselves with for a very long time.

UPDATE: Give the game try with the just-released Compression Lite [App Store] featuring five playable levels as a free download.

App Store Link: Compression, $0.99 , Compression Lite, Free

[source]