Multiplayer, New Helmets and Armor Coming in 'Mines of Mars' Update Posted: 28 Mar 2014 12:30 PM PDT If you're still wild about Mines of Mars [$4.99], chances are you're going to be very excited for the update that was just announced in our forums by Josh from Crescent Moon. The (currently) single player mining game is going to have a "huge" multiplayer update, which also adds new content in the forum of helmets and armor to unlock, as well as "a few different modes." This is coming after a bug fix update which is currently pending approval. Oh, and here's what the helmets are going to look like:
We gave Mines of Mars 4.5 stars when we reviewed it, which is already a really strong recommendation, but with multiplayer on the way... This game is only getting better. |
Posted: 28 Mar 2014 11:35 AM PDT Fermenter Games have recently released a new game called David on Windows and Mac, and are readying a release for iOS. David is a minimalist action platformer, and like its inspiration Shadow of the Colossus, features a series of nine increasingly difficult battles against massive bosses. To combat those bosses, your tiny, abstract character will use a slingshotting mechanic inspired by Angry Birds. That might sound strange, but it totally works. Check out this brief trailer for David.
As mentioned, the game is out on PC, and I went ahead and TOFTT'd the desktop version to get an idea of what David is like. Long story short: it's really awesome. The physics in the game make for a fluid experience, and although each boss is simply a mass of different shapes, their animation and movement give them a lot of personality. You can actually sense their aggression as they come after you, it's really neat. The attacking has you holding down on your character to "charge up" a shot, then trying to fire it in the direction of each boss. It works incredibly well, but feels a bit cumbersome using a mouse and keyboard. This game will definitely shine on the touchscreen. If any of this has captured your interest, then keep an eye out for David to hit iOS "soon" and be sure to keep tabs on the thread in our forums. Or, you can grab the desktop version on Fermenter's website for a dollar right now and get an early glimpse of what's in store for the mobile release. |
'Mount Olympus' Review - Return The Gods To Their Glory Posted: 28 Mar 2014 10:02 AM PDT One of my fondest memories back in elementary school was learning all about Greek mythology and greek gods. I also am a bit of a Percy Jackson fan, but that probably makes me more of a dork than anything else. When I first noticed Mount Olympus [$1.99] I couldn't resist downloading it and seeing what this intriguing point and click adventure had to offer. As a hero sent on a quest to Mount Olympus, you're tasked with solving the mystery of the missing Gods. Your job is to search through the abandoned ancient city looking for clues that might solve this unexplained enigma, and solving a series of puzzles along the way in order to progress. Perhaps there's more going on here than meets the eye? With every puzzle you solve, and each gate you pass through, you'll be one step closer to unravelling the mystery that lays before you. The creators of Tesla's Electric Mist [Free] took into account all the elements that fans felt were missing from the previous game, and after a period of time back at the drawing board, they've certainly managed to deliver on all accounts. A longer gaming experience than Tesla's Electric Mist, and ten times the amount of puzzles, Mount Olympus is certainly a step-up in favor of honoring their fans requests.
Whether you're someone who ploughs through puzzles effortlessly or enjoys a bit of a challenge, there's something here for everyone. If you find all the to-ing and fro-ing to search for various items a nuisance, you'll be relieved to know that the area you're working with isn't so large that it'll send you on a wild goose chase; at the same time being just the right size to keep you busy. Most of the puzzle designs are in fact fairly easy to work through, and the advantage of the integrated in-game hint feature is a nice comfort to fall back on should you so desire. Though the game is indeed a fairly lengthy experience, the variety of puzzles and high level of exploration in each segment of the story keeps things fresh, and I found myself lost playing for hours at a time due to my determination to solve further puzzles and unlock the mystery. The manner in which you clear each level may follow similar mechanics, but all throughout the game, no two puzzles are alike. Similarly, the locations you'll visit will always have a handful of interesting areas to explore, the setting of the game held together well by its fascinating surroundings and each scene brimming with a handful of exotic looking curios. Usually along the lines of collecting various objects in order to use them in future scenarios, there are also a handful of other original challenges that involve tile swapping, deciphering the greek alphabet, mixing concoctions, and symbol matching, among others. There's no end to the high level of thought and creativity that have gone into making each puzzle interesting and dynamic. If you get stuck, it's easy to just wave the magic wand and use the wise old owl to solve the puzzle for you, but knowing that the option was there made me in particular further determined to crack them all without the additional help.
Accompanied by some beautifully elegant hand drawn artwork in every scene, (and there are almost 300 of them here, so you can imagine the degree of work that's gone into perfecting each one), and a fantastically powerful soundtrack that emphasizes the experience greatly, Mount Olympus is unquestionably a glorious representation of greek mythology done well. The map system is a little strange, and I'll admit I never really used it because getting lost was rarely an occurrence, but it's a feature some might be grateful for if the occasion arises. With hundreds of fantastic puzzles, some classically tasteful visuals and a fantastic soundtrack to boot, you can't go wrong with iCOOLgeeks' Mount Olympus. If ever there was a time to learn about the mythology surrounding the ancient Greek gods, that time is now. |
'Lost Light' Review - Don't Be Fooled by Cute Squirrels Posted: 28 Mar 2014 07:06 AM PDT I have reviewed almost a thousand games for iOS since I got into mobile gaming, and there is one thing I truly hate: slow tutorial levels. Most of us understand how a game works, and just need a splash screen or two showing the controls. When Lost Light started with what seemed like an endless stream of slow tutorial levels I almost lost my cool. I get it you darn cute squirrel! I make numbered areas with my finger by connecting blocks, it is not that hard. But still the cute animals keep pestering me with match this, and match that. And once I am past the tutorial levels the game throws twenty or so levels that can be beat blindfolded, and my frustration turns to boredom. Sure I make some mistakes, as the controls aren't perfect on a tiny screen, but still the game fails to make me care. A couple of more levels, and I am just about done getting ready to delete the game from my memory completely. That is when it happens: wham shablam. I fail the level due to not actually getting the matches done in time. I put it off as a fluke, or sign that my fingers have gone numb from not being challenged. I hit retry, and get the same result with a game over screen in my face. With a bit more focus I squeeze by that level just to find that the next is just as challenging.
Perhaps I should mention the gameplay, as this is a game review after all. Numbered blocks fill the lower half of the screen, and slowly slide upwards. If they reach the top the game is over. To remove blocks you create matches of two, or above. The number on the block determines the number of blocks required to create a match. If you have a four you have to create three more fours to remove them. Level objectives may vary, but the game play is always the same. In some cases you have to reach a set score within the time limit. It is really easy to get greedy, and start trying to create matches of six or above. This is a quite hard route to take, but if you succeed the risk is paying off big-time. It is generally much easier to create a long string of threes instead. The controls aren't perfect, as it is extremely easy to make too big blocks. This is due to the direct controls used where your finger covers up the screen you need to see. Thankfully an undo button can remedy some of this, but it doesn't give you back the time spent making mistakes. On times survival levels I have had a tendency to yell at the game for this reason. To me that is a testament of a game being quite good though, as I care about the outcome of my actions. Lost Light might look cute, and come with a truly tranquil soundtrack, but don't let it fool you. Beyond the slow tutorial there is a really captivating action puzzler that almost rivals Tetris in the number of expletives coming from me when I make mistakes. |
Gameloft's 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' Hits the App Store Posted: 28 Mar 2014 12:00 AM PDT Gameloft's latest game Captain America: The Winter Soldier [$2.99] is now out worldwide for $2.99. A tie-in for the movie of the same name that is currently showing in theatres, it follows Captain America in an original adventure co-written by Marvel. You'll punch and slam your shield at your enemies' face while assembling a team of soldiers to fight alongside you. Here's a video of the game in action that we captured at GDC:
This is not the first time that Gameloft has partnered with Marvel and its last game was Thor: The Dark World [Free]. We thought it was a pretty mediocre game when we reviewed it, and felt that it didn't have the necessary spark. Let's hope that Captain America: The Winter Soldier will bring out the thunder that we expected from Thor. Follow this thread for some early impressions on the game. Oh and a word of warning, it requires a constant online connection to play. |
Cloned to Death: Developers Release all 570 Emails That Discussed the Development of 'Threes!' Posted: 27 Mar 2014 05:11 PM PDT 2048 [Free] has been storming up the charts on the App Store since its release and it seems like everybody's talking about the game. It's particularly disheartening when you know that Threes [$1.99] was released a couple of weeks prior to that. In both games you slide tiles on a board until either you win (for 2048) or you lose (for Threes). Even though 1024, another clone of Threes, was released first, it was 2048 that gained a huge following. There's been no shortage of drama around it since the original creator of 2048 mentioned on Hacker News that he hadn't even heard about Threes before making his game. As things evolved, his website has been updated and now states that it is "conceptually similar to Threes by Asher Vollmer". Sirvo has been fairly quiet about it up until now. Today they've released a huge article on the development of Threes featuring the 570 emails that the team sent to each other during that process. They explain how the concept was done quite fast but how they struggled with the mechanics, and much, much more. From a monster that was eating the tiles to the now popular "doubling" gameplay that was added 7 months after they started making it, you'll be able to have an in-depth look at how they made Threes and at how difficult it is to make a game that feels so simple. I really recommend that you do read it, because it's fascinating.
In any case, 2048 (and 1024 before it) perfectly illustrate how quickly clones can take over the App Store. Or, as the Threes developers put it, "We do believe imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but ideally the imitation happens after we've had time to descend slowly from the peak -- not the moment we plant the flag." |
'Smash Hit' Review - Madness with Marbles Posted: 27 Mar 2014 05:00 PM PDT Some people can't get enough of endless runners. The concept of chasing a carrot on a stick and collecting tons of miniature carrots along the way has its own allure, but there's no denying that the same concept is often used over and over to the point of boredom. Smash Hit [Free] turns the runner concept on its head with a first-person perspective, beautiful graphics centered around objects made of glass, and a completely fair free-to-play system that actually works. You could say it's a... smash hit. The game's core concept merely takes a few moments to grasp -- you're barreling down a long series of tunnels, and your only method of attack is to touch a certain area of the screen to throw a marble. If you hit certain objects you'll earn three more marbles for your total marble count, which also functions as your life meter. If you get hit by any hazard you'll lose 10 life, and no marbles means game over. Got it? Good.
Where Smash Hit succeeds is the fact that it takes this simple, yet effective control scheme and delivers an enchanting world that you'll actually want to run through. All you need to do is tap a certain area to "arc" a marble toss, and you'll be able to pick up the game's physics system in no time. Different segments constantly mix up your expectations, as DNA-styled glass obstacles, glass doors, and moving objects dot the landscape, seeking to drop your life count. Almost everything can be destroyed, but you don't necessarily want to throw all your marbles out willy-nilly, as you'll need to conserve them to survive. This creates an interesting mechanic where you only throw out projectiles when you really need to, and seek to grab as many marble granting power-ups as you can. There's a small concession in the form of an unlimited bullet power every so often, but for the most part you'll need to rely on your wits and be sparing with your tosses. Smash Hit really goes above the beyond the call of duty with an impressive visual style, which looks like it takes place straight out of a mythical land not unlike Dorothy's Oz. With crystalline structures, glass floors and endless chasms, you'll feel like you've been whisked away to another realm as you throw your marbles around, and it really feels quite impressive. I would love to see a sequel from the same team, much less another game that takes place in this same setting.
The game is free-to-play, but thankfully it employs a fair pricing method. Simply put, as long as you're willing to do it in one life, you can go from start to finish without paying a dime. Should you decide to spring $1.99 for the premium version, you'll net the ability to utilize cloud saves, and the power to use checkpoints. The latter is really where the bulk of your purchase is at, since it allows people to eventually "beat" the game without having to start at the very beginning. There are no IAPs and no devious purchases to worry about here. I came into Smash Hit expecting a standard runner, but I came away extremely impressed, to the point where I picked up the premium version just to support it. If you're looking for a new experience with a whimsical, well designed world, give it a try. |
'Little Big Adventure' Review - Stumbling Down Memory Lane Posted: 27 Mar 2014 04:30 PM PDT Twinsen is a dreamer, and soon learns that dreams can change the world. He finds himself imprisoned in an asylum, but he can't let the evil Dr FunFrock just rule the world. Escaping the asylum is the first steps in Little Big Adventure, [$3.99] and you will get to repeat this part a couple of times. Little Big Adventure was released back in 1994 for MS-DOS, and I fell in love with the whimsical world of Twinsun right away. I don't remember if I ever completed it back then, or if I just enjoyed exploring the quite open game world. DotEmu has recreated the original, as close as I can remember it. This is actually not all good though, as some things have changed. For one there is no clear checkpoint, or save system immediately apparent. The aim of the game, and how to progress is also extremely unclear. Little Big Adventure is a game where you kind of find your own adventure, and how you opt to tackle obstacles. No arrows show you where to go, and there is no quest log. These are some aspects that would have needed some reworking to accommodate the demands of today´s gamer.
I remember having direct control over Twinsen on my PC using arrow keys for movement. On iOS the movement is indirect with you touching where you want Twinsen to go. This would be a suitable control method if Twinsen had any intelligent way to avoid obstacles. If something is in the way he simply walks, or runs into it. When just exploring this is a minor annoyance, but as soon as you are trying to escape an enemy it almost breaks the game. It tears on patience though, and having to restart in the asylum being caught by the fascist elephant guards is truly testing my patience. The visuals feel a bit dated, but still manage to create a lush isometric world. The character models, albeit limited in detail, move about with fluid motion. The voice acting is the aspect of the presentation that holds up best, and I find it hard not to feel compassionate to the humble creature that is Twinsen.
Porting a classic isn't all that easy to do, and sometimes it might be better to ponder remixing or at least remastering the original material. Little Big Adventure is a clear example of this where some core elements such as controls, lack of direction and confusion to when the game saves make it less than ideal for mobile gaming. Personally I really wanted to fall in love with Little Big Adventure again some twenty years after our first affair. Sadly it has aged even worse than me, and not even nostalgia can get me past that. It is a true shame, as beyond the problems there is a terrific genre defining adventure to be found. |
'FTL: Faster Than Light' Hitting the App Store on April 3rd for $9.99 Posted: 27 Mar 2014 03:03 PM PDT FTL's release date has finally been announced, and I couldn't be more excited. This roguelike space adventure has been really popular on PC and Mac and you'll be able to get it on your iPad on April 3rd for $9.99 without any kind of IAPs. It was a natural fit for the platform but one that took a lot longer than expected to be announced. FTL on iPad will also come with the new content found in the advanced edition that is featured in the trailer below:
In FTL you guide your crew through different systems while micro-managing every aspect of the ship. On top of that strategy layer you've got a full Choose your own Adventure Game that will impact your journey. A Crew members could die or you could find some new weapons just by exploring that asteroid. It's also a heartless game that will challenge everybody, and you will die. A lot. FTL is one of those games that people have always clamored for on the iPad, and come April 3rd we'll finally be getting our wish. For players on the PC, that's also when all the new Advanced Edition content will be available for you. Mark your calendars for next week. |
TA Plays Live: Believe in 'Hodappy Bird' Posted: 27 Mar 2014 02:01 PM PDT So what started as a joke has since turned in to a real thing, and I'm pretty sure Hodappy Bird is going to change the face of iOS gaming forever. So, I better stream as much as I possibly can before then because all of these games are going to look like absolute trash once the new era of iOS gaming is ushered in via Hodappy Bird. Yeah. There's three ways you can watch the stream: 1. Scroll up to the top of the page here and watch it embedded right here on TouchArcade. By default the volume is set to 0%, so be sure to crank that slider up if you're in a place where you can have sound. 2. Actually heading over to Twitch and viewing the stream over there. It's basically the same as above, except with a slightly different layout for the stream and the chat. 3. Download the TwitchTV app [Free] and watch the stream live on your iOS device. If you haven't tried the app in a while, it's worth revisiting as it just got a massive update that makes it way better. Once you're in the app, either search for "TouchArcade" or hit the link on your iOS device. I usually stream until around 7:00 PM Central time, and you can find an archive of our stream videos over on our YouTube channel. I upload them right after the stream each day, so depending on how long YouTube takes to process them, if you miss a stream they're usually available in an hour or two. Please be sure to follow us on Twitch, and if you really like the TouchArcade stream, subscribe. A premium subscription is $4.99 a month, and gets you a slick little TA icon next to your name in chat. We're still working on other cool things to do with our subscribers, but right now just imagine it as a virtual tip jar. Thanks for watching, everyone! Update: Thanks for watching, everyone! I'm uploading all the videos, and they'll be processed and ready to view shortly. Shattered Planet RPG [Free]
Chaos Fighters [Free]
Kotoro [$0.99]
Star Wars: Assault Team [Free]
Game of Thrones Ascent [Free (HD)]
Full Stream Archive
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'Surgeon Simulator' for iPad Review - A Virtual Game of Operation Posted: 27 Mar 2014 01:47 PM PDT Heart surgery, eye transplants, and dentistry. If this sounds like a horror movie, then you're not far off. Except this time you're the one in control, and all your patients are called Bob. No, you're not dreaming, this is Bossa Studio's Surgeon Simulator [$5.99 (HD)], which has been remodelled and released for the iPad, and if you've ever fancied yourself as a bit of a surgeon, well now here's your chance. Bringing hilariously dark humor to the operating table once more, Bossa Studios have worked hard to make this game even more horrifying with the addition of some exceptionally disturbing procedures, perhaps ones that you wouldn't even wish on your worst enemy. The new touch control system is what makes this game even more so of a challenge than its predecessor, as this time you're working with just the one hand. Working with one finger to drag around your instruments and objects and the other finger to aim and lock on to a rib or other connective body tissue, you'll need the most deft precision in order to avoid botching your operational endeavors. The squishes and squelches make everything sound ten times more realistic, so if you're highly squeamish and run away at the sight of blood, then you're probably gonna wanna play something a little less lurid and a little more low-key.
My first, second, and third attempts were horrifyingly terrible. Too much blood loss, and somehow I managed to trap the hammer under the ribcage. Don't worry, this is all part of the process, and a steep learning process it is. This is all part of the wickedly comical humor that Surgeon Simulator has to offer, and the fun doesn't stop there. A lot of the amusement also comes from the slapstick physics engine that means you can cause much havoc by "accidently" knocking around glass jugs, pencils, digital alarm clocks and more. Not to mention if you lose the instrument you're supposed to be working with, you're pretty much screwed if you can't find some alternative. No scalpel? Oh, it's okay, we'll just try this pair of scissors instead. Though the instructions for each process are unmistakably straightforward, the same cannot be said for when you accidentally strike an organ causing poor Bob to bleed out, as precision is everything in this game. You'll clumsily flail your way around the table, grabbing the blue injection instead of the green colored one, and watch in dismay as the blood flow loss instantly increases. (Yes, this happened, sadly more than once). Then it's back to the grind as you finally locate the correct injection, before slicing and dicing your way through to the meaty organs, just in time to replace the malfunctioning organ with a brand new one. It's a huge novelty, for both the player and their audience. You can't see this stuff happen anywhere else.
Disappointingly, it's not as fun as its predecessor thanks in part to the dreadfully clunky controls that change the way the game presents itself. I found myself missing the appeal of trashing around whilst manually operating each finger on the hand like a carnival crane-gabbing-machine of sorts. This is what made Surgeon Simulator originally so off-the-wall, and although it still holds this title in some way, it certainly doesn't have the same quirkiness as it does on the PC. You'll probably love this though, especially if you see yourself enjoying a portable game of Operation, and although it's not something I'd play repeatedly myself, it's great for a touch of comic relief. |
Friday 28 March 2014
Touch Arcade
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