Friday, April 29, 2011

Galaxy on Fire 2: first look review and Valkyrie trailer


It's been almost a year since I've purchased my Ipad and one game that always stood out to me was Galaxy on Fire 2 by Fish Lab games. The reviews at the time were stellar but the price, $9.99 was fairly high. I regret not purchasing this title right away. Instead I bought Star Battalion HD by Gameloft and even though that game was fun and similar to Starfox it dosen't stand up to Galaxy on Fire 2. This game is honestly bigger than most PS3/Xbox 360 games. 



Fish Labs then released a trailer for their add-on to Galaxy on Fire 2, titled Valkyrie. This addition promised some next level spacecraft and some absolutely stellar guided missiles which finally sold me on Galaxy on Fire 2. It is priced at $4.99 Since I'm only about 6 hours into the game I've only completed about ten missions and upgraded my spacecraft twice and I've mined a whole lot of minerals, gold and random stuff. So currently although I've purchased the upgrade I'm still in no position to tell you about it yet. Probably another 6 hours and I'll be there. In the meantime check out the trailer. 



Essentially Galaxy on Fire 2 is a game that has a loose plot-line to follow that involves evil aliens and space pirates attacking normal spacecraft, stations and transport units. As a pilot you can upgrade your spacecraft as much as you'd like from primary weapons to secondary weapons. You can mount gun turrets and improve your radar, install boost units, cabins and drills to extract minerals. There are literally over 15 galaxies all with multiple planets and space stations to discover and trade goods with. Once you get about 3 hours into the game you start earning some good money and you really start to enjoy the upgrading process of the game. I love this game and this one will most likely stay on my Ipad forever. I'm still a newbie but once I get more ships and get into the upgrade (Valkyrie) then I will post a second review. My advice is you buy this title right away or wait for it to go on sale if you can.   









Continuation: So I am now 12 hours into the game and to say this is an addiction would be true. I've been to almost every galaxy and I've switched factions pretty quickly to receive certain weapons, upgrades needed. I am now getting into the Valkyrie add-on but honestly the excitement kind of wears off and the game turns more into a routine. Not to say that I don't love the routine and I find it hard to put down. My spacecraft currently is the Aegir with four mounted primary weapons and four secondary weapons as well. I have just over 2 million in the bank and if I collect enough Buskat then I will be able to unlock my own space-station and store multiple spaceships. I am a bit frustrated that I can't find certain weaponry or spaceships that I've been looking for but maybe I have to continue further in the primary storyline to unlock these features. Either way this is a game that I will continue to pursue and I will keep you up to date with the add-on and my review for it.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Snuggle Truck: review


A few months ago Kongregate released details on a game titled Smuggle Truck. The game-play was amazing and could be sampled on their website. The purpose of the game was to smuggle Mexicans over the border in the back of your sketchy truck. You had to do it quickly and not loose your illegal immigrants while transporting them. Of course this game generated negative stories about racism and being overall offensive. I personally thought people were reading into this too much but whatever, someones always going to complain for the sake of complaining. 


So instead we now have Snuggle Truck HD, priced at $2.99. The game-play is the same, the levels are the same and the only thing substituted is furry stuffed animals instead of Mexicans. I think this switch was a clever way of getting around the controversy but honestly Smuggle Truck makes a whole lot more sense than Snuggle Truck. 


Snuggle Truck is a unique, refreshing game that is well worth the $2.99. You use your two thumbs to control the truck's speed. Controlling your speed is the most important factor in the game. It will determine the amount of snuggles you loose, the time you complete each level in and your overall score. Each level has 5 medals you can collect and you can retry the levels as many times needed to progress to the next series of levels. One cool factor is that there are power-ups you can pick up while driving that let you go faster and protect your load of Snuggles. Kongregate is a great company and they let a lot of fans design levels in the game. Check this title out.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Fast Five HD preview


So with the spring upon us and the upcoming roster of movies there are sure to be a few movie tie-in games. Fast Five opens on April 29th (this Friday). To coincide with the movie Gameloft is releasing a Fast Five game for both the Ipad and Iphone. The game looks to be modeled off of the Asphalt series but with a heavier plot-line. The game is currently released in New Zealand and I personally can't wait to try it out. Below are some images from the upcoming game. 

 
The game will most likely be priced at $4.99.

Starfront Collision coming to the Ipad


When, you ask? Well Gameloft has released footage of the game and warring factions in action on You Tube and they have not confirmed a date yet. They have stated that the title is "coming soon", which typically means the next couple of weeks. I'm hoping it means this upcoming Wednesday @ midnight. So here is some footage of the game that is heavily inspired by Starcraft. 


Please forgive the annoying commentator he seems to think he is announcing for a sports team and is giving it his all. If anyone has a clear release date please post it in the comments. I'm also guessing that Starfront Collision will have an IAP of $6.99, hopefully not $9.99. 

Friday, April 22, 2011

Max & the Magic Marker: review/sale


Less than a year ago EA released Max & the Magic Marker on the Wii Ware store for Nintendo users. The game featured some pretty intuitive game-play that took full use of the Wii remote. Basically by collecting ink you could draw anything that either helped you progress in the level or attack enemies. The game was a inexpensive download and was pretty well received. So now to make additional money and allow others to try out the title EA has ported it to the Ipad. I've got to say that this title makes a lot of sense on the Ipad. I mean you simply draw whatever you'd like with your finger using the marker and control the actions of Max through an on-screen set of controls. 


The game is more slow paced than your average side scrolling adventure but that's because the puzzle and drawing aspects are key to the game. Max & the Magic Marker is aimed at a bit of a younger audience with it's art style and enemies. Don't get me wrong anyone can pick this title up and have a ton of fun. I really liked the game and I've played maybe a third of it so far and while others seem to be having difficulties with the game crashing I haven't had any yet. Max & the Magic Marker is also on sale for only 99 cents for the Easter weekend. For a dollar I recommend the title but for the full price of $4.99 this title is not for everyone. If you are an interactive puzzle fan than pick up Max & the Magic Marker. 

Hyperlight: review


Hyperlight is the newest 2.5 D spaceship inspired game. First off it is quite obvious that this game is based off of Infinity Field. Infinity Field at least had superior graphics and intuitive controls. Unfortunately although Hyperlight looks very much the same and has decent graphics the game-play is pretty much a dud. The game is all about tilt controls and there is no ability to shoot weapons. The game relies on you to collect items and tilt the Ipad on sharp angles to fly through enemies. 


Apart from the difficult controls you start the game with no shield and only one hit from on-coming enemies will destroy you and force you to restart from square one. The game is only a buck but Infinity Field is also pretty cheap. This game suffers from being released too early with sub-par controls. I would avoid this title and save the dollar.

Dead Space HD drops to 99 cents


Last month I reviewed one of the top games for the Ipad, Dead Space. For a limited time you can purchase this amazing title for only a buck. The game was well worth 10 bucks a month ago so definitely pick this one up and if you have to check out my previous review from March. 

EA has also posted other games for sale on the Ipad:

Command & Conquer- 99 cents
Scrabble HD- 99 cents
Reckless Racing HD- 99 cents 
Madden NFL 11 HD- 99 cents
Rock Band Reloaded HD- $2.99

Thursday, April 21, 2011

A.I.R. Defense HD: review

So last week I jumped the gun and purchased the Iphone version of A.I.R. Defense and I had fun with the title but the controls were meant for a smaller screen and were less responsive on the Ipad when you X2 the image. For only 1 dollar this tower defense game is well worth the download because of it's art style, creativity and constant upgrades and weapons to unlock.


The concept of the game revolves around radar to detect incoming alien spacecraft and land vehicles. The game has a basic tutorial showing you how to attack units and upgrade your units while defending your base. Enemies can come from any side and the enemies vary from basic units (similar to tanks) to radar blocking enemies and final bosses at wave 10 on every level. There is a trick to destroying multiple enemies at once and it lies in attacking units that have grouped together. The game does get very challenging quickly and somewhat frustrating over time. But like any tower defense game there is a learning curve. For only a buck A.I.R. Defense HD is a no-brainer for tower defense fans. Chillingo put some effort into this budget title and there are multiple hours of game-play and a survival mode to unlock after the missions.

NBA Jam HD: review


DAMNNNNN! That's all I could think when I fired up the Ipad version of NBA Jam. This is by far the best sports game released on the Ipad and I can now forgive the waiting period between the Iphone version and the Ipad version. 


When I was looking at the game last night I was wondering only one thing: are these controls going to make or break the game? Generally sports games on the Ipad (not including golf games) have had a difficulty configuring the controls properly. In the case of EA's NBA Jam I do not have a single complaint. There are three buttons that are easily responsive and the beginning tutorial really helps you understand the game. By the way if you complete the simple 5 minute tutorial you automatically unlock Big Head mode! So after the tutorial I jumped straight into a match to try out the NBA action. 

The game-play is two vs. two basketball featuring every team in the NBA with current rosters. You generally choose a point guard and then you also get a forward. You control one character while the CPU controls the other one. Working as a team really pays off and you can throw up some pretty amazing dunks. The game is of course over the top action. There are plenty of options in game-play from: Play Now, Classic Campaign, Multiplayer, Challenges (that unlocks characters) and a Jam store to purchase IAP content. For $9.99 it is kind of a pricey game but it is instantly my favorite Ipad game. 
The audio is pretty bad ass as well with over the top commentary and constant cool sayings like BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!! I've got to fully recommend this title EA may spend time on their titles and ask for more money than the average developer but there seems to be a good reason why.






 

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

New game releases- midnight tonight!


Due to different time zones there are already numerous awesome games being released in New Zealand right now. Finally some heavy weight games are hitting the app store around midnight dependent on where you are located. 

First off NBA Jam is finally coming to the Ipad in the full HD quality it deserves. The set price will most likely be $9.99 (kinda pricey). There is ton of content including full season modes, big head mode and plenty of online playing options. This one I'll probably pick up tonight and try to review as soon as possible.


Second off for those crazy Final Fantasy fans comes a port of the classic Final Fantasy 3. This title is very expansive and the basic install will be 200 mb. The graphics look fairly decent and it is stated that the graphics are improved and the controls are adjusted for the Ipad. One thing to keep in mind is that this game will most likely cost a whopping $16.99. If you're a fan then there's little to say, you've probably already purchased this in your mind. 



So lets move onto the next new release, Back to the Future Episode 2 HD. If you've played the first episode, released about 2 months ago then you will probably be a fan of the second episode that is already out for the PC. This episode picks up after the last one and follows Marty and Doc to the 1980's to prevent a gang from wreaking havoc on Marty's family. The game is more an interactive movie than a full out adventure experience. The game looks to have very impressive graphics and it plays something similar to the Monkey Island series of point and click. The game will be priced at about $6.99 but honestly if you haven't played the first you might want to pick that one up. 


So the last major title that I know of is a budget title aimed at tower defense fans. A.I.R. Defense HD is being released tonight at midnight for only 1 dollar. I jumped the gun on this title and purchased the Iphone version last week because I loved the concept and art style. I'm not going to lie it is a challenging game with plenty of enemies and levels. The concept of the game relies on a radar system to pick up incoming enemies. With your base you can create jets, planes and helicopters. By drawing a line to the incoming enemies you can attack and defend the health of your base. There are plenty of upgrades and new special abilities as you continue in the game. There is a survival mode as well and for only a buck it is well worth the space on your Ipad. 


So I hope there is at least one game coming out tonight that appeals to you and if anything else worth while comes out then I'll post an update or review.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

48 hour freebie alert: Beyond Ynth HD

As an Easter gift, the developers FDG Entertainment have dropped the price of Beyond Ynth HD to absolutely nothing. This cute puzzle plat former staring a ladybug is well worth the download and space on your Ipad. The game is all about rotating boxes while maintaining your character and reaching the end of the level as quickly as possible. I have to admit I only played a few levels and there are over 40 to complete. This game has decent on-screen controls and is pretty well animated. It's not a game for those who do not like puzzles or repeating levels to complete the task at hand. So I suggest you download it while you can, I mean it's free. 

Monday, April 18, 2011

Angry Birds Seasons HD update

As promised for the newest holiday Rovio has released another free update for Angry Birds Seasons. Easter is less than a week away and the newest update is here just on time! Honestly a week ago I was a skeptic of the Angry Birds franchise but now that I've beaten Angry Birds Rio, I ended up purchasing the other two Angry Birds games. I am now an Angry Birds addict and I cannot even explain why. Either way back to the update. This is one of the smaller updates with only 15 new levels all Easter themed. In total Angry Birds Seasons has hundreds of levels now for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day and now Easter. For only $1.99 this game is well worth the money. If you don't have it by now pick it up. Angry Birds Rio has promised an update in May so these 15 levels are good filler until then.

Friday, April 15, 2011

N.O.V.A . Elite Teaser Trailer


Recently Gameloft released details and images of their newest entry to their Halo portable clone: N.O.V.A. I played through the first two that boasted fairly robust single player experience. Gameloft put quite a bit of effort into N.O.V.A. 2 HD and I had a blast playing it till the last boss. N.O.V.A. Elite looks to be solely an online multiplayer game that focuses on intense game play and fairly decent level designs and graphics. Check out the trailer, the game should be out pretty soon.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

The Relic: review

So when I start up a game and it crashes numerous times just upon opening it I think to myself, "That's a really bad sign." The Relic is a game that claims to be a dungeon crawler/ rpg and it stays true to it's description but that's about the only good thing this game has going for it. I tried the game out solely because of it's price and graphics. It reminded me of a simplistic version of Dungeon Hunter. The Relic is only priced at 99 cents but honestly it is not even worth the space on your Ipad. This game suffers from the worst possible problem on an Ipad game, unresponsive D-pad. Basically the control pad to move your character freezes constantly. I honestly can't get past this issue because the game depends on a ridiculous amount of AI enemies attacking you. Without the ability to move you feel helpless, ready to just give up whenever you want. The game has decent graphics considering the price point but the enemies are poorly designed and all swarm you at once. The Relic is a game that also suffers from continuous pop-up information. I consider this game an outer shell or a tech demo of what could potentially be created. The Relic is obviously one to avoid and unless the publishers fix the issue with their D-pad then this game will forever remain a piece of trash. 

 









   

Freebie Alert: Bug Heroes

Bug Heroes was originally released last year as an Iphone exclusive and it recently went universal. I forgot about this title but now the developers have decided to drop the price completely and allow players to enjoy this action/ rpg /tower defense game for free. It is honestly a very weird game. The concept is that you are a bug defending your stash of food with heavy artillery and defense towers. The game is very "cute" and fairly easy to play. One annoying aspect is the amount of pop-up information explaining in detail what to do. Either way the game is free so try it out. I may post a review later if I get the time. 

Resident Evil Mercenaries VS: IOS review

For the first time I'm going to delve into an IOS game that is not universal and made solely for the Ipod Touch, Iphone and compatible with the Ipad. I know that this blog is supposed to be solely about Ipad gaming but honestly I am the biggest fan of Resident Evil, especially the mercenaries mode that comes with Resident Evil 5. I'm anticipating this title to eventually hit the Ipad but honestly Capcom takes their sweet time transferring their games over to HD quality. Resident Evil Mercenaries VS is an online game that features free for all combat with four characters or two vs. two combat. There are only three arenas to choose from, including "creative" titles like fortress, castle and docks. There are also only three characters to choose from, including Wesker, Jill and Chris. Surprisingly Chris seems to be the worst player to choose from while Jill and Wesker have superior weaponry. The levels aren't huge, they are big enough to get some distance. The one thing that just kind of bugs me is that at the end of May Capcom is going to release Resident Evil Mercenaries for the 3DS. I can tell from videos and screenshots that Capcom has put a lot more effort into the 3DS and I understand that there is a difference in graphics and price point. Currently Resident Evil Mercenaries VS. is priced at only $2.99 and is apparently on sale while the 3DS version will most likely be around $30 to $40 bucks. 
Game play: 
First off this game suffers from the same control scheme the previous Resident Evil 4 IOS title. You must always stop, pivot and take your time shooting through the guided laser sight. It will take some time to adjust to the controls considering there are much better ways to handle the layout of buttons. One thing I liked is that in your top corner they show you your current weapon and if you press that button and drag your finger to your secondary weapon you can easily select the next weapon while on the go. I honestly hate selecting the items menu while in action because it takes forever to equip something to your character. I doubt these issues will ever be addressed, Capcom seems to be satisfied with their wacky buttons and yet they still don't want players to be able to walk and shoot at the same time. 

If you can get past these downfalls then this game can provide fun, I think you have to be a fan of Resident Evil to buy this one. Capcom promises additional content but that may require an IAP. For the time being there is already a community of players and if you want you can play against AI enemies.