So once again a lovely May Wednesday is upon us and finally Gameloft is releasing Starfront Collision HD! After months of it being released on the iPhone it's about time that we got an HD version. The game looks like a Star-craft rip but the buzz around it so far has been positive. The price currently is $6.99 and will be released near midnight. With tons of screen real-estate the game will most likely be a vast improvement and competitive fun. It will also be quite a bit more fun than Command and Conquer HD. I will post a review for this one after a few days of game-play.
Apart from Starfront there are a few other note-worthy titles that are easy on the pocket. First off we have a movie tie-in game about Bruce Campbell's noteworthy film, Army of Darkness. This is a mix between tower defense and action with the player taking control of Bruce himself with his boomstick and chainsaw. The game is only 99 cents and the graphics look mediocre. It could be a ton of fun and there is some buzz around it so check out the game-play. Finally Chillingo is releasing Spoing, a point a click action/puzzle game that allows you to control a dark entity on it's way up to a goal/finish line. The game is also only 99 cents and the graphics look decent. One weird thing I noticed is the controls look very much like a computer cursor on the demo video. Either way check it out.
Angry Birds has just released details and video footage of their latest update to the new, popular angry Birds Rio. As promised an update to the tie-in movie game will be released this week and it is going to be based on a day at the beach. Referring to the scene in Rio where the birds are bouncing around the beach while on their adventure. Of course this is another free update but it is not clear on how many levels you will be receiving. So check out the video footage and be ready any day now to update.
Fish Labs have addressed the issues I had previously with the Khador drive and collecting certain blueprints and accessing the Void System. In their updates a few days ago they fixed the Khador drive so you can reattach it to your spacecraft and access systems that are apart from the Universe. I also was able to track down a lot more blueprints that I have all completed. This update is much appreciated because jumping back into the game is easier than ever when you can travel instantaneously. Now with these improvements the add-on is simply amazing and I wish I could find another title that had nearly as much content as GOF2. I guarantee this will be my last post about Galaxy On Fire because there are plenty of new games coming out. If I had one last request I would love to battle people on-line and test out their ships.
Legendary Wars is a pretty fun compilation of other popular titles with upgradable content and an awesome opening price. The game mashes the game-play of Plants vs. Zombies and any tower defense game with overtones and styles of games like Knights on Rush. The game takes place in a mythological realm with knights, wizards, bow-men and various creatures like Unicorns or Golems. The game-play has three lanes to distribute men and various commands to attack or guard. The base is your primary place of defense but levels change as you progress and some levels have goals such as reaching a destination, defending a powerful individual or destroy the enemy base.
It takes a while to get addicted to the title but once you've upgraded a few units and defeated interesting enemies you slowly get sucked into Legendary Wars HD. The game has a pretty lengthy single player campaign that traverses five unique terrains all with unique enemies and obstacles. Bosses increase in size and capability as the game continues but they never get too frustrating. Legendary Wars allows the player to customize the controls to their liking and I suggest a casual approach because it allows your units to switch lanes when needed.
The art-style is beautiful and I appreciated the content more as the enemies increased in size. The units are all cartoon rendered and move fairly smoothly. I noticed a few glitches in the movement of my knights, they seemed to float at moments across the screen rather than walk at times. Also when enemies kill certain of my units they don't disappear immediately, there seems to be a glitch at points. Apart from those minor problems that will probably be adjusted in a simple update. Legendary Wars HD is only 99 cents for a limited time and Legendary Wars for the iPhone is now free to celebrate the launch in HD. I suggest picking this title up due to it's variety in game-play and constant action.
Recently Sega released a fun XBLA game on the 360. WTF?! is an inexpensive fun game that is universal for the iPad or iPhone. The game was priced upon release at $2.99 but they dropped the price to only 99 cents. WTF?! is a side-scrolling shooting game, where you take the role of a super-hero that shoots lasers/bullets from his palms. The interesting part of the game-play is that instead of taking personal damage to your character you start with 50 points and depending on the amount of enemies that get past him you loose points until you reach 0/50 and have to restart the level.
One issue I have with this game is that it claims to be universal but it only takes about 3/4 of the screen on the iPad rather than most universal games that take the full screen into account. Apart from that the game features amazing graphics, fun story and fast paced game-play. I recommend this title to every fan of shooting games and anyone on a gaming budget.
Ok so it is now fair for me to review the Valkyrie add-on to GOF2. I've clocked about 26 hours into the game and I'm now piloting one of the top Vossk ships around. I've also purchased my own space station and I'm starting to store tons of materials, weapons and add-ons. I've got about six blueprints and I used the Khador drive to travel to distant galaxies. I also unlocked the liberator missile, which is a guided missile system. Honestly these missiles are amazing and the guided view is amazing.
There are a few issues I have with the game such as once you've used the Khador drive and you have to unlock it again to travel to distant galaxies you must collect 50 tons of Void crystals which can only be found in the Void system but unfortunately if you beat the main campaign you cannot access the Void system again. On the official blog for GOF2 they claim you can purchase 50 tons of Void crystals in the Wolf-Reiser system. For me this is not the case. I've been flying around to almost every space-station looking for Void Crystals. Apart from that the exploration of the game is pretty fun, you can unlock new galaxies that have advanced technology. Once every few hours the game will crash but I think it's expected due to the size of the game. So Valkyrie is priced at $4.99 and is well worth the money, Fishlabs has put in the time and effort into this add-on and hopefully in the next year we see another add-on or GOF3.
So a few titles have dropped in price from a few bucks to absolutely zero. They are not the best titles but they are fun way to spend a few hours. I don't know how long the deal is for but check these out:
Operation Wow HD: $1.99-free
This is a basic port of a click and shoot game. You have various cute animals armed to the teeth to blow away with either bullets or grenades. Yep, its that simple.Graphics are cartoon and cute and the game continues to scroll which gives it some speed while playing.
Ozone HD: $4.99-free
This sizable game puts you in the shoes of a ball that moves around the level collecting yellow orbs while avoiding traps and escaping the level. There are 50 levels and the previous reviews for this title were decent and its worth the space on your iPad for a play-through.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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
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.
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.
So once again a lovely May Wednesday is upon us and finally Gameloft is releasing Starfront Collision HD! After months of it being released on the iPhone it's about time that we got an HD version. The game looks like a Star-craft rip but the buzz around it so far has been positive. The price currently is $6.99 and will be released near midnight. With tons of screen real-estate the game will most likely be a vast improvement and competitive fun. It will also be quite a bit more fun than Command and Conquer HD. I will post a review for this one after a few days of game-play. 
