20-game roundup for January 2010 continued. Part 1 is found here.

Zamby - cyclop box moving puzzle bonanza

That box goes there, and this goes here, and….zapp. My little cute Cyclops Zamby got zapped once again. Retry, box, box, box, made it! Zamby is a spatial puzzler where you have to guide to the goal. Moving boxes to block off the enemy wizards zapping power is part of the job. As is moving and detonating bombs to make paths for the one eyed critter. The game is controlled with a keypad, and you only use the arrows. The controls are quite easy to get wrong as the keys are small, and the game can interpret the wrong key at times. Zamby is a puzzler that lets you play at your own pace. It keeps track of the number of moves for each level, and you can revisit levels to lower your scores. The graphics and sound got a retro vibe to them, and there is the possibility to zoom in somewhat. I found the graphics to be quite boring, and murky. Zamby comes with 40 puzzles, and new puzzles are available as downloads through DLC. If you have already beaten Bobby Carrot Forever and Super Yum Yum 3 Zamby might be something to consider. The underwhelming presentation puts it low on my list of cute puzzlers.

Zamby $0.99
Version: 1.01
Seller: Kristanix Studios
Zamby Lite

Train Master - unpolished train time management

The first impression I get from a game is usually right. My first impression of Train Master turned out to be completely wrong though. I initially thought that it was great, and got the same feel for the gameplay as Flight Control. In Train Master you have to guide coloured trains to their corresponding destination. Yellow trains to yellow stations. You control the direction of the trains by simply tapping them to change direction. You can also throw switches to change the layout of the rails. So far everything sounds hunkadoorie, but there is one major flaw. You can’t tell the different trains apart. There are three different trains moving at different speeds, and when two red trains go in the same direction you have to watch out so they don’t crash by the rear one catching up with the first on. To me this really broke the game. Up to that point I could look past the ugly graphics, and poor presentation. Online scores, and proper stat tracking can’t make up for that flaw. I can’t recommend train master at all unless it gets a proper update giving the different trains ways to tell them apart.

Train Master $0.99
Version: 1.0
Seller: Nick Desjardins

Soft Freak Fiesta - multiplayer game that noboby plays

Online games are totally dependant on people actually playing them. Soft Freak Fiesta is totally dead, and I have yet to find someone to play with for several weeks now. Perhaps it is because no gamers bought it in Europe as I try during the day here. Soft Freak Fiesta is a game where you fling freaks about trying to knock out the competition. More than that I can’t say really as only the tutorial is available to play in single player. The controls seems quite good, and I like the game mechanics. Bluetooth multiplayer is available as well but I have yet to try it out, kind of feels strange to fling freaks at my wife for fun. I hope the developer takes the controls, and world of Soft Freak Fiesta and turns it into a single player game instead. The current online oriented Soft Freak Fiesta is really no point in getting as it is such a cold, and lonely world.

Soft Freak Fiesta $0.99
Version: 1.1
Seller: Gogogic, ehf

Mobzombies: the first wave - location based zombie romp

Killing zombies using my own body as the controller seemed to be such a good idea. After having spent some time with Mobzombies I have to conclude that it is still a good idea, but it needs better execution and support. The presentation of Mobzombies is weak, and there are very few cities supported in the mission mode. Basically zombies attack you, and you have to find weapons to fight back. A brain with arms represents you in the middle of the screen. By rotating, and moving around with your iPhone 3GS you control your onscreen brain avatar. Weapons are picked up and you fire them by touch controls. There is also the option to use touch controls for movement, and this is mandatory for the 3G. To be able to play the mission mode you have to be located in a city supported by Foursquare. Sadly I have not been able to try it out in as I live quite far from the nearest supported city. This only leaves me with a quite boring training mode that doesn’t go anywhere. There are a couple of different modes within training such as finding the flag, and free play. Take a look at this page to see if you are in a supported city. I can’t recommend Mobzombies if you only have the training mode available. It is too ugly, and there is little variation to the gameplay.

Mobzombies: the first wave $2.99
Version: 1.0
Seller: Nodesnoop, LLC

King Strike - pool with a story

Beyond one of the coolest looking icons on my iPhone lies a game that most probably have missed picking up. And that is a real shame because beyond that great icon lies an even better game, King Strike. Combining strategy, pool and a storyline King Strike manages to be both original, and fun to play. You have to make pool shots to remove the opponents from the board. If you manage to get rid of more than one in a shot you get a random bonus. This can for example be a larger ball that is harder for the opposition to push out. You and the opponent take turns making shots until only one stands victorious. The controls are really straightforward. Choose a ball, aim by touching the direction you want it to go, choose the power by setting a bar at the bottom of the screen, and press strike to launch. Graphics are cool with nice backgrounds, and fun expressions on the faces of the pool balls. You progress through the nicely depicted story by means of a map with 30 levels. King Strike keeps fresh by changing up the layouts of the play area, and by changing the units you and the opponent have. Multiplayer for two players on the same device is really enjoyable.  Global high scores further enhance the gamelife of King Strike. It definitely gets my warm recommendation. King Strike just got a new update with online multiplayer that I have yet to try. This is turning into a must buy for sure.

King Strike $0.99
Version: 1.0.1
Seller: Andrey Pestryakov

Quozzle - the hardest puzzle ever?

A game can be art, a game can be a puzzle, and that puzzle can be to find out what the game is. Quozzle is a game that mixes art, puzzles and hides most of the rules from the player. I have played Quozzle for a couple of weeks now, and I am still at somewhat of a loss to what I am actually doing. I place Quozzle pieces on the corresponding colours on the board, I touch butterflies, I slide my finger at the bottom of the screen and even more strange things happen. Small squares that I can colour by tapping them show against an art backdrop. A line moves downwards, but I don’t know why. I go back to the main game, and manage to place enough Quozzle pieces to level up. I play a bit more, and get a game over. I get a question about a butterfly, and my minds is blown. I love Quozzle, yet I have no clue to what constitutes success. The presentation is perfect for the game, and the music further induces the madness that is Quozzle. The slow gameplay is strange, and wonderful. The screen with squares is a match 3 game called the hidden game, and the rules are secret. If you are one of those people who can’t get enough of mysteries, and yearn for the next dose of Dan Brown definitely get Quozzle. For the average gamer it is too strange, and slow to be a satisfying experience. I will definitely keep Quozzle on my iPhone for some time before I get what I am actually doing. At $0.99 it is a steal for the amount of brain activity it spawns.

Quozzle $0.99
Version: 1.0
Seller: Georg Dudas
Quozzle Lite

ReBounce - sparkly coin flicking madness

I have many people comparing ReBounce to Peggle, but in my mind there is little relation between the two. In ReBounce you swipe a coin back and forth clearing levels. The controls are direct, and it is really easy to get going setting up massive chain reactions. The game throws new objectives at you such as making sure to not let the blocks rise beyond a certain level. ReBounce has got some things going for it, but in the long run it is quite forgettable. The direct controls are fun but tiring when playing for longer sessions. At times the game plays by itself though when you can just let the coin bounce around by itself to clear the spheres. The graphics are bright with great effects as you clear combos. The music is kind of weak blippedy bloppety electronics, and thankfully you can play your own stuff instead. For a quick fix of coin bouncing antics ReBounce is definitely worth the price asked. Achievements and leaderboards are integrated through OpenFeint.

ReBounce $0.99
Version: 1.0.1
Seller: Romper Games Inc.

Compression - claustrophobic tetris puzzler

I am daft at Tetris, and I never seem to really improve no matter how hard I try. Now a game combining the formula of Tetris with a match 3 game set in a garbage disposal. Ok, maybe it isn’t a garbage disposal unit but it is a compression chamber that compresses the playing field. If you fail to remove the hollow blocks before the chamber is completely compressed the game is over. Matching 3 blocks remove them, and creating combos of course increase your score. However survival is the first item on the agenda, and it is really hard getting anywhere if you suck at Tetris the way I do. I need time to rotate the block falling from the top. After 3 dropped blocks the chamber compresses a bit, and the playing field becomes smaller. This also means that the blocks falling from the top get a shorter way to travel, and it turns more and more hectic. The graphics are ok, but perhaps it would be good to have a couple of different themes, as the background is a bit dark and haunting. I am bad at this game as it is, and I don’t need to be hassled by the graphics as well. Perhaps a strange notion but to me a game with bright graphics is better for relaxation. I seldom boot up a Resident Evil game when I want to kick back. A highlight of the game is definitely the dark bass heavy thumping electro darkness. It is not far from some of the best music found in the Resident Evil series actually. The music, although really good also reinforce the darkness, and it spoils it as a casual game for me. You can play your own music if you want to. Online leaderboards and achievements integrated through OpenFeint. Compression is a really good game, but it is aimed at the hardcore gamer with only one really hard mode to play. If you are a ninja at Tetris definitely try Compression for your next challenge.

Compression $0.99
Version: 1.0
Seller: Craig Kemper
Compression Lite

Review disclosure: Any games reviewed on this page may have been provided to us by the developer for the purposes of this review. Note: the resulting review score is never impeded by this fact, all opinions are that of the TouchGen reviewer and not the developer. This is in keeping with our O.A.T.S oath. Read more about O.A.T.S here

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