A look back at some of the highlights from the last week in iOS gaming…
Jetpack Joyride gets even more awesome
Halfbrick has updated their latest App Store offering with even more content, to boost Jetpack Joyride further up the ‘awesome chart’. When it released early last month, we gave it 4.5 stars thanks to its pick-up-and-play nature, sprite graphics and overall addictiveness. The new update adds two new jetpacks (Chrome Plated Afterburner and the ‘blingworthy’ Golden Piggy Pack) and new costumes (dress as Sensei from Fruit Ninja, a sleek silver robot, Royal Robes and more). You can also swap score markers between your friends to show them just how awesome you are.
Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation hits the App Store
Gameloft’s highly-anticipated first-person shooter ‘Modern Combat: Fallen Nation’ is finally available for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Ever since the first teaser trailer was released a few months ago, I’ve been checking up on this title every day. After a couple of hands-on previews from Nigel and Kevin, the rest of us can finally give it a go.
Modern Combat 3 has 13 missions ranging from Los Angeles to Pakistan and an incredible multiplayer mode, with support for up to 12 players, 6 maps and 7 different modes. From those stats alone, and the screenshots in its App Store page, you can tell it’s a pretty amazing game.
Check out the review here.
Space Tripper for iOS is finally almost ready!
Back at E3 in 2010, we got hands-on with TrueAxis’s port of the PC arcade shooter (also know as Astro Tripper on PSN). This game has been a very long time coming after constantly chasing the progressively slower iOS updates, but the good news is that after some last minute optimisations for iOS5, it us running at a smooth 60 fps on all target devices. We’ll be getting our hands on the game once more before it releases later this year. In the meantime check out the trailer below:
Pocket God: Journey to Uranus Episode 6: Decapithon is Live on the App Store
With so many spectacular things going on in the Pocket God universe, it’s hard not to lose one’s head. Unfortunately for your pygmies though, they’re about to experience that same feeling first hand—literally. Bolt Creative have launched its latest update for Pocket God: Journey to Uranus, featuring an all new platform mini game that pits pygmies against their worst nightmares. Decapithon pits one of your hapless pygmies against a horde of the undead and it’s your job to help take them out.
Combat Arms: Zombies coming this November, developed with UE3
Nexon Mobile recently revealed their upcoming Unreal Engine 3 title for iOS, dubbed ‘Combat Arms: Zombies’. As you can tell by the title, this iOS spin-off is based on the company’s popular online FPS ‘Combat Arms’. This will combine the gameplay of the original game with diverse attack patterns of the 3D zombie mode, sharp visuals and a variety of weapons systems. More information will be revealed during South Korea’s G-Star 2011 expo on November 10.
Snoopy’s Street Fair hands-on
Beeline is bringing Snoopy’s Street Fair to iOS, a Farmvill-esque game based on the Peanuts cartoon series. Nigel had some doubts about the game before he played it, but left with a positive feeling, describing it as ‘a surprisingly fun and deep experience’. He also explains how the game works:
“The objective of the game is to help Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of Peanuts gang build a street fair. Thankfully the game hasn’t tried to recreate the characters in 3D, and instead opts for the classic hand-drawn look of the original cartoons. The world itself is presented in isometric, allowing the character sprites to move around in quasi-3D, and for you to get a clearer picture of what’s going on.”
There will also be an online social aspect to the game, much like Animal Crossing. You can invite your friends to your town and let them interact with your stalls, and share up to 27 trading cards. You can expect this freemium title to arrive on November 17 as a universal build.
Week in Review
Otterbox Reflex iPad 2 case review
Otterbox brings its Reflex series to the iPad 2, but it’s still not there yet – “The Reflex series for iPad 2 is one of the best protection solutions available. Having a clever detachable screen shield is also a huge plus when it can double as a stand. It is easy to recommend it to most users, and as it is lighter than the other cases in the maximum protection category it certainly has a large market to cater to.”
Super Crossfire HD review
This mix of Space Invaders and Geometry Wars makes its way to iOS – “I found that I was so engrossed in the intense battles that I didn’t miss such things as boss encounters, or extra modes to break up the seemingly unstoppable action. Instead it’s good to see a game focussing on delivering a tight shooter experience, without all the fluff that can result in a diluted experience. What you see is pretty much what you get with Super Crossfire HD, and it’s great.”
Worms Crazy Golf HD review
Team17 brings their popular Worms franchise to iOS in a new IP, but is it something to get excited about? – “Worms Crazy Golf HD for iPad is a fun single player experience that takes some of the best of the worms series, and applies it to golf. At times it feels that more could have taken from the classic turn based war game, and especially for the quite boring local multiplayer. Great presentation, loads of courses and game modes, Game Center integration and nice controls still makes it an easy game to recommend. And hopefully it will improve further with updates, at least I hope so.”
The Adventures of Tintin review
Gameloft’s movie spin-off is ‘un-missable’, says Torbjorn – “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn is by far one of the most complete gameplay experiences you can find on iOS. It has drama, humour, action, stealth and a swearing captain. With a brilliant fluent mixture of gameplay elements, Gameloft takes my childhood hero into a new era. If you are a fan of Tintin you have to get this, and if you are not familiar to the antics of our young reporter you still have to get this. It is easy to get into the story no matter if you spent your youth reading the graphic novels or not. Brilliant Gameloft, brilliant!”
Descend review
This isn’t the best of games; it’s more like an ‘expensive tech demo’ – “Descend can be seen as a rather expensive tech demo of how the graphics could look in a 3d turn based RPG. The game is not there at all. I can’t recommend this half-baked game to anyone but those who are interested in the graphics. The game lacks nerve, action and purpose.”
Urbanista London in-ear headphones review
These relatively cheap in-ear headphones aren’t one to sweep by – “With a competitive price the Urbanista London sweeps in as a contender in the below $100 segment. Good sound with a pronounced bass combined with comfortable design makes it a winner. The cheap looking microphone that lacks volume controls, and that had some initial glitches for me is the clear negative of this product. In the end it is easy to recommend the London to anyone looking for a competent set of in-ear phones.”
