Home » Articles and Reviews by 'Richard Brown'
Chaos Rings Omega Launching In May
After much deliberation – well, approximately a year’s worth, to be fair – Andrew eventually whittled down the thousands upon thousands of iOS games released in 2010 to 10. The Top 10, we named it. And standing proudly aloft AppSpy’s best of the best compilation was Chaos Rings, a JRPG built by the veritable dream team of Square Enix and Media.Vision. The reasons for its incredible acclaim? Fast-paced combat, impeccable character development, and sublime visuals to name but three. Therefore, the news that a prequel entitled Chaos Rings Omega is launching on iPhone next month should leave you positively frothing at the mouth. Ok: very excited then. Japanese games magazine Famit…
Race After 1977's Suspension and Handling Upgraded
1977 was, to say the least, a notable year for the makers of the iPhone. In that January, Apple Computer was incorporated. Five months later, the first Apple II series personal computers went on sale. So, yes, a significant period indeed for Mr Jobs & co. Xpect Games’s Race After 1977 probably won’t be considered a landmark for the Cupertino-based company in quite the same way, though a recent update should leave a friendlier legacy. One of Andrew’s main complaints about this post-apocalyptic racer was its ‘marshmallow suspension’, something the developers have addressed in version 1.1.0 as part of a wider handling tweak. Those always infernal framerate drops should be consign…
Packs Of Top Trumps Coming To iPhone This Summer
Ahhhh, Top Trumps. Which British teenage boy can forget the crestfallen look on his pal’s face as he bests the poor sap's Lambo’s brake horsepower with ‘his’ Ferrari F50’s?! And then prise the sap's supercharged Countach from out of a sweating palm and onto his burgeoning pile. Magical, I tell thee. Now imagine that same satisfying – nay, smug – feeling of contentment as you trump your bff over iPhone. Stop imagining. And just read. Publishers Connect2Media and developers Mobile Pie are teaming up to bring Winning Moves’s classic card game to iOS this summer. Greg Robinson, Connect2Media’s COO, explains thus: We are very excited to be extending the reach of the Top T…
Tackle Big Fishing On iPhone For $1.99
You’d be forgiven for thinking that football is the most popular participation sport in the United Kingdom. Well, that and Royal watching. Officially, however, fishing is Britain’s favourite pastime. Consequently, there are plenty of iPhone apps (the best of which is Gameloft's Fishing Kings) looking to lure a proportion of those keen anglers away from the lakes and onto the touchscreen. Liverpool-based Thumbstar Games are the latest to tackle this particular challenge, its Big Fishing title offering fishermen the chance to travel the globe in search of the perfect catch. The bait on the end of Big Fishing’s line includes five real-life maps, 56 different species, realistic fish mo…
Soccer Superstars 2011 Pro Kicks Off For iPhone
In footballing parlance, we are now entering a phase called ‘squeaky bum time’. To the less initiated, this means the professional soccer season is reaching a critical point across a host of European leagues. And, so, against this nail biting backdrop Gamevil has unveiled the 2011 Pro edition of its Soccer Superstars franchise. Will this RPG-cum-soccer sim rocket one into the roof of the App Store net? Or will it blaze one over the iPhone bar? That all depends on the reaction to a couple of new faces in the Soccer Superstars squad. Free kicks, corners, and headers are welcome additions to the first XI, while improvements to the AI in the semi-auto mode should make Soccer Superstars…
Galaxy on Fire 2 On Sale For Easter
Next Thursday – which in some quarters is known as 28th April – sees the launch of the hugely anticipated Valkyrie add-on to Galaxy on Fire 2. Fishlabs’s epic space trader acquired a formidable 4 out of 5 stars from our Andrew, who complimented its sheer depth and scope. I was personally sold on the time-travelling protagonist’s name Keith T. Maxwell. It’s all about that T, you see. By the by, the Valkyrie expansion pack will contain tons of new content, from missions to space craft, and weaponry to characters. And in anticipation of this splendid upgrade, the renowned German publishers have discounted Galaxy on Fire 2, meaning you can now jet on over to the App Store and purch…
Snooker Club Topspins Onto App Store For Free
Is it a sport? Is it a hobby? Is it a game? Is it a horse? Who cares what snooker is classified as nowadays; all that matters is that the World Championship is taking place right NOW over in Sheffield, England, at the iconic Crucible Theatre. So, why are you still reading this?!?! Well, it’s because Future Games of London have shrewdly launched their universal Snooker Club game for free to coincide with the above ongoing prestigious tournament. For an unknown, but probably sexist, reason, you shoot some balls against seven different female players on the path to in-game credits and snooker notoriety. Intuitive touch controls, sophisticated A.I., and ultra realistic ball physics are qu…
Capcom Update Smurfs' Village With Easter Theme
One of the most controversial and talked about games on the App Store, Smurfs’ Village – eh, Smurfs?! Controversial?! YES! – has taken a leaf out of Angry Birds Seasons's book. Inspired by our second favourite Christian festival Easter, Capcom have updated their freemium social Smurfing title with all manner of tasty treats. For those without a Smurfing clue, Smurfs’ Village is a FarmVille-styled micromanagement game in which you rebuild the blue blighters’ home town in return for feeling good about yourself. That last part is a Smurfing lie. Anyways, in this Easter-themed update, you can purchase a very helpful Smurfling called Nat, as well as gift your friends a painted egg a…
Sword & Sworcery EP Micro For iPhone To Launch Today
Can’t get enough of that pixel-art flavour? Pining for some more iPhone retro goodness? Well, your luck is most certainly in, for the dream team of Superbrothers (publishers), Capybara (developers), and Jim Guthrie (singer-songwriter) have realised one of AppSpy’s fantasies. This top triumvirate’s debut iPad release Sword & Sworcery EP sent shivers down the spine, defying conventional description and positively revelling in the fact it was doing so. Interlacing elements of exploration, puzzle-solving, mystique, and combat into one gloriously decorated weave, this sophisticated adventure is now heading to iPhone for $2.99. As revealed by the makers on that trendy modern medium Twitt…
Mos Speedrun Updated Quick As A Flash
Talk about living up to its moniker! Faster than a bullet fired out the back of Usain Bolt’s spikes on a jumbo jet to Australia, developers Physmo have updated their retro platformer Mos Speedrun... ...just nine days after launching it on the App Store. If you’re one of those chaps or chapettes who goes misty-eyed at the very thought of pixel-art, chiptunes, and Super Mario Bros, Mos Speedrun should be right up your alley. To further persuade you to part with your dollar (well, $1.99 to be exact), Physmo have refined the game’s virtual D-pad, squished a few bugs, and expanded the heroine’s wardrobe. Your record time for each level is now permanently displayed on screen, too, whi…
Telltale Games Announce Law & Order: LA For iOS
Probably most famous for their Tales of Monkey Island series, Telltale Games have branched out of late into the twin worlds of television and movies. A CSI tie-in here, and a Back to the Future adaption there: Telltale Games are certainly embracing the idea of promotional vehicles. One more to add to their film and TV canon is Law & Order: Los Angeles for iPhone and iPad, an upcoming crime thriller based on the NBC series of exactly the same name. We say ‘upcoming’ because outside of a ‘Coming 2011’ notice on Telltale’s registration page for Law & Order: Los Angeles, nobody else can shed any light on a release date. Members of the cast - including Do…
Angry Birds Seasons Easter Update Available For iPhone
Let’s safely assume that you, and indeed the rest of the ENTIRE world, are familiar with the catapulting antics of those Angry Birds. Good. Rovio’s modern-day gaming phenomenon has seen more updates than a BBC News 24 broadcast, and here’s one more. Angry Birds Seasons for iPhone is, of course, one of the franchise’s spin-off titles, benefitting - as it does - from the same high number of refreshes and extra levels as the original. My favourite chocolate-related, bunny-friendly national holiday Easter is the source of the latest update to Angry Birds Seasons on this occasion, delivering 15 new stages, a rabbity theme, and golden eggs to players worldwide. It’s probably worth k…
Zenonia On Sale To Generate Buzz For Zenonia 3
Gamevil aren’t the first and they certainly won’t be the last developer to pull off the following cunning marketing trick on iOS: 'Generate buzz around upcoming sequel by heavily discounting prequel in run-up to launch.' It’s an oldie cross-promotional ruse, but a goodie nonetheless. So, Gamevil have decided to reduce the price of the well-received RPG Zenonia on iPhone to 59p on account of Zenonia 3 landing on 28th April. Unfortunately for fans of the role-playing series, Zenonia’s 5* successor Zenonia 2 hasn’t joined the promotion party. Back - or is it now forward? I’m so confused - to Zenonia 3: The Midgard Story... It’ll feature Retina display graphics, tons of impro…
Gamevil's Air Penguin Takes Flight On iPhone
Not only is the penguin the flightless seabird of choice up here at AppSpy Tower, but it’s also our favourite confectionery. You don’t believe me?!? Well, why ELSE would we have dedicated two – yes, two – iPhone game stories this Friday to this aquatic avian? Regardless, the second of our penguin-related posts pertains to prolific publisher Gamevil’s latest iOS release, which went on sale in the App Store a few hours ago for 99c. Air Penguin is its name and careering through the air is the game. Hazards such as thin ice and stubborn seals will, natch, block your hero’s path...a path that ultimately leads to the rescuing of your stranded family. Hopefully. Head of Gamevil USA…
Ideal Bureaucracy Created Papa Penguin In 48 Hours!
In the last two hours, I’ve checked my email, written a weekly round-up, and scoured news outlets for updates on Lionel Messi’s wellbeing. I know, I know: some of you will probably be thinking, “wow, what a productive young man that Richard Brown truly is!” Others may not be. One such group of fellows in the latter camp is Ideal Bureaucracy, a Russian game development studio who recently concocted an iOS game from scratch in 120 minutes flat. The cute, casual arcader Papa Penguin was the fruit of their incredibly intensive labour, and after five further days of bug testing and polishing, this Antarctic-based adventure was shipped off to Apple HQ. (Check Papa Penguin out here.) Id…
