It's great to be back in the saddle, even if I haven't fully recovered. Thankfully not too much was missed over the last couple weeks. Despite the lack of news amends must be made and there's a bit more meat to the review and picks of the week as a result.
So, lets not dilly-dally and jump straight in to the Friday News Wrap-Up for the 11th of May, 2012.
Ascension: Storm of Souls - Top Deck Builder Gets Better
It has been a while since AppSpy first had the chance to play Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer, but much like the board game it proved to be seriously addictive and a lot of fun. Since then an expansion has been added to the game, but more importantly, Storm of Souls, a full 4-player pack complete with its own theme and mechanics is now on offer. Storm is compatible with the Return of the Fallen expansions and available via the in-game store.
Defender Chronicles II: Heroes of Athelia
Over two years ago, Defender Chronicles managed to completely rock our office, featuring fresh tower-defense like gameplay with huge amounts of replay value. Gimka has been working on the sequel for some time now and is set to release Heroes of Athelia on the 24th of May. Early previews are sounding very positive, so we await our chance to check out this updated title.
On Tiny Wings and More
Andreas Illiger recently opened up to Flow Studio Games about his experience in handling the overnight success that was Tiny Wings, stating that the first month was 'scary' - so much so that he retreated from the spotlight to get back to his passion of making games. The result of all of this time away is yet another game for the iOS - unfortunately more details aren't out there just yet, but we're definitely waiting with 'bated breath.
Mega Run - Mega Fun for 30th May
Most may know the little red monster from Get Set Games' popular free title Mega Jump, but it'll soon be the star of the developers brand-new auto-runner title 'Mega Run'. Featuring a slew of secrets, power-ups, items and maze-like levels, the game is looking like a lot of fun. Keep an eye out on the 30th of May for this cute title.
Mini-review - FastBall 3 (Klik! Games) $1.99
The Impossible Game is responsible for opening gamers eyes to the beauty and simplicity of jumping in platformers. Endless runners do much the same, but they can't be as unfair in their design. FastBall by Klik! Games sticks with small levels packed with jumping challenges that eventually require insane feats of precise timing to complete. Unfortunately the third in the series has dropped the ball and seemingly refuses to bring more than a few cursory changes to the table. Despite a slick visual overhaul and 65 new levels, FastBall 3 is ostensibly the same game, right down to the catchy yet repetitive background track. 'Marathon' mode has some potential, featuring Impossible Game-like lengthy stages with no checkpoints, but the stages aren't as lengthy as the name would suggest and there's only three of them to knock-over. There's nothing particularly wrong with what FastBall 3 offers to fans of the series, but it feels more like an expansion than a sequel. If you're after a challenge and you've not yet played a FastBall game, this is a much easier title to recommend, but it's hard to shake the been-there-done-that feeling if you're a returning player.
Pick(s) of the Week -
Due to being unable to complete a Wrap-Up last week, I've decided to flag two games for Pick of the Week. Interestingly, despite some of the large releases, there haven't been any real 'must haves'. Instead there have been some titles that deserve recognition for being a lot of fun and if you're a genre fan for either of these, they're definitely worth checking out.
N.O.V.A. 3 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance (Gameloft) $6.99 Univ.
First is, of course, Gameloft's latest release in the NOVA series. While disappointing in some ways, the campaign is still a lot of fun and keeps the player hooked thanks to carefully pacing its combat. Thankfully the campaign is but one half of what's on offer as players can take the fight online, competing in direct deathmatch or team-based modes with plenty of server options and unlockables to customize how your character plays. NOVA 3 isn't a huge leap forward for the series, but a solid shooter for mobile gamers to enjoy.
THE KING OF FIGHTERS-i 2012. (SNK PLAYMORE) $6.99
Despite my initial concerns about placing high-profile fighting titles on to the iOS platform, companies like CAPCOM and SNK PLAYMORE have shown that it's not only possible, but a whole lot of fun, especially when you can compete against opponents around the world. Much like Volt for Street Fighter IV, 2012 is less of a sequel and more of a roster and feature update for The King of Fighters-i. Those who bought the first game may feel a little burned, but if you love your fighters, you'll still want to pick up this slick and furious title.
With any luck I'll be able to rest up over the weekend - something I'll sorely need considering one major release hitting PCs over the coming week. Don't worry though, I won't be going anywhere and you can keep up with our news, reviews and features via Twitter, Facebook or by subscribing to our channel here on YouTube.
Have a great weekend!
Additional Links:
Mega Run Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umFy66EfeOY
Andreas Illiger on Tiny Wings - https://blog.flowstudiogames.com/post/22256606191/andreas-illiger-tiny-wings-success-was-scary
Defender Chronicles 2 Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG_zlEwxbQQ
FastBall 3 - https://www.appspy.com/fastball-3-review
The King of Fighters-i 2012 - https://www.appspy.com/the-king-of-fighters-i-2012-review
N.O.V.A. 3 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance - https://www.appspy.com/nova-3-near-orbit-vanguard-alliance-review
