Friday News Wrap-Up 17 February 2012

By , on February 17, 2012

New servers for AppSpy's website, great game releases that have made my jaw drop and some amazing pieces of news - this week has certainly come up Milhouse for this reviewer. What could have this grizzled old-soul so excited? Well lets jump right in to the Friday News Wrap-Up for the 17th of February, 2012.

NERF Lazer Tag With iOS Features

In my household there exist four people. All four of us have NERF weapons of varying sizes - you could claim some were merely for self defense, but honestly, sneaking up and launching a secret barrage of foamy-dart death is just too hilarious to pass up. So when NERF decided to move to the Lazer Tag arena, I got a little excited... better still because those with smaller iOS devices can slot it right in, and thanks to a free downloadable App you'll be able to track your stats and 'see' your lazer firing thanks to augmented reality features. For those who'd prefer to support smaller developers, there's also the alternative AppTag and XAPPR system of guns that also provide similar features. Links down below.

iCade 8-Bitty

iCade creator Ion Audio made an announcement last month about three upcoming peripherals for those who just can't get past the whole 'touch screen' concept, extending their iCade range to provide new form-factors supporting not only the iPad, but those used to more traditional handheld gaming devices. However now you can also grab the iCade 8-Bitty, a battery-powered handheld device styled off the NES's classic controller. While there's still not universal support for games, Jailbreaking can help to up things from the iCade's basic 100 supported Apps to a whole lot more.

Super Meat Boy for iOS... Not Quite

Recently I mentioned that Team Meat were considering the iOS platform for their future projects and it was soon revealed that, yes, Super Meat Boy was (eventually) going to make its way to the App Store. However it should be said that it's not going to be the game people expect - in a series of recent twitter posts the company announced that prototyping is under way, but it will not play like Super Meat Boy and will be a 're-envisioning... remade from scratch for touch". Worry not hardcore gaming fans, Team Meat have said they'll can the project if they think it 'sucks' and it will not be a 'simple game like "doodle jump"'. So there's that at least!

Double Fine Adventure for iOS!

And as a quick follow-up from last week's speculation that the App Store may indeed see a release of Double Fine's crowd-funded project, the man himself, Tim Schafer has released the list of platforms the game is aimed at. And yes, iOS is indeed one of them. Early Beta builds of the game will be restricted to the Steam platform, but iPhone and iPad users aren't strangers to waiting a bit longer for something nice, so if you wait... it will come.

Mini-Review: Galaxy On Fire 2 HD (FISHLABS) $4.99

This isn't so much a review as it is a highlight reel of footage for those wondering what the new Galaxy On Fire 2 HD has in store for those who have an iPhone 4S or iPad 2. What I will say though is that the original game has had its score revised due to its many updates, fixes and content patches that have solidified the game as perhaps the best Privateer-like title available for iOS. The updated graphics are simply jaw-dropping and those who are yet to play the title should definitely invest in this release if their device is supported.

Game of the Week: Beat Sneak Bandit (Simogo) $2.99

Occasionally I'm floored by the response from gamers to new games - titles that are often shallow sequel-ized updates or lacking in real innovative design garner massive amounts of attention, while genuinely unique games are shrugged off... all while the same said people ask for more innovation and variety from developers. Well here it is, Beat Sneak Bandit is not only gorgeous to look at, it's also innovative in its approach to presenting a puzzling challenge. But most importantly, it's fun and addictive - everything in the game resonates thanks to its focus on rhythm, with the artwork, music and the controls creating an almost palpable feeling of joy as things slide together perfectly to give you the best solution possible. Simogo are the real-deal when it comes to pushing the platform for gaming and this is their best release yet.

We've got more reviews coming at you soon - so keep an eye on the usual places of our website, Twitter or Facebook to keep up to date. Leave a comment down below to let us know what has been on your mind this last week! Have a great weekend!

Additional Links:
iCade 8-Bitty - https://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/retro-gaming/ecea/
Double Fine Adventure Update #1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFKwplDBmgg
SMB Twitter Feed - https://twitter.com/SuperMeatBoy
NERF Lazer Tag hands-on from Engadget - https://www.engadget.com/2012/02/12/nerf-lazer-tag-hands-on/
AppTag - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jonatherton/apptag-laser-blaster
XAPPR - https://www.xapprgun.com/