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Blast apart stealthy space cowboys in Space Marshals, available now in the App Store
I thought I'd seen everything but cowboys in space - that's new. The thing is, it kind of makes sense. If we ever do achieve space travel, I imagine it would be very similar to the wild west, and you'd definitely need some space marshals to sort all that intergalactic crime out. Space Marshals is a tactical stealth title in a similar vein to the original Metal Gear Solid with Team Fortress 2-style cartoon visuals. It's also quite reminiscent of the old school Desperados stealth-action games, for those lucky few who played them. Check out the trailer below for a look at the game in action, and if you fancy doing some intergalactic marshalling yourself follow th…
Space MarshalsImpatient Squirrel sees you help a squirrel find its acorn, and maybe save an actual real life species of squirrel
If you've been desperately searching for a new puzzle game featuring a constantly moving cute small creature, Impatient Squirrel might scratch your itch. By sliding tiles on-screen, you direct a sprinting squirrel towards its ultimate goal of... any guesses...? That's right, an acorn. You'll have to think fast to avoid leading Mr. Squirrel to his untimely demise. If the going gets tough, you can use your wallet to ease your journey, but hopefully the developer doesn't go nuts with the pricing. See what I did there? Bad puns aside, this has the potential to be a cool release for puzzle fanatics, and the charity angle the game has - the developer is helping support the Red Squirrel Survival…
Dead Dragons is about dragons who are actually not dead, but they soon will be, maybe
Imagine this: you're part of a big human empire that - over 100 years ago - managed to wipe out the dragons that once plagued your lands. Then you find out that they're not all gone after all, and that maybe humans and dragons have a lot more in common than you first thought. That's the situation that the protagonist of Dead Dragons - a chap named Will - finds himself in, and it's up to him (and by proxy, you) to uncover their dragon-y mysteries across dozens of hours of JRPG. It's from Kemco, has a lovely 2D anime visual style, an intriguing battle system, and is out now on iOS and Android. [App Store link] [Google Play link]…
Berry Rush is out now, is strong early contender for AppSpy's Best Butterfly 2015 Award
I played the soft-launched version of Berry Rush back in September, and you know what? It's good stuff. Essentially a cutesy auto-runner for kids, Berry Rush stars Strawberry, Orange, Raspberry, and the rest of the gang from the Strawberry Shortcake line of animations, gifts, and toys. It also features a flipping massive butterfly that I'm sort of in love with the idea of riding in real life, though I suspect that dream may never be realised. Sigh... Great... now I'm in a butterfly deprived funk. Just what I need! Anyway, Berry Rush has just gone global, the sweet new trailer is right underneath this sentence, and you can now grab it for iPhone and iPad via the link below said trail…
Hands-on with Area 777, in which the odds are always in your favour
[adult swim]'s new game - Area 777 - is a tower defence title crossed with slots. Obviously. It's incredibly well presented, the characters in it are brilliantly written, and the whole thing exudes charm, as you'd expect. But it's a very odd, very hands-off experience, as I explain in this hands-on. [App Store link]…
Bowling Central combines the Wii Sports bowling experience with obstacles, and it's out soon on iOS
There are certainly a few bowling games on iOS but the trailer for Bowling Central poses the question: why aren't they more popular? Bowling Central mixes up the usual flicky bowling gameplay by allowing you to hook it up to your TV via AirPlay Mirroring and play it in almost exactly the same way as in Wii Sports. There are also obstacles to avoid, requiring you to time or curve the bowling bowl expertly in order to hit the pins at the end. Bowling Central will be available in the App Store on 15th January but in the meantime you can more than make do with the trailer below.…
Re-live your childhood dreams of being a superhero right on your iOS device with Playworld Superheroes
Ever wanted to be a superhero? Who hasn't! Now you can do just that right on your iPhone or iPad with Playworld Superheroes which is headed to the App Store later this January. You begin as a child in a treehouse where you craft your own virtual superhero outfit from a variety of different materials, before flying out into a fully 3D world to dish out justice to the world's villains. Alternatively, you could just have a nice fly around. Check out the super cute trailer below for a first look at Playworld Superheroes.…
Hands-on with 1-bit Ninja Remix Rush, the endless (speed) runner
See, I say “endless speed runner” because this Game Boy visuals-adorned endless runner's moment to moment play feels a lot closer to playing the classics of yore as fast as you possibly can, than just your average auto runner. 1-bit Ninja Remix Rush is as tough as it is pretty, mind, so if you're thinking you can just download and beat the highscore in my video, think again.…
The 12 best Nintendo alternatives on iOS - who needs Mario, Link, and Samus anyway?
It's a well known fact that Nintendo aren't likely to publish their titles on platforms that aren't their own any time soon. Sure, we may get minigame advertisements of their larger counterparts, or even companion apps for console games, but don't hold your breath for an official release of Pokemon on your iPhone. Don't despair though, as the App Store does contain some pretty decent alternatives to most of what Nintendo has to offer. Perhaps they won't ever match the feel of a fully fledged Nintendo title but, in their own way, they more than make up for the company's lack of presence on the platform. Here then are AppSpy's top 12 best Nintendo alternatives on the App Store. 1.&nbs…
Turn your phone into a skateboard with Gyro Skate, out now on iOS and Android
When I was but a wee lad, myself and the other kids would play with finger skateboards. These were miniature versions of actual skateboards that you - you guessed it - used your fingers to ride around with. Nowadays, the kids are using their phones for pretty much everything, so it makes sense for an app to be released to turn your mobile into a skateboard, right? Right?! It turns out Gyro Skate is actually a pretty cool app. You choose a trick based on a few different difficulties, then the app will show you a video of how exactly to flip or spin your phone to do the trick. You then have a go yourself, with the app using the gyroscope in your phone (just make sure yours has one) to…
Hands-on with Castle Rider, where a small white blob must collect stars and avoid being frozen
Team Signal's Castle Rider has been out for a while now, but this “endless ascension” title only just got onto our radar. It's a straightforward but fun action game, in which you need to balance a white blob on a ledge, avoiding obstacles, and collecting stars. The levelling up system is quite compulsive too. I went hands-on with it to give you some impressions on how it plays, you can nab Castle Rider from the iOS App Store via the link below this video. [App Store link]…
Hands-on with Wheel & Deal, the neon-drenched car chase arena shooter
Pink neon, an eighties soundtrack, shooting at endless cops, game changing power ups, and huge amounts of overdrive: that's Wheel & Deal is all about. It's an arena shooter of sorts, albeit with some car chase mechanics thrown in there too, plus presentation that is equal parts Miami Vice and Tron. Wheel & Deal will be available 22nd January on iOS at an initial launch price of $1.99 / £1.49, here's what it looks like in motion.…
Hands-on with Powder - Alpine Simulator, the minimalist snow carver
Powder - Alpine Simulator is a cross between an endless action game (like Impossible Road) and a simulation game. It's definitely much more in the arcade camp than the sim, but the feeling of carving through the powder feels surprisingly authentic. It's not a “realistic” game by any means, but when you're swooping through the trees and between rocks, attempting to out run an avalanche, you won't much care. Grab Powder - Alpine Simulator on iOS for free now via the link below this video, after you've watched it of course! [App Store link]…
Hands-on with Vertical Golf, the sky high club swinging sim
When you think of all the hazards that can happen on golf courses, suffering from vertigo probably wouldn't be the first thing you'd come to think of. Going knee deep into water, getting sand in your shoes, and the occasional rogue golf ball? Sure! But experiencing an extreme aversion to heights? It's not a regular occurrence. Not unless you're playing Vertical Golf, in which instead of smacking your ball out towards the horizon, you're smashing it skywards. Vertical Golf is available right now, you can find it on the App Store if you follow the link below this video. [App Store link]…
Hands-on with Flockers, an exclusive early look at the dark and fluffy puzzler from the makers of Worms
Though the company is best known for the Worms series, Team17 has a long and storied history of making games in all sorts of different genres - such as Superfrog, Body Blows, and Alien Breed. For 2015 the studio is bringing PlayStation 4 and Xbox One puzzler Flockers to mobiles and tablets. In AppSpy's exclusive early hands-on with the game - which will be released on the 14th January - you'll see a few of the earlier levels, get a taste of the dark humour, and watch as I get to grips with the fundamentals of play.…
