Latest Articles
Hands-on with Uppercup Football, the hilarious one-button soccer game to cure your World Cup blues
I don't think I could hold my own in a big manly man talk about football down the pub. The current state of the Premier League is a mystery to me, and the only thing I know about the most recent World Cup is that this Brazilian man is very sad for some reason. But that hasn't stopped me loving the heck out of Uppercup Football. You have to get the ball from one end of the pitch to the other and score a goal, like other games of soccer, but in your way are vikings, minefields, shrubbery, and all manner of other obstacles. It's all controlled by just one button, and getting a red card results in having a paper bag put on your head. Also one of my players looks like Skrillex. Awesome. Upperc…
Uppercup FootballHands-on with Sky Tourist Blitz Trip, the game that features the least safe mode of transportation yet devised
Strapping on a helmet hooked to a large chain that's being pulled ever-upwards by two rockets might not sound like the best course of action for someone looking to nip down the shops for some milk and bread, but if you're a sky tourist it's the only way to fly. Enter Sky Tourist Blitz Trip, the sequel to 2013's Sky Tourist, starring the reckless-yet-cheerful Petey Pendant. It's your job to navigate dangerous courses and grab collectables on your journey skyward, using the independently controlled rockets on the left and right of the screen to do so. I went hands-on with Sky Tourist Blitz Trip today, here's what happened...…
Learn how to play Monster Hunter Freedom Unite for iOS with us live on Twitch (5pm UK | 9am Pacific | 12 noon Eastern)
After the success of our Monster Hunter Freedom Unite for iOS stream last week, we're back for more. In fact, we'll be revisiting MHFU each Friday for a fair few weeks, with some treats in store! So, for this second episode of Monster Hunter Freedom Friday, James and Peter will hopefully heed the advice of Harry, acclaimed Prince of Reviews over at Pocket Gamer, and actually put on some armour before venturing out into the wilderness. They're not going to forget to pack their Bovril this time either. We're all still learning the ropes, so if you're an experienced Monster Hunter please join us and send some tips our way via the in-game chat! The show will start as per usual at 5pm UK / 9am…
Urban Trial Freestyle Review
Urban Trial Freestyle is a port of a Playstation game that offers you the chance to try the sport of motorcycle trials. Hopping onto a two-wheeled trickster, you must defy gravity to fly over all manner of outlandish urban areas, and make it to the end of each track. Set across an entire city, UTF is not limited to streets and apartment blocks. You must race over a huge range of obstacles as you cross underground lines, abandoned theme parks, and construction sites. Each setting looks…
Watch The Video Review
Hands-on with Hellraid: The Escape, a creepy combo of The Room and Amnesia: The Dark Descent
SHHH! Shhh... Shhh. Hey everyone, I'm trying to keep my voice down for this one, as it's a bit spooky. Hellraid: The Escape plonks you in an unending hell of torture and suffering in which you must creep about dank environments unnoticed by the undead guards and beasties. It's in first person and you're basically defenceless, which gives it a vibe of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but its many puzzles are solved with swipe gestures, leading me to make comparisons with The Room as well. And boy is its visual and audio presentation top-notch. You have to see and hear this one running to really appreciate the work that's gone into it. So click below to take a look at Hellraid: The Escape, whi…
Side-scrolling action-RPG Soul Guardians: Age of Midgard comes to iOS
The company behind Soul Guardians: Age of Midgard - ZQGame - describes the title as a "hyperactive action RPG", and after spending a little while with the game at E3, I can totally see why. The 2D Japanese-chibi-anime-inspired world, PvP and co-op MMO elements, and side-scrolling role playing gameplay are definitely reminiscent of MapleStory - which is certainly no bad thing. It's the lavishly animated, totally bonkers, completely over-the-top Soul Arts special attacks that set it apart and warrant that "hyperactive" moniker, though. They're really quite something, as you'll see in the trailer. Having spent quite some time on the Android store, Soul Guardians: Age of Midgard is now avai…
Hands-on with Planet-HD, where you'll lose time and time again but that's totally okay dude
In Planet-HD you try your best to steer a planet away from the path of one very erratic asteroid, a timer ticking down that begs you to do better than your previous run. This might not sound like a happy, zen-like experience, but curiously it verges on becoming one. The trance soundtrack, the complimentary colours, the simple gameplay, and the continual words of encouragement, they all combine to make for a very positive game of dodging planetary impacts. Take a look at my hands-on video with Planet-HD below.…
Trials Frontier receives a new island in its latest update
Redlynx’s free-to-play iPhone interpretation of its Trials franchise, Trials Frontier, has just been given a huge update that adds an extra track-filled island to the game. This new landmass is named Reaper’s Finger and is not for the faint of heart. Designed for fans of the game who have been demanding more challenge, the six tracks contained on it are intended to test all of your skills. Another huge addition to the game is control customisation. The already responsive interface now allows you to reposition its four control buttons anywhere around the screen. This should let experts carve an extra few seconds off their time or - if you’re anything like us - help you g…
Hands-on with Fanatic Earth, the JRPG about alien plagues, fighting baddies, and saving ladies in exchange for fine dining
Kemco has just released Fanatic Earth onto the iOS and Android app stores, and here's the elevator pitch that got me excited for that happening; Xilleon City is the last remaining bastion of humanity, which has seen the majority of its population wiped out by an alien disease. You play as a man with probably The Best Hair Ever who is unfortunately suffering from a spot of amnesia, and pretty soon you find yourself in trouble with a gigantic (and undoubtedly evil) corporation called Cyphate. If the above synopsis, and the below video is something you reckon you'll want to invest a few dozen hours in, then you best go grab Fanatic Earth now, as it's currently celebrating its launch with a sa…
Hands-on with Bike Rivals, where best times are smashed and pizzas are delivered
Today I've been playing Bike Rivals from Miniclip, which is currently in soft launch in a few territories. It's a fast-paced trials-esque game, presented in a simple but effective 2D style, and sporting rock-solid controls that are a mix of tilt and touch. There's been a fair number of these trials games recently, but Bike Rivals distinguishes itself from the pack by being more arcade-oriented than Urban Trial Freestyle and Trials Frontier. Here's a quick hands-on showing how I got on with the game.…
Hands-on with Guardians of the Galaxy: The Universal Weapon, the free-to-play RPG-lite arena battler
Here's a curiosity for all you Marvel fans: Guardians of the Galaxy is getting an iOS game all of its own. Who would have seen that coming a few years ago, eh? What with the new movie on the horizon - which looks ace, by the way - it's been seen by the bigwigs at Marvel and Disney that it's only right for smartphones to get a tie-in. The game - named Guardians of the Galaxy: The Universal Weapon - isn't out at the moment, at least not globally, but it has been soft-launched on iOS in Malaysia's App Store. It's an arena battle game in which you control a team of heroes and must fight wave after wave of bad guys, and then level up your heroes and kit them out with new gear. Here's my early…
Alphabeats is dropping rhythm-based word puzzles on the App Store now
Alphabeats is new music-inspired word-puzzler from Red Dragon, and is now available on iPhone and iPad. Alphabeats mixes Scrabble with Guitar Hero, asking you to create words from letters that appear in time to music. To create a word you must drag your collection of letters around the bottom of the screen, trying to collect the next letter in sequence while avoiding unwanted ones. With the audio playing a key role, it makes sense that developer Red Dragon has searched for the right music to suit the game. They seem to have had a clear vision in what they wanted, with the soundtrack supplied by a number of electro / chiptune artists including Big Giant Circles, ABXY, and Disasterpeace.…
Spooky point-and-click adventure series Blackwell out now on iPhone and iPad
Blackwell is a classic point-and-click adventure series from Wadjet Eye, the first three parts of which have just materialised on the App Store. Rosa Blackwell has a relatively normal life. That is, until her aunt dies and she inherits Joey Mallone, a spirit guide that has been in her family for generations. Joey is a classic '40s film noir private eye, who just so happens to grant Rosa the power to communicate with the dead. You take control of both Rosa and Joey. Traveling through New York City, it is up to you solve supernatural mysteries by talking to the ghosts and spirits that fill the world. Point-and-click controls guide the duo around the game's 2D environments, which pro…
Hands-on with Super Battle Tactics, the explosive game of tanks and dice
The premise of Super Battle Tactics is simple: you have a team of vehicles, most of which are tanks, and all of which are gaudily decked out in bright colours. You take that team into a battle arena, and pit it against your opponent, who also has a team of colourful military vehicles. You then roll dice to see which team strikes first, and how powerful each vehicle's gun is going to hit that turn, and then proceed to shoot up the place. It's really good fun, and there's a fair chunk of tactical depth in there too. The aesthetic also reminds me of M.A.S.K., and similar vehicle-based cartoons of the eighties, which is definitely no bad thing either. Here's a video of Super Battle Tactics ru…
Hands-on with Sonic Jump Fever, the endless jumper that's made me incredibly cross
I quite like Sonic Jump Fever. As endless jumpers a la Doodle Jump go, it's pretty good, and adds a few neat extras to keep the play exciting. There are bonuses to pick up, special boosts to implement, and leaderboards to conquer so that you can lord it over your friends on Facebook. The tilt controls are responsive, and the presentation is suitably bright. There are loads of enemies too, but they're partly the reason I've got all in a tizz about Sonic Jump Fever. Click the play button below and you'll find out exactly what's got me in a froth.…
