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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…
Super Battle TacticsHands-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.…
Magic 2015 - Duels of the Planeswalkers is out right now on iPad
We've had our eye on Magic 2015 - Duels of the Planeswalkers for a while now, but just as we weren't looking it's gone and snuck out the back door, and is now out in the wilds of the App Store. Sneaky. A continuation of the much-loved Duels of the Planeswalkers series, this new edition features big enhancements to building decks over the previous versions, plus an all-new single player campaign, and cards from the latest paper releases. Magic 2015 - Duels of the Planeswalkers is currently only available on iOS, with iPad gamers having a full seven day lead on those planning on buying it when it's released on July 16th for PC, Xbox 360, and Android. It'll come to Xbox One later in t…
Hands-on with Secret Files: Tunguska, the adventure game inspired by one of the biggest explosions in human history
Secret Files: Tunguska came out on PC, Nintendo Wii, and DS between 2006 and 2010. Four years on and it's time for smartphones to get a version, and you'll be pleased to know that it's a pretty decent port, from what we've seen so far. As reported in my hands-on video below, the touchscreen interface is used intelligently, the graphics are high fidelity, and the voice acting is crisp (if a little hammy). There's 12 hours of gameplay in this premium release, and the story is loosely based on real-world events - revolving as they do around the massive explosion that occurred in the Tunguska region in 1908 (click here to fall down a Wikipedia rabbit hole), with a bit of suspense and intrigue…
Hands-on with Urban Trial Freestyle, the hardcore trials game with superb tilt controls
Urban Trial Freestyle is a port of the home console and handheld title, and here at AppSpy we've been very keen to keep tabs on its development. We had the world first live stream of the game yesterday, and today we have an early look at the game, just before it careers into the App Store.http://www.twitch.tv/appspy I'm really liking this premium trials game, especially the wonderfully precise tilt controls that let you place the bike exactly where you want it to go (if you're a good enough player, of course). There's a bunch of content in here too, plus downloadable levels, unlockable costumes, and upgradeable bikes. Click play on the video below to hear more of my thoughts, and see cra…
Modern Combat 5: Blackout release date is declassified
Gameloft has revealed the release date of Modern Combat 5: Blackout, and it's just two weeks from now: July 24th. This military first-person shooter's single-player campaign has you following Phoenix, a soldier who becomes embroiled in a plot that has him traveling the world from Venice to Tokyo. A handful of Spec Ops missions are also on hand for those of you playing alone, letting you take on a collection of short burst missions on the go. Multiplayer modes focus on fast-paced squad battles. Modern Combat 5 adds the ability for you to form persistent squads with friends, alongside just jumping into games with random teams. With four different classes to choose from, and a range of game…
Entire catalogue of Tin Man Games Gamebook Adventures on sale today, Catacombs of the Undercity going free
Tin Man Games has just slashed the price of its entire catalogue of Gamebook Adventures, including offering Gamebook Adventures 5: Catacombs of the Undercity for free. It seems 3 Magic Shots approached the publisher and asked it make one of its apps free as part of a daily deal. Looks like Tin Man Games has decided to go one step further: to celebrate its first ever free app it's also cutting the price of the whole Gamebook Adventures series. While the usual £3.99 / $5.99 price tag is great for fans of the choose your own adventure genre, it may be a little steep for newcomers, so with a healthy 66% price cut (and a free game to boot) this should give people on the fence the c…
Hands-on with Pick A Pet, the match-3 puzzler with a cutesy twist
By now, AppSpy community, you should know that I'm a fan of the cute, and the sweet, and the oh-my-gosh-kawaiiiiiiiiiii. My fondness for the adorable led me to Pick A Pet, a match-3 puzzler from Irish studio SixMinute, that's just come out on iOS and Android. It's a fun little game, even if it is a little similar to other games in the genre. If there's a unique hook here it's that you're accompanied by a pet, and each of the game's different (and delightful) pets confers a special ability upon the player that will help you through the many stages that lie in wait. Here's a video of the game running, take a look...…
Back to Bed is an award-winning puzzler, and it's sleepwalking onto iOS and Android this August
I saw Back to Bed a long time ago, when it was doing the rounds at UK conferences and showcases. It looked neat, but was a little rough around the edges and needed a bit of polish. Fast forward one year, and the developer of this sleepy puzzle adventure - the appropriately named Bedtime Digital Games - is set to release the final version in August, first on PC / Mac, and a little later on on iOS and Android. Take a gander at the trailer. The visual style of Back to Bed is definitely influenced by surrealist artists like Dali, but the logic-defying gameplay is closer to something out of the mind of Escher. You control a small dog-like creature who can scamper about each stage freely, an…
Hands-on with TransWorld Endless Skater, the tricky auto-runner with unique skater controls
I love skateboarding in games, I adore punk rock, and mobile games are my jam. So when I heard that TransWorld Endless Skater was coming out this week on iOS and Android, and that it contained both skating and punk, I leapt at the chance to do a hands-on video for you lovely guys and girls of AppSpy. Unfortunately I'm not entirely convinced by what the game has to offer. The controls take some getting used to, but once you do they work really well. The different environments look decent, and the fact that they're randomly generated is a neat twist. But the tricks don't look all that impressive, and the skateboarder is clumsier than a traditional auto-running character but more nimble than…
Hands-on with Lumo Deliveries, the ultra-compulsive game that isn't really a game at all
In this early impressions video of Lumo Deliveries, I call it “a time-waster”, but that doesn't mean Lumo Deliveries is a waste of time. It's a super-casual delivery game in which you build up your company from one person with a van to... well... more people with vans. There are wait timers galore, and very little of what you might call “gameplay”, but there's a certain appeal in its visual direction and that ever-so compulsive loop of levelling up your crew. I've done a hands-on with the game, take a look at its wheels in motion below, and when you're done there tell us how you define what a “game” is, in the comments.…
We're playing Urban Trial Freestyle for iOS live on Twitch (5pm UK | 9am Pacific | 12 noon Eastern)
Urban Trial Freestyle will be arriving on the App Store this Thursday for £1.49 / $1.99. But how will it stand up against the competition? Find out for yourself in our exclusive hands-on with the iOS version today! Throughout the stream we'll be giving away four large Urban Trial Freestyle T-shirts signed by Julien DuPont, the Red Bull trials rider who served as a consultant on the game. Be prepared for four bike trials-related questions to answer for your chance to win! The show kicks off as usual at 5pm UK / 9am Pacific / 12 noon Eastern over on our Twitch channel. Be there right on time for a bit of banter as we wait for the regulars to roll in. If you'd like to be a regular,…
Hands-on with Fates Forever, the MOBA designed exclusively for tablet gaming
For my money, Solstice Arena is currently the best MOBA-on-the-move, but that might well all change soon, as I've been playing Fates Forever, and it's pretty special. The first thing you'll notice when you hit that play button below is how pretty this thing is. Fates Forever draws from a painterly palette, and its 3D models and animation are top-tier. But it's the gameplay that shines the brightest. Everything about it feels custom-made for touchscreen gaming, with a responsive and sensibly laid-out UI, ten minute matches, and solid multiplayer. Have a watch of our hands-on video and then let me know if you think MOBAs are a good fit for tablets (and mobiles) in the comments.…
Kritika: Chaos Unleashed is an action RPG from Gamevil, pre-registration event has exclusive limited-time avatars up for grabs
In-depth and incredibly involving traditional RPGs are all well and good, but sometimes you just want to fight enemies, crush bosses, gain experience, collect loot, and enjoy the pleasant combat-focused grind of an action RPG. Gamevil's Kritika: Chaos Unleashed is hoping to scratch that particular itch when it's released upon the App Store and Google Play on the 15th of July. The gameplay is very much hack-and-slash, with characters that will sport different abilities and moves: the Berserker is a big heavy powerhouse, while the Cat Acrobat is more nimble. When you're not fighting you'll be in the workshop crafting and enhancing weapons to improve your chances in combat, and your skills…
Sonic Jump Fever is leaping onto the App Store this Thursday
Sega’s spiky blue hero is about to make yet another journey to the App Store, in upcoming free-to-play leaper Sonic Jump Fever. In fact, Sonic Jump Fever is a revamp of the 2012 game Sonic Jump, which thrust the speedy hedgehog into vertical leaping levels akin to Doodle Jump. This new free-to-play take on the concept has you focus on leaderboards and score attacks. You must race against the clock to scale each level's dizzying heights - collecting coins along the way - as you try and beat your friends' highscores, and compete on the Game Center leaderboards. It is free-to-play of course, so you can expect plenty of purchasables to help your ascent. We just hope that this won…
