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Canabalt receives widescreen support and new runners
With appeal seemingly as endless as its roof-hopping gameplay, Canabalt, the game that started our love of endless-runners, is has been dragged into line with the latest iPhone generation. This update finally adds widescreen support for iPhone 5 and above. While in many games a wider aspect ratio doesn't bring a huge amount, in a title that requires you to react to upcoming obstacles it make a huge difference. We are already noticing our average run times creeping up, and it's been months since we last played. Three additional runners have also been thrown into the mix. These characters are not selectable, seeming to spawn randomly at the start of your run. Unfortunately, so far we…
UpdateHands-on with Appointment with F.E.A.R., the latest Fighting Fantasy gamebook from Tin Man Games
If you don't know what a gamebook is then boy-oh-boy have you been missing out. Back in the dark days of gaming, when people still read words on dead trees, the concept of interacting with a narrative - one, say, featuring heroic adventurers and daring deeds - was pretty new. Gamebooks were the closest thing to a one player Dungeons & Dragons game, and were a lifesaver for many a young gamer on a boring car journey / school lesson / family occasion. Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone came up with the idea, and their work is still the best example of the format, which is probably partly why Tin Man Games has been bringing the oeuvre to iOS. Appointment with F.E.A.R. is the latest gameb…
LEGO ® Marvel ™ Super Heroes: Universe in Peril Review
Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril struggles from the outset. A very loose port of a 3DS and Vita game, that is itself a translation of a home console experience, the whole thing feels like a compromise. The only part of the game that seems complete is the cutscenes. These comic interludes do a great job framing the action, with sharp writing that will appeal to kids and adults alike. Unfortunately, the quality of these only serves to highlight the sacrifices elsewhere in the…
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Powerpuff Girls: Defenders of Townsville is on the App Store now
Cartoon Network is letting you take control of Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup in its new 2D adventure-shooter, Powerpuff Girls: Defenders of Townsville. Taking to the skies as everyone’s favorite crime-fighting triplets, you must foil Mojo Jojo's latest dastardly scheme. The evil monkey has blasted the girls with his Disremember Ray, causing them to forget their powers. To remedy this terrible amnesia the girls must journey to the farthest reaches of Townsville, smashing through the hundreds of robots that stand in their way. Like the best metroidvanias, as you gather the girls (you start off the game as Buttercup) you gain access to their unique powers, enabling you to…
Hands-on with Splot, the bouncy, alien-infested platformer
Another unreleased game we got our hands-on at Pocket Gamer Connects is Splot, a colourful and bouncy platformer for iPhone and iPad. As you can see from the video above, this game involves guiding a charismatic alien blob around the screen. The aim is to save the birds scattered around each environment, while racing a big black blob to the finish line. As well as inflating himself to beach ball-like proportions to propel himself across gaps and between platforms, Splot can also slide down vertical surfaces to avoid dropping onto hazards like rotating buzzsaws. Splot should bounce onto iPhone and iPad this summer. In the meantime, take a look at our hands-on video.…
Hands-on with Beatbuddy, the musical action adventure
Though we've posted a ton of videos from E3 and Pocket Gamer Connects over the past two weeks, we're still catching up with the backlog of hands-on footage we've captured. However, we couldn't go a moment longer without posting this video Beatbuddy, a gorgeous and ingenious new rhythm action game coming soon to iPhone and iPad. Dropped in the world of Symphonia, you must guide Beatbuddy around six 2D worlds to stop an evil maestro from stealing all the music in the world. Sounds and rhythms pulse from objects and platforms all over the world. You'll need to use them to navigate each level, rebounding off throbbing plantlife to break down barriers, and timing your movements to coincide w…
Get FTL: Faster Than Light on iPad 33% cheaper till July
Excellent sci-fi roguelike FTL: Faster Than Light has just received a 33% price cut courtesy of a surprise summer sale. Created by Subset Games, FTL: Faster Than Light puts you in command of a ship which is being pursued by an advancing rebel fleet. The aim of the game is to journey across seven sectors of space, during the course of which you must disable drones, do battle with pirates, collect scrap, and upgrade your vessel. As this is a roguelike, death is final, forcing you to restart your voyage after every your ship is reduced to space dust. Each run is such a unique and compelling adventure, however, that you'll you'll want to hire a new crew and get back out into the cosmos befor…
Major Magnet: Arcade is coming to the App Store next week
Pagoda West Games has announced that its new game Major Magnet: Arcade will be coming to the App Store next week. When the original Major Magnet was released last year we found ourselves attracted to its orbiting 2D gameplay. It involves swinging and flinging the titular Major around the screen using the power of magnetism. What made the it even more special was the its vivid 16-bit visuals and chirpy chiptune music, both of which reminded us of some of Sonic the Hedgehog’s best levels. The Major’s return looks to be more of an evolution than a revolution, however. As the trailer shows, the magnetic mechanics have returned. These let you sling the hero through each stag…
Hands-on with Very Big Indie Pitch winner AG Drive, the WipEout-style futuristic racer
In case you were wondering where my voice had got to this week, it was with me in Helsinki, where I was participating in the Pocket Gamer Connects conference. While there, we threw an AppSpy co-sponsored event called the Very Big Indie Pitch. If you're unfamiliar with the VBIP, it's a regular event where loads of indie developers get a chance to push their games into the eyeline of games journos, publishers, and industry types. Each pitcher has 3 minutes to grab our attention, after which they must move to the next table. Think X-Factor with more games and slightly less singing. Though there were some great entrants, many of which you'll be seeing in AppSpy hands-on videos over the com…
Godfire™ Review
From its mythical Greek storyline to its combat, everything about Godfire mimics God of War. But while it may be shameless in its imitation, that doesn’t stop its being fun. You play as Prometheus, the Titan who gave fire to man. The opening scene depicts just this, though in an oddly dramatic style, with you smashing the flame from Zeus armour while battling on top of a flying chariot. The craft then crashes down into the underworld and Zeus sets out to reclaim the fire, leavin…
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Sega’s super Sonic summer sale
Sega has dropped the price of three Sonic The Hedgehog titles on the App Store. Sonic The Hedgehog starts off this sale. Sega’s original super-speed platformer has the pointy hero rescuing his friends from the evil Dr Robotnik. Reimagined for iOS with touchcontrols and new playable characters, we thought this was a good interpretation of the Mega Drive / Genesis classic when we tried in back in 2009. Next up is Sonic The Hedgehog 2. This sequel does little to change the highspeed formula, with Sonic once again doing battle with Dr Robotnik. Originally, however, Sonic 2 did introduce the wonderfully named Miles Prower (a.k.a. Tails) to the world - for which we are forever grate…
Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril has just assembled on the App Store
It may have been some time in coming, but the iOS port of last year’s Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril is finally here. The game’s original story has Lego Loki joining forces with a gang of Marvel villains in order to destroy the Earth. Drawing in dozens of characters from the comic-book universe, this tale of villainy provides the perfect excuse for the game’s cast of over 90 different playable characters. For this port Warner Bros has offered you the choice of touchscreen or traditional ‘console’ controls, letting you pick the play style that suits you. So, whether you are playing the powerful Hulk, the stretchy Mr Fantastic, or the flaming flyer…
We’re playing top games from the Very Big Indie Pitch live on Twitch (5pm UK | 9am Pacific | 12 noon Eastern)
James and Peter are back after their adventures at PG Connects Helsinki, and they’ve brought back a gift with them, what lovely chaps. The gift... of the game. Today, the boys’ll be playing the tip-top cream of the crop games, fresh from the Very Big Indie Pitch at PG Connects. This includes futuristic racer AG Drive, manic mini-game feast Mucho Party, tiny toy strategy game Romans in my Carpet!, and more. We know we’ve all been away for a while, so it’ll be great to see all our regulars as well as a steady stream of newcomers. Please make sure you say hello in the chat window! We’ll start the show over on our Twitch channel at 5pm UK / 9am Pacific / 12…
Tiny Prehistoric Adventure Review
Tiny Prehistoric Adventure is an elegant mix of point-and-click adventure and puzzle game. Sending you back to the jurassic period, you play the part of a miniature time traveller who is stranded after his era hopping machine breaks. Before beginning each area you are treated to a vivid comic panel showing the dangers you are about to face. These are in perfect keeping with the game’s bright 2D art, and do a good job setting the tone. Streamlined point-and-click controls have y…
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Arcade party game Mucho Party is on the App Store now
Globz new multiplayer party game Mucho Party has just been released on the App Store. While Mucho Party can be played alone, this frantic party title is designed for two or more people to enjoy its 30+ mini-games together. With games ranging from car races to the tango, the multiplayer mayhem should have something to keep everyone entertained. Mucho Party is not just a string of quick one off experiences though, with a host of different game modes on offer. These include Hot Seat where the winner stays on and new challengers rotating in, and Mosaic that lets you quickly jump from game to game. Knowing that not everyone has the same level of experience, Mucho Party makes sure to test pla…
