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Eye on the App Store: Botanicula, Intake, Bridge Constructor Medieval, and Gear Jack: Black Hole (Twitch catch-up)
Another week, another batch or iOS games has been released, spore-like, onto the App Store. Thank goodness for Eye on the App Store then, where we run you through the most interesting looking releases live on Twitch to give you some initial impressions, and hopefully help you decide what to spend your iTunes credit on. Sprouting forth for your viewing pleasure this week is architect-'em-up Bridge Constructor Medieval, pretty auto-runner Gear Jack: Black Hole, the ultra-hardcore Intake: Be Aggressive, and the leafy loveliness that is Botanicula. If you missed the stream, you can catch up below.…
Superfrog HD | Hands-On
If you're over a certain age, and you're European, then you may well fondly remember Superfrog, the cult classic Amiga platformer from 1993. The amphibious one has made a return in Superfrog HD, so I've donned my rose-tinted spectacles to give it a go for your viewing pleasure. You can see my hands-on with it below. Once you're done, make sure to hop on over to YouTube to subscribe to our channel.…
Bridge Constructor Médiéval Review
Mechanically, Bridge Constructor Médiéval adds very little to the existing Bridge Constructor formula. As before, building your bridge to cross the game’s various chasms is a simple process of selecting the desired materials from the menu and then tracing them into existence within a virtual grid. You have to work within a budget, making the construction process a little more tricky, especially if you want to achieve each stage’s more challengi…
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challengeThe Boom Beach Diary - Week 4
It's all about shooting bad guys and destroying buildings in this week's episode of The Boom Beach Diary. I've spent the last 7 days aggressively fighting my enemies, and though I've been prevailing against the AI ones, the human ones are a little tougher than I first expected. Thanks so much for your advice and tips so far, you can see how I've been implementing your sagely advice to the defence of my Home Base in this video too (though I still have a long way to go until I'll be truly happy with my setup). Click play on the video below, go watch it directly on YouTube, and don't forget to leave your words of wisdom in the comments. And hey, if you love Boom Beach, go check out The Boom…
Here's that free-to-play Metal Slug tower defence game you all asked for
It seems SNK Playmore have stopped porting old Neo Geo games to iOS long enough to make a their very own Metal Slug game. Metal Slug Defense leverages the classic 2D sprites and backdrops from the shooter franchise to create its universe. You'll be able to unlock 60 units over the course of the game, and face-off against opponents in over 100 different locations. Tapping on character icons cause those troop to spawn from your base and advance towards the enemy stronghold in a manner that will be familiar to anyone who has played a tower defence game. Free-to-play elements allows you use in-app purchases to power-up your base and troops, so you can expect to be investing cash a…
Nimblebit reveals the first images of Tiny Tower Vegas
A flurry of tweets yesterday from Nimblebit’s Ian Marsh has revealed that the studio’s next game will be Tiny Tower Vegas. The images, which were shared yesterday, show a reimagined version of Tiny Tower stuffed full of slot machines and high rollers. The most exciting addition, however, are the casino inspired mini-games, which look destined to hook in players who like shaking hands with the one-armed bandit. Nimblebit has already mastered the art of free-to-play with the criminally addictive Tiny Tower and Disco Zoo. We're concerned that adding gambling into the mix could push the compulsion factor to dangerous new levels. Hopefully, we wi…
Suited Up | Hands-On
At first blush, Suited-Up looks a bit naff. The visuals are pretty basic, and the platforming doesn't look like it'll be all too exciting. But it's actually pretty rad when you're playing it: it's a hardcore one button game, with a sizeable amount of content, lots of content creation tools, and plenty of opportunities to shout swears at your iOS device. Seriously, this game is hard. Take a look at the video below, see the novel screen tilting mechanic in action, and silently judge me as I struggle to beat the first level of the second set of stages.…
Glorious nature-themed adventure Botanicula out now on iPad
Amanita Design originally released its beautiful and click adventure game Botanicula back in 2012. Now, two years later, the game has finally made its way to the iPad.. The verdant world of Botanicula instantly sets the scene for its quirky point and click adventure. Taking control of five tiny creatures, you must lead them to safety from a tree which has become infested by parasites. Their journey is not solely one of self preservation though, because the five are also carrying with them the last seed of their aboral home so they can keep start again in pastures new. Each of the creatures have their own unique abilities. For example, the small mushroom can light up dark areas, while the t…
AngerForce - Strikers Review
If you have ever played a shmup then AngerForce - Strikers will hold few surprises. It's a familiar story: a series of vertically-scrolling levels which have you tracing your craft's path a halestorm of bullets, trying to destroy any enemies in your way. AngerForce you offers three characters to choose from, each with their own special attacks. Which you select will be dependent on your play style, with characters like the robot offering powerful laser attacks that do huge d…
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Eye on the App Store: Botanicula, Intake, Bridge Constructor Medieval, and more
Not long now before the weekly midnight feast, when all the most recent games approved by Apple will trickle through to the App Store. But how are you meant to know which are worth those last few gigabytes on your iOS device? Hearsay? Conjecture? Poppycock! You need to join James and Peter for this week’s Eye on the App Store, where the hosts with the most will be playing all the games worth a gander. Today we’re covering Botanicula from the developers of Machinarium, Intake from the Splice guys, Bridge Constructor Medieval from the people behind... er... Bridge Constructor, and plenty more besides. So come along and decide which of tomorrow’s games are your cup of tea t…
Bridge Constructor Medieval | Hands-On
There's a reason I'm making videos about games for a living and not in architecture: I have a preternatural ability to create ugly hulks of structurally unsound junk that wouldn't support the weight of a gosling feather. So naturally I was the right choice out of the entire AppSpy team to put Bridge Constuctor Medieval, a game all about making bridges, through its paces. Here are the spectacularly poor results of such a senseless decision. Be kind. Incidentally, the game itself is due to hit the App Store at midnight tonight. If you like what you see, you'll need to set aside £1.49 / $1.99 to grab it when it lands.…
Gear Jack: Black Hole | Hands-On
You may be a little bored of auto-runners and want them to go away now, but Gear Jack: Black Hole might just be able to change your mind on that. Click play on the video below and look how pretty it is in motion. See? Pretty, no? Not only that, but its simple jump, roll, and sneak gameplay is enhanced with power-ups, leaderboards, and the ability to share your replays with friends. Have a look, and tell us if you think this game is different enough to help revitalise the runner genre. If you're totally won over, you can download it free from the App Store at midnight tonight .…
Modern Combat 5 to feature shorter missions and anarchy
The newly titled Modern Combat: Blackout, the fifth instalment in Gameloft’s popular military shooter, plans to take you from Venice to Tokyo in its single player campaign. This time out, the team has focused on shorter missions for the new game's single player mode to deliver a more varied experience. They claim this has allowed them to create more intense stages that deliver more moment-to-moment gameplay than in previous instalments. The story will follow the character of Phoenix on a mission to secure a transport of WMD’s from a terrorist group in Venice. As the story unfolds, Phoenix will move to Tokyo, which is in a state of civil unrest, where he must try to convinc…
Pac-Man Monsters | Hands-On
The Pac is back for another game on iOS. He's had plenty of adventures on mobiles and tablets already, of course. We've been treated to a faithful conversion of the arcade original, a jacked-up spin on the classic formula in Pac-Man Championship Edition, and a totally okay auto-runner in Pac-Man Dash. This time though, the chompy yellow one is starring in a puzzle game that's more than a little reminiscent of Puzzle & Dragons. I grabbed ten minutes today to have a play of the game, show you the basics, and give my first impressions.…
Leo's Fortune Review
As small green furballs go, Leopold is one of the more industrious. His life as an engineer has earned him a mountain of gold that he treasures above all else. One day he returns home to find it stolen, and immediately sets out in pursuit. Leopold's path is marked by a trail of gold coins. All you have to do to guide him to his prize is follow the sparkling breadcrumb trail across five different lands, each filled with beautifully crafted environments and physics-based platform puzzle…
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