Latest Articles
Pathogen Review
Ah... the carefree life of the virus: only interested in the act of self-replication and the consumption of every other organism on the planet. Fittingly, the disease-themed Pathogen is a competitive game between two players (either another human or an AI) in which the goal is to infect and consume the board until nothing but your counters remain. While the developer wishes to give the game an 'easy to learn, hard to master' tagline, we're not quite sure it applies here. To be honest,…
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Star Wars: Tiny Death Star | Freeplay
If you still have love in your heart for the 'Wars, then it can't have escaped your attention that Star Wars: Tiny Death Star came out last week. Developed by Tiny Tower creator NimbleBit, it's essentially a reskinned version of the popular tower management game, only with stormtroopers and ewoks and stuff. As it's one of those long-term investment games that don't lend themselves to traditional reviews, I thought I'd do a quick freeplay video to show you what Star Wars: Tiny Death Star has to offer. Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as hotel proprietors. …
See Katniss run in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Panem Run
With The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ready to set box office records ablaze next week, we were wondering when the inevitable tie-in iOS game would be annouced. No sooner had we turned our thoughts to Katniss and her trusty bow than we received arrow of knowledge right through our heads. As it turns out, the The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Panem Run will come dashing onto the App Store later this month. Though developer Reliance Games hasn't officially confirmed the game's genre, the teaser poster suggests that it will be a 3D endless-runner in the style of Temple Run. Well knock me down with a mockingjay's feather. According the Lionsgate, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Panem Run wi…
Tilt to Live 2 out this Thursday!
Just a quick update on Tilt to Live 2. It has come to our attention that this long awaited sequel will be out on the App Store this Thursday. If you're unfamiliar with the series, check out our review of the first game here, or if you wish to watch the trailer for the sequel again, go check out our news post from two weeks ago that featured it here. Just don't expose yourself to the game too much before Thursday. You don't want to go on tilt (yes, that was a poker joke).…
We don't exactly know what Luxuria Superbia is, but colour us intrigued
Luxuria Superbia does not exactly roll off the tongue when spoken, but it looks to deliver a marriage of sight and sound that intensifies the longer it is played. That's what the press release says at least. The trailer sort of explains, but not to the degree we'd like it to. Have a watch yourselves... The game is out right now for the iPad and will set you back $2.99 (at least in the Australian store). It looks like a lot of fun despite my lack of understanding. Perhaps an iPhone version will be out in the not-too-distant future. [App Store Link]…
Meltdown© Review
Sometimes, you need a break from the puzzles, the physics contraptions - even a good narrative. Sometimes, you just want to shoot things. Meltdown certainly excels in this area. It harbours thirty missions of randomly generated terrain and enemies, which give you access to a whole host of class and weapon upgrades. Plus - and here's the real draw - up to four players can jump in on the carnage at any given time. As a result, Meltdown is as pure a cooperative shooting experience as one…
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Sorcery! 2 Review
Part two of Steve Jackson's Sorcery! series has no time for altruism. If anything, the second chapter of Inkle's interactive repurposing of the '80s gamebook series is openly contemptuous of do-gooders. I'm exploring the cityport of Khare, wandering through its cruel streets trying to reach the North Gate, and continue my quest to retrieve the Crown of Kings. The interface from the first chapter is back, complete with its handsome 3D map, alphabetical spellcasting system, and turn-bas…
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Morphopolis certainly creates a beautiful world to visit...
Hidden object games often get dismissed by players. They seem to be repetitive, and don't offer much action. In a way, a lot of the criticisms levelled at them are similar to the problems a lot of players have towards adventure games, which is a genre I have quite a fondness for. Morphopolis is a bit of a different experience, even in the hidden object genre. It's a tale about a bunch of insects in a garden, and the combination of those lush visuals and relaxing melodies create a space I would be very happy to visit. Have a look at the trailer and see for yourselves... Speaking of adventure games, it sort of gives off a Botanicula vibe, but without the humour and strange bug cr…
Adventure Time teaming up with Ski Safari
Adult Swim is already a force on the App Store, with many popular games under its belt. It looks like Cartoon Network wants to follow suit with games based on its popular cartoon brands. Well what's more popular than Adventure Time? What game can Adventure Time team up with? Why Ski Safari of course! Now the gameplay is going to have to change to accomodate Finn and Jake sledding down a hill, but Defiant has let slip that Jake's ability to grow and shrink will come into play. Other characters are going to have their own powers and influences on the action, but for now, the studio is keeping tight lipped. Pendleton Ward, creator of Adventure Time has given Defiant full access to his pr…
FTL: Faster Than Light coming to iPad next year
Starship simulator FTL: Faster Than Light is set to warp onto the App Store in early 2014. The space-based sim, which has you stewarding your own spaceship around a randomly generated universe, achieved cult status when it arrived on PC last year. Now, developer Subset Games has announced that it has redesigned FTL's interface to suit touchscreen devices. Before you get too excited, iPhone owners, I'm sorry to report that this is an iPad-only deal. Explaining the decision to exclude the iPhone from its release plans on the FTL site, the team said: "It's just not possible to achieve the quality of gameplay we want on such limited screen space." The iPad version of FTL will also in…
Oceanhorn to weigh anchor on the App Store this Thursday
It may have taken two years, but the day is nearly upon us. On Thursday, the much-anticipated Zelda-esque adventure Oceanhorn will finally go live on the App Store. We were impressed by the top-down 3D adventure title when we saw it in action at Gamescom (see trailer below). Though its influences are obvious to anyone with a working knowledge of the Zelda franchise, Oceanhorn's polished graphics and attractive art style have a charm all of their own. Even the soundtrack has pedigree, composed as it is by Final Fantasy tunesmith Nobuo Uematsu, in collaboration with Kenji Ito, whom you may recognise from his work in Puzzle & Dragons. Developer Cornfox & Bros has managed to generat…
Octagon - A Minimal Arcade Game with Maximum Challenge Review
Octagon is a game of borrowed ideas. It obviously takes its inspiration from titles such as Super Hexagon and Boson X, putting the player a punishing set of reaction-testing trials. Each stage consists of a tubular maze. You take control of a small octagon, which you must guide through the maze by swiping left and right. If you need to transfer to a platform directly above, then you swipe up to trigger a leap to the ceiling. If you can survive sixty seconds, you will cross the finish…
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Doctor Who: Legacy to materialise on the App Store 'soon'
Doctor Who is coming to iPhone and iPad in a new free-to-play adventure titled Doctor Who: Legacy. The game, which has been developed by the BBC in conjunction with Seed Studio and Tiny Rebel Games, is expected to go live soon after the airing of the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special 'The Day of the Doctor' on November 23rd. This won't be the first time the infamous Time Lord has materialised on the App Store. Most recently, he appeared in the isometric puzzle adventure Doctor Who: The Maze of Time. Beyond the game's title and payment model, we don't know much about Doctor Who: Legacy. However, the dev team has posted one screenshot (above) from the upcoming game via its Twitter page,…
Dwice - new puzzle arcade game from Tetris inventor Review
Dwice is the latest game from Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov. As the city sleeps, the populace is unaware that the only thing that stands between them and utter destruction is a quick finger, and an even faster thinker The game itself is deceptively simple. Geometric shapes are descending upon the city. Tap on a shape and drag it through a matching shape, and both will disappear. The aim is to drag your finger through as many matching shapes as possible in a single swipe, thereby buil…
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CAVE working on new shmup titled Don Paccin
Now normally, the shmup is a genre that we would advise staying away from on iOS. The frenetic action and need for tight, responsive controls that comes with the shooter genre seems antithetical to a touch screen. But, time and time again, developer Cave have shown its expertise in bringing superb shump experiences to the App Store. Though the team has been a little quiet recently, this video has surfaced for the new game they're working on, Don Paccin: While it looks a bit cutesy for a Cave title, the trailer is packed with all the bullet dodging and crazy weaponry which fans expect in their shoot-'em-ups. Plus, the music is pretty badass. No details regarding price, release date,…
