Latest Articles
Contra: Evolution Review
Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start. Most gamers who owned a NES are familiar with the Konami code. This familiarity is most likely due to Contra, in which the code would grant you thirty lives. While you could certainly become good enough at the game not to need this boost, it was always appreciated, and made this platforming classic a little more accessible. Now we have Contra: Evolution. Punchbox Studios has taken this seminal side scroller and not only given…
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The Shivah for iOS
After porting over their classic Gemini Rue to iOS, it's easy to ask whether Wadjet Eye Games would be porting any of their other intriguing and critically acclaimed adventure games to the platform. It turns out that they are, and the next on the list is their first game, The Shivah. The reason? Dave Gilbert has responded to the question by admitting that it's his company's shortest and simplest game, and seeing his wife has just had a baby, it makes sense. The Shivah is a rather unique tale putting you in the shoes of a Rabbi who looks to be accused of murder. From the trailers, he's certainly the most Clint Eastwood-esque Rabbi I've ever encountered. None the less, Wadjet Eyes's…
Sqwords Review
Sqwords refers to itself as a blend of Sudoku and crosswords. We would describe the in terms of creating the perfect board of Boggle, where each cluster makes a word both horizontally and vertically. This is easy enough to achieve when the boards are three by three. But, as you advance through four other boards, each growing in size, things start getting pretty complex. Obviously, the level of excitement you feel upon hearing the phrase 'word creation puzzle gameplay' will dictate wh…
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Colin McRae Rally Review
Disclaimer: I am not much a racing fan. Perhaps it's having to deal with crazy drivers on the road everyday, but watching high speed vehicles zoom around perilous twists and turns, seeing drivers taking their lives into their own hands... Well, it's just a little bit much. The one exception is rally driving. In this discipline, the drivers are competing more against the clock than each other. Ultimately, they are competing with themselves, trying to perfect each corner they take to se…
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Worms 3 Announced. Exclusive to Mobile
Well this is a bit of news! On the fourth anniversary of Team17 releasing Worms onto the iOS platform, they announce Worms 3, which will be exclusive to mobile devices. It introduces new visuals, new weapons, new missions, new customisation options, and a worm based class system. Obviously we know nothing outside of the press release (which can be found here), and while we usually like to have a trailer to show alongside game announcements, we felt this one was big enough to let you know about now. When a trailer does get released however, you'll see it here!…
Top 5 iOS Games from the Past 5 Years
As it's the App Store's 5th birthday today, we thought it was the perfect time to take a look back at some of our favourite iOS titles. Let us know your 5 App Store favourites in the comments below. Alternatively, to share your picks with the PocketGamer.com, PocketGamer.Biz, and 148apps communities, head over to our Best App Ever page and post your list there. You can also join the discussion on Twitter by using #AppStoreTurns5.…
Designing for a Touch Screen
Do you watch Extra Credits? If you have a deep passion for designing or examining games critically, you should. Week after week they deliver insightful discussion on areas of our industry, complete with some doses of humour for good measure. The reason I bring this up is the latest episode is all about designing for touchscreens, and how the strengths of the mobile platform require a fundamental change in the way developers approach control input. This resonated with us, as this point has often been raised in our reviews. It's an important topic, and it's nice to see others addressing the issue as well. If you wanted to take a look, you'll find the video below. With any luck, more iPhone d…
Savant
Move over Elevator Action, a new challenger has appeared to take the mantle of top action game primarily involving elevators. Savant releases on July 30th across the PC, Android, and iOS platforms. While the trailer below makes it look like an enjoyable action packed experience, most likely the footage is from the PC version, and we have to wonder with everything going on, if the touch controls will be a detriment to the experience. I guess we'll know upon release.…
Plants vs Zombies 2 Soft Launch in Australia & New Zealand
Similar to the release of Real Racing 3 earlier this year, Plants vs Zombies 2 is getting a soft launch in the Australia and New Zealand stores. The purpose is much the same. Popcap wish to test out not only the online functionality with the cloud saving feature, but also using a single account across all platforms. In addition, they wanted to witness how the monetization options were recieved on a smaller economic scale than that of North America or Europe (though one that operates similarly). This soft launch is set to take place over a number of weeks to make sure the final product is stable for a world-wide release. Now seeing that I live in Australia, I have already acquired…
Knightmare Tower Released on August 1st
[Edit: The developers have contacted us and aside from getting the price wrong (it will be $2,99), speculations about the control scheme are off as well. It will be a touch based game with tilt movement. That's sure to bring less of a headache than a swipe mechanic!] Juicy Beast are best known for their iOS of the PC Flash game Burrito Bison (our review can be found here), and for their next release on the platform, they're bringing across another popular game. This time it's an extended remake of Knightmare Tower. It's being released on August 1st for $2.99, and to be honest, it looks like a lot of fun. Watch the trailer and see for yourselves. It looks like attacking enemies…
Celebrate the App Store's birthday with Best App Ever
It's hard to believe that just half a decade ago, apps weren't a "thing". Back then,if you wanted to game on the go or be productive while mobile, your choices were few. Plus, you were often limited to the in-built software on your phone. With apps, though, pretty much anything is possible. You can use your phone to call, text, write documents, find recipes, DJ, play all manner of games, and much more. So with this in mind, we're celebrating this landmark along with our friends at Pocket Gamer, PocketGamer.biz, 148Apps and beyond, over on the Best App Ever Facebook Page. Our editors and regular contributors will be documenting their five favourite apps and games of the last five years, al…
The Color Gray
With the success of Telltale's The Walking Dead, and the increase of what I've come to call the interactive fiction genre (games like Dear Esther, To the Moon, Heavy Rain etc), we see that there is indeed a market for a narrative that puts the player in control, without the added involvement of gameplay. The merit of these games is highly subjective, but to deny their influence and the growth of this genre, would be foolhardy. The Color Gray announces in its trailer that it is an adventure game without puzzles. Little is known aside from a very science fiction themed world and the title of the game alluding to a handful of morally grey choices that the player must make…
Deus Ex: The Fall to be released this Thursday
The middle of the year usually has the reputation of being rather barren when it comes to big releases, but with Limbo last week and now Deus Ex: The Fall this week, that's becoming untrue. The looks to be the true sequel to the excellent Deus Ex: Human Revolution, is iPad exclusive and will cost $6.99. The game looks absolutely great in the trailers, but the big question will be how it controls and performs on the hardware. Stay tuned for our review. In the meantime you can tide yourself over by watching the announcement trailer again.…
Leaping Legend Review
Any platforming fan will gladly talk endlessly about the virtues of the wall jump. Given its consistant use in both 2D and 3D platforming games - and its inherent awesomeness - it wasn't going to be too long before someone had the bright idea to build an endless-runner around the concept. Enter Leaping Legend. A princess has been kidnapped and held in a tower, and as per usual, it is up to an intrepid adventurer to save her. Little do both parties know that this tower never ends. The…
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LAYTON BROTHERS MYSTERY ROOM Review
If you own a Nintendo DS, chances are you've heard of the Professor Layton games. If not, they're a series of puzzle adventures in which Hershel Layton and his apprentices solve mysteries, riddles, and logic problems. A hallmark of the series has been its charming art style, memorable music, and likeable characters. Thankfully, all of this applies to iOS spin-off Layton Brothers: Mystery Room as well. You control Lucy Baker, a rookie cop who works for the enigmatic Alfendi Layton, one…
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