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Game Dev Story and Hot Springs Story On Sale
Two months after becoming addicted to – sorry, reviewing – Hot Springs Story, Andrew has finally recovered and got his own time management house in order. Which is, of course, great news for loyal readers of AppSpy, accustomed to his sharp insights and entertaining prose. The announcement by Japanese developer Kairosoft (makers of aforementioned Hot Springs Story) that they’re hosting an impromptu iPhone garage sale should also serve as a major boon to gamers worldwide. What this means is that you can now pick up the software development sim Game Dev Story for a paltry 99c and its sauna-focused sibling Hot Springs Story for only $1.99. Both of these engrossing time and assets-manag…
Order & Chaos Online Thoughts and Impressions
Seeing as this game is going to take some time to reveal its full scope, I thought I'd try out something new with a thoughts and impressions video. Consider this a mid-point between a preview video and a final review; there's more conjecture and personal thoughts, however it's condensed in to something that could be used as a launching point for those looking in to Order & Chaos Online. Let me know what you think in the comments.…
Laser Dolphin Swims Into View On iPhone
With the UK gearing up for only the second nationwide referendum in its history, politics is even higher up the agenda than normal. No matter the outcome in the upcoming Alternative Vote vs the first-past-the-post poll, David Cameron will be thankful for one thing...or rather mammal. For should the British Prime Minister ever find himself abducted by aliens, Dingo Games’s laser-equipped dolphin will almost certainly come to his rescue. (Yes, I know it sounds far-fetched, but, hey, Prince William’s security is just that much more stringent nowadays.) Anyways, Laser Dolphin features 50 levels of underwater adventuring, all of which are teeming with malevolence: electric eels, TNT turtl…
20 Extra Levels In Land-a Panda Update
The eagle-eyed AppSpy readers among you would have spotted a certain Land-a Panda taking the title of Andrew’s Top iOS game of March. Somewhat appropriately – given that love is well and truly in the air after THAT wedding on Friday – the themes of Big Pixel Studios’s puzzle platformer are romance and courtship. The object of panda cannonball Yang Guang’s affection is the delightfully named Tian Tian, stationed patiently over the other side of the screen...presumably applying her makeup. It isn’t difficult to fall head over heels for Land-a Panda, and even less so now that the publishers have announced an update has just cannoned onto the App Store. Land-a Panda version 1.1 b…
Top 10 Games of April... According To The Critics and You
Since the start of the year AppSpy has been plugged in to the board over at QualityIndex.com, contributing scores to the overmind of reviewers and critics who would dare to lay judgement upon the apps of the world. While scores aren't everything and one score is most certainly only a minor indicator of a game's worth, having a broad selection of respectable sources along with scores taken from reviews on the App Store itself does make it a bit easier to see where things lie. While you may have just viewed my Top 3 iOS Games for March and April, it might be interesting to see what the gaming Gestalt has to say about April's best releases: 10. You Don't Know Jack - Jellyvision Games (8.3)9.…
Top 3 iOS Games of March/April 2011
It's the start of a new month and that can only mean one thing - a summary of what's hot on the App Store. I've split up the months of March and April separately as combining and picking the Top 6 would be a bit lop-sided due to my two week break in March. Check out the video and be prepared for some impressions for Order & Chaos Online tomorrow (that's right, site readers get a tip on future content for once!). Text Summary: As some of you may or may not know, AppSpy has had a bit of a transition over the last month, which (for reasons that are explained on the site) resulted in us needing to skip the Top 3 Games list for March. As promised, April's Top list is a double-hea…
Update To Angry Birds Rio Landing Next Week
With news that the franchise recently passed 140 million downloads (across platforms), that its spin-off plush toys are selling like boiling cakes, and that an animated TV series is in the works, one wonders how and where Rovio’s Angry Birds will next take flight? Well, first things first, the Finnish publishers are cooking up an update to the movie tie-in Angry Birds Rio. Announced on its Angry Birds Facebook page earlier today, Rovio has warned its readers / gamers to hold on to your hats and get ready for more marmoset-mauling action. Reading between the - three - lines, Angry Birds Rio players can expect more levels, golden pineapples, and bananas, when the update goes live next…
Gears Review
From classics such as Marble Madness to modern titans like Super Monkey Ball, rolling a ball around a perilous maze isn't likely to leave us any time soon, especially when Labyrinth-style games fit so well with the iDevice's tilt-based control system. Gears by Crescent Moon Games combines visual excellence with some devious level designs, however it's the lack of emphasis on the tilt-controls that makes this a truly enjoyable gaming experience. While players can turn on tilt-controls,…
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casualBruno Mars Takes Revenge On iPhone
You may have heard: somebody’s getting married to somebody else this morning in some kind of Abbey. As a consequence of this romantic union, most of Great Britain is taking the day off and getting into the party spirit by playing CoD. But what’s the one element a ‘traditional’ party requires to go with a swing? Yep, music. So, without further ado, I present to you Bruno Mars: Honolulu-born singer-songwriter and the latest in a looooooooooooong line of artists to lend their name to a Tap Tap Revenge iPhone title. Bruno’s infectious harmonies have graced tracks like 'Nothin’ on You' by B.o.B. and 'Billionaire' by Travie McCoy in recent times, but it&rsqu…
Third Blade Review
Com2US have made a mark on the App Store thanks to their relatively solid releases and in particular their deft hand at producing decent action KRPG titles. Caligo Chaser was an interesting take on the side-scrolling beat'em-up and Queen's Crown returned to the top-down roots while introducing a new weapon-swapping mechanic, however their latest release, Third Blade, adds a third kind of heat by mixing side-scrolling with the weapon-swap system for a far more immediate action experienc…
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ZENONIA® 3 Review
It's clear that GAMEVIL are at their most relaxed when creating KRPGs and the anticipated release of Zenonia 3 goes to show just how much of an impact the earlier releases had on gamers after something with a bit more meat than the average App Store fare. This time around players are placed in the middle of a war between the tribes of heaven and hell, giving you ample opportunity to kick some rather obscure monster-butt. In this, the third installment of the series, several minor twea…
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Taste Robot Blood In Streets of Rage 3
Hah, so you thought the Streets of Rage had been cleaned up for good and could now be renamed Streets of Relative Serenity?!? Guess again, soldier. Following on from the events of Streets of Rage 2 (you remember: Adam gets kidnapped, etc., etc., etc.), the third and final instalment in the side-scrolling series finds crime boss Mr X up to his old tricks. This time, however, he means business. Yup, he’s only gone and founded a scientific research company called RoboCy Corporation, with the intention of running the city remotely via an army of robo imposters. Quick as a flash, Axel, Blaze, Skate, and Dr Zan establish their own little taskforce and begin whupping android ass all over the…
Chaos Rings Omega Launching In May
After much deliberation – well, approximately a year’s worth, to be fair – Andrew eventually whittled down the thousands upon thousands of iOS games released in 2010 to 10. The Top 10, we named it. And standing proudly aloft AppSpy’s best of the best compilation was Chaos Rings, a JRPG built by the veritable dream team of Square Enix and Media.Vision. The reasons for its incredible acclaim? Fast-paced combat, impeccable character development, and sublime visuals to name but three. Therefore, the news that a prequel entitled Chaos Rings Omega is launching on iPhone next month should leave you positively frothing at the mouth. Ok: very excited then. Japanese games magazine Famit…
Fast & Furious 5: Official Game Review
In a break from tradition, instead of waiting for this title to flop its way on the to US Store so we can post the review officially, I'm presenting our review of 'Fast & Furious 5: Official Game' by Gameloft in a temporary news post. Once the game is entered in to our system I'll shift this over to where it truly belongs ;) YouTube Review (Final Score: 4/5) Review Recently The Onion did a small skit about the latest car-porn film Fast & Furious 5, taking the usual pot-shot at the action extravaganza by claiming the script was written by a small child obsessed with explosions. However no one truly expects to see an action film like this for high-art; it's all about the m…
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP Micro Review
Video games (and especially those on the App Store) often boil down to fun interactive distractions that serve up entertainment in a novel fashion. Some are far better at creating an absorbing experience; some focus on technical skills and teamwork; others seek to bend the interactive medium in to something far more touching. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP Micro is the collaborative work of Superbrothers, Capybara Games and songwriter Jim Guthrie and the end result is a relaxin…
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