On February 16, 2010,
in Achievements, Unhosted,
by kunzie
On December 9, 2009,
in Review,
by Refugee P
Hidden Gems … Part 1!
While sitting here on my lunch break I’m looking at the crazy amount of apps I have yet to play and review. Yes I download them because, well, I can! I’ll get through them eventually and I will review most of the standouts for better or worse. But what about the smaller budget gems, the ones that keep me coming back for sheer crazy gameplay, the dollar apps that don’t have big marketing budgets. It’s hard for us as iPhone gamers to highlight these gems as most of the sites stick to reviewing the big budget games. The only way we can find these hidden gems is by following every developer possible on Twitter or rummaging through hundreds of pages of the App Store.
These are the unsung heroes I have yet to delete from my iPhone. The majority have online achievements to keep me coming back, or addictive and quick gameplay for that wait, or in my case, writers block moment. This is in no order whatsoever and I would like to extend my gratitude to the genius dev teams involved for making the most of my precious minutes enjoyable! I applaud you all!
Why not support these developers and check their games out too. Hopefully, you will find a wealth of great games in the App Store you never even knew about!
1. Rummage [App Store]
More of a strategy game hidden in a word tile puzzle game. Each puzzle has a list of 11 to 20 words to spell out with each new word being as frustrating as the last. It will draw you in and punish you at the same time. A simple game for the casual gamer and those who want a brain drain. More achievements than you can poke a stick at and I’m sure of more to come. It succedes in the aim of where smaller developers create a game that is easy to play but hard to beat and will have you coming back time and time again.
2. Quitit! [App Store]
Set as a gameshow with a virtual pet and you’re the star. Lumpy! Tease me or please me. I stumbled upon this game a while back and its latest episode: Episode 2 update is a blast and new episodes are due with regular updates in the style of Pocket God. Plenty of upgraded pokers to smack out Lumpy with, a plethora of minigames, gifts and accessories to pimp him out with. Stats and unhosted achievements included.
3. Gas Tycoon 2 [App Store]
I only pounced on this game a couple of days ago. If you enjoy the likes of the classic Pipe Dream or Pipe Mania then this is the game for you. If you have no clue what the games I just mentioned are, then try the lite version first. Gas Tycoon 2 lays down the pipelines once again in the puzzle genre and it’s addictive like the smell of petrol in the morning. Connect up the grid, restore the natural gas supply for the residents. Simple, right? Not likely! Openfeint achievements here we come!
4. Mr. Bounce [App Store]
What was old, is now new. What was creative then, is creative now. Old school principles with a very trance-like musical score. Plenty of neon colours to set the mood and great ball physics. Think you’ve mastered the bouncing ball? It will challenge your senses and your coordination with walls, wind, blockers and bouncers. Simply a wonderful and engaging experience. Online hall of fame with more bounce for your ounce!
5. Boom Brigade [App Store]
If a tower defence game and a line drawing game had a baby, it’d be this nutter! Even if you’re a fan like me of top down shooters, its worth a sneak peek. So much charm in animation, so much fun packed into a hoorah of iPhone entertainment. You control up to 4 troopers and defend your base against the endless alien horde. Heaps of upgrades to your arsenal to help the never ending battle. Can you survive? New updates are on the way so get a move on soldier!
One of the key features that lure avid gamers like me to purchase smaller games on the iPhone, is the appearence of achievements, with the likes of OpenFeint, AGON, Gameloft Live, Plus+ and the soon to be released Chillingo Crystal there is no reason not to go and find a gem! As soon as I finish playing these games i’ll be back with another article on the new games you should own!
On November 13, 2009,
in Achievements, Unhosted,
by kunzie
Zombie Dash [App Store]
Unhosted Achievements
Spray It, Don’t Say It
100% coverage with one spraycan
My Laboratory
Accumulate 150 of the antidote
A Fool’s Fortnight
Stay alive to the end of day 14
On November 12, 2009,
in Article,
by Refugee P
I’m a fan of arcade shooters from way back. It all started with popping a 20 cent piece into the local fish and chips Space Invaders cabinet (back when you could bring a modified coin or coathanger to get free plays like some nerdy criminal). I graduated to Galaga, gained experience with 1943 and Silkworm and sought refuge in R-Type I got wowed by Thunderblade and Raystorm was my sanctuary from puberty blues. To say that I’m addicted to shooters is an understatement. What defined those moments in time was never the graphics in a game (I mean yes, they evolved over time – adding atmosphere and visual tang) but rather, the gameplay. This gameplay factor somehow got lost over the many seasons of change. As a definitive requirement, gameplay could mean the difference between utter perfection and a mindless button mash.
The following titles, I believe, contribute to that great gaming legacy. They stand out from the crowded app store in one way or another. Their gameplay keeps you coming back for more, with brilliant and responsive controls that are easy to pick up and rewarding to master and they set the bar in terms of visuals and sound. Above all else, they satisfy your inner child, making you beg for more.
Here’s the five best iPhone shooter games. BRING IT ON!
5: Blue Attack by John Kooistra [App Store]
If you don’t have this game by now, unshackle yourself from reality and immerse into what is one of the most amazing experiences to grace the iPhone. The core of the game is pure shooter – pilot a ship which is based on a carrier, protect the carrier, upgrade your wingmen, provide a clear and safe path to the enemy Red Planet and eventually, destroy the Red Planet. There are heaps of upgrades, plenty of on screen carnage, and yes… online leaderboards to seperate the men from the boys. With a very retro feel, decent explosions and a rocking soundtrack, this game has it all. Tough game to master, touch or accelerometer controls with re-playability to keep you coming back for more every time.
4: Skyforce Reloaded by Infinite Dreams [App Store]
This game has been around the mobile gaming scene since the dawn of, well, mobile gaming! Paying homage to the Raiden series of vertical shooters, it is one of the better iterations of this hardcore genre. Choose one of three ships at the start, grab plenty of powerups through the stages, rescue people and generally blow stuff up. Finally end the stage with a monster boss battle. Touching and sliding gestures work a treat and are not intrusive on gameplay. It looks fantastic with plenty of action going on around the screen. Very little slowdown (a common side effect of having many sprites on screen at once) and plenty of replay value for a quick session or a solid grind. A definite must have!
3: Isotope: A Space Shooter by iDrinkApp [App Store]
An arena styled shooter with RPG upgrade elements? Surely that would never work… but it did! Take on the mammoth campaign spanning over 30 missions. Earn credits from missions and spend it in designated stores to expand your arsenal of ships, modules, ablilities and satellites. Move how you want with five options for control configuration (very rarely on the iPhone for some reason). Survival mode includes an online leaderboard. Beautifully retro.
2: Space Invaders Infinity Gene by Taito [App Store]
Standard Space Invaders? Hah! The more you play, the more the game evolves. This legendary space shooter starts as a classic, with its (or your) own thumping sountrack, and evolves as you progress in to a modern marvel. There are plenty of unlockable stages and system features and the mix of retro and new-age graphics is a treat to the eye. So great, I got it for my PSP as well! It does suffer from a bit of slowdown on anything but a 3Gs, but that just adds to its retro roots!
One of the best! Buy it now!
1: Meteor Blitz by Ally Labs [App Store]
Meteor Blitz has hurtled into the App Store to claim its place atop the mountain of dual-thumb shooters. With responsive controls that are unparalleled in the App Store, Meteor Blitz may well rival its progenitors, Super Stardust HD and Geometry Wars. This game keeps me coming back for more and more every time. I need to pass this level, I need a 10x multiplier, I need to collect to upgrade my puny peashooter into an uber poloarising death weapon to conquer the planet.
Graphically, nothing comes close to Meteor Blitz. It is insanely gorgeous with a rotating 3D planet behind you and gloriously detailed sprites in front. Gas and cloud effects are only toppled by explosions and bullets. The super responsive controls open up some lightning fast gameplay. Realtime, global online leaderboards show you EXACTLY where you sit on our planet in the long list of players. There are plenty of upgrades, six planets to overcome and boss enemies to keep you occupied.
It’s no surprise that I gave Meteor Blitz 5 stars in our review. Buy this game.
Be sure to check out our Top 5 Tower Defense Games article!
On October 25, 2009,
in News,
by kunzie
The wonderful people over at Sumiguchi have kindly given us a few promo codes to give away for their virtual stick shooter Anomaly [App Store]. Go ahead and comment below to receive one! The codes are for US App Store users only.
Achievement list (unhosted) for Anomaly here!