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On The Wind Looks Beautiful

Have you ever wanted to be the wind? In a few weeks you’ll get your chance with Dont Step On The Cracks’ ‘On The Wind’. From what we know, On The Wind will be a sort of survival runner where your goal is to try to keep a group of leaves drifting in the air. The game will be sporting some awesome, crisp and stylish artwork with calm ‘windy’ music to go with it. Apart from the fantastic visual appeal, the gameplay in On The Wind will be driven by the struggle to “survive” through each season. Leaves will be plentiful in the spring, but in the winter it will be difficult to get by. In terms of controls, it will be a simple, one-touch and drag to direct the wind.
On The Wind is looking really good so far. Randomly generated worlds should keep the game fresh each time you play, and GameCenter integration means loads of achievements and competitive leaderboards. Be looking for On The Wind in the next few weeks. Until then, check out the complete feature list along with the trailer and a handful of screenshots on Don’t Step On The Cracks’ official website.

On The Wind Features:
– Full retina graphics for the new iPad
– Simple and intuitive ‘one touch’ controls
– Relaxing play with the soothing sound of the wind, or challenge yourself to beat your friends
– Beautiful world that’s generated as you play so it’s different every time
– Game Center enabled with lots of tricky achievements, and leader boards to challenge your friends
– Universal app, buy once and play on your iPhone, iPod and iPad.

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March 19, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

Interview With Rodeo Games



It’s been quiet here at the App Shack, but that is the sign of a long and arduous week. Thankfully there has been a break in the onslaught, and we are back with an exciting interview with Rodeo Games (the brains behind the Hunters series). With Hunters 2 releasing this week, hopefully this article gets you excited for the game if you aren’t already. Watch for our review soon.
Initials stand for Ben Murch, Adam Clixby and Richard Brooks.


– Tell us a bit about the Rodeo Games team.  How did the four of you get together?

BM: We were all friends before Rodeo formed. Laurent was my next door neighbour when I first moved to Guildford. Adam, Rich and I all worked together at Codemasters. Then two things happened. Firstly, the App Store appeared, which empowered people like us to make and publish the games we wanted. Secondly, Laurent and I got stranded in Vegas for an extra week when the whole volcano ash cloud thing happened. In between all the gambling and drinking, we outlined what to do and hit the ground running with Adam and Rich when we got back!




– We all know that the migration into outer space is coming sooner or later. Is the story line of Hunters really what you guys envision of the distant future?


BM: I really hope not! The Hunters universe is pretty bleak. A sort of morally bankrupt place where killing people is seen as a means to get paid! Private corporations running things though, that seems more believable. You can already see the current world going that way a little now, and you can imagine someone like Branson landing on Mars and claiming it in the name of Virgin.




– In Hunters Episode 1, one of the hunters was named “Atticus”. Have you guys read “To Kill A Mockingbird”? Is that where the name came from?


BM: Haha, good spot! It was originally in there for a joke, because that Hunter had 100% accuracy when we were testing the game. Then we just got attached to the name. It seems to fit for some reason.




– The artwork in Hunters Episode 1 is absolutely gorgeous, but it seems limited by the top-down camera angle. What made you guys decide to avoid a more up close and personal view?


RB: From a technical point of view, using a top-down camera allows us to do a lot to make the game look as good as it does.  It means we can keep the fidelity of the graphics really high.
BM: Yes, our choice of viewing angle is mostly based on the nature of the game. Top down is the most effective for turn based strategy. The whole up close and personal view could be cool for kill-cams, but the amount of work we’d have to do to get it in the game wouldn’t be worth the payoff!




– How are you guys expanding on the original Hunters in Episode 2? Will we see a return of the contract system?


AC: Absolutely.  The daily contract system is something we really liked about the first game – and something we got a lot of positive feedback about.  By getting a new set of contracts each day, you really want to keep coming back – it keeps the game feeling fresh.
Something else we’ve included in Hunters 2 after a lot of requests is a ‘hardcore’ mode in which your hunters are permanently removed from the game if they are killed on a mission.  It makes for some very tense (and cowardly) play!
BM: We’ve also totally revamped the talents system. It’s now more dynamic and personalised than before. Each hunter has access to general talents and two specialist trees. Figuring out which combinations work for your style of play is really cool.




– What do you guys have planned for after Hunters 2? Will there be a third installment?

BM: We do have something really really awesome lined up, but we can’t talk about it just yet.


We give all of our thanks to Rodeo Games for taking the time to chat with us. Best of luck to them in all of their future pursuits.

I’m excited for Hunters 2, if for some reason you still aren’t excited go ahead and pick up the free to play Hunters Episode 1 and get up to speed. It’s going to be a big week for releases and Hunters 2 isn’t a title that you will want to miss. Oh, and check out the awesome teaser trailer below.
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March 18, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

Wednesday Night Releases – Chaos Rings II, MotoHeroz and more!

There’s a great variety of games coming out tonight including some from prized developers Square Enix and Ubisoft. As you probably know all of these games will be coming out around 11:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time in the U.S. or much earlier depending on if you live in the eastern hemisphere such as New Zealand where the games are first available. Links included in the article lead to the app in the NZ market not the U.S. one.









Fireball SE – $0.99




Cheeky Mouse – FREE


Cheese Please – $0.99


Kung Fu Rabbit – $0.99


Harry the Fairy – $0.99


MotoHeroz – $0.99


Super Lemonade Factory – $0.99


Rune Raiders – $1.99


Picnic Wars – $0.99

Pretty decent roundup tonight eh? Leave a comment down below on which ones you would like to see us review for you. Happy Pi Day!
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March 14, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

FREEBIE ALERT; iDaTank!

Last year, a new-comer to the iOS gaming world, Pavel Tsarev gave gamers one of the best Asteroid-Crawler-Dual-Stick-Action-Adventure games to ever grace the iDevice. I was lucky enough to help out with spreading the word early on, but sadly, the game did not get noticed by too many people. Even with a freebie give-away late last year, iDaTank is still pretty unknown in the iOS gaming world.
And now you are lucky enough to be able to snag this amazing hidden gem of a game for free. If you’re interested in knowing more about the game, you can check out The App Shack’s iDaTank Review (it also happens to be the very first game I ever reviewed for TAS, woohoo!), and watch the trailer below. Hopefully iDaTank will grab you like it grabbed me, and make you want to tell everyone you know about the game.
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March 13, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

SZC: Beyond Dead – Update + Promo Codes!

SZC: BEYOND DEAD
Last month, Monster Robot Studios released their Metroid inspired action platformer, SZC: Beyond Dead. It got mixed reviews, but one of the biggest issues gamers seemed to have with the game was the controls.
Since then, MRS has done some major re-working, and this morning, Version 1.0.1 of Beyond Dead hit the AppStore. And it makes a huge difference in the gameplay.
Here’s what’s included in the 1.0.1 Update;
Duel Joysticks – You can now aim in all directions, enabling you to run one way while shooting in another.

1 Hit Kill Shots for Level 1 Zombies. This lets you clear out groups of enemies fairly quickly, instead of needing to run away from them while pumping round after round into the group.

The camera moves more smoothly, improved loading times, and other small fixes have also been added. Not to mention, the awesome new icon!
With this update, players can now make their way through the First Episode of Beyond Dead without getting too frustrated. The loading times for the Map and Pause Menu are still kind of long, and in a game like this, it’s essential that bringing up the map is quick and easy. Hopefully when GameSalad updates its engine in the next couple months, it will fix these loading times significantly. But at least you can make it through the game without struggling with the controls.
It’s very clear that Monster Robot Studios is committed to making Beyond Dead the most enjoyable experience they can, listening to player’s feedback, and optimizing the game as much as possible given their tools. Granted, it will probably never be seen as the essential Metroid like game for the iOS, but it’s definitely one that’s worth getting if you’re a fan of the Metroidvania genre.
As long as we’re on the subject of getting the game – Monster Robot Studios has been kind enough to give us 5 Promo Codes for Beyond Dead.
K46J46L7AM3L
TM936JP9FATA
FYALF3JKEA73
6E6AKP4YNTHN
4XFMY4EKR4FR

There’s also a contest going on in the Touch Arcade Forums, if you weren’t lucky enough to snag one of the 5 codes listed, where you can try and come up with a name for one of the bosses in Beyond Dead and win a Promo Code for the game. If you get one, you can also write up a review for the game in iTunes, and have a chance to win a $10 iTunes Gift Card! Check it out here –
**All pictures taken from the Monster Robot Studio’s website**
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March 8, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

FREEBIE ALERT; EXPLODABLES!

EXPLODABLES
Last year, we were fortunate enough to be able to review a fantastic tap-arcade game, Explodables. It was the first release from iOS new-comer, Mark Peach. Even though it’s one of the best tap based arcade games available in the AppStore, it didn’t get much attention. Sadly, like so many great games, it was pushed down under a slew of sales and high-profile games. But since it’s release, Mr. Peach has given the game quite a bit of attention with updates, fixes and additions, sticking with it, even though sales were pretty much non-existent. It’s hard to not respect that kind of commitment these days with quite a few developers either abandoning, removing so that they can re-release as a freemium game, throwing ads into their paid game, or just pulling a game all together if sales aren’t where they want them to be.
Well, now, with Mark awaiting the birth of his son, who was due to see this miraculous world on the 29th of February, he has decided to make Explodables FREE, either until the most recent update goes live in the AppStore, or his son is born, whichever happens first.
So make sure you don’t miss this opportunity to snag one of the few games to get a perfect 5 out of 5 stars here on The App Shack. It’s definitely a game that’s worth checking out. Maybe let your friends know, and help out a developer with an amazing game, both deserving of loads of support from the iOS community.
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March 8, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

‘Fancy Pants’ Review


Ported from its famous flash game, enter Fancy Pants! Fancy
Pants tells a quirky story of Fancy Pants Man and his little sister who gets
kidnapped by pirates, and it’s your job to parkour across several levels to get
her back, where along the way, you’ll be collecting little squiggles, bottles,
stars, and more.

Gameplay

Fancy Pants is a platforming title that also encourages
exploration, as each level is riddled with secrets and content. The biggest
draw for Fancy Pants is the content in each level: as you go around exploring
the each huge level, you’ll find short time trials, “arcade” games, etc. In
each level, there are three stars, a bottle and a number of “squiggles” to
collect to try and get a 100% rating, as well as NPCs and reward rooms. Fancy
Pants gets most of its appeal from the sheer amount of things you can do in a
level.
Conceptually, Fancy Pants is great. However, when I began
playing, I felt very little incentive to actually play. One issue I had was
that it was a platforming title that failed to execute the platforming part
well. Fancy Pants is too floaty, too slow, and too difficult to fine-tune
control; he needs to first accelerate to begin moving, and there is a
significant “slide-time” where he slides after you stop moving. Frankly, for
platforming titles, you need to feel in control of your character, and more
than once, I felt as if the game had more control than me. Second, the buttons
to control Fancy Pants are either too small or unresponsive at times. In
addition, when swimming, your left-right arrows turn into a four-directional
d-pad, which is crammed into the bottom left corner. For someone whose thumb is
slightly larger-than-average, I found this extremely annoying, as I’d go
directions were I intended not. Finally, I have a large problem as to how
killing enemies are handled. A standard “jump-on-the-head” does not kill unless
you are holding up. I have no idea why they decided to force this upon the
player. When you unlock the pencil weapon, standard combat also includes using
the pencil to strike enemies. However, one strike never kills – you need to
charge up your attack. It’s not a bad idea, but when executed, I can say that
waiting for your attack to charge up is just a little more interesting than
listening to my physics teacher drone on about who-knows-what.
Basically, Fancy Pants fails as a platformer, but manages to
deliver with its exploring. The game did have its shining moments, but those
are overlooked by the lack of excitement during the majority of its
platforming.

Presentation

Fancy Pants does a great job with it’s presentation, with it’s
fun and quirky themes to it’s way of handling the “menu”, which is actually a
home where you open doors to access where you want to go. In addition, you’ve
got over 120 different customizable outfits for Fancy Pants, so be sure to
enjoy that!

Graphics

No slow downs, short loading screens for the amount of
content in a level, and crystal clear graphics. The graphics don’t push the
system at all, but sometimes, less is more.

Sound

The music is extremely pleasant, and I found myself enjoying
the tunes a whole lot. Also, the sound effects are done really well; it’s a
very simple, clean game.
Replay

Like I mentioned earlier, the game is jam-packed with
content for each level. With a myriad of levels to 100%, which will be no easy
task to find everything, there’s nothing that will keep you more occupied for a
longer period of time, should you play it.

Conclusion

Fancy Pants presents itself nice and clean, with its simple
yet charming style. However, the game hits quite a few snags when it attempts
to deliver gameplay, as the fact that it has poor platforming as a platformer
is extremely dishearten. But, if you can overlook those flaws and enjoy the sheer
content of the game, Fancy Pants is something that you can have fun with.
Gameplay: 3/5

Presentation: 4/5

Graphics: 4.5/5

Sound: 4/5

Replay: 5/5

Overall: 3.5/5


Fancy Pants on iTunes

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March 5, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

‘Call of Cthulu’ Review

Call of Cthulu is a H.P. Lovecraft inspired turn-based strategy game which thrusts you into the untold story of World War I. Not to spoil the story too much, you play on the side of the Allies, alongside such characters as Professor Brightmeer, Sid Brown, and several others, to take out the cultists leading the German army. The gameplay is based on Call of Cthulu RPG, and while the game is heavily story-based, it feels much more like a normal Turn Based Strategy game than an RPG.

iPhone Screenshot 1

Controls/Interface: 3.5/5

For a Turn Based Strategy game to work, it has to have quality controls and a workable interface. In ‘Call of Cthulu’, the controls work solidly, though they feel somewhat unintuitive at times. To move your character, you tap on them and then tap the place you want to go. Attacking requires you to select your character then tap and hold on the enemy you want to shoot at. These mechanics work fairly well, though will occasionally not do exactly what you to (i.e. it will infrequently take several tries for a tap to be recognized). One minor annoyance with the mechanics is that you can’t move around or select anything else while your character is in motion; you have to wait for the character to get all the way there and stop to select another character. This is only really annoying when you have to move your characters over a longer distance. The only glaring problem with the controls, however, is that when you accidentally make a mistake or realize you went too far, there’s no undo button available. Any minor control pains and nuances could be heavily alleviated and eased with this addition. Especially with the importance of action points, even the smallest mistake can feel brutal. Other than that fact, the controls usually work very well and feel solid enough. There are also several options like rotating the field of play that can make the game feel more intuitive. The interface feels fairly good as well, albeit a little bit scary to inexperienced players. Especially on the character screen, the sheer number of skills and numbers can leave the player confused and uncertain of what to do. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as most of the skills are easy to understand, albeit a bit difficult to interpret their usage in-game. Though they work decently for the game, the controls and interface still have some room for improvement.

iPhone Screenshot 2

Graphics/Music: 4/5

The graphics in the game look fairly nice. However at times, the graphics do appear a little on the blurry side; even on retina-enabled devices they don’t look perfect. However, they do get the job accomplished and feel particularly fitting for the game. Some graphical effects like smoke and twitching makes the game feel more vivid and real, even at times when the game is stalled. The music and sound effects fit the game very nicely as well. The music feels very ghostly and somewhat sinister, with thunder and thumps in the background. Sound effects are as they’d be expected to be, with nothing really out of the ordinary. The music to the game leaves little to be desired, but the graphics do have a small margin for improvement.

iPhone Screenshot 3
Gameplay/Story/Extras: 4.5/5
In short, the game is fairly fun and enjoyable. It’s very satisfying when you hit an enemy, and the idea of accuracy and missing makes the game feel a good deal more fresh and different. It also makes the game much more exciting and thrilling, keeping you on your toes throughout the game. Another nifty trick is the speed-up button, which allows you to quickly speed through movements and enemy turns. The storyline also feels exciting and interesting. To those that hate RPGs, its not overbearing, but to those that do it provides an alternate approach to the First World War. This whole idea is carried out very nicely throughout the course of the game. While the game plays much like other turn-based-strategy games, it brings enough new to the table to make it feel both fun and unique.

Overall: 4/5
‘Call of Cthulu’ provides a solid and enjoyable TBS experience. For any fans of strategy games, it’s a nifty addition to one’s collection. However, frustration will be multiplied for those that are very inexperienced in the genre or dislike it altogether. However, for what it does, Call of Cthulu is a very enjoyable and fairly unique approach to the genre.
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March 2, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

CrimsonHeart iTunes Giftcard Contest – Win one of ten $10 giftcards!

Our friends over at ANBSoft have graciously given us 10 iTunes giftcards that each have $10.00 worth of credit on them. In case you’ve forgotten how to do simple math that adds up to $100.00 worth of money in our hands. Since we love you guys so much we have decided to hold a little contest where you could win one of these giftcards. 

Entry Rules:
  • Download Crimsonheart from the AppStore here:Link
  • Write a review of the game that embodies how you feel about the game.
  • Take a screenshot of your review and send it to our email (TheAppShack@gmail.com) so that we can verify that it was actually you who wrote the review. Also include any optional entry you completed in the email.
Example Email:
Hello Dave, 
The screenshot of my review can be found in the attachment above. I also completed the optional twitter entry method and tweeted as @TheAppShack.
Optional Entries:
–After you have completed the first entry you can choose to enter again in a variety of different ways. This will cause your name to be entered in the random drawing a second time.  You do not need to complete these entries to win the prize.
  • Compose a tweet about the contest/game and include the hashtag #CrimsonHeart   Be creative!
Update: Only 5 entries have been made so far. Given the current date and the fact that the contest ends after tomorrow their is a fairly good chance you could win a $10.00 giftcard from the 10 we have right now.

Submit your entries before the 1st of March.

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February 28, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

‘Sales of the Week’ Feb. 27 to March 4

The official sales of the week post for this week. Well, I could say this for all weeks, but here are the top sales for this week.

MUSE-$5.99==>$0.99
-A top notch arcade shooter with fantastic graphics by Lab Rats Studios and published by Ayopa Games. It’s on sale for the first time, and a great deal for a buck. With a large, destructible environment and an arcade-like experience, you can’t go wrong. Unless of course you only play My Little Pony games…
iTunes link

Combat Arms: Zombies-$4.99==>$0.99
-Powered by the Unreal Engine 3, take out hundreds of zombies with the guns in your arsneal. With over 300 real guns in the game, it’ll feel like something that’d happen in your backyard. Err, if your backyard ever is infested with zombies, I mean. This game also provides a code for free extras in Combat Arms Online.
 iTunes link

Lego Harry Pottter-$4.99==>$2.99
-A port of the DS and PSP variants, it’s been longstanding one of the top games on iOS. Like all Lego games, it’s full of fun and enjoyment, and packed with tons of content. A very fun game, with great controls and lots of fun and a spark of magic.
 iTunes link

Oh! Edo Towns-$3.99==>$0.99
-Another great city simulation game by the developers over at Kairosoft. In case you don’t known, it plays similar to freemium city building games without the iAP aspect at all and with a bunch more features. It also features an old Japanese them to it.
 iTunes link

Pocket Wings:Discovery Island-$2.99==>$0.99
-The arcadey flight simulator takes you through a tiny world filled with various environments. With 6 different planes, you can rest in peace (no, not in that way!) knowing that if you crash you actually won’t end up missing your high score. Wait, no, that’s real flying, this way you don’t have to worry about dying. I always seem to mix the two up. Still, you won’t be disappointed by this flight (except I hear the food’s awful).
iTunes link

Commander Pixman-$1.99==>$0.99
-A very retro platformer, packed with many short but very difficult levels with the objective of getting the fastest time. If nostalgia is your thing, this game is it. If not, the platforming elements still make it worth your while.
 iTunes link

Outfoxed-$1.99==>$0.99
-Ever wanted to be a fox and raid a farm for chickens? Well be warned, for the farmer and his wife are going to kill you first! Voiced by the Irish sports commentator Jackie Fullerton, this 3D platformer is eggs-celent.
 iTunes link

King Cashing-$1.99==>$0.99
-King Cashing is a very good mix of Slot Machines and RPGs. Except on these slot machines, you might actually have a chance of winning. Then again you might not either…
 iTunes link

Draw Something-$1.99==>$0.99
-A Pictionary-esque game which pits you up against live opponents in an asychronous format. This is the ad-free version, and on sale for the first time since it released earlier this month.
 iTunes link

Wind-up Knight-$1.99==>FREE
-Wind-up Knight is a very eccentric game, basically an endless runner packed into a level formatting. With lots of variety and vivid graphics, Wind-Up Knight will have you cursing in frustration but enjoying it at the same time. Just don’t stop. Ever.
 iTunes link

Dead Space for iPad-$9.99==>$1.99
-The amazing horror shooter from EA is now a fifth the cost, meaning you can scare yourself silly for only two dollars. It’s far cheaper than seeing that new scary movie in the theaters. Sadly the sale is only for iPad, not iPhone or iPod Touch, but horror fans should rejoice in a great gem of a game.
 iTunes link

Zombie Wonderland 2: Outta Time-$0.99==>FREE
From the developers of the first Zombie Wonderland comes Zombie Wonderland 2. Alongside wisecracking zombie killer Chuck clear out Niceville of its infestation by travelling through time. From a vampire who drinks milk to undead Sumo Wrestlers, this game will have you enthralled. Even more amazing, once you take a break from playing you’ll have traveled an hour into the future!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zombie-wonderland-2-outta/id477441770?mt=8

Extraction: Project Outbreak$0.99==>FREE
A second freebie from the publishers at Chillingo is full of tons of features. A long campaign, 5 game modes, lots of weapons, and a few zombies. Take care of the outbreak, upgrade your weapons and gear, and most of all survive. If you don’t survive, then you die. If you didn’t think that made sense then you may already be infected!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/extraction-project-outbreak/id459043666?mt=8

*Note this post will be updated for the duration of the week, and after that a new post will be made for that week. Also note that all prices are based on the structure of the US App Store and may vary internationally.

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February 27, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >