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Number of Results: 37

Blocks Hurt! (Luca Giusti) – $1.99

With the insane amount of games released every week in the AppStore, it’s not too surprising that a few great ones get overlooked every now and again. December of last year was a crazy time for the AppStore, with the onslaught of sales along with all the developers trying to get their apps in before the week off that the AppStore would take, not allowing any updates or releases. Well, during this time, Luca Giusti happened to release a little game called Blocks Hurt! Just now finding out about the game, even after a couple sales and freebie give-aways, I’m kicking myself for not finding out about it sooner. 
Blocks Hurt! has you going up against various monsters that are coming after you. Your job is to stop them (surprise surprise!). But how you do it is what really makes this game stand out. You’re given a chain at the top of the screen which will carry blocks from the left to the right. Tapping on them results in them dropping straight down. You’re also able to tilt your iDevice to the left to slow down the chain, offering more precise block drops. 
Hitting enemies will injure them, but usually require more than one block to kill them. There are also special blocks, some giving you a special power-up, while others are attack blocks, and either blow up, shoot out projectiles, fling fire balls, ect. Getting power-up blocks really comes in handy, but in order to use the power-up, you need to fill up your power gauge, which is done by killing enemies, so you’ll need to make sure that you don’t just waste your power-ups on small groups of enemies. 
There’s only one game mode, but each level has a different objective. Surviving a certain amount of time, building a certain structure, or matching a certain number of blocks. There are also boss battles at the end of the 3 separate worlds, with 30 stages each, for a total of 90 levels. Each stage has a 5 star rating, and once you get past the first couple of levels, the challenge immediately starts to show itself. However, it’s not difficult in a frustrating way. There’s always a decent amount of time to complete the objectives, and every time you don’t 5 star a level will be because of your own screw-ups. But with tight controls, and the game always giving you exactly what you need in order to complete the objective at hand, it always winds up giving you more drive to complete a level perfectly if you don’t’ get it right the first couple times around. 
Blocks Hurt! is supported by GameCenter, and has 4 different leader boards, one for each world, and a total score board, along with 36 hard to unlock achievements. That, coupled with the 90 levels offers up tons of replayability and tons of challenge. The game is so wacky and fun, it’s feels like a weird brother of Riverman’s Pizza Vs. Skeletons. Priced at $1.99, it’s a fantastic buy. The developer is also extremely supportive. In an AppStore full of developers who either pull their games and re-release them or throw ads into their paid games when they don’t sell as good as they were hoping, or even just abandon their games all-together, Luca Giusti has stuck with it, which is extremely rare, and commendable these days. An HD version is planned for release this summer, along with an Endless Survival Mode. If you’re looking for a hidden gem that offers up fantastic gameplay from a developer that deserves to be supported, Blocks Hurt! is definitely a game to check out. 
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April 25, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

‘Cytus’ Review

I’m a huge fan of music games. While this review is long
overdue, I feel that this game deserves some recognition. Cytus by Rayarc Inc., which follows
the Osu! style of music-tapping gameplay, is a music rhythm game that does a
good job of imitating that style with it’s own twist.

Gameplay

If you’ve ever played Osu! or Elite Beat Agents on the
Nintendo DS, you know exactly what you’re getting into. Cytus just replaces the
circles with an up and down moving line. If you haven’t played them, here we
go: In Cytus, your goal is to tap circles at a specific time which lines up
with the rhythm of the music, and there’s a black bar that moves up and down
that helps you determine when you should tap that circle or note. In addition,
there are hold notes, where you hold down the note for certain duration of
time, and there is also a slide note, where you slide your finger at the speed
of the black bar along the determined path. There are four possible outcomes
after tapping: Perfect, Good, Bad, and Miss. There’s enough variety around to
make every some somewhat unique in its own way. However, after playing all of
the levels, I noticed a similar pattern emerging. Since Cytus focuses on
two-finger/thumb gameplay, as opposed to a single finger gameplay, much of
Cytus’ note distribution is mirrored, and as a result, much of the level’s look
nearly identical. There is some variation at the difficult 7 or 8 levels, but
apart from that, everything looks about the same.

Another major qualm I have with Cytus is the timing. Most of
the timing issues got fixed in an update, but there are still a couple. Also,
the leeway giving for a “Perfect” is enormous. I could purposely wait half a
second to tap a note and still get one on certain songs. I purposely turn on
the “click” noise when tapping notes because of this issue.
Finally, the slide notes are extremely frustrating. They’re
a little clunky, especially when there’s a section of long slide notes. This
becomes not a music issues, but more of the touch screen issue, where it doesn’t
really register my finger on all the notes. Also, since the slide can count as
several notes, missing just a tiny section of a slide just because it didn’t
register can mean the difference between a higher and a lower ranking. I’ve
gotten an A before for just missing a couple notes on a slide, while everything
else was a “Perfect”.

There issues do inhibit the gameplay, but Cytus is certainly
enjoyable despite these problems. For casual fans, they won’t have a single
problem when playing Cytus, as its gameplay is easy, yet fun and exciting. For
hardcore fans like me, we may find that the way Cytus is set up to be a little
on the blander side, with uninspiring holds and slides. However, when you
actually start playing, it’s really not as boring as you originally thought.
Cytus has good gameplay; I just see many spots where it can improve it.
Presentation

I find Cytus, as a whole package, to be amazing. One of the
best parts is how the song select menu is set up; it just looks and feels nice.
There are options for the style of notes when you play, and there are two
different difficulties; something for everybody out there.
Graphics

Following the first update, I’ve experience no crashing at
all. Nada. Zip. And when you add that to the beautiful retina graphics that
Cytus gives us, you can’t help but say that the artwork and the frames are done
just too well. Both in the menu, song select, and the background when you play,
you’ve got gorgeous hand-drawn artwork.

Sound

If there’s I’ll remember Cytus for, it’s the music. From pop
to hardcore, and jazz to trance, you’ll fall in love with its electro style. Of
course, if you only like say… country music, the music isn’t for you, but if
you’re open to these genres, I strongly suggest you give these tracks a whirl.

Replay

With over 15 songs at 2 different difficulties, Cytus will
give you a strong value for your money. I’ve certainly spent an unhealthy
amount of time playing it, attempting to grab perfect scores. Cytus is no short
stick in terms of replay value; it’s on your iPhone to stay.
Gameplay: 4/5

Presentation: 4.5/5

Graphics: 5/5

Sound: 5/5

Replay: 4/5

Overall: 4/5


Cytus on iTunes
Cytus appears to be currently 50% off for $1.99. Grab it while you can!
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March 24, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

‘Tweetland Review’ – Twitter integration taken to the next level

Tweetland is a nifty app that integrates tweets from users of the popular social network into a smashing, car racing game.

Gameplay:4/5
The game puts you in control of a car racing past crazy traffic to try to get to the finish line.  Pretty simple, right? Wrong, as users on twitter tweet various buzz words the app translates that into game world obstacles you have to avoid. For example during one of my runs @rap_musicnews tweeted a tweet that involved the word “Meteor”. Sure enough a meteor crashed down in front of my vehicle and I was forced to swerve out of the way. With each level new buzz words are introduced making each level more and more hectic. After each level you can see the tweets that caused you so much trouble and even follow the users that tweeted them if your alright with the fact that they just made you fail the level. You get either a bronze, silver or gold medal for each level and you can rack up more points by crashing into the traffic you are trying to pass.  There are 24 levels and many promised updates supposedly coming soon. 
Controls: 3.5/5
The game utilizes one joystick in the bottom left of the screen which serves its purpose well enough. The reason it does not receive a higher score because at points it really infuriates me. I really can’t really put my finger on why I dislike it but it may be because of how floaty it is.
Content: 4/5
There are 24 levels already included along with a last level that will certainly test your reflexes. They are working on creating a iPad version as well as implementing Gamecenter into the game. Also they will be adding new buzz words along with new levels. 
Overall: 4/5
This is certainly one of the most unique games to hit the iOS platform and is fun as well. Great to play on a rainy day or on the bus. Certainly an easy buy at the low price of $1.99. 

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February 18, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

‘Puzzlejuice’ Review

What do you take when you take Tetris and Boggle, and then
you mash them together into one game?
You get Puzzlejuice. Makes me wonder where the “juice” part
came from, doesn’t it?
Anyways, Puzzlejuice is a mixture of Tetris, match-3, and
Boggle into one entirely new type of game, and you’ll be surprised at exactly
how well that delivers.

Gameplay

When you first begin a game, you’ve got an empty screen. As
Tetris pieces fall, it’s your job to rotate and position the pieces to obtain a
full line of blocks horizontally. You’re able to tap to rotate, drag to
position left and right, and flick to hard drop. However, instead of being able
to clear line, that line turns into a line of letters, which then can be
cleared by creating words by connecting letters in all 8 directions. If the
word is long enough, you’ll also destroy any adjacent blocks. In addition to
this, each individual block has a color. By tapping a group of 3 blocks with
matching colors, you’re able to turn those blocks into letters also. Most of
these mechanics work extremely well. There are a few times where you’ll drag
and misspell a word, or accidentally rotate a piece you didn’t want to, but for
the most part, the game’s controls work without too much flaw. I do wish there
was an option to rotate your piece both ways; hopefully this gets implemented
in the future.
Also, there are unlockable powerups for you to us once you
complete certain achievements. These powerups are extremely helpful in getting
you out of a jam or aiding you to score more points. But the icing on the cake
is the combo system; there’s a clear timer that indicates when your combo will
revert back to x0, and whenever you spell a word, tap a match-3, or create a
new line, your combo’s timer resets. This combo system is what keeps the game
more than just any leisure game, because it makes Puzzlejuice a thrilling game
that keep you on your toes.
Presentation

I’ve never been more impressed with how Puzzlejuice presents
itself. From odd names for modes to calling the “exit” button “rage quit”,
Puzzlejuice separates itself from other games by giving itself a punchy personality.
In addition, everything is in the menu extremely easy to navigate as well as
being two different difficulties, Hard Mode (which is actually easy) and Euro Extreme
Mode (which is the standard mode) making this game simple for anybody to access.
Graphics

Clean. Fresh. Those are the words that come to my mind when
I think of Puzzlejuice’s art style. Everything is crystal clear and is animated
to near perfection. There have been a few instances of slow-down during the
game, this has only occurred at the beginning for me, and thus has not posed
any major issue.
Sound

Puzzlejuice’s soundtrack is creative and relaxing; it fits
perfectly with its personality and art style and the sound design lets your
satisfaction known when those words are clear or that bomb explodes. Straight
up: It’s good.
Replay

Puzzlejuice offers two main modes: Core Mode (standard gameplay) the Zen Mode, which really isn’t Zen at all. It’s the quickplay mode, as
you’ve got 90 seconds to score as many points as possible. If you consider the
addictive gameplay, then tack on the flexibility to play Puzzlejuice for any
extended period of time, or a quick 90 second session, I see no reason why this
game will not last.
Conclusion

Puzzlejuice is a delicious melting pot of classic puzzle
games. With its strong gameplay and personality, I see no reason why anybody
would pass upon this game. There are a few nitpicks that keep it from receiving
a perfect score, but I’ll let you know that it was extremely close to receiving one.
Nonetheless, there’s no reason not to purchase this fantastic puzzler.
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Presentation: 5/5
Graphics: 4/5
Sound: 4/5
Replay: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5


Puzzlejuice on iTunes
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February 7, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

‘Star Marine: Infinite Ammo Review’ – $1.99 (Glitchsoft)


Star Marine: Infinite Ammo is an frantic shoot n’ run game in the vein of the classic arcade games Contra and Metal Slug.  Glitchsoft brings back the old vibe but with some baggage of the 21st Century.
Story: 4/5
The game starts off with a short intro that explains why you are on the ship and that you must escape. To do that you must fight through hordes of alien invaders. The story is obviously not the strong suit of the game, but do you really need a good reason to kick some alien ass?
Controls: 4/5
Controls are a tricky thing to master in all iOS games and as a result the games sucess really depends on how well these are implemented. You are given an eight direction D-Pad on the right side of the screen and a slider bar on the left side. The slider bar allows you to move right, left and to duck.  The jump button is located next to the D-Pad which could be a problem if not for the floaty phsyics. Since the game is set on a space ship, your jumps take an abnormally long time to pull off which allows you fire at enemies below or at high up explosives with relative ease. The controls in general are decent and allow you to control Arc(your character) fairly well.
Graphics: 5/5
The graphics are very retro and suit the game perfectly.  They definitely harken back to the old arcade cabinent days and are very well defined on the screen despite the lack of retina display integration.  On the iPad the game is very blurry in 2x mode so your best bet is to wait for Universal to be added in an update.  They plan on doing this if the game really takes off.
iAP: 2/5 
The iAP level is on a scale of how obtursive they are in relation to the game experience. Unfortuantely for this modern interperation of Contra it is crippled by its rather in-your-face iAP.  In Contra you could use the Konami code to get 30 extra lives while in this game you can pay for them.  Also availble for in app purchase are health packs for when your health gets low, and wings for when you fall into the abyss by accident. If you dont have these items you have to restart the whole level which makes this game quite the grind fest if you dont pony up the cash.  You can also pay for these items using gems, the currency you can get from playing the game. (You can also buy packs of gems) Also dependant on these gems are weapon purchases and upgrades. So if you suck at the game you are going to go through tons of gems buying extra revives and new weapons to tackle the fast enemies/strong bosses.
Overall: 4/5
Star Marine: Infinite Ammo is certainly a worthwhile investement if you loved all those classic arcade games or are just hankering for a good shooter. Though the iAP hamper the immersion factor of the game they are not ultimately necessary to complete the game. At the price of two Big Macs you dont want to miss this. 

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January 19, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

Hands-on Preview: Dungeon Crawlers (Ayopa Games)

Dungeon Crawlers, an upcoming tactical RPG from Ayopa Games and Drowning Monkeys, shows quite a bit of promise. From what we’ve seen so far, this game is just as much about dungeon crawling as it is about laughs.

The cast of characters consists of an alchemist, a priest, a barbarian, and a drunken dwarf warrior. It’s a strange party, but it goes well with the quirky personality of the game.  If you think about the style of the game for a bit, it seems somewhat reminiscent of “The Ghostbusters”.  This makes sense, since you are clearing out dungeons of ghouls, gunges, goblins and more.  The humor in the story is what really makes the game a blast to play, and you definitely shouldn’t find yourself playing this game stone-faced.

From what I’ve seen so far, gameplay is standard turn-based dungeon crawling.  There are two modes, exploration mode and combat mode. In exploration mode, you are free to “explore” the level without any limitation on the number of moves you can make. Movement is simple, tap where you want to go and a path will be drawn. Tap again to confirm the path and you are on your way. When you run into a mob, you automatically enter combat mode. This works just as any other turn based game would.  Move your characters around and choose an attack. You can only make one move/attack per turn, so some thought will be required.

There are also some RPG elements implemented such as character leveling, and different unlockable skills. As you kill mobs you eventually level up, earning points to spend on upgrades. This gives the game depth that can’t be found in many dungeon crawlers.

If you’re looking for a dungeon crawler that will make you laugh while you loot, you don’t have long to wait. Dungeon Crawlers will be launching January 26th for $1.99 as a universal game. Here’s the nitty gritty details about the game along with the awesome trailer.

Tactical turn-based combat. Deliberate and exciting turn-based combat. Consider your moveand then leap into action with your characters, letting lose sword and spell to down your dungeon-dwelling prey.
Four unique playable characters. Control an egg-headed alchemist, portly priest, burlybarbarian, and drunken dwarf warrior.
Five chapters of dungeon crawling goodness: Each chapter is a unique multi-level dungeonwith distinct environments, deadly enemies, and shiny loot.
Did we mention loot? Laden your Dungeon Crawlers team with gold and gear. You’ll makethem obnoxiously wealthier and obscenely deadlier.
A multitude of monsters to massacre. Battle goblins, skeletons, mummies, slimes (Aegon callsthem “gunges”), oozes, banshees, and more.
Challenging and rewarding boss battles. Throw down against the deadliest of bosses in eachchapter, including the wily Goblin King, terrifying Banshee Queen, and the dreaded Death KnightShyamalan.
Trophies and Achievements: Supports Game Center with over a dozen achievements and alsoboasts in-game collectible trophies (more loot) to show off your dungeon crawling prowess.
Unity-powered stylized graphics: Adds fully rotatable, full-blown 3D with a cartoony style to thetactics RPG genre.
iOS 5 Support, including iCloud syncing and AirPlay mirroring


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January 14, 2012 Uncategorized 0 Read more >

Mini Motor Racing (The Binary Mill)

The racing genre on the App Store has been dominated by games like Real Racing, Asphalt, and Need For Speed.  It’s time to welcome a new top dog, Mini Motor Racing. This masterpiece by the Binary Mill combines crazy arcade racing with visual glory and customization to create a truly amazing gaming experience.
If there is one thing that I would boast about Mini Motor Racing, it would have to be the aesthetics.  This game is a real treat for the eyes as well as the ears. Extremely detailed cars and tracks, along with beautifully fluid menus make MMR a joy to play. The upbeat music fits perfectly with the wacky vibe and the tune has been stuck in my head for the past few days.

Controls are a huge plus as well.  The gods over at the Binary Mill went all out with 4 different control methods ranging from a simple steering wheel, to a slider bar. The steering wheel has been perfect for me so far, but the other methods work just as well.  Also, you can turn auto-accelerate on or off to make the experience a little more realistic. With 4 control options, there is bound to be one that will work for just about everybody.
Moving on to the heart of Mini Motor Racing, there are multiple game modes including Championship, Quick Race, and Multiplayer. Championship mode consists of a whopping 120 race career which goes from normal events to feature cups like the “Fruit Ninja Cup” and the “Holiday Cup”.  Quick race works as it normally would.  You can “quickly” jump right into a race and practice your skills.  Multiplayer is limited to local WiFi and Bluetooth right now, but an online mode should be up and running soon.

To those who love customization, you will love Mini Motor Racing.  The game has over 20 tracks to choose from, all of which are absolutely gorgeous, and 13 cars to unlock.  The tracks are rather short, but they are designed to encourage rough play.  You will inevitably find yourself ramming your opponents out of the way and nitro-boosting your way to first place as you zip around corners.  The cars range in design, but they are all very detailed.  Some upgrades that are available are nitro boosts, top speed, handling, and acceleration. Upgrades are purchased with in-game cash that is earned by winning races. The wide variety of cars and tracks adds to MMR’s long list of awesome features.
Check out the launch trailer for Mini Motor Racing. If our review didn’t get you pumped up for the game, then the trailer definitely will.

I definitely recommend picking up Mini Motor Racing. The standard and HD versions are separate, weighing in at $1.99 and $3.99 respectively.

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December 8, 2011 Uncategorized 0 Read more >