9mm Review: Gameloft have released a high end action shooter onto the App Store in the form of 9mm, a universal app for both the iPhone and iPad. At $6.99 it’s not the cheapest game but is it worth it?
The game starts as it means to go on as you are thrown straight into the action, along with a tutorial to help you get accustomed to controls. Not that it takes to get too long to get used to them.
A floating D-pad controls your movement and you can drag your finger over your device’s screen to look around your environment and aim your weapon. You can choose to use the inbuilt gyroscope to control your sight and aim if you are using one of the devices with that available to you but I preferred the more subtle control of using my fingers.
As mentioned before though it doesn’t take long to pick all of this up and you’ll soon be shooting your first, of many, victims. During the tutorial you are also introduced to the slow motion mode where your can launch your character, Kannon, backwards, forwards or sideways in slow motion, shooting and dodging bullets as you do. This is a vital skill to learn and you a duly rewarded with certain achievements when you successfully kill multiple opponents in this mode.
Wi these skills learned you take you character, Kannon, on to the wrong side of town where violence, and gun shots are around every corner. It’s a drug war out there and you find yourself in the thick of it. The story is told via the usual cut screen movies but they are nicely balanced and while they keep the story moving along they don’t make you feel like you are watching a movie.
Talking of movies the game does have a great cinematic look to it and you could be fooled into thinking that you are playing the game on one of the latest consoles. The voice acting is well done too, all be a little cheesy at times, and along with a thumping soundtrack from some established artist of the hip-hop and rap seen the overall experience is one that keeps you coming back for more.
The action never let’s up either, whether you are defending your child from an apparent pedophile, clearing out a strip club or rescuing your family from a firefight in a restaurant the gun fire just keeps raining down on you. Luckily for Detective Kannon you have a large armory at your disposal and you can also pick up the weapons and ammo from your fallen enemies.
While shooting is the mainstay of the game you’ll also find yourself have to tap and swipe across the screen in any given pattern to complete certain takes. This can be simple taps to open doors, more complex combinations to interrogate suspects and swipes up and down the screen fight dogs, dodge bullets and leap fences. It’s a dirty world in the world of 9mm and you’ll be fighting for your life all the way through it.
On successful completion of each of the 12 levels you will be rewarded with coins which you can then spend in the in game store to purchase extra protection, extra weapons or more powerful ammo. You can also purchase more in game coins with your real money should you really want to rampage through the game with a full set of armour. However I was able to complete the whole game without the need for any additional purchases meaning the game doesn’t need to cost you any more than the original $6.99.
One downside to this great game is how quickly it can be completed, especially on the easy level where I was able to complete it with only a couple of hours of gameplay. On the plus side though the game includes a multi-player mode that is not only enabled for local play but also over the Internet. This addition means that you’ll be playing 9mm long after you’ve completed the single player game.
You will need to create an account with Gameloft to play online but this is simple enough and can be done in game, once that is done you can join a existing game or create one yourself. There are 4 maps to choose from a couple of games modes to including a simple free for all where it’s a case of hunt or be hunted.
Online you’ll start off with some basic weapons but you can again use the coins that you have earnt from the single player game to by the better guns. This you will certainly need to do if you are to stand a fighting chance at survival given the skills of some of the people hat you will meet online. The online game is simple to setup though and very intense to play making it something that you’ll certainly want to come back to.
Overall 9mm is a great additional to the App Store and if you can overcome the strong language that litters the game you are in for an enjoyable romp through the mean streets as you look to clean them up!
Pros
Cons
If you like loads of explosions and plenty of firepower that Super Blast 2 has all of that as it’s a shoot-em-up that challenges you with the cry of ‘none shall pass’ as to progress in the game you need to prevent all of the enemy craft from getting passed you as if you do then it’s game over.
This is a little different from most shoot-em-ups and it does add a little more pressure to the game play which is certainly a good thing.
The graphics look good on the retina display of the iPhone 4 but it is a little too easy to mistake the asteroids in the background as being something you have to destroy. The pumping sound-track helps move things along but louder explosions would be nice as they are often dominated by the music.
There are 3 difficulty levels to choose from with each one causing an increase in the aggressiveness of the enemies attempts to get past you. For some of the enemies that’s all they do, others though will also attempt to destroy your spaceship.
You have 3 lives to work with through the game so even if you don’t let anyone past you the game could still end should your ship be destroyed 3 times. Conversely, it only takes ship getting past you and it’s game over, regardless of the number of lives that you have left.
Controls take advantage of the accelerometer and all that’s required are a tilt to the left or right to move your ship in that direction. It would be nice if there was also the ability to move your ship back and forward to be either more aggressive or more defensive.
Shooting is automatically set to on so a constant stream of bullets, lasers and bombs will be launched from your ship as soon as the game begins to the time you are defeated. As you play through the game different weapon upgrades will float down the screen for you to pick up but these upgrades aren’t permanent and you’ll soon revert back to your standard lasers.
The game is fun for a while and the three difficulty levels certainly add to the challenge but there is limited replay value even when you factor in the 10 achievements and leader boards offered by its Open Feint integration.
$0.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released: Dec 06, 2010
Version: 1.0
1.0
40.2 MB
Language: English
Seller: Phantoom Entertainment UG
© Phantoom Entertainment UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
Rated 9+ for the following:
Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.1 or later.
Rage HD [rating: 4/5]
Rage, due out from id at some point next year as a premium console and PC title, is a game I am very much looking forward to. That and Portal 2. Rage and Rage HD for iPhone 4 and iPad are the first of perhaps a couple of Rage teaser games that id Software plan to put out on iOS in the lead up to the main Rage release next year. I say next year as Rage was due out in 2010, and has slipped a few times. But next year does seem likely now.
At QuakeCon 2010 in August of this year, John Carmack of id Software demoed an early version of what he promised would be a slice of the Rage world on iOS. And at that time we all “ooh-d” and “ahh-d” at the wonderful graphics and the promise of this game. The demo we saw really looked like a current generation game in many ways. Which was incredible to see on a phone!
There is quite a lot of technological promise in the Rage engine that Carmack has produced for iOS, and I will be looking at that in another article this week.
With Epic Citadel based Infinity Blade coming from Unreal, and now Rage from id we have two heavyweight publishers, with industry topping AAA engines vying for a more serious gaming niche on mobile platforms. Their first beach heads in their entry to this marketplace are the iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone – and your hearts and minds.
id have already made some furtive inroads into the mobile market with ports of their earlier iconic titles for the iPhone and iPod Touch ; Doom, Wolfenstein etc. But Rage is a big departure from porting games from the 80’s / 90’s. It’s new, and very current IP.
Rage HD is a much bigger download, and this is simply because it has “HD” graphics suitable for the iPhone 4, latest iPod Touch and iPad. But both versions play on all platforms, and offer the same gameplay.
“Rage [HD] Mutant Bash TV”, the full title of the iOS title, is based around a morbid game show with its conceptual roots in movies like “Running Man” and “Game”, where you play the part of the unwitting character who is thrown into a combat zone and has to fight your way through from level to level, presumably ultimately to obtain freedom, reward or notoriety. Or face death…
The look and feel of Rage from the moment you boot it up is polished. And the soundtrack and intro videos exude quality. All of these are pre-rendered cut scenes though, so they should look good. But it all gels well from cut-scene to menu atmosphere, to live action in this game.
There are copious instructions and control settings options in the menu area of Rage. So you can read up, and soak in the atmosphere of the sample of the Rage universe we have been given. Or, alternatively, throw caution to the wind and just get going and start killing stuff!
Once you launch into the first level of the game you are from them on in effectively on rails, rather like being in a slow to mid-speed roller-coaster. As you travel along these rails through derelict buildings, and crumbling insane asylums you can look around and about yourself to aim at targets, booty (cash and ammo) and of course mutants. You can also dodge attacks with an on screen button, or speed up your movement along the fixed path the game takes.
Your field of view is limited to a cone directly in-front of you, which allows you to pan left, right, up and down by about 30 degrees. The accelerometer and gyroscope are used to good effect for that. And you do get to look further up, down and behind you at times as the game will spin your viewpoint around to meet mutants sneaking up behind you, or jumping from the roof. If you’re looking for a dungeon crawler where you DON’T have to look over your shoulder then this is one for you. But that is not to say it won’t still make you jump a few times, especially if you have headphones on and are alone in a dark room!
Rage overall is your usual id fare… Mutants are insanely aggressive, guns shots are loud, there are blood and guts everywhere. It’s a hoot!
Pacing is fast, and fun, and once immersed you forget you are on rails and get into dealing mayhem out. Occasionally you might find a few seconds to sweep the scene in-front of you and grab some cash by aiming at it and tapping when your reticule changes to indicate there is something to pick up. You soon get used to spotting them as you need the ammo particularly to simply survive!
If you are feeling really cheeky you might try to take out a few bullseye targets scattered around most rooms, before inevitably you are inundated with mutants again, which pop up from holes in the floor, cracks in the walls or drop down from above.
There are different types of mutants, some slow and stupid, some fast, some that climb, others that stay out of range, hide and/or lob things at you. But they are all aggressive, and all deadly. Most of the skill in that part of the game is learning to head-shot and prioritise which of the several attacking mutants to take out first.
In Rage all of the rooms you pass through are exquisitely textured and lit. As are the things in them, like the mutants! It really is a feast for your eyes it has to be said. And looks fantastic on a Retina display.
As you progress through the levels you go down stairs, drop through holes in the floor, explore cells in insane asylums, and run down corridors. But all the time you are simply being taken through a shooting gallery.
You have other on screen controls which allow you to get “Gears of War” like rewards for reloading your weapon to the right rhythm, which then yields faster more powerful shots briefly. You can also change weapons between a hand gun, automatic rifle or shot gun. Each is employed best in different types of scenarios. But I found the machine gun my favourite. You do need to make sure to grab plenty of ammo as you go along also, as you run out quick, and then get kicked back to the hand gun as a back up until you can load up with a different flavour of bullets again.
For 99 cents, or even $1.99 it doesn’t get much better than this for people on iOS who like shooting and blood and guts! There is plenty of gameplay there for quite a few replays. And each of the three levels are plenty long enough to keep your interest a few times over too. On top of that your first play through you are going to miss a lot, so you simply have to play through again to see if you can get a few more perfect re-loads, or grab more cash and ammo. Or not die three or four times a level! And of course there are literally hundreds of pesky little bullseye targets that you will still miss on your fourth of fifth play through!
When you do ultimately die you are given the option to restart from various save points within each level. So getting killed half way through a level is not the end of the world.
Somewhere though, perhaps at the back of my reptilian gamer mind, I am still sorely disappointed that this whole Rage game is just a facade that we are skilfully whisked through on a set path. What I was really hoping for, and fervently hope we will see in the next iOS Rage release, is a proper FPS dungeon crawling experience… with mutants to shoot… and path decisions to take, and place to explore for ourselves!
It is very hard for me to give this app an overall rating. It is certainly a game that you should buy for your iDevice if you like this sort of game. Absolutely. But Rage itself actually has less real intelligent gameplay in it than some of Carmack’s earlier ports of Doom or Wolfenstein 3D.
Rage in essence really only offers the same level and style of gameplay as ngmoco’s “Eliminate Gun Range”, except that your shooting gallery is a stream of eye-candy flowing past you and there is considerably more gore. Of the two Rage wins hands down, of course. And is a must have duck-shoot game for the iPhone. But therein lies the problem. When you strip away all the hype, Rage on iOS is just a shooting gallery game. At least in this first taster.
So in that sense I get too much of a feeling overall that Rage is a piece of marketing for the Rage franchise as a whole. And I am disappointed that I didn’t get to have a true FPS experience in a mobile Rage sandbox like I was expecting.
John Carmack has hinted at another iPhone Rage game in the not too near future. And as I have said already I hope that he decides to expand the gameplay scope in any future offering. I totally understand the rationale that has gone into producing what is in effect a casual shooter for people who play games on mobiles – a very different breed than your sofa camping, bullet spitting, PC or console FPS twitcher.
But what id does really well is push the boundaries. Producing a game that is just as limited in scope as all the other mobile game companies is a bit of a disappointment. I expected them to take the bit between the teeth and bring us a small taste of a larger FPS.
Rage is great fun. Really great fun! I heartily recommend it. You must buy it. But know that you are basically playing a shooting gallery game, albeit with great production values, awesome sound, and gorgeous graphics. But this is not a fully immersive game. Nor is it the groundbreaking FPS teaser that I was expecting for iOS. Rather it is light entertainment gore.
$1.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released: Nov 18, 2010
Version: 1.0
1.0 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
743 MB
Language: English
Seller: id Software
© 2010 id Software LLC, a ZeniMax Media company. ZeniMax, Bethesda Softworks and related logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of ZeniMax Media Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. RAGE, id, id Software, id Tech, and related logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of id Software LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Rated 12+ for the following:
Frequent/Intense Horror/Fear Themes
Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Frequent/Intense Realistic Violence
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1 or later
Robokill, as the name suggests, is a “shmup”. When I heard about it, the name and the gameplay reminded me of Robotron; one of the arcade classic shoot-em-ups of my era.
Robokill has a very pretty CG trailer, which shows you turning up at a mothership where you will carry out your mission. Which is to liberate “Titan Prime”, the mothership that is overrun by enemy robots!
The trailer actually bears very little resemblance to the game, but it oozes quality and that tends to suggest that the game should look and sound good too.
Robokill is a top down view dual-stick shooter, where each level makes up a room. You control a combat robot that you can upgrade and customize to some degree. Each room is filled with different types, and amounts of enemy robots, crates and machinery. And you blast away at anything that moves, and anything that doesn’t. Simple!
Shooting enemy robots is obviously the aim of the game. But so is collecting power ups and money from crates and other stuff you shoot up. As well as gradually exploring all of the mothership with the aim of taking it back under your control.
When you die, you will be teleported back to a start point, and lose some of the territory you have claimed, which will then be repopulated with robots. So it’s a good idea not to die too often! Oh, you also lose money for getting fixed up after a “death”.
Control is via two onscreen joypads, which you move around with your fingers. Learning to control dual-stick shooters can take a minute or two. But you soon master it. It’s a bit like patting your head with one hand, and then rubbing your tummy with the other!
The position of the joypads on screen is not optimal for the size and shape of the iPad. And all the extra space they take up, along with a border round the entire playing area is a bit of a waste of space on the iPad’s screen overall. Hopefully the developers will look at floating controls in a future release.
There are some buttons in between your joypads to allow you to get a map overview of rooms you have visited. Some are marked with hints as to what is in them. You can also manage your robots inventory nice and easily by dragging equipment around in an inventory panel, moving it from and to your robots various accessory slots.
Early in the game you start out with weaponry which is fairly basic. But through power-ups and other items you collect, you are able to enhance / upgrade these weapons, and also provide yourself with temporary special abilities; improved shields, better weapon effectiveness etc.
Robokill boasts more than 450 deadly levels, and in excess of 50 enemies. The variety of enemies is certainly there, and you will learn to employ some different techniques to deal with how they move or group. Some are small and fast and free roaming. Other launch missiles, some are perhaps slower but pack more of a punch when they shoot. Quite a few come from hives which also need to be destroyed to stop more and more enemies spawning.
The 450+ levels are individual rooms on the ship. So in effect it’s a 450+ wave shoot-em-up with some doors and stuff…
There are some basic puzzle elements to the game. By that I mean rudimentary things like collecting conspicuously marked “keys” to open “doors”. And learning to use teleports which can get you from one place to another quickly. Oh, and areas in some rooms where you can fall. But that’s about as complex as it gets. “Doors” seem to be more about controlling how the map unfolds and the difficulty level of the game progresses.
Visiting shops to upgrade your gear, using cash you pick up, is fun, and the alien shopkeeper who deals with you is refreshingly dismissive. You are also given guidance as to mission directives from time to time with popup comms messages from your overlords.
Where Robokill excels is visually, and in the games flow. You are always under pressure, and yet will mostly find enough power-ups and stuff to keep you going, and enough cash to use to upgrade your robot. The gameplay remains fluid throughout, which helps immersion. And the sounds effect and graphics for explosions are pleasing.
So, Robokill is a great little romp. At $7.99 I personally think it is fairly priced. But there are a lot of other titles out there that compete with it for far less.
Nonetheless it’s a fun, sometimes frenetic “shmup”. And I had fun with it.
$7.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released: Nov 05, 2010
Version: 1.1
1.1 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
31.2 MB
Language: English
Seller: Wandake LLC
© 2010 Wandake, LLC
Rated 9+ for the following:
Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Requirements:Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later
Note : If you want to try Robokill out online as a Flash game, you can do so here
]]> https://touchreviews.net/robokill-rescue-titan-prime-ipad-dual-stick-shooter/feed/ 0I think I went to school with Keith T. Maxwell, not the war hero who finds himself at the centre of a battle to save the Earth from aliens who’s purpose it seems is to destroy everything in their path. No, the Keith T. Maxwell I believe I knew was a mild mannered boy who would never have got mixed up in such shenanigans!
The game starts as it means to go on with the beginning of a beautifully crafted and engaging storyline interspersed with a splattering of humour along the way. There is a lot of story and while some people may not enjoy that it certainly adds to the game especially as it is completely voice acted meaning that you don’t need to read the words on screen.
As the game starts you are immediately thrown into a space dog fight which quickly gets you a handle on the controls which for the most part are very simple. The simplicity is helped by the lack of a throttle for you to control the speed of your ship. While this makes things easier it limits the maneuverability of the ship which is a little disappointing. Steering options include either the touch screen or the accelerometer but while the accelerometer is fun the touchscreen offered better accuracy and control.
You’ll soon find yourself flying around downing the enemy combatants with relative ease. If you’ve come here just expecting a space shoot though you will either be disappointed, surprised or both as for has much shooting goes on there are missions to complete that will help you build your experience and more importantly upgrade your ship.
While you may be tempted just to upgrade your weapons you must also upgrade your shields and engines as a slow ship is a sitting duck however strong your weapons are. Complete enough missions however and you’ll be able to purchase whole new ships too.
The scale of the game is pretty impressive, there are over 100 space stations to visit spread over 20 solar systems. Luckily there is a map to help you navigate and avoid the long flights between locations. Not that flying around space in this game is always a bad thing as the game looks great, from the detail of the ships to the beauty and scale of the planets, asteriods and other items just flying around can be a delight too.
The missions are fun and included finding specific items, mining asteroids, collecting loot and ‘rescuing’ abandoned ships to trade with. The various space stations is where you will complete your trading activities, you can also meet other characters here who will offer you additional opportunities to improve your reputation and items.
The variety in Galaxy on Fire 2 is great especially with the number of interesting characters you will get to talk to and shoot down during the dog fights in space. At $6.99 you would probably expect nothing less and it’s worth every cent especially for those of you with both an iPhone and an iPad as while this game is currently only for the iPhone/iPod Touch a future upgrade will provide an iPad compatible version and if you’ve already paid for the iPhone version the iPad version will come free.
If you were disappointed with the original Galaxy of Fire you won’t be with this sequel and if you love the original, Galaxy of Fire 2 is the game you’ve been waiting for.
$6.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released: Oct 27, 2010
Version: 1.0.1
1.0.1
108 MB
Languages: English, German
Seller: FISHLABS
© 2010 FISHLABS
Rated 12+ for the following:
Infrequent/Mild Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References
Infrequent/Mild Profanity or Crude Humor
Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later
I’ve never been a huge fan of flying games. My first taste of the genre was The arcade classic Afterburner, however after many humiliating defeats in the local arcade I soon moved on from that. Then I had the idea of testing my skilled of being an airline pilot and purchased Microsoft Flight Simulator, needless to say the 100’s of aborted take off’s and crash landings soon had me to believe that flying commercial airlines should be a career choice that I should avoid.
And that brings us to the present day and the anticipation of playing 1951 World War One which sends you up into the skies as a World War One fighter pilot to dog fight it out against the Nazi’s.
The game is suitably styled in World War 2 style and appropriately patriotic music sets the scene and gets you in the mood to shoot down wave after wave of enemy planes.
You take your plane to the air in one of two modes. In Survival mode your task is simple, survive as long as you can while in Wave mode you face wave after wave of enemy aircraft with your aim to complete as many wave’s as possible. Before you start the game though you must pick one of three characters each with their own unique talents.
Whichever mood and character you choose you will start the game with your winged craft already in the air ready for the ensuing dog fight. There’s no in game help but there are a couple of pages of directions to help you control your plane. However the controls are pretty intuitive and you’ll soon find yourself maneuvering around the skies with ease.
The steering of you plane is via the iPhones accelerometer while speed is controlled via the throttle that goes up and down the left hand side of the screen. In addition to these basic controls you can also barrel roll both left and right and perform a loop by swiping the screen in the appropriate way.
The ease of the controls enables you to get stuck into the game very quickly and before no time you’ll be in the thick of the action with planes attacking you from all angles. The game is action packed and there’s not much time to relax which is no bad thing.
The planes look great as they swoop through the sky, they may be small but the details are great especially when they get hit and explode into flames!
Success in the game doesn’t go unrewarded as the more planes you shoot down, more levels you complete and the longer you survive will earn you XP that will in turn allow you to get upgrades that will affect such things as the amount of damage you can inflict and damage you receive.
The game is a fun distraction from some of the more taxing titles in the App Store, it’s fun, realistic, action packed and with the OpenFeint integration provides enough challenges to keep you going for quite some time.
The only downside to the game is the lack of any multi player options, I imagine dog fighting via local multi player with your friends or even over the Internet would add even more value to 1951 World War One.
Note: Game reviewed on an iPhone 4
Price: $1.99 (App Store)
Category: Games
Released:Jul 29, 2010
Reviewed Version:1.0
1.0 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
Size: 20.7 MB
Language:English
Seller:Treehouse Ltd
© 2010 Treehouse Ltd
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.
Chillingo has produced a plethora of quality titles and the latest game to hit the App Store from them is Inkvaders HD a sideways scrolling shoot em up which sets you the task of defending the earth from an alien invasion.
While the story line may be a tried and tested one, the unique style of the game certainly isn’t and Chillingo of produced a great looking app that comes to life on the iPad despite the fact that the whole game is in the style of a notepad, hand drawn cartoon.
The whole game utilizes this style from the hand that turns the pages and replaces you character after he’s been killed to the torn paper objects that add depth to the game the whole game oozes style and creativity.
The game is easy to pick up and after a few seconds spent in boot camp learning the basics you are set free to slaughter as many aliens as get in your way. Four virtual buttons control your character, two directional buttons in the bottom left hand corned of the screen while two action buttons in the bottom right control your jet pack and weapon respectively.
As you walk to the left the screen scrolls with you and as you do the aliens will appear, some simply walking from off screen and others appearing directly in front of you as they are beamed down form above.
A swift shot of your active weapon will soon see the aliens exploding, disintegrating and dismembering before your eyes and soon you will find your self having completed the first of thirty levels across 3 different environments.
As you make your way through the levels there are crates that can be opened to increase your ammo, health and jet pack fuel. However, the method used to open these crates is one of my complaints about this game. To open the crate you have to tap it, unfortunately though you can only tap it when you are standing next to it and as your character predominately stays in the center of the screen you have to remove your hand from holding the iPad so that you can reach and tap the crate to open it’s reward.
As well as the bonus items found in crates you can also purchase enhancements to your weaponry via machines placed on each level. Each of the three weapons can be upgraded once you have enough cash of course and as you do they will kill with more power and greater results.
You earn money for your weapons by not only killing the aliens but also grabbing the various meteors as they fly over your head. This is where your jet pack comes in although with the limited fuel you must use it wisely. The jet pack can also be used to avoid the aliens although the avoidance is only temporary as they will chase back after you even when you do fly over their heads.
As this is a Chillingo game you also get access to their Crystal Leader boards and achievements of which their are many adding a degree of re-playability to the game.
While the controls, game play, graphics and sound all add up to yet another quality game from Chillingo there is a lack of variety and while after 10 and 29 levels new environments are added the gameplay remains the same and your right finger or thumb that is in control of the shooting may get a little sore from the constant shooting.
This game is of course a port from Invaders for the iPhone/iPod Touch and if you’ve already played it on either of those devices you aren’t going to find much more here other than sharper graphics.
If however you enjoy blasting aliens and Chillingo’s style of humor then Inkvaders HD could be just the game you are looking for.
Price: $2.99 (App Store)
Category: Games
Released:Jul 17, 2010
Reviewed Version:1.0
Size: 71.9 MB
Language:English
Seller:Chillingo Ltd
© Games Faction Ltd
Requirements:Compatible with iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.2 or later.
Who doesn’t enjoy killing aliens and other unknown creatures to smithereens on the way to saving the world? Well, some people probably do not, but if you do then Project Sanctuary may be just the game for you as that is the task that you are given in this 3rd person top-down shooter.
The game currently includes four modes of play, single player and multi player modes and the Endurance and Arena. Both the single player and multi player modes allow you to play through the story mode of the game either on your own or via Wi-fi and Bluetooth with up to 3 additional players.
The game starts with your usual story involving the possible end of the world which ultimately results in you and your band of colleagues fighting against the Trinigon Alliance and their army of blood-thirsty creatures. The story is told in comic book style throughout the game but it’s a little predictable to be honest and rather cheesy in it writing too. However, it’s not long before you are thrown into the action.
Before starting the game you get to choose from one of 4 characters each of which have their own strengths and weaknesses. These abilities can be improved on throughout the game via money that is earned through completing the levels. Obviously while playing though the story in multi player mode you can play as each of the characters and get a complete balance of skills.
The controls are relatively easy with a virtual d-pad on the left of the screen controlling your movement and a directional action button on the right controlling your shooting. Each character can hold a maximum of two weapons and these can be switched between during game-play via the weapon button in the top-right corner of the screen.
The action is pretty intense even from the 1st level and you’ll soon find a multitude of aliens looking to stop you in your tracks. Each of these enemies have different strengths and defenses too while some you kill with ease others will require more shots and/or stronger weapons.
As well as defeating the numerous enemy you will also be given other challenges on each level. While completing the primary challenge will result in you completing the level two additional challenges will allow you to improve your ranking and gain extra cash to improve you players stats and purchase bigger and better weapons.
While the action is fast and and furious the sound does not reflect this with the sound of your gun fire and that of the enemies sounding weak and not reflecting of the destruction that they cause.
There are 4 chapters to the story each with six levels and thanks to the multiple challenges in each level there is a lot of value here and possible re-play value too should you not initially complete all the challenges and want to play through the game with each character.
Talking of good value in addition to the single and multi-player version of the story mode the Endurance and Arena modes offer the single player the chance to survive as long as you can or kill wave after wave of enemies.
While there is a lot to do in Project Sanctuary the story line failed to engage ultimately, failed to enable that special feeling that encouraged me to ‘play just one more game’ that any classic game needs if it’s going to succeed.
Price: $2.99 (App Store)
Category: Games
Released: Jul 05, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.0
Size: 202 MB
Language: English
Seller: Salient Holdings Limited
© 2010 Salient Holdings Limited
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later.
Great Tank War for iPhone is an arcade dual-stick shooter based in World War II where you take control of a variety of tanks and blast your way through level after level of level of battles.
The dual-stick controls work very well and are nice and responsive with the left thumb-stick controlling your movement while the right thumb-stick controls the firepower of your tank. While these controls seem very simplistic they offer a lot of control and the right thumb-stick will not only fire your tanks cannon but also the secondary weapon whether that be the standard missile or one of the upgradable items such as the Pounder Firefly, Flamethrower, Calliope or 105MM howitzer.
The whole app has a nice military theme to it, from navigation menus to the game itself it’s very in keeping with the World War II theme. The sound effects in the game are good too and when you are under attack from multiple sources the sound only adds to the overall frenzy and action that is felt. Having said that it would be nice if there was a great variety of sounds when the soldiers die rather than the same one repeated over and over again!
It’s difficult to tell how many levels there are in total and how much variety there is but of the levels I’ve completed there are split equally between survival mode where you have to stay alive for a certain amount of time and Destroy Mode where you have a certain amount of time to clear the level of all enemies whether they be on foot or at the wheel of a tank.
Death can not only come from the enemy on the ground but also from bombs that are dropped from planes flying overhead. You can’t shoot at the planes but avoiding the bombs is relatively easy, despite the speed of your tank, thanks to the destination of the bombs being marked on the ground. The same can be said for the men that parachute in and rather than having to wait for them to land before you can kill them, you can also place your take beneath them and they will die as soon as they land on your tank.
While the controls are easy to pick up the same can not be said of the difficulty level of the game itself where I find multiple attempts were required to complete even some of the early levels and while this adds longevity to the game it would be nice if there were options to how difficulty the game was so that both beginners and advanced players could play the game on a level playing field.
The other thing that makes the game a little difficult is the ability to upgrade your tanks. Upgrading is done via earning gold from pick-ups within the game, however the amount of gold you are able to pick up compared to the amount that is needed for even the smallest of upgrades required you to complete multiple levels before it becomes attainable.
It’s also disappointing to see that there is no multi-player option available as Great Tank War would be a great two play game with only some minor changes to the game-play. Perhaps this will be introduced in a future update.
If you are quick you should be able to pick up Great Tank War for a mere 99c which is a bargain especially if they continue to release updates to the game, at it’s full price of $4.99 the game becomes less great value for money.
Price: $0.99 (iTunes Store)
Category: Games
Released: Jul 01, 2010
Version: 1.0.0
Size: 30.8 MB
Language: English
Seller: SK Telecom
© JELLYOASIS INC. ALL RIGHT RESERVED.
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later.
EA Mobile recently announced their upcoming game for iPhone/iPod touch called “R-Type” The game is a classic side scrolling shoot-em-up arcade game in which you control a space fighter to defend humanity.
R-Type for iPhone keeps 100% true to the original game allowing fans to get back to the ‘80s video-arcade experience in the palm of their hands.
R-Type for iPhone and iPod touch will be coming soon from EA Mobile.
With all that has been going on in the Gulf of Mexico with the BP oil spill it’s difficult to remember sometimes the beauty that goes on below the surface of some of the worlds oceans. Well, in case you are in need of a reminder then you can’t go too wrong with MarineBlueHD from developers IndiaAn.
MarineBlueHD is an underwater shoot-em up with faced paced action and lots of explosions! The underwater scenery looks very nice and the overall water effects gives a great impression of being deep underwater.
Unfortunately there is only one location so while that location may look good there’s not much variety to the environment or the repetitive music that is on a 3 second loop that eventually ends up being only slightly less annoying that a stadium full of vuvuzelas!
Once you get into the under sea action the initial few minutes of game play are quite fun. From your stationary submarine located at the bottom of the screen your task is to simple blow everything that moves out of the water with your torpedoes. You don’t have to worry about direction and power though as all you need to do to launch your weapon is to touch the screen where you want the torpedo to explode.
This makes things pretty easy to hit with the only thing that you’ll need to take into consideration is the the movement of the schools of fish and other underwater creatures. There is also no limit on the number of torpedoes either so you can repeatedly tap the screen without fear of ever running out of weapons.
Combo’s can be earned by hitting multiple targets in quick succession and power-ups can also be gained, these include piranhas, extra time and freezing the fish all helping you to maximize your points.
There are no levels to progress through it’s just a simple race to get the highest score possible before the time runs out. There is OpenFeint integration too but only partial integration with no achievements possible but just 3 leader boards for highest scores, most combo’s and most hits.
Even at just $.99 for the iPad MarineBlueHD is going to leave you feeling a little short changed, while the action is frantic the longevity of the game is way too short.
Price: $0.99 (iTunes Store)
Category: Games
Released: Jun 08, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.0.0
Size: 13.6 MB
Language: English
Seller: 해준 Byun
© IndieApps
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.1.2 or later.
There are certain words that I never thought I would find myself writing, especially in a review of an iPhone/iPod Touch game but there is a first time for everything and with that in mind let me introduce you to the word Pupaphobia. So what is Pupaphobia I hear you ask, well it’s quite simply the fear of puppets and if you have Pupaphobia then this game could be the cure. Puppet War:FPS throws you into a world where you are under attack from mutant puppets and it’s a fight to the death!
There are a few decent FPS games for the iPhone/iPod Touch now but none that I have seen compare to this. You play the part of an old janitor who finds himself stuck in a colourful children’s TV show under attack from the puppets.
It’s certainly an original storyline and it’s been well implemented too. The graphics look like a cross between Sesame Street and the Banana Splits and the various puppets that launch themselves at you have a menacing glint in their eye that could really make you believe that they are out to get you.
Controls on FPS games have always be pretty tricky to implement on a touch screen device as there never seems to be enough buttons to enable all the movement that you need. However that is not the case with Puppet War: FPS which utilizes a virtual joystick for movement, an action button to shoot your weapon of choice and aiming controls via dragging your finger across the touch screen. This may seem like a lot to remember especially when you consider that you are under attack by multiple puppets all at the same time but in actual fact the controls are very intuitive.
There are a good choice of weapons to choose from too, presuming that is you are skilled enough to unlock them all. From the simplicity of a broom or baseball bat to the explosiveness of grenades and chainsaws there are weapons for everyone here and using them on puppets adds an extra degree of satisfaction to the killing spree.
The one major downside to the game is the fact that there is currently only one map and that is the TV Studio itself which despite it looking great can get a little boring after a while. Hopefully a future update will include more maps and add to the fun. A multi-player option would be nice as would some leader boards and who knows maybe that will all be made available in a later update.
As you kill the evil puppet army you will be able to pick up stars which you can then spend on the bigger and better weapons as they become unlocked. You will also find health and ammo packs located around the childrens TV studio and these will certainly come in handy as you progress through the later levels where the action becomes more and more frantic.
There are a range of puppets that will come after you and each have a variety of attacks and movements. The most frustrating of them is the little leaping puppet that is difficult to kill. I did notice some slow-down on some levels where there were a lot of puppets on screen even a re-start of my 2G iPod touch didn’t fix it.
If you are quick you should be able to pick up Puppet Wars:FPS for just $1.99 and at that price, even with only a single map, it’s great fun to play and puts all those ‘realistic’ first person shooters in the shade.
Price: $1.99 (iTunes Store)
Category: Games
Released: Jun 10, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.0
Size: 34.0 MB
Language: English
Seller: OREN BEN TOV
© 2010 Twindigo
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.1.3 or later.
R.O.F.F.L.E. – Blazingly Destructive!! [rating: 2.5/5]
R.O.F.F.L.E is the latest in an ever growing line of stick games to hit the app Store and like so many others the the main theme of this game is to kill, kill and kill some more.
The point of this stick game developed by Red Cabana Studios is to complete 17 achievements which in turn unlock 9 weapons which you can then use against the unlimited number of enemy stick men that are yours to toy with.
The unlocking of these achievements is completed across three different maps which can be described in 1 word, bleak! Bleak in the sense that they just use a collection of platforms with sporadic ‘features’ placed around the landscape in order for you to perform specific kills.
And it’s the method of the kills that will unlock the achievements and weapons, for example if you want to unlock the grenade launcher you’ll need to complete two achievements. The first will require you to kill 3 enemies with your SMG and 2 with your shotgun, twice while the second one will require you to kill 25 enemies by drowning.
Performing the kills is relatively simple. Your stick character will be placed in the middle of the chosen map and from there you have the ability to move left, right and jump using the keys in the bottom left and right hand corner of the screen. Touching anywhere on the screen will cause you to kick, shoot or perform the action of the weapon you are equipped with at the time.
Unlike many other games you are also in control of the enemies which you can cause to spawn at anytime you like so that you can per morn the necessary method of execution on them. Because there is no time limit and the fact that the enemies don’t fight back the game feels more like it’s in permanent practice mode as the only urgency in the game is the speed to which you wish to unlock all of the achievements.
If a scoring system is added, additional maps or a variety of enemies is added then this could be an entertaining game, otherwise while there are moments of entertainment as you attempt to kill the enemies in a variety of ways R.O.F.F.L.E, which stands for Running On Floor Feeling Like Evil, is ultimately unsatisfying.
The Good
The Not So Good
Price: $0.99 (iTunes Store)
Updated: Apr 06, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.2
1.2 (iPhone OS 3.0 Tested)
Size: 60.0 MB
Language: English
Seller: Red Cabana Studios
© 2009 Red Cabana Studios
Rated 9+ for the following:
Infrequent/Mild Realistic Violence
Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iPhone OS 2.2.1 or later.
Heavy Gunner 3D for iPad [rating: 5/5]
A great game that plays even better on the iPad!
Com2us have ported another of their quality titles to the iPad and this time it’s Heavy Gunner 3D for iPad. Back in February this year we reviewed and rated Heavy Gunner 3D when it was released for iPhone and iPod Touch. We commented on the great graphics, sound, controls and the immersive environment and rated it with an unmissable score of 5/5. You can read the full review here for more details.
Even at this early stage many developers have created unique versions of their existing applications that utilize the extra capacity of the iPad from the extra power to the extra space and it’s resulted in some great games. However in a similar situation to the iPad specific release from Com2us of Homerun Battle 3D the iPad version of Heavy Gunner 3D is nothing more than a slightly tweaked version of the original. No additional features, no additional levels just graphics that have been updated to look better on the iPad compared to the original application being expanded to x2.
One area that has definitely improved from the move to the iPad is the controls. Nothing has changed in the control method between the two version of the game but the extra size gives you a greater level of accuracy in aim your two weapons. Controlling the weapons is via the two virtual pads in the bottom left and right hand corner of the screen which you control using both thumbs. Each weapon is independent of the other and it’s much easier to use them independently in this new version on the iPad than it was on previous version which lends itself to a more enjoyable playing experience.
The wave after wave of enemies are just as ferocious as ever and do look great on the larger screen and the sound now sounds great even when you don’t use earphones for an even more immersive feel. You can still upgrade you weapons which you will certainly need to do if you plan to progress through the 25+ missions.
Despite the lack of additional features between the iPhone/iPod Touch version and this iPad version Heavy Gunner 3D for iPad is still a great game and even at $2 more than the iPhone/iPod Touch original it’s still a worthy addition to your application arsenal.
The Good
The Not So Good
Price: $4.99 (iTunes Store Preview)
Released: Apr 01, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.0.0
Size: 21.5 MB
Language: English
Seller: Com2us USA, Inc.
© 2010 Com2uS
Rated 9+ for the following:
Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.2 or later.
Back in November we reviewed Roswell Fighter and scored it a decent 4/5 and commented that it had a great atmosphere, simple accurate controls and adrenalin pumping fun. Well now a similar game in the form of Mortal Skies is available in the App Store so how does it compare?
Your craft is similar in the form of an old style fighter jet and similarly your task is to fly your jet up the screen over the the desolate landscape shooting down the never ending onslaught of army planes and helicopters. The game has a distinct military theme to it and not only will you come under attack from the air but you will also find tanks and rocket launchers attempting to take you down from the ground too.
As is normal in these style of games you’ll find yourself being able to upgrade your basic weapon and pick up other power-ups to aid you on your journey. These bonus weapons can be activated by double taping the screen and as you do you invincibility, megabomb and wingman will swing into action.
Accessing the power-ups is done by shooting down a complete set of any of the wave after wave of enemies that head your way. If you take a offensive approach you will find yourself rewarded with many power-ups which in turn makes things easy for you. Take a defensive stance and you’ll find yourself on the wrong end of a losing battle.
Activating your bonus weapons is easy as are your other controls. Your jet fires automatically and you have to options when in comes to controlling your movement. The first option is to control your jet by moving your finger on the screen. I found this the most responsive but often found my hand blocking parts of the screen and considering that you can be attacked from all angles this can sometimes obscure them.
The other option is to use the accelerometer to move yourself around and while not as responsive it does give you a full field of vision to ensure you aren’t surprised by a sneak attack. You can calibrate the accelerometer control to, so whether you are standing up, sitting or lying down you can get the perfect angel on the action.
The audio is pretty good and the graphics are effective if nothing spectacular. However while these two aspects don’t add anything to the game they also don’t distract from it either and it certainly shouldn’t detract you from buying the game.
The major down side of this Mortal Skies is that there are only 7 levels to play through and none of them are particularly long either. Although the addition of multiple achievements and an online leader board will add extra longevity to this fun shooter.
If you are a fan of this kind of game you won’t be disappointed, but you may complete it pretty quickly!
The Good
The Not So Good
Reviewed By: Craig Willis
Mortal Skies
Price: $1.99 (iTunes Store)
Reviewed Version 1.1
Size: 9.0 MB
Seller: Erwin Jansen
Byte Mark Games latest game Dawn of The Dead is now available on App Store (iTunes Store, $1.99) The game is based on the smash hit horror movie.
Your town has been plagued with horrific zombies and you escaped the infested suburb but now you have to find the other survivors while keeping yourself alive. The gameplay looks fantastic filled with gory graphics and bone crushing sound effects.
Game Features:
‘Dawn of The Dead’ for iPhone Gameplay
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Chillingo has been publishing highly polished games for the iPhone, their name is almost synonymous with ‘awesome iPhone games’ They have been successful in producing many popular games like Zen Bound, iDracula – Undead Awakening and Minigore to name a few. Chillingo is all set to release their upcoming game Guerrilla Bob which has been developed by Angry Mob Studios.
Gameplay videos after the break!
We have been noticing an increase in the number of survival shooting games and there are some exceptional games available in the App Store if you love this genre and Minigore (iTunes, $1.99) from Chillingo is certainly worth checking out.
Guerrilla Bob For iPhone has been creating a lot of buzz and the gameplay videos have been viewed more than 45,000 times on YouTube in the past two months. Guerrilla Bob is a dual stick survival shooting game for iPhone and iPod touch with high detail cartoon style 3D graphics.
Angry Mob Studios have presented the game very well with beautiful artwork and music. You play as Guerrilla Bob in this top-down shooter and your mission is to take revenge from his friend and his troops who set him up to look like a corrupt solider.
The game is going through the polishing stage now and will be ready to be published in the coming weeks.
Guerrilla Bob For iPhone Gameplay Videos
Guerrilla Bob Screenshots
]]> https://touchreviews.net/guerrilla-bob-iphone-game-preview/feed/ 1Another first time developer has released their first game in the App Store and this time it’s Killerstorm Studios with their shooter MVMG which in its full form stands for Machine vs Machine Gun. In MVMG you take the role of Sargent Jackson as you attempt to save the human race against 8 onslaughts of alien robots in various forms.
The game is played in first person perspective from the seat of a machine gun turret and your task is to shoot down wave after wave of the enemy robots as they swarm toward you. Controlling the machine gun is done via the touch screen and as you more your finger around the screen the machine gun will move up, down and around shoot as you do. These controls take a little getting used to and getting the precise angle to kill the robots, some of which can only be killed by hitting specific areas, can be tricky too. The thing I struggled with most though is the fact that because the game uses this simple single finger control that requires constant touching of the touch screen my finger would start to hurt very quickly!
The style of the game reminded me of a metallic Tron, albeit with a lesser emphasis on the Neon lights and a dark, moody atmosphere. The repetitive sound of the machine gun, while realistic, can become tiresome especially if you are using head-phones to play the game.
Starting the game launches the first of 8 ferocious levels and you will soon find your self under siege from a range of robots, some humanoid, some animal like, while some will fly towards you. All of the robots will fire at you with a variety of intensity and power and it will be up to you to prioritize which should be shot first, sometimes you will find it necessary to take an attack from one of the lesser robots so that you can take out one of the more aggressive, stronger robots.
In addition to your single machine gun you do have a shield that can be utilized at times. The shield is limited though and should only be used when definitely required otherwise you will find yourself becoming the victim rather than the victor! Power-ups are available within the game but even these are limited and must be used wisely. My favorite is the lazer which for a short amount of time when enabled will rip through any enemy that it comes into contact with.
The major differences between the eight levels are slight tweaks in the environments and the addition of more and more enemies to kill which can make the game a little repetitive. Progress on each level can be tracked by the number of enemies left to come rather than an amount of time that you have to survive with the last robot of each level being a big boss that will take accuracy and skill to defeat.
For 99c MVMG will provide an interesting distraction in small bursts especially if you are a fan of shoot-em ups, for some though their money will be better spent elsewhere as the repetitive nature of the action could become boring very quickly and with no multi-player option or online/local leader boards the longevity of the game is going to be limited.
The Good
The Not So Good
Price: $.99 as of Jan 07, 2010 (iTunes Store Link)
Version reviewed: 1.1
Size: 29.5 MB
Seller: Killerstorm Studios
Reviewed by: Craig Willis
MVMG (Machine VS Machine Gun the iPhone Game)
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There are plenty of Sniper games for iPhone in the App Store and some of them have found a spot in the Top 100 iPhone games category. Sniper Strike is a new shooting game from Donoma Games which adds some interesting game-play modes to the genre and promises to challenge your shooting abilities!
Sniper Strike has three game-play modes which include Arcade, Massacre and Protect the Flag. In Arcade mode you need to spot a particular target in the crowd and then shoot it. As you continue to locate the enemy and shoot you earn more money which can be used to buy more weapons and upgrades. If you kill the wrong target then you lose the money which adds some challenge to the game. Massacre mode allows you to shoot any number of targets in the given time and in Protect the Flag mode you have to stop the enemy from taking the flag away from the map.
Current version of Sniper Strike offers two maps to play in, both Village and City maps are well designed. Most Sniper games have been criticized for including static targets which makes the game dull, Sniper Strike adds a fresh look to the game with beautiful isometric graphics and targets which move around the Village and the City.
The game does not support online or local multiplayer which was a disappointment however, the game does support Open Feint to enable global high score and achievements to unlock.
Sniper Strike is a great game but it stills needs more depth in its gameplay. Your targets will never shoot back at you and you cannot interact with the game environment. Shooting at a building wall will not result in any action. The sound effects are good, firing bullets and reloading your weapon sounds realistic.
Control system in Sniper Strike is very simple. You can tap anywhere on the screen to target your enemies and tap on the right to fire. Shooting at different parts of the body of a target will result in varied damage and aiming for the head can be challenging initially. You can zoom into the map by buying the scope upgrade in the weapon store which allows you to be able to zoom up to 3 levels.
Sniper Strike for iPhone has a lot of potential and if the developer updates the game with more features and maps it will definitely add more re-playability and fun to the game.
Price: $1.99 (iTunes Link)
The Good
The Not So Good
Reviewed by: Ravin
Trailer
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