You know the story, alien has diamonds, alien loses diamonds, you help alien collect diamonds! It’s the usual story that you hear everyday and now you can live it on on your iPhone and iPad in the universal game My Diamonds.
If you’ve played such games as Cut The Rope, Where’s my Water or even Angry Birds then you will feel right at home with this fun physics puzzler which challenges you to collect diamonds in over 60 levels spread across the garden, garage and kitchen.
To add an additional twist over the three star rating system of most other similar games My Diamonds creatively adds an additional star so on each level you are rated on speed and accuracy out of 4 rather than the usual 3.
The graphics are relatively simple but they effectively represent the three environments and the various tools that are put to your disposal to collect the diamonds that pour from the multiple faucets when you choose to turn them on.
Given that you are in control of when the diamonds start flowing from the faucets you are given the opportunity to move the multitude of objects that you can use to impact the movement of the diamonds.
A nice feature is the way that ghost diamonds will initially flow from the faucet that will provide an outline of where the real diamonds will go once you turn them on. Aligning them with the ghost diamonds wont always get 100% of your diamonds but it gets you to with the odd tweak of completing the levels with all the stars.
Another nice touch is that you can move the objects while the diamonds are in motion, this is sometimes a requirement of the level, other times it’s a feature that can help you take shortcuts to complete the level.
You’ll start with 20 levels in the garden before moving on to another 20 in the garage before moving into the kitchen. As with most games these days if you aren’t willing or able to unlock the later levels you can do so with a one off in-app purchase of 99 cents on top of the initial 99 cent outlay for the game itself.
Overall My Diamonds {$.99, App Store} is a fun physics puzzle game with charm and a decent amount of challenge and given the promise of further levels via free updates, achievements and high scores via Game Center integration it should be an easy choice for players that like this genre of games.
The one problem that it would be nice to see addressed especially considering that this is a universal app is the inability to synchronise your progress between devices, perhaps that will come in a future free update too!
[rating: 4/5]What we like
What to know
Apple now has over 300,000 apps in the iOS App Store and over 100,000 in the Mac App Store. It’s almost impossible to fathom just how successful both App Stores have been and how much more potential it has, to become even a bigger part of our everyday lives.
Late last week, Apple introduced a new promotion in both the Mac App Store and the iOS App Store, called Free App of the Week as well as Editor’s Choice. The Free App of the Week is self explanatory based on the name and builds on Apple’s past app giveaways via retail outlets such as Starbucks which began to offer select apps and even iBooks every week via promotional codes.
This week’s Free App of the Week is the normally priced 99 cents, Cut The Rope: Experiments app which is currently posted on the front page of the iTunes App Store. Apple has also added Editor’s Choice, with certain apps gettting a separate distinction than others in the App Store and posted to the front page alongside the Free App of the Week. These apps are likely judged on their usability, development, and popularity.
For this past week, the chosen apps were Deus X Human Revolution and Cobook in the Mac App Store. The iOS App Store’s Editor’s Choice apps were Extreme Skater and as expected, Facebook Camera. Apple continues to build on its App Store for both iOS products and the Mac and gives developers all of the spotlight.
This latest promotional addition will give app developers a chance to showcase the hard work and effort that they put into developing credible and fun apps for Apple’s App Store.
{via: TUAW — Image Credit: Arstechnica}
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Zio Ball is a bit of pinball, a bit of a maze, a bit of Cut the Rope, and more difficult than a first glance would indicate. The challenge is to place magnetic spots that pull or push your ball toward the escape hatch.
Zio Ball is easy to understand and has few controls to master. You are given an obstacle course with a ball placed in it and magnetic spots to position in relation to the course to move the ball to the escape hatch. The red magnets pull the ball and the blue magnets push it. But getting these magnets placed so they have just the right amount of influence on the ball is the tricky part. Beyond placing the magnets, the only other control is turning them on or off. That allows you to drop the ball at strategic times to send it rolling in a useful direction.
Placing the magnets in just the right locations to move the ball through the course isn’t easy. Just a nudge one way or the other can leave the ball motionless or jammed between the magnet and the course. And coordinating the push and pull of the magnets with the timing of the on/off switch can take several attempts to get right. And refraining from trying to swing or tilt the ball using the accelerometer is hard to overcome.
The industrial look of the game suits the task perfectly. The setting of the courses resembles a tunnel or an engineering deck. There are controls for music and sounds, but I couldn’t hear anything. There’s also a control for vibration, which did work and provided feedback when the magnets were interacting with the ball.
While simple in concept and controls, Zio Ball offers a surprising level of difficulty. There are plenty of levels and courses to keep the challenge going. Zio Ball takes a bit more concentration and puzzle solving skill than many games. And if it starts to get easy, there’s always the challenge of beating your best time.
[rating: 4.5/5]What we like:
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If you want a more relaxing way to get your daily 3 star fix than firing slightly perturbed feathered animals at different green animals then growing flowers could be just for you. And if that’s the case then you need to get hold of Chillingo’s latest game, Light the Flower.
The challenge in each of the 60 levels spread across 5 different homes is to get as much light as possible to all the plants in the house. The 3 star challenge comes from equally lighting up three stars as you bounce the light around the room to the sun thirsty plant.
The light source on each of the levels is the sun that streams in through one or more of the windows. You then get to use a combination of mirrors, prisms and filters to bounce and change the path of the light to the darkened corner where the plant has been positioned.
The touch controls are smooth and accurate. You can drag the mirrors around the room and rotate them so that you can get the perfect angle. It’s also worth noting the splitting the beams of light is key in some of the levels as multiple plants have to be bathed in sunlight.
The challenge is increased as you progress through the various houses not only by multiple plants but also by their need for different colored light. This is achieved by passing the sunlight through different colored filters.
Throughout the game your progress is hindered by a variety of household items that are strewn throughout the different rooms which block the light from passing requiring you to bounce the sunlight around them.
As with all such games you can progress through the game relatively easily if you don’t care to achieve all three stars on each level, but then where’s the fun in that!
The game has a Cut the Rope feel to it especially in regard to the cartoon style graphics and the jolly background music that keeps things moving along nicely! Light the Flower is a fun, challenging puzzle game and the nature of the game means that you can just keep making slight adjustments to achieve the result you desire.
Additional levels are promised in future updates but that’s not to say that the 60 levels aren’t good value in themselves especially if you complete them all with 3 stars. If you want to unlock the current 5 houses you will need to get all the stars you can though, otherwise you’ll need to unlock them via a 99cent in app purchase.
Light the Flower is available now for just 99 cents in the App Store and as a universal game it’s great value for money if you do happen to own both an iPhone and an iPad. What it doesn’t do is synchronise your data between the two devices which is slightly frustrating.
Both Crystal and GameCentre integration is included so you can view your progress with all your friends.
[rating: 4/5]What we like
What to know
Ba Da Bump Review: At first glance it would be easy to assume that you were playing a spin off of Cut The Rope from Chillingo, from the Om Nom looking dragon who’s fire has been stolen to the back ground music that accompanies the game the similarities are certainly there. Perhaps the designers of Ba Da Bump {$0.99} were inspired by Cut The Rope. If they were it’s no bad thing as Cut The Rope is a great game. Can Ba Da Bump live up to this comparison though?
You take the role of a dragon whose fire has been trapped inside glass balls by Octopus the Magician, to get his fire back he must free the fire by breaking the balls of fire that he spits out of his mouth.
Each ball of spit takes 3 subsequent hits to be broken so accuracy of your aim is key as depending on where your fire ball lands will depend on how much of the screen real estate it will take up. Your playing area is limited to the size of the screen and your fire ball will bounce off the sides. Your ball will grow to the maximum size it can until it will touch the side of the screen or another fire ball. Keeping the balls small is key to this game.
The balls will bounce off of the other balls too and should they bounce back down the screen and beyond the game-over line you will lose one of your three life’s. You do need to hit the other balls though so that you can break them, release your fire and earn your points.
The game has simple, colorful graphics and the music and sound effects are pleasurable too making the whole experience of playing Ba Da Bump a fun one. The aim of the game is to simply score as many points as you can be assisted in the points chase thanks to multipliers and bonus stars which could eventually lead you to the mysteries of the dragon and a very special secret.
Because of the non-existence of levels to work your way through, power- ups to unlock or even achievements the game my lack some of the depth of similar titles but the pick up and play fun certainly goes some way to rectify that.
Ba Da Bump is just 99 cents, is a universal app and will keep you entertained for a good time.
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[rating: 4/5]
Bouncy Mouse HD Review: A mashup between Angry Birds and Cut the Rope that will have you springing and swinging for hours.
You are a mouse with a truly remarkable tale, and tail. You’re out for revenge against the cat that stole your cheese. You use that special tail to swing and fling your way through an obstacle course. In a move reminiscent of the Angry Birds slingshot, you use your finger to pull back on the mouse hanging by the tail. Upon release, if you get close enough to another peg to swing from, you will advance along the course. You may have even picked up some cheese pieces along the way. If you’ve totally missed, you bounce around like a pinball until you come close enough to a peg to get pulled in or you settle on the bottom and get reset to a peg nearby.
Controlling your mouse can be troublesome if you have old habits from either Cut the Rope or Angry Birds. It appears to be similar, but its not. If you slide back into old habits, you’ll find it doesn’t work so well. It’s really a cross between the two. New habits can be formed, but you may be tripped up for a while.
The game intro is visual only; there is no text to read. This is a feature I wish more games would employ; however this one seems a bit incomplete or confusing. Maybe the mouse and cat look too similar. But you don’t need the full back-story to figure out what’s going on and understand the objective of the game.
This game looks great on an iPad; more like Angry Birds than Cut the Rope. Bright, clear colors, simple characters and obstacles, and carnival-style music all keep the game focused on fun. It’s certainly kid friendly as well as a good challenge for adults.
Bouncy Mouse HD {$.99} takes the mechanics of two great games and combines them into a fun and sometimes difficult, but not too frustrating, piece of entertainment perfectly suited to iPad play.
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Cut the Rope: Experiments Review: A great physics-based game where the objective is to get the candy dangling at the end of a rope into the open mouth of the ever-hungry little creature Om Nom.
The latest incarnation has all the familiar ropes introduced in the original Cut The Rope for iPhone, needing to be cut and gravity to be calculated. What makes it different is the introduction of The Professor who provides some interesting experiments and color commentary to the game.
The game has the same cute, clear, bright look as the rest of the Cut the Rope games. The music has a game-show feel to it, and some of the sound effects are quite amusing. This game could be described as goofy if cutting the ropes correctly wasn’t such serious business.
Some of the puzzles are relatively easy and some are more difficult. And some can be both, so you can either choose to take the easy way out or put some effort into it for more points.
Game Center integration is provided so you can track your achievements and check the leaderboards to see where you stand. A comic book app with further adventures of Om Nom and The Professor is being developed and should be available soon from the app store.
Cut the Rope: Experiments has all the appeal of previous editions. If you’ve mastered the other variants, this one will challenge you to put those skills to new tests. It’s a fun twist on an iOS classic.
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[rating: 2/5]
Rolling Fall Review: The undead have hit the App Store again and while the world may not be over run with zombies yet it appears the Apple’s gaming platforms certainly are. This time the zombies come in the form of Rolling Fall ($0.99), a physics based puzzle game where your task is to kill the zombies by using the gravitational pull of cannonballs falling to the ground to kill them.
Cast as the lone survivor in a city over run by flesh hunting zombies you use a variety of objects to smash, maim and ultimately kill off the zombies that infiltrate everyone of the 80 levels that come with the first instalment of the game.
The levels take up the whole of the iPhone’s screen but not beyond it so there is no scrolling around the levels required. Instead in a similar way to Cut The Rope in Rolling Fall you cut the chains of suspended iron balls, wooden boxes and a variety of bars to smash the still, in both meanings of the work, standing rag doll zombies.
As with this genre of game things start is with single chain cuts releasing balls onto the zombies putting them out of their misery. Things doesn’t stay so simple for long though and soon you will be having to perform multiple cuts in a timely man nor to ensure the balls and bars fall and roll in the appropriate direction to kill their foes.
The graphics have a certain zombiesc charm to them and the music is suitably haunting to add to the spooky environment but there is certainly nothing here that you haven’t seen before. The 3 star rating system too is a tried and tested formula that enables you to complete the game relatively quickly with a simple 1 star rating but offers the added value of being able to return to the game to clear them all with 3 stars.
The rating is scored of how fast you complete the level, how hard you hit the zombies and the number of traps you use and with every useable object having it’s own weight, friction and elasticity rating the challenge is to use them in the most appropriate way to get the best results. Don’t be expecting blood and gore in this zombbiefest however as the rag doll zombies are exactly that, simply crumbling with contact rather than being blood curdling smashed apart as you may expect in such games.
80 Levels with the promise of more to come does suggest good value for more but there’s not much variety in them to keep the more serious gamer entertained. And if you are a fan of zombies the lack of blood and guts may leave you thirsting for more also.
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The highly popular game Cut The Rope has just had a spinoff released called Cut The Rope: Experiments. It promises to be more of the same intriguing game play with a few new twists added.
In this version a new character, the Professor, has been introduced. Om Nom’s ability to devour candy endlessly has piqued his curiosity. He wants to conduct experiments into this fascinating behavior. New features have been added to assist him.
Cut the Rope: Experiments requires a different kind of strategy as players navigate new features including a rope gun and suction cup. The animation and soundtrack have also been updated, and the game includes colorful commentary by the Professor as he responds to Om Nom’s behavior and the players’ achievements.
The game is available for both iPhone and iPad. The iPhone version is priced at $.99 and the iPad version can be bought for $1.99. It is also Game Center compatible. And will be available worldwide on Thursday, August 4.
In addition, ZeptoLab is also promising a Cut The Rope comic book coming soon to the app store. Om Nom and the professor will have a whole new set of adventures for that.
Check out the official trailer below and let us know what you think.
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If you have ever played Cut The Rope or enjoy a good physics based puzzle game then Spider Jack developed by Chillingo’s Clickgamer is certainly worth checking out.
Spider Jack [$.99] is clearly inspired by the gameplay of Cut The Rope, in this new addictive game its all about helping the spider catch the flies to satisfy his hunger. He swings from his web and you then need to cut a web so he can reach the fly.
First of all you start out in the Barn room, there is also a bathroom and laboratory room but you have to collect a set amount of stars before you can enter them. So once you are in the room you work your way through each level.
When the game begins you have to tap a button for the web to appear. When you do your friendly Spider Jack attaches himself to it and starts moving along it. Depending how the web is postioned will determine where Jack is going to go. You may find he swings from left to right or just tangles down. You have to use your skills to drop him to the fly by cutting the web with your finger. You need to do this when he is positioned over the fly. Once that is done you have completed the level.
Like Angry Birds and Cut The Rope there is also the chance to collect stars as you go. The more stars you collect the more points you achieve and as I mentioned earlier you will then unlock the other rooms.
The levels start off fairly easy and then as you progress obstacles are put in your way. Things like hairdryers to blow you the wrong way or electricity to zap and fry you! When you get further into the game you will also need to use two webs. You will then have to work them together to swing Jack where he needs to go. It is all about timing and a precise cut of the rope web.
There are 75 levels to complete and the developers have promised that there are more to come. It is a great idea having the stars to collect as well. This is popular in the other games and gives extended game play if you want to redo levels and collect all stars.
I really enjoyed the cutesy graphics and sound effects. Spider Jack makes some cute and funny noises. It had me giggling when he was puffing and panting climbing up a web! The animated graphics are colourful and fun and very entertaining at times.
Spider Jack also has Game Center support so you can compete on the leader board and try and get all the achievements. Again it is offering more reason for you to come back and keep playing. It is a fun game that all ages will enjoy.
Pros
Cons
$0.99
Category: Games
Released: May 05, 2011
Version: 1.0
1.0 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
Size: 16.7 MB
Languages: English, Russian
Seller: Clickgamer Technologies Ltd
© MaxNick
Rated 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later
The object of the game is to help spider jack catch insects to fill its appetite while collecting all the stars to achieve a perfect score. The spider swings around on its thread and there are various objects scattered around the environment which will either help you or prevent you from reaching your goal.
We played the game for a bit and were impressed with the cutesy graphics, level design, good physics and animation. If you loved casual games like Cut the Rope or Burn The Rope then you will certainly enjoy Spider Jack too.
With more than 70 levels, retina display, Game Center integration and free updates with new levels on the way this game is definitely worth checking out. If you’ve already bought the game, let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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[rating: 4/5]
Jump Out for iPhone 4 is brought to you by Avallon Alliance Limited and is a new physics puzzler. Think Cut The Rope but this time with little cute bugs jumping about on your screen.
The big googly-eyed bugs in ‘Jump Out‘ have had enough being stuck in the box and are now waiting for you to help them escape. With 60 levels to complete you the differents bugs will have to dodge obstacles to get to safety while collecting stars as you go.
You start out as a charming beetle bug. To get around your box you have to bounce onto what looks like bottle tops. Bouncing from one to the other. If the bug lands on the floor though, you will see your new found friendly bug wither away and die. So it’s best to watch out so that you are careful with your jumps!
The controls are easy to pick up. When you first start to play the game it will show you the controls in the background of how to control your bug. Simply flick him by holding on to him then letting go. If you want to see where he might land hold your finger down longer and a line will appear to guide you with your aim. I must admit once I figured out that bit, it was a little easier at getting him to go where I wanted.
You have to aim for the exit and while you are jumping from bottle top to bottle top collect stars as you go. The more stars you collect the more points you earn. To get to the next level you only actually have to get one bug through the exit. I felt this a bit strange as I expected to have to get all bugs through but that wasn’t the case. At times this made it a slightly easier to play. You do score more obviously if you manage to free all.
The warm up levels are quite easy but help you get into the swing of things for the harder levels. As you progress you will start getting obstacles in the way like sugar cube barriers and fans blowing strong air out. Each one needing the bug to work its way around it.
There are currently four bugs to free, the charming beetle, high-jumping cricket, feeble shrimp and tough snail each with their own unique abilities. You get new bugs as you work through the levels.
The graphics are fun and colourful, with great animated characters. Their huge eyes are bound to have you feeling sorry for them and help them the best you can!
It is a fun, challenging game for all ages and one that can be picked up and played for any length of time. There is Game Center support coming soon. The developers have also promised new bugs, traps and levels. A great game to try with the promise of much more to come.
Pros
Cons
$0.99
Category: Games
Released: Apr 22, 2011
Version: 1.0
1.0
Size: 13.6 MB
Language: English
Seller: Avallon Alliance Ltd.
© 2011 by Avallon Alliance LTD
Rated 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1 or later
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Smoody [rating: 4.5/5]
A species has found itself spread out throughout space and Earth and are trying to reunite and it’s your job to help them. Smoody for iPhone is an awesome game that challenges you to find creative methods of getting your character through a series of obstacles to a black hole. Various actions like tapping, sliding or releasing help you find ways to get them back together. It tests your creativity and quick wits early and often, let’s see if you make the cut.
Smoody offers many different tasks and often several different ways of completing them. You begin by making cuts with your finger (aka chainsaw) on strings and boards and allow gravity to do the rest and take smoody to the black hole. Sounds easy enough right? Well it isn’t always that simple. Getting the highest score is the goal and to do that you have to use as few cuts as possible. This is where it gets interesting, each performance is rated by stars from one to three. Fewer the cuts the more the stars and when you are looking at your level screen, who doesn’t want to see all maps with 3 stars? This makes even the easy maps a little more interesting and keeps the gameplay competitive.
The game often tasks you with picking just the right timing to release you smoody to go through a slew of obstacles such as swinging boulders, boards and rocks. Stationary objects can also present obstacles as you may have to cut to release them to help the game character reach its goal. It is always important to pay attention to your environment because overlooking the smallest thing may stop your smoody cold in its tracks.
The maps are generally short but can take several attempts to get 3 stars. This keeps the game from getting stale and provides you with new looks and challenges around every bend. There are also 4 environments that present you with 80 levels which is an awesome amount, especially since I had a hard time putting this game down. The different environments help with changing up the background and level design so it doesn’t feel like you are continuously doing the same thing over and over.
Smoody does a great job of changing the pace with new types of obstacles. Items like magnets, rolling boulders and swinging boulders change the way you attack maps from the early stages in the game. Learning to adapt to the changes in the environment is key to getting a high score so pay attention.
The visual part of this game is great. The characters are funny little guys and they change throughout the course of the maps. The environments are fairly simple but have a nice clean appearance and clearly show themselves for what they are. It is easy to see if something can be cut through or not. I never had a problem with this game bogging down at any time and it always played very smooth. Overall the appearance and presentation of this game comes second only to the amazing gameplay.
The audio of this game carries a single tune but is there just as a buffer to the sound effects of the game. I found myself paying more attention to the sound effects than the music. The music however was very fitting tune that went well with the game.
This game never got old to me and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I should also mention that it supports OpenFeint social gaming network so you can brag to your friends about your high scores and compare them. I find this to be a value adding feature that I have come to love about games that support it. The presentation and gameplay make a stunning combo and make this game very addictive. It is certainly worth every penny.
Pros
Cons
$0.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released: Mar 08, 2011
Version: 1.0
1.0
Size: 9.5 MB
Language: English
Seller: Federico Kalayjian
© 2011 Federico Kalayjian
Rated 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1.3 or later
London, UK., – October 28, 2010– Leading mobile game publisher Chillingo, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced that ZeptoLab’s chart-topping, addictive puzzler, ‘Cut the Rope’ has now sold more than two million copies worldwide on the Apple App Store in just three weeks since launch.
“Cut the Rope continues to break records with leading, international sales,” explains Chris Byatte, Co-General Manager of Chillingo. “Our new partnership with EA enables us to expand Om Nom’s prospects, visibility and reach to make more of an impact than ever before.”
“Chillingo has done a great job for us in publishing Cut the Rope on the Apple App Store,” said Efim Voinov, CTO of ZeptoLab, “Now with their acquisition by EA, we see more growth opportunities available for us in the future.”
Cut the Rope remains the fastest selling title on the App Store to date (by reaching the 1 million mark within 10 days of launch). The game features innovative, physics-oriented gameplay as players feed dangling candy to Om Nom, an adorable and ravenous, little green creature.
Cut the Rope is available for $.99 (iPhone and iPod touch) and a $1.99 (iPad) from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch or at http://itunes.appple.com/appstore
A Lite version of Cut the Rope will be available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at http://itunes.appple.com/appstore
Get the latest news about Cut the Rope’s incredible new content by following http://www.twitter.com/chillingo; http://www.facebook.com/chillingo, http://www.youtube.com/chillingo
About Chillingo
Chillingo is a subsidiary of Electronic Arts and publishes innovative games and software for various platforms. Other hit iPhone, iPod touch and iPad titles include; Cut the Rope, Angry Birds, Helsing’s Fire, Predators, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Minigore, iDracula, and Modern Conflict. For more information about Chillingo please visit http://chillingo.com.
About Zeptolab
ZeptoLab is a small independent team of professionals dedicated to the science of fun.
We know what good games are made of, and we possess the required ingredients.
Our target platforms at the moment are iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA Mobile™, and POGO™,. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile and POGO are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc
]]> https://touchreviews.net/chillingos-cut-rope-surpasses-million-mark/feed/ 0Ngmoco was recently acquired by Japanese gaming outfit DeNA for $400+ million and today EA annouced that they have acquired Chillingo Ltd., one of the premium independent games publisher. Chillingo has been making headlines for all the right reasons in the last few months. Their recent launches for iOS devices have been major hits on the App Store and they recently announced a strong line up of upcoming games.
Press Release:
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced it has acquired Chillingo Ltd., a leading independent games publisher. With the acquisition of Chillingo, EA Mobile™ has increased market leadership on the Apple® platform and strengthened its position as the world’s leading wireless entertainment publisher. The acquisition combines Chillingo’s expertise in cultivating the ideas of independent developers with EA’s global reach in mobile publishing. Chillingo is widely recognized for publishing highly original and successful games from the developer community. EA is committed to preserving Chillingo’s independence enabling them to manage and cultivate their great network of relationships to deliver the optimal gaming experience for consumers.
About Chillingo
Chillingo publishes innovative games and software for various platforms. Other hit iPhone®, iPod touch® and iPad™ titles include Cut the Rope, Angry Birds, Helsing’s Fire, Predators, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Minigore, iDracula, and Modern Conflict. For more information about Chillingo please visit chillingo.com.
About EA Mobile
EA Mobile™ is the leading wireless entertainment publisher with award-winning game franchises such as Tetris®, Bejeweled®, The Sims™, and Need For Speed™. The EA Mobile portfolio also includes casual games based on the company’s partnership with Hasbro, Inc. including MONOPOLY, YAHTZEE and SCRABBLE (in the U.S. and Canada) as well as sports blockbusters from the EA SPORTS™ brand, including Madden NFL Football, FIFA Soccer and NASCAR®. EA Mobile develops games for multiple mobile platforms including mobile phones, smartphones, the iPhone®, iPad™ and iPod® touch. For more information about EA Mobile, please visit www.eamobile.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA Mobile™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
]]> https://touchreviews.net/ea-acquires-chillingo/feed/ 0Created by developer ZeptoLab, Cut the Rope is a delightful little physics based puzzle game and is available for both iPhone and iPad. No info was released as to which versions were sold towards that magical 1m mark but presumably both platforms are included. Priced at $.99 for iPhone and $1.99 for iPad, that soon adds up to some serious cash!
Chillingo also claims that the speed with which the milestone was reached makes Cut the Rope the fastest selling iOS game thus far. It’s easy to believe too, with the app currently sat at the top of the US and UK app store charts at least. Do we have another Angry Birds on our hands?
The publisher also told Touch Arcade that we can expect more in-game content to be made available over time, possibly mindful of longevity issues that often plague games such as this.
You’ll have to excuse me, I’m off to learn Objective C!
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I often wonder how certain shows make it on TV. When Seinfeld was pitched to the TV execs as a show about nothing, why weren’t they thrown out of the TV execs office? The same applies to games.
Pitching a new car racing game with great handling and graphics is easy, however pitching a game where you have to cut a rope to drop dangling candy into the mouth of a waiting monster would potentially be very difficult.
Luckily for us most games don’t have to be pitched in that way otherwise the risk would be that you would never get to play Cut the Rope.
Across 100 challenging levels, with more to come in a future update, your task is to maneuver a piece of candy to the wide open mouth of Om Nom, a mysterious creature that has just been delivered to you.
The candy is suspended on a rope and a swift swipe across the rope cuts it in two allowing the candy to fall into the wide open mouth of the waiting Om Nom.
The physics of the the candy as it swings on the rope is your first challenge and then timing the cut at just the right time to ensure you get a direct hit.
Feeding Om Nom will get you past the level but the real challenge is picking up the three stars that are placed around the screen. Sometimes this will take multiple attempts but the replay option is so fast it’s never a problem.
Even before you get past the initial 25 levels the difficulty states to get cranked up. From the candy being attached to multiple ropes and bubbles that cause the candy to float until it’s popped, to candy hungry spiders that will try to steal the candy before you can get it to Om Nom.
The difficulty level is beautifully pitched, not so easy that you’ll complete the game in a few hours but difficult enough to keep things challenging and interesting. As with most games from Chillingo the game is connected to their social gaming network named Crystal and this allows you to earn multiple achievements and compare your scores globally on the leader boards.
The game plays so well that you almost don’t notice how great the game looks too. Sharp graphics and smooth animations are the icing on the cake in a game that is all about the great physics puzzles and simple touch controls.
While they wait for new levels to be added to Angry Birds many people have been looking for an alternative, in Cut The Rope they have the answer.
Pros
Cons
$0.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released:Oct 05, 2010
Version:1.0
1.0
12.4 MB
Language:English
Seller:Chillingo Ltd
© ZeptoLab
Rated 4+
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later
Leading downloadable game publisher, Chillingo, today announced that ‘Cut the Rope’ is already the number one top paid game on the Apple App Store across the world in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden and many more – less than 48 hours into the launch. This follows the publisher’s success of its international hit, Angry Birds, which has dominated the App Store charts in recent months.
Chillingo also announced the release of an iPad version that maximizes the stunning HD resolution of the device. Cut the Rope features innovative, physics-oriented gameplay as players feed dangling candy to an adorable green creature named “Om Nom.“
“Cut the Rope is a shining example of the strong relationships Chillingo has with the industry’s best indie developers to launch pioneering new IPs and deliver an unsurpassed gaming experience to consumers,” explains Chris Byatte, Director of Chillingo. “Fans who enjoy the fun, casual gameplay of Angry Birds will adore the lovable, addictive, charm that Cut the Rope has to offer with Om Nom.”
“Leveraging Chillingo’s expertise to publish our beloved ‘Cut The Rope’ title has been critical in elevating it to its success now,” states Efim Voinov, CEO of ZeptoLab. “We are thrilled that fans everywhere are discovering the fun, addictive gameplay Om Nom brings to iOS devices.”
Cut the Rope is available for $.99 (iPhone and iPod touch) and a $1.99 (iPad) from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch or at http://www.itunes.com/appstore/
A Lite version of Cut the Rope will be available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at http://www.itunes.com/appstore/
*Om Nom’s fans can now create their own special ‘Cut the Rope’ delivery box by downloading it here:
Web Link: http://www.zeptolab.com/CTR_paper_model.jpg
PDF version: http://www.zeptolab.com/CTR_paper_model.pdf
Cut the Rope will continue to receive updates featuring new, challenging levels in the coming weeks. Get the latest news about Cut the Rope’s incredible new content by following http://twitter.com/Chillingo
Chillingo publishes innovative games and software for various platforms. Other hit iPhone, iPod touch and iPad titles include; Angry Birds, Helsing’s Fire, Predators, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Minigore, iDracula, and Modern Conflict. For more information about Chillingo please visit chillingo.com.
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