addink on 23/8/2009 at 15:22
Recently bought "StoneLoops!" a shameless Luxor clone. With a pretty good control scheme, basically you drag the shooty thing and it'll shoot on release. Pretty much as additive and fun as Luxor is/was. And currently only 1$ (ends tomorrow).
Also bought "Gang$tar" a shameless GTA3 clone. Which plays exceptionally well. The humor is more of an attempt to match the GTA3 humor than on par with it. But still it looks and plays better than "Car Jack" (a GTA1 clone).
Also, big <3 to the aforementioned Spider.
And: Civilization Revolution is awesome (only wish I could name new cities myself; other than that: It's Civ! \o/ )
Vraptor7 on 23/8/2009 at 20:36
I don't even own an iPhone or iPod Touch, but I wanted to try out Mass Effect Galaxy for a review. So when my cousin came over with his iPod I bought the game and played through it. Pretty mediocre, just as I'd heard, I don't think it's even much worth for fans of the series. The gameplay is simply tilting the device (you only move the character, he shoots automatically) with the occasional tap to use an ability. The story and characters seem quite inconsequential, so the whole thing is pretty skippable.
addink on 8/9/2009 at 09:34
Yeah but:
* BASIC is disabled
* you're not allowed/able to insert your own tape or disk images
* it comes with four crappy gamesThus far that'll basically come down to $1.25 per crappy game. A bit much considering the many quality games available in the AppStore for a dollar or less.
Think I'll wait for the updates.
If it came with Bruce Lee, IK+ or ExplodingFist, Commando, Thrust, Nebulus or Stunt Car Racer, I might be tempted.
---------------
Recently bought
NEX.
A game with mixed reviews mainly because of the difficulty. It's a squad based scifi FPS. The AI is supposed to be 'dangerously intelligent'. Can't say I noticed that but they attack fast and your weapon overheats like nothing you've ever seen. The combination of which makes strategically positioning your squad mandatory.
The combination of a wonky arsenal, the non-linear level layout and spaceship corridors make it the closest thing to System Shock available on the iPhone thus far (AFAIK), even if it's squad based.
A review with video can be found (
http://www.slidetoplay.com/story/nex-review) here.
Matthew on 8/9/2009 at 10:23
1. Don't care.
2. Don't really care.
3. There will be more.
It's rather significant for finally getting an emulator past the Apple approval process, too. The first one that I've seen succeed, anyway.
Aja on 24/9/2009 at 08:44
so...
after calling some 40-odd stores, driving around with the wrong directions and the wrong phone number, I finally managed to find what is likely the last 3GS in this city on the cheaper carrier.
And man, I feel like a shilling tool but this really is amazing—I think I hit the Apple bandwagon at about the right time. First media player I've ever had with ZERO lag, fastest mobile browsing I've ever done, and the maps integration is a godsend for a directionless fool like me. I have a wikipedia app (currently set on Patrick Stewart's article) and also Dictionary.com in its entirety, which I actually used a couple times reading an essay on the bus home (didn't know what "tautology" was)
Anyway, I know this thing has super fancy graphics that are equal to a dreamcast (someone said it I swear), so what I can get that's preferably free and that I can show off? Once I start buying stuff I'll never stop and I at least want to wait until my first bill's paid (which'll be larger than the others thanks to pro-rating+activation fee). And any non-gaming app suggestions would also be cool. To narrow the field, I'll tell you I enjoy things that are fun and/or useful.
addink on 24/9/2009 at 15:47
Cutting edge free stuff to show off is rare, mostly to be found in demo lite versions:
Sway is nice in it's simplicity and the way it is obviously designed for a multitouch screen. Non-gamers seem to like this one better than the standard genre pieces.
Castle of Magic* is a bright and colourful 3D rendered 2D platformer.
Wolfenstein 3d isn't much to brag about engine wise, but impresses most who played it back in the day.
Assassin's Creed looks very nice. 3D platformer in side view.
Pandorum: survival horror based on the upcoming movie. Personally I really like this one (bought the full version). Controls aren't optimal, but that only adds to the tension, as do the annoying 'loosing my mind'-flashes. Closest thing to System Shock on the iphone yet.
Resident Evil: Degeneration, another survival horror, very linear in it's progression. Apparently 'Resident Evil 4' is supposed to be better, but that one doesn't come in a lite version.
Pharos IV: assault* 3D space combat.
Mage Story* an isometric view fantasy RPG. Not really cutting edge but good looking none the less.
Graviton* a Thrust like gravity game, including tethering a heavy ball.. De free version is not much more than the introduction on how to play. Probably because the full version is far to short (only 5 levels) still it looks the part, has fitting music, I had fun and it's cheap. It's lacking a backstory, even though the backdrop demands it..
Civilization:Revolution mobile version of Civ. I like it a lot.
VW Scirocco a promotional racing game. Looks nice. Doesn't play anywhere near as nice as Real Racing. But it's free. (Real Racing is a rather expensive 7$, still worth every penny IMHO).
*) Full version just 1$.
______
As for free full games that are not especially suited to show off, but still are nice to have:
2079 topdown accelerator controlled spaceship shooting game
Rogue ..
iNetHack ..
Boxed In puzzle game with boxes to push around
Topple stacking weird shapes on top of each other
Distant Assassin Classic (ad supported) where's wally with a gun
Sadly there are plenty of impressive titles out there that don't offer a trial version (Real Racing, NFS undercover, Gangstar, Monkey Island, Ynth, Minigore, Spider, Field Runners..) but those mentioned above do, and they should keep you occupied for a while..
If you're looking for bargains it's usually a wise idea to keep up with new releases since some developers offer their game for free initially to get the game into the top rankings.
Matthew on 24/9/2009 at 16:22
Plus quite often an app will be on sale for a crazy price (often, I think, just before an updated version is released, perhaps to give the developer a cash boost while the update goes through the approvals process - all updates are free btw).
Aja on 24/9/2009 at 16:44
thanks, I'll be checking all of these out.
and I need those brian eno generative music apps, didn't know there was more than one!
