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‘Games’ Category Articles

Freebie Alert - 'Babylonian Twins HD' for the iPad

Monday, January 30th, 2012

Originally developed for the Amiga, Babylonian Twins [99¢/HD] never made it to market but found life nearly 17 years later on the App Store. This platformer that has you swapping between two different characters, each with different abilities, in order to solve the many puzzles and progress through the game. It's a lengthy and satisfying trip too, and currently you can grab the iPad version for free for the first time ever.

You can read our thoughts on this Babylonian Twins reboot in our full review, and you can learn even more about the amazing history behind the game finally being finished and released. To summarize: Babylonian Twins is an excellent game and it's practically a miracle that we're able to finally play it. Suffice to say, if you own an iPad and have even a passing interest in puzzle games or platformers, you should download Babylonian Twins HD while it's still free. For iPhone and iPod touch owners, you should also consider dropping the 99¢ for the small version if you don't have it already.

App Store Link: Babylonian Twins HD Premium, $1.99 (iPad Only)

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Man, 'The Other Brothers' Looks Good

Friday, January 27th, 2012

What happens when three visionaries get together and tease an awesome game? You get The Other Brothers, which is certainly has the look and style of a next-level iOS joint. On the other hand, you also get almost nothing in the Fine Details Department, and that's a monumental bummer considering the promise on display. I mean, just look at that.

The first post on the game's new blog describes The Other Brothers as "a pixelated family fun adventure [game] of running, jumping, collecting, racing against the clock ..." with a suitably mysterious twist. A Kotaku post has some more concept-y type of art if you'd like to see a lot more than what's on display in this post. We're on a mission to get a lot more details, so definitely stay tuned.

[Via Kotaku]

'Where's My Water' Gets New Levels Via IAP

Friday, January 27th, 2012

Where's My Water [$.99 / Free] keeps getting bigger, better, and ... harder? Earlier yesterday, Disney polished off yet another update to the playful puzzle title, adding in some neat story elements and a total of five free puzzles and many others via IAP. The package itself has been dubbed "Cranky's Story." We'll let the boilerplate do the explaining:

Cranky is the toughest alligator around and he has worked up an appetite from sabotaging Swampy’s water supply. He eats anything, especially all the rotting and disgusting junk found in the dumps and sewers. Cranky will not eat vegetables however, and now his food is covered with vegetable-like algae. Use the dirty purple water to clean off Cranky’s plate so he can eat!

Disney says that upon IAP unlock, users will get "50 super-challenging puzzles... and enjoy a completely new way to play." Catch that? Looks like these guys are hoping to court you now. Oh! And apparently, the "Cranky's Challenge" part of this content pack is "a game within a game," so, uh, prepare for that.

App Store Links:
    Where's My Water?, $0.99 (Universal)
    Where's My Water? Free, Free (Universal)

'RoboHero' Review – A Challenging Turn Based Puzzler

Friday, January 27th, 2012

I used to think I had a knack for strategy games. Then I checked out RoboHero [Free], a turn-based tank puzzler from Bravado Waffle Studios. Now, I’m not so sure if I have the chops to handle a game of this difficulty. While the game incorporates relatively simple (and slow) gameplay, this is buttressed by a wide variety of weapons and puzzles, along with a difficulty that’ll either keep you coming back for more or giving up in frustration.

RoboHero places you in the role of Blue Robo, the last defense for Earth in its fight against an evil robot army. As a last resort, you’re sent to the robot ship in order to infiltrate and destroy all the forces. As you progress through the game’s story mode, you’ll unlock new weapons and face new enemies and obstacles. However, the goal of the game is always to either get to the other side of the level or take out a certain amount of enemies.

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TouchArcade Rating:

'Batman Arkham City Lockdown' is On Sale for $2.99

Friday, January 27th, 2012

Last month, after basically zero pre-release hype, we were pretty surprised to see Batman Arkham City Lockdown [$2.99] pop up in the App Store. Perhaps even more surprising was that NetherRealm Studios, developer of the recent (and excellent) Mortal Kombat reboot on consoles, was behind the iOS title.

And, even more surprising still, Batman Arkham City Lockdown was actually pretty freaking awesome. It was built using the Unreal Engine, so the graphics were definitely up to snuff. And the gameplay took a tiny page out of the Infinity Blade handbook, having you face off against baddies in one-on-one battles using swipe controls to dish out the pain. The combat didn't quite have the complexity of an Infinity Blade, but it was fun nonetheless.

Now, Batman Arkham City Lockdown has just received its first ever sale, dropping from its normal $5.99 price point down to $2.99 for a limited time. If you're wondering if this is the game for you, then be sure to give our full review a read for some insight. Personally, I had a ton of fun with Arkham City Lockdown, and thought it was well worth its original price. For $2.99 I think it's a steal, especially if you're a fan of the Batman, as the developers have done a wonderful job of making the game feel like a fully realized Batman experience. Definitely check it out and take advantage of the sale while it lasts.

App Store Link: Batman Arkham City Lockdown, $5.99 (Universal)

'Greedy Penguins' Review - Finally, a Bird-Based Physics Puzzler

Friday, January 27th, 2012

Did you know that penguins spend up to 75% of their time underwater, looking for food in the ocean? Or, if Chillingo’s recent Greedy Penguins [99¢/Lite] is to be believed, they spend 85% of their time on ice floes, waiting for you to feed them, 10% of their time playing guitar and burping, and 5% of their time getting eaten by ravenous Orcas.

Greedy Penguins is a bird-centric physics puzzler (what a concept!) that revolves around you finding ways to get incredibly stressed-out fish in the mouths of the correspondingly-colored penguins. You tap the fish to drop it from its hook and get it rolling, then through a combination of timing and obstacle-clearing, get it to the right-colored penguin. Once your penguin is successfully fed, he coughs up ice cream, which you tap to feed each level’s companion and get bonus points when completing the level, garnering a one, two, or three-fish rating.

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TouchArcade Rating:

'Fingle' iPad Review - Better Finger Games Than Mind Games

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Fingle [$0.99] should come with a warning. Maybe "Caution: always bring protection"? I mean, sure the iPad is great for co-op games with the fam, but not this time. This time, things might just get a little... heavy.

Finger twister isn't new, but Fingle is a finger twister game with one purpose: flirtation. A cheesy soundtrack, suggestive backdrops and more than a few double entendres might be enough, but Fingle doesn't settle for enough. Your fingers will stroke hers, or his. You'll make terribly lewd gestures at one another. Fingle takes its premise all the way.

Here's how you play the game: there are squares, and there are boxes, and the two must meet. Some are yellow, some are white. Your fingers rest on one set, hers on another. And then you do as you're told.

At first this is simple. Drag a box here, hold it there. Your fingers might brush up against one another. Then things heat up. One player finds himself stroking his hand over the other's. It gets pretty steamy.

Sort of, anyhow. There are a few rules you have to follow to get the full effect. You can't really play solo, for, um, obvious reasons, and you need to use one hand each. Two hands is easier, but it's a lot less fun. Stick to those rules, and one of you will basically end up in the other's lap before long if you want to pull off some of the moves.

So you can see why you don't want to play with a stranger, or your Grandma. You might also not want to play for too long. While Fingle starts out very flirty, it actually gets pretty hard over time. If one of you has small hands, long fingernails or sweaty palms, you might find it a bit out of your league. Nothing kills the mood quite so much as frustrated failure.

There are over 50 levels to work through, so as long as you know your limit you'll be fine. If you're actually playing to tease, work through the first level pack or two. It starts out slightly subtle and gets suggestive quickly. If you're playing for a challenge, something that's totally possible, work your way through all the rest. Fingle is missing a lot of the traditional game structures we're used to -- scores, points, achievements and the like -- but it's certainly a good time for two people who are comfortable with a little touching. The design that has gone into this game is truly charming, so it's hard to say no.

In all seriousness, you need to know your audience if you're going to play. You can definitely go at it platonically for a laugh, but first be sure you both know where you stand. And you could certainly make someone extremely uncomfortable if you're not at the point where cheesy 70s-style music, suggestive sound effects and light touching is okay. Fingle is the sort of game that could start out funny and end up sexy, or start out cold and end up with a slap to the face. Judge carefully, and stop by our discussion thread to let us know how it goes - just keep it work safe, tiger.

App Store Link: Fingle, $0.99 (iPad Only)

TouchArcade Rating:

'One Epic Game' Review - Stick a fork in "Epic," folks. It's done.

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Way back in 2010 when Monster Dash [$0.99] was released it felt a tiny bit lacking. Not that it wasn't a fantastic game, but it could have used a little more depth. You know, upgrades to earn, a complex mission system, maybe eventual retina support?

Now there's no need to worry about any of that. Not because One Epic Game [$0.99] brings any of that to the table, mind, but because Jetpack Joyride [Free] came out a year later and blew its predecessor out of the water. So why is it we're still seeing retreads of an older, lesser product? Could it be, she wonders, because Grip Games forgot their own game's roots when bringing it back from PlayStation Minis?

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TouchArcade Rating:

'Junk Jack' for iPad Might Be Closer than You Think

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Hey, remember that time we were like, "oh sure, Junk Jack is coming to the iPad, but it's not going to be for a long time"? Well, you should remember, because it was just last week. Anyway, the story goes that the game's developer PixBits has been so involved with just updating the game in general, that making it iPad-friendly was kind of on the back burner, at least until the iPhone version became more fleshed out.

However, it sounds like they might have overestimated how difficult the transition to the iPad would be, because we've heard from the developer that progress on a Universal update for Junk Jack is moving forward much more quickly than they had expected. They've sent over a load of work-in-progress screens of the game from the iPad, which you can check out below.

We've been told that the Universal support won't go live with the very next update, which sounds like it's pretty near completion, but PixBits is hopeful that it will be included in the update that follows. We'll be sure to keep tabs on this and let you know just as soon as you can get diggin' on the big screen with Junk Jack.

App Store Links:
    Junk Jack, $2.99
    Junk Jack LE, Free

'Pizza vs. Skeletons' Rolling Into The App Store Next Month

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

First, the news: IKAROS [$.99] creator Riverman Media has finally dated Pizza vs. Skeletons. The wonderfully bent, 100-level pizza rolling game is currently in submission and set to release this February 25 as a paid Universal app. Perhaps as a commentary on current iOS trends, Riverman notes on its blog that this release will be "the whole game, for one price" and all updates will be free forever.

And now for a reminder, because hey, it's been a really, really long time since we've talked about Pizza vs. Skeletons. May 2011, actually, was the last time we had anything meaningful to say about the project, which at the time, the developer  was struggling to pitch. "How do you hype up something that has no clear genre, a nonsense plot, and a main character that's a thirty foot tall conglomeration of cheese and tomato sauce?” the reveal blog post asked.

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'RAGE HD' Updated With New Levels, Better Models

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Surprise! RAGE HD [$1.99], id Software's graphically off-the-walls tie-in shooter to RAGE, has been updated with two additional levels in a brand new update that also throws in higher resolution models, video output support, and various other enhancements and bug fixes. The house cleaning additions are free as always, but these levels, Kraken and Aqueduct, come at a cost: $.99, to be exact, via in-app purchase through the in-game Store.

We've spent a few minutes with each and can happily report that they are, indeed, levels that have been added to RAGE HD. One thing we didn't expect, though, is to be floored all over again by this game's look. Goodness, it's gorgeous. Get the same feeling below by glancing at some of the new levels:

App Store Link: RAGE HD, $1.99 (Universal)

'rComplex' Heading to iOS This February

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

A dark, moody endless runner with an actual narrative hook? That's the elevator pitch for rComplex, according to the game's developer, InterWave Studios. Originally released for PC back in 2009, InterWave is breathing new life into the title with a Unity 3D powered re-imaginings across multiple handsets and platforms, including iOS later this February.

A new trailer for the game is embedded below, and you should check it out. Basically, you play as a mysterious dude with a lot of stamina who is being chased by a dream-like tentacle monster. As you run, you'll steadily "piece together the events that led to your current situation," and ultimately the mystery. Well, unless you die. You'll probably be boned on that front, then.

[Via Joystiq]

'Paper Monsters' Review - A Straightforward and Visually Stunning Platformer

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

The just-released Paper Monsters [99¢], co-developed by Robots Vs Wizards and Crescent Moon Games, has been in the works for a long time. In fact, development originally began way back in mid-2010, and we didn’t learn until well into 2011 that Crescent Moon had actually jumped into the project to give it a graphical makeover (as they’ve been known to do from time to time).

With such a long development cycle, it’s easy for the hype over a game to do one of two things: either people start to lose interest as the months drag along, or the hype builds up to the kind of level that would be hard for any game to deliver on. Well, Paper Monsters finally has reached the App Store, so if you’re part of that first group then it’s time to start paying attention again.

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TouchArcade Rating:

This 'God Of Blades' Debut Trailer Is Awesome

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Big swords and slow-motion make us feel good on the inside, so we're obligated to share this trailer with you. Before you gander at its splendor, here's some context: this is a side-scrolling action RPG from White Whale Games. It's called God of Blades, and in it, users will "assume the role of a nameless spectral king" against a horde of demon dudes. From what we can tell, the action model breaks down to whacking demons with overly large weapons until they fall down. It sounds cool in theory.

No word on release other than "soon," and we're not 100 percent sure what platforms it'll appear on or, hey, even its price. We're guessing these kinds of things will be announced on the studio's Twitter or Facebook in due time.

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Coming Tonight: 'Baseball Superstars 2012', 'Hank Hazard', 'One Epic Game', 'Paper Monsters', and More

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Whoa! It's Wednesday again, which is hard to believe because I've had such an insanely busy week. But, like most Wednesdays, the sun has risen, or potentially already set in your neck of the woods… And a whole new slew of iOS games have appeared. Like every other Wednesday since this whole Wednesday night release trend started, all of these games should be available at 11:00 PM Eastern. Or, potentially much earlier if you're east of North America.

Also, yes, we're running really low on relevant Wednesday images we haven't used before for these posts. Anyway, on with the show!

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