Today, 5th Cell and Warner Bros. unleashed an update to Scribblenauts Remix [$2.99], the iOS port of the popular franchise from the Nintendo DS. The big new feature in this update is something they're calling Scribblespeak. Scribblenauts is a game where you're able to type in just about anything you can think of, complete with descriptive adjectives, and it will be created for you within the game. This is intended to be the way you solve the many puzzles in the game, as you can create objects that you need to complete the tasks that allow you to pass a level.
However, while that's all well and good, the serious fun in Scribblenauts Remix is just thinking up the craziest objects or creatures that you possibly can, and then making them fight each other. At least, that's how I get my kicks, and that goes for just about everybody I know too. This sandbox-like aspect of Scribblenauts Remix is the thing that ensures this wonderful little app will never leave my device.
There's nothing that gets me more giddy than when one of my favorite iOS games gets a sweet update that adds some new content and functionality, especially when that game has already been out for a while. It's great to see games getting support far into their lifespan, and over the weekend my giddiness was increased to the max when Pix'n Love Rush [99¢] and its iPad counterpart Pix'n Love Rush DX [$1.99] both received great new updates.
The Pix'n Love Rush games are no strangers to updates. They've been updated three times before with major new features since the original iPhone version release back in June of last year. This latest update adds yet another new gameplay mode and also makes the previously iPad only version Pix'n Love Rush DX into a Universal app, so you can throw that bad boy on your iPhone or iPod touch if you wish. It's kind of a bummer that if you had some nice high scores saved to the iPhone version that they won't transfer over to DX, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make to have one less app taking up space in my iTunes.
As for the new mode, it's called On/Off Rush and is a smart little piece of puzzle platforming. There are two different types of objects to collect, suns and moons. Suns can only be collected during the day, and moons during the night. Touching special switcher walls will turn the level from day to night. Your character moves automatically, so you're tasked with jumping at the right times to collect the proper item depending on if it's day or night.
It's quite clever, and gets increasingly difficult as you progress. Collecting correct items in a row increases a multiplier and adds time to the clock, allowing you to continue on. Accidentally grabbing a moon during daytime (or vice versa) resets the multiplier and adds no time to the clock, and eventually your time will run out. There are two different flavors of On/Off Rush, and Arcade mode where missed items mean less points and a Puzzle mode where every item must be collected through multiple trips through a level, but time is the commodity.
I absolutely love the new On/Off Rush, as I do with just about every other aspect of Pix'n Love Rush, and I'm pretty gassed that the iPad version is now Universal. If you own either version of the game, then get to updating and check out the new modes, and if you don't own Pix'n Love Rush already then check out our previouscoverage as it's a game that really needs to be on your device.
In the world of iOS platformers, there are many games that pique my interest and might keep me entertained for a while, but there are few that end up remaining on my device for good. One of the ones that made the cut and has achieved that prestigious status on my iPhone is The Adventures of Timmy: Run Kitty Run [Free] by CB Labs.
We quite enjoyed The Adventures of Timmywhen we reviewed it in October, and later that week it reached the pinnacle that all cat-related games strive to achieve when it was the Kitty Korner game of the week on our podcast.
Easily one of my favorite platforming games (and just plain favorite games period, really) is this past February's League of Evil [$1.99/Lite] from Ravenous Games and WoblyWare. The game featured bite-sized levels of increasingly difficult platforming challenges in a similar vein to Super Meat Boy, with a great 3 star rating system for each level that begged you to replay over and over until you've perfected every one.
League of Evil became known as one of the top examples of tight virtual controls on iOS as well, and during the past year numerous content updates have added tons of new levels for more than 160 total along with new features like ghost replays and iCade support. In short, League of Evil owns, and is one of the best platforming games on the App Store.
With the positive reception and success of League of Evil, it's no surprise that a sequel would be in the works and the developers have began to tease the first screens for League of Evil 2in our forums. Ravenous Games and WoblyWare are once again at the helm for this new entry in the series, but this time have enlisted the help of Bulletproof Outlaws to completely overhaul the visuals, or "kick the graphics up to 11!" as Derek from Ravenous puts it. Eleven. It's one louder. Think about it.
Now, first of all, I'm a big pixel art geek and I absolutely loved the pixel graphics in the first League of Evil. However, after seeing these gorgeous new screens for League of Evil 2 I have to admit that I'm really looking forward to this new visual style. Plus, the developers are talking up how silky smooth the new character animations are, and I really can't wait to see this new game in motion.
Since League of Evil 2 is being built off of the same engine as the first game, you can expect the same type of bite-sized level design and tight controls that you've come to know and love. All of the original enemies and hazards will be making another appearance along with about a half a dozen new ones. Right at launch the game will feature more than 100 levels spanning 5 different environments, and more than likely it will receive post-release update love with new features and content similar to what happened with the first game.
Sadly, there is no word on a release date for League of Evil 2 just yet, but all I know is it can't come soon enough. We'll be pestering the developers for more details in the near future, and until then check out the thread in our forums for discussion of the game.
Clay's Reverie [$0.99] is cute. Really, really cute. Cute enough to warrant a warning label. That's how cute it is.
...And hard. In spite of the fleecy clouds and the pink dolphins, SuperGlueStudio's physics puzzler isn't a game for the faint-hearted. One false step and you're dead or, well, whatever passes for dead with doughy-looking things like the protagonist. Here in Clay's Reverie, death is synonymous with touching anything asides from the conveyor belt. It's a tough life but those are the breaks when you're a little, googly-eyed ball of white clay.
Fortunately, the odds are somewhat in your favor. Clay's Reverie benefits from simple and supremely responsive controls. Holding down on the conveyer belt allows you to move it on a vertical axis. Clay, on the other hand, does not seem quite as appreciative of such a hands-on approach. In order to control the blob-by hero himself, you're going to have to make use of the iPhone's accelerometer to roll him around the screen.
Paul & Percy [$2.99] is a great little platform-based puzzle game for the iPad, released by Danish developers Kipper Digital. When they discover someone has stolen their butter biscuits (or "cookies", if you're American), Paul and Percy set-off on a mission to recover their delicious snacks. The two main characters look identical, so perhaps they're twins. Otherwise, they're just two dudes who live together, dress alike and share butter biscuits.
The interesting thing about this game is that the screen is split down the middle, with Paul on one side and Percy on the other. It's like taking two platform games, turning them sideways and then placing them against each other. Each character has their own separate platform level to walk around. But, they can stomp on certain brown blocks to push them through to the other character's side. So, when Paul stomps on a block, it becomes a step for Percy (and vice versa). By helping each other, they can both reach their teleportation portal and escape the level.
Raccoon Rising [99¢] from Romper Games is a delightful game about a sleepy raccoon trying to survive when his forest is invaded by an army of robots and their deforestation machinery. After watching the trailer (below), you might expect an endless-vertical jumping game, as it resembles NinJump [Free/HD]. But, it's actually more like a vertical platform game, because you're not constantly jumping and can find places to stop and plan your approach upwards, through the obstacles. Also, it's level based, so you're not always restarting from the very beginning.
The little raccoon's simple story is told through comic-strip cut-scenes as he journeys through four worlds, including a temple, Tanuki forest, a ship called the 'Salty Sprocket' and finally, a city. Each world features different graphics, music, enemies and obstacles, but the goal is always to progress upwards until you reach a gate, which shuts behind you.
Whizzers [99¢] by Demonual Studios is an endless-running game, whereas Whizzer (without an "S") is an old restroom-locating application from 2009. This review is for the game, not the toilet finder. Although if you're busting and need some entertainment, you may decide to get both.
The goal of Whizzers is to reach the end of each side-scrolling level, by running, climbing, jumping and dropping. That sounds pretty standard and reasonably easy, until you realize the platforms you're standing on are actually sinking into molten hot lava. The lava eventually floods the platforms, leaving you with fewer and fewer things to stand on, or perhaps nothing to stand on. Therefore, it's advisable to run for your life and to seek higher ground.
Ivanovich Games, who have previously brought the Operation Wolf-inspired gallery shooter Operation Wow [Free/HD] to the App Store, are at it once again with their homage to the classic arcade-style platforming game Bomb Jack, called Katana Jack. Just the news of a new Bomb Jack style game coming to the App Store is reason enough to get excited, but even more interesting to me is how Katana Jack has been developed. All of the artwork in the game was created using the excellent Brushes [$4.99/HD] app on an iPad, and the music was also composed on an iPad using GarageBand [$4.99].
Now, I absolutely love the Brushes app, but I've never personally been able to create anything with it that didn't look like I drew it by haphazardly dragging my nose around the screen. I have a ton of respect some of the amazing art people are able to make using the app, and as demonstrated in the following video Katana Jack's visuals are just that much more impressive considering how they were created.
Katana Jack is set to launch on November 17th as a Universal app for just 99¢. It will feature 90 levels across 15 hand-painted environments, and will include two game modes, Game Center, iCade support, and iCloud integration. There will also be 28(!) included videos showing the behind-the-scenes creation of the game on the iPad, which is a pretty neat inclusion. I'll be anxious to see just how the game was made, as well as how good of a Bomb Jack clone the actual game is, when Katana Jack launches later this week. Be sure to stop by the thread in our forums for early discussion of the game.
OrangePixel have a few iOS platform games under their belt. Back in June, we reviewed Meganoid [$1.99] calling it a quality retro platformer with responsive controls. In September, our review of Stardash [$1.99] highlighted the challenging difficulty levels and Game Boy style presentation. Plus they've released Super Drill Panic [$1.99] and Time Chaos [99¢]. Now, OrangePixel has released their latest action platform game, named simply: INC [$1.99], which is probably my favorite of their releases.
INC uses a comic-inspired silhouette art style which immediately captured my interest. Your character is a square with legs and blinking little eyes who runs, jumps and shoots his way through levels that are intentionally pixelated with rough edges. The graphics are 8-bit and chunky, with backgrounds reminiscent of Canabalt [$2.99]. And there's a chip-tune soundtrack, which is always popular in any retro platform game.
DanLabGames'Â DynaStunts [$2.99] places itself in a difficult spot from the start. Motocross games, trials games and even racing games are genres that are already looking well stocked on the App Store. Just in the last few months we've seen several motocross games pop up, including a few solid ones, but while DynaStunts might initially look like another trials game, it might be best to think of it as something else altogether -- a platformer.
For anyone who has played a significant amount of motocross games, this is the most evident in the control scheme. It's reversed, as in, the gas and brake are on the left, while the tilt is on the right -- like a platformer, but not like most other games of this ilk, where the tilt is usually on the left. There's no option for customization either, so if you've been playing a lot of say, Bike Baron[99¢] recently, you'll have a hard time grasping the controls. The developer has mentioned in the forums that customization is on the to-do list, along with adding Game Center achievements, but if you train your brain to think of DynaStunts like a platformer, you should get the hang of it quickly.
SpinTrip [99¢] from ClickGamer (Chillingo) is a 2D platform game about a rolling wheel with magical abilities. Your task is to hop inside the wheel, then roll, jump, fly or float it to the end of the level. There's things to collect and enemies to avoid or kill, but it's the wheel and various magical abilities which makes this game interesting and differentiates it from other platformers.
In the introduction, an old woman explains that the nasty gants have stolen five magical shims and 'Tisu must now use his chibwheel to collect chibs and find a shimloon portal to rescue them. ...umm, say what? But don't let the unusual names put you off, because this game is actually really easy to play.
When it was initially released for DSiWare last year, Shantae: Risky's Revenge [Free / $2.99 IAP], was an underappreciated gem on a service that most people didn't bother using. Now, thankfully, the game might find a little more grounding with the wider release on iOS, but as we've seen time and time again, platformers are a difficult sale on touchscreens, and Shantae, despite its pedigree, will have to keep up.
The game is a sequel to the Shantae, which was released for the Gameboy Color well into the rein of the Gameboy Advance. It follows the story of the belly-dancing, hair-whipping Shantae, as she seeks out her arch nemesis, Risky Boots, in order to get a magical lamp.
One of our very favorite platforming games here in the TouchArcade Mothership is Ravenous Games' League of Evil [$1.99/Lite], which was released and reviewed by us this past February. The charming pixel art and kick ass chiptunes created a modern-retro aesthetic that's right up our alley, and the virtual controls are amongst the finest we've ever seen on the iOS platform. The game can be tough as nails sometimes, but in that good "please sir, can I have some more?" kind of way.
One feature that has been requested by players ever since the original release is native iPad support for League of Evil. Today, that wish has come true. The game has been updated to be Universal, and it both looks and plays phenomenally on the larger screen of the iPad. One awesome little detail is that the game works in both landscape and portrait mode on the iPad, and I've found that I'm actually digging the portrait mode the most. It makes me feel like I'm playing a huge Game Boy, which is always a good thing.
Dark Incursion [$1.99] had all the makings of a decent ‘Metroidvania’ title for iOS. Everything from its classically-inspired pixel graphics and music to even its overarching story created a compelling atmosphere for playing. Most importantly, Dark Incursion also did a good job of somewhat emulating the Metroidvania style of gameplay while attempting to improve upon it with its different take on equipment upgrades. However, despite all these positives, Dark Incursion’s horrendous control scheme simply ruins almost all of the fun.
Dark Incursion is a 2D side scrolling adventure game with a touch of platforming mixed into the gameplay. You play as Anya, an underground resistance fighter attempting to infiltrate a secret military laboratory. The game plays exactly like the recent 2D iterations of Castlevania or Metroid. Dark Incursion even preserves the standard ‘find power-up, backtrack to previously inaccessible area’ sort of gameplay (hence the term Metroidvania). Dark Incursion’s similarities don’t end with gameplay, as even the graphics and music are very similar to those spiritual predecessors. Even though Dark Incursion isn’t particularly original when it comes to its presentation, it still does a good job integrating a visual style that has proven to be popular in similar games.
Today, 5th Cell and Warner Bros. unleashed an update to Scribblenauts Remix [$2.99], the iOS port of the popular franchise from the Nintendo DS. The big new feature in this update is something they're calling Scribblespeak. Scribblenauts is a game where you're able to type in just about anything you can think of, complete with descriptive adjectives, and it will be created for you within the game. This is intended to be the way you solve the many puzzles in the game, as you can create objects that you need to complete the tasks that allow you to pass a level.
Clay's Reverie [
When it was initially released for DSiWare last year, Shantae: Risky's Revenge [
One of our very favorite platforming games here in the TouchArcade Mothership is 
