This past May, SNK Playmore surprised everybody by releasing The King of Fighters-i [$4.99], a mobile version of their popular fighting series, into the App Store. Until that time, Capcom’sStreet Fighter IV Volt [$6.99] had been the pinnacle of touch screen fighters, but just like the 90s arcades that I grew up in, King of Fighters gave Street Fighter a worthy opponent for the title of best iOS fighting game. We gave the nod to The King of Fighters-iin our review, but just barely, and in reality both titles are extremely evenly matched when it comes down to gameplay and features. It really may just boil down to personal preference which one you like more, or if you’re like me, you just play and enjoy both. Problem solved.
Anyway, The King of Fighters-i has just gotten even better with a brand new update that adds 6 new playable fighters as well as an interesting new Challenge Mode. The new fighters are Iori Yagami, Mature, Vice, Elisabeth Branctorche, Shen Woo, and Duo Lon, bringing the total character count to 20, the same as in Street Fighter IV Volt. I’m not as familiar with The King of Fighters series' characters as I am with the Street Fighter ones, so I don’t have any real attachment to any of these new additions, but I am pretty stoked to have 6 new people to learn how to use.
In further BMX-related news this morning, those handsome Swedish chaps from Illusion Labs have gone and made their multitouch masterpiece Touchgrind BMX [$4.99] Universal in a brand new update. Touchgrind BMX launched back in May and we liked it a whole bunch in our review. It retained the same impressive technological aspects of the original Touchgrind [$4.99/HD] with its 3D visuals and smart use of multitouch, but offered a much more varied set of levels to perform your tricks and a much more favorable behind the back camera angle.
The Touchgrind BMX berry only became more plump and juicy with updates that we detailed when we sat down with Illusion Labs at WWDC this year, namely proper Retina Display visuals and TV-Out support. Now you can add Universal iPad support to that list as well, and this is actually the very first Universal game from Illusion Labs. I wouldn't mind seeing this trend continue.
Back at GDC we had our greasy hands all over Éric Chahi's iPad which was running a very promising looking early build of Another World. Today publisher BulkyPix announced that the game will be available as a universal app on September 22nd for $4.99. The iOS port will sport a choice of both remastered "HD" graphics as well as the original pixel art, along with both touch controls and a virtual D-pad. In addition, Another World comes with three difficulty levels: the original, as well as a harder and an easier setting.
Originally released in 1991, the game was known as Out of This World in North America. It was among the first games to rely on cinematic effects, sounds, and cut scenes to tell the story, and has since gone on to be ported to a ridiculous number of platforms. The original game has a difficulty level which I feel comfortable describing as "brutal," as you'll die in one hit, and a big part of the game is discovering and learning what can kill you and how to avoid it. I'm concerned with how the controls will translate to the touch-based interface of iOS devices, but remain optimistic that Another World will play just as awesomely as I hope it will.
1112 Episode 3 [$4.99/HD] is the latest addition to the graphical mystery adventure game series from Agharta Studio. It's also the best of this ongoing series, as it delivers more: More game-play, more puzzles, more characters, more locations and a whole lot more mystery.
We first meet the games protagonist, Louis Everett the antiques dealer, in Episode 1[$4.99/Lite/HD]. Louis bears a striking resemblance to Johnny Depp, but he's having bad dreams, marital issues and work stresses. As you help him complete his daily tasks, it becomes apparent that something weird and mysterious is going on. There's a gap in his memory which Louis can't explain, and the number '1112' seems to keep recurring in his life. This game is about solving that mystery, but don't expect a final outcome yet, as each episode concludes with a cliff-hanger ending, to entice you into the next release.
Hey, more sales! We’re not too sure if SEGA is celebrating Labor Day with its Sonic the Hedgehog sale or just cutting the price because it can, but it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, the games are a hair or two cheaper for a limited time, which means you can walk away with a heavier wallet if this is the first time you’ve bothered looking at the games. And, really, at these prices you should.
Here’s the short list, and just in case anything else comes up, we’ll update accordingly:
Sonic fans give Sonic the Hedgehog 4 a lot of grief — if you’ve ever read the Internet or Googled the game's name, you probably already know this. This is why I feel like I need to add that we loved it and think it feels exactly how Sonic should on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Check it out.
Word games are some of the earliest and most venerated titles on the App Store, and still developers continue to find ways to refine and revitalize the genre. The popularity of Words With Friends and the resurgence of updated standards like Wurdle demonstrate clearly that there’s life in the old girl yet. Genre mash-ups are another energizer; from PopCap’s Bookworm Adventures on PC to the upcoming Word Fighter on iOS, sprinkling in just a few new letters can make the difference between snore and adore.
In the case of Quarrel Deluxe [$4.99/Lite], the twist comes in the form of strategic gameplay. A fresh and fun take on the Scrabble formula, the game sports bright visuals, intuitive mechanics, and a crunchy outer layer of macro objectives that gives the sweet casual core longevity and depth. Think of it as an adorable war of the words.
The Secret of Chateau de Moreau [$4.99 / Lite] by 4:33 Creative Lab is an entertaining adventure game, which is quite similar to Phoenix Wright [$4.99] / Review], which has heaps of fans here on TouchArcade. Both of these games are interactive story-telling adventures, where you make decisions which determine the outcome. If you love Phoenix Wright, or murder mysteries, you'll probably enjoy this game as much as we do.
You play as Antoine, the step-son of the wealthy Count Moreau, who has died under suspicious circumstances and now you're the main suspect. Antoine must investigate the crime, solving puzzles along the way, to prove his own innocence. The story is captivating, almost like reading a book, except you're an active participant in the drama.
This is a "who dun it?" murder mystery, with back-story and a decent cast of suspects. I've met 14 characters so far, including family members, a maid, a nanny, an engineer, a house guest...and yes, there's a butler. Maybe he did it? Maybe he didn't? Perhaps I did it? That's what makes this game so much fun.
Settlers of Catan [$4.99 / HD] is considered, rightly, as one of the best board game-to-digital ports on the App Store. But other than just generally being sharp, it's also infinitely expandable, which is a great thing for the fans. Capitalizing on this is developer Exozet, who just shot Pocket Gamer a note that a new expansion is slated to hit later this year.
So, what is this upcoming expansion? Cities and Knights, which is easily one of the most aggressive expansions of the bunch. In it, you’ll develop cities while using knights to attack other players as well as help opponents defend the world from barbarians from across the ocean. The expansion also ushers in new cards that bolster the overall vibe of the experience.
Overall, there are a lot of fine details in this package, so if you're really interested in Cities And Knights, the Wikipedia article on it should sate your hot desire to learn more.
It’s unknown at the moment whether this will be an IAP or simply a free update, but our dime is on the fact that it’ll cost some dough. And, really, why wouldn’t it considering the amount of stuff it adds to an aging game?
Duke Nukem Forever proved earlier this summer that if you find something ancient, non-functional, and barely relevant, with a minimal amount of effort you can turn a profit by selling it purely on the basis of historical curiosity. This is also the premise of the History Channel’s Antiques Roadshow, where people bring in old items to experts hoping to strike it rich by stumbling upon rare and sought after pieces.
Namco Bandai, also no strangers to digging up cheap old franchises and pawning them off on unsuspecting gamers, decided to capitalize on the popularity(?) of the series by releasing Antiques Roadshow [$4.99] for iOS. After taking a monocled eye and a white gloved hand to this title from start all the way to laborious finish, how does it fare in appraisal? Let’s just say it’s going to take more than some wood glue and a certificate of authenticity to justify the price of this junk.
Firemint sales used to be a much more rare occurrence, but they still have an electricity to them that other creators can’t capture with their own price-slashing parties. I’m guessing it has more to do with the quality of the wares, than it does with dramatic price shifts. While I pointlessly ponder this, go ahead and grab Real Racing and Real Racing 2 for the iPhone or iPad. All four games have been dramatically reduced in price for this weekend in celebration of… well, nothing that we can discern. Still! They’re cheaper!
Real Racing 2 is, we reckon, the best racing game Firemint has produced. That doesn’t mean the original Real Racing is a slouch, though. Fans of simulation racing games can and will enjoy both; it’s just that Real Racing 2 is a fantastic iteration on that original foundation. If you want to know way more about either of these titles, we’ve got your back. You can check out a review of the follow-up here and a review of Real Racinghere. Non-spoiler: they’re good.
In the great scheme of iOS gaming, Darkness Escape Deluxe [$0.99 / HD ] isn’t a horrible game. In fact, Darkness Escape does an adequate job representing the platform runner genre that has become more prevalent on the App Store in recent years. Unfortunately, adequate isn’t enough, especially when compared to some of the other heavy hitters in the genre. There are simply too many missteps, mainly a lack of content and questionable asset design, that prevent this game from rising above the rest of the competition and actually earning your play time.
Pocket Warriors [$4.99] is an action hack-and-slash game, with 2d cartoon-style graphics, from WitOne Games. It's based on killing monsters and leveling-up your weapons through combat. But you're not alone on this quest, as your party consists of two little warriors - a male and a female, who must work together to protect the village from monsters and dragons. In the thread in our forums, Pocket Warriors is likened to a 2D version of the Monster Hunter series, and it provides many hours of monster combat, with 3 chapters, each containing 12 missions for a total of 36 quests.
Your adventure starts in the village, as you prepare for battle. There's a weapons trader selling both weapons and magic spells, a blacksmith offering weapon upgrades, the village chief dishing out quests, and your own home for depositing items and storing stuff. After interacting with these four places to prepare, you can walk through the village gates to hunt the next available monster. There's often no minions, just straight to the boss!
Since its debut in 1995, the Heroes of Might and Magic (HOMM) game series has been synonymous with deep, turn-based strategy gameplay. While some may argue that the more recent titles have somewhat strayed from their roots, none will argue with the general appeal and sheer depth of the classic titles in the series.
The multi-platform Palm Heroes series looked to capture and recreate the gameplay of older HOMM titles in portable form, and managed to succeed to some degree. Now, with Palm Heroes 2 Deluxe [$4.99/HD/HD Lite], it looks like the definitive version of classic HOMM gameplay has finally arrived on iOS. Featuring a ton of missions, factions, as well as a hot-seat multiplayer mode, Palm Heroes 2Deluxe will satisfy any strategy gamer’s appetite for quite a while.
If you're an online gamer that utilizes TeamSpeak to communicate to your guild, clan, tribe, improv group, or whatever else you might be doing that requires voice communication, here's some awesome news: An official TeamSpeak [$4.99] client has hit the App Store. The down side, if you'd even call it that, is it only works with TeamSpeak 3, giving you even more reason to upgrade to the new TeamSpeak software if you haven't already.
Being an official app, it sure doesn't seem to skimp on features. Not only is it universal, but it also sports all the functionally you need to use it as your main TeamSpeak client. It's got multi-server connectivity, both push to talk as well as voice activation. There's even support for common admin functions, contact management, and text messaging.
The horrible thing about You Don’t Know Jack [$2.99 / HD] is that once you finish it, you really, really finish it. All the answers and questions repeat, and there’s nothing to go back to. For what it’s worth, the game has been updated with two more mini-episodes on the house, which should give you a few more minutes of play. This update also rolls in a few bug fixes.
In other YDKJ update news, creator Jellyvision is readying a “six-pack” of new episodes. No price or date was given in the patch note announcement, but we’re guessing it’ll cost you a few bucks via IAP. Not only do the console versions of the game have a similar setup, but the focus on the “free” part of these latest episodes implies that others will cost later. Two-player multiplayer is also in the works, according to the notes in the HD version.
Chances are that this coming six-pack won’t be the last, and that’s good news. You Don’t Know Jack is a great trivia game, but it definitely needs freshened up with more unique content. I’ll be jumping in again, no doubt.
This past May, SNK Playmore surprised everybody by releasing The King of Fighters-i [$4.99], a mobile version of their popular fighting series, into the App Store. Until that time, Capcom’s Street Fighter IV Volt [$6.99] had been the pinnacle of touch screen fighters, but just like the 90s arcades that I grew up in, King of Fighters gave Street Fighter a worthy opponent for the title of best iOS fighting game. We gave the nod to The King of Fighters-i in our review, but just barely, and in reality both titles are extremely evenly matched when it comes down to gameplay and features. It really may just boil down to personal preference which one you like more, or if you’re like me, you just play and enjoy both. Problem solved.
In further BMX-related news this morning, those handsome Swedish chaps from 
Hey, more sales! We’re not too sure if SEGA is celebrating Labor Day with its Sonic the Hedgehog sale or just cutting the price because it can, but it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, the games are a hair or two cheaper for a limited time, which means you can walk away with a heavier wallet if this is the first time you’ve bothered looking at the games. And, really, at these prices you should.
Settlers of Catan
Firemint
If you're an online gamer that utilizes TeamSpeak to communicate to your guild, clan, tribe, improv group, or whatever else you might be doing that requires voice communication, here's some awesome news: An official TeamSpeak [
