Home » Articles and Reviews by 'James Nouch'
Free Mass Effect 3 Companion App Out Now For iPhone
Last week saw the release of Mass Effect 3 - the cataclysmic concluding chapter of BioWare's sci-fi trilogy. If you're looking for a little boost to your Galactic Readiness rating, or just can't get enough of the Mass Effect universe, then the Mass Effect 3 Datapad is the app for you. It's available now on the App Store, and it won't cost you a penny. This companion application gives you access to the Mass Effect codex database, so you can review information from all three games in the trilogy. News bulletins from the Alliance News Network are another source of in-app info on the progress of the galactic war effort. You'll also receive updates and in-app messages from Mass Effect 3 char…
Eerie Adventure Dark Meadow Going Free On iPhone Later This Week
Spooky adventure game Dark Meadow will become a free app later this week. The game currently costs $5.99. This dark fairy tale from Phosphor Games Studios has you exploring an abandoned hospital, unsure of how you got there and unable to leave. To make matters worse, the facility's decrepit halls are stalked by terrifying monsters - the minions of a beautiful witch, apparently. Your one ally - a strange old man - says that your only way out is to kill the witch. But, can he be trusted? We loved Dark Meadow's creepy atmosphere and high production values, which keep you playing even when the monster-fighting starts to get dull. It's a slightly flawed gem, then, to which we awarded 4/5 in o…
Musical Shooter Beat Hazard Ultra Currently Free On the App Store
Musical twin-stick shooter Beat Hazard Ultra is currently available to download for free from the App Store. This pyrotechnic shooter is driven by your own music library, and allows you to blast bad guys to the beat of your favourite MP3s. The frantic high score arcade gameplay comes straight from the PC version of Beat Hazard, but the game has found a natural home on music-filled iPhones since its App Store debut last month. We were wowed by Beat Hazard Ultra's aural and visual spectacle - so much so that we awarded the game a 5/5 in our review. Shooter fans and music lovers alike will want to grab Beat Hazard Ultra at this low, low, low, low, low price point while they can, for this is…
Action RPG Kids vs Goblins Will Hit the App Store At Midnight Tonight
Action-RPG Kids vs Goblins has landed on the New Zealand App Store, meaning it should appear on UK and US App Stores at around midnight this evening. In this title from Stolen Couch Games, you play as three siblings (at the same time) whose little brother is kidnapped by wily goblins. Naturally, they're all rather keen to get him back. Oh, and in a handy twist of fate, all three of them suddenly gain magical powers to help them do just that. You'll be battling your way through six exotics environments in this brawler-inspired RPG, whacking goblins and casting spells as you seek out the Goblin King and your lost baby brother. It looks like good-natured fantasy fun, and it's brought to yo…
Major Jetpack Joyride Update Flying Onto the App Store In April
Australian developers Halfbrick have announced that version 1.3 of Jetpack Joyride will arrive next month, bringing equipable gadgets to the free-to-play title. Speaking to Eurogamer, Halfbrick's CMO Phil Larsen explained that the gadget system gives players the ability to change up how they play. People play for a few reasons - collecting coins, completing missions and getting high scores. For coins, we've got gadgets for that, like the coin magnet. For completing missions, we've got stuff like the Nerd Repellent that gets rid of scientists. And for scores, we've got the Instaball and the Freeze-o-Matic that turns you to ice and lets you slide further when you die. All of these thing sta…
Battlefield 3: Aftershock Won't Return To the App Store
Battlefield 3: Aftershock, EA's free-to-play multiplayer iOS game based on the popular FPS franchise, was pulled from the App Store on 22nd February after dozens of user reviews criticised the game's controls and online performance. EA Mobile released a statement at the time, saying it planned to re-evaluate Aftershock in response to user feedback. Now, The Verge reports that Battlefield 3: Aftershock will not return to the App Store. An EA representative revealed the reasons for withdrawing the title from sale to Vox Gamer: In the interest of bringing consumers only the highest level of quality mobile entertainment, EA Mobile has decided to suspend development and support of Battle…
AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! (Force = Mass x Acceleration) Has Leapt Onto the App Store
Dejobaan Games's arcade base jumping game AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! (Force = Mass x Acceleration) has landed on the App Store - hopefully not too battered after the long fall. Based on the award-winning PC game of a similar name, F=ma (for short) asks you to throw yourself off of a variety of buildings, and use your iPhone's accelerometer to control your fall. Passing close to buildings will earn you big points, so it's all about pixel-perfect control and split-second decision making as the abstract scenery whizzes past and the ground rises up to meet you. F=ma is available to download now from the App Store, priced $2.99. Check out the video below to see the game in action.…
Waking Mars Makes First Contact With the New Zealand App store
Waking Mars, the extraterrestrial botany sim from Tiger Style, has arrived on the New Zealand App Store, and will, therefore, hit App Stores elsewhere at midnight tonight. Set in 2097, the game has you exploring Mars's underground network of caves. Before you know it, though, an accident leaves you trapped. Your only hope for survival is to exploit the cave's ecosystem, bringing life to the near-barren planet by encouraging the growth of alien plants and creatures. Naturally, no one knows exactly how to encourage the growth of alien plants, so the game places a heavy emphasis on player experimentation throughout. If you think all that sounds odd, well... you're right. But, since it comes…
Dark Indie Platformer Limbo May Be Headed To the iPhone
Independent developers Playdead are looking for a programmer to port their games to new platforms, prompting speculation from NowGamer that their acclaimed platformer Limbo may see an iPhone release. Limbo was originally released in 2010 on the Xbox Live Arcade platform, and has since been ported to the PlayStation 3, PC, and Mac. Playdead's job listing mentions that the studio are investigating new platforms for possible ports, including iOS. Adored by critics and players alike, Limbo has you controlling a nameless boy exploring a threatening forest. Its creepy atmosphere and stark art style ensured that Limbo stood out in a genre usually known for its primary colours and jaunty tone.…
Kairosoft's Oh! Edo Towns Available For Just 99c
Oh! Edo Towns, Kairosoft's city-planning game set in the Edo period of feudal Japan, is currently available at a ridiculously low price, costing 99c instead of the usual $3.99. This cutesy take on medieval Japan has you erecting houses, markets, and ornate samurai castles in a bid to become the most bustling district in the region. Should you succeed, you'll have renowned artisans and even royalty beating a path to your settlement, so you'd better make sure your facilities are fit for a king. Or a samurai. Or whatever it is. We're dead keen on Kairosoft's quirky management games here at AppSpy, and Oh! Edo Towns is no exception. We awarded it a mighty fine 4/5 in our review of it last ye…
Pick Up Minimalist Tunnel Racer Boost 2 For Free For A Limited Time
Minimalist tunnel racer Boost 2 is free to download from the App Store for a limited time. Launched back in 2009, Boost 2 was an early AppSpy favourite. Heck, we awarded it a 5/5 back when it was still known as Boost 3D. A few years, and several major updates later, Boost 2 features additional game modes, online multiplayer, support for Retina displays, and Game Center achievements and leaderboards. It's better than ever, in other words. And it was pretty great to begin with. Boost 2 is available to download now, and it won't cost you a penny. You'd better boost your way over to the App Store, though, as this is strictly a limited-time offer.…
BeyondDead Brings Metroid-Style Adventure Gameplay To the App Store
Monster Robot Studios clearly have a fondness for the days of the 16-bit adventure game. You know: when SNES players saved the galaxy as Samus Aran in Nintendo's classic Metroid series. And with the App Store release of BeyondDead, they're bringing that same breed of 2D action to the iPhone. After an infection strikes a terraforming project, you're sent to investigate. Not everything at the base is as it seems, though. (When is it ever, eh?) The 99c BeyondDead app features Chapter 1 of the adventure, with further chapters promised in future updates. Even in this introduction, mind, you can expect plenty of action, exploration, and even the odd boss battle or two. BeyondDead is availabl…
Apple Rumours Suggest App Store Redesign This Year
Almost 25 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store since its July 2008 launch, and in all that time, it hasn't changed much. It would seem that a major redesign could be in the works, though, if a report from 9to5Mac is to be believed. Apparently, Apple is planning to overhaul both the iTunes Store and the App Store, making app discovery on iOS devices easier - good news for both users and developers. File this one as a rumour for now, but if a redesign is in the works, it would make sense for Apple to launch it alongside a new iPhone model later in the year.…
Apple's App Store About To Reach 25 Billion Downloads
Nearly 25 billion apps have been downloaded from Apple's App Store since July 2008. That's quite a lot, and Apple is understandably keen to celebrate this milestone sales figure. Luckily for us, the Cupertino company has decided to mark the occasion with a massive giveaway, rather than just an office party. The prize on offer is a $10,000 App Store gift card, and it could be yours if you're the person to download the 25 billionth app. Or you could just fill out this form on Apple's website for a chance to win. If you want to keep an eye on the running total, perhaps in the hope that you can swoop in and bag the 25 billionth download, then you can do so here.…
Open-World Classic Grand Theft Auto 3 Reduced To 99c This Weekend
Rockstar Games's controversial open-world classic Grand Theft Auto 3 is currently available at the discounted price of 99c in celebration of Presidents' Day weekend in the USA. Originally realeased for the PlayStation 2 back in 2001, GTA 3's blend of sandbox freedom, social satire, and vehicular carnage proved an instant hit with critics and players alike. The iPhone re-release, which careened onto the App Store last December, was similarly well received. Take a look at our 5/5 review to see what we thought was so great about it. Or you could check out our Top 10 iPhone games of 2011. If you're hoping to ascend the ranks of the criminal underworld, or just run over some unwitting pedestr…
