Home » Articles and Reviews by 'James Gilmour'
The insect invasion continues in Bug Heroes 2, out tonight on iPhone and iPad
Multiplayer online battler Bug Heroes 2 is bringing insect warfare back to your touchscreen tonight, when it goes live on the App Store. Part tower defence, part third-person shooter, this colourful free-to-play sequel puts you in charge of a pair of courageous insects, and tasks you with protecting your base from incoming enemies. Combat plays out from an over-the-shoulder perspective, allowing a nice view of the action as slice up kamikaze fleas heavily armoured snails. You can also jump between squad members at the touch of a button, and issue orders to your teammate by tapping the environment. However, in addition the freeform combat, Bug Heroes 2 includes a strong tower defence mec…
FTL: Advanced Edition will include clone bay and mind control system
Turns out FTL: Advanced Edition is going to be even more advanced than we thought by the time it hits the iPad later this year. In addition to confirming the space exploration sim is nearly ready to enter the iOS sector, developer Subset Games has revealed a few new systems and features which FTL fans have never seen before. For example, the iPad version will offer a clone bay, allowing you to duplicate crew mates if they happen to perish during an unfortunate away mission. You'll also be able to swap out your standard drone for a hacking drone. This handy unit will attach itself to enemy ships, and interfere with the vessel's weapons and sheilding systems. Alternatively, i…
FINAL FANTASY VI Review
In a world where magic no longer exists, a girl with hidden powers awakes. Pursued by enemies who would use her ancient skills for evil, she unites with a band of rebels, and finds herself fighting for her life - and the fate of the world - against the tyrannical reign of the Empire. So much has been written about Final Fantasy VI over the years that it's difficult to avoid retreading old ground when discussing it. However, considering its one of the most highly regarded RPGs ever mad…
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Take ramparts apart in CastleStorm, crashing onto the App Store this spring
CastleStorm, the physics-based seige sim which appeared on the PS Vita last year, will come crashing onto the App Store this spring. Combining the object-flinging element of Angry Birds with the base-reinforcement mechanics of a tower defence game, CastleStorm encourages you to erect mighty battlements, while simultaneously shattering your enemy's structures to the ground. Unlike the Vita version, this iOS port of Zen Studio's 3D smash-'em-up will be free-to-play. Despite this, the developer claims the game will still include four campaigns, four playable nations, and 150 different battle scenarios. Mobile gamers will also get access to previously unseen spells. We doubt one of them will…
Amiga mobster adventure The King of Chicago now available on iPhone and iPad
Cinemaware has just brought its gangster-themed adventure The King of Chicago to iPhone and iPad. Known for developing Amiga games based around movie genres, Cinemaware has been more active recently, following a successful Kickstarter campaign to revive its '90 flying game Wings. In the meantime, though, the team has decided to take the concrete shoes off another of its Amiga creations: the mobster-populated point-and-click adventure The King of Chicago. Following the story of an up-and-coming wise guy, the game has you doing drive-bys, executing hits, and regularly inviting your enemies to watch their backs and sleep with the fishes. This is a direct emulation of the origi…
Dr. Eggman returns in latest Sonic Dash update
Sonic hasn't had much time for his old enemies recently. In the free-to-play runner Sonic Dash, he has spent most of his time fighting off Zavok, Zazz, and other strangely named members of the Deadly Six. However, a new update has brought with it a blast from the past, in the form of one Dr. Eggman, otherwise known as Sonic's original nemesis Dr. Robotnik. In the new Dr. Eggman Boss Battle sections, you have to guide Sonic around a series of traps, and avoid attacks from the levitating, goggle-sporting maniac. You'll even get to leap into the air and sabotage the lunatic's signature hoverchair. You can download the Sonic Dash update for free right now. In fact, the game itself is free - w…
Classic characters unite in the debut trailer for Tales of Asteria
Namco Bandai has revealed that Tales of Asteria, the latest adventure in the long-running Tales RPG series, will be coming to iOS in Japan this spring. Following hot on the heels of the US release of Tales of Phantasia, the new game will unite six characters pulled from other episodes in the saga. Among the six will be Milla Maxwell from Tales of Xillia, and Yuri Lowell from Tales of Vesperia. According to a report in Gematsu, the plot will revolve around "fragments of a star that makes wishes come true." Though the character roster may feature familiar faces, Tales of Asteria's combat will play out via the new "cross slide battle" system. The game will also feature voice acting, a…
Dungelot 2 creator admits 'fail' after pulling the game from the App Store
The developer behind Dungelot 2 has pulled the game from the App Store only two days after its release due to bugs and poor feedback from players. Speaking out on his Facebook page and Twitter account, Dungelot creator Dmitry Mitrofanov wrote: "I've removed Dungelot 2 from sale at the moment. We admit fail and will relaunch with new update." According to Pocket Tactics, Mitrofanov conceded that that game has "tons of bugs," and that "ratings were very bad" Indeed, at the time of its removal, Dungelot 2 had earned a less than dazzling two and a half star rating on the App Store. While many customers complained about the game's new and aggressive free-to-play monetisation system, others…
Massive sci-fi adventure Out There warping onto the App Store this month
Ambitious space-based exploration sim Out There is due to warp onto the App Store later this month. The aim of this "dark and melancholic" adventure to build a ship capable of intergalactic travel, and then roam in the universe is search of resources, confrontations, and civilisations composed entirely of sentient, bipedal acorns. Probably not that last one. According the preview conducted by sister site Pocket Gamer, there's plenty to get excited about. There's a hefty plot, a ridiculously large expanse of space in which to boldly go, and the promise of diplomatic misunderstandings with alien species. Check out the trailer below and see what you think. If you like what you see, keep you…
Check out the nightmarish teaser for upcoming survival horror Knock-Knock
If, like me, you adore survival horror games, you've probably has your eye on Knock-Knock for some time. Well, prepare to have that eye filled with flickering lightbulbs, filthy walls, and other creepy imagery, courtesy of the game's brand new trailer. If you're unfamiliar with Knock-Knock, it follows the exploits of an insomniac wandering around his house being harrased by malevolent spirits. Partially funded via Kickstarter, the game popped up on our rader because of its fantastic art and animation. Some of the beasties look pretty unsettling, too. Plus, as it seems you only have a candle for protection, there's a chance we might actually feel under theat when trying to escape t…
Roguelike sequel Dungelot 2 is waiting to kill you forever on the App Store
We liked Dungelot quite a bit here at AppSpy. Red Winter Software's casual take on the merciless roguelike genre was a thrilling and compulsive tile-tapper, and served as a great introduction into the cruel world of permadeath. Which makes all the more excited to see Dungelot 2 arrive on the App Store. From what we can gather, the team hasn't attempted to reinvent the wheel so much as refine the existing formula. The RPG elements remain, meaning you can gather coins, learn new spell, and steal stat-boosting artifacts. The randomised nature of the dungeons hasn't changed, either. Every grid-based level is different, leaving you with no way to predict whether the next tile you tap hides t…
Angry Birds Stella: Rovio's new Angry Birds game puts women first
After teasing us with a some character silhouette's yesterday, Rovio has lifted the lid on its latest Angry Birds game. It's called Angry Birds Stella, and, if the promo blurb is anything to go by, this one's going out to the ladies. In fact, with all the talk of BFF's and "(fr)enemies" in the Finnish dev's announcment blog post, it sounds more like it's pushing an interactive episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic than another Angry Birds game. Describing Angry Birds Stella, the blog states: "There will be plenty of fun and adventure, but the bunch of passionate pals will also have to deal with some serious issues in order to protect their friendship and the environment they…
Rovio announces next Angry Birds game with image of new characters
Rovio has released a teaser image promoting a brand new Angry Birds game, complete with a collection of new characters. The image, which was posted on the official Angry Birds Twitter feed, shows the outline of six never-before-seen birds. The accompanying message reads: "Big adventure with new birds coming soon!" Until recently, Rovio had kept the physics-puzzler gameplay of the Angry Birds franchise true to its origins. Whether the action was set in a on a beach, in space, or in a galaxy far, far away, it always involved pinging birds at pigs with a simple gesture. Big adventure with new birds coming soon! #NewAngryBirds pic.twitter.com/DWdZ7fBrXq — Angry Birds (@AngryBir…
Flappy Bird Addiction: A Survivor's Story
When Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen was asked why he pulled his viral hit Flappy Bird from the App Store, he didn't give the answer we were all expecting. Rather than cite the stream of hateful Twitter comments or concern over cloning allegations, the Vietnamese developer gave a simple reason: addiction. "[Flappy Bird] happened to become an addictive product," Nguyen explained in an interview with Forbes. "I think it has become a problem. To solve that problem, it's best to take down Flappy Bird." Though some have questioned the sincerity of this explanation, we have uncovered evidence that Flappy Bird addiction is not only real, but is destroying lives. The video above tells the stor…
Flappy Bird creator claims he pulled the game because it was 'an addictive product'
Dong Nguyen has revealed that he pulled his mobile smash hit Flappy Bird from the App Store because it had become "an addictive product." Speaking about the game's removal in an interview with Forbes, the creator of Flappy Bird claims that it was the unexpectedly addictive quality of the game which led to its demise. "Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed," Nguyen explains in the interview. "But it happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem. To solve that problem, it's best to take down Flappy Bird." Despite being released in May 2013, Flappy Bird didn't make an impression on the App Store charts until last week. Thoug…
