Home » Articles and Reviews by 'Dave Flodine'
Starship Battles
Starship Battles is Missile Command in space, with improved graphics, and a weapon upgrade progression system. All that sounds pretty good. If you agree with that assessment, check out the trailer. It even has music from Two Steps From Hell in it (you know, that group whose music you hear in every advert and trailer if you own one of their albums?). While no definitive release date is announced, it is hoping to be out before the end of May, so keep an eye on the App Store!…
Dig! Review
What recourse does a failed archaeologist have when the museum funding him is hurting for business? Well as a last ditch effort (get it?), he might try and set up a dig site in his backyard, excavating the wonders of the Earth to be put on display, and the further he digs, the more valuable treasures he hopes to find. Dig is an arcade game where your shovel must excavate seventy five percent of the plot of land you have, hopefully discovering the five treasures hidden there before mov…
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Tasty Tadpoles Review
It's a tadpole eat tadpole world out there. Like most of nature, the big gobble up the small, but since we as gamers enjoy playing as the underdog overcoming the odds and surviving to reach our goal, sometimes being the small is a good thing. At least in gaming terms. In Tasty Tadpoles you have to guide your little tadpole guy to the safety of the logs, while avoiding the larger tadpoles who will swallow you whole in a heartbeat. Along the way, there are three stars to collect (of cou…
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...And that has Made all the Difference
Spryfox, the developers of Triple Town have released a teaser trailer for their next game, 'Road not Taken', inspired at least by Robert Frost's famous poem. Details are fairly scarce, and the trailer itself only shows a couple seconds of gameplay, but it looks to have their familiar visual style. It apparently is some form of roguelike where choice weighs heavy (if the poem is anything to go by). I sense a high 'risk verses reward' factor. Have a watch of the trailer, and we'll let you know more as news develops. …
Rymdkapsel Headed to iOS in July
Released on the Playstation Network this week, this odd relaxing space strategy game that looks to be a form of tower defence will be coming to the iOS in a couple of months. In the meantime, have a look at the trailer and wonder what exactly is going on. I have to wonder if it's pronounced 'rhymed - capsule' or 'rih-mid-kap-sell'. Yes, this is the sort of thing we deliberate over.…
Rovio Entering the Publishing Game
On the look out for the next Angry Birds, Rovio has decided to expand its company into a publishing wing called Rovio Stars. They already have two games lined up, and these are Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage, and Tiny Thief. Icebreaker looks like your standard physics puzzler, and it certainly looks like the type of game that Rovio would publish, but the ice slicing mechanic looks to add a nice flavour to the gameplay, and the art style is pretty interesting. Tiny Thief is a little more striking in the art department. It's also hard to pinpoint the actual gameplay from the trailer. It seems to be a puzzle game in which you interact with your enviroment in interesting ways t…
Daddy Was A Thief Review
The word 'was' in Rebel Twins' newest iOS offering Daddy was a Thief is worrying. It suggests an unhappy end for a man down on his luck who goes to extraordinary lengths to provide for his family. Once again we're probably reading too much into a simple arcade experience, but sometimes even the simplest word choices in a game's title can spark the imagination. You play the titular Daddy who has just robbed a bank, has jumped to a nearby building, and must escape by planting his poster…
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Bloodrunner - Racing in the Human Body
The Fantastic Voyage is such an interesting idea for a videogame, it's amazing that we've not seen too many developers try and tackle it. Bloodrunner certainly tries, having a small vessel piloting the blood stream, and other dangerous areas of our squishy innards. Have a look at the trailer. Now the iOS version most likely will not be out for a couple of weeks (Android and PC/Mac/Linux versions are all complete), so keep a look out on the App Store if what you see interests you. The sound and visuals look to create a unique immersive experience, even if the gameplay seems a little too much like the canyon runs in Rogue Squadron.…
The Tilt Racer App
If you enjoy racing games, and I mean really enjoy racing games, you probably have had your eye on one of those fancy steering wheel setups for a while now. You know, the ones with pedals, a gear stick, and realistic rumble? The problem is such a setup is quite expensive and not every racing afficionado can afford such extravagence. Enter the Tilt Racer app. Racing games have had a lot of success on the iOS platform because of tilt controls, and now with this app, you can transfer that control to your PC and any racing game on that platform through your iPhone. Not only can you smoothly steer with your phone, sitting in front of the computer, but there's a simple slider for accel…
Return to Castlerama Trailer
While Castlerama sounds more like a European music festival, this trailer of the upcoming iOS game is intriguing. It's first person, it looks to have a full world to explore, and it seems to be somewhere between adventure game and western rpg. Have a look at the trailer and see for yourself. While it could do with a little more polish in areas, as a mobile experience it seems to have a lot to offer. Whether they can deliver or not will remain to be seen. The game is shooting for a release date of June 20th.…
IMPOSSIBLE ROAD Review
Impossible Road is sleek and seductive. A simple arcade game where you have to try your hardest to stay on a twisting and winding track that is doing its best to throw you off. Success is a fallacy, as sooner or later you will plummet to your demise, only to press the 'again' button and repeat this process for as long as possible. Add to this a minimalist yet striking visual aesthetic plus a driving rhythmic soundtrack and you would think you're in for something special. Well, you woul…
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Manuganu
Tired of endless runners? How about a regular runner then? Manuganu takes the concept of continuously moving, and turns it into a platformer with three coins to collect, and a really nice visual style. Take a look at the trailer and see for yourself. The game is a one man project (except for the music) by Alper Sarıkaya and should be due out this week on May 16th.…
App Wrap Up (Week Ending 10th May, 2013)
Hey hey readers, and welcome to your favourite feature on the site, the App Wrap Up! As always we got a selection of games that might have gone under the radar, but look like they might have something interesting to offer based solely on their trailers. Let us take a look, and see if anything takes any of your fancies! The Seed (Little Bit Games Inc.) While this looks like a low-fi flash game, the gameplay is quite interesting as single screen puzzle games go. Plant seeds to get the plant to sprout, while everything is obeying the laws of gravity. The music is quite serene as well.[App Store Link] Dragonconquer (ILLUSU INC.) It's Qix with shooting mechanics. And…
Bellyfish has an Addiction
Also out this week is a little game called Bellyfish that looks kind of in the same wheelhouse as Doodle Jump. What makes me entertained by the premise is you play a fish who has become addicted to oxygen, and growing into a ball of air because of it. Due to the dangers of this addiction, you have to make sure the little guy can travel safely through all the obstacles present. Have a look at the trailer and see what we mean. It's a simple game, but looks to be enjoyable. [App Store Link]…
Dead Effect - A Sci-fi Horror FPS for iOS
Man that's a lot of shorthand. Now I could be jaded and talk about the game wanting to be Dead Space, what with the 'lonely derelict vessel invaded by unknown horrors' vibe it's got going, but I have to say that watching the trailer kind of impressed me. Have a look... It seems to be a very competent entry into the genre with a high level of presentation. As long as the controls are halfway decent (as no developer has really worked out a way to get an FPS controlling well on iOS), this might be a great portable shooting experience. Release date is slated somewhere in July or August.…
