Home » Articles and Reviews by 'Dave Flodine'
App Wrap Up (Weekend Edition, 7th Jan 2013)
Well aren't you lucky readers! Not only did you get to end last week with myself and the App Wrap Up, but you get to start this week exactly the same way! As always we are going to be looking at a collection of game trailers that look like they have something interesting to offer, and I will make brief comments on them, and then link to the App Store in case you wish to purchase them for yourself (and if you do, be sure to tell us what you think of the game in the comments). Without further ado, let's get started! Pixel Defenders Puzzle (Social Titans) You know how Puzzle Quest took Bejeweled, added some RPG mechanics and made a really engaging game? Well it looks…
Luna Bears Review
I posit a question. Can it still be called a platformer if the character isn't technically jumping? Luna Bears has all the hallmarks of a traditional platformer; death defying physicality, coins, stars, and other special collectibles, and even Mario Bros-esque sound effects. The thing is that Luna, the character the player controls is a star, and stars are mostly known for floating. This is exactly what Luna does... it's just that through this mechanic, there's also plenty of somersaul…
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Impossible Pixel Review
In the last few years we've seen a surge in what might be called 'pure platforming'. Games that center around the platforming mechanics we're all familiar with, that put them to use in gauntlet after gauntlet of skill based prowess and mastery. Impossible Pixel is this type of game. Each level has the goal of reaching the exit (and collecting a secret coin along the way if you are so inclined), but the trick is mastery over the jumps and leaps available to you to avoid the sting of dea…
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App Wrap Up (Week Ending, 4th January 2013)
Look at this, the first App Wrap Up of 2013! *sniff* I might get emotional. True story, I had one planned a couple days ago, but dealing with the new backend ate it... so I've let some time drift between and now I'm ready to have a look at some game trailers for ios games that might have fallen under the rader, and look like they might have something interesting to offer. Let's kick off the year right and begin! Delta Looper (Ratjutsu LLP) Kind of like Tilt to Live with a trapping mechanic (although power-ups allow you to shoot as well). Looks like a solid engaging high score title with decent enough presentation. [App Store Link] Daredevil Rider (Bravo Game St…
Ex-Rovio Employees Craft Noble Nutlings
A-yup. Three developers who worked at Rovio have formed their own studio, Boomlagoon, and their first game Noble Nutlings is being released on Janurary 10th. Here's the trailer. Well it's got the cutesy animals and it's got some interesting customization, along with Bike Baron-esque controls. Could be enjoyable. We'll have to see when it's released. The problem with using their Rovio pedigree as PR for their new game is that scrutiny of it will be high. Let's hope it rises to the challenge.…
Parashoot Stan Review
It's getting harder and harder to review anything in the endless runner genre as they all follow the same mechanical template with little variation. Get as far as you can, die, use the currency collected to unlock perks to help you get further, rinse, repeat. Even with good presentation and the developer behind Conker's Bad Fur Day at the helm, Parachute Stan is an endless runner that follows the same template. I guess you have to take each game on its own merits, broader context aside…
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QI's top 10 iPhone Games for December 2012
Well 2012 has come and gone, but we still have one month of the Quality Index to check out. These are the top 10 games of December according to the Quality Index. 1. Interlocked2. Stone Age: The Board Game3. Final Fantasy IV4. Stealth Checkers5. Air Hippo6. Build-a-lot 4: Power Source7. Sky Gamblers: Storm Raiders8. BlastPoints9. Alpha Zero10. Minigore 2: Zombies I forsee perhaps Final Fantasy IV making the rounds on top lists, and maybe Minigore 2, but QI has its quirks and I every now and then some oddities crop up, such as Interlocked being an October release. In any case, Appspy has not covered the majority of the games on this list (as…
Quality Index
Shadow Warrior Review
Back when AppSpy was planning its launch in 2009, Duke Nukem 3D was ported to the App Store. It was of significance not only for being a well known game, but it was one of the first major ports on the platform, trading in its mouse and keyboard input in for touch screen buttons. It didn't fare too well, and it was one of the first negative reviews we gave. Now at the end of 2012, 3D Realms' other big shooter release, that is probably more infamous than famous has been ported to the App…
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Mighty Wardens Review
Mighty Wardens is what happens when you take a cartoon styled beat-em-up like Castle Crashers, and interject the MMO inspired mechanics of leveling up and acquiring new loot. Now depending on who you ask, this initial sentence could be enough to either sell you on the game or chase you away forever, but for those still kind of unsure, let's explore further. Controlling your chosen character is accomplished with an on-screen joystick for movement and three buttons. One button is attack…
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Mutant Mudds Review
We've mentioned before about the surprising resurgence of the 2D platformer on the ios, er... platform. Often these games will use an art style reminiscent of this genre's heyday, and Mutant Mudds certainly does its best to visually place itself alongside the early 90s PC shareware classics like Secret Agent, and Duke Nukem. You play as Max, who travels along stages shooting enemies with a water cannon, and collecting plenty of thingamabobs (every platformer has to have thingamabobs).…
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Paper Galaxy Review
Our moon is sentient. It also has allergies. Now the game describes the sneezing as just a cold, but I think they might be lying. Welcome to Paper Galaxy. The moon has sneezed its way away from our solar system and now as it's trying to get back to the safe haven of the Earth's gravitational field, the evil Crab Nebula is chasing after it, trying to claim it as its own. You have to help the little guy back home, and quick. Without its influences, the oceans have been acting kind of cra…
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Green Jelly Review
Green Jelly is another entry in the genre of the cute styled physics flinger... and yet the intro has the titular jelly opening the fridge door not only to the sight of nothing to curb its hunger, but a mouse who is about to hang itself... with a ready made noose! Well that's exceptionally dark for a game about flinging a stretchy jelly around to grab candy. Maybe not. This is G5 after all. They make a lot of drama intense hidden object games, and maybe some of that melodramatic flair…
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Learn to play Piano on iPad
One of the great things about Guitar Hero and the rhythm genre was not only getting gamers more interested in music, but teaching how the different instruments meld together to make a song. As the genre matured, we have games like Rock Band 3 and Rocksmith that are now trying to teach gamers how to play those instruments. Enter Finger Piano. Now we've seen those keyboard and piano apps for the iPad for quite some time now, but Finger Piano is using that method to teach players classical pieces. What's even more impressive is the ability to sync up two iPads for a duet. Have a look at the video to see what I mean. My only concern having learned piano myself for a c…
Crumble Zone Review
If you stop to think about your favorite games, I bet that most of you will love these titles partially for their music, and this is an example of how important sound design can be in a game. Now this intro is a little misleading. Crumble Zone has decent music, but that's not why it made such an impact upon playing. Instead we need to have a look at music's brother, the sound effect, in which this game delivers up in such a satisfyingly crunchy way, that the joy of the gameplay is inex…
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Cross The Line Review
It's been a while since we've seen the old doodle art aesthetic, although to be fair to Cross the Line, it's less 'doodle art' and more emulating a chalkboard, so maybe we should all ignore this sentence and continue fresh. CTL is a physics flinger in which the goal is to, you guessed it, cross the line. There's a circle, and a tiny line. You need to get the circle to cross that line through the use of momentum, and whatever crazy additions the game decides to throw at you. Oh, there's…
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