Home » Articles and Reviews by 'Dave Flodine'
App Wrap Up (Weekend Edition, 10th December 2012)
Hey Hey readers, and welcome to another installment of the App Wrap Up! It's been a week or two since last we met, and I have another collection of interesting games that you may have missed that look decent based solely on their trailers. Let's get started! Linked Together (Idol Minds LLC) The expansion of the match-3 genre into giant linked chains for massive points is not a new concept, so what is it about this trailer that resonates? Is it the 'in your face' presentation, or is it the emphasis on multiplayer and a slew of intesting power ups? Whatever the reason, this does look like a lot of fun.[App Store Link] Jellboy (CORVUS GAMES) You've seen those youtube videos abou…
Sphoxie Review
While the iPhone has created a resurgence of 2D platforming titles, the 3D platformer has been kind of neglected. Perhaps it's because the added challenge of creating a camera and a three dimensional space worth exploring is a daunting task, but regardless, it makes it so that when a 3D platformer is released, it's almost a novelty. Sphoxie is such a platformer. You play the titular named character who is a sort of blue sphere who gets sucked into a portal and trapped in a hostile worl…
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challengeVergence Fated to Appear in App Store
You don't see too many Metroidvania games on the App Store. Perhaps its that mobile gaming doesn't lend itself to the genre, or that it's hard to get the controls right, but it's good see that there are some out there. Well I'm assuming Vergence: Will of Fate is a Metroidvania game from the description and the trailer. If not, it still looks visually interesting as a platformer, and promises lots of rooms to visit and upgrades to acquire. Here's the trailer. The game is released on December 9th.…
Autumn Dynasty Universal Edition
Earlier this year, Autumn Dynasty was released for the iPad. It met with some success, but now since they're bringing it to the iPhone as well, they've used the time towards this new release to redesign the interface. So what is Autumn Dynasty? Have a watch of the trailer. It looks like a simple to use real time strategy game wrapped in a gorgeous Japanese brush paining style. This will be one to watch out for on its release next week on December 13th!…
Scrap this!
Now December 20th is a ways off, but just before Christmas arrives we get the release of Scrap Tank, which looks like an amalgamation of Moon Patrol, and Metal Slug... with lots of upgrades. Have a look at the the trailer. Looks like a lot of blasting arcade mayhem enjoyment. Can't wait!…
QI's top 10 iPhone Games for November 2012
2012 is almost over, and yet this time of year is ripe with releases. Let us have a look at what the top 10 iPhone games on November were according to the rankings over at Quality Index. 1. Word Wonders: The Tower of Babel2. Lazy Raiders3. Woodla: The Tower4. Bubble Galaxy with Buddies5. Angry Birds Star Wars6. Knights of Pen & Paper7. ARC Squadron8. Micro Miners9. Dream of Pixels10. Chip Chain Our top 3 will definitely be out sometime soon, so we can see if there's any crossover. I have a feeling that Angry Birds Star Wars might, but don't quote me on that.[QI's top 10 iPhone games of November 2012]…
Fans of Horror Games Have a Release to look Forward to this Week
Some of the scariest games are those where you have no weapons, and have to survive by your wits against whatever creepy creature of darkness is trying to do you in. Now personally I can't play any game with horror elements as it affects me too greatly, but for those that enjoy a good spook, The Woods is released on December 7th. Have a look at the trailer. Unfortunetely those with an older iPhone than the iPhone 4 are out of luck, but as a horror experience, it looks plenty atmospheric, and should be a blast... if you like that sort of thing.…
Motor is Blasting onto the App Store today
Conjuring up memories of games like Twisted Metal, Motorblast combines racing plus shooting, and looks pretty nice doing it. Have a look at the trailer! [App Store Link]…
Boulder Dash®-XL™ Review
The original Bourder Dash is one of those games that most people who played games in the 80s and early 90s should be very familiar with. Not just that it was ported to every system imaginable, but because there were a million knock-offs as well. In the end, it was the same simple game. Walk around in the dirt, gather gems and avoid getting crushed by the boulders once you moved under them, thus triggering a rockslide. The levels were often part reflex action game, and part puzzle, as y…
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Freeze! Review
There haven't been too many, but there's something enjoyable about games that stick you in small curved level, and ask you to use the iPhone's tilt controls and the power of physics to get the character you control to safety. Freeze is the latest of these, and it comes to us wrapped in a 50s monster movie shell. It certainly adds an amount of mood and character to the game, but the big question is of course, how does it play? The answer to that questions is. “adequately”.…
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Endless Road Review
Maybe it's jaded memory talking, but there's really not many good things that come to mind when talking about the arcade driving classic Outrun. Perhaps the aspect that stands out the most though is the decision making process in which path you took each leg of the race. While this had no real bearing on the gameplay, a change of environment is always a welcome addition in any game, and it is this exact mechanic that resurfaces in Endless Road... though any other comparisons to Outrun…
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Nanomites
Ok, so it's not the first use of this mechanic, and it won't be the last, but i think using touch gestures to fence off these creatures is pretty neat. It's similar to the game Qix, but you get to separate expressive nano creatures. Take a look at the trailer. The game is being released on December 12th.…
Shardlands Review
A lot of games start you out with either a splash page of introductory context or a movie to set up the scene. Shardlands throws you right into the thick of it straight away. Your character Dawn wakes up in a strange alien world. Where is she? How did she get there? These are pertinent questions, but surprisingly not all that pressing. This game is of a slower pace, where exploration and evasion are the order of the day. The big questions can wait. And to explore this foreign landscap…
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3volution - A Primordial Soup Challenge Review
Why is the E in evolution turned around into a 3 for the sake of this title? Well because the whole concept of primordial evolution is apparently aided by three helpers named Nunstuck, Git, and Slotermeyer. 3Volution has you evolving through life forms in what amounts to sort of a high speed soccer game, complete with power-ups and obstacles creating an experience that can be unfair and over before you know it, but set up so that you instantly press retry to give the whole affair anoth…
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Trauma Ted Review
We've all played oh so many games like Trauma Ted. The quick, easy to play bursts of puzzle-y goodness, the simple yet endearing art and music, the level menu strewn with numbered tiles for all the options available. It seems that aside from some revolutionary gameplay ideas, the only thing that can make a game like this interesting after so many others is the premise. Well how about helping an injured cat with a migraine feed his painkiller addiction level by level, utilizing wrap aro…
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