Home » Articles and Reviews by 'Dave Flodine'
Apple unveils iPad Air and iPad Mini 2
It isn't be a new year without a new SKU of Apple products, and for those of you looking for an improved iPad, you now have a choice between the iPad Air, and the second generation of the iPad mini. The iPad Air is 7.5mm thick (which for our American readers is about a third of an inch). It also supposedly weighs only one pound. It uses the A7 chip architecture and boasts advanced wireless capability. It comes with an improved smartcase and looks to be an option for those who feel the iPad is too cumbersome a tablet. It will be available November 1st for US $499. The second generation of iPad mini, meanwhile, has a 7.9 inch screen with a resolution of 2048 x 1536. It also contains the A7 c…
Baboon has you protecting animals against monkeyshines
Baboon casts you as the titular creature. Armed with a box and arrow, it's your job to protect these animals against the threat of poachers. Have a look at the trailer to see for yourself. While the gameplay doesn't seem that engaging, there's something about the presentation and the gameplay that intrests us. I kind of want to see how bizarre the game gets. Baboon is out on the App Store now for $2.99. Part of the proceeds go to the Colorado Wildlife Sanctuary. No reports on whether they allow their baboons to run around with archery equipment. [App Store Link]…
LEVEL 22 Review
You have to feel for poor old Gary. After a night out on the town, he discovers that not only has he overslept, but that if he's caught arriving late, today might be the end of his career. The goal of Level 22, then, is simple: travel to the twenty-second level of the company building without being spotted by anyone. It's a task that would test the skills of Solid Snake himself. We'll have to make do with Gary, though. Given the stealth genre is usually obsessed with spies and ninjas,…
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Ring Run Circus Review
Ahh, to be a performer at the circus. Dazzling the crowds with death defying acrobatics; dealing with dangerous animals; getting into a very small car with a lot of men. These days circuses don't have the pull they once had, though. However, puzzler-racer Ring Run Circus is making an effort to recreate their magic in the form of short levels with three-star rewards. Cast as a circus performer, your goal is to find the key to unlock a door and escape a set of rings. Tapping the left si…
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Sorcery! Part 2 due out in November
When Sorcery! was released back in May it set a mighty high bar for all future gamebook releases, not only because of its innovative combat and spell system, but its visual flair, and the ability to return to any previous choice at any time. In addition to the release of Part 2 in November (titled Kare: Cityport of Traps), an update to Part 1 has gone into effect, allowing players to transfer their saves over to the new adventure. This sequel boasts double the content of its predecessor, and more complex story branching. Fans of gamebooks should be mighty pleased that November is right around the corner!…
A sequel to Sid Meier's Ace Patrol arriving before Christmas
The original Ace Patrol is a bit of a strange beast. In our review we were intrigued by a turn based approach to air combat, but the whole experience felt a little too disjointed. Well the sequel, Ace Patrol: Pacific Skies, is on its way sometime this fall (for those in the northern hemisphere), and will be tackling the battle between the US and Japanese that took place over the Pacific during World War II. The series has a host of fans, who will no doubt be gleefully anticipating this release. It's also be interesting to see what game changes have been made to the turn based dogfighting. Unlike its predecessor, Pacific Skies will be offered at a premium price point, w…
Try your luck at Dice Jockey
The joke in the headline was made because dice are most commenly associated with gambling or board games (which often is gambling without the thrill of money being involved). Dice Jockey has timed and puzzle modes, but the general idea is that by rotating die, you line up dice of the same number, creating chains to either solve the puzzle or keep the game going a little while longer. The trailer will give you a better idea. This looks a little confusing as you seem to have to be familiar with where the numbers on a die are situated in relation to each other, but after a few levels and rolling the dice back and forth, you'd probably get a good grasp on the concept. The game is ou…
This trailer for Crowman & Wolfboy certainly presents a mood
...and that mood is primarily, "Damn, those are some creepy costumes!". Crowman & Wolfboy are on a journey to find humans while trying their hardest to escape the darkness. What gameplay is shown in the trailer is intercut with the aforementioned creepy costumed characters, but the whole ensemble is quite good at evoking a growing sense of unease and dread. Watch the trailer for yourself to see what we mean. The game is out on the App Store today and will cost $2.99. It looks like there's some interesting tandem moves between the two characters, and that alone might be worth a play of this macabre escape from shadow. [App Store Link]…
Pandemic: The Board Game Review
A viral epidemic is, I'm sure you'll agree, a pretty sizeable catastrophe. In Pandemic: The Board Game, no lees than four deadly viruses are spreading their way across the globe. It's up to four specialists to find the cures before these infections become uncontainable and wipe out humanity. One player can control all four specialists, or four players can work together around a single iPad. The game's rules are pretty simple and easy to understand. Each turn consists of four possible…
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Screaming at your phone in public? Elf Scare makes it ok
Well it at least gives you a reason. Elf Scare is primarily a social game. What we mean is that if the trailer is anything to go by, the developers want you to be playing in a social setting ,and preferably with friends around. This way the odd looks you get from those around you might be just of concern instead of, "I'm calling the men in the white coats!" Elves are trying to cross a bridge, and by screaming at them, you stop this from happening. Stamina is required though, as they keep coming, and if you let three across, it's game over. A simple premise to be sure, but the novelty is obviously in acting foolish. The trailer will explain... While this definitely isn't for anyone,…
Shadowrun Returns Review
For years now, the pen and paper game Shadowrun has delighted players with its mixture of magic, future-tech, and corporate espionage. The Kickstarter-funded Shadowrun Returns plays like a PC RPG from the late '90s. Cast as a titular Shadowrunner, you explore your surroundings, talk to the locals, take on quests, or just follow the clear story objectives. When you get into a fight, the game turns into a less cinematic version of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. You can take cover, use ranged or m…
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The mind bending continues with Draw The Line!
Today must be the day where I discover all the games designed to make your brain pulse. Draw the Line! is kind of like that brain teaser where you have to connect points within a shape using lines that cannot intersect with each other. It goes one further by having you draw lines through each side of the shapes in each stage. To make matters more complicated, certain sides can only be entered in one direction, and other sides must be unlocked before a line can pass through them. The trailer will explain in more detail. The chalkboard style looks like it melds well with the gameplay, as long as you don't imagine that you're solving these puzzles in front of everyone back in elementary…
Shift the way you think with Move
No, the Playstation motion controller hasn't somehow made its way to iOS. Move: A Brain Shifting Game is a game where you move all the pieces together, and use the game board to get the dots to their respective coloured squares. We've featured and reviewed many games of this type. The presention of Move, and the sheer glut of puzzle available make this worth a look for those ready to test the limits of their synapses. Have a watch of the trailer. My brain hurts just watching some of the last puzzles shown in that trailer, but the best of luck to those who rise to the challenge. The game is free to play and is available on the App Store now. [App Store Link]…
HOOKBALL Review
We finally know the reason behind the destruction of the Mayan civilisation: They were playing Hookball. What is Hookball, you ask? Well, it's a game where too much is going on at once, and death is literally only seconds away. Despite the insanity of the sport, it's quite an addictive experience, but one which requires a large amount of dedication to master. The Mayan calendar in the middle of the stage acts as the game timer. Through the collection of gears, you add time to the cloc…
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Be careful - Don't Shoot Yourself
Now this is the type of game I live for as a reviewer - a simple concept with clear design that we haven't seen before. Don't Shoot Yourself is a game of avoidance. If you can avoid the one hundred bullets that fire from your gun and ricochet around the enclosure you are trapped in, a magic bullet will fire, freeing you from your prison. It looks like it will take skill, ingenuity, and more than a little luck. Have a watch of the trailer! Precision will be key, and one hopes that with the levels being in the middle of the screen, the outer edges can be used for finger control, as to not obscure any of the action. The game will be available as a universal app on November 13th for $0.9…
