Home » Articles and Reviews by 'Peter Willington'
Hands-on with Heavy Metal Thunder, the gamebook set in deepest, darkest space
As I explain in the hands-on, we don't often bring you footage of gamebooks, because they're not the most exciting of videos. Nothing much moving, lots of text - that sort of thing. But I had to bring you a look at Heavy Metal Thunder, because it's super atmospheric, and very well put together. Click play on the video below for a look, then let me know if you pick up Heavy Metal Thunder, in the comments below.…
gamebookThis Angry Birds Transformers trailer is so amazingly 80s that it should be wearing jelly shoes
There was always going to be a concern amongst Transformers fans that Angry Birds Transformers isn't going to feel authentic, that it would be a quick cash-grab, predicated on nostalgia for a beloved cartoon from the eighties. If you weren't convinced that wouldn't be the case by this trailer, then I'm pretty sure this one will put any remaining fears to bed. If you're too young to remember cartoons created solely for the purpose of marketing toys, or the "unique" properties of VHS, or the pomp of eighties hair metal, then the above may be a little lost on you. But to those of us staring down the barrel of a rapidly approaching 30s, the trailer for Angry Birds Transformers is pretty muc…
Plants vs. Zombies 2 update brings back classic PvZ game mode, new power-ups, and more
If you're a long-time fan of the Plants vs. Zombies games, you may remember the Vasebreaker mini-game from the original release. The latest update to Plants vs. Zombies 2 brings back this mode, and builds upon the gameplay formula that made it - according to PopCap - the most popular mini-game from the first PvZ. X-Ray Vase allows you to see exactly what type of zombie is hidden inside each pot, and the Vase Move enables you to move these precarious bits of pottery about the map. A new power-up, called The Butterizer, lobs butter to stun zombies, and if that weren't enough to keep you busy, there's a new Endless Mode too. Plants vs. Zombies 2's Vasebreaker update is out now, and if you…
Hands-on with Stealth, where you're a ninja quietly shanking bad dudes
Metal Gear. Tenchu. Assassin's Creed. Splinter Cell. These are all great examples of stealth action games, and Stealth reminds me a great deal of the first two titles. Stealth is top-down, slow-paced, your inventory can be quite limited, and to succeed you'll need to figure out the patterns of the patrols of the guards. Here's a sneaky early look.…
Hands-on with Duke Dashington, the smashing puzzle platformer wot wot
In Duke Dashington you attempt to guide the daring and handsome titular character through maze after maze of tricky platforming, using only dashes. It's reminiscent of the Wario Land platformers in a lot of ways. The constant dashing from area to area, the sense of comic peril, and the detailed pixel art all combine to hint at this being a port of some long-forgotten Game Boy classic. Here's what the game looks like in motion.…
EXCLUSIVE: World of Tanks Blitz on Android 'a few weeks away', cross-platform multiplayer details confirmed, new update now available
We get a lot of questions from our viewers here at AppSpy about World of Tanks Blitz, so I dropped Wargaming.net a message to see if they could answer some of the ones we hear most often. Though the developer is still cagey over how it will be expanding the multiplayer aspects of the game - clan support, for example, would be very welcome, but details were not forthcoming - it did confirm to me that cross-platform multiplayer with the Android version of the game is coming. Android gamers can expect to see World of Tanks Blitz on their device shortly: according to the representative from Wargaming.net I spoke with, "the Android version is a few weeks away". Personally I think this is great…
Surviving in Minecraft: Pocket Edition, Episode 2 - Making Fire
As a complete newbie to Minecraft: PE, I've found that even basic human needs are often a struggle to fulfill. Last week I needed to quickly create shelter, this week I'm in need of light to make the nights pass quicker. But just how do you go about making a light to mine by? And also: what happened to Bertie? Did he survive the cold hard night? Find out in the video below.…
Hands-on with Alone..., the solitary highscore chaser
Minimal, fast, responsive, and with just a tinge of melancholy, Alone... is a tough highscore chaser for fans of tough highscore chasers. There's a bit of leniency in there for new players, which should encourage more people to give it a go, but getting a respectable score will take a good deal of effort, concentration, and practise. Here's Alone... in motion...…
Dragon Quest I is coming to western mobiles this September, rest of the series to follow shortly
Let's not bury the lead here: Dragon Quest I is headed to English-speaking territories, and the other Dragon Quest games will join it soon after. In an interview with Siliconera, the producer of the Dragon Quest mobile series Noriyoshi Fujimoto stated that; "We are going to be releasing (in order) from Dragon Quest I, starting sometime in September, and then we'll be releasing subsequent games like Dragon Quest II and Dragon Quest III every month, maybe every two months" "In terms of pricing, it’s still yet to be determined - but because these are classic games, the cost will probably be lower than Dragon Quest VIII and Dragon Quest IV" Fujimoto also went on to explain that these…
Transformers NES game returns as Q Transformers: Mystery of the Returned Convoy on iOS and Android
Hardcore Transformers fans will know that us lot here in the west missed out on a couple of NES / Famicom games based on the much-loved licence. The Transformers: Mystery of Convoy is one such game, and was, in truth, a slightly cynical cash-in that tried to bridge the gap between the events of two TV seasons - as the Transformers movie that fulfilled this role in the west was not shown in Japan for quite some time. The game follows Ultra Magnus as he attempts to find the killer of Autobot leader Optimus Prime, and has gone down in Transformers history as being completely apocryphal to the canon of the series. It's also known for being difficult. Really really really difficult. So lege…
Learn how to play Monster Hunter Freedom Unite with AppSpy - Part 4
The terrible trio - James, Harry, and Peter - get a bit cocky in this episode of our ongoing series with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite for iOS. They think they can take on both the Plesioth and the Gypceros. They are mistaken. Missed the last episode? Catch up here.…
Learn how to play Monster Hunter Freedom Unite with AppSpy - Part 3
James and Harry are joined by special guest (and super duper community manager) Danny in this episode of our series. The trio take on a pack of Blangos, the Khezu, and even a swarm of Hermitaurs, kicking all sorts of monster butt in this iPhone and iPad version of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. Missed the last episode? Click here for the previous installment.…
10 mind-blowingly awesome fan-made Bad Piggies contraptions
Over the past few days, I've been on the hunt for the most spectacular, over-the-top, completely ridiculous video replays of Bad Piggies that I could find on Everyplay. What I've found has not disappointed. So in no particular order, here are my top 10. Which is your favourite? I love the ambition here, and you really start to root for the contraption to succeed. Unfortunately though, that's not the case... This combo allows you to flip the machine you've built and stick to the roof of caves. Ingenious! I literally can't begin to describe how awesome this video is. Just... honestly just hit play. This might be my personal favourite. These classic aircraft look cool, but they also fly be…
Hands-on with Epic Eric, or should that be Epic Erica?
Epic Eric's gameplay is very enjoyable, I don't want to take anything away from that in this hands-on video. It's a lot of fun to work out how to get from one section of a level to another, without touching the ground, using momentum to carry you from start to flagpole. But what I think is really cool about Epic Eric is... well... see for yourself...…
Hands-on with Alien Creeps TD, the bold and bright tower defence game
Since I'm currently reviewing Alien Creeps TD for Pocket Gamer, I thought I'd bring you a quick look at the game in motion, in support of the seven day review you'll find over on PG. At its slimy heart Alien Creeps TD is a tower defence game with solid presentation and a good level of challenge. It doesn't try to break the mould too much, and I guess that for a lot of TD fans, that won't really matter too much. Click play below for my hands-on.…
