Home » Articles and Reviews by 'Peter Willington'
Hands-on with Poptile, the elegantly designed, highly addictive, and really quite generous free-to-play block puzzler
The maker of Bicolor and Mr Flap is releasing a new block-matching game this week called Poptile, and as the video below shows, I thought it was rather good. You simply need to keep the blocks at the bottom of the screen reach the top, but doing so can be tough. Each time you tap to remove a block, all the blocks move up one place, and so the trick is to match as many blocks of the same colour as you can. There are some power-ups on offer to provide assistance too, should you need them. Get some friends involved in this and I reckon you'll have a great time trying to out-do one another's scores on Poptile's leaderboards. I know I did.…
blocksHands-on with Soccer Physics, the ridiculous football game where you'll use just one button in every match
There's been a spate of excellent games recently that have taken the sport of soccer (or football, if you're not American) and made something silly and fun and new from it. SnapMatch Soccer was one, Uppercup Football is another, and now Soccer Physics has been added to the group. Much like its creator's previous games, Soccer Physics is a simple one button game that has you controlling your team with just the one button, and therefore any strategies and nuance that comes from this blunt approach to control emanates from a lot of skill from the player, and a pinch of luck. I absolutely adored the time I spent with Soccer Physics, here's why...…
Kemco's RPG Band of Monsters goes from $7.99 to free for a limited time on iOS and Android
We all like something for nothing, and Kemco is offering RPG fans with iOS and Android devices exactly that. One of their role playing games - Machine Knight - has just hit 1,000,000 downloads on Android, so to celebrate Kemco is giving away another of its RPGs for free. It's called Band of Monsters, and considering that the game is usually priced $7.99 / £5.49, this promotion represents quite the saving on this usually premium title. Not convinced by the trailer? All you need to know is that you'll be going on a long quest to tame monsters around the world, combining them with one another when caught to make all-new monsters, and using them to fight in classic JRPG-style battles.…
Modern Combat: Sandstorm - EncyclAPPedia
Kicking off Modern Combat Week here on AppSpy, we're taking a quick look at the game that started the whole series off: Gameloft's first take on the mobile first person shooter, Modern Combat: Sandstorm. EncyclAPPpediaɛnˌsʌɪklə(ʊ)ˈpiːdɪənounA video or set of videos giving information on many mobile games or on many aspects of one game and typically arranged entirely at random.…
Minecraft: Pocket Edition - EncyclAPPedia
Today we turn to the page of the EncyclAPPedia marked 'Minecraft', and take a quick look at Mojang's ground-breaking game of world-building and blocky survival. EncyclAPPpediaɛnˌsʌɪklə(ʊ)ˈpiːdɪənounA video or set of videos giving information on many mobile games or on many aspects of one game and typically arranged entirely at random.…
Hands-on with Magic 2015: Duels of the Planeswalkers, the approachable yet utterly hardcore collectible card game
Magic 2015: Duels of the Planeswalkers is out now on iPad and Android, so we grabbed a copy of the game and fired it up to throw around some magic-imbued cards. We've covered the game closely - from pre-release builds, to surprise launches - and thankfully we've not been left wanting with the finished product. Though the initial game is free to download, after the first campaign you'll need to cough up some cash for each chapter, or buy them in bulk upfront. It's a premium product, with a premium price tag, and as I note in my video below, it'll be interesting to see how well that goes down, now that the free-to-play HearthStone is out and in direct competition with it. Are you a Magic: T…
Broken Sword 5 - The Serpent's Curse: Episode Two slithers its way to iPhone and iPad
The concluding half of crowd-funded point-and-click adventure Broken Sword 5 - The Serpent's Curse has just been released on iOS. Revolution founder and series mastermind Charles Cecil states that "Episode Two ramps up the level of drama, as the adventure bursts out from Paris and London, taking the player on to stunning locations throughout Spanish Catalonia and to deepest Iraq, the birthplace of civilisation". Fans will no doubt find this focus on the dramatic positive, as reviews of the first part of the game were a little lacklustre. This surprised some, especially as the Director's Cut of the original title was so widely lauded. If you're interested in seeing how the story - f…
Hands-on with Kritika: Chaos Unleashed, the action RPG starring the angriest man ever
We've covered Kritika: Chaos Unleashed quite closely here at AppSpy, ensuring you fine folks got word of the pre-registration event for exclusive items, and news that the game is available right now for iOS and Android devices. The coverage continues today with our hands-on video, and let me tell you, I have not been disappointed with what I've played thus far. Combat in Kritika: Chaos Unleashed is fast and plentiful, occurring in confined arenas with plenty of enemies ready to be cut down. Boss battles with larger creatures require a little more tactical thinking as you work out their attack patterns. When you're not knocking baddies for six, you're upgrading your weaponry and armour to b…
Hands-on with Beyond Gravity, the cartoony endless jumper in spaaaaaaace
After recklessly smashing your ship into an asteroid, and subsequently crash landing on a foreign planet, you must use your strangely powerful legs to jump from planetary body to planetary body, collecting nuts and bolts along the way, in an effort (I assume) to get home safely. Beyond Gravity isn't exactly hard sci-fi then, but it is a lot of fun, as the hands-on video below will attest. It's bite-sized fun, and the gameplay is all presented with a cheeky and cheery cartoon papercraft-esque style. Let me know if you're playing Beyond Gravity, in our comments.…
Hands-on with Alphabeats, where cool music and spelling combine
In Alphabeats you must create words using letters that fall from the top of the screen to the beat of the music, avoiding incorrect spelling, and trying to use “rare” letters (QXZ etc) as much as possible. It's an odd mash up, and it's a rough diamond for sure. But it's quite moreish too, and extremely satisfying when you beat your friend's scores in the online leaderboards. The music is totally awesome as well, comprising a base soundtrack of ABXY, Absent Qualia, Big Giant Circles, Disasterpeace, Whitley Tower Haus, with more available as IAPs. Here's my hands-on video with the game...…
Hands-on with Bio Inc., the medical strategy game in which I killed our Danny with dementia
Poor Danny. He's always so hard at work on AppSpy's Twitter, Facebook, and G+, and he's a regular on our Twitch streams, wielding The Ban Hammer of Justice with fairness and speed. But I think things have all gotten a little much for him, a little too stressful, as he just died of dementia. Well, he did in my hands-on with Bio Inc., at least. Bio Inc. is a strategy game in the style of Plague Inc., in that you gradually build up a disease in your subject, with the ultimate goal being their untimely death. It's pretty grim, but kind of fascinating too, and it will probably teach you a thing or two about biomedical science along the way. You'll certainly want to start washing your hands mo…
Game of Thrones Ascent invades iPhones and Android devices from midnight
Though iPad owners have been battling for the Iron Throne in Game of Thrones Ascent since March, wannabe rulers of the seven kingdoms with iPhones and / or Android devices have been left cold. Winter is coming, after all. However, from midnight tonight you'll be able to warm yourself in the fiery heat of the official game of the official TV series of George R.R. Martin's officially awesome line of books. If you're unfamiliar with Game of Thrones Ascent, then all you need to know is that it's a strategy management game set in the Game of Thrones universe, and sees you making a name for your household, joining alliances, forging armour and weapons, and developing a large holding to dominat…
Hands-on with Epic Skater, the rad auto-runner made by ex-Tony Hawks devs
Whenever we get sent an extreme sports game, my interests are immediately piqued, so when I was told that Epic Skater is being made by developers of some of the early Tony Hawks games - i.e. some of the best games ever made - my interest level rocketed off the charts. I wasn't disappointed. Epic Skater is a free-to-play single plane auto-runner that's currently in soft launch, in which you must leap obstacles, pull of the sickest of tricks, and grab coins while you're doing so. The controls are simple, responsive, and even manage to feel authentic to the sport itself. Kickflip down to the play button below for more on Epic Skater.…
Hands-on with Dream Revenant, the stunningly beautiful first person adventure
I could write tens of thousands of words on the various elements that go to make up Dream Revenant. The hazy Summer light dappling through the branches of one of the game's sumptuous environments, the pitch perfect score and sound effects that build the delirious (almost creepy) atmosphere of the game, the supremely sophisticated storytelling and framing that permeates every moment of the intriguing narrative - any of these could be the subject of a lengthy discourse here on AppSpy. But instead, take a look at our hands-on video with the game to see it in motion, and see for yourself why I'm extremely excited to play further.…
Hands-on with Star Admiral, the space-faring collectible card game sans the cards
Treading a very thin line between collectible card game (CCG) and straight up strategy game, Star Admiral is as satisfying to play as it is a unique proposition. You're given a fleet (or deck), and must play ships (cards) in a tactical manner, attacking your opponent, and setting up traps in case of retaliation. I've really enjoyed my time with the game thus far, trying to collect as many of the 100 units on offer as possible, and challenging other players in online PvP. Star Admiral is currently in soft launch, and comes to iOS and Android soon. In the meantime, check out my hands-on impressions...…
