Home » Articles and Reviews by 'Alex Beech'
Major Magnet: Arcade is coming to the App Store next week
Pagoda West Games has announced that its new game Major Magnet: Arcade will be coming to the App Store next week. When the original Major Magnet was released last year we found ourselves attracted to its orbiting 2D gameplay. It involves swinging and flinging the titular Major around the screen using the power of magnetism. What made the it even more special was the its vivid 16-bit visuals and chirpy chiptune music, both of which reminded us of some of Sonic the Hedgehog’s best levels. The Major’s return looks to be more of an evolution than a revolution, however. As the trailer shows, the magnetic mechanics have returned. These let you sling the hero through each stag…
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Godfire™ Review
From its mythical Greek storyline to its combat, everything about Godfire mimics God of War. But while it may be shameless in its imitation, that doesn’t stop its being fun. You play as Prometheus, the Titan who gave fire to man. The opening scene depicts just this, though in an oddly dramatic style, with you smashing the flame from Zeus armour while battling on top of a flying chariot. The craft then crashes down into the underworld and Zeus sets out to reclaim the fire, leavin…
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Sega’s super Sonic summer sale
Sega has dropped the price of three Sonic The Hedgehog titles on the App Store. Sonic The Hedgehog starts off this sale. Sega’s original super-speed platformer has the pointy hero rescuing his friends from the evil Dr Robotnik. Reimagined for iOS with touchcontrols and new playable characters, we thought this was a good interpretation of the Mega Drive / Genesis classic when we tried in back in 2009. Next up is Sonic The Hedgehog 2. This sequel does little to change the highspeed formula, with Sonic once again doing battle with Dr Robotnik. Originally, however, Sonic 2 did introduce the wonderfully named Miles Prower (a.k.a. Tails) to the world - for which we are forever grate…
Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril has just assembled on the App Store
It may have been some time in coming, but the iOS port of last year’s Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril is finally here. The game’s original story has Lego Loki joining forces with a gang of Marvel villains in order to destroy the Earth. Drawing in dozens of characters from the comic-book universe, this tale of villainy provides the perfect excuse for the game’s cast of over 90 different playable characters. For this port Warner Bros has offered you the choice of touchscreen or traditional ‘console’ controls, letting you pick the play style that suits you. So, whether you are playing the powerful Hulk, the stretchy Mr Fantastic, or the flaming flyer…
Tiny Prehistoric Adventure Review
Tiny Prehistoric Adventure is an elegant mix of point-and-click adventure and puzzle game. Sending you back to the jurassic period, you play the part of a miniature time traveller who is stranded after his era hopping machine breaks. Before beginning each area you are treated to a vivid comic panel showing the dangers you are about to face. These are in perfect keeping with the game’s bright 2D art, and do a good job setting the tone. Streamlined point-and-click controls have y…
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Arcade party game Mucho Party is on the App Store now
Globz new multiplayer party game Mucho Party has just been released on the App Store. While Mucho Party can be played alone, this frantic party title is designed for two or more people to enjoy its 30+ mini-games together. With games ranging from car races to the tango, the multiplayer mayhem should have something to keep everyone entertained. Mucho Party is not just a string of quick one off experiences though, with a host of different game modes on offer. These include Hot Seat where the winner stays on and new challengers rotating in, and Mosaic that lets you quickly jump from game to game. Knowing that not everyone has the same level of experience, Mucho Party makes sure to test pla…
Halfbrick’s new match-three puzzler Birzzle Fever is out now
Halfbrick Publishing has just released its latest free-to-play title on the App Store, the fast paced puzzler Brizzle Fever. This classic match-three puzzler will be familiar to anyone who has played Bejewelled. A grid of colourful birds greet you when you begin. Tapping on any bird that is touching two or more similarly colored friends makes them burst into a shower of feathers, and new birds flap into replace them. To spice things up, developer Enfeel has added time pressures. With each round playing out over a single minute you must be fast to rack up those high-scores. To further emphasise this focus on speed you also earn extra points the faster you link chains together. The more co…
DUNGEONy Review
Dungeony is an odd interpretation of a roguelike. Taking control of a hero you plunge down through randomly generated levels to battle untold terrors in your quest to level up. Where it differs from others examples of the genre, however, is that none of your adversaries attack or even move. As the initiator of every encounter, Dungeony takes on a puzzle like quality. With limited health you have to carefully select your fights and route through the world. Unfortunately, without monste…
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Tasty sushi-based puzzler Umai! will be on the App Store’s conveyer belt tonight
When it comes to puzzle games we think that less is often more, and sushi-munching-monster game Umai! may prove just that when it hits the App Store at midnight. Taking control of a tiny monster surrounded by a conveyer belt of sushi, Umai!’s goal of this charming match-three puzzler is simple - eat as many of the fishy treats as possible. Touching your monster extends its tongue, and tracing a line between sushi of the same type has it slurp them down. A countdown timer keeps the pressure on as you try to beat your previous high-score. Time increases the more you eat, but this doesn’t stop the ticking clock forcing silly mistakes as you race to beat it. There are six differ…
Sega celebrate the World Cup with Football Manager Handheld 2014
After a disappointing start to the World Cup for England, Sega are trying to bring a smile back to the face of English fans by cutting the price of Football Manager Handheld 2014. Sega’s stat filled management sim allows soccer fans the chance to step into the sheepskin coat of their favorite club’s manager or create their own team to lead to victory. Selecting your squad and their tactics before each match puts all of your footie theory to the test. Luckily, thanks to the game’s post-match analysis even losses help, giving you the information you need to tweak your team and ensure future victories. It’s not just the on-field tactics you have to deal with. As man…
(R)evolve Review
We are not huge fans of silly formatting in game titles. However, even we have to concede that (R)evolve is an apt name for a game that has you revolving a tiny planet to give the creatures living on its surface a chance to evolve before they are struck by asteroids. You begin with a single plant on the surface of a tiny globe spinning in space. Holding the right of the screen spins the planet clockwise, while doing the same anywhere on the left will see it move in an anti-clockwise d…
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Angry Bird Transformers will have you looking for robots in the skies
With a new movie on the horizon, Transformers fever is about to strike again. To really make the most of this Hasbro has joined forces with Rovio to create Angry Birds Transformers. This partnership means that - like Angry Birds Star Wars - Angry Birds Transformers will be both a game and a toy line. In keeping with this Hasbro has revealed its line of ‘Telepod’ toys, due for release later this year. These will take a similar path to Activision’s Skylanders series, letting you transport your toys into the game. However, whether Angry Birds Transformers will operate using similar near field communication technology and if it will require an additional peripher…
Environmental physics puzzler Biosis is currently free on the App Store
Kostyantyn Salanda’s organic physics-puzzler Biosis is currently free on the App Store. Dragging a glowing blob through Biosis's puzzles quickly becomes a greater challenge than you would expect. Your tiny globular ward is pretty useless and relies on you to activate a variety of creatures and plants in each stage to push and pull it towards its goal. A slow starting pace gives you plenty of time to come to grips with the game’s world manipulation mechanics. Give it a little time, though, and you will find yourself firing your blob like a cannonball across the map in order to grapple it with a vine before swinging it safely into an exit. Exploring the lush hab…
Fluid SE Review
Fluid SE has you constantly on the brink of anger. It sets you the simple goal of collecting a handful of glowing orbs from around its stylish dark arenas but adds time pressures to create a tantalising challenge. A responsive virtual stick ensures there are no surprises to Fluid's controls while you guide your creature around the levels. Where the complexity lies, however, is in the exactness of these controls, with the tiniest movement of your finger changing your avatar’s cou…
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Warhammer Quest has had its price smashed
Rodeo Games’s interpretation of Games Workshop’s table-top board game Warhammer Quest has juat had its price dropped on the App Store. This strategic turn-based strategy game is a fantastic interpretation of the old board game. Drawing on a cast that spans from archers to wizards, you must build a squad of suitably stereotypical fantasy fighters to take on quests. With dozens of dungeons and other subterranean areas to journey through you will have to master all of the game’s tactics, magic, and big swords if you hope to emerge victorious against the forces of chaos. Careful construction of your team is vital. Archers prove invaluable at range, but placing one in front…
