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The Monday Musing - Fire Emblem, Super Mario Run, and the angry fan response
It’s fair to say that the release of Fire Emblem: Heroes has been the big talking point in mobile over the past few days. That’s not really a surprise, since it’s Nintendo’s second mobile game, and first real foray into the free to play world. I think the most interesting point that’s come out of the discussions is that people don’t really know what they want. What do I mean by that? Well, look at the backlash that surrounded Super Mario Run. That was essentially a premium game with a demo. You played for a bit, then if you wanted to keep playing you had to buy the whole thing. This, apparently, was tantamount to daylight robbery. But with Fire Emblem…
The 5 best iPad and iPhone games this week - 4th February
It’s the weekend! Happy weekend everyone. I hope you’re out and about expressing yourself in however you see fit. And if you’re not, I hope you’ve got a good game to keep you company. You don’t? Well that’s awful. But don’t worry, I’m here to help you out with things like that. How about I go right ahead and write a list about the five best iOS games that hit the App Store this week? Sounds good? Ace. Well, here’s the list then. And I hope you find something on it that’s to your liking. Or if not, that you have a lovely old time reading it. Pixel Craft A mix of modern and old fashioned arcade sensibilities come together to mak…
Fire Emblem: Heroes guide - Part Two - Units and the weapon triangle
In this second part of our guide we’re going to look at the different types of units you’re going to be using while you’re fighting your way through Fire Emblem. There are four different types, and we’re going to break them down for you piece by piece, to make sure you know exactly what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with. Come back next time and we’ll have a long hard look at the battle system itself, and see if we can’t find some ways to make sure you’re kicking evil hero butt. Red Sword Red Sword characters are strong against Green Axes but weak against Blue Lances. As you can tell from the name they’re the characters t…
Fire Emblem: Heroes guide - Part One - The basics
Well, Fire Emblem: Heroes is out. What did you think of it? I’ll be honest, I’m a fan. I think it’s a solid casual RPG that does things differently from a lot of other games on the App Store. And that’s always a good thing. But if you’re just starting out in the game, you might need some help finding your feet. And that’s where this guide comes in. We’re gonna walk you through the hints, tips, and strategies you’re going to need to win. In this first part we’re going to cover the basics, but come back over the next few ways and we’ll work our way through some of the tougher aspects of the game together. Because that’s what g…
The Thursday Find - Pixel Craft
This week’s Thursday find is a blocky arcade shooter with more than a handful of twists. It’s sharp, it’s fun, and it’s the perfect size for mobile play. It doesn’t have the elegance of a bullet hell shooter, but it does have the delightful twitchiness and the big neon explosions. Oh, and it’s called Pixel Craft. Which is both an excellent name, and sort of a bit of a pun. So that’s why it got my vote. Not that there’s anyone else here to vote for it. Pixel Craft Imagine if Crossy Road and Space Invaders made the beast with two backs while most of the 80’s watched on and cheered. Actually, don’t imagine that, but that’s ba…
Fire Emblem Heroes is out tomorrow - Here's everything we know
Well, here’s a turn-up for the books. It looks like Nintendo’s next mobile game is a lot closer than we thought. And I do mean a lot closer. It’s so close you can almost smell it. Smell that? That’s what it smells like. Fire Emblem Heroes is, according to Polygon, going to come out tomorrow. That’s right, mark your calendars. Or don’t bother, because it’s coming out tomorrow and it’s pretty much nearly tomorrow already. We’ve also got some more details about what the game is going to be like. And apparently it’s a departure from the model that Nintendo used with Super Mario Run. Because Fire Emblem Heroes is free to play. With tha…
The best games on sale on iPad and iPhone right now - February 1st
It’s Wednesday. At least, I think it’s Wednesday. I’ve sort of lost track of time. I’m going to say it’s Wednesday, and you can all just agree with me because I’m super cool and get to write all the words. Anyway, with it probably being Wednesday it’s time for us to round up the five best games that are on sale on the App Store right now. It’s not what you might call a vintage week for games being on sale, but there are a few here that you should definitely consider picking up if you haven’t already splashed some of your cash on them. Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition While a new version of the game might have graced the App Store…
Pokemon Duel guide - Part Two - The battles
In this second part of our guide to Pokemon Duel, we're going to take a closer look at how the battles work, and give you some tips about how you can up your chances of winning them. They're an important part of the game, but at the same time, they're not. They're going to happen, and you need to know what to do, but trying to avoid them is often a much smarter course of action. In this article we'll look at the different moves you can perform, as well as the cards you can play to try and give yourself an edge in battles. The fights When you're fighting, you and your opponent both spin a wheel. You tap to stop it, and whichever section of the wheel it stops in is your attack. Stronger P…
The Tuesday Best of - Puzzle RPGs
In this week’s Tuesday best-of, we’re going to have a look at puzzling RPGs. Mainly because a new one came out last week in the shape of WWE: Champions. It’s pretty good, but I don’t think it’s as good as these three. There’s some traditional ones here, some less traditional ones, and, well that’s sort of it. I mean there’s only three entries on the list, I’m not a miracle worker. Anyway, here they are in all their matching glory. If you like the look or sound of them, then wander off to the App Store and get them grabbed. I don’t think you’re going to be disappointed. Marvel Puzzle Quest There’s just something abo…
Pokemon Duel guide - Part One - The basics
This week we're going to be taking a long hard look at Pokemon Duel. It had a bit of a sticky launch period, but things seem to have calmed down a bit now. So to start things off we're going to have a look at what the game is all about. We'll walk you through the basics and make sure you know exactly what's going on before you dive head-first into the madness. Come back later in the week and we'll go over some more advanced tactics, as well as explaining the various menus and currencies that you're going to have to get on top of if you want to be a Pokemon master. The basics Pokemon Duel is a boardgame. Imagine a cross between chess, Pokemon, checkers, and GO. And probably some other thi…
The Monday Musing - Will there ever be a real Pokemon game on mobile?
We’ve got two official Pokemon games on the App Store now, in the shape of the impressive Pokemon GO and the TBD Pokemon Duel. And that sort of got me thinking, because those two games pose an important question. Namely, will we ever see a real Pokemon game on mobile? And when I say a real Pokemon game, I mean a Pokemon game that’s an RPG, with all the trappings we’ve come to expect from the monster catching series. And this in turn raised other questions. Which I decided to put in list form and try and answer for you. Because I’m good like that. You’re welcome. Enjoy the rest of your Monday y’hear. iPhones aren’t powerful enough Well, that&rsquo…
WarFriends - The complete guide
Here you'll find all four parts of our guide to the third person shooter hybrid WarFriends. We'll walk you through the basics, show you some tricks of the trade, and make sure you understand all the ins and outs of the menus you'll be poking through. And if that wasn't enough we get down to the nitty gritty of actually shooting people as well. See you on the battlefield, soldiers. Part one - The basics Part two - Upgrades and Warcards Part three - Warpath Mode Part four - Advanced tactics…
Last week on Pocket Gamer - 29th January
Welcome to our weekly round-up of the goings on over at our sister site, PocketGamer. Each week we take a brief look at the key trends, biggest stories, and most interesting games from the world of mobile and handheld gaming over the previous seven days - all as refracted through the inimitable PG prism. However, we should probably start this week’s round-up with something of a sheepish disclaimer… Steel Media conference The week got off to a slightly slow start on PG, and that might have something to do with the annual Steel Media meet-up that took place in London on Monday and Tuesday. There was mutual back patting. There was excited talk about future projects. There was…
The 5 best iPad and iPhone games this week - 29th January
Oh Sunday. Dirty, lonely Sunday. Squatting at the end of the week, reminding you that you’re closer to going back to work than you were yesterday. If only there was something that could ease some of that pain. Like, I dunno, some sort of list of the five best games that came out on the App Store this week? That’d sort us all out and get us in a better frame of mind for the hell that’s approaching over the horizon. So I’ve gone and written one. It’s just below here. Read it, grab a game, and see if you can deflect the growing weariness at your place in the system for just a little bit longer than usual. Splitter Critters A game that’s mainly about sli…
WarFriends guide - Part Four - Advanced tactics
Welcome to the final part of our WarFriends guide. We’ve covered a lot in the time we’ve been together, and I for one am proud of what we’ve achieved. You have the makings of an excellent soldier. But if you want to take your warring even further, you’ve come to the right place. Because here we’re going to go deep into some of the tougher strategies you’re going to have to employ to own the battlefield. We hope we’ve helped you out in your charge to become the finest warrior in the world. And if we have, feel free to let us know in the comments below. Tap and move First up, when you’re on the move you’ll want to be tapping on the scre…
