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Sponsored Feature: MonTowers, the number one game in Japan, is now free
Any game where you capture monsters and battle them can be a hugely engaging and addictive experience - as anyone who has played a Pokemon game can attest. Nintendo's well-loved franchise looks to have yet another contender for its crown in MonTowers ~Legend of Summoners~, Japan's #1 iOS game. After its launch, MonTowers quickly became Japan's #1 game and currently has over 500,000 players. Considering it has attracted over 20,000 combined iPhone and iPad reviews on the App Store, it's safe to say MonTowers is a resounding success. The companies behind the game - YD Online and Buffstone - are hopeful that it'll soar up the App Store charts in the West much like it did in Japan.…
Sponsored Feature: China Wireless Arts on Armed Beasts
Shoving weaponry into the hands of cartoon animals such as rabbits, dogs, and lions might sound a desperate move - but publishers China Wireless Arts are keen to emphasise that Armed Beasts is much more than just an amusing concept. The overhead shooter throws in a range of enemies, locations, and mission objectives to keep you interested after the thrill of a bull firing a chaingun has long since worn off. Wendy Don from China Wireless Arts spoke to us about how the game has a range of locales to explore, weapons to sample, and what the multiplayer options involve. AppSpy: What does Armed Beasts offer that no other overhead shooter on the App Store can? Wendy: Armed Beasts is a 3D gam…
Sponsored Feature: Nevosoft on My Kingdom of the Princess III
My Kingdom for the Princess III is the latest iOS release from Russian developer and publisher Nevosoft. If you're not familiar with the My Kingdom for the Princess series, the game contains a unique mix of simulation, strategy, and time management. It also recently featured as a new and noteworthy release on the US App Store. In My Kingdom for the Princess III, you are required to destroy any obstacles you're faced with, rather than just build to make progress. We spoke to Ekaterina Zholobova, head of mobile marketing at Nevosoft, to find out what the influences on, and inspirations for, My Kingdom for the Princess III were. "Sergei Korshun, the project's author and lead develop…
Sponsored Feature: MobileMediaCom on Toons Summer Games 2012
When MobileMediaCom developed their latest release, the goal (pun intended) was to produce an iOS game that was popular, of international stature, and that could relate to current events. It made perfect sense, then, to develop a game based on the upcoming Olympic Games. MobileMediaCom have undeniably got into the spirit of things for Toons Summer Games 2012 - a vibrant and fun game where you can play as various cartoon animals, compete in numerous athletic events, and participate in multiple game modes. We spoke to Philippe Moyal from MobileMediaCom about the team's thought processes during the development of the iPhone and iPad title Toons Summer Games 2012. By deciding to have c…
Sponsored Feature: Barunson Creative On AquaVillage
Ever wondered what it'd be like to raise your own collection of digital fish? Probably not, but there's a first time for everything. AquaVillage, Barunson's latest iOS title, is a leisurely strategic experience with a social twist, allowing players to build up their own underwater kingdom while gradually unlocking an expansive array of fish. We spoke to JongSin Choi, CEO at Barunson Creative, about the social elements of the game. With over two hundred quests to venture through in the game as one of four main characters, AquaVillage is a large scale adventure - but also a global social gaming experience, supporting seven different languages. "We combined multiple genres so that players…
Sponsored Feature: beActive on Collider Quest for iOS
Collider Quest isn't your run-of-the-mill iOS title. Rather than simply being a standalone puzzle-action game, it's actually one part of beActive's futuristic multiplatform Collider World project. Alongside the Collider Quest game, beActive plans to immerse gamers in the Collider World 'universe' via a web series, comic books (also available as apps), a story prequel on Wattpad, and even a film (which is due for release this autumn). We spoke to Nuno Bernardo, beActive's CEO, to find out which films, TV shows, and games acted as inspiration for Collider Quest. "We were inspired by the work of J.J. Abrams and the sci-fi post-apocalyptic movies like the Terminator series, where the w…
Sponsored Feature: Crytek On Fibble
Ask gamers familiar with the name 'Crytek' what comes to mind when they think of the indie developers, and 'cute', 'cuddly', or 'casual' probably won't be among the first words spilling out of their mouths. Having made its name with award-winning shooters such as Far Cry and Crysis, Crytek hold a special place in many fans' hearts as one of the go-to developers for hardcore gaming experiences. Recently, however, Crytek revealed another string to their bow, with the launch of the studio's Fibble - Flick 'n' Roll on iOS marking their first foray into the mobile market. This physics-based puzzler casts you as a colourful extraterrestrial who has crash-landed on earth…
Sponsored Feature: Playbean on Astrowings 2 - Space Odyssey
Touchscreen devices shouldn't really be able to handle fast-paced 2D shooters, but the fact bullet-hell titles from developers such as Cave and Llamasoft have worked so well on iPhone and iPad mean we're more than happy for logic to be defied. Developer Playbean believes that its latest iOS title, Astrowings 2 - Space Odyssey, is one of the better shooters on the App Store, and the game boasts a large number of levels, difficulty settings, and upgrade options to back up that claim. Song In-Hyeon, project director at Playbean, spoke to us about how Astrowings 2 - Space Odyssey has been developed to appeal to a wide audience, what shooters inspired its creation, and what the future holds for…
Sponsored Feature: Reviving A Classic With Avernum: Escape From the Pit HD
High-definition remakes are a dime a dozen these days. Guilty pleasures, these HD revamps have their sights set on our nostalgic weaknesses, dragging us by the wallet to revisit our gaming pasts for better or for worse. When Spiderweb Software's Jeff Vogel decided it was time to bring the well-aged PC hit Exile: Escape From the Pit to a new generation, a soulless, quicky cash-in was not an option. "I redid everything," Vogel says. "There is not a single item, line of text, or design element that was not evaluated and redone. It involved about as much work and writing as a whole new game would entail, and it feels like a new game. There's a lot of labour of love in there." Escape From…
Sponsored Feature: Kaimai On Spaced Invaders
As the old saying goes: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." We imagine that's what went through the mind of Kaimai's main director Peter Lau when he began crafting Spaced Invaders, a modern twist on the arcade classic Space Invaders that's been entertaining coin-op fans since 1978. Lau spoke to us about how his idea came to fruition; respecting a classic; guest appearances; and his ambitious plans for a sequel. AppSpy: Can you tell us a little bit about Spaced Invaders? Peter: The game is set in three different stages and each stage has five levels. The first stage is set in a warehouse, the second in a nightclub, and the third is set at an outdoor festival. You play as a DJ, whos…
Sponsored Feature: iQin Mobile On Kung Fu Fox
How exactly do you stand out in the ultra-competitive physics-puzzler category on the App Store? By making your game's protagonist a kung fu-loving fox, of course. That's developer iQin Mobile's answer, at least, who have just released a new version of Kung Fu Fox on iPhone. Tony Zhang, lead developer at iQin Mobile, spoke to us about the game's influences, innovations, and weapons. Zhang believes two of the most instantly appealing parts of Kung Fu Fox are its controls and its drawing mechanic, which are both simple to pick up but tough to master. "All you have to do is draw a line to shoot a weapon and kill the enemies - it is that easy," Zhang says. "The little Kung Fu Fox also lea…
Sponsored Feature: Evileggplant Studios On Straw Hat Legacy HD
Freshening up the tired endless runner template is no easy task, but Evileggplant Studios believe their latest title Straw Hat Legacy HD has managed it. A platforming game with distinct Heian-era influences, it's a title that looks to offer something different in an overcrowded genre. Wael Ouaijan, CEO at Evileggplant Studios, spoke to us about Straw Hat Legacy HD's stylistic influences, the developer's future plans for the game, and why it isn't just another endless runner. So, what exactly does Ouaijan believe the game offers that you can't find anywhere else on the App Store? "Straw Hat Legacy HD is unique in providing players with a free form (non-linear) platfo…
Sponsored Feature: Frogger Decades On iPhone
Konami seem to be fairly happy with how their partnership with Revolutionary Concepts has gone so far, and it's easy to see why. The first title of a four-game contract with the developer was Gesundheit!, which boasted an unusual setup and an adorable crayon-drawn art style. Next up was Frogger Decades, a revival of Konami’s amphibian arcade-platformer franchise that has been praised for its top-notch presentation and enjoyably challenging gameplay. Brandon Church (producer and game designer for Konami) and Wayne Whatford (CEO and creative director at Revolutionary Concepts) spoke to us about the partnership's first two titles, how the relationship is working so far, and the possibi…
Sponsored Feature: American Tomato On iPhone
Reality TV is a rather divisive subject: some see it purely as televisual trash, while others consume every last possible second of it. Whatever your opinion is, tomato shooter / karaoke character creation title American Tomato has you covered. It offers more than enough to keep lovers and haters of reality TV comfortably entertained. Micky Fridlov of Aio Synergy, the game’s developer, talked to us about how American Tomato managed to get reality TV to work in an interactive format, the game’s endless customisation options, and the future plans for the title. AppSpy: Can you give us a brief summary of how American Tomato is structured and what your aims w…
