Scratch today's delayed Wrap-Up to a literal run-in with another vehicle - yes, I was in an accident (and yes I'm OK), but things got a little crazy and I'm back on board for news-related fun
Lets jump straight to the Friday News Wrap-Up for the 14th of December, 2012.
Rovio Celebrates 3 Years of Angry Birds
Time, it seems, flies much like a bird (possibly an angry one) and Finnish developer Rovio can chalk up three years of delivering pig-smashing action to the iOS platform. In that time we've seen everything from the vanilla title, to 'Seasons', 'Rio', 'Space', 'Star Wars', and even a side-step with 'Bad Piggies'. It's only fitting that the upcoming Angry Birds animated film is headed up by people worthy of such a long-running and well-respected series, and John Cohen (Despicable Me producer) and David Maisel (former Marvel Studios chairman) will hopefully put together the right team for the job. The film is tentatively slated for a 2016 release.
Pudding Monsters - Gameplay Revealed
Last week ZeptoLab, creators of the insanely cute and popular puzzler Cut the Rope, made some noise about their upcoming title Pudding Monsters. While a lot of details are still missing, the trailer speaks for itself and players will need to shuffle the blobs in to one giant amorphous blob. Of course things aren't that simple and objects will get in your way as your blob gets larger, but there are plenty of tools in the environment to help you out (or possibly hinder you further). We'll know more once it hits the stores on the 20th of December.
Phoenix Wright - I object to this delay.
While Japanese iOS gamers can already grab a copy of the Phoenix Wright trilogy in all its HD glory, us non-Japanese account and speaking plebeians will have to wait until early 2013 to get our hands on the DS classic. Game features include being able to play in landscape or portrait orientation and high resolution artwork based on the original - also players will be able to announce their objections via email and Twitter (which is nice if you like to annoy your friends).
Space Hulk - The original Aliens vs Marines hits iOS
Danish developer Full Control will be taking the helm of bringing Games Workshop's aliens and power-suits filled board game 'Space Hulk' to the iOS platform. While it's slated for a 2013 release, the game will be based on the third edition and its campaign Sin of Damnation. 12 levels should be available, with co-op available cross platform for PC, Mac and iOS. More when we have news!
Mini-Review - Zombies. (Nic Gorrison) $0.99
You're a grunt crushed under the wheels of a large corporation working in their IT department, and suddenly, one day, you find out that the management have all turned in to zombies. It doesn't matter how or why, but by scavenging the building you'll find enough weapons to make your way to the exit, maybe save a few co-workers and blow up those damn printers that have always annoyed you. The simply named twin-stick title 'Zombies.' is a basic title that affectionately embraces its lo-fi style by going completely overboard in so many other ways. Every object in the level can be destroyed (though their rubble remains intact to stop you from simply drawing a beeline to the exit), which can lead to interesting consequences if you happen to blow up a vehicle or any other explosive object while running around. It also doesn't take much for your character to die - a few swipes and he's off to heaven - so thankfully you'll have plenty of power-ups and ammunition drops to look forward to including health, damage multipliers, and the insanely powerful temporary weapons that can turn your bullets in to shurikens and shotguns in to flamethrowers. 'Zombies.' doesn't mess around with its story either - you'll save people, kill a boss, and then face newer, faster and deadlier enemies. An endless mode is also available if you just want to dive in for a quick round. Ultimately we've seen this sort of game too many times before, but there's something about this one that manages to hold its own - maybe it's the humor and maybe it's the unashamedly over-the-top violence, but in either case it's a great pick up for iPhone and iPad users alike.
Pick of the Week - Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Rockstar Games) $4.99 Univ.
There's really no competition here for the top prize - while control quirks abound in the iOS version thanks to it trying to cram a whole Playstation controller's worth of buttons and options on to a tiny screen, the rest of the game is just how you remember it. Bright, tacky, loud, and unadulterated fun - it's certainly not the best the series had to offer, but it set a high-water mark for similar titles to aim for. Do yourself a favor and re-live the 80s through the lens of a videogame Mafioso.
Once again, apologies for the late release of this video, but in future you can always keep yourself entertained by checking out the other great articles on our website while you're waiting. To keep track of us, hit up our pages on Facebook or Twitter. Have a great weekend!
Additional Media:
Pudding Monsters Gameplay Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV1dlN-dbJQ
Space Hulk Announcement Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sepWI5pMGSw
Zombies. Review - https://www.appspy.com/zombies-ios-review
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Review - https://www.appspy.com/grand-theft-auto-vice-city-review
