iPhone 3GS is Fast

Yesterday, crowds upon crowds of people lined up at their nearest Apple stores to pick up the brand new iPhone 3GS. This new iPhone has tons of cool new features, like a higher quality camera, which doubles as a video camera, and significantly faster speeds. Here’s a speed test I found on YouTube to show how fast this thing is. The 3G iPhone is on the top, and the 3GS is on the bottom.

I would love to purchase a new iPhone, but I am stuck with the first generation iPod Touch. I’m a little behind in terms of speed.

Rolando 2 Website is Launched

Game developer ngmoco:) launched its new Rolando 2 website yesterday. The website reveals the cast of characters, the different levels of the game, along with video and screenshots of the upcoming game. With the launch of the website came this little gem of a video, which previews the first level of the game, and gives an insightful developer walkthrough.

The site also shows that more videos of the gameplay will be showing soon. The next one will be ”unlocked” on June 20th. I can’t wait to find out more about this wonderful title. 

Review – Underworlds

Developer: Pixel Mine, Inc.

Released: April 21, 2009

Current Version: 1.0

Size: 47.3 MB   Price: $4.99   App Store Link

Underworlds is a hack and slash RPG with a feel not to different from Blizzard’s Diablo series. You start as a warrior guarding McTavish’s traveling caravan, who is sent to work at the Happy Cadaver Inn. You are sent down to the cellar, and must take care of a rat infestation, but there’s much more than rats down there. It just so happens that some creepy guys in cloaks are summoning the forces of hell up in to your world. So, now you have to take on the job of stopping the undead and killing the prince of demons.

The gameplay was how it should be. It had all the good elements of a RPG. You have an inventory, a level up system, and a feats system. Every time you gain a level, you get stat points to increase your attack, intelligence, etc., and a feat to choose, such as a Slash attack or Shield Bash. To attack an enemy, you simply tap on them. I sometimes had trouble with this. I would tap to attack an enemy, but instead the character would just walk to where I pressed. Another problem was that you could only choose to be a warrior. There were no other classes to choose from.

The graphics were very Diablo style. It had sort of an isometric view, and looked very fitting for a point and click RPG. They made the bosses very large and tall, and it gave you a good sense of how powerful they were. I like the graphics a lot.

Underworld’s controls aren’t bad, but I can’t say that they’re too good either. The screen is crowded with buttons, so it gets a bit confusing and hard to walk around. You can walk by tapping where you want to go, or by using the directional pad. But both would sometimes make you go where you don’t want to go. I did like the red health skull and the blue vitality skull. Tapping on the skulls would use a potion to restore your health or vitality. There is also an Action and Loot button, but I thought this was unnecessary, since you could just tap on an object to interact with it.

Underworld is missing background music. This doesn’t really matter to me. Music wouldn’t really change this game, but it could still be included. The sound effects were pretty great, but for some reason, even though I chose a woman character, it made male voices. It could be because I named my character Charles, but probably not.

There was one major turnoff with this game, and that’s the amount of gameplay. I was very disappointed to discover that the game could be completed within two hours. It was incredibly short. Your character’s level could not surpass 10. Also, there were no side quests or alternate choices. You just went straight through the story without being able to turn back. There is word of the developer making a sequel, but unless it comes as a free update, I don’t think it’s worth five dollars to get this short of a game.

Aside from the lack of gameplay time, it is a very great game for fans of this type of RPG. I do hope they release a great sequel. 7/10

Review – Hill Billy

Developer: Mixel s.c.a.r.l.

Released: March 29, 2009

Current Version: 1.0

Size: 46.7 MB   Price: $5.99   App Store Link

Hill Billy really has one of the strangest game stories. You play as the world’s largest carrot farmer, who’s plantation is suddenly attacked by mutated rabbit creatures. You won’t have any of it, so you grab your five incredibly strange weapons that you just happen to have lying around your property and go out to stop the rabbit creatures from eating all of your carrots.

The first thing that you will notice about this game is that the graphics are incredible. I’ve never played an iPhone game, let alone a first person shooter, with this smooth 3D graphics. The weapons look very nice, and the game runs surprisingly smoothly. I don’t recall getting any lag either, but that may be because there aren’t too many enemies on screen at once.

The controls are also smooth. I read in other reviews that you are constantly bouncing off walls, and it was hard to move around in a small room, but I found no trouble. I thought the accelerometer movement was easy to use. You just have to remember that when fighting, the strafe buttons are your friends. The strafe buttons are placed at the top left and right corners of the screen. To shoot, you tap the center of the screen. This was okay, but most of the time I found my thumb covering what I was shooting, so I was slightly blinded when attacking. Another problem with attacking was that it was difficult to aim. It seemed like you have to run up and touch the enemy to actually shoot them correctly.

I was disappointed in the gameplay though. I thought I would be playing a first person, action adventure type of game, where you progress along the levels finding enemies and other surprises around each corner. But this game almost felt more like a defense game. You go from room to room where enemies spawn in a burst of light at you. You have your normal mutated rabbits, who don’t attack you, but eat your carrots, then some kind of irritating ostrich creature that attacks you constantly, the giant mutated rabbits who hit hard and shoot at you, and then some type of slug/rabbit monster. You have a certain number of carrots to protect in each level. But there’s not really a point to the numbers, because if you save one carrot you’re already going to win. So you basically run to each room until no more creatures spawn, and then go to the next. The game was also disappointingly short. It was beaten within a few hours.

Also, Hill Billy doesn’t have too much replay value. It may be fun to run around and shoot things, but the levels are so short and small that there’s really nothing new to play. The number of carrots you save at the end doesn’t seem to count for anything either. It tells you what percent you saved, but from what I’ve seen, nothing is unlocked or achieved by saving carrots.

Although Hill Billy was disappointing, it is still a great game engine with smooth graphics and nice controls. It’s the best first person shooter on the iPhone that I’ve seen so far. Hopefully updates will make this game even better. 6/10

Review – Eliss

Developer: Steph Thirion

Released: March 6, 2009

Current Version: 1.0

Size: 15 MB Price: $3.99   App Store Link

Well, the first thing I can say for sure is that Eliss is a very hard game. Of course, this is definitely not a bad thing. The game puts you in charge of keeping the universe in order. You do this by keeping planets from colliding with each other, and by putting them into “squeesars.” All planets and squeesars are different colors, and you must fit the planets into squeesars of the same color. It sounds simple enough, but that’s the only easy part about Eliss.

The difficulty curve of Eliss seems to go up in a straight line. Playing right out of the first three levels will have your fingers dancing and your mind racing. Planets multiply very quickly, and your health drains with incredible speed whenever they collide. The squeesars are all different sizes, so you have to combine planets together and pull them apart, causing mass chaos and collision all over the screen. To help with the craziness, you also have to worry about vortexes that will suck your planets in, and giant flaming suns that fly across the screen.

But all is not lost, for there are a few power ups that can aid you along the way. One is a health power up, which will become very handy when all your planets are bumping into the others. The other power up is slow motion. This makes moving planets around a lot easier. With it, you don’t have to worry as much about a planet popping up inside another one.

Eliss’ graphics are very well done. They are colorful and neat. I enjoy when you fit a planet into a squeesar and it sort of explodes. The game definitely has a nice retro feel to it. Add that in with spacey techno music and you have the perfect atmosphere for the Eliss.

This game takes a whole new meaning to “multi-touch” games. I quickly learned that you needed to use all of your fingers if you wanted to survive. As I said before, planets are popping up everywhere and constantly colliding with each other. You have to move and think very fast. Directions for the game aren’t very clear, but I think the developer did this purposely. Even though you’re not sure what you’re really doing when you first begin playing, it feels right.

Eliss is a very well done, artistic game that you should enjoy, as long as you don’t have anger issues. This game is challenging, but I believe that’s what is missing in video games today. 9/10

Review – Rolando

Developer: ngmoco, Inc.

Released: December 18, 2008

Current Version: 1.0

Size: 25.1 MB Price: $9.99   App Store Link

THE PREMIER PLATFORM GAME EXPERIENCE

CREATED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE IPHONE & IPOD TOUCH

Rolandoland has been invaded and the Rolandos need your help! Use innovative tilt, and Multi-Touch controls to solve physics puzzles, toy with interactive environments, and evade pesky enemies as you lead the Rolandos to victory.

Rolando, which must have been the most anticipated game to appear in the App Store, has finally arrived. I myself was also very excited to play. When I got it, it was like Christmas morning. I awoke in the wee hours of the morning, and upon opening up the App Store, I discovered it there, in all it’s beauty. Some thought the game would be over-hyped, but they were undeniably wrong.

Rolando becomes addictingly fun in the very first minutes of play. The menu screen in itself is quite entertaining. You will find a few tiny little Rolandos sitting in miniature boxes. I enjoyed shaking them up and tossing them around in their little spaces. When you select ‘start’, an incredibly well drawn pop-up book opens up revealing a map, giving you the ability to scroll around and view the various levels of the game.

I feel as though the game is sort of a mixture between adventure, platformer, and puzzle elements. In more than most levels, it is your goal to rescue the Rolandos from evil Shadow Blocks. I was a bit disapointed when I discovered that the levels were timed, but I later discovered that you can keep playing the level, even after the timer runs out. But if you do decide to try and finish the level in the given time, you will recieve a badge. Each level has the possibility of earning three badges. The first is for saving all the Rolandos in the level, the second is for collecting all of the diamonds that lay about each level, and the third, as said, is finishing the level within the given time needed. Also, no ngmoco game can be complete without it’s list of unlockable achievements. The badges and achievements are very clever, as they create a great replay value for the Rolando.

The overall artwork in the game is just gorgeous. The illustrations were created by pop-culture artist Mikko Walamies, who did a wonderful job. The characters, backgrounds, and objects are all super smooth, colorful, and delightfuly bubbly. There were no bulky or lagging characters here. The music and sound effects are amazing too. I loved the random noises made by the Rolandos while playing.

The controls are exactly how they should be for an iPod/iPhone game. You select the Rolandos you want to use by tapping or highlighting them, and then move them around with the accelerometer. To make your Rolandos jump, you flick your finger up across the screen. There are also many levers and platforms you must use to transport your Rolandos across the level. You use your finger to rotate giant wheels and raise or lower platforms. You can also come across bombs that can be used to create paths for your Rolandos. Controls are a tad bit difficult at first, but after playing for a while you get more of a feel for it.

So was Rolando over-hyped? Not at all, whatsoever. This is an awesome game that was very brilliantly put together, and everyone should own a copy. I am very pleased with this game, and can’t wait to dive deeper into it.

First Impressions – Zombie Mansion

Developer: Source IT Software

Released: December 11, 2008

Current Version: 1.0

Size: 7.4 MB Price: $4.99   App Store Link

Zombie Mansion a first person shooter (FPS) designed specifically for the iPhone. You will find yourself trapped in a monster infested mansion and must fight your way to freedom!

Starting in Hell, you will maneuver through the dungeons, the floors and finally the attic. Search for more powerful weapons and locate the keys you need to escape.

Test by serious gamers, who played for hours and hours and are utterly hooked. Are you up for the challenge?

Zombie Mansion has no real story to it. You’re some guy running around a monster infested mansion with a magic stick that fires off explosions. Are you a wizard or what? Without any real story to the game, it was hard to stay focused on playing.

The mansion is like an enormous maze with different levels. To access more of the mansion, you will need to find the various colored keys hidden around the house. Each key will unlock the door of the same color. Red keys open red doors, blue keys open blue doors, etc. You will also find many secrets in the mansion. If you see anything like a crack or a strange square in the middle of a wall, blast it. There’s likely to be a hidden room with some type of power-up laying within. Just watch out though. There are some traps that will send you falling straight down to the previous level. The developer described the game as having more weapons to find, but I was unsuccessful at finding any at all.

The graphics appear to be primitive. Everything in the game is blocky, and looks like it wasn’t spent a lot of time on. None of the objects have any real detail to them. This makes the mansion’s scenery become a bit repetitive. The many monsters looked the same too. The only difference between monsters of the same type were their color.

The controls were a tad clunky. They were small and sometimes unresponsive. It was sometimes hard to aim at enemies; your fire seemed to curve ball out at enemies. I was sad to find that there were no special controls that integrated the iPhone’s abilities. You just used the touch screen game pad.

The enemies had no real AI. They just walked around until they saw you, and then they would run straight towards you. Then all you have to do is hit the shoot button a couple times and your enemies are dead. This may be easy, but there’s really no fun it that at all.

I was a bit dissapointed with Zombie Mansion. This game was fun while it lasted, but at that being said, it didn’t last long at all. The graphics were blocky, and the gameplay became repetetive after some time. This game still has potential in it somewhere, but at the moment, I just cannot recommend it. Maybe it will turn out better with a future update.

Review – Brothers in Arms: Hour of Heroes

Developer: gameloft (iDP)

Released: November 23, 2008

Current Version: 1.0.3

Size: 81.6 MB Price: $9.99  App Store Link

The most explosive shooting experience on iPhone!

Described by the press as “incredible”, “an achievement”, “it looks and sounds absolutely fantastic”.

Play as a soldier of the 101st Airborne in the most intense WWII battles:

- The iPhone version of the world-famous Brothers in Arms franchise.

- 13 missions in 3 campaigns: Normandy, Ardennes & Tunisia.

- Unbelievable 3D graphics recreating the atmosphere of a real Hollywood WWII blockbuster.

- Drive a 4X4 vehicle or a Sherman tank and use a wide range of weapons (bazooka, sniper rifle, machine guns, etc.)

- Use the accelerometer function to launch grenades & the touch screen to shoot at enemies.

Soldier, defeat is not an option!

For some unknown reason, Brothers in Arms only starts up on my iPod very occasionally. It usually just flashes to a black screen. But at least when it does load up, I become very happy.

In this game, you take the role of a soldier on the battlefield during World War II. The story is basically the same as any other WWII game. There are three campaigns to play through, each with their own unique set of missions. Every mission gives you the possiblitly to unlock achievements, and you can replay every mission to gain more achievements and better your rank.

The graphics are very well done for the iPod/iPhone. I especially enjoy the explosions of tanks and the numerous enemies that go flying with it. The AI is pretty good too. The Nazis will run to take cover and flank you from any side they can. But your fellow soldiers have apparently gone crazy, because they stand around most of the time shooting at nothing. It’s okay though, because you’re running around with a large array of weapons at your disposal, and you will be using them.

As for the controls, they do optimize some of the iPod’s features. When throwing grenades, you use the accelerometer to target where the projectile will be thrown. This is a bit difficult, as it is hard to aim, and you’re getting shot at while aiming. When you’re ready to reload, you tilt the iPod back and forth, which actually sort of resembles the motion of cocking a gun. To aim your weapon around, you simply drag your finger across the screen. To aim with precision, you can spread your fingers apart, and your soldier’s view will zoom in. Other than those, there’s just an analog stick – like walking button with weapon firing and interaction buttons located on the opposite side of the screen.

The tank controls were surprisingly smooth. You can feel free to plow your beast of a vehicle over obstacles like fences and bunkers while knocking over a few trees on the way. The tanks moved fast and efficiently. The 4X4, however, I did not like. The vehicle looked like it was having a seizure whenever you drove it, and it was a bit difficult to control with the on screen steering wheel. Other than those problems, it wasn’t all bad.

Brothers in Arms: Hour of Heroes is a solid WWII shooter. It will keep you entertained for hours on end, and I say it’s definetely worth the money. My only wish would be that I could play it whenever I wanted to . . .

Review – Blackbeard’s Assault

Developer: Warhorse Games

Released: November 25, 2008

Current Version: 1.0.2

Size: 9.3 MB Price: $2.99  App Store Link

Ahoy Matey! The object of this fast-paced puzzle game is to remove all the balls as they travel along a path. Simply tap where you want to fire. When you match 3 or more balls of the same color, the group will be removed and you will earn points.

After you remove a group, if the colors on each end match then they will come together and create a chain reaction. This will give you huge bonus points and push the line back.

You will lose a life if the balls get to the end of the path. Don’t worry, you can save yourself by using the many power-ups that are available, such as bombs, color removers, chain-shots, and more!

Blackbeard’s Assault is the same exact concept of Popcap Games’ “Zuma”. If you’re not familiar with it, Zuma was the first of this type of game. You shoot balls to create a group of three or more. Only, in Blackbeard’s Assault, the graphics are far superior, and you usually have multiple shooters (the cannons) than Zuma’s one shooter (the frog).

The storyline revolves around Blackbeard’s life. It slowly progresses in-between levels. Each level completed is like turning the page of a children’s story book. It just shows one nicely drawn image and maybe a sentence or two, and then back to the gameplay. This actually sucks you into playing more – just to find out what happens next in the story.

The control is pretty nice. You select different cannons by simply tapping on them, and you’re ready to open fire. I really didn’t find any trouble with the controls, except on occasion when the ball didn’t go exactly where I wanted it to. But that was probably mostly my fault.

Both the graphics and sound are spectacular. You will be dazzled by the many colors and pirate sounds. The pirate dialogue that sounds off when you hit power-ups gives you the feeling of being right in the middle of the epic battles.

Everything about this game is great. The great sound, the colorful graphics, and addicting gameplay make this game a great one. Be sure to check it out. And if you don’t take my word for it, try the online flash version by clicking here.

Review – Touchgrind

Developer: Illusion Labs

Released: November 26, 2008

Current Version: 1.0

Size: 5.0 MB Price: $4.99   App Store Link

Skate like a pro in this first real multi-touch skateboarding game ever.

Just like in real skateboarding or fingerboarding, Touchgrind is a game of skill that takes 10 minutes to understand but weeks of lectures, boring meetings and family dinners to master. Learn the tricks and impress your buddies.

The innovative finger controls together with true physics simulation let you pull off tricks like ollies, shuvits, kickflips, heelflips, impossibles, 5-0, 50-50, crooks, smithgrinds, boardslides, tailslides, darkslides etc in endless combinations.

Built on experience from the massive hits Labyrinth and iPint, Illusion Labs now brings you this killer game that will keep you boarding for hours and hours.

I’ve been waiting for this game for a long time. And I absolutely love it.

Touchgrind was built on an astounding 3D physics system. The board spins and falls just like an actual skateboard or fingerboard, and reacts to the amount of force you put into it. It even tilts and turns in the direction you place your fingers on it.

The controls are a bit difficult to get the hang of at first. You’ll spend a lot of time bumping into objects and messing up tricks. But once you start playing more, the controls start to feel more natural, and you’ll just get better and better from there on. The skateboard is then quite easy to control, and the tricks are very fun to do. The only problem with the controls is that it is hard to get to places. It would be nice to have a respawn or “session” marker to place down, so that when you mess up on a trick, you can respawn to a convenient point and try again. They do have a zoom in/out feature so you at least know where you are going.

The main menu of the game is basically a giant skateboard wheel. You can spin the wheel to choose different modes and options. There are three different game modes in Touchgrind. The first is called ‘Warm Up’. This mode gives you a small area with a few objects to practice tricks on. The second is ‘Jam Session’, where you can try to achieve a best trick score. I personally don’t see the point in having ‘Warm Up’, because it’s the same thing as ‘Jam Session’. The only difference is that you can’t get a high score. The third mode is ‘Competition’. In it you must achieve the highest score you can in the amount of time given. This is the mode that allows you to unlock new skateboards.

Each skateboard takes a different score to unlock. The more points you score, the better your skateboard will be. There are fourteen skateboards in all, and you’ll need to bust out some pretty insane tricks if you want to win them.

All in all, this game will be very entertaining for car rides or rainy days where you can’t bust out a skateboard (or fingerboard). The graphics and physics are great, and I definetely recommend buying this game. It’s worth your money.