Goodness me. You wouldn't think that there'd be any towers left to defend by now, but there's just no stopping this implacable (and easy to code) genre. Luckily tower defence is a great fit for the iPhone's touchscreen... and Vector TD is an fantastic example.
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The week in review: iPad, too?
This week's biggest news isn't really news at all, but at least we've got a date to put in our diary. The iPad 2 is finally going to make its grand reveal on March 2nd, though it's almost certainly going to be delayed. Wait, sorry, no it isn't. Or is it? Seriously, it makes us wonder why we bother in the first place.
At least all this speculation has caused Orange and T-Mobile to knock a hefty chunk off of their original iPad contracts. Come March 2nd, we'll know whether to wait for the shiny new version or stick with the older yet dominant option... though we hear that Apple have had to get rid of the SD card slot and high-res screen.
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I had the pleasure of reviewing Space Invaders: Infinity Gene over at Dealspwn last year, where it rated amongst the greatest downloadable games available on PSN and Xbox Live Arcade. Rather than retreading old ground by re-releasing the ancient title as a cynical cash grab, Taito opted to kick everything into overdrive in an entirely new experience. Everything that made Infinity Gene great as a full fat release conspires to create one of the best apps on the service.
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We've all been there. Math classes drag on for hours and hours, and most students end up doodling improbable vehicles in the margins of their rough books rather than concentrating on the task at hand. Disney Interactive have brought this imaginary universe to life with their JellyCar series- and the third time's definitely the charm.
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This week we've had boots on the ground at the Mobile World Congress... though it might as well have been called the World Tablet Congress Now With 110% Extra Tablet as far as we're concerned. We've had the impressive HTC Flyer, the expensive LG Optimus Pad, the mysterious Toshiba tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, Huawei S7 Slim... as well as leaked rumours about the Sony Qriosity S1 getting the trade floors buzzing. Do we really need all these slates?
Then again, it could also easily been titled the HTC World Congress. The smartphone aces rolled out no fewer than five new phones as well as their aforementioned pad. Apparently the rumoured new Revolver might also be making an appearance in the near future. Nice one, guys.
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Most apps are fairly straightforward to review, but every once in a while, an auteurist pet project falls into the limelight. Paleo-Tech are up-front about the fact that retroTrek is designed to be a 'warts and all' emulation of a 1970s text-based space adventure, so with this firmly in mind, let's take to the wild black yonder in search of Klarnons to vaporise.
On your three year mission aboard the Starship Endeavor, it's up to you to plot a course through Federation territory and eliminate the Klarnon menace. To this end, you'll need to marshal every resource your powerful vessel has to offer... and do some serious homework.
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Graphics and gameplay may have constantly evolved through decades of development, but games rarely get more satisfying than good old fashioned dungeon crawls. Grinding through monster-infested mazes for fun, profit and experience is always good for killing a few hours, and 100 Rogues takes a refreshing new tack with the tired old genre.
As you'd expect, players choose either a melee or spellslinging character class and embark on an adventure through a multi-tiered dungeon (with the objective of killing Satan, no less). Levels are randomly-generated and populated with all manner of foes to slay and treasure to loot; featuring simple touchscreen controls for moving your hero around and engaging in combat.
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The week in review: No ice cream for Nokia
Naturally the biggest news this week is that the iPhone can save your immortal soul. Whilst the Pope may not fully approve of the newly-unveiled Confessional app, it certainly complements his latest suggestion that Christians should "make good use of their presence in the digital world". Plus, £1.19 is an absolute bargain for eternal salvation.
But I digress... because if anyone's in need of a priest right now, it's Nokia.
They've been having an absolute mare of a week after a steady decline in Symbian OS uptake, and things have gotten so bad that even their boss freely admits that they're years behind the competition. The canned 32GB N8, lack of the UK E7 and their rumoured dumping of MeeGo certainly don't help matters.
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Capcom recently blew us away with Devil May Cry: Refrain... which was a step-by-step masterclass in how not to adapt a console franchise on the iPhone. Despite the shoddiness of the overall package, we were mainly amazed because Konami have already demonstrated how to do it properly. Welcome to Castlevania Puzzle: Encore Of The Night.
The Castlevania series stands proud as one of gaming's most successful and beloved platforming franchises, but when it came to porting the series over to the iPhone, Konami realised that platformers frequently fail due to insufficient virtual controls. Puzzle games, on the other hand, are perfectly suited to the touchscreen.
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Better late than never, I suppose. Devil May Cry 4 released on consoles more than two years ago, and Capcom have finally gotten around to releasing an iPhone tie-in. Time to find out whether it was worth the wait...
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The week in review: juicy controversy, sweet Honeycomb
There's nothing like juicy controversy to brighten up our week, and luckily two software companies have been going at it hammer and tongs thanks to the mysterious case of the missing WP7 data.
First Microsoft blamed Yahoo Mail. Then Yahoo blamed Microsoft. And just to throw a spanner in the works, it looks like iPhones may be losing data too. Pass the popcorn!
To be honest, Yahoo are probably just happy to be making headlines again.
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Neuroshima Hex might sound like the latest protagonist from a pulp fantasy novel, but tabletop roleplaying aficionados may recognise the name as something much more substantial. This little gem takes its cues from the popular wargame to deliver a deep yet engaging tactical experience.
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Ping Pong- Insanely Addictive! iPhone review
Judging a free app is one of the hardest things a critic has to face. When a game whores itself out for no money whatsoever, usual notions of context and value have to be thrown out of the window in favour of a new standard: whether or not it's worth your time. The jury's still arguably out on Ping Pong... but be aware that this simple little distraction will steal a lot of your valuable downtime.
The premise, as they say, is simple. Players control a Ping Pong bat using the accelerometer, with the sole objective being to keep a ball in the air. After spending a short while getting used to the sensitivity, you'll soon be able to play keepy-up for minutes at a time.
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Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few months, you'll know that Dead Space 2 has been released to rave critical reviews. What you might not know, however, is that its iOS tie-in is one of the finest games on the App Store.
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An old adage states that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em... and recent comments from Sony Computer Entertainment boss Kaz Hirai suggests that Sony may be willing to do just that.
PlayStation Suite, a new digital distribution platform for emulated PSOne games, will roll out this year on Android handsets, but Hirai suggests that this is just the tip of a much larger iceberg.
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The Geared series is a prime example of simple concept that's been perfectly executed. Gears, cogs and a whole lot of brainpower conspired to create an instant classic... but this basic premise begs the question of what exactly the sequel could possibly hope to bring to the table. The answer, dear reader, is more of the same. But now with 100% more hamster.
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There's a lot to be said for aping successful game franchises when creating a new app - and Gameloft are the undisputed masters of doing exactly that. Eternal Legacy takes a long and loving look at the JRPG genre and attempts to emulate the fine balance of exposition and grind on an iPhone.
Unfortunately, in this case, the target game appears to be Final Fantasy XIII.
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A good app takes a long hard look at its genre of choice and identifies exactly what will work on an iPhone, as well as what consumers will ultimately enjoy. After sacrificing heady notions of grandeur to accept the grinding realism of an iDevice's unique capabilities, developers will work on making the experience as polished as possible whilst making sure that everything still controls properly on a small screen. If a feature works, it stays. If it doesn't, it goes.
Ladies and gentlemen: by the above definition - or any definition for that matter - Epic War 3: War Of Heroes is a good app.
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Arcade racers deliver a heady dose of fast cars, insane stunts and detailed shortcut-riddled tracks; merrily bucking realism and racing lines in favour of big thrills. Gameloft's Asphalt series has enjoyed pole position for some time, and racing veterans will be delighted to know that the latest addition to the franchise is easily the best yet.
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We've come a long way from the likes of Desert Strike and Commanche, and the once-mighty helicopter has been relegated to occasionally appearing as a boss in third person shooters.
It's a sad state of affairs to be sure, but Chopper 2 aptly demonstrates that whirlybirds are still just as potent as they ever were.
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