Little Viking Dungeon of Doom will make you flip

By Lory Gil on May 24, 2013

Dungeon crawl games are a gem for old-school gamers and a joke for newer generations. The old folks love the repetitive, monotony of going room-to-room, unlocking chests and killing baddies with no other distinctive plot. While young whippersnappers think dungeon crawls are boring and a waste of time.

Little Viking Dungeon of Doom mixes a bit of the dungeon crawl genre with a more modernized gameplay. Instead of just roaming around killing orcs and collecting treasure, you are solving action puzzles while roaming around killing orcs and collecting treasure… Read More

 

Mobile game downloads mostly made from word-of-mouth

By Ed Sutherland on May 24, 2013

Did you hear about this new iOS game? You’ve got to try it. Ca-ching. That, in a nutshell, is how most mobile games are downloaded. The majority of mobile users download games based on word-of-mouth from friends or family, a new survey indicates. What’s more, most folks download at most five titles per month, spending about three hours playing over the course of a week, according to Applifier… Read More

 

Electronic Arts unleashes Tetris Blitz globally

By Christian Zibreg on May 23, 2013

Electronic Arts’ mobile gaming arm today released a new (and free) game for iOS and Android devices, Tetris Blitz. Announced in mid-February, it’s a twist on the block-dropping Tetris puzzler rather than a remake of the original game. The game actually landed on the Canada App Store a week ago in a soft-launch manner, but today rolled out across App Stores globally. Trust me, this one’s worth a download. Besides, you can’t really go wrong with a high-profile release costing zero bucks, now can you? Read More

 

Angry Birds Space goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

By Cody Lee on May 23, 2013

It’s pretty mind-boggling to think about what the folks at Rovio have done with the Angry Birds franchise. What started out as just a simple game has turned into a multimedia empire complete with its own clothing line, TV show, and feature film.

And for those of you who’ve yet to see what all of the fuss is about, I have some good news for you. Apple has just named Angry Birds Space as its ‘App of the Week’, meaning you can download the game (iPhone and iPad) for free for a limited time… Read More

 

Smule’s latest hit: social guitar-playing game for iPhone and iPad

By Christian Zibreg on May 23, 2013

Smule is among early iOS developers that have been continuously raising the bar on what’s possible on Apple’s iPhone. They make a bunch of social music-making applications and their latest offering is a free iPhone game called Guitar!.

Like many other Smule apps, Guitar! challenges you to play a virtual guitar on your iPhone or iPod touch and earn points based on your performance.

You can then compare your standings to your friends in global leaderboards. And as you progress, the app unlocks a range of Electric and Rock guitars that let you try out new guitar sounds. And no, you don’t have to be a musician as the whole point of the game is social music making. A promo video and other highlights are right after the break… Read More

 

Ravensburger’s Las Vegas! gets the iOS treatment

By Lory Gil on May 22, 2013

If you’ve been paying attention to my longwinded reviews, you’ll know that I am a board game fan. Put some squares on a thick piece of cardboard and throw down some dice and you’ll have me on your porch with a 2-liter of Mountain Dew and some red vines in a matter of minutes.

Ravensburger has been around for more than 100 years and makes some top quality games. Las Vegas! first launched in 2012 and just recently found its way into the App Store. Interestingly, the iOS version of this game is actually better than the physical board game… Read More

 

Xbox One unveiled: Apple should be worried

By Christian Zibreg on May 21, 2013

Today’s the new Xbox day. After Sony on February 20 revealed its PlayStation 4 without actually showing anything in way of the hardware, the Windows giant during a special event at its Redmond headquarters announced a next-generation Xbox console dubbed the Xbox One. The system is billed as an “all-in-one entertainment system” which promises to “put you at the center of a new generation of the living room.”

Key features include a built-in Blu-ray drive, Skype, voice input and live TV functionality, the new gamepad and an enhanced Kinect camera sensor with 1080p resolution. On the surface, the device appears to pack in more advanced features than Sony’s PS4 while sporting useful set-top box functionality.

Digging deeper, the One wants to replace your Apple TV, Roku, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation and any similar box by becoming the only box your TV set really needs. And yes, it indeed has what it takes to become the center of your living room. Go past the fold for the full breakdown… Read More

 

Fast & Furious 6: The Game lands on iOS

By Cody Lee on May 17, 2013

I never thought I’d be saying this, but we are now just a week away from the release of Fast & Furious 6. I don’t think anyone could have predicted the adrenaline-pumping street-racing hit of 2001 was going to blossom into a 6 movie franchise. But here we are.

As it seems customary these days, the folks behind FF6 have released a game to go along with the feature film. The 3D racer takes you through the mean streets of London, where you must race your way to money and respect. And it’s now available on iOS… Read More

 

Can Knockdown 3 smashes into the App Store

By Christian Zibreg on May 17, 2013

The series (Can Knockdown, Can Knockdown 2) saw over fifteen million downloads and is still going strong – for a good reason, too. The game is just a blast of fun to play because its execution and gameplay offer the same can-smashing carnival experience you’ve come to love.

I still turn to the first two installments in the series every now and then, whenever a few minutes need killing.

And now, Polish-based development studio Infinite Dreams (they’re behind an awesome ceramics-making app (Let’s create! Pottery HD, Let’s Create! Pottery HD Lite) is out with Can Knockdown 3. The sequel will challenge your aim and hone your precision to new heights and I guarantee you won’t be able to put the game down so easily… Read More

 

Impossible Road: a game that redefines minimalism

By Lory Gil on May 17, 2013

Casual arcade games offer a great way to pass the time. They are usually simple games that you can pick up and play and not feel bad about setting back down at a moment’s notice. When you are in the mood for a casual game, the simple ones are the best.

IMPOSSIBLE ROAD is a simple casual game that requires very little thought, but might drive you mad. Although minimalistic in design, this game is anything but easy… Read More

 

Gone free: N.O.V.A. 3, Gangstar Rio, Pudding Monsters

By Christian Zibreg on May 17, 2013

If you’re on the lookout for not-to-be-missed price drops on premium iOS games, iDB has you covered. French games maker Gameloft has just reduced its two triple-A games, sci-fi shooter N.O.V.A. 3 – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance and Grand Theft Auto-like Gangstar Rio: City of Saints to zero bucks each. Considering these titles are respectively priced at $6.99 and $4.99, you’re looking at a cool $11.98 saving right off the bat. Both are free this weekend only so go ahead and download N.O.V.A. 3 and Gangstar Rio: City of Saints now.

By the way, both are universal – meaning they run natively on your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices. Last, but not the least, fans of casual games should definitely check out Pudding Monsters from ZeptoLab, the creators of the popular Cut the Rope physics-based puzzler series… Read More

 

iOS and Android gamers spend 3X as much as handheld console owners

By Christian Zibreg on May 17, 2013

I still remember vividly how industry heavy-weights Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft initially laughed off gaming on the iPhone. It was right after Apple slashed the iPod touch to the sweet $199 price point that it became clear to me that gaming on high-end smartphones and tablets would eventually outgrow that on dedicated handheld consoles such as Sony’s PSP and Nintendo’s DS family.

Enter a new report by research firm IDC and analytics service App Annie which reveals just how far along mobile gaming has come. According to the study, users of smartphones and tablets spend nearly three times as much purchasing games on Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store as handheld device owners.

If these numbers are anything to go by, smart mobile devices will soon relegate dedicated handheld consoles to a niche market, if not eventually kill the category altogether… Read More

 

Royal Envoy 2 is time management at its best

By Lory Gil on May 16, 2013

I secretly love time management games. I know they are silly. I should be spending my time mining asteroids or building empires. But, I can’t help but love watching those funny little men run around fixing things at my behest in the fastest possible time.

Royal Envoy 2 HD (Premium) is the iPad-exclusive sequel to the time management game of the same name. Players must repair houses, clear roads, and make life better for townsfolk within the empire. Get it done in the fastest possible time or the King will have your hide… Read More

 

Google announces Play game services coming to iOS

By Cody Lee on May 15, 2013

Google is in the middle of its I/O developer conference keynote right now, and so far it’s been pretty boring. There’s been no mention of consumer products yet, just some talk about developer API access and some new software and services.

The search giant did, however, unveil a new game service. Flying under the Google Play flag, the service resembles Apple’s Game Center, hosting leader boards, achievements, and facilitating real-time multiplayer. Oh, and it’s coming to iOS… Read More

 

EA bringing its Frostbite game engine to iOS

By Christian Zibreg on May 15, 2013

Games super publisher Electronic Arts is bringing its Frostbite game engine to the iOS and Android platforms, the company confirmed Tuesday.

Developed by EA Digital Illusions CE, creators of the Battlefield series, the Frostbite engine supports Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms and powers a wide range of video game genres, from first-person shooters to racing game and real-time strategies.

A mobile version called Frostbite Go will target “all major mobile platforms,” Electronic Arts confirmed, specifically mentioning iOS and Android… Read More

 

I AM MT: Card Battle turns MMORPG into CCG

By Lory Gil on May 15, 2013

I’ve been playing World of Warcraft (WoW) since The Burning Crusade expansion launched in early 2007. While I would never consider myself a die-hard WoW gamer, I still have my subscription up to date, unlike 80 percent of my friends who never even bought the Mists of Pandaria expansion.

When I AM MT: Card Battle launched in the App Store, I was intrigued by the subtle WoW references; MT is a Tauren, you will battle in places like Silverfang against enemies like Wargs, etc. However, I didn’t realize just how closely associated it was with Blizzard’s most popular MMORPG…

I AM MT: Card Battle is a card collecting game (CCG) that incorporates card collecting, character leveling, and stats-based battling. The game is based on a popular Chinese cartoon that is actually based on the WoW storyline. Play as your favorite Horde class and defeat enemies in this peculiar dungeon crawl game… Read More

 

New Rovio Stars label launches with Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage and Tiny Thief games

By Christian Zibreg on May 14, 2013

Finland-based Angry Birds maker Rovio Tuesday teased its brand new iOS game titled Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage. The game will be published under a new Rovio Stars label and follows the adventure of a lone Viking. Rovio Stars focuses on “the best new games from talented and innovative developers” and files as Rovio’s first foray into including third party titles in its game line-up.

Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage is being developed by UK-based studio Nitrome and is hitting iOS “soon.” The game will be followed by Tiny Thief by Barcelona-based third-party developer Ants Studio. I’ve included teaser videos after the break… Read More

 

Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol review: turn-based dogfights fly into the App Store

By Lory Gil on May 14, 2013

Sid Meier is one of the best-known strategy video game developers in the industry. Partly because the games he puts his name on are so good, and partly because he puts his name on so many games.

Because the strategy-based games that Meier puts his name on are well made, exciting, and interesting, you can almost guarantee that you won’t be disappointed by any new titles with the nomenclature.

Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol is a turn-based strategy game set in World War I. Players command a team of ace pilots as they try to take down enemy forces. This is the first game from Meier that is exclusive to iOS and it is definitely worthy of the man’s name… Read More

 

Mosaique is a simple puzzle game for the minimalist in you

By Lory Gil on May 11, 2013

Puzzle games are a dime a dozen in the App Store. Actually, they are about $11.88 a dozen, if you assume the average price is $0.99. My point is that there are a lot of them and they are basically all the same with slightly different skins. However, every once in a while, a unique twist on a simple game comes along and impresses the world.

Mosaique is one of those apps that transcend traditional puzzle games. With its minimalistic design and innovative gameplay, you’ll be drawn into its relaxed structure and simple design. According to the app’s summary, colonist engineers on the moon of Vraxis play this game, so you are in good company… Read More

 

Take to the skies with Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol

By Christian Zibreg on May 10, 2013

One of the world’s most successful and critically acclaimed interactive entertainment designers, Sid Meier has long become a household name in the world of gaming. A long list of Sid Meier-branded games includes such hit titles as Pirates, Silent Service, Railroad Tycoon and Civilization, to name but a few. Some of the games Sid designed have been adapted for Apple’s iOS devices, like Civilization Revolution (free, $2.99).

The latest title, Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol, has just landed on the App Store. This turn-based flight combat simulator doesn’t just carry Sid’s stamp of approval, the legendary designer actually conceived and designed the game himself.

Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol is exclusive to Apple’s iOS devices and publisher 2K Games released it as a free to play download with in-app purchases… Read More

 
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