Expert Blogs
Dragon Fire is the prefect example of why buyers cringe when they see the GameSalad logo come up on their screen. The real problem is that Dragon Fire is not a terrible game, but rather a mediocre game marred by some issues that make it not as enjoyable as it should be. It’s also fairly representative of the offerings that come from the aforementioned game authoring tool. If this game were given a bit more TLC it could rise above the ever increasing number of vertical shooters that are making their way into the App Store, but as it stands right now the unique premise of playing a dragon doesn’t help the rest of the game.
On November 26th you’ll be treated to a new distance running game in the form of Dino Rush, and I have to say that the game does a decent job of setting itself apart from similar games. You play a little dinosaur that has a series of missions to complete, but it just so happens that you’re always hungry. To keep your strength up you must consume all the fruit you can find, as well as avoid all the other nasty dinosaurs and things like quicksand and lava. You’ll receive various power ups like a spiked helmet, fruit magnet and super-dinosaur suit that will help you in your quest (and are often imperative to your survival).
I tend to like tank games, because at a base level they all tend to involve blowing things up. Tank Raider is no exception, except it throws the convention of collecting gems into the mix. In theory that should make the game more fun, but it tends to make it more tedious instead. Add to that controls that aren’t real conducive to fast action, and what could be a nice change from the run of the mill tank game feels like a bit of a mess instead. It’s certainly not a terrible mess, but it doesn’t stand out like it could, either.
There are certain genres that seem to remain fun even though each new game in the genre isn’t necessarily that different from the last. Time management games are one such anomaly, and so to, it seems, are “marble poppers”. Granted there have been some that weren’t quite as engaging as others, but there’s something about the whole concept of trying to whittle away a string of objects before it reaches its destination that’s simple yet challenging, and ultimately enjoyable. Aqua Pearls is no exception to this rule, and what sets it apart from many of the others I’ve played are some new game modes as well as the general atmosphere of the game.
So far I’ve been pretty lucky with hidden object games on the iPhone. Most of them have had something different to offer from all the others. Of course I realize that’s because the genre hasn’t been oversaturated like certain other ones, but I’ll take it while I can get it. Mystery Of The Crystal Portal is no exception to the rule. In fact, in some ways this is one of the most original hidden object games I’ve played, iPhone or otherwise. It’s not without its shortcomings, but its strengths keep me coming back for more.
I had the opportunity to play the PC version of Mushroom Age briefly at one point, but I actually jumped into it in the middle of the game to pass a section for someone. Now that I’ve had the chance to go back and play it from the beginning on my iPod Touch I’m finding that I really like the game. The story is quirky and keeps you wondering. The characters are amusing, especially when you get to talking to creatures you never thought you’d have a conversation with. The actual meat of the game is a combination of hidden objects, puzzle solving and mini-games. Overall it’s a well rounded package that delivers the goods quite well.
Mani Golf is an interesting game. Some might consider it an overly simple golf game with whacked out courses. Personally, I look at it as a physics puzzle game under the guise of a whacked out golf game. Whatever your perspective is, there’s no question that Mani Golf is fun, crazy and at times quite challenging. You’ll not hear the word “fore” uttered from the main character’s mouth, but be prepared for some zany comments as you attempt to conquer 36 holes on two insane courses.
Not too long ago I previewed this fun new casual game called Pig Shot. Well, now it’s in the App Store for you to purchase so I thought I’d give it a more thorough review. Of course, the irony is that the game is rather simple (hence the term “casual”), and I really kind of covered it all in my preview, at least in a nutshell. Still, I’m sure I can find a few more words to say about it, so here’s my look at the game Pig Shot.
I don’t go for the “farting is fun” application genre on my iPod Touch. I think it’s silly and juvenile, and just further crowds the App Store so that good games don’t get noticed. For that matter, I’m not big into the defecation appreciation games as a whole, but something about Pigeon Squadron intrigued me. I’m not sure if it’s because at its heart Pigeon Squadron is really just another target bombing game where the weapon of choice happens to be bird feces, or what drew me in to wanting to try the game. Well as it turns out, despite the fowl droppings premise, Pigeon Squadron is actually a rather entertaining game. It’s also quite challenging, so don’t think you’re going to just coast through this defacing experience with a gold medal for no effort. Are you ready to join the pigeon army?
This is the perfect example of how to do a freemium game right. I'm not saying the game itself is perfect, but it is a lot of fun. And, nothing pops up every five seconds asking you to pay to remove the ads. In fact, the first time I played the game I thought the ad banner was just the top part of the framework. I didn't actually realize it contained ads. If you want to get rid of them you just go into the options, push a button, and confirm that you don't want any more ads. In fact, this is only the second game I've ever felt compelled to purchase IAP from. So enough about that, on to the game itself.
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