Author Archive for ChiffaN

Pirates vs. Ninjas vs. Zombies vs. Pandas in Review – It’s everyone vs. Angry Birds!

Talking about catapult type games, there’s no question that the top one on anyone’s mind right now, as well for the whole 2010, is Angry Birds. But whatever some may think, the genre itself is rather old. Born originally from the unique Yeti Sports: Penguin Toss, known at the time of its release back in 2004 as Pingu Throw, it has been a favourite of Flash developers ever since, and almost every kind of variation fathomable has been done at some point. So keeping in mind that the dreaded birds vs. hogs didn’t actually invent anything, let’s take a look at the most recent release hoping to claim Angry Birds’ crown – Pirates vs. Ninjas vs. Zombies vs. Pandas.

iOS 4.3 Beta Released – Wi-Fi Hotspot and more new features

While the recent announcement of the long-awaited Verizon iPhone 4 may be a big deal for some many of our US readers, the same can’t be said for iDevice users in other parts of the world. What IS much more exciting for the rest of us is the following announcement of the upcoming new version of the iOS, one that will bring quite a few new features and is set to debut on the Verizon iPhone 4 – iOS 4.3.

The most hyped feature, of course, will be the answer to the widely advertised Android one – Wi-Fi Hotspot for up to 5 devices. At first, the fact whether this feature would be exclusive to Verizon was debated, but the recent release of the 4.3 beta to developers has confirmed that it will be indeed available on all carriers willing to support it.

Before I continue down the list, an interesting note is that the latest beta does NOT support 2G devices (iPhone 3G and iPod Touch 2G). Whether this will mean that they will be left out in the cold altogether or just for the time being remains to be seen, but considering that almost all new features from iOS 4.1 onwards are not available for the oldies, it may not have much of an impact.

More features, including the much desired ability to select the iPad lock/mute switch functionality, after the gap.

Cop – the case of the cloned beauty queen in Review – It’s the war of the clones… kind of…

It seems I’m on a roll this week! It’s time for yet another review of a new adventure game. Following the superb Broken Sword – The Smoking Mirror: Remastered (TMA Review) and frustrating but promising The Train episode 01 (TMA Review) I’m going to examine another recent entry to the genre on the App Store, which also happens to be an iDevice exclusive as well – Cop – the case of the cloned beauty queen. Will this one prove to be worthy of our The App Store’s Best Adventure?

The Train episode 01 in Review – Magic can be a crime.

Even with such adventures as HECTOR: Badge of Carnage Ep1 (TMA Review), 1112 episode 01, episode 02 (TMA Review) having great success on the App Store and earning a well-deserved place in iTunes’ featured section, one originally designed for the iDevice is still a rare guest on my iPhone. Of course there are many reasons for this, both financial and not, but it still pains my heart to see this happen. Nevertheless as the platform matures, we are starting to see more and more developers stepping up to fill the void and who knows, maybe some will earn the right to join our The App Store’s Best Adventure. Tonight’s contender is The Train episode 01, so let’s see if it stands up to the challenge.

Broken Sword – The Smoking Mirror: Remastered in Review – The shard may be mightier than the sword

In my interview with Charles Cecil (creator of Broken Sword: Director’s Cut) I asked him about the chance of other BS games coming to the iDevice. At that point he was still uncertain, but with the success and acclaim for his superb ports, it’s no wonder he followed through. And while Broken Sword – The Smoking Mirror does not boast the additional content of the first, the sequel has enough neat tricks, tweaks and updates to make it shine anew on the iDevice platform.

Stenches: A Zombie Tale of Trenches in Review – World War 2 reimagined… with zombies!

One of the relatively new genres, brought about by the explosion of all sorts of casual games, both on the iDevice and PC, is Action Strategy. Though it seems the two genres are so different that it should be impossible even to imagine such a perverted marriage, developers prove time and time again that nothing is impossible. Quite some time ago I reviewed Avatar of War (TMA Review) – one offspring of this unholy union and was left thoroughly satisfied by the casual but fun experience it provided. And today we’ll take a look at Stenches: A Zombie Tale of Trenches, an original re-imagination of World War 2 as the fight against Nazi zombies.

TouchMyApps’ Staff picks for 2010 – Top of the top, cream of the crop!

It’s New Year’s eve and a lonely editor at TMA headquarters has been shackled to his desk, the key hidden away in a contraption worthy of the famous Leonardo Da Vinci. The only way of getting out is to finally finish his post on the best of the best of 2010. And since, as you guessed it, that editor is me and I really want to get home to my wife, here we go.

2010 has been an amazingly fruitful year for all things Apple. First we got hit over our heads with the iPad, which has revolutionized the tablet market and against all odds is selling like hot cakes all around the world. Then the whole Gizmodo-iPhone-leak story, culminating in final release of the completely revolutionary iPhone 4. Then the brand new iPod lineup along with the long awaited re-release of the Apple TV as an iOS device. The releases of RAGE HD and Infinity Blade (TMA Review) set a new bar for graphics on the iDevice and have reasserted the iPhone as the leading mobile gaming platform. And these are only the high-high level announcements, with lots more going on in the Apple arena.

For TMA the year has been fertile as well, with the opening of the forums and several new faces in the editorial crowd. Speaking of which, to give our dues to 2010, we’ve banded together and brainstormed out our favorite games and apps of the year. Whether you’ve had an iDevice for a long time or just got your shiny new iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad for Christmas/ New Year, these are some of the titles you must check out! So, without further ado, presenting TMA’s Staff picks for 2010.

Flick Golf! In Review – Tiger Woods, eat your golf club!

It’s hard to really imagine anything new in a sports video game. Overall, we have our range of titles from the absolutely arcade-y ones to the die-hard real-life simulations, though the principal generally stays the same. But every once in a while a stroke of genius hits a developer in the head (usually an indie one) and we get a unique perspective on a well-known sport. This time, that resulted in Flick Golf! – truly, golf reinvented!

Dungeon Hunter 2 in Review – Be very very quiet, I’m hunting Diablos!

Ever since the original Dungeon Hunter (TMA Review) came out more than a year ago, it immediately became the undisputed king of iPhone Hack’n’Slash RPGs. Obviously inspired by the great Diablo, it still had quite a way to go to reach its full potential. With the recent release of the anticipated sequel, Dungeon Hunter 2, I had high hopes that it would finally make all things right. And having spent about a week with it, I can say that it did… at least for some things.

Eternal Legacy in Review – Final Legacy? Eternal Fantasy? Oh yeah, Eternal Legacy!

For the longuest time the absence of quality console jRPG games from the iDevice was a gaping hole just waiting to be filled. Early this year Square Enix re-released FINAL FANTASY and FINAL FANTASY II for the iDevice, then followed up with CHAOS RINGS, a celebrated RPG that I thought could have been so much more. What we were left with was the excellent port of the PSP classic – Crimson Gem Saga. Now you can add another to the list thanks to Gameloft’s ambitious title Eternal Legacy.