Category Archives: Exclusives

Exclusive ‘Rimelands: Hammer of Thor’ Trailer Teases Plot and Gameplay

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Exclusive ‘Rimelands: Hammer of Thor’ Trailer Teases Plot and Gameplay is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Dicework Games, creators of the steampunk puzzler Diceworks [99¢] in collaboration with Crescent Moon Games, the developers behind both Ravensword: The Fallen King [$4.99 / Free] and the upcoming Ultra Kid: Mystery of the Mutants are nearing the finish line in releasing the first of what sounds like a series of turn-based roleplaying games for the iPhone.

Rimelands: Hammer of Thor is going to come loaded with multiple classes to play as, each customizable with talents. The game world consists of both pre-made and randomly generated levels in a game world that is said to be light-hearded and adventurous while still supporting more epic and serious undertones.

The Rimelands web site is absolutely loaded with information about the game, including lore to set the scene of the Rimelands game world. So far everything we've seen from this new partnership between Diceworks and Crescent Moon has been extremely impressive. The art looks great, the Rimelands universe sounds cool, and the brief gameplay shown in the above trailer has really piqued my interest.

Needless to say, we're going to be following Rimelands: Hammer of Thor very closely.


‘Carcassonne’ Developers Confirm That iPad Release Will Be a Universal Update; Game Will Be Faithful to Source

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‘Carcassonne’ Developers Confirm That iPad Release Will Be a Universal Update; Game Will Be Faithful to Source is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Carcassonne developer The Coding Monkeys has confirmed with us that the iPad version of the upcoming Apple handheld title will be a universal update to the initial App Store release this summer.

Just don't expect the update to hit in the immediate.

According to developer Martin Pittenauer, The Coding Monkeys haven't started work on the larger version of the game. Instead, they've focused their efforts on the iPhone and iPod Touch versions slated for release in May.

"The iPhone version will be released this month and we plan to start work on the iPad after that," developer Martin Pittenauer told us via e-mail.

"We poured a lot of love into the game already and feel the iPad version deserves the same level of attention, so it's hard to make promises for a release date right now. But we plan to have the game universal later this summer."

Universal updates allow handheld Apps to run natively on the iPad, which avoids creators from having to juggle two similar Apps on the Store at the same time.

The Carcassonne update will be free for purchasers of the App, but the price of the whole package will be raised from its initial $4.99 price point once the update goes live on iTunes.

"Once the app is universal we will end introductory pricing and sell the game for $9.99," Pittenauer told us in a later e-mail. "So, if you buy early, you essentially get a discount on the version that runs on iPhone, iPod, and iPad."

Despite being universal, the iPad version of the game will have its share of differences according to Pittenauer. Most of which are planned to stem from the iPad's larger touch screen size.

"We will try to use the available space to streamline some parts of the user interface and adopt more of the emerging 'feel' of the iPad platform," he said.

"We are also still thinking about the dimensions of the device and its implication for the multiplayer user interface. Other than that it will mainly differ by size."

But Pittenauer believes neither version will have a leg up on the other.

"We don't think any version will be better per se, but they will have different strengths."

"The iPhone version is very portable while being very easy to play thanks to pinch-zooming and its UI. The iPad version will have room to see more of the game board, but isn't as practical on the go. And as the game will be universal, both versions complement each other perfectly anyway."

Visually, the game appears to be capturing the board game feel. The big question is if the  game's mechanics and components do the same. Pittenauer tells us that bringing the board game to life via our iDevices is the point of the project.

"As boardgame geeks, we hope to make players feel like they are playing the original in the real world."

"That's why we favor a very traditional view of the table and decided against unnecessary 3D gimmicks for our version. We also love the social aspect of board gaming, so we tried to retain that as much as possible by adding all sorts of multiplayer variants (pass-around, local network, internet) and in-game chat."

At the end of the day it's up to the players to judge if the digital version of the board game feels like the board game. We'll have to hope and see.


Imangi’s Upcoming ‘Max Adventure’ – It’s Up to You to Save the World

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Imangi’s Upcoming ‘Max Adventure’ – It’s Up to You to Save the World is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

At GDC 2010, one of the games we got a secret sneak peek of was Imangi's upcoming dual stick shooter Max Adventure. Imangi is finally ready to start revealing some details about their most ambitious project to date.

While Max Adventure is yet another dual stick shooter, Imangi's Natalia Luckyanova promises it brings more to the table. She writes, "There will be plenty of the action-packed survival shooting that you expect from a dual stick shooter. But unlike other dual stick shooters, Max Adventure will also have open exploration in non-linear levels, diverse missions, puzzle elements, and story-driven progression."

They've released this epic trailer which shows some gameplay towards the end:

We played an early build of the game at GDC and were pleased to find it capture great controls with a fluid feel. This smooth dual-stick "feel" is something that games like MiniGore have gotten so right while games like Garters & Ghouls have gotten so wrong. Max Adventure is targeted for release at the end of summer.


Exclusive ‘Flick Baseball’ Preview – Freeverse’s Baseball Game is Almost Here

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Exclusive ‘Flick Baseball’ Preview – Freeverse’s Baseball Game is Almost Here is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

We first saw the beginnings of Freeverse's Flick Baseball at WWDC last year, and I can only imagine how long it had been in development before then. Much like the recently released Warpgate [iPhone: $4.99 / iPad: $7.99], it's immediately evident that a lot of time and effort went in to this game.

Flick Baseball is a full 3D baseball game that looks and plays a lot like a fleshed out version of Com2Us's Homerun Battle 3D [$4.99 / Free] with 3D players, tilt to aim batting, and some extra features such as being able to control your runners and where your outfielders throw the ball. Since Homerun Battle 3D is still one of my favorite iPhone games, I'm really happy with how Freeverse seems to have captured a very similar batting mechanic that works extremely well.

I've barely begun to scratch the surface of Flick Baseball, as we'll be saving that for our in-depth look in our full review, but this is a very complete baseball game. You can play both 3 and 9 inning baseball games in two different difficulty modes, and the entire game is driven by this crazy subsystem of player statistics. Some players bat better than others and as such have a much larger hit zone when they swing, and others require your aim to be practically perfect when batting to hit. There are tons of other stats that control every attribute of each player of your team.

34 teams are included, and you can build your own team with a custom name, lineup, uniform color, roster, stats, and everything else. You could likely spend hours doing nothing other than building custom teams in this game if you wanted to. There are full 11, 33, 66, and 165 game season modes with all kinds of stat tracking, a playoff mode, and the games even change from night to day depending on the actual time of day it is in the city you're playing at.

Here is a video of me playing a couple innings, which features a lot of strike outs and a beginner's luck home run:


Flick Baseball should be available May 3rd, so keep an eye out for a full review and another video of me (hopefully) hitting nothing but home runs with my tricked out custom baseball team. So far I'm really enjoying the game a lot, and look forward to getting deeper in to it.


Exclusive ‘Super Quick Hook’ Gameplay Video from ‘Hook Champ’ Developers

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Exclusive ‘Super Quick Hook’ Gameplay Video from ‘Hook Champ’ Developers is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

In February, we first spoke with Rocketcat Games' Kepa Auwae about the successor to Hook Champ. At the time it was described simply dubbed "Avalanche Game". Auwae has since released to us the first gameplay video and a name for the project: "Super Quickhook".

As described in February, Super Quickhook is a spiritual successor to Hook Champ. Yes, that means you can hook and swing your way through this game too. Unlike Hook Champ, however, Super Quickhook features infinite, randomly generated levels in a survival/last-longer type game. Your goal is to outrun (outswing) the avalanche for as long as you can.

Auwae also reports that you can search for and uncover "mysterious secrets". Here's a first look at the gameplay:

Super Quick Hook will also share many popular features of Hook Champ. If survival gameplay isn't your thing, there are unlockable, non-random racing levels with no time limit. The shop system and achievements will also be back as well as OpenFeint ghost races. There are plans for frequently released free new levels, and yes, fancy new hats.

The game will launch at $1.99 with a normal price of $2.99. As further incentive, they are working on giving early adopters exclusive hats. The game should be done in about a month.


Exclusive ‘Monster Trucks Nitro 2′ Hands-On

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Exclusive ‘Monster Trucks Nitro 2′ Hands-On is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

I really wanted to like the original Monster Trucks Nitro back when it was first released last year, but poor controls combined with a lackluster framerate and gameplay that didn't make a whole lot of sense somehow managed to even make monster trucks not fun. Miniclip.com went back to the drawing board, and with the release of Monster Trucks Nitro 2, the game is much, much closer to what I wanted it to be the first time around.

Your truck is controlled by tilting the iPhone, with a slider along the bottom that controls your speed. The whole setup feels much more responsive compared to the first. Competing in a series of timed events, you'll come across all kinds of crazy jumps and nitro tanks you can drive over for a temporary boost of speed. Hitting these tanks is vital, not only for good times, but also to get enough air to do flips which also rewards a small amount of boost.

As you can see in the following gameplay trailer, the developers really amped up the amount of action in the game with cars to smash, bridges that break, explosions everywhere, and other over-the-top obstacles to run over with a number of included trucks:

The game is still in development and won't be available until next month, but in the meantime, Monster Trucks Nitro 2 needs to be on your watch list if you're a fan of monster trucks. I'm really glad to report that the sequel is a night and day difference from the original, and a lot of fun.


‘Tilt to Live’ Getting New Game Modes in April

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‘Tilt to Live’ Getting New Game Modes in April is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

One of our favorite games this month was One Man Left's Tilt to Live, a fast paced object avoidance game that has also been getting overwhelmingly positive feedback in our forums.

The game is presently on sale for only $0.99, so if you haven't picked it up yet, now's your chance. Riding on their early success. One Man Left has revealed to us that they are planning a couple of additional game modes for Tilt to Live that will be arriving in April. The new modes are described here:

Code Red

Rather than guiding players along a polite difficulty curve, we’re chucking them off a difficulty cliff with Code Red mode. This gametype is best described as “Classic mode on crack”. Everything from Classic is there, but the red dots will spawn at their highest intensity right from the start. It’s tailor-made for experienced players that “just wanna get to the good part”, without enduring the buildup.

Gauntlet Mode

Run the Gauntlet to put your precision tilting skills to the test! In Gauntlet mode, players compete for the longest survival time rather than highscores or combos. Enemies waves will no longer relentlessly chase you. Instead, the dots work together to form an increasingly difficult treadmill course of smashers, battle axes, windmills, and more. It’s an entirely new gameplay experience! The difficulty curve will be comparable to our original gametype, a crescendo from manageable to kick-your-butt. Early dot obstacles and gameplay will be showcased in our teaser video, and even more sinister twists are in development as we speak.

Meanwhile, this video shows Gauntlet in action:

One Man Left promises more game modes, awards and weapons in future versions of the game. If you haven't picked this one up yet, we still highly recommend it.

App Store Link: Tilt to Live, $0.99


Exclusive ‘Revolt’ Hands-On Preview with Video

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Exclusive ‘Revolt’ Hands-On Preview with Video is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Revolt is a 3D dual stick shooter created entirely by three people: Kristopher Peterson who handles all the art, design, and sound effects, Jaap Kreijkamp doing the programming, and Sean Neville writing the music. This three man team has managed to come up with what very well may be one of the coolest looking dual stick shooters I've played recently.

We went over the basic premise of the game in our original preview:

Revolt is an exquisite looking shooter that departs from the usual dual-stick model of unlimited ammo run-and-gunning by throwing a surprising amount of strategy into the mix. The gameplay promotes taking cover and rolling to avoid enemy fire, and ammo needs to be carefully managed across 15 weapons and 5 weapon types. A mixture of lasers, grenades and missile launchers serve to create some of the most impressive explosions and combat effects we've seen on the AppStore, too. To boot, Revolt seems to take its storytelling seriously, the gameplay spanning over 8 campaign levels and an impressive 20 survival arenas.

The build we were sent was a preview in every sense of the word, most of the art has yet to be finalized, menus are basic, and they haven't added the story elements yet. However, as far as a beautiful framework for a dual stick shooter is concerned, these guys nailed it.

Check out the gameplay video which shows a bit of story mode and survival mode:

Survival mode is particularly interesting in Revolt, as you fight off enemies in waves and between each wave you're given the opportunity to spend the credits you collect in game on ammo, grenades, and other goodies. I've spent a considerable amount of time trying to make it through the survival mode, and there seems to be an interesting layer of strategy in stocking up on weaponry. The easy levels obviously don't require anything, but once you survive past the first few waves, grenades and other weapons become mandatory.

Revolt is still in development, but shows a considerable amount of promise. We'll be keeping an eye on this game's development, and if you want to know more, stop by the developer's thread on our forums.


Upcoming ‘Vector Tanks Extreme’: You’re Not Ready

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Upcoming ‘Vector Tanks Extreme’: You’re Not Ready is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Earlier this month we posted an update on Peter Hirschberg and his glowy bit of retro vector goodness known as Vector Tanks. As we indicated in that post, Peter has recently setup his own studio, BlipTime Studios, and through it has released an update to Vector Tanks known as Vector Tanks (Classic Version) [App Store] at $0.99.  As one might suspect, denoting the current game as "classic" indeed betokened the near-term arrival of a rather revamped take on the original.

That game is Vector Tanks Extreme, and Peter has given us an exclusive look at the release version of the title before it makes its App Store debut.

The game has been split into two versions to provide, as Peter tells it, a version that delivers the "retro-simplicity" of the original, along with a version that's "a Vector Tanks experience WAY over the top for those seeking a bit more of a challenge."

Vector Tanks Extreme offers everything the original did, plus more tank types, more weapon types (my personal favorite is the Rail Gun), airborne enemies (helicopters), and downright frenzied action. The standard play mode is Combat, which is a desperate bid to wipe out as many enemies as possible before losing all your lives, while Rage mode gives you unlimited lives and ammunition with the goal of wiping out as many enemies as possible before a two-minute timer runs out. Both modes are brutal, let me assure you. An integrated online scoreboard shows the world your strength (or weakness) and network play support is a planned addition, to arrive in a future update.

I've had the final build of Vector Tanks Extreme on my iPhone for the past few days and have spent considerable time scoping down enemy tanks, jeeps, and copters. Having become quite familiar with the title, I can definitely say that "WAY over the top" is in no way an overstated description. This is perhaps the most intense iPhone shooter I've ever encountered. If you enjoy Vector Tanks and feel it's a little on the difficult side — stay away from Vector Tanks Extreme. You don't have the stuff.

As we mentioned in our earlier piece, in moving from Chillingo to his own BlimpTime Studios for the original Vector Tanks, now known as Vector Tanks (Classic Version), Peter was unable to make the latest version of the game (v1.3.2, posted earlier this month) a free upgrade. But, to help get every owner of the original up to speed on the latest version, he will be offering Vector Tanks (Classic Version) as a free download during the week following the launch of Vector Tanks Extreme. Thanks Peter!

Have a look at the Vector Tanks Extreme trailer to get a taste of the action.

Vector Tanks Extreme has been submitted to the App Store and should be available for download sometime in the next few days at a price of $1.99.