We have to admit, Mighty Mouse was one of our favorite cartoons growing up. We especially liked it when Mighty Mouse would belt out his catchphrase: “Here I Come To Save The Day!”. Today, CBS Mobile released game apps for iPhone and iPad based on the popular Mighty Mouse cartoon series.
In this game, you assume the role of Mighty Mouse in “more than sixty levels of non-stop action, as he punches out a host of villains in an exciting fight to save Pearl Pureheart, his true love.”
The app is available for iPhone ($0.99) and iPad ($1.99).
FireFruitForge and Bulky Pix distributed an app this past December called Terra Noctis, available in the App Store and worth every penny you pay. The storyline follows a small nightmare named Allen who, upon being deemed “too cute” in Nightmare School, invades the Dreamverse in hope of becoming the scariest monster of all.
Allen resembles a ghost in form with big yellow goggle-like eyes and a purplish color. He can run, duck, jump, double jump, ground pound, and even throw electrified orbs at enemies. The controls are relatively simple laid out on the screen through nearly invisible buttons on the bottom of the screen. On the left side of the screen are your left and right buttons and on the right side of the screen are the jump and duck options. In order to double jump, you can tap the jump button twice. A ground pound combines both the jump and duck buttons. Ground pounds are helpful when trying to break through bricks to access lower portions of the level.
The game opens with an introduction to Allen in school with a drab color scheme and a soundtrack that is very dreamy. That is where you being your journey and are then presented to the worlds which consist of Green Steppe, Rusty Fields, and Weeping Woods, among others.
The first level you enter is in Green Steppe and it is a training level with helpful hints in the form of sign posts along the way. Each level has the same objectives in addition to collecting as many blue fairies as possible. As you find out later, blue varies can be used to purchase perks and items in the store (available after you complete your first level). Perks include being able to run faster, jump higher, and fly, among others…sounds sort of like Superman in ghost form, don’t you think?
The objectives will help you earn a 100% completion per level, and there are a few of them to keep you from getting bored of collecting blue fairies or jumping on enemies. You need to collect all 15 red fairies to open further levels, find all of the S-C-A-R-E letters scattered throughout, and find the Golden Glory coin in order to unlock bonus stages. These objectives, combined with a nifty electronic soundtrack, make the game very enjoyable.
Although the graphics aren’t three dimensional, the attention to detail in the levels is quite phenomenal. There are mushroom trampolines, invisible platforms, vines, blocks, and ammo recharge spots (which resemble warp pads), among other items. Furthermore, there are miniature signs with arrows on them that point you in the direction of the finish line, which is in the form of a flagpole. Upon level completion, you are given your statistics and total point score for that level.
A minor complaint about the game would be that the left and right buttons are not big enough and are too close together, making it difficult to move while jumping if you need to be precise about the landing. Furthermore, the ‘shoot’ option for Allen is a joystick that can be activated by touching anywhere on the upper half of the screen; it can be sensitive and tough to aim in certain situations. The game has an abundance of wonderful features, but not enough where you will become confused.
Terra Noctis is a fun and challenging game app with a great storyline. Definitely worth checking out.
Addicting is the first word that comes to mind when I think of the game Little Acorns created by Team Pesky and published by Chillingo. This game has the old school charms of Super Mario Brothers with a fresh spin and less commitment required.
In Little Acorns players take on the role of Mr. Nibbles, a father squirrel who had his entire stock of acorns stolen. Mr. Nibbles now has to go through two years of work to muster the stores he had before the raid. When he starts in the Spring of year one, there are four stages that increase with difficulty as the previous level is completed. Once all four stages of Spring are completed, Mr. Nibbles moves to Summer, then Autumn and finally Winter. After year one is completed, Mr. Nibbles moves into his second year of acorn acquisition.
Each level has a time limit and different obstacles that must be overcome in order to move to the next stage. In the first few levels, the user is mostly getting used to the controls and being able to jump to different heights and acquire all of the acorns for that level. As the levels increase with difficulty, enemies like vicious bumble bees, murderous raccoons and pits of water all stand in the way between Mr. Nibbles and his beloved acorns. Mr. Nibbles also has a great deal of baby squirrels which he must corral in some levels as well as his acorns! What a busy Dad!
Keep in mind a level can only be completed if ALL of the acorns and all of Mr. Nibbles’ kids (if applicable) are obtained. Once all of the acorns have been snatched up, the user is given the opportunity to get bonus food by snatching up fruit that will appear once all of the acorns have been retrieved. If all of the fruit is also picked up and Mr. Nibbles makes it to the exit before the time expires, costume choices will be unlocked for Mr. Nibbles. He will be able to have things like mustaches, a bowler hat, a clown nose or a Hawaiian shirt. None of these costumes increase Mr. Nibbles’ acorn gathering skills, but at least he looks good.
The graphics and sound on this game go perfectly with the storyline. The graphics are clear and charming, great for both children and adults. The controls are also simple and similar to the controls on a Super Nintendo with a right and left arrow on the left side of the screen and a jump arrow on the right.
Little Acorns is truly engaging and will keep you entertained wherever you may be. I found myself waking up this morning reaching for my iPhone not to turn my alarm off, but to try and complete a level I had been stuck on the night before. This is a great game and absolutely worth the price. Will you be able to help Mr. Nibbles stock up for winter? Only one way to find out!
[Editor's Note: How bad is this app? Bad enough that Electronic Arts pulled it from the App Store overnight. This review was written before the app was removed.]
This game is not worth the price tag of zero dollars. It’s a first-person shooter, multiplayer only, online game that was poorly executed.
Players are randomly assigned to one of two teams: U.S. Marine Corps or Russian Spetznaz (Russian Special Forces, for the curious). There is only one map (“Factory”), one game setting (“Death Match), one difficulty level, one time limit (6:00 minutes), and a small handful of available weapons. There is no campaign or story line.
Of the countless rounds I tried to play in the “Factory” I only completed one because I always got an error message saying I was disconnected before the six-minute time limit was up. Other times I got a similar error message while the game was still loading. I thought something was wrong with my phone at first; I know my wireless is bad, but it’s not that bad. When I actually got to shoot someone, the game was so slow they often kept moving as if they hadn’t been hit, and then occasionally died later.
Battlefield 3: Aftershock is free to play, but don’t bother.
UPDATE: EA issued this statement regarding its decision to remove Battlefield 3: Aftershock from the App Store:
“EA Mobile is committed to delivering mobile entertainment experiences that are on par with the content and quality users have come to expect from their favorite EA gaming brands. To this end, we have decided to remove Battlefield 3: Aftershock from the App Store and are currently re-evaluating the app in response to the consumer feedback we’ve received. We thank all the fans who have downloaded the game to date.”
You guys remember Lemmings? Yeah. Me too, although it’s not a thing I think about all the time. That’s why, this week, I was particularly grateful towards the folks at Lucasfilm Ltd. for making Star Wars Pit Droids, a Lemmings-esque puzzle game that takes place in the Star Wars universe (mostly on Tatooine, if we’re being particular), as a promotional tool for the re-release of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace in 3D in theaters.
Star Wars Pit Droids features 75 levels of awesome puzzles. The goal of the game is to get your mindless pit droids (who follow each other, like lemmings) from their starting point to the goal. Doing so requires players to place arrow tiles on the ground to direct the droids to their goal while avoiding walls and obstacles.
As the game progresses, the levels get more and more complex. Droids of different colors are introduced and players must guide each color independently to their respective goals without running them into each other. Running in each other results in them exploding which while satisfying in it’s own right, means you lose and have to start over.
What’s really impressive about this game is it’s depth. Seventy-five levels may not sound like a ton, but these aren’t your standard quick-solve game type puzzles. Early levels are pretty easy to solve, but as the game goes on, the puzzles become more and more intricate, and require much more time and thought, trial and error.
Furthermore, as players solve puzzles, they’re rewarded with stars based how well they’ve performed. Just completing the puzzle is worth one star, while taking the shortest path and using the fewest amount of tiles are each worth an additional star. Stars are then used to unlock new levels which are essentially just different backdrops including Watto’s Shop, Hutt Flats and Mos Espa. For each area there’s a pretty sweet cut scene that makes this actually feel like a Star Wars game.
The only part about this game that really leaves something to be desired is the soundtrack which isn’t from any particular Star Wars film . However, that’s the only gripe I have about Star Wars Pit Droids which is an otherwise totally fantastic puzzle game.
I realize there are thousands of puzzle games available for iPhone and iPad but this is one of the few that is absolutely worth the price tag. I was shocked at how much fun I had (and am still having) with this game. Go buy it.
Pinball Arcade, produced by FarSight Studios, is exactly how it sounds: the ability to play classic pinball on virtual machines via your iOS device complete with all of the flashing lights, extra balls, loops, bumpers, and sounds of a real pinball machine. Even the scores and bonuses appear in the 8-bit text so commonly seen on the scoreboard of pinball machines.
The tables included in the game are Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Black Hole, Theatre of Magic, and Tales of the Arabian Nights. Each table comes complete with a history, a flyer advertising the table, and individual instructions. In the instructions portion, the game walks you through each table, explaining the layout of the table, specials, bonuses, and additional features. You can even zoom in on the table to see certain portions, and helpful arrows appear to point out icons, bumpers, gates, and bonuses.
Pinball Arcade trailer Click here to watch on YouTube
The game offers different options to access the various pinball tables. You can buy all the tables for $8.99, buy an individual table for a certain price (it differs per table), or play the free version (play up to the first High Score available on a table).
I opted for the free version and believe only true pinball enthusiasts would choose to pay so much money for endless play on this app. While all the features of a usual game of pinball are included, right down to the sounds and ‘nudge’ effect, the game is not nearly as intriguing or exciting as having a pinball machine right in front of you. Unfortunately an iOS device can’t compete with sweat dripping off your forehead and your fingers poised on the triggers, aiming to beat the high score flashing above. Pinball is all about the environment, and I’m not sure The Who would be able to write a song about Pinball Arcade.
The controls are relatively easy: press and drag the plunger to release the ball, and a tap on the left or right side of the screen activates that particular flipper. You can even nudge the ball by shaking the screen or by pressing in the upper left or right of the screen (which can be modified through Options).
There are also three different camera angles but each of them do not seem to get the full effect of playing pinball. I must give FarSight Studios credit, however, as the details on the tables are incredible. I feel as though they definitely pinpointed the layout on each table and didn’t miss a detail.
In the end, only true enthusiasts and those who are passionate about pinball (and its history) should decide to purchase this app. For those of us who are generally indifferent to pinball, I found the app very repetitive and not worth the extra money it asks you to pay.
On the heels of the brouhaha between NimbleBit and Zynga (see our storyhere), Electronic Arts today released MONOPOLY Hotels, a free universal app.
In MONOPOLY Hotels, players are charged with the responsibility of buying, building and managing hotels from MONOPOLY’s iconic game. Not only can players take control of 5-star hotels but also try their hand at luring VIP guests like Mr. Potato Head and other characters from Hasbro.
These features are available in the game:
• Take control of MONOPOLY’s luxurious 5-star hotels, from Mediterranean to Boardwalk.
• Upgrade hotel rooms and attract VIP guests, like MR. POTATO HEAD and other HASBRO characters.
• Customize your hotel with fun attractions like cupcake shops, movie theaters and bowling alleys.
• Keep the lights on by managing utilities like the Electric Company and collecting rent from guests.
• Expand your property empire beyond hotels with aquariums and other world-class attractions.
• Learn the secrets of hotel management and how to “Own It All” from MR. MONOPOLY himself!
• Connect with friends via Origin.
It will be interesting to see if NimbleBit accuses Electronic Arts of essentially copying its 2011 iPhone Game of the Year, Tiny Tower. At first blush, the games appear to be graphically different enough from each other. In addition, it will be increasingly difficult to argue all building management games are ripoffs of Tiny Tower instead of simply belonging to a distinct gaming genre.
Baseball Superstars 2012, the latest installment in the Baseball Superstars franchise by GAMEVIL, mixes sports and role playing on a mobile platform. Baseball Superstars 2012 is a moderately entertaining game requiring players to make in-app purchases to keep their players and teams from totally sucking.
Graphically, it’s nice to look at although the juxtaposition of graphics that seem clearly geared towards younger audiences and the oddly frequent appearance of enormously well-endowed, midriff-baring women seemed at odds and made me feel kind of uncomfortable. The baseball-playing portion of the game is the most fun part, and is (luckily) accessible via an Exhibition mode that let’s you play baseball without all of the extra frills.
Baseball Superstars 2012 trailer Click here to watch on YouTube
The controls for this game are simple and straightforward, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll win every game. When at bat, players have two options: hit or bunt in the form of little buttons next to your little batter. Press one of these buttons as the pitch crosses home plate and you are in business.
Hitting pitches takes getting used to however. Timing is a key ingredient here and it’s pretty difficult to get the timing just right. Add to this the fact some opposing pitchers have special super pitches that you can barely even see at all, and you’re in for a frustrating time if you’re just looking to drive home runs out the park every at-bat. It just doesn’t happen.
The pitching controls, on the other hand, work really well. Players slide a finger across a large grid that pops up when you tap on or around home plate. Sliding in different directions results in different pitches with different movement. For example, double tapping on a spot throws a fastball and super pitches can be used by sliding your finger in a circle or other patterns more interesting than a straight line.
While the role playing aspects of the game didn’t really grab me, this is a pretty fun baseball game, and it’s also free (unless you want to fork over real money for player upgrades and other unlockables) which is nice. If you’re looking for a more realistic baseball sim game, you should look elsewhere. But if you’re looking for a way to kill some time, like baseball and don’t want to spend any money, there is fun to be had here.
