Topic: iPhone/iPod Touch game thread?

[KDR_11k]

I don't think we have one so I feel like starting it. Recently got an iPod Touch for Christmas so I'm now accumulating games for it. By the way, if you think the shovelware situation on the Wii is bad you haven't seen the App Store. Recent WiiWare abomination Dragon Master Spell Caster would probably count as one of the better games on the App Store if it were released there.


What stood out for me:


Doodle Jump: It's on the top of the paid games chart and hell, it's there for a reason. Neat little timewaster when you're standing in line somewhere. Quick to start, quick to play and low on the system resources (so the battery won't run out fast from it).


Armor Raiders: It's inspired by the same games as Glory Days 2 but really, GD2 is WAAAAAY better. The heli moves too sluggishly (means refills and respawns take FOREVER), the blast radius on the bombs is too small, units are way too expensive for the income you get and the AI is annoying as **** (always tries to get above you and drop bombs on you, can't escape from that position because the AI always reacts perfectly to your escape attempts and if you collide it's instant death but only you have limited lives). Oh and I don't think the heli tilting is very correct either, I was able to pull off some amazing stuff with the heli physics in GD2 but AR feels like you're piloting a brick.


HAWX: Yes, it's a pretty complete port of the HD console version (obviously with worse graphics) but Gameloft forgot a crucial part of what makes HAWX: The damn OFF mode! It's included as a camera angle but in the original game it did more than that, it changed your plane physics (namely let you get much slower than regular mode, allowing drifts and stalls). Also the gimping of the multi-AA range (4k to 2k) prevents it from really being a multi-AA in most cases because you can't fit enough enemies into range and it has no difficulty selection (HAWX was easy, you had to play on the highest difficulty for any decent challenge and this is locked to the lowest where it takes like 10 rockets to down you!). Of course it's also harder than regular HAWX because of the missing OFF mode physics that made dodging missiles so much fun. Seriously, the shortcomings are just tiny logic parts, nothing that could be blamed on processing power.


NOVA: OVERHYPED! It wants to be Halo. I don't know if it succeeds but I don't like Halo and more importantly a highly story-driven FPS isn't a good match for the iPod, you can't go in and out quickly and expect to have much fun. Malstrom Arcade Test: FAILED!


Tomena Sanner: Hey, it's that WiiWare game but cheaper! I don't like how hard it is to tell when you're supposed to push on each obstacle.


Army Wars: That one's pretty cool, feels a bit like an attack version of Plants vs Zombies. You place units on the battlefield and they march in a straight line, there are no fixed lanes but both horizontal and vertical range play a part (e.g. sidestepping the long but narrow field of fire on a sniper). I don't like how the early weapon unlocks are mostly just veteran units though that have little bearing on the game.


Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs: Sure, it's a licensed game but it's made by Two Tribes, the makers of Toki Tori! It even uses many of TT's mechanics (pillars that you put behind yourself, bubbles that you can float in, etc).


GO! GO! Rangers: Nice TBS game, kinda like an RPG but without the whole levelling stuff. You get a selection of rangers that you can move in your 3x4 grid and fight a boss whose attacks are fairly pattern based (e.g. damages a certain row or column, strikes all heroes in the first manned row, etc), you move your rangers around to use their different abilities (they use different moves in each column) and dodge attacks. The first few levels I played so far only have the same boss with an additional move each time (and of course new unlocked rangers), possibly as an introduction but still kinda boring.


It's interesting how people constantly try to reexamine the definition of a game and while many are duds at least I've found many different takes on genres like the RTS (unfortunately it seems there's a ton of clones of that shitty Nanophage Wars flash game or whatever that cloned too, a type of game that I consider completely devoid of strategy or sense). Been thinking of gobbing into that river myself but I'll probably end up never doing it due to lazyness.

[NWR_DrewMG]

GeoDefense, GeoDefense Swarm, and GeoSpark are all exellent imo.

[D_Average]

Fieldrunners - Best tower defense game in the universe

Soosiz - Charming 2D platformer.  With a sprinkle of Mario Galaxy on top.

[BranDonk Kong]

The stickman game with the bow and arrow is pretty cool...and I am T-Pain. Other than that, everthing I've played on an iPhone/iPod was crap. Not counting Monkey Ball.

[D_Average]

Oh, the mega popular Flight Control is popular for a reason.  Well worth the .99 cent price tag.  Its a game that really shines on the iphone.  Only MS Surface would top it as far as platforms are concerned.

[NWR_insanolord]

D_Average already said it, but the point really needs to be hammered across; Flight Control is amazing. I think it's coming to DSiWare, but for once that's going to be a downgrade to the controls. Also, Space Evader is an old-school style high score game that is extremely simple but I've sunk a ton of time into it.

[KDR_11k]

I have Flight Control, didn't find it very interesting though.

The stickman game with the bow and arrow is pretty cool...

Catoon [sic] Wars Gunner?

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

I've only played three games on a friend's iPhone.

iDracula: A decent attempt at the Endless Survival mode style of gameplay. It's a third-person shooter, not quite at a bird's eye view but close. With your Van Helsing lookalike, you move around a small area and shoot indefinite waves of creature for as long as you can until you die. As a round goes on, you find new weapons and unlock perks for your character to help him out, so there's a little sense of progression. The controls are trying to simulate dual analog though, with mixed results unfortunately. You hold the iPhone/iPod sideways and there are two wheels at the corners of the screen: the left one for movement and the right for turning & aiming. It works okayish but the game's compromise for a lack of a "Shoot" button is to make your weapon fire automatically whenever your thumb is touching the right wheel. For a game with limited ammo, this is a bit troublesome as you can burn through a lot of bullets just to turn and point your gun at an enemy. I heard there's a free version (stripped down of course), iDracula Lite, so trying that out before paying for the full game is likely your best bet.

Tap Tap Revenge 2: Semi-competent Guitar Hero clone, I suppose. It's probably too easy; even on the Expert difficulty setting, I got 90+% on the songs that I played, and I wouldn't consider myself a rhythm game aficionado. The quality of the music is down to personal preference. Although most of the songs in Tap Tap's tiny setlist were obscure to say the least, the quality of the sound was good.

Archers: I would assume this is the game Brandogg was referring to. Anyway, it's fun in short bursts - as in a few minutes at a time. The player drags their finger across the touch screen and moves it up or down to set the power and angle of their shot respectively. The winner is the one who depletes their opponent's health bar first. It reminds me of the Flash game Bowman, right down to the turn-based 2 player option.

That's all I have to contribute. Right now, I'm thinking that if I ever buy an iPhone or iPod Touch, which in itself is 50/50, I don't believe I'll be using it as a portable gaming device. It depends on the pricing structure for the App Store... are all the games dirt cheap?
By the way KDR, I think Plants vs Zombies was released on the iPhone/Pod Touch a while ago. I don't know if that particular version is worth checking out -- on PC, it is an excellent title.

[KDR_11k]

I got the PC version of PvZ and got my fill from that. Even seen clones of it, no interest though.

Pricing is mostly 1-2 "units" (1 USD, .8 EUR, .6 GBP, it shows the currency value but prices generally come in increments of those "units") per game, some go higher. I paid 5.50 EUR for HAWX and NOVA each but most games are significantly less. However most games are also VERY low on content, you usually get a game idea implemented as an endless mode and that's it, usually with upgrading and whatnot but no real levels to get through.

[NWR_insanolord]

I've been playing a couple things pretty regularly, so I figured I'd post them.

The first is called geoSpark, which I'm not sure how to describe other than that it's pretty simple, very fast, and extremely addictive. It's another game to add to the list of "This would be even more fantastic on the iPad."

The second is called Heavy Gunner 3D, made by the same people who made Homerun Battle 3D, which was a game that I thought sounded shallow and stupid until I played it and got hooked. It's a shooter where you shoot from a stationary point, with on-screen sticks controlling the aiming cursors for each of your two weapons and camera movement done through tilt. The setup works pretty well, and I'm having a hard time coming up with another platform it could work on (PS3, maybe, with the sticks being the guns and sixaxis motion doing the camera, or possibly on the Wii with two remotes, pointers to aim and one of the d-pads handling the camera).

[KnowsNothing]

I've got a few of the popular paid titles like Plants versus Zombies, Bejewled 2, Doodle Jump, and Flight Control.  I also have this one called Wordsworth which is kind of like Bookworm but with a hexagonal playing field, more game modes, and a more complete dictionary (from what I've read Bookworm is missing a lot of common words).  Wordsworth is very fun (if a bit boring to look at) but sometimes hard to control.  My friends never have a problem choosing the right letters though so maybe it's just my terrible coordination at fault.

As for free games, SF Cave is really stupid but I think pretty addictive, and if you don't want to shell out the dollar for doodle jump there's the free Papi Jump (but once you go Doodle you can't go back).  Unblock Me Free is a nice Rush Hour clone (I assume there's a paid version but I don't really care, the free one is enough), and Traffic Rush is kind of like Flight Control in that you try to keep tons of cars on screen from hitting each other.  Frustrating but fun.

[NWR_insanolord]

I said this on Twitter, but, as crazy as it seems, Resident Evil 4 actually works pretty well on the iPhone. Not as well as the Wii version, certainly, but I prefer it to the analog controls of Resident Evil 5.

[D_Average]

Simple motobike game I love, MX Mayhem

[D_Average]

This just popped on Youtube, looks somewhat legit (the new 4G iPhone).  I dig it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQtdLJgmiB8&playnext_from=TL&videos=cUgc2txgqh8

[NWR_insanolord]

If you enjoy iPhone gaming I suggest you subscribe to IGN's iPhone Game of the Day e-mail newsletter. I've already found a few really good games because of it.

[gbuell]

I am gaming on my iPod Touch more than my DS lately. Hope that isn't too blasphemous, but I find the gaming catalog on the App Store to be a lot better than people give it credit for, once you take the time to look for the gems. (This is especially true if you like puzzle games, which I do.) Games in bold are the ones that take up the vast majority of my iPod Touch gaming time.

Frotz - this app includes dozens of the old text adventure games, and lets you download more, and it's free. Totally ****ing awesome.

Aurora Feint II Lite - this takes my favorite falling-blocks puzzle gameplay mechanic (the one used by Tetris Attack/Panel de Pon/Puzzle League/Henry Hatsworth) and adds the accelerometer, letting you turn the device sideways to change the direction of gravity. Add some light RPG elements and nice production values and you've got a pretty addictive title on your hands. Also, free (though there is a more feature-full paid version.)

Bookworm - not much needs to be said here, I just love this game.

Bust-A-Move - pretty good Bust-A-Move version here, though the graphics aren't too great. Anything Bust-A-Move is worth getting imo.

Chuzzle - another ridiculously polished PopCap timewaster.

Drop7 - I may have sunk more into this one than all the other ones combined. Ridiculously addictive puzzle game mechanic. Drop balls that display a number from 1 to 7, and when a row or column has that many balls in a row, they disappear. For example - when you drop a ball onto an existing column of 3 balls, so that the column becomes 4 tall, all the balls with the number 4 disappear from that column - even the ones that were there before. This makes the game very strategic, and the potential for chain reactions is immense. Definitely check this one out.

Earth vs. Moon - a really fun, good looking Missile Command type game.

Eliss - this one is very retro-stylish and unique, but difficult. Uses multitouch well. You have to combine or split apart giant floating circular blobs in order to fit them into holes, but if you let different colored blobs touch each other, you lose health. This one has a lot of style.

Galcon Labs - a really cool strategy game that makes great use of touch. Send armadas of tiny ships from your planets to your enemy's while he does the same to you, take over larger planets for larger regen rates. A lot of different game modes and difficulties, plus multiplayer.

GeoDefense Swarm - the only tower defense game you need (unless you cound Plants vs. Zombies.)

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars - Rockstar did a great job with this one. I haven't gotten too far into it but the amount of polish and detail is above and beyond for an iPhone game. I'm a little overwhelmed at the possibilities.

Orbital - gorgeous Geometry Wars-esque graphics with Peggle-esque gameplay, really fun. Shoot a ball to knock out other balls, and when your ball stops, it grows in size until it hits another object or wall. Necessitates very strategic aim. Supernova mode lets the balls explode and damage nearby balls, allowing for sweet combos.

Peggle - another great PopCap game. I'm loving going through the challenges on this one. Everyone knows what this is so I won't explain it, but the iPhone version is totally worth getting.

Plants vs. Zombies - can you tell I love PopCap? Just get this.

Space Miner: Space Ore Bust - awesome, awesome Asteroids spinoff, with dozens of zones, upgradeable ships, powerups, different enemy/asteroid types, and really really really funny writing. This is one of the best games I've played in the last couple years, full stop.

Unify - another simple, good looking puzzle game, which has you manipulating two sets of falling bricks at once to match colors. More fun than it sounds.

Zen Bound - this game is truly unique and beautiful. Really nicely-rendered 3D wooden objects that are fully manipulatable about all axes. The goal is to wrap a piece of string around the object - the string covers the object's surface with paint, and you complete each level by covering a certain percentage of the object with paint. You only have a limited length of string, so you need to be conservative in how many twists and turns you use to get into the object's different nooks and crannies. This game takes time and patience, and has a beautiful, serene soundtrack to add to that zen atmosphere. One of the best games on the App Store.

[KDR_11k]

I am gaming on my iPod Touch more than my DS lately. Hope that isn't too blasphemous, but I find the gaming catalog on the App Store to be a lot better than people give it credit for, once you take the time to look for the gems. (This is especially true if you like puzzle games, which I do.)

I suppose that explains why I only use the iPod for podcasts and keep the DS for the games, I don't like tile-based puzzle games (only logic puzzles). Also I fucking hate the Galcon style of "strategy" that half the strategy games on the App Store ape (the other half apes tower defense). Well, okay, that's not entirely true, there's also a style that consists of Swords & Soldiers-style soldiers walking around while you shoot with some heavy gun from your fortress but it's still dull and crappy.

[gbuell]

Well yeah, good point on Galcon, I think it's a fun intuitive timewaster but it's not truly very "strategic". There is a decent Advanced Wars-style hex-grid TBS called Uniwar that I've got, but I haven't seen much more complicated than that.

[NWR_insanolord]

If you play on the higher difficulty levels or against an actual person there is definitely strategy involved in Galcon. It's kind of like Wii Sports Resort swordfighting in that at the low levels you can succeed simply by spamming, but if both people know what they're doing there's a lot more depth to it.

I've been playing a good bit of Freaking Inkies lately, which is a game where you shoot these little monster things with the same color that they are, which can involve mixing colors to get the right one. It's a lot of fun, but it gets hard quickly.

[KDR_11k]

I got Galcon Fusion in an indie pack on Steam, I believe I was able to win almost instantly on all difficulties by going right for their starting planet as soon as they move out to conquer something.

[KDR_11k]

I took the risk and threw 4€ (expensive by iP* standards but if you take a step back you realize it's not much compared to other platforms) at a game called Land Air Sea Warfare, turns out this really is a proper RTS game similar to Supreme Commander or Total Annihilation. There's a PC and Mac demo here and the iPod version is exactly the same (of course it's the full version, not the demo) content-wise and the interface is adequate even though there are definitely ways to improve it.

[NWR_insanolord]

This thread isn't technically about the iPad, but the one game I've been playing the hell out of on the iPad is SmartGo Kifu. It's a fantastic version of the ancient board game go. It logs every game you play, and lets you go back and analyze your moves and replay segments of the game in different ways, and includes a whole bunch of go problems to solve. There are versions of it for iPhone/Touch, and I have one of them, but it's got nothing on the iPad version.

[NWR_insanolord]

I've been spending a lot of time with a game called Cross Fingers. It's a puzzle game that could not have been done before the iPhone; it needs the multitouch screen to work. The name is accurate, as you're going to need several fingers to play this one, and they can get in each other's way. It's a puzzle game with a simple premise, based upon the old tangram puzzles, where you assemble shapes into specific patterns, but adds enough to feel fresh. It's an iPhone game, but I've been playing it blown up on my iPad, and I think it would be considerably more difficult on the smaller screen.

[KDR_11k]

Been having a lot of fun with Land Air Sea Warfare, can't believe how crappy the name and icon is for a game this awesome and well made. Finally proper RTS battles on the commute, no compromises. Apparently the dev is working on a proper iPad version and I think the extra screen space would be very useful.


Are there any build-up strategy games (like Anno or Sim City)? That would seem like a natural genre for the system.

[NWR_insanolord]

There is a SimCity, but it's getting a sequel that's supposed to be a lot better and fix some of its problems that's supposed to come out any time now, so wait for that. There's also a version of The Settlers that I've had my eye on for a while and will probably buy once I get my new iPhone and have the space for it.

[gbuell]

Carcassone just came out for iPhone and it is awesome.

[KDR_11k]

Lately I've been playing Isotope, it's another abstract dual stick shooter but its standout features are an upgrade system and hand-designed levels. So instead of only having a random arena mode there's a ton of levels with hand placed waves and walls which is way more fun than having the computer spit you some random stuff.

[NWR_insanolord]

Yeah, Isotope's great. The guys that made it also made Strategery, a really good Risk-style turn based strategy game. I especially love them because both games are Universal, so they play natively on both my iPhone and iPad without having to buy two separate versions.

[NWR_insanolord]

Anyone looking for a soccer game for their iOS device because of the excitement of the impending World Cup should steer clear of the official World Cup game from EA and get X2 Soccer 2010 (X2 Football 2010 outside America). It's fantastic. It has the best virtual analog stick I've ever used and an excellent button layout; I have had no problems whatsoever with the touch controls.

[KDR_11k]

Coin Dozer is pretty interesting. It's not great but IIRC it's free and I've always wanted to play one of those machines but didn't want to risk real money on them. It even has a nice approach to rationing your coin income so you don't get infinite credit syndrome.

[gbuell]

I got Strategery, it's excellent. You can play friends online - you should add me, insanolord. gbuell@gmail.com

[NWR_insanolord]

I haven't played it yet since it doesn't seem to be on the App Store right now, but, based on the reviews I've read and the YouTube videos I've watched, Pix'n Love Rush is fantastic, and really needs to come to DSiWare (or maybe 3DSWare, since it seems like it could benefit from being in 3D.

[KDR_11k]

I'm playing EXO Planet like crazy now, maybe it's a result of not playing a proper quake-like for at least 6 years (UT 2004) but I find it a ton of fun. Sure, it uses a persistent upgrade system so it's not a perfectly balanced game but skill still counts the most as many of my opponents have been unable to hit me. Also even grinding for money is fun because the mode that gives the money is also a speedrun competition and at times I forgot entirely about the earning money goal and instead tried to place high on the online leaderboards (made it into the 99th percentile once but most of my runs are 97-98).

[NWR_insanolord]

I've been playing a lot of Zombieville USA lately. It's somewhere between a beat 'em up and a Contra clone, depending on how you play it. It made me notice that onscreen directional controls work a lot better when it's just left and right, like it is in this game, than it does when they use all 4 directions, or full 360 degree analog.

I will say this for iPhone controls, though: I was playing Pac Man Championship Edition on my iPhone and getting a bit frustrated by it, which I thought was due to the controls, but when I went and played it on my 360 with physical controls I was getting consistently worse scores.

[NWR_insanolord]

I'm going to go ahead and say it: Trainyard is the best puzzle game on the App Store. There are thousands of them, and of course I haven't played most of those, but I don't have to play them to know that they're not as good as Trainyard. It's gotten to the point where I'm constantly distracted by the game, even when I'm doing something else. I see the game when I close my eyes. Only the best puzzle games get me hooked to this degree. Anyone who owns a device capable of playing this game should own it.

[KDR_11k]

Interesting, I didn't find it all that great.

[NWR_insanolord]

Interesting, I didn't find it all that great.

The one problem with it is that it takes a while to get going. You need to get about 40 or 50 puzzles in before they stop being stupidly easy and start to get challenging and interesting. Once they do, though, it's fantastic, and incredibly addictive in the classic "just one more puzzle" way. I played it for 2 straight hours last night.

[KDR_11k]

I played the game a bit more and beat it shortly after posting that so I've seen the later levels.

[gbuell]

Snap.

Just got Geometry Wars for iPhone, pretty good but the way the leaderboards work is just plain wacky. Hopefully they plan on hooking into Game Center when that thing is released.

[NWR_insanolord]

I very well may be the only person who reads the forums who has an iPad, but, on the off chance I'm not, I can't recommend Osmos HD enough. It's getting a lot of hype, and it deserves every bit of it.

[gbuell]

I heard that one is going to iPhone before long.

[KDR_11k]

It's on the PC either way, I didn't like the demo much.

[gbuell]

Free Duck Hunt: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/duck-hunt-the-game/id376559679?mt=8

[gbuell]

Also, The Incident is very cool: http://bigbucketsoftware.com/theincident/

[KDR_11k]

Free Duck Hunt: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/duck-hunt-the-game/id376559679?mt=8

Not free anymore and as I see it that's profiting off stolen IP.

[TJ Spyke]

Yeah, I wonder how long that will last before Nintendo contacts Apple and has it yanked off the App Store. There is copyright infringement as they literally just took the NES boxart and used part of that for the App icon. There is also trademark infringement as Nintendo still has a active trademark for "Duck Hunt" in terms of video game use.

They are also profiting from it since it is now $0.99

[gbuell]

Good call... they've removed a Duck Hunt clone from the App Store before, even: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/02/duck-hunt-iphon.html

I had thought that the Duck Hunt trademark had expired or was on the verge of expiring, but now I see that's not the case.

[TJ Spyke]

According to the USPTO website, Nintendo filed the trademark in March 2007 (likely re-trademarking it, but the site doesn't make a difference between a new trademark and just renewing one).

After checking out the images of the App, it also appears to just be a clone of the game itself. That means you can add in copyright infringement of the game itself too, so that is at least 3 things Nintendo could sue the guy who made this for.

[gbuell]

Kinda surprising that the developer took the time and effort to make this game given the fact that Nintendo already has a history of going after Duck Hunt clones. Maybe he knows something we don't.

[KDR_11k]

Kinda surprising that the developer took the time and effort to make this game given the fact that Nintendo already has a history of going after Duck Hunt clones. Maybe he knows something we don't.

It's profitable if you can get away with it?

[gbuell]

Yeah, my surprise is at the idea that he thought he could get away with it.

[NWR_insanolord]

I'm more surprised Apple let it on the store. Given their history of being pretty strict in that regard, I'm amazed such a clearcut case of copyright infringement got past them.

[KDR_11k]

I'm more surprised Apple let it on the store. Given their history of being pretty strict in that regard, I'm amazed such a clearcut case of copyright infringement got past them.

I suspect they're like the USPTO, not even bothering to check some of the stuff before signing it off. Or maybe they're outsourcing the testing to Chinese sweatshops where the people have no idea what a Nintendo is.

[gbuell]

I just think they care way more about when someone infringes on one of their copyrights than when someone infringes on someone else's. After all, Apple is seeing a cut of this app's sales too.

[TJ Spyke]

I'm more surprised Apple let it on the store. Given their history of being pretty strict in that regard, I'm amazed such a clearcut case of copyright infringement got past them.

I suspect they're like the USPTO, not even bothering to check some of the stuff before signing it off. Or maybe they're outsourcing the testing to Chinese sweatshops where the people have no idea what a Nintendo is.

Maybe, but it took me less than 1 minute to go to the USPTO website and find out that Nintendo still owns the trademark. I would think that one of Apple's hundreds (or maybe thousands) of lawyers would have discovered this.

Apple should care because they would get sued to if the copyright owner tells them to remove the illegal content and they refuse. Everyone knows how terrible the App Store process is though.

[gbuell]

Apple should care because they would get sued to if the copyright owner tells them to remove the illegal content and they refuse.

They would never refuse.

[KDR_11k]

I believe they can get sued as-is, the DMCA's "follow takedowns and you're safe" rule only applies to services which don't check the material they upload. Apple checks manually so they're not protected by that.

I don't think the trademark is the worst part, they're clearly using ripped sprites and that's copyright infringement.

[gbuell]

iOS 4.1 with Game Center has been released, update your iDevices and add me, nickname gbuell.

[NWR_insanolord]

I'll add you as soon as the 4.1 jailbreak is released.

[greybrick]

I am under the username Greybrick

Here is a shameless plug for the iPhone/iPad gaming website I write for: Touchgen. I figured people on this thread would be interested.

We also have a pretty popular podcast if I may say so!
 

[NWR_insanolord]

I am under the username Greybrick

Here is a shameless plug for the iPhone/iPad gaming website I write for: Touchgen. I figured people on this thread would be interested.

We also have a podcast

Does that site of yours have an RSS feed? I've been clicking around but I can't find it. I buy way too many iOS games, and I can always use another site to get recommendations from.

[greybrick]

I am under the username Greybrick

Here is a shameless plug for the iPhone/iPad gaming website I write for: Touchgen. I figured people on this thread would be interested.

We also have a podcast

Does that site of yours have an RSS feed? I've been clicking around but I can't find it. I buy way too many iOS games, and I can always use another site to get recommendations from.

Well, you could follow us on Twitter. We're almost at two thousand followers!
I think that all wordpress sites have an RSS feed, I will look into that.  http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/19512831.rss

I should have my review of Hybrid 2 up tomorrow in time for its release, if you were looking forward to that.

[NWR_insanolord]

Twitter's good, I'll definitely follow you, but RSS makes it easier to go back and catch things I missed or don't have time for immediately without the extra step of saving it to Evernote.

EDIT: Okay, I can't seem to find your Twitter on your page either.

[greybrick]

Twitter's good, I'll definitely follow you, but RSS makes it easier to go back and catch things I missed or don't have time for immediately without the extra step of saving it to Evernote.

EDIT: Okay, I can't seem to find your Twitter on your page either.

http://twitter.com/touchgen

and this is the RSS for said twitter: http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/19512831.rss

[NWR_insanolord]

I found the feed through a Google Reader search, it's touchgen.com/feed. Seems pretty obvious now.

[greybrick]

I found the feed through a Google Reader search, it's touchgen.com/feed. Seems pretty obvious now.

...and yet the dude that actually writes for the site has no idea!

Hopefully you enjoy our coverage, just look out for some reviews that seem a bit ......... rushed.

[KDR_11k]

I should have my review of Hybrid 2 up tomorrow in time for its release, if you were looking forward to that.

I think I'll spoil the most important point right away: "shitty framerate"
The framerate is shitty on a magnitude that would have embarrassed a 286.

[greybrick]

I should have my review of Hybrid 2 up tomorrow in time for its release, if you were looking forward to that.

I think I'll spoil the most important point right away: "shitty framerate"
The framerate is shitty on a magnitude that would have embarrassed a 286.

What hardware are you using KDR? I found the framerate to be abysmal on the 3g, but okay when I threw it on the iPad. Of course, having it run terribly for a large portion of your audience is a big problem.

[KDR_11k]

iPod Touch 3rd gen. It looks like cellphone port syndrome. Feels better if I lower the game speed, maybe it's just too fast with too few frames for each action so it looks like it's skipping frames.

[greybrick]

I think the animations have really low frame counts, this game is definitely a drag for me.

[KDR_11k]

Anyway, for actual game recommendations:

Solomon's Keep is awesome. Think Diablo implemented as a twin stick shooter where you're a wizard and use some basic spells as your main weapon.

Drop Zap is my current go-to tile based puzzle game but then again I'm not big on those so who knows if I'm judging that right.

Mr. Space is that one microgame from Wario Ware where you have to hide in the gap between two walls made into a pretty fun diversion.

Plus there's FASTAR: Fighting Angry Squares: The Action RPG which is a nice diversion as well.

[greybrick]

I recommend Frogatto, this is a fun SNES style platformer.

Also, GTA Chinatown Wars on the iPad is my favorite version of the game.

[vudu]

I just got a hand-me-down 2nd gen iPod Touch.  I'll review this thread later to see what games I should get but I have a couple general questions.

First, are there any games or programs that either won't work or will run poorly on a 2nd gen unit?  I remember hearing about problems with newer games running on old iPhone units but I'm not sure if iPod Touch systems have that same problem.  If there are compatibility issues how does one find out about them?

Second, any general advice on how to shop apps, organize the system, work iTunes, etc?  Are games & apps always going on sale (like Steam) so I should never buy anything at full price?  Do apps regularly drop in price after they've been out a while or is it like WiiWare/VC where the price never changes?

[gbuell]

vudu, the 2nd gen iPod Touch is roughly equal to the iPhone 3G in terms of hardware, so any game that the iPhone 3G has trouble running will also perform poorly on your touch. This should be limited to games with a lot of 3D graphics or on-screen characters. I had a 1st gen Touch and it had trouble running a few games, but nothing "wouldn't run" at all. If you're not sure how a game will perform, check the reviews of the game to see if anyone is having issues with their hardware running it, or see if the game has a website that gives details on performance with different hardware.

Yes, games and apps are often on sale - in fact, right now a great many good games are on sale for some reason. Usually sales are for a limited time, and they go back up to original price, but not always. I usually find out about sales through blogs that I subscribe to in my RSS reader. There are some apps and websites that are dedicated to tracking sales. Here's one such site: http://www.iphoneappsales.com/

Here are a couple current blog posts that point out some good game sales. I bought 7 games because of these posts:

http://www.tuaw.com/2010/09/30/developers-drop-prices-on-super-popular-app-store-apps/

http://www.tuaw.com/2010/09/29/final-fantasy-i-and-ii-on-sale-espn-app-free-real-racing-on-sa/

[NWR_insanolord]

There are games that won't run at all on a 2nd gen Touch, but it'll specify that in iTunes. Just don't buy anything that says it requires a 3GS or 4. I'd also advise you to jailbreak it, especially since it can only run the gimped version of iOS 4.

[vudu]

Thanks for the info!

I just tried playing Duke Nukem 3D (it was free).  Wow-those controls were horrible.  I don't think I'll be trying that again anytime soon. 

Angry Birds is just as addictive as everyone says it is.

I'd also advise you to jailbreak it, especially since it can only run the gimped version of iOS 4.

What are the benefits of jailbreaking it?  What are the drawbacks (if any)?

[NWR_insanolord]

Jailbreaking can get you a lot of features you wouldn't have otherwise. It would allow you to multitask, which isn't supported on your model in iOS 4, along with a lot of other cool little tweaks. There aren't many drawbacks; some have reported decreased battery life because of it, but I haven't had that problem, and these tweaks don't always have the level of polish you'll see in something made by Apple, so you'll see the occasional glitch, but nothing too major.

[gbuell]

Some game types work great on iOS, and some work poorly. I mostly stick to traditional puzzle games, 2D physics-based stuff like Angry Birds, point-and-click adventures, word games (crosswords, Scrabble), some tower defense and other strategy type games. And I try to stay away from stuff that seems shoehorned into the device from another system.

[vudu]

Jailbreaking can get you a lot of features you wouldn't have otherwise.

Thanks--I'll look into it. 

I try to stay away from stuff that seems shoehorned into the device from another system.

I wasn't expecting it to be any good--I just wanted to give it a shot.

[vudu]

How do I delete apps from appearing in the Sync Apps list in iTunes?  There are a couples demos and free games that I downloaded that I know I'm never going to want to touch again.

The Touch has pretty much become my Pop Cap Games machine.  I haven't played Bejeweled in years but it's still addictive as ever.  (And only 99 cents!)

[greybrick]

How do I delete apps from appearing in the Sync Apps list in iTunes?  There are a couples demos and free games that I downloaded that I know I'm never going to want to touch again.

The Touch has pretty much become my Pop Cap Games machine.  I haven't played Bejeweled in years but it's still addictive as ever.  (And only 99 cents!)

Well, you can just plain delete them from the menu by right-clicking them again. You can't plain take them off the list outside of doing that since it is calling from the same folder. If you mean that you want to keep the files but don't want them to sync, you can just uncheck them.

[gbuell]

Yeah, delete them from the "Apps" section of your iTunes library by right-clicking and selecting Delete.

vudu, get Peggle if you haven't, it's only $0.99 right now and it has the full sequel, Peggle Nights, available as DLC for $0.99 as well.

[KDR_11k]

My favourite game ATM is Solomon's Boneyard, which is a sequel/spinoff of Solomon's Keep. Both games are a dollar and both are awesome.

[vudu]

Yeah, delete them from the "Apps" section of your iTunes library by right-clicking and selecting Delete.

vudu, get Peggle if you haven't, it's only $0.99 right now and it has the full sequel, Peggle Nights, available as DLC for $0.99 as well.

I just want to get them off my list.  Stuff like the previously mentioned Duke Nuke'm and Angry Birds Lite.  I already deleted them from my iPod but they still appear on the Sync list of iTunes.  I'm never going to want to play these games again so I just want them to go away.  I thought I already tried right-clicking and nothing happened but I'll give it another shot tonight.

And I already downloaded Peggle.  It's pretty addictive, but not as much as Bejeweled and Angry Birds. 

[gbuell]

Make sure you're right-click/deleting in the Apps section of your library, NOT the Apps section of your iPod Touch syncing interface! There's a big difference. Here are some screenshots to illustrate what I mean:

Delete your apps from here: http://bit.ly/9Wo12B

NOT from here: http://bit.ly/9XQ3qn


And yes, I agree that Apple could/should streamline this process. I can't tell you how many times my girlfriend has gotten confused about the difference between the Music section of her iTunes library and the Music section of her plugged-in iPod, and why she could delete playlists from one but not the other.

[vudu]

Make sure you're right-click/deleting in the Apps section of your library, NOT the Apps section of your iPod Touch syncing interface! There's a big difference.

Ah-ha!  That was my problem.  Many thanks!

[gbuell]

No problem. I had a feeling that was it.

[vudu]

Why does Genius suck so badly on my iPod but it's go great on my dad's?

Even though I have over 2,500 songs on my iPod it seems like only a handful of songs/bands/albums come up.  It's not uncommon for me to create two Genius playlists and have them share 2 or 3 of the exact same songs.

My currently randomly generated playlist consists of:

• The song I picked
• Two songs on the same album
• One song by the same band but on a different album
• 3 songs by a different band (all from the same album, despite there being at least 7 albums from said band on my iPod)
• 3 songs from another band from 2 different albums (there are 4 albums in total from this band)
• And so on ... you get the point

(Not in this order--I'm just summarizing.)

When I create a Genius playlist on my dad's iPod there's usually a second song by the same band as the originating song and that's it.  No repeats.  A really great mix.

Is it because I didn't rip my albums using iTunes?  When I originally enabled Genius it took iTunes over 2 hours to do whatever it is it needs to do.  I assumed it was doing something worthwhile but now it seems like it was just sitting around with its thumb up its ass.

[gbuell]

Genius is hit and miss. Depends on the genre generally. The more popular, the better. It usually does okay for me.

[gbuell]

I assume your music is all tagged correctly. Shouldn't matter how you rip it.

[KDR_11k]

Genius ends up adding the same song twice in a row at times. Winamp never did that.

[NWR_insanolord]

Cut The Rope deserves the hype and sales it's getting.

[KnowsNothing]

Except as far as I can tell there is no way to listen to your own audio and play the game at the same time.  Every time I load the app my music is paused.

[NWR_insanolord]

Except as far as I can tell there is no way to listen to your own audio and play the game at the same time.  Every time I load the app my music is paused.

I hadn't tried that, but yeah, that always sucks. I'm not sure why Apple lets developers do that without giving an option not to.

EDIT: I just tried it myself and had no problem listening to music while playing. I turned off music in the options menu, but it was working fine even before that. I'm on an iPhone 4 running 4.0.1 (jailbroken, but I don't think I have anything installed in Cydia that would affect this).

[KnowsNothing]

Even with all the sound turned off in the app it still pauses my music every time.  I'm only on a first gen iPod Touch running 3.1.3 so I'm probably just being punished for not updating my hardware...

[KDR_11k]

Game Dev story is nice, even if it wasn't about a topic we care about it's still one of the rare few actual economy simulations.

[greybrick]

Even with all the sound turned off in the app it still pauses my music every time.  I'm only on a first gen iPod Touch running 3.1.3 so I'm probably just being punished for not updating my hardware...

Even the second gen iPod Touch has troubles running most games, I wouldn't doubt that your hardware is the problem. Of course, if a developer claims that their game supports your system it should run well, but unfortunately that isn't the case.

[kraken613]

Game Dev Story sucked 3 hours from me while listening to RFN last night...

BUY THIS GAME! It's great!

[KDR_11k]

It's good but I feel like I've run out of things to do, got more money than I know what to do with, made my own console that's currently the market leader (even the Intendro Whoops cannot beat it), got a perfect score on a game and generally ran out of things to do.

[gbuell]

So basically, you've beaten the game? Move on.

[NWR_insanolord]

It's not a game, but I've got a few Cydia tweaks for those of you with jailbroken iOS devices to make browsing these forums easier.

1. UAFaker

Setting this up to make my iPhone's Safari browser appear to sites as Google Chrome seems to have inadvertently fixed my issue with the full post editor, which made it impossible to send PMs, among other things, without going into the mobile version of the site.

2. Inspell

This custom spellchecker allows you to set your own macros to convert shortened text snippets into longer phrases, and I just now figured out that I could use it to make typing in BBcode a hell of a lot easier (typing that sentence also reminded me that you can use it to turn off the swear word filtering built into the OS). Making text bold or italic was a huge pain until I set it up to make xix and xeix open and close italic tags and xbx and xebx do the same for bold tags.

[vudu]

Plants vs. Zombies is available for $0.99 through Halloween.  I finally get to see what all the hub-bub is about.

EDIT:  Yeah, so it's pretty much as great as everyone said it was.  Well worth the regular $2.99 asking price and a steal at $0.99.

[NWR_insanolord]

Texting of the Bread is essentially a remake of the Dreamcast cult classic Typing of the Dead, and is pretty cool.

[NWR_insanolord]

ChuChu Rocket! makes the Dreamcast fanboy in me very, very happy.

[greybrick]

Lego Harry Potter looks great, plays well, and is a fun bit of fan service. I am playing it on the iPad, and the game is a universal app.

[NWR_insanolord]

Pix'n Love Rush is the Donkey Kong Country Returns of the iPhone: a great old school platformer that succeeds despite subpar controls. I'd kill for a DSiWare release.

[greybrick]

Pix'n Love Rush is the Donkey Kong Country Returns of the iPhone: a great old school platformer that succeeds despite subpar controls. I'd kill for a DSiWare release.

It certainly doesn't rival DKCR in terms of scope, or even quality I would say, but I enjoy the aesthetic. Really, I think the controls are more of an issue with Pix'n Love Rush than DKCR.

[NWR_insanolord]

Pix'n Love Rush is the Donkey Kong Country Returns of the iPhone: a great old school platformer that succeeds despite subpar controls. I'd kill for a DSiWare release.

It certainly doesn't rival DKCR in terms of scope, or even quality I would say, but I enjoy the aesthetic. Really, I think the controls are more of an issue with Pix'n Love Rush than DKCR.

I agree with all your points, but it seemed like a good parallel between a game I've been playing on the iPhone and a game I hope to be playing very soon on the Wii.

[greybrick]

Pix'n Love Rush is the Donkey Kong Country Returns of the iPhone: a great old school platformer that succeeds despite subpar controls. I'd kill for a DSiWare release.

It certainly doesn't rival DKCR in terms of scope, or even quality I would say, but I enjoy the aesthetic. Really, I think the controls are more of an issue with Pix'n Love Rush than DKCR.

I agree with all your points, but it seemed like a good parallel between a game I've been playing on the iPhone and a game I hope to be playing very soon on the Wii.

It is a great nostalgia trip, and it is always fun when a game that doesn't have any history can pull that feeling off.

In this way, I think Pix'n Love Rush tickles the same neurons that Super Meat Boy does, minus the meat train.

[KDR_11k]

I'm mostly playing Gun Bros ATM but it really murders my battery. The game is quite fun, the enemy selection and stuff works out very well, it's just uncomfortably heavy on horse-armor-level DLC. About a third of the guns in the game is only available for real money and most of the armor and refinement chambers (income boosters) are DLC-only. Yet the levels are free so far and the gun selection is still pretty varied (takes a LONG time to grind up to them though, fortunately the game is fun).

[vudu]

Not gaming related, but is there an app that adds balance controls to an iPhone/iPod touch?  My dad's hard of hearing in one ear and he wants to be able to set different volume levels for each ear and there don't seem to be any earbuds with dual volume control.

[gbuell]

Galaxy on Fire is free right now, go for it. It's a 3D space shooter/trading game, pretty cool.

[chab]

Thanks for starting the discussion.I like playing sim city.

[NWR_insanolord]

Buck and the Coin of Destiny is really fun. Think Canabalt, but with coin collecting. The lack of checkpoints may turn some people off, though.

[KDR_11k]

Infinity Blade is fun, it's Punch-Out for hardcore gamers, i.e. much easier and with an RPG system so everybody will eventually beat it.

[greybrick]

I am having an absolute ball with Infinity Blade, Puzzle Quest 2, and especially World of Goo on my iPad.

[NWR_insanolord]

I wanted to buy Puzzle Quest 2, but I couldn't justify the price or making the space for it when I've got it for DS.

[greybrick]

I wanted to buy Puzzle Quest 2, but I couldn't justify the price or making the space for it when I've got it for DS.

I endured the very difficult wait, knowing it would arrive on the iPad eventually.

[NWR_insanolord]

I wanted to wait, I just wasn't strong enough to do it. I caved and bought it for the DS less than two days after vowing to wait for the iPhone version.

[greybrick]

I wanted to wait, I just wasn't strong enough to do it. I caved and bought it for the DS less than two days after vowing to wait for the iPhone version.

And THAT is what separates the boys from the men, my friend.

[vudu]

Which of the EA games are worth playing?  I don't feel like wasting 99 cents on something that's not worth my time.

[greybrick]

Which of the EA games are worth playing?  I don't feel like wasting 99 cents on something that's not worth my time.

Mirror's Edge and Scrabble are both worth the dollar. I did purchase Madden, and Sim City, but I am not enjoying either of those as much.

[TJ Spyke]

I would probably get Scrabble. I like Monopoly, but the reviews on iTunes say that EA screwed it up.

[KnowsNothing]

Madden is not so great and REALLY buggy to boot (I can't play anything but franchise mode...)...but Fifa 11 is actually pretty fun.  Not sure if it's one of the 99 cent games but if it is and you like Fifa check it out.  The controls takes some getting used to and it's obviously not as deep as the console versions but it's still not bad.  While it's not nearly as buggy as Madden, I have had a few crashes in Fifa as well...bah.

[TJ Spyke]

Looks like the biggest iOS game ever was just released and not one you want to download over 3G. Riven: The Sequel to Mist from Cyan Worlds requires 2 GB to install download and the final size (you get some space back) is just over 1GB. This is the first iOS game to crack the 1GB mark and even the games developer Cyan Worlds recommends downloading the game on your PC/Mac and then syncing it to your handheld.

[gbuell]

Scrabble is the best, especially with the Facebook integration.

I've extremely excited to try out Riven, as I think it's the best Myst game and one of my favorite games ever, but I got the iPhone version of Myst and never got too far in it. Squeezing those beautiful images into a tiny screen doesn't do them much justice. I think it'd be amazing on iPad though.

[TJ Spyke]

I just bought my first App game (I have downloaded many of the free apps, but never the paid ones). I just bought Scrabble, I love this EA sale since I got the game for $0.99 compared to the normal $9.99, I am thinking about also getting Tetris and a couple other of the iPad games. I accidentally bought the iPhone/iPod Touch version (it's not a universal app), so I may have to buy the separate iPad version. At least both are $0.99

[NWR_insanolord]

The first screenshot on the iTunes store for World of Goo on iPad isn't actually a screenshot; it's taken from promotional material, and includes a review quote from Nintendo World Report.

[TJ Spyke]

Wow, 2D Boy must have really loved the review (or at least the quote).

[TJ Spyke]

I bought Angry Birds HD (which is the iPad version), I can understand why so many people are calling it the best iOS game of the year, it's really addictive and I love the Boom Blox type gameplay. I am mulling buying The Elements: A Visual Exploration since it looks great, maybe Monopoly for iPad.

[NWR_insanolord]

I just never got into Angry Birds. I had some fun with it, but I never got addicted to it the way everybody else seemed to.

[TJ Spyke]

EA isn't the only one having a Christmas sale, Gameloft is having a big sale on their iOS games too. Today is the start of a three-day sale (ends December 22) where the following games are on sale for $0.99:

iPhone/iPod Touch:
Iron Man 2
Hero of Sparta II
Uno
The Settlers
NFL 2011
Let’s Golf 2
Shrek Kart
Real Football 2011
Assassin’s Creed: Altair’s Chronicles
James Cameron’s Avatar
The Oregon Trail
Splinter Cell Conviction
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Driver

iPad:
Splinter Cell: Conviction
Let’s Golf 2
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
NFL 2011
Blokus
James Cameron’s Avatar
Zombie Infection

[KDR_11k]

Solomon's Keep and Land Air Sea Warfare just got major updates. SK now has a fourth basic spell as DLC (a back-port from Solomon's Boneyard but with added features).

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

Christmas has come and gone, and I'm now the proud owner of a 4th generation iPod Touch. As far as games go, the ones I've downloaded are mostly freebies. Only two were paid for.

The first was Doodle Jump, bought to be used as a time waster app. It is very addictive, perhaps because its sheer simplicity is such that you always feel you could have done better. There's not exactly a tonne to be said about it, though.

The other title is one of the more highly received iOS games - Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor. This is a 2D platformer with light exploration where you control an extraordinarily agile spider as it explores an abandoned mansion. There's a minor story behind the mysterious setting, but it's worked into the environmental features and is mostly unobtrusive. Where the game truly shines is in its primary game mechanic, which is to hunt bugs by capturing them in your webs. This generally controls well, better than I expected, and due to the various score multipliers emphasised in the tutorials, the plotting of your spider's web lines becomes quite strategic. It will be interesting to see how that develops. Lastly, the quality of the soundtrack took me completely by surprise. It was on sale for 59p when I purchased it, though I don't know if that sale is still going on. (Edit: Just checked and the sale is still on for a limited time. I can only assume that it's 99 cents in the US.)

I'll review this thread for recommendations later. Preferably, I want to avoid games with fake D-Pads or joysticks, as their reliability is apparently questionable.

[gbuell]

Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor is really good. There are a lot of games on sale lately so get them while you can. Cut the Rope and Osmos are two truly excellent physics-based puzzle games that make great use of touch controls.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

If you're interested in Solomon's Keep, buy now. I just installed it for free, as it turns out a deal has been going on the past week. Today is the last day that this free-of-charge deal applies, so don't delay.

By the way, are either of the Super Monkey Ball games on iOS worth getting?

[TJ Spyke]

How did you get it free? Must be just on the UK App store as the game is $0.99 on the US store.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

How did you get it free? Must be just on the UK App store as the game is $0.99 on the US store.

Could be. It's also possible that the deal had expired by the time you checked the App Store.

Today, I had my first experience of frustration at Apple's stupid policy of spamming me with ads while I play any free game, followed by repeated messages that I can remove the ads for 59 pence per game. What a crock.

[gbuell]

Uh, unless Apple developed the game, that ain't "Apple's policy."

[KDR_11k]

Yeah, developers set that stuff up. Some use ads in their free games to make some money out of them.

I'll review this thread for recommendations later. Preferably, I want to avoid games with fake D-Pads or joysticks, as their reliability is apparently questionable.

Depends on the game, dual analog shooters usually work very well because you don't need to go from neutral to a direction to neutral, you only vary the direction you're holding. Sidescrollers are usually problematic.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

Hm, I see your point. I've made it to the Hammer boss in Solomon's Keep and for a twin stick game, it has been more responsive than I was anticipating, though the aiming wasn't 100% accurate.

Nevertheless, it still seems that minor taps & strokes on the touch screen and/or the tilt sensor are the most suitable method of control input. I downloaded Super Monkey Ball 2 and while my experience with either of the Wii games is extremely limited, it actually seems to control better than those. As far as I can tell, you're controlling the ball, as opposed to the level, so it's less like Marble Madness.

[KDR_11k]

It has a strange control issue where it only recognizes a limited number of touch movements at a time. Used to be one, now it can handle two on the sticks but I believe it's still problematic on the special spells unless they fixed that recently.

[TJ Spyke]

Has anyone played the iPhone/iPod Touch version of Peggle? I am thinking about picking it up since I love the Xbox Live Arcade version and would like to be able to take the game with me (yes I know there is a DS game). I would appreciate any comments from people who have played both versions.

[vudu]

While I can't compare it to other versions--it's the only version of Peggle I've ever played--I can say that that iPod Touch version works very well.

There are two ways of aiming.  You can either use a slide bar on the right side of the screen to aim your shot or you can use your finger on the play field to aim.  You can also zoom in (by double tapping the screen) to fine tune your shot if you want (but you rarely need to do so).

[gbuell]

TJ, I have it, it's very good and full-featured. It includes the entirety of Peggle Nights as an in-app purchase, which is great.

[KnowsNothing]

Peggle on iOS actually works really well, but your level of control is nowhere near the PC version.  At first I thought it was game-breaking, but eventually I got used to it and now I actually welcome the additional challenge it provides.  I've done all the challenges and I'm about 3/4 of the way through getting red and blue ribbons on every level and the fact that I can't just point where I want to shoot makes this feel a little more like an accomplishment (even though it's really not...)

Overall though it is very good and is easily my most played ipod game.  I've also gotten both of my brothers, my friend, and even my dad addicted to peggle through the app.

[TJ Spyke]

I bought the game. It's really similiar to the XBLA version (in a good way), it's really weird trying to control it though. Whenever I need to make a shot on the sides I have to rely on the little wheel to do so. I am thinking about getting Peggle Nights since it is just $2.99 more.

[gbuell]

With zoom-in and the "wheel" control, I can't see how you could have trouble fine-tuning your shot to any level you desire.

[TJ Spyke]

There's no trouble, it's just a little weird getting used to it.

[KnowsNothing]

With zoom-in and the "wheel" control, I can't see how you could have trouble fine-tuning your shot to any level you desire.

Have you played it on the PC?  There is no guesswork at all. You can pinpoint shots at the bottom corners with 100% accuracy. Furthermore even the wheel is too sensitive for some shots. Often when I lift my finger from the screen it moves the pointer just enough to ruin my shot. I love Peggle on my iPod but you have far less control than the pc version.

[gbuell]

Yes, I have it for PC. I have never had trouble aiming my shots on iPod, but my play style is generally very laissez-faire, so maybe I haven't been trying to aim it quite as precisely as you.

[KnowsNothing]

Haha fair enough.  I'm currently in a competition with my brother to see who can complete every level first....and I'm losing...so I tend to get really frustrated every time something goes wrong.  Maybe it's just easier to blame the controls.  In any case, Peggle is fun and works on the iPod

I've gone on a bit of an app spree in the past few weeks to I'll post some impressions of my favorite games later on.  Overall...well, I don't think my ipod will replace my DS any time soon.

[Spak-Spang]

I have been trying to decide between getting a 3DS and an ipad this year.  I have been leaning more and more towards the ipad or even an ipad touch. 

I really do not think touch controls could ever replace buttons and control sticks for being intuitive...but what is really frustrating me is the price of games.  I took a hiatus from games for a year, and I was amazed how much money I saved.  Games are just TOO EXPENSIVE.  Early on after giving up my Wii I told myself I would only get handheld, to save money.  But now, handhelds are becoming more expensive and even the games. 

Downloaded games are the only saving grace, and I hope that the ipad and ipods continue to challenge the market.  I know I will never get as rick of an experience with cheaper games, but all I want is a fun diversion, and spending $40 on a game is too much.  Games need to become cheaper, and thank goodness for WiiWare, Xbox arcade, PS3 Store, App Store for bringing this about...but right now I see Apple as having the best means to keep my interest in games as I get older and realize my money and time are too valuable to spend on gaming. 

[SixthAngel]

I have been trying to decide between getting a 3DS and an ipad this year.  I have been leaning more and more towards the ipad or even an ipad touch. 

I really do not think touch controls could ever replace buttons and control sticks for being intuitive...but what is really frustrating me is the price of games.  I took a hiatus from games for a year, and I was amazed how much money I saved.  Games are just TOO EXPENSIVE.  Early on after giving up my Wii I told myself I would only get handheld, to save money.  But now, handhelds are becoming more expensive and even the games. 

Downloaded games are the only saving grace, and I hope that the ipad and ipods continue to challenge the market.  I know I will never get as rick of an experience with cheaper games, but all I want is a fun diversion, and spending $40 on a game is too much.  Games need to become cheaper, and thank goodness for WiiWare, Xbox arcade, PS3 Store, App Store for bringing this about...but right now I see Apple as having the best means to keep my interest in games as I get older and realize my money and time are too valuable to spend on gaming. 

Did you just talk about something being too expensive and then bring up the Ipad as the alternative?  You know its 500 bucks right?
Thats enough to get a launch 3ds and 6 games while still having enough money to buy a couple cheap 3dsware games.

[gbuell]

If you factor in the cost of games, 3DS + many games could easily end up costing more than iPad + many games.

You said it yourself: "Thats enough to get a launch 3ds and 6 games while still having enough money to buy a couple cheap 3dsware games." Do you not think he would end up buying more than 6 3DS games over the life of the system? Plus the iPad is a lot more than a gaming device.

[Spak-Spang]

Yes, but I also said Ipod touch...and the Ipad also does more and is more useful than just games. 

Not really a comparison.  I wasn't talking hardware prices, but talking game prices, anyway.  Games are the big problem not hardware.
 
Just to make myself clear.  I do not have a problem with hardware costs.  I understand the cost of a new console system or handheld...and I also know they are usually very competitively priced and you almost always get what you pay for in value of the system.
 
However, games seem to be rising and when you look at buying 4 to 6 games a year is 2-3 hundreds of dollars each year...you can see my point.  It is expensive and some games do not have the replay value to support those costs.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Anything you do that isn't gaming will take away time from gaming.

[Spak-Spang]

Ha, I realize now that I posted a strange out of nowhere post with no explanation...this was my fault because I was typing in between a short break, and had no time to explain.

As many of you may know, I moved to Korea and sold my Wii and gave owning a game system for a year.  Well, now it has been a year and a half and I am trying to figure out how to get back into gaming.  The biggest barrier I have is dealing with cost.  I am willing to spend the one time cost on hardware, because I understand buying a system is expensive and an investment.  But, what I was amazed was how much money I had tied up in games because of the cost. 

When I owned the Wii  I bought about 1 new game every 2-3 months retail.  And perhaps a virtual console game or something every month.  Then during Christmas I got more games...what surprised me because I never thought much about it was I was spending upward of $300-400 a year on games and accessories.  That might not seem like much, but when you stop spending that money and step away it is useful.  For instance, I was able to pay off a fairly high student loan freed income (not just from gaming but of many things.) 

So do I want to give up gaming completely?  No, of course not.  I enjoy games, but it made me realize gaming is a very expensive hobby, and I believe the industry needs to look at this as a serious problem.  Then I came to see the App Store, and through minor ads and cheaper prices the Ipad touch and Ipod where doing some interesting things with games at a very affordable price.

Now, I realize that cheaper will mean smaller games, and less depth...and I realize that the larger budget games may never be available on those systems...but is that really a problem?  Perhaps the enormous budgets of some of these is an issue...and perhaps simpler games are an answer for many gamers, obviously not all. 

For what its worth I would like to see gaming try to move towards a cheaper model, Console games should be at most $40.00 with most regular prices being $30.00 and budget titles should be a norm at $20.00.  Portable gaming should be between $20.00 to $30.00 with budget games at around $15.00. 

Downloaded games, virtual console games, new original titles digitally distributed should be priced at the high-end of $12ish dollars.  I know this seems like me just complaining (and partially it is) but I believe this would be rather good for the industry. 

Developers need to defeat the used game market and the pirating markets and the best way to do that is to make new games affordable and accessible.  I would never risk buying a new IP or new game from an unproven developer because of the expense involved.  It was too risky. 

However, coming back to the my original idea, I would spend up to $5 on a quick ipod or virtual console game...I did it all the time with the Wii.  Now, I look at the ipad and ipod and realize it is not optimal for gaming...and in fact many aspects are horrible for gaming...but the pricing structure that I desire for games is there...and I wonder if Apple becomes even more successful and threatening in the game market (right now it is little to no threat) if the industry will take it as a sign and change.

I hope so...because as of now, I am still trying to make up my mind...and it isn't easy.  I could just not buy anything and wait another year....:^(

[SixthAngel]

You use ipad and ipod interchangable throughout.  (ipad touch?)  What exactly are you planning to buy?

My experience with my android phone games is that while they may be cheaper I generally barely get much play time out of them.
DS games have always been more expensive but they gave me value (in time) worthy of the price.

You shouldn't think that playing games again will automatically bring you back to your old habit of buying a game every other month.  You will obviously be playing games much less no matter which system you get.   Think about what kinds of games you want to play first.  If you aren't playing much, three ds (probably 3ds games later as well) would easily last you the year if you pick the right ones. If you like dragon quest one game will last you the year.

If you are deterimed to only get cheap dl games I think there is a good chance of almost all the popular/good ipod games basically getting directly ported to the 3ds service or at least having a quick clone made.

[NWR_insanolord]

Ignoring all the other uses of an iOS device and looking at this from a purely gaming perspective, you'd probably be better off buying a game system and sticking mostly with downloadable titles, mixing in retail games that have been out long enough to have seen big price cuts. You could buy an Xbox 360, for instance, and never pay more than $15 for a game and still have a fantastic lineup to choose from.

[Spak-Spang]

I blame it on apple's names being similar.  I editted that post 2 or 3 times trying to make sure I used Ipad and Ipod touch properly...but dang, the names are way too similar.  It is silly.

You are right.  When I owned a Wii I only bought Nintendo games, and I love Nintendo games...those are pretty much the only games I have played in recent years.  And honestly, if the 3DS was to come out and games were more in my price range I would be instantly sold.  And...I still might be.  I am waiting...and if Nintendo makes fully compatiable the VC on the 3DS with a means to transfer games, then I would buy a 3DS instantly...but I do not think that will happen. 

[gbuell]

Also, they're iPod and iPad, not Ipod and Ipad. Not to be nitpickety, but Ipod just looks bad.

[KDR_11k]

They should have thought about that before violating the capitalization rules of their language.

[TJ Spyke]

Maybe, but you could say the same about eBay. It took me a long time to get used to both (I refuse to write iPod touch or iPod nano though, I will write iPod Touch and iPod Nano).

[gbuell]

They should have thought about that before violating the capitalization rules of their language.

What's that line in your user name? That doesn't look like any letter I've ever seen in the English language.

[KDR_11k]

Do I look English to you?

[gbuell]

I can't see you, but you seem to speak it.

[vudu]

I can't see you, but you seem to speak it.

He's German.  Also, the Space Bar was broken on his keyboard when he signed up for the forums.

[gbuell]

Okay, so Apple's shift key was acting funny when they came up with the iMac name

Not iPhone/iPod touch gaming related, but Mac related, I found out that they're porting Myst and Riven to Mac OS X for the Mac App Store: http://www.grantbuell.com/post/2926135280/myst-and-riven-coming-to-mac-app-store

[vudu]

A boat-load of games are on sale for (generally) $0.99 each.  Are any of these worth playing?

Namco

ACE COMBAT Xi Skies of Incursion ($2.99)
AVATWEE ($0.99)
Dig Dug REMIX ($0.99)
Galaga REMIX ($0.99)
House of Glass ($2.99*)
Isaac Newton's Gravity ($0.99)
I Love Katamari ($2.99)
Lost in Time: The Clockwork Tower ($2.99)
Mishap ($1.99)
Mishap for iPad ($1.99)
More Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima ($1.99)
More Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima HD ($1.99)
Mr. Driller ($0.99)
Ms. PAC-MAN ($1.99)
NOBY NOBY BOY ($0.99)
PAC-ATTACK ($0.99)
PAC-CHAIN for iPad ($0.99)
PAC-CHAIN Compact ($0.99)
PAC-MAN ($1.99)
PAC-MAN for iPad ($1.99)
PAC-MAN REMIX ($0.99)
PAC-MAN Championship Edition ($2.99)
PAC-MANIA ($0.99)
Pole Position: Remix ($0.99)
Puzzle Quest 2 ($4.99)
RIDGE RACER ACCELERATED ($2.99)
SPLATTERHOUSE ($0.99)
Star Trigon ($0.99)
Stroke of Midnight ($3.99*)
Tamagotchi: 'Round the World ($0.99)
Time Crisis Strike ($0.99)
TIME CRISIS 2ND STRIKE HD ($3.99*)


Sega

Altered Beast ($0.99)
ChuChu Rocket! ($0.99)
ChuChu Rocket! HD for iPad ($0.99)
Columns Deluxe ($0.99)
Ecco the Dolphin ($0.99)
Golden Axe ($0.99)
Gunstar Heroes ($0.99)
Phantasy Star II ($0.99)
Shining Force ($0.99)
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master ($0.99)
Sonic the Hedgehog ($2.99)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ($2.99)
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I ($2.99)
Sonic Spinball ($0.99)
Space Harrier II ($0.99)
Super Monkey Ball ($0.99)
Super Monkey Ball 2 ($0.99)
Super Monkey Ball 2 Sakura Edition for iPad ($0.99)
Streets of Rage ($0.99)
Virtua Fighter 2 ($0.99)


Capcom

Street Fighter IV for 99 cents? The new Devil May Cry iPad game for the same price. Yep!

Capcom Arcade (in-app purchase game machines) ($0.99)
Dead Rising Mobile ($0.99)
Devil May Cry 4 refrain ($0.99)
Ghosts 'n Goblins Gold Knights ($0.99)
Mega Man II ($0.99)
Phoenix Wright ($0.99)
Resident Evil 4 ($0.99)
Resident Evil 4 iPad edition ($0.99)
Street Fighter IV ($0.99)
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire 2011 ($0.99)


EA

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ($0.99)
FIFA 11 ($0.99)
FIFA 10 ($0.99)
The Game of Life Classic Edition ($0.99)
Madden NFL 11 ($0.99)
Mirror's Edge ($0.99)
Monopoly ($0.99)
Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition ($0.99)
NBA Elite 11 ($0.99)
NCAA Football ($0.99)
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit ($0.99)
Need For Speed Undercover ($0.99)
Need For Speed Shift ($0.99)
Pictureka! ($0.99)
Pictureka! for iPad ($0.99)
Reckless Racing HD ($0.99)
Risk: The Official Game ($0.99)
Scrabble ($0.99)
SimCity Deluxe ($0.99)
The Sims 3 ($0.99)
The Sims 3 World Adventures ($0.99)
The Sims 3 Ambitions ($0.99)
The Simpsons Arcade ($0.99)
Snood for iPad ($0.99)
Tetris ($0.99)
Yahtzee HD ($0.99)


Gameloft

Brothers In Arms 2: Global Front ($0.99)
Driver ($0.99)
Fishing Kings ($0.99)
Hero of Sparta II ($0.99)
Let's Golf! 2 ($0.99)
Rayman 2: The Great Escape ($0.99)
Real Golf 2011 ($0.99)
Star Battalion ($0.99)
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within ($0.99)
Shadow Guardian ($0.99)
Shrek Kart ($0.99)
Spider-Man: Total Mayhem ($0.99)
Zombie Infection ($0.99)

[gbuell]

Phoenix Wright is an absolute steal at $0.99. Scrabble is really good if you like Scrabble, the Facebook integration is brilliant. I haven't played Puzzle Quest 2 but I hear great things, I might pick that up. But in general, console-to-iOS ports don't interest me too much.

[vudu]

I own Phoenix Wright on DS and no desire to play it again any time soon.

I have the demo for Puzzle Quest 2 and it plays like **** on my second gen iPod touch--buggy as all Hell.    Shame, really, because I like the game.

[MaryJane]

Apple is serious about gaming, and Engadget reports that gaming through AppleTV, possibly streaming like the OnLive service, is hinted at in iOS 4.3 beta code. From the examples they use, I would say more than hinted at, but they have journalistic integrity to worry about.

[gbuell]

iPad people, this game looks amazing and is getting really good reviews: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/superbrothers-sword-sworcery/id424912055?mt=8

[SixthAngel]

iPad people, this game looks amazing and is getting really good reviews: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/superbrothers-sword-sworcery/id424912055?mt=8

I think this game looks really great but one thing really turns me off: they designed all the speaking to be tweeted.  All the dialogue I've seen in screenshots is laughable, probably because of this, and the whole "tweet the game" seems like such an obvious marketing ploy to get friends to buy the game who get your tweets.  Unfortunately there is no Android version for me though.

[gbuell]

I'm not sure what you mean about the dialogue being laughable - I think a lot of it is pretty good, funny and fourth-wall breaking, and the length of the sentences has no good or bad effect on it. The tweeting thing is a marketing ploy, but so what? Game's still good. (I've got it now, played for maybe an hour, and it's really nice. I'm stuck on rather obtuse puzzle right now though.)

[SixthAngel]

I saw Angry Birds on the android marketplace for free so I decided to see what all the hub bub was about.

It is exactly like Crush the Castle so far. I like Crush the Castle but it amazes me that Birds has somehow managed to become a phenomenon.  It has a much more family friendly design, but still.  Apple has to be really happy about locking out flash games.

[NWR_insanolord]

I don't care for Angry Birds. Cut The Rope is way better.

[vudu]

Cut The Rope Sux.  Angry Birds 4 Life.

[SixthAngel]

I'm partial to Alchemy myself.  Too bad I'm completely stuck even though its pretty early on, by which I mean I've uncovered well over a hundred of the things you make.

[KDR_11k]

Meh, screw your birds and ropes, Solomon's Boneyard all the way.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

I still regard Spider: Secret of Bryce Manor as one of the best games on iOS platforms - it's certainly my favourite. I returned to it not that long ago and finished the 'story', only to discover three other modes, which include a couple of straight-up time/score attack things, and a more challenging version of the main mode that makes you think even more carefully about web lines. Unlike most of its neighbours on the App Store, Spider has a lot of depth behind the accessibility. That's not to put down titles offering a simple experience - I pick up Tiny Wings whenever there's a few spare minutes because it's still fun despite being quite basic - but sometimes, it's nice to play something with more to it.