Today Omaha reviews two iOS games: The casual pipe strategy game Pipe Trouble that makes you think beyond casual for your solutions; and Le Vamp, where the world around you becomes your most important pal in that endless run.
What’s inside this episode:
A review of Pipe Trouble for iPad by Pop Sandbox. Trapped in a cute little casual strategy framework, this is actually the biggest strategy game of them all. If you find a solution, Canada would like to hear from you.
A review of Le Vamp for iPad by High Voltage Software. Simple and smooth on the surface, but lot’s of fun content to sink your teeth into, Le Vamp gives an extra boost with a new way to make that endless run happen.
G5 Games has announced the release of Art Mogul onto the Mac. Released onto iOS about a month ago, this game challenges you to create a successful art gallery by picking the real art from the forgeries. A creative mix of simulation, strategy, and hidden object, iGame Radio reviewed the iOS version of Art Mogul back in February, giving it high marks for originality and fun.
The Mac version of Art Mogul requires 10.6.6 or later and costs just $2.99 to download from the Mac App Store (regularly $4.99).
Travel from the outer region to the middle region and make your way to the inner region and hope you don’t get burned.
A long time ago in a galaxy far away I played Talisman. And it was good. And my friends and I drank and were merry and fortunately did not barf on the board. But then time flew and I grew up and believed that only video games were games to play. Then I learned that you can have board games on video game hardware. And now I can play Talisman again on my iPad. And if anyone barfs on my iPad they will be in it, deep!
Thumbstar and Nomad Games have joined together in a deal to bring Games Workshop’s classic board favorite, Talisman, to both iOS and Android tablet devices. Read more
Today Omaha reviews Archipelagos, the iOS version of the classic 80’s Amiga action/strategy game of corrupted islands by Ant Hill Games, and the hidden object game Art Mogul by G5 Games.
What’s inside this episode:
- A review of Archipelagos by Ant Hill Games for iPad. This game from the late 80’s stands the test of time and will certainly attract a new audience looking for something unique and different to try out.
- A review of Art Mogul HD by G5 Games for iPad. In Art Mogul, hidden object gameplay just feels like a natural part of the game world. It’s a delight to play and a shame to put down.
Today I look at strategy game and mans’ greatest fear, Hairy Balls; Crazy Climber’s love child, Pocket Climber; and Reiner Knizia’s latest, Qin.
Developer Redtribe has released freemium puzzler Hairy Balls. Players must use strategy to move their balls via swipe in a limited number of turns to their destination…Ding-Dong mushrooms. Yeah, the in-jokes abound. The puzzles are pretty challenging right from the beginning, so if you can get around having to sidestep your 8-yr-old asking what’s so funny about the blue-ball character, you’re good to go. No ads, but you can purchase hint packs through in-app purchases in the game. You can download through the App Store as a universal app for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.
CocoaChina released last week Pocket Climber. This takes the endless runner genre and turns it on its side…literally. Instead of running horizontally, you are climbing up. Scale skyscrapers, gather coins, and avoid obstacles thrown at you from some asshole above you. Oh, and a gorilla. Yeah, apparently King Kong makes an appearance. If you were a fan of ’80s arcade classic Crazy Climber, you’ll see a lot of similarities from this adaptation. You can get the game for $0.99 for both iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad.
Reiner Knizia, King of board games, has released new game Qin. What makes this interesting is that for the first time an iPad adaptation of the board game has been released at the same time. Using the same graphics as the board game, the game is playable by 2-4 players, or one player against AI. The game is set in China over 2000 years ago. The players must unite a bickering China by colonizing the back country and incorporating what he creates into his own realm. You can download this game for iPad for $4.99.
Today we look at the odd King Oddball Ends the World physics-based puzzle game, Pinch 2SE for live Norbs and strategy, and whether Solar Warfare is just another space shooter.
Imagine if Angry Birds and Catch the Candy had a bastard child, and you’ve got some of the oddity for King Oddball Ends the World by 10Tons. In this physics-based puzzle game, you control the rock head of King Oddball…or maybe the rock head IS King Oddball…and swing large boulders back and forth with his tongue to knock out your enemies. The goal is to crush all tanks, helicopters, and soldiers on the screen with a limited amount of boulders. Boulders will roll and bounce, so figuring out their physics is key to your strategy. The artwork is eccentric, to say the least, but could have been pumped up to my mind, ala Katamari Damacy style. Now, that WOULD have been odd! Game is universal, with Game Center support, and is currently going for $2.99.
Thumbstar Media has launched Pinch 2SE, a special edition of Coatsink’s Pinch 2 game. In Pinch 2SE, you navigate your way through mazes with obstacles and barriers that you have to maneuver around or through. You do this by pinching the colorful Norbs apart or together to create different colors to match the barriers and obstacles in the game. The difference between the original game and the special edition is that in the SE, the norms are alive and will automatically merge with obstacles if they get close enough, adding an extra layer of strategy to the game. To be perfectly honest, I found the artwork in the original game much lovelier, but it should be fun to compare strategies between the two versions. Pinch 2SE is available as universal app for $0.99.
Lastly, Solar Warfare, an action space shooter, was released at the end of last week. The game consists of eight 3D worlds that you must explore and cleanse of hostile entities using features like hover and low altitude cruise, seeker missiles, and the Obliterator. Every weapon and shield is upgradable via coins collected in game or through in-app purchase and the game includes Game Center support. Already Solar Warfare has received some high scores on the App Store though whether they are legitimate or not remains to be seen. You can find out for yourself for a $0.99 download…the game has a 50% off offer right now for a universal download.
Feral Interactive has confirmed a release date for Empire: Total War – Gold Edition. Originally slated for spring, the game now has a solid release date on the Mac of September 13th. But if you purchased Empire: Total War through Steam thinking you’ll be able to play when the Mac version comes out, you may be disappointed.
Empire: Total War Gold Edition places the series’ prized elements of real-time tactics and turn-based strategy against the turbulent backdrop of the 18th century. The game explores themes such as the Industrial Revolution, America’s struggle for independence, the race to control Asian trade routes, and the globalization of war on land and sea. Not much. All you have to do is take charge of a nation and establish it as the world’s dominant power. Easy.
The Mac version of Empire: Total War – Gold Edition comprises the base game Empire: Total War and all the game updates and DLC, including The Warpath Campaign where players take command of one of five Native American factions, defending their lands from invaders. It also includes four unit packs, the Special Forces Units and the Elite Units of the East, West and America.
The game will support multiplayer over LAN. And if that old-school multiplayer technology shocks you, don’t worry. Later in the fall Feral plans to update with online multiplayer using Apple’s Game Center technology. The use of Game Center for online multiplayer, however, seems to mean that a release of the game via Steam may not be happening. (Brad Gibson of Feral Interactive has confirmed that Empire: Total War – Gold Edition will NOT be available on Steam — ed.)
Feral does say that the game will be released through the Mac App Store and Feral’s own store, as well as a variety of other digital download sites. It will retail in North America for US $39.99, £29.99 (inc. VAT) in the UK, and €34.99 (inc. VAT) throughout Europe.
Final minimum system requirements call for:
- Mac OS 10.7.4 or later
- 2.0GHz Intel Mac
- 4.0GB RAM
- 256MB or better graphics card (does not support the following graphics cards: ATI X1xxx series, ATI HD2xxx series, NVIDIA 7xxx series and Intel GMA series.)
UPDATE: Mathieu Girard, CEO of Amplitude Studios, has updated us on the progress of the Mac version for Endless Space. Details are below, but Amplitude is aiming for a Mac release by the retail release of the game, August 24.
Iceberg Interactive’s sci-fi strategy game, Endless Space, released on various digital platforms for Windows PC, including Steam, yesterday. The promised Mac version, however, is still not here.
Originally, Endless Space was listed in the developer’s FAQ as coming for both Windows PC and Mac, but subsequent press releases only listed the PC version.
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