What is the logical replacement for dice in a dice rolling game? Pigs, of course. Pass the Pigs's objective is to roll the pigs for the highest possible score. Based on the position in which the pigs land, between 0 and 20 points are awarded. There are two competent throwing options to choose from, but the pigs' landing positions seem pretty random.
In "Pig's Life", players progress from childhood to old age, unlocking hats along the way. Thankfully, statistics are kept from game to game which eventually lead to the availability of other gameplay options.
The cartoonish look works well on the portable device, but you won't be in awe of the visuals. It is worth noting that there is a decent amount of load time before each game. Sound effects are equally polished.
Pass the Pigs is a strange variation of a dice game, but it works well. If you are looking for a goofy pickup and play on-the-go game, Pass the Pigs is worth a download.Verdict: Buy
The Info: Platform: iPhone/iPod Touch, Seller: THQ Wireless, Rating: 4+, Players: 1, Price: $4.99
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If you enjoyed Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, you will love Episode Two. The story continues where Episode One left off with the similar enjoyable gameplay, plus some minor improvements. This edition features several new additions including extra difficulty modes and the ability to transfer over characters from Episode One.
For those who missed out on the original, the story takes place in a 1920s universe, in which Penny Arcade creators Gabe and Tyco are mystery solvers alongside your created character. You can head right into this edition, though, as the storyline does not continue from the original. Gameplay is a combination of a comic book woven together with aspects of a traditional Japanese role playing game.
Combat remains similar to the first game, with each character possessing his own special attack.
Second in a series of minireviews of iPhone/iPod Touch reviews. Verdicts will be given as Buy or Skip.
Billy Frontier, a western themed shooter (with aliens), offers a variety of game modes but no depth whatsoever. Play the level and return to the menu screen. That's it. Modes include shootout, stampede, duel and target practice. Shooting is performed by tapping the screen at the bad guys and reloading is done automatically.
The environments are bland and it's graphics are not something to marvel at.
Pangea Software continues its sale of App Store games and Billy Frontier is no exception. While Billy Frontier is not a great game, at the limited time price of $.99, it is hard not to recommend giving this title a download.
Verdict: Buy
The Info: Platform: iPhone/iPod Touch, Seller: Pangea Software, Rating: 9+, Players: 1, Price: $.99
Since Command and Conquer 3 came to the XBOX 360 in March 2007, developers have been looking to perfect the transition of RTS games from the PC to the console. Age of Booty, a new downloadable title on the XBOX Live Arcade, goes back to the basics with its controls. The simple controls consist of directing your ship with the left analog stick and pressing the A button to move.
Age of Booty does not really have a story but delivers the pirate theme down to a tee. The single player mode consists of 21 challenges, in which the main objective remains the same, to capture more towns than your opponents. Simple upgrades become available by destroying ships on the map not involved in the conflict at hand.
Action never becomes overly chaotic but for hardcore RTS fans, Age of Booty will likely become boring because of the lack of options in its gameplay compared to a traditional RTS like StarCraft. Also, your AI teammates often do not perform the actions that they should and there is no way to tell them where to go, which becomes frustrating in the challenges.
First in a series of minireviews of iPhone/iPod Touch reviews. Verdicts will be given as Buy or Skip.
Beer Bounce is a one trick pony and the one trick does not hold up. Players use the touch screen to "flick" a coin into a cup of beer. The more coins that enter the liquid, the more "drunk" you get (displayed through a shaky screen effect). The only option you have is to change the currency type. There is a tracker of the amount of coins that land in the beer glass, but that's it in terms of stats.
Decent commentary accompanies every play, but it's not enough to make this game any good.
Even at a recently reduced price of $1.99, your money will be better spent on a cheap can of beer.
Verdict: Skip
The Info: Platform: iPhone/iPod Touch, Seller: Publisher X, Rating: 17+, Players: 1, Price: $1.99
War World has the worst demo in the history of Xbox Live Arcade. The demo lasts for only 50 seconds, which makes this review all the more important.
War World, an arcade style mech shooter, first made an appearance on the PC in 2005, but this version has even fewer customization options than the original release. A number of predetermined characters are available for your choosing instead. Each mech has different strengths, like stealth, hovering or penetrating lasers.
Unlike many of the newer games available, War World does not have any destructible environments. This omission makes the environments seem more like a background with no interaction. Giant mechs are no match for objects on the map.
There are two other minor problems worth mentioning. There is no way to check the leaderboard during the game and there is no countdown to signal the end of the round.
Star Wars The Force Unleashed was released for almost every current platform known to man. As a game built from the ground up for the iPhone and iPod Touch, The Force Unleashed chooses to use a screen swiping method to control all game related activities. You have no control over the movement of your character, just the battles that take place in each area. This method of gameplay doesn't have much room for true variety. Drawing onscreen becomes repetitive quickly.
The graphics are impressive for a portable device and multiple points of view keep the fighting from becoming boring more quickly. After learning a number of screen swipes, you perform the same motions on countless enemies. At one point, I fought storm troopers for about 10 minutes without moving at all! The boss battles also have a rinse and repeat feel to them.
Feeding Frenzy is not one of the first games that come to mind on XBLA that you would think desperately needs a sequel. Even with a skeptical mind going in, Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown reminds players of how much fun it is to swallow underwater creatures over and over again.
Gameplay is extremely simple and will appeal to hardcore and casual gamers alike. The objective is to eat fish bigger than your fish. As you eat more fish, your character grows and can eat the next size. Controls are somewhat loose and take time getting used to. Your fish floats through the water and sometimes you have to steer it away from the larger fish more often than you should have to. There is no rumble feedback, which is always disappointing.
The interface on top of the screen gets in the way of the fish's action at the top of the ocean. Some new variations on the original gameplay include jumping out of the water and gulping down insects in the air. Also, by pressing the B-button, swallowing a school of fish is strangely satisfying. Graphics are simple, yet stylish and work well for an underwater XBLA game. FF2's sound effects are a little too simple, yet somewhat soothing (minus the announcer's Feeding Frenzy! call during every stage).
The story behind the developers of Shred Nebula should make gamers fall in love with this title. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
CrutchTime Games is the definition of a small game developer. Working out of a converted garage, two first time game developers and a few former Street Fighter designers pitched an idea to Microsoft and this week saw their title released to the public on XBLA.
Shred Nebula is a top down Sci-Fi space shooter in which the player can only shoot in the direction the ship is facing. The objective of each level is to locate and scan a beacon. However, it is not always clear what the objective is and you will spend time flying around the level waiting for the next text box to pop up.
With an array of new iPhone games appearing each day, Cro-Mag Rally attempts to speed ahead of its competition with its fast paced driving gameplay.
Racing consists of a standard four-player, three-lap race around the track. An impressive nine courses are available, ranging from a desert to a medieval setting. Instead of moving forward and reverse by tilting the iPhone, the user needs to press on a forward/reverse button throughout the race. Ten cart racers are available from the start with different strengths for each. Pickups similar to what are found in Mario Kart are placed throughout the levels.
The biggest issue with Cro-Mag Rally is the lack of any progression. Everything is unlocked from the start and there are no stats compiled. Developer Pangea Software designed this as the ultimate pick up and play experience.
Controlling your character is a bit of a chore. The game is extremely sensitive to even the slightest movement; however there are options to change the sensitivity. Cro-Mag Rally's graphics are nothing special but get the job done for the handheld experience. However, heavy pop in occurs, especially when using a speed boost.
The price has recently been lowered from $10 to $6, which makes this shallow, yet fun, title easier to recommend to on-the-go gamers.
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