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iOS Gaming Dec/Jan: GET

Tunesmith

formerly "chigiri"
Op updated with TimeCube and Platform Panic, with extremely brief impressions attached :p.

Any additional stuff please highlight them, this thread is surprisingly enough moving too fast for me at the moment (man haven't felt that in a while!).

Are these OP worthy?:

Galaxy Trucker Pocket - https://itunes.apple.com/app/id947402822
Docking Sequence - https://itunes.apple.com/app/id940141403

They were briefly mentioned but no more than that, I have no idea what they are myself. "In 5 words or more", pitch them for the OP. :p

We're swiping into the holiday week now so I'll be super occupied with stuff most likely but will try to keep up with things around here.

Oooooooooooooh. The iOS gaming thread was moved to community! Took me 22 days to realise :(

Welcome back!

Any impressions of Sim City? Is it another micro-transaction filled mess from EA?

So I actually kind of like it. I'll elaborate a bit, it's free-to-play so the mechanics of it has changed from a traditional free-flowing city building game to something that's very similar to say Virtual City if you're familiar with those games which is best played in chunks over a period of time. Zoning etc. is more tied to buildings you put out individually rather than selecting an area to be R/C/I and buildings are upgraded with materials that you produce via Commercial or Industrial buildings. Some are also given by citizens if you read their thoughts (popups on buildings).

I've been playing the game for a few months actually (been testing it) and it's actually very lenient on micro-transactional requirements. There's a premium currency one can use to buy materials straight up but I've found that completely redundant. The game uses Game Center or Facebook for cloud saves and friends lists. You are however still connected to everyone playing the game without logging in to either social system and once you've leveled up to 10 (xp gained by building things) you get access to the Global HQ marketplace where you can sell or buy stuff you produce to other players.

It's not a sprawling city builder but I enjoy tinkering with it on a daily basis nonetheless.

SimCity and Plunder Pirates are my two F2P games I come back to daily at the moment.
 
Op updated with TimeCube and Platform Panic, with extremely brief impressions attached :p.

Any additional stuff please highlight them, this thread is surprisingly enough moving too fast for me at the moment (man haven't felt that in a while!).

Are these OP worthy?:

Galaxy Trucker Pocket - https://itunes.apple.com/app/id947402822
Docking Sequence - https://itunes.apple.com/app/id940141403

They were briefly mentioned but no more than that, I have no idea what they are myself. "In 5 words or more", pitch them for the OP. :p

We're swiping into the holiday week now so I'll be super occupied with stuff most likely but will try to keep up with things around here.



Welcome back!



So I actually kind of like it. I'll elaborate a bit, it's free-to-play so the mechanics of it has changed from a traditional free-flowing city building game to something that's very similar to say Virtual City if you're familiar with those games which is best played in chunks over a period of time. Zoning etc. is more tied to buildings you put out individually rather than selecting an area to be R/C/I and buildings are upgraded with materials that you produce via Commercial or Industrial buildings. Some are also given by citizens if you read their thoughts (popups on buildings).

I've been playing the game for a few months actually (been testing it) and it's actually very lenient on micro-transactional requirements. There's a premium currency one can use to buy materials straight up but I've found that completely redundant. The game uses Game Center or Facebook for cloud saves and friends lists. You are however still connected to everyone playing the game without logging in to either social system and once you've leveled up to 10 (xp gained by building things) you get access to the Global HQ marketplace where you can sell or buy stuff you produce to other players.

It's not a sprawling city builder but I enjoy tinkering with it on a daily basis nonetheless.

SimCity and Plunder Pirates are my two F2P games I come back to daily at the moment.
Time Cube:
Really challenging arcade evasion where you manipulate time. It's a really cool subversion of the usual twitch game formula. Rather than moving around the screen to avoid obstacles and dodge billets, your cube moves at a steady speed down the middle of the screen while you alter the speed of the obstacles. Speed them to clear a path or slow them down to allow your cube time to pass. The siffernt obstacles and patterns offer a lot of variety for such a simple concept. My main gripe is that there's no level select and no IAP to remove ads

Galaxy Trucker Pocket:
It's the awesome Galaxy Trucker digital board game, now on iPhone. Same fun ship building, expansive campaign, and addictive multiplayer, for a smaller screen
 

awp69

Member
^^ So to answer the original question, yes those two are absolutely OP worthy (although I haven't played the iPhone version of Galaxy Trucker to see how well it works on a smaller screen).
 
I know it's old but the iOS port of Final Fantasy IV is fantastic.

Okay, so it's probably unoptimized (it should be 60FPS on an iPad Mini 2) and there are (so far) two broken achievements, but it's such an amazing remake of an already great game.
 

killercow

Member
Just refinished Stranger's Wrath and it's still a blast to play.
Can't believe the Xbox could handle those last levels, without any loading screens furthermore. Those wide, open, expansive landscapes are gorgeous.
Oh and I also forgot the final -final- twist so it was good to do it all again.
 

Fuu

Formerly Alaluef (not Aladuf)
I know it's old but the iOS port of Final Fantasy IV is fantastic.

Okay, so it's probably unoptimized (it should be 60FPS on an iPad Mini 2) and there are (so far) two broken achievements, but it's such an amazing remake of an already great game.
Yep, had a blast with that one. Thankfully I don't remember having achievement trouble, which ones didn't register for you?
 

Wthermans

Banned
Oh, that's so tempting but as one of the few who don't like Out There, I'm afraid this wouldn't be up my alley either. And it looks even more daunting for the screenshots.

On a side note, App Zapp has been unusually slow in getting some of these sales. I'm used to it picking the, up before they hit -- not after.
FTL > Out There IMO

FTL allows slow paced and fast paced gameplay. Out There is pretty much a graphic novel with some RPG elements.
 
So what games have people gotten during the Winter sale?

I've gotten:
- Knock Knock
- Galaxy Trucker Pocket
- Chronos Trigger
- Fluid SE
- Dwelp
- Pocket Robots Test Chamber

And I might be getting an iPad Mini for Xmas, so I got Zero Age too
 

JCho133

Member
I've bought nothing as I have most everything I want already.

Thinking about getting FTL on sale since I'll probs be getting my iPad in a week or so
 

Fuu

Formerly Alaluef (not Aladuf)
I'm currently playing some older games so I only bought Chaos Rings 2 since it got fixed and I've been waiting for it to go on sale.
 

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
I picked it up but haven't gotten into it yet. The music is by Panic's Cabel, if I remember correctly. Everything about the game looks/sounds awesome. Just need to play it now!

It's a neat adventure game that's a bit too short. But it's really really sweet.

Sweet, I don't really mind a short game. I actually love it when games have no filler and respect my time.
 

awp69

Member
Looks like a bunch of 2K games are going on sale tomorrow.

XCOM:EW will be $7

Yeah, just saw that Bioshock will be $4.99. But, honestly, I don't think I'll ever buy the iOS version of the game. Don't want to tarnish the memory of playing on Xbox 360.
 

fatty

Member
Kero Blaster
https://appsto.re/us/HhOTZ.i

PINK HOUR
https://appsto.re/us/6kbW0.i

If you're familiar with the game Cave Story, these is from the same developer

Thank you very much for the link, I was actually asking about the mobile goty link. Sorry about that, I should have been more clear. But I will check out those games as well.

Trying to get into using the tablet for games, still struggling. I think games like Final Fantasy Tactics will work great but currently trying out Bastion and it's just...different. But I think I have a better chance of playing them on here instead of letting them collect dust unplaced on Steam.
 
Yeah, just saw that Bioshock will be $4.99. But, honestly, I don't think I'll ever buy the iOS version of the game. Don't want to tarnish the memory of playing on Xbox 360.
The only FPS that has felt right on touchscreen for me has been Block Fortress. I haven't been able to get into any other ones. They tend to just feel unwieldy and hard to control IMO
 

JCho133

Member
The only FPS that has felt right on touchscreen for me has been Block Fortress. I haven't been able to get into any other ones. They tend to just feel unwieldy and hard to control IMO

Seriously? BF's FPS controls are pretty damn finnicky.

But I guess the lack of a need for precision makes them acceptable
 
Seriously? BF's FPS controls are pretty damn finnicky.

But I guess the lack of a need for precision makes them acceptable
Pretty much. The fact that you don't need to be that accurate works in the game's favor IMO. Touch controls aren't well suited for the kind of precision and accuracy often needed for most fps's
 

rcl66

Member
Just refinished Stranger's Wrath and it's still a blast to play.
Can't believe the Xbox could handle those last levels, without any loading screens furthermore. Those wide, open, expansive landscapes are gorgeous.
Oh and I also forgot the final -final- twist so it was good to do it all again.

Any idea how it compares to the fits version? Controls ok on iPad?
 

JCho133

Member
Pretty much. The fact that you don't need to be that accurate works in the game's favor IMO. Touch controls aren't well suited for the kind of precision and accuracy often needed for most fps's

I found that it's usable but not all that satisfying.

The 2K sale just started by the way, so XCOM, Civ Rev, and more for cheap!
 
Civ Rev 2 is garbage in case anybody was wondering. Still stung by that and all the supposed "improvements".

Maybe they have built on it since launch...but it would need to give out back rubs by now to make up for it.
 

PittaGAF

Member
I can't believe I missed Leo's fortune back in the days...can't remember what I was playing when it first came out.
Don't be fooled by the 'cute' look of the main character.
It's a really serious platformer with oustanding visuals and fantastic puzzles.
It's even on sale now, highly recommended if you, like me, are late to the party.
 

Benedict

Member
Saw that Hitman is on sale but then discovered that there is a lot of IAP, which makes me hesitant to buy. Thought you would get the complete game. :(
 
Saw that Hitman is on sale but then discovered that there is a lot of IAP, which makes me hesitant to buy. Thought you would get the complete game. :(
You can unlock those level packs by playing through the game and earning stars. The IAP is just early unlocks and hints
 
Got KR Origins since it's on sale, and it might be my favorite one. I felt Frontiers was too samey compared to the original, but that's probably because I had been played the first game for like a week before. Origins just feels more lively and colorful and I like the additions of changing levels and hero special ablities.
 

dock

Member
Never played a Kingdom Rush game before because I 'dislike Tower Defence', but I feel like I ought to give it a shot. Should I go for KR1 HD or KR Origins HD?
I'll probably play on my iPad, as it doesn't look suited to a phone.

I can't believe I missed Leo's fortune back in the days...can't remember what I was playing when it first came out.
Don't be fooled by the 'cute' look of the main character.
It's a really serious platformer with oustanding visuals and fantastic puzzles.
It's even on sale now, highly recommended if you, like me, are late to the party.

I actually avoided it because the art looked a bit bland, and I hated the main character. The hair moustache blob looked so awful to me.

First impressions are that is has really sound design, although it's very much a physics platformer rather than something tight.
 

HF2014

Member
Yeah, just saw that Bioshock will be $4.99. But, honestly, I don't think I'll ever buy the iOS version of the game. Don't want to tarnish the memory of playing on Xbox 360.
You would be surprised on how well it run and play on ios if you got mini retina 2 or better.
 

dock

Member
Get a pair of cheap bluetooth in-ear headphones (like these or these or something similar), they're inaudible at lower-mid levels for anyone else besides the listener. Just use one ear as the ear on the pillow won't be comfortable, but then you can enjoy anything with sound again (tv, movies, games, etc).

Thanks for the tip! I used to use bluetooth headphones all the time, and I didn't realise you could get nice compact ones these days. Looking at some similar ones from amazon.co.uk.
 

PittaGAF

Member
Saw that Hitman is on sale but then discovered that there is a lot of IAP, which makes me hesitant to buy. Thought you would get the complete game. :(

It's only for people who want to unlock everything without playing (for some reason).
You unlock levels by playing and completing the various targets...it's a pretty nice system.
 

PittaGAF

Member
I actually avoided it because the art looked a bit bland, and I hated the main character. The hair moustache blob looked so awful to me.

First impressions are that is has really sound design, although it's very much a physics platformer rather than something tight.

Actually I think (can't remember really) I avoided it first time for the very same reason, but I'm glad I bought it....I'm really liking the various puzzles and the general tone...right up my alley.
 
Civ Rev 2 is garbage in case anybody was wondering. Still stung by that and all the supposed "improvements".

Maybe they have built on it since launch...but it would need to give out back rubs by now to make up for it.

Really? I was looking forward to a decent discount on it. Guess I should stick to the original.
 

Dragoshi1

Member
While its currently the main topic, I've got an ipad mini 2 w/ retina coming tomorrow. How well does it fare with recent game releases, or with releases up to today this year?

I got it mainly for tablet gaming, since I use my touch for web browsing, music, and streaming video.
 

Corgi

Banned
While its currently the main topic, I've got an ipad mini 2 w/ retina coming tomorrow. How well does it fare with recent game releases, or with releases up to today this year?

I got it mainly for tablet gaming, since I use my touch for web browsing, music, and streaming video.

should be fine for pretty much every game out there. Might be a bit chuggy on some recent gameloft games, but with most games these days more about artsy than pure graphics, it should be fine.
 
I have an iPhone 5s and I'm looking at XCOM. Worth playing on that device or would the controls on the smaller screen something that would drive me crazy?
 

awp69

Member
While its currently the main topic, I've got an ipad mini 2 w/ retina coming tomorrow. How well does it fare with recent game releases, or with releases up to today this year?

I got it mainly for tablet gaming, since I use my touch for web browsing, music, and streaming video.

I love my mini 2 and it runs everything I've thrown at it, including VainGlory, Modern Combat 5 and Asphalt 8 with the 24 exclusive Metal events, without a hitch. And of course, all of the non-graphically intensive games.

It's a great little tablet.
 
Never played a Kingdom Rush game before because I 'dislike Tower Defence', but I feel like I ought to give it a shot. Should I go for KR1 HD or KR Origins HD?
I'll probably play on my iPad, as it doesn't look suited to a phone.



I actually avoided it because the art looked a bit bland, and I hated the main character. The hair moustache blob looked so awful to me.

First impressions are that is has really sound design, although it's very much a physics platformer rather than something tight.
KR Origins is the best one yet IMO. All the improvements of the first two, with more dynamic and lively levels. The little details and animations really makes the action engaging and exciting to watch. When you have two heroes on one level, positioning your soldiers/elf ninjas around, using your special abilities, it feels like a mix of RTS and TD.
 
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