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iOS Gaming Thread February 2013: Where some have halitosis so packs of gum matters

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Tunesmith

formerly "chigiri"
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Intro

January flew past with some great releases in tow and February looks to be even better. We may even see releases like Star Command and Real Racing 3 potentially-maybe-finally-who-knows-maybe-not coming out!
We'll also see the glorious return of the iOS Challenges! Hosted by iOS GAF veteran Dash Kappei! See post #3 for more details from the man himself!

Let's do this!

What's happening?
Every month, a member of the iOS GAF community will host a new thread for the chronicling of new game releases, rumours, discussion and petty personal attacks that have come to define the fast-moving world of iOS gaming.

The OP will contain a list of all the best new releases for that month as they come out. This way we get to keep tabs on the best games and you (yes you), the mythical unicorn known as the iOS Novice will have an excellent resource to look back on to find games you may have missed.

Also keep an eye out for the ‘GAF iOS Challenges’; mythical events where GAF Members battle it out on the Game Center leaderboards of a chosen game for both fame and fortune (prizes donated by generous members of our community).

As months go on, Community members can also use their turn on the OP to pimp their favourite games and genres.

Without further ado, let’s bring on the games...


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February Games!

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Real Racing 3 | Free, Universal

Runs so-so on older iOS devices, iPhone 5/iPad 4 recommended.

Freemium with wait timers. This is the highly anticipated and now controversial second sequel in the Real Racing series. Everything in the game is essentially better/improved upon from RR2/RR1 except now you'll need to fork out $$$ if you want to play it like you may have played RR2 and RR1. General opinion is that this is an excellent game; mired heavily by a freemium business model. The developers have listened to feedback and have been making adjustments since the game's initial release in New Zeeland in mid February.

Would recommend trying the game, and reading the following article from TouchArcade: RR3 tips on how to spend as little real money as possible.

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Trailer

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Year Walk | $3.99, Universal

Eurogamer Review said:
Elegant and artful, Year Walk is an unmissable piece of work - and one that is surprisingly hard to disentangle yourself from once it's done. You can close the app and put down the phone, but the forest may spread beyond its glassy confines, its spindly, silver-skinned trees taking root in your own home, your own dreams. 9/10

Experience the ancient Swedish phenomena of year walking through a different kind of first person adventure that blurs the line between two and three dimensions as well as reality and the supernatural. Venture out into the dark woods where strange creatures roam, on a vision quest set in 19th century Sweden. Solve cryptic puzzles, touch and listen in your search to foresee the future and finally discover if your loved one will love you back.

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Trailer

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Year Walk Companion | Free, Universal

The Year Walk Companion is the definitive guide to the mysterious myths and creatures encountered in the game Year Walk. A mini-encyclopedia to keep handy when playing, or in preparation of your adventure. Or perhaps for contemplation after having finished your year walk?
The free Year Walk Companion is essential to those who wish to get the most out of Year Walk.

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Warping War Pig | Free, Universal

Blast your way through the galaxy with nothing but your high-powered rocket launcher and freedom-defining warp pack. How far can you make it? Compete with the hogs of the universe on Game Center leaderboards!

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Beastie Bay | Free, Universal (Remove ads and enable landscape mode $4.99 IAP)

Beastie Bay is Kairosoft's latest iOS -- and first F2P title, a combination of monster gathering (Pokemon-esque) and city building. Most likely insanely addictive like pretty much all their other titles in the past have been (Game Dev Story, Mega Mall Story, GP Story to name a few).

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Gameplay

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After Burner Climax | $2.99, Universal

Has performance issues when run on iPad 3 due to the high resolution.

SEGA's After Burner Climax is fast and frantic arcade-style action. Dodge planes, rockets and bullets while trying to target multiple on-screen enemy aircraft. Blaze through a branching storyline of over 20 stages.

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Gameplay

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METAL SLUG 2 | $3.99, Universal

iCade and Bluetooth co-op play support

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Gameplay

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PinWar | $1.99, Universal

A new way to play pinball: face-to-face combat, in real-time!
★ BATTLE: Face your friends or the A.I. ★ MISSIONS: Solve alone, or co-op with a friend ★ EDITOR: Create your own tables

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Trailer


January's Games!

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kairo| $4.99, Universal

Kairo is an atmospheric 3D, first-person exploration and puzzle solving game.

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Trailer

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Gridlee | Free, Universal (MAME without jailbreaking)

Gridlee is a game that was never released. Developed by Videa, Inc. in 1982. It's a pretty neat, if brief experience. However this isn't listed here for that but for the fact that this is also a;
Full-fledged iMAME emulator with the ability to run most MAME games added via programs such as i-Funbox. Runs the risk of being removed from the App Store by Apple without notice so grab it while you can!

It has full iCade support for all games -- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED; for in-depth information and guidelines on how to fully realise the potential of this app, check the |OT| here: MAME without jailbreaking

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Pixel People | Free, Universal

"Pixel People is an excellent and addictive mash-up of town building and element combining. Download it!"— IGN, 9.0/10
"Pixel People takes an apocalyptic future and makes it hopeful, cheerful and bright—if it's where freemium games are headed, we have a lot to look forward to." — Touch Arcade, 5/5

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Trailer

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Little Inferno | $4.99, iPad

Burn flaming logs, screaming robots, credit cards, batteries, exploding fish, unstable nuclear devices, and tiny galaxies. An adventure that takes place almost entirely in front of a fireplace. From the designers of World of Goo and Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure

Technically it is made by 1/2 of the people that made World of Goo (Kyle Gabler), the creator of Henry Hatsworth (Kyle Grey), and a super amazing programmer (Allan Blomquist).

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25 minute Gameplay Trailer

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Dungelot | $1.99, Universal
Dungelot Lite | Free, Universal

Dungelot is a roguelike with easy controls. Flip over tiles to reveal treasures or deadly monsters in your search for the key to exit the level. While your eventual demise is all but guaranteed, you can use your loot from previous runs to build up your characters and ensure each run can be at least a little deeper.

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Trailer

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Might & Magic Clash of Heroes | $4.99, Universal

“Deserves to sit with the best of the best” – 9/10 – IGN
“Go and buy Clash of Heroes. Now. Do it. You'll thank me later.” – 9/10 – Eurogamer

Discover a unique mix of RPG and exclusive puzzle battle mechanics.
Originally developed by GAF-friends Capybara Games (of #Sworcery/Critter Crunch fame) and nicely ported to iOS by Tag Games.

Note to our IAP-allergic members; this game has IAPs but they're solely optional "shortcuts" to directly unlock factions for play in multi-player. Factions which you otherwise unlock while playing through the singleplayer.

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Trailer


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These products are likely available from other places than the ones linked, use your own judgement when or if you want to purchase an accessory.

iCade Arcade Cabinet | $65.99, iPad
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Retro-styled tabletop arcade cabinet for your otherwise useless iPad, controls via Bluetooth.

--
If you have an iCade, pick up this app:
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Gridlee | Free, Universal

An iMAME emulator with the ability to run MAME games added via programs such as i-Funbox. It runs the risk of being removed from the App Store by Apple without notice so grab it while you can!

Full iCade support for all games -- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED; for in-depth information and guidelines on how to fully realise the potential of this app, pop into the |OT| for it here: MAME without jailbreaking
--

Here are a couple of video reviews of various other iCade supported titles (thanks Alextended!)

iCade hardware

Blazing Star
Shogun: Rise of the Renegade
Gridrunner
ElectroMaster
Enborn-X
Midway Arcade
Vectrex Regeneration
AirAttack HD
Temple Run

Gameloft Duo Gamer | $39.99, Universal
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Only works with certain Gameloft games (Asphalt 7: Heat, Brothers in Arms 2: Global Front, Modern Combat 3, N.O.V.A. 3, Order & Chaos Online, NFL Pro 2013 and Wild Blood)


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Q - Should I buy this newly released EA game?
A - Maybe. While most older EA titles can be seen as hot garbage, we can't predict the future. Just be aware that EA has a tendency of frequent sales where even recent titles can be a dollar/euro rather than premium $4-5. Spend your pack of gum money wisely.

Q - I just got an iPhone/iPad. What are the best games?
A - Best iOS Games Ever v1 / Best iOS Games Ever v2. You're welcome.

Q- For gaming, should I get the iPad Mini, or iPad 4?
A- Both have their pro's and con's. Mini is cheaper, and arguably a better grip for gaming, but the screen isn't as great and the device is less powerful than the 4. Most games these days all run fine on it, but I'm not sure about in a year.

Q- I'm a new iOS user, what non-gaming apps should I get ASAP?
A - This thread would be a great place to start. Asking here wouldn't hurt either!

Q - How do I back up my game saves for games that do not support iCloud save games?
A - Use a file manager program such as i-FunBox (PC/Mac versions available) - It's free and requires no jailbreak.
i-FunBox has a ton of different features, but for the purpose of backing up save games you would simply want to do the following:

  • Click the iFunBox Classic tab
  • Connect your iOS device, either via WiFi or USB, it should then appear in the Connected Devices list on the left side of the UI.
  • Under User Applications, navigate to the game you want to back up save games for.
  • Select the Documents folder and copy it to your PC/Mac - this will copy the folder and all the contents. This contains your save files and settings for the game (a bunch of .lua files).
To restore a backed up save game simply do the reverse.
  • Under User Applications, navigate to the game you want to restore save games for.
  • Select the Documents folder and choose to copy from PC/Mac
  • Navigate to where you saved the backed up Documents folder on your PC/Mac, open it and select all the files within it and open them. This will copy the folder and all the contents back onto your iOS device.
  • Restart/fully close the game itself and your saves should be back!

Check that the file structure of the game is GameName > Documents > .lua files after you're done (no Documents folder within the Documents folder!), otherwise the game will not recognize your restored saves!

Q - How do I hide my Real Name on Game Center?
A - Ever since iOS 4.3 your real first and last name, taken from your Apple ID, will be shown to your GC friends. If you value that information and want GAF's leaderboards to show your proper GAF nickname instead, here's how you do it:

  • Open the standalone Game Center app.
  • Go to the Me tab and tap the yellow ribbon that has your email written on it.
  • Chose View Account and you'll be prompted for your password.
  • Scroll down to the Edit Account Info section and tap on the Apple ID profile.
  • Change you First and Last name (you must enter both) to whatever you like (e.g. First Name: Tunesmith, Last Name: GAF)

Done, now that's who you're going to be listed as on your friend's Game Center leaderboards from now on. This will affect Game Center *and* your Apple ID. If it's the same account you use for App Store/iTunes (like me), you will still be able to use it for iTunes/App Store's purchases (you can still buy whatever you want like you could before) *BUT* in the receipt it'll show your nickname or whatever you chose as First Name and Last Name when you changed those fields. The first time you will use the modified account on App Store/iTunes, you will be asked to verify the account by re-entering the 3 digits code of the credit card's CCV security code (if you make your purchases using a credit card, like I do).


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A summary of other, current, iOS game/iOS device related threads!

iOS Online Boardgaming Megathread (Carcassonne, Everything Playdek, & Many More)

Puzzle & Dragons |OT| Pokemon + Bejeweled + Dungeon RPG

January 2013 iOS Gaming |OT| We beat the apocalypse without buttons!
December 2012 iOS Gaming |OT| Santa touched me somewhere weird.
November 2012 iOS Gaming |OT| A Bold New Era!

---

iOS Apps |OT|
iOS Jailbreak/Unlock |OT|

iOS 6 |OT|
iPhone 5 |OT|
The New iPad |OT|
iPad Mini |OT|

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How to Become an Official GAF iOS Game Center Member

The List
updated: daily (mostly).

#RULES: How to get on the list / Update your profile / Add friends


  • When you add someone, add FROM GAF to the friend request and your NeoGAF name so to easily tell who's who.
  • Also send Dash Kappei a PM or send Tunesmith a PM if you are already on the list but want to update your profile with more info like iOS platform(s) owned (it's cool to know who has an iPad for all the games with separate SKUs), or to just change your existing GC profile.
  • We are on the list and, if you are too, it's ok to add us even if we're not best buddies; don't be shy: we enjoy having more GAFfers challenging us on the friends leaderboard.
  • Don't just wait for others to add you first you should at least add some of the profiles posted above yours if you want to get the ball rolling... It's really up to you. Ideally the last member of the list will be the one to add the profiles above his, and so on and on with each new member. Or maybe just add whoever you like, that's also an option.
  • Remember: your real name will be visible to your GC friends


...and that's everything for now. This is a live OP and so will change as the month goes on so check back often.

Lastly, thanks to Fuu & Dash Kappei for handling the community list's past/present duties, Dash Kappei for running the iOS Challenges and finally past OT hosts for having done a wonderful job thus far for our community, plus another small thanks to (me) Tunesmith for the banners and graphics! ;)

Have a great continuation to 2013!
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Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
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This Month's GAF iOS Challenge dedicated thread
TBC

Chosen Game
TBD

Specific conditions/game modes
TBD

Challenge's Times:

Starts February 1st, 00:00 (AM) GMT
Ends: February 31st, 23:00 (PM) GMT

TBD time frame

Current GMT / World Time

Rules
  • To participate you just need the game and to add Dash Kappei on Game Center: (Dash Kappei GAF). As soon as you fire up the game and play it for the first time while being signed in to Game Center, you'll be part of the Challenge. That's it.
    Add "From GAF" and your nickname on GAF in your request or Dash Kappei won't add you to friends.
  • Challenge organizer can participate but is not eligible for any prizes.
  • Screenshots of the TOP 20* scores (TBD) will be posted in this specific post and in the specific GAF's iOS Challenge threads that exist for the duration of the challenge, so DON'T add me on Game Center or at least don't compete in the weekly challenge if you don't want your real name to be shown. You can easily avoid your real name to appear if you follow the few simple steps on the FAQ Section above "How do I hide my Real Name on Game Center?".
  • GAFers only, I won't accept requests from non-gaffers. Sorry lurkers.
  • Check the GAF GC members list handled by Dash Kappei/Fuu if you want to add others, but being on the list isn't mandatory to play.
  • Scores are valid only for the "This Week" section on the Leadearboards and those scores made before the challenge won't be counted for the full final results, even if mistakenly counted during the challenge.
  • You can still enter the Challenge even if it has already started, granted that I can accept your GC friend request on time. You can join the contest at any time, even if there's an hour to go.
  • Posting your new scores in the monthly iOS thread is encouraged as well as posting your Game Center profile for others to check on your score when you do so. This is not at all mandatory anyway.

Prizes
TBA*

*If you're a DEVELOPER and would like to put up some prizes (no matter how "little"!) related to your game/s (a few AppStore's codes, swag, anything!) for the next challenges, or if you're a fellow Gaffer who wants to just throw something neat the way of our challenges, simply CONTACT ME via PM.
Just check out some of the past GAF Challenges below to get an idea on how it works out.


__________________

• HALL OF FAME •
__________________

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Our former challenges

Canabalt (Ended on p357 of |OT2|, w/o thread) - All Scores, 63 participants - Winner: Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Mr. Ninja (August 1st to August 7th, 2011) - All Scores, 74 participants - Winner: Koodo
Flick Kick Football (August 16th to August 23rd, 2011) - All Scores, 109 participants - Winner: Numble
Hard Lines (September 1st to September 8th, 2011) - All Scores, 98 participants - Winner: -Pyromaniac-
Bit.Trip.Beat Blitz (September 29th to October 6th, 2011) - All Scores, 33 participants - Winner: Numble
 

Minsc

Gold Member
Heroes & Castles definitely is the surprise hit of last month for me, so mentioning it for anyone who hasn't tried it. It looks lackluster from the screenshots, but don't be fooled! It's incredibly fun and looks great in motion with all the armies fighting each other. Basically a first person castle-defense game that has fun gameplay and a nice upgrade system that doesn't exploit you in to buying IAP.

There's a huge update hitting soon too, which will probably double the content in the game, introducing 2 more heroes for a total of 5, and new gameplay modes. Down the road I think they're even adding a mode to play as the attacking side, so definitely pick this game up if you want to see the most content for $2 you've seen in a while.
 

dantehemi

Member
I know we discused it somewhat in January's thread...but do we have a short list for some games we may want to use for this months challenge? I'm a +1 for tiny wings, loves that game when it came out and any excuse to get back into it is great!

I was also thinking something like monsters ate my condo? Not sure if it would be apropiate for a challenge or not... But I had some fast and furious fun with that game a while back...
 

Alexios

Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
Gridlee (aka MAME without jailbreaking) should be put in the OP for people who missed it.

And then reference in the iCade section as well.

More people need that combo's goodness, though they don't know it yet.

Best release of last month hands down. Random user screens:


Lots of options, overlay disappears when using iCade, etc. So good.

There's probably still danger of it being taken down so, yeah.
 

ParityBit

Member
One thing to add to the iCade section (which I happen to be considering) is an adapter to purchase for it, and maybe a solution to keep the iPad powered while playing.

Assuming anyone has done either.
 
Might want to add that theres an official Pixel People thread in here for people just getting into it.

It's a great game, icloud and disappearing cities bugs aside.
 

chubigans

y'all should be ashamed
Little Inferno is really great, although it's a bit short. For $5 it was one of those unique experiences like The Room that really makes me love my iPad.

I know this is an older game, but Chip Chain is a lot of fun too. I wish there was some music during the gameplay, but I really love the mechanics and the IAP isn't bad at all (you really don't need to buy anything).
 

SmokyDave

Member
Really like the new format, it makes it much easier to catch up with the big hitters from last month. I reckon I need to check out Table Top Racing.
 

chubigans

y'all should be ashamed
Really like the new format, it makes it much easier to catch up with the big hitters from last month. I reckon I need to check out Table Top Racing.

I haven't heard great things about that one unfortunately. Check out the last page of the January iOS thread. :(
 

eznark

Banned
Were there additions to Little Inferno on the ipad that made it unique from the other platforms it's out on?
 
Really? Isn't it just farmville in space?

Not really. You're job is to create new jobs by splicing clones together and giving them buildings and homes to live in.

Splicing is done by selecting old jobs and new jobs and seeing what you can create in a "gotta catch em all" pokemon style.

It's really very addictive.

Edit: job job job job job
 

eznark

Banned
It's more like Doodle God / Doodle Devil population system fused with an isometric Tiny Tower-esque building system. But you have way more freedom to expand your town.

But you do something, then wait for 5 minutes or pay to speed it up right?
 

Flunkie

Banned
But you do something, then wait for 5 minutes or pay to speed it up right?

Yeah, more or less. It gets worse and worse as you go along, as per any freemium game. Still fun to match profession types though. I haven't hit a point yet where I'm just stuck waiting and can't go anywhere for 5 minutes.
 

GeekyDad

Member
Personally, think the "iOS Must-haves" section should be renamed "Featured games of [insert month name here]." There are at least two or three of those games I would discourage people from buying/trying. Dungelot, for instance, is not a must-have in my book. It's not really a fun game, just a decent time-waster.
 

heringer

Member
I would remove the EA thing from the OP too. Sounds like pointless vendetta since EA actually delivered quite a few fun games.
 

dock

Member
Dungelot is secretly really crappy. Really boring, entirely luck based, never does anything interesting with strategy. Pretends to be a better game than it is. I've played a few hours and it never goes anywhere. I'd recommend people stay away. :(
 
Dunno how I feel about the coins/flooz situation in Happy Street. At my level (20), most upgrades cost a lot, like 150k on average; expanding at my levels cost me 250K+ coins and the flooz income seems a lot slower...

I feel it will take even more time expanding at this rate.
 

tipoo

Banned
Sword and Sworcery is probably my favorite iOS/Android game. Beutiful pixel art visuals, great soundtrack by Jim Guthrie, nice simple story, some interesting gameplay mechanics.

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I think it's under 2 bucks now on iOS, comes with humble bundle on Android.
 

Tunesmith

formerly "chigiri"
Was just thinking, if we are listing gaming hardware then it's probably worth mentioning the Thinkgeek iCade 8-bitty and iMpulse controllers. Both look excellent, I'm hoping to receive my 8-bitty soon so I can provide some feedback.

Quite a few people are probably going to be buying stuff like this with the release of Gridlee.

The 8-bitty was listed originally along with the iCade Mini, however they were removed due to lack of GAF feedback/lack of interest in those accessories. I'm open to re-adding them along with the iMpulse controllers if so is desired. :)

Gridlee (aka MAME without jailbreaking) should be put in the OP for people who missed it.

And then reference in the iCade section as well.

More people need that combo's goodness, though they don't know it yet.

Best release of last month hands down. Random user screens:



Lots of options, overlay disappears when using iCade, etc. So good.

There's probably still danger of it being taken down so, yeah.

Added

Personally, think the "iOS Must-haves" section should be renamed "Featured games of [insert month name here]." There are at least two or three of those games I would discourage people from buying/trying. Dungelot, for instance, is not a must-have in my book. It's not really a fun game, just a decent time-waster.

Renamed to "Featured iOS Games"
 

Tunesmith

formerly "chigiri"
I would remove the EA thing from the OP too. Sounds like pointless vendetta since EA actually delivered quite a few fun games.

I've changed the question phrasing a bit to be a little less hostile against EA.

Q - Should I buy this newly released EA game?
A - Maybe. While most older EA titles can be seen as hot garbage, we can't predict the future. Just be aware that EA has a tendency of frequent sales where even recent titles can be a dollar/euro rather than premium $4-5. Spend your pack of gum money wisely.
 

gazele

Banned
I need to play sword and sorcery, I've had it for months if not longer but just haven't gotten around to it

Pixel people is pretty good, very addicting, definitely gives me the same feeling I had with tiny tower when I first started playing that
 

ToxicAdam

Member
Dungelot is secretly really crappy. Really boring, entirely luck based, never does anything interesting with strategy. Pretends to be a better game than it is. I've played a few hours and it never goes anywhere. I'd recommend people stay away. :(

Eh.. I think you are being too hard on it. Luck is very much intrinsic to a rogue-like game. That's what Dungelot is modeled on.

The one thing it is missing is some kind of end game or destination to work towards. Turning a casual roguelike into an endless game doesn't work.
 

GeekyDad

Member
Renamed to "Featured iOS Games"

Okay, now I feel special. :p

Anyway, great work -- though it seems like a lot of work every month. I don't envy you but I do appreciate the hard work you keep doing, especially as this is where I spend most of my time on GAF.
 
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