RipTen Videogame Blog » iphone

Ace Attorney 5 Announced for Japan

Sam Naylor — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:30:33 +0000

Capcom‘s Gyakuten Saiban (Ace Attorney) 5 has been announced for the Japanese market, and the first three games in the series will be released in HD on iOS.

Most likely Gyakuten Saiban 5 will be for 3DS and will eventually come to the Western markets, but you never know. I can’t make any promises, that’s all I’m saying.

Also in Japan only, Ace Attorney 1, 2 and 3 are getting HD releases on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad- with Android versions coming as well. Let’s hope this happens in Western markets as well, because these games are perfect for the mobile platforms.

Via [Destructoid]

Soul Calibur Coming to iOS 19th January

Sam Naylor — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:20:20 +0000

More fighting game news, this time on the iPhone and iPod Touch- and the fact that the original Soul Calibur is coming to them. Soon.

The original Soul Calibur will be coming to iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4 and iPad 2 on the 19th of January, though a price point hasn’t been released yet.

The modes included in the port are “arcade battle, time attack, survival, extra survival, practice and museum,” of which time attack, survival and extra survival are compatible with Game Center’s leaderboard feature.

Andriasang via Joystiq

Xbox Live Now Has An Official iOS App

Brandon Fenty — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:00:55 +0000

While there have been many apps that have similar functionality in the past, Microsoft has finally released an app for iOS that allows you to access your Live Account. The app coincides with the launch of Microsoft‘s latest version of its dashboard.

Microsoft’s new app allows you to do many of the same things you could do from your Xbox console. For instance, you can view your games and achievements, message your friends, and even edit your avatar. Those Xbox community videos also show up on the main page, completing the Xbox experience. You can set up and use the new beacons feature to show your friends what games you’re itching to play when you get home from work.

All in all, the new app is a worthy download and better than any of the other, “unofficial” apps that are out there. On top of that, it’s a free download, so check it out!

RipTen Review: Jurassic Park: The Game: Episode One (iOS)

Brandon Fenty — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:30:16 +0000

Jurassic Park is one of my favorite movies of all time. I could easily watch it over and over without ever losing interest. So, when I found out Telltale was making a game based on the franchise, to say I was excited would be a bit of an understatement. The reverence and love brought to the Back to the Future franchise showed their respect for the license and their storytelling ability. With a license as used (and abused) as Jurassic Park, it can definitely be a daunting task to take on. Luckily, Telltale was up to the challenge.

From the first notes of John Williams’ epic score, you’re drawn into the world of Jurassic Park. One of the highlights of any Telltale game is their story and characters, and Jurassic Park is no exception. The overall production value for the game is very high for an iOS title. Graphics are impressive, characters are detailed, and sound is full and rich. Throughout the game, you’ll find yourself in various locales from the film, such as the visitor center. These are faithfully recreated, and help really draw the player into the experience. The entire experience feels much more like a console experience than a typical iOS game; due in no small part of course to the fact that this more or less the same experience provided on consoles and PC, brought to the iPad.

rawr im in your ipadz

The story centers around the can of dinosaur embryos that Dennis Nedry was trying to sneak off the island in the film. (You remember) You start the game as mercenaries trying to recover said canister, and continue as Dr. Harding (a minor character from the film) and his daughter. All the characters are well-written and voiced. Telltale is known for great characters, and these are no exception. The characters are not simply two dimensional stereotypes, and you’ll find yourself really caring what happens to these people. The story draws you in, and will leave you wanting to know what happens next and will surely keep you engaged throughout.

The gameplay is one of the more unique aspects of Jurassic Park. If you ever played Heavy Rain, you’ll instantly recognize many elements. The game is largely based on quick time events, mixed in with choice-based dialogue and puzzles. The QTEs consist of well-timed swipes and taps on the screen. The touch screen performs admirably for these QTEs, and the actions almost always make sense; swiping a door to open it, for instance. Puzzles have you switching perspectives throughout a scene, and sometimes even characters, to find a solution. While the puzzles are not very complex, and there is only one way to solve them, the solution is never simply handed to you and requires some environmental exploration. The result is rewarding, and the puzzles are varied enough to stay interesting. The game maintains good pacing throughout, and the balance between all of these elements is handled well.

oh noes, le dinosaur

While the game does offer some choices to make along the line, it all seems like the player doesn’t have much influence over the outcome of the story. While missing a QTE or choosing a specific line of dialogue can change a few minor details, overall the game feels a bit like you’re being channeled down a predefined path. One of the big draws to a game like Heavy Rain (which the developers said they hoped to emulate) is truly branching story lines where choices and actions can significantly change the outcome, and even kill a character. In Jurassic Park, if you die, you simply start the sequence over again. While the sense of danger is very real, it would have been nice to have a more diverse and branching story.

Also, the game is not without its problems, and there are some major ones. At times, the frame rate stutters and even freezes momentarily. For a game that is so cinematic and relies so heavily on quick time events, that can be a real game breaker. There were times where the action would just simply stop for several seconds while the iPad tried to catch up with what was happening. While dips in frame rate are understandable, due to the console quality of the game ported to a portable system, they can be really frustrating and pull you out of the experience. Not only that, but when quick time events really on fast reactions, the pauses in action can easily result in missed timing, leading to lower scores and even death. At times it can really be quite game-breaking.

framerate, y u no?

If you can struggle through the sometimes chugging frame rate, there is definitely a game worth playing here. While it is missing some polish, which is unfortunate, the game is still quite playable. For it’s flaws, I still found myself unable to put it down, right up until the credits rolled. The story and characters really shine, and keep you wanting more throughout the experience. Enjoying this game is really dependent upon your expectations going in; it definitely won’t appeal to every gamer, but if you like a well-told story and strong characters, you really should check out Jurassic Park on your iPad.

Here’s The Rundown:

+Strong Characters and Story

+High production values for an iOS title

-Poor frame rate that can be game-breaking

-Very little story branching

7 and 7.5 represent a game that overall manages to be worth a playthrough, just not worth your money. These scores are for games that are relatively good, but you would generally only consider them as a rental.

Jurassic Park on iOS is a thing that exists. Telltale gave Bradon a code for it. He played and reviewed it. Dinosaurs. Rawr.

Serious Sam Kamikaze Attack Free for Droid Users on Amazon Today!

Dave Oshry — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:16:06 +0000

In case you haven’t gotten enough AHHHHHHHHHHH out of Serious Sam 3 this past week, perhaps you’d like to bring some of Lord Mental’s Headless Kamikaze’s with you on the go? Of course you would!

Well, today is your day to get Serious Sam Kamikaze Attack absolutely FREE if you own an Android mobile device and can follow the easy steps outlined HERE at Amazon’s App Store.

What are you waiting for?

You can also get it on your iThingy for $1.99

RipTen’s Mobile Roundup – October 20th

Brandon Fenty — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:00:53 +0000

It’s been a busy week for mobile games. While not all of them get their own article, we want to let you know some of what’s been going on this week in the mobile gaming world.

Rope Rescue

Date: 10.20.2011

Developer: Piton Games

Price: $0.99

King Bat has kidnapped the baby birds for their feathers and it’s up to Rupert the parrot to bring them back. Prove you’re no birdbrain by threading ropes through increasingly challenging stages loaded with traps. An astounding fusion of smart puzzling and reflex-based gameplay, this unforgettable experience is sure to become an iOS classic.

Civiballs

Date: 10.20.2011

Developer: Untame Games

Price: $0.99

When a brilliant scientist creates a portal that lets him travel through time, he and his simian friend set out to solve the mysteries of ancient civilizations using the mythical Civiballs. Drop colored spheres into corresponding vessels via a series of tricky mechanisms in this clever puzzler.

Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots

Date: 10.20.2011

Developer: Halfbrick

Price: $0.99

Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots features two new modes (Desperado and Bandito) and The Stash, filled with unlockable wallpapers and blades. A fresh take on Fruit Ninja‘s Classic Mode, Desperado Mode adds new Magic Beans and enhanced waves and scoring. Bandito Mode is a four-tiered challenge adventure where players must work through a number of increasingly difficult and varied puzzle style slicing games. New “Puss in Boots” themed unlockable items available at The Stash include the Cat Cantina arena, the Firework blade and the Cat’s Claw!

Top Eleven

Date: 10.20.2011

Developer: Nordeus

Price: Free

Top Eleven lets would-be football (soccer) managers select, train and build their own squad of players to compete against friends and other players over the course of a 28-day season. Those at the top of the league can relish in the glory of promotion into the next league, facing tougher opponents and with the rewards of more money, better players and the lure of the Champions Cup. Managers are also responsible for every detail of running the club, from developing players careers, picking the best sponsorship deals and building new stadium facilities.

Infinity Blade 2 Officially Announced (Trailer)

Aaron Alexander — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:10:50 +0000

Infinity Blade was arguably the finest gaming experience to be had on the iOS platform. Stunning visuals, responsive combat and mad loots.

It was one of those pick up and play type of games, that easily induced addiction. Minutes become hours, hours become days and so fourth. So, prepare for another journey on your i-thing as Epic Games has announced that Infinity Blade 2 will be releasing December 1st 2011.

Epic promises improved gameplay and visuals, which if true, will be mind-blowing considering how good the game looked running on an iPad 2. No word on the pricing yet, but they did present a swanky trailer which features dual wielding;

Now that’s all well and good Chair, but put out Shadow Complex on iOS already!

Katamari Amore, Coming to an iDevice Near You

Stephanie Gutowski — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 22:30:57 +0000

It’s been a while since i Love Katamari first hit the iPhone in 2008, and it looks like we’ve got another rainbow fest from Namco Bandai in the works.

On September 29, the King of All Cosmos will return to the iOS with a brand new adventure for fans of this quirky little series. Play as the Prince once more, rolling up the world in the hopes of creating the largest possible katamari because… that’s just what you do. Katamari Amore features 24 missions, four modes (Story, Time Attack, Exact Size Challenge, Eternal Mode), and an extra Pac-Man level. Amore will be available as a “fremium” title on iPad and iPhone, but players will be able to unlock the full version for $3.99, a discounted launch price.

Players will have multiple controller options, including a virtual control pad (double or single depending on the user’s preference) or Accelerometer. Content packs and additional stages are confirmed for future release, but dates and details have yet to be revealed.

This pleases us.

EA Mobile Games Up to 80% Off This Weekend Only

Stephanie Gutowski — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:35:22 +0000

Surprise! Just what you need, right? More mobile games right before classes start? That’s exactly what EA was thinking when they whipped up this back to school sale. Really, though, how can you pass up Battlefield: Bad Company 2 for $0.99. FIFA 11 for a dollar? Monopoly HD for iPAd is only $3.99. What are you waiting for? Oh… could it be… that you already own them? Well, then nevermind. Still, take a look at their catalog of slashed prices and oggle at how much more you paid for these games like… two months ago.

Final Fantasy Tactics Finally Ready To Go for iPhone and iPad

Catherine Cai — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:59:50 +0000

Square Enix’s iOS port of Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions was finally submitted after being delayed in June for the gameplay mechanics to be polished and for some last minute tune-ups. Square Enix promised that fans would hear something about the game towards the end of July.

Look at Shiina’s smile of confidence. I haven’t been peachy keen with all the things that Square Enix has been doing lately, but that smile makes me want to trust them. Square Enix promises updates about the game’s release date as soon as it has been approved. Don’t you go breaking my heart again, SquEnix, as you’ve done with every Final Fantasy you’ve released after X.

Capcom iPhone Game Sale: 99 Cents a Pop

Sam Naylor — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:22:39 +0000

Capcom have discounted a handful of iOS games to $0.99 today. Perhaps you can afford them now.

Here’s the full list:

Street Fighter IV $0.99
Resident Evil Mercenaries Vs $0.99
Dead Rising Mobile $0.99
Devil May Cry 4 refrain $0.99

At prices like that, it’s a wonder why these things are so popular at the moment. Considering most DS games, which cost more than ten times the normal price of these games, are in most cases just as good as these, it’s clear why this market is taking off.

Duke Nukem Forever iOS Soundboard Available Now – “Blow It Out Your Ass”

Dave Oshry — Sat, 28 May 2011 02:52:33 +0000

Have you harassed anyone on Ventrillo lately? Need a little help from the Duke? Well, worry not my ass kicking compadres – you can now get all your Duke-isms in one place – right on your iOS device.

That’s right, all your favorite one liners in the palm of your hand. Behold, the Duke Nukem Forever Soundboard App!!

The Duke Nukem Forever Soundboard app features over 25 classic Duke-isms, including silky smooth seduction lines sure to impress the ladies like “I’ve got balls of steel” and “Anybody mind if I take off my pants?” The App will also include monotony busters such as “I had eggs for breakfast, your mom had sausage” and stand-up-to bullies comebacks like “my job is to kick ass, not make small talk.”

Go and get it at the app store. What are you waitin’ for? Christmas!?

If that doesn’t work you can always get Jon St. John to play along ^__^

Duke Nukem Forever has GONE GOLD and will finally be out on June 14th. Come Get Some!!

Check Out This Awesome Pip-Boy 3000 Replica

Dave Oshry — Thu, 26 May 2011 00:22:01 +0000

Few things are better at helping you along your way in a post apocalyptic wasteland than a trusty Pip-Boy. This staple of the Fallout franchise is useful for keeping you up to date on your quests and letting you know just how close you are to an irradiated death at all times.

Well, this has just been brought to our attention. It’s one hell of a replica:

UPDATE: We have found out who made this magnificent piece of post-apocalyptica!! He goes by the name of Chanced and he makes all sorts of Fallout replicas!!

Yes, that’s an iPhone in there. So, this thing tracks your quests and gets crappy reception! zing!

Some of his other replicas include Nuka Cola bottlecaps, a Laser Pistol and what appears to be a second Pip-Boy replica made from that god awful Pip-Boy clock that came in the Amazon collector’s edition of Fallout 3. Yes, I’m still mad about that…

Want to get all nerdy about Fallout with me? Shoot me an email at Dave@RipTen.com or find me on Twitter @DaveOshry

Minecraft Going Portable on the Xperia Play

Bryce Wilson — Wed, 25 May 2011 12:01:53 +0000

As RipTen reported back in February, Minecraft was set to go portable, however it was first expected on the iPad and iPhone.

During a recent interview with Gamasutra, a Mojang spokesperson confirmed that the sandbox indie hit would be bound for the Xperia Play and would feature customised controls. Aside from the revamped control system, no further information was announced about the port.

I can’t help but wonder how they expect to run the CPU heavy game on a tiny mobile device considering it wont even run on a laptop with 2GB of RAM and a single core CPU, but like Einstein said in Red Alert: “Time will tell… sooner or later, time will tell”.

Source: [VG247]

RipTen Review: Resident Evil Mercenaries Vs. (iPhone)

Brandon Fenty — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:04:10 +0000

Gaming’s premiere horror franchise has already had a few mobile iterations; the latest, mercenaries, recreates one of the most popular game types of the series. The game’s interesting take on online deathmatch is unique: four people are dropped into an arena and charged with killing each other. The twist comes when hordes of brain-munching zombies are dropped into the mix, making the whole process that much harder (and more interesting). In theory, the idea is awesome; in practice, however, the game just doesn’t deliver.

The biggest issue with the game is the controls. The game avoids the generally accepted two-thumbed approach to shooters, instead controlling all movement and aiming with the left thumb. the right side of the screen is cluttered with icons, some of them static and some of them context-sensitive. It’s confusing to use, and clunky. While horror games usually have somewhat clunky controls to raise the tension, these seem unnecessarily so. In addition, you can’t move with a weapon drawn; and shootouts between static players are incredibly boring.

...

The graphics in Mercenaries leave much to be desired as well. The textures are bland and murky and the resolution is especially low. These are jagged edges the likes of which we haven’t seen since the N64.

The horrible controls and graphics are really disappointing when looking at a game showing such potential. Despite the drawbacks, it’s still such a fun concept that for a few matches you might even forgive them. Connections were good, and we didn’t notice any lag. In the end, however, the controls are just too much to overcome, and it’s a shame that such a great idea is so poorly implemented.

Here’s The Rundown:

+ Great deathmatch concept

+ Great online support

- Slow, tank-like controls

- Muddy graphics and textures

RipTen Review: One Single Life (iPhone)

Brandon Fenty — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:24:26 +0000

Something’s changed with gaming in the last several years; it’s gotten too easy. It seems like developers don’t want to punish you for dying, instead letting you reload from a point just moments before you died. Back in the good ol’ days, if you ran out of lives, you were done. Of course there are exceptions, but they are few and far between. Well, developer Fresh Tone Games is looking to change that today with their new game, One Single Life.

The game is simplicity itself. You tap the screen once to start running, and then once again to jump across a gap. There’s just one caveat: you only get one shot. Ever. As in, if you die, you’re done. You might as well delete the game, because you can’t play anymore. Sound harsh? It is.

The developer wanted to create a real sense of danger for the player, and they’ve succeeded. The start of every level tells you the percent of players who’ve met their demise on that level. I found myself sweating more playing this game than even something like Dead Space. The fear of death is real, and it’s amazing how well it works.

As far as graphics, the game has a very simplistic art style that’s reminiscent of a game like Limbo. It’s crisp, clean, and looks great on the retina screen. The backdrops are beautiful and give a nice contrast to the silhouetted player.

As you may have guessed, this game does not have much replay value for obvious reasons. That being said, it’s really worth playing the game simply for the experience. It’s been a long time since I’ve been genuinely nervous playing a game, and it’s quite refreshing. The developer has already said that they expect some hate mail from angry gamers who die early but the game is available for free in the app store, check it out!

Here’s The Rundown

- Insanely Awesome Concept

+ It’s Free!!!!

Ex-Bizarre Creations Staff Create Hogrocket

Sam Naylor — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:29:11 +0000

Three former Bizarre Creations staff have formed a new studio, Hogrocket, which will focus on “iPhone/iPad, PC, and Mac.”

Peter Collier, Ben Ward, and Stephen Cakebread were employed by Bizarre Creations until the company closed down. They’ve now formed Hogrocket, a new company which will at first focus on “high-quality games across multiple platforms, initially targeting iPhone/iPad, PC, and Mac.”

It’s great to see some Bizarre Creations staff finding their feet again- let’s hope the rest can do the same in the near future.

Via Dtoid

Angry Birds Downloaded 100 Million Times

Sam Naylor — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:16:40 +0000

Rovio marketing executive Peter Vesterbacka has said that Angry Birds has hit 100 million downloads.

Speaking at the South by Southwest conference in Texas, Vesterbacka also noted that “Tablets are killing consoles… Four generations of new tablets come before a new console, if one ever comes.”

100 million downloads is a pretty serious number, and I can only applaud the creators for doing so well with their overrated and boring game that would have looked outdated on NewGrounds 5 years ago. Just kidding! 4 years ago.

Via Joystick Division

MineCraft Coming to iPhone and iPad This Year

Sam Naylor — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:34:34 +0000

Markus Persson, founder of Minecraft developer Mojang, has announced that iOS versions of the sleeper hit MineCraft will be coming this year.

Aron Neiminen, “a new recruit to the Mojang team,” will be handling the iOS versions of the game, which will not be a direct transition but rather just feature the aspects that “make sense” for a touch-based device.

Sounds like a brilliant idea to me. MineCraft has already taken the Internet by storm, and if it can attract the same kind of attention that iOS apps can get, it’s set to be a massive success. Good luck to them, I say.

RipTen Review: N.O.V.A. 2 (iPhone)

Brandon Fenty — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:20:12 +0000

If you haven’t heard of Gameloft, they’re a game company that makes a lot of iPhone games. These games, generally, are pretty much ripoffs of popular console titles. “Ripoff” sounds like a bad thing, but when they’re done right it can bring a console experience that you’ll otherwise never have to your mobile platform. For instance, NOVA 2.

NOVA 2 is Halo, pure and simple. There is very little effort to disguise this fact, from the trailer of an armor clad hero leaping from orbit and landing onto the world below, to the AI female giving you directions, to the myriad of aliens who look and fight a whole lot like the Covenant. That being said, the game is well put together and maintains a lot of the good aspects of Halo while changing it up just enough to still feel fresh (and avoid getting sued).

The controls for NOVA 2 are well implemented. It’s always a challenge to bring FPS gameplay to the touch screen, but Gameloft seems to have perfected it. A virtual left thumbstick is used to move, while your right thumb aims and fires with a tap. There’s a jump button, as well as weapon swapping/reloading, and even grenades as well. The UI manages to include all of this without it feeling too cramped on the screen, definitely a feat in itself. Barring a few odd instances, the games controls stay out of the way and let me play; as any good control system should.

The graphics in NOVA 2 are well done, with detailed characters and textures. The environments are creative and varied, and the level design and layout work well. There will be a few moments in a level where you stop and think you’ve played this before, and you probably have; there are some distinct moments I remember from playing Halo, but they’re some of the best, so it’s ok. The game does bring a lot of fresh ideas to the table as well, such as a mech sequence where you get to tear through waves of enemies in a giant walking machine of destruction.

One other aspect of NOVA is the online multiplayer. This adds a lot of replay value to the title, and it’s really well done. On my home wifi (don’t know that I’d try this over 3G yet), I was able to hop online, find a match, and join without any difficulty. Once I was in, there was very little lag on a Lockout-style map. Eight people were in the game, all shooting at each other, and it kept up just fine. NOVA 2 is Definitely one of the best multiplayer experiences I’ve had on the iOS in a while.

In the end, NOVA 2 is a solid shooter that pulls from the classics, but still has a flavor of its own. The game is long, and with multiplayer in the mix, there’s a huge replay value here. The graphics are great, the controls tight; and most importantly, the game is just fun to play. It’s one of the more expensive games in the App Store at $6.99, but Gameloft has made it worth every penny. If you haven’t tried this game, and you’re a fan of the Halo series (or any other space combat game), you should really try it out.

Here’s The Rundown:

+ Solid graphics and gameplay
+ Fun and well-implemented multiplayer.

- More or less a straight port of Halo.