I was recently sent two gaming products to review on 8-Bit Girl by the nice guys over at MobileFun.co.uk. Both of these products are designed to work with Smartphones to enhance your gaming experience across a multitude of supported apps. Check them out below:
Pokemon has made it's way to the iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone in the form of an app called Pokemon TV. Free to download, Pokemon TV allows fans to watch episodes of Pokemon from every generation (there are currently 50 available). Pokemon films can also be watched when the become available, including Pokemon The Movie: Kyurem Vs. The Sword of Justice, which will be streaming from the 15th to the 18th February. You can download the app here.
Whether you enjoy a pub quiz or not, there's no denying that people love their general knowledge quizzes. There are a few around in game format, but one of the latest to hit the scene is Boboshi's ExQuizit, developed for the iPod Touch/iPhone.
What makes this quiz game so great is it's re-playablity factor. Boasting over 12,000 questions spanned across seven different categories, there's plenty of reasons to come back for another round, as it's very rare that questions are repeated for quite some time. With a choice to play through 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 or 40 questions, the game also includes several modes to keep things interesting. First of all is the multiple choice mode, which personally I found the most enjoyable. There's also Time Attack mode which combines the element of multiple choice with a timer. The quicker you answer the questions, the higher your score will be. Classic mode presents the questions without any alternatives (bye bye multiple choice), and can actually be the hardest mode, especially if the expert questions are selected. Thankfully, each mode is also incredibly fun...and somewhat addictive, if quiz/puzzle games are your thing.
The game boasts a very smooth, simple but attractive interface that is simple to navigate. Also, the game integrates Gamecenter, which unlocks achievements for answering a set amount of questions, getting a certain combination of questions right in a row, and so on. This adds a little more incentive to the gameplay, which is nice. Another nice addition is the ability to select or deselect as many categories as you wish. So if you're not great at your science questions, for example, you can opt to remove this from the round and play with only those you feel more comfortable in.
Overall, ExQuizit is a fantastic trivia app which is hard to fault. There are several game modes there to add a bit of variety to the proceedings, and it's a fun game to play with a friend (or six!). The questions vary in difficulty, so thankfully you will not be left complaining that the game is either too easy or too hard. My only criticism, and this is a minor one at that, is that the solo mode felt like it was lacking ever so slightly. It would be nice to be able to accumulate statistics, as there is no in-game record of your performance. Apart from this, ExQuizit is a fine trivia game. The game boasts a great interface, easy to read questions, a fun multi-player experience and an impressive amount of questions. For only 69p, you can't complain that there isn't enough here to keep you occupied. If trivia games are your thing...then it's probably worth picking this up.
David Haye's Knockout was recently released, and promptly made it's way to the top of the App charts, gaining the #1 spots in these categories: Sports Game, Arcade Game, Games Chart, whilst claiming second place in the App Chart. It also comes from the Grubby Hands, the studio behind the charming Boy Loves Girl.
Surely this must mean this is a good game then, right? Well, armed with a review code, I decided to find out for myself.
On first glance, David Haye's Knockout is reminiscent of Punch Out, a Boxing series that I'm sure many of you are familiar with. The game sees players boxing it out as World Heavyweight champion, David "The Hayemaker" Haye. As Haye, you'll be pitted against three opponents which increase in difficulty as they go on. The first opponent, D. Boy, served as the more simpler of the three, and worked perfectly as an easy introduction into the games mechanics. However, he's swiftly followed by Big Bro and Little Bro, which is where the challenge kicks in.
The boxing is created by hitting the boxing gloves on the screen. Players can choose from different types of low and high blows, and can then build up combos to get a higher score, thus earning them the Hayemaker status. Swiping the screen will make Haye dodge and squat to the left or right to avoid any nasty blows from his competitors. Thankfully the boxing is fun, albeit rather brief. One issue I did have though is that, unlike other boxing titles, there is no count when an opponent has been knocked down. Instead, the opponent will just get back up or stay down on the floor. I know it's a little point to dwell upon, but I quite like the "counting to ten" part when you've floored an opponent...it makes things a little more tense, and ultimately, victorious, if they do not rise again.
As I just mentioned, the games duration is, for the most part, rather short. Only offering three opponents to fight against means that soon enough you can call yourself a champion. However, there is a bit of re-playability, thankfully. Trophies can be unlocked from completing objectives, such as achieving a particular combo. Also, achievements via the Game Center means that even if all three opponents have been defeated, players can go back and try to unlock the whole set. As well as this, scores are recorded via the Game Center, so that friends can see how well you are doing at the game. Many of us like our in-game achievements...it gives us something else to aim for once the main game has been completed, so this is great news!
As for the games graphics, unfortunately this is where the game is let down quite a bit. The graphics are incredibly simplistic, whilst the colours seem a little too bright and garish.
Overall, David Haye's Knockout is a fun little game, which should have been a lot longer. The graphics could have been improved upon somewhat. Gameplay is limited to only three opponents, which players will slug it out against again and again in order to unlock trophies and achievements. Whilst the trophies and achievements keep the challenge fresh, there is no denying that fighting these opponents over and over does get a little dull. However, all in all, it's a fun little game, nowhere near as charming as Boy Loves Girl, but it's definitely a good effort. If you're looking for a fun but brief boxing title for your iPhones, then this one is worth a look at.
Boy meets girl, but boy cannot get girl easily. Instead he has to traverse through a series of obstacles to win her affections. Sound familiar? It should do. The whole "boy meets girl" storyline has featured many times before, whether it be in films, books or, in this case, games. However, it's nice to see a predictable premise have a bit of a change applied to it. A rather bizarre one in this case.
Presenting "Boy Loves Girl", an iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad title where you get to play as a lovestruck boy who is trying to catch up with the object of his affections-the girl. Working as an infinite running game, Boy Loves Girl on first glance isn't that much different to the hoards of other infinite running games available on the App Store (such as Jetpack Joyride, which is an excellent game). However, what it lacks in uniqueness in the platform it chooses to be, it definitely makes up for it in other areas.
The game tackles the tried and tested formula of infinite runners by adding in a unique, colourful and somewhat bizarre style. In this instance, the boy is not just trying to run through an infinite scrolling level, avoiding clouds and other obstacles, he has to do all of this whilst pulling along the moon tied to a piece of string (for what reason, I don't know). Oh, and the moon cannot hit any of said obstacles either. That's where the trickiness comes in.
Controlling the moon involves simply swiping it up and down. Occasionally the swiping isn't as accurate as it should be, which harbours some frustration, especially when it results in you losing the level. Other than this though, the controls are pretty straightforward and work, for the most part, how you would expect them to-efficiently. Other than making the moon avoid obstacles, it can also catch "smiles", but other than that, it's down to making sure the moon doesn't hit something during your journey.
Boy Loves Girl contains a charming premise, one which on first glance may sound a little too mushy for some. At the beginning of each group of levels, the object of your affection will exclaim that she wants a special item before you're able to meet her. The level then begins, with the aim to not only get yourself and the moon safely to her in one piece, but have her desired gift ready to present to her. However, she's not an easy catch. Collect her gift and she'll rush off again after proclaiming that she needs yet another gift. Like Zelda is to Link, this girl is playing it hard to get!
Each level contains objectives which you will aim to meet. These can be related to the clouds or catching smiles, and the fulfilling these objectives counts towards giving you a better star rating at the end of the level. A nice touch is that each cloud generates a different activity. For example, tap a storm cloud three times and it'll burst. As I already mentioned, your aiming to get all three stars at the end of the level. If you manage to achieve this, a bonus section will be activated, where the boy gets to try out the "she loves me, she loves me not" flower petal picking game, where you have the chance to win a heart.
Aesthetically, the game is a bright, colourful and cute looking affair, and simplicity, for the most part, wins here. It's a crisp, eye-catching style which works. The only criticism is that at times the visuals look a little too simplistic, and I think adding some facial features to the boy would have helped a lot too, but then perhaps I'm nit-picking.
As for the audio, the sound effects are fine, but it would have been nice to have some actual music included whilst you are running through each level. This just makes the background sound effects sound more prominent, and it just feels a little lacking without one. However, you can listen to iTunes whilst you play, so if you wish to generate your own soundtrack, then it works brilliantly.
Overall, Boy Loves Girl is a harmless, enjoyable running romp. Whilst it may not be unique (but then infinite running games are always going to be a hard one to crack in terms of uniqueness), it packs plenty of charm. It's a shame that there is no soundtrack, and that at times the swiping can be a little temperamental, as this would have been an even better game. However, criticisms aside, this is enjoyable enough, and the bizarre moon-steering premise won me over.
Boy Loves Girl is available from the App Store, but a Lite version has now been made available. This Lite version includes the first 13 levels of the game, endless mode challenges, and bonus levels.
Originally revealed last September, Rockstar Games will be releasing the first Max Payne game on iOS and Android devices soon apparently. This mobile version of Max Payne will include a HD overhaul (much like most re-releases these days), customizable controls and Rockstar Games Social Club integration. Those who are opposed to using touch screen controls will be pleased to hear that the game will also feature controller support.
Rockstar will confirm the release date and more information soon.
Tired of playing a game via touch screen? Well retro gamers will love this iCade 8-Bitty wireless game controller.
The controller works for the iPhone, iPad and Android. Here's the whole list of product features if you're interested, and check out the photos below!
Product Features
Classic retro-styled game controller fits in your pocket and works with iPhone & iPad
8 button control including 4 face buttons, select, start, and two shoulder buttons... plus the D-Pad for movement
Wireless connection with auto power save mode
Mini version of larger size iCade cabinet invented and designed by ThinkGeek
Fully compatible with all iCade games
Completely open development platform. App developers can add support for iCade with no permission needed from Apple or ThinkGeek. (See links for code examples below).
"Atari Greatest Hits" iPad App ready to go with the iCADE, including support for over 100 classic Atari games.
Atari App comes with Missile Command for free, other games available for in-app purchase. 3-game packs are $1. All 100 games are $14.99
Christmas is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than by winning a brand new game for nothing!
I recently reviewed and played Gua-Le-Ni, an excellent puzzle style title available to purchase on the iPad. Now I've been given two redeem codes to giveaway to two of my readers, just in time for Christmas.
For a taster on what to expect, check out the two posts I previously did on the game below:
So, how do you actually get to win a code? Well, it's simple. I've got myself a Twitter for 8-Bit Girl, which is @8_BitGirl. You need to retweet this message (RT)
and FOLLOW my Twitter to enter! You can retweet as many times as you want, but I'll only be counting you once. :)
On the 22nd of December I shall put all the names of the Twitter re-tweeters on one of those randomiser things, and the two that are randomly selected shall win a code each! I shall inform you via Twitter, and direct-message you the code!
I recently tried out an iPad title called Gua-Le-Ni, which turned out to be a bizarre, but addictive and engaging puzzle game. I then got the opportunity to interview the game's creator, StefAno about Gua-Le-Ni's inspirations, his ideas behind it, and much more.
Q. So, Gua-Le-Ni is available to download onto the iPad now! How did you get the idea for this game?
A: Hi, an first of all thanks for the interest and the ‘love’ you are directing towards our bizarre project. It makes it feel that the long months of designing and crafting this book (or this game) were not completely futile, if we manage to stimulate the curiosity of some of you and to keep you intrigued in its concept and gameplay. As far as the idea for the game, it is more or less a mixture of childhood memories and my current philosophical focus.
My mother used to show me etchings of animals and bizarre creatures by either Albrech Durer or Leonardo Da Vinci as a kid, I was fascinated with those bizarre beasts and how they looked like monsters from other worlds. Building on that basis, the core idea for Gua-Le-Ni comes from the will to make of David Hume’s philosophy of mind playable. Essentially, my claim is that if a player learns how to play Gua-Le-Ni, then she also have absorbed most of the notions involved in Hume’s 1748 Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. Some will also spot influences from ‘head-body-tail’ books such as the Animalario Universal del Professor Revillod:
Q. Were there any influences during it's creation?
A: Each an every member of our team contributed with some ideas or details, but I guess most of the design maintained a solid vision from start to end, so the influences mentioned in the previous question are still the leading ones. In the last months, some observations and ideas concerning embodiment in digital worlds and some inspiration to optimize the interfaces came from Helmut Plessner’s 1928 seminal book for philosophical anthropology “The Stages of the Organic and Man”.
I guess it’s more of a personal inspiration and aspiration rather than something overtly perceivable, but it helped, I am sure.
Q. As the games website states, "Gua-Le-Ni is the first commercially released video game whose development was guided by the analysis of it's players psychophysiological responses." What made you decide to do this whilst the game was in development, and and how do you feel it helped to shape the game?
A: More than feeling, I know it helped as I was also part of the research team behind the Biometric research. At NHTV University of Applied Science of Breda (The Netherlands) we relied on embodied psychology (biometrics or psycho-physiology), Which is to say the way that body signals can be interpreted as expressing internal states of a person. By observing the way stress and anxiety changed in our test subjects together with the changes in the game while designing and tuning it, we were capable – we believe – to have a better, more thorough and more objective insight in what it is like to play than it was ever possible to achieve with traditional quality assurance procedures. This experimental way to approach game design was never even attempted in the casual sector of the industry.
We utilized the equipment and experiments to determine the most desirable initial speed for the game and the optimal way the game should have grown in terms of speed and cognitive pressure in the non-fiction mode (the competitive one featuring a Tetris-like acceleration as cleverly pointed out in your review). We believe that the insights we obtained in that pioneering way objectively helped in determining a few key-variable in the tuning of the game.
Q. Do you think you'll be using this type of research again in your next projects?
A: If possible, I would love to. Together with the care and dedication of the programmers, the talent of the artists and the obsessive and continuous playtest sessions we have run, I believe it was a factor it the game’s success. Critical success I mean, whether its bizarre nature and explorative gameplay will be embraced by the public too, that’s still hard to tell. One can hope.
Q. Gua-Le-Ni has been receiving some generally excellent reviews so far. Did you expect to get this reaction?
A: Haha… Again, I was not expecting the interest and visibility the game is attracting but we – as any independent developer - hoped that the love we put it would be experienced and appreciated by other people. I believe that’s the reason why I am still making games. The hope to touch other people somehow…
Q. What I enjoyed the most about the game was the creation of some bizarre but interesting hybrid creatures, and the addictive nature of the gameplay. What is your favourite aspect of Gua-Le-Ni?
A: I am fond of the possibility to optimize one’s behaviour and compete. The game offers more secrets, more strategies and more opportunities for improvement than it might initially show. I am still playing the game months after intense playtest sessions precisely because of its depth and possibilities. Me and my testers are still trying to find out who’s the best… They brutally outperform me with the use of the dreaded black cube (one of those secrets), but I am still the best if we only consider the regular behaviour of the game (40.075 pages).
Q. And finally, what's next for yourself and for Double Jungle?
A: My destiny and that of Double Jungle will remain woven at least until the end of February or March, when we will release a new version of the game including a completely new game mode. We are starting to work on the graphics and the voices in a few days. I believe this is not the last game we will do together, me and the guys of Double Jungle… We’ve been friends for years and find it nice and cozy to work with eachother. As a matter of fact we are also working on a social game that will run in web browsers that is also unique under quite a few aspects.
Next for me is finally concluding my doctoral dissertation… I hope that will be done by October 2012. And after that, who knows? Maybe another digital oddity with a philosophical theme?
The 15th December brought a new update to the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad versions of Popcap's hit zombie tower-defence game, Plants vs. Zombies. The update adds the ability to play as zombies in the game, a new free level and some festive themed goodies (such as hats) to get in the Christmas spirit.
The mode, entitled I,Zombie, is already available for the PC, Mac and XBLA and DS versions of the game. This update also adds eight additional levels, and a brand new endless mode. Achievement hunters may also be pleased to know that the new update brings with it four new achievements to unlock on the GameCenter.
The OnLive games service offers up quick to download full Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 titles, as well as a collection of popular classics, such as Abe's Odyssey. Subscribers to the service are now able to play via the companies set-top box for their TV sets, and access a bunch of games for the iPad and Android.
Now players will have access to great titles such as L.A. Noire on their tablets, rather than hooking up a console or playing via their computer. OnLive have also introduced their own controls which add a touch-screen interface to games that previously did not use this feature. 25 titles will now feature touch-screen availability, and a new wireless controller, costing £39.99 is also now being sold.
The great thing about OnLive is that it is a Cloud based service, meaning that remote servers do all the tricky processing that perhaps your computer may not of handled on it's own. Instead, OnLive relies on a decent internet connection to run the games. To compensate for a dip in the internet signal, the graphics are degraded somewhat until the connection speeds up once again. This allows for an uninterrupted gaming session.
You can sign up free for OnLive, where you'll gain access to a range of free trails (perfect for it you're like me, and are looking to write up some more hands-on reviews of the latest games). A subscription fee of £6.99 a month allows gamers to browse through the catalogue and download full games. It's a great service, which no doubt will get much bigger in the months to come.
There are a number of games out there that fall into the oddity category, but Gua-Le-Ni, or The Horrendous Parade, created by Double Jungle, is the first iPad title I have played that I could safely place under this category. Not that this is a bad thing though. In fact, the game is actually pretty good.
In Gua-Le-Ni, the player becomes a taxonomist, and is tasked with cataloguing fictional and real paper creatures. The game thrives on the introduction of a bizarre range of hybrids, which are actually quite a joy to piece together and discover. Anyone ever heard of a fish-rabbit? More oddities are welcomed into the game as the player progresses further in their scholarship.
The aim of the game is to rotate the cubes (which represent a head and back end of a creature) at the bottom of the screen until they match the creature that is walking across the page. Depending on the difficulty and how much you have learnt, the game will either throw you two or four cubes to work with. A humorous and well-spoken narrator will guide you through the game, and offer some criticism if he thinks you are having too much of an easy time with it all too.
Gua-Le-Ni has two modes to try out, a "Fiction" or "Non-Fiction." Both modes are pretty similar, but the Non-Fiction mode offers much faster moving creatures, and apples can be fed to the creatures in order to slow the procession down. The Non-Fiction mode encourages the players interaction with the scenery. For me, I found the Non-Fiction mode to be the best out of the two, as feeding the creatures allowed for a bigger score at the end than on the Fiction mode. In Gua-Le-Ni, there is only really one thing to do-match the cubes to create a whole host of constantly scrolling creatures. However, this seems completely irrelevant to challenge when you realise how addictive this cube switching experience actually is.
The hand-drawn artwork included in Gua-Le-Ni is reminiscent to Terry Gilliam's rather trippy illustrations in Monty Python's Flying Circus. If you're familiar with this British comedy, you'll probably already have an idea of what the game is like: it's quirky, absurd, and pretty comedic at times. The beautiful looking style is one of the best parts of the game, and team this with some great classical music, and you're onto something pretty damn good.
The interesting thing about Gua-Le-Ni is the way it was play-tested during development. This iPad title is the first commercially-released casual game where development and tuning was guided by the analysis of it's players psychophysiological (or biometric) responses. Stress levels were monitored, so that unlike many constant scrolling, against the clock titles, this is actually much more of an enjoyable experience, than a stressful one. The game was inspired by the photographer David Hume and a Mexican book which allows for the recombination of animal parts.
The only thing that lets this game down slightly is that the rules and introduction are a little tricky to grasp at first. Once you actually get into the game though, the gameplay becomes second nature, and the aim is pretty simple to understand.
Gua-Le-Ni is a bizarre, but incredibly imaginative and addictive iPad title. The game's style is one of the most impressive aspects of this title, and it is something of a joy to see these weird and wonderful creations saunter across your screen. If you're looking for a puzzle game that successfully manages to break the mold whilst providing a Tetris style formula to the proceedings, then I would definitely recommend this game. Who would have thought that Taxonomy would be this much fun?
Ever since Scene It? first launched as a DVD board game a few years ago, the series has spread from a huge variety of expansive board games, consoles, and mobile phones. I have previously enjoyed playing through all three Scene It? games on the Xbox 360 (although admittedly, the third in this series- Scene It? Bright Lights, Big Screen was a little poor), and so after hearing that Scene It? Movies 2 was available as a free download on the iPod App store, I decided to give it a go.
Scene It? Movies 2 successfully manages to incorporate all of the typical features of the Scene It games in a smaller form. A few changes were made in order to make this fit onto the iPod Touch, iPad and iPhone. The first was that video clips are still included, but there is only a limited amount on offer. The most welcome change is that Scene It? Movies 2 is devoid of a voice-over. For anyone who has played the console versions, you may remember how horribly irritating the voice-over guy gets. Apart from that, what you see here will be pretty much the same as in the other versions, which is great.
The gameplay is simple enough. Players will have to answer a number of questions as quickly and accurately as possible, in order to achieve a high score. Sometimes though, this gameplay is a little too simple. Film buffs will probably find the majority of questions on offer here way too easy. A harder difficulty curve should have been included, in order to give these film experts a tougher challenge.
Players can choose to play this with a bunch of friends by selecting the Pass n' Play mode. This allows you to pass theiPod Touch/iPad/iPhone around a bunch of friends as you take it in turns to answer film related questions. The multiplayer mode can be played via Bluetooth, and allows two players to complete through the same mode which can be enjoyed in single player.
The re playability factor comes in the form of unlockables. When a game is completed, there is a chance that you will unlock a cute cartoon of a famous scene from a recognisable movie. There are plenty to unlock, and it is a joy to look through them all. I definitely kept coming back until I had unlocked the entire bunch, just because I enjoyed the cute child-like drawings.
Unfortunately though, play it a few times and the questions begin to cycle. It becomes a little boring after you have realised you've answered all the questions and have memorised the answers. Also, once all the unlockables have been acquired, apart from striving to unlock the in-game achievements, there is not really much of a challenge left anymore. However, question cycling can be avoided by purchasing a few of the additional question packs. These will add questions from a multitude of genres, or focus on a particular actor (I purchased the "Jack Black & the Frat Pack" question set, as I think Jack Black, Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell and the rest are hilarious).
Overall, Scene It? Movies 2 is an excellent iPod game that provides a few hours replay before the formula gets a little tired. The ability to unlock achievements and bonus extras, such as the cute cartoon film stills adds in an extra challenge, and helps you to keep coming back for more. Film buffs will love the trivia, and the variety of film clips on offer, but I fear that many of them will find this game far too simple for the most part. The challenge is slightly upped by downloading additional question packs, but even then, this is only bumped up ever so slightly. Scene It? Movies 2 is a faithful adaptation of an already hugely successful film trivia series, and I definitely recommend downloading this for your iPod. The huge bonus is that it's free!
Fancy testing your reflexes? Tappi Bear All In One 2 definitely hands you this challenge. Also, if there was an award for "Cutest iPod Game", then Tappi Bear would win it, hands down. Originally released as separate games, Tappi Bear All In One 2 combines five of the series into one nifty little app. The five games to choose from are:
Tap Tap Spring Tap left and right on the iPod screen to a bear on a pogo stick up the screen via a series of platforms. Your score accumulates quicker if your bear picks up donuts during his epic bouncing, and if you manage to bounce him in a long succession without falling off a platform.
Tap Tap Spring features a charming little bear in a familiar red and blue dungarees combo. Clearly a nod to Mario here. It may seem simple at first, but the higher you progress up the screen, the harder the challenge becomes. Platforms will begin to get smaller and more spaced out.
Tappi Bubble Tappi Bubble uses the familiar "match three colours" format seen in games such as Bust-A-Move. In this brief little game, players must shoot bubbles at the ones descending from the top of the screen. The bubbles can be cleared once three or more bubbles of the same colour have been connected.
This is one of the most enjoyable mini-games in the collection, and can definitely get very addictive.
Rainbow Band The frantic gameplay of Tappi Bear is truly demonstrated here. Players get to conduct an orchestra of colourful birds by tapping the numbers above their heads in the right order. Time quickly runs out during this game, and panic sets in when you soon realise that this is much harder than it first seemed.
This is an enjoyable one if you have decent reflexes. To those who do not though, this may be a little too frustrating for the most part. Oh, but those little birds are damn cute though.
Tap Tap Kick This game sees Tappi Bear attempting to prevent his football from hitting the ground. This is achieved by tapping the football to make sure it stays in the air. Like all the other games, donuts can be picked up for a few more bonus points too.
I found this to be one of the most enjoyable games in this collection. Yes, once again it's brief, but this is a tricky game to master as you progress through your keepy-uppy challenge.
Donut Fever If you've ever played one of the Mochi Game's "Papa's Pizzeria" or "Papa's Burgers" games, then the gameplay offered in Donut Fever should at least be somewhat familiar to you.
Donut Fever sees you serving up different donut shapes, with a choice of different toppings, and icing colours to host of sweet-tooth customers. Mess up on three donut orders, and it is game over.
For the most part, Donut Fever is pretty simple, but it is quite easy to slip up on an order when you panic that the queue is getting longer, and more impatient. It's an easy game to get to grips with, and also a very enjoyable one too.
Tappi Bear All In One 2 is an adorable collection that is definitely worth picking up. There may not be much to each of the games, but the level of re-playability comes from the cute visuals, and the addictive nature of the gameplay.
The game adopts a series of Game Center achievements, as well as the ability to earn in-game cash to unlock a collection of cute wallpapers.
For an another overload of cute, be sure to check out Tappi Bear All In One 1.
Often a game comes along that leaves players itching to have "just one more go." This often results in subsequent tries after the first, until a good amount of time has passed. This is often a sign of a great game. Zookeeper DX Touch Edition is one of those games.
Originally released as an online puzzle game, Zoo Keeper was then ported onto the Nintendo DS in 2004. A Playstation edition shortly followed, and then everything was quiet on this games front. Fast forward seven years and Zoo Keeper was revived once again for the iPod, and entitled Zookeeper DX Touch Edition.
Fans of the original version will notice that the game play is the same here. The game play simply involves matching three of the same animals or more in lines in order to progress to the next level. As simple as this sounds, the difficulty (as expected from games like this) gets increasingly hard, until the point where panic sets in. Fail and it's right back to level one again. As disheartening as that may sound, it really isn't too much of a hardship. The addictive nature of the game play makes you want to keep attempting to beat your previous high score.
The matching into sets of three of more element has been tried and tested many times before (think Bejeweled for instance), but the cutesy animal graphics definitely set this apart.
Players have a choice of two modes, Normal, where you keep playing until the time runs out, and Tokoton, in which the player must catch 100 types of animals in order to progress to the next level. What is missing from the original is the Quest mode, which allowed players to complete a variety of challenges in order to move up the levels. This mode was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the original, so it seemed a shame that it was not included on the iPod edition.
Upon it's release, Zookeeper DX Touch Edition suffered from a number of bugs, including the occasional freezing screen and ratio problems. However, it appears that these problems have been ironed out now, and thankfully I have not encountered any more. I was somewhat disappointed that the leader-boards do not have the achievers name next to it. As someone who shares an iPod with another, it is hard to remember who scored what when there is no option to input a name next to a high score.
In conclusion, Zookeeper DX Touch Edition is a highly addictive puzzle game for the iPod. Whilst it may lack the Quest mode of the original game, the game play on offer is very accurate to the previous version, so fans should enjoy this. The cute graphics heighten the game's appeal, and add to the overall enjoyment. Whilst the game gets incredibly hard as the levels progress, it does sour the games experience. In fact, the challenge is welcoming, and helps to keep people coming back once again to attempt to beat their personal high score. At only 69p in the App store, this is quite a bargain when you realise you've pumped a considerable amount of hours into it. Just warning you one last time though, it IS addictive.
