Some of you might be having flashbacks at this screen shot of Sega’s Golden Axe. Golden Axe was once an arcade game designed for some side-by-side multiplayer action, but it is now is an iPhone game/app that allows for multiplayer action via Bluetooth. If you think that is cool, get a load of the game’s basic premise:
Three mighty heroes, a powerful Fighter, a female Amazon, and a mighty Dwarf have a score to settle with the evil Death Adder who has captured the King and his daughter, and holds them captive in their castle. Choose your hero in this classic action game, as you fight through Adder’s henchman as you battle through dark castles, on the back of a giant turtle, and even on the wings of an enchanted eagle with weapon & magic; and even ride the fearsome, fire-breathing beasts.
If you want it, go and get it on the iTunes store for about $0.99.
I’ve actually lost count of how many times we reported on Angry Birds, like when it was available for free for Android, and it is due for a sequel.
I’m not talking about the Halloween edition. This one is Angry Pigs, and it is told from the Pigs point of view. Apparently, the pigs have stolen the bird’s eggs, and the birds must slingshot themselves to attack the pigs.
So, is this like Donkey Kong Jr., where the hero of Donkey Kong, Mario, is now the villain? We shall see, and see how well it goes over.
Developer: Retro Dreamer
Price: $1.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPad, iPhone 3G
Graphics / Sound Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Game Controls Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Gameplay Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replay Value Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 4.38 out of 5 stars
The App Store lacks not for match-3 games. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of them on the App Store in one form or another, as people just seemingly can’t get enough of them. It’s very easy to become jaded of the genre as a whole, until a game like Linkoidz brings more of an arcade-style intensity that is rarely seen in other iOS match-3 games, and you’re reminded of why there are so many to begin with.
Linkoidz is similar to a game like Magical Drop, where the objects you match are descending upon you from the heavens, and your goal is to make matches by pulling the Linkoidz down into your queue, and launching them back up into the playing field to match 3 or more. Then, any identical Linkoidz that are in contact with the match are eliminated as well. As the Linkoidz stack up past a certain point, it starts to wear down your shield bar, so you must clear up the stacks of Linkoidz to allow your shield to regenerate. It’s a mechanic that can be tricky to explain in words, but it takes only a minute or two to understand when you actually play it.
Linkoidz may be a match-3 game, but it is fun. It has an intense pace to it, and many of the more challenging levels in the progression require a level of focus and on your feet planning that is more akin to an action game (or to a puzzle game like Tetris) when it gets very difficult. You can play through 30 levels with individual objectives, or in Endless, Sprint, and Zen modes, giving you a great variety of modes to play with. Thankfully, the controls work exceptionally well, being very accurate as you quickly swipe up and down rows and columns to pull down and shoot back up Linkoidz, even when you’re under pressure to swap around pieces quickly. As well, the game is a universal app, running in native mode on the iPad, and with Retina Display graphics on those devices that support it. For leaderboards, achievements and challenges, the game supports both OpenFeint and Game Center.
The biggest problem with Linkoidz is that the graphics are kind of lifeless at times. While the Linkoidz and special enemies that you have to eliminate are all animated, everything else, especially the hero character who shoots the Linkoidz feels a bit static. He doesn’t feel like a character, he feels like a piece of computer artwork that occasionally moves around to what happens on screen.
Even if this is a match-3 game, the faster action-oriented pace of the game makes it feel much more fun than other games in the puzzle genre. There are a ton of match-3 games on the App Store, but Retro Dreamer has something special here. Linkoidz is frantic and addictive, exactly what great puzzle games should be. Even if you’re jaded on match-3 games, Linkoidz is worth playing.
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within HD: That crazy Prince of Persia is back on the App Store. This time he is looking to conquer your iPad with some sexy HD goodness. Take on 12 chapters of fighting, platforming, and puzzle solving goodness. Gameloft has taken their successful iPhone game, beefed it up and brought it for all to enjoy on the iPad. See what console fans have enjoyed for months.
Released: 2010-06-03 :: Category: Games / Adventure
SEED 2 – Vortex of War: Chillingo brings on a grindtastic sequel to their RPG series SEED. SEED 2 is set five years after the first game. 200 battlefields, 160 different monsters, hours of leveling, and an engaging store lie in this action RPG. Setup your hero and tackle quests, monsters, and a world that is ever changing. Even compete to rock the leader boards thanks to Crystal integration.
iPhone App – Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-09-14 :: Category: Games / Role Playing
Time Crisis 2nd Strike Namco is here to bring you another fun on-rails shooter just for the iPhone. Ten levels of shooting goodness are here to suck away hours of time. Players can even unlock achievements or see how well they can do in the Competition Modes. The only thing missing here is a lightgun and a slot to pump in a weeks allowance worth of quarters.
iPhone App – Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-09-15 :: Category: Games / Action
AppShopper: AppShopper takes looking for new apps to the next level. This app brings the power of the AppShopper internet site directly to your iOS device. Look through popular apps, see what’s new, track apps you own in the My Apps section, and create an app wish list. This is a great addition to any App Store Junkies iDevice.
+ Universal App – Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-09-07 :: Category: Utilities
CBS Sports Pro Football: Football season is now in full swing. All this excitement and you have to work?! What ever will you do to monitor the games while you slave away? CBS Sports Pro Football is here to help. You get up to the minute NFL scores, streaming previews, reviews, and interviews, and the ability to watch all 32 teams dueling it out for the change at Super Bowl Glory. If you need your NFL fix in a pinch, grab this free app now.
HTC had a big announcement today with the Desire HD and the Desire Z Android phones, but they also have a new service with HTC Sense Interface.
This Sense UI includes an ability to switch more quickly amongst home screens and a graphical contacts list. It also includes a locations application for finding nearby attractions using footprints, and also includes the ability to apply effects to photos and an aged sepia-tone look.
Another improvement is the mapping feature which includes zooming and panning operations, as well as a built-in compass.
All in all, it sounds pretty good, and even includes the Kobo e-reader software.
Some of you might be having flashbacks at this screen shot of Sega’s Golden Axe. Golden Axe was once an arcade game designed for some side-by-side multiplayer action, but it is now is an iPhone game/app that allows for multiplayer action via Bluetooth. If you think that is cool, get a load of the game’s basic premise:
:: CONSOLE GOODNESS
HTC had a big announcement today with the 
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