Hoggy Review

Game: Hoggy

Developer: Raptisoft

Price: $3

Hoggy Home Screen

When I first saw this game I thought it was another random touch game that shoots to the top then quickly falls into obscurity. I downloaded it though and gave it a try. It has a Mario-ish feel with bright colours and a similar art style.

The point of the game is to collect all the fruit in a level in order to acquire a key, which you then collect until you have enough to move to the next set of stages. Then you continue to collect keys and so forth and so on. While this may sound boring at first there is quite a bit of gameplay in this game, and it goes on for a bit. There are enemies to hinder your quest for fruity goodness, and if you touch them you lose the level. It is controlled entirely by touch and tilt, but that works for this game.

The touch controls actually work extremely well, and I haven’t had a single problem with them. Tilting also works beautifully, and accelerates when tilted more extremely. The art in this game is quite appeasing, and looks like Mario goes anime. The the black lines are more defined and the colours brighter, the monsters and characters are all bubbly and happy looking.

While this game is fun I would not recommend running out and immediately buying it. The game play gets a tad repetitive after a while and eventually is only fun in one stage bursts. I have fun with this game every once in a while, but it is not something that I play everyday.

Rating: Buy for $0.99

Bouncedown Review

Game: Bouncedown

Developer: Jagex

Price: Free

Bouncedown Home Screen

I downloaded this game while surfing the Top 50s of free and paid apps. This was near the top of the free list so I decided to give it a try. This game is similar to games such as Lima Jump or Papi Jump. The only difference between these games is that in Bouncedown you are trying to go, surprisingly, down.

You attempt to avoid getting impaled by spikes at the top of the screen, and incinerated by the flames at the bottom of the screen.

You accomplish this goal by hopping from platform to platform, which began to increase in speed as the game progresses. There are multiple control schemes, but I find the touch controls to work the best for me. Nothing is really wrong with this game, and it is fun in short bursts. It does get boring after a while though, but it at least provides entertainment for a bit.

I would suggest downloading this game, as it is free and rather fun. Eventually it will get boring, but until then you will have a fair amount of fun hoping from platform to platform avoiding death.

Rating: Download It

Rebirth of Fortune Review

Game: Rebirth Of Fortune

Developer: Dotomachi

Price: $0.99

The Rebirth of Fortune Homescreen

There are plenty of people who love Final Fantasy and all games associated with it. I am one of those people to an extent (I stress the to an extent part). I think the best thing Final Fantasy has ever done is invented a large amount of classes. I have played every Final Fantasy Tactics game, and always love being able to go through and build my team to match my play style. I start with all of this because this game is a smaller version of Final Fantasy Tactics.

This game was another that I picked up after reading the description. Once I saw that it played like FF: Tactics I was almost sold, as I was not sure if it only contained the play style, and not the unlockable classes. After seeing that it was possible to unlock classes I immediately downloaded and started playing.

I’ve played through quite a few stages now, and have unlocked all classes but one(the ninja). While I wish there were a few more classes, the ones provided are varied enough to suffice. Each unit can be upgraded with points earned from completing scenarios, and unit level ups are required in order to unlock other classes. The game play is simple and touched based, and the unit design is eye-pleasing. The stages are no-nonsense in design, and feature a chess board base, the engaged units, and nothing else.

There are 8 classes total, which are enough for this game, but one can always hope for more in a future update. Each class has a special attack, and some even have multiple specials. They all seem very balanced, and it never feels like one unit or another is game-breakingly broken. The interface and game mechanics are wonderful and there are no superfluous menus or buttons. My only minor complaint is that it is sometimes hard to select a specific unit when many are clumped, but that is not a huge problem. It only means you have to touch twice, as opposed to once.

I would highly recommend this game to everyone, and to those who enjoyed Final Fantasy Tactics, I implore you to purchase this game immediately, as I can guarantee you will enjoy it. I am still playing this game and leveling up my units, and enjoying it. It also works as a quick pick up and play game, as you can quit at any time.

Rating: Buy It

Battleship Review

Game: Battleship

Developer: EA

Price: $2.99

Cannons Primed

Everyone remembers Battleship from way back in the day. It was an awesome two person game but it was always a pain to sort the red and white pegs out. The set-up and clean up were always rather drawn out ordeals, but this game solves it.

It has three game modes, a superweapon mode, one called salvo where you get one shot for each ship you have, and the regular mode. I personally enjoy the superweapon mode the most because it has quite an extensive unlock system, in which you unlock powers by sinking certain numbers of ships. This game also supports two-player games in many ways. You can play with someone next to you with the pass and play mode, use the bluetooth mode, or play over Wi-Fi. There is not much wrong with this game, but EA did a lot of things right.

My only problem with the game is a minor problem with the touchscreen controls, but even that is not a huge complaint. On the other there are lots of things I enjoy in this game. The unlockable superpowers all feel different from each other and are balanced quite well. Kills you get in other modes also go towards unlocking powers, so you do not need to play in one specific game mode. The pricing of this game is also very nice. It is not extremely expensive, like Sims 3, so there are more people who can pick it up.

The people I have shown this game to seem to really enjoy it, and even my father has a good time with it. I would recommend this game to anyone, as all age groups seem to love it. Since it’s Battleship almost everyone will understand how to play it as well. For its current price I would definitely suggest picking it up.

Rating: Buy It

Colosseum Review

Game: Colosseum
Developer: Biscuit Games
Price: 1.99

Colosseum Home Screen

There have been games like Colosseum before, and I am sure there will be similar games afterwards. This game is like Inkvaders and Zombieville, a side-scrolling touch shooter with upgradeable weapons. Instead of aliens and zombies, this game uses orcs as its main enemies. It is a same formula different skin situation, but it pulls it off nicely.

The game has a huge selection of weapons. Not only that but there are also armour upgrades. Everything you would ever need to stay alive can be upgraded. Well, except for the potions, but they are not meant to be upgraded. Each weapon has its own purpose and stats, which make it different from all the other weapons.

There are a few negatives about this game though. First off, the weapons do not have a huge amount of upgrades, most seem to max out at three upgrades. This is not terrible because of the vast selection of weapons. My only big problem is that some of the weapons feel like others, and sometimes I could not tell a difference between two weapons. This is not a deal breaker though, and it is still fun regardless.

I would highly recommend this game, especially for $2 as there is a fair amount of gameplay. I really enjoy this game and am still having a fun time playing it and trying to unlock all my weapon upgrades.

Rating: Buy It Full Price

Sudoku Review

Game: Sudoku
Developer: Mighty Mighty Good Games
Price: Free

As you can see this game is free, so there is no reason not to pick it up. The App Store is flooded with Sudoku apps from so many different developers, and it seems as though who can type some code has a Sudoku app on the store. Slogging through all the sludge can be very difficult and rather tedious, so I have done it for you.

This is the winner of my search, and it passed with flying colours. It has four different difficulties and, of course, randomly generated puzzles. The amount of gameplay this offers is far beyond every RPG in existence. That doesn’t mean it will actually come through on it, but in theory it offers an almost infinite amount of gameplay. I would highly suggest picking it up though because it is definitely the best Sudoku app on the market currently.

Rating: Get it because it’s free

Parking Break Review

Game: Parking Break
Developer: Orz Games Inc.
Price: $1.99

Parking Break Home Screen

I remember as a child playing a game extremely similar to Parking Break. You need to move the cars around in order to allow one car to exit. This is a very simple game with a lot of gameplay. There are a huge amount of levels, and the difficulty increases as your progress through the game. While you may think I spelled the title wrong, it would be the developers if anything.

I have a lot of fun with this game, and when I don’t feel like pounding an hour or so into an RPG I will play this because its good quick fun. While it may not be great to play for long stretches of time it was not designed for that. The game is meant to be played in short bursts of gameplay, consisting of three or so levels every time. The controls also work very well, and the touch screen makes it seem as though you are playing the game on a board again. While the graphics may seem child like, they compliment the game well because if they were too detailed then it would look horrid with everything going on.

This game has been one of my most played games for a bit now, and I recommend that most people go and pick it up. If you do not like puzzle games like this, then I would suggest not buying it full price, but one would have to be foolish not to buy it for $1.

Rating: Buy it for full price

Dungeon Hunter Review

Game: Dungeon Hunter
Developer: Gameloft
Price: $4.99

Dungeon Hunter Home Screen

I have seen this game floating around on the App store for a bit now and it has been high up on the RPG game charts for a while now. I finally decided to fold and buy the game because I was looking for a new RPG to play on my iTouch. After long, careful deliberation I picked up Dungeon Hunter for $5. It definitely seems to be worth the money and I am having a blast with. I have not yet put 60 plus hours into it as I have with Zenonia, but it is a viable option.

For those of you have heard of Torchlight, this game closely resembles it. For those who have not heard of Torchlight you should, one, go research it and buy it, and two, it means that this game closely resembles Diablo in its loot system. There are your standard three classes to choose from; rogue, warrior, and magician. The loot is randomly generated and your chances of getting good drops can vary. The combat is rather smooth, and you can allocate skill and stat points to increase your characters strength.

Stat and skill point distribution are a RPG lover’s wet dream. They allow your character to be customized to your play style and allows you to go unrestricted. If this single point sells you on a game then you’re set because the way they handle it is nice. You unlock skills at various levels, but in order to use them you need to put points into them. Combat also flows rather well, and will auto-target your next target after you have finished your current one. It takes a bit of moving to select a different enemy, but usually it is easier to kill whichever enemy is targeted. After raving so much about Borderlands it would seem rather obvious that I am a sucker for random loot drops. While the loot in this game is nice, it is not what I hoped for, but I will get into that later. And of course, the class options. While they are not bad classes, I would like to see a little more innovation, or at least a branch out from those classes. This is not a problem with this game though, more of an issue with all RPGs. The classes play well though, and each does what is expected of it.

The Class Selection Screen

I really enjoy this game, and there are only two minor complaints I have about this game. My main complaint is the loot system, because while I may like it in console games I cannot stand it in iTouch games. Under some conditions I can bear it, but having very little distinction between items, save a +1 DEX bonus does not work well on this platform. The loot system is not a major complaint of mine, and there is not much that can be done about it, but set loot drops are nice sometimes. My only other complaint, which is so minor that I almost did not mention it, are the controls. They are a little touchy at times, but once you get used to them they are not a problem at all.

I would recommend this game to everyone, and I have already turned some of my friends onto it. It offers hours of fun and gameplay, and if you are the type of person who loves to hunt for the best drop then this game is for you. If you are tight on money and are looking for a cheap game I would wait until it came down to $2-3, but that is only if you are really tight on cash. This game offers so much gameplay that $5 seems like such a small price to pay.

Rating: Buy it, even for $5

Epic Pet Wars Review

Game: Epic Pet Wars
Developer: Miraphonic
Price: Free-$40.00

Epic Pet Wars Homescreen

Games like Epic Pet Wars have been around for a while now, and exist mainly on Facebook. The procedure is rather simple and routine; level up, buy better equipment, level up some more. This format has been used for many games of the same type, an example being the Mob and Vampire games that clog up the App Store. Epic Pet Wars, or EPW, manages to distinguish itself in a crowded field. It has a large amount of pets to choose from, you actually partake in the battle as opposed to simply clicking a button, and it has a huge community.

While all the pets for adoption may not be free, EPW does a good job of releasing free pets every once in a while. They follow the same format as similar games though, making use of “Respect” points that can be purchased with real money. Occasionally EPW gives away respect points for free, and they are often accompanied by a new pet. The battle system is what makes this game stand out from others of its kind. It has the user participate in battle, allowing them to use items and spells in an attempt to gain the upper-hand. By making the user feel engaged there is a far larger chance of them continuing to play. The large community is also a plus because you never run out of foes to fight. While you will need to add people using friend codes to battle later level bosses, these codes are easily obtained. There are huge lists of them floating around the internet, and most people will instantly add you.

I really do enjoy this game, and have lots of fun playing it. It is meant to be played in short bursts, and for that purpose it is entertaining. I almost have a level 200 pet and a few level 100 ones. This shows not only how much I play the game, but also that I enjoy to play that much. By the way, my friend code is guaqel if you need a friend.

Rating: Try it, it’s free

Ninja TD review

Info: Ninja TD
Crazy Carpenter
Rating: Buy for $2

Start Screen

This was yet another game that I downloaded on a whim off of my genius tab. Unlike my previous review of Moonlight Minions I felt this one was definitely worth the $2 spent. Ninja TD has beautiful artwork, as Moonlight Minions, and the same amount of towers. The striking artwork seems to have become a tower defense game staple and that is fine with me. The way the game plays also shows that it has some order and thought put into the progression of the game.

The progression of the game is masterful, as it unlocks towers and magic powers while you play through the game. You begin with two towers and can eventually expand your repertoire to five. There are also special powers in the game, five in total, that each have their own use. There is one that returns an enemy to the beginning and another that nets you more gold per kill, for example. I cannot say enough about the art style of this game, because I simply love it. Each tower has three evolutions and each one improves upon the look.

There is not much bad about this game. Almost nothing irks me about it or makes it difficult to play. It is very well designed, and it shows. I cannot stop playing this game, and have played it for close to two weeks straight now. I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Whether you are a tower defense game fan or not this is a definite buy it for $2. It is a great intro to those new to the genre, and a decent challenge for those seasoned veterans.