iPhone Game Friday: New Releases

Those of you in the northern hemisphere will no doubt have noticed that the chilly season seems to be upon us. As I write this, the first snow of the season is drifting down outside, so…welcome to winter, everyone!

This week, we’ve got another sweet lineup of games for you, so grab some hot chocolate and snuggle up with one of these…

They Need To Be Fed

They Need To Be Fed

They Need To Be Fed

It may not be entirely in the spirit of the season, but there’s nothing wrong with a little kamikaze cuisine now and again. YoYo Games’ new platformer, They Need To Be Fed, introduces us to some ugly looking monsters at the beginning, indicating that it’s our responsibility to alleviate their hunger. Apparently we take our responsibility very seriously, because…we’re the food.

The darkly humorous premise is supported by eye-popping high-contrast vector artwork and smooth animations, but what really sets this little platformer apart is its ingenious gameplay mechanic. The game features a sort of omni-directional gravity system so that you’re never really concerned about “falling” off of a platform. You can launch yourself off in any direction with the simple jump and directional buttons, and once airborne you’ll be drawn to the closest object. The gravity is very finely tuned, which makes for a great sense of freedom without being too simple; as you progress through the levels, you’ll need to jump just right to avoid spikes and other obstacles while seeking out diamonds to collect.

At the end of each level, your reward is the bittersweet opportunity to jump into the waiting maw of the little black beasties. It’s not exactly catharsis, but the game is satisfying and addictive.

Price: $0.99
Developer: YoYo Games
Download: App Store

Wispin

Wispin

Wispin

If you liked the colourful look of our previous title then Wispin will also be to your liking. Wispin is a colour-matching game wrapped in an arcade framework with pretty visuals and two different gameplay modes — each of which offer endless levels of increasing challenge.

Each level pits you against encroaching waves of coloured baddies called “Bloopers”. Controlling Wispin (either with an onscreen joystick or tilt controls), you use your right thumb to change Wispin’s colour to match that of the Blooper you want to attack. It’s a pretty fresh and enjoyable system that’s easy to pick up, but a clever combo mechanic and plenty of funny weapons, powerups, and bonuses will keep you coming back to perfect your skills.

The game sympathetically offers support for left-handed players and the colourblind, which if nothing else shows that the folks at GrumpyFace Studios have a lot more heart than their name might lead you to believe. Wispin’s definitely worth a look, so grab it now while it’s hot (and on sale)!

Price: $0.99 (Launch Sale)
Developer: GrumpyFace Studios
Download: App Store

Magic Life

Magic Life

Magic Life

Magic Life is another game in the burgeoning simulation genre and is very much in the vein of We Rule, except that instead of overlording above a city or town or farm, you are in control of a magical apprentice on an island.

After creating your character, you begin completing quests and customizing your home. The art style is an attractive cel-shaded look reminiscent of recent mobile Zelda titles, and you will find that there is plenty to keep you busy on the island. The quests are fairly standard fantasy RPG fare — collect this, combine those, zap the other, etc. — but the added personalization and commerce systems make Magic Life feel vibrant and fun.

You can also invite friends and turn them into animals, visit their rooms, and more. Partway between a sim and an RPG, Magic Life strikes a fine balance and offers some rewarding gameplay — at a good price!

Price: Free
Developer: Glu Games
Download: App Store

Elevator Zombies

Elevator Zombies

Elevator Zombies

Between the groovy music, linear gameplay, and solid artwork, Elevator Zombies has a lot to offer.

There are several game modes, but the basic premise remains the same: as Teddy, navigate through zombie-infested buildings and collect items to achieve your objectives and ultimately save your girlfriend Lily. There are a lot of fun weapons to collect and use against the zombies, and although there are no achievements (yet) to collect, you are always encouraged to struggle for a better score. The most significant element working against Elevator Zombies is the relatively small size of the virtual D-pad buttons — it can make for some frustrating mid-level slips.

Nevertheless, there’s more to like about this game than dislike. It’s legitimately fun and the smooth difficulty curve eases you in. Updates are sure to address the D-pad issue and add more levels, so you may as well grab it and push through the first set of levels for now!

Price: $0.99
Developer: Trinity Interactive Limited
Download: App Store

Plasma Globe

Plasma Globe

Plasma Globe

Plasma Globe is one of those games that you get to impress your friends with your fancy touch-screen phone. It’s exactly what you expect it to be: an interactive plasma globe like the one you used to have in your basement, but what you might not expect is that it’s actually a game too.

Admittedly, there’s not much to the actual game aspect at this point, but it’s nevertheless a fun little time waster. Once you start, “enemy” circles begin approaching your globe from all sides, and you need to touch them when they’re in range to zap them with a plasma bolt until they’re destroyed. At the start, when there’s only one at a time, it’s a cinch, but when you start needing to use multiple fingers and the enemies get larger and more resilient, it actually gets to be quite challenging.

Either way, Plasma Globe is a beautiful-to-look at app that’s interesting to interact with. The fact that it even has the added benefit of a mini-game built in is icing on the cake. The free cake.

Price: Free
Developer: Infinite Dreams Inc.
Download: App Store

What Have You Been Playing?

We hope you enjoy our selection, and if you found some other great titles that you’d like to share with others then let us know in the comments so we can all play!

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