We’re closing in on the holidays, and that means there are a ton of exciting shopping opportunities to tempt you. If you’re looking to have some fun without breaking the bank though, here are a few new games from the App Store that we’ve been enjoying…
Mini Motor Racing
There seems to be a division in the world of racing games. People either want them to be as realistic as possible, or they enjoy cartoony cart racing. Mini Motor racing follows in the footsteps of Mario Kart, and especially ModNation Racers to deliver a portable racing experience that celebrates its goofy cartoon style.
There is a good variety of content including 20 tracks and various upgradeable and customizable carts — including a special Fruit Ninja one, courtesy of HalfBrick! A lot of effort went into the visual design of this game, and while that means there are some stability issues on older devices, anyone playing on a newer iOS device is going to appreciate the colourful and detailed environments and vehicle models.
My favourite feature is the inclusion of iCloud sync for your game data — this should be a standard feature on all new games, so it’s great to see developers adopting it. Fans of an even grander experience will be happy to know that the game supports AirPlay mirroring too, so you can enjoy the action on your nearest TV. This one’s a no-brainer, folks. Get racing!
Price: $1.99
Developer: The Binary Mill
Download: App Store
Sonic CD
Poor Sonic. After enjoying immense popularity in his golden years, he suffered some unfortunate sequels that pushed him out of the spotlight. SEGA wants to redeem all of that though, bringing the speedy hedgehog to the iPhone in a remastered version of the 1993 cult classic: Sonic CD.
The story of Sonic’s adventures in Never Lake are brought back to life in glorious Retina beauty, with the same blistering gameplay that fans of the series will love. Newcomers may not have an attachment to the characters, but anyone can enjoy the challenge and exhilaration of controlling Sonic through each stage, collecting rings and pushing for a better time.
Now that GameCenter is enabled, you’ll be able to compare those scores to your friends easily, and the ability to unlock Tails as well means there’s plenty of incentive to play through this old gem once more.
Trenches II
One of the most popular side-scrolling strategy games in the history of the App Store, Trenches made warfare fun and its new sequel recaptures that spirit on a grander scale.
The campaign now spans more than 50 locations, and the number of units and upgrades available for them has also evolved to match. Struggling through environmental hazards and enemy placements is tough, and you’ll grow attached to your little minions as you advance through the levels. Luckily, you have a healthy arsenal at your disposal, so you’ll rarely feel outmatched in terms of military might. Just put your strategic hat on and you’ll be fine.
If you’re more social, you can hook up with friends over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth in either a cooperative global campaign, or a one-on-one battle. It works very smoothly and adds an extra layer of tension to the already compelling gameplay. If you’re a fan of the first game, or of this kind of game in general, Trenches 2 brings a lot to the table in a very well polished package.
Price: $1.99
Developer: Thunder Game Works
Download: App Store
Kaptain Brawe: A Brawe New World
The adventure game gurus at G5 have recently released their latest creation: Kaptain Brawe: A Brawe New World, the story of a space police officer.
You know what to expect from a point-and-poke adventure game, and Kaptain Brawe doesn’t stray far from the formula there, but it does offer a quirky story that more than makes up for any lack of innovation in the gameplay. Your goal is to track down two missing alien scientists across four planets, each with tens of individual locations.
As with their previous titles, the art direction remains tremendously strong, with beautiful and richly drawn environments and expressive character art. The game will let you play for free up to a certain point, and you can unlock the rest of the campaign for $4.99 from within the game — which is steep but justifiable given the fairly lengthy story.
Price: Free
Developer: G5 Entertainment
Download: App Store
The Sims FreePlay
Last up is the newest member of The Sims family: The Sims FreePlay. This is actually an entirely new title based on The Sims 3 but focused on keeping the experience compact, mobile, and free.
You’ll be able to make up to 16 Sims to play with, and you can have fun making houses, activities, and social interactions with them. Your relationship with other Sims influences how your little town grows, and therefore what career and social opportunities exist for the community. It isn’t extremely deep, but the replay value is still way beyond what most games offer, and it retains the same quirky sense of style and humour as the rest of the series.
As you play, you’ll collect Lifestyle Points by achieving goals (think of these like missions). These can be spent on new items and will give you a tangible, day-to-day gameplay goal to pursue while you develop your characters. Sim fans everywhere ought to enjoy this portable freebie.
Price: Free
Developer: Electronic Arts
Download: App Store
What Have You Been Playing?
That’s this week’s roundup for you — let’s hear your favourites in the comments!