After an exciting week of announcements, we’re on the job bringing you news from the world of iOS gaming, too. For our latest favourites from the App Store, click on through and prepare to play!
Waking Mars
Amid the wash of same-y titles that flood into the App Store each day, it’s encouraging to see a few talented developers working patiently on games that push the platform forward and bring something new to the table. Tiger Style, the folks behind the charming Spider: Secret of Bryce Manor, have just released their latest gem: Waking Mars.
Unlike most games involving aliens, you won’t be running around shooting things here. Instead, after your first-contact missions is trapped by a cave-in, your goal becomes one of survival, and you accomplish it by studying, cultivating and ultimately determining the fate of Mars’ ancient ecosystem. The game is vast, gorgeous and so engrossing as to rival some of the strongest console titles, with the kind of tight controls and presentation that make you forget you’re playing a game.
For anyone who appreciates a dose of sophistication and depth with their gaming, Waking Mars is sure to satisfy — and then some. Do not miss this delightful game!
Price: $4.99
Developer: Tiger Style
Download: App Store
Mass Effect: Infiltrator
Staying in space, we come to Mass Effect: Infiltrator. This entirely new game in the series, built especially for iOS by the folks behind the similar Dead Space experience, comes alongside Mass Effect 3 on the consoles to further expand the game’s significant plot.
Rather than playing as Commander Shepherd as you might expect, Infiltrator puts you in the shoes of rogue Cerberus agent Randall Ezno, who has become fed up with his organization’s lack of scruples and decides to take matters into his own hands. Gameplay is smartly designed, with intuitive and responsive tapping and swiping gestures to accomplish combat tasks, and you’ll find many upgrades, performance boosters, and biotic abilities available to use against the army of Cerberus henchmen you’ll encounter.
The best part, for fans of the series, is that the game is integrated with its console cousin in the sense that playing through and gathering intel and progress in the iOS game will affect your “Galactic Readiness” and “War Assets” ratings for Mass Effect 3. It’s a tremendous extension of the series and a perfect example of the proper way to expand a gaming experience on other platforms in a complementary way.
Price: $6.99
Developer: Electronic Arts
Download: App Store
(Force = Mass x Acceleration)
Next up is a familiar game, AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! (don’t worry, I’m fine, that’s actually what it’s called). Also known as (Force = Mass x Acceleration), this 2009 indie classic garnered great critical acclaim for its interesting free-falling, base-jumping, aerial-parkour antics. Yes, it’s pretty unusual.
While you’re falling, you are actually doing a number of things to rack up points: the proximity you pass buildings with will earn you points, you can spray-paint government buildings (stick it to the man!) and then, of course, there’s the amusing ability to give a thumbs-up to your fans or the finger to your protesters as you fall past them. The pace is quick and furious and your reflexes will be tested to the limit in this game — but the combination of presentation and gameplay polish makes it encouraging to try and improve your skills.
The game has made it to the iOS platform in fine shape, employing tilt controls and tapping in the expected ways to produce a control scheme that, in many ways, feels a lot stronger than the original. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you want to unleash your inner adrenaline junkie, just say AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!!
Price: $2.99
Developer: Dejobaan Games, LLC
Download: App Store
Fancy Pants
Speaking of iOS ports, yet another game from another platform has made its way onto our phones, and this time it’s a classic Flash title called Fancy Pants. You might have played one of Fancy Pants Man’s adventures already, but this one is brand new and made for the iPhone.
Playing as the iconic Fancy Pants Man (that’s him in the icon), you’ll be thrust into an adventure to save your sister from the worst pirates ever. The hand-drawn artwork is incredibly sleek and has been impeccably animated, to the point where the game feels so smooth and dynamic that you’ll feel like you’re playing one of the finer Rayman titles. A platformer at heart, Fancy Pants features new weapons and skills to use, as well as a series of unlockable costumes and items that you’ll earn by collecting stars in the levels.
Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer, Fancy Pants is one of those effortlessly charming games that should find its way to your phone for those moments of downtime where you need something from among the very best the App Store has to offer.
Price: $0.99
Developer: Brad Borne
Download: App Store
Neoteria
Our friends at OrangePixel, masters of the retro platformer, have begun to expand their horizons a bit as well with Neoteria, their newest release.
This time, you’ll find yourself piloting ships in a horizontal shoot-’em-up that takes back to the genre classics from the 80s/90s. The detailed pixel art is as fine and authentic as ever, and the monster enemy designs are particularly diverse. The controls take some getting used to since they’re button based rather than the more popular iOS approach in this genre which is to have auto-firing and swiping. Nevertheless, they work as advertised and offer an extra layer of authenticity, at the expense of some sore thumbs.
Hunt around for the hidden worlds and unlockable pilots, and if you’re feeling adventurous then give the hard mode a shot to get a taste of nostalgic gaming difficulty levels that will truly test your skills.
Price: $1.99
Developer: OrangePixel
Download: App Store
What Have You Been Playing?
Have a great weekend and let us know in the comments what you’ve been enjoying this week. See you next time!