Jun 18, 2013

Humble is back with another bundle featuring a variety of Android games, with the Humble Bundle with Android 6.

This is actually the 7th mainline bundle to feature Android games, though like the other “for/with Android” bundles, this features PC, Mac, and Linux versions of the games along with the Android versions. There’s a variety of previously-released games along with some titles making their Android debuts.

Aquaria: This open-world undersea adventure game is making its Android debut. Players control the mermaid Naija as she tries to recover her memory. This one is on Android after a long while: the original game released on PC in 2007, winning the Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival, and after an iPad release in 2011.

Fractal: Cipher Prime’s puzzle game makes its Android debut as well. This music-based game has players making chains and working with pieces while the music beats away at 130 BPM. Cipher Prime is responsible as well for Auditorium and Pulse, the latter of which is also part of this bundle as an Android exclusive.

Frozen Synapse: The previous two games are making their Android debuts, this is actually making its pre-release debut. The turn-based strategy game features a unique movement and action assignment system that makes it easy to assign one’s squad accurate actions. All this comes in a unique visual style. The game is in a ‘late beta’ state that may not work perfectly on all devices until it’s finished. Frozen Synapse is optimized for tablets.

Organ Trail: Director’s Cut: Die of dysentery or having your brains munched on by the living dead in this take on zombie-filled take on Oregon Trail by Chicago-based The Men Who Wear Many Hats.

Stealth Bastard Deluxe: This 2D stealth game, making its Android debut, has players trying to sneak through 80 levels of traps dessigned to catch players. Become the unseen!

Broken Sword: Director’s Cut: This classic point-and-click adventure game makes its way to Android, expanding on the acclaimed gameplay of the original.

The bundle includes DRM-free downloads of all the games for PC, Mac, Linux, and Android. As well, the soundtracks are included for all the games! The bundle is available through July 1st.

Jun 18, 2013

PicAround is an event camera app that connects the images from all your friends and shares them into a single folder. It’s a simple way to see the images that others take at an event without having to track them down and view it from their camera. All photos get shared in one photo album, instantly.

Jun 18, 2013

In case you haven’t noticed, the kitty saving and flame evading game, Jones on Fire, now has a free version for you to play. While href=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gbg.jonesonfirepromo” target=”_blank”>Jones on Fire Free features ads, you can still enjoy 10 levels of side-scrolling gameplay while running and jumping to save the kitties! Check it out and save some kitties!

Jun 18, 2013

Little Nick is a running game game that is based on the popular Nicolas TV and books character. It’s a running game, and the abbreviated top-down view is quite reminiscent of endless runners like Temple Run.

In this adventure, we ditch jungle temples and crazed monkey-ish beasts for somewhat suburban streets and Mr Goodman in pursuit. And, we get a bike!

For background, Nick is framed for the dastardly destruction of a window, and takes off out the property gates on his two-wheeler to escape the vengeful Goodman after him. But these city streets are littered with obstacles, making escape especially hard. The graphics were more than decent, with good animations.

The cycling Nick goes forward on his own, and using tilt motions, it is possible to steer him to the left or right while going forward. This helps to avoid the debris that line — mostly blocked — the escape route. As in Temple Run, swiping up and down causes Nick to jump or slide respectively.

I liked the inventive obstacles put into play: there are things like fire hydrants with intermittent spray, road hurdles of different heights, and even cars in intersections. Additionally, there are collectible gold coins and ice cream cones. The gold coins are usable in the in-app store to purchase upgrades (fun stuff like speed boosts or coin magnets) that make the game more exciting to play. The game also incorporates a ton of challenges. These challenges are generally thresholds that, when attained, unlock a reward of some kind. The way this all ties in together is nifty, as it encourages symbiotic play… play to unlock stuff that makes playing easier. The challenges themselves were fairly varied, like getting a set number of ice cream cones or traveling a certain distance in one go. The boosts were leveled, meaning that they were staggered in their increases.

Overall, it was familiar enough without being a clone, and that’s just one of the reasons it can be so addictive.

Jun 18, 2013

Neon Snap is one of those games that soothes the mine just by looking it. With the tetrominoes and gridded space, it is practically impossible to not think of Tetris, if just a little. It’s advisable to avoid getting too caught up in the similarities, as Neon Snap sorta turns the gameplay over on its head.

The developer uses simple graphics to frame the game. With a mostly dark backgrounds, the play pieces are brightly colored, and the color of the pieces depends on their respective shapes. The animations are decent; rotations are handled in a utilitarian manner, and everything comes together with a minimalist feel.

The gameplay, as noted, will bring Tetris to mind, with the colored blocks I have already mentioned. Instead of said blocks cascading to the bottom and toiling against the player’s desire to treat the resulting wall down, in Neon Snap, raw puzzle solving is more basic. There is an empty playing grid in each level, and a set number of pieces of varying shapes at the bottom. The grid space has to be completely covered with the given pieces. To solve, the given pieces have to be dragged and places in a space above… and so on and so forth till the grid is completely fuel with no empty grid blocks.

Blocks can be rotated, replaced and shifted until it is completely solved. Rotations can be effected by touching the tetrinome, or simply using the dedicated rotating button at the bottom left.

Now, on paper, it’s not an overly difficult endeavor, but add the game progresses, it gets tougher, and tougher. The grids start becoming highly irregular, with a limited array of blocks.

There are different difficulty levels of gameplay to get lost in, and the unlocked version of the game boasts of of more than a hundred different mind benders.

It starts out as a fun game, and concludes as such, which makes it such a compelling entry.

Jun 17, 2013

Jongla, a free messaging service for mobile devices, is trying to make mobile messaging more cross-platform and more dynamic with more media options. The app, recently updated on Android, allows for users who register with their phone (sorry tablet users, the app isn’t supported yet) to send messages to other users of Jongla, be they on iOS, the upcoming Windows Phone version, or most interestingly, on the web. Jongla features an HTML5 client that lets its users read and send their messages from any web browser. Take that, iMessage!

Jongla’s newest feature is the ability to easily share YouTube videos from within the app. Tapping the + icon to share media now features a YouTube option. This pulls up a mobile web view for YouTube’s site, which then makes it easy to search for videos, or to check out the top videos featured on YouTube’s front page. Then, tap the send arrow, and a link to the video will be added to the message to be sent to your contact. Simple as that.

Jongla is available for free from Google Play.

Jun 17, 2013

Blendoku is different… very different, and, I got to say that is a very good thing.

It’s a game that almost has to be seen (and played) to be thoroughly explained and enjoyed. The game engine spits out a 2D grid of blocks, with more squares of color suspended in an area above; the number depends on the number of empty boxes below. Every grid has at least one color square already placed, and it/they serve(s) as starter squares.

Now, to complete a level, the colors have to be set in roughly a blended fashion. Think bright colors to brighter colors, or vice-versa. The key is to bend the colors as naturally as possible to solve the puzzle. A keen eye and the ability to mentally process hues helps. For Instance, if going, say, from light grey to black, putting a darker shade of grey before a light one won’t solve the puzzle.

Yeah, and action is timed.

As the gameplay levels get higher, the difficulty of the puzzles rise as well. Soon, the grids were not just flat strips; there were irregularly shaped grids, and some in the shape of diamonds, pyramids and so forth. The color mixing also gets more complex, with brighter colors making an appearance. For different types of players, there are four different levels of difficulty.

The controls were precise, with dragging and dropping being the main means of movement. For tough sequences, there is a redo button and an exhaustible reverse toggle.

The feature set is just about perfect for the casual gamer. There is a global time leaderboard that allows the player to compare times to; there is also a local one that allows the player to challenge his/her own best times. The games gives out recognition for perfection.

Looks-wise, it is a simple game, but the developer incorporates nice animations and uses the color to make a fun game with a minimalist environment. The gameplay sound is a cheery accompaniment that does a decent job. In-app purchasing does exist, but isn’t necessary to advance.

It’s a fun game, and comes close to being the perfect time-waster.

Jun 17, 2013

Flying Fox is a puzzle-solving adventure from Chilingo.

Scoundrel foxes have never been more adorable. Our main character, personified as a crafty black fox, reopens the long time feud between canids and poultry farmers. Basically, the fox is hungry, but the chickens in this caper are not necessarily willing to sacrifice themselves for the fox’s culinary delight.

The basic gameplay involves guiding a levitating fox to swoop down to catch chickens. There is a virtual line in the air that denotes success when a snatched chicken is carried to that point. Using the controls, you dive with the fox, snatch a bird and carry it back up, and so on.

The game picks up in different ways. The level of difficulty increases, with barricaded hens soon making an appearance. In these levels, the player has to, at first, pick up and use heavy, dense items to break in and get the chickens. To up the pressure, there are countdown timers that have to be beaten, as coming in slow causes failure. The game branches into dynamite, walled flyways and more the further in one gets.

I like the controls; choice is a good think, and if there is one thing that Flying Fox gives, it is choice of control. It can be played via virtual joysticks,mainly with accelerometer (along with a dive button), or all-touch. I like when I can choose how to play games such as these, and I tend to use different controls configurations based on the screen real estate of the device I am playing on… for example, I just find touch controls a bit easier on smaller screens, and joystick guidance more accurate for my sturdy thumbs on tablets.

The game is made up of a simple, yet effective color scheme, seemingly designed to enhance the action while not being overly distracting. The animations were smooth, and the artwork was good without being overly serious.

Flying Fox is a fun time waster with plenty of levels to be enjoyed by players of just about any generation.

Jun 17, 2013

Last week at WWDC, Apple made their big reveal of iOS 7, the massive visual overhaul spearheaded by Jony Ive. Most notably, the OS has been flattened like a steamroller. There’s definitely still some three-dimensional elements and hints of skeuomorphism, but this is a fresh new coat of paint for the OS. But really, in comparison to Android, that’s largely all it is: a new coat of paint. The core product underneath is still the same, and still lacking in certain areas.

It’s easy to accuse Apple on a macro level of stealing ‘flat’ design from Android and Windows Phone 8, both of which used this kind of design first, and it’s right in a certain sense. Apple is playing follower here. But then again they weren’t the first with a touchscreen phone, either.

However, much like how Android and WP8 don’t really look alike, iOS still has its own individual look. It’s basically a more abstract version of iOS, with no more buttons. There’s lots of color gradients too. Looking at the OS, it still looks different. There are natural similarities, but many things that separate all three OSes still.

In fact, really, iOS 7 is so familiar because all that really appears to have changed is the look of it. It’s largely a fresh coat of paint, the structure is still largely the same. The most drastic change was gutting of Game Center into something way different. But the massive feature overhaul that iOS 7 could really use at this point just isn’t there.

Customization is still largely left to just wallpapers. All apps still clutter the homescreen, and default apps can’t be hidden away from view, like how Android allows for users to choose what they want on homescreens. Widgets are still not an option, though I personally am not the biggest proponent of them. Most of the changes are minor feature tweaks. It’s still largely the same OS that it was back in 2007. Sure, it’s a lot better now with the added features, and I still overall like my iPhone (reviewing a lot of iOS games will make you go down crazy paths like that) but it just still doesn’t feel like the ideal mobile OS experience.

Google has been far less conservative, having overhauled Android not just visually but also making major feature changes with Ice Cream Sandwich and later Jelly Bean. The spirit of the OS has remained the same, but stock Android proves that there doesn’t have to be a compromise between design and functionality. And I believe that more changes will be on the way with the next big Android update.

Microsoft can’t be accused of resting on their laurels with Windows Phone, either. These operating systems just feel more…modern. iOS looks more modern, but at the end of the day, it’s still a closed and cluttered OS. There are advantages to Apple’s approach, but their strength remains as much the developer community around iOS as much as the OS itself. A new coat of paint can’t really change that.

Jun 13, 2013

The Humble Bundle folks are continuing to branch out into Android distribution with the latest Weekly Sale featuring the Anomaly series. 11 bit studios has a pay-what-you-want sale for one week that for Android gamers includes Anomaly Warzone Earth, the sequel Anomaly Korea, and two of 11 bit’s other titles: Sleepwalker’s Journey and Funky Smugglers. The APKs are all available as direct download from the website or by installing their app. The games are DRM free for Android, and include PC versions as well.

This is interesting in two facets: one, this is maybe the highest-profile Android-facing side of a weekly sale from Humble yet. They’re definitely making a push into being a distribution platform with more sales, more bundles, and even individual games that sell using their platform. While Android is seemingly a smaller part of this at the moment, it’s still something that’s being included. The previous Serious Sam sale included the Android version of Serious Sam: Kamikaze Attack, but this is comprehensively Android-supported. This is with the exception of the original Anomaly: Warzone Earth, where the mobile campaign is different enough that 11 bit has decided to include it in the bundle for the PC versions. Mobile content moving to PC…quite backwards!

The sale runs until 2pm EDT on June 20th.

Jun 13, 2013

HeroCraft Mobile has announced a free version of the real-time strategy game, Ant Raid, which provides two episodes of ants and monsters for players to enjoy. Ant Raid is a funny story about a colony of ants who are trying to survive against mindless monsters. Now go help them survive in the first two episodes!

Jun 13, 2013

Bloglovin’, an RSS reader with around a 90% female userbase, is taking the route of fashion, lifestyle, and home decor. The app lets you follow blogs so that you can easily find them all in one place. There is also a popular section in the app that lets you view the most read articles from the day. Check it out and discover why this is the number one blog reader for fashion and lifestyle.

Jun 13, 2013

Block Story is a quest-based adventure in the same vein as Minecraft that puts an adjusted spin on survival style gaming.

Gameplay starts straight away: a mini-tutorial greets you with basics of the action. Players learn movement, collection of items, hunting and the procurement of sustenance, and more. The options give a good idea of what to expect; players get to name a new “world” and “world seed” and select from three modes: Story, Creative and Hardcore. Then you can pick or create a character and push on.

I would have preferred an action tutorial to the built-in text one, but I still believe that for games of this type, any tutorial is better than none at all. The gameplay is leveled, with action points furthering progress. I like the ability to upgrade player attributes via points earned. The action does get pretty intense, with an interesting array of mythical and real dangers. Stuff like snakes and bosses like airborne bosses make the quests challenging but mostly enjoyable.

The environment is truly boxy, with an edgy feel. The developer uses colors to highlight the finer parts of the environment, and such use does a good job of differentiating elements. Bright greens, subtle skylines and living objects are represented well within the design principles of the game. While some might find the animations a built stilted, I think it all fits in together quite well.

The controls are fairly intuitive. The virtual buttons are tight but responsive, with virtual joysticks and buttons to control movement and creation. The first person perspective is interestingly vivid. As an added jolt of functionality, the game is compatible with MOGA controllers.

Block Story is a a fun adventure that does very well to create a virtual terrain that begs to be discovered. it is in parts charming, at others scary, and the dichotomy it part of its charm.

Jun 13, 2013

At E3, an upcoming console has announced that it is undercutting the price of its chief competitor in the market by 20%.

I’m referring of course to GameStick’s recent announcement that it will launch at $79 versus the $99 price point of the Ouya. While the latter has generated a lot of headlines over the past year thanks to its Kickstarter and to its many antics, including recent shenanigans with the ESA at E3, PlayJam’s GameStick also exists as a viable product in the Android console space.

The GameStick will be launching in July, and there’s some interesting tidbits from the video Jon Jordan of Pocket Gamer (full disclosure: Pocket Gamer is owned by our parent company Steel Media) has recorded from the E3 show floor.

- The controller is a standard HID controller, not running through a sepcial API like the Ouya controller. This means that HID gamepads like the Nyko PlayPad, MOGA Pro, and Green Throttle even will work.
- Amazon and GameStop will carry the GameStick in the US, the latter being especially important as this means that it will be available at retail.

Check out the video below and keep an eye here for more on GameStick and the burgeoning Android console space.

Jun 13, 2013

USA Today reports that Marvel: Avengers Alliance, the popular Facebook game, will be on its way to Android in the near future, with an iOS version releasing this week. Gamers will play the role of a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in the turn-based game that features 40 Marvel heroes and 60 missions. There will also be additional missions and characters available through in-app purchase.

Jun 13, 2013

King, the mobile gaming behemoth behind the ultra-popular Candy Crush Saga that has replaced FarmVille as the go-to reference for an “uber-popular game that everyone and their mother is playing,” is launching their latest mobile game, Pet Rescue Saga, which is available today on Google Play.

Much like their other titles, this is a block-destroying puzzle game. Players must tap on blocks to destroy multiples of the same color, though single blocks can’t be destroyed. Eliminating a column will shift all blocks to the left. This shifting becomes important, because certain obstructions on the playing field will seaparte some blocks from others. Thus, getting some blocks to a point where in order to get them touching other blocks and to actually remove them, a column must be removed. The game is set up to where if a match can’t be made, then the top block gets removed automatically and the next row fills up.

This seems helpful, right? Well, yes and no. Well, the key to success in many levels is to destroy a certain percentage of blocks. So ones that get eliminated automatically become a real problem. Of course, performing well means that three stars can be attained. Some levels feature pets that must reach the bottom in order to complete objectives as well.

Along the way, players can use powerups that can be bought in order to make progressing and succeeding much easier. There’s pickaxes for eliminating single blocks. A color pop can eliminate all blocks of a single color. There’s one powerup that has to be earned and charged up while playing, a rocket that goes up and clears a single line entirely.

Of course, it’s possible to connect to Facebook to compete for high scores and to get friends to gift extra lives to keep a game going. Who wants to wait? Waiting is for suckers. That’s at least what King hopes. All the elements that make their games so popular and addictive – the social elements, 72 challenging levels, and of course the gameplay that’s “simple to learn but difficult to master” as the old adage goes. Those who have started playing the game on Facebook can login with the same account and continue their game on the go, or vice versa.

Android gamers will get to play Pet Rescue Saga starting today, with the game available on Google Play.