1st Impressions

Civilization Wars has been a tough title for me to review.  Normally, I have some fairly quick first impressions on an iPhone app or game.  I’ve picked up this combo real-time strategy and role-playing title three times now though and still can’t come to a good conclusion.

My biggest issue with the game is not really a game issue, but a mental one.  It confuses me.  While I and others find it very difficult to figure out, others who have commented on it have suggested that it is way too easy.  The tutorial on the game is straightforward enough, but I couldn’t grasp a winning strategy.  I also ended up with screens full of different icon options that, if they were explained, I don’t remember it.

As a $0.99 title, I kinda get the title that if you are familiar with the other versions of the game, you probably could jump right into this one knowing just what to do.  As it is though, I felt like I’d walked into the middle of a conversation and couldn’t quite pick up what was going on.  As such, I’d highly recommend some additional help be added to the game.  I think it would really solve the wide extremes in opinions about the game.  Until and unless that happens though, I can’t highly recommend this game to those that haven’t played it elsewhere and are more familiar with it.  I don’t think it is a bad game, just one that needs to be better explained in order for it to be more acceptable in the mass market.  I wish I could fall in love with all of the titles I review, but I have to be honest.  If I had a dollar to spend on a Chillingo release, I’d rather do it on Angry Birds or Catch The Rope.  Civilization Wars just wasn’t for me.

Cut The Rope is my new favorite iPhone game.  As another high-quality release from Chillingo, this physics puzzler well deserves its spot, right after Chillingo’s Angry Birds, at the number two spot on the App sales list.

I find the game play of Cut The Rope to be a tad easier than Angry Birds.  It is more of a thinking mans game than brute force and, as the levels increase, takes more and more strategy to complete.  Coming in at 100 levels at the low price of $0.99 (and an additional 25 coming in a pending release), the game gradually increases in both difficulty and complexity.  You start out doing nothing more than cutting ropes with a swipe of your finger in order to feed the critter, Om Nom, a piece of dangling candy.  As you progress though, you get into bubbles that make your candy float, air pumps that blow the bubbles, and even catapults.

But there is more to the game than getting the candy to Om Nom.  You also need to collect all the stars on the screen in the process in order to win the ultimate number of points for a particular level.  The strategy comes in cutting ropes or popping bubbles or whatever not only in the right order, but with the proper timing so that all the goals are accomplished.

The developers are not just sitting on their success though.   If you would like to see a teasing sneak peak at the pending 1.1 update with the new space theme and anti-gravity elements, check out this YouTube video.  The new version will also bring graphics optimized for the retina display and 11 new achievements for the Crystal leaderboards.  And if all of this with a 25% increase in levels are not enough, the developers are also promising a release timed for the holidays with even more Om Nom goodness.  I predict that that level of dedication to their customer base is going to keep this game on the App Store charts for a long time to come.

All in all, I’d give this game a perfect 10 out of 10.  It is simple in concept but will take hours to master.  Three MILLION downloads and 59,000 5-star ratings in the App Store can’t be wrong.  If you don’t have this title on your iPhone yet, you won’t be disappointed.

I have spent the last few weeks checking out four different city building simulators for the iPhone. The question remains: if a developer spends the time to developed a city sim that is not as complex or lacks the name recognition of Sim City, will customers still fork out $5.00 for something that may not have as many bells and whistles?

The first two that I checked out were We City (free) and Build-a-lot 2 (which is $0.99 but whose predecessor is now free in the app store. On a scale of one to ten, I would give both of these a rating comparable with their pricing.

We City is a much easier game to play then any on the others that I tried out and a great place to start out if you are a budding yet inexperienced city planner. One unique thing I like about We City is that it automatically adds a new citizen for each of the buildings that you build, so you end up managing them as well, much like a Virtual Villagers type of game. This social aspect is further enhanced by the use of Plus+ to interact with your friends as they build their cities as well.

Build-a-lot 2, at $0.99, is slightly more challenging than We City. It boasts 35 different projects in 8 unique neighborhoods. It’s sister app, Build-a-lot 2: City of the Year, (also priced at $0.99) adds such things as special buildings and the ability to flip real estate for profit. The best thing I liked about it was the “Sandbox” feature that you could use to do whatever you wanted with your neighborhoods once you completed 3 of the predefined levels in campaign mode. After wetting your hands with We City, I think both of these will be well worth your money as you move your way up the difficulty ladder.

I am going to skip my favorite for a moment and jump to Sim City.  While I am not normally a fan of such games, millions of fans can’t be wrong so I purchased the game at a much higher price  than the $2.99 purchase price of SimCity Deluxe. Apparently, the regular version was upgraded and replaced by the Deluxe version because the original Sim City is no longer in the App Store.  Regardless, I can only assume by the fact that this is a “Deluxe” version that it has even more to it than the the original that I played.

And therein lies my problem. While I haven’t played the Deluxe version I can only imagine that it is just as complex if not more complex then the original – one that was already so complex that I don’t think I even managed to complete the first level.

Now we come to what, in my mind, is the best of the four that we are discussing, Virtual City.  With a huge amount of levels (50) located in several different states (my favorite being my home state of Colorado) as well as 50 different buildings (including the ability to launch a space shuttle).  The game also offers dozens of upgrades as well as five different “Sandbox” areas where you can build what you want where you want. If all these features were not enough to entice you, there is a free Lite version that is just enough to get your feet wet.  Click here for a full review of this title.

Now I know that I have given many different opinions during this review, It appears that App Store reviewers agree with me. They have given We City 2 stars, Build-A-Lot was given 3 stars, Sim City Delux was given 3.5 stars and Virtual City was given the highest of the four by getting 4 stars.

Gobliiins is a brand new $0.99  puzzle adventure title that is best described by the words “whimsical” and “delightful”.  The game comprises 22 levels of puzzles where you have do a series of tasks – in the right order – and using the right goblin to do so.

Your adventure takes place by using one of three different characters.  Instead of a lot of games where you pick you character to play the whole game, in this one, you actually play each level with all three characters.  First, there is Dwayne, the “jock” of the group who things the solution to any problem is a little brute force.  Bobo, the nerd of the group, is the technician.  If it can’t be man-handled (or I guess it would be goblin-handled”, or “zapped”, Bobo is your guy.  And, speaking of “zapping”, your trio of goblin amigos is rounded out by Hooter.  Hooter is the magician or mage of the group.  He uses his wand on items and can convert it into something else.

The graphics, music, and sound effects on this game are top quality and have separate adjustable volume controls (not just off/on) for each.  The game not only comes with a lot of help available from the menu, but each level has a series of hints.  These not only help in determining the goal of the level (or what the goal isn’t), but if you get really stuck, will actually tell you how to complete the level.  Game play can be done via touch controls or cursor.  It is very intuitive though.

I did have one issue with the game.  Not sure if it was user error or not as it was in the first level as I was still figuring things out.  Not to give too much away, I was supposed to do something with Hooter, used Bobo instead, and then when I tried to go back and have Hooter do his magic, I couldn’t get anything to happen.  Exiting the game and re-starting the level (this time knowing what to do), solved the issue however.

I do have a suggestion for the game that I think would make it a bit more user-friendly.  It is difficult for me to tell Dwayne, Bobo, and Hooter apart.  I wish they wore different color vests or hats or something and, when rotating through their selection with the icon in the bottom of the screen, they would wave or jump or something to help indicate which one you had selected.  Even a little sound effect (I’m thinking of the voices on Command and Conquer for example) for each one as you tapped the goblin-selector would fit right in with the fun nature of the game.  And, while there are facial differences in the icon used to select your character, something a bit more obvious would be beneficial.

Overall, I’d probably give this title a 9 out of 10.  It’s fun.  It’s different.  It’s delightful.  And it’s a real bargain at a buck.  If you like the old point-and-click adventures from the era of the the old Sierra games, you’ll really like this little jewel that is both amusing and attractive.  I look forward to seeing what updates and possibly additional levels are in store for this title.

Shoot To Kill surprised me on a couple of fronts.  First, this arcade shooter was a lot more entertaining than I anticipated.  I’m usually more of a puzzle game lover than an arcade game where shooting demons is the goal, but this one really was addictive (as the subtitle reflects) and really got my anxiety and blood pressure up.  I got “into” it in a way that I didn’t really expect.

The second thing that surprised me is the $0.99 price on this title.  I generally don’t pay attention to the price of a title until after I check it out.  And, on many occasions, I have not been bashful about suggesting a lower one.  After playing this title though, I thought a $1.99 price would have been real reasonable for the title.  The fact that it actually comes in at half of that makes it twice the bargain!

The premise of Shoot To Kill is simple.  You are in the center of the screen and defend yourself with an arsenal of weapons against a hoard of oncoming enemies.  As the levels progress, you end up with multiple enemies that each have particular weapons that work best against them.  Your ultimate goal is to survive as long as possible with your three lives.  The difficulty of this goal though is something that seems very well balanced.  Even as a newbie, I got satisfyingly far.  The reason for this is that they don’t try to make the game overly complex with a lot of different controls.  You can quickly tilt the iPhone for reloading your weapon and tap on your enemies to aim/shoot with the single gesture.  An occasional tap in the bottom left corner, something my inept left hand had no problem with, lets you select your alternate weapon over your default one.

Coming in at 30+ levels, 5 different weapons, 14 different types of demons, 13 achievements, multi-player over bluetooth and six other game modes, there is enough here to entertain anyone no matter how familiar they are with this genre of game.  And, if you get bored, just select one of the four different difficulties in the survival mode.

Overall, I found the game to be very enjoyable.  Both iPhone and iPad versions are available and free versions.  You can see a YouTube trailer to get an idea of the quality of the graphics and how the game is played.  But, in the couple of minutes it will take to watch it, just go ahead and download the free version and take it for a spin.  You may, just like me, be in for a surprise.

I’m probably one of the few reviewers of iOS games that hasn’t played Angry Birds. Considering how long it has been on the top of the sales charts, I may be the only one with an iPhone to have never played it. But, after recommendations from multiple people, I decided to give Angry Birds Halloween a whirl a week before the holiday and see what all the hoopla was about. And boy am I glad I did.

Angry Birds Halloween is a $0.99 sequel to the grossly popular Angry Birds franchise. Published by Chillingo, this title has been everywhere. It is on multiple platforms and there is even talk of plush toys and movies. And for good reason. The Halloween sequel to Angry Birds has 45 levels exclusive to the iOS platform that have a decidedly spooky theme to them. At its core, the Angry Birds game play is reminiscent of the old games where you shoot cannons or missiles at a target by determining the correct trajectory. In this case though, you are shooting birds (seven types) from a fixed slingshot at a construction containing pumpkins and pigs. Once your “bird” hits the target, physics takes over and angle and force of impact come into play to hopefully collapse it. The different bird types act different ways. For example, tapping the screen somewhere between the launch and impact of the bird will make it split into multiple projectiles, speed up, or even explode. Destroying all the pumpkins before you run out of “ammo”, and doing it with the least number of shots possible, finishes the level and determines your score. There is a nice trailer for the game on YouTube that will show you a good teaser for the overall experience.

It is hard to put my finger on exactly what makes this little game so enjoyable. I’d have to say it is a combination of great graphics, great sound effects, simple game play, and fulfilling sense of destruction. The game definitely gets five-stars from me and makes me run right out and purchase the regular Angry Birds title….if I had the self control to put the game down long enough to go to the app store. LOL

Blue Defense: Second Wave is a wonderful sequel by the same folks that brought us Blue Attack, Blue Defense, and Red Conquest.  I’m not a huge fan of arcade type games as they generally require quick thought and reactions.  While game play on this game is quick, the controls are so simple that you don’t have to think a whole lot about it…just react.

The game concept if fairly straightforward and simple.  You are a blue planet under attack.  Your job is to shoot down the attackers.  As soon as the level starts, the shooting starts up automatically.  It is this auto-fire part of the game play that makes it something that I can enjoy.  All the user has to do is to aim the “fire” at the attacking hoards.  This can be done both via tilt controls and by touching the screen.

The $1.99 game boasts a whopping 64 levels, 24 different enemy types, and multiple game modes that combine to give you 74 mode-based leaderboards.  On top of that, there are over 200 medals to obtain.  The graphics are retina-quality and the game is very responsive to both the tilting and touch controls – even when you are using them simultaneously.  In short, it is a quality product at a very reasonable price.  I was so impressed with it in, in fact, that it is the first arcade shooter game to ever make my Must-Have list.  If I were going to recommend an arcade shooter for the iOS platform, Blue Defense: Second Wave would be it.

Seed 2, the sequel to Chilingo’s Seed 1: Rise of Darkness, is exactly what you would expect from Chillinglo – the highest quality of graphics, sound, and game play. Having not played Seed 1, it will be difficult for me to do a comparison of the two, but I can tell you about the sequel.

Seed 2 is a classic very full featured top down RPG. you play the part of Litta and the story line takes approximately 5 years after her heroic adventures in Seed 1.

As with many of the top notch RPGs, Seed 2, allows you to upgrade your attributes as you go, givebacks you to gain enough strength, dexterity, etc. In addition you can choose a character path of swordplay, firearms, or magic.

Along the way you encounter NPCs (non player characters for you newbies) that will give you small quests to complete. Don’t ignore what might seem like distractions to your primary quest as these seemingly annoying side quests are where you can gain valuable experience points which will give you better odds when it comes to fighting those more powerful than you are.

One of the things that really impressed me about this game when compared to others of the same genre are the small thing that I have yet to experience in an iPhone RPG like the effect that weather changes will have on the game. While that might seem like a small thing, it is something that makes the game more realistic. Of course I have learned to expect nothing but the very best if Chillingo has put their name one it.

Seed 2 is currently available for $3.99 from the app store but, if think that price is a little high, keep an eye on it with with an app such as appshopper because you can occasionally catch it at half price like I did.

Don’t let the educational nature of this $0.99 game fool you. It is both addictive and fun to play. The premise is simple. Correctly answer questions about the 50 US states. You are given the states if you are correct. Stack them until you reach the designated height and you will be rewarded with a state to put on your map.

This is much easier said than done though. Odd shaped states are difficult to stack. And small states require more answers to get your stack built. Stacking is facilitated by being able to rotate and set the position and height of the state before trying to drop it on your stack though. If the gravity and physics effects are with you, the pieces won’t fall off and be wasted.

Questions about the states include recognizing their shape, what borders them, their capital, and so forth. If you guess wrong, the correct answer is displayed. This means that even if you loose, you still learn something.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this little game. If you or your children have an interest in US geography or are taking it in school, I highly recommend this entertaining learning tool.

PipeRush, another release by the great folks at Chillingo, is definitely not your grandmother’s pipe game.  The goal, as with other pipe games, is to make a closed pipe system using available pipe pieces.  With other games in this genre, I’ve seen the time element portrayed as finishing the end of the pipe before the water going through the pipe reaches it.  In this case, the time element is based on the conveyor belt of available pieces not filling up.

Differences don’t just end there though.  Occasionally, the top of the pipe maker will open up and you are allowed to recycle pieces you do not need.  The game gets more involved though.  As it progresses, some of the 15 different styles of pipe are “magical” and give you bonuses when you use them.  You can also get rewarded when you connect a house.  These bonuses can include things like the ability to air-lift in a pipe that is automatically what you need to connect in a particular place.  Another bonus is explosives that can be used to remove pipe that you do not want or obstacles that may be in your way.  Upper levels get more difficult as things like fog appear, obstructing your visibility of the pipeline.

Game play is simple.  Select a piece of pipe from the conveyor belt and drag it to where you want it to go.  Rotating the piece is achieved by using your left hand to tap the rotating icon in the bottom left while dragging the selected piece to where you want it.  I found this a little cumbersome at times and wish tapping an item on the conveyor would activate the rotation icon allowing more single-handed game play.  As you construct your pipeline starting at the bottom of the screen, the screen will automatically scroll down so that completed parts are replaced with parts still needing pipe.  This is a very nice feature that really enhances the playing experience.  And, as levels are scored, you are also given the opportunity to post your scores on Crystal leader boards.

This $0.99 title is sure to please fans of this genre of puzzle/arcade game.  That will particularly be the case if the developers add to the existing 15 levels.