SplitApple Developer: MKO Games Publisher: MKO Games Genre: Shooting/Sports Platform: iPhone Release: 15/4/11 Price: $0.99 (Buy Now)
Overview
While apples may not be the main focus of this game, despite the ability to shoot the ones in the tree for little bonus points, the name of the game is still SplitApple. SplitApple is an archery game, and while my actual archery skills are rather embarrassing, I have been known to enjoy the odd archery based videogame. However up until this point in time all my experience with such titles has only been on the Wii. Made for iOS devices by independent games company MKO games, SplitApple takes the fine sport of archery and condenses it down to a game that can fit in the palm of your hands.
Gameplay
When describing the gameplay it sounds simplistic. Aim your iPhone using its gyroscopic sensitive positioning, pull back the bow icon, release and watch as you spectacularly hit a bull’s eye. In practice however, there is a steep learning curve coming to terms with the aiming. Much the same as real archery, you need to tilt your device with precision in order to hit your target. It takes a number of trial and error runs until you will start to get the hang of the controls, often tilting into some slightly awkward positions in an attempt to adjust your aim.
Within the game there are four different modes of play, the first being challenge mode. Challenge mode is exactly what it sounds like. You take aim, pull back, and let the arrows fly as targets become progressively more difficult to hit. Starting with the standard target, which will then move further away, then adding some mobility to the target as well as blockages, it can get a little frustrating to take aim especially if it is your first time playing. Time trial is a little easier to play for new comers. Rather than requiring you to adjust for distance and obstacles, you can just practice aiming in the one spot and shoot as many times as you can within a minute. While this can get tedious, at least there are other modes to test out.
Much like time trial, survival mode has a fairly static target. The goal here is to keep as many arrows in your quiver as possible, while getting the highest score. With a base start of 10, you are able to earn more arrows by scoring 9 or 10 by hitting bull’s eye or near enough. This will give you two more arrows to use. If you are rather good at the game, this process might last a while. But chances are, if you are rather good at it you won’t complain about extended gameplay. The last mode is pop up, which sets the area up like a shooting gallery with targets popping up (as the name may suggest) at random places. This is the most frustrating of all the modes, given that it will require you to have the aiming mechanics down rather well.
The game isn’t all frustration and difficult aiming however. A note worthy factor is fantastically accurate function of the wind. Many times, particularly in pop up where there is limited time to take aim, I have hastily shot without considering the wind, only to see my arrow veer off to the left missing my target with embarrassing imprecision. Despite my only story to prove the well-designed physics of the game world being negative, I still admire the attention to detail.
Graphics and Audio
While there isn’t all that much to look at, given that you are mostly focused on the target, the graphics are rather well designed. The animation of the target swaying back and forth after being hit adds some great detail and realism to the game, while the environment is nicely rendered in a cartoon-like style. I’m a little curious as to why the game is set in a backyard between terrace houses and near a mobile home, considering it seems a little dangerous for passers by. However, I assure you that any injuries suffered are completely virtual.
The audio is nothing spectacular. The sound effects fit the on screen action perfectly. The only complaint I have about the audio is every time you fail to hit the target, you will be punished with an annoying “miss”. I’m not sure if it is annoying in its own right, or just because you have failed, either way it did get on my nerves.
Conclusion
Once you get the hang of the aiming mechanics, the game works fine and is rather enjoyable until it gets to the point of being tedious. If there were a little more competition involved in the game to drive you along, apart from high scores and leader boards, then perhaps you would be more likely to stick around. Lacking the glorious romanticism of what I imagine ye olde archery competitions to be like, SplitApple is still a nice little game to play around the house. Due to the gyroscopic based aiming, it is probably not my first choice to play on public transport, or out in public view at all for that matter, still an alright game to play away from public eyes.
Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection has seen the release of a trailer and it’s looking as brutal as ever! Available on PSN for $12.95, and XBLA for 800 Microsoft Points, the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection is the first time fans can play all three of the first three games in the series together for the first time-the original Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. These aren’t just simple ports either, as new features such as online play, leader boards, achievements and trophies have been included as well as the chance to play through the games in their original arcade state. Developed by Other Ocean in conjunction with NetherRealm Studios, Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection will be available on Xbox Live and on PSN globally this week, and a PC version will be coming out in September. Check out the trailer below, or watch a more detailed and in-depth look at the game in the latest episode of MKast here.
Idol’s are big in Japan, and consequently, Idolm@ster is big in Japan. There have been several incarnations of Idolm@ster video games and the latest of which Idolm@ster Gravure For You Vol. 2 now has a trailer streaming on the web.
The trailer shows off several tracks available in the game as well as letting the girls of Idolm@ster strut their stuff (or awkwardly flop about with rose-red cheeks) in swimsuits!
The game is set to be released November 23rd, 2011, for the Playstation 3. So mark your calenders Idolm@ster fans, these girls have some gravure and it’s especially for you!
Check out the trailer below and leave a comment letting us know what you think.
Did you ever want to be a manga artist? Well now you have to chance to pretend to be! That’s right with the upcoming Bakuman video game titled Bakuman: The Way of the Manga Artist, you get your chance to pretend to be a manga artist by scribbling on your little touch screens in an attempt to fulfill a dream, sort of… or something?
Bakuman: The Way of the Manga Artist now has a trailer out so you can see whether you have what it takes in the intense cut-throat world of manga, by not really actually doing any real work, sort of… or something?
Namco Bandai will be releasing the game this Winter, so get scribbling wannabe manga artists! Or you could just wait until it comes out and then scribble on your touch screens. Whichever you’d prefer. Leave a comment below letting us know what you think of Bakuman: The Way of the Manga Artist.
Welcome to the fifth part of our 100 games you must play before you die series! This round again has a variety of different games that our editors have nominated for different reasons, but each title is definitely worth putting on your “games to play” list. Just remember – the games are in no particular order!
This is probably the favourite of many Sonic the Hedgehog fans the world over. While the debate is always raging on about 2D vs 3D gameplay, Sonic Adventure 2 was a shining example of how 3D gameplay in a Sonic game can be done well. But it’s not just the gameplay alone that sells the game. This particular title introduced new characters and concepts that would forever change and mould the Sonic universe, particularly with the introduction of Shadow. It provided both a light and dark side story, finishing with one of the most epic gaming climaxes ever. This allowed players to play the standard hero beats villain story as Sonic, Tails and Knuckles, but also allowed players to delve into the role of evil as Shadow, Eggman and Rouge. The three different gametypes found in the game were also unique, but very well executed concepts – high speed platforming, third person shooter and treasure hunting respectively.
The game also featured a fun little mini pet raising section called the Chao garden. For the players who owned this game, this section was addictive. Hours of gameplay time would be devoted to raising these cute little buggers to perform and act like your favourite Sonic characters (and sometimes look like them too). The critters were super cute and could be used to play mini games such as the Chao race and Chao Karate. The Chao Garden was a concept originally introduced in Sonic Adventure 1, but the garden in SA2 perfected them.
Okay so not many games I’ve played can make me want to line up for a tournament…but I did that for Pokemon in Westfield as a little kid, and I also lined up for the movie. This sad admission (not so sad now, it’s got more cred) sums up the impact of Pokemon across the world. Pokemon Red/Blue is pretty much where it all started – from there the anime show was my next obsession, which made me even more obsessed with the games. For about two years of my life as a kid I was trapped between reality and the world of Pokemon, and I’m completely okay with that. Pokemon was the franchise of the late 90s that probably had the biggest impact culturally: it spawned films, merchandise, the TV show, trading cards and sequels, all of which are still going ten years later.
Everybody knows Pokemon, but it’s hard to put into words the sort of phenomena that spread from the game. You don’t even have to play it to know what it’s all about. Luckily, to back up all the word of mouth love at the time, it was actually a pretty good RPG, and it was portable – so much so that I specifically remember people in high school giving the emulated game to their friends on Floppy disks (just before they died). Pokemon helped spawn free emulated games…how rad is that? The ultimate goal was to catch ’em all, and that task on Red/Blue is probably the easiest these days. I’ve lost count as to how many Pokemon there are now in the sequels (I think most people have), but that’s what makes Pokemon Red/Blue probably the best and easiest Pokemon game to play before you die, certainly if you’ve never played a Pokemon game before. When I’m an old fart retiree, I reckon I’ll have another crack at it; the nostalgia almost matches that of any other classic Nintendo franchise.
When you ask someone what the best Final Fantasy game is they are most likely to say FFVII or FFX. While those games are great, Final Fantasy IX – the black sheep of the franchise – is without a doubt the most complete Final Fantasy title. The game features visuals which are a mixture of the older FF games (pre-FFVI) with the newer styled (post-FFVI), has more charm than any other title in the series to date, and has a complex, yet easy to understand story-line that no other Final Fantasy game has ever truly achieved.
But wait, it’s not just that! The characters are without a doubt some of the most well-developed and genuinely relatable characters the Final Fantasy series has ever produced. All of these characters’ journeys become your journey and you can not help but ride it with them. Whilst it did not change the series (it has no effect on it whatsoever, unfortunately), Final Fantasy IX stands a top as the series crowning achievement whether people realise it or not. If you love the Final Fantasy franchise, play this before you die. It is Final Fantasy‘s unsung high point.
It is so difficult to put into words what makes this game special. Shadow of the Colossus is all about atmosphere and emotion, punctuated with incredible battles that leave you drained yet draw you ever onward. It is my favourite game, and I will love it forever for its bold design. It’s story without words, and it is the game that proves videogames can be art.
You play a boy trying to save a girl. There’s no background to it, and there’s none needed. You have a horse, a sword and a bow, and you must defeat sixteen Colossi in order to save her.
The Colossi are the only creatures in the entire game, and they provide some of the best and most unique ‘boss fight’ style gameplay I have ever come across. The majority are incredible battles, littered with spectacular moments like leaping onto the back of a flying eagle or shooting a snake in the eye from the back of your galloping horse. Some are quick and aggressive, others mammoth in scale and unwilling to fight. I remember taking hours over some of the battles, climbing up again and again in a desperate attempt to figure out and reach the weak point to bring them down.
And that’s the inexplicable bit. The emotion that this game somehow makes you feel is incredible for something so minimal. When you do kill the Colossi there’s just this horrible feeling that you are doing something wrong, that these creatures should be left alone. Victory is anything but sweet, yet the game is so well designed that it pulls you on anyway, the next battle filling you with both anticipation and dread.
There are so many stand out moments in Shadow of the Colossus but I just don’t want to talk about them – I want you to play them. It fully deserves the up and coming PS3 release (teamed with Ico and in full HD), and now that I’ve talked about it, I want it now. Damn.
Braid put Jonathan Blow on the map. The former Inner Product column writer for Game Developer Magazine made a huge splash with his first big entry into the game scene with Braid.
It’s rather simple when you think about it. Braid is a 2D puzzle platformer where you use a time mechanic to navigate the protagonist, Tim through six worlds. However, each world has its own rules as to how the time mechanic works, starting off as simply being able to rewind time at will and changes with time moving in the direction that you’re walking or using a magic ring that warps time around it when dropped. Beautifully constructed puzzles aside, Braid really rises above the scrap heap with its narrative. On the surface you have Tim searching for a princess who “has been snatched by a horrible and evil monster”. The details are vague but we know that Tim has made some sort of mistake that he wants to fix in some manner. Braid‘s story and game design are married in a way that few games are. What you do in the game directly tells a story metaphorically of what Tim wants to accomplish. He regrets something and wants to fix it, or rewind time to fix it. I’m not going to go into the details as it would surely spoil the game but I implore you to check Braid out. It’s a beautiful experience.
46. SimCity
Platform: PC Genre: Simulator Release date: 1989 Nominated by: Kyle Moore
Developed by game genius Will Wright, SimCity allowed player’s to finally play God. Well, if God was a city planner, then this might true. Regardless, SimCity opened a world of possibilities for players, allowing them to recreate their own city and watch in awe as it expanded and came to life.
Originally a PC release, SimCity would go on to spawn dozens of ports, from consoles to handhelds and even smartphones. Not only this, but SimCity also gave birth to a plethora of simulation based games such as: SimEarth, SimSafari and most notably The Sims. Arguably, The Sims itself is a game to play before you die, but where would The Sims be without SimCity? Since it’s release in 1989, SimCity has gone on to win a number of awards, from Game of the Year in 1989 to being named number 4 in the Ten Greatest PC Games Ever by PC World in 2009. SimCity has left a profound impact on video gaming, and now can take its rightful place as one of the 100 games you should play before you die.
47. Banjo Kazooie
Platform: Nintendo 64/XBLA Genre: Platformer Release date: 1998 Nominated by: Phil Federico (written by Jared Hilliers)
Classic rare titles are rarely released these days, and Banjo Kazooie is one of them. It was re-released on Xbox Live Arcade for a reason and you should pay attention and take advantage! At the time of it’s release, Banjo Kazooie was a landmark graphically for the N64 and it was compared quality-wise to Mario 64 across the board. Some would even argue that it’s in fact better than Mario 64, and that’s a pretty big deal. It still stands the test of time over 10 years later, even though the port on Xbox Arcade isn’t the greatest.
Banjo-Kazooie successfully blended humor, fine gameplay, a great soundtrack and some of the best graphics found on the N64. Everything you want in a platformer is found in Banjo and for under $20, it’s well worth playing before you die.
48. Left 4 Dead 2
Platform: Xbox 360/PC/Mac Genre: First-person shooter, survival horror Release date: 2009 Nominated by: Michael Marr
Left 4 Dead 2 is the ultimate zombie survival game (never mind what MasterAbbott tells you). I love this game because it promoted co-operative gameplay with friends. Sure, it was certainly playable alone with the AIs, but it delivered a better experience with human players – not to mention that in versus mode that allows teams to play as special infected, there’s a degree of challenge in facing down a human controlled opponent in a survival horror game that you can’t get anywhere else. Couple in all of the gameplay improvements that were made over L4D (such as melee weapons, dispensable ammo and unique grenade types) and you’ve got yourself a definite game that you must play before you die.
49. Starfox 64
Platform: Nintendo 64 Genre: Platformer Release date: 1997 Nominated by: Matt Vella
Hands down, some of the most fun I’ve ever had while wearing pants. Starfox 64 is asily one of the most charming and memorable prodcuts to ever come from Nintendo! This third-person rail shooter has players control Fox McCloud in his Arwing spaceship as he travels through the Lylat System with his team in the attempt to defeat the evil Andross. Amazing level design, unique game play, awesome soundtrack, great boss and character design, alternative level paths, consequences for not helping/protecting your team mates….oh god, there are just too many things to describe about this game. It also introduced the Rumble Pack for the Nintendo 64, a revolutionary feature and a monumental moment in gaming history.
This game still looks and feels amazing to date. The personalities of the characters are so memorable and it’s just outstanding. For those who don’t know, all you need to know is that Falco is a douche, Slippy is a wuss, Peppy is old and Fox is awesome.
Halo: Reach may be young in age, but in my opinion it gave rebirth to the Halo franchise as a whole. So how does a series deliver without the main protagonist (Master Chief) returning? By delivering five early spartan soldiers to team up with in a whole new campaign.
Jorge, Kat, Carter, Jun, and Emile were a lot more than subtle stand-ins for combat, as each had their own traits and personalities that the player could relate to in one form or another. Introducing such a rich teamwork based storyline did wonders for keeping the player immersed in Reach‘s plot, and the finale was truly one of the most kick-ass moments this generation.
Along with the lengthy campaign, players were given a whole new set of stunning locales for multiplayer combat, the largest map editor in history, and a ton of tools to communicate with the millions of other fans from all over the world. Bungie may not be working on the franchise anymore, but they set the bar for all sequels to come with Reach, and if history serves correct…this could very well end up being the definitive title in the series that is sure to see every top 10 list for the genre for generations to come.
For those who weren’t fortunate enough to bare witness to JAST USA’s Visual Novel Panel at this year’s Anime Expo, JAST have graciously uploaded a recap video, highlighting the best moments of the panel and all the announcements that were made.
If you don’t know who JAST USA are or what they do here is a quick run-down. JAST specialise in localising Japanese video-games (mostly visual novels and dating-sims) into English, including titles from Nitro+ and Peach Princess. There isn’t many companies out their bringing these titles to the Western world and JAST USA are there to give you your bishoujo fill.
You can check out the recap video below to see what happened at Anime Expo 2011 and if you want to see more you can view their website here. Also please leave a comment below letting us know what you thought.
If you’re after a game with ‘Gears’ in the title and just can’t hold on any longer, then Gatling Gears has popped up on PC to try and distract you from that other game. OK, so it’s a tenuous link at best, but you still get to shoot stuff! That’s close enough, right?
Previously only available on the Playstation Netork and Xbox Live Arcade, Gatling Gears is a top down shooter that throws players into a quest to save the world and defeat an evil Empire (cue sinister music). Players suit up as retired gear pilot Max Brawley, and are armed with grenades, rockets and of course, a gatling gun. There are 30 chaotic levels to blast through, as well as plenty of online and offline action in co-op and survival modes.
The game in it’s XBLA form got an ‘excellent’ rating from Dustin here at CC, so check out his review for some more information on the game.
Released today in Australia ($15.95) and New Zealand ($18.90), Gatling Gears is available via various worldwide digital outlets, including EA’s much loved Origin distribution store…
The first is Persona 4: Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena (which is the screenshot above). It is a sequel to Persona 4, set two months after the game. It is a fighting game being developed by the team behind BlazBlue. The premise is a fighting tournament hosted by Teddie, a resident of the TV world. So far, Yosuke, Chi and Yu (the nameless protagonist in the original game, name taken from anime) have been revealed. Aiges from Persona 3 was also confirmed. He will be joined by other Persona 3 characters. The game will be released for the arcades in Spring 2012 before making appearances on consoles later in the same year.
The second game isn’t really an announcement as such but more of a confirmation. Persona 5 is currently in the early stages of development and the regular Persona team will be fronting the development. Regulars Katsura Hashino and Shoji Meguro will be director and composer of both games respectively. Shigenori Soejima will be character designer on Persona 5. Hashino revealed that the game will have new elements, comparing the the nature of change to that of Persona 3, when it introduced dating-sim elements to the series. It will also be built around an internal HD engine, a first for the team. Although there was no platform announced, expect the game to make an appearance on the Playstation 3.
So, some extra Persona news. Must be a good day to be a Persona fan. What do you guys think? Is the Persona fighting game what you’re looking for? Or is the new entry to the main series more your cup of tea? Give us you opinion below.
Retro specialists Dot Emu have released a collection of arcade hits to the Mac App Store, giving Mac gamers 18 challenging games for only $9.99. The French company focus on bringing old (or simply overlooked) classics to gamers, and spend a lot of time bringing these titles to light, reprogramming them and sometimes even adding new features.
This collection is drawn from the 80’s and 90’s and together the 18 titles amount to 100 hours of gameplay. So if you’re looking for a long haul, multi genre retro flashback, then IREM Arcade Hits looks like a good bet to give that other Apple in your life some love. The games included are a pretty diverse lot, as you can see in the full list of titles below:
It was rumored a few weeks ago that D3Publisher was working on another title in the Onechanbara series, but they never truly said that it was going to happen. That is of course until today when D3Publisher revealed that they are bringing Onechanbara Z: Kagura exclusively to the Xbox 360.
Famitsu reports that Onechanbara Z: Kagura will contain just as much blood as previous games have had, but rather than playing as the normal protagonist Aya, players will be playing as Kagura and Saaya. The game will be released sometime in the Winter for Japan, and considering the title is 360 exclusive, there is a very good chance the game will be localized to North America.
I played the previous Xbox 360 title Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad and found it to be an enjoyable and mindless hack and slash title, albeit one with plenty of fan-service. It felt a bit dated for its time but was still fun, so hopefully this title will indeed be localized for fans of mass zombie killing and bikinis.
