Labor Day means “don’t work,” doesn’t it? So cease your toil during this oxymoronically named holiday and relax with casually fun EA games for iPhone or iPod touch. We’ve priced a lot of games you know and love at just 99¢ to make it easy to load up your device for the holiday weekend and beyond.
Seriously, we don’t want you to labor. We want you to play. So visit the App Store and get best-selling favorites like Monopoly Classic, Monopoly Here & Now, The Game of Life, Boggle, and Yahtzee Adventures. You can buy any or all of these games for just 99? each. Also, you can get SCRABBLE or RISK for just $1.99. Two bucks — a pretty small price to pay for wordplay pleasure—or complete world domination.
This Labor Day, whether you’re staying inside to beat the heat, taking a long car ride with the family, resting after doing some domestic chores — or avoiding domestic chores entirely — keep your iPhone or iPod touch handy for fun and games. Remember, all work and no play makes you dull. So make it the opposite during our “No Work All Play Sale.”
Click here to be taken straight over to the EA Store in iTUNES to start buying 🙂
Game Name:Ivy The Kiwi? Platforms: Nintendo DS (Also Available for the Nintendo Wii) Publisher(s):XSeed Games, Rising Star Games Developer(s):Prope Genre(s): Platforming/Puzzle Release Date: August 24, 2010 (US) Fall 2010 (EU) Price: $19.99
Ivy The Kiwi? is a Platforming title developed by Yuji Naka, co-creator of Sonic The Hedgehog.
Story
Ivy The Kiwi? is a very unique title with a pleasant and simple story. Ivy’s story starts from birth as she is a young Kiwi who just hatched out of her egg and cannot find her mother. Ivy immediately sets off on a journey to reunite with her mother and the player’s job is to ensure she is protected from the many dangers ahead.
The story is told much like a child’s book, through pictures and text. I did not feel like this game needed cutscenes or any animated sequences to get any points across as the story is so simple there really wasn’t a need and the storybook narrative fits Ivy’s tale perfectly all the way through.
Gameplay
Ivy may be the main character of the game with a title role, but you do not control Ivy at all which is one thing that makes this title unique. The objective of each level is to collect 10 feathers and make it to the end of the stage. There are 5 stages per chapter and over 50 stages in all so Ivy kept me busy all the way through and I was really surprised on how much content was in the game overall.
Playing the game is very reminiscent of Kirby’s Canvas Curse for the Nintendo DS. As I mentioned, instead of taking control of Ivy, you actually control vines via the DS touchscreen which you can instantly draw out to make a platform for Ivy to run up or to simply block her out of dangerous areas. Ivy is constantly on the go so it is the players job to stretch vines and create a safe path for Ivy to run so she can make it to the end of each stage before the timer runs out. Along the way there were many obstacles in the game such as spikes, rats, and birds being the most prominent. If you even let Ivy touch just one of these you will hear your poor Kiwi scream and have to restart the stage. The good news here is that it is quick to jump right back in the game no matter how many times you lose in a stage.
When I first heard about Ivy The Kiwi? and this method of gameplay, my main concern was how accurate the controls would be. I was very relieved though as everything runs so smoothly and the touch screen was instantly responsive and fun to use. Vines are easy to place and you can easily swing a vine to make Ivy hop over platforms or enemies and obstacles blocking the way. As you move Ivy throughout the game, the game gets more challenging. Ivy doesn’t really have any attacks to fight off enemies, so you must use pure strategy on every map to avoid all of the danger in the game. One misplaced vine can send Ivy into a pit of spikes or into an upcoming rat or bird. Rats can even climb up your vines and chase Ivy so precise timing will be needed to succeed. Vines can also be used to make a bit of a ceiling to block out the rain and any dangers from above.
There are many different additions that will help you through these more challenging levels. Pulling back on an already placed vine will shoot Ivy like a torpedo and smash through cracked walls and rocks and also take out enemies in the way if performed correctly. Players will also receive a boulder that will help get through other areas otherwise unreachable. Overall, this odd formula worked perfectly and really provided a challenge later on in the game that was surprisingly fast-paced and rewarding. After the main story is complete, a whole new journey opens up adding a huge amount of replay value as well so countless hours can be invested to complete all of the tasks within the game.
Graphics/Audio
Ivy The Kiwi is told like a storybook, and it also looks like one as well. The pastel environments add a lot of charm and truly give the game the feel of innocence. I really feel like this is where the game shines the most as there really is nothing like the art style that has been recently released. As you move through the game each level blends into the next due to the art style though and made some levels seem more of the same so I would have loved to seen some more unique level designs considering all of the stages. I think my closest comparison to Ivy The Kiwi? graphics-wise would be Yoshi’s Island for the Super Nintendo but Ivy sets a bar when it comes to visual presentation that really must be experienced to truly enjoy.
The soundtrack is also top-notch and fits the setting of all the detailed environments and maintains the storybook feel for the game. At times the game will be playing a pleasant tune for some levels and darker stages will have an eerie yet mystical melody makes each stage come alive based on the point you are in the game. The sound effects also were fitting and gave Ivy’s character more of a sense of youth that meshed well with the story.
Overall
Ivy The Kiwi was a pleasant surprise all around for me. The presentation was unique and tied in perfectly with the plot and gameplay. Ivy may seem to appeal to a younger crowd with the innocent look and storybook presentation but do not let that fool you. Underneath all the charm is a challenging game that really keeps you on your toes and can give even a seasoned gaming veteran a fun and rewarding experience. Even after you finish the game there is a lot left to complete to keep you going back for more later. The enemies and areas stay the same for the most part throughout the game but other than that I really think this title could be one Nintendo’s best sleeper hits for 2010 and at a perfectly low price I definitely recommend Ivy The Kiwi? to any DS (or Wii) owners who want a simple yet satisfying game with a lot of charm and challenge.
Over the years, Namco has released many Namco Museum titles for those who love their classic arcade titles. For fans of the series it is wonderful news that Namco-Bandai Games have now announced a brand new compilation of classics and some new remixes of old favorites with Namco Museum Megamix for the Nintendo Wii. The game will feature 18 arcade-perfect ports and six special “remixed” versions of classic Namco arcade titles. This newest installment will also feature updated graphics and added motion control support to give each title a fresh new feel.
Some of the titles to be included are:
PAC-MAN – Relive the classic that ignited an absolute arcade sensation. Collect all the pellets in each maze before getting caught by the ghosts; Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde.
MAPPY – Help Mappy the police mouse bring criminal cats to justice. Mappy must recover all of the stolen goods by outsmarting the cats in their mansion.
Galaga – Prepare for space war! Players must defend their ship from the unrelenting waves of Galaga forces in this 1981 arcade classic.
GROBDA Remix – Control PAC-MAN as he takes out enemy tanks through a series of arenas.
Pac Motos– Players control their own PAC-MAN as they attempt to knock other players off a variety of unique arenas. Tilt the Wii Remote™ to move PAC-MAN, collect power-ups and bash into opponents to be the last PAC-MAN standing.
Pac ‘n Roll Remix – PAC-MAN is in a hurry and he needs help. Guide PAC-MAN past obstacles with the Wii Remote as he races to the finish line of each stage.
Rally-X – Players must pick up the 10 flags placed around each race track. Use smoke screens and out-race other players to win.
And many more!The Namco Museum series has always been one of the best compilation sets out there and this one looks to be even better with all of these new updates. Players can relive the classics and get to try out whole new gaming experiences this November.
One of the main complaints when it comes to the likes or Guitar Hero and Rock Band, is that you don’t learn anything from all the time put in. All these hours wasted learning an irrelevant plastic instrument. It’s also irritating for those who can play the guitar who try these games yet have no advantage from their experience of playing a real guitar. Someone who stays inside flicking a strum bar for 8 hours a day shouldn’t be able to beat a rock legend like Slash or Tom Morello.
Well, gone is this dilemma as of the release of Power Gig in October, in which (as much guitar players have asked for), you will control the game with a real guitar controller. This is a huge step forward in the band simulation games market, and depending on the final output, could be a huge triumph. Now, Seven45 Studios have revealed the full track list for the final game. As you can see from the list, it’s a fairly diverse line-up, although full of quality. For 80% of the songs, it will be their band game debut.
The full track list follows:
Eric Clapton – Layla
Eric Clapton – Lay Down Sally
Eric Clapton – Let It Rain
Dave Matthews Band – Funny The Way It Is
Dave Matthews Band – Tripping Billies
Dave Matthews Band – Why I Am
Kid Rock – All Summer Long
Kid Rock – Rock ‘N’ Roll Jesus
Kid Rock – Son of Detroit
John Mayer – No Such Thing
Jane’s Addiction – Been Caught Stealing
No Doubt – Platinum Blonde Life
Ozzy Osbourne – A.V.H.
Queens of the Stone Age – You Think I Ain’t Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire
Smashing Pumpkins – Cherub Rock
Disturbed – The Night
Rage Against the Machine – Bombtrack
Stevie Ray Vaughan – Couldn’t Stand The Weather
Black Sabbath – The Devil Cried
Stone Temple Pilots – Plush
Living Colour – Cult of Personality
John Mayer – Who Do You Think I Was
Snow Patrol – Hands Open
Three Days Grace – Break
Paramore – Ignorance
Silversun Pickups – Substitution
The Offspring – You’re Gonna Go Far Kid
The Black Label Society – Retribution
Breaking Benjamin – Breath
The Tragically Hip – New Orleans Is Sinking
The Used – Blood on My Hands
Mastodon – Crack the Skye
A Perfect Circle – The Hollow
Buckcherry – Tired of You
Firewind – Head Up High
The Black Keys – Strange Times
Flyleaf – Again
Godsmack – Awake
Incubus – Wish You Were Here
Jet – She’s A Genius
The Hives – Tick Tick Boom
John Mayer – Crossroads
Bad Religion – I Want to Conquer the World
Korn – Hold On
The Academy Is… – His Girl Friday
Lacuna Coil – Spellbound
MuteMath – Chaos
New Found Glory – Listen to Your Friends
P.O.D. – Alive
Puddle of Mudd – Blurry
Rise Against – Paper Wings
Sick Puppies – You’re Going Down
The Donnas – Fall Behind Me
The Get Up Kids – Martyr Me
Idlewild – Reader and Writers
Surfer Blood – Swim
Channels – Chivaree
Superdrag – Aspartame
Envy on the Coast – Headfirst in the River
Damiera – Silvertongue
A Cursive Memory – Everything
The Hounds Below – She’s Alchemy
A Love Like PI – Innocent Man
The Willowz – I Know
I See Stars – Comfortably Confused
The Paris Riots – Hotel of Infidels
School Boy Humor – Camera Shy
So Many Dynamos – Artifacts of Sound
Taxpayer – When You When Young
The Fatal Flaw – Don’t Start Believing
Power Gig: Rise of the Sixstring will release in October (including a unique real guitar peripheral), for Xbox 360 and PS3.
And so concludes this week’s Nintendo downloads. Any of the new releases tempting anyone? Also, on a side note, contray to the title, Jazzy Billiards is in fact a 9-ball pool game, just incase any of you people were planning on buying it on the assumption it was billiards, it’s slightly different.
Do you live in Australia? Do you own an Xbox and plan on getting Halo: Reach? Do you wanna donate to a charity at the same time as enjoying a great game? Then get a load of this! All proceeds from Halo: Reach avatar apparel and $5 from every Halo: Reach wireless headset sold will go straight to the Australian branch of the Make-A-Wish foundation! The Make-A-Wish foundation was formed as a way to help kids with life threatening illnesses make a dream come true. So if you feel like doing something good when Halo: Reach comes out, then make sure to buy some avatar clothes and a wireless headset! Check out the press release below:
Xbox and Make-A-Wish® Australia Join Forces in Online Fundraiser
Aussie student inspires idea to use Halo Reach to raise money for charity partnership
SYDNEY, Australia. — September 2, 2010 — Xbox Australia has just announced a partnership fundraising campaign with Make-A-Wish® that will see proceeds from the sale of Halo Reach avatars and the Halo Wireless headset for the highly anticipated game on Xbox 360, Halo Reach, go to helping the charity grant Wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.
The announcement is led by Apollo 11 moon-landing astronaut, Buzz Aldrin, this week at a public lecture at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS).
Managing Director for Xbox Australia, David McLean, said the idea to partner the launch of Halo Reach with a charity came from an unlikely source but was truly inspirational.
“The inspiration for this campaign actually came from a marketing student at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brendan Graham, who posted it online as part of a marketing competition. Our team saw this and spoke to Brendan directly to ask if he could help us make it happen. We contacted Make-A-Wish with the idea and away we went. It’s very exciting for Xbox to see the idea take shape and become a reality”, McLean said.
McLean also said partnering with Buzz Aldrin to make the announcement came as a natural fit due to the setting of Halo. Halo is a science fiction game series based in a world where space travel between planets is commonplace.
The Halo game series has reached blockbuster status worldwide and has sold over 1 million copies in Australia alone over its franchise history – one of the most popular Xbox games in Australia to date.
The campaign will give 100% of proceeds fromthe sales of Halo Reach avatars sold to Australian customers till October 31st, 2010 and $5 per unit sold of the Halo Reach wireless headsets sold in Australia, go directly to Make-A-Wish.
Interim CEO of Make-A-Wish Australia,Vici Funnell, welcomed the commitment from Xbox and said the campaign will provide a great boost to help the organisation with its goals in the coming years.
“Make-A-Wish Australia are very happy to continue the relationship with Xbox. Our key aim is to assist our Wish Kids as they fight illnesses and enrich their lives with hope, strength and joy and we applaud Xbox for helping us do this – we are truly grateful.” Vici said.
Forty one years after walking on the moon, Buzz Aldrin is visiting Australia to launch the much anticipated Xbox 360 exclusive, Halo Reach. Mr Aldrin personally announced the partnership between Xbox and Make-A-Wish at a public lecture at UTS this week. He said he was impressed with the idea to engage Xbox gamers to deliver support funding to charity.
“It’s great to see how a company like Microsoft can utilise its relationship with the Australian Xbox LIVE community to raise awareness and funding for such a great cause. It’s inspirational.” Buzz said.
Details of donations from Halo Reach profits that will go to Make-A-Wish: Donation to equal $AUD30,000 minimum:
– For every Halo Reach Avatar item purchased by Australian gamers by October 31st, 100% of proceeds will go to Make-A-Wish.
– For every Halo Reach Wireless headset sold in Australia, $5 per unit will go to Make-A-Wish
About Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish® Australia grants the Wis hes of children with life-threatening medical
conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. The Foundation was established in 1985 and has since granted over 6,200 Wishes nation-wide.
We have over 1,200 volunteers at 59 branches across Australia. In 2009 alone Make-A-Wish® granted 400 Wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Xbox 360 is a premier home entertainment and video game system. This holiday, with the addition of Kinect, Xbox 360 will transform social gaming and entertainment with a whole new way to play — no controller required. Xbox 360 is also home to some of the best and broadest games as well as a large on-demand library of standard- and high-definition movies, and digital games, all in one place. The entertainment centre of the living room, Xbox 360 blends fantastic content with an online social network of 25 million Xbox LIVE members to create a brilliant entertainment experience that can be shared at home or across the globe. More information about Xbox 360 can be found online at http://www.xbox.com .
About Xbox LIVE
Xbox LIVE is the online entertainment service for your Xbox 360, connecting you to an ever-expanding world of games and movies and social entertainment. With an active community of 25 million people across 35 countries, Xbox LIVE lets you play games, and share the fun with friends around the world. Xbox LIVE is also the exclusive home of controller-free online entertainment through Kinect, making your Xbox 360 more intuitive and interactive than ever before. With Xbox LIVE and Xbox 360, you have instant access to the entertainment you want, shared with the people you care about, wherever you are. More information about Xbox LIVE and services for your country can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/live.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential. Xbox 360, the Xbox 360 logo, Xbox LIVE are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
Metroid, Kirby, Mario, and Donkey Kong have been the four big franchises this year getting installments on the Wii. Without leaving the casual gamers and family market in the cold, Nintendo is releasing a brand new title that will be sure to turn your living room into the life of the party with Wii Party. Nintendo has released a bit more on the hot new title we first heard about at this year’s E3. The whole family stars in its own electronic board game with Wii Party on Wii from 7 October 2010. Most video games require players to focus their attention on a screen. Now Nintendo brings the action into the living room with Wii Party, a game that changes the way people interact
with other players. Featuring 13 different party game modes and 80 mini games, Wii Party can be enjoyed by everyone in the family, regardless of age or gaming experience, and everyone gets to play with their own Mii character!
Sharing the instant accessibility of titles like Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit, Wii Party offers non-stop fun and unparalleled variety as you, your family and friends grab up to four Wii Remotes and try your hand at a host of inventive and intuitive gaming experiences. To add to the enjoyment, select your personalized Mii character and see them in action like never before.
With Wii Party, enjoy games that refine the traditional party videogame experience. For the first time, the action away from the television screen will be as important as what’s displayed on it, as
House Party mode turns your living room into a pivotal part of the game play!
The Hide ‘n’ Hunt game will have you rummaging through cupboards and peering under the sofa as you desperately search for the hidden Wii Remote(s) before time runs out. If you can block out the laughter of whoever did the hiding, you’ll hear the occasional sound from the Wii Remote to give you a helpful – but sometimes infuriating – clue as to its whereabouts! Alternatively, tackle the Time Bomb game and see if you can keep a steady hand as you pass a ticking Wii Remote between friends.
On top of the new level of interactivity introduced by House Party, Wii Party also includes Party Games and Pair Games modes – both of which keep the varied challenges coming thick and fast as you cooperate or compete with fellow players. Within Party Games you can enjoy the likes of Board Game Island, a mini game filled journey to the top of a mountain that puts an exciting new twist on traditional board games.
If you’d rather work with another player than against them, Pair Games offer you the opportunity to do just that. As you collaborate in your attempts to balance out a boat or attempt to get a good friendship rating, you’ll need to be on the same wavelength to avoid doubling your troubles!
With heaps of mini games to discover, and creative ways to play them made possible by the Wii Remote, Wii Party packs in enough fun to keep everyone entertained and coming back for more.
With so much on offer, you might even struggle to decide what you should play next. Thankfully, your personal concierge Party Phil is on hand to make an appropriate suggestion based on your available time and specific mini game requirements.
Quite a bit of info to start getting pumped up about for all Wii owners. Nintendo will also have two packaging options available for Wii Party, one bundled with a Nintendo Wii-Mote and one Game only version. This could make an excellent gift idea or purchase for anyone wanting a solid party title this year and itching for something new to try after the very successful Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. Wii Party launches in the U.S on October 3rd and October 7th for those in Australia.
Namco Networks has cut the prices in celebration of Labor Day for most of their iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch apps, along with Android apps as well. Most titles reduced to $0.99 cents, some for $2.99. Check out the App Store now for great prices on Namco’s famous titles. Head on over to the App Store and grab them now before the Labor Day Sale is over! Here are the games that are on sale:
Android ($2.99):
Harvest Moon Frantic Farming
Inspector Gadget
Learn to Fly
PAC-MAN
PAC-MAN Championship Edition
The Wolfman
iPhone and iPad ($0.99 cents): Alpine Racer
BurgerTime Deluxe
Garters & Ghouls
Winter Nightmare
Isaac Newton’s Gravity
Mr. Driller
Ms. PAC-MAN
PAC-MAN
Pole Position: Remix
Pool Pro Online 3
Rolling 5 Dice Poker
Solitaire: Deck of Cods
Star Trigon
Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World
Tinseltown Dreams: The 50’s
USA Today Textpert
Worst Case Scenario
PAC-MAN for iPad
Pool Pro Online 3 for iPad
Lt. Fly Rise of the Arachnids
Isaac Newton’s Gravity HD
Galaga Remix
DigDug Remix
Noby Noby Boy
Avatwee
Gator Panic
PAC-MAN Championship Edition
iPhone ($2.99): I Love Katamari
Ridge Racer Accelerated
Mirror’s Edge Company:Electronic Arts Release Date: September 2, 2010 Price: $4.99 BUY NOW
Story:
Play as Faith Connors, a “Runner” who must run, slide, zip and jump between rooftops to stop a deadly threat in a deceived world. You’re supposedly in a world where everything is perfect and the law has complete control, but you’re reason for existence is to stop those that are corrupt in that world. Run and protect the world from a deadly threat brought by the bad people behind this world that’s supposedly perfect.
Sound and Graphics:
Further into the game, as things become intense, the sound is invigorating and has that pace that makes you keep going, which is what this game should be like. You’re constantly running, jumping and sliding under things to get to the end. The music helps you along the way. The game looks better than great. This game was created to look amazing on the iPhone and iPod Touch and it definitely lives it up to it. This game has the quality of graphics that when you open it up, you get a shock and have to absorb it all in. Every angle, every object and every character looks stunning. There are very few games that have the kind of graphics to compete with this one. Those games have not even arrived in the App Store yet, so Mirror’s Edge is one of the first surprisingly sharp graphics games since the App Store became available. When you’re not being attacked, the background music is a simple tune that keeps you focused in the game and makes it feel like you’re the only one in the world, which makes it a cool game to play. The sound effects are good and you hear Faith lose her breath when she falls or jumps too far. It really has great sound and really stunning graphics. This is overall the best-looking game available in the App Store at the time of release.
Controls and Gameplay:
The controls in this game are pretty much just flicking and sliding your finger, which makes it easy, but it also makes it easier to forget what combo of sliding does what. Because of all the elements in this game, there are a lot of different gestures to be used when playing. It does remind you once in a while what to do, so you won’t forget, but sometimes it can get complicated. This game is amazing and the action packed, parkour-style game is the coolest thing ever. It is a side-scroller, but it’s a great side-scroller. Running across rooftops, jumping up rafters, ricocheting off walls and so much more makes this the best action-adventure game for many different platforms. For the iPhone, it is amazing beyond belief. There is no other game in the App Store that even comes close to the gameplay in this, or the graphics for that matter. This game does get complicated further in, but that guarantees longer playtime, which give it better play value. This is one of those games that’ll end up staying on your iPhone or iPod touch for a long time. You can even compete with your friends via Facebook integration! Post your scores and set fast times to show off to your friends! Maybe they’ll try to be your stats, but you could always top them again. This becomes a very intense game that is just amazing. There’s no competition for this game. Right now, it’s the only one like it in the App Store, so enjoy the new generation of iPhone gaming. This is truly one of the best games there is. Enjoy having an alternate world in your pocket.
Summary:
After playing this for hours and continuing to enjoy it immensely, this game is all-in-all amazing. There is nothing that even comes to close to the storyline of this game. This is something that looks like it should be on a console, yet it can be played on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. It’s unbelievable how this can be played not only on iPhone 4, but on older generation iPhones as well. I give this an EXCELLENT rating of 9.5 capsules because of the stunning graphics, unbelievably intense gaming, the controls and everything else I didn’t have space to write about.
Sega unveiled the box art for the Western release of Yakuza 4 recently, what do you all think? Personally, I love it, this is coming from the guy who HATED the box art to Yakuza 3, but this is really nice in my opinion. But upon looking at it, it begs the question, is this BETTER than the box art our neighbors to the East got when they got Yakuza 4 earlier this year? Let’s take a look:
Hurm. That’s way better than the box art to the third game, but really I’m not feeling it. For once, I honestly believe the American version of a Yakuza game got the better box art! What do you guys think?
