13
Jun
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[Bonus Round] CRUSH, Gurk III Beta, And Little Nick: The Great Escape

Posted by in Games, News, Roundups
Last Updated: June 15th, 2013

Welcome to the latest entry in our Bonus Round series, wherein we tell you all about the new Android games of the day that we couldn't get to during our regular news rounds. Consider this a quick update for the dedicated gamers who can't wait for our bi-weekly roundups, and don't want to wade through a whole day's worth of news just to get their pixelated fix. Today we've got a new puzzle game from the makers of Slydris, a game that puts other "old school" titles to shame, and yet another licensed endless runner. Without further ado:

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CRUSH

We featured Slydris on a previous edition of Bonus Round, and developer Radiangames is back with an even simpler game, this time slightly reminiscent of the board game Go.

10
Jun
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[New App] Relive The Glory Days Of 8-Bit Computing With Droid-CPC, An Amstrad CPC Emulator

Posted by in Applications, Games, News

I have a confession to make: most of the programs you might want to run on this emulator were written before I was born. But if you're the kind of seasoned geek who really did watch the original Star Wars in theaters (and watched it in Europe), you might just remember having an Amstrad brand computer in your basement. Developer Kokak (who we've featured before) has released Droid-CPC, a full emulator for the Amstrad line of PCs. If you've got program files, the emulator should be able to run them on most Android hardware.

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Droid-CPC is particularly tuned for games, with a virtual keyboard and joystick, support for customized external gamepads, and an engine that should keep frame rates high (but not too high).

16
May
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[Bonus Round] Dig, Turbo Racing League, Can Knockdown 3, Finding Teddy, Spin Master Bowling, And You Don't Know Jack

Posted by in Games, News, Roundups

Welcome to the latest entry in our Bonus Round series, wherein we tell you all about the new Android games of the day that we couldn't get to during our regular news rounds. Consider this a quick update for the dedicated gamers who can't wait for our bi-weekly roundups, and don't want to wade through a whole day's worth of news just to get their pixelated fix. Today we've got a new game from Crescent Moon, a tie-in for Dreamworks' upcoming animated movie, a sequel to one of the Play Store's most popular casual games, some bowling and quiz titles, and one of those beguiling indie-retro affairs that keeps popping up.

19
Apr
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Boulder Dash-XL Arrives On Android To Bring Back Old Memories Of Mining For Diamonds In The 80s

Posted by in Games, News
Last Updated: April 21st, 2013

While we eagerly await the arrival of Google Games (and the potential revenue that could bring), Android still remains a great home for classic games from days gone by. To wit, Boulder Dash, an 8-bit puzzler originally released for the Atari in 1984, has landed on Android. This rounds out at least an even dozen platforms the title has been ported to.

The new version brings updated graphics and touch screen controls. You can also flip into retro mode if you prefer the nostalgic view of giant pixels. The game touts at least 100 levels to play, each with its own set of traps, enemies and puzzles to get to the exit.

11
Apr
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[Editorial] Five Android Gaming Fads That Need To Die

Posted by in Editorials, Games

I've been handling a fair bit of the gaming coverage here on Android Police for the last nine months, to say nothing of our regular game roundups. And while I'm still ecstatic that there's such a plethora of variety on the platform, there's definitely a few game elements that are far, far beyond their sell-by date. I'd hate to discourage developers from making games, but consider this: if your mobile game features any of the following bullet points, and (perhaps more importantly) a lack of innovation, you're doing something wrong.

08
Feb
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[New Game] QuestLord Will Scratch Your RPG Itch With An 8-Bit Sword

Posted by in Apps/Games, Games, News

Role playing games have been dressed up for the modern era, but the RPGs of the past still have a unique appeal. In the new game QuestLord, you get to take a retro-inspired 8-bit journey into a massive world filled with magic, secrets, and a ton of turn-based combat.

The basic premise is much the same as other RPGs: complete quests, find loot, level up. There are 18 complete quests in QuestLord right now spread over 160 different maps. You even get over 100 NPCs to interact with as you explore the world. That isn't bad for a mobile game of this sort.

30
Aug
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[New Game] Activision Anthology Combines 8-Bit Nostalgia, Impressive Presentation, And In-App Payments

Posted by in Games, News

Games from the NES era and earlier (and those styled after them) do very well on mobile platforms, if only because modern controls schemes just aren't easily compatible with touchscreens. Activision isn't the first to bring their wide collection of ancient titles to Android, but theirs might just be the most complete. The brand new Activision Anthology amasses the most popular Atari 2600 games published by the gaming giant and its subsidiaries, crammed into a single app with an impressively nostalgic presentation.

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The collection of 45 games is presented in a carousel surrounding what looks like my grandparents' den circa 1983.

30
Jul
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[New Game] Iron Crusade Brings Nostalgic, 8-Bit, Worms-like Gameplay To Your Mobile Device

Posted by in Games, News

I don't care how good graphics get - mobile, console, or PC - there's something that I absolutely love about the old-school Nintendo feel. Perhaps the 8-bit look and feel reminds me of my childhood, or maybe because it's just so simplistic. Whatever the reason, throwback-style games like the newly-released Iron Crusade are always welcome on my devices.

There's no denying that Iron Crusade draws inspiration from the classics of yesteryear, albeit with a modern day twist. The game features turn-based gameplay, realistic physics, 22 levels, fully upgradable weapons and tanks, varying enemies and bosses with each level, 15 different achievements, and, my personal favorite: fully destructible environments.

08
Jun
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Quiet, Please! Is An 8-Bit Adventure Puzzle Game That's Just Entertaining Enough To Spend A Dollar On

Posted by in Games, News

There aren't enough 8-bit adventure games in the world. This is just one of those facts of life you learn to deal with growing up. Thankfully, there are still a few devotees to the genre, like Nostatic Software. The developer has released a delightfully colorful 8-bit adventure game about a young girl with the world's most sensitive ears who just wants everyone in the house to be quiet for a bit so she can go to sleep.

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Your character, who is never given a name, arrives home to find that every member of her family, as well as some inanimate objects, are making noise.

10
Nov
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[New Game] OrangePixel's "INC" Is An 8-Bit Platform/Shooter for $2.75

Posted by in Games, News

Orange Pixel, creators of the well-received "Meganoid", just released a platform/shooter called "INC".

There are 40 levels of robot blasting action, and 8-bit styling and sound effects. It's sort of like Mega Man. The description claims "hard-but-fair gameplay," so there's retro difficulty to go along with those retro graphics. Xperia Play owners will be glad to hear that all their fancy buttons are supported (like you couldn't tell from the giant video thumbnail).


8-bit shooters don't really need a story, but just for good measure: "[In] The year 2135, the world is ruled by Corporations, humans are slowly being replaced by robots and machines, and the most powerful humans are now looking for ways to transfer their souls into robots, for eternal life." TL;DR: "Shoot things.