Android Gaming - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Dec

Archos GamePad Officially Available In Europe Now For 149.99€, Coming To North America In Early 2013

Posted by Cameron Summerson in GamePad, News

Back in August, Archos announced its then-upcoming GamePad, a tablet which looks to "revolutionize" gaming on Android. Featuring built-in physical game controls and custom button mapping software, the GamePad removes the need for touch controls, giving mobile gaming a more console-like feel, while its 7" display still keeps it portable enough to toss in your bag and take on-the-go. And now, it's finally available.

The GamePad is on sale in Europe for 149.99€, with North American availability coming in early 2013. The GP features some fairly decent specs, which should make for a solid gaming experience:

7" 1024x600 display
1.6GHz dual-core processor, with Mali 400 MP GPU
8GB onboard storage with microSD card slot and support for up to 64GB of additional space
miniHDMI out
Android 4.1

At this time, there's no official word on North American pricing, but we'll keep you posted as soon as more information becomes available.

Nov

Running Rings Around Other RPGs: Chaos Rings Omega Review

Posted by Matt Demers in Apps/Games, Game Reviews, Games, Reviews

What looks, plays, and sounds like a Final Fantasy game, but isn’t? If you answered Chaos Rings Omega, I’d like to give you a no-prize. This game comes to us from publisher Square-Enix, who also handles a lot of the other JRPGs that have shaped the genre into what it is today.

Like my colleagues at AP have commented, the Chaos Rings series may be their way of testing the waters before a full-fledged Final Fantasy mobile title, and it shows; the game is one of the most beautiful that I’ve ever played on the Android platform, and it is worth every penny of the $12.99 price tag.

Nov

Needs More Training: Avengers Initiative Review

Posted by Matt Demers in Apps/Games, Game Reviews, Games, Reviews

After a long time in development, Marvel (and their parent company Disney) have released Avengers Initiative to the Android masses. Coming with a $6.99 price tag on a limited number of devices, it adds to the growing list of Avengers-themed mobile games, even if only one of those heroes is available in this particular title.

The Premise

Avengers Initiative puts you in the role of the Hulk, who has been tasked in bringing in a number of super-villains who have escaped from a high-tech prison in the Marvel Universe. The game plays almost exactly like the popular Ininity Blade series on iOs, where you'll dodge, parry, and perform attacks in 1-on-1 duels.

Nov

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Release Date Announced - Available Beginning December 6th For $5

Posted by Matt Demers in Apps/Games, Games, News

At the end of October, Rockstar Studios announced that the mobile version of its smash-hit Grand Theft Auto: Vice City would be coming to Android and iOS. Now, it has announced an official release date of December 6, with a $4.99 price tag across all platforms.

The release marks the 10th anniversary of a game many remember from the Xbox and Playstation 2. This version will be enhanced for mobile screens, including updated character models, lighting, and different control options that should make the experience as smooth as possible.

The company previously released Max Payne and Grand Theft Auto III to the Store with decent reviews, and now have better hardware to work with.

Dec

Jet Car Stunts Leaves The Pits, Makes Its Way Into Android Market

Posted by Stephen Tenerowicz in Apps/Games, Games, News

The iOS mega-hit Jet Car Stunts is now live in the Android Market! That's right, True Axis has finally brought the smash hit to the Android platform, with plenty of OpenFeint goodness thrown in for good measure. For those who don't know of the game, it's a 3D driving masterpiece where your opponents are not other player so much as the tracks themselves. There are huge jumps, crazy stunts, and great wrecks.

Features include:

Smooth and fast rendering graphics

Responsive accelerometer controls

Great crashes

36 unique and 'insane' tracks

Multiple play modes

Jet assisted drift landing

Half car and half jet means you'll have in-air controls

Online leaderboards and achievements with OpenFeint

Upload replays with your best times

This is one of those really fun games that you'll want to keep - it's on the Angry Birds level, in my opinion.

Oct

REVIEW: Reckless Racing Brings Yeehaw Dorifto To Android

Posted by Brian O'Toole in Apps/Games, Games

Note: Testing for this review was done on a Nexus One

I love drifting. As I tuck myself into bed, I can be heard to whisper "Good night, Dorikin". So when I read that Reckless Racing, so long anticipated on the Droid Forums gaming section, had finally been released, I immediately bought it from the market.

My first impressions weren't particularly positive. The country hick theme (RR was formerly known as Deliverace) did not appeal to me, and the single-thumb control scheme was terrible. It didn't feel like it had been worth the wait, especially after a 20 minute download for the game data.

Aug

Mark DeLoura Leaves Post As Google's Game Developer Advocate

Posted by Andrew Huff in Development, Games, News

Mark DeLoura, who was hired by Google about 5 months ago to fill the much-needed position of Games Developer Advocate, just announced he has left the company. This marks the second big name to leave Google's gaming department (Games at Google) this summer.

The reason for Mark's departure from Google? It wasn't a perfect fit for him - or at least that his story and he's sticking to it! In the official announcement on his blog, Mark wrote:

"I enjoyed working with many of the people there, but it was not the perfect fit for me."

Mark also spoke about the progress that has been made over at Games at Google, outlining the building of apps in the browser and the greater developer flexibility.

Jul

The Sorry State Of Gaming On Android, And How OpenFeint May Help

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Apps/Games, Games, News

It may not seem like it at first, but gaming on Android is pathetic. While Android certainly has its fair share of good games, there is a long way to go before the state of gaming on the platform can be considered healthy. There are probably a few people up in arms over that statement, so let me qualify it:

A few days ago I wrote an article on a Distimo report comparing various app markets. One of the juicy bits of info from the report (that I didn’t cover in my article) was that precisely 0 of the top ten free apps and 0 of the top ten paid apps on Android are games.