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Hextech Mayhem hands-on: An unrefined rhythm runner set in the League of Legends universe
A stylish yet frustrating release from Riot Games
Riot Games (of League of Legends fame) has a new release on Android. It's called Hextech Mayhem, and it was recently ported to Netflix's gaming platform. It's a stylized rhythm runner that's well-reviewed on Steam, but some of you may be wondering how the transition from consoles/PC to mobile has turned out. Is it one of the best games on Android, or is it filler for Netflix's gaming catalog? Well, it's a bit of a mixed bag, which is why I've gone hands-on with the title to report my findings, and I've even recorded a 20+ minute gameplay video so everyone can see with their own eyes how the game performs. So if you were on the fence about whether or not Netflix's latest game is worth playing, this hands-on is for you.
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run is available on Android a day early
And it's filled with in-app purchases
It would appear that two Crash Bandicoot fans (Jump Button and Motwera) have uncovered an upcoming mobile Crash Bandicoot game through a Facebook search. Currently, there is a survey available for the supposed Crash Bandicoot Mobile title on StoreMaven (a mobile growth website) that mentions the game isn't available yet while simultaneously asking for input to improve the game's development. So while the existence of Crash Bandicoot Mobile has yet to be confirmed by King, the recent leak from Jump Button and Motwera looks pretty convincing.
Jetpack Joyride gets a sequel nine years later, soft launch now available
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand can now jump in
Halfbrick Studios hit gold when it released Jetpack Joyride on iOS back in 2011, so the game was ported to Android in 2012 to capitalize on this success. Sadly it would appear that Halfbrick has been treading water ever since, though it's looking like the studio is going back to its roots with the soft-launch of a long-awaited sequel. This follow-up is called Jetpack Joyride 2: Bullet Rush, and it adds gunplay into the familiar auto-runner gameplay to spice things up. Currently, the game is only available in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, so if you happen to live in one of these regions, you can jump in today to see how this sequel stacks up.
It has just come to my attention that FaceIT's stylish indie adventure game Summer Catchers is finally available for pre-registration on the Play Store. Back in July of 2019, the game was published on Steam by Noodlecake Studios and has racked up many positive reviews on the platform over the last six months. The game plays like an auto-runner, though it also offers a story-driven experience, so expect something a lot more polished than the standard auto-runners on the Play Store.
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 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 premium Evil Dead runner, a pixel-art roguelike shooter, a pleasant escape the room game, a new puzzler from Infinity Games, a PGA-branded slingshot mechanic golf game, and a shooter that mixed the classic SHMUP gameplay with a brick breaker. Without further ado:
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 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 an intriguing puzzle-platformer that looks like a 2D Monument Valley, an extremely challenging endless runner, a delightful arcade game, a two-player party game centered around dad jokes, a unique auto-runner where you have to control multiple runners at once, and an adorable hand-drawn arcade game. Without further ado:
Drool's action rhythm game Thumper was initially released on PC and consoles back in 2016. At the start of 2018, a mobile port was released on iOS under the new moniker Thumper: Pocket Edition. Well, it would appear that this mobile iOS port has finally made its way to Android with today's official release of Thumper: Pocket Edition on the Google Play Store.
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 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 Dan Vogt's follow up to Data Wing, a stylish Edgar Allan Poe auto-runner, a chilled-out puzzle game, a unique AR-based maze game, a 3D take on Tetris, a Nanogram game from Konami, and a gorgeous samurai fighting game. Without further ado:
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 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 colorful pixel-based platformer, a minimal word game, an auto-runner created from the Prince of Persia license, an enjoyable arcade racer, a choose your own adventure, a spooky arcade game, and the sequel to Cat Tales. Without further ado:
David Marquardt's Glitch Dash is his third game released on the Play Store, and oh boy did he ever hit this one out of the park. Unlike most auto-runners, this is not a game for casuals. The difficulty is high, and it only gets higher the further you progress. Now I'm not saying this to scare away players as this is a beautiful running game that is a blast to play, but rest assured it will be quite a challenge to reach the end.
Lost Socks: Naughty Brothers is a challenging auto-running platformer that just released for Android
The developer Nerf-Game has finally released its challenging 2D auto-running platformer Lost Socks: Naughty Brothers on the Google Play Store. It has been two years since the original iOS release, and in that time it has changed from a premium game to a free-to-play title. Despite the shift in monetization the challenging gameplay and goofy story are just as great as ever.
Sonic Runners Adventure is quite an odd release. The first thing people will probably notice is that this title looks pretty familiar, and that is because Sonic Runners Adventure used to exist as a free-to-play auto-runner called Sonic Runners, but SEGA eventually pulled it from the Play Store back in July of 2016. What is interesting is that Gameloft has taken that now-defunct FTP Sonic title and has turned it into a premium release that lacks any advertisements or in-app purchases, and you can pick it up today for $2.99.
Sega's Sonic Forces: Speed Battle has officially released worldwide as of today. Luckily this release is nothing like the poorly received PC and console version of Sonic Forces as this is an entirely different game focused on multiplayer PvP gameplay. Sadly it is a competitive free-to-play auto-runner filled with loot boxes, multiple currencies, wait timers, a long grind to unlock any new heroes, plenty of advertisements, and of course a whole range of in-app purchases that go as high as $99.99 per item.
I have written at length about PIKPOK's zombie auto-runner sequel Into the Dead 2 with a pre-registration announcement and a hands-on with the beta release. Well, it would appear that today is officially the day, as it has just been released on the Play Store worldwide. While this is a free-to-play release, if you ignore the majority of its monetization, there is a good bit of fun to still be had with the title.
[Hands-on] Into the Dead 2, a well made auto-runner that leans heavily on its free-to-play mechanics
Into the Dead 2 is the sequel to PIKPOK's original zombie auto-runner Into the Dead. It takes everything you enjoyed about the first title and adds a ton of polish and a new overarching story that ties together the game's 7 chapters, 60 stages, and hundreds of challenges. And to top it off, you can now equip a canine companion to join you along your journey through a zombie-filled world.
That's right, if you had forgotten all about Super Mario Run, it might just be time to check back in and see what is new. Not only is there an all-new character you can unlock, but there is a new mode called Remix 10, where you play through 10 random successive sections pulled straight from the game’s numerous levels. Oh, and if that was not enticing enough, Nintendo has halved the original $9.99 price down to $4.99 for the next two-weeks.
Big news folks, the sequel to Super Meat Boy is coming to Android in 2018, along with just about every other platform out there. It is titled Super Meat Boy Forever, and apparently the highly challenging platforming action that is synonymous with its name is being switched out for auto-runner gameplay.
At first glance, Lucky Kat Studios's Road Warriors may look like yet another 2D pixel racing game on Android, but the truth is that it offers a fresh new take on the genre that keeps the player coming back for more. So if you love racing at breakneck speeds while performing flips and mowing down your opponents in extreme detail within bullet-time events, then you are going to want to check out this new addition to the Play Store today.
When Nintendo announced it was making games for mobile platforms, fans were eager to get their hands on the first release. Nintendo came out with more concrete details on September 7th of last year... at Apple's iPhone 7 announcement event. Predictably, the first game featuring company mascot Mario came to iOS first back in December. Though Android users got the first crack at Nintendo's second mobile game, Fire Emblem Heroes, we've been waiting three months to try our hands at Super Mario Run.