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Oct

[New App] FPS Meter Shows Just How Many Frames Per Second You're Getting In Any App (Root Only)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

Last Updated: October 22nd, 2012

One of the things that makes Fraps so popular among PC gamers is its ability to capture frames per second info in the corner of just about any game, allowing users to monitor and benchmark performance.

Bringing similar functionality to your Android device, FPS Meter shows just how many frames per second any app is running at, and by extension allows you to capture video of that performance with the recording app of your choice.

The interface is as straightforward as possible – a few options like text size, location, and transparency, and a giant button to activate the fps counter.

Oct

Archos GamePad Gets Some Hands-On Time, Shows Off How Button Mapping Works

Posted by Cameron Summerson in ARCHOS, GamePad, News

Back at the end of August, Archos announced an innovative new tablet called the GamePad. As its namesake suggests, it's built with gaming in mind - complete with on-board controls. In the announcement, Archos claimed the 7" device had "automatic gaming recognition and mapping tools" - the big question was, however, how's that going to work?

We now have a better idea of what to expect from the GamePad, as ArmDevices.net has gotten some hands-on time with the device. The first couple of minutes in the video are the most enlightening, as that's where they show off the button mapping tools.

Oct

Review: Glu Mobile's "Indestructible" Is Anything But Bulletproof

Posted by Matt Demers in Game Reviews, Games, Reviews

In the realm of dual-stick shooters, Android’s offerings seem to be plentiful. However, one company’s name stands out due to their past success: Glu Mobile’s Gun Bros is a franchise that many gamers will recognize. Gun Bros seemed to have it all: an addicting premise, no shortage of customization, and perhaps most importantly, controls that didn’t suck. I’ve played my fair share of Gun Bros, so when Glu announced that they would be releasing a similar title (only this time, with cars!) I couldn’t help but be curious.

Rev Up That Engine…

Indestructible isn’t a concept that feels particularly new: you have a heavily modified car with a number of weapon options, and your goal is to kill enemies before they kill you.

Oct

PlayStation Mobile Review: An Overpriced, Disjointed Gaming Platform With Digital Schizophrenia

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in App Reviews, Reviews

I'm going to start this review out with a gigantic disclaimer: I used PlayStation Mobile on a rooted Nexus 7, per Artem's instructions, hardware that it wasn't technically designed for. The service should run on just about any (rooted) Android device, as well as natively on most recent Sony phones and tablets. At least some of the games in the store are also available on the PlayStation Vita. Other Android users are having trouble (even I had to flash to a stock, rooted backup), so stability and performance may certainly have been somewhat off while I used the service.

Even so, PlayStation Mobile, or at least the Android version, is awful.

Sep

[Deal Alert] Logitech Joystick For Tablets Is Free After Rebate From Tiger Direct, Might Even Be Worth It

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Deals, News

Let's get this out of the way: the Logitech Joystick ("for iPad and Android Tablets") is a strange little gadget, an analog solution to a digital problem. It sticks onto your tablet with suction cups, then places a capacitive touch-point below a thumbstick modeled after the more recent generation of game console controllers. Motion is achieved via a coiled plastic spring, and its design allows you to move it around the bezel to adjust to different games. The list price is $20, but right now Tiger Direct has it for free... after a $9.99 mail-in rebate.

The Joystick has been on the market for about a year.

Sep

PowerA MOGA Bluetooth Controller Hitting The Streets On October 21st For $50

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Games, News

Back at the end of May, a gaming accessory company called PowerA announced a new Bluetooth gaming controller for Android phones called the MOGA. At the time, release date and pricing information wasn't yet available, only that the controller would be released "before the holiday season." Looks like PowerA met that deadline, because it just officially announced the MOGA would be hitting the streets on October 21st for $50.

For those who may not be familiar with the MOGA, it's a game controller that includes a nifty built-in clamp-style holder for your smartphone, essentially turning it into a handheld gaming system.

Aug

ARCHOS Looks To 'Revolutionize' Android Gaming With The GamePad – A 7" Tablet With Built-In Controls

Posted by Liam Spradlin in ARCHOS, GamePad, News

ARCHOS, in an announcement that ambitiously looks to "revolutionize" Android gaming, has just unveiled the GamePad – a 7-inch, dual-core gaming tablet with built in controls (including buttons, a d-pad, triggers, and analog sticks) that remind us a little bit of Sony's PSP.

The interesting bit about this tablet is that it includes "automatic game recognition and mapping tools" which ARCHOS promises will "ensure control compatibility with every advanced Android game."

Of course, one of the most important things about a mobile device meant to center around gaming is its spec sheet. We aren't privy to the entire list of specs just yet, but here's what we do know: the GamePad will pack a yet unspecified dual-core processor at 1.5GHz with a Mali 400 quad-core GPU.

Aug

OUYA Android Console Raises $8.6 Million On Kickstarter In Just Under A Month

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Games, News

For the past month or so, you could hardly go to any tech-related corner of the internet without running into something on OUYA (pronounced "OOO-yah"), an impressive little Android-powered console. With respectable specs (Tegra 3 CPU, 1GB RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth, and 1080p), virtually unlimited hackability, and a price of just $99, it's no surprise that it flew through its $1,000,000 Kickstarter goal in the first 24 hours alone.

Since then, the console has continued to pick up even more steam. Square Enix has pledged support and Final Fantasy III will be one of the launch titles. OnLive will also be baked right in, meaning that regardless of how much (or little) support third-party developers pledge, you can still play from a massive library of games.

Aug

Splashtop 2 HD Arrives In The Play Store, Is Free For A Limited Time

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

Splashtop is one of the leading pieces of remote desktop software, not to mention app of choice for NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang when he wants to play Skyrim on his tablet. Now, Splashtop 2 HD has hit the Play Store, bringing pinch-to-zoom support, a new interface, and a very attractive price tag of free, for the time being.

As of right now, the app is free on the Play Store, however Splashtop says that this deal will only be available "for a limited time." Now, according the Play Store rules, a developer cannot convert a free app into a paid app, so it's unclear just how this will work once the developer ends the free period.

Aug

You Want This Homemade Android Arcade Cabinet - No, That's Not A Question

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News

Arcade cabinet mods are certainly nothing new. Ever since the kids of the late 70s and early 80s grew up into the adults of the late 90s and early aughts, the internet has been filled with folks building wooden boxes around computers and joysticks. Today's example, though, uses an Android tablet and a Tatsunoko vs. Capcom fight stick for what might be one of the cheapest, easiest-to-replicate Arcade cabinets around.

Unfortunately, the creator of this particular mod hasn't included instructions on how to follow in his footsteps (yet), but the cabinet does appear to be fairly straightforward.