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May

[Bonus Round] Artemis Spaceship Bridge Sim, Hero Forge Beta, Ninja Twins, And Lazy Raiders

Posted by Jeremiah Rice 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 hotly anticipated hardcore sci-fi spaceship simulator, an interesting take on the growing RPG-puzzle genre, a retro platform/puzzle game with a twist, and Namco's latest attempt at striking mobile gaming gold.

May

[Bonus Round] Fractal Combat, Monkey Boxing, Toy Defense 2, Chuck The Muck, Hiversaires, And Rage Of The Gladiator Xperia Play

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Games, News, Roundups

Last Updated: May 13th, 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 title from Crescent Moon, a sequel to a tower defense favorite, unique puzzle and adventure games, and an Xperia Play-optimized version of a popular beat-em-up. Without further ado:

bonusround

Fractal Combat

Full-on flight simulators are still a little too much for mobile platforms (because of control issues rather than a lack of power), but arcade flight sims are getting better.

Apr

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

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft 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.

Apr

Roundup: Check Out Our Six Picks For Best New Game From March 2013

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Games, Roundups

Last Updated: May 13th, 2013

It wouldn't be another month without our usual short-lists. We've already discussed our six favorite apps from March 2013, so it's time to take a look at the six best games we saw last month. As usual, the Play Store had plenty of new games to offer, from fast-paced shooters to classic remakes to chaotic puzzlers. If you like playing games on Android, chances are there was something for you last month. Since most readers don't have enough time to check out every worthy competitor in the store, we'll take a peek at the six games we think stood out most last month.

Apr

[New Games] Scribblenauts Remix And Batman: Arkham City Lockdown Hit The Amazon Appstore Now, Google Play This Spring

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Games, News

Kindle Fire owners and Amazon Appstore users, you've got two heavyweights added to your gaming catalog. Warner Bros Games has published Scribblenauts Remix and Batman: Arkham City Lockdown to the Appstore, both previously available only on iOS. Of the two, Scribblenauts is probably worth more attention, as the series has garnered critical acclaim on portable consoles, PC, and mobile.

Scribblenauts got its start on the Nintendo DS, where its mix of creative gameplay and quirky puzzles were a good match for the touchscreen-based controls. The object of the side-scroller is to modify the environment by adding objects. The player's capability to create new items based on common nouns is nearly unlimited, and the fun comes from seeing which items you can throw in the level to guide your character along.

Mar

[Game Roundup] Here Are Our Seven Picks For Best New Game From February 2013

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Games, Roundups

Last Updated: May 13th, 2013

It wouldn't be a new month without a roundup of the previous month's best Play Store offerings. Of course, we've already taken a look at the best new apps from February 2013, but games – as usual – were also well-represented by new entries last month.

Typically, we try to narrow down our list of the top new apps and games to five entries each month. This month, however, saw the debut of plenty of new games that are definitely worth taking a look at, and have included seven of the very best games no Android gamer should miss. Without further ado, here are the top games from February 2013.

Feb

[New Game] Sporos Brings A 'Spacey, Biological' Vibe To The Ambient Puzzle Genre

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Games, News

Bringing to market a simplistic, clean take on the puzzler genre, Appxplore released Sporos today. The concept behind Sporos is simple: place sporos (which, by the way, is some sort of "special seed") on the board, watch the adjacent rows or columns light up, and repeat until every cell on the board is illuminated.

Seems easy, right? It would be, except that the levels get progressively harder, with more complex cell patterns, and you've only got a certain number of sporos to work with, each able to light up a certain set of directions.

To keep you from getting too frustrated, the game has calming electronic music, which pairs nicely with its neon, pseudo-biological graphics.

Feb

Puzzle Retreat Is One Of The More Clever Puzzle Games To Come Out In Recent Memory

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Games, News

Did you know there are other kinds of games out there besides 8-bit platformers? I was as shocked as you are. As it turns out, though, some people prefer to play things that don't involve shooting guns, jumping on enemies or collecting coins. Things like Puzzle Retreat which is a delightfully clever yet simple game for the casual player.

The basic premise is simple. You have a set number of ice cubes that need to be slid into place. In later levels, new blocks that change the direction the cubes slide, or that melt already placed cubes show up.

Feb

Globulous Is Three Measures Of Mahjong, One of Bejeweled, Half Measure Of Tetris, Shaken Over A Sphere

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Games, News

Last Updated: February 22nd, 2013

To call this game "Tetris on a sphere" would be a bit disingenuous. It's far, far more complicated than that. Tetris merely requires you to place falling pieces such that they create solid, dissolving rows and thus abate, if temporarily, the peril of becoming overwhelmed by the steady stream of burdens in what I can only assume is a clever metaphor for adulthood. Globulous, on the other hand, has a clear goal: clear out layers of the sphere and reach the prize inside. It's the method that gets complex.

The gameplay is a little difficult to grasp at first (as is any puzzle game that operates in 3D), but thankfully there are plenty of tutorials.

Feb

[New Game] Zombie Minesweeper Is Exactly What It Sounds Like... And It's Awesome

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Apps/Games, News

Last Updated: April 10th, 2013

Before now, I thought that zombies had been added to every conceivable genre with the possible exception of farm implement simulator, and that's only a matter of time. But surprisingly, adding undead minions to a game that millions of office workers use to cling to sanity turns out to be fairly interesting. Despite the title, zombies don't replace mines in Zombie Minesweeper, they just add to the explosive fun. Check out the trailer below.

Gameplay is an interesting mix of puzzles and Oregon Trail top-town shooting, and since you've got to keep moving constantly, the pace is much faster than most puzzle games.