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Here's a blast from the past. The original Galcon came to the Play Store when it wasn't even the Play Store - back in 2010 it was still going by the name "Android Market." It was a super-simple strategy game, adapted from an almost ancient PC shareware title called Galactic Conquest. The original mobile game was quite a popular one - sort of a Threes for the real-time strategy crowd - and today the very welcome sequel has arrived on Android.
Space Hulk is not some Jason X-style reinterpretation of Marvel's not-so-jolly green giant, fun as that might be. Nope, it's a tabletop tactical RPG set in the vaunted Warhammer 40,000 setting. The setting, which features a bunch of strapping space marines stomping around a gigantic derelict spaceship, is kind of like Aliens, except you get to kill things instead of run away. The latest video game version of the Space Hulk setup was released in 2013, and today it's been made available on the SHIELD, SHIELD Tablet, and SHIELD Portable.
Final Fantasy Tactics was an oddball when it was first released for the PlayStation in 1997 - ostensibly a member of the never-repeating (at the time) Final Fantasy series, the game broke from the familiar turn-based battles with a new isometric system that put a huge emphasis on tactical positioning and strategic use of classes and attack ranges. While FFT never got the attention of the standard numbered RPGs in the series, it became a sleeper hit, and the original was kept alive with a few sequels and remakes. It remains a popular game for PS1 emulators.
Tactical military strategy and RPGs make a natural fit for mobile platforms, especially tablets, thanks to a top-down battlefield and gameplay that's helped along by precision movement. Android already has a small but impressive collection of tactical strategy options, including notable PC/console games like XCOM and more niche options like Ambition of the Slimes. Now Android strategy fans can play Frozen Synapse Prime, a well-received remake of the original Frozen Synapse, for $5.
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 an indie tactical RPG, a pair of puzzlers, and two collections of Tin Man game books. Without further ado:
Tactical strategy is an interesting hybrid game genre, combining the thinking and placement of a strategy title with the turn-based combat and slow burn improvements of an RPG. AntiSquad Tactics is the first original take on squad strategy we've seen in a while, and unlike games such as X-COM, it's designed for mobile first. But what might interest the purist gamers in the audience is that AntiSquad is available in both a free-to-play and a premium version.
Phantom Rift is the latest game from Foursaken Media, and once again the developer has shown that it knows how to deliver attractive mobile experiences. Following the likes of Monster Adventures, Heroes and Castles, and Bug Heroes 2, Phantom Rift serves as another example of attractive 3D fun. This time around we're looking at a role-playing game inspired by the Mega Man Battle Network series of games that originally appeared on the Game Boy Advance.
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 an incredibly detailed flight (and only flight) simulator, a 3D tactical RPG, and an endless skater. 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 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 an old-school tactical RPG, a platformer with a Fine Arts degree, a microscopic casual game, a Tony Hawk wannabe, and an imitation Disney princess. 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 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 gorgeous platformer/shooter, a tactical RPG, a strange telephone-themed adventure game, another Tin Man game book, and a game about burning things. 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 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 action platformer from Noodlecake, both a tactical and a conventional multiplayer RPG, and a new entry in Herocraft's Strategy & Tactics series. Without further ado:
I've gone on record that zombie games are the bane of the mobile landscape, the interactive equivalent of the buddy cop movie: creatively bankrupt, innovative as a brick, and now only rarely entertaining. I'm inclined to stay my hatred for all things green and groaning on this one occasion, if only because the source material is still relatively pure. The Walking Dead: Assault is a squad-based strategy game, born from the same comic book series as AMC's monster hit TV show (but not the show itself). It's available for $2.99 in the Play Store now.
Arma Tactics THD Review: Like Chess With Guns... And Frustration, And Confusion, And Swearing
PC gamers know the ARMA series as wickedly difficult, painstakingly accurate military shooters - the thinking man's (or possibly masochist's) alternative
PC gamers know the ARMA series as wickedly difficult, painstakingly accurate military shooters - the thinking man's (or possibly masochist's) alternative to the likes of Call of Duty. For its first full mobile game, ARMA is eschewing the first person shooter genre in favor of a tactical game: a top-down, turn-based combat system where strategy wins over speed and reflexes. It's a good choice for touchscreens, and an understandable one given ARMA's current fanbase. It's just too bad that the execution didn't pan out.
[New Game] Arma Tactics THD Brings Top-Down, Turn-Based Military Strategy To Tegra Devices
Armchair generals, take note: tactical games are making a comeback. This top-down micromanaging genre was once dominated by the likes of Shining Force,
Armchair generals, take note: tactical games are making a comeback. This top-down micromanaging genre was once dominated by the likes of Shining Force, Tactics Ogre, and Final Fantasy Tactics (and just recently by XCOM: Enemy Unknown) but it's surprisingly perfect for touchscreen devices; see the Great Little War Game series. The ARMA series is known for painstakingly realistic shooters, but it's stepping back for Arma Tactics THD to give the player a bird's eye view of the battlefield.
[Bonus Round] The DRM: Death Ray Manta, Emilly In Darkness, Lemegaton Master Edition, And Wizard Ops Tactics
Welcome to the first 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
Welcome to the first 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. Without further ado: