Games

Aug

26 Best New Android Games From The Last 2 Weeks (8/2/11 - 8/17/11)

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, Best Apps/Games/LWPs Of The Week, Games, News

Welcome to the weekly roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Market or were spotted by us in the previous 2 weeks or so.

This edition focuses only on new games. The app roundup is coming up soon, and you can find the tablet app roundup here.

Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the AppBrain widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.

Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here:

Tattoo Tycoon by HandyGames

You guys know the drill in these management story-type games - in Tattoo Tycoon, you manage a tattoo studio, employees, designs, etc.

Aug

[Review] ApzOrb: Funny Spelling, But A New Skin For An Old Snake

Posted by Matt Demers in Game Reviews, Games

Not all classics need to be updated. Sometimes, an adherence to simplistic (yet addictive) game design will win out over flashy graphics any day.

The Pitch

ApzOrb is an update of the traditional "Snake" game that most of us have played on monochrome cellphone screens. However, instead of entertaining us with different shades of grey, this game has made color a vital part of how the game plays.

Instead of having to eat apples to extend the length of your block-snake, you seek out squares of similar colors. When consumed, your snake assumes that color; if you're navy and consume a sky-blue block, your color will shift accordingly.

Aug

Minecraft For Android Launches In The Android Market

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Games, News

Minecraft, a game that attracted almost 12 million players, over 3 million of whom paid for it, has long been teased for Android by its creator Markus Persson of Mojang. As of today, it's finally available on the Android Market for $6.92 or as a free demo. As expected, the game is currently limited to the Xperia Play - the rest of us will just have to do away with this trailer:

So, are any Xperia Play owners picking the game up? Be prepared for months of lost productivity ahead of you.

Minecraft - Pocket Edition Demo

QR code for https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mojang.minecraftpe.demo

Minecraft - Pocket Edition

QR code for https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mojang.minecraftpe

Aug

[Review] 'Zorro: Shadow of Vengeance' Brings Us An Interesting Take On The Masked Fencer, But Is It Too Ambitious?

Posted by Matt Demers in Game Reviews, Games

Zorro is a fictional character with a long and storied history. I mean, the character was created in 1919, spawned countless adaptations and inspired Batman, for god's sake: the man in black is frequently associated with the fierce swordplay and the volatile colonial era of Spanish California.

The Pitch

Zorro: Shadow of Vengeance is a side-scrolling adventure in which you play as an anime-styled version of the classic Mexican hero, Zorro. Zorro's design is one part Japan and one part Assassin's Creed; Antonia Banderas he's not. Using an array of touch controls, you'll jump, whip, sword-fight and roll through a number of levels as you look to bring a corrupt army captain to justice.

Aug

[New Game Review] Glu's Eternity Warriors: They Should Have Just Called It 'Sword Bros'

Posted by Matt Demers in Game Reviews, Games

While developer Glu Mobile has had a lot of success with its gun-wielding, bravado-toting title, Gun Bros, it seems to be unsatisfied with the mark left on the genre. I mean, why else would they release Eternity Warriors this week?

The Disappointment

In a sentence, Eternity Warriors is Gun Bros with swords. I wish I was kidding.

Usually, I might give this a pass, but Glu Mobile just released a game called Star Blitz which is essentially Gun Bros in space. I'm all for getting more mileage out of work (I am a freelancer, after all) but at this point, it's become a bit insulting.

Aug

5 Android 3.0+ Apps For Honeycomb Tablets From The Last 2 Weeks (8/1/11 - 8/13/11)

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, Best Apps/Games/LWPs Of The Week, Games, News, Tablets

Welcome to the weekly roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Market or were spotted by us in the previous 2 weeks or so.

This edition focuses only on new tablet apps or ones that added Honeycomb support. Regular apps and games are coming soon.

Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the AppBrain widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.

Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here:

Box.net

Box.net is one of the largest Dropbox competitors, and while I personally don't use it, it apparently has over 6 million users.

Aug

[Review] Greedy Spiders Doesn't Need Any Fancy Physics, Prefers To Puzzle You The Old-Fashioned Way

Posted by Matt Demers in Game Reviews, Games

App developers, I think it's time we put a moratorium on the titling of games with "(Adjective) (Animal)", don't you think? It's getting a bit tired, and trying to emulate Angry Birds doesn't really do you any favors.

Anyway, on to the review.

Greedy Spiders is a turn-based puzzle game in which you are looking to save flies from their grisly demise at the hands of the aforementioned Greedy Spiders. I believe the fact that the spiders are greedy has to be highlighted, because otherwise you are just preventing them from eating.

You free the insects by chopping off spokes of a spider web one at a time; the spider will then take its turn and move down a strand, shifting play back to you.

Aug

[First Look] Glu Mobile's New Game 'Star Blitz' Slaps A New Coat Of Sci-Fi Paint On Gun Bros, Looks To Fix Some Of Its Problems

Posted by Matt Demers in Game Reviews, Games, News

It seems to be a busy Friday afternoon around the Android Police offices, but we've managed to keep an eye on one game that's made its debut on the Android Market.

Star Blitz is a game by Glu Mobile that plays an awful lot like their previous title, Gun Bros. In essence, one on-screen joystick controls the steering of your ship while the other controls a laser. Like Gun Bros, you are faced with a number of waves of enemies, who upon defeat will drop experience and money.

You use this money to customize your ship and repeat the cycle.

Aug

[Review] Deflecticon Throws Some New Features To 3D Pong And Thrives In A Touch Environment

Posted by Matt Demers in Game Reviews, Games

Ah, nostalgia. I remember back in the days of surfing through AddictingGames.com there was a game called CurveBall. In what must have been cutting-edge coding at the time, you were put in control of a 3D pong paddle which could influence the way a ball was shot by moving the paddle as they made contact. It was pretty much a high-tech version of tennis, and was pretty kick-ass.

Deflecticon is a game that's similar to CurveBall (it's even mentioned in the description), only instead of using your mouse, you use your finger on your smartphone or tablet. You face off against a number of computer controlled opponents, with multiplayer to come in the future.

Aug

[Review] Bloo Kid Would Like To Think It's A Throwback To "The Classics" - Too Bad It's The Same Old Crap

Posted by Matt Demers in Game Reviews, Games

Bloo Kid is a throwback to the older, 8-to-16-bit art style of the days of gaming yore. As the aforementioned Bloo Kid, you traverse levels that only take up one screen, killing enemies until they stop spawning. There is no scrolling involved, which I suppose is meant to be part of its "old school" design. Health is handled by Zelda-style hearts.

To add incentive along the way (and to unlock further levels) you are tasked to hunt for stars: one for killing all enemies, one for surviving without getting hit, and another that arbitrarily shows up before the level ends. This last one bugs me a little bit, as if you're across the level from the star when it appears, you have little-to-no chance of getting in it time.