[Bonus Round] Hotline Miami, War Thunder, Portal Pinball, Sproggiwood, Always Sometimes Monsters, Nubs' Adventure, And IO

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 several PC and console pilgrims including Hotline Miami, War Thunder, and Always Sometimes Monsters, a new Portal-inspired Zen Pinball table, a mashup of tactic, RPG, and city-building, and standard platformers and puzzlers. Without further ado:

Hotline Miami

There's nothing in Hotline: Miami that really requires the graphical power of the SHIELD Android TV, Tablet, or Portable, but it does insist on a controller for proper play. In this ultra-violent top-down brawler/shooter, you play a man who's being manipulated by criminals into committing massive killing sprees. The short, intense bursts of action (which encourage the player to die, die again) made this game a huge hit on the PC and consoles. Not for kids, and not for those who are easily frustrated.

Gaming Controller Required.*** Hotline Miami is a high-octane action game overflowing with raw brutality, hard-boiled gunplay and skull crushing close combat. Set in an alternative 1989 Miami, you will assume the role of a mysterious antihero on a murderous rampage against the shady underworld at the behest of voices on your answering machine. Soon you'll find yourself struggling to get a grip of what is going on and why you are prone to these acts of violence.

War Thunder

War Thunder is one of the best-known free-to-play games on the PC. It's a World War II combat simulator that pits teams of players against each other in period-accurate planes. This one is exclusive to the SHIELD Android TV at the moment, and since the main draw is a series of gigantic PVP battle scenarios, it's easy to see why. There is an unfortunate pay-to-win element thanks to the F2P setup, but if you don't have at least some skill and strategy, you'll be slaughtered in the online multiplayer. Solo and co-op missions are also available.

War Thunder is a free-to-play, cross-platform MMO combat game for SHIELD, Windows, Linux, Mac and PlayStation®4 dedicated to military vehicles used in the World War II and the Korean War periods. Fight in major air, land, and sea battles, with international players in an ever developing environment. This is an Open Beta version of the game for Android and we're doing our best to deliver the same experience as on other platforms, so everything is a subject to change.

Portal ® Pinball

Zen Studios continues its expansion into all kinds of pop culture, but this one should be familiar to gamers already. This collection of two tables stars the characters and environments of Portal, Valve's hugely popular first-person puzzle game. Old and new versions of Aperture Science are available, and if you look closely you'll see Chell, Wheatley, and the various mechanized inhabitants of the lab, all looked over by GladOS. These tables are also available as IAP in the main Zen Pinball game.

Zen Studios, in collaboration with Aperture Laboratories and Valve, is proud to present the “Aperture Science Heuristic Portal ® Pinball Device”, proving that persistent experimentation is not only the hallmark of good science for the benefit of mankind, but also incalculably fun. Guide Chell and Wheatley through test chambers by navigating portals, using aerial faith plates, defeating turrets and facing other obstacles.

Sproggiwood

Sproggiwood is a combination of three genres: RPGs, tactical combat, and... city builder? The concept and execution are unique, to say the least. You'll venture through grid-based dungeons fighting with guile and strategy to collect both equipment for your class-based hero and resources to upgrade your town. The environments and enemies are procedurally generated, so you'll never want for a new area to explore.

Bring civilization to Sproggiwood, a story-driven, turn-based roguelike set in a humorous world inspired by Finnish mythology. Grow your civilization and plunder procedural dungeons with six unique classes. Outsmart mischievous monsters who work together in unexpected ways. No two dungeon dives are alike. You’re a simple farmer from the peaceful island of Clog. One moment, you're tending your grove -- the next, you’re lured through a mysterious portal by a talking sheep.

Always Sometimes Monsters

Broadly an adventure game, Always Sometimes Monsters is a title that's really more interested in the dynamics of human relationships. The 2D game is so indie it's seen the conceptual stage play that the movie you've never heard of is based on, and so progressive that it has a second-hand Prius with a bumper sticker demanding you check your privilege. Your choice of race, gender, and sexual preference determines other characters' reaction to your presence and your possible paths through life.

Out of money and out of luck you find yourself broken-hearted and on the verge of collapse. Your landlord's taken the key back, you can't finish your manuscript, and your beloved is marrying someone else. With no choice but to handle whatever life throws at you, you set out on the open road on a mission to win back the love of your life. The story from there to redemption is up to you. Can we be salvaged, or are there always sometimes monsters?

Nubs' Adventure

Nubs' Adventure is a standard but stylish platformer starring the Reddit mascot. OK, it might not actually be the same little robot, but you know what I mean. A huge 2D world, a variety of enemies and bosses, and a few standard puzzles await players. There aren't any especially new ideas or twists in the game (or at least there don't appear to be), but those who enjoy the Metroid exploration-heavy format should enjoy it. A $5 in-app purchase unlocks the whole thing.

Nubs' Adventure is an exploratory platformer in which you help Nubs rebuild his house after it was destroyed by the evil Reds. But Nubs is not alone. With him on his journey are his friends: the tiny wisp Ally and a huge worm named Brute. Explore four different world, each with their own secrets, enemies and traps. Control Nubs, as well as the wisp Ally and the worm Brute. Fight the evil Reds in epic boss fights.

iO - A Physics Platformer

Even in the game roundup we can't stop yakking about I/O. This one, sans slash, is a physics-based platform/puzzle game that tasks you with navigating an oddly variable playing field with a wheel that grows or shrinks to achieve the correct momentum. You'll need a good bit of spatial awareness to get past some of the challenges, and there are plenty here - over 255, according to the description. Graphics are enhanced for SHIELD devices, but it's compatible with most newer Android hardware.

iO is a physics platformer about size, speed and momentum unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Optimized for the NVIDIA SHIELD, grow, shrink, roll, leap and climb in this unique puzzler featuring over 150 challenging mazes and one-of-a-kind gameplay that includes portals, inverted gravity, vehicles and more. Share your times with friends on the global leaderboards and become a time/space legend.

Be sure to check out our gaming coverage from earlier this week: