Upcoming iPhone Games to Watch
The AppStore is known for a lot of things, but easy navigation isn’t one of them. With tens of thousands of games on the service, knowing when a real gem comes out can be more of a challenge than it should be. Big games may get featured on the What’s Hot or What’s New pages, and they may sit at the top of the sale numbers for a few weeks, but unless you’re actively checking to see what’s new on a regular basis it’s almost inevitable you’re going to miss a golden gaming experience.
Today we’re taking a look at 5 upcoming game worth keeping an eye out for. Why miss out on the big names if we can give you the heads up before they happen?
Rock Band coming to iPhone
It’s long been rumored, but today EA Mobile has officially confirmed that Rock Band will indeed be coming to the iPhone. Featuring 15 songs (plus an additional 5 that can be unlocked through play), Rock Band for the iPhone is attempting to recreate the living room rock experience as faithfully as it possibly can while still living in your pocket. Bluetooth multiplayer, World Tour mode, and the ability to expand your Rock Band library through dowwnloadable content will form the basis of what EA hopes will become the de facto music experience on the iPhone.
Ramp Champ Review: Go to the Carnival on your iPhone
If you are a listener of our podcast, you’ve probably heard us (mainly me) getting all excited about the latest iPhone game , Ramp Champ, from the design geniuses at the Iconfactory and the code gurus at DS Media Labs. Well, today is the day we have been waiting for, the app finally released into the app store late last night and I have been playing it pretty much ever since.
News: Plants Vs. Zombies Coming to iPhone
Earlier this year, PopCap Games once again proved their pedigree as the premiere publisher in the casual games space when it released Plants vs. Zombies to PC and Mac owners the world over. A unique spin on the tower defense genre, Plants vs. Zombies once again proved PopCap’s ability to re-invent the wheel. It quickly earned widespread critical acclaim and commercial success, selling “more briskly in its first 90 days of online availability than any previous game we’ve published,” according to PopCap’s VP of Marketing Ben Rotholtz.
Given PopCap’s track record it only stood to reason that PvZ would be ported to every console known to man. That’s why it comes as no surprise when PopCap Games announced this morning that, in addition to an upcoming port to Xbox Live Arcade and a recent retail box release, Plants vs Zombies will be arriving in the AppStore for iPhone users in late 2009.
Power Pros Touch Review: The Boys of Summer
Since it’s debut in the summer of 2008, the iTunes AppStore has become the de facto home for a number of genres that had previously struggled to make the jump to portable gaming. But while tower defense and match-3 puzzle games have spent the better part of a year cementing their place in the hearts of iPhone users everywhere, the last few months have seen another genre step up to the plate. For many an iPhone gamer, the summer of 2009 will be remembered as the summer of baseball.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed coming to Mac
Last fall console gamers were treated to a rather sublime Star Wars experience with the release of The Force Unleashed. Telling the story of Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, Force Unleashed once again proved that the expanded universe could weave tales leaps and bounds better than anything Lucas had ever crafted. It had also proved once again that Mac gamers are always left out in the cold. That is, until now.
LucasArts and Aspyr Media have just announced The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition for for both Mac and PC. So what makes this release so “ultimate”? Journey with us to the dark side and find out.
Columns Deluxe Free on AppStore this Weekend
This weekend America celebrates it’s 233rd birthday, and SEGA wants to make sure everyone gets a present! Effective 12:01am on July 4th, you’ll be able to snag a copy of SEGA Columns Deluxe on the iTunes AppStore for the low low price of free. Hard to beat a price like that if you’re looking to relive the Genesis’ first fantastic puzzle classic. And did we mention you’ll get a second game at no additional cost?
Toki Tori on Sale for 99 Cents
Toki Tori is the game that just won’t die. Surprisingly, we mean this is in a good way. If you haven’t played Toki Tori yet you should absolutely stop reading this and grab it for less than a buck right now. But if you already love Toki Tori? Read on!
Rolando being pulled from the AppStore
Released this past December, Rolando’s iPhone tilting action and adorable personality quickly made it one of the platform’s must-own games. Consistent critical acclaim and sales success had cemented it as one of the true cornerstones of the iTunes AppStore. Taking that into consideration, it’s an absolute mystery why developer ngmoco has announced that Rolando is being removed from the AppStore this Wednesday, July 1st.
Freeverse/Paramount iPhone Games
One developer, Freeverse is trying something unique in the App Store: go with Tom Cruise. For action movies, it is tough to beat some of Mr. Cruises edge-of-your-seat thrill rides and today, we’ll look at two that Freeverse is riding to App Store riches: Rainman and Jerry Maguire. OK, kidding: Days of Thunder and Top Gun.
These two movies turned iPhone games bring the same concept: go fast, beat those around you who try to knock you down, win the day. The concept is tried and true: mix high energy rock music to fast driving/piloting and you’ve got a recipe for success. How do they work out for Freeverse? A mixed bag is what I found.
