Max Payne was a third person hit for Rockstar that won a lot of fans initially for its use of Bullet Time, but kept them coming back because of its great pulp fiction story-line and strong central character. The game follows Max Payne as he attempts to find the men responsible for the murder of his new family, and tells the tale of his unrelenting quest for answers and, ultimately, revenge.

It is a good tale, and told particularly well by voice-overs from the main character, who tells it straight and true, with a hint of wryness to his tone.

The story still feels strong, and does come across well on the small screen of the iPhone. The game is essentially a third person action game, with the kind of dodging, diving and slow-mo action that younger iOS players may only know from 9mm, a Gameloft title. Here, however the play is far better, and is mixed up by stealth and platforming sections.

The shooting action is pulled off surprisingly well on iPhone, with some decent touch screen controls, which also have plenty of options, making sure that you never miss a real controller while fighting. The rest of the time, you will most definitely miss a real controller, particularly with the occasional platforming sections. An early area where you have to jump between trains is an annoying indicator of things to come. Nothing is really broken here, but where the original could be a bit nit picky with platforming, here the touch screen just adds to the problem.

I found that one of my favourite parts of Max Payne, where you take on a stealth section with a baseball bat, really irritating here. All is not lost, however, as the shooting sections, which are really the most important part, are fine and just about as enjoyable as there were a few years ago.

The game itself is the same as it was, as it still gets stronger towards the latter half of play, with the final third brilliant fun. New players may fail to see the point during the first few hours, but trust me when I say that the second half of the game is truly pulse pounding stuff, and is really quite gripping when combined with the story. 9mm simply can’t touch this, especially when you consider that this really is a full console game, one that has a meaty 15-20 hour story mode.

The graphics are reproduced well, and from what I could tell everything runs smoothly. I tested this on both an iPhone 4 and a 3GS, and it is fair to say that the game runs a bit smoother on an iPhone 4, but the 3GS version is still decent and perfectly playable. The Retina enhanced graphics look pretty good if you have the right device(and yes that includes the new iPad). The only downside concerning the graphics are the in-game faces. They are just textures painted on very square heads, and it does look more odd today than it did upon the games’ original release. It is unfortunate, as it does look a bit silly, and detracts from the game more now than it ever did.

Brilliantly, there is full Rockstar Social Club support for the game(on devices from the iPhone 4 and up only I’m afraid), which is a really nice addition by Rockstar, and yes those infamous cheats are still in this game. As I said, there are plenty of control options, although I found the default set was just fine, and there is also a full tutorial level, and a sneak peak at the imminent Max Payne 3 for consoles.

In Conclusion

There is easily 15 hours of gameplay here, more when you finish the story and for the price of $3, this really is a must buy and a universal app too. A classic game, brought to iOS with a lot of care and attention, Max Payne Mobile is brilliant. A few irritations persist, but this has to be one of the best action games on iPhone, with an excellent story, explosive action and great Bullet Time moments to remember.

This review originally appeared on The Smartphone App Review (April 11, 2012).

The game is a simple mine cart game where all you have to do is select your route through a canyon brimming with traps, items and tricks. You guide your cart through the random course, dodging rocks and trying to keep on the right track, which is easier said than done as the tracks can be very complex and convoluted, and one wrong turn and it is game over, and back to the start.

You can collect gems and gold throughout your trip, adding to your total score, and also dynamite, which is extremely handy, as it allows you to clear any rocks that are strewn on the tracks with a tap of the screen. While the dynamite clears all rocks on-screen, it is worth waiting to tap the screen at the last moment, as there may be some extra rocks you can clear that appear late in the day.

I like the game. It is as simple as I have just described, and twisting your way around the tracks is fun and addictive, and the graphics are really well done, with a high level of polish. The problem is, it all feels a bit too limited, with a lot of very simple things missing that really do detract from the experience, both in terms of gameplay and content.

The first thing is the fact that the tilt control method is the only one offered. Tilting works ok, but turning the screen makes it a bit difficult to see all the action, and makes me wonder why touch controls are not offered? Two big arrows on either side of the screen, with another button for the dynamite. Just offering this up as an option would have done wonders here. Secondly, while we are on the subject of basics, there is no music. Having even a basic ‘Big Thunder Mountain’ style music track would add a lot to the overall atmosphere.

The third big thing missing here is Game Center support. The included local leaderboard is welcome, but adding online leaderboards and achievements via Game Center really should be a given for this type of game nowadays, and makes for a very easy way of adding longevity to a game.

There are other things that would seem to be easy to implement for this game. How about offering up a few different modes? One where you chase another mine cart, or a mode that is level based would both add a lot, as would some different backgrounds and stages when you get to a certain score. Individual stages in some kind of a ‘gauntlet’ mode would be great, but I’m afraid that what is here is just too barebones for me to recommend.

A case of a developer getting all the difficult stuff- gameplay, graphics, an addictive nature, spot on, yet not implementing all the potential modes and options, which is really the easy stuff. A shame, as I would score a game like this that has its potential fully realised in the high eighties.

In Conclusion

Overall, Canyon Dash is great fun to play, but the lack of control options, music and modes really hold me back when scoring this. I like it, but I can’t in all honesty recommend this in its current form.

Shows potential, but that is all it is at the moment. I hope the developer can fulfill this potential with the next release.

This review originally appeared on The Smartphone App Review (April 3, 2012).

I am happy to report that the second game in the series, Hunters 2, rights those wrongs by expanding on the first game massively, whilst also shipping with an apparent lack of bugs and problems. I will start with the good news for those of you that patiently waited for update after update to fix problems in the original game; that in my 30+ hours with the game I have yet to find any kind of bug or issue. That isn’t to say that there may be some in there somewhere, but it is a fairly safe bet for me to say that Hunters 2 is in great shape and free of problems.

Now that is out of the way, I am free to wax lyrical about how brilliant this tactical game is, and I would even go so far to say that Hunters 2 is up there with my personal favourites of the genre, Sabre Team and UFO: Enemy Unknown. That isn’t an easy thing to achieve, but the team at Rodeo Games have done it. They have learned from the mistakes of the first game and produced a classic.

Hunters 2 is a top down tactical, turn based strategy game of the highest order. You take control of a squad of space marine mercenaries and must duke it out with a variety of enemy types in a wide variety of missions, either to try and earn cash and weapons, or to progress the story in the brand new campaign mode. Money, weapons and other items you find or are awarded can be used to hire new team members, kit out your current squad or even to craft brand new weapons of your own design.

The contract missions from the first game make a return and, along with the daily free mission download, are where you will probably spend most of your time outside the campaign. You select a mission you like, and then choose which members of your squad to take into battle. All squad members have different roles, from one shot per turn snipers, to busy shotgun wielders, tank-like hammers guys, and everything in between. Every action per turn uses a set amount of points, from moving around, to healing and shooting, and it is the mastery of this, as well as your judgement and planning when clearing areas of the fog of war, that will ultimately lead to mastery of the game.

One of the most important aspects of the game is the guard move, and it is strategic use of this that will keep you alive for longer. The game is an intense and difficult title, and extremely punishing, especially if you are new to the genre, and if I have one suggestion for the developer, it would be to add a medic pack to at least one of the starting four marines you are given, which would definitely help to ease people into the game, if only a little. If you are experienced with this type of game, you will have a blast here, as the battles are often brilliantly orchestrated and offer a lot of room for different approaches to the stages. In fact, this is one of the few games I have played in recent years that has actually made me want to retry completed stages- not to get more loot or to increase my score, but to try different strategies, just for fun.

The campaign mode is a decent addition to the franchise, and is very well structured and tells a good tale. The story stages are actually really tough, so I would advise leveling up as much as possible before tackling them. If you think the game is too easy for you, try the permanent deaths mode, which is a great homage to Fire Emblem.

There are what seems like a thousand weapons, armour and leveling options, with many different branches for each character. Weapon crafting is great, and proves to be essential later on in the game where you will need to employ very specific tactics for certain situations. If you have played a game like this and wanted that perfect weapon, well Hunters 2 goes a long way to try and help you out.

The graphics here are really very good, with a greater variety of colours then the first Hunters, and everything running as smooth as pie, even when you pinch to zoom out on the busier scenes. The lighting effects are excellent, particularly when in darkened areas, and the animation feels far more fluid this time around.

In Conclusion

Overall, this is a top drawer strategy game, the best on iPhone, and also at least as good as anything I have played in the last ten years. With massive potential for customizing, a good campaign, free daily missions and some of the best tactical, turn based gameplay around, Hunters 2 is an instant classic.

This review originally appeared on The Smartphone App Review (March 22, 2012).

Flight Control Rocket is a massive updating on the formula, and on a basic level, it works a treat with a rocket load of new ideas and innovations to be found in this space-themed sequel. Even more playable than the original, the space setting has been honed to perfection, yet there is something that does spoil the party somewhat. The whole thing has been riddled with in-app purchases.

Before we get to that, lets concentrate on the good bits, as there is plenty to love here. The first thing that hits you is the brilliant new music. If you thought the fantastic original tunes could never be bettered, then you are in for a treat as the new Sci-Fi music is brilliant.

The basics of the game remain the same, as you must draw lines to guide different craft to like coloured landing pods and strips. The spacecraft will blindly follow the route you traced, even if it means crashing into another ship, so you must plan each move carefully and be ready to react quickly to difficult situations that threaten to ruin your best laid plans. This sequel is definitely trickier than the original, although the addition of lives will help newcomers to get used to the game. A continue feature is also included.

This new game brings a vast variety of new craft, each with different abilities and powers. Whereas the aeroplanes in the first game were only differentiated by their speed, here there are some genius creations. From ships that split in two when touched, craft that shoot out other craft when locked on, and others that move in a long formation, to yet more that arrive on a mothership and must be guided from ship to ship, there is a lot new here, and all of it is good.

You can also employ some helper robots to change up the gameplay, slowing down certain craft, or randomly boosting your score, for example. These robots can be leveled up with use, and can be supercharged with a crystal, but do need batteries to keep going.

There are three modes included, a simple tutorial, an endless mode and the brilliant Intergalactic Odyssey, where you will no doubt be spending most of your time. Here you must journey through space, surviving stages that get ever more difficult, and completing great little bonus levels that break up the gameplay nicely.

The main problem with the game is the coins. You can either earn coins in the game at a slow rate, or buy them with an in-app purchase, the cost of which can be very high indeed. The amount of coins you can earn, compared with how many you need to buy items, is geared to heavily persuade you to spend money. Why do you need coins? Well, remember those robots? Aside from the first two, you must spend coins to unlock more. The slots for having more than one robot at a time? Coins. That great Intergalactic Odyssey mode? Coins. Batteries for the robots? Coins. Crystals for the robots? Coins. Want to continue your game after losing all your lives? Coins.

The game does give you a handful of free coins to start out with and more for ‘liking’ the game on Facebook, but not enough to unlock anything. For example, ‘liking’ the game on Facebook earns you a measly 750 coins, when even unlocking the main, Odyssey mode requires 5000 coins, which is a lot, especially for players who may not be that good at the game and might only unlock a few coins per play. It seems really wrong that they actually charge you to buy the game, then expect you to spend a small fortune unlocking content that you would expect to be included for the price.

Why not structure the game like this: Charge twice as much for the initial purchase, have the robots unlocked as you get further on the Odyssey, and only charge coins for the crystals and maybe one or two bonus items. That would be much fairer to customers. While I am complaining, the decision to use EA’s Origin service for achievements instead of Game Center is baffling.

Aside from that, the game is brilliant. Supremely playable, full of ideas and constantly delighting, Flight Control Rocket is a charming and satisfying puzzle game. The graphics are lovely, the music excellent, and there are plenty of modes and gameplay options to get your teeth into, and the addition of the robots is a good one.

In Conclusion

Overall, a really good game that is spoiled somewhat by worrying elements of greed that prevent you from really falling in love with it.

This review originally appeared on The Smartphone App Review (March 16, 2012).

Luckily, Coco Loco is not just up to the task of taking on Angry Birds, it is actually a far, far better game.

It is strange, as this feels like the game that Angry Birds should have evolved into, rather than endless updates with new levels and backgrounds. The level of interaction, inventive items and the fantastic liquid physics in particular, really make this into a fantastic physics based puzzle game for iPhone and iPad.

The water and jelly physics are truly brilliant, the water acting and looking every bit as clever as Where’s My Water?, while the jelly material takes it to another level. The jelly can either be launched by a certain character or found around the levels, and its sticky, bouncy properties make foe some awesome puzzles. A simple example is where you can shoot some jelly to plug a gap in the stage, allowing water to fill up and spill over.

It soon gets far more complicated than this, with the designers gleaning every possible puzzle out of the playground of toys they have created. There are many different characters, all made of marshmallow, to use, each with different abilities, and most are launched in the slingshot style, by a baseball bat. From the aforementioned jelly, to an egg-shaped vertical bomb to a water(chocolate milk) cannon, there is plenty of variety here.

The story is all about how a bunch of Cocoa Bean Guardians kidnap some Marshies, prompting their friends to set off to save them. Yes, all silly stuff, but it does allow for some gorgeous characters and an interesting setting.

Coco Loco really is a treat. The levels are so much more interesting than 99% of its contemporaries, and when the physics of the game are in full flow the effects are very impressive. The sheer mass of water being calculated on the fly in some of these stages is gob-smacking, and is a credit to the developer.

The presentation is decent overall, and I really liked the character designs. The backgrounds for each level are a little forgettable, and I wish there was a little more animation when some of the characters are tumbling around objects in the stages. This is all made up for by the stunning physics, it must be said.

There are around 60 stages to play in, which is good but not great and you will have likely seen all of them in a few hours, although if you play in small sessions, this will last a lot longer, especially if you intend to get 100% in all the levels.

In Conclusion

Overall, Coco Loco is a fantastic physics based puzzle game, the best to hit the iPhone in a long time. A combination of the best elements from other games, with some excellent physics and original characters and settings, this gets the most important thing right- decent puzzles, and is a breath of fresh air for the genre.

This review originally appeared on The Smartphone App Review (March 07, 2012).

I am happy to report that this version stays true to the roots of the franchise while adding a swanky new look, and although the controls are not perfect, they are enough to get you through the game.

Prince of Persia Classic is essentially the same game that was released way back in 1989, as the levels are identical and the move set very nearly the same, aside from a new wall kick move. The gameplay that relies on pressure plates, traps and swordplay is back, this time with touch screen controls.

The game is still difficult, but not quite as harsh as the original, as this version has mid level checkpoints, which are a welcome addition, although the butterfly helper is a bit over the top. Sword play is one of the worst aspects of the new game, as I found it a bit ‘hit and miss’ using the touchscreen. It is not a deal breaker by any means, but the loss of accuracy does hurt in this regard, especially later on in the game where fights can be long parry/thrust affairs.

Thankfully, general platforming is far better with the touchscreen than sword fighting. Perhaps it is because a lot of Prince of Persia is made up of more thoughtful, considered platforming action, where planning and timing are more important than quick reactions, although there are parts where you will need these in spades. I have to say that overall, the touch screen controls are a success, although they will add to the learning curve to those new to the classic series.

The graphics have received a Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time upgrade, and they are a real treat, and I am especially happy that the animation is still impressive, even compared to recent titles. The level look great, especially the parts of the game set in the palace, with lovely lighting and a vibrant atmosphere.

We are about to come to a part of the review that may put people off. The story mode is only an hour long, and in fact you are working against the clock to finish the game in under an hour. In the original, when the hour finished, that was game over, even if you were seconds from the end, but thankfully here the game does continue, although you get a shorter ending if you are late. It has to be said, that it will take you many hours until you are able to finish within the time limit, so please don’t be under the impression that there is only an hour’s worth of content here.

There has also been a Time Attack and Survival Mode added, both of which are nearer to the original in terms of difficulty. In Time Attack, you really do only have an hour, and Survival not only makes you race against the clock, but this time with only one life. Both are great additions, with the long time fans in mind. There is also full Game Center integration and even Facebook scoring added to this version.

There are a couple of very minor bugs that I should mention. First of all the title screen seems a little skewed at the moment, and I have noticed a couple of graphical glitches in-game. Neither of which are anything to worry about, and will no doubt be fixed in due course.

Gone are the retro pixellated graphics of the original, replaced by a cleaner cell-shaded style that looks great on the retina screen. The new look definitely has character and makes the game feel different to its predecessor, but is only a change from the visual feel of the original rather than an improvement upon it. The music is well suited to the cartoony vibe of the game, with various tracks to suit the game’s five distinct environments, which include the jungle, desert and icy arctic.

These environments appear at 20/21 level intervals, ensuring that you never have time to get bored of your surroundings before being whisked off to somewhere else via a stylish, but not particularly necessary, comic strip interlude. Levels themselves contain plenty for you to do. To progress to the next level, you have to track down and eliminate the scientist cowering in the corner of each level. On top of that, you’re encouraged to track down the briefcase that’s hidden in each stage and to complete the level as quickly as you can (the faster you are, the more stars you earn, with the most you’ll be rewarded being three). Such speedruns are challenging – I’m pretty sure that it’s impossible to obtain three stars on a few levels, but that might just be me not being good enough at the game. Because of how it encourages you to play through levels with different objectives in mind, League of Evil 2 becomes a hugely replayable beast. Content-wise, the game provides you plenty of bang for your buck.

The difficulty curve is generally fairly smooth, with early stages being easy to get into and later ones being very much the opposite. However, there are a few difficulty spikes from level to level that could do with being ironed out. Nevertheless, they’re never large or frequent enough to be likely to put you off playing. Level design is good but lacks variety. The obstacles, objectives and difficulty haven’t changed at all since the first game, so if you’ve played the original, you won’t find much new here.

One notably different aspect of League of Evil 2 is boss battles. Unfortunately, their potential is not capitalised on, with the game’s bosses being either too easy or too difficult to defeat. Their attack patterns do not vary, their movements do not vary and the stages in which they are placed are dull in their design. A real shame.

In Conclusion

Overall, League of Evil 2 is a hugely engaging platformer with brilliant touch controls and a wealth of environmentally varied gameplay. It is graphically and musically accomplished, but sadly fails to improve on the original League of Evil. If you’re a fan of the first game, you’ll still find plenty to enjoy here, just don’t expect anything new. If you’ve never played the original, you should definitely give League of Evil 2 a go.

This review originally appeared on The Smartphone App Review (February 26, 2012).

Now that is out of the way, on to the game, which gets off to a bad start with the story.

A space marine who gets his squad wiped out is brought back from the brink as a cyborg (guess which number) on a derelict ship. He rebels against his new masters, and equipped with a set of cybernetic arms, takes on a variety of gigantic robotic enemies in order to try and escape his fate. It is all to do with a Running Man style TV show. It is hardly compelling, and you really do not start to care about the fate of your character until a fair way into the game. It is hackneyed and badly scripted, and hamfisted in its execution, and it is only the interesting exploration that hooks you in. It is the kind of game where it is easier to make up your own tale as you play.

The game is an Infinity Blade clone, and a pretty good one. Played from a first person perspective, you must swipe away at the massive robotic enemies in a way very similar to its inspiration, although there are extra elements, such as special weapons, that help to differentiate the game somewhat.

The dodging element takes really good timing, and can get difficult, but with a bit of practise most of the enemies, with a few very notable exceptions, can be beaten in good time. You have a surprising amount of freedom to move around the ship, and there are a few puzzles to solve and non combat sections to find a way through, with many tools and even mini robots that help you out. It is here that the game is at it’s best and stands out from the crowd in many ways.

There are also a couple of on-rails sections, which are fast, and good fun. They really help to add a sense of variety to the package and, although they are not perfect, I am glad they were included.

The graphics on display here, courtesy of the Unreal Engine, are impressive. The environments are large and very well detailed, and it is easy to tell that a lot of attention and care went into them, although not half as much as was lavished on the robots, where the developers really went to town. Some of these guys are enormous, and really imposing. They have bags of character to them, although the animation is perhaps not what it could be. Another graphical oddity is the way humans are rendered, as they look really poor compared to the rest of the game, although you rarely see anyone else apart from yourself.

The game has a great soundtrack, and it really helps to get you pumped up for the big encounters in the game.

The exploration aspect of the game is great, the graphics are fantastic, and I liked the puzzles and enemies. The game is let down a little by the combat, which I felt lacked excitement and a little depth. With Infinity Blade, you always feel on the edge of your seat in combat, yet here it feels a bit like you are going through the motions. The story I really didn’t like, but if you are a fan of space marine mush then I suppose you might find it bearable.

In Conclusion

Overall, this is a difficult one to judge, as there is a lot to like here. It is let down in a couple of areas, but I still found the game to be an enjoyable experience. If exploring a spaceship filled with giant robots to battle, solving puzzles with a great set of visuals sounds like your thing, then Robot Gladi8tor for iPhone won’t let you down. If you are looking for a deep combat game, then there are better options on the App Store.

A decent exploration/combat game, if you can look past the name, story and imperfect combat then you will have a good time with this.

This review originally appeared on The Smartphone App Review (February 16, 2012).

You move him around in a wonderful ‘menu’ level that doubles up as a hub and a quick tutorial of sorts, walking into different rooms to change settings and climbing ladders to check options. It is a brilliant start, and the game just gets better from there on in.

You control the main character Trump, a jazz musician who wants to tell the tale of how he learned to play the trumpet and fight injustice in the early days of jazz. The story is actually one of the best things about the game, and it is wonderfully told with silent movie outtakes that suit the mood of the game perfectly. You must collect postcards to keep the memories flowing and form a jazz band to enter a contest and get the girl.

Once you start the first level and the jazz trumpets start to play, you will find the beat of the drums and cool little melodies really suck you into the game’s little world. The fabulous graphics also help, with an absolutely unique and individual style that you will not soon forget. One small graphical feature that I really liked was the use of foreground detail, between the main gameplay layer and the player, slightly fuzzed out and unobtrusive, that really helps give the entire look a feeling of depth lacking in a lot of games.

Another brilliant touch is the way that objects on the floor and ceilings all bounce and dance along to the music. Trump controls superbly, with an intelligent control system. It is a good thing too, as the game does get really tricky, particularly if you want to find all the collectibles on the levels.

Trump has plenty of moves, such as wall jumping, that really make him feel like a great platform character. A sign of a good platformer is when it is fun to simply jump around aimlessly, and JAZZ: Trump’s Journey really is. The game has plenty of puzzles to get your teeth into, and some of them are truly fiendish, especially on some of the larger, more sprawling stages.

The acquisition of the trumpet is where the game really starts to open up. The trumpet allows you to freeze items in time, for as long as you want. It is a great feature, and one that the developer is all too willing to implement into the puzzles. This aspect of the game, along with some of the platform elements brought the game Braid to mind. Well, Braid mixed with Ninja Gaiden anyway. There are bosses, police to avoid and block and switch puzzles to solve aplenty.

There are secret areas to find, and a fair bit of content for your money, but to be honest it is the type of game that any discerning iPhone gamer shouldn’t hesitate to buy. It isn’t perfect, as some of the platforming elements do feel a little formulaic, and the game does reuse ideas a little too often, but these are really small issues that don’t detract from the overall experience.

The addition of Game Center, Twitter and Facebook integration is welcome, as is the fact that this is a universal app. This really is one of those iPhone games that you just have to buy, especially if you are a fan of platform games.

In Conclusion

A beautifully stylized world is brought to life with an original jazz soundtrack and great platform gameplay, with an interesting time based mechanic. This comes highly recommended as one of the best platform games in the App Store.

This review originally appeared on The Smartphone App Review (January 19, 2012).

So the real question here has to be, has my Soul Calibur itch been scratched by this iPhone release, or is this a lazy and disappointing port? Well the truth actually lies somewhere between the two extremes, as I will explain in a little while.

Soul Calibur was originally an arcade game that was ported to the Sega Dreamcast. A 3D beat ‘em up where the characters used weapons instead of their fists, which added a sense of depth and combat variety like few other games, the real innovation was the freedom to run in eight directions, something completely unheard of at the time. Add fabulous graphics and an excellent combat system, as well as an impressive and inventive layer of content for the Dreamcast release, and an instant classic was born. The game has recently been ported to Xbox Live Arcade, and this iOS release has a lot in common with that particular build.

Soul Calibur has a convoluted background story about a quest to stop a creature called Nightmare, who is actually a young knight possessed by an evil sword, Soul Edge. A blade known as Soul Calibur is the only sword that is up to the task, and so a rather complicated, but not entirely unenjoyable tale unfolds.

You take control of one of an impressive roster of nineteen characters, and the brilliant thing here is that a lot of the characters truly feel and play differently from each other. Different weapons have different ranges and speeds, and the joy of mastering one of the fighters is a hallmark of the game.

This iPhone version has improved graphics over the original Dreamcast version, but lacks a little definition compared to the XBLA release. All the original moves, music, characters and stages are there as well, as far as I can remember.

Unfortunately, there are three massive problems that seriously make me question whether this is a worthy purchase. First of all, the big one; a complete, total and utter lack of any kind of multiplayer. No Bluetooth, local WiFi, and no online.

For me, a one on one fighting game is all about the multiplayer, with one player modes, be they story or arcade, strictly for practice. It truly baffles me how Namco have managed to leave it out. They have said that additional modes will be forthcoming, and I’m guessing this was rushed out the door to help promote Soul Calibur 5, but to have no two player mode is inexcusable.

The second big omission is the brilliant Mission Mode from the Dreamcast. In this mode you took on all kinds of crazy challenges on a RPG-lite quest that saw you earning points to unlock new content. Not here, and neither is Team Battle Mode. You do get Arcade, Time Attack, Survival, Extra Survival and Practice, as well as a museum to view artwork, but that lot really just boils to three real modes of play, not a lot when you consider that Namco are charging a whopping £7.99/$11.99 for the privilege of playing this. That is with a 20% launch discount.

The third problem is perhaps even bigger, the controls. While Namco have obviously worked hard to get the virtual controls right, you never get anywhere near the level of control needed to truly excel at the game. It isn’t really Namco’s fault, and you can get by pretty well in the default difficulty level in Arcade mode, but try anything more difficult or even Extra Survival mode and the lack of true precision really starts to tell. Advanced combos and tactical play are very difficult.

Whatever you do, don’t try going online with..oh wait, you can’t go online with this anyway.

I really could have forgiven the understandably imperfect controls if Namco had thrown in all the modes of the original and even added a few more to give iPhone owners something to shout about.

I love Soul Calibur. I loved it in the arcade and I loved it on Dreamcast, but I find this iOS version a lot more difficult to care about. The lack of multiplayer, mission mode and team battle mode is only exacerbated by the hugely inflated price. The not quite perfect controls help to enforce a feeling that, while Namco have done a great job getting the game to look and run well, they had their eye on the release of Soul Calibur 5 rather than on producing the best possible version for iPhone fans.

In Conclusion

Genuinely painful to rate a version of one of my all time favourite games so low, but as the game stands now I just can’t recommend it to anyone but the most die hard Soul Calibur fans, which is odd as they are the ones who will be the most disappointed of all. There is some fun to be had here, but lets hope they get with the updates quickly.

This review originally appeared on The Smartphone App Review (January 19, 2012).