The majority of gameplay in this title revolves around completing numerous jobs, such as laying ambushes and repelling rival pirates. Jobs are currently scattered over eight areas of a globe and are unlocked automatically as you gain fame and level up your crew. They take varying lengths of time to finish but can be rushed to completion using the games premium currency, Doubloons. Crew members can be recruited in a number of ways, most notably Facebook, to reap associated benefits such as the sending and receiving of gifts. Upon completion of a job your crew faces a state known as downtime which prevents them from participating in any further tasks. Downtime can be expelled by giving your crew members a Root Beer or by playing (and winning) one of the in-built mini-games such as rock-paper-scissors. Although you can buy Root Beer for real cash, you are periodically rewarded it in generous amounts which is a surprisingly nice touch for a game that takes advantage of the freemium model.

Upon successfully completing a job you will be rewarded with a number of silver coins which can be spent customizing your crew members and your ship. Customization of your ship is essential if you wish to survive the deadly seas and their fierce battles. As you have little control over a battle, except for the ability to deploy smoke screens and instant repairs, your ship must be filled to the hilt with cannons.

Now this wouldn’t be a game about pirates if it didn’t involve buried treasure in some way shape or form. You wont be disappointed to hear then, that jewels and other artifacts found throughout your adventures can be buried to progressively raise their value. The developers have done really well to incorporate social aspects into this game and it really stands out in this respect. Your buried treasure can be stolen by your (so called) friends and sold to fund their own piratey enterprises. This means you always have to calculate whether the rewards outweigh the risk which adds an extra fun element to the game. The graphical style found in Lil’ Pirates is colorful and cartoonish which should stand out on newer devices, as it supports the Retina Display.

Since the game’s launch, players have been experiencing numerous server issues and unfortunate down-time. These problems are being actively addressed and will hopefully subside over time. As I’ve only been playing casually this hasn’t actually affected me greatly and I’m yet to encounter the crashing issues that many people are reporting. In-fact, I haven’t found a single major complaint whilst playing through this game meaning I’m left with only a few minor gripes.

Customizing your crew and their ship is definitely one of the more fun aspects of this game and there is a wide array of objects to do so. Although many of these items can be bought for silver coins earned within the game, a large portion must be purchased using Gold Doubloons. Not only do the majority of desirable customizations cost this premium currency, they are also set at very high costs. My final problem, which is replicated by most games of this nature, is waiting. After sending your crew on a mission, there is little else to do and it pretty much renders the game unplayable for the remainder of the task at hand. You can still send gifts, bury treasure and take part in battles, but even these can only be done after a certain time has elapsed and the game offers no real pull for the duration.

In Conclusion

Lil’ Pirates packs lots of appeal and stands out from normal, rehashed additions to this genre because of its unique theme. Like most freemium titles you’ll find on iOS devices, purchasing premium content isn’t necessary, but you won’t get very far, very fast if you don’t. IUGO has stated that they are committed to a number of updates including more content, more maps and tweaks to current features and gameplay. Capcom has also stated that they plan on adding Game Center to Lil’ Pirates in the future, so hopefully that inclusion will see achievements added to the mix. Current fans of social games will love this outing and it’s a great entry point for newcomers to test the water (no pun intended).

©2010, AppAddict.net. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: CAPCOM, Capcom Interactive, Inc., iPhone, iPod Touch, IUGO, Lil' Pirates

Cliffed XL $1.99

Escape Norm’s World XL $1.99

Implode! XL $2.99

Zombie Attack Second Wave XL $3.99

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Post tags: App Store, Cliffed XL, Implode XL, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, IUGO, News, Zombie Attack! Escape

Escape XL has just been updated, and it is now a universal app download, meaning it will run on the iPhone, Ipod Touch and the iPad. As part of the “fremium” (or FREE TO PLAY) model, users may access unlimited puzzles within the game’s Easy mode, but if you want more of a challenge, then the Medium and Hard levels cost 99¢ each as in-app purchases. If playing on an iPad, 2 player modes (both Co-op and Versus) can also be purchased for an additional 99¢.

Game Features

• Endless levels and gameplay
• 3 difficulty levels
• Unlimited Easy puzzles are FREE!
• Medium and Hard levels are 99¢ each
• Simple control scheme suitable for all ages
• Minimalist graphics (for maximum appeal)
• “Unique cerebral game play complimented by relaxing audio and visual effects”

iPad-exclusive Features

• Versus mode: challenge a friend in a race to solve the puzzle (In-App Purchase)
• Co-op mode: Collaborate with a friend to solve the puzzle (In-App Purchase)
• 3D graphics
• 2 camera angles to choose from (single player mode)
• 2 characters to choose from: play as Norm or Norma
• Enhanced UI for larger interface and multiplayer modes

Screenshots

Gameplay Video

©2010, AppAddict.net. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Escape XL, Freemium, iPhone, iPod Touch, IUGO, Press Release

You take on the role of Daisy Mae Cutter, a simple woman, living a simple life in her little desert trailer park, until a full-scale alien invasion of Earth turns her world upside-down. Help Daisy shoot and blast her way to victory against the evil aliens. The plot and overall look and feel is somewhat reminiscent of something right out of a late-night cable b-movie or a grindhouse flick. We’ll definitely be watching for this one’s release as it looks like some good mindless fun!

Here is the full list of features:

• More aliens than you can shake a stick at!
• The baddest selection of weapons known to folks ‘round these here parts
• Purty graphics and fancy sounds effects
• Sassy costumes to unlock for Daisy Mae’s alien hoedown
• Daisy Mae “taunt” moves to stun the aliens silly
• Control options to suit every varmint’s needs
• VIP points to be earned towards an additional costume
• Global leaderboards
• Auto save

Screenshot Gallery

Gameplay Videos

A New Video Has Just Been Released:

©2010, AppAddict.net. | Permalink | 4 comments |
Post tags: Daisy Mae, IUGO, Press Release