We ease in the new year with a fairly light slate of new iOS game releases, many of which are sequels.
That’s not to say that these are by any means inferior, in fact the first new release I’m going to mention, Jet Car Stunts 2, is one of my highly anticipated 2014 game releases. I LOVED True Axis’ original suspended aerial trick racer and the sequel looks like it takes it to a whole new level with 7 different cars, each with their own unique physics, 120 different levels plus a level editor (costs extra) and multiple game modes. Note that the free download, just gives you a taste of the game with additional level packs and modes purchasable within the app. However, there is a ‘MegaPack’ IAP for $4.99 that unlocks the ALL of the content in the game including the platforming pack, bonus pack, and level editor and user-generated levels. This is an instant download…for sure!
Copenhagen Creators, the team responsible for Killer Snakes, bring us something a little less deadly and a little more adorable…Koala Quest. It is a casual free-to-play high-scoring game where you launch ice blocks at other ice blocks to knock them down. There are the obligatory boosts and obstacles to keep things interesting.
Remote Thief is a level-based physics puzzle game in which players use a combination of touch and tilt to control one of a pair of thieves, nabbing three golden coins and a jewel using his telescoping grappling like hand. It has some rather nice cartoony graphics.
Lemon Joe needs your help collecting bottles of lemonade (and stars). Drag him around the maze-like levels collecting his bounty, avoiding traps and other obstacles along the way before he returns to his space ship. This looks like it could be a fun one to give to the kids (depending on what the IAPs are).
Onto the paid apps…
Circle Stop appears to be the first iOS title from indie development studio, Twenty Percent. It is a one-button high-scoring game of reflexes in which players can tap anywhere on the screen to stop a spinning spinner (because that’s what spinners do), attempting to halt it on certain targets to gain points. Missing targets completely gives you a strike and three strikes and you are out. The spinner picks up speed as you go and “new challenges are slowly thrown into the mix”. This is the type of game that could be pretty addictive if you have an active group of friends on your leaderboards.
I never got around to playing the original Block Ops (2012), but I know that the voxel-based multiplayer modern military first person shooter was fairly popular and now Ammonite Design Studios has released a sequel, Block Ops II – Block Warfare Operations, which features “improved graphics and a totally destructible world”. It is available at an introductory price of $1.99.
Chillingo returns with a second helping of their Feed Me Oil physics puzzle game series. Feed Me Oil 2 features a vivid looking new visual style, new tools, better physics and even more puzzles for you to solve as you guide oil to the mechanical creatures. Plus this time around it is a universal app!
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed has been getting some nice marks on the consoles and now it comes to iOS. You get to race as Sonic and a number of other popular SEGA property characters (each with their own unique mode of transportation) by land, sea and air. It features dynamic tracks and you can take on up to 4 friends in online and local multiplayer match-ups.
The game looks great and even supports the new iOS controllers, however, having been burned by the aggressive IAP nature of SEGA’s previously released, Sonic Dash and its rapid drop from paid app to free in LESS THAN A MONTH, the fact that Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed contains a vast number of IAPs gives me pause about buying this one right away.
Check out the video on page two of this post where at about the 19 minute mark you can see all the paid IAPs scroll by. They are for all sorts of things (priced in New Zealand dollars) from stars, to VIP Packages to “Unlimited Free Races” for the equivalent of $9.99 in the US Store (that’s on top of the $4.99 you already paid for the app)!
Let us know what new apps you plan to pick up this week. Or are you still trying to get through the onslaught of year-end new releases and sale apps.?
 Koala Quest |
 Lemon Joe |
 Remote Thief |
 Circle Stop |
 Block Ops II – Block Warfare Operations |
 Feed Me Oil 2 |
