Mike V: Do or Die – Skateboarding: Review

Mike V: Do or Die – Skateboarding appeared in the app store yesterday afternoon for $4.99. It is the second full-fledged skateboarding game to come out (after Skater Nation). Even though these two games have the same theme, they are totally different games. In Do or Die, you move using the accelerometer, not a virtual d-pad. Also, the tricks are pulled off by sliding or holding a skateboard on the right side of the screen. The best comparison I can make of the controls is to Touch Grind, without the board taking up the whole screen.



There are two game modes in Do or Die: Career and Free Ride. In Career, there are 7 different levels. You have a limited amount of time to gain experience to pass the level. Experience is gained by doing tricks and doing combos. In you gain enough experience, you level up. This gets you new gear. There is a lot more customization in Do or Die than in Skater Nation. In Free Ride, you select a location to go, and then you drive a cool car using the accelerometer and your finger to drive to that location. The driving part of the game is fun, but it feels out of place. In free ride you are able to go to all 7 locations no matter if you have unlocked them or not.



The controls in Do or Die are easy to get used to if you have played touchgrind. But if you haven’t played touchgrind, it will take some time to get used to it. You can swipe, tap, hold, or double-tap the board in various places to pull off tricks. One thing I found weird was that it is very hard to crash. You can pull off crazy tricks without having to start with an Ollie. The controls in Do or Die are creative and fun, but you could easily get frustrated with them.

The graphics in Do or Die, in my opinion, aren’t as good as Skater Nation’s. However the developer of Do or Die is more available than Gameloft, so I believe that the developer will listen to any feedback. Overall, if you are a skateboarding fanatic, you will find yourself at home with the controls and the game. I have seen many opinions about the game, and everyone wants a comparison to Skater Nation. So I’ll give my opinion. I prefer Skater Nation to Do or Die because of the controls. I felt at home with the normal A and B controls plus the virtual d-pad. However I never played touchgrind, so it was hard for me to get the controls right.

Before you go out and buy the game you need to note: THIS GAME REQUIRES THE IPHONE 3G OR BETTER, AND THE IPOD TOUCH 2G OR BETTER. So before you spend $4.99 on a game, make sure that your device meets the requirements. Another thing to note is that this game allows you to play your own music, so you don’t have to listen to their soundtrack if you don’t want to. If you still aren’t convinced, there are some websites you can go to see videos.

Video game main trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy4SCUZFVIw
Official Website: http://mikevdoordie.com/
Even more videos: http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=46078&highlight=mike

Overall 3.5 out of 5 (hard controls, good graphics, great skateboarding experience)

Mike V:Do or Die-Skateboarding on the App Store.

Stinger Table Hockey: Review

Stinger Table Hockey is the first realistic bubble hockey simulator on the app store. You can choose to be one of 38 different countries, and you can also create your own teams. You can customize their name and uniforms. Stinger Table Hockey has 4 different modes to play: Single, Multiplayer, Tournament, and Skills. Each has its own unique features that keep you occupied. Stinger Table Hockey also has OpenFeint to help track your high scores. The link to OpenFeint is found within the settings, so it is somewhat hidden away.



The single player, multiplayer, and tournament modes are self explanatory. In single player, you chose 2 teams and play a quick match. In Multiplayer, using wither wifi or Bluetooth, you can face off against a friend. In tournament mode, there are 4 teams that play a round-robin type playoff to determine a champion. The only mode that needs explaining is Skills. In skills, you can choose from 3 different events: hardest shot, sniper, and shootout. The hardest shot is simple…you get an empty net, and you try to shoot it as hard as possible. In sniper, you score as many goals in 60 seconds as you can. In shootout, you score as many goals as you can…but if the goalie makes 3 saves then its game over.

The controls make a game like this fun, and Stinger Table Hockey does not disappoint. The controls are easy to learn, hold and drag up/down to move; hold and drag left/right to spin the player. It takes a little getting used to, but after a few games you should find it easy to maneuver and fun to play. The difficulty level is there, the AI is pretty good. I found myself quickly down 4-0 in my first game. It was a combination of me just learning the controls, and the goalie couldn’t stop a beach ball. No one will ever be able to replicate the actual feel of playing bubble hockey because slamming rods is half the fun. However Stinger Table Hockey brings that feel back.

Stinger Table Hockey also includes OpenFeint, with both online leaderboards and achievements. There are leaderboards for everything from hardest shot, to most goals. There are 6 achievements, spanning from your first goal, to your 100th goal. You can get up to 280 OpenFeint points.

Overall Stinger Table Hockey is a great bubble hockey simulator. It comes as close as possible to giving you that real “arcade” feel. The developer is obviously a big hockey fan, because it feels like the game is very polished, and you can feel that the developer tried to make everything feel authentic. With the 4 game modes, including multiplayer, Stinger Table Hockey will be on my iPod for a long time to come. This is the first bubble hockey simulator, and it is the first real hockey game to come to the iDevice. That being said, Stinger Table Hockey is a great game if you love playing bubble hockey, or if you like hockey in general. After getting used to the controls, be prepared to put a lot of time into this game. Stinger Table Hockey is available in most countries at a cheap price of $1.99. Nothing is stopping you from picking this game up!

Overall 5/5 (The only bubble hockey simulator in the App Store)

Stinger Table Hockey on the App Store.

Be Free or Die: Review

Be free or die is a 3d first person shooter game for the iPod touch. This game has you walking through various stages and trying to complete objectives, while still killing zombies. This is one of the better FPS available for the platform, but some control issues pull it down a little. Be free or die is currently FREE for a promotion by the developer for more feedback, so I suggest that you download this game right away, because I don’t know how long the promotion will last.

The gameplay in be free or die is simple but fun. You are a zombie hunter, traveling through the woods and dangerous city trying to collect money to buy better guns and machinery. There is currently 5 levels in the game, which is a little short, but the developer promised more levels in a coming update. You start the game off with a small machine gun, but you are able to gain better weapons while playing. There is also the option to get a rocket launcher if you rate the app in itunes, which is a great incentive to get some good ratings. There are various pick-ups along the way, like new guns and health boxes. Each level also has its own objective, which get harder every level. The hardest part of the game for me was when I reached the end of the level, and I still had zombies left to kill. Then I had to go back and find them. Other than that the gameplay was there, but the lack of levels left me wanting more.



The graphics in this game are decent. If you are hoping this game has graphics like COD, then look elsewhere. The zombies in this game look similar to the zombies in the game Dead Strike, and the app screenshots clearly show the graphics. The controls are also hard to get used to. There are 4 different control options, which gives you a lot of options, but I find that when you want to quickly turn, the controls lag a bit. I think this game would benefit for a 180 button which would allow the player to quickly turn. I also found the swipe to look to be a little sensitive, so I wasn’t really fond of that option.



Overall be free or die is a quality FPS. Right now it is being offered for free, and I thought it was a bargain at $.99, so I suggest that you pick this game up before the sale ends. I also think that the developer had a good idea when he offered a weapon in exchange for a review, because most developers like to see a lot of feedback on their games. The only issues I had with this game was the length (but more is supposedly on the way), the control lag, and no system to point out hard to see zombies. Even if you get this game and you don’t like it, you are not losing anything. SO I suggest that if you like FPS games that you try out be free or die because it is a quality FPS game on the app store.

Overall 3.5/5 (Quality FPS game)

Be Free or Die on the App Store.

Commodore 64: Review

After being pulled from the app store awhile back, the Commodore 64 emulator is back again with new games and more fun than ever. Commodore 64 (C64) is the only fully licensed emulator for the iPhone. C64 contains 8 free games, ranging from Jack Attack to Jupiter Lander. A recent update to C64 that went live over Christmas added 2 new games for free, Bruce Lee and Laser Squid. The update also added the ability to purchase more games via in app purchases. Some of the games available for purchase are Uridium, Paradroid, Storm Lord, Nebulus and AlletKat. C64 is currently on sale for $2.99 for the holidays, down from its regular $4.99.

The controls are just like you remember them. The game is controlled via joystick on the bottom right hand corner and there is also an action button next to the joystick. There is also the option to move the joystick is you are a lefty. In portrait mode, the game is seen on a smaller screen, and there is room for the joystick. In Landscape, the game takes up the whole screen, and the buttons are icons instead. There is also a second option and that is to use a d-pad style control. To control the game, you only have to swipe in the general direction you want your person to go. The controls work fine, but can be a little unresponsive at times.



The graphics in this game are just as you remember them. The developer did not enhance the graphics for the iPhone, and I don’t think he should have. Playing this game makes you feel like you have gone back in time with the graphics and the simple gameplay. The graphics help give the user an authentic C64 experience, so I don’t think the developer should change a thing. The sounds also bring you back to your childhood, being the authentic C64 sounds.

The games that are included are: Dragons Den, Le Mans, International Basketball, International Soccer, International Tennis, Jupiter Lander, Arctic Shipwreck and Jack Attack. I already talked about the new in app purchases, and the new free games. C64 now offers 10 free games from the original C64 for only $2.99. The in app purchases open up a whole new world of possibilities, because now more C64 developers might give rights to their games as long as it’s an in app purchase. You might soon see a lot more games available on the C64.



Overall the Commodore 64 emulator is a work of art. It is the only licensed emulator available on the app store. The developer obviously cared about the gaming community because instead of releasing an unlicensed game for jailbroken devices, he decided to work hard to make this available to everyone. The controls tend to be a little unresponsive at times, but you still get the authentic C64 feel. For a sale price of $2.99 I would suggest picking this game up if you want to remember the days you spent as a kid playing this game.

Overall 4/5 (authentic C64 feel)

Commodore 64 on the App Store.

Sniper Strike: Review

Sniper Strike is a fun 3D sniper game. Sniper Strike consists of 3 fun game modes. Arcade, where the goal is to kill the specified target. Protect the Flag- you have to stop the people from taking the flag. Massacre- where you just kill everyone within a matter of seconds. Sniper Strike is a great pick up and play game because the missions are very short. It is also a great game if you have the urge to kill people.

The controls in Sniper Strike are simple. You are already scoped in, all you need to do is pan with your finger, then fire using the button located in the bottom right hand corner. What I didn’t like about the controls was the fact that they are inverted. To move left you have to swipe right and vice-versa. This can be changed via the ingame menu. There is also a learning curve to the game. Because it takes time to move your finger to the fire button, you have to lead the target a little.



The gameplay is very fun and challenging. In Arcade mode they give you a target and you have to pick him out of the many people around. This was hard for me because a lot of people looked like the target and so I accidentally shot them. It takes a keen eye to be good at the arcade style of the game. There was Protect the Flag, which I found to be the most fun. It was just mindless killing of people going towards your flag. Finally there is massacre, which is for all you sociopaths that can’t stop killing people. You have a matter of seconds to kill everyone in sight. All three of these game modes take place on two different maps: desert and city.

Sniper Strike uses the new OpenFeint as an online score system. There are 6 leader boards, one for each task at each map. Sniper Strike also contains 21 achievements, but they only range from 10-50 points. Sniper Strike also contains a shop at the end of a level where you can purchase new guns. 5 different rifles and 2 equipment upgrades are available. These upgrades come in handy because they are more powerful and are able to get more 1 shot kills. With the default rifle, the only way to get a one shot kill is with a headshot. Each time you shoot a person, a health bar appears over them. You injure them by hitting them in the right place. You are able to hit them in the arm, leg, body, or head.



Overall this game is fun and addicting. The challenges are both challenging and fun to play at the same time. The graphics look nice, and both the people and the environment are very detailed. I think that in an update the developer could add a hard mode, where if you hit the person once, they run away in fear. Another thing that could be added would be reactions of the people near your target. The people seem to ignore the person you shot. This game is worth the $1.99 price tag if you like sniping games. This game is a great arcade game, and I had a lot of fun playing it. If you are still on the fence, there is also a lite version available on the app store.

Sniper Strike on the App Store.

Sniper Strike Lite on the App Store.

Dead Strike: Review

Dead Strike is a 3D survival game that was released early today by Psychoz Interactive. The goal in Dead Strike is to get from one side of the city to the hospital on the other side of the city. You are trying to escape the effects of a virus that has turned the whole city into zombies. There are 9 different weapons that you can use to try and fend off the zombies. These guns range from a simple pistol to a powerful flamethrower.

The gameplay in Dead Strike is simple. Try to find your way to the hospital. What makes this game challenging and fun is the fact that you are being attacked by zombies and you have to fight them off. You fight them off using various weapons that can be bought using the in-game menu. There are 46 action packed levels in this game, and in each level the zombies get faster and stronger.



This game also includes a cheat menu. Users are able to type in cheat codes to help them. The various cheats range from unlocking everything to running faster or even invisibility. These cheats are activated by typing them in, and deactivated by typing them in again. The cheat code feature adds something to the game because it allows the average gamer to get farther in the game. However I found a lot of lag when using the “run faster” cheat, and so I turned this one off. The other cheats seem to work fine, with virtually no lag. I will not reveal any of the cheat codes in this review, but if you are interested in trying them out, you can find a list of them here: http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=38638&highlight=Dead+strike.

The huge problem with this game, and the reason the final rating won’t be as high as it should be, is the controls. Each of the characters is controlled by a joystick, with a button to aim the gun, them when that is pressed a button to shoot and a reload button also appear. The problem with the controls is the aiming. You have to use the joystick to aim, and I find it very unresponsive. A better idea would be for the developer to implement an auto-aim feature like COD: Nazi Zombies. Another issue I had was having to press 2 separate buttons to shoot. I think that a better idea would be to just have a button to shoot, and a button to reload. Another thing is that this game lacks a tutorial. I think this should be added via update, along with a complete revamp of the control system. The developer could learn a lot about good controls by playing COD on the iPhone. Another issue I had was you are not able to switch you weapon unless you go to the menu. A simple fix would be taping the gun display in the top right to change guns.



I would love to be able to say this game was one of the best that the iPhone has to offer, but unfortunately due to control issues I have to say that the player should hold off on this game unless they really want to try it out. At a cheap price of $1.99, you won’t be losing a lot if you don’t like the game. The developer also promised a couple of future updates that would add wifi multiplayer (both local and worldwide). After the many complaints about the controls, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a quick revamp of the controls very soon. Overall, if the controls are fixed, this game could become very popular because of the great gameplay and gripping storyline. I really want to like this game, so I hope the developers respond to the control issues and release an update quickly. With an update, Dead Strike could because a very popular game.


Overall 2.5/5 (major control issues)


Dead Strike on the App Store.

Gyrotate Review

Gyrotate is GoosTrix’s first iPhone game. Gyrotate is a puzzle game that has you rotating 4 rows of shapes trying to match 4 shapes in a row. The goal is to lower the quota by matching shapes. Every time you make a match, the quota is reduced by 1 for each shape (4 for each match). To finish a level, you need to reduce all of the quotas to 0. There are three difficulties, so that everyone can play at the level they want. What makes this game hard is the fact that the levels are timed. There is a time bar and if it runs out, the game is over.

The controls in this game are simple. You just use the touch screen to rotate the shapes into place. You can also create combos to reduce the quota even more. This game is not a pick up and play game. If you are good at the game it will take a good amount of time to complete. The good thing is that if you quit or get a text or call, the game automatically saves. This ensures that you won’t lose all your well earned progress.



The game takes some getting used to, but if you like puzzles then this game if for you. If you aren’t good, you can either adjust the difficulty level or use the hint button. The hint button highlights all of the shapes you need in order to meet the quota. The open-ended gameplay means that you go as far as your skill takes you.

My favorite part of any game is statistics. I love to see my stats during a game. The stats included in this game are: highest level, games played, playing time, and pieces matched. The stat I both like and dislike is the playing time. I love to see how long it takes to complete a single game, but I hate to see how long I’ve wasted playing a game.



Overall, Gyrotate is a great game if you love puzzles. Gyrotate is easy to learn and tough to master. The goal in the game is simple: just match the shapes. The gameplay is simple but entertaining. This game allows allows you to keep track of the time you have spent playing. This game is one of the better puzzle games that I have played, and it combines great graphics with a simple gameplay. At $.99, this game is well worth it. It will provide you with a few good hours of gameplay. The only issue is that it is directed towards puzzle lovers, so I suggest that only people who like games like Tetris and Bejeweled pick this one up.

Overall 4/5 (Great Puzzle game)

Gyrotate on the App Store.

Pig Rush: Review

Pig Rush is an addictive game for kids starring Jumpy the Pig. The goal is to get Jumpy as far away as possible from the farm. While running, Jumpy encounters dangers such as ravines, fires, and moving platforms. The longer you survive, the faster Jumpy gets, and the less time you have to react. Pig Rush is a great pick up and play game for kids and will keep you coming back to try and beat your high score.

In Pig Rush, the main point of the game is to get as far as possible. As Jumpy the pig, you have to jump from platform to platform. There are some simple obstacles that you have to conquer. There is a fire that will end the game if you hit it. You can pick up a fireman suit to protect yourself from it. The fireman suit is lost if you touch the fire, but it can be picked up again.



The controls in Pig Rush are simple. You tap the bottom of the screen to jump low. You tap the top of the screen to jump high. You can even double tap the top of the screen to go even farther. The game ends when you fail to make a jump or if you hit a fire without a fireman’s suit. The game gets harder over time, so don’t expect an easy game. There are levels that get increasingly difficult. You earn points based on how long you survive. There are online highscores via the developer, not OpenFeint. The online highscores help compare yourself to others around the world.



In a recent update, Pig Rush added a secret “Reindeer Rush” Christmas mode. I couldn’t find out how to activate it, but the developer said that the App Store description will reveal how on Christmas Eve. My best guess is that it is activated with the person’s name, but so far I have had no luck. I will definitely make sure to look up the description of the 24th so I can unlock this mode.

Overall, Pig Rush is a great game for kids of all ages. Pig Rush puts great graphics together with simple gameplay and easy to learn controls. Pig Rush is worth $.99 and is a great pick up and play game. I found myself wanting one more try every time I died. I highly recommend the game Pig Rush if you have a child or young relative.

Rating: 4.5/5 (great game for kids)

Pig Rush on the App Store.

iStunt Review

iStunt is a 2D physics based snowboarding game developed by Profusions Studios. You are a stunt man on a snowboard who has to clear various levels by reaching the green flag. The game consists of 18 different levels, and 2 game modes: Regular, and Time Trial. Regular mode is used to unlock levels, while time trial allows you to play the levels while being times. The levels have to be unlocked by beating previous levels, but you are able to skip 5 levels, so you can come back to a level later if it is too hard for you.
The controls in iStunt are fairly simple. Your snowboarder gains speed via gravity, you swipe up to jump, and swipe down (and hold) to crouch. The thing that sets iStunt apart from its competitors is the invert your device feature. On many levels, there is a change in gravity signaled by an arrow, when you successfully land a different way, the game has you invert your device. After you flip your device, the screen flips too, so you see everything right side up again. I found this feature to be both fun and challenging, because some levels have you flipping the screen quite often.

There are many gaps that you need to clear in iStunt, and the good thing is that you can earn extra points by tilting your device and performing either back flips or front flips. You also get points based on how good your landing is. You can share how many points you got via OpenFeint. iStunt only has leaderboards, not achievements, so you can compare how you did on a level to people around the world. I would like to see achievements added with an update. These achievements could be something like: completing 5 levels, completing Regular mode, or even finish a level in less than 30 seconds.

iStunt has a couple of bonuses that can be picked up. There are stars that increase your score if they are picked up. The snowboarders speed can be increase with a boost. The boost helps you get up a large hill, or gain speed before a jump. Finally, there is a gravity button which I talked about earlier. The gravity button adds a lot to the game, and it is the game’s best feature. I would like to see a slow motion button in an update to this game because sometimes when changing gravity quickly, there isn’t much time to react.
Overall, iStunt is a great 2D physics based racing experience. The game reminds me a lot of the online game Line Rider 2. iStunt uses the iPhone’s accelerometer in a unique way, which sets it apart from the other physics based racers. In the future I would like to see a level editor, achievements, and more powerups, but if that doesn’t happen this game is fine the way it is. I highly recommend getting this game because it will provide you with a unique gaming experience, and it will also provide that “one more try” feeling when you cannot beat a level. iStunt is one of the best line racing games for the iPhone, and is well worth $.99.

Rating: 5/5 (Why are you still reading? JUST GET THIS APP)
iStunt on the App Store.

Red Block Remover: Review

Red Block Remover is developed by Stacey Bennett and available on the app store for $1.99. The point of this game is to remove all the red blocks and not lose any green blocks. This game starts off very easy with a short tutorial that really helps you get the feel for the game. This game has over 100 increasingly difficult levels. I got through most of the game but I can say that some of the higher levels take a lot of thinking.





One of the issues I had with this game is there is nothing to play for. The stages are set up in level packs, with each level pack having 9 levels. This would be fine if they were slowly unlocked like Implode for example, but unfortunately you can play the hardest level right from the beginning. I think that the levels should be slowly unlocked, but that’s for the developer to decide.
Another issue I had with this game is there is no menu. After the initial load screen the game just throws you into the level packs. I think that it would make the game look better if there was a menu. Finally, there is the load time. The load time is horrible because any time you fail a puzzle, there is a small loading circle on the bottom right hand corner. It takes about 2-3 seconds for the puzzle to load up again, which is a decent amount of time, but I feel like something is missing, like a box that says you failed and tap to try again. I think the loading circle needs to go. It could be replaced with a load bar on the initial menu, but inside the game it shouldn’t be present. It also, checks the solution with a small green bar in the lower left, but on the iTunes description it said this issue was being addressed in the upcoming update.





However, the gameplay is quality. I loved the fact that I got addicted an always wanted that “one more try.” This game is great for a pick up and play type game, and there is a distinct learning curve that will keep even the best gamer thinking. The puzzles go from stationary parts to moving parts, and all of the different puzzles require different strategies. This game also gets frequent updates with more levels, so even if you finish all of the included levels, more are always on the way.
Overall this game is a fun pick up and play type game, but would benefit immensely from an update that makes the levels unlockable. Right now, there is really nothing to play for. That aside this game is really fun. I recommend this game to any puzzle fan. Even at the current price of $1.99 I would say this game is worth it because of the frequent updates and gameplay. After a few issues are fixed, this game will become even better.

Overall
3.5/5 Quality Puzzle Experience

Red Block Remover on the App Store