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Rocket Riot

2011-11-29T16:14:24Z

Rocket Riot Chillingo - $2.99 in the App Store

Rocket Riot is an outrageously fun arcade shooter.

Graphics - 7/10

The graphics are a fun mix of 2d and 3d objects with 8-bit style texturing. The game is tongue and cheek throughout, and the graphics definitely reflect this. Filled with silly robots, ghosts, pirates, etc.

Sound - 6/10

The sounds of things blowing up are good... thats about all the sounds i can even recall this game having, hahahaha.

Music - 8/10

I love the music, especially the theme song, although they do lose their charm after hearing them over and over.

Controls - 9/10

The controls are nice and tight, and the fact that you flick each rocket makes the game a lot more fun than if it were just a typical dual analog setup.

Replayability - 6/10

This version doesn't have as many missions as the XBox Live Arcade version, but for 3 dollars it's still ALOT of gameplay. If you really like this game you will have no problem replaying levels just for fun.

Originality - 10/10

While some might compare this game to dual analog shooters, it's so much more in both personality and fun.

Value - 9/10

Although a little pricey at $2.99, it's still a total steal. And if they ever add multiplayer to it, it still will be a steal even at twice the price.

Fun Factor - 10/10

The first time I played this game, I literally could not put it down. Between the crazy bonuses, the fun controls, graphics and music as well as the variation in gameplay, this game is seriously fantastic.

Story - 5/10

Although the story is silly and dumb, a game this much fun doesn't need a strong storyline to lean on.

Multiplayer - n/a

Conclusion - 70%

Extremely fun game at a cheap price, whats not to want?!.

Asteroids Gunner

2011-11-15T18:09:13Z

Asteroids Gunner by Atari - Free in the App Store

Asteroids Gunner is the latest game in the venerable, long-lived Asteroids franchise. This dual stick shooter doesn't veer too far from classic arcade play - merely adding a dual stick element and blocking everything even remotely cool behind in-app purchases.

Graphics - 6/10

Nothing truly spectacular. It is a good looking game, despite the sometimes grainy backgrounds. Although the store interface and menu screens look great, the user experience of navigating them is mediocre at best.

Sound - 4/10

Just about the most generic sound effects one could possibly imagine. The "pew pew" of your laser gets really old, really quickly.

Music - 3/10

Think of the most bland, cliche sci-fi themed, new age music you can. Loop it ad nauseam and there you go.

Controls - 7/10

Pretty good for the most part as far as dual stick shooters go, although I do feel that the accuracy of the weapon joystick was less than adequate. No huge complaints, though. It feels pretty solid.

Replayability - 6/10

There are a ton of levels to drudge through, but the game feels exactly like that - drudgery. Even after minimum time with it, you get pretty bored. Especially since the upgrades are expensive using the in-game currency and everything cool is locked up behind in-app purchases. I doubt many will find themselves returning to this one after the initial play through.

Originality - 3/10

While I love the Asteroids-type of arcade games, how long can you live off of a franchise this one-dimensional? Especially when there are absolutely killer alternatives out there. Geometry Wars, anyone?

Value - 5/10

It is free...in theory. Although you can download and play the game for free, as well as collect currency for upgrades, it quickly becomes apparent that Atari has locked anything of value behind absurd upgrade rules and in-app purchases. Not cool.

Fun Factor - 4/10

It's a good feeling game and looks decent enough, but the lack of any real variety between levels and expensive upgrades ultimately hinder this one from being a truly fun game.

Story - 0/10

What story?

Multiplayer - n/a

Conclusion - 38%

I wanted to like this one since Asteroids is such a legendary franchise, but Atari really screwed the pooch here. Excessive blocking of content via IAP, misleading upgrade paths, and no real variety of game play makes this one a pretty big bomb. Do yourself a favor and save the 61.1 MB of space on your device for something better.

Espgaluda II HD

2011-11-11T17:04:14Z

Espgaluda 2 HD CAVE CO.,LTD. - $13.99 in the App Store

Espgaluda 2 HD is a classic bullet hell style shmup ( Shoot'em up ) game with a max sprite count that literally makes the original iPad cringe.

Graphics - 9/10

Gorgeous, high resolution graphics very much inline with anything you've seen in every other decent asian bullet hell game. While the level of polish is exceptional, the level design all seems to run together either because they're so similar or because it's hard to pay attention to the backgrounds while dodging thousands of incoming bullets.

Sound - 6/10

Nothing exciting here, pretty much on par with the genre.

Music - 5/10

Not to beat a dead horse, but the music was so typical I honestly don't even remember any of it at the time of writing. Not to say that it was terrible at all, just not memorable.

Controls - 9/10

The framerate, and in turn responsiveness of the controls have always blown my mind in Cave games. I do find the iOS specific features of the smartphone mode to be kinda' gimicky - but some may appreciate them.

Replayability - 6/10

If you're a fan of the genre then you may not have a problem replaying for high scores (and the 3 different characters available for play), but outside of that and the love of dominating what is an otherwise very difficult game - I can't imagine anyone replaying it that much once it has been conquered.

Originality - 3/10

I literally could not name one aspect of this game that hasn't been done before, albeit maybe not always with such quality. It's fair to say this is a pretty formulaic game.

Value - 4/10

Do yourself a favor and buy the arcade version for half the price. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this game, but I find the smartphone version to be gimicky and don't see the point of owning both.

Fun Factor - 9/10

If your a bullet hell fan, you should have no reason not to love the crap out of this game. If not then you may want to skip this title completely to be honest. Bullet hell is definitely an acquired taste.

Story - 3/10

Everyone should know that any asian game genre is synonymous with 'insane and unfollowable storylines'.

Multiplayer - n/a

Conclusion - 60%

While this game isn't breaking any ground as far as bullet hell SHMUPS go and offers no real replayability, it does raise the bar on IOS game quality. It screams "console" and the level of graphical polish, absurd sprite count, and constantly smooth framerate will make you wonder how they even pulled it off... Then you'll realize its only available for dual core IOS devices.

Zombieville USA 2

2011-11-09T03:57:19Z

Zombieville USA 2 by Mika Mobile - $0.99 in the App Store

Zombieville USA 2, the follow up to the hugely successful game by Mika Mobile, is a 2D side-scrolling shooter that pits you against a horde of brain-hungry zombies.

Graphics - 9/10

Although it looks like it was made solely with Flash's drawing tools, it still looks like one of the best Flash games you will ever play. The upgrade screens are gorgeous.

Sound - 8/10

Awesome weapon noises and the sound of bullets ripping through zombie flesh is thoroughly satisfying.

Music - 7/10

Think Fright Night meets pretty much any Vincent Price movie. Works well, but gets tiresome fairly quickly.

Controls - 9/10

Nearly perfect and a vast improvement over the original controls. Movement joystick radius seems too limited, even after a recent update.

Replayability - 6/10

Tons of upgrade options and a variety of characters will keep you coming back for quite awhile, even if the gameplay gets stale after awhile.

Originality - 6/10

Not the first of its kind, especially if you take into account the years of Flash games before it, but still one of the standout examples of the genre in the app store.

Value - 8/10

99 cents? You can't go wrong here, especially considering the awesome upgrades and character unlocks available.

Fun Factor - 7/10

Overall a solid game with lots of stuff to upgrade. However, gameplay gets repetitive pretty rapidly and you'll find yourself taking breaks between sessions to renew interest.

Story - 5/10

Neither here nor there. Zombies everywhere, you have to survive. GET TO THE CHOPPA!!!

Multiplayer - 7/10

Won't let you play if one of you hasn't completed the tutorial in solo mode, but once you get going, the co-op mode is pretty fun and shows a lot of promise.

Conclusion - 72%

Zombieville USA 2 is a fantastic sequel to one of the pioneering games in the app store. It does a great job building on the first game's strengths and dropping some of its weaknesses. Multiple lives, better controls, and great upgrades make this a no-brainer, even if the gameplay gets old quicker than one would like.

League of Evil

2011-11-07T01:40:36Z

League of Evil by Ravenous Games - $1.99 in the App Store

League of Evil is a throwback to the better days of gaming bringing both an amazing retro look and feel along with all the classic console fun that can only be inspired by retractable wall and floor spikes.

Graphics - 8/10

Classic 8 bit retro graphics complete with evil scientist decapitations! Diverse environments and smooth character animation round out an amazing visual experience.

Sound - 8/10

Subtle but very fitting for all of the fast jumping and dashing, stays out of the way for the soundtrack.

Music - 9/10

The awesome tracks fit the mood of the environments really well and there are enough of them to not get stale.

Controls - 10/10

Keeping it simple with 4 perfectly placed buttons that respond quickly and just feel "good".

Replayability - 7/10

Tons of diverse traps, enemies and other hazards make each level unique. Once you've battled through the 144 standard levels and the 7 lite missions you can humble yourself with an additional 18 "impossible levels".

Originality - 7/10

The genre isn't exactly new and it doesn't really introduce anything totally revolutionary but League of Evil does an excellent job making the experience feel very retro in an HD world.

Value - 8/10

A lot of fun to be had here for less than two bucks.

Fun Factor - 9/10

Although some of the levels seem impossible at first, you feel awesome when you nail that last jump and punch the evil genius's face off.

Story - 7/10

The story isn't really dense here but it prefaces each chapter with enough quirky humor to make it work.

Multiplayer - n/a

Conclusion - 81%

With a very polished experience and true retro feel, league of evil stands apart from a lot of other crapware and proves that iPad and iPhone platformers can be done well without the "no tactile feedback" excuse.

Siegecraft for iOS

2011-11-02T01:38:20Z

Siegecraft by Crescent Moon Games - $0.99 in the App Store

A tower defense game with a physics twist, Siegecraft puts you in charge of protecting your castle, camp, or territory from the invading enemy. Siegecraft mixes up an often stagnant genre by letting you dispose of your enemy via a manually controlled crossbow and catapult. This "angry birds meets rampart" twist is a nice update on the usual AI driven drone weapons moving across a battlefield.

Graphics - 8/10

Amazing environments and nicely assembled special effects dwarf the less than stellar enemy animations.

Sound - 7/10

Explosions are thick and tasty and pair well with their respective visuals. The random, out of place announcer adds nothing, however.

Music - 6/10

Not annoying but nothing that is going to pump you up, either.

Controls - 4/10

Control issues are prevalent; small and precise changes to targeting are aggravating and the proximity of your weaponry to the edge of the screen make long shots difficult.

Replayability - 4/10

Easy-to-achieve star-based goals in single player and a multiplayer mode that is just gosh darn awful results in low replayability.

Originality - 6/10

Combining physics with classic tower defense in a medieval world is pretty cool. Would love to have a couple more elements to spice up the experience, though.

Value - 7/10

For $0.99 in the App Store, you could do much worse.

Fun Factor - 6/10

Initially it's pretty fun, but after a few levels the single player feels more like dull grinding than anything resembling fun or excitement.

Story - N/A

Multiplayer - 3/10

Completely awful. Pitted against random opponents or a friend, you're left shooting at inanimate objects across a river. Want something more? Too bad. Take turns shooting at targets, largest score wins.

Conclusion - 56%

A good idea that suffers from poor execution. I would have much preferred the developer spent more time fixing and polishing the shoddy controls and developing a more engaging single player experience (story, anyone?) than dump time into the terrible multiplayer mode.

Building...

2011-10-25T17:36:08Z

3 Bad Dudes are currently in the process of building this site out. Oh, and we are reviewing some games. Stay tuned to check out some super radical reviews.