Stay ConnectedThe Touch of Gaming podcast is your source for iPad and iPhone gaming news, reviews and interviews! In each episode your hosts Lloyd Hannesson and Jared Schulz will bring you the latest in gaming on iOS.
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Jared and I pick our GAME of the MONTH for October.
Todd – Soda Dungeon (Free, iOS, Armor Games Inc.)
Jared – X-Mercs (Free, iOS, Game Insight)
We then give our monthly plea for iTunes (etc.) reviews and we thank Mat7h3w for his review in the U.S. iTunes store.
Up next is some talk of games that got updates, games we did not get a chance to play this week, and News. News. News.
Finally we get to the games we did play;
Todd – Lumino City ($4.99, iOS, State of Play Games) – Todd is digging this stunningly beautiful adventure/puzzle game but wishes it had a “free roam” play mode, was a bit less linear, and had a bit more of a story. Nevertheless, there is a lot of puzzling goodness to be had for the price. Grab it if this style of game interests you.
Jared – Templar Battleforce RPG – ($6.99, iOS and Android, Trese Brothers) Fresh off of the heals of Jared’s “game of the month” for October (X-Mercs) comes a similar turn based strategy RPG game…this one focusing a bit more on the RPG side of the equation; however. He is enjoying the game and it is different enough from X-Mercs to keep him interested and to keep him swapping back and forth between the two games. One thing that is not great is the graphical look of the game…although you may beg to differ. A good game overall.
Todd – Slashy Hero (Free, iOS, Kongregate) There is always room in Todd’s life for a fun, action game and this one fits the bill. You use a path drawing mechanic to roam small dungeon levels, defeat hordes of enemies, pick up lots of candy, and gather up some treasures. The Free to Play is not too bad in the game and it is a nice little time waster. Give it a shot.
Jared – Beneath the Lighthouse (Nitrome, Free with $3.99 iAP, iOS) Jared is really loving this puzzle adventure game from Nitrome. Innovative and effective controls add to the gameplay and the full unlock for $3.99 is a nice touch. You have nothing to lose so give this one a shot and buy it if you really like it (or try to grind your way through if you are that good).
Todd – Five Card Quest ($2.99, iOS, Rocketcat) This game is a card battler meets rogue-like although it is missing some elements of both genres that might make it a better game. It features an interesting graphical style, some decent strategy, and relatively quick games. But you cannot build your own deck and certain stats (like how many enemies you have left to battle once you kill one) means this game can feature more guess work than it should. The dev is updating things so keep an eye on it and try it out if you are looking for something a bit different in the genre.
Jared – Sproggiwood (Freehold Games, $4.99, iOS) This one was released months ago and both Todd and Jared picked it up while on sale. Jared played it this past week and he truly, truly loves it. A rouge like that does everything right, this game has sucked him in and it keeps him playing. It might even have a chance of being his Game of the Month for November. If you are late to the party like we were, give this one a shot.
We talked a lot about upcoming games and updates.
We talked a bit about some news items.
We then talked about an “old” game…Soda Dungeon – both Todd and Jared are loving this little romp of a game and everyone should give it a go.
Other game talk:
Jared – Blood Bowl: Kerrunch (Cyanide, Android and iOS, Free). Jared tried to enjoy this game but it is too easy and too boring to really recommend. It will not be sticking around on his device.
Todd – Spelldom (Free, iOS, HangZone). A similar story here. Todd wanted to enjoy this game but the free to play mechanics are too strong and the word battling game play is too weak. He will not continue playing this.
Jared – Battlestation: Harbringer (Bugbyte, $3.99, iOS and Android). Jared is loving this turn based strategy meets real time strategy meets rogue like space battle game. He will speak on it more in an later episode (hopefully) but he thinks it is worth a purchase.
Todd – THR:Race (Free, iOS, Thomas Podewils). This game has a visual style that Todd really enjoys…vector graphics a la Omega Race or Asteroids. But the controls are bunk and the game play is unappealing. Unfortunately, this one will not be sticking around.
Jared: X-Mercs- (Free, iOS, Game Insight). A free to play X-Com-a-like. If you dig that sort of turn based strategy goodness, you owe it to yourself to grab this. Great game play and reasonable free to play mechanics make this a must try title.
Todd – Opus: The Day we Found Earth (Free to try, $1.99 up to $5.99 to unlock full game, iOS, Team Signal). Todd really enjoyed this little tale of space exploration via telescope. The gameplay is good, if a bit simplistic and repetitive, but the story that is told and the atmosphere that is created make this a fun little 2 hour experience. Recommended.
We have a great show for you this week! Lloyd is pushing the buttons with Todd along for the ride. We had a great discussion on new games that are out, but unplayed by us before digging into our reviews/discussions later in the episode.
Games talked about in this episode:
Lloyd:
NHL Supercard (FREE, iOS & Android, 2K)
The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land (FREE, iOS & Android, Next Games Oy)
Hyper Swiper (FREE, iOS, Happymagenta)
Soda Dungeon (FREE, iOS, Armor Games Inc.)
Todd:
Orc King (Free, iOS, Lifebelt Games)
Cloud Chasers ($2.99, iOS, Blindflug)
Love Rocks Starring Shakira (Free, iOS & Android, Rovio)
Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom (Free, iOS, Sega)
Todd’s away so Lloyd is back for this week’s show! He’ll be here next week as well since Jared will be absent. Hope you guys and gals missed me! :)
This week we talk a bit about Overcast 2, the appageddon and then jump into our game news:
Lloyd: Skeletomb (FREE, iOS, Punk Labs LLC), Space Miner Wars- (Free, iOS, Venan Entertainment), HoPiKo ($3.99, iOS, Laser Dog), Cavernaut ($1.99, iOS, Jan Schoenepauck (Einheit B))
Jared: Space Miner Wars- (Free, iOS, Venan Entertainment), Spellstone (Kongregate, Free, iOS and Android), Swords & Crossbones (Epic Devs OOD, Android and iOS, $4.99)
enjoy!
We talk a bunch of upcoming games and game updates that look promising. We also recap a few games that we are still playing from prior weeks. We then talk new games.
Todd talks very, very, very briefly about:
The Balloons (Free, iOS, Noodlecake) – this pixel art, bottom to top score chase game was not for him. Mostly due to the controls and because he is liking other games in this category more.
Jared talks very, very briefly about:
SirVival ( Free, iOS and Android, Soul and Vibe Interactive Inc.) – Jared dislikes the spelling of this game because it messes with his auto-complete, but he really enjoys this stage-based runner. One really cool thing about it is that it is fully voice acted. Not something you see in this genre. It also offers pre-built stages that are fun to navigate and figure out. One to watch.
Jared then talks about board to digital game:
Camel Up ( $4.99, iOS, Outline Development) – not to be confused with Camel Cup, this digital translation of the award winning board game is somewhat lacking. If offers a terrible (essentially non-existent) tutorial, no online multiplayer, and underwhelming style. Plus, the games play way too quickly. Overall, it is just not something worth purchasing at this point. Stick to the real board game if you are interested.
Todd talks about free to play, score chase SCHMUP:
Shooty Skies (Free, iOS, Mighty Games) – From the folks who brought you Crossy Road, you can see its roots in most aspects of this game. It is a fun game but somehow it did not grab Todd, or Jared, in the way some other recent score chase/Crossy Road alikes have. Part of the issue is graphics that get in the way of each other…making the game harder. Another issue is the SCHMUP genre…it does not feel as fun as it could for this model of game. Both Todd and Jared will probably let this one fall by the wayside soon.
Jared wrapped things up with a discussion of:
Storm Casters Ultra (Free, iOS, Get Some Games) – This is an excellent, free-to-play twin stick shooter/dungeon crawl. Unfortunately, if you grabbed the original, this version offers little new content to encourage you to adopt it. If, however, you never played the original then you should grab this ASAP. Fun gameplay, interesting mechanics, great polish, and a very fair free to play model make this a great game.
Finally we wrapped things up with our games of the month for September 2015
Jared:
Runner-up: Rebuild 3
Winner: Puzzle Craft 2
Todd:
Runner-up: Ski Safari 2
Winner: Land Sliders
You owe it to yourself to check all of these fun games out. Heck, 3 of them are free to play so what do you have to lose?
OK, that is that for this week.
We talked a lot of news; mostly about a lot of upcoming games…it is getting to that time of year; afterall.
We also talked new games that we are playing.
Todd (Jared is also playing):
Land Sliders (Free, iOS, Prettygreat) – This “endless” runner with Crossy Road esque monetization, is really, really fun. You slide the randomly generated world underneath your character as you try to pick up currency and character-specific tokens. There are various enemies and rewards and the levels are varied and interesting. Tons of characters to unlock and so much charm, combined with excellent gameplay, nice graphics, a sense of humor, and a nice little musical score make this an all-around great game. Try it today.
Jared:
Order and Chaos 2 (Free, iOS and Android, Gameloft) – Jared is really loving this MMORGP on mobile and he thinks it is “best in class” for touch screen mobile devices. Todd did download it but did not try it yet. Recommended!
Todd:
Skeletomb (Free, iOS & Android, Punk Labs) – an interesting pixel art endless runner with some twists in visual perspective and game play. It is actually a lot of fun but the “muddy” visual look of some levels can cause pathing issues. Overall this is well worth a look for the different game play style and extremely fair free to play model.
Jared:
Spirit Hunter (Free, iOS, Boomlagoon) – Jared is liking this action RPG quite a bit. It has that same loot/action combo that made Diablo games so great and this game plays pretty well. He needs more time with it but it is worth a free to play shot.
Todd:
Astra ($2.99, iOS, Pablo Molina Garcia) – Todd really loves the look and feel and atmosphere of this endless runner, gravity-based platformer. It has tons of replay-ability but it can be somewhat punishing and Todd wishes it had MFI support. Overall, this is one to watch and worth grabbing if you want something different within the genre.
Jared:
Puzzle and Glory (Free, iOS and Android, Sega) – run, don’t walk, AWAY from this totally generic match 3 game in the vein of Puzzle Quest. It brings nothing new to the table while actively trying to remove the place settings so nicely put forth by its predecessors. Honestly, this one is not worth trying…even at the price of FREE. Blah.
And that is all for now.
Enjoy and see you next week!
In this edition of the Touch of Gaming podcast, Jared and Todd round up a lot, lot, lot of news items – from upcoming games, to the state of current games (and the money they earn), to Amazon matching Apple’s releases…we talk a lot about news in the mobile gaming world.
We also talk about a few games we continue to play. Chief among those is Puzzle Craft 2.
Then we go into new games:
Todd
Sky (Free, iOS and Android, Ketchapp). Todd is digging this game for what it is…a high score chase game with a few unlockables and a definite sense of style. Worth a try and it will give you some fun gaming for a few minutes to a few hours
Jared
Call of Champions (Free, iOS, Spacetime Studios) – Jared is really, really enjoying this MOBA on Mobile done right. They streamline everything they can within the MOBA genre and condense the gameplay down to something that is perfect for mobile. 5 minute matches are the crux of this condensation and they make a huge difference. It is user friendly for new comers to the genre while also offering a lot for more seasoned players. It is very fair with its free to play model. It looks great and controls really well. A winner…so give it a shot.
Todd
Braveland Pirate ($2.99, iOS, Tortuga Team) – the 3rd release in the Braveland series of turn based strategy games, this one has the most to offer overall. It is a good looking, nice sounding game that offers some nice tweaks to the gameplay. Ultimately, however, the game lacks depth and it ends up being a bit bland. It is not a bad game by any chance, but it fails to draw in the player with meaningful tactical play. Todd will keep playing it a bit to see if the progression improves that play, but it does not appear so at this point.
Enjoy,
In this episode, we talk about a lot of gaming news including EA removing apps and Apple’s Keynote and how it might affect touch screen gaming.
We talk about a few new games as well:
Jared and Todd – Puzzle Craft 2 (Free, iOS and Android, Chillingo) – Jared takes the lead on this one but we are both flat out loving this game. It has some sort of magic that makes us keep playing and playing it. Well worth a shot as it is fun, a bit strategic, and very fair with its free-to-play model. A great follow-up to a classic game. Try it today!
Jared – Mucho Taco (Free, Noodlecake Studios Inc., iOS) – Jared had a bit of fun with this swipe-based take on the “Clicker” genre. However, it does not stand out amongst the pack, so you can probably stay clear of it and opt for some of the better titles in the genre.
Todd – Skilltree Saga ($2.99, iOS, Headup Games) – Todd did not put much time into this RPG, turn-based (sort of) battler. It has some interesting and sort of unique ideas, but it remains to be seen how everything ties together. He will report back on it next week.
Jared – Oraia Rift ($2.99, Ahmed Al Shebli, iOS) – touted as a Zelda type of game, this one is underwhelming Jared a bit at the moment. There are flashes of the fun that makes a game like Oceanhorn (an awesome iOS take on the Zelda game style) shine, but this game is not the complete package and is a bit rough around the edges. Jared will play a bit more to see if things pick up, but right now he cannot fully recommend it.
And that is about all for this week.
Enjoy,
ToG 213 for the week of Sept. 6, 2015 is here.
In it, we go over some upcoming games, some current updates, and lots of news items.
We then each talk about 2 new games.
Jared
Rebuild 3 ($4.99, iOS, Sarah Northway). Jared is loving, really loving, this new zombie survival, society rebuilding strategy game. Everything meshes really well in the 3rd game in the series and Jared is fairly certain this could be “game of the month” for September and in his Top 10 for the year. Well worth the price of entry and he will return next week for a more full review of the game.
Todd
Unkilled – (Free, iOS and Android, Madfinger). Essentially the sequel to Deadtrigger 2, this first person shooter set in zombie infested areas provides some nice looking, solid FPS action. However, the “free to play” is strong in this one and you will need to grind and/or pay some money to keep at things. Todd is personally getting tired of this payment scheme; probably because he hits it pretty much every week. If you just concentrate on 1 free to play game at at time, you might dig this one. Worth checking out because it looks and plays well, but Todd has deleted it already.
Jared
Pokemon Shuffle Mobile (FREE, iOS, The Pokemon Company). Jared tried, but really did not enjoy, this free to play, Match 3 take on the Pokemon franchise. It is okay but lacks strategy and seems unfairly difficult at times; as well as quite demanding with regard to the free to play aspects of the game. Jared will keep it for his young son to play, but he is done with the game himself.
Todd
Dungeon Boss (Free, iOS and Android, Big Fish Games) Todd really wanted to love this charming, free to play take on a dungeon crawler (minus almost all of the “crawler” part). The game looks and sounds great. The turn based action is solid enough, but it lacks strategy and becomes a bit “samey” the more you play. Free to play elements are grindy and have all of the tropes Todd has seen tens of times before. Tons or heroes to unlock and evolve, different currencies, consumable items, an energy system…all of these add up to a “Delete” for Todd but you might want to check it out if you are not tired of this free to play formula. They do what they do really well, but some of us are tired of it and want something different.
Jared and Todd recapped news and some older games and then talked about the following new games:
Todd
Ski Safari 2 ($1.99 w/IAP, iOS, Sleepy Z Studios) – Todd loved the first one and thinks this one is just as good while also ramping up the fun to even higher levels. It is a bit “more of the same”, so if you played the first and want something different, then this might not be for you. Otherwise, you owe it to yourself to check out this endless runner with lots of depth, whimsy and charm.
Jared
Demon’s Rise ($2.99, Rajpreet Dhillon) – a nice take on the turn based strategy formula. Tons of characters to chose from, some decently deep mechanics, and good, solid gameplay all add up to a winner…but Jared felt is was missing that “special something”, and that was keeping it from greatness. Worth a shot but you might want to wait a bit to see what the updates bring to the game.
Todd
Sage Solitaire (Free, iOS, Zach Gage) – a nice take on a card based solitaire game with a poker mechanic at its core. Todd digs the game and finds it fun in short bursts. Overall, a nice little time waster but nothing too amazing. As with so many solitaire games, winning can come down to luck as much as to skill. Worth trying for sure, though!
Jared
Swipey Rogue (Free, First Order Games iOS and Android) – Jared really, really loves this quick, auto-running swipe/rogue game. A few different modes, ease of play, and a lot of charm all combine to make this a “must try”.
Todd
Galactic Keep ($3.99, iOS, Gilded Skull Games) – so much love and attention to detail obviously got poured into this game and it oozes with atmosphere. The art style is very unique and the game play hearkens back to table top RPGs of yore. But, the combat mechanic lacks diversity and quickly bogs down the game. Todd decided to stop playing after a few hours, although others might not feel quite the same way. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Jared
Pocket God vs. Desert Ashes ($4.99, Bolt Creatvie) – what do you get when you take characters from the classic Pocket God series and thrown them into a turn based strategy game with characters and elements from the Mecha Wars game? You get this. But this turns out to be only so-so. The game plays well and has its moments, but it does not completely gel together. It might be another “wait for an update and see”, but Jared cannot recommend it now at its current price point.
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