Monthly Archives: January 2009

Apple rules out “iPhone nano,” not keen on Mac netbook  has been posted at Apple Insider. “Cook also destroyed the speculation around an “iPhone nano,” saying, “You know us, we’re not going to play in the low-end voice phone business. That’s not who we are. That’s not why we’re here. We’ll let somebody do that, our goal is not to be the unit share leader in the phone industry. It is to build the best phone.”

Well Tim, keep trying then…

KANSAS CITY, MO. – Jan 22, 2009 – Handmark(R) today announced the release of its HellfireTM game on the Apple App Store. Hellfire is a challenging new helicopter game that utilizes the unique accelerometer feature built-in to iPhoneTM and iPod(R) touch to deliver thrilling gameplay.

“Our GTS World Racing game made superb use of the unique accelerometer feature in iPhone and iPod touch and customers loved it,” said Cassidy Lackey, vice president of Handmark Studios. “Hellfire also offers a fantastic gaming experience that takes advantage of many of the innovative features these revolutionary devices have to offer and is positioned to be another big winner with mobile gamers.”

Created by Pazzazz Games, and published by Handmark, Hellfire allows players to choose two different types of helicopter gunships with a range of different weapons to battle the enemy and rescue prisoners of war. Using the accelerometer-based control method, pilots can manoeuvre their helicopter both left and right and to tilt to speed up and slow down. Hellfire players can select from individual missions in 16 locations or undertake a full campaign in a number of different territories. The game also includes 4 different difficulty ranks offering players an increasing challenge as their helicopter skills progress.

Hellfire is available for $4.99 from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at http://www.itunes.com/appstore.

For further information, screenshots or to view a demo video visit: http://www.astraware.com/iphone/hellfire.

iPhone gaming has been the topic of many a conversation over the past few months and the variety of titles hitting iTunes every single day is somewhat bewildering. It is difficult to decide which ones are worth risking a couple of dollars for and which ones are complete puppies, so here is my quick run down of the best of the best-

5th place- SimCity

For ambition alone, SimCity deserves a place in anyone’s list. It is a monumental effort at bringing a complex game to the small screen and on the whole works very well.

The menu options are difficult to understand at first and feel slightly unnatural when you play the game initially. To be fair, it is not easy to bring a title like this to the iPhone, but the developer has done well. If you are prepared to take some time to understand the way it works, this could be the game with more longevity than any other on this platform.

4th place- Ferrari GT Evolution

Racing games are hugely popular amongst developers and we now have a fair selection to choose from. Ferrari GT Evolution is, in my opinion, the best so far and does offer the player a fair amount of challenge and long term competition to keep them coming back for more.

The first play is ‘difficult’ and it can feel as though the game is programmed badly, but time tells and you will gradually find yourself improving which provides incentive to try again. You will be invited back to new challenges by a sweet email system and away you go onto the next, slightly more difficult, challenge.

Graphically it is superb and is one that will stay on my iPhone for a LONG time to come.

3rd place- 2079

This is a remake of a classic game, and is one that appears to fit the iPhone platform and control mechanisms like a glove. Graphically it is quite basic, but it simply does not matter. The game play is hugely addictive and very intense! In fact, it can be too intense and is certainly not a game you pick up and play to relax- the adrenalin will start to pump within a minute of starting a game as you are quickly surrounded by alien ships trying to destroy you.

An incredibly simply basis for a game which has been implemented almost perfectly.

2nd place- iShoot

Lots has been written about iShoot recently because the developer gave up his job due to its enormous and immediate success. All of that success is deserved because the game takes a classic title and builds on it to include explosions, impressive backgrounds and a real sense of where you are. It sounds like a childish description, but you will never play this game for less than 10 minutes. Watching a missile jump into the air and then eventually hit an enemy tank is just great fun!

Atomic Cannon was almost perfect on the iPhone- this one is even better.

1st place- WordPop!
 
You probably guessed I was going to choose WordPop! as my favourite title on the iPhone. Despite all of the graphical brilliance and large development scales of some of the iPhone titles, WordPop! still wins out for sheer addictiveness and the simplistic way it drags you in and won’t let you go.

There are educational aspects to it to, and my son has learnt some new words by playing it. Words that ‘sound right’ can often be accepted and he will then look in the dictionary to see what they mean and I do the same sometimes.

It’s already great and priced very cheaply, and with more development expected in the future this could once again be as big a classic on the iPhone as it is on Palm OS and Windows Mobile.

Slotz Racer is now available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Freeverse today announced the release of SlotZ Racer, the ultimate slot car racing game for the iPhone and iPod touch. Developed by Strange Flavour, the creators of Flick Fishing, SlotZ Racer puts the thrill of realistic 3D slot cars in the palm of your hand. Relive those great childhood memories of building tracks, burning rubber, and racing with your friends and family!

SlotZ Racer lets players race against the computer or friends; a unique control system allows up to 4 people to race on a single iPhone! Compete for laps or against the clock in Time Trials, drive an endurance race, (with simulated days and nights), or play a ‘Quick Race’ to jump straight into the action. SlotZ Racer features an intuitive track editor to give the player the ultimate freedom to design their very own courses, and offers a wide selection of cars to race. The game also includes unlockable new circuits, cars, track locations and championship challenges to keep the action exciting and fresh! Players have the option to play with lane changing, or fixed lanes for the racing purists.

SlotZ Racer is set at an introductory price of just $.99. This special pricing will only last for 3 days, after which the game will be priced at $2.99. SlotZ Racer is immediately available from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or from here.