App of My Eye » Battlezone

iCombat

Art — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:21:19 +0000

A couple of months ago, I was looking for a tank game along the lines of the old Atari vector tank game, Battlezone, but instead, I ran into a slew of games, which were closer in nature to EA’s Desert Strike and Nintendo’s Battalion Wars. Through it all, I eventually did find a comparable tank game to an Atari classic, but it wasn’t Battlezone. As the name suggests, iCombat pays tribute to one of the more popular games to originate from the Atari 2600, Combat, while updating graphics, gameplay, and adding online features. First, with the simple objective of defeating all enemies thrown at you in each level, the mazes themselves are presented in 3/4 overhead view in landscape mode. Therefore, you get to see all the action in a single map, which definitely helps when the addition of power-ups to help boost your success is essential. Next, online head-to-head gameplay via WiFi and global online leaderboards to measure yourself against the best in the world increases replay value tremendously. But the biggest improvement in the 50 level game has to be the controls, which now allows you to steer either by tilt or by a virtual directional key. Either way, it’s easier than ever to be evasive while leading your target for the kill shot. Extremely challenging and fun. Price: 99¢.

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Tilt-a-Ball

Art — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:37:44 +0000

It’s always an honor when Game Industry vets like Rich Adam and Ed Rotberg from Mine Shaft Entertainment contact you for any reason. These guys worked at Atari when it was on top of the video game arcade world in the late 70’s and early 80’s. They have the original Missle Command and BattleZone listed to their credits. Later, Rich also worked on the first versions of John Madden Football and PGA Golf Tour at EA. Whether as producers, designers, or programmers, these guys did it all contributing to a craft that only a lucky few ever get to make into a career. So, obviously, the pleasure was all mine when they asked if I would look at their Tilt-a-Ball game for the iPhone. A brick breaker game with a twist: instead of a paddle, just use the accelerometer to tilt the device in the desired direction in which you want the ball to go. With a bubble level tool built-in, use various brick types and special balls throughout the game to advance levels as well as your score before time runs out. Overall, a simple yet well-executed concept, which you would come to expect from seasoned pros like these. Price: 99¢

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PewPew

Art — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:13:20 +0000

When I saw the iTunes page for this game and realized that the developer was most likely of French descent, I couldn’t help but think of Pepe Le Pew from Looney Tunes. Sorry Jean-Francois! Jokes aside, I finally figured out that the title of the game, PewPew, is meant to be the sound of lasers being fired like in old arcade games, which this app does a tremendous job of paying homage to. Duh! Yes, I’m that thick. Visually reminiscent of the original Battlezone, Asteroids, and Tempest as well as more recent releases like Geometry Wars, PewPew offers excellent arcade action in two modes, Dodge This and Assault, which are rather self-explanatory. Playing more like the old Crystal Quest on the Mac and Robotron 2084 than Asteroids, the biggest praise we have for this game is it’s controls, which are very responsive and just feels great overall. If not THE best controls that we’ve ever had in an iPhone game, definitely one of the best. Other publishers/developers should take note. A must-have app for every level of gamer and amazingly, it’s free. Price: Free.

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