App of My Eye » EA

Magic Ball 2

Art — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:54:13 +0000

Boasting 100 levels in full 3D graphics, Alawar Entertainment’s Magic Ball 2 caught my eye for another reason. During the mad rush to celebrate birthdays last month, there was always a need to entertain kids. Whether it was my own child or someone else’s, something was always needed to quell the source of the loud ringing in my ears perpetrated by a pair of strong lungs and a pig-headed stubbornness not to give in. Unfortunately, just handing off my iPhone wasn’t nearly enough to provide me some semblance of peace. The reason? Most of the games I downloaded were of the Puzzle variety and, while they may be fun for adults, who pretend they’re brainiacs, it’s usually Yawn City for most kids between the ages of 5 through 10. On a whim, I downloaded this game on the fly and it has been pure magic ever since as a third-person 3D block-breaking game, which not only uses a ball and paddle, but also inventive power-ups to knock down blocks both at the ground floor and up high. Think EA’s Boom Blox meets Atari’s Breakout. Offering three different control schemes in tilt, touch and virtual buttons, you’re able to test out what works best for you to succeed. Definitely a winner for both adults and kids alike, especially considering how much gameplay you get for the price. Price: 99¢.

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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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Powerboat Challenge 3D

Art — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:04:23 +0000

A few years back, I saw a game called Galaxy on Fire 3D on a cellphone and I was speechless. Up to that point, I believed that the cutting edge of mobile games could only reach the height of retread arcade classics, slices to chunks of 16-bit turn-based games, and passable web games. Another homerun derby or soccer goal kick game anybody? Crickets. Obviously, I’m talking about the early days of J2ME and BREW when even a good game’s release required both a bended knee and puckered lips for the backends of carrier reps, who mysteriously got their houses renovated in the process. Business ethics anyone? Crickets again. Anyway, even though the version of Galaxy on Fire 3D that I tried out was on Symbian, I nevertheless realized that the times were a-changing and mobile games as we knew it were about to evolve. Fast forward to the present day and well, while technology has gotten way, way better, only a small percentage of games is living up to expectations. However, FISHLABS remains strong like bull bringing not only its classic Galaxy on Fire 3D to the iPhone, but also contenders like Powerboat Challenge 3D, a powerboat racing game filled with non-stop arcade fun and lots of personality. With four characters to choose from, four different venues to play in, and so many tuning options, you’ll see why this dev leads the pack, while everyone else just follows. Reminiscent of EA’s Burnout series and like racing titles, in which unlocking is a big part of gameplay, this release further solidifies FISHLABS’ reputation as one of the top quality gamemakers in the industry, who you can trust with each purchase. Always recommended. Price: $3.99.

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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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