App of My Eye » Saturn

Against The Fire!

Art — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:04:10 +0000

When I saw Meridian’s Against The Fire!, I was reminded of the first video game that I ever saw, which featured fire fighting as a theme. Granted, it was set in the future and the cast of characters were wearing body armor (a la Evangelion), but there is no denying that SEGA’s Burning Rangers, which was one of the last games released for the SEGA Saturn, made fire fighting more interesting than just a retelling of the movie, Backdraft. In comparison, this visually sharp top-down iPhone action game also accomplishes this feat by personifying the fires as little monsters creating havoc in your hometown of Waterfront. You play as a novice fightfighter, Andrew, who has zero experience, and therefore, is left behind by his team as these fire monsters run amok throughout the city. Suddenly, the alarm rings and there is a dispatch to rescue people at a nearby hotel. With only your wits in hand besides a hose, try to rescue as many people as possible, while extinguishing each and every enemy in sight. Overall, with approximately 50 levels to play, a variety of enemies, upgrade items, great controls, and awesome visuals, Against The Fire! is alot of gameplay for every level of gamer for the price. Recommended. Price: 99¢.

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SPACE DEADBEEF

Art — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:01:50 +0000

Why would I recommend a game which basically offers only one level to play over and over again with increasing difficulty? For one, it feels just right for the iPhone/iPod Touch as it’s simple controls, such as touching the enemy to target/shoot it and pressing above/below your ship to maneuver it, make it easy and understandable to use. Another reason is that the creator of SPACE DEADBEEF is Yuji Yasuhara of Polyphony Digital, an internal Sony studio, which created the Gran Turismo franchise. However, besides being associated with the most successful racing game franchise ever, Yasuhara-san was also involved with making Omega Boost (PSX) and Panzer Dragoon II: Zwei (SEGA Saturn), both of which were fairly impressive rail shooters in their time. While this game will never be mistaken for Gran Turismo or either rail shooter, you do see the polish that you’d come to expect from an experienced Game Industry vet, especially with Yasuhara-san’s background. My point? While our adventures in the App Store up until now are akin to the Wild Wild West, i.e. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, there are apps like these, which serve as reminders of what should be the standard quality level. For that reason alone, download and keep handy. Price: Free.

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Glyder

Art — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:21:41 +0000

“Something old, something new, and something borrowed…” is all I could think about when I got my hands on this incredibly fascinating game from the good people at Glu Mobile, who may have just come up with the perfect marriage between gaming and the iPhone. First, in “something old,” Glyder seemingly pays homage to some landmark games from the past, such as SEGA’s Panzer Dragoon and Nights Into Dreams, both of which had fantasy and flight as major themes. So there is a sense of familiarity that resonates with gamers. Next, in “something new,” the use of the accelerometer allows even the casual gamer to play without knowing a laundry list of button assignments. Plus, with the addition of Calibration in the next update, players will be able to customize controls as desired. Finally, in “something borrowed,” the gliding action is reminiscent of another SEGA game, Super Monkey Ball, especially the mini-game, Monkey Target, in which you need to balance diving and gliding for both speed and altitude. Fully rendered in 3D, it’s the best game deal out there for the price. Highly recommended. Price: 99¢.

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