App of My Eye » SEGA

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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Hysteria Project

Art — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 03:14:30 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I still get nostalgic for good ol’ Night Trap, one of the best FMV (full-motion-video) games ever made. Oh, wait… I got that mixed up with Dragon’s Lair. Well, at least it had Dana Plato (a swig for me and another for my homie… RIP, girl!) from Diff’rent Strokes in the lead role. “Watchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” Anyway, Hysteria Project brings the grand tradition of video with gameplay overlays to the iPhone. It’s in the survival-horror genre: you’re fleeing from a black-clad axe murderer through the spooky woods rather than endless zombies, but there’s enough axe-into-skull thwocks and splatters for the gore-lovers. The sound and video effects are very well done. The actual gameplay is a mix of choose-your-own-adventure decision-making and Shenmue-style quick action button presses. Overall, something a little different with high production value. Definitely worth a look. Price: 99¢.

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Taxiball

Art — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:18:55 +0000

While Taxiball didn’t really need our help to make a Top 50 (under Games/Arcade), I’m glad that it did drop out temporarily so we can give our own special brand of accolades. First, upon checking out its iTunes page, the first thing that came to mind is the old Marvel Comics’ What If…? series from 70’s and 80’s. But instead of What If Dazzler Became A Herald of Galactus (yawn), the cover in my mind read What If Katamari Damacy & Crazy Taxi Had A Baby? Sure, the game in its most basic form is a marble maze/labyrinth, but one can still dream, right? As the name suggests, you control a taxi via accelerometer, aka ’tilt motion’, that’s shaped like a ball, which you roll around picking up fares throughout a city shaped like a labyrinth. While some areas require unlocking, others require using the mechanisms at your disposal. Yet, although there are puzzle-like elements in the gameplay (it’s a labyrinth after all), the most important thing is getting your fares to their destinations in time and intact. Sound familiar? Boasting maps for nine cities, in-game awards, global online leaderboards, friends list, auto-save feature, and an all beatbox soundtrack, this game has lots to offer, especially replay value, all for a very low price. Plus, with the promise of updates in the near future, it’s a no-brainer to at least check out the free version. You won’t be disappointed. Price: 99¢.

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Vay

Art — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:13:28 +0000

It was the Summer of 1995 and I was one of over 150 1st Party QA testers at Sega of America in Redwood City working around the clock to help get games out just in time for Christmas on quite a few pieces of proprietary commercial hardware: Sega 32X, Sega Mega Drive (aka Genesis), Sega Mega CD (aka Sega CD), Sega Saturn, Sega Pico, and the Sega Game Gear. While the majority were recent high school and college grads, some QA testers were pretty much lifers, who finally landed a perm job after years of temping with various companies throughout the Bay Area, including EA, Konami, and Crystal Dynamics. Many of them had stories, the majority of which were horrific in nature, about the pitfalls of being a core tester on a crappy game. Yet, the one story which gave me hope is the one about Vay, a solid J-RPG originally created by former Sega studio, SIMS, and released here in the U.S. by the now defunct, Working Designs. While the story may be a typical one of a hero trying to stop doomsday, the game was charming nevertheless in both its graphic style and familiar gameplay. While some may complain that the game balance could have been better tweaked, it was worthwhile playing then as it is now on the iPhone. Even though it boasts over 100 enemies, 12 bosses, and 90 expansive areas to explore, the one thing that I can appreciate is the auto-save feature, which should be standard for most iPhone games, especially ones with potentially long play times. Relive the past or experience it for the first time. Either way, you’re getting a good deal for a game that’s hard to find, even for an emulator. Price: $4.99.

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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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Edge

Art — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:50:12 +0000

I rather not tout an app that is already popular, but after I found out that it’s not in the Top 50, I was shocked and had to voice my dismay. You see, some time back, I had seen a glimpse of Edge in J2ME on a Sony Ericsson W580i and I was really impressed. Now on the iPhone, I’m even more impressed. For me, it’s reminiscent of Rez (ambiance) and Lumines (visuals) both released under Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s watchful eye at SEGA’s United Game Artists studio and Q Entertainment respectively. Another thing that all three games have in common are tremendous musical scores, which compliment the games so well that you wonder if the games deserve such high praise on their own merits or are you just spellbound by the music? Either way, it doesn’t matter since Edge, like it’s predecessors, seemingly stops time and space. All that matters is the game, in which you negotiate a cube through 43 levels of platforms, obstacles and other puzzle elements while accompanied by 18 great tracks. Now with updated controls and global rankings, this highly addictive quality game is absolutely worth having at any price. Price: $4.99.

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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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