The makers of *Incredipede* and *Pineapple Smash Crew*, Colin Northway and Rich Edwards, have thrown a line to the many, many people who love games but maybe don’t have much disposable income.
Review: Desert Golfing (iOS, Android)
App Review: Impossible Road (iOS)
Mobile touchscreen games can often be accused of doing too much. Immersive storylines and complex controls are all well and good, but these do not translate well to small screens obscured by thumbs clawing at virtual sticks. As I noted when discussing my game of 2012 [Super Hexagon](https://awesomefriday.ca/2012/12/simons-best-of-2012/), the best mobile games are proving to be those that run with a single refined concept with simplistic on/off controls, and Kevin Ng’s *Impossible Road* is the latest title to show how mobile touchscreen gaming can also be hardcore.
A word of warning, though: you might hate this game. I get the feeling that there’s no middle ground with *Impossible Road*, and this is probably how you’ll start out, thumbs pressing hard into your screen, willing your ever-rolling ball to *just bank harder dammit*. However, give it time, learn what it *really* wants from you, and the shiny claws of addiction soon take firm hold.
The concept of *Impossible Road* is simple enough: a clean blue-on-white title screen takes you straight into the game, an unbordered white sphere rolling down a twisting blue path. Visually it’s very striking, looking like a Tron universe version of a marble rollercoaster, and is underscored by a pulsing soundtrack. If your ball falls off track and far enough into the void, whiteout rushing up to meet you with the same growing audio scream from *Mirror’s Edge*, it’s game over and back to a screen which simply asks, “Again?”. Scoring is based on number of gates rolled through, each growing in number by one. In these first few minutes you’ll spend more time tumbling into space than staying on track, swearing at the injustice, scoring never threatening to raise up into double figures.
There’s one extra score on your game over screen, however, and it’s this that points you towards the secret heart of the game. “Total Jumped”, with “Best Jump”, seem at first to be random numbers that doesn’t seem connected to gameplay at all. The moment it clicks – perhaps when the whole *game* clicks – is when you work this out. What this tally counts is not really small jumps – of which there are many – but more the leaps from one section of track down to the next. If you fall off track, your whiteout death can be instantly interrupted if you make contact with another piece of track. Moreover, the “Best Jump” counter keeps track of how many gates you jump – it’s possible, for example, to go from 3 to 22 points with a carefully controlled set of tense descents. It’s here that addiction kicks in. Your focus shifts from controlling the sphere along the twists and turns to always keeping an eye below your current level, looking for an opportunity to take a short cut and desperately aiming for the score gates to make the risks actually worthwhile. It’s a frenetic, tense experience where breathing becomes secondary.
There’s definitely an element of blind luck that perhaps removes it from a being an exercise of pure skill and, more often than not, you’ll completely misjudge a fall and end up with that question, “Again?”. However, it carries that secret element where you start becoming sure of how you can drop further next time, and your slowly rising score give this even more emphasis. You could hate it, of course, but there’s a very strong chance that you might discover a mobile game that bares the same hardcore teeth as the sublime *Super Hexagon*. At just $1.99, that’s worth a drop.
[* Impossible Road*, $1.99, App Store](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/impossible-road/id608707318?mt=8)
Something For The Weekend? Ten Essential iPhone Games
As Sony and Nintendo have found to their concern, mobile gaming has completely changed. Gone are the days where you needed a Game Boy, case, stack of tiny cartridges and pack of spare batteries – nowadays, our phones enable us to have a wealth of gaming experiences conveniently nestled in our pockets. With increasingly impressive hardware, the games being produced sometimes rival those of even the home consoles. However, there’s been some serious teething problems in this transition. Modern games, with their multiple inputs and tactile buttons, have struggled to find a home on a touchscreen. Simply put, virtual joypads and floating keys can never, ever give the same kind of feedback and control offered by a traditional joypad.
But, as with all maturing technology, games have started being designed not to just cope with the hardware, but to actually take advantage of it. The last two years have produced a number of games that truly show how relevant the iPhone is as a gaming device. So, in case you have a few hours to kill this weekend, here is my selection of ten absolutely essential iPhone games.
And yes, I’m aware of the existence of Androids and Blackberries and Windows Phones, but I don’t use them, so…there.
*Super Hexagon*
Let’s begin with the best. There’s probably not much more I could say about Terry Cavanagh’s psychedelic spinning puzzle game that [I haven’t said already](https://awesomefriday.ca/2012/12/simons-best-of-2012/), yet I still don’t feel that I’ve captured in words exactly how playing it makes me feel. Even now, I’ll become totally engrossed and be transported to some very Zen areas of my consciousness, yet stopping playing snaps the truth away like waking from a vivid dream. I’ll just summerise by insisting that my favourite game of 2012 – and maybe even all time – is a vital purchase that totally validates a tiny touchscreen device as a hardcore gaming platform. Buy it, now.
[*Super Hexagon*, $2.99]( https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/super-hexagon/id549027629?mt=8)
*Solipskier*
The philosophical idea that we create the world around us – solipsism – is a great basis for a video game. *Solipskier*, by Mikengreg, places your tiny skier on an endless 2D chase and your job is to create the ground by dragging your finger up and down as the snow scrolls out behind you. Speed increases and jumps are all down to dips and curves, while removing your finger completely sends your avatar into points-friendly tricks and spins. It’s all incredibly compelling, thanks in no part to the amazing metal soundtrack that mournfully turns into Chopin when you eventually crash out. Add some beautiful use of colour to the streamlined design and you’ve got a winning timekiller.
[*Solipskier*, $0.99](https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/solipskier/id383281764?mt=8)
*ZooKeeper DX/ZooKeeper Battle*
One of the all-time great match-three puzzle games and the only one to ever challenge Nintendo’s classic *Tetris Attack/Puzzle League*. What makes *ZooKeeper* so special is the gorgeous design of the animals – whose blocky faces get grumpy when you don’t match enough of them – and the amazing sound effects, full of perfectly guaged blips and buzzes. The DS version was good enough, but the move to a capacative touchscreen makes the action even more intense. You’ve got two flavours to choose from – the original DX, and the multiplayer-focused Battle. However, be aware that the latter version suffers from in-app-purchase cooldown, so the former is better for extended play. Either way, it’s a gem of a game that, at some point, will make you shout “Monkey? Monkey? MONKEY!”
[*ZooKeeper DX*, $0.99](https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/zookeeper-dx/id433596395?mt=8), [*ZooKeeper Battle*, Free](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zookeeper-battle/id548270497?mt=8)
*Drop7*
True story – *Drop7* started life as a flash tie-in to the crime-solving TV show *Numbers*. As a result, maths is at the very heart of this game, but it also somehow manages to be both approachable and utterly, life-destroyingly compulsive. Easily the most addictive game on this list, *Drop 7*’s masterstroke is that there is no arbrotary time limit forcing quick decisions. Your balls drop (f’nar), each numbered 1-7, and you need to decide where they fall. Once the number in the line equals the number on a ball, it disappears, and it’s Game Over if they reach the top. Easy to understand, so very complex to master. This is basically the iPhone’s *Tetris* – or maybe even better – and is absolutely essential.
[*Drop7*, $2.99](https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/drop7-by-zynga/id425245634?mt=8)
*ZiGGURAT*
The modern gaming obsession with shooting has tried to make the transition to the iPhone with very limited success. Virtual joypads and buttons have done their best, but it’s proven impossible to create any kind of precise aiming or movement. The developers of *ZiGGURAT* took a different approach, removing all but the central idea of staying alive. Your Contra-like soldier stands firmly on Mankind’s final mountain, shooting at the invading alien robots who have already wiped everyone else out. As you swipe your finger across the bottom of the screen, his weapon powers up and rotates through 180 degrees, with the bullet released when you lift your finger is charged by holding down longer. There is a real inevitability to your death, but this just makes you fight even harder. A great example of simple arcade joys recreated by a swiping touch.
[*ZiGGURAT*, $0.99](http://itunes.apple.com/app/ziggurat/id498448797?mt=8)
*Canabalt/Jetpack Joyride*
Bit of a cheat here, but it’s difficult to talk about any Endless Runner without mentioning the one that arguably started it all. *Canabalt* is the perfect example of how design can take a single touch and wrap it into an exciting noir sci-fi epic, as compelling as many AAA console equivilents. Run, tap to jump, and try to last as long – and as far – as possible.
*Jetpack Joyride* is an evolution of this idea, adding unlockable weapons and tempting in-app-purchases with a crazy cartoon story of escape and revenge. Unfortunately, this new genre has also given rise to the Free-To-Play, money grabbing approach as much loved by big label publishers as it is hated by older gamers. So, as the clones roll out, direct your money to these two games that actually deserve it.
[*Canabalt*, $2.99](https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/canabalt/id333180061?mt=8)
[*Jetpack Joyride*, Free](https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/jetpack-joyride/id457446957?mt=8)
*Tiny Wings*
Gorgeous and dream-like, *Tiny Wings* gives you a cute flightless bird and enables you to help him soar. As the colourful hills and valleys roll by, you guide your bird with one simple press – hold to dive, release to speed up and off the edge of the land into the azure sky. Even the Game Over state is just bedtime for the bird, further adding to the cuteness. Expanded for free since launch with new modes and stages, *Tiny Wings* was one of the first examples of perfect design for the touchscreen. Go fly.
[*Tiny Wings*, $0.99](https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/tiny-wings/id417817520?mt=8)
*Letterpress*
There are a great many excellent word-based iOS games to choose from, from *Words With Friends* to the scrumptious *Spelltower*, but in the end *Letterpress* wins due to its secret weapon – it’s actually a ruthless emulation of aggressive landgrab. Two players have an identical grid of letters that can be chosen to create words of any length, the letters of which change hue to the player’s colour. Points can be gained from unclaimed letters, whereas coloured tiles can be used but yield no reward, leading to a tense game of cat-and-mouse as each player tries to secure more land. It’s vicious, exciting, and brings out the fascist dictator in all of us. Glorious.
[*Letterpress*, Free](https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/letterpress-word-game/id526619424?mt=8)
*Plague Inc*
Who’d have known that a simple world map with some spreading red dots could be so engrossing? *Plague Inc* tasks you with the job of creating a bacteria/virus/brain worm, deciding where it will start, then manipulating it enough to spead it to seven billion people. And, once infected, adding disasterous symptoms to kill *everyone*. Although the idea of a game’s win state being the annaliation of mankind is a little disconcerting at first, you soon find yourself rooting for your little band of bugs and looming over preceedings like a Bond villian in his volcanic lair. Failure (*ooh, you only killed FIFTY MILLION PEOPLE*) leads to reorganisation of strategy and each game allows you to nudge closer to your deadly conclusion. A slow-burning strategy masterpiece.
[*Plague Inc*, $0.99](https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/plague-inc./id525818839?mt=8)
*Ridiculous Fishing*
Well, there’s no confusion with this title. Tap once to drop your line, tilt to avoid fish on the way down, then tilt to catch as many as you can on the way up, before flinging them into the air and shooting them dead with a flurry of finger presses. Each game lasts about thirty seconds and awards you in-game money to spend on unlockable upgrades. You cannot pay real money, only earn it by *playing the game*. Remember how that works? Made jointly by the creators of *Super Crate Box* and *Spelltower*, the design shows a wealth of expertise and appreciation for how the iPhone is best used, including tilt controls that are *perfect*. Cool, stylish and utterly deranged, *Ridiculous Fishing* is an instant iPhone classic.
[*Ridiculous Fishing*, $2.99](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ridiculous-fishing-tale-redemption/id601831815?mt=8)
Hope you enjoy these as much as I do. Total cost of all these games listed – $16.91. We live in the future. Have a great weekend!
New Game Plus – Hundreds and Repulze
I bought some games! Feels really good to be able to do that again. Incidentally the whole story of my gameless year is coming very soon.
So, the first game I’ve bought with my own money since December 2011 is an iOS game called Hundreds. Developed by the minds behind Canabalt and Solipskier (two of my favourite iPhone titles), Hundreds has a clean aesthetic to match its simple core. By touching the circles on screen, their numerical value increases rapidly, and the stage is complete when you reach a combined total of 100. The circles change from grey to red as they inflate and, if you touch anything else in this red state, it’s immediate failure. The simple beginning stages ramp up in difficulty rapidly, drip-feeding new dangers like spinning blades, requirements for simultaneous touches and all manner of obstacles. Luckily, I haven’t come across any time restrictions yet, so it seems to promote a peaceful, patient approach that soothes as much as excites. The downsides I’m experiencing could be due to iPhone screen space – some levels need you to move your touch with the circles and it can be hard to maintain focus on the game screen when your fingers are covering so much of it. Also, I can’t see the point of the occasional word puzzles that invite decoding, but maybe their role will become more apparent.
That said, these negatives are mostly outweighed by the crisp design and cunning puzzles so Hundreds still comes highly recommended, especially if you’re playing on an iPad. It’s on sale until the 10th, so now’s a good time to grab it.
Hundreds, iOS App Store, $2.99 – https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hundreds/id493536432?mt=8
The second game I bought was a complete impulse buy – its introductory price of 99c is always hard to pass up – and I’m very glad I took the chance. Repulze is basically, unbelievably, WipEout running on my iPhone. Well, it’s not the full experience of the Playstation hover-racing classic, but it’s still entirely disconcerting that it runs and controls so well. It’s purely about lap times – there are no weapons, which is actually a very smart move – and the pace of the racing is dizzying. An element that the developers have added is the way boosts are awarded. As you race around the track, you have the option to pass through red or green energy gates. Go through three that match your current polarity, and you can then boost by tapping the centre of the screen. The polarity of your ship flips with every boost, so it keeps you constantly analysing the track ahead for the perfect line.
Control wise, it’s taken the approach of reducing everything down to two buttons, and the default sensitivity feels perfect. Your craft constantly accelerates, so it’s just up to you to navigate your way through the twirling, spinning future tracks by pressing left or right. However, it’s not for the faint-hearted – the difficulty level is high from the off and the badges required to unlock the next track can sometimes feel near impossible. However, it’s the kind of difficult that makes me want to improve rather than quit, so if you’re already a future racing fan, I can’t recommend Repulze highly enough.
Repulze, iOS App Store, 99c – https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/repulze/id573934243?mt=8
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