SOULCALIBUR

SoulCalibur originally arrived to us as an arcade game back in the late 90′s – it then became a popular console fighting game that myself amongst many others enjoyed playing for countless hours!

Now the delight of playing this on the iOS platform will certainly lure me to spend even more hours of the day on my devices as this truly is a great re-make. Those of you familiar with the Xbox Live Arcade version will certain notice a few similarities between the two versions. One absent & very noticeable feature however is a multiplayer option for which i’m sure would of racked up so many more sales upon the game’s release. But even bearing this in mind, this iOS edition of SoulCalibur lives up to its expectations as the great fighting arcade game that it always has been. Hopefully future updates will include a multiplayer version?… We’ll keep you posted on this

LostWinds

Get ready to experience platform gaming with its own unique style. The aim of this game is to guide young Toku on his way as he (& you) go on a magical adventure to save the cursed world of Mistralis.

This is a game that once I started playing, I found it very hard to stop! The whole atmosphere of this game is so uniquely chilled but challenging at the same time. The control method works very well, as you guide Toku using touch & swipe methods (this is explained as you progress through the game).

To sum this game up – visual excellence that poses some truly great imagination that’ll wow any gamer of any level.

T-80 Darts

MKO Games, the creators of the brilliant SplitApple brings us T-80 Darts. While there are some good darts apps out there, none of them offer the comfortable Irish Pub themed atmosphere like T-80 Darts does – this works really well as you take the role of Douglas, the stocky Irish Pub landlord!

One of the first things to impress me with this app was how stunning it is visually. The control method itself is very impressive, using both the touch & tilt features on your device. There are 5 game modes available: 301, 501, 701, Around The Clock & Cricket. There is also a HD version of this game for iPad users – click here for the direct App Store link.

Great fun all-round, Top of the morning to ya!

Grand Theft Auto 3

After the release of Chinatown Wars back in 2010, I was left wanting to see more of what Rockstar could do with additional GTA titles on the iOS platform. Since hearing that Grand Theft Auto 3 was coming to the mobile gaming platform I have also wondered how the game would come across as regards to appearance & general playability – also how close to console gaming quality could it be?… Well I have to say that Rockstar have met  & surpassed all expectations, as this truly is something unique to experience on an iOS device.

As fans of the original GTA 3 will know, the game comes equipped with a great storyline & brilliant soundtrack. Not all iPhone & iPod Touch users will be able to experience this game as it states in the app description that it will only run on the following: iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch 4, iPad 1 and iPad 2 – although I have actually had this running fine on the iPhone 3GS.

A truly amazing game, the only minor thing that could of been different would of been the ability to steer the vehicles by tilting your device rather than using the on-screen arrows (like in the Gangstar games)… Still, i’m very adaptable & this game is getting full marks from me.

Kinectimals

This is one that’ll make any virtual cat lovers day(!) as Microsoft bring their popular Kinect title to the iOS platform. Similar to the Xbox version, you’ll have the ability to play various mini games with these adorable little creatures with the added opportunity for Xbox 360 users who already own the original game to unlock 5 more cubs on their console.

Nothing much more to say about this game as it’s very straight forward to use with simple control methods. While this app certainly won’t appeal to a typical iOS gamer, it certainly will to a large audience.

Halo Waypoint

Attention all Spartans – Finally we have an official Halo app and it runs on all iOS devices! For anyone even the slightest bit familiar with the Halo series, you would of most definitely heard about or used Halo Waypoint on your Xbox 360. The app itself is almost identical with its general appearance, but there’s more on offer with the ATLAS function (unfortunately an in-app purchase…) which enables you to see overhead views of multiplayer & firefight maps. The great thing about this feature is that it can be used while you’re playing the Halo: Reach/Anniversary multiplayer in real-time, giving you the ability to track team-mates, weapon & vehicle locations etc…

The almost perfect Halo companion which will leave some of us frustrated with the fact that we’ll have to dish out a few dollars for the ATLAS feature, but overall this app is very impressive and a must-have for any Halo fan.

Batman Arkham City Lockdown

To the delight of nearly all Batman fans & many keen iOS gamers, Warner Bros brings us Batman Arkham City Lockdown. Prepare for some fist-clenching fun as you take the role of the Caped Crusader and battle against the likes of the Joker and Two-Face.

Fans of the Infinity Blade series will most likely take a liking to this game as the control method is quite similar. Where the game maybe lacks in its story, it certainly does make up in its gameplay & graphics. I found that the control method was very easy to adapt to & it wasn’t long before I was executing some deathly combos! An impressive game that looks & runs great – you won’t be disappointed!

My Xbox LIVE

Being a keen Xbox Live gamer I have had to settle for some average third party Xbox Live apps  in the past, so I was quite pleased to hear that Microsoft had finally released this official Xbox Live app. The app itself is reasonably good, it requires you to log in to your Xbox Live account where you can do such things as view your gaming achievements, connect with your Xbox Live friends and view & edit your 3D avatar.

Being a free app makes this a worthwhile download for any iOS user that has an Xbox Live account, though I personally wouldn’t pay for an app like this as you can obviously access all these features online or on your Xbox.

Fly Smasher

Flies in general irritate me in most ways. While squashing them does leave a good feeling of satisfaction, there is always an unpleasant presence of fly guts left to deal with!… What better alternative could there be than an app that requires you to kill as many of those ghastly creatures as possible – thankyou Fly Smasher!

The aim of the game is to protect your food from the flies, they can be squashed with just a simple tap (you gain points for squashing each type “A” fly, but lose 20 points for squashing a type “B” fly) or by using one of your deadly sprays for multiple kills. You have three lives per game, each life can be lost every time a fly gets to your food. Great intense fun that’ll give those finger tips a good workout!

Gangstar Rio: City of Saints

It’s been so far so good with the Gangstar series, West Coast Hustle posed great looking graphics, while Miami Vindication showed many further impressive enhancements. It’s because of this that huge expectations are focused on Gangstar Rio to show us how much more Gameloft have upped the bench-mark on their GTA clones.

The first noticeable improvements are the wider choice of vehicles available – in addition to cars, bikes & helicopters you now can fly a plane & drive a tank! There are 60 missions to complete plus a selection of random events, or you can just roam freely around Rio de Janeiro destroying everything in your path!  The available weapons have also been slightly enhanced, as to be expected. The general animation motion works good but may very occasionally lag on some of the older iOS devices, but all in all very impressive.

For those who enjoyed the previous Gangstar titles, this game is a must-have. Prepare for many hours worth of intense driving, thieving & causing general chaos in Rio de Janeiro!