One of our favourite games of the year, Gunslugs, snagged a couple of distinctions along the way (game of the week AND game of the month, kudos to OrangePixel) has just received a whole slew of improvements along with new content and music. New character names Scarlett Sonya, checked, new world called Marine Dock, checked, new mini games, checked and with a slightly bizarre twist to things, a new weapon called Chicken Gun featuring…. chickens!

Colonel Sanders must be turning in his grave with that last bit, but what can be more fun then chickens right? Gunslugs obtained a 4.5 out of 5 the last time we reviewed the game and based on the ratings we see on the App Store, we’re right on the money. So what are you waiting for, current users can grab the update for free, and if you haven’t already bought the game, check out our review, and then go grab it: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gunslugs/id591368443

Normally when it comes to game developers, you would expect them to create virtual worlds out of virtual wireframes, texture files and digital lighting. Not so often you get developers who come up with photo-realistic but ultimately still artificial environments to play in, but the folks that create the iPad puzzle game Majaya have gone one step further by creating their levels out of plasticine!

Yes, the humble plasticine, the one that you nearly put in your mouth as a kid thinking that it was chewable, was used to construct stunning and colourful looking levels in this colour matching game which I dare say is one a kind on the iTunes App Store. The gameplay utilises the tilt controls and players are supposed to roll a ball of plasticine over globs of paint unlocking barriers to head to the exit on each level.

The game colourful environment is bound to entertain and amaze both the young and old. I know I had a hard time picking my jaw off the floor when I saw the game for the first time. It was like watching a smooth claymation movie running on the iPad and the director would be me, moving that ball of plasticine around. This is really an inspired and creative moment of game making and I would highly recommend gamers and developers alike to check Majaya out, as it’s not only a game, it’s a work of art.

Nineoverten.com rates Majaya at a 5 out of 5. Simply Amazing. The game is available on the iTunes App Store for USD 1.99, check it out over here: https://itunes.apple.com/app/majaya/id587768434?mt=8.

A review code was provided to Nineoverten.com for the purpose of this review.

I never would have thought a direct descendant of the Brothers Grimm will be giving voice in an upcoming interactive book adaption of a classic Brothers Grimm story, but in this day and age, perhaps anything seems possible. Check out the press release for details:

Ravensburger Digital and Daedalic Entertainment are celebrating the Brothers Grimm year with a unique interactive book app: “Living Stories: The Brave Little Tailor”. The Grimms’ fairy tale is being published in digital form for the iPad at the start of March.On the 200th anniversary of the publication of the first volume of Children’s and Household Tales by the Brothers Grimm, the app expands on the fairy-tale classic by making use of 21st century innovations.

The story of the astute tailor is brought to new life on the iPad through enchanting pictures, professional voice over narration and Ravensburger puzzles. For the German release, voice over is provided by Markus Grimm – a direct descendant of the Brothers Grimm.

Grimms’ fairy tale and Living Stories – a fabulous team

Although fairy-tale fans have known Grimms’ tales, such as Snow White and Rapunzel, for generations, the “Living Stories” series is a recent project. A lot of users and reviewers have nevertheless expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, in which Daedalic Entertainment is responsible for development and Ravensburger contributes its experience with children’s books. In November 2012, “Living Stories: The Lost Heart” was released as the first interactive iPad story. It was the winner of the German Developer Prize and “GIGA-Maus” 2012, among other awards.

The combination of Grimms’ fairy tales with the interactive “Living Stories” concept brings together the past and the present day of story-telling. The tale of the little tailor benefits from the technical possibilities of an interactive book app: animated graphics and the chance to guide the action through simple movements on the iPad allow “The Brave Little Tailor” to be enjoyed in a completely new way, using modern technology – and without a heavy set of books.

A real Grimm for a real fairy-tale classic

“Living Stories: The Brave Little Tailor” also provides a unique story-telling experience for fairy-tale fans both big and small. The app not only lets you read the interactive book yourself, but you can also have the story of the brave tailor read to you by professional voice over artists. For the German release, author and musician Markus Grimm lends his voice to the little tailor. The choice of speaker could not have been better, as Grimm is not only the author of three books for children, but he is also a descendant of the famous pair of brothers.

“We can look forward to a wonderful app that will enchant both young and old with its fantastic atmosphere and magical illustrations! You discover something new every time you browse through it”, says Thomas Bleyer, managing director of Ravensburger Digital.

“Living Stories: The Brave Little Tailor” for iPad is available from the start of March at 3.59 €/ $3.99/ £2.49 in the iTunes App Store.

Plenty of free games out on the iTunes App Store for iOS devices this week, some of these are new titles while some are existing ones out on promo. Check out the following list for some really cool free stuff (and one has a philanthropic slant to it should you have an extra 2 dollars to spend)  below:

PHLIP

Curious Hat’s has come up with really great stuff for children and their latest release, PHLIP, is no different. The game is an intriguing and addictive visual puzzle aimed at children and inquisitive adults of all ages. Check it out over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/phlip/id544883018?mt=8

Heal Them All

Shortbreak Studios has developed a brand new cartoon arcade Tower Defense iOS title called Heal Them All set within the human body. The game was created with the cooperation of a charity foundation “Cape of Hope”, which is building the new Department and Clinic of Pediatric Oncology, Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation hospital in Wroclaw, Poland

You can help with the building effort by purchasing the full game via in-app purchase for USD 1.99. The game is otherwise available for free: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/heal-them-all/id573874866?mt=8

Raiding Company

Tukio’s top-down arcade shooter is plenty awesome, and you haven’t gotten it in your app library, this is a good opportunity to get it as it’s available for free on the iTunes App Store. Check it out now: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/raiding-company/id422838860?mt=8

Monsters, Inc. Run

Disney Mobile Games have made their hit game free for a limited time and there’s a whole new content to boot in the form of Desert Canyon with 16 challenging levels. This is in conjunction with the release of the Monsters, Inc. Ultimate Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. Check it out over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id555724449?mt=8

Remember the Thai movie Ong Bak? It was memorable for its over-the-top action scenes and the movie’s star Tony Jaa was hailed as the next big thing in the martial arts film industry. The guy is now back, this time lending his likeness in a brand new action game developed by STUDIO HIVE that will be released this year on the PC, iOS, Android, PSN and XBLA.

Titled Ong Bak Tri, it’s being released to celebrate the fourth movie of the Ong Bak franchise which will be released in 2013 as well. The developers have worked closely with movie director Thossaporn Poonnart as well as the creator and main choreographer of Ong Bak, Panna Rittikrai. Made using the Unity Engine and utilizing a 2.5D perspective, check out the screenshots below to see how beautiful looking this game is:

Stay tuned to Nineoverten.com for news as and when the game is released.

Vivid Games’ Ski Jumping Pro had plenty going for it. Like its Real Boxing stablemate, the game boast really awesome graphics and attention to detail, right down to the Telemark landing style that the player’s skiing avatar employs. However, thanks to a news item on an aerial freestyle skiing event that I was watching the other day, I came to realise that the game is essentially a one tricky pony.

For starters, the gameplay experience consists of jumping off the ski-ramp and try and nail a huge distance. Unlike real-life where skiers can end up doing cartwheels in the snow, wiping out is incredibly difficult to do in Ski Jumping Pro. The most frequent mistake that you can make is to come up short of the distance marker, which can be due to just two factors: poor timing in tapping the screen or the inability to adjust to wind direction. Both of these are actually really easy to overcome even in Pro gameplay mode.

As such, it gets pretty boring real fast. The ability to customise your skier, in terms of abilities, outfits and equipment are superfluous once you realise what the game can and cannot do. The environments are modelled after real-life locations but most players would agree with me that one has no time to look around while jumping off a ramp. Ski Jumping Pro comes with two game modes, a Quick Jump mode and a Career mode and these just highlight the dearth of ideas in this game.

After the really exciting stuff dished out by Real Boxing, Ski Jumping Pro had plenty to live up to but falls short of expectations. Nineoverten.com rates Ski Jumping Pro at a 3 out of 5. Ski Jumping Pro is available on the iTunes App Store at a price of USD 0.99, you might want to check it out over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ski-jumping-pro/id585599497?mt=8

A review code was provided to Nineoverten.com for the purpose of this review.

I just found a new obsession, working up the Game Center leaderboard of a brand new shmup called Jet Space for both the iPhone and iPad. The game takes place in space where players pilot a spaceship through an endless series of caverns. You’ll need nerves of steel to pilot your craft, as the amount of free space can be tight with plenty of enemy craft, ranging from rockets to UFOs, out in force.

Confounding matters is the limited amount of fuel that your craft can carry. Fortunately there are fuel cans to replenish your space craft and blowing stuff up nets you crystals that you can then use at certain checkpoints to buy different weapons, shield and yes, extra fuel. Fulfilling the myriad missions available in the game, such as destroying x number of enemy bases or rockets will net players with additional crystals as well.

I think what the developers at Netox have succesfully done with Jet Space is to create an addictive blend of difficulty, competition and gameplay, topped up by vibrant 2D graphics and I must say a really catchy house-techno soundtrack. In other words, Jet Space is perfect. Each new run through the game is randomly generated so it ensures that the experience will never be dull.

Nineoverten.com rates Jet Space at a 4.5 out of 5. The game is available on the iTunes App Store for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, check it out over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jet-space/id585552737?mt=8

Plenty of interesting games released for iOS devices this week and as usual, Nineoverten.com highlights the cream of the indie crop. Check out the following list of games, one of which is available for free on the iTunes App Store, and with a disturbing theme concerning animals:

Lost Tales of Egypt HD

This hidden item game is set in the mysterious desert sands surrounding ancient tombs of the once-powerful Egyptian Pharoahs. Players are tasked with looking for objects in beautiful and richly detailed levels. The game features over a thousand hidden objects, two game modes and bonus sliding tile puzzle segments. Lost Tales of Egypt HD by SelectSoft is available on the iTunes App Store for the iPad at a price of USD 2.99: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lost-tales-of-egypt-hd/id596992480?ls=1&mt=8

Crazy Highway

This brand new, not to mention free, iOS title from KeitGames takes the gameplay from Frogger and turns it on its head. Basically instead of controlling all manner of wildlife trying to cross a busy highway, you are sending the vehicles out to make them into roadkill. To aid you in this endeavour, you have nitrous oxide, tranq shots, and even a monster truck power up. It’s one crazy premise and it is worth checking out: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/alone/id537026501?mt=8

Hackycat

How do you save cute kitty cats from exploding? According to Kenneth Wong’s latest iOS title, you’ll need to kick, knee or headbutt them up into the air like a soccer ball and they must never touch the ground. There are over two dozen Hackycats to unlock using the cheezburgers you collect while playing the game. Think you can hack it? Hackycat is available on the iTunes App Store for USD 0.99, check it out over here: https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/id570127207?mt=8

Catch the Kid

Splash Fox Games’ latest iOS title will have players playing the role of parents waiting for their kids after school. Your job would be to “catch” the kids coming out of the school in an endless stream and match them with their respective parents. The game promises great, frantic fun and features hand-drawn graphics and Game Center integration. Catch the Kid is available on the iTunes App Store for USD 0.99: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id587094611

Redneck Revenge: A Zombie Roadtrip

Good old reliable BulkyPix has just released this game, which features a redneck named Red, walking around shooting zombies. There are plenty of environments featured in this game, including Red’s Bar, Route 66, the Junkyard and the Graveyard, with a lot of weapons and Easter Eggs to match. Redneck Revenge is available on the iTunes App Store for USD 0.99, check it out over here: https://itunes.apple.com/app/redneck-revenge-zombie-roadtrip/id594428590

Maybe I should start a new classification for iOS games on my blog, games that you can play with one hand while patting a baby to sleep. It’s actually more difficult then it sounds given that some games, even with one hand, would require 110% of your concentration, which leaves none for the poor baby. So, I guess the folks at Playtend would be delighted to know that their latest iOS title, Train Empire would do nicely in a busy parent’s schedule.

The gameplay in Train Empire is primarily inspired by tabletop railway sets with a little bit of seasoning from bigger virtual siblings such as Transport Tycoon. Players choose from four different time periods, which in when put together, span from 1850 to 2050. Each era features its own set of levels along with unlockable coaches, engines and freight segments for players to assemble their trains.

How a train is assembled will ultimately allow players to pick up more freight and passengers in each level, there are quotas to be met and players are rated, Angry Birds style, on how much they exceed the quota. Earlier on I mentioned that this can be played while watching over a baby sleep, this is because all you need is a simple tap on certain parts of the screen to stop the train or to to change tracks. The challenge here is that as the eras push forward towards modernity, the trains get faster and may require a faster reaction time from players.

Train Empire features beautiful 2D graphics which complements the gameplay really well. Adding to the competitive element would be Game Center integration. Players who are out for a more challenging time may find the game to be a little bit of a pushover, but for me, a new dad with a baby to care for, it clocks in as being just right for my busy schedule, I’m confident that kids would find the game entertaining as well. What’s more, it’s like having a table top railset but in my iPad, what’s not to like about that . Nineoverten.com rates Train Empire at a 4.5 out of 5.

Train Empire by Playtend is available on the iTunes App Store for USD 1.99, check it out over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/train-empire/id569641118. A review code was provided to Nine Over Ten 9/10 for the purpose of this review.

The folks at Uruguayan indie game development outfit Ballpit Monster Studios have just come up with their maiden title, Frog Orbs. This impressive effort is, in the developers’ own words, a “ribbiting” re-imagining of the old school arcade shooter, but this time for mobile devices.

Players utilize the powers of elemental orbs to destroy waves of invading Benglings; these nasty things are out to destroy your tasty supply of flies. With various enemy types, plenty of levels and an upgradable arsenal of spells, Frog Orbs is set to provide some really cool casual gaming fun.

The game is available for free on the iTunes App Store, check it out over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/frog-orbs/id566577285?ls=1&mt=8