Card games. I wonder sometimes how convoluted the gameplay mechanics are for certain card games. Back in the old days it was easy and simpler with games such as Snap, Old Maid or even UNO. Then came Collectible Card Games with the still going strong Magic: The Gathering (MTG) spearheading the then new trend. I used to play MTG. The mechanics were relatively easy to understand compared to the two other games that I was playing at that time, the Star Trek TCG and the Marvel OverPower TCG

In one way the game resembled a turn-based computer game. You gathered resources from lands, in the form of mana, summoned creatures to do your bidding, took turns to attack and defend, cast various kinds of spells with the objective of reducing your opponent’s life points from 20 to zero.

The simple gameplay masked a lot of depth and when any new CCG for iOS claimed the same thing, MTG would provide the benchmark for me to measure the new upstart against. I had the opportunity to review one recently called Pantheon the Legends, and from the onset I felt that the gameplay was too shallow. You build up a deck of cards which consists of characters from the Ancient Greek pantheon and mythology, enhancing them along the way with treasures (think Artifacts and Enchant Creature cards from MTG) and sacrificing other characters (a mechanic often found in Black cards in MTG).

It sounds fine and dandy with the cute looking cards but when it came to combat, there was nothing to it except for tapping on a button and then a winner would be declared. It is like building a deck in MTG and letting a computer deciding the outcome of a match based on the perceived strength of the deck..no strategizing or thinking or even playing is necessary…just build the strongest deck possible. If that were the case in MTG, my blue Counter-Bounce deck would have been invincible, since everyone hated playing against such a deck. Throw in several Jester’s Cap and I would be banned from the local card club.

Anyways, some casual players may consider the gameplay in Pantheon to be quick fun. Even so, I’m cradling my baby girl as I’m typing this with one finger on my iPad (this one-month old baby just loves sleeping on my tummy) and I don’t really appreciate this “over-simplification”. I don’t know, paying money to get more stamina slots (it’s a freemium title) so that you can participate in so-called battles, seems wrong. I’m not afraid to call a spade a spade, and if a a CCG game comes with an unfulfilling battle system that is this opaque, I can’t really recommend it. This goes to show that Wizards of the Coast needs to come up with a proper MTG title for iOS devices just to show all these wannabes how it is done.

Nineoverten.com rates Pantheon the Legends at a 2.5 out of 5. The game is available for free on the iTunes App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pantheon-the-legends/id582931583?mt=8.

There are a number of new free game releases on the App Store this week along with some older titles that have their price tags slashed to zero. Check them out:

Badass Free by indie developer Ming Jing is a Nintendo Warioware inspired title, but on the iOS platform. This brand new game features a diverse collection of action games and if you are familiar with how crazy a Warioware title can get, Badass Free aims to do the same with over 100 mini games, each with a playtime of lesser than 5 seconds. Check out the game over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/badass-free/id528174829?l=en&mt=8

BetterLetter by Evenpod has been on the App Store since 2011 and has been awarded an Honorable Mention at the 2011 Best App Ever Awards. The game provides players the opportunity to construct a meaningful word from an array of letters, with the length of the word determining the points. Previously sold at USD 2.99, the game is now free: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/betterletter/id426913117

Siege Hero was reviewed by us back in 2011, and this excellent title from Armor Games, which features Angry Birds-style gameplay but from a first person perspective (imagine seeing things from the catapult’s point of view). The game features a tonne of levels, some of which are brainteasers by nature. The game was previously sold at USD 0.99 and now is available for free for a limited time: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/siege-hero/id431688122?mt=8

Pantheon the Legends is a brand new collectible card game for iOS devices and features heroes of Greek mythology fighting genetic abominations such as the Minotaur. The game features both social PvP gameplay and a funny solo campaign. Check it out over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pantheon-the-legends/id582931583?mt=8

Puzzle game fans rejoice. UK based Phasic Labs Ltd. today announces Hexius Free 2.0.5, a free version of its popular psychedelic action-puzzler for iPhone iPod touch and iPad. Hexius features 3 fun game modes, global/friends scores, weekly score challenges, achievements, regular updates, and more.

Hexius Free has Time Attack mode, complete with Game Center leaderboards, and the first 9 levels of Time Attack. You can upgrade in-game to get unlimited Time Attack levels, and to unlock Strategy Mode. To check out the game, head over here: https://itunes.apple.com/app/hexius-free/id593055189

When I first started playing OrangePixel’s latest iOS game, Gunslugs, I had a difficult time trying to pinpoint its influences. For starters, this 2D platformer seems to be an 8-bit homage to Contra, but then I realize that its DNA also saw contributions from games such as Super Mario Bros and Metal Slug.

Also, the run-and-gun gameplay was as if someone took the frantic pace from Quake III Arena, threw out the z-axis and flattened the game into a 2D package. The result, really frantic shoot-me-up action on a platformer! Players choose between two characters and honestly aside from the gender, both seem to perform the same when the shooting starts.

Unlike most platformers, in place of lives, your character gets a health bar which diminishes when you get hit but can be replenished by picking up health packs dropped by enemies and by destroying crates. You get ammo and better weapons in the same manner as well. You’ll need these as the enemy can be relentless.

Like Contra, there is some strategy involved when it comes to attacking certain enemy units, and the boss fights are reminiscent of Metal Slug. Along the way you’ll find secret areas ala Super Mario Bros. I’m really impressed at how OrangePixel goes about creating retro style 2D platformers like this and Meganoid.

If you are looking for some crazy action to go along with your platforming, do check out Gunslugs. Nineoverten.com rates Gunslugs at a 4.5 out of 5. The game is available on the iTunes App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gunslugs/id591368443

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

As a teenager I was really fascinated at the leap that took us from Wolfenstein 3D to Doom. Back then, I noticed the atmospheric levels, the steps, and the sound effects. All these helped reinforce the notion that I’m fighting in an outpost on Mars, and these were in actual fact improvements over what we had played in Wolfenstein 3D.

So when Temple Run 2 was released this week, I noticed that several reviewers calling it a rehash. Having played the game, I felt that there was definitely a leap from the original Temple Run to Temple Run 2. The first game wasn’t shabby, and that itself is a good reason why people would miss out on the new changes to the game. For me, the biggest change in Temple Run 2 would be the rolling hills, whereby the path you are running on are actually a series of inclines.

The new game features new high-res graphics, which is also a refreshing change over its predecessor, and more Indiana Jones-like adventure elements such as zip lines and riding carts in mines. The game is bigger, crazier and definitely prettier but like the original Temple Run, its available for free on the iTunes App Store! What are you waiting for, head over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/temple-run-2/id572395608?mt=8

I think someone over at either CocoaChina or Bucca Studio has figured out to how to make me really happy, and that’s by coming up with an excellent AND unique match-3 game. “Yeah right, a unique match-3 game”. That would be a cynical but common response to my enthusiasm on 7 Elements, a brand new match-3 game by the two development studios mentioned earlier, for the iPad. Yup. there’s still hope for the match-3 genre, read on to find out why.

7 Elements features a really nice presentation, the 2D graphics remind me of games such as Luxor (there’s a mild ancient Egyptian vibe going on in this game) and the special effects triggered by special pieces and power-ups are quite a sight to behold. But this isn’t the game’s killer feature. While most match-3 games are content with having you swap positions between two pieces on the board, 7 Elements, by virtue of multi-touch, allows players to swap positions of three pairs of pieces AT THE SAME TIME!

This enables players to create not only match 3 pieces, but up to 6 pieces at a time when usually you’ve to wait for pieces to fall into the right place to do so. Having this feature in the game means that gameplay is sped up and each play session is relatively shorter than that of other timed match-3 games. The timer is actually a set of flames located at the top left and right corners of the screen.

The game allows players to earn gold coins that will be used to unlock one-time use power-ups that need to be purchased before the start of the next play session. While it’s possible to play the game without power-ups, you can purchase more coins to unlock more power-up slots for a maximum of three.

With an interesting implementation of multi-touch to traditional match-3 gameplay, 7 Elements has certainly managed to stand out from a sea of match-3 games out there. This and the premium looking graphics help make the game a compelling purchase for any match-3 aficionado. Nineoverten.com rates 7 Elements at a 4.5 out of 5. TOTALLY AWESOME.

7 Elements is now available on the iTunes App Store, check it out over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/7-elements/id577696686?mt=8. A review code was provided to Nine Over Ten 9/10 for the purpose of this review

Remember the games Alien Carnage/Halloween Harry that were published by Apogee back in the heydays of shareware? I know I do, having played a lot of Alien Carnage on my 486 after getting a disk with the game from a local shareware mailer. The game was actually developed by John Passfield and he has since co-founded Krome Studios and worked on the Destroy All Humans! franchise for Pandemic Studios.

This video games industry veteran has now set up a mobile games accelerator called Right Pedal Studios, based in Brisbane Australia. What’s an accelerator you ask, basically it’s an incubator of sorts providing funding small teams of 2 to 5 developers to make games for iOS and Android, with support in the form of working capital of up to $50,000 (kinda like some of the government MDEC programs you have in Malaysia), office space, mentorship and an alumni program in exchange for a fraction of the equity in each game.

So if you are based in Australia, Brisbane in particular and have a small team coming up with mobile games, you might wanna check this out. Some of my friends and clients started off in accelerator/incubator kind of environments and I must they’ve done well for themselves and their respective companies. Check out the press release below for more details:

Brisbane’s newest Games Accelerator; Right Pedal Studios is now open for applications. Successful teams will have access to funding to get their game for iOS or Android up and running. The package includes support in the form of working capital of up to $50,000, office space, mentorship and an alumni program.

The project is seeded by River City Labs founder Stephen Baxter, and is managed by games veteran John Passfield. Right Pedal Studios will fund small teams of 2 to 5 developers to make games for iOS or Android in exchange for a fraction of the equity in each game. Teams also get access to a number of games industry mentors who bring with them valuable knowledge from their years of experience.

Mentors include Morgan Jaffit, co-founder of Defiant Development (publishers of Ski Safari), Dan Vogt (co-founder of Halfbrick), Matt Hall, founder of KlickTock and developer of Little Things Forever, David Zwierzchaczewski, Application Engineer for Media and Entertainment at Autodesk, Gordon Moyes, convenor of Griffith University’s game program and producer of the Destroy All Humans! series, Pras Moorthy, product manager of Kixeye and co-owner of the Mana Bar, and Steve Baxter and John Passfield.

“Australia is home to some of the greatest mobile game developers in the world and we’re excited to help up and coming developers reach their potential.” said Steve Baxter. Right Pedal has partnered with a number of industry players including Griffith University and Pitcher Partners, each providing access to goods and services for each of the development team involved in the program.

“We want to team up with smart developers working on great games. Our goal is to help them where we can and allow them to focus on making the best game possible.” said John Passfield. Applications are open to residents of Australia and the first teams will enter production in February/March 2013. Interested parties can apply to the games accelerator program via the Right Pedal Studios website where they will find more information about the program and mentors.

www.rightpedalstudios.com

The movie Cool Runnings told the story of a bunch of Jamaicans aiming to enter the bobsled event in the 1988 Winter Olympics. It’s a story of unlikely characters with a dream of going fast in an unconventional sport. Finnish indie developers Boomlagoon’s first iOS title, Noble Nutlings (note the similar sounding titles), takes on the same thread and features a bunch of cute squirrels taking on the challenge of being soapbox racers, hurtling up and down hills.

The game features 36 levels and while the aim here is to gain the maximum of 3 stars in each level (acorn and gold coins gathering notwithstanding), the controls in Noble Nutlings are really simple. There’s one button to move forward, another button to move faster still courtesy of some chilli and tilt controls to move your squirrels backwards or forwards in your customizable kart. The level rating system is probably a holdover from the developer’s previous projects, no points for guessing what game that is, as these guys are ex-Rovio.

Ask any cyclist and they’ll tell you that moving at breakneck speeds downhill is really fun and that is pretty evident in Noble Nutlings (the game takes out the other point of going downhill real fast –> extreme fear). The game’s levels can be considered as mid-sized to large in terms of scale; you’ll notice this when you launch the kart off of ramps, jumping across canyons, all while trying to keep the three squirrels within the kart proper. The game’s incredibly friendly as well, spill the three squirrels out  of their kart and the game will just resume from where you stop.

Noble Nutlings’ vibrant presentation is accentuated by a lag-free experience playing on the new iPad, which left me really impressed and convinced that the game has made its case of being a really good casual title, and what is even more amazing, the game is available for free!. Noble Nutlings gets a 4.5 out of 5 from us at Nineoverten.com, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

You can download the game from the iTunes App Store right over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/noble-nutlings/id576707368?mt=8.

The folks at California-based Curious Hat develop interactive mobile apps for children and adults alike, and one of their well-received apps would be their Eye Paint series of apps (check them out over here). Now they are curious to see what you and your family have created with their Eye Paint apps and you get to stand a chance of winning a USD 50 iTunes Gift Card just by uploading your creations online!

Just head on over to their Facebook App (but before that, like their FB Page first if you haven’t done so already), enter some details along with your Eye Paint creation. The top 3 winning creations will be judged by the Curious Hat Team, and the winner gets the USD 50 iTunes Gift Card. The contest ends on the 31st of January, so get going!

Don’t forget, you can download the Eye Paint apps for FREE right over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/curious-hat/id520284222

Someone should ask Miyamoto what does he think of all the platformers out there inspired by Super Mario Bros. I for one think that the SMB-inspired game from developers Iddiction for the iPhone, Run Kitty Run: The Adventures of Timmy, is a pretty good title, although a little formulaic.

The game features a hero (a kid basically, outfitted with a cat suit) out to rescue a girl of his dreams (sounds familiar?) from the clutches of a villain (this time it’s the playground bully). Even the levels are reminiscent of SMB. The first batch of levels takes place above ground. In place of tortoises and goombas, you have hamsters running inside hamster balls, and crazy rabbits walking all over the place.

The second set of levels kick start underground and anyone who has played the subterranean levels in SMB would instantly recognize the similarities, complete with fireballs and moving platforms. So what does Run Kitty Run brings to the table that wasn’t in its highly esteemed source of inspiration? For one, the 2D graphics, even though with a muted palette, look really good with excellent side-scrolling effects. I particularly like the horror-themed shadows prevalent in the subterranean levels.

Run Kitty Run’s controls are are playable on an iPad (my iPhone remains in cold storage, anyone willing to donate to my iPhone 5 fund are more than welcome to pump in some money to my PayPal account) but for a much better experience, use an iPhone. As a homage to SMB, Run Kitty Run does it pretty well and the theme of the game, which is standing up to bullying, is a positive message that I support.

Nineoverten.com rates Run Kitty Run at a 4 out of 5. Do check it out. The game is available on the iTunes App Store for free for a limited time: http://itunes.apple.com/app/run-kitty-run-adventures-timmy/id567538966

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