I took the opportunity to check out two, well, old games, on the iPad 2, one of them being the original Infinity Blade and Rage HD. And you know what? I actually like these two games when played on the iPad 2, compared to playing them on the iPhone. In the case of Infinity Blade, the extra screen space allowed me to execute moves better, whereas in Rage HD, Mutant Bash TV looked way clearer than on the iPhone.

I guess the new A5 processor and upgraded GPU have a hand in delivering an awesome looking experience on the device as well for both games.

So, like the title suggests, what games have you enjoyed more on the iPad or iPad 2, compared to playing them on the iPhone? Not all titles can get the same treatment, some games do not benefit from the extra screen space or the processing power. Sound off in the comments section below while I go back to reviewing some exciting new iOS titles.

Batman goes crazy for the second time in two weeks, this time in the hands of the Scarecrow, and as a result he gets grievously hurt (sounds familiar eh) going bonkers attacking, of all people, Superman. Yup, that’s the stitch on Batman: The Dark Knight #5. Robocop goes crazy too in Robocop: Road Trip #2, along with citizens of Old Detroit. As in the first issue, the cyborg is hallucinating (!) and is taken to talking to dead people.

This week also sees B.P.R.D Hell on Earth: Russia #5 out on the stands. This is one of my favourite post-Hellboy books. The aftermath of the explosion that seemingly took out Johann Kraus is explored, and is that really him in that new suit? I don’t think so…

A new issue of The Ultimates (#6) is out as well. With Nick Fury looking at a checkmate situation and failing to convince a sulking Captain America, things point to a new team of Ultimates; one that’s able to take on Reed Richards and his Children of Tomorrow.

A friend and I stumbled onto a little known fact (well, at least to us) when we were reading a Wikipedia entry on the classic hit Super Mario Bros. Apparently there are not one, not two, not three but four different ways to getting extra lives. The first three, grabbing green or orange mushrooms or collecting 100 coins, should be pretty familiar to most players, but the last one, defeating several enemies in a row with a Koopa shell…that’s a new one to me.

So the next time you fire up Super Mario Bros on a NES, or an emulator, or even on the Virtual Console, don’t forget to check out the last technique mentioned above. I leave you with a YouTube video highlighting the infinite 1-up techniques in Super Mario Bros 3. Look out for the Koopa shell example .

Since it was the first day of Chinese New Year (yesterday), I was pretty much stuck in the kitchen, cooking up a storm. But this year, I decided to have some fun with the Nintendo 3DS’ camera. For those of you who are not in the know, it actually shoots 3D pictures in the form of MPO files. You can actually view these files using certain viewing software, or through a browser that supports this kind of files.

So if you are viewing this on a 3DS, try tapping on the image of the pork roast below (yup, I roasted that, and made the apple sauce as well), to view the 3D version of the image

I downloaded the demo for Resident Evil: Revelations for the 3DS on a lark, knowing full well that me and horror (be it movies or games), don’t actually go well together…in fact, I can’t go through a horror movie without an extended amount of cringing. It turned out to be one of the best looking games I’ve ever seen on a Nintendo portable platform.

If you have not checked out the demo yet, head over to the eShop and start downloading now. I’ve still haven’t gotten used to the game yet, having made it only to the part where the character I was playing found the hidden object scanner. The enemy creatures look absolutely scary and you’ll need to be prepared to expend plenty of bullets to take each of them down.

There’s only one difficult mode for the demo and there’s no ability to save as well, but yes, the game seems to be a good sampler for the real thing that is scheduled to be released early next month. Will I be getting the game? Maybe not (the reason is in the first paragraph), but if you enjoy the series or the genre of games, feel free to check it out!

Been revisiting StarCraft II recently, not really for the campaign, but for the custom games in the multiplayer mode, and I think I’ve found the two mods that I really like. The first one is Left 2 Die, which is an official StarCraft II mod by Blizzard. It’s a cooperative version of the Outbreak mission in the single player campaign, and as such, the gameplay is divided between day and night phases.

During the day phase, players go about destroying infested structures, while at night, they’ll need to survive the onslaught of hundreds of infested units. It’s crazy fun for players who love to “turtle” and I’ve been playing this map 3 nights in a row. Hehe.

Next up is a favourite of mine since the days of WarCraft III, no, it’s not DOTA, rather it’s Element TD for StarCraft II. Yup, tower defense is a venerated genre over here at Nine Over Ten 9/10. So much so that after platformers, the most reviewed category of games over here, irrespective of platform, would be those belonging to this particular genre.

I managed to survive until wave 40 before succumbing to a superior wave, and like Left 2 Die, it was crazy fun. So what are your favourite mods on StarCraft II? Personally I can’t wait for Blizzard DOTA to arrive.

This is the only time of the year where I can crack out Master Chief’s orange suit (most of the time he’s in olive green), which coincidentally reminds me of a mandarin orange. Anyways, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year 2012! May the year of the dragon bring you prosperity, luck and happiness….and probably more Skyrim as well for you gamer types out there.

Looks like we’re back in full stride after the holiday season when it comes to comic book releases. One of this week’s standout has to be Batman and Robin #5. What this issue serves to show that even though Batman is generally fearless, he does fear being a sucky dad but being Batman simply prevents him for being one to a kid that has been indoctrinated with a whole lot of crazy stuff from his own mom. And now he’s up against an old mentor out to lure his son to the dark side.

Marvel too has a trump card up their sleeves, in the form of Wolverine and the X-Men #4. Just one week into the opening of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, Professor (sic) Logan and gang assess the school’s progress and with Logan around, members of X-Force and those involved in the Dark Angel Saga (such as Apocalypse’s clone) make their appearance in some of the funniest, dramatic and poignant moments in the book.

Other releases include another freaky issue of Animal Man which is making me rethink on continuing to read the book, a generally excellent issue of Batwoman #5 and a tepid end to the current Green Lantern storyline (but certainly not the end of Hal Jordan’s woes) in Green Lantern #5. For those who follow the Ultimates universe, Ultimate Comics X-Men #6 springs a surprise as a certain baldy is still alive!

Jumping jellybeans Batman! Heh. I’ve been dying to put that down ever since playing Bubble Jets for the iPhone, simply because the cute duckies in this water physics game kinda reminded me of jellybeans. The game takes inspiration from the handheld water jet games that we used to play as kids.

Push either buttons at the bottom of the screen to cause jets of water to either shoot up from the left or right to move the cute little duckies (among other things) into the respective containers. As the levels progress, players will face obstacles that can only be overcome by some determined button pressing . The levels themselves are brilliant, colourful 2D affairs, and the gameplay is the type that is addictive and suitable for all ages.

Players are graded by how fast they can complete a level and Openfeint integration takes care of the online leaderboards. Bubble Jets is one cute game with 12 levels spread across 4 stages. Social Agogo has done a brilliant job in capturing the look and feel of bubble jet games of yore in this iOS title.

Nine Over Ten 9/10 rates Bubble Jets at a 4 out of 5, and it’s worth checking out especially if you have children. The game is available on the App Store at a price of USD 1.99, check it out over here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bubble-jets/id479877548?mt=8

A review code was provided to Nine Over Ten 9/10 for the purpose of this review.

2012 is here! I would like to wish readers of Nine Over Ten 9/10, and those from the gaming industry that have worked with us, in bringing really cool games to platforms such as the iPhone, iPad, Nintendo 3DS, Mac, PC and even the PS3. 2011 has been a super busy year and I think the number of posts eclipses that of 2010′s. The quality of games coming our way were a mark improvement over those in 2010, proving that the market and industry are maturing hand-in-hand.

A big shoutout to the developers, publishers and PR practitioners, without you, Nine Over Ten 9/10 wouldn’t be functioning like clockwork. My new year’s resolution? Review more iOS games, probably get an Android phone, check out the 3DS’ lineup and of course set better personal records for the half marathon and full marathon runs . So in 2012, keep the games coming and stay tuned to Nine Over Ten 9/10!