IPhone
The iPad cometh
26/03/10 21:49 Filed in: Industry
Disappointments about iPhone games not being as great as they could be, actually make more sense to me now. The problem really is the size. You whip out your iPhone when you have a spare few minutes, not when you want to really play. iPhone is great for bite sized interactive morsels. Bigger games just don’t work so well.
The iPad will change that. Touch screen games can be really cool but the touch screens we’ve had so far (DS and smart phones) are just too wee to really give you any space to play properly. Imagine Dragon Age on iPad. That would be sweet.
IPad, if not this generation then the next, will be fairly competent at 3D. It’s a serious platform and I can’t wait to see if the console game development community dives in as they have failed to do with the iPhone.
If they do, then it will mean a serious shakeup of the games industry. With no gamestop to strong-arm the pricing, iTunes is a space where developers can finally be the king. Publishers won’t be publishers anymore, they will be funders... might as well just get venture capital backing instead.
I just wonder how long the battery will last under heavy 3D gaming. Time will tell.
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Jet Car Stunts
02/03/10 22:36 Filed in: Personal
I’ve been busy moving this last two weeks. It’s been hectic but we are now in new temporary digs.
The problem is that I have no games consoles until we find a permanent place to put our mountain of crap that is currently in storage. Consequently, I’ve been spending a bit more time than usual checking out iPhone games.
I have been convinced by the iPhone as a gaming platform ever since it was first announced but for the most part I’ve been pretty disappointed by the games that I’ve played. (Although I have not played enough of them for my opinion to be statistically relevant.)
I had dreamed two ears ago, (an insane dream) that Nintendo might start porting some of DS games to the platform. At the very least I had hoped that some of the better third party developers would bring their back catalogues to the iPhone. But after two and a half years there have still been very few DS ports. Cooking Mama (iTunes link) has finally made the jump but I am still waiting for some Phoenix Wright action.
My hankering for DS ports comes from my perception of an overall higher quality of games found on that platform in comparison to the iPhone.
Admittedly there are iPhone game powerhouses like Gameloft that have been pumping out games that are way above the appstore standard, but I’ve been waiting for something really awesome; a killer iPhone exclusive game. For me at least, I found one this week.
Jet Car Stunts (itunes link) is good.
From the simple radiosity inspired flat shaded graphics to the Stunt Car racer inspired acrobatics, this game just keeps bringing me back for more. Admittedly the difficulty level is steep, but death is so common and so meaningless thanks to the handy reset button that the often hilarious wipe outs and near misses are more funny than frustrating.
The tutorials are a perfect intro to a control system that feels intuitive but has a great deal of depth. The steering (via accelerometer) is perfectly implemented and I love the sound.
Jet Car Stunt’s short bursts of high skill gameplay coupled masses of re-playability makes for a perfect phone game in my opinion.
While I still wish for the iPhone’s Phantom Hour Glass to while away longer journeys, I find myself firing up Jet Car Stunts whenever I can sneak in a spare minute.
If you were ever a fan of Stunt Car Racer by Geoff Crammond, you may find this to be its spiritual successor; a game that follows that same death-defying track, while strapping on massive great rockets and launching itself through hoops like some deranged Darwin Award winner.
Five thumbs up!
The problem is that I have no games consoles until we find a permanent place to put our mountain of crap that is currently in storage. Consequently, I’ve been spending a bit more time than usual checking out iPhone games.
I have been convinced by the iPhone as a gaming platform ever since it was first announced but for the most part I’ve been pretty disappointed by the games that I’ve played. (Although I have not played enough of them for my opinion to be statistically relevant.)
I had dreamed two ears ago, (an insane dream) that Nintendo might start porting some of DS games to the platform. At the very least I had hoped that some of the better third party developers would bring their back catalogues to the iPhone. But after two and a half years there have still been very few DS ports. Cooking Mama (iTunes link) has finally made the jump but I am still waiting for some Phoenix Wright action.
My hankering for DS ports comes from my perception of an overall higher quality of games found on that platform in comparison to the iPhone.
Admittedly there are iPhone game powerhouses like Gameloft that have been pumping out games that are way above the appstore standard, but I’ve been waiting for something really awesome; a killer iPhone exclusive game. For me at least, I found one this week.
From the simple radiosity inspired flat shaded graphics to the Stunt Car racer inspired acrobatics, this game just keeps bringing me back for more. Admittedly the difficulty level is steep, but death is so common and so meaningless thanks to the handy reset button that the often hilarious wipe outs and near misses are more funny than frustrating.
The tutorials are a perfect intro to a control system that feels intuitive but has a great deal of depth. The steering (via accelerometer) is perfectly implemented and I love the sound.
Jet Car Stunt’s short bursts of high skill gameplay coupled masses of re-playability makes for a perfect phone game in my opinion.
If you were ever a fan of Stunt Car Racer by Geoff Crammond, you may find this to be its spiritual successor; a game that follows that same death-defying track, while strapping on massive great rockets and launching itself through hoops like some deranged Darwin Award winner.
Five thumbs up!
