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iOS Gaming December 2016 | It's app-me, Mario

If you need a change of pace from Mario madness:

Star Tactics, $2.99
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/star-tactics/id1114901207
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Also, Pavilion is coming to mobile
https://twitter.com/TheVisiontrick/status/810141501925658624
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awp69

Member

Have Pavilion on Shield TV and it's pretty good. The artwork is fantastic. The gameplay isn't as good as something like Monument Valley (which they are different in how they play aside from the general trying to traverse pathways on each level using puzzles). Haven't put a whole lot of time into it with my backlog, but it's worth checking out.
 
I'm going to start working on the Why iOS Rock (2016 Edition) thread next week. Are there any hidden gems or personal favorites that haven't been discussed much in these threads that you'd like to see included?
 
Yeah...Death Road To Canada is going to be amazing when it comes to mobile (well it already is, so more amazing)
https://twitter.com/rocketcatgames/status/810251943507611650

Oh, and the devs are saying a January/February release
The iOS version has been in testing for awhile, and soon that will be getting the latest update and achievements. Looks like the launch date for that will be in January or February. The last big thing we need to do is get in streaming support, straight from the device. We'd also like to sneak in PC and iOS cross-platform save sharing
 

8sanders

Murderer's Gut Feeling™
I'm going to start working on the Why iOS Rock (2016 Edition) thread next week. Are there any hidden gems or personal favorites that haven't been discussed much in these threads that you'd like to see included?

Crystal Caliburn II pinball from Tiny Wing, masters of digital pinball. While Pinball Arcade gets more attention , CCII really nails it with great design, controls and physics. Best pinball on iOS hands down.
 

PittaGAF

Member
I think I played 3 hours straight Super Mario Run and I can't get enough of it.
It's damn addicting, especially world 2 onwards.

I always preferred free movement platformers but I admit I'm getting the same vibes I got back in the days from Suoer Mario on SNES.

Not sure my GOTY list can have 2 runners but, it's damn great.

I make a point of not going to next level till I haven't got at least a single coin set in the actual one.
Originally the plan was black coins (I did that for world 1) but I'm weak and just purple and friends ladder are enough content already.
 

Shearie

Member
I think I played 3 hours straight Super Mario Run and I can't get enough of it.
It's damn addicting, especially world 2 onwards.

I always preferred free movement platformers but I admit I'm getting the same vibes I got back in the days from Suoer Mario on SNES.

Not sure my GOTY list can have 2 runners but, it's damn great.

I make a point of not going to next level till I haven't got at least a single coin set in the actual one.
Originally the plan was black coins (I did that for world 1) but I'm weak and just purple and friends ladder are enough content already.

Yeah, it's so good.

My GOTY top 3 is Super Mario Run, Steamworld Heist, and Severed. Have no idea what numerical order they should be in though.
 

sheaaaa

Member
it seems Nintendo's plan is working

I suppose you're right! Although they're preaching to the converted with me, considering I haven't missed a mainline Mario game in years and the only reason I'm holding out on the 3DS Mario Maker is hoping that a Switch version is forthcoming.
 

PittaGAF

Member
For reference it took me around 7-8 hours to complete Super Mario Run with all pink coins set, some purple coins set and the first world black ones.
I didn't even touched yet world builder and the ghost challenges basically.

The ghostly levels are simply brilliant, I wish there were 20 more levels of those.

A warning.
Tickets are capped at 99.
So if you like me just play the single player portion, you will waste a ton of tickets because the game simply delete everything above 99.
I 'lost' at least 20-30 tickets (all world bonuses), before realizing.
No biggie but keep in mind that (you can replay each boss at will for two tickets).

I really recommend the game, I still have so much to do, but if you cruise the levels without considering the coins it's a very short one.
That said, getting the coins set is really fun, at least the first two.
Black set....I'm still in the fence about them.
It's nice and hard but very often at first mistake you just reload the level knowing that you won't complete the set no matter what you do, because some coins are reachable only if you hop on a enemy in a certain position.
If you miss it you could have killed it or it moved, and they don't reset if you rewind time, which is an odd decision in a almost perfect game.

I hope they will add new levels already, it's really super fun imho.
 

Pachimari

Member
I'm still at world 1-2 lmao. Guess this one's got great longevity for me. It's surely in my top 10 for this year. I'm going for all the coin sets before moving on.
 

PittaGAF

Member
I'm still at world 1-2 lmao. Guess this one's got great longevity for me. It's surely in my top 10 for this year. I'm going for all the coin sets before moving on.

Oh well, I would be at 1-2 too if I tried to get all coins set before moving.
It could be a 100 hours game easily doing so.

But I was weak and couldn't resist playing further.

I'm now at 1-2 trying to get the black coins myself, but I'll probably do a purple coins pass first.
I'm still undecided if black coins are fun or too hard for me.

It must be said that replaying for the coins set feels pretty different because coins position changes.

But probably I get the most fun trying to get the top score among my friends.
 

Pachimari

Member
It's tremendously fun both going for the coins, and competing for the top spot among ones friends. Admittedly I haven't had much time to play it, which is probably why I'm not that far into it, but I'm loving what I have played. There's a lot to it, both level design wise and in the small mechanics.

I'm hopefull they'll release new worlds.
 

killercow

Member
I enjoyed my time with Super Mario Run and some of the later levels are more challenging but it's not my favorite platformer or runner on mobile. It's good but it's not great. It lacked content for the price and the earlier levels are not meaty enough. Plus the UI can be quite a pain at times.

If anyone's wondering, Nintendo doesn't plan to add any content to the game:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/nintendo-shares-fall-after-super-mario-run-disappoints-1482142448
 

awp69

Member
I enjoyed my time with Super Mario Run and some of the later levels are more challenging but it's not my favorite platformer or runner on mobile. It's good but it's not great. It lacked content for the price and the earlier levels are not meaty enough. Plus the UI can be quite a pain at times.

I agree with all of this. And that part about the early levels was probably a poor choice when trying to get people to buy the game. I bought it anyway and don't regret it even if I think there are better runner/platformers on iOS. But some people may play those first three levels and not be impressed enough to pay the $10.

If those levels had been as good and, as you say, "meaty", maybe some additional sales would occur. Not saying it's not selling well being the #1 grossing game. Just possibly could have gotten some more with better stuff to show off in the demo part.
 

Pachimari

Member
I'm really contemplating getting Jade Empire. On one side I already got it on Steam but the controls seems to have been optimized for touch in this edition, and I've never played it before, even though I really wanted to.
 

killercow

Member
I agree with all of this. And that part about the early levels was probably a poor choice when trying to get people to buy the game. I bought it anyway and don't regret it even if I think there are better runner/platformers on iOS. But some people may play those first three levels and not be impressed enough to pay the $10.

If those levels had been as good and, as you say, "meaty", maybe some additional sales would occur. Not saying it's not selling well being the #1 grossing game. Just possibly could have gotten some more with better stuff to show off in the demo part.

Exactly. In my mind Nintendo should have used levels in multiple worlds as a demo. You take 3-4 levels across the game to sell it, not the first three "tutorial"-like levels. Plus, the game should only ask you your account after you've completed the trial, it'd feel less agressive when you launch it.

Furthermore Nintendo didn't explain well that the unlock is the only thing you can buy and seeing the toad rally tickets, coins and more, it's easy to think that there are more micro-transactions, especially if you're used to playing F2P games with thousands of different currencies.
 

Costia

Member
Finished the 6 worlds. While its a good game i had a few problems with it:
1) it's really short.
2) sometimes mario just stops running. Its really akward. Dont remember leap day or rayman ever doing something like that.
3) PvE content locked behind PvP mode. I really like yoshi, but it is impossible to get him just by playing the worlds.
4) The tickets for the rally mode dont make sense. Since this is not a F2P game, why is there a restriction on how many times i can play it? Tickets only make sense if it was supposed to be a F2P game where the tickets are sold as a micro transaction.
5) Taking toads away when you lose. I would have assumed you just waste a ticket. But that's not the case. IF you lose, you actually lose toads as well. And the better you do, the more toads you lose
 

Oynox

Member
My girlfriend is wondering about Solitairica on Android. She managed to finish the final boss with the warrior deck which is included in the free version. However after beating him she gets sent to the main menu. Is there really only this one playthrough with every deck, those 15 enemies and the one boss?
 

Costia

Member
Did you go for the the purple and black coins?
I picked up the purple in the first world. But its still the same stages. The coins are an artifitial way to make the game longer, it's not adding content.
The whole game is about the size of 1, or maybe 2 at best, main game worlds.
 

Pachimari

Member
I picked up the purple in the first world. But its still the same stages. The coins are an artifitial way to make the game longer, it's not adding content.
The whole game is about the size of 1, or maybe 2 at best, main game worlds.

But the "point of the game" is to go for the coins, which creates new challenges in those levels. They are placed differently and asks more of you.

If you are only interested in going through the levels, then yeah it'll be short, but that is partly the fault of the player, and partly the fault of the game. It is what you make it.
 

Voidance

Member
My girlfriend is wondering about Solitairica on Android. She managed to finish the final boss with the warrior deck which is included in the free version. However after beating him she gets sent to the main menu. Is there really only this one playthrough with every deck, those 15 enemies and the one boss?
Yes, but each deck plays very differently.
 

Costia

Member
But the "point of the game" is to go for the coins, which creates new challenges in those levels. They are placed differently and asks more of you.
If you are only interested in going through the levels, then yeah it'll be short, but that is partly the fault of the player, and partly the fault of the game. It is what you make it.
It's the "point of the game" because there isn't enough content otherwise.
In other mario games, where there is enough content you don't need to collect 9 coins, 3 at a time in each stage, it's just 3 per stage.
The extra coins are there to make the game look longer, while it actually isn't.
It could have been fine as F2P, but for 10$ it's just not enough for me.
 

Chorazin

Member
It's the "point of the game" because there isn't enough content otherwise.
In other mario games, where there is enough content you don't need to collect 9 coins, 3 at a time in each stage, it's just 3 per stage.
The extra coins are there to make the game look longer, while it actually isn't.
It could have been fine as F2P, but for 10$ it's just not enough for me.

Collecting the Stars in every Mario game since 64 has been the real draw for me, so going for all the coins hits me in the right spot.
 

Ferulci

Member
Yes, we got released before the lockdown !
Sorry for the plug, (and if it's not welcomed, let me know). I'm part of a (2 people) company that just released a new game on Apple Watch (careful, it can only be played on Apple Watch) called Pocket Bandit. It is fast-paced puzzle game for Apple Watch. You must use the crown to move and vibrations to find the good combination. Each successful heist will give you a treasure and there is more than 100 of them.
2.png

7.png

8.png


Our goal was to make good game that cannot be done anywhere else but on Apple Watch. We believe it is a great device that can allow exciting gaming experiences and while some good games have been released in the past, we feel like a lot can still be done.

If you're interested by the game, you can download it here

If you have any feedbacks or questions, let me know !
 

Pachimari

Member
Finally at World 1-3 going for the purple coins. Tons of fun. Surely the most fun I've had with an auto runner since Canabalt in the early days.

I'm also playing Pokémon Go again trying to hatch a Gen II Pokémon. Haven't had any luck but at least I've caught multiple Pikachu's with a Christmas hat on.

In other news, Mega Man 1-6 are releasing outside of Japan too, and in early January already. They'll cost $1.99 each and will be optimized and have adjusted game speed for mobile.
 

Pachimari

Member
Space Marshals 2 is currently on sale at 99c.

There's actually a lot of sales right now. Bought The Bug Butcher for 99c as well.
 

awp69

Member
Space Marshals 2 is currently on sale at 99c.

There's actually a lot of sales right now. Bought The Bug Butcher for 99c as well.

Wow. That's a hell of a deal on both. Need to see if Space Marshalls 2 is on sale on Android to play on my Shield TV.
 

awp69

Member
Space Marshals 2 still shows $5.99 for me. :^(

It's live in the US now.

There's a lot of other games on sale. Door Kickers, Never Alone, Heroki and Card Crawl are all $.99. Sproggiwood is $1.99. Final Fantasy Tactics is $7.99 (iPad)/ $6.99 (iPhone).

Romancing Saga 2 is on sale but only a small discount at $14.99 instead of $17.99.

That's just a few. And I'm sure a lot more will follow. Since we didn't get much of a Black Friday sale on the App Store this year. Guess we're seeing it for Christmas.

Space Marshals 2 and Bug Butcher especially are steals. Also highly recommend Sproggiwood at that price.
 

PittaGAF

Member
Lost Socks is MANDATORY imho.

Speaking about the other runner, I must say I'm having MUCH more fun than expected getting all the black coins (almost done with second world).
Actually it's not true that levels are the same...yes the coins position is different (both special and normal
ones) but sometimes even the background changes (platforms, bricks etc) changing the level layout.
It's not common, but it happens.

Also I've noticed you can unlock extra levels in the world builder.
Some of them are BRUTAL.
 
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