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The Official iPhone/iPod Touch Gaming Thread

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Stoney Mason said:
Star Hogs came out. It's basically a Worms, iShoot, Pocket Tanks Deluxe, artillery style game but this one has online multiplayer.

Itunes Link
Lite Version
Video

[/IMG]http://i40.tinypic.com/2135ezs.jpg[/IMG]
[/IMG]http://i40.tinypic.com/1563guv.jpg[/IMG]

[/IMG]http://i39.tinypic.com/2rortyb.jpg[/IMG]
Click to expand...
How does the multiplayer work in this? Is it asynchronous? Or do you have to both be playing at the same time?
 
dLMN8R said:
How does the multiplayer work in this? Is it asynchronous? Or do you have to both be playing at the same time?
Click to expand...

Sounds real time

Aside from the 32 single player levels, the meat of Star Hogs is by far internet multiplayer. You can compete online against 2 to 4 players, using anywhere between 2 and 4 ships in a ranked or unranked battle. Online games have a 30 second time limit for each turn, which keeps the game fast paced, but it would be nice to have the option to change this setting as on more advanced maps with lots of players, it can be hard to plan and execute your turn inside of 30 seconds.

In my tests, online multiplayer worked well and because of the turn-based nature of Star Hogs, if there was any lag in playing over the cellular network, it was indistinguishable. One thing that I really feel is missing from online play, and I don't know how difficult this would be to implement, is some way to resume a game in progress.

I play my games on an iPhone, and being a phone and all, interruptions are fairly common and even at its best AT&T's network can be a little flaky at times. A full multiplayer game with 4 players each controlling 4 Hogs can take quite a bit of time to complete, so losing a player due to unforseen circumstances like network interruptions or phone calls is slightly irritating. (More so if you are the player that got dropped.)

It would be great if you could rejoin the game you got disconnected from, and even better if while you were disconnected the players in the game could vote to kick you, skip your turn, or wait the 30 seconds you would have been allowed if you were in game. Overall though, online play will be extremely fun to veterans of Worms multiplayer, as it provides a very similar experience playable anywhere with WiFi or a cellular data connection.

The one downside currently to playing Star Hogs online is you have to organize your games over forums or instant messages. There aren't enough players online yet to ever find anyone when you search for quick matches, but hopefully this will improve as more people pick up the game.
Click to expand...

http://toucharcade.com/2009/07/06/star-hogs-review/
 
kaizoku said:
I tried the Lite version of this and while it was fun it struck me as the kind of game where you are constantly marching towards your doom no matter what you do. It seems impossible to keep it going for a very long time, even if you're really good.

Its the 1's which do you in, so difficult to get rid of and you do get to a stage where its just impossible to get rid of them and you're on your way to gameover. No heroic comebacks from the brink of death in this game.

Am I wrong?
Click to expand...

I posted this in the ListenUp thread, and I'll post it again here in case it's helpful:

Tobor said:
It's inevitable that you'll start getting 1's eventually, you have to make sure to isolate and try to remove them as soon as possible.

Say you have three 1's side by side. What's underneath them? remove the blocks underneath them being careful to not leave any blocks on top. This will drop the first 1 below the second. Now repeat on the other side as soon as possible and you'll be left with the 1 in the center. That will disappear. I realize this probably won't make any sense.

(1)(1)(1)
(#)(#)(5)
(4)(6)(#)

In this example, you want to drop a 4 on the left stack. It has to be a 4 only, so the bottom drops out, and the Left 1 drops below the Middle 1. You then would wait for two 5's to clear out the right stack in the same manner, causing the Middle 1 to be isolated, removing it. You could also attack this horizontally depending on what you've left in the other 3 columns. If you get the bottom row to equal 6, you'll knock out the left and right in one swoop.

Make any sense at all?

Keep in mind it's only a matter of time before the field becomes unplayable, that's just the way the game works. Try to get the highest score possible before the 1's and 2's destroy you.
Click to expand...

My high score is 266,000 points, which is middle of the pack. Globally there are guys scoring in the high 500,000s.

krypt0nian said:
Easily my fave game on the iPhone.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Drop7 is one of those classic games I could see myself playing years from now, like Tetris.
 
I don't love Drop7. It's a fun game, but it never hooked me.

I would now like to take a moment to apologize to Dropship.

I thought it controlled like a disaster and after many attempts I just gave up and deleted it. I went back to it and it's really fun. My main issue is I didn't know it was a 2.5D game. I had the mentality that I could fly anywhere on the 3D level and didn't realize that my attempts remained on a 2d path because I was concentrating more on my ship spazzing out and crashing.

Now that I understand it better, I like it. A lot. This makes sense because I just couldn't believe ngmoco put their name on Dropship as I experienced it, with a ship impossible to control.

I also enjoy how they use my address book names for the characters I have to save. Really fun game.
 
looks like the boxhead flash games are coming to iphone/ipod: http://twitter.com/seantcooper/status/2196595820

screen cap of flash version:
boxhead.png
 
jonnybryce said:
I would now like to take a moment to apologize to Dropship.

I thought it controlled like a disaster and after many attempts I just gave up and deleted it. I went back to it and it's really fun. My main issue is I didn't know it was a 2.5D game. I had the mentality that I could fly anywhere on the 3D level and didn't realize that my attempts remained on a 2d path because I was concentrating more on my ship spazzing out and crashing.

Now that I understand it better, I like it. A lot. This makes sense because I just couldn't believe ngmoco put their name on Dropship as I experienced it, with a ship impossible to control.

I also enjoy how they use my address book names for the characters I have to save. Really fun game.
Click to expand...

I quite like dropship also although a lot of people don't for various reasons. I also agree that I think a lot of people get confused because they think it's a true 3-D view when its not really. It's a 2-D game where the look is only that way to give it a context. That's just a look sort of like how the early 80's games had a look to shape the gameplay. That's what it remains me of. An 80's arcade title which is why I like it.
 
Tobor said:
Agreed. Drop7 is one of those classic games I could see myself playing years from now, like Tetris.
Click to expand...

It's Timeless. It is like Tetris because the gameplay is entirely based on the concept and the design and not the graphics. (Although I quite like the sound/music of the game)

I try to explain to people that you need to play it a few times becaue the first few times you play you don't really know what the hell you are doing even when you think you do. After a certain point though it just starts to click on how you should play the game. And you develop these terrific stratagies that are solely based on experience and experimentation.
 
Stoney Mason said:
It's Timeless. It is like Tetris because the gameplay is entirely based on the concept and the design and not the graphics. (Although I quite like the sound/music of the game)
Click to expand...

Drop7 is the game I play the most on the iphone. Even though I do enjoy the music... It seems that I consistently get higher scores when the sound is off! It's weird!:lol
 
Stoney Mason said:
It's Timeless. It is like Tetris because the gameplay is entirely based on the concept and the design and not the graphics. (Although I quite like the sound/music of the game)

I try to explain to people that you need to play it a few times becaue the first few times you play you don't really know what the hell you are doing even when you think you do. After a certain point though it just starts to click on how you should play the game. And you develop these terrific stratagies that are solely based on experience and experimentation.
Click to expand...

I just picked up Drop7 based on John Davison's recommendation on ListenUp, and holy crap this is awesome.
 
Blast Processing said:
I just picked up Drop7 based on John Davison's recommendation on ListenUp, and holy crap this is awesome.
Click to expand...

I take a little bit of pride in that I and a few others in the thread have been pimping that one for months. ;)

Flash Version for those who have missed it. Drop7 on the iphone is the basic mode.

http://chainfactor.com/
 
IGN review for Star Hogs

Star Hogs Review
Is this a winning formula: iShoot + Worms + gravity?
by Levi Buchanan
July 6, 2009 - The simplest way to describe IUGO's new turn-based strategy game Star Hogs is: Worms in space. You line up mechanical rigs load with armor, weapons, and tech and exchange attacks, pummeling each other until your rivals are twisted hulks of misshapen steel. However, Star Hogs is under the direct pull of gravity. It affects all things in the game, from the movement of your hog to the way you line up shots against opponents. Gravity does not take sides, either. It can be your worst enemy and best ally, depending on how well you factor it into your attacks. There is something deliciously rewarding about pulling off the perfect missile shot, watching it arc around the stage and drop right on top of a rival.

Battles do unfold much like Worms, where you trade turns with your rival. You must also manage your hog's energy. Moving and firing consume energy, so you must carefully consider how to best expend that energy. Fortunately, the controls are very easy to use, so you will waste little time fudging around with the aiming mechanism (just slide your finger to aim your weapon) or hitting the jets to move your rig around the asteroid belt stages. Despite the intuitive controls, I definitely recommend playing through the introductory tutorial, just to have all of the essentials down.

Most battles -- by design -- are just the exchanges of firepower. Learning the gravity of each stage, though, unlocks a welcome wrinkle of strategy. In a circular stage, for example, you can whip a rocket halfway around the map. You may miss a few times as you get the feel of the map, but soon you will land your shots with satisfying thuds and crashes. (Your fire meter shows you how much "oomph" you put behind your previous shot so you can use it to judge the next volley.) However, there are more ways to destroy a rival hog than landing enough direct hits to disable shields and finally pierce the hull. You can also blast the "ground" out from beneath a hog so it flies off into space or is pulled into the source of gravity.

But it's not just a smartly place strategy game with a gravity hook that makes Star Hogs engaging. Two elements -- ship customization and online multiplayer -- are what pushes Star Hogs into "definite download" territory. Between stages, you veer into a garage and can tinker with your vehicles as well as buy new ones. There are multiple hog classes, such as the combat machine with extra slots for weapons like guns, mines, and cannons. (Playing the single-player campaign unlocks extra gear to attach to your ship, making it essential if you want to be a decent online competitor.) With your winnings, you add new shield, guns, or tech (such as a generator to provide additional energy) to your ship. You can even paint your hog to your liking. The ability to keep adding to your armada as well as personalize it will keep a lot of players coming back again and again.

In addition to plundering the single-player campaign to earn cash and experience, players can also steer into an online mode for real-time (yet still turn-based) war between teams of hogs. You can play online over both the AT&T network or WiFi. Online play works exactly as described. Getting into a match is as easy as tapping the quick play button, although you may find yourself staring down other players more advanced than you and with the means of blasting you off the map if you aren't adequately prepared. Many online maps allow for multiple hogs (up to 4) per team, too, so if you only have one hog in your garage, be prepared to play with a handful generated by the game -- and not nearly up to snuff. Online matches have 30-second time limits to keep the action moving and IUGO was smart/generous to allow even losers in online games to escape with a little cash and experience so they never feel like time was wasted.

There is a catch to online play, though, which needs to be addressed. If you get a phone call while online, you drop out of the game and take the hit as a loss. There has to be some way to differentiate a quitter from somebody with a life.

Star Hogs was reviewed with version 1.0.


Closing Comments
Forget iShoot and all of those easy-peasy, budget turn-based game. Star Hogs had the depth and gravity (pun intended) to keep you coming back again and again. The single-player campaign is great for unlocking all sorts of gear and building up a hog army. Once you have the mechanics and a menacing force, get online and go to war. Star Hogs is easily worth the $4.99 for fans of games like Worms.

IGN Ratings for Starhogs (iPhone)
Rating Description
out of 10 click here for ratings guide
8.0 Presentation
Great online functionality, useful tutorial, easy-to-use menus.
7.0 Graphics
A touch plain in the battle scenes, but flash isn't exactly necessary here.
7.0 Sound
Music is repetitive, but you can opt to listen to your own tunes. Good sound effects.
8.0 Gameplay
Smart, turn-based strategy. The gravity bit is a great hook. Building up a hog army to take online is a lot of fun.
8.0 Lasting Appeal
Tons of maps, lots of single-player missions, and solid online makes Star Hogs a great value.
8.0
Impressive OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)
Click to expand...

http://wireless.ign.com/articles/100/1001305p1.html
 
Stoney Mason said:
I take a little bit of pride in that I and a few others in the thread have been pimping that one for months. ;)

Flash Version for those who have missed it. Drop7 on the iphone is the basic mode.

http://chainfactor.com/
Click to expand...
It took entirely too long for John to bring it up, but I'm glad he finally did.

This is why it's important he talk about good iPhone games. One mention from him on ListenUp will sell a ton of games.
 
Burai said:
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Click to expand...
Although, I'm not sure if the pictures I posted are from the actual game. They don't seem like they are 24bit redone, more like 256 color versions from the original AGA Amiga version. I'm saying this because there's visible dithering which is not the case with Pinball Dreams Iphone tables.

*edit* scratch that - these are not 256 colors AGA tables, there's more colors and detail in these. Still not sure why have they left some of the dithering there.
*edit2* I just noticed Pinball Dreams port also had some dithering, but a bit less visible. It's probably because they do graphics in 16bit color mode.
 
Stryder said:
Star Hogs would be such a better experience if it had some decent art direction.
Click to expand...

Meh. While its certainly not worms level attractive I think it looks more than decent enough to be playable. If someone is interested in a game like this its more about the gameplay depth I would think in most cases but that's just my take.

If I had complaints most of them would center on wanting more weapons or more variations on the strategic layout of the map. I've only played the lite version so far but I quite enjoyed it.
 
What are some of your strategies for Drop7? I play Hardcore mode, but my scores are consistently around the 200,000+ range. I'd like to increase it to the 3, 4, or higher ranges -- but I end up with 1s or 2s stuck at the top.
 
Mik2121 said:
Holy crap, exactly THE SAME THING I was going to ask! :lol

I just downloaded this game...

21 Pro Blackjack - Sponsored

Which is quite awesome looking and all that, but as you can guess, it's only 21/Blackjack.

I'm also looking for some casino sim/Poker sim that looks kinda nice (I'll be looking at it for hours, so I want it to look nice, right?) and is free or at least not very expensive.
Click to expand...
Live poker is one of my favorites. Its free and you can play it online with the thousands of people on facebook.
 
smirkrevenge said:
What are some of your strategies for Drop7? I play Hardcore mode, but my scores are consistently around the 200,000 range. I'd like to increase it to the 3, 4, or higher ranges -- but I end up with 1s or 2s stuck at the top.
Click to expand...
Haha, wouldn't we all. I'll let you know if I figure it out. 266,000 is my current max.
 
smirkrevenge said:
What are some of your strategies for Drop7? I play Hardcore mode, but my scores are consistently around the 200,000+ range. I'd like to increase it to the 3, 4, or higher ranges -- but I end up with 1s or 2s stuck at the top.
Click to expand...

I feel like a lot of comes down to luck, really, but it's mostly just number management. Keep a vigil eye on what is on the table and right from the beginning begin to plan out combos and what not. Never keep 1's around, unless you can use it for a combo. There's a lot of risk involved in the game, absolutely, and I think that's why it's so fun. Every time you play is a huge gamble, and it's freaking addicting. My highest score is 360k on hardcore, and I've gone over 300k a few times since then, but I usually land around 250k before getting suffocated. What always seems to happen to me is that I let the grey blocks build up and when I finally manage to pop them they turn out to be 1's or 2's. Sucks.

Edit: I'm also really glad Drop7 is finally getting a lot of recognition. It's been my #1 since I downloaded it when it came out *toot toot*.
 
This is somewhat game-related, anyone bought PStriple (manga app), which is a manga take on the current console warz? pretty funny~:lol

pstriple.jpg
 
The pinball game looks neat, but I'll tell you, I'd pay $10 for an iPhone version of Medieval Madness.

Best pinball game ever.

medie_bg.jpg
 
If I buy an iTouch living in the UK can I also access all these games ? and if so what are the price conversions like ?
 
quick question regarding the hardware. Are the current ipod touches on par with the 3gs tech in terms of speed and graphical capabilities?
 
Stoney Mason said:
I take a little bit of pride in that I and a few others in the thread have been pimping that one for months. ;)

Flash Version for those who have missed it. Drop7 on the iphone is the basic mode.

http://chainfactor.com/
Click to expand...
Yep. :)

Drop7 is my most-played game on my iPod. I play it anytime I want/need to just sit down and relax, before bed, pretty much all the time. I think I've played Drop7 every single day this summer except for maybe one or two. It's that addicting.

It's digital crack. Pure and simple.
 
Proc said:
quick question regarding the hardware. Are the current ipod touches on par with the 3gs tech in terms of speed and graphical capabilities?
Click to expand...
no.

3GS fully supports 2.0 OGL. Also has a 600mhz processor while the iTouch 2nd gen is low 500's?

Still ipod touches are pretty damn good. 2nd gen that is.
 
Costanza said:
DownToZero is SO SO SOOOO MUCH better than Drop7
Click to expand...
Nothing is better than Drop7. Get out.

DownToZero's not out yet.. you get a promo code or something?

And I just found a similar game called DropSum. Hmmmmm.
 
TurtleSnatcher said:
no.

3GS fully supports 2.0 OGL. Also has a 600mhz processor while the iTouch 2nd gen is low 500's?

Still ipod touches are pretty damn good. 2nd gen that is.
Click to expand...

hmm I can't afford a data plan right now (Canadian prices are a rip off currently)...Maybe I'll just get a 3gs with a shitty phone plan?
 
Stoney Mason said:
I take a little bit of pride in that I and a few others in the thread have been pimping that one for months. ;)

Flash Version for those who have missed it. Drop7 on the iphone is the basic mode.

http://chainfactor.com/
Click to expand...

Man I am already addicted to Drop7 when I am near my iTouch. Now you make it even worse by setting it up on my laptop.
 
Lord Error said:
Yesss!!! SomeoneGiveMeMySedatives [/isamu]

Pinball Fantasies is almost here (1-2 days away from submitting it to Apple, they say) - here's running on dev's iphone:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6Dr9w1-syfs
Click to expand...
I know people go nuts for the redone graphics, but I haven't been able to play Dreams with the new stuff... I prefer the retro graphics to match the gameplay and (most importantly) music.

Which reminds me... I'm sure I'll be humming the Speed Devils music until this comes out... can't wait!
 
Minigore is soooo day one material.

Meanwhile i bought Eliss, OMFG it's astonishing.
The last game that blew me so muuch away was Zen Bound, it's that good.
 
Anyone heard from the Rogue Planet people lately? Last thing I read from Touch Arcade had the devs submitting the app to Apple late Junish. Hopefully they're still on track, cause it looks tight. :D
 
Proc said:
hmm I can't afford a data plan right now (Canadian prices are a rip off currently)...Maybe I'll just get a 3gs with a shitty phone plan?
Click to expand...
Huh? With Rogers you can get 250min voice (with unlimited evenings and weekends) + 500MB monthly for $45 (+$6 access fee), that's as far as I know cheaper than anything AT&T offers, and if you don't talk too much, pretty good deal. I thought that data would be limiting, but it turns out I spent maybe 150MB in three weeks, even thought I was trying to use it as much as I could.

You also have the 3GB data plan for $30, which you can get on top of cheapest voice plan for $25, for a total of $55 + $6 for fee.

datamage said:
I would kill for a port of Epic Pinball.
Click to expand...
Yes

Shaneus said:
I know people go nuts for the redone graphics, but I haven't been able to play Dreams with the new stuff... I prefer the retro graphics to match the gameplay and (most importantly) music.

Which reminds me... I'm sure I'll be humming the Speed Devils music until this comes out... can't wait!
Click to expand...
I like new and old graphics alike. I really like how the new ball looked like with redone graphics.

As for music, read this:
http://forums.toucharcade.com/showpost.php?p=342899&postcount=299
Pinball Fantasies is now in Apple review as of.. some 8 hours ago

The packet should this time be REALLY, really solid. Last nite it even seems we finally managed to figure out the reason giving us bad framerate and physics glitches/ball jumpings on older devices and Fantasies should now run virtually glitch free even on the iPhone 3G/1G Touch in portrait! (wifi+mail fetch should always be turned off tho)

We've also got some surprises up our sleeves, like Markus Nystrom aka Chevron aka the dude behing all of the original tables doing a new logo and all of the menu graphics for the game AND we will have a dedicated Wordpress site complete with forums up and running soon. There will be featured a private VIP area for the buyers of the game with unreleased full studio quality remixes of the Dreams/Fantasies tunes and other unreleased material from the original musician, Olof Gustafsson him veryself!
Click to expand...
 
Apple has a list up of their 30 favorite games here to promote the first anniversery of the app store.


Common Favorites

•Flight Control ($0.99)
•EDGE ($4.99)
•Fieldrunners ($2.99)
•Toki Tori ($0.99)
•Rolando ($5.99)
•TouchGrind ($4.99)
•Flick Fishing ($0.99)
•Real Tennis 2009 ($4.99)
•Sims 3 ($9.99)
•2XL Supercross ($7.99)
•Zen Bound ($4.99)
•Real Racing ($9.99)
•Topple 2 ($0.99)
•Baseball Slugger ($2.99)


UK/Australia Specific

•Bloons ($0.99)
•Monopoly ($4.99)
•Tiger Woods ($6.99)
•Myst ($5.99)
•Sonic the Hedgehog ($5.99)
•Trism ($2.99)
•Sentinel: Mars Defense ($0.99)
•Super Yum Yum ($1.99)
•Paper Toss (Free)
•F.A.S.T. ($1.99)
•Real Soccer/Football 2009 ($0.99)
•De Blob ($3.99)
•Crazy Machines ($2.99)
•Tiki Towers ($1.99)
•Up There ($1.99)
•Spore Origins ($2.99)


U.S. Specific

•geoDefense ($3.99)
•Let's Golf! ($1.99)
•Peggle ($4.99)
•WordFu ($0.99)
•Airport Mania: First Flight ($0.99)
•Sally's Salon ($0.99)
•Tap Tap Revenge (Free)
•Bejeweled 2 ($2.99)
•Labyrinth ($2.99)
•Fantastic Contraption ($4.99)
•Terminator Salvation ($4.99)
•iDracula ($2.99)
•Eliss ($0.99)
•Motion X Poker ($2.99)
•Glyder ($1.99)
•Galaxy on Fire ($4.99)

http://toucharcade.com/2009/07/07/apple-promotes-app-stores-one-year-anniversary/
 
Stoney Mason said:
Apple has a list up of their 30 favorite games here to promote the first anniversery of the app store.


Common Favorites

•Flight Control ($0.99)
•EDGE ($4.99)
•Fieldrunners ($2.99)
•Toki Tori ($0.99)
•Rolando ($5.99)
•TouchGrind ($4.99)
•Flick Fishing ($0.99)
•Real Tennis 2009 ($4.99)
•Sims 3 ($9.99)
•2XL Supercross ($7.99)
•Zen Bound ($4.99)
•Real Racing ($9.99)
•Topple 2 ($0.99)
•Baseball Slugger ($2.99)


UK/Australia Specific

•Bloons ($0.99)
•Monopoly ($4.99)
•Tiger Woods ($6.99)
•Myst ($5.99)
•Sonic the Hedgehog ($5.99)
•Trism ($2.99)
•Sentinel: Mars Defense ($0.99)
•Super Yum Yum ($1.99)
•Paper Toss (Free)
•F.A.S.T. ($1.99)
•Real Soccer/Football 2009 ($0.99)
•De Blob ($3.99)
•Crazy Machines ($2.99)
•Tiki Towers ($1.99)
•Up There ($1.99)
•Spore Origins ($2.99)


U.S. Specific

•geoDefense ($3.99)
•Let's Golf! ($1.99)
•Peggle ($4.99)
•WordFu ($0.99)
•Airport Mania: First Flight ($0.99)
•Sally's Salon ($0.99)
•Tap Tap Revenge (Free)
•Bejeweled 2 ($2.99)
•Labyrinth ($2.99)
•Fantastic Contraption ($4.99)
•Terminator Salvation ($4.99)
•iDracula ($2.99)
•Eliss ($0.99)
•Motion X Poker ($2.99)
•Glyder ($1.99)
•Galaxy on Fire ($4.99)
Click to expand...
You sure Sims 3 is a common? I don't have it in my list.

French list seems to be the same as the US one.
 
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