Battlenoidz

As a child, I found those giant model dinosaurs that fill museums across the world simultaneously frightening and fascinating.

My young mind was unable to identify the lack of movement and the peeling paint as evidence that the dinosaur wasn’t able to eat me, or do any of the other amazing things that dinosaurs could do in their day.

BattleNoidz is the ageing model T-Rex of the iOS gaming world. While the initial impression given by the presentation is an awe-inspiring one, stiff movement and cracks in the gameplay belie a title that belongs more in a museum than in your hands.

Loading

The ideas behind the game are sound: you control a tiny robot tasked with ferrying items safely back to your ship without being blasted to bits by evil robots. Read the rest of this entry »

Volcano Escape

You don’t have to go back far to remember the last major volcanic eruption on planet Earth. Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull halted trans-Atlantic air travel and dominated the headlines as a freak of nature, despite the fact that eruptions occur all the time.

It’s a point to consider amid the bombast surrounding Volcano Escape. This undeniably great-looking game might seem like something fresh, but it’s ultimately just another jumping game.

Slick graphics is the game’s only claim to fame, whereas floaty controls and a lack of options make it less desirable than the leagues of jumping games that have come before it.

Heated holiday

As one of six visitors to a remote tropical island, you’re sacrificed in an erupting volcano by a tribe of natives. Using a virtual analogue stick and ‘jump’ button, you have to flee from the rising lava by hopping rocky platforms. Of course, there’s no escape – the game continues until you finally succumb to the fiery sludge. Read the rest of this entry »

Etolis Arena

One wonders how much more entertaining sports would be if the penalty for losing wasn’t to suffer the harsh words of the press and general public, but to instead be blown to smithereens.

That’s essentially what occurs in Etolis: Arena, a twin-stick shooter set in the distant future. You’re little more than a plaything forced to do battle in order to entertain a maniacal monarch, sent into the arena time and again until you succumb to the onslaught or emerge victorious.

There’s a surprisingly deep story behind all of the carnage, involving vast empires and a queen with a penchant for violence, but it’s hidden away in a sub-menu rather than given the spotlight.

Without this expanded plotline you’d be forgiven for thinking Etolis: Arena is little more than a lacklustre shooter – which isn’t a million miles from the truth. Read the rest of this entry »

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX

The Good:

Sleeping ghosts completely change how you go about scoring big
Slow motion and bombs are terrific new elements
Eating dozens of ghosts at once is immensely satisfying
Variety of game modes, mazes, visual, and musical options
Difficulty options offer great experiences to players of any skill level.

The Bad:

Poor leaderboard integration.

Three years ago, Pac-Man Championship Edition took the classic Pac-Man formula and reinvigorated it with a new look, changing mazes, a ticking clock and a new emphasis on skillfully eating lots of ghosts in sequence to rack up huge points. Read the rest of this entry »