The long-awaited worldwide release of Monster Hunter for iOS is finally here. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite was just released on the US App Store with full MFi controller support!
At $14.99, this game doesn’t come cheap. But to be fair, the PSP version became one of the best selling games of all time at about 40 dollars each, so this is actually not so bad.
I’ll put together a full review of this soon enough, but I know a lot of people have been hotly anticipating this game, and have no intention of waiting. For those who want to immediately play with a MFi controller: Monster Hunter seems to be fully compatible with every controller, but does require the controller be manually enabled in the Options menu.
After I put some significant time into this game, I’ll be back with a full review, and more.
Ever since its big reveal last month, the Razer Junglecat has vaulted to the top of the list of upcoming MFi controllers I’ve been most excited about. While many people have been eagerly awaiting a full-size Xbox / PlayStation style bluetooth controller, to me, the idea of the Junglecat is almost more intriguing â a controller designed to stay on your iPhone all the time, occupying a minimum of space, and turning a regular iPhone into a true mobile game console.
Over the past week or so, I’ve been using a preview copy of the Junglecat controller that Razer was nice enough to send me. I’ll be posting a full review once the final version is available, but I’ve managed to get some impressions from using this pre-release version.
Read on to learn quite a bit more about what gaming on the Junglecat is like.
The Controller
In their quest to make the smallest and most portable iPhone controller design possible, Razer opted for a sliding mechanism, where the controls themselves are on a lower section that slides smoothly under the iPhone when not in use. It is a design explored very similarly by Sony for their PSPGo console several years ago, though the Razer controller feels far superior to Sony’s offering, both in build quality and in playability.
Despite the sliding mechanism having such a strong resemblance to the PSPGo, the white Junglecat I’ve been sampling actually reminds me of the Nintendo DS; not just in color and layout, but in the feel and spacing of the buttons and d-pad. The size is almost identical to some of Nintendo’s handhelds as well; anyone who could comfortably fit a DS or a 3DS in their pocket will have no problems at all carrying the Junglecat.
No joke – this is one of the best ways to play Sonic I’ve ever seen
D-pads have been a weakness of every MFi controller released so far. The d-pads on the previously released controllers all require too much pressure to activate, and many of them are badly textured or too large. With that said, the d-pad on the Junglecat feels about as good as you’re going to get with the circular design that Apple mandates for MFi controller manufacturers. It’s still circular, but its small enough to easily cover the entire range of motion. It still requires a little too much pressure to activate, but it does require less than the other available controllers. I was also told by Razer that the pressure sensitivity of the buttons and d-pad is not quite finalized, so hopefully this can be improved before the final version enters mass production. In addition to the d-pad, the buttons themselves are solidly built. They feature a matte finish, they press down with a perfect amount of depth, and they’re spaced a nice distance apart from one another for a mobile device.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the build quality of the Junglecat is the sliding mechanism. This sliding piece is going to be beat up and used constantly, and yet still has to be strong enough to hold the controller closed when not in use. I’m happy to say that Razer seems to have absolutely nailed this. The Junglecat feels sturdy, smooth, and overall pleasant when sliding out and retracting. The aluminum backing feels sturdy, and the mechanism slides out without a hint of roughness. Time will tell how strong the design turns out to be, but it certainly feels solid for now, and there hasn’t been the slightest hint of wear over the past few weeks of heavy use.
Razer takes design cues from the PSPGo, but executes far better than Sony did
Attaching the iPhone to the Junglecat is straightforward: the left side of the iPhone case part of the controller detaches, allowing the iPhone to slide in and dock with the Lightning adapter on the right side. Once the iPhone is in place, the case re-attaches securely. The connection feels snug and stable, and at no point have I felt like the iPhone is in danger of coming out. In fact, removing the iPhone is somewhat difficult, and requires almost pushing it out by the screen itself. This is not a case designed to come off â Razer is aiming for a product you leave on your iPhone all the time.
In fact, that is the main point of the Junglecat: portability. Being small enough to carry with you anywhere, all the time, without the discomfort of a big controller case. In the time I’ve spent with the Junglecat, it has stayed on my iPhone consistently, and I haven’t found any issues with size or bulkiness.
The Games
The Junglecat is an official MFi controller using the Standard layout specification â 4 face buttons, a circular d-pad, a pause button, and two shoulder buttons. This is opposed to the Extended layout, which adds two analog sticks and two triggers. Razer’s decision to use only the Standard layout design is a little unfortunate for those hoping to get the best experience from shooter games, but it was likely done in order to slim the size of the case down. Ultimately, there are hundreds of games currently available that are compatible with the Standard layout, so even without the analog sticks, gamers should have no problem finding something to play.
Even difficult games like Jet Set Radio are fully playable on the Junglecat
As for the actual experience of playing games with the Junglecat, my impressions so far are very positive. I’ve thrown some really difficult games at it – twitch reaction platformers, fighting games, high-speed racers, even one of my most demanding test games: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. All of them were fully playable and enjoyable, and I had no issues hitting combos with the buttons or timing things accurately. I will continue to test a wide selection of games, and will expand on this for the final Junglecat review.
The Visual Design
I want to spend a little time talking about that visual design, because I think it’s particularly commendable, and speaks volumes about how seriously Razer has taken this market.
To put it simply, the design is clean. This may not sound like a big deal, but it’s extremely unusual for Razer â a company with an aggressive and opinionated design language. Razer products are defined by neon green lighting, sharp angled surfaces, dark black plastic with vivid highlights, backlit logos; Razer makes hardcore gaming products with a design language that screams “hardcore gamer”. The gamers who purchase Razer products are doing so partly because they want to be part of design experience Razer provides. It’s a loyal fan-base, and it takes the neon Razer logos and backlit mechanical keyboards as marks of pride.
This Junglecat controller couldn’t be more different from Razer’s usual designs. Short of a simple Razer logo embossed in the plastic on the rear of the controller, nothing about this controller screams out that it’s anything other than an Apple product. And I think that shows enormous understanding of the market. Because just as Razer’s hardcore PC gaming customers embrace Razer’s visual identity, Apple’s equally-loyal customers embrace Apple’s visual identity. Apple’s design is a huge part of the reason people buy Apple products. The Junglecat doesn’t try to sell you part of the Razer ecosystem, with the identity that entails; it’s simply about making a nice controller for your iPhone, and then getting out of the way and letting you play. To me, this shows Razer is serious about the iOS market. They’re not playing to their fan base, but instead trying to make the best controller possible for everyone â even those who’ve never heard of Razer before.
The Junglecat features a beautiful, clean design that perfectly augments the iPhone
This understated design is particularly noteworthy because it is something Razer’s competitors have dropped the ball on. The other controller makers all opted to put brightly colored plastic, neon lights, or chrome nameplates on their controllers, to make it clear to anyone using it that it isn’t an Apple gaming experience, but rather an insert-brand-here experience â a decision that I think happens to be out-of-touch with what Apple customers want out of a product.
The App
The most interesting aspect of the Junglecat actually isn’t part of the controller at all, but rather is something that comes with it. Razer will be shipping the Junglecat with a companion app. This app will serve as a place to find compatible games for the controller, and more importantly, to customize aspects of the controller to your tastes. Every button can be rearranged and reassigned, which allows you to compensate for bad button mapping decisions made by certain game developers.
Being able to customize the controller is a bigger deal than it sounds, and improves many games
Perhaps most importantly, the sensitivity of the d-pad and buttons is completely customizable. This allows the user to choose between fine-grained pressure sensitivity detail or fast-acting high-sensitivity buttons. Whats more, these settings can be saved to multiple profiles. For games without pressure sensitivity, turning off fine-grain pressure controller will allow for far faster action. For platforming games where movement speed is critical, a d-pad with the biggest range of motion might be ideal.
These customization options might not seem like a big deal, but in practice, they really improve the experience of actually playing games. Razer really hit it out of the park with this feature.
Side-scrollers are a perfect match with the Standard layout
Final Impressions
I went in to the experience of using the Junglecat excited about the prospect of having a controller that was light enough and portable enough to remain attached to the iPhone full time. After using it for a decent length of time, I’m convinced that Razer might seriously be on to something here. This is the first available MFi controller that I think could have a real mass market appeal for a lot of iPhone users. The built quality is solid, the design is highly portable, and the aesthetics are unobtrusively clean.
The big question mark to me is the price. Razer announced the Junglecat with a $99 price point, and I’m not sure that’s something that a mass-market audience will be able to stomach. There is no doubt that the Junglecat is a quality product, but that is not a cheap price to pay, even for quality. With that said, there is still time before to adjust the price before release â in fact, Amazon is already listing the pre-order cost as $88, which is heading the right direction. And if Apple is as committed to showing off these controllers as we all hope they will be, the Junglecat should have no problem selling.
Cost aside, there is no doubt that the Junglecat is a quality product. I’ll put together a more thorough review and comparison between controllers when the Junglecat is finalized and available for sale, but it’s already clear to me that this has the potential to be a real winner. For gamers who are looking for an always-ready, always-connected controller for their iPhone, it’s going to be very hard to beat the Junglecat.
Manuganu 2, a twitch-reaction auto runner platformer, was just released with full MFi controller support.
In this game, you play as the titular Manuganu on a quest to rescue your kidnapped best friend on a journey through 40 levels.
Deadly obstacles, branching paths, and beautiful graphics
Manuganu 2 nails the basics of the auto-runner genre. The traditional âthree-starâ mechanic is here, with each level offering stars for picking up a certain number of the small collectables, picking up three big coins, and reaching the goal under a certain time. Trying to hit all of those at once brings a very welcome extra challenge for the hardcore gamer – thatâs how I always try to play these things, and this game plays very well from that perspective.
Swing over chasms and collect coins on your way to to the goal
In addition to getting the basic design right, Manuganu 2 introduces a mechanic that you donât see much of in this style of game: the ability to stop. Your character still runs by default, but a quick press of the stop button allows you to stand still, causing certain traps and obstacles to miss you. Stand still too long though, and youâll miss the time bonus. Itâs an interesting game mechanic, and a welcome addition.
Swimming, flying, and the occasional boss fight round out the basics with a welcome variety, making for a more in-depth experience than usual for a mobile game.
Collecting every gold coin will keep you coming back for more
Manuganu 2 enters a relatively crowded genre – there are no shortage of excellent auto-runner platforms on iOS, many of which have controller support. What Manuganu brings to the table is a high degree of polish, solid level design, and addicting gameplay. This is the type of game that youâll keep pressing ânext levelâ without thinking about it, until you find that youâve spend the past hour playing – it has that addicting element that is so critical in mobile gaming.
Ultimately, unless youâre completely burned out on the endless / auto runner genre, Manuganu 2 is a solid recommendation. Itâs a polished, fun game with great controller support at a fair price; you canât ask for much more than that.
Powerpuff Girls: Defenders of Townsville, a side-scrolling exploration / shoot-em-up game by Radian Games, based the Powerpuff Girls franchise by Cartoon Network, has just been released with full MFi controller support.
Both Radian Games and Cartoon Network have a reputation for putting out quality iOS games, and that reputation holds true here. The gameplay is solid, controller support is well implemented, and there is not a hint of in-app-purchase or advertisement pop-ups to be seen.
You don’t have to be a fan of the Powerpuff Girls franchise to find something to enjoy here. Fans of side-scrolling action games in the Metroid / Castlevania style should give this one a serious look.
Rayman Fiesta Run received a much needed update today, massively scaling back the aggressiveness of its Facebook integration.
Rayman Fiesta Run exemplified one of the worst aspects of mobile gaming: the obsession some developers have with making their customers spam their friends on social networks. While this is barely tolerable in free games, in a paid app like Rayman, the Facebook icons everywhere and Facebook begging in the load screens was downright offensive.
Ubisoft’s decision to dial this way back, to one icon in the main menu, makes this a much better game. It still isn’t perfect, and is still lacks the polish and depth of its console equivalents, but at least it isn’t actively offensive anymore. I really hope this signals a change in Ubisoft’s policies to mobile gaming, but I suppose time will tell on that. For now, platforming game fans should give this one a look, and read the review to see more about how it was.
Godfire, an action brawler with beautiful graphics and high production values, has just been released for iOS with MFi controller support.
Presented as a third-person action-adventure brawler with themes steeped in Greek mythology, Godfire seems to be trying to capture the same feel that as the excellent God of War games.
Third person action with great graphics
The graphics and presentation of Godfire are top-quality. I’m less sure about the gameplay. Based on the limited time I’ve spend with this game, there is a general sluggishness to both movement and combat that is a little disconcerting. I’ll spend more time with this one, and hopefully have a review up soon – with any luck, the game will pick up the pace further on.
Either way, Godfire is worth considering, at least as a tech demo of exactly what the latest iOS hardware is capable of.
It seems the torrent of MFi controllers revealed at E3 is not letting up quite yet. Today, gaming tablet hardware maker Wikipad has officially taken the wraps off their first iOS accessory: the Gamevice.
Presenting the Gamevice
Clad in a Nintendo-esque white plastic, the Gamevice seems unassuming, but make no mistake – there is a lot of power packed into this controller. The Gamevice is a full Extended format MFi controller sporting two full analog sticks, pressure-sensitive ABXY and shoulder buttons, and a fully analog d-pad.
No nubs here – these are real analog sticks
One of the most noteworthy aspects of the Gamevice is that it is currently planned to be exclusive to the iPad Mini and iPad Mini with Retina display, and does not offer direct compatibility with iPhones or larger iPads. While the Mini Retina is my personal favorite iPad design, most of the recently announced controllers (all except the Junglecat, actually) are independent bluetooth designs with a focus on compatibility with as much iOS hardware as possible. While many gamers will likely favor one of these more universally compatible designs, they might be making a rush to judgement in doing so – iOS 8âs controller forwarding feature allows any MFi controller to be used with any device.
Full triggers and pressure sensitive shoulder buttons
There are two versions of the Gamevice currently under development: the normal version, and a second version with a backup battery for the iPad, capable of approximately doubling the iPad Miniâs battery life. Both connect to the iPad over Lightning, and both use the now-standard micro-USB cable to charge. It is currently unknown if power passthrough will be supported, but based on my experiences with the Moga controller, I hope so.
For all the power this thing packs, it manages to avoid looking bulky
There are two obvious questions that spring to mind with this, and any other controller: How much does it cost, and when can I buy it? And unfortunately, neither of those have a firm answer at the moment. The Gamevice is roughly scheduled for release near the holiday shopping season, to try to capitalize on the Christmas rush, and to allow time for finalizing and polishing the design. As for price, I was told the goal is âto be as aggressive as possible without giving it away.â Basically, I wouldnât expect this to undercut the rest of the MFi controllers out there, but I also wouldnât expect it to break the bank with an outrageous markup.
Iâm looking forward to getting my thumbs on these buttons
Despite a scheduled winter release date, The Gamevice is actually quite far in development. Working copies were playable by the press at E3, and while no reports are currently available about HOW it plays, Iâd be very surprised if peopleâs impressions were anything but positive. The manufacturer of the Gamevice, Wikipad, is a high-end Android gaming hardware designer. The eponymous Wikipad is a gaming-focused Android tablet with an included form-fitting game controller, and is generally regarded a quality product.
For an iPad gamer, this is as good as it gets
It is obvious that the Gamevice isnât for everyone; thatâs okay. This is a specialty controller designed for gamers who primarily play on an iPad Mini, and who want the absolute best experience doing so. This describes me perfectly, and I have a feeling it describes a lot of other people as well. I wouldnât be surprised to see the Gamevice sell a lot of units this winter, and Iâm pretty sure Iâll be one of many people doing the buying.
Learn more about the Gamevice by visiting Gamevice.com.
Visit the MFi Game List to check out a full list of games compatible with the Gamevice.
Top-down turn-based RPG Minimæ has just been updated for full MFi controller support, and plays great with all available controllers.
Minimæ presents a solidly crafted yet minimalistic RPG with an 8-bit aesthetic; the whole thing feels like something right out of the NES era, in a good way.
In addition to updating Miniæ for controller support, developer P1XL has also released a new âFreemæâ version – a freemium edition with video ads. At the very least, RPG fans should give the free version a shot – itâs a solid throw-back to a classic era of gaming.
TouchArcade finishes their excellent E3 coverage with a round-up of all of their previously posted MFi controller videos.
I expected we’d see a lot of mobile gaming stuff at E3 this year, as even though mobile still plays second fiddle to all the console and PC gaming stuff at the show, its presence has only been growing year after year. What I didn’t expect is the ridiculous number of MFi controllers that would be on the E3 show floor.
While we’ve linked to these videos individually in the past, the whole article is worth a read; lots of great information there from people who were able to try them all.
The update is a little buggy, though – proceed with caution
Classic iOS cover shooter Shadowgun was recently updated for MFi controller support, joining developer Madfinger’s other iOS games Samurai II and Dead Trigger 2 in supporting controllers.
Cover-shooting with top-flight graphics
All is not well, though. There are widespread issues with installing this update resulting in lost save files and startup crashes. Personally, I found uninstalling the game and then reinstalling it solved the problem, but your mileage may vary. If you have a copy of this game already installed, and you’re worried about your save file, I recommend holding off on this update for now.
