A new Standard layout controller from PC accessory maker Razer
Update:
The Junglecat will be compatible with the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5S, and not with the 5C
The price is currently planned to be $99
According to Razer: “Razer Junglecat features highly-sensitive D-pad, ABXY action buttons and bumpers on a sliding gamepad case that is light weight and ultra slim.”
It looks like Razer is getting closer to revealing more about their iOS MFi controller plans. EVleaks today revealed what appears to be a picture of a Standard layout MFi controller in a sliding form factor.
This new picture is the first actual photograph of any MFi hardware from Razer. It appears to be taken from a magazine, or other printed document.
EVLeaks was the first to reveal Razerâs original MFi controller mockup, though that form factor has since been abandoned by Razer in favor of alternate designs.
As nice as it is to have this photograph, we have received information that this leaked Junglecat controller will NOT be the only controller Razer releases. We have received information from multiple sources that at least one Extended layout controller is coming as well.
We will share more information about the Razer Junglecat MFi controller, as well as future controllers, as it becomes available.
Blade Electronics announced via tweet that the iOS 7 compatible version of their Bladepad game controller is tentatively scheduled for release on October 21st.
The pre-MFi Bladepad
Much like the very similar Caliber Advantage controller, the Bladepad was originally revealed last year, before Apple’s MFi controller program was announced. Subsequent to Apple’s iOS7 unveil, the Bladepad team was forced to redesign much of the controller. The redesigned version has yet to be revealed.
The currently-revealed Bladepad’s sliding design provides a clever and compact way to carry the controller without occupying too much space. Hopefully the redesigned version will keep those attributes. We’ll be sure to continue coverage of this controller as more information becomes available.
According to mfi4gamerz, Hori intends to reveal more information about the controller at E3, which is scheduled to occur between June 10th and June 12th.
We’ve managed to obtain some hands-on images and videos from a number of Japanese publications. Read on for the closest and most thorough look yet at this upcoming controller.
The bulk of the available pictures of this controller come from Japanese game site Meet-i, which was able to use the Hori controller at a preview event of Monster Hunter Portable 2ndG.
Lastly, there is a hands-on video of Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G by Famitsu available on Youtube. The part with the Horipad controller starts 15 minutes in to the video.
We will continue to follow the development of this controller closely, and hope to get our own hands-on impressions as soon as possible.
F1 Race Stars, the freemium racing game by Codemasters, has been updated for MFi controller support.
I haven’t spent a huge amount of time with this game yet, so I’m not entirely sure how aggressive its freemium tendencies are. The gameplay itself seems fun, though the game has a tendency to run at a lower-than-60fps frame rate, even with the iPhone 5S.
Beautiful graphics, but they feel worse in motion
I’ll be putting together a full review of F1 Race Stars in the future, once I have some more time to spend with it. For now, racing game fans might as well give it a shot. Codemasters is a real company, and a free download is a free download…
The first available controller becomes the first discontinued controller
The MOGA Ace Power MFi controller appears to have been removed from sale. Apple has removed its listing from the Apple Store and removed the controller from store shelves, and stocks are limited (and often discounted) at Best Buy. While still available on Amazon from third party sellers, ship time has slipped to 3-4 weeks. Moga offers the controller for sale on their website, though the ‘Buy Now’ link on the controllerâs homepage is broken, and there have been reports of errors with actually purchasing the controller.
The Ace Power was first made available in mid November of last year, becoming the first MFi controller sold, and beating Logitechâs offering by about a month. While the Ace Power had build quality and price issues, it is still the only form-fitting iPhone controller with an Extended analog layout.
Invisible MOGA
The Ace Power controller isnât the only thing thatâs hard to find; MOGA themselves have maintained almost complete silence over the past several months.
After a flurry of activity through early March of this year, MOGAâs Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube channels have been largely abandoned. That is with the exception of one Facebook post on April 16th apologizing for their lack of response to customer support emails – implying that in addition to public silence, MOGA has been ignoring private support requests.
This near complete silence is echoed at MOGAâs parent company Power-A, whose Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube accounts have reflected an identical lack of activity, and whose blog is offline.
Whatâs more, Craig Erickson, Director of Hardware Engineering and Systems Integration and lead designer of the Moga Ace Power and Moga Rebel controllers, appears to no longer be working at MOGA parent company Bensussen Deutsch & Associates as of March 2014, according to his Linkedin page.
Itâs unfortunate. Apple pulling their controller from sale, MOGA completely abandoning their social media channels, promised press release dates being missed without comment, a lead designer departing⦠None of this bodes well for MOGA. Weâve requested comment, and will update this post if we hear anything new.
Aliens VS Predator Evolution, the first game ever released with any form of MFi controller support, has just been updated for improved (and fixed) controller support.
When AVP was initially released in September of 2013, itâs release notes included the first known reference of controller support in an iOS game, signaling the first sign of Appleâs acceptance of MFi support in uploaded binaries. This was the first public mention of controller support for iOS since it was initially announced at that yearâs WWDC, and a welcome sign that the MFi controller program was still in progress.
Within a few months of AVPâs launch, the first controllers would hit the shelves. Ironically, AVP itself – the game that signified Appleâs continued support of official controllers – would feature incomplete and broken controller support. As such, it is particularly nice to see this update hit.
A good game ruined by freemium gets a second chance
Good news for iOS racing game fans: arcade racer Table Top Racing will be getting a new âgamer editionâ version to remove all of the ads, grinding, and freemium currencies.
From developer Playrise Digital:
âWeâve received an overwhelming amount of feedback from TTR fans worldwide and weâre pleased to be able to deliver on their top two requests, No Adverts! No Grind!â said Nick Burcombe, CEO Playrise Digital. âTable Top Racing: Gamer Edition features no advertising at all and the price of the Premium Cars, Upgrades, Paint Jobs and Weapon Wheels have all been halved! Just pure unadulterated fun for a one off price. Weâve left the option for In-App purchases in, but they are completely optional for those that want to cheat their way to victory or to support future developmentâ.
Iâve been hesitant to recommend Table Top Racing because of all of the freemium nonsense. The Gamer Edition, scheduled to go on sale later this year, will hopefully solve that problem.
Gamers looking to get a feel for Table Top Racing should still download the standard edition for free. Just keep in mind, now would be a really bad time to purchase anything in it.
A short, well written review of the SteelSeries Stratus with some really nice product photography. Worth a read for those on the fence about this controller.
And yes, I know Afterpad doesn’t have any controller reviews of our own yet. I’m working on it.
It looks like another manufacturer is about to try their hand at making an MFi controller. HORI, a long-historied Japanese controller and accessory manufacturer, is set to release the HORIPAD controller for iOS in the coming months.
The HORIPAD controller
The HORIPAD is a wireless bluetooth MFi controller with a similar layout to the PlayStation’s design. The analog sticks seem to be close in design to the Xbox 360 controller’s feel, though with the FPS-friendly parallel layout of the PlayStation controller.
This HORIPAD controller for iOS seems to be based on the currently-discontinued HORIPAD Pro PlayStation controller.
The HORIPAD Pro, with a strong family resemblance and a giant cable
Very little is known about this controller so far. I was tipped off about it only yesterday, when it appeared in the screenshot artwork of the Japan-only Monster Hunter Portable 2 game. While I was able to obtain a higher quality art asset, I wasn’t able to find much in the way of additional information about the controller.
More information about the HORIPAD will likely be available as it nears release. While there are no shortage of wirelesscontrollers for iOS on the horizon, HORI is known for making good quality accessories at reasonable prices. This is one to watch.
Classic platforming in an unapologetically monochrome world
2-Bit Cowboy enters an age in which mobile devices are capable of incredible feats of graphical prowess. An age in which the iPhones we carry in our pockets rival the best computers from a decade ago. And, equally importantly, an age in which the difficulty of modern games has been reduced to the point where even the most casual of gamers can beat the latest AAA blockbuster without breaking a sweat.
2-Bit Cowboy doesnât care about any of this. 2-Bit Cowboy is a classical platformer of a bygone era. 2-Bit Cowboy will kill you for a mistimed jump. 2-Bit Cowboy will punish you with a hail of bullets for failing to approach an enemy at the right angle. And, oh yes, 2-Bit Cowboy is completely monochrome, with graphics assembled entirely from green-tinted shades of black, white, and gray.
And for anyone with a soft spot in their heart for what platforming games used to be, 2-Bit Cowboy is exactly what the doctor ordered. It is a chance to travel back in time to be a cowboy with a gun in the Wild West, and to be a kid with a Game Boy in the 1990s.
The 2-Bit Cowboy stands proud
2-Bit Cowboy is refreshingly straightforward in its presentation. Your town has been overrun with a gang of criminals. You play a cowboy (or cowgirl) attempting to rid the town of these gang members and return the things theyâve stolen. After this story is presented via a short cutscene, itâs on to the game.
Gameplay itself has a great feel to it. While reminiscent of classic action-platformers from the Game Boy era, 2-Bit Cowboy doesnât specifically copy any of them, instead featuring its own mix of jumping and gunplay. Perhaps most interestingly, 2-Bit Cowboy features a wall slide mechanic. Pressing and holding against a wall allows you to slowly grind down the side of it, with the ability to jump or shoot in the opposite direction at any time. Itâs a welcome addition to the genre, and one I canât recall seeing in any actual platforming games from the era. Itâs not all platforming, however; 2-Bit Cowboy focuses just as much on gunplay.
Destroy the crates and avoid traps
While this game can be played as a straight platformer, rushing through each level and dodging enemies on your way to the finish line, that doesnât really provide the best experience. Each level in 2-Bit Cowboy contains an assortment of side quests: kill 5 bandits, collect 50 coins, rescue 7 sheep, and so on. While these quests are straightforward in design, they often require extremely precise shooting from precarious positions to succeed, as well as exploring additional side paths. Finishing every level with every objective complete, and unlocking the associated Game Center achievements, is exactly the challenge fans of retro platformers will love.
All of this would feel tiring in poorly designed levels, but thatâs not something to worry about here: the levels in 2-Bit Cowboy are clever, spacious, and challenging, with alternate routes and secret paths. Some areas are only reachable through riding on horseback, cow-back, or on top of a mine cart (an almost obligatory vehicle for platformers of the era).
Outgun your enemies, or youâll need a doctor
Graphics are tricky to get right in a game like this. Too retro, and a lot of modern niceties are sacrificed. Not retro enough, and the intended atmosphere is lost. Iâm happy to say that 2-Bit Cowboy absolutely nails this balance.
2-Bit Cowboy completely evokes the feeling of the GameBoy-era platformer without entirely limiting itself to its shortcomings. To be clear, this game would not be possible on a true 8-Bit system. Multi-layered parallax background, variable pixel size, massive smooth-scrolling levels – these things were simply not possible in the games 2-Bit Cowboy recollects. And none of that matters, because the FEELING of those games is completely preserved here. The graphics here are reminiscent of the classic platformers of old in all the best ways, and updated in ways that feel completely natural.
Slide down the wall while shooting the bottles
Unfortunately, the sound design doesnât quite match the perfection of the visuals. The actual sound effects themselves arenât bad; the music is the biggest issue here. The entire soundtrack consists of one short western theme song, looping continuously. And aesthetically, the soundtrack feels too rich for the visuals. It feels more like something youâd hear from the DS than from the Game Boy.
All available MFi controllers are supported in-game. I was one of the beta testers for controller support, and it has come a long way since the first beta. Controller support still isnât perfect, however. Very occasionally, the d-pad will stop responding in mid-air. You can fix this by quickly releasing the d-pad, then pressing it again. Additionally, shooting your gun can occasionally feel âstickyâ. The game delays your shots, and this delay feels awkward when firing rapidly with a controller – sometimes a second bullet will automatically fire a few milliseconds after youâve released the shoot button, and sometimes it wonât fire until you press again. Luckily, these issues occur rarely, and should by no means be considered deal-breakers. Furthermore, these issues never occur with the touch controls, which are excellent.
Customize your cowboy or cowgirl with money earned from missions
At the end of the day, 2-Bit Cowboy manages to shine as a love letter to the classic action-platforming games of the past. That would fine enough on it’s own. But beyond being a simple nostalgia trip, 2-Bit Cowboy succeeds as a solid, fun, challenging action-platforming game in itâs own right – even if youâve never seen a Game Boy.
And if you do have a soft spot in your heart for the classic Game Boy, give 2-Bit Cowboy an immediate download. It brings back memories of the best parts of the era. At the very least, give the free version a shot. And if you like it, grab the full one – it’s worth the small asking price.
Update:
A free, ad-supported version of 2-Bit Cowboy is now available, and the review has been modified to reflect that
