Link: ‘Implosion coming soon’
Mfi4Gamerz posts a nice round-up of Implosion, an upcoming sci-fi themed action game with MFi controller support. Looking forward to this one.
Link: ‘Metal, a new graphics API for iOS 8’
The developers behind Unity share a brief rundown of some of the benefits of Apple’s new Metal API, as well as discussing how it relates to the Unity engine.
Based on our testing so far, we have seen API+driver overhead vanish to just a few percent of CPU time. That is a tremendous improvement comparing to 15-40% of CPU time that it used to be before! (…)
Weâre also looking forward to using Metal ability to do rendering submissions from multiple threads; this opens up very interesting optimization opportunities as well.
Unity is the engine behind a massive number of iOS games, from flagship graphics powerhouses to indie classics. Metal is going to be a huge deal for a lot of developers.
New Release: Table Top Racing Premium Edition
A new, premium version of the classic iOS kart-racer Table Top Racing was just released on to the App Store.
Unfortunately, this has been a bit of a controversial release. The original version of Table Top Racing was initially released as a premium game, and was then converted to freemium in a subsequent updated, leaving the people who originally purchased the product with a significantly worse experience, filled with ads and freemium aspects.
This version of the game restores things to the premium structure they originally were, and is a much better game for it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do anything to help the people who were screwed over by the freemium bait-and-switch undergone by the original app.
The developers seem to acknowledge the mistake they made, and are attempting to at least give hardcore gamers what they’ve been asking for. As long as this version actually stays premium this time, this one is an easy recommendation for racing game fans.
New Release: Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
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.
Review: Manuganu 2
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.
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.
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.
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.
New Release: Powerpuff Girls: Defenders of Townsville
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.
Updated: Rayman Fiesta Run
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.
New Release: Godfire
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.
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.
Updated: ‘RPG Quest Minimæ’ Updated for MFi Controller Support
Joined by new âFreemæâ version
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.
Updated: ‘SHADOWGUN’ Gets MFi Controller Support
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.
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.