Turns out SNK Games isn’t the only company running a massive 99 cent sale on MFi controller compatible games. DotEmu, the company responsible for porting most of the aforementioned SNK games to iOS, is also running a 99 cent sale on their own self-published classics!
Not all DotEmu games support MFi controllers, but many do, and those games are generally excellent ports with full controller support in-game and in menus. Fans of classic arcade games should absolutely check these out.
SNK, a publisher of classic arcade games, is running a massive sale right now, dropping the price of their games to less than a dollar!
This sale is in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the King of Fighters series, and should be over by the end of the weekend.
There are a ton of excellent games in this sale. The King of Fighters series are classic fighting games, and all feature full MFi controller support. The Metal Slug games are some of the best shoot-em-ups ever, though only the third features MFi controller support at this time.
This sale is a great opportunity for classic arcade game fans to round out their collections.
As promised, the second update to action-RPG Wayward Souls will fully support MFi controllers, and has just been submitted to Apple. Developer Rocketcat Games took to twitter to announce it:
Wayward Souls update was submitted by the way. I’ll be able to post details on Monday. Still in Europe.
The Wayward Souls update coming up is the one with MFI support. Didn’t get cloud save sync in, but did save document exporting like in MG.
Apple’s review process lasts about a week these days, so barring an unforeseen complication, we should look forward to seeing this update hit within that timeframe.
Rocketcat Games’ pricing structure with Wayward Souls is interesting: every major update will increment the price by $1. For MFi controller fans, it might make sense to give the game a download today, before the price increase. Even without a controller, It’s a fun game, oozing with polish, and it’s worth the relatively premium price tag.
It looks like Beavertap Games, makers of the excellent Mikey Shorts and Mikey Hooks games, are about set to release their much-awaited follow-up game: Mikey Boots.
Mikey Boots is the third game in the “Mikey” trilogy, and sees the hero augmented with a set of jet boots, with gameplay shifting to a sort of cave-flyer style game – a genre that has seen renewed popularity on the back of the success of Flappy Bird.
According to TouchArcade, Mikey Boots will include “a half dozen unique environments across 42 levels, two playable characters, 230 different disguise combinations, achievements, MFi controller support, and Game Center. (Source)
Dodge fireballs by carefully timing your ascent
Both Mikey Shorts and Mikey Hooks, the previous games in the series, are excellent. Both feature MFi controller support for both Standard and Extended layouts, with Mikey Hooks featuring complete touch-free control over menus, in addition to gameplay.
Mikey Hooks is a particularly brilliant platformer, and despite it’s age, it still holds its own against newer iOS platformers quite well. But the gameplay of these previous games is much more in the vein of the traditional platformer, rather than the "hold to levitate and avoid crashing into things” mechanic re-popularized by Flappy Bird and incorporated by Mikey Boots.
Extensive character customization accompanies challenging levels
In fact, Beavertap Games developer (and frequent TouchArcade podcast contributor) Mike Meade previously joked about making the third Mikey game “Mikey Flaps” instead. That didn’t happen, and I hope I speak for everyone when I say the world is worse off for it. But considering Hodappy Bird is a thing that exists, perhaps this joke has gone far enough already.
Mikey Boots has been submitted to Apple, and barring any complications, should be available within the next few weeks.
Lunar: Silver Star Story, a classic JRPG from over 20 years ago, is about ready to receive a major update including redrawn widescreen retina graphics and MFi controller support. TouchArcade has the story.
This update was announced a long time ago, back in November of last year. Since then, it had gone unmentioned by the developers. While some feared it had been cancelled, it turns out that the depth of the graphical overhaul simply required a bit more time. The Lunar update is finally scheduled to be released within the next few weeks.
As you can see, the in-game sprites are really cleaned up and much sharper looking than they were originally. Also, since the original game was a 4:3 aspect ratio SoMoGa states that they have created “all-new artwork adjustments to provide a complete widescreen gameplay experience” for the new version of Lunar Touch. Additionally, the update will provide support for MFi controllers for those who want to play with physical controls. All in all it sounds like a really impressive update for a nearly 2 year old port of a 20+ year old game.
If everything goes as planned, we could be seeing this update within the next few weeks. Personally, I’ve been excited for this one since the announcement way back in November, so consider me excited.
Oceanhorn, one of the very best action-RPGs available for iOS, recently received a free âGame of the Year Editionâ upgrade.
This update brings 4 hours of additional content, mostly in the form of an entertaining new fishing minigame and an extensive new island.
If youâre a fan of RPGs who hasnât downloaded Oceanhorn yet, fix that immediately. This is one of the most polished and most well constructed gaming experiences available on iOS , and with this update, itâs better than ever.
A game announced 5 years ago played with a controller announced 5 months ago
Bioshock for iOS. It’s real. It’s happening. It has MFi controller support. And later this summer, you’ll be wanting to download it immediately.
This is a game with a long history. Bioshock for iOS was announcedyears ago, at least as far back as 2008. It immediately became one of the more highly anticipated iPhone games, but ended up dropping off the radar entirely. This all changed a few weeks ago, when publisher 2K Games tweeted an image that seemed to imply Bioshock for Apple devices was back on.
At some indeterminate point over the past few weeks, members of the press (no not including myself) were allowed to spend some hands-on time with Bioshock. Interestingly enough, they were allowed to play it using the MOGA Rebel controller. A controller which was promised to be revealed months ago, then which completely vanished, along with MOGA themselves.
First, TouchArcade provides an exhaustive, excellent hands on preview of the game, complete with 20 minutes of gameplay footage. Interestingly, they make no mention of the unannounced Rebel controller, perhaps implying that they already have one and are under NDA. Still, their impressions of the game are absolutely worth a look.
[…] All in all Bioshock on iOS is the same Bioshock we’ve known for the past 7 years. It controls just as good as any first-person shooter on a touchscreen, and paired with an MFi controller it’s just like playing on a console. The visuals have been ever so slightly toned down, but you’d be hard-pressed to tell. There are a couple of nifty extras like a digital art book and Game Center integration for leaderboards and achievements, but the biggest benefit of all is that the whole shebang fits snugly in your pocket. Or bag if you’re playing on iPad. But either way, it’s quite a marvel.
Next up, GameSpot shows a full video of actually playing the game with a controller (which they incorrectly refer to as the Moga Hero Power), and writes up additional detailed impressions of the game. Notably, GameSpot is NOT an iOS focused organization, so their impressions of the iOS version are the occasionally jaded views of PC and console gamers.
If the only thing stopping you from experiencing last-gen classic BioShock was the lack of a portable option, you’re about to have one less excuse. Publisher 2K announced today that BioShock is coming to iOS.
But in a hands-on session with an early build of the game, it seems to be a remarkably faithful port of the original. Obvious concessions had to be made to fit the game on less-powerful hardware, so there’s a noticeable dip in quality in the game’s textures, lighting and shadows, and sound compared to the original. Yet even with the downgrades, it’s still an impressive mobile accomplishment.
While it might not compare with Bioshock’s 6 year period between announcement and release, the MOGA Rebel has still been missing in action for quite some time. Originally teased back in February, MOGA revealed a partial image of the controller, and promised more information at GDC.
Mock-up of the Moga Rebel I created based on the leaked teaser – not bad at all, I think
Unfortunately, after inviting members of the press to a meeting at GDC, MOGA abruptly cancelled the reveal. Since that time, their status as a company is unclear. Their controller has fluctuated in availability, having been pulled from the Apple Store for a few months, only to be returned recently. Requests for comment have gone unresponded.
It’s great to see that both the MOGA Rebel and Bioshock for iOS are making progress – it’s been a long time coming in both cases. Bioshock for iOS is scheduled for release later this summer. Hopefully the MOGA Rebel won’t be far behind.
Lawnmower Retro Arcade, a NES rom inside an emulator with full MFi controller support, was just released on the App Store. Itâs unclear if this was an oversight on Appleâs part, or a change in policy, but traditionally theyâve frowned on emulators.
A NES game with MFi controller support
Fans of the NES with a little technical know-how (and who arenât interested in jailbreaking) will want to download this one immediately, on the off chance Apple removes it from sale.
Also a nice bonus: for those not interested in any behind-the-scenes fiddling, the Lawnmower game itself is actually strangely addictingâ¦
Super Crossfighter, a highly polished arcade game from developer Radian Games, has just been released for free with MFi controller support.
Taking inspiration squarely from Space Invaders and similar games, Super Crossfighter further expands on the genre by adding a unique “warp” feature, where you can quickly send your ship from the bottom of the screen to the top in order to collect powers and dodge incoming projectiles. From that point on, you continue playing the game from the top of the screen down until you warp back again. It’s an interesting mechanic that adds a level of depth to this game that distances it from being a mere Space Invaders clone.
Super Crossfighter has a somewhat complicated history. It was originally titled Super Crossfire, and published by Chillingo on a wide variety of platforms. Unfortunately, that name was subject to a trademark dispute, forcing the removal of the original version from sale. Developer Radian Games has opted to rename and re-release the game under their own identity, without Chillingo’s involvement.
Because of all these issues, Super Crossfighter is currently free for a very limited time, to allow owners of the previous release to upgrade. Even if you’ve never purchased the previous version of the game, now is a great time to give this one a try – it’s a lot of fun, and you can’t argue with the price.
Tower defense fans, start your downloads: the excellent Prime World: Defenders has been updated for full MFi controller support!
Prime World: Defenders combines tried-and-true tower defense mechanics with an engrossing storyline and top-notch visuals and production values. Controllers are fully supported, both in-game and for menu control.
High production values meet classic TD gameplay
Of the tower defense genre, there are two main types: maze-based and path-based. Maze based games allow you to construct towers anywhere you want to, allowing you to determine the paths your enemies will take on their way to your base by constructing a maze of defensive towers. Path based games have a preset path that enemies will follow, and task you with constructing towers along that path. Prime World Defenders is a path-based game. However, while path-based TD games have a tendency to get old over time due to a lack of variety, Prime World Defenders counters this through the use of randomly generated missions.
One of the more interesting and unique aspects of Prime World: Defenders is the way in which you collect new towers. These towers are presented as cards that you earn for completing various tasks. You decide which towers you’d like to be able to build by building a deck of these available cards. This, coupled with an upgrade tree for more general abilities, allows for a great deal of flexibility in how the game is played.
Choose your tower rollout from a collection of cards
It’s difficult NOT to recommend Prime World Defenders for fans of the tower defense genre. Graphics, presentation, polish… everything is absolutely first rate. Controller support is implemented excellently. It’s free to download, with the option to purchase in-game currency.
