Hundreds (iOS - iPad)

Hundreds, you had me at a screenshot: crisp, sleak and minimalist. You jumped at me. The first thing I read about Hundreds said : "Sometimes a game can be sold on the mere mention of its creators alone. Hundreds, a new iOS puzzler released earlier this week, has Adam Saltsman (Canabalt) and Greg Wohlwend (Puzzlejuice) behind it."

I was sold.

Perhaps you don't know these names, Adam Saltman is a man who's brain seems to be overflowing with game ideas and is responsible for Canabalt, which gave birth to the "endless runner" genre. I have been playing another game called "Capsule" of his and didn't even know it (more on that later), check out his page for the vast swath of creativity. Greg Wohlwend is the brilliant artist behind Puzzlejuice, a game that I bought only because the colour palette was soo good and Ridiculous Fishing, a game that has such a striking graphical design that I find myself constantly taking screenshots while playing. 

RED = DEAD

That's all you need to know about Hundreds, actually, you don't even need to know that, you'd find that out in about 4 seconds. This game doesn't need tutorials, it doesn't need to explain. As you play you learn, as you learn it throws more obstacles an abilities at you and then you learn some more - now repeat. It's the basic concept of almost every game! That's the genius, it's like abstract art, filtering down and stripping away the subject until the abstract essence is left: the core - that's what you get. That's Hundreds. At the beginning you'll think, 'Oh this will be a nice zen-style game' and by level 40 you'll be frantically playing multi-touch-finger-twister trying to get those circles to swell, others to shrink, some to freeze, some or bounce or pop - you'll get to 97 and the screen freezes and goes red...mocking you and yet encouraging you - like the perfectly spoken "Again" in Terry Cavanagh's Super Hexagon, you hate to hear it, but it spurs you on.

TheAtlantic.com called Hundreds the "Haute Couture of Video Games" and "a video game that you can imagine James Bond playing." The game is simply sexy, reduced and locked-in, Hundreds is something that 'non-gamers' can appreciate. There are no elves or aliens, no guns or voluptuous bikini-toting blade-wielding manga chicks, simply an abstract art style that is sure to turn heads and attract new players. 

The iPad has it's definitive console specific game, this is the Mario Bros., the Sonic, the Halo, the Resident Evil of tablets - and if you play on one you need this game.

Greg Wohlwend : http://aeiowu.com/

Adam Saltman : http://adamatomic.com/

Play Greg Wohlwend's original Flash Version here.

Indiegames.com article.

Theatlantic.com article.

Kavinsky (iOS)

Kavinsky is an iOS game from the French electronic house musician, Vincent Belorgey. You'd probably recognize his track "Nightcall" - it was used in the film Drive. His album "OutRun" (named after the Sega arcade game from the 80's which I think there was a copy of that at the local swimming pool, when I was growing up) is an awesome 80's- beat driven 45min that is reminiscent of movie (and video game) soundtracks. I think it sounds a lot like Power Glove and I don't think he'd mind me saying so.

As with the Sega game, this iOS game features the iconic Ferrari Testarossa (which according to Kavinsky's Wikipedia page, he drives in real life). There are levels that you drive in, beat-em up levels, levels where you beat people up to protect your Ferrari and there's a way to pop the graphics back in time for a retro feel.

Also according to the Wikipedia page, Kavinsky "always wears the same pair of sunglasses for live shows" and I am assuming those are the ones that the character in the video game wears, his T-1000 red eyes glaring though.

Apparently the Kavinsky is a character that  Vincent Belorgey thought up, of a guy who crashed his Testarossa in 1986, who then reappears as a zombie in 2006 to make electronic music. And none of that really comes out in the game, it could have really used an in-game comic or something - that would have made it really cool.

You can definitely see (or hear) his love for the 80's video games, movies and pop-culture in everything he does.

Strangest part of this game is the use of the camera, you take a picture of a magazine or CD or DVD case (I appropriately used my DRIVE Blu-ray) and then you see the characters and the car appear virtually on the surface and you play with the camera open the whole time. I've heard of similar technology being used to preview products at home - ie. furniture: you print off a QR-code hang it on the wall where your sofa should go then look through your iPad camera and see a virtual mock-up of the sofa in your living-room. Pretty cool! Never thought that it would be in a game though.

I got a little kick out of playing it, and I will put it on my watchlist to see if there is any content coming soon (as was advertised in the app) - but until then there is no real reason to play it again. I am still not sure if it's a real game, a thinly disguised commercial, or a tie-in product that fits well with the album. hmmm....

Oh and it sounds like his music is going to be on GTA V as well. Fitting. I think his music should also be in the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

Simogo's Device 6

Although I haven't finished it yet, I definitely enjoying Simogo's YEAR WALK and so I am up for whatever they make next, and this is it : Device 6. The trailer is so strange I can't even make out what is going to be the "game" - but, again, after the experience that was YEAR WALK - a mature, adult experience, with puzzles and good art work and story-telling based on Norwegian folktales - I would try anything they make next.

Check out the trailer : 

Their blog might shed more light on what Device 6 is all about - and also is a pretty interesting read.

Endless Space (PC)

At the moment I am really into space/sci-fi games. So when I found this game on Steam I instantly added it to my wishlist. Then when it came on sale I instantly called AltecApollyon to ask whether he would get, cause he wasn't going I would not have anybody to play it with, as the multiplayer was key to my wanting the game.

Long story short the game is a solid strategy game with a large amount of customization (though I have heard not as much as in Sid Meier's Civilzation V). Playing this game you feel completely in control of the fleets you created and the planets you have colonized. A treat for any one into slow paced, turn-based, Strategy Games.

OUYA

I finally got my OUYA! It was almost 2 months late, but I think it's fair to expect these kind of things to run late despite the promises on Kickstarter, also espeically when they have to roll out far more than they expected. I haven't read much about the OUYA before it came because I wanted to make that experience without preconceptions. 

I am very excited and expectant (this will also be my first time gaming on Android) and I know that initially the console wont be as great as it will be once the community gets behind this thing (you still can't get one on Amazon in Germany for instance, so it hasn't really been rolled out worldwide yet.) This console experience is what WE make of it. 

I supported the OUYA on Kickstarter as soon as I heard about it - I have been losing faith steadily over the last 2 years in XBOX, as they move from being a very good gaming console to a family console, a fitness console, a living-room media center with streaming. 

The OUYA seems to have it's heart in the right place, I can't wait to delve into all the games and explore this new console - the beginning of a revolution (hopefully)!

Badland (iOS)

Badland. (C3PO voice:) And it came so highly recommended....

It's a beautiful looking game, no doubt: colourful backgrounds, rich in detail, a silhouetted foreground that is brought to life by sound effects and physics. The gameplay is simple, touch anywhere on the screen and you will float up, let go and you'll float down - the controls are smooth. The screen scrolls constantly - if it catches you you lose (but only until the last checkpoint, no worries)

You bump your little pom-pom creature though the level, collecting different upgrades that change his attributes, size or even clone him (ending up with a cloud of pom-poms) - the screen always follows whichever creature is furthest ahead, so it's OK if you lose a couple. Sometimes if you don't shrink him down enough he wont fit though, if he's too small he might not be able to push something out of the way.

All in all it's a good game. It seems to borrow it's looks from Limbo, a bit of it's concept from games like World of Goo and Jetpack Joyride -  the single button works well (especially for dad's using one hand to put their baby to bed by the way). I ended up deleting it though, it just seemed too repetitive and predictable... too easy.... but I would recommend it to people, especially "non-gamers" looking for something to try on their iPhones. I've got a couple other one button, or no button games I'd rather play - and I still have to check out Tiny Wings.

By the way, it's usually €3.60 - which I found a little steep, but there seems to be quite a few levels and no in-app-purchases (which I commend them for) but I was happy I picked this one up for free.

Anomaly Korea

My parents finally bought a tablet. Which I have been waiting for for some time now now, to be able to test out my humble bundle android games. The first of the batch was Anomaly Korea. This new take on tower defense where you not only layout your convoy's route but also send in support abilities.

One Can even reorganise the Convoy

(ie. Increased rate of fire or repairs) . I had played the game on PC prior to playing out on the tablet and I can honestly say the PC version has nothing on the tablet. The graphics look great. The colours pop. The game makes especially nice use of the destroyed environment and that things move and fall as your convoy travels by. 

The game makes great use of the bird's eye view, making you feel like the general of the mission!