If you've never heard of Roman Dirge, you're about to. He's the creator of the brilliant comic book series, Lenore. Roman has been delighting the masses with his brand of spooky cuteness for years now, and he's about to grace the world of videogames with that same creepy flavor in the form of his upcoming iPhone game, called Vampire Puff Puff.

He says his goal was to create the most entertaining side-scrolling shooter ever, and knowing Dirge, that's not an unreasonable thing to expect. The game features Lenore's sidekick Ragamuffin as its main character, and includes 23 unique baddies, 15 different zombies, an undead alpaca, and a Poe Poe gun that shoots ravens and cries like an emo kid when it runs out of ammo.

Ragamuffin will rock an array of insane weaponry through five levels, to rescue Lenore from the evil Pooty Applewater. If the game does well, there'll be tons of updates, including mounts, a costume shop, Spookyland rides, and Lenore herself as a playable character.

And if that does well? Next stop may be XBLA. We'll bring you a date and more info as we get it. If you've got an iPhone, keep an eye out for this one and support it when it's released. Coming from the same mind that brought us Lenore, it's going to be absolutely amazing. Check out the first screens below.

Remember Driver? Sure you do. It was a PlayStation game (and later a PC release), and a pretty good one at that. I had totally forgotten about this classic until Gameloft dusted it off for re-release on the iPhone.

So yes, it's a port, but its actually an improvement on the original game. We're talking better graphics and interfaces put on top of the same fun gameplay and physics of the original. An improvement port on a mobile phone? Nice.

Read on for our preview of Driver.

view full story + comments

Avatar. James Cameron. Huge budget. Big deal. Of course it's going to get a game or two. But who would have expected a lovingly crafted platformer for the iPhone? I surely didn't, but that's exactly what I saw when Gameloft had me out to check out their upcoming game, Avatar.

It has been in development for over a year, in cooperation with Mr. Cameron and the folks at Fox. The assets and artwork were passed along, as well as ideas and guidance. But don't expect the typical licensed game version of the movie here. This is an original story with original environments and characters, and takes place 20 years before the events of the movie.

Every once in awhile someone takes movie games seriously. We dig that. But to put this much work into an iPhone game? That's serious business.

view full story + comments

Racing titles are big on gaming consoles. It has always been that way, pretty much. And now that the iPhone and iPod Touch have pushed their way into the game space, racers have made their way to this portable platform as well. Kind of.

What do you really get in an iPhone racing game, though? For the longest time we saw small and (sometimes) fun games that were perfect for some casual action while waiting in line somewhere. They were arcade racers at best, with cheap, fast, and fun being the development goal. Nothing serious, usually.  But, if the iPhone is going to continue to push to be a solid option for gaming, shouldn't there be a deeper racing experience?

Gameloft has set out to create that with GT Racing. Forget carts and power-ups and holding the gas pedal from start to finish, though. GT Racing is actually a full racing sim experience, with licensed cars and tracks, and real racing physics. You know, kind of like a console game, only smaller.

view full story + comments

What the buck? Exactly.

We get lots of things in the mail. Games, mostly. But games makers and PR companies send us all manner of things. I wasn't exactly surprised to see a massive inflatable buck head in my mail. You know you've been doing this for awhile when getting inflatable buck heads in the mail seems normal.

This is a strange promotion for Super Happy Fun Fun's Big Buck Hunter Pro, an iPhone translation of the popular arcade game. Killing deer made pocket-sized. Good times.

But rather than be that games journo that scoffs at something like this, I thought I'd put it to good use. While others that got this left it in its neatly folded deflated state, I blew lungs full of hot air into the buck head, and then proceeded to mount it on my office wall...after scaring the sh*t out of my dogs, of course.

This buck head is now a permanent fixture of my office. It will forever overlook my workspace, watching on as I play games and then write about them. Watching on as I blog about games news and and releases. Super Happy Fun Fun, know that your promotional dollars have been put to good use here. I think we'll become good friends, this buck and I.

What should I name this mother bucker?

 

This is a real thing. A real iPhone game. It came out of nowhere, yellow eyes and all.

The Call of Duty: World at War zombies that you know and love have been portabilized for your pocket. Remember the map Nacht der Untoten? This is the setting of this iPhone game. You'll fight off waves of zombies in this bunker with your fingertips.

This is a pocket-sized FPS that sports multiple control schemes. One has you tilting and tapping to aim and fire, and another has virtual on-screen analog sticks for more precise (hopefully) control. There's achievements, leaderboards, upcoming DLC, four-player multiplayer (via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi), and more, just like your big fancy console game.

The iTunes App store has Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies up right now, available for $9.99. We'll give it a spin (tap?) and let you know how it goes.

While some would argue that it was a poor idea for Capcom to bring the notoriously difficult Ghosts ' N Goblins to the iPhone, no one is listening. Yesterday, Ghosts 'N Goblins: Gold Knight hit the App Store for the nice price of $2.99.

The game gives players the option to take control of Arthur or Lancelot, and while both basically control the same, their armor and available weapon sets differ slightly. The game looks pretty nice running on the iPhone, with updated 3D graphics remiscent of Ultimate Ghosts N' Goblins for the PlayStation Portable.

My biggest concern would be the controls, as the series has always a mix of memorization, precise movement, and quick fingers. Gold Knight uses those "phantom" touch controls, with a d-pad that sits on the left side of the screen and three buttons -- attack, jump, and a super attack -- on the right.

As expected, the d-pad doesn't respond like a physical d-pad; climbing ladders was difficult, the iPhone touch screen instead thinking I was pressing left or right. My fat thumb would also obscure most of the left side of the screen, so a few attackin monsters were able to get the jump on me. The attack button does rapid fire, which is nice -- there's no need to repeatidly mash your finger on your screen to take down ghouls with quick attacks.

view full story + comments

Thanks in part to id Software's Technical Director John Carmack's iPhone love, most of the developer's back-catalog of games seems to making its way quite nicely to Apple's portable do-it-all device. While its upcoming title RAGE is already slated to get the iPhone treatment, Carmack has already had conversations about bringing some of its parent company's titles to the platform. 

Namco Games announced this morning that Garters & Ghouls had hit Apple's App Store, so I immediately ran to my iPod Touch to download it. I mean, it promised to feature two of my favorite things, those things being both garters and ghouls. 

The game starts with a debutante, Marie, being brought back from the dead by Megaman's Dr. Wily to slaughter some zombies. (Note: Dr. Wily does not actually appear in the game, but I'm pretty sure it's the same actor who plays him.) Gameplay is a relatively simple "twin stick" shooter, with two touch analogs used to move Marie, and to shoot waves of zombies and monsters with various weapons like a crossbow or shotgun.

Garters & Ghouls doesn't look bad running on the iPhone, with its campy comic book feel that translates pretty well to the touch screen. I'm personally not a huge fan of the "phantom analog stick" thing that a lot of iPhone devs force into games, but they're serviceable for Garters & Ghouls. My biggest complaint would be the speed in which Marie walks... for someone being attacked by hordes of monsters, she moves like she's wearing cement shoes.

The game features 25 levels, along with a full set of in-game achievements, if that's you're sort of thing. Like most games on the App Store, it's only $4.99, and that price seems about right. Perhaps you might want to make it your next "on the toilet" impulse buy. I did. 

Well, it's about two years too late to really be timely with the whole Chuck Norris meme, but Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain for the iPhone is finally about to get a release. The game, which for some reason we failed to tell you about when it was first announced, is a sidescrolling brawler in which you play as none other than Chuck Norris. In the game Chuck Norris is sent to the jungles of Cambodia to save a group of prisoners from communists. Damn commies.

Of course the infamous "Chuck Norris Facts" will be making their way into the game, as you can see from the first screens of the game below having them plastered above each screenshot. You'll also be able to take a photo of yourself and your friends and put their heads onto enemy bodies. Then you can beat up yourself with a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick into yesterday. So is the Chuck Norris factor drawing you in or have you moved onto the next internet joke?

In what is surely the biggest WTF moment of the day, Paramount Digital Entertainment decided adapting Pet Sematary into an iPhone game was a smart move. I'm still trying to figure out whether to laugh or to cry; perhaps I should do both.

The game received a relatively intricate press release, which you aren't going to care about, except for one key line I'd like to highlight: "Players in Pet Sematary take on the role of a lone hero uninterested in becoming cat food." This just keeps getting better.

Constant tapping makes up most of the shoot-anything-that-looks-evil gameplay, which makes perfect sense for Pet Sematary's $0.99 asking price. The terrible thing is, if I owned an iPhone I would inevitably get this game out of curiosity alone.

As it stands, iPhone App games have gone unrated, with developers able to submit their games for Apple's approval and nobody else's. In Australia, where the ratings board has an iron grip on videogame content and doesn't want people to have fun, this obviously will not stand. Australia's rating board has voiced a desire to start deciding what people can and cannot download. Fun times are sure to be ahead.

"I recently wrote to the [Commonwealth Censorship] minister regarding my concern that some so-called mobile phone applications, which can be purchased online or either downloaded to mobile phones or played online via mobile phone access, are not being submitted to the board for classification," complains board director Donald McDonald.

Apple responded to McDonald's concerns, seemingly quite happy to submit Apps for approval: "We do what the Australian Classification people tell us to do... If there is a legal requirement within Australia to do something, absolutely we would adhere to that requirement."

Currently, iPhone games seem to have escaped getting must regulation. America's own ESRB also has no control over what Apple sells, although the US rating board has expressed a will to start getting involved. Should ratings boards get their hands on iPhone games, or should it be Apples decision alone?

Arthur and Lancelot together in a single videogame. It's happening. Again. Think about it!

Alright, so the name might be different than what we originally thought it was going to be, but Capcom is putting a Ghosts 'N Goblins game out on iPhone this year; we weren't hallucinating.

While it appears to be a reworking of the PSP game Ultimate Ghosts 'N Goblins with added features and slightly improved graphics (or am I imagining things?), Ghosts 'N Goblins: Gold Knights could be more than that.

Capcom only offered some brief bullet points on the matter, although knowing how iPhone projects tend to go down, I wouldn't be surprised if my theory is correct. However, we do know one thing: DLC is planned.

Wouldn't it be best to not talk about that sort of thing -- unless of course it's going to be free -- before the game is even out?

Seduce a SuicideGirl is a new iPhone App where you'll be playing a choose your own style adventure in order to make out with Zoli Suicide. Your goal is to chat up Zoli in a comic book shop and if you're good at bullsh*tting your way through the conversation, you'll get to have a "17+ make-out session" with her. Pick the wrong answers and she'll humiliate you.

Yup, this is a thing that is happening. If you win the game, you can make out with your ... iPhone. The App is available now on iTunes for $0.99.  

I don't understand how this will work or how this is appealing. The only way this would be appealing at all is if you could make out with a man horse, like Rey and Colette demonstrate in the gallery. Seriously, what the f**k.

With digital distribution taking over this generation, we've all gotten used to the idea of paying for extra content. However, iPhone developer and controversial figure Luc Bernard has railed against the idea of paid DLC on the App Store, claiming it's a rape of the consumer.

"I keep on seeing all this talk about paid-for DLC on the App Store," explains the Oyaji Games head. "I honestly don't like it. When I buy a game I want to have everything in there for the price I paid.

"We could have made the online portion of the game an in-app micro transaction but I think that would be raping the customer. I honestly don't believe in paid-for DLC on the App Store. Most of the top games are 99 cents games so the average iPhone customer is obviously not willing to spend a lot of cash on games. To be honest, I would rather have a fresh new experience than loads of additional content."

What do you think? Is DLC rape? Do you mind paying a few extra bucks for some new levels, and are you willing to do that on an iPhone? Is console DLC more worthy than portable DLC? Right now, all I know is that these Rock Band Unplugged tracks aren't going to purchase themselves.

[Thanks to Luc Bernard for the tip]

view full story + comments

If you're a fan of the old point and click adventure game Myst and you like to replay such games for nostalgia every once in a while, you may already be aware that several portable versions already exist. The DS version is pretty terrible when it comes to reading anything like text, but the iPhone version is actually really excellent. Of course, you may not know that because you may be hesitant to download something you already own a PC version of.

Luckily, you can check the game out for free on the iPhone now thanks to MystFREE, the lite version of the game. Joystiq reports that the demo allows you to explore all of Myst Island, but if you want to venture into another age you'll be prompted to pay for the full download. Neato! Sounds like a cool way to try it out. Give it a shot if you want to see how this old classic translated to the iPhone.

If there's one thing that Apple's App store has demonstrated, it's that there is mad bank to be made from making little bits of software that cost a handful of dollars. Even better, a few Apps that cost nothing at all are managing to rake in ludicrous amounts of cash thanks to in-App advertising. One such developer is currently earning $9,600 a month from free games. How amazing is that?

Amplified Games was among the first studios to really get in there and experiment with ads on free-to-play Apps, and the experiment appears to have paid off. Cookie Bonus Solitaire and Fat-Free Video Poker are free to download on the conditions that adverts occasionally play, courtesy of iPhone ad network Greystripe. On its very best month since the 2008 launch of these games, Amplified sucked up $53,134. 

I find this kind of stuff very exciting. That independent developers, free of publisher oppression, can generate that much money in a relatively risk-free environment is amazing. I really hope to see this kind of environment continue, and I really hope that platform holders like Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony eventually allow for a similar freedom on their own systems. 

Well ... we can dream.

This really is one of those games you should feel guilty for not playing.

Not only does the cyberpunk-themed point-and-click adventure game Beneath A Steel Sky take place in a dystopian Australia like one of my favorite movies ever, The Road Warrior, it's also a damned fine game to boot.

Although BASS is available for free on PC, the upcoming iPhone version that we've mentioned before will not be. With new artwork from Dave Gibbons, a touch-inspired interface, a new hint system (so long, GameFAQs!), and digitally remastered art and sound, it'll probably be worth the $4.99 asking price.

Plus, it's portable. It's so weird to me that so many great adventure games are seeing new life on the iPhone, but hey, that's not a complaint.

Remember Canabalt? The surprisingly addictive, surprisingly pretty one-button platformer that we raved about nearly a month ago? Well, you can now buy a copy of the game for your iPhone or iPod touch.

The browser version is still free, but I've gotta say: I bought it last night, and next to Eliss and iDracula it's the best iPhone game I've yet played. The fast pace and one-button gameplay translate perfectly to Apple's ubiquitous little mobile device: it's perfectly suited for really quick playthroughs, and the simple controls make it one of the least frustrating games available on the system (Rolando, you can go to hell).

Anyway, yeah. As addictive and pretty and fast-paced as ever, only now you have an easy and satisfying way to support the developers. My high score is still in the 10,000 range. Anyone ever figure out if there was any truth to that rumor that if you survived long enough, a strider robot would start chasing you?

Finally -- the Madden NFL 10 Online Franchise Companion App is available via the iTunes App Store. Created with the freak in mind, the Online Franchise-specific App allows players to fiddle with depth charts, propose trades, and even read the Franchises’ news while on toilet or on the road to Nashville. Think anywhere with Wi-Fi or AT&T connectivity, people!

As with most Apps, the Online Franchise Companion App requires OS 3.0 or later. It also requires at least 1.6 MB of storage, so start deleting contact pictures or a few of those rubbish KMFDM tunes to make room if space is at a premium.

This thing is currently free, so download it before it charts on iTunes just in case EA decides to bump the price to something that isn’t free.

Wanna know what immediately comes to mind when I think of extremely easy videogames? It sure as hell isn't Ghosts 'n Goblins, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, or anything in between. Sorry, Arthur, but your games are tough.

As spotted by Touch Arcade, Capcom gave a demonstration of a new iPhone-bound Ghouls 'n Ghosts at TGS that looks eerily similar to the visual style of Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins on PSP. I'm still trying to comprehend how beating the game will be feasible when it's hard enough to do so with physical controller buttons.

That said, there's no way it will be as bad in terms of control as the laughably unnecessary Resident Evil 4 iPhone port. I guess if you are in the market for sadism on the go, Capcom is the company to turn to.

[Via Joystiq, image: Game Watch]

Capcom has released a demo version of Resident Evil 4 for the iPhone, called Resident Evil 4 Lite. As demos usually go, you can get it for free on the App Store, and will have the chance to try out the game's first chapter. 

The full game costs $6.99, but is it worth it? Uh, that's what the free demo is for, dummy -- to find out! From my own experience with the Lite version, I can say that (if anything) it certainly looks like Resident Evil 4.

But as far as playing it goes, it really shows the limitations of the iPhone hardware. You can't simply adapt a game that was designed for an analog stick to a touch screen, simply adding a phantom touch-analog stick in its place. Maybe it's just me, but I find that impossible (and annoying) to use. 

Am I alone in this? What do you think of Resident Evil 4 on the iPhone? Did you hear, there's a free demo version available now! I wrote about it once. 

When we was heard Vogster was 'reallocating' its 'resources' (read: cutting staff) to focus on post-launch CrimeCraft, we were worried. What would happened to the Robocalypse series, particularly the unreleased Robocalypse: Beaver Defense for WiiWare?

"We are fully intent on finishing Robocalypse: Beaver Defense as planned later this year," said Mario Kroll, Vogster Director of Marketing. 

Earlier in the week, Vogster released Robocalypse: Mobile Mayhem for the iPhone. 

"We love the Robocalypse franchise," he commented, "are very proud of and stand fully by it." 

Kroll admits that while the primary focus has been shifted to support and expand CrimeCraft, Vogster is still working on titles that have yet to be announced. 

It was about a year ago, at the 2008 Tokyo Game Show, that we first saw Sega and Prope's box slapping Let's Tap for the Wii. We were pretty enthusiastic about it at first. Then it came out here earlier this year. We liked it well enough, I guess. It's just that the thrill of hitting of old cereal boxes kind of wears off after a bit. Maybe it will be different on the iPhone. Wait, nevermind. It won't be that different.

Sega has just announced the iPhone version of Let's Tap. Believe it or not, it still uses that surface-sensing tap control, though some touch screen action is supported. Andriasang says that the plan to split the games up into a series of releases that will cost between 100 and 500 yen a piece, spread out over September and October. All the little games of the Wii version are accounted for, including Tap Runner and Rhythm Tap.

The soundtrack, which is arguably better than the game, will also be hitting iTunes. The 21-song soundtrack will be 1,800 yen.

I'd get down with some on-the-go Tap Runner. Are you going to bring this to the US, Sega?

International “Talk Like a Pirate Day” is a real thing and its happening September 19th. There’s no need to understand why the day is celebrated or how it even got started. It’s best to just sit back and enjoy the videogame-related deals associated with it. And, oh, are there deals.

As we pointed out earlier, the PC version of Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 1: "Launch of the Screaming Narwhal" will be offered free for the entirety of Saturday -- from midnight to midnight. But starting today (and rolling through September 21), another Monkey Island-related deal is happening. LucasArts slashed the price of The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition by 50 percent on Steam, Direct2Drive, and the App Store as a bit of an early celebration.

In addition to this, LucasArts is planning to release a free “Lite” version of Secret of Monkey Island: SE on the App Store. And if sound is your thing, know that the studio is also releasing soundboard App with “16 witty and ridiculing sound-bites” taken from the game soon. Arrr.

[Update: a big tweak here: the LucasArts price slashing thing started today, mateys.]

Dexter The Game has hit the App store this week and it's only going for $5.99. Based on our preview, it looks like a good game and something fans of the show will like.

As an added incentive, every purchase of Dexter The Game will get you a chance to win a walk-on role in season five of Dexter the TV show and lunch with one of the show's writers. There's also a chance that you may win some prizes such as DVDs and t-shirts. Just buy the game, get the code and enter it on the official Web site to see if you've won.

So Dexter. Great show or greatest show? I love this series and get instantly hooked with each new episode. The story is great, the actors are fantastic and I always get jealous to see all the great food Michael C. Hall gets to eat in every episode. Seriously.

Apple's "It's Only Rock and Roll" event wrapped up this morning, and quite a bit of gaming news came out of it. No Apple tablet, though. We've broken down the gaming news for you here:

Apple is pushing the iPod Touch as a gaming device even harder now, putting it up against the PSP and DS. In fact, they called out the competitors, saying that they cost too much and don't support multitouch. Apple compared title availability between the three platforms:

• DS/DSi: 3,680 titles 
• PSP: 607 titles
• iPhone/iPod Touch: 21,178

A new 64gb iPod Touch is coming for $399, and it will support the faster OpenGL ES processing that the iPhone 3GS does for your less frame-y gaming pleasure. Also, the 8gb has been dropped to $199 for a cheap, easy entryway into iPhone gaming.

As for titles, Assassin's Creed 2 was a showcase game. It's a side-scrolling game that will launch on the same day as its console counterparts. In it, you'll be able to use your iPhone camera to put your face in the in-game wanted posters. Another big title was EA's Madden NFL 2010, which uses an on-screen analog stick to provide control just like its console counterparts. Also notable was Gameloft's first-person shooter Nova, which many of the livebloggers said looks a lot like Halo. 

Quick commentary: It's nice to see that Apple is stepping up their gaming game, though the PSP and DS call out was kind of weird. Quantity over quality isn't something you want to brag about, Apple.

[via AI, MacRumors, Gizmodo]

Fieldrunners is a Tower Defense game that has enjoyed some success on the iPhone, and is gearing up to be at the vanguard of titles launching on Sony's PSP Minis service. Minis will see the PSP go head to head with Apple's iPhone, providing cheap, downloadable, bite-sized titles in a similar manner to the App Store. According to Fieldrunners dev Subatomic Studios, this rivalry could be quite close, since porting games between the two systems is remarkably easy.

According to Touch Arcade, the transition from iPhone to PSP was smoother and simpler than had initially been expected. Fieldrunners on the PSPgo will launch with two brand new levels, although iPhone users can download the new stages for $0.99 per map. Firsthand accounts from those who have seen the game running on the PSP indicate that the port was a great success.

Fieldrunners is one of several iPhone games heading to PSP Minis, and the ease of transition could mean that we see many more in future. If things go how I'm hoping, then the PSP will serve as a way to get at many great iPhone games without buying one of Apple's oh-so trendy products. I'm very excited about that, and hope that PSP Minis turns out to be as good as I expect. 

Hit the jump for the Fieldrunners PSP trailer.

view full story + comments

PSP Minis is an exciting venture, and something I'm looking forward to tremendously, not least because it will finally guarantee a consistent flow of affordable games on the PlayStation Portable, and that would make a nice change of pace. Sony is not in a mood to be humble about the new service either, and has launched a direct attack on Apple's App Store, deriding the service for stranding developers and attracting unprofessional game creators. Ouch. 

"Unlike with the App Store, we're looking to support everyone that develops for us, instead of leaving developers out in the wilderness," claims SCEE's Zeno Colaco. "We’re not immediately interested in giving developers free access and no help.

"... Some of the developers working on the App Store and PSP Minis tell us that they prefer our approach because they get more visibility. PSP Minis is a different approach altogether in that we still have a professional environment -- if you want to call it that. I’m not suggesting that iPhone developers are unprofessional, but I think that the App Store has attracted a number of hobbyists. Clearly, the PSP is designed for gaming."

Colaco added that PSP Minis isn't being designed to directly compete with Apps, but that thing may move that way in time. He also reiterated that the barriers for entry aren't on the PSP aren't as strict as those in place for the App Store, and even hinted that PSP dev kits might end up completely free. 

So yes ... Sony is very confident that PSP Minis will be your one-stop shop for everything small and downloadable. Best of luck to 'em.

Following their discounted game bundles on PSN, Capcom has announced that they'll be giving some of their iPhone games the same treatment by offering up three titles at lowered prices through the weekend. 

From now until Monday, you can grab Mega Man II at $2.99 (40% off),  Resident Evil 4 at $2.99 (60% off), and KENKEN for only 99 cents, which is 80% off its standard price.

Sounds good to me, but I don't have an iPhone. Anyone out there tried one of these? I'm interested to know how something like Mega Man II holds up with touch screen controls. At any rate, if you do have an iPhone or iPod Touch, now would be a good time to snatch up some games on the cheap, which is always nice. You can check them out now on the App Store.

[Via Capcom-Unity]

Newcomers to Destructoid won't remember William Haley, but he was an editor for the site way back in the prehistoric age of 2007. In fact, he is the reason I started writing for this site, since it was an article he wrote for GamesTM magazine that made me aware of this wonderful blog and inspired me to ask for a job. It's ironic, because Haley always thought I was a dickhead, and he was probably right.

Anyway, William Haley and developer Panda Cake have capitalized on the zombie game craze by adding their own, rather unique take on things. Your Pet Zombie is a virtual pet where players must nurture, love and feed their very own undead companion. Game Informer describes it as "Tamagotchi meets 28 Days Later."

Players will need to feed their zombie the brains of panic-stricken civilians, but have to make sure he's not overfed or he'll get fat. The zombie can pull off kill combos, complete challenges and enjoy a number of upgrades, including a zombie girlfriend. For a mere $0.99, it looks like a really fun little game. I'd say a buck is worth supporting a former comrade, wouldn't you? 

Hit the jump for full information and make sure to wish William the best of luck in his new game.

view full story + comments

Two new Rockstar Games titles for your iPhone or iPod Touch have been announced today. I'm game for both.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the game you currently know as a Nintendo DS title (and later this year as a PSP download), has just been announced for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It's coming this fall, totally retuned to work with the iPhone's controls. Liberty City in your phone. That should be pretty kick-ass. No price or other details were given.

Also coming to the platform is Beaterator. The title, a collaboration between producer Timbaland and Rockstar Games, lets you create beats and songs on-the-go, with your phone. It comes from the same developers that put together Chinatown Wars, actually. It contains thousands of loops and sounds that you can put together to make your own jams. This is also dropping in the fall on the iTunes App Store, and again, no price was given.

If you're an iPhone owner and you never got around to playing Robocalypse for the Nintendo DS, this is a really great opportunity to pick up some really solid strategy goodness for your portable gaming needs. The game is called Robocalypse - Mobile Mayhem in its iPhone incarnation, and comes packed with 10 unit types, 20 varieties of weaponry, 17 campaign missions and 18 unique multiplayer maps. Not too bad!

The game definitely has a sense of humor too, so if you're burned out on strategy games that need a little something more this game may have just what you're looking for. It comes out this month, so in the meantime ogle the screenshots and art in our gallery and read about it on the official website.

Longtail Studios has announced that its iPhone/iPod Touch title, a 3D football game called Football U, is now available for free on the App Store. 

Hey, what's this? A sports story not written by our resident sports guy, Samit Sarkar? Well, here's the deal -- Football U isn't your typical sports game. Longtail hooked me up with a copy a few weeks ago, and I was skeptical at first -- I don't really like football games. Or football. 

But Football U surprised me with its off-the-wall story, and straightforward (and relatively fun) passing mechanic that requires zero sports knowledge. Which is good, because I have none. Also, did I mention that it's now free? What do you have to lose?

Look, I love puzzle game Lumines dearly, as do I my iPhone. It's just that I don't see the two mixing together well. Lumines requires quick reaction times and accurate control, neither of which the iPhone's touchscreen excels at. But it's coming anyway, care of Q Entertainment.

The folks at 1UP say that this iPhone version will see some new content, like skins and music, and that we should expect to see it later this year, perhaps around September. There are no other details available yet, so we'll look forward to price and control details in the near future.

In related news, it seems that both Lumines Supernova and Lumines Live will see price drops around the same time. This all comes from a large planned marketing push that Q Entertainment has lined up for the end of this year.

Here's to hoping that Lumines works well on the iPhone.

Droplitz. Puzzler. We liked it a bunch. If you somehow missed it the first time around, or you're some kind of cheap-ass (me), then you'll be pleased to know that the game is on sale for both the iPhone and PC.

Atlus sends word that the price of the PC version of the liquid management game Droplitz has been cut by 80 percent for a sale, taking the price from $9.99 to $1.99. And if you happen to be an iPhone-owning gamer, you can now nab that version on the iTunes App Store for only $0.99. The game is also available on the Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, but no sale on those versions. 

Have you got this yet? We gave it a 9.5...and that wasn't even a review by me.

No, really now. This isn't something we've heard, or some vague hints -- this is the real deal. A full-blown announcement. PopCap's Plants vs. Zombies is coming to both the iPhone, and as you may have heard, the Xbox Live Arcade.

As for the Xbox 360 version, they recently announced this, and the only thing the new press release says is that there is still no confirmed date for launch. The real news here is the iPhone version, which is slated to come to the App Store in the fall. No other details of this zombified tower defense port were given, but that's fine, as I know that we'll be playing it on the go before year's end.

If you're on a PC or Mac, the retail versions of Plants vs. Zombies have just hit shelves in North America at places like WalMart, Best Buy, and Target, selling for $19.95. PopCap cays that more stores will be carrying this title later this year.

I can't wait to fend off zombies with my phone! And kill my battery!

With the constant flood of casual iPhone titles out there these days, it's easy to find yourself never interested in another overly bright and cheerful puzzle game or witty tower defense title again. I find myself flipping through the App store, wondering why I'm not seeing stuff that's a bit more innovative and weird -- more RPGs, horror games, adventures, etc. And then I notice that Rovio has a little game called Darkest Fear for the iPhone. Hey! I was looking for something like this!

Going for the same horror puzzler feel that Wayforward's excellent WiiWare title LIT but into play, you are in the role of Dr. Thomas Warden, summoned to Grim Oak Hospital by way of a desperate phone call from his wife. It seems their daughter is missing, but when the good doctor arrives, he finds the hospital cloaked in darkness and populated by frightning creatures. It's like Silent Hill portable! Oh wait, that's out already.

Hit the break if you want to hear more about what kind of trouble I got up to in Grim Oak's dark hallways.

view full story + comments

Since the initial “wink, wink” line, we all knew that Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition was bound for the App Store. Launching on July 22nd, we were told that this version of the game would be very similar to its platform counterparts. We weren’t misled.

Because of how close this title is to the other versions, I won’t bother reiterating what the game is about, how the Special Edition additions factor into general play, or get into why the game is so magical. If you’re unfamiliar with Secret of Monkey Island or the Special Edition, you would best be served by reading our original review of the release here.

This review, instead, is about the additions and differences specific to the App.

Hit the break for it.

view full story + comments

I don't know what it was about Doom RPG, but it was one of my favorite mobile games back when I had a Java-based handset. There was nothing particularly novel about the game, it being an extremely typical turn-based-style RPG with Doom sprites. But it was a cheap thrill, and it got plenty of play while waiting in lines and sitting in public rest rooms.

Now that we've moved on to bigger and fancier mobile gaming platforms, I've got my eye on id Software's Wolfenstein RPG. Seemingly cut from the same cloth as its Doom RPG forefather, the game looks like it'll let me shoot nazis and kick chickens. Sold. 

Honestly, I'm not sure what the hold up is with the release of this game; while a version of Wolfenstein RPG is available on other handsets, the iPhone version still doesn't have a release date. These measly three screens are some of the first officially issued by the game's publisher, Electronic Arts. But it's not the first time we've seen the game -- a seemingly complete version of the game went up on (and then was pulled off of) the Japanese App Store back in May.

Our original review of Taxiball was flawed. As explained by a Self-Aware Games developer, the iPhone 3.0 software update crippled movement in the game, and his studio was kept from putting out a patch that responded to the issue. I obtained a bad version that no longer reflects what is available on the App Store, thus the need for a re-review. So here’s a second look at the game. (You can still check out the original review here if you're curious.)

As for what I discovered, well, that would be breaking the suspense. Hit the break for another review.

view full story + comments

Rise of the Triad is one of those games that time forgot. Overshadowed by its predecessors, Wolfenstein 3D and Doom, it never really grew into household name that those two classic shooters did despite being developed by Apogee Software as a sequel of sorts to Wolfenstein 3D itself and containing a lot of features that many games of that time lacked. Hell, FPSs with multiple characters that each feature different attributes are still lacking in this day and age and Rise of the Triad did it really well almost 15 years ago. 

The game does have a solid following though, and that following has ported the game all over the place. The latest platform will be the iPhone. With its point at enemies and then kill them gameplay, the game should be a very solid fit for the platform and developers Mobila Interactive have put up a video of their very early build of the game that you can check out below. If you haven't had a chance to play Rise of the Triad this might be a good way to dig into it... or you could just download it to your computer for a very low price. 

[Thanks, Anthony M.]

view full story + comments

Natsume have apparently decided to join the iPhone gold rush by announcing their first iPhone game, Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming. The game boasts both a Mission and Score Attack mode and appears to challenge the player to create chains of veggies to score combo for points. It looks simple but cute, and I've always been a fan of the Harvest Moon universe, so I can see myself picking this one up for my time wasting needs.

If you don't have an iPhone, you can also check this game out for Nintendo DS when it comes out August 25th, which features multiplayer options as well. The story is set in the same world Island of Happiness took place in, so if you've played that installment you're sure to recognize some things for this one. I wonder if I should hold out and get the DS one instead? Be sure to check out the video of the iPhone version after the jump.

view full story + comments

Remember those dreary afternoons you spent huddled in a Crazy Taxi arcade machine, frantically pumping pedals and taking pedestrians to the nearest KFC? I don’t, either. The arcade in my shanty town was nothing more than a gaggle trickster machines the stingily rewarded players with tickets by the time I was old enough to appreciate videogames. But I do remember playing Crazy Taxi a time or two before it folded.

Look, there’s a connection between Taxi Ball and Crazy Taxi. Both games have the word “taxi” in their titles and both revolve around taking dumb people where they want to go in a sprawling city. The differences, of course, are wide. Taxi Ball is a top-down game with touch controls and a wonky physics engine. Crazy Taxi was a silly rear-view almost pseudo-racing title. In Crazy Taxi, you drive a car. In Taxi Ball, you drive a ... ball.

It’s that simple sometimes. Hit the break for the review. view full story + comments

I like playing games on my iPhone, but sometimes I get frusturated at the lack of buttons, tactile feedback and response times. Besides, there's only so much retro and puzzle gaming I can take. Why not put role-playing games on the system? For RPGs, timing and buttons are less important, and their slower pace makes them ideal for games on-the-go.

We posed this question to Namco Network's GM Jonathan Kromrey. He heads up their new iPhone focused division, called Apple Games, and we had a chance to speak with him this week on what Namco has in store for the iPhone in the near future. 

On the topic of RPGs, it seems that Kromrey is all bringing Namco properties over to the iPhone. "I love RPGs. I'm thinking of a license to pick up right now on that," he says.

It helps that Kromrey is a fellow role-playing game fan, and just happens to have worked on some of Namco's older RPG hits in the past: "Actually, when I was at Namco Hometek back between 2000 and 2004, I helped with RPGs like Tales of Destiny and Xenosaga and a bunch of other ones. Before that, I was actually at SSI, which turned out to be a conglomerate. I was working with Wizards of the Coast on their Dungeons and Dragons license."

We feel even better about the possibilities when we hear about Kromrey's hobbies. He tells us in our interview: "You're speaking to a very passionate historically favorable RPG player, who does pen and paper and paints miniatures and things like that." 

How about a iPhone port of the Japan-only DS title Xenosaga I & II? Please?

 

I've been playing a lot of games on my iPhone lately. I think we're finally coming to the point where game makers are starting to realize that there's a market for more gamer-focused titles, moving us beyond simple games and onto everything from retro ports to new IPs.

Namco is gearing up to bring bigger and better games to the iPhone and iPod Touch, and leading them in this movement is the new GM of Namco's Apple Games division, Jonathan Kromrey. Kromrey previously worked at Apple on games for the iPhone and iPod Touch before coming to Namco. We had a chance to speak with him on what he has in store for iPhone/iPod Touch owning gamers, as well as how developers can take advantage of this popular platform for better gaming. 

Read on for our interview.

view full story + comments

Treyarch has created a companion iPhone app for you Call of Duty: World at War players. The app, named Call of Duty: World at War Companion, beams users news and updates on the game, and those that have linked their accounts will even be able to look at their in-game stats. Treyarch was nice enough to offer this application for free, now available on the iTunes App Store.

Here's the bulletpoints on the app's features:

• Stat-tracking: k/d ratio, win/lose and more
• Performance tracking: weapon usage stats
• Link with friends: see what they're up to, look at stats
• News: twitter feeds, map deets, double XP weekend info

This is pretty nifty if you ask me. If you'd like a better look at the app, check out our gallery below for a few screenshots. CoD:WaW players, do you see yourself using this?

 

You know that Apple tablet you keep hearing about? Rumors are flying, pointing to everything from Apple's answer to netbooks to this latest, a game system. It's actually both, according to one person who claims to have seen the device; it's a netbook that plays games.

This big-assed 10-inch iPod touch screen thing will sync and Wi-Fi stream from other devices in your home, says the unnamed analyst that peeped it. He says that it was actually designed to play games on, though no specifics of how this works were given.

I find it easy to believe that Apple would create a device that cashes in on their App Store. I'm kind of hoping for games that have a bit more depth than your average iPhone game, but I suppose having blown-up existing App Store titles would be pretty cool as well.

I wonder how much this thing is going to cost.

[via Joystiq]

Namco Bandai likes money, as anybody who has witnessed its impressive dedication to saturating the DLC market can attest. Lots and lots of delicious treasure can be found on the iPhone, so it's no surprise that Namco is looking to sink its teeth into Apple's latest cash cow.

Namco have brought on board a former full-time employee, Jonathan Kromrey, to help them develop iPhone games. Kromrey believes that from now on, every week will see some new iPhone announcement from the publisher, believing that Apple's mobile platform represents a "gold rush" that can't be missed. 

"My charge is to make games that are the best for the iPod Touch and iPhone," he explains. "There is a gold rush to do Apps for the App store, and Namco is at the forefront of that movement.

"In the past Namco's been known for its depth of arcade experience, games like Pac-Man, Galaga, SoulCalibur and Tekken. I'm excited to be here and see a lot of those franchises come out on the iPhone. I'm here to champion new things, new IP, to discover what the new Pac-Man is for the iPhone."

Kromrey added that he'd love to do "twitch" games like Tekken and SoulCalibur, but that controls are a problem. He also touched upon pricing, looking at anywhere between one and five dollars for general games, but that "Super, super duper brands" will justify a higher price tag. 

Let the iPhone ravishing begin! Look for our interview with Jonathan Kromrey later today.

You may have noticed that I've been anticipating Taito's Space Invaders: Infinity Gene pretty heavily since it was first announced for the iPhone. Originally released in Japan on mobile phones that aren't sold anywhere else, I thought this latest installment of one of my favorite classic franchises was one I might never get to play. Thankfully, it's available now in the US and I've finally gotten my hands on it.

Nick Chester was kind enough to hand over his iPod Touch for a while to make that possible, and while I've always been somewhat skeptical about these devices as a real gaming platform, all it would take is one great title to change my mind. Was this it? Hit the jump and find out in my full review.

view full story + comments

Beneath a Steel Sky is one of the greatest adventure games ever made. Watchmen is likely the greatest graphic novel ever made. Watchmen was remade with the blessing of Dave Gibbons, the artist who drew the comic. Now, Beneath a Steel Sky is being remade and the new art is being contributed by Dave Gibbons. Coincidence? You be the judge. Regardless, this is f--king awesome.

Right now, Revolution Mobile plans to have the game available for iPhone this fall and is expected to retail for a measly two to three dollars. With luck, it will make its way to other platforms (pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease). The original game is available for free on GoG.com and was released for free by Revolution Studios in 2003 for use with the SCUMMVM emulator.

In addition to the remake, Revolution Software is open to the idea of a sequel. Talking with Eurogamer, Revolution's managing director and creator of the original BaSS commented that sales of BaSS Remastered could sway the studio into developing a new installment.

Yes, you can jailbreak your phone and play the game for free. But if you like the game and like the kind of games we make, then pay us a little bit of money and, if it's a big enough success, we can reinvest the funds. We can start to look at a potential BASS sequel.

You hear that? Go buy it. Don't jailbreak your phone and pirate it. Buy the thing. I don't even own an iPhone or iPod of any sort and I'm going to buy it. The possibility of a sequel is just too alluring and far, far worse games have had a string of sequels follow it.

A considerable number of people have been having some issues with the WiiWare release of Tales of Monkey Island: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal. Graphical hitches seem to be the biggest complaint, though low audio quality has been cited as a problem also. Over on Telltale's forums, in a thread regarding the issues, a Telltale employee has stated that the problems are a result of the hardware limitations, claiming that, "an iPhone is much more powerful than a Wii."

Ouch. Still, there is something to be said for the statement. The Wii only has 88 MB of RAM (as opposed to the iPhone's 128 MB) and outputs nearly twice the pixels. And Tales of Monkey Island is a bit of a beast compared to other Telltale titles. Hell, I had to reduce the visual quality considerably to get it running smoothly on my admittedly weak PC, so I can't imagine the hoops they had to jump through for the console release. Then there's the issue of filesize limitations for WiiWare titles, maxed out at 40 MB to compensate for the tiny amount of storage capacity the console features.

Of course, this won't stop the screaming of Nintendo fanboys who won't see the light of reason. Telltale is working on the problem for episode two, though they claim that there's no "easy way to fix it" with this first release and chose to put the game out there in its current state rather than wait a few more weeks. For the sound of it, Wii players are just going to have to deal with it on this one.

Future!

Christian Whitehead remembers when Sonic was good. I'm guessing that he's with me on the feeling that Sonic CD was the game series' highpoint. Why else would he be busting his ass to port the Sega CD game to the iPhone.

It may sound like a crazy idea, but his concept demonstration shows that this could be great. Check out the video on that page -- it looks solid.  He credits his own Retro Engine, which he says allows him to create 2D games "in a fraction of the time it would take to start from scratch." The proof? He says that this Sonic CD concept only took a month to put together, and that's without using the original title's source code.

If you're interested in the release of Sonic CD for iPhone, Whitehead is asking that you let Sega know. Sega, if you're listening, know that this is an official request. Also, Shining Force.

[thanks, Tim]

Taito has just updated its YouTube channel with a new official trailer for its upcoming iPhone title, Space Invaders: Infinity Gene. This is the game whose announcement had my heart all aflutter a few weeks back, and now we're getting a look at the actual iPhone version instead of the Japanese mobile phone footage. Nice and vertical, just the way I like it.

Things are looking razor-sharp, and the pace has me drooling for it already. The video gives us a peek at how the touch screen controls will work, and shows off the game's Evolutionary Tree system, along with a few of its stages. Looks and sounds great so far, and judging by the trailer after the jump, the music alone is worth the measley couple of bucks you'll pay for it.

view full story + comments

Capcom's Resident Evil 4 for the iPhone/iPod Touch is available for download in Apple's App Store right now for $7.99. The game weighs in at 37.3 MB, and from its description appears to follow the plot of the console titles, with players taking the role of Leon Kennedy as he embarks on a mission to rescue the President's daughter.

Capcom is boasting that it features the "best 3d graphics to date on iPhone," as well as an unlockable "Mercenaries Mode." The game's tap controls and set-up look similar to Capcom's other iPhone/iPod Touch Resident Evil title, Resident Evil: Degeneration. 

We love us some Resident Evil 4, and we're sure you do, too. But are you willing to spent $7.99 on an iPhone port of agame you've possibly purchased on multiple platforms already?

Hey, you! Yea, you! Do want to make money quick? Do you want women, power and fast cars? Do you want to be snorting cocaine off a hooker within the next six weeks? Then all you need is "Destructoid's Guide to Profit." Now for a limited time you can get it for free. Right here.

1. Make iPhone app.
2. Sell iPhone app.
3. Profit.

It's really that easy. Look how succesful Social Gaming Network was with this model. They made 1 million dollars in just six weeks with their F.A.S.T. dogfighting game in which players can shoot down each other over their iPhone. That's a whopping amount of money in a very short time and a testament that a viable business model can be made via the iPhone's app store. Destructoid makes no guarantees that your app will sell as well, but if it is just as high quality then you could be pulling in up to $60,000 a day as SGN has done. SGN might even make it a bit easier on you as they are planning to license out the basic platform engine they used to create F.A.S.T. So get cracking, those hookers aren't gonna be young forever you know.

While most of you don't seem to be buying adult-oriented games for the Wii, despite the fact that many of them are unique, quality titles that are well-reviewed, I pick them up on a regular basis and enjoy them. Call me crazy. Thus, for me, Dead Space Extraction is a must-buy. I'd like to convince the rest of you to get it for the Wii too (as long as it is good) because the quality adult games are there now and we need to start supporting them. However, if you've sworn off waggle for life, but you really want a Dead Space Extraction experience, then you might not be out of luck.

During a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, the devs behind Dead Space Extraction were queried on the subject of if the game would stay a Wii exclusive. While no firm answer was given, executive producer Steve Papoutsis said, "Right now it's exclusively to the Nintendo Wii, but that's an interesting question." Evidently, the rest of the team smiled knowingly as he said this. 

But to where would the game go? On-rails shooters really only shine on the Wii thanks to the controls. Why, you would need some sort of system where you could do what the Wii does or maybe touch the screen itself. But a DS version would have most likely been announced with the Wii version. If only there was another platform with touch controls. I'd theoretically call this other system the iPhone, and someone else coincidently thought up that name, too, and asked if that would be a good place for the game. Enter sarcasm and the response of, "Yes, that [idea is] pretty cool. Top notch!" from Papoutsis. Knowing smiles and sarcasm? Yeah, it's pretty much confirmed.

It is now possible to play Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition on the go. This morning, we were surprised to find the Special Edition version of the benchmark adventure title on the App Store. We knew it was coming, of course. LucasArts has been delightfully silly about the possibiliy of an App Store port. But we didn’t know when it was happening.

The title weighs in at 351 MBs and currently costs $7.99. According to the “Application Description” of the App Store page, the title is a faithful port of the recent rerelease. It includes voice acting, the ability to toggle between visualizations, and a rubber chicken with a pulley in the middle.

Color us excited about this release. We’ll hit you with our impressions soon.

Last week, Topher let us know about Space Invaders: Infinity Gene, an update to the classic move-back-and-forth-while-shooting-those-aliens-that-are-also-moving-back-and-forth simulator that includes such radical changes as being able to move up and down. Following in Taito’s stead, Namco has announced that an updated version of one of its own classic IP’s will be hitting the App Store in due time: Pac-Man.

Entitled Pac-Man REMIX, it adds power-ups, traps, and bosses to the standard ghost-eating. Here are some of the new abilities Pac-Man can gain access to:

• Jump – jump over ghosts or walls

• Dash – move faster

• Lucky Item – all the pellets turn into Power Pellets

• Ninja Item – Trick the ghosts with an illusion of PAC-MAN

REMIX will feature thirty levels with a giant boss-ghost -- such as the UFO piloting Pinky pictured above -- showing up after every five.

No specific release date has been mentioned yet, but it is confirmed that REMIX will be sold for $5.99. To get a look at the game in action, head over to Namco’s Web site for a short trailer.

view full story + comments