To add to the atmosphere of the game, 24ktstudios hasn’t done much past scribbling words under an image before each chapter (I’m assuming…because in the trial you get to play one very very short chapter). Either way, it feels as if the game’s trial demo is enough to let you know just where the gameplay is headed. Overkill’s main gameplay mechanic (besides shooting, of course) consists of tapping the bumpers to move your aim clockwise or counter-clockwise.

As the first level begins, you’ll be attacked by a strong number of enemies. Unfortunately, they do not pose a threat or challenge as anybody who has ever played a shmup should be able to breeze through this first level. Perhaps the same cannot be said for the other parts of the game, but this is the clear impression that I’ve received so far. Hopefully the game is more challenging or allows players to choose a difficulty setting if they wish.

Overkill’s look isn’t anything to write home about, either. The story screens are a nice distraction from the generic look that occupies the gameplay. (Apparently it’s the year 2043 and shit’s just burning everywhere!) But still, by the looks of it, there are far more appealing products on the Xbox Live Indie Game platform. There are no mind-blowingly different mechanics but the clockwise and counter-clockwise fire is a sweet little change not generally offered in other titles until recently (now with JoyJoy and Crossfire including new methods of shooting).

You face a number of different types of enemies, but none of them feel too far removed from one another. Essentially, you’re just shooting clones. One can hope the full version of the game offers more of a variety. Notably, there’s a boss battle at the end of this introductory level, and the boss takes a beating to go down. But it doesn’t put up much of a fight, either. At the end of the level, you’re given your standard total shots fired, number of shots on target, and your accuracy percentage. Chances are, the only thing that will keep you playing Overkill is the desire to see whether there’s anything more interesting in the rest of the game.

Overkill is still not a direct failure like many of the other games on XBLIG. What it does, it does reasonably well. However, the quality of the gameplay didn’t wow me as much as I would have hoped. Again, at only 80 MSP ($1), this could be a worthy check-out for shmup fans.

[Try/buy.]

[This is not a review. It is simply a "first impressions" based on less than an hour of gameplay.]

Screenshots:

Phasic Labs’ Hexius is a new offering on the App Store for owners of the iPhone/iPod Touch as well as the iPad. Amongst the many other match-3 titles, it would be easy to overlook Hexius. It is neither the most exceptional nor the most underwhelming. Instead, Hexius provides some good clean fun and satisfies any match-3 cravings gamers may have.

GAMEPLAY

It should be noted that when you first fire up Hexius, the tutorial is your friend; use it wisely! Hexius is basically a match-3 game in which you’re attempting to clear the board by connecting identical hexagons with one another, starting with one and clearing that particular symbol by touching all the others on the board as well. That’s the basic mechanic in Hexius. The more advanced gameplay mechanics are easier to pick up as you play the game (e.g. crossing the same hexagon twice will create a bomb). Phasic Labs has packed the game with three challenging modes: Time Attack, Level Challenge, and Strategy Mode. As the name implies, Time Attack requires that players eliminate as many hexagons within the allotted time as possible. Likewise, in the same arcadey nature as any other title of this sort, you’ll be earning more time by clearing hexagons efficiently. In Level Challenge, players clear assigned hexagons indicated by a purplish tinge. If the hexagon is cleared within the allotted time, then the time you’ve saved is added to the next level. Finally, in Strategy Mode, players will be given only 30 turns to achieve as high of a score as possible.

There’s not too much past this content. You’ve got OpenFeint integration so you can enjoy leaderboards and achievements for spending time with the game. But no other competitive characteristic can be spoken of in Hexius. Then again, the iPhone/iPod Touch isn’t the best for competitive modes on the same device. I’m certain the opposite can be said about the iPad. But as a match-3, Hexius is an admirable effort. It plays seamlessly and can get relatively addicting. I’m not the biggest fan of match-3’s, but it’s looking pretty good for that particular audience. If you want a good match-3 time-waster, Hexius is calling.

STYLE

Surprisingly, Hexius’s style isn’t an annoying wannabe match-3 lookalike, but rather a well-colored and animated experience. I can’t say the same for a number of the other match-3s on the App Store. The graphics are clean and crisp and I would love to try the game out on the iPad’s bigger display as well.

STORY

Hexius has no story, but that doesn’t come as a surprise as this is essentially just a match-3 puzzler. The game doesn’t lose out because of this fact.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Besides the noted features, there’s really not much else to Hexius. Casual puzzle fans (or simply the curious) should be excited to know the game is only $0.99. Hexius would basically graded as above average, but it’s a solid choice for an entertaining time-waster.

[Buy from App Store.]

[DIYgamer obtained a free copy of the game for review purposes. This in no way affected the outcome of the review.]

Screenshots:

Moreover, players will have to defend the buildings of the town rather than individuals. Each building that gets destroyed means one less safehouse for cowboys to spawn at. Once the Sheriff is cornered and dies, the game will end. The key to surviving is to selectively protect buildings and know when to fall back.

Tall Chair also announced a launch party that they will be holding at Project One in San Francisco on Thursday, July 29th. The event is press only from 7 to 8pm and later opened to the public after 8. For more info on the game and the event, check out the official website or Tall Chair’s Facebook.

[Buy from App Store.]

[Source: GamesPress]

“Ruler, Noble, Artisan, Drudge,

Wealth and poverty distract”

Moreover, the first person to send Mousechief the full original poem that the developer is satirizing will earn the prize. Besides the working title, the only other thing revealed about the upcoming video game is that it will be rated “TEEN” according to the T.I.G.R.S. rating system.

If you want to keep up with this contest from Mousechief, I suggest following them at their official website.

But that’s enough of the talk, time to show you guys the goods! (Please note that it is likely not all of the Easter egg walkthroughs are available at the moment, so we’ll be updating you as more videos are released.)

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 15

Chapter 17

Chapter 21 (1), (2)

Chapter 23 (1), (2)

A video walkthrough for the achievements is also available in conjunction with the Easter eggs, but I highly suggest you do both separately so as not to confuse yourself!

[Thanks again to YouTube user Bailli3Boyyy and whoever collaborated with him on the walkthroughs. And thanks to Mike Rose for the tip-off!]

Mega Jump reportedly had 2,500 downloads a day, so it was faring well. However, Get Set Games felt that their title had yet to reach the viral success they desired. As soon as the game was made free and featured as the “Free Game of the Day” on the iOS community of OpenFeint, downloads jumped from 2,500 to over a million for the three days Get Set had made it free. In addition, the game reached #1 on the App Store charts in over 25 countries. Once the game reverted back to its original sales price, Get Set Games noticed that revenue for the game grew by 170% in the three weeks following the promotion.

“We wanted to feature Mega Jump on OpenFeint because we thought the network had truly viral promotion capability. We knew we’d get a bump in sales, but wanted to test this theory. The promotion was an amazing success. It’s been a great ride for our studio and has dramatically increased our revenue stream.”

- Derek van Vliet, Co-Founder of Get Set Games

Clearly, OpenFeint’s promotion works more than adequately. According to the most recent press release, of the 30 games featured in May, 13 reached the top 25 and 9 more reached the top 50 on the US App Store. I highly suggest that developers who would like to have their game featured as the Free Game of the Day visit this location for more info.

[Buy Mega Jump from the App Store.]

[Source: GamesPress]

“We know there are some amazing console based music games out there and we’re not trying to replicate that experience. At the same time, those games are expensive and feature a limited selection of artists and genres, thereby restricting their availability and appeal around the world. What we’re seeing with games like Audiosurf and now Rhythm Zone is the democratization of the music game genre; allowing players to use the music they already own.”

- Josh Grant, COO of Sonic Boom

If you’re looking to game your own music, Rhythm Zone looks like another option to do it! At the moment, Steam has it for a special introductory 10% off ($8.99). Check out this full list of features:

Game Your Music: Upload and play your favorite songs from every genre of music! From pop to rock to hip hop and more, Rhythm Zone supports a wide variety of music files and will identify most common songs against our database.

Online Leaderboards: Compare your scores to your friends and check out who is the best in the world.

Achievements: Earn over 50 Steam achievements by playing your music.

Visualizers: Dynamic background visualizers that are based on your music and performance; create a unique game experience each time you play!

Focus Power: Hit note streaks to earn score multipliers and the ability to unleash your inner rock star.

Updates: But wait – there’s more! Downloadable song packs and content updates on the horizon.

For more information and exclusive content, check out Sonic Boom’s official website for the game.

[Buy from Steam.]

[Source: GamesPress]

From my present impressions, I can easily tell you that Aphelion is an RPG worth owning. For only 240 MSP, the 5+ hours of gameplay are highly entertaining for any JRPG fan. Look out for the full review in the coming week at DIYgamer.

[Buy from XBLIG.]

Features:
- Addicting puzzle based levels that require more than just tower placement strategies
- Place direct damaging towers and kinetic towers that push and pull enemies at your own whim
- Waypoints can shift positions by themselves or by using kinetic towers, making the battlefield dynamic and fun

New for Windows Phone 7:
- New touch controls to take advantage of Windows Phone 7
- New art assets that bring the original game to life

Perez noted that the game will be launched hopefully on the same day that the marketplace for the phone launches. No word was given on pricing but one can assume it will be at only $1 as it has been before. Check out the video below of the game running on an emulator for the phone.

[Read Elbert Perez's development blog.]

[Source: GamesPress]

While lots of other games will let you take the role of the striker, very few offer the opposing viewpoint of the goalkeeper. Mutant touts Champion Striker as unique in this sense. The full list of features in the game is as follows:

- 16 different goalkeepers.
- Two player multiplayer locally, sharing the device.
- Leaderboards. Open Feint featured.
- Tons of Achievements.
- A unique captain for each national team
- Arcade style music, difficult to get out of your head!
- Link to your Twitter or Facebook accounts to auto-boast your high scores.

Champion Striker is available on the App Store for $0.99 (at a special introductory sale).

[Buy from App Store.]

[Source: GamesPress]