As gamers, we’re often easily spoiled by extravagant scenarios, luscious graphical interfaces, and a crap ton of content. But you really have to applaud the developers who manage to take one casual but awesome mechanic and turn it into an enjoyable, competitive experience that requires little more than five minutes of your precious time. Then Mike Berger’s free iOS hit, Retro Revolution, is a magical little thing.

The goal in Retro Revolution is to simply fly as far as possible through a randomly-generated tunnel while avoiding obstacles. This in itself is great since Berger has chosen Unity as the game’s engine — and Unity runs very slick on the iPhone/iPod Touch. Although there are two game modes, Classic mode and Flight mode, they are mostly the same with one major tweak. In either mode, the main gameplay mechanic involves tilting your device. In Classic mode, you are set to one altitude and tilt left or right. During Flight mode, on the other hand, tilting up or down will change the altitude while tilting left or right will move left or right. As players make it further into the tunnel, acceleration will increase, making it harder to dodge obstacles.

At its heart, Retro Revolution is just so basic it might turn some gamers off. Or, at least, make some gamers believe they won’t enjoy it. But much like Andy Qua’s oldie-but-goodie, Cube Runner, Retro Rev gets extremely competitive — thanks to OpenFeint integration, of course. True, the global leaderboards have an easy time of belittling the player (I’ve played the game’s Classic mode repeatedly and am still ranked at 45,593), but nothing about this game is impossible. In fact, it’s so accessible that just about anybody should be able to sit down and enjoy it from the get-go. And, if your competitive nature gets the best of you, you will play it several times to ensure your high score.

I still think a couple of areas can be considered for improvement in Retro Revolution, though. For one thing, the game is easy to pick up, but it seems as if the trouble will be sticking around. This isn’t a game that I would peg as downright addictive, regardless of its competitive nature. Perhaps some psychedelic imagery would help the aesthetic out. At the very least, it would keep things fresh. The music can also get repetitive, and its unfortunate circumstance is that sometimes concentration is broken. However, you can play your own music while running Retro Revolution, so that’s a rather irrelevant issue. At its price (free) and level of fun, the game is near perfection.

Retro Revolution is definitely worthy of a download, and we’re going to keep an eye out to see what Bergerbytes can come up with next.

[Bergerbytes]

Screenshots:

This isn’t the freshest idea; games like FallDown! have been done before — even some that carry the same name (Fall Down). So what makes Hannes Jensen’s FallDown! work better than the others? After all, its download count is well above 4 million. Why is it so much higher than other free games with identical gameplay mechanics?

Unfortunately, I can’t provide a definitive answer. What I can tell you is that Jensen’s formula is perfect. FallDown! is a simple but very addictive title available at no cost on the App Store. There are some minuscule complaints here and there, but if you’ve got the time for a 1.6 MB download (Yes, you do.) then it’s certainly worth a download.

Basically, FallDown! is the opposite of Doodle Jump and Mega Jump. Players tilt their iDevice to control the ball’s and fall through holes. Rather than concentrating all your efforts into getting as high as possible (no double entendres here), FallDown! is all about getting lower and lower and — much like any other arcade game — it provides no end, only a high score. These high scores, which can be increased through collection of some hard-to-get pickups along the way, are then shown off across — you guessed it — the Global Leaderboards.

Not to dis the game by any means, there’s really nothing extraordinary or exciting about it. It’s a very straightforward concept that’s played off just as adequately. The visuals, in all their glowing glory, aren’t a point of particular fascination either. Simply put, the game is just fun. It follows a template that seems to have helped a ton of developers on the iOS and surely other platforms already: take a basic gameplay mechanic, apply it, and let gamers play it to their hearts’ content. Angry Birds did this, Cut the Rope did this, Bejeweled did this, and here we are today.

The major complaints I had with FallDown! have only to do with the ads — which I’m sure wouldn’t have been there had we paid for this game, so it’s a fair trade — and the commonality of it all, since all of the aforementioned games usually elaborate at greater lengths on the gameplay mechanic of their choice. Again I can’t help but wonder what gamers find more appealing about FallDown! than others of its kind, but it must be acknowledged that Hannes Jensen Software must have done this formula best and released it during a perfect release window.

Download it from the App Store and see for yourself, maybe you can help us bring light to the situation. I truly believe that sort of information will help developers in the future.

[Hannes Jensen Software]

Screenshots:

Chillingo is on a roll. As the leading mobile publisher, they have helped release projects such as Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, and Knight’s Rush among other favorites. And given the expertise of developers Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team (with individuals who have worked on numerous popular titles such as Plants vs. Zombies and Worms), the awesomeness of Pro Zombie Soccer is a bit of a no-brainer when it comes down to it.

It is one badass game. Pro Zombie Soccer Lite does a good job of letting us know what’s in store in the full game. Through three levels, a couple of which have multiple sections, and an exposition to some powerful story elements, it’s clear that a lot of work was put into Pro Zombie Soccer. You’ll easily see the influence that Plants vs. Zombies has on the game — from the overall art style to the set-up of the gameplay screen — but this in no way hinders full enjoyment of the game.

In Pro Zombie Soccer, you play as Jax. Jax works tirelessly to join his dream soccer team… but unfortunately fails. When a zombie outbreak occurs throughout the city, Jax is bit by the star player of his dream team. He soon develops some extraordinary powers and begins using a soccer ball to vanquish zombies. As the story moves along (yes, even in the Lite version), we find out that his ex-girlfriend — whom he hasn’t spoken to in a while — may have an antidote or solution of some sort for the zombie outbreak. The story in the Lite version ends there, but it’s just enough exposition to make you want to pay the dollar and see exactly what happens in Jax’s story. For one thing, does Jax eventually turn into a zombie since he has been bitten? Does Jax’s ex-girlfriend truly have a solution? Will they both make it out alive? And finally, is there more to the news helicopter that follows Jax’s escapades at the beginning of the game?

Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team have crafted an addictive title that has a fantastic story, gameplay, and style. During each stage, zombies will hurl themselves toward you and you must defend by angling your shot nad releasing shoot the ball. In addition to Jax’s “Power Shot” (which occurs after you charge up your shot for a moment), you’re also exposed to three of Jax’s special powers: the “Lightning Ball,” the “Piercing Ball,” and the “Angry Military Satellite.” All three of these are rather self-explanatory and pretty damn awesome. My personal favorite is the “Piercing Ball” as it’s so useful in eradicating a large number of zombies… and also really satisfying.

To top everything off, Pro Zombie Soccer has an incredible soundtrack. It’s like symphonic heavy metal mixed with gameplay kickassery. I also like that the game manages to pull off some nice variation. In certain sections you’ll be running rather than staying still, and the trailer at the end of the Lite version reveals even more intense sequences! If you’re a fan of zombies, soccer, or zombies and soccer, then you’re in for a treat.

Go ahead and try it out before buying it for a dollar on the App Store.

[Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team]

Trailer:

Creating a compelling puzzle experience is no easy task. Neither is incorporating music into said puzzle game. In fact, I’m still in awe of the work that Philly-based Cipher Prime has managed to do in the music-puzzle space of video gaming. Fractal was a wonderfully-made PC puzzler. Underneath its core mechanics, Fractal provided lots of depth. Auditorium (which is actually older) is no different. In fact, for fans of the more obscure puzzle in favor over the matching puzzle, Auditorium is likely your kind of poison. (And I mean that in the most positive and loving way possible.)

Auditorium‘s gameplay is extremely difficult to describe. If you listened to our most recent podcast, Geoff did an admirable job, but I’m sure many of you were still confused. It’s the kind of game that you just have to play. No excuses; you’ll pick it up as you go along. There’s plenty of information about the game and a demo is available to try as well at Cipher Prime’s official page for Auditorium.

But in this week’s Mobile Monday, we’re going to focus on the iOS version of Auditorium (which is also available for PC and Mac, and soon on PS3 and 360 as well). Also last week during the podcast, I checked out Auditorium on the App Store to find out that it is indeed free (or, at least, 25 levels of it are), and there are three additional “Movements” available at the in-game store for $0.99 each.

I suppose this can be a point of controversy yet again. Some iOS users feel duped by in-game purchases and perhaps EA Mobile’s affiliation may not bode well for many gamers, but I refuse to dis the game when it’s clearly something fresh and new that is easily worth the 3 dollars. Don’t believe? Try the first few acts for yourself.

Anyhow, what’s so attractive about Auditorium? Simply put, the game is fucking beautiful. We’re not talking the latest 3D engine here, we’re talking pure art. Specifically, the way that the game’s music and its visuals are inter-woven is quite overwhelming. Auditorium needs to be played in a calm setting and headphones in your ears for full effect. Once you “get” it, you’ll be hooked.

I guess the question is: is it as good on iOS as it is on PC/Mac? My answer is a firm “yes.” It’s the exact same game, and it feels even more intuitive on an iPhone (probably even better on an iPad). Each puzzle has multiple solutions and Auditorium is just as much about balance as it is about its puzzle element. It may remind you of another game initially, but you will realize just how distinct Auditorium‘s ambiance feels.

Come on, we both know you love your iDevice… and that you have enough free time to try out a free game that has garnered so much praise. Give it a chance. And Cipher Prime, keep doing your thing!

[Cipher Prime]

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

Screenshots:

I’m rather embarrassed about having missed Eliss during its time of release in summer 2009. Steph Thirion — an indie dev who we will see very nearly in the future at IndieCade, where he will be showing off his upcoming title, Faraway — created a gargantuan multitouch odyssey for the iOS known as Eliss. While I’m currently working on a full review of the game, I can easily say it is the most distinct experience I have ever had on the platform. Eliss is an amazing game, and I can’t tell you enough that you really need to try it out. And — mark my words — you will be craving more Eliss.

At its heart, Eliss employs the iOS’s sensitive multitouch to its fullest. It also utilizes matching and puzzle mechanics in a very unique way. In Eliss Lite, three of the 25 sectors of the odyssey are available. The main goal of the game is to either conjoin or split circles and explode them in supernovas, thereby creating space for more circles and following this module until completion of a sector. As its level of challenge increases, you’ll find yourself using four fingers at one time. I think a perfect description of Eliss in the later levels would be referring to it as Twister on iOS. Eliss also forces players to watch over their playing field as circles begin colliding and — as indicated by a bar at the top — if you let too much of this contact go on, it’s game over. Upon collision, the circles will also diminish in size, which may hurt you later on when attempting to form supernovas. It may sound complicated (even the explanation in-game is provided through diagrams without words), but you’ll be surprised as to how these simple mechanics can work against you.

With charming astro-decor and elusive gameplay mechanics, Eliss sets itself apart from damn near every other iOS game; it’s in a category all on its own, and deserves to be treated as such. In 2009, Steph Thirion’s Eliss earned many accolades such as:

* Winner of the IndieCade “Auteur” Award *
* Winner of the BestAppEver “Most Innovative Game” Award *
* Finalist for the IGF “Innovation in Game Design” Award *
* Nominated for the AppAdvice “Most Creative Game” Award *
* Gamasutra’s second best iPhone game of 2009 *
* One of Boing Boing’s 20 indie games of 2009 *

Seeing as how the full game is priced at $4.99, it’s logical of Steph to offer a lite version of the app. It’s clearly a game that speaks for itself, and it will hook in whoever tries it. Each sector seems to concentrate on different areas of play. For example, you’ll notice that while one sector will mainly have you combining circles, another will have you splitting them up. The variation through each sector has helped keep this game interesting throughout my play-through, and I wanted to share its greatness even before launching my full review.

Just download the lite version here.

[Steph Thirion]

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

Screenshots:

It just goes to show you…even tapping like a madman on the screen of my iPhone is enjoyable. Utilizing literally nothing other than the tap mechanic, Inert Soap’s Fingerzilla manages to pull of a satisfying experience. After all, you’re simply destroying buildings, vehicles, and people in your angry quest for… wait, why are you doing this again? There’s really no explanation. Shit, if Godzilla didn’t need one (and apparently neither did Cloverfield), then Fingerzilla is in the clear.

As a destructive being, you are invited to beat the crap out of these five towns/cities: Oakville, Shoreline Bay, Isla Fresca, Placid Reef, and San Francisco. The settings grow in scale, but you are also given more time to accommodate for the change. Save for some of the game’s slowdown you’ll experience while annihilating the town, Fingerville runs smoothly and is generally responsive to your frenzy of taps.

There’s a ton of achievements available through OpenFeint and they’ll keep you occupied for the time being. But I have a problem with these same achievements, as some of them demand a ridiculous amount of play to obtain. For instance, “Full Stomach” (which gives you 30 OpenFeint points) requires you to squish 10,000 people — that’s 10,000 finger taps. I realize developers get to decide the achievement setups but it’s incredulous how much work (or play, rather) Inert Soap expects to be put into getting this one down.

I have to admit that at first I was turned off by Fingerzilla. You just tap…and tap…and tap…and keep tapping until your fingers hurt. And even more unfortunately, because you have no idea why you’re even doing this, it gets a bit disconcerting. Yet, since it makes me feel like a horrible person for enjoying the death and destruction I’m causing, I imagine it’s fair to judge this one as a good stress-reliever.

But the best thing about Fingerzilla, by far, is its method of promotion. I think some indie developers (especially on iOS) should take note of this: they have set up a system whereby if you send an e-mail to a friend about the game, your friend will receive a free code to download an add-on pack (each of which cost $0.99). Moreover, add-on rewards can be unlocked by being the dude or dudette that happens to send that e-mail. Pretty awesome, right? Of course. It is a damn good method of promoting the game and its extra content, because it motivates players to take their experience farther with the title.

Strewn with humor at unexpected times, Fingerzilla can be charming and ultimately good, dirty fun. The game is available for free on the App Store.

[Inert Soap]

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

Screenshots:

Ah, the fateful Mobile Monday. Yet again, I have spent a week perusing the App Store trying to find something interesting to share with all of you. This past week, Sunwoo Games’ awkwardly-titled Warrior Nation-Blade caught my eye. It’s basically an side-scrolling action game — hack-’n'-slash to be specific, with all sorts of references to swords and magic. And although a truly captivating story may have been hard to convey through this specifically, Sunwoo Games have managed to set up a compelling scenario (as exposed in their App Store description of Warrior Nation-Blade):

In the year of 972 at Shineland, a Kingdom of Sword and Magic
Dark magicians, who had been persecuted under the shadow of long-standing peace,
discovered how to open up a Dark Portal by using ancient spells.
Evil monsters generated by the magicians flooded out of the Dark Portal and started to attack humans.
Knights put up courageous fights against monsters; however,
they had to endure endless defeats as the monsters in their world were way too powerful for them.

Neclord, the master of Dark Magicians, dispatched an assassin to eliminate the last and
only threat remaining, a descendant of Dragon Slayer.
Ares, who had been living in a small town deep into the mountains in Highland,
finally picked up a sword he had been hiding for years in order to fight against the assassin of
death that suddenly emerged.

Yeah, you’re battling demons or some shit. But enough horsing around, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Warrior Nation-Blade‘s combat will appeal to a lot of gamers but certainly turn others off. If you’re into the whole repetitive slashing through enemies using various skills, upgrading your character, and getting by on a stage-by-stage basis, then you’re in luck. Warrior Nation-Blade is free on the App Store until September 23rd, and if you don’t manage to score a download by then, a dollar isn’t going to kill you. But, and I empathize, some gamers have just found the action downright boring — mainly due to the repetition.

It’s hard to argue against that: yes, the combat becomes repetitive. But what game on the iOS platform is refreshing throughout the whole play-through? At least Sunwoo Games tried to endow Warrior Nation-Blade with some lasting appeal by adding 22 different types of enemies, combo attacks utilizing weapons like the two-handed sword, chain-spear, hand-cannon, and the like, and three difficulty levels. Other players take issue with its old-school feel in graphics and design, but I don’t think any of us at DIYgamer have a problem with that. My only real gripe is that the difficulty level appears at top-left of the screen in place of the character’s name (which would have been more logical).

So now the real question becomes: should you download Warrior Nation-Blade? Like I said before, as a fan of action and hack-’n'-slash (and side-scrolling), I was rather excited about playing Sunwoo’s current freebie. It may not be a game that adds original concepts to the genre, but for a free or $0.99 product it’s certainly entertaining. Just don’t be expecting to develop your new addiction yet.

As of right now, you can still download Warrior Nation-Blade for free on the App Store.

[Sunwoo Games]

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

Screenshots:

In theory, Broken Thumbs Apps Zombie Duck Hunt is nearly a perfect idea. What gamer doesn’t remember Duck Hunt and reminisce of an older generation of gaming? Moreover, why would gamers not appreciate playing a similar experience on their heavily favored handhelds in the modern day? But see, I think this works both ways — some will love it, and some won’t care in the least bit. I’m impartial; I enjoy Zombie Duck Hunt, but can’t see myself playing it for too long.

Yet, Duck Hunt fans will be ecstatic to find that Zombie Duck Hunt actually blends in fresh mechanics which aren’t just a direct rip-off of the old IP we know and love (or knew and loved). For instance, a new currency system will allow players to purchase different guns. Also, did anybody notice the word “zombie” in the title? If you don’t take care of a bird as it initially swoops in, then the bird will go red and indicate it has become zombified — this means you have five seconds to kill the bird before it takes one of your precious lives.

I like that Zombie Duck Hunt is based heavily on progression rather than survival-like mechanics, unlike the other zombie title (Zombie Flick) I covered today. As you handle different types of birds and advance through the “Hunt!” mode, you’ll also encounter bonus levels with different types of enemies (like bats) and earn lives as well as new guns. These new guns can later be selected through a menu on the title screen. If you want to try out a gun but haven’t earned it yet, the game comes equipped with a gun range in the “Gun Store,” allowing you to shoot to your heart’s content and building anticipation for when you attain that weapon.

But for all its merits, Zombie Duck Hunt was close to receiving some bad commentary from me. When I first played the game, the accelerometer (tilt) functions would not work. Each time I shot the gun, the aiming reticule would move higher in increments until it reached the top of the screen. This would make me recalibrate the controls each time it happened…but the aiming reticule would do the exact same thing over again. Therefore, I can understand the concerns users have voiced on the app already, because this issue makes the game simply unplayable. Here’s to hoping that Broken Thumbs can take care of the situation with the next update.

Finally, I need to get this off my chest: where is that fucking dog? I need to kill it. In fact, I need to kill it, then I need it to be zombified, then I need to kill it again — several times, please! I don’t know if the dog is a part of the game as this is not a full review, but if it isn’t, perhaps that’s something else for Broken Thumbs to work on in the future.

Zombie Duck Hunt is available for free on the App Store. I suggest getting it if you dig the idea!

[Broken Thumbs Apps]

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

Screenshots:

Are you a fan of the zombie genre? Good. Are you a fan of the flick mechanic on your iDevice? Even better. What UK indie devs Full Fat manage to do is combine the two into one, thus creating Zombie Flick. Personally, I’ve always been a huge fan of killing zombies; any review I may have written in the past for a zombie game is highly indicative of this. And there’s nothing better to me than a solid game on my iPhone because I like to game on the go. That being said, Full Fat’s Zombie Flick is easily worth a checkout if you find yourself in the least bit curious.

Upon entering the game’s start-up screen (the self-referred “foyer”), you’ll notice a tutorial mode, a Last Stand mode, and a Survival mode. Now, I’ve yet to make enough points to obtain the Survival mode, but I can imagine it would be pretty similar to Last Stand. While progression is not on a mission-by-mission basis, there is much more of a concentration on survival gameplay.

In Zombie Flick, you’re required to do two things to cover all bases. Firstly, throw whatever objects are in your hand at the zombies (preferably their heads) by flicking. Secondly, if the zombies manage to get too close then you’ve got to go into repair mode and repair the police barriers you have set up. This sounds easy enough, but like any other survival zombie experience, you don’t simply have your back to the wall and worry about one direction. Eventually, the zombies will come from all four directions and you must constantly check your back and sides to make sure none of them have penetrated through your defenses.

But in the 45 or so minutes I’ve played Zombie Flick, I have yet to encounter too stressful of a situation. I love chucking shit at zombies. Everything from toilet paper, acoustic nylon-string guitars, plates, bananas, handheld gaming devices, newspapers, “Whoopsee Cushions,” wrenches, typewriters, and…. well, you get the point. Just the sheer number of objects that you can throw at these zombies is ridiculous and — by the looks of it — Full Fat plans on releasing more content.

Most importantly, though, Zombie Flick is a very gratifying game. If you manage to flick an object in such a way that it chains and hits four or five other zombies as well, you’ll score not only massive points but also pad your ego in the meantime. It’s almost impossible to pinpoint anything bad in the game simply because it’s free as part of a promotion. Will Zombie Flick get old? Absolutely, but you’ve got OpenFeint achievements to obtain.

I think the game warrants a download as soon as possible because iOS gamers have nothing to lose. Seriously… get to throwing shit at zombies NAO!

[Full Fat]

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

Screenshots:

I played Fieldrunners even before I had an iPhone. I found myself surprisingly hooked to the mechanics of tower defense — a genre that would later eclipse others on the App Store. But I can’t say I live and breathe tower defense. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that I’ve grown weary of the genre since then and would much rather play action-adventure titles. But I still decided to give Super Squawk Software’s The Creeps! a chance — I guess I’m just a nice guy.

Although seriously, I’m not as nice as Super Squawk for offering The Creeps! for free. Granted, they’re another developer utilizing the in-game purchase for fans who wish to play more levels, but they have to make money somehow, don’t they?

I came off with several impressions after playing The Creeps! Am I hooked on the tower defense genre yet again? Nope. Can I see myself playing the game in the future? Pretty unlikely. But that’s not because Super Squawk’s effort is a bad one. With cartoony graphics, loads of levels, and a somewhat intuitive control system — I think tower defense lovers would be happy with the game. It doesn’t start off slow and that’s appreciated in a tower defense game; replaying a level and having to sit through the same five minutes of snoozetastic gameplay I had before isn’t exactly ideal for me. Therefore, I’m happy that Super Squawk Software decided to make this experience a little more fast-paced. It bodes well for twitch and casual gamers alike, and fits in with the idea of how an iOS game should play.

My main gripe with the game was that in the event I wanted to build a new unit while enemies were attacking, I would frequently click an object rather than an empty space. I don’t know whether to attribute this problem to myself or the game, but it seems to be a combination of both. For one thing, the game’s map is not as big as I would have liked and obstacles are scattered generously across the playing field. This can prove for some uncomfortable situations, especially in a tower defense game. Perhaps later levels may not be as stingy with space, but I wasn’t too eager to keep moving having experienced this problem during the first level.

The Creeps! is equipped with 12 levels, each with varying rules and waves. There are 6 level packs available for purchase at the in-game store — each at $0.99 for a pack of 6 new maps. So credit must be given to Super Squawk for keeping up the content, but it seems this one may only be attractive to the tower-defense fans. Still, at the price of nothing, the initial 12 levels are worth a try if you’ve got the slightest of interest.

Download The Creeps! here.

[Super Squawk Software]

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

Screenshots: