Quickly hurry over to the iOS App store if you want to grab this retro style scrolling shooter for not even a penny. For the next 24 hours, Fun Infused Games are giving away Hypership Out of Control for completely free, instead of the regular price of $0.99/69p. The sale is on the 26th, so the start time of the sale confusingly depends on your time zone. The freebie promotion is live in Australia at time of writing, but it should be free in all regions at the turn of midnight (local time).

Hypership Out of Control has you flying to the top of the screen, dodging asteroids and other obstacles, whilst trying to collect coins to get loads of points. If it’s not yet free in your region, you can always try the (beta) web version here. It’s nothing hugely complicated, but it’s better than staring at a wall whilst waiting for a bus.

Here’s a trailer, to see it’s lovely 8bit pixels in motion:

[Fun Infused Games]

Last month I gushed a bit about an upcoming iOS space trading game called Drifter, a mobile game inspired by the likes of Frontier and Privateer that was released years ago on the PC.

Anyway, the reason why I’m writing about the game again is because the developer Celcius Game Studios has released a new gameplay video which shows off some pretty damned imnpressive graphics and gameplay for a iOS title.

Check it out:

I think what I’m most impressed with isn’t so much the game itself (although that’s easy to be impressed with) but rather the user interface which allows you to hyper jump between various systems. As a long time fan of many space trading games, I can say that this method of faster than light travel seems to be much more intuitive than most other games in the genre.

Also, as an astronomy buff, I’m really digging the galactic map!

Drifter is still early in development so don’t get your hopes up too much a release anytime soon, but for those of you with iThings this should be one of the games you keep a look out for.

[Celsius Game Studios]

[UPDATE: The developer pinged me on Twitter to let me know that a PC version is being considered for release shortly after the iOS version. Great news for those of us who don't own iDoohickies!]

radiangames’ was easily one of the premeir, best of the best, Xbox Live Indie Game developers out there. He made games so slick, colorful, fun and professional for XBLIG that more often than not you could easily convince watchers that it was an XBLA game. Over the course of a year Luke Schneider released seven amazing games for Microsoft’s indie venture… and then he was done.

Unfortunately, despite the amazing-ness of the titles, XBLIG simply wasn’t a viable platform. It still isn’t for many developers. As such Luke is now bringing his expertise to another popular indie destination: iOS.

This Thursday marks the first radiangames release post-XBLIG and it’s as a continuation of one of my favorite radiangames classics: Crossfire. The appropriately titled Super Crossfire (for iPhone and iPod Touch) and Super Crossfire HD (iPad) will launch on Appl’es devices for a scant $0.99 and $2.99 respectively.

Here’s a bit about the game:

Super Crossfire is an intense shooter with a distinct twist: Players can warp between the bottom and top of the screen at any time. Combined with a massive upgrade system, intense gameplay, visuals, and audio, and a huge variety of enemy types and waves, Super Crossfire is the next evolution in the arcade shooter genre.

Personally, being a fan of radiangames and a huge Android proponent, I hope Super Crossfire also makes it’s way to the Googlier side of the smart phone spectrum. But even if it doesn’t I’m simply happy radiangames is back making fantastic games. Here’s hoping we see many more in the future.

[radiangames]

A pleasant surprise this morning as Spilt Milk Studios has again made their excellent Snake meets Geometry Wars retro arcade title Hard Lines temporaily free on the App Store. The offer (as per the usual for iOS handouts) goes for today, and today only.

I’ve been playing the game during travel days this summer and have to say it’s one of the top titles in terms of quality and depth I’ve discovered thus far on the platform. Hard Lines provides hours of high-score topping fun through a bunch of different creative and fun modes accompanied by a slew of whitty/hilarious one-liners. Plus it just recently received a content update adding a new Daily Challenge mode and four new power ups–iPhone/iPad owners don’t miss this one if you’ve yet to take the opportunity to pick it up.

Android owners must wait for another day for a free offer on the game, but they can still pick it up at its normal price of $2.99 anytime.

It’s time for Kairosoft’s Hot Springs Story to get in on the temporary flash sale price reduction action, with an 80% off sale. It’s been temporarily reduced to just $0.99, or 69p for UK folk. Mere spare change. You grab it straight from the iOS app store here: USA/UK. There’s no word on how long this sale is going to be available for, so if you’re interested, I suggest you hurry up.

Following on success from their game-dev managing sim, Game Dev Story, Hot Springs Story is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a management sim where you’re put in charge of running a Japanese Hot Springs Inn. I’m not exactly sure what Hot Springs Inn is, or what managing one requires, but if it’s anything like Game Dev Story, I’m sure it will be pretty addictive. I’m downloading it myself now, but in the meantime, perhaps this video will help explain things:

Hot Springs Story is available on Android too, but the sale is only on the iOS version, it would seem.

[Kairosoft]

Yesterday, Steve Jobs died. I’m not an Apple fan, nor do I own a single one of their products (although I have in the past, including iThings). Really, they’re just not my cup of tea. But looking back over the last few years, it’s hard to see an indie gaming world devoid of Apple and, by extension, the man who brought the iPhone to life: Steve Jobs (RIP).

But this isn’t really an article about Steve Jobs’ death. It just serves as an unfortunate timely coincidence. Really I merely want to discuss the implications Apple has had on game development.

Looking back through the years, it’s been challenging to quantify the amount of games that have been released each and every year, but it’s hard to deny the shear amount of games being released on all matters of platforms in recent years isn’t absolutely dwarfing the amount of games coming out pre-2005. And at the heart of all that game development? The iPhone (and by extension iPad and iPod Touch).

But what do you think? Obviously there are many roles here. Xbox Live, PSN, Android, Facebook, etc. all contributing to this huge market growth. Apple did seem to kick things off with the app store (at least in quantity), but then Xbox Live Arcade was technically first the scene and PC development has been around for, well, ever.

So did Apple start the next great renaissance (so to say) for game development? Or was it a convergence of events? Let’s gets some awesome discussion going as a sort of tribute to the man who, if nothing else, created a device for some amazing games to be on.

[Discussionware is a weekly feature aimed at promoting discussion with thought provoking topics. Each week we’ll be taking a look at a topic that influences indie gamers or developers and we’ll leave it open for discussion by our wonderful readers.]

Available today at some point is a great deal on five terrific indie games! Well I’ve actually never played them, but five for a single dollar? How can you lose?!

The bundle is called the Corona Indie Bundle and it’s essentially a bundle of five games that use the Corona SDK to make their game. Here are the included titles:

• The Secret of Grisly Manor
• Chickens Quest
• Robot 99
• Walkabout
• Float

Each game has seen fairly high success on the iOS app store so my guess is that they’re pretty good!

As an added incentive for you to buy the bundle 17% of the proceeds will be going to the charities: Bliss, Child’s Play and Dispensario de Managua.

Also, if the bundle sells more than 100,000 they’ll unlock a 6th game!

The bundle is supposed to be available today at some point on either iOS or Android however both links are currently going nowhere on the site so I can’t say for certain. Still, you can check out each game and determine for yourself if it’s something you want to pursue. Again, $0.99 for five games is one hellofa deal.

[Corona Indie Bundle]

Trailer

I’m not huge on mobile games. Never had a Gameboy as a child (out of my lack of noney more than anything else) and, as such, I’ve never really felt connected to a game until I was at home sitting in front of my television. So, despite my excitement at Drifter’s announcement, I also write this post with a heavy heart knowing that I’ll probably never be able to play this game…

But that should in no way stop you from playing Drifter (when available) should you have the means to do so, probably an iOS device of some sort given the developers past with iOS game creation.

Drifter is, as the title suggests, a space trading and exploration game. It’s essentially reminiscent of games like Frontier and Privateer. In fact, it’s a pretty damn ambitious game for a mobile title as well. The game is currently boasting around 100,000 lightyears worth of space to explore with a procedurally generated universe meaning there should, in theory, be limitless gameplay.

Of course, we can’t know just how big that is until we are able to see the speed of the space ship you get, but it sounds impressive nonetheless. I do know, according to Star Trek warp theory (yeah, shut up) it would take approximately 100 years to travel at warp 9.9… so that’s something.

The game is currently in development by Celsius Game Studios and doesn’t yet have a solid release date or a platform (but again we’re pretty sure it’s iOS), but if this is your type of game then you should definitely keep an eye on it!

[Celsius Game Studios]

Trailer

I don’t normally put out direct calls like this, but for this game I’m willing to make an exception. As some of you may or may not know, I’m a huge fan of Metroidvanias. It’s one of my very favorite genres. The exploration combined with progressive story telling in a platform like environment is just too much fun. I’m ecstatic that it’s become such a boon for indie developers as it means more Metroidvanias for me!

Today’s game has the potential be one of my all time favorites. It’s a small game called Space Explorer 2D. I don’t know if that’s planned to be the official name or not, but what I can tell you is, based on some early footage of the game I’m damn impressed! The character art is decidedly 16-bit retro, but the background art is fleshed out very well. I love that combination.

Plus check out this description!

Built as a 2d pixel sidescroller, and following in the footsteps of the 16-bit Metroid and Castlevania games, it plays like a lovechild of Flashback and System Shock.

Sold! Sold times ten! No game that claims to be a little Metroid, Castlevania, Flashback and System Shock can be bad!

So here’s the catch, as the title suggests, the guys who are making this game need funding. They’re not asking for much, only $1000 and they’ve got a slew of perks to help entice you guys to come over. More than that, the game is planned to be free on the PC, with an iOS version costing $1.99 upon release.

I can’t say right now if this game will end up being as awesome as it looks in the early build, but I’d say it’s definitely worth the risk.

I’ve contacted the devs to get more information, but until then follow the link below to find out more information and help fund it.

[8-Bit Funding]

I just sued a ghost.

Perhaps not my greatest achievement as unseen ruler and guiding hand of the Anmangarni clan, but certainly one of the most interesting and unusual. A rowdy poltergeist had decided to set up shop in one of my loyal farmers huts, and was amusing itself by throwing their hard-earned belongings at walls, burning their dinners and scaring the kids.