Daisy Chains blooms on iDevices

Seems I always had a healthy interest in all games that have something to do with gardens ever since the excellent Hover Bovver by Jeff Minter. Then again, this was a 1984 8-bit game; Daisy Chains, on the other hand, just got released and is available to play (for less than $1) on the iOS thingy of your choice. You can grab and find out more about it over at the App Store.

Free App Hero is Free!

The amazing Free App Hero app, the only program that will let you get quality free games on your iOS device and a brilliant utility Gaming on the Go has already covered here and here, is finally free! Well, for a limited time  that is and only to celebrate the fact that its database now sports over 1000 apps, but still very free indeed. I do thus suggest you hurry and grab it. You can find it here; it's utterly excellent.

Sudden, Massive, Shocking: The 3DS Price-Cut

The Nintendo 3DS never managed to excite me and experience shows that is not a good sign for any console. At least usually not. Not surprisingly then, the performance of Nintendo's latest handheld has so far been less than stellar what with the lack of truly impressive and innovative games, the high price of both the console and its cartridges, the sub-par design of the machine itself, the gimmicky nature of 3D and -above all- the meteoric rise of the iOS and Android gaming platforms. Apparently though Nintendo wont accept defeat just yet.

Following the release of the excellent Ocarina of Time and the opening of the 3DS e-store, Nintendo decided to truly slash the price of the 3DS. According to Joystiq Nintendo of America will, as of August 12, drop the console's price from $250 to the a vastly more affordable $170, whereas according to Eurogamer European gamers will also benefit from an impressive price drop by around a third of the current price-tag. What's more, pioneering souls that bought their 3DS at its original price will be getting 20 (!) free games via the 3DS eShop, provided they connect their machines to said eshop before the 12th of August.

Will this help turn the fate of the 3DS around? Well, only time can tell, but I sure like the sound of such moves and this can't be a bad thing.

Machinarium coming to the iPad

Machinarium, the gorgeous looking indie adventure by Amanita Design, is finally, and in what can only be described as a most appropriate move, coming to the shiny high-res screen of the iPad. According to Pocket Gamer at least, and judging by the fact that it's a most excellent site (that handily also quotes the developers) one can rest assured. One of the best, most refreshing and visually stunning point-and-clickers of recent years is going portable. Guess you'd better give the demo of the PC version a try while waiting. It can be found here. 

Demons and the Damned

Games like Demons and the Damned are the reason I like the way the iOS gaming scene is evolving: it is indeed turning into an amazing ocean of indie creativity reminiscent of the wild days of the ZX Spectrum bedroom coders. I mean, really, what publisher would ever think of releasing a decidedly retro-eqsue action-puzzler with a price tag of 0.99$ three years ago? None actually, and that's why you should have a look here. 

Bloo Kid for Android

A pixel-art, indie, retro-esque platformer sporting 60 levels and chiptune soundtrack sounds pretty brilliant, doesn't it? Well, apparently that's exactly what the recently released Bloo Kid is and, pretty impressively, you can grab it for free for your Android phone via this lovely link.

Magnetic Billiards released!

The Pickford Brothers, John and Ste Pickford, the legendary game-crafters that have given as tons of excellent games ranging from Zub on the ZX Spectrum to Naked War on the PC, have finally released Magnetic Billiards: Blueprint for them iOS devices. The game is, quite shockingly I must admit, free to play, fully supports the bells and whistles of the iPhone 4 and iPad 2, and is a truly brilliant and polished arcade puzzler, that effortlessly combines pool with magnetism. I do of course suggest you immediately grab it.

Aliens: Infestation coming to the DS

Aliens Infestation, an action/exploration side-scroller by Sega, will apparently and according to Joystiq be released for the Nintendo DS this very September, emphatically proving that there is still life in the old handheld. And by life, I don't mean mini-game collections or pathetic pseudo-casual offerings; by life, I mean proper games. What's more, Aliens Infestation looks rather brilliant, what with its SNES-style graphics, the promised upgrades system, interesting interface, multiple characters and familiar setting. Hope it turns out as good as it sounds...

reflow - the trailer

Can't quite explain it in words, but reflow for the iOS does seem incredibly interesting. Just have a look at the trailer above and the have a look over at the App Store.

The retro loving iControlPad

If there is one thing that makes retro gaming on your phone's touchscreen a bit of a nostalgia-breaking chore, it is the lack of proper controls. Touch controls, you see, simply cannot emulate the tried and tested elegance of a proper d-pad and its buttons, and that's where the incredibly intriguing iControlPad enters. It is a handy accessory that supports virtually all modern smart-phones and provides them with a much needed and properly compact add-on controller.

The iControlPad sports a digital d-pad, two analog nubs, six face buttons and two rear buttons and is compatible with your iPhone, iPad, Android device, Windows Mobile phone and more. It even comes with built-in compatibility (that can be updated along with its firmware) for most mobile emulators of classic gaming systems. You can find out more about it here and watch a review below:

Wiz Vectrex Emulation

The Vectrex was an amazing and truly unique console, that sported sharp vector graphics, a fantastic analog controller and an all-in-on design not wholly dissimilar to a miniaturized arcade cabinet. What's more, you can now enjoy its mostly brilliant games on the go with the help of your trusty Wiz and Vecx4Wiz - the happily freeware Vectrex emulator.

DrawRace (iOS) for free!

DrawRace, besides being a successful paid app that has now happily gone free, is an intriguing, polished and actually fun little game, that has players concentrate on the tactical side of racing. And it's really simple too, as all  you have to do is draw the optimal racing line, with the speed of your finger setting the speed of your in-game car. Smart, eh? Well, you can now grab it for free via the App Store. Oh, it's great for some hot-seat multiplayer action too.

The Ultimate version of Z

I did warn you, but you never listen, do you? The excellent RTS Z by the Bitmap Brothers has finally made it to the App Store and you seem as unprepared for frantic strategic action as a particularly unprepared person. Oh, well... Guess you'd better hurry and grab Z for you iDevice; purchasing the iPhone/iPod Touch version will also get you the complete iPad version. The game has a shiny new interface that perfectly fits those iScreens, looks gorgeous, supports achievements, remains as funny as I remembered it and even comes with multilingual voice-overs.

Llamasoft's Deflex released!

Ah, but aren't we iOS gamers lucky? Legendary game designer Jeff Minter seems to have selected them iDevices as his (and Llamasoft's) platform of choice and is releasing psychedelic masterpiece after psychedelic masterpiece. Deflex, his latest offering, has just appeared on the App Store, looks fantastic and is a most intriguing puzzle/action hybrid; shockingly it is also being described as relaxing. I'd strongly suggest you give it a try. 

Inheritance for the Kindle

I frankly haven't tried Inheritance just yet, but I definitely intend to both play it and -eventually- provide you with a review of the thing. Inheritance, you see, labels itself as "a new kind of text adventure" and can be played on the Kindle; the device whose audience is bound to love interactive fiction. The game itself costs a mere 1$ (for the time, that is; the price will be raised after the 25th of July) and sports an interesting-sounding interface, where no real typing is required - verbs, actions and objects can be selected from a list.

As for the plot and setting, well, they might not be the most original ever, but they could definitely work:

In the game, you play a character whose crazy uncle Osmo passed away recently, leaving you everything. But there's a catch. He has turned his house into a series of crazy challenges that you'll have to overcome if you want to see a dime! What is the deal with that elevator? How do you get past the tiger? And most important of all, where can a person find a decent pair of sneakers?

You can find out more about Inheritance and grab a copy over at Amazon.

The decline of the Game Boy

Ever wanted to find out the exact manner of the Game Boy's death? The role of Pokemon in temporarily saving it? How shovelware swamped the system perhaps? Well, you 'd better have a read about the decline of the Game Boy then. It's pretty lovely and definitely enlightening. 

Marathon 1 - free for the iPad

Bungie's Marathon was a groundbreaking and utterly brilliant FPS released for the Mac, back in 1994 when Halo couldn't have been more than a sketchy fantasy. As a testament to its quality and visual bauty, the original Marathon went on to spawn two sequels and then got itself ported to a variety of systems, including, yes, the excellent Dreamcast. What's more, Marathon 1 can now be grabbed for free for your iPad via the App Store. It's a pretty excellent port that sports some equally lovely in-app purchases mind; namely an HD and a Master Chief mode. Enjoy! 

An interesting freebie: Supersonic

Supersonic is a fantastic little freebie for your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that lets you ride through your music in a way not dissimilar to Audiosurf. It's fast, it's fun, it's original, it looks good, it provides with a great new way to enjoy your stored mp3s and it's available right here.

Pinball Dreams iOS

Back in the golden days of the Amiga there was one pinball game to, very simply, ruled them all: Pinball Dreams. It sported some lovely graphics, excellent physics, varied tables, authentic-sounding effects and an intuitive control method. It was -and to this day remains- absolutely lovely. What's more, it can now be enjoyed on your iOS device of choice, as a port of Pinball Dreams has been made available on the App Store. It's quite expensive though and only features four tables... Then again, it can be played in portrait mode too. As for me, well, I'll be waiting for a Lite version of the thing.

Puzzle Agent 2 Unleashed

The first Puzzle Agent was a game with excellent atmosphere, unique visuals and some -sadly- mediocre puzzles. Still, I wouldn't be afraid to suggest it to anyone who cares about adventures and puzzle games. Anyway. What matters right now is that Telltale has released its sequel, the aptly named Puzzle Agent 2. Apparently the original was successful enough to warrant a sequel; help Puzzle Agent 2 get its very own sequel by grabbing either the iPhone/iPod or the iPad version.

Pax Britannica Android

Pax Britannica is one of those rare games that really turn a genre on its head only to paint its feet blue. Did that make sense? Guess it didn't, then again a single-button RTS that works excellently doesn't make much sense either; until you play Pax Britannica that is. The game, already an indie favourite among PC and Mac gamers (get it here), is an excellent one-touch sci-fi RTS and has been ported to Android, while remaining as free as ever! Get it over at the Android Market.