It's the Psychonauts App!

Anything that comes with a perfectly valid warning, err, warning you that this app may cause a sudden, uncontrollable rush of enthusiasm for Psychonauts deserves to be instantly downloaded. Especially when said app allows you to enjoy all those demented memory vaults from Psychonauts for absolutely free and, even more so, when considering that Psychonauts-enthusiasm is a perfectly normal condition. So, what are you waiting for? Grab the Psychonauts Vault Viewer now!

Aquaria coming to iPad

Aquaria, the indie, aquatic take on Metroid, is one of the most beautiful indie games ever released, and judging by the competition this really is quite a feat. It has won numerous prizes, wowed thousands of gamers, impressed more than a few non-gamers, created a vibrant community around it and made PC gamers very happy indeed. Well, and that's the good news, the time has come for Aquaria to get its much deserved iPad port. Semi Secret are handling it and will be releasing the game sometime this winter. Oh, and though you could check the PC demo out, this teaser video should be teasing enough:

Robot Wants Kitty iOS for free

Good news everyone! Excellent indie offering Robot Wants Kitty will be free for a limited time and I do thus suggest you hurry over to the App Store and grab yourselves a copy. Not only is it a lovely action puzzler, but it's also matured to a glorious new 2.0 version. Be quick luvs, be quick!

The Gamate Video Review

By Ashens none the less, and should you feel like you could find out more about this obscure and not exactly brilliant console, well, do have a look at this old GotG Gamate piece.

Truckers Delight Episode 1 for free!

Ah, the excellent, almost NSFW, gloriously animated, demented and pixel-artsy Trucker's Delight video. We all remember it, don't we? Of course we do, of course we do, and now those of us that own some sort of iDevice can play the game of the video for absolutely free, as Trucker's Delight: Episode 1 will be available to freely download for a limited time. Better hurry and get this demented gaming vignette now. It's short, weird, very lovely indeed and will happily run on all iOS machines.

Greedy Bankers vs The World (iPad)

When a game called Greedy Bankers vs The World is released for the iPad and you do actually own one of them contraptions, things are very simple: you pay up and download the thing immediately. I mean, really, Greedy Bankers vs The World? What name could ever hope to beat this? Besides, we really have to support timely and brilliant titled games you know... And this one is a pretty lovely iPad puzzle game too, that is offering both multiplayer and a refreshing sense of wackiness.

Greedy bankers... ooooh, how I hate you lot.

Another World iOS released

Retro and, well, contemporary iOS gamers have finally gained access to the best version of a truly classic game ever released, as Another World - 20th Anniversary has just hit the App Store. It's the same 16-bit adventure we all loved to bits, taking place on the same brilliantly alien setting, sporting the same excellent characters, buddy mechanics and story, only this time with vastly updated graphics and some of the best touch-screen controls ever. And for a mere $5 you'll be getting both the iPad and iPhone versions too.

What's more, Eric Chaci, the legendary game designer that crafted the original and actively worked on this port/remake thing, has made sure that you can switch between them old and new graphics, play the thing on three difficulty settings and five different languages, and even show off on Game Center. All that, while enjoying a remastered soundtrack and looking at something like this:

Bounder's World - The Return

Once upon a time there was an excellent game called Bounder by Gremlin, that made Spectrum, C64 and Amstrad CPC gamers very happy indeed. It was an impressive looking twitch-arcade thing with some lovely pseudo-3D graphics, you see, that earned glowing reviews and went on to spawn a sequel: Re-Bounder. Then the 80s came to an end, the 90s breezed us by -as did the 2010s- and the monster of the global financial crisis came to destroy the world and make the rich richer. Oh, and Gremlin did sort of revive itself (after obviously dying) under the label of Gremlin Presents and has even released the first Bounder sequel in 25 years - Bounder's World.

The game is available for your iOS device of choice, seems to take a particular liking to iPhones and iPods, and is available via the App Store for less than one dollar, pound or euro. Impressively the thing sports 144 levels, some lovingly upgraded retro-inspired graphics, 3 different worlds and four play-modes. Oh, and from what I've seen it does play rather brilliantly. Anyone that ever cared for Bounder is bound (sorry) to love this. 

A short Spy Mouse review

Chances are anyone reading this blog must have already played or at least heard of the chart-topping Spy Mouse. Then again chances are just that; chances. I for example tried the thing only yesterday and -to my surprise- was actually blown away by it. Never really though that a $0.99 offering could be this polished, rich, smart and good looking.

Actually, simply watching the short classically animated intro would be enough to convince anyone of the production and aesthetic values of Spy Mouse...

As for the game itself, well, it does play to the iPhone's strengths and is both extremely enjoyable and innovative. You get to trace a path for the spy mouse -agent Squeak to be precise- with your finger, that will allow it to grab the cheese and escape each screen, while avoiding deadly cats and solving easy yet interesting stealth-based puzzles. Levels get progressively more difficult and more varied, the graphics are amazing, the challenges varied, the special levels are more than enough and, well, to cut a long story short, this is one offering you simply can't afford to miss. Besides, all those little touches have to be appreciated by someone...

Elite: Beyond the ZX Spectrum

Having already provided us with a ton of ZX Spectrum classics, Elite is now ready to bring a selection of true retro gems from around the globe to the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. According to the ever excellent TouchArcade more than a few games have already been licensed from German, British and American developers and will very soon be hitting the App Store as individual iOS apps. The first nine games that will be hitting the service include Commodore 64 classics M.U.L.E. and Paradroid, Amiga jaw-dropper First Samurai and the ever exciting Bundesliga Manager. Oh, and they are depicted on the piccie cunningly posted above. As for me, well, I can't wait really...

R-Type for Android

We retro gamers have been so lucky recently, I can't help but believe there must be quite few of us sporting smart-phones, as classic games do tend to show up in droves. The latest offering? Why, it's the excellent 80s scrolling shoot-'em-up R-Type by irem of course, which has just been released for Android phones, and has been further optimized for the Xperia Play, while also been given two difficulty levels. You can grab it over at the Android Market and make merry. Oh, and here's the trailer:

Super Fly HD for free!

Super Fly HD is a lovely shmup with impressively decent controls that has been designed for both the iPhone and the iPad; what's more, I can't help believing it should run fine on an iPod Touch too, but that's probably just me (and Apple). Anyway, we don't have much time here.... Super Fly HD has just gone (temporarily) free-to grab and you should really hurry over to its App Store page and download it while the offer lasts. Enjoy!

Road Blaster [OR] Road Avenger iOS

Road Blaster, a game I knew as Road Avenger, has apparently made it to the iPhone, iPod and iPad and I must admit it does sound incredibly tasty, what with its updated graphics and ridiculously low price-tag. Having missed playing it on laserdisc arcades and the Sega (Mega) CD, I do believe this lovely driving take on the Dragon's Lair formula must feel pretty comfortable on Apple's devices. Anyway. Here's the App Store link.

A rousing Phone Story

Games can do impressive things; things that matter too. Take Phone Story for example - it managed to publicize certain nasty truths behind Apple's hit smart-phone (and the high-tech industry in general), showed the gadget's dark journey throughout an impoverished world and managed to last less hours on the App Store than certain racist apps I can think of. Phone Story, you see, comes packed with four educational games that make the player symbolically complicit in coltan extraction in Congo, outsourced labor in China, e-waste in Pakistan and gadget consumerism in the West.

Phone Story, a Molleindustria production, is as you should have already guessed no longer available to buy and it's a crying shame, but at least you can see what it is all about with a little help from Kotaku and read an excellent interview with its creator over at the ever-vigilant Indie Games Blog. What's more and while I'm waiting for another version of it to become available, you could do worse than read the eye-opening Games of Empire book.

[UPDATE]: Phone Story has just been released for Android! Find out more about it here.

ArkanoArena is interesting!

And you too will find it interesting, provided that you, like me, enjoy BreakOut/Arkanoid clones and have always thought that a steampunk variant would work. ArkanoArena is exactly that and you can grab it over at the App Store. Seems like a feature packed offering too. 

Classic Mac Emulator for the DS

It's been out for quite some time now and I still haven't tried it, but, as I just discovered it, I simply had to post about the highly intriguing Mini VMac. It seems after all like an excellent piece of software for people that just need to emulate their classic Macs on the go and have their DS play some lovely black and white games. Yes, it's a Mac emulator for the Nintendo DS. You can download Mini VMac DS here; it wont cost you a thing. Oh, and don't forget to give the lovely Dark Castle a try...

Rodland a.k.a. Rod Land

Rodland or Rod Land is a fantastic and definitely classic action platformer that I loved playing in those dear arcades of yore. It also happens to be a game that was decently ported to most 8- and 16-bit micros of the era and one that finally and very recently indeed got an impressive looking iOS port too (by retro masters DotEmu). You can obviously grab it for your iPhone and iPad via the App Store. Back to my Sunday now...

The Renegade 3DS

Actually, make that Renegade 3DS and you'll be closer to the joyful truth that retro arcade brawler Renegade will be getting a remake for the Nintendo 3DS. New graphics, the addition of simple RPG-like mechanics, multiplayer modes and a few extra touches should make this a most intriguing offering, though not as intriguing as a proper Target; Renegade remake would be. Find out more about it over at Tiny Cartridge. 

Machinarium released on iPad!

People that want to show off just how shiny their iPad 2 screen is, adventure gamers, indie lovers and everyone that enjoys an excellent gaming experience should immediately hurry and grab the amazing iPad version of Machinarium over at the App Store. It is, you see, the same beautiful, taxing, point-and-click adventure that wowed the computer gaming crowds with its stunning visuals, excellent soundtrack, deep puzzles and rich setting. As for me, and after watching the thing run on a friends iPad, well, I have already started saving up to grab one of Apple's tablets...

The King of Shreds and Patches (Kindle)

Well, the first proper piece of interactive fiction has arrived on the Amazon Kindle and it's none other than Jimmy Maher's The King of Shreds and Patches. And, yes, when I say proper, I do mean proper, as in featuring a fully working parser and a deep, interactive storyline. You can find out more about it over at the Digital Antiquarian and grab a copy over at Amazon.com. As for me, I will be waiting for Amazon to release the thing for Europe too.... Here's something to further enlighten you on this lovely new game:

When you receive a note from your old acquaintance John Croft, you expect nothing but an evening of good food and drink and tall tales. Instead, you quickly find yourself plunged into a conspiracy of black magic that involves not only Croft but some of the most powerful and important men in London – and possibly even someone else, someone much closer to your own heart.  

The King of Shreds and Patches is truly an interactive novel. Set in a meticulously recreated Elizabethan London, its story and writing can stand proudly beside conventional mysteries and historical thrillers in both length and quality, with one crucial difference: YOU play the protagonist.  

A brand new approach to interactive fiction on the Kindle, this experience is deeper and richer than anything you have seen before. Rather than choosing from a few limited options, you will use a natural-language parser to choose from a universe of possibility every step of the way. Simply tell the story what you want to do using simple English, and it will respond with rich prose of its own.  

In the process of playing, you will write your very own novel; no two players will have the same experience. And after you have finished your adventure, a process that will likely absorb many hours, your story will remain on your Kindle, to reread and share and compare with others.  

Lovers of historical fiction, mysteries, or horror can now experience a story from the inside, while fans of puzzles and adventure games will also find much to enjoy here. Will you be able to thwart the darkness that threatens London?

Early 20th Century Cthulhu invading phones

Gnomes come in a variety of colours and this is one of life's happy little touches, as the dear Blue Gnome brilliantly showcased by sharing a lovely link to a forthcoming Cthulhu game (mainly/for now) for the iPhone. It goes under the promising title of Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land and will apparently be a RPG/turn-based strategy hybrid set sometime during the Great War. Besides sporting a name that subtly references the classic C64 Wasteland, the game will apparently be based on Chasium's Call of Cthulhu pen and paper RPG, which is nothing short of brilliant, as CoC is indeed my all time favourite RPG and one of the few games that manage to successfully evoke the atmosphere of Lovecraft's literary work. 

The Wasted Land will be a single player affair for the Android and iPhone platforms that will hopefully be soon released by Red Wasp Design. Oh, and you'll get to control both investigators (hooray!) and soldiers in what does look like an incredibly promising Lovecraftian and quite a bit undead take on the X-COM formula, with some interesting 3D graphics. Here are some early -possibly alpha- screenshots and a video:

Atari Arcade - Duo Powered iPad Joystick

The ever-lovely GameSetWatch noticed that Atari is about to start selling the aptly named Atari Arcade - Duo Powered Joystick for the iPad and, well, I thought I'd let you all know. It will after all be a hopefully modestly priced add-on that will let retro gamers enjoy their favourite arcade games the way they were meant to be played; via joystick that is. The thing will obviously be compatible with Atari's Greatest Hits app, though I'm pretty sure a variety of other games will also be playable. 

My Secret Hideout Released

Yes, it's the interactive text toy I've already mentioned and you can now grab it for your iPad and/or iPad 2 (not surprisingly) via the App Store. It's another Andrew Plotkin creation and it simply has to be excellent, you know.