The Vecrex Lives on iOS

Retro games can finally throw the party they've been aching to, as Vectrex has finally been released for both iPhone and iPad and is, quite frankly, brilliant. The controls work like a dream, the free version of the thing comes complete with one classic game and four homebrew ones, it's packed with information on the console, sports all sorts of options, let's you play with or without those overlays and even sports the complete Vectrex catalogue as one handy in-app purchase. So, uhm, what are you waiting for really?

puzzlePunch! gets free on iOS

Nope, not a properly freeware offering this one, but as far as free-to-play games go, it's definitely worth a try. Or, well, two. Anyway, go grab puzzlePunch!for your iPhone and enjoy a pretty lovely mix of puzzling and fighting. 

Give Conway's Inferno Life!

Life games, those weird simulations of the evolution of, err, life, were all the rage back in the days of the 16-bit computers. Well, at least in the still tiny indie scene of the day, but it's really great seeing the genre evolve and make it on iOS with the help of the freeware and rather excellent Conway's Inferno. It's a puzzle/startegy thing, that reverses the genre's main ideas and has you trying to exterminate populations while playing with such nasty things as bombs, UFOs and zombies. 

Last Express iOS

Haven't tried this on iOS just yet, but having already enjoyed said ground-breaking and utterly brilliant adventure on the PC, I can't help but suggest everyone grabs a copy of Last Express for their iPhone, iPad and, possibly, fridge. You'll love it. You'll love its rotoscaped graphics, you'll love its mature plot and excellent characters, you'll love the music, you'll love the atmosphere and most probably love me for urging you to give it a try.

Ο.

Michael Brough's O. for the iPad is a fantastic game. A game that lets you get physical with your iPad and your opponent and one of the most enjoyable two-player offerings since Sensible Soccer. So, uhm, grab it, will you?

Also a rare game that can even be described like this:

Pirouette your fingers across the board, grabbing balls in one colour to keep your chain going while disrupting your opponent’s efforts. Your hands collide as you reach for the same ball and you roar with rage as they hog all the pink ones! Rack up points by sticking to one colour: the more you get in a row the more they're worth.

Don't Look Back - now free on Android!

Don't Look Back, Terry Cavanagh's wonderful, minimalist, short and typically challenging platformer has been made available on Android. For free; properly and fully free. Get it over at Google Play and, please, don't make me use any more redundant words. It's a wonderful game and this is trying to be a minimalist post.

Bundle In A Box: Deep Space LAUNCHED!

I have been neglecting this blog for quite sometime now, but I had good reason to: the second Bundle In A Box by Kyttaro Games, the spacey and fabulous Deep Space bundle, is now live! Simply hop over to Bundle In A Box, pay what you want and grab 5 brilliant sci-fi games:

• exclusive debut arena shooter Death Ray Manta by Rob Fearon (PC/Mac)
• Jeff Minter's psychedelic Space Giraffe (PC)
• surreal RPG/adventure hybrid Dark Scavenger (PC/Mac)
• TIE Fighter inspired space combat sim The Wreckless (PC/Mac)
• retro remade Commodore 64 classic Armalyte (PC)

Pay above the average price and, some lovely interactive Armalyte extras aside, also get:

• just-released sci-fi arcade offering Miner Wars Arena (PC/Mac)
• Sol: Exodus; the stunning space shooter (PC)
• retro-esque platformer Robot Riot (PC/Mac)

Oh, and do keep in mind that the more bundles we sell, the more money will go to the Indie Dev Grant and our charity. Also, more extras will be unlocked, meaning that everyone who grabbed a bundle (in a box) will also be getting such goodies as a complete issue of the PlaySF magazine, soundtracks, artbooks and more.

As for us mobile gamers, well there something pretty special. People who purchase the bundle will also be getting access to exclusive Droidscape: Basilica content; the forthcoming iOS and Android sci-fi arcade puzzler.

Super Hexagon Launches on September 6

Terry Cavanagh's frantic Super Hexagon is apparently finished and will be made available on the App Store on Thursday the 6th of September. Buying it during its launch week for a discounted $0.99 will apparently get you a psychedelic and utterly brutal arcade game for either your iPad or iPhone. A game I for one can't wait to play.

Here's what Terry has to say:

I’m really proud of this game – although I’ve only been working on it for about four months, it feels like I’ve been subconsciously working on it much, much longer than that… There’s this particular strand of action game that I keep coming back to, that I always seem to do at jams – games like Self Destruct, or Bullet Time, or memrrtiks, or even the Super Gravitron from VVVVVV – they all come from the same place – something instinctive – to me, it feels like they’re all getting at the same thing.

The iPad Bastion

One of the most impressively (and hilariously) narrated games of all time, the stunning looking Bastion, has finally made it to the App Store and can be enjoyed by everyone who spends $4.99 and owns an iPad 2 (or better). In case you never heard of this indie mega-hit before, let me briefly tell you it's an isometric action RPG with a deep plot, buckets of polish and some rather unique visuals. Everyone else should only know that the port is nigh-on perfect and sports great controls. 

Frutorious coming to iOS!

If you are looking for a beautiful blend of pinball and platformer, well, then you'll have to wait a bit. The brilliant-looking Frutorious wont be released until September 2012 I'm afraid, though you can still have a look at its lovely teaser trailer and the making-of documentary.