With the iOS 4.1 update that added Game Center out in the wild today, we're seeing an avalanche of new updates for older games that are utilizing these new features. Previously we've only seen games that received achievements and leaderboards, but now it seems that three games from Pangea Software are the first to offer real-time multiplayer. Here is the information for each game provided in the press release from Pangea:

Nanosaur 2, .99 Nanosaur 2 is a 3D action-adventure game where you pilot a time traveling pteradactyl from the future.  Previously, Nanosaur 2 was just a single player game, but new in version 2.0 are six new levels and three new multiplayer modes including Capture the Eggs, Battle, and Race.  Thanks to iOS 4.1, users with Game Center enabled devices can now play against each other by inviting friends or using Auto-Match to play against people around the world.  In Capture the Eggs mode players are on teams, and they have to retrieve all of their team’s dinosaur eggs before the other team.  Battle mode, on the other hand, is pure excitement as players collect weapons and blast each other out of the sky.  The race mode also involves a lot of heat seeking missiles, blasters, and cluster grenades, but your primary goal is to race around a track.  Up to four players can play together in Nanosaur 2, and the game uses the Voice Chat feature of iOS so you can smack-talk your opponents while you unleash a barrage of firepower on them.

Cro-Mag Rally, .99 Cro-Mag Rally is Pangea Software’s caveman racing game where you race primitive vehicles such as the Bone Buggy, Geode Cruiser, Logmobile, etc. around prehistoric and ancient racetracks.  The new 2.0 version of Cro-Mag Rally now supports multiplayer networked racing thanks to Game Center, so up to four players can race against each other using any of the vehicles in the game.  Additionally, version 2.0 is now a Universal Binary app so it runs on the iPhone / iPod Touch and the iPad.

Enigmo, .99 Enigmo is one of the all-time best selling iPhone games with well over a million units sold, and it is the winner of an Apple Design Award for Best iPhone Game.  Enigmo is a physics based game where you try to direct flowing streams of liquids to solve puzzles.  Version 4.0 of Enigmo adds a new multiplayer mode where up to 3 players can compete to solve puzzles.  Like Nanosaur 2 and Cro-Mag Rally, Enigmo also supports Voice Chat.

We've had a chance to try out these new multiplayer features and are really happy with the results. Connecting into an online game is incredibly simple as you can choose to search out a game against random people or very easily invite one of your Game Center friends. The voice chat also works really well, and trash talking while racing against forum moderator Zincous in Cro-Mag Rally was a ton of fun indeed. Voices are clear and there is a mute button if you get tired of hearing how badly you are getting beaten by your opponent.

We didn't experience any lag while playing, but this could be due to Game Center being so new, and it will be interesting to see how the experience holds up in the coming weeks as more and more games get online multiplayer. As of right now, the Game Center integration in these three titles breaths new life into the experience, and they are definitely worth checking out for the multiplayer and voice chat functionality. We'll be anxiously awaiting to see what other titles receive the Game Center online multiplayer treatment down the line.

Touch Arcade

L.A. beaches, prepare for pasty whiteness!

Chillingo invited me down to Billabong HQ in Irvine, CA to check out their upcoming arcade-simulation surfing game, Billabong Surf Trip. I’m hitting the waves tomorrow bright and early, and will be checking out the game and rubbing elbows with some pro surfers in the afternoon. If you never hear from me again, just assume I lost an epic battle with a shark. Here are some details and screenshots from the game until then.

London, UK., – September 7, 2010 – Leading downloadable games publisher, Chillingo, today announced a licensing agreement with developer Biodroid to publish Billabong Surf Trip, an arcade-simulation surfing game for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Set throughout the world’s best surfing destinations, the game uses Billabong’s top professional surfers Andy Irons, Taj Burrow, Joel Parkinson and Tiago Pires as ambassadors for the game, who share helpful tips on how to rip and get tubed on waves for maximum performance.

“We’re proud to bring the first licensed surfing game to the App Store, delivering an immersive experience to surfing enthusiasts and newcomers alike,” explains Johnny Coghlan, Head of Publishing, Chillingo. “The adrenaline rush of paddling out and executing over 20 maneuver combinations including snaps and cut backs, along with catching air and negotiating through ground swells and barreling waves will really excite gamers seeking fast-paced fun at their fingertips.”

“Biodroid developed a robust life-like game that explores Surf and Billabong heritage in a totally authentic way” said Diogo Horta e Costa of Biodroid. “We worked closely with Billabong and its Professional Surfers to ensure that the game mechanics mirrored what is experienced in reality,” states Ricardo Flores, of Biodroid. “Every detail from the types of heart-stopping waves found at various surfing locations to the range of maneuvers players can try is the same as what can actually be done in the sport.”

“Combining the simulation style game with an arcade feel is the ideal approach to introduce new folks to the sport as well as engage surfing fans,” said Scott Wallace, Billabong VP of Strategic Partnerships.

Billabong Surf Trip is slated to launch this Fall on the App Store

I’m going on a Billabong Surf Trip is a post from: TouchGen

TouchGen

We've been excited for the Parrot AR.Drone since we first heard about it early this year. After a few different hands-on opportunities at various conventions, it was hard to not see the amazing potential the device had once you got it outside of the little 10 foot by 10 foot tent that was home to its demonstrations. After spending an entire week with the Parrot AR.Drone, it does have some down sides, but is still the coolest RC toy I've had a chance to play with.

The Parrot AR.Drone is a quadricopter that is piloted using an iPhone, iPod touch, or even an iPad. When the device is powered up, it starts broadcasting its own WiFi network. Using the companion Free Flight [Free] app, you connect to this wireless network and begin controlling the unit. The network it creates isn't encrypted at all, but the AR.Drone does bind itself to the first device that connects to it to prevent other people from hijacking your flight session. Unpairing your phone is as simple as pressing a small button on the underside of the device.

Once you're connected to the AR.Drone via the Free Flight app, you're immediately shown whatever the front facing camera sees. The top left button cycles through what is displayed on the screen between the front facing camera, the bottom facing camera, or a mixture of both. With both displayed you can continue pressing the button to swap whether the front facing or bottom facing camera is shown in the corner or filling the screen.

Just below the camera cycling button is a button that allows you to edit the settings of the device. From here you can tweak nearly everything such as how quickly it will climb, how much it will bank on turns, how sensitive the iPhone controls are, and even the SSID the AR.Drone broadcasts. Also in the settings is what kind of shell you're currently using and whether or not you're flying outdoors.

Included with the Parrot AR.Drone is the large indoor shell which protects the propellers from bumping in to things as you fly it around your house as well as the much sleeker outdoor shell. Swapping these is easy, they fit over the front facing camera and are secured on the back with a magnet. Outdoor hulls are available in three different colors for each, and a replacement indoor hull will run you .

The first thing you notice with the AR.Drone when you pull it out of the box is just how incredibly light and fragile the whole unit feels. The two different hulls and the body of the unit itself are made of EPP, or Expanded Polypropylene, a material that is widely used in most RC aircraft. It's able to bounce back and retain its shape, but just like other RC aircraft, I don't see the AR.Drone being able to handle much abuse. Thankfully, Parrot has an entire online store with every part you'd need to completely rebuilt your AR.Drone if you had to.

Flying the device itself is very easy, although doing anything more than just basic maneuvers requires a bit of getting used to. In the Free Flight app, tapping the button at the bottom of the screen causes the AR.Drone to either take off or land. From there, holding your thumb on a button on the bottom left side of the screen allows you to move the unit forward, back, or side to side by tilting the device you're running Free Flight on. Turning side to side and adjusting your altitude is accomplished using a virtual joystick of sorts on the right. If you get in trouble, an emergency button on the top of the screen immediately kills power to the propellers.

It's amazing just how much the AR.Drone does for you. It comes packed with some fairly advanced circuitry that will do everything it can to keep the device level. If you ever lose your connection to the AR.Drone WiFi, it just stops itself then slowly lands. Using sensor data from the bottom of the device, it can keep itself hover in place, even outside in a light breeze. Aside from actually running into something, the AR.Drone is also very difficult to crash, even when you're intentionally trying to get it to lose control. If it senses that it's about to tilt too far to one direction or otherwise lose control, it will abruptly correct itself.

It's really cool to see all these systems working in tandem, and if you've ever fiddled with other RC helicopters before, how idiot proof the AR.Drone is in comparison will amaze you. Unfortunately, because flying the device is such a cool experience, the first thing you immediately come to grips with is just how short the battery life is. On a full charge, I was able to fly the unit outside for around a half hour (or less depending on wind conditions) and indoors I was able to juice an additional 15 minutes or so out of the battery for a total flight time of about 45 minutes. Charging the battery back up takes an hour and a half.

Another unfortunate drawback to the AR.Drone is just how mediocre the cameras on the device are. The forward facing camera sports a resolution of 640×480, and Parrot claims it delivers this video feed at 15 FPS, but in my testing the frame rate was rarely anywhere near that, or very constant for that matter. The bottom camera is a much lower 176×144, but can display 60 FPS according to Parrot. In my testing, video from the bottom camera is a lot smoother, but it is very difficult to fly the unit using only the bottom facing camera. Because of this, more often than not I just flew the AR.Drone like I would any other RC toy in that I just watched it in the air and used my iPhone as an incredibly elaborate controller.

Without a shell on, the AR.Drone can lift very light loads, allowing for things like high definition helmet cams to be strapped to it for some better video. For instance, I found this video on YouTube of an AR.Drone with a Contour HD 1080p camera onboard:

Once you spend more time with the AR.Drone, other limitations begin to become increasingly noticeable. For instance, with the height limiter enabled in the options, the AR.Drone will only climb to around 20 feet off the ground which is as far as the sensors under the craft can detect. With the height limiter disabled, you can climb much higher, but flying the unit becomes incredibly difficult as it's no longer capable of hovering in place once you exceed the capabilities of its bottom-fancing sensors.

Testing the vertical capabilities of the device was the only time I had to use the emergency button. Once you take away the AR.Drone's ability to figure out where it is in relation to the ground, it loses its ability to correct its location. Flying the device on what I'd call a fairly calm day resulted in it almost being blown into some trees when a small breeze picked up. In comparison, in similar conditions closer to the ground the AR.Drone barely moved at all.

Also, since the whole device operates on WiFi, you're constrained by the range limitations of both the AR.Drone and the iPhone. Parrot is claiming you can operate the device from 150 feet away, which seemed a little optimistic in my testing. Thankfully, all the cool auto-pilolting stuff I mentioned earlier comes in to play when you lose your connection to the AR.Drone and it just flies in place waiting for you to get back in range and resume flight.

Overall the Parrot AR.Drone seems like a very 1.0 device with loads of potential both in future hardware revisions and in future development with the AR.Drone API. Improved battery technology, higher resolution cameras, and more powerful sensors to allow for higher flights are all things I would love to see in future models. Currently the only companion app available for the AR.Drone is the Free Flight app, but Parrot has promised other apps such as augmented reality games where two players with their own AR.Drones can have virtual dog fights, and other similar things. None of these were available at the time of this review, but I definitely can see the amazing potential for future software development.

Parrot is boasting a completely open API for developers to program their own apps to interface with the AR.Drone. While I'd love to think that there are going to be all kinds of different third party apps for the device, I really can't imagine many developers devoting resources to projects that not only require you to own an iPhone or iPod touch, but also a Parrot AR.Drone– Especially considering the mediocre uptake that iPad-only games have seen, and the iPad's market is likely exponentially larger than that of the Parrot AR.Drone.

However, if you're interested in RC aircraft and have dabbled in iPhone development, I really can't think of a much better toy to own than the AR.Drone. Throughout all my testing, I kept thinking "The AR.Drone would be cool if it did _______." If you're capable of utilizing the API to build an app that fills in the blank for whatever awesome functionality you come up with, 0 for the AR.Drone seems like a worthy investment for hobbyists.

While the Parrot AR.Drone is the coolest RC Toy I've ever played with, it's hard to give it a strong general recommendation given the current lack of software. It also would have been nice to see Parrot bundle a second battery in with the unit since additional batteries are pretty much required if you're serious about flying the device. If you're OK with waiting to see what additional apps get released, and you're patient enough to deal with 90 minute recharge cycles, flying the AR.Drone will likely be one of the most awesome things you'll ever do with your iPhone.

The Parrot AR.Drone is currently available at Brookstone for 9.99. They offer a number of accessories with it, including extra batteries for .95 and both two- and three-year service plans– although it's not entirely clear if crashing the device in to a tree constitutes as "normal wear and tear" in the eyes of Brookstone's warranty department.

Touch Arcade

I used to love Norse mythology as a young faun growing up in the cold land of Odin’s might. Thor, Balder and all the other characters connected to the powers of nature intrigued me, and still do at times. Seeing a game with the subtitle Hammer of Thor of course got me all in the mood for some serious slaying. And to some extent my thirst for blood has been satisfied some seven hours of sneaking around dungeons in Rimelands. It is not set in Norse mythology, but is rather a steam punk mixture of myths, legends and philosophical ideas. Weaponry range from swords to cool looking muskets, and they are wielded by a bodacious babe called Miss Cristo. For some strange reason you can choose the first name, and my hero went by the name Curvy. Other than that there is no character or class selection until later on when you have to select one of three skill trees to develop.

Rimelands – Hammer of Thor is a turn based dungeon crawler. You control by context dependant digital keypad. It is fairly responsive, and once you encounter an enemy the game transcends from free roaming to turn based combat. This transition is rather neat, as you get a short drum roll once an enemy is near. This helps in setting up a good strategy depending on your primary attack, and the number of enemies. Battle is all down to the throw of the dice, and both attack and defence is thrown. Depending on stats, and equipped gear you get a number of dice to attack with. The throw is automatic, but at the cost of a mana a re-throw can be done. You have a limited mana supply for each battle, and special attacks as well as re-throws for defence come at a cost. You are free to use both health, and mana potions during your turn. Once all nearby enemies are dead your health, and mana regenerates.

There are three different skill areas to develop: ranged, melee and magic. Something worth noting is that a well rounded character is weak in the game. To succeed it is better to focus on a skill otherwise Cristo becomes rather weak in attack. I focused on ranged attacks, and it soon became apparent what strategies worked best. The skill tree becomes really important, and you have a selection of passive boosts and active skills. To use a skill in combat you have to use mana, whereas the passive boosts come for free boosting abilities or stats. A handy skill early on for the ranged skill is the crippling shot chaining the enemy to the spot. This gives you a couple of shots when a melee attacker is stuck. A ranged enemy of course fires back anyway if you are within range.

What Rimelands get completely right is the gradual difficulty curve. It is always slightly challenging, and if you run headless into a room against two enemies the chance is that you won’t make it out alive. There is no grinding needed in the game, and actually there is no grinding possible either. If you have cleared an enemy from a dungeon it is gone forever. I have felt an urge to grind to get Cristo to level up, but for once an RPG won’t let me. This is the main reason to why the game manages to keep the challenge during the entire story. I managed to get Cristo to level 19, and looking through forums I understand that this is about the most you can reach. This means that you won’t be able to get all skills in a skill tree no matter if you focus on only one of the three. To me this is rather refreshing as the game can be played three times with different strategies depending on the skill tree.

There is a world map you can travel around, and in the cities you can visit a merchant. Buying and selling stuff as usual, but you can also dismantle special items you have found. The dismantled material can be used to build gear and weapons by means of found blueprints. You can also enter codes found online to unlock new blueprints. Generally you have quite a low amount of building material making this less of a cheat than it might sound like. Furthermore the game gives you proper loot corresponding well to the level of difficulty. Compared to quite a few other dungeon crawlers new weapons do matter in Rimelands. The character screens are rather clunky, and shallow in my opinion. It is easy to compare gear though, and depending on your strategy of choice you have to decide what to equip.

The story in Rimelands is rather low key, and never gets really interesting. The urge to keep going comes more from the fact that I want to be able to beat the game. A perfect challenge can bridge any holes in the story. The game is completely linear, and there are not that many side quests that are really optional. At least I didn’t get that feeling when playing, and once the game gets challenging I want to be able to gain as much experience as possible. In that case it doesn’t matter if a quest is needed to proceed.

The presentation is really good rivalling Dungeon Hunter in creating the best dungeon crawler graphics. Cool lighting, and environmental effects set the mood. The enemies are moderately varied, but could have been slightly more polished graphically. The outdoor graphics remind me of those found in Baldur’s Gate for the Xbox, which equals really good. The music is laid back, and could have been more bombastic to fit the game. You can play your own music alongside the sound effects, which is my choice for Rimelands. The sound effects are quite repetitive, and the footsteps in snow sound quite off. The fact that there is no voice acting at all found in the game struck me as rather odd. As there is no choice of hero you would kind of assume that the hero would be fleshed out with a voice.

Rimelands : Hammer of Thor is an extremely enjoyable game due to keeping the challenge going, and I really hope to be able to continue the adventure. Not because I care about the story, but rather because the game mechanic works well. It is like a highly simplified combination of Diablo and X-Com. I recommend it, and since Thor is actually the origin of the first half of my name, my word is law.

Final Rating

Rimelands : Hammer of Thor .99
Version: 1.0
Seller: Crescent Moon Games LLC
Tested on an iPhone 4.

Rimelands : Hammer of Thor review is a post from: TouchGen

TouchGen

Tiger Wasp Entertainment have come to the iPad scene with virtual pet game Dragooo HD. Your goal is to raise and nurture your own dragon from an egg to teen then put your dragon to the test in racing and combat minigames. On paper this concept sounds like a great idea, however the final game falls short of being engaging and entertaining.

Graphically, Dragooo HD looks great on the iPad, the HD visuals and the bright colours placed in the dark cave setting, coupled with the background music really set the ambience of fantasy however you are mostly restricted to the cave and it’s few activities.

After hatching your dragon egg, your new pet Dragon will grow through 3 stages: Baby, Toddler and Teen. During all three stages it’s up to you to keep it fed, well rested and loved. You do this by taking him or her, to the waterfall and tapping the water to drink, and fill their belly by dragging either fireflies, bats or rabbits to your dragon’s mouth depending on their age, stroking or tickling your Dragon will let them know they’re loved and dragging them up with your finger then releasing them will teach dragon how to fly.

Once you’ve reached the third and final stage of your dragon’s growth cycle they’ll be able to fly and this opens races. There are 5 tracks available to race round but the visuals in all of them are a similar cave setting so there is no real variation here other than the route. During the races (that play out more like time trials) you can utilise your pets fire breathing capabilities to smash through ice walls as you progress to the finish line whilst you collect as many gems as you can to use towards customising your adopted fire breathing reptilian new amour and wing upgrades. The customisation of your creature is shallow and doesn’t push any boundaries.

The second minigame available starts when you put your Dragon to sleep and you ‘Enter a Dream’. Here the game switches to a 2D view and consists of flying around the screen using a virtual control stick and breathing fire to eliminate waves of enemies before the timer runs out. Every time you’re hit you take a time penalty and every wave of enemies you defeat you’re granted time added on for the next wave. Power-Ups fall out of the sky giving you either split shot, rapid fire or beam shot. Other power ups include speed up and extra time added on. Once your time runs out the ‘dream’ ends and your taken back to the cave. Fortunately, if this is your favourite part of the game you don’t have to tire your dragon out before entering a dream again.

OpenFeint support means you can challenge your friends to beat your highscores but Dragooo’s biggest drawback is there really isn’t too much to do. The official website boasts: “It is only the beginning of this magical journey. There are many more quests and adventures around the bend…” but they’ll have to add a lot more to make this a must buy.

Presentation and Graphics

Sharp high definition visuals really set the atmosphere in Dragooo HD

Sound

The background audio and sound effects compliment the scenery

Gameplay

The gameplay is shallow and the camera controls are over sensitive

Gamelife

You will have a fully grown dragon in under 45 minutes and after completing the races and dream minigame the game becomes repetitive

Final Rating

Dragooo HD is a simple game, but the lack of activities means it wears thin very quickly. Not for the hardcore gamer.

Dragooo HD is out now for .99. Get it on the 

Dragooo HD – review is a post from: TouchGen

TouchGen

Let’s be honest now people, us humans are a bit of a pest to the rest of the universe. We fill space with “garbage” in the form of satellites to allow us to watch sit-coms, TV-shop and whatever can numb our minds for hours on end. Of course this would lead to the universe feeling a need to rid the space from our debris. And in No Human you get to help out clearing away our intergalactic junk.

No Human is a physics puzzle playing pool with asteroids. An active usable asteroid is orange with a glow around it. Once you have flicked it away it is no longer usable, but if it passes a grey inactive asteroid it activates it. The goal of the 50 levels is to smash the satellites or astronauts from space. Once your asteroid or space debris hits the satellite a small animation ensues zooming in on the damage done.

The retry button is something frequently used to be able to retry and readjust the trajectory. Once completed you can also retry a level to get a better score, but at times I have hit the retry by mistake. This forces me to redo the level, and at times that can be frustrating. Once completed you can replay the levels, and retry the levels you have skipped past.

I found the game extremely enjoyable, and because of the tactile direct control of the asteroids it feels responsive. Some of the levels need to have a strategy in several steps to complete it. These have been my favourite moments when large magnetic space bodies need to have their magnetic polarity changed by smashing into them. Of the 50 levels these are too few, and with the skip level option the game can be completed within an hour. Even with online scores this is too little content offered.

The presentation is sparse, but still suitable to the game. Not really a game showcasing the processing power of the iPad or iPhone 4. There is no music, and the sound effects are sparse and quite simple. You can play your own music alongside the sound effects.

No Human is a fun game, but the thin content and sparse presentation draw the score down. If you are into either pool or physics games this will definitely appeal to you for that hour it takes to complete the 50 levels. This is a classic case of how much is your enjoyment worth? It is an iPad/iPhone universal, and the experience differs somewhat between the devices making it more valuable to those using both an iPad and iPhone.

Final Rating

No Human (universal) .99
Version: 1.0
Seller: Rolf Fleischmann
Tested on an iPhone 3G and iPhone 4.

No Human review is a post from: TouchGen

TouchGen

Spiderman is one of everyone’s favorite superhero. Now he makes his webby appearance on the iPhone.

In Ultimate Spiderman Total Mayhem a lot of the famous Spiderman villains have escaped. There are a total of six big time villains and you will have to take them down. The storyline is pretty linear, just go forward kill some baddies and get to the boss. That is pretty much it but it is definitely fun.

The gameplay, although repetitive, is really entertaining. There are only three buttons that you will have to use to take down baddies, mix them up and you will have yourself some nicely done combos. To me that was the best part of the game, all of the combinations you can really make. The animation, of such combos, was really amazing and it just makes you want to keep on pressing the buttons to continue the combo. Another thing you will have at your disposal is the spidey senses. This will pop up whenever an enemy will attack you, press it and Spiderman will safe himself while attacking the guy at the same time. This option was pretty awesome, but sometimes even though you pressed it at the right time, it wouldn’t work and I would still get attacked.

One of the few things that I really didn’t like about the game is that you can’t free-swing. Technically you can, because you can simply press the swing button and it will swing, but when it comes to swinging from one place to another you can’t really do it. What it will do instead is if you need to go across a gap, it will auto-select where the swing will go by. All you have to do is press the swing button and it will do the rest by itself, and that to me was kind of boring.

The graphics are pretty good, they have a cartoon/comic book kind of style and they are really appealing to the eye. Game Loft is known for good and very colored graphics, and they haven’t changed that here at all. Also it is worth mentioning that the camera angles were a little bit annoying sometimes, it was just hard to see where the enemies where at sometimes or even where you had to go next.

As a few extras, you will be able to collect artwork while going through the game. This artwork can be viewed in an “extras” category which will also let you see the pictures you have taken during the game. Yeah, because there is an option while battling bosses, where a picture sign will come up and you press it, then that picture (or something like it actually) will appear on this mentioned section.

The game is definitely fun and it has a difficulty for almost everyone (normal was pretty hard for me, can’t imagine how “hard” or “ultimate” difficulties would actually be). There is the usual spidey geeky humor. If you are a Spiderman fan, this is a must have. If you are a casual superhero fan you should probably get this one too. Keep in mind that it will get a little bit repetitive after a little while even though the enemies and the scenery change. With that in mind though, at the end of the day, it is the best superhero game out there right now for the iPhone, it is just not perfect yet.

Ultimate Spiderman Total Mayhem Review is a post from: TouchGen

TouchGen

We recently posted screenshots and details of the upcoming turn-based strategy puzzler Stoneship in an exclusive granted us by Cyan Worlds. Today, the studio pointed us to a brief video they have posted that provides a look at the game in action.

The upcoming Stoneship: The Curse of a Thousand Islands represents "a lighthearted new direction" for Cyan Worlds, the studio indicates. The game is a casual, top-down, turn-based, strategy puzzle game "with a bent toward the whimsical," we're told. Stoneship sets you and your first mate on the high seas, charged with exploring, controlling, and protecting vast oceans and islands, under continual threat of a pirate siege. There are eighty three included levels to play through, with additional levels to come later via update.

Cyan tells us that the game is nearly complete, but that they are considering slightly delaying its release in order to integrate Apple's GameCenter functionality, what with the iPhone-maker's recent announcement that we will see its arrival in the upcoming iOS 4.1. If GameCenter integration does not make it into the initial release of Stoneship, it will join a planned update that includes additional maps and other gameplay features.

Stay tuned for a close look at Stoneship: The Curse of a Thousand Islands we'll be posting as soon as we have the game in hand.

Touch Arcade

I wrote an article about luxurious cases for the iPhone 3G, and I included a couple of leather cases. This was published in iPhone Life Magazine, and soon after I got a message from the owner of Piel Frama. I had missed this large manufacturer located in Spain, and of course I felt eager to try out one of their iPhone 4 cases. This all went down during my vacation with a lack of internet, and I had to rely on what little power the iPhone 3G could provide. Looking around the site the iMagnum caught my attention both by means of the name, and the bold colours available.

After a couple of postal issues here in Sweden I finally got the iMagnum onto the iPhone 4, and the first impression was totally positive. I managed to screw the belt clip button onto the case with the supplied tool as I was out walking. The case hugs the phone snugly, and offers protection for about 90% of the phone. The weak point is the corner around the camera that is left completely uncovered around the back and top.

The leather is genuine cowhide of great quality with a nice shine to it. Soft on the outside, and with a strong polymer on the inside holding it all together. Much of the design is similar to that found in cases by Vaja, and it shares the same impressive strength to the edges holding the phone. The inside is also filled with the brand name Piel Frama. The front flap protects the screen really well, and is closed with a magnet on the backside. A tight credit card slot is found on the inside of the flap, and I found it really hard to get a card in it. A couple of notes is easier to fit inside without feeling like the case will be damaged.

The design is quite simple, and the front flap is only a big flap. On the other hand this offers more protection than if the focus had been on interesting curves. There is no telling the brand of the case until you open it, and see the lining. I would like Piel Frama to integrate their cool bull head logo into the design to set them aside from the competitors a bit more. The logo is used for the belt clip tool, and the button you remove to add the belt clip.

I really like the belt clip as it is so easy to extract the phone when out and about. Simply press the button to push the phone upwards. This move can easily be done with one hand. The belt clip stays in your belt, and it is cool to be able to just snap it in place on my hip without anyone seeing a holster.

Range of flap movement using headphones shown using a screwdriver and no phone. Completely scientific.

There is one major issue with the iMagnum in my opinion, and it became evident on that very first walk with it. If you use headphones with a straight connector the flap can only be opened at 120 degrees. This means that I can’t walk around playing games, surfing or texting without the flap trying to close. With an angled connector some extra degrees can be gained, but it is still not able to be completely open with headphones. I contacted the company asking about this issue, and got the reply that it is meant to be used closed with headphones. To me this is plain strange, as many people out there want to be able to at least start their music or make a call with headphones plugged in. Having the case close on you becomes quite annoying even for those not walking around playing like me. This glaring issue is a shame as all other aspects of the case are really great. The build quality, material quality, belt clip, magnet closure and fit are great. The credit card slot being a bit too tight is just a minor problem, as is the lack of protection around the camera.

The iMagnum is a great protective case offering style, a cool colour selection and a handy belt clip solution. If you use Bluetooth headsets, or generally hate wearing headphones definitely consider getting one.

Final Rating

iMagnum at PielFrama.com €80 (about 3)

Piel Frama iMAGNUM iPhone 4 case review is a post from: TouchGen

TouchGen

Worms are quite docile creatures, and I often feel sad as they drown on the pavement during rain. The Super Mega Worm is quite far from the frail earth worm, and if it ever drowns in something it is human and bovine blood and guts. Released as the last resort to save Earth the worm is out to kill all of us.
In Super Mega Worm you control the evil carnivorous worm emerging from the soil. It is played in classic side scrolling plat forming perspective. But instead of platforms there is soil, and a surface. On the surface humans, cows, ostriches and cops run about. You have to feed the worm by eating as much as you can otherwise your health will decrease. Soon helicopters start chasing you, and life as a worm become the life of the tiger. You live for the moment, fighting every battle as if it would be your last. Once the health runs down to zero the game is over, and the tiger is once more just a worm. And soon a part of the soil from where it came.

Two control methods are available: slider and tilt. I could not get the hang of tilt, and as my general preference is touch I stuck to those instead. The slider lets you control the worm in direction relative to the current movement. There is a gas button letting the worm accelareta beneath the surface, and above it turns into a spit button letting out phlegm blasts. The controls work quite well straight from the start. Attacking several victims in a row to make some combos is cool, and covers the surface in blood. For each level there is a set number of humans to devour before progressing to a harder level of challenge. There are 24 levels in total, and I have yet to complete it all. Much like old school arcade games Super Mega Worm forces you to start all over when the game ends. To me this is a bit of a bore, as the first levels are so slow.

The 8-bit presentation is excellent making the game a must for anyone into retro graphics, and old school chiptune music. Smoothly animated humans run with prams from the perils from beneath. The ever growing worm looks menacing even though it is only 8-bit. You can play your own music, but the 8-bit soundtrack is catchy and I really enjoyed it more than most of my own music collection.

There is a lack of content in the current version of Super Mega Worm. Replaying the game from the slow start is quite boring to me after dying in a frantic level of difficulty. There is no real variation to the gameplay even though you gain new abilities as you reach higher levels. Furthermore there are no online leaderboard or achievements yet either. Much is promised for future updates, but I can only rate the game I have in front of me. Still it is really enjoyable to chase humans, and if you want to add some more challenge you can turn on tremor mode blacking out the surface until the worm exits the soil.

I can definitely recommend Super Mega Worm to the old school gamer not bothered by restarting the game. The brilliant presentation, and music alone can be enough to warrant a great time for a lot of people. It is a good game, and with updates I think it will turn into a great game.

Final Rating

Super Mega Worm .99
Version: 1.1
Seller: Deceased Pixel LLC
Tested on an iPhone 4.

Super Mega Worm review is a post from: TouchGen

TouchGen