Apple Thoughts - News & Reviews on all things Apple

"During his keynote speech at QuakeCon 2010, id Software's John Carmack demonstrated Rage on the iPhone, running at 60 frames-per-second and able to 'kill anything done on the Xbox or PlayStation 2.'"

This is pretty impressive, and you can catch the video at the Kotaku site to judge for yourself.

"Activision's wonderful "Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies" just got a major update which should give it a new life for those of you who own it already, and another reason to buy it for those who don't. (Note: It's only fun in multiplayer over Wi-Fi)."

Well, I have to disagree as it is fun single player mode too, but it always adds another, more entertaining dimension when playing with friends. 9 new weapons, 13 new achievements and a new map are among the many updates to this game so if you are a fan of the Call of Duty series, this is a must have game for your iPhone or iPod Touch. Be warned however, it isn't cheap at $9.99 USD so if you aren't sure you want it, give the free version a try. 

"The iPhone already plays Doom better than just about any smartphone out there thanks to iD Mobile's continuing interest in porting their older titles and releasing iPhone-specific spin-off games of their more popular franchises to the App Store... but years before the iPhone's debut, I was playing Doom RPG on my little Motorola RAZR."

Well, now you can upgrade and play Doom II RPG on your iPhone or iPod Touch as it is now in the iTunes Store [affiliate link] for $3.99 USD.

"The Simpsons video games have been available on nearly every type of gaming platform since the show's launch 20 years ago, and today the iPhone and iPod touch get to be included on that long list thanks to EA Mobile."

According to the article, "The Simpsons Arcade contains over 25 levels in six different recognizable Springfield environments, tons of your favorite characters voiced by the real actors from the show, and authentic sound effects and music." I love The Simpsons, and have several of their games from various console types over the years. And now I can get my Simpsons fix on the iPhone, or iPod Touch. And all for just $4.99 USD from iTunes. 

"Command and Conquer: Red Alert started life as a PC and console game, and even came to the Mac. Developed by Electronic Arts, the new iPhone version of the game isn't a direct port, but it is an impressively robust, feature-rich standalone version."

Back in the day, when I actually played games on a PC of all things, I played this game a lot. Loved it! Now it is out on the iPhone/iPod Touch, but I'm not sure that I'll be buying it. The experience on the PC was very fun but I had a larger screen, so I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy this on an iPhone screen, and at $6.99 USD I'm not apt to experiment like I would if it was two or three dollars. Back to my Xbox 360...

"Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies brings the classic Call of Duty: World at War zombie-slaying game mode to the iPhoneTM and iPod® Touch. Featuring the original zombie map "Nacht der Untoten" (Night of the Undead), fight to survive in the barricaded bunker where it all began - and you can bring along your friends to help push back the endless waves of attacking zombies!"

If you are a fan of the Call of Duty series, you may certainly like this game, available in the iTunes Store for $9.99 USD.

"Cowboy Rodeo's port of the classic Amiga pinball game Pinball Fantasies [$5.99] arrived in the App Store tonight. Early reader reactions are positive for the game. Cowboy Rodeo previously brought us Pinball Dreams to the iPhone. Pinball Fantasies features four tables, each with one or more high scoring rounds that are started by achieving certain targets. Each table is vertically taller and generally more complex than those in Pinball Dreams."

Pinball Dreams was the gold standard in pinball games for a really long time. I had it for the Amiga AND for DOS and played it quite frequently. The tables aren't the most demanding you've ever seen in a pinball game for your home computer, but they are seriously realistic in both look and the physics of the ball, which is the big attraction to the game. Well, that and the gigantic bonuses to be had if you play the ball just right.

I'm probably going to check this one out later tonight. I really did love this game as a kid.

"Run for cover as the original award-winning turn-based strategy game WORMS hits the App Store! With a selection of single-player battles, up to 4 player multiplayer mode, and plenty of ways to customise your team, Worms is high on entertainment and replay value!"

Worms was always one of those games that looked interesting but at the same time looked like it might be somewhat over my head. Of course, with the $4.99 price tag in the app store, it may just be worth a look, and knowing me, I'll end up addicted to it like I am to Peggle...

And Flight Control...

And Pipe Mania...

And Toki Tori...

Wow...

The Claim: Pipe Mania is a game that needs no introduction. This hugely popular game has been ported to various platforms like PC, DS, PSP, Wii before making its way to the iPhone. In this game, the player is provided with pipes of different shapes, which he must lay onto a grid to form a connection between a tap and a drain. He must do this before the time runs out and a slimy green liquid called Flooze oozes out of the pipes.

The App: Available today, Pipe Mania is another clone of the popular Pipe Dreams game that has graced many platforms over the years. Many have tried to produce similar games on the iPhone / iPod Touch, but none of them are playable. Is Pipe Mania the one to break the mold? Read on and find out. Read more...

"Toki Tori is a highly entertaining puzzle platformer like nothing you have seen before. Push your brain to the limit as you guide Toki Tori through 80 challenging levels spread over 4 mysterious worlds - collecting eggs as you go."

If you enjoy puzzle platformers (think Lemmings and Lode Runner) then just go buy this. Trust me when I tell you, it's one of the funnest games ever. It's easy enough to understand and start playing and gets to be challenging on a nice pace. You need to really think about where you're going to use your items, too, which means you have to plan out your course of attack. Failure to do so will result in having to start all over again.

Right now it's on sale in the app store for 80% off! $0.99 is almost too good to be true, so go grab it and enjoy. If you're already playing it, let us know what you think.

"The 1.2 update for Firemint's brilliant pick up and play classic, Flight Control just landed at its destination. If for some strange reason you don't have Flight Control yet, it's a devilishly simple game where you have a single task: successfully land as many aircraft as possible. Different planes and helicopters fly in from the side of the screen, you tap them then draw a path to lead them to their runway or landing pad without colliding with anything else."

Flight Control is my absolute favorite game for the iPhone with Peggle a close second, and this update makes it totally killer. More plane types and more landing fields add some variety and the addition of a fast forward button to move things along quicker (there are times when I prayed for this in the older version) make it a near-perfect game. At $0.99 it's one of the best values in the App Store.

"Don Bluth's classic arcade game Space Ace has just landed in the App Store for a price of $4.99 [link]. The launch is sure to excite fans of the original arcade game which was released back in 1984."

If this doesn't put in perspective just how far technology has come, I don't know what does. Space Ace was on arcade standups in laser disc form. Now, a mere 25 years later, you can have that entire game in the palm of your hand on your phone. I hate to sound crotchety and old and what not, but kids today don't even have any clue how far along we've come as far as technology goes.

Gonna have to pick this one up to play later. And, of course, if Space Ace can be ported, so can Dragon's Lair!

"Flight Control is a delightful action/strategy game for iPhone and iPod Touch that is as simple as it is wickedly addictive. Touch and drag your aircraft to their landing zones, and avoid mid-air collisions. It sounds easy, but as more and more planes arrive you will need smart strategy, keen eyes and a smooth steady-as-she-goes touch!"

It's not a new game in any sense of the word, but it is one that I just recently discovered on the App Store (on the recommendation of Anthony from the Opie and Anthony show). I swear I've never been as addicted to a game as I am to this one. I can't even tell you how many hours I whittled away this weekend playing this game, and it shows. I was having trouble landing ten or more planes. Now I'm into the mid thirties, so practice does indeed make perfect.

Anyone else ready to check into a program over this one? Come on, it's okay. We're all friends here.

"Although we've been sworn to secrecy about its finer points (shhh, PopCap nailed it), Joystiq can excitedly confirm that Peggle for iPhone / iPod Touch will be released onto the App Store on Tuesday, May 12. PopCap is still considering an appropriate price, but we can assume Peggle is not going to be tossed in the 99-cent free-for-all pile and will probably fit into a more "premium" price range between $5-6."

The last game I bought for my 30 Gig iPod was Peggle and I've missed it ever since. I've played it on my Mac, but it's not the same; I spent a ton of time playing it on the subway and at work as I waited for Windows Updates to download for our servers. I was a little disappointed when March came and went and we had no sign of Peggle, but now my hopes are lifted again and I anxiously await its return to my life.

Judging by the enthusiasm at Joystiq, they're pretty excited too. Anyone in the peanut gallery here a Peggle fan?

"Features of the game include: * Touch and drag to engage the Swing Meter * Swipe your screen to activate the Ball Spin * Golf through 7 of the most famous courses in the world * Play as or against Tiger Woods and challenge 4 other PGA Tour golfers * Enjoy 3D graphics, realistic sound, and moving environments * Personalize your User Profile and customize your very own golfer * Record and track your game statistics"

My most-played X-Box 360 game is now probably going to be my most played iPhone game. I was concerned, initially, about how they would translate the controls onto the iPhone (with most of the games I've played on the iPhone, the controls are usually what makes me stop playing relatively quickly) but EA did a magnificent job in giving a nice responsive swing translation to the touch screen UI. Overall, the game is just awesome, plays great, has commentary, multiple career modes, and even includes my favorite golf course of all time, TPC Sawgrass. If you're in a hurry, there's even a 3 hole "Quick Play" mode in case you don't have time for a front/back 9 or full 18.

If this is the calibre of what EA's sports titles are going to look like on the iPhone, other developers can consider the bar seriously raised. If you're a golf fan and enjoy golf games, go buy this one. I promise you won't be disappointed.

"EA has continued its slow and steady release of screenshots and information about their long-awaited Need for Speed racing game. Here we've posted the latest collection of screenshots from the "coming soon" iPhone and iPod Touch racer."

Touch Arcade posted the screenshot above along with two others and I have to say, Need for Speed is looking consolicious. I'd definitely give it a go when it came out as long as EA promised not to use the same stupid tilt controls that every other driving game for the iPhone seems to be so fond of these days.

"Spin the daisies to match the colored petals and watch them pop in this fun color-matching arcade game. Touch the daisies to spin their heads, match the colored petals and aim for big petal combinations to score super bonuses like ‘Daisy Chain' and ‘Flower Power'."

Astraware has released several games for the iPhone and iPod Touch. They have a variety of board type games like Sudoku and Chess, as well as several very colorful and entertaining ones such as Bubble Shuffle. This new game called "Crazy Daisy" looks rather whimsical, based on what I've seen of it by viewing the YouTube video. And if I had to guess, I'd say it is probably challenging as well.

"Wolfenstein 3D was first released in 1992 for the PC and was a massive success and has been rightfully described as the grandfather of first person shooters. Game controls have been adapted to the iPhone and four different layouts of touch screen controls and the option to use tilt controls for either movement or turning. In practice the controls work reasonably well."

Well, don't I feel dumb. Yesterday, I wrote about how anxious I was for this game, and then last night it pops up in my feeds. I downloaded it pretty much immediately and, for the first time, I'm enjoying the control scheme in an iPhone action game. The controls are tight, responsive, and easy to use, and the game itself is an identical translation of the original.

Even more amazing, of course, is that my iPhone plays this game so much better than my first PC, a 386sx-33.

Scary!

Figure 1: A new game of Wordsoup begins!

Close your eyes. I want you to imagine the name Pocketmac. They're the company behind Pocketmac for Blackberry and Pocketmac for Windows Mobile. Essentially, if you have either of those kinds of devices, you've run into Pocketmac. Now what if I told you they were now making games under the Giant Crayon brand?

Read more...

"First it was a critically-acclaimed comic by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons that took a darker and more sinister look at superheroes than had ever been taken before, then it was a movie locked in a nasty dispute over distribution rights between Warner and Fox, and now it's going to be what one could argue will be the first full-featured MMO for the iPhone and iPod touch. According to G4tv.com, the game will use Amazon's web services to create a persistent universe for Watchmen players to occupy and interact with."

I'm a fan of the series, so this piqued my interest. The release date for the movie is March 6th, and while no release date for this game has been announced, it is expected to coincide with the movie release date. Coverage is also found at G4TV and the official game site. I'm more interested in console games, but I know some of you out there enjoy games on the iPhone/iPod Touch so here ya go!