Game Review
2009-08-xx
by Darknut
iPhone Game Reviews 3
In the order in which I played them...
Cops & Robbers
by Glu
shareware $2
Verdict: 
Broken.
This is an action game that prompts you to react to changing conditions as your 3D character runs along a rail. The game idea is cool enough, and the graphics have some appeal, but it's very laggy and frequently fails to respond to user input. Somehow it managed to be hardly playable. It was beyond my control that I could not beat the 1st level.
I have a feeling that this happened because the game was ported from another system without being adapted to the hardware limitations of the iPhone.
I have been told that this game is more playable on the iPhone 3GS.
Fastlane Street Racing
by Atod AB
shareware $4
Verdict: 
Good enough, for what it is.
There's nothing special about this racing game, but it looks good enough and the music is cool. If you are a connoisseur of racing games, then this may or may not be what you're looking for, but in general I think it's fun.
Cube Runner
by Andy Qua
free
Verdict: Too simple.
Dodge oncoming cubes by tilting the iPhone. This game feels a little bit like the illegitimate offspring of Sky Roads and Spectre. It also looks a little bit like the part of the old Star Wars arcade game where you attack the surface towers. However, it's more boring than any of those games.
Water Ways
by Taito \ Rough Cookie
shareware $3
Verdict: The potential of this game is marred by excessive design flaws.
At first glance, this game looks like it could be very cool. The projection effect is interesting. But you have to hold the iPhone a certain way without being told to, and a few wrong tilts can cause the level to be unwinnable and require you to start over before you've figured out what you did wrong. There is no visual indication of why or how tilting causes the effect that it does, so this is very confusing. Likewise, the directions for moving the character are a little misleading. Worse yet, there are spaces in the game that you inexplicably cannot walk on even though you have to in order to progress. Actually it's possible that I couldn't walk on them because I was trying to move the way it told me to instead of the way you're really supposed to, but I'm too annoyed to try again.
Wyrmhunter
by Plasmaworks
$2
Verdict: Mediocre.
This is a remake of Hunt the Wumpus, and unfortunately, nothing more. The dull graphics don't justify its existence. But I bet you've always wished that Hunt the Wumpus had a plot and characters and really awful dialogue, eh?
Cooking Mama
by Taito
shareware $7
Verdict: Tedius, though a good excuse to exercise your iPhone. Girls are supposed to like this because a stereotype says so.
This is one of those "casual" games where you are basically doing chores. However, it's a bit interesting to see the variety of ways it prompts you to interact with the iPhone. It's totally not my thing, but I suppose it's "well done" for what it is.
Cooking Star
by Glu
shareware $1
Verdict: Tedius, though a good excuse to exercise your iPhone. Girls are supposed to like this because a stereotype says so.
This is very similar to Cooking Mama, although it's a tradeoff for me as to which is "better". I think the activities in this game are slightly more interesting, whereas Cooking Mama has simpler activities, but more of them.
Glyder
by Glu
shareware $2
Verdict: A lighthearted flight sim.
This is a slightly realistic flight simulator where you are encouraged to explore and perform stunts. By "slightly realistic" I mean that you actually have to maintain forward speed in order to avoid stalling, and you die if you crash into anything. This kind of realism may be a bit challenging for the casual gamer. However, you get unlimited lives, and the controls are really very simple, so with a little patience, this could become a fun little diversion for some people.
This was a tiny bit choppy on my iPhone 3G, but presumably it will run just fine on a 3GS.
Low Grav Racer
by Cobra Mobile
shareware $2
Verdict: Simple, fast-paced fun.
This racing game is similar to F-Zero. It's easy to jump into this game, and a surprising sensation of speed makes it fun.
Line Wars
by Spokko
shareware $1
Verdict: A mediocre attempt to trick you into thinking you're playing Geometry Wars.
This is a cheap ripoff of Geometry Wars (which is itself derived from Robotron). The hazy iPhone controls make it hard to achieve the accuracy that this type of game requires. The limited number of enemies gets boring very quickly. When will people learn that a ripoff is always going to suck unless it surpasses the original?
X-Shot
by Game Grinder
shareware $1
Verdict: Poor controls.
This is a virtualization of 1980s "board game" Crossfire. Sadly, I found that aiming was extremely difficult, as no visual aid is given to suggest where you will shoot except for that which is inevitably obscured by your finger. I can think of several ways to fix this, so why don't they?
ZenBound
by Chillingo
shareware $5
Verdict: Interesting toy.
Despite being cynical of all the hype, I think there is still something curious about a game where you simply wrap a string around an object. Touching the screen rotates the object, and tilting the iPhone helps to direct the string. The "physics" of this environment are interesting. Of course, playing this "game" in real life with a real piece of string would be orders of magnitude less effort... but that's not the point of owning an iPhone, eh? The atmosphere is also rather beautiful even if it does try too hard to be "peaceful".
Steppin
by UsTwo
free
Verdict: Too buggy.
You use your fingers to race across a track as fast as possible, stepping only where indicated to avoid penalties. There are some flaws in the interface, and it crashed on me several times.
Ace Commando
by Meridian
shareware $2
Verdict: Terrible controls.
This is similar to arcade game Cabal in that you repeatedly switch between the states of moving (dodging) and shooting. But it's so hard to "roll" the crosshairs onto a target and keep it there. I really want to like this game. But the choice of controls is so awkward that it's not worth it.
Bionic Surfer
by Robert Casperson
shareware $3
Verdict: Poor animations, good physics.
This is a cheesy 2D platform jumper that invests a lot in "realistic" physics. I found the character animation to be a little cold, but I played all the way through the first world, so it can't be all bad. The pace of this game is rather slow for a 2D platform jumper, but that's OK 'cause this is the iPhone. The graphics are pretty crisp. I'm pretty sure this is really a kids' game, but it's disguised as something cooler.
Sally's Spa
by Games Cafe
shareware $3
Verdict: I'm not into "time-management" games, but it's well done for what it is. Girls are supposed to like this because a stereotype says so.
This is another one of those "casual" games that simulates a stressful minimum-wage job, as in Tapper, except that upgrades and other additional complexities are somehow supposed to make this more compelling. Designed to consume many hours.
