iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch game recommendations

[ShadowMan]

Yeah, I was a bit gutted when I read that as I've really liked Cave's output so far for the iPhone. I'm kinda hoping that it turns up on other platforms somewhere down the line.

[Timothy Lumsden]

@ dreamcast RIP

I think - could be wrong - but if worse came to worse you can re-download any purchased apps for free - a pain - but something of a comfort.

[DreamcastRIP]

Has anyone tried Groove Coaster?

It's a new Rez like game from Taito and currently 69p for iPhone/iPad. I'm going to d/l when I get home.

Thanks to the heads-up of the game in your post I just purchased it. I've only played though the first five stages so far (including the first stage at all three difficulty levels) and I love it! I adore how they've taken the already extremely cool retro vector graphics-style of Space Invaders Infinity Gene and gone nuts with it.

Played with the sound through your earphones transforms the experience to a whole new level. Seriously, this game appears to be bloody brilliant if the genre is to your liking. It's sort of like a cool mash-up of elements from the likes of Tron, Rez, Guitar Hero and Space Invaders Infinity Gene.

I see they've gone even further than Space Invaders Infinity Gene with the amount of in-app paid for DLC though...

MANY thanks for the heads-up, Joey!

[DreamcastRIP]

@ dreamcast RIP

I think - could be wrong - but if worse came to worse you can re-download any purchased apps for free - a pain - but something of a comfort.

I'm a bit uncertain too on what the story is on this one.

For instance, if I were to completely delete a game off my Mac's HDD via iTunes I know that to download it again through iTunes would not be free - I'd have to pay again. (Yes, this happened to me once but I won't go into that!)

BUT...

Since a recent iOS firmware update we now have Cloud (not really Cloud but let's not talk semantics!) storage for iOS devices. Using our iPhone/iPad we can now re-download from within the App Store app any game that we've removed from our iPhone/iPad.

What I don't know is: Is the list of games appearing on our iPhone/iPad from within the App Store app the ENTIRE list of all games previously downloaded/purchased or is it merely a list of "active" previous game purchases, i.e. those that haven't been totally deleted from our iTunes library via a PC/Mac?

I realise the above point/s are slightly different to the issue you raised but they are very much related. To perhaps more directly address your specific point then...

I just disconnected my external USB HDD (where my iTunes games library is stored) and then opened iTunes while being logged in. All my game purchases are of course still listed within the Apps side menu. However, when I typed in the name of one of the games I own into the App Store search engine and then selected it the icon beneath the game page's pic states "Downloaded". There no way, from what I can make out, to re-download it using my computer. Yes, I could of course re-download it using my iPhone but what I don't know is whether the game file would then be transferred to my computer when connected via the USB cable. I know it would for a newly purchased game but this scenario is different.

Anyone here know the answer to this query?

[CraigGrannell]

The available list on your iOS device includes any items you've purchased/downloaded, regardless of whether they're on your PC or Mac. If something is marked as downloaded and it isn't on your hard drive, that's a bit odd though.

[DreamcastRIP]

The available list on your iOS device includes any items you've purchased/downloaded, regardless of whether they're on your PC or Mac. If something is marked as downloaded and it isn't on your hard drive, that's a bit odd though.

Many thanks for clarifying that first point.

Do you mean "odd" in that it just sounds odd or are you saying you've done the same as I did by disconnecting an external USB HDD which stores your game files and, after then starting iTunes once the HDD is disconnected, then saw a different icon to "Downloaded" on your computer?

[DreamcastRIP]

Some quality bargains on the App Store at the mo,

* Super Monkey Ball 2 - 69p
* Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing - £1.49
* Horror Racing - free
* Football Manager Handheld 2011 - £2.99
* GTA: Chinatown Wars - £1.99
* Supersonic HD - free
* To-Fu: The Trials of Chi - free
* Swift Bird - free
* X-Men - 69p
* Chopper Master Plus - free

Burn The Rope - 1000 Nintendo Points on 3DS (about £7, I think?). Standard non-promo' price, afaik, on iOS? 69p to you, sir!

[CraigGrannell]

Do you mean "odd" in that it just sounds odd or are you saying you've done the same as I did by disconnecting an external USB HDD which stores your game files and, after then starting iTunes once the HDD is disconnected, then saw a different icon to "Downloaded" on your computer?

To be honest, rereading your post, I'm not sure I understood your first post correctly. If you disconnected a drive with your iTunes media, an app would still be displayed as 'downloaded' if it's in the iTunes database as having been downloaded, even if iTunes cannot at that point access the media. That might change if you try to select the app in iTunes, because the app doesn't poll its files to see if they're still there—it only does so when you try to access them.

Anyway, the 'downloaded' menu is, as far as I know, for everything, including pulled apps.

As for your list of games, I'd strongly recommend kart-racing fans pick up Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, because it's great, despite what RG said (5% more than a broken Speedball 2? Really). Contrary to what Stuart said, I'd argue the steering assist breaks the game, so get rid of that, use tilt to steer and ramp up the sensitivity to about two-thirds. At that point, you should have a highly playable, fun, colourful kart racer, albeit one that's typically much harder than a Nintendo equivalent. (Under RG's ratings, I'd have had this game Sizzle, especially for its launch/sale price.)

[Timothy Lumsden]

anyone know if Supermonkey Ball 2 is as unplayable on iPhone as the first game?? Really hoping it isn't - as I'd love a working IOS monkeyball - but the first one was a mess control wise

[the_hawk]

By all accounts it's better but still pretty poor.

It's weird how the old N-Gage version of SMB completely knocks both the PSP & the iOS versions into a cocked hat.

Such a shame, if any game was made for tilt controls it was this.

[DreamcastRIP]

Do you mean "odd" in that it just sounds odd or are you saying you've done the same as I did by disconnecting an external USB HDD which stores your game files and, after then starting iTunes once the HDD is disconnected, then saw a different icon to "Downloaded" on your computer?

To be honest, rereading your post, I'm not sure I understood your first post correctly. If you disconnected a drive with your iTunes media, an app would still be displayed as 'downloaded' if it's in the iTunes database as having been downloaded, even if iTunes cannot at that point access the media. That might change if you try to select the app in iTunes, because the app doesn't poll its files to see if they're still there—it only does so when you try to access them.

Anyway, the 'downloaded' menu is, as far as I know, for everything, including pulled apps.

As for your list of games, I'd strongly recommend kart-racing fans pick up Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, because it's great, despite what RG said (5% more than a broken Speedball 2? Really). Contrary to what Stuart said, I'd argue the steering assist breaks the game, so get rid of that, use tilt to steer and ramp up the sensitivity to about two-thirds. At that point, you should have a highly playable, fun, colourful kart racer, albeit one that's typically much harder than a Nintendo equivalent. (Under RG's ratings, I'd have had this game Sizzle, especially for its launch/sale price.)

Nope, it doesn't change if I try to access the app/game in iTunes when my external HDD that stores my game files/apps is disconnected. Maybe the "answer" is somehow related to the Preferences within iTunes. It's the only thing left I can think of!

Totally agree with your opinions in relation to the RG mag's review of S&SASR. I'd highly recommend To-Fu: The Trials of Chi and I've been loving playing GTA: Chinatown Wars again (for that great price, especially)... even though I already own the game on both DS and PSP!

[SpiffierRabbit]

I'd highly recommend To-Fu: The Trials of Chi and I've been loving playing GTA: Chinatown Wars again (for that great price, especially)... even though I already own the game on both DS and PSP!

Completely agree with To-Fu: The Trials of Chi, awesome game. Been playing Groove Coaster as well, its like Rez but not! But still great!

Groove Coaster..

[DreamcastRIP]

Yep, both games are brilliant in their own way. I waxed lyrical about Groove Coaster in my second post on this page after another member, Joey, had first given the heads-up on its release.

[yasw]

Have anyone tried either RPG Quest - Minimæ or Guardian Saga? Both look quite similar 8-bit turn-based RPG. Just looking for some recommendations for one or the other

[Timothy Lumsden]

Square Enix are upping the price bar to £11 for their latest game I love big corporations.....