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One game that I’ve been getting into recently is Beat Rider for iPhone/iPod touch. Here’s the iTunes link. While it’s somewhat a competitor to Tapulous’ Tap Tap Revenge 2, since both make you tap to music, it has an advantage and/or disadvantage: You can use what ever song you want. Because of this freedom, the gameplay resulting from songs isn’t always very good. On the other hand, there are some songs that shine. Try out Coldplay’s Viva La Vida. It works surprisingly well.
Another game that might be worth checking out is Chris Sawyer’s Locomotion for Windows. It’s not new but it’s pretty fun, if a bit demanding at times. You connect with trains, boats, road vehicles, planes and trams, cities, factories and resources to make money. It’s not bad for $10. Plus it’s from the guy who brought you RollerCoaster Tycoon.
Man, it’s fun. There’s, as always, some more boring parts. I think the Tribal Stage is the worst. But, for example, due to tactical errors, having not saved before quitting and a freeze-up, I had to repeat the Civilization Stage a couple of times and never got bored of it. The biggest downside of the game is that it is a complete time black hole. You will easily loose hours to this game. Despite this, it’s very fun. I might even get the upcoming expansion.
I thought I got over MMORPGs a while back… I Guess not.
About 2 years ago, if I remember correctly (and that’s doubtful), I was a World of Warcraft player. I played, had fun and got fed up. The last time I played, I think I had the account essentially to tide me over until I got my Wii. After that, I played a few MMOs here and there but since they were PC-only and hidden on my Windows Boot Camp partition, resisting temptation was as easy as just not opening Windows.
Flashforward to now and I’m yet again hooked on the online gaming craze. This time, it’s because of the open beta for the Mac version of City of Heroes. Put simply, it’s like World of Warcraft, except you’re in a city and you’re a super hero (You can be a villain too). Except for the rare glitch, It works wonderfully on my MacBook Pro. And by rare glitch, I really mean it. It is remarkably stable! You can sign up for free (for the beta) right here.
If you’re ever online, my character’s name is Alphonzo Green. I’m a super hero that looks like a green mobster.
What? I didn’t want to be dressed in tights.
You know that Audiosurf game I talked about. Well, I got it to work in OS X with a 7-day trial version of CrossOver Games. There are glitches but the main gameplay stayed intact. Thank goodness CrossOver Games is $40 or I might have justified the purchase. Then God knows how I would have been able to work anymore.
I just stumbled upon an amazing game. Ever heard of Phase? It’s a rythm game from Harmonix (makers of the extremly popular Guitar Hero and Rock Band). Phase is for the iPod and lets you play using your own music. Well meet AudioSurf : The equivalent for the PC (Yes, as in “for Windows”). It let’s play with your music (including iTunes Plus DRM-Free music) in a kind of space-shooter/Tetris-stacking enviroment that changes with the beat of the music. It’s amazing and you can try it out for free by visiting their site (Steam and Steam account required – both are also free). But the true wonder is the price : $9.95. So test it out and go nuts.
Ohhhh… Man…. No one was nice enough to tell me that Guitar Hero III was also known as Carpal Tunnel Hell. I’m having difficulty typing this so much it did a number on my hands. But, as the title might lead you to suspect, yes it rocks. It’s hard to get at first (and I don’t think I’ll be playing in Medium any time soon) but is it ever addicting. My Elite-Beat-Agents-ism is coming back. It consists of being addicted to a music game that is insanely difficult but you just can’t stop playing. Now, sorry, but I have to go for my rehab treatment. Where is that Peggle demo I’ve been playing?
I’m looking around for a good pick-up-and-play DS game. I convinced myself that I shouldn’t buy Sim City Societies right now. It was a painful decision since I am a huge fan of the series and I really wanted to know what it was about. But, I’ve concluded that It’s not a perfect game and there are chances I won’t get hooked on it enough to make it worth $50. So now I’m looking for a game I can enjoy during those times when I don’t have much else to do. That game seems to be Puzzle Quest. I tried the PC demo yesterday and I like the game play. Think of it as an RPG with 2-player Vs. Bejewled as battle gameplay. I got hooked on it. I’m not yet sure if I’ll like it like I like Elite Beat Agents (which I started playing again a bit) but since it’s been out for a while, I hope to be able to get a nice discount compared to it’s launch price.And now, the review. I’ve worked on it a bit tonight. Started doing the voice recording and I’m already well into it. I don’t expect any major delays this weekend (although, I haven’t bought Puzzle Quest yet) so if all goes well, it should be done by Sunday.
I’m addicted to Elite Beat Agents. To paraphrase the Pringles slogan, “Once you tap, the fun don’t stop.” I literally need to fool myself and press the POWER button quickly before I realize it to stop playing. Well, thanks to an article on Joystiq, that feeling that drove me nuts during the last Holidays is back in the form of Osu! – an EBA/Ouendan PC version. I just downloaded it and the “beatmap”, as they call it, for Vertigo (I bought the song so I say it’s ok 
) I think I’ve just wasted one to two hours already on it… and I still didn’t beat it. But the truly wonderful thing about Osu! is that there’s a track editor : You can make your own levels! I might try later. It’s a good thing it doesn’t work in OS X or under Parallels; you wouldn’t be able to keep me away!
It’s finally that time! It’s time to review the iPod touch. I should get my new touch later tonight so you can probably expect a first part as early as tonight. Expect a review for Sonic Rush Adventure for the DS soon also. Now to kick things off, here’s what parts you can expect to be reviewed :
- (Re)Unboxing, contents and iPod touch exterior design
- Music
- Video
- Photos
- Safari
- iTunes Wi-Fi music store
- YouTube
- Options and more
So until then, I’ll check out if the new open beta version of KartRacer, which I previously noted as being as addictive as drugs, works under Parallels. If it does, there are chances you might never hear from me again.
Ever had one of thoes games you simply can’t stop playing? A game where you always say to yourself “Just one more time!” ? A game you can play hours at a time and only realize it when it’s too late? A game that can simply be decribed as drugs hidden in software code? For many, that is the definition of World of Warcraft. For me, I discovered it was Elite Beat Agents for the DS. Well now, I found that game for the PC. It’s an MMO racing game called Kart Rider and it’s currently in closed beta until the 30th of May (but anyone with an account at nexon.net (Maple Story and Audition) can play). It has simple controls and simply insane gameplay. It’s a lot like Mario Kart. It’s so much fun and so unpreditable to the point that just because you’re in first and the Finish line is in sight, it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to finish 5th. You should try it out but beware : There’s no going back.
