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Daily iPhone App: Tobe & Friends Hookshot Escape catches sweet air
I've already suggested that you buy Tobe & Friends: Hookshot Escape in passing, and after playing with it for a few days, my advice hasn't changed. It's a remarkably cute and well-made game, with some interesting ideas about platforming, incredible music and graphics, and a lot of retro pixelated fun. Tobe & Friends: Hookshot Escape is an endless platformer. You jump your way up a series of platforms as the screen moves faster and faster. The terrain says pretty much the same as you progress, unlike many "endless" games. It sounds repetitive but it works, as the repetition helps you learn the layout. There are many unlockables (you earn currency as you travel along), the most important of which are other characters. Tobe, the main character, uses a hookshot to travel along, while others use a hammer, a dragon punch, or even a feather cape to fly through a level (check them out in the game's incredible trailer). I have two issues with the game. The first is with the controls. My thumbs occasionally slide off of them, making me miss a precise jump. The trailer originally made the game look like it was a one-button tapping affair, using tilt to move right and left, and I wonder if that scheme wouldn't work a little better. Secondly, the game isn't yet available on the iPad. While that's obviously not a gamebreaker, I wish I could see the graphics running in full, bright color on Apple's tablet screen. Both of those complaints are minor. Tobe & Friends: Hookshot Escape is a beautiful, action-packed game that's tough to put down. It's US$1.99 on the App Store right now, and worth every penny.
Some excellent new apps today: AAaaa!!, Hookshot Escape, lots more
It's Thursday, which means the new Apple-approved games and apps went up on the App Store yesterday, and there are quite a few good ones out this week. I'm not sure why devs decided to drop so many games on us (maybe just aiming to get them out by GDC next week), but if you need something to play this weekend, you've got it. Dejobaan Games has released its popular "falling action" title AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! on iOS, and it's available right now for $2.99. The game has you falling down through a series of skyscrapers, and trying to perform certain stunts and actions on your way down. It's just as good as the award-winning PC version, and worth a look if you haven't played it before. I've really been looking forward to Secret Base's Tobe and Friends Hookshot Escape, and it's also out now for $1.99. The graphics are charming as all get out, and my only complaint about the game so far is that it's not out on iPad yet. Chillingo's got a new freemium dual stick shooter called Mafia Rush. And that company has also got a new version of a Flash favorite, a platformer called Fancy Pants, for 99 cents. A beautiful puzzler called Incoboto has arrived on the iPad for $2.99. Looks great, supposed to sound very good as well. Ubisoft has released yet another Prince of Persia title, but this one's for old schoolers -- it features the old Prince of Persia game combined with a graphical style from the latest series. The iPhone version is $1.99, or you can go HD for a dollar more. And finally, the folks behind the very popular Spider: Secret of Bryce Manor have released a followup called Waking Mars, available as a universal app for $4.99. This one has you exploring underground Mars in 2097, and finding all sorts of interesting sights (and things) down there. Whew, those are some quality titles for sure. I'm sure some of these will show up in the Daily App posts very soon, so if you're not sure about pulling the trigger yet, stay tuned and we'll let you know. In the meantime: Just go ahead and get Hookshot Escape. It's awesome.
