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Sega shows off Total War Battles, new Sonic and Bloodshow at GDC
Sega was in attendance at GDC 2012 last week, showing off its latest and greatest mobile offerings for iOS. There were only three apps that really stuck out to me from the event itself, and you can read all about them right here below. First up, Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Episode 2 is going to be arriving on iOS this spring, as previously announced. If you liked the first iteration in this series, you'll probably like the second, and even if not, you know how Sonic the Hedgehog works by now. I will admit this version does look great, and the controls have been tightened up a bit. The inclusion of Tails is a nice selling point, too -- you can use Sonic's dual-tailed friend either as a flying helper, or for a gigantic spin move. And though I didn't get to see it in action, I was told that Tails also serves as a playable character for a second player jumping in over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which definitely seems like a lot of fun. Sonic 4, Episode 2 is due out this spring. The most interesting release in Sega's booth was an iOS version of Creative Assembly's very popular real-time strategy series, Total War, called Total War Battles: Shogun. As you can see above, it's a real-time strategy title that's been completely redesigned for a mobile interface, using hex tiles and individual troop commands to guide Japanese infantry off into battle. I really liked this one. The design is almost a little too locked-down for those expecting a full RTS experience, but I really thought that Creative Assembly's changes were very smart, and brought the feeling of the popular Total War series to a much wider audience. There's a lot of content in this one, too, with 50 missions to go through, and then a series of optional side missions that really ramp up the difficulty for dedicated players. Units can be upgraded in between missions, and there's even a real-time, same-screen multiplayer mode (that will let two people play the game against each other one on iPad). Total War Battles: Shogun seems intriguing. Strategy fans can look for it in April for $4.99. And finally, from the makers of Samurai Bloodshow comes a sequel of sorts, called Alexandria Bloodshow. The biggest difference here is that instead of fighting with Japanese troops, you'll be fighting with Greek and Egyptian troops and calling down various gods and deities from those settings to fight for you. Combat plays out nearly exactly the same, and there's also that very unique look, sort of like little bits of art facing off against each other. Obviously there are also new cards and units to collect and play with, and if you want cards that you don't get from the standard game, there's a card shop included as well. The whole experience is very similar to the first title in the series, but if you liked that one, you probably won't be disappointed. Alexandria Bloodshow is also due out this spring, and price hasn't been determined by Sega just yet. Total War Battles is definitely the most interesting game on the horizon. I have a feeling that when that one arrives, a lot of strategy fans will find a lot of great new ideas on Apple's platform.
