Bottom Feeders
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Cast your net and catch Bottom Feeders on the App Store
As a fisherman on rough seas, players must trawl for a variety of fish while avoiding enemies that cost players' nets in Bottom Feeders (free with in app purchases). There are a few power-ups players can use to help them get all of the fish in each level. This will help them get more Sandollars, the in game currency. Bottom Feeders is compatible with iOS devices running iOS 4.3 or later. Players release and pull up their net to catch the most fish while avoiding the spikes and sharks - called Grunts. Touching these hazards cost the player a net, which functions as the player's lives. Bottom Feeders features a golden net power-up, which can help players retain a net when it comes in contact with one of the enemies. Other power-ups in the game include bait, which helps player get hard to reach fish hiding under sticks; and dynamite which explodes certain nearby structures, enemies, and fish which give players points that help unlock the next level. There are 50 levels in Bottom Feeders for players to test their skills in. Each level builds upon tactics learned in earlier levels, such as dropping anchors and baiting out fish in trenches. Players also usually find different tactics to try when they replay a level to get 100 percent or all three starfish. The first seven levels are not too bad for new players, but the difficulty level rises drastically by level eight. This is rather challenging when players have trouble in earlier levels, but replaying the level and sometimes revisiting older levels helps them improve their skills. This can be enough to get through the level fairly quickly. After collecting enough fish, players can build a collection of each type of fish that is displayed in their 3D aquarium. The aquarium is nicely done and provides an interactive place to showcase accomplishments for players. Bottom Feeders offers upgrades for making your boat faster, being able to drop anchor, or even locate different fish. These upgrades vary in price, but only require the in-app currency of Sandollars to purchase. This allows players to be able to progress through the game without spending any money if they want to. However, it is hard to get enough Sandollars to afford upgrades, especially if players have trouble getting through some of the levels. This requires replaying levels to build up enough Sandollars for really helpful items that make it easier to get through later levels. A couple of problems with Bottom Feeders were that the sound options don't seem to work and that it can be annoying to run out of nets. The first problem of the sound options not working is strange, as toggling on and off the audio does not produce any sound in game. However, when a video plays there is sound. The quirky nature of the game with its fun art style really lends itself well to great sound effects and music. When that feature does not work, it is hard to say if it lives up to the art style. The other problem in the game is that players can quickly run out of nets (lives). Tf that happens, they can get more by waiting a specified amount of time, watching a short video, or through and in-app purchase. The options for getting another net is good, but you cannot get more than one net at a time using the free options, which is a little annoying. Bottom Feeders is free on the App Store and recommended for its fun art style and entertaining, sometimes challenging, gameplay.
SOCOM vets form casual studio, seeking Kickstarter support
A team of vets displaced after Zipper Interactive closed have reformed as Nobodinos (pronounced: nobody knows) and are currently seeking funds through Kickstarter. GI.biz reports the studio launched shortly after Zipper shuttered, and has been at work on Bottom Feeders, a casual multiplatform game."Eventually we may get back to the big console titles, but for now we are focused on creating some casual and mobile games," the studio told GI.biz.Nobodinos is going to have to cast a wide net to reach its goal of $225,000 within a month. More details on their development hopes and caviar dreams can be found on their Kickstarter page.
