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TUAW's Daily App: HYBRID 2: Saga of Nostalgia
Gamevil's new action RPG HYBRID 2 is an excellent game, but it's not one that I would recommend for just anyone to pick up. We've spotlighted plenty of great casual games and apps here on the Daily App, but HYBRID 2 doesn't fit in that category. If you've never played a Japanese-style action RPG, you'll probably get lost right away. There is a pretty solid tutorial for the combos, but soon after that, the game quickly falls into the kinds of tropes that only someone who loves old school RPGs can deal with; there's a convoluted plot in which the world has to be saved from a supernatural threat (again), jerky controls with lots of stats to oversee and upgrade, and even lots of typos and some Engrish in the menus. Don't get me wrong -- HYBRID 2 is actually a lot of fun. If you've played the first one, you'll automatically know what to do, and even if not, you can skip right past the cutscenes and get right into the excellently stylish 2D fighting and rewarding level grinding. Once you actually wrap your head around it (and your fingers around the less than trustworthy D-pad and virtual buttons), there's some great hacking-and-slashing action to be had, with hundred-hit combos earning XP and loot all the way through the quest-based storyline. The game is worth the US$4.99 for the right person. If the action sounds good to you and you aren't about to let a cluttered interface and clumsy story get in the way, have at it. Everyone else will probably have to wait for Dungeon Hunter 2 to get their action RPG on.
Hybrid2 public bike concept promises to help power city buses
Hybrid bikes are one thing, but designer Chiyi Chen looks to have something far grander in mind for his Hybrid2 bike concept, which he says could one day help power fleets of city buses. To do that, the hybrid part of the bike (a regenerative braking system) wouldn't be used to help power the bike itself at all, but would instead store the energy in an ultracapacitor that'd then feed the energy back into the grid when its parked at a special bike stand, which would in turn be used to help charge the hybrid electric buses. Not one to overlook an ingenious little detail, Chen has also devised a special card RFID card that would not only be used to unlock the bike, but keep track of the energy that each rider generates -- build up enough credits and you can ride the bus for free. Intrigued? Head on past the break for a video overview from the man himself.[Via Inhabitat]
