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Tilt to Live: Gauntlet's Revenge features superb gameplay
Tilt to Live: Gauntlet's Revenge is another entry in the Tilt to Live game series. This time, the arrow travels through a side-scrolling obstacle course picking up pointonium as it goes along. The three main courses are filled with spiked walls, fire balls, enemies and more all of which you should avoid to complete the challenge. Unlock the boss round to finish the game once and for all. Tilt to Live: Gauntlet's Revenge is US$2.99 for iPhone and iPad. The app description of Tilt to Live: Gauntlet's Revenge says the app features "famously responsive" controls and it's hard to argue with that claim. To maneuver around obstacles in the game, you have to tilt your iOS device up, down, left or right. The app provides standard settings for the way people usually hold their devices: Regular, at a bit of an angle, Top-Down, or basically flat and Custom to let you calibrate the tilt yourself based upon your current angle. Optionally choose between slow, normal and hyper tilt sensitivities. However you choose your tilt settings, the game is buttery smooth and in sync with your movements. You also get three lives per round, which is convenient because despite the responsiveness it's not the easiest game in the world. It's not meant to be super challenging, but it should take you a decent amount of time to complete the three gauntlets before moving onto the final one. That's a plus though when calculating value based on money spent and time spent playing. The three gauntlets are Lockdown, Pointonium Mines and Arropolis. Each is a bit different from the others, but not so much that they have their own learning curves. They just have some different obstacles and they're playable in any order. What I love about the graphics is that even as a new player, it's easy to immediately spot what looks like it should be avoided and what you should collect, i.e. pointonium. The pointonium, by the way, don't do much of anything. The game doesn't have any in-app purchases or upgrades to spend them on. They just add up as you collect them and display proudly in Game Center leaderboards. That's fine, but with a cool name like "pointonium" it's begging to be put to better use in a future update. The points system does contribute somewhat to the achievements, which are built into Game Center, but you need to complete nine of them to unlock the final gauntlet and reach the boss. A variety of achievements for each gauntlet are up for grabs so you aren't limited to following a specific path. The freedom to play as you wish is a trend in Tilt to Live: Gauntlet's Revenge that I admire. It's been a while since I've played a decent game that uses the iPhone and iPad's built in sensors for controls, but I'm happy to report Tilt to Live: Gauntlet's Revenge fills that void. At $2.99, it's just a tad pricey for a game in this genre, but you're getting a fantastic experience.
Project Natal game titles outed ahead of E3, 'about a dozen' available at launch
Looking for some last-minute Project Natal scoopage before we head into E3 2010? You've got it -- the LA Times has dished out details on the first four gesticulariffic games for the Xbox 360's new camera attachment this weekend, and says nearly a dozen other Natal titles will be available at launch. First up are "River Rush" and "Obstacle Course," the titles that inspired Parade Magazine to haphazardly flail appendages about last week, but there's also info on "Living Statue," which lets the social butterflies on Xbox 360 send video messages using singing, dancing avatars as a go-between. No video of this last quite yet, but on the off-chance you're not tired of watching humans slap dust mites silly (we kid) you'll find an unrelated Natal demo after the break.
More Natal applications revealed in LA Times preview
In just a couple short days, we'll be soaking in the Vitamin D provided by the blaring Los Angeles sun, digging for stories at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. One of the first events we'll be attending is a preview of Project Natal -- an occasion which could bring about some major announcements for the peripheral. Before that, though, the LA Times has published a hands-on report on the device that's worth checking out, as it reveals a pair of heretofore unannounced Natal applications. The first is "Obstacle Course" (which was briefly hinted at in Parade's wildly flailing Natal preview), in which players will have to navigate a "summer camp"-esque row of hazards. As dangerous as that sounds, it's pretty tame compared to the other unveiled application: "Living Statue," which lets players record and send video messages using their Avatars. Which is great, because we were just talking about how awesome it would be to be bombarded with videos of our friends' Avatars doing pelvic thrusts and other suggestive maneuvers every time we turn on our Xbox 360. We look forward to learning about these applications (and more) during Microsoft's Natal sneak preview this Sunday.
Natal 'River Rush' gameplay glimpsed, first wild gesticulation-related violence reported
In a surprising expose on the seedy underbelly of pre-release gaming demos for the whole family, Parade Magazine's own A.J. Jacobs reports on a bit of fun gone awry. Mr. Jacobs details the horrific scene: "We next tried an obstacle course where you have to dart under trees and jump over logs. I was really working it, leaning my body and windmilling my arms. Unfortunately, Zane, 3, wandered a bit too close to me and, well, I inadvertently smacked him in the face. He started crying." Luckily, Zane bounced back quickly, and the Jacobs household (6-year-old Jasper was also in attendance) quickly determined that their best chances at beating the few Project Natal demos Microsoft was showing them might involve benching the old man. The Jacobs brood got three demos in all, including a couple we haven't had a chance to play ourselves: an obstacle course, and a river rafting game we've seen referred to as "River Rush." You can see a brief glimpse of it yourself (along with entirely more arm flailing than is strictly necessary) after the break.
'Wipeout' (not that Wipeout) coming to Wii and DS
click to wipe in to the galleryFrom now on, thanks to Activision's latest announcement, we're going to have to specify which Wipeout series of games we're talking about. There's Wipeout, the now Sony-exclusive futuristic racing game series, and Wipeout: The Game, the new Wii and DS game based on the game show about people falling off of elaborate obstacle courses. This Wipeout is a four-player game in which opponents can taunt and throw stuff at each other as they attempt the show's trademark (and not at all inspired by Ninja Warrior) obstacle courses. Of course, the show's hosts will provide in-game commentary. Commentary like you'll hear in the video after the break, in which yelling men ride foam rockets while the hosts relentlessly mock their intellligence and weight. Wipeout: The Game will be out this summer, "just in time for the premiere of the TV show's highly anticipated 3rd season."
Robovie rescue bot hunts high and low for lost princesses (video)
If you've been feeling blue because you haven't got enough green to keep the old bank account in the black, we've got just the tonic for you, dear friend. There's nothing that gets us all perked up and cheerful quite like an adorable humanoid robot negotiating an obstacle course in the performance of a rescue mission. In fact, if you layer on your own "save the princess" narrative atop the on-screen events, the pep in your step should be back in no time. The smile-inducing video can be found after the break.
EQ2 guild Custodi della Luce to hold obstacle course event
If you're in for a lazy Sunday at home, haven't got visiting relatives demanding your attention, and happen to have an EverQuest II subscription, then we might have found something that can kill a couple of hours for you. The Custodi della Luce guild from the Splitpaw server are holding a massive event, one the likes of which are not often seen in an MMO, and particularly not when it's organized entirely by players. They've built an elaborate obstacle course out of their guild hall, and are offering generous prizes for the fast and furious.It may be too late to register as a runner in the official race (although 12-15 new racers will be accepted at the event, you'd need to get in quick), a large tower has been constructed in the center of the course for onlookers to watch. After the race is over and prizes are given out, a spectator free-for-all will take place on the course -- expect this race to get dirty as stray elbows and shin-kicks get lost in the bustling crowd. Even if you aren't going to attend the event, the embedded video (seen better with the high quality option turned on at Youtube) shows the magnificent effort that Custodi della Luce has put into making the circuit -- color us impressed. The actual race begins at 18:00GMT today, the 21st of December, and the full event details can be found at the EQII forums. Good luck to all that participate!
