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Daily iPhone App: The Blockheads is another great take on sandbox survival
We mentioned developer David Frampton's new iOS game The Blockheads when it arrived last week, but just in case you haven't gotten a chance to see and play it yet, here's one more spotlight on it as our Daily iPhone App. The Blockheads is a really great game -- it's Frampton's take on Minecraft, with a touch-friendly iOS 2D look, and a number of interesting innovations that change the game up quite a bit. The biggest of these is the game's queue system -- unlike Minecraft or the great Junk Jack, you don't control The Blockheads' protagonists directly, instead you give them orders to walk around the world or dig up a certain square. This means the game is slightly more abstract than other survival sandbox games, letting you as the player focus on what you're building rather than tapping away on a certain block. Blockheads' biggest weak point is that the game does cling to a very realistic view of the world: Your Blockheads needs to sleep every night, and after a little while, finding food in the wasteland-like world becomes a priority. Building some items can also be slow -- the game is completely free, but relies on a "time crystal" mechanic for in-app purchases that can be a bit annoying when some tasks take an extremely long time. But aside from those small quibbles, The Blockheads is a really amazing title that's available right now for free on both iPhone and iPad. Frampton has tweeted that the game has already seen a sizable amount of success, and it's much deserved -- he's a talented and hardworking developer. If you missed this one when it arrived last week, don't make the same mistake again this time.
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Wildings
Wildings is the first mobile title from Metamoki, which is traditionally a social gaming company. Still, the game is pretty dynamic anyway. It reminds me a lot of Battleheart actually, which is an iOS game that I really love, though Wildings isn't quite as polished or complex. The idea is that you control a set of creatures trying to defend a nest of baby birds, and you can guide your troops in real-time around the screen as you fend off attackers. You collect suns as you go (in a mechanic borrowed from Plants vs. Zombies, apparently), and then later on, those suns can be used to power your various abilities, doing things like slowing down attackers or even clearing them off the screen. The action is fun and pretty well done, though the only real innovation is that you can tap faster on incoming enemies to take them down quicker. The game also has a relatively slow curve, too -- you have to collect boat pieces one by one to go off to other islands and get your troops upgraded, and the game isn't real clear on just how many pieces you need to move on. Still, for the low, low price of free (which is what the game is on sale for right now), it's definitely worth a download. Wildings isn't exactly the most finished game around, but if you like the Battleheart-style of gameplay and want to try something new, check it out.
TUAW's Daily App: Homerun Battle 3D for iPad
One great app, every day -- that's TUAW's Daily App, every morning on TUAW. We're still seeking an official name for the daily app. If you suggest a killer name for this feature in the comments, we'll send you a t-shirt! There are quite a few baseball games on the store these days (including one from the MLB itself), but Homerun Battle 3D focuses on the best part of the game: hitting home runs. Com2uS released the iPhone version last year (and it's great -- it was recommended to me by the producer of Street Fighter for iPhone), but the iPad version just got released about a week ago and it's excellent as well. You control bat placement in the strike zone and swing by tapping the screen; that's basically it. The simplicity of the game really makes the fun shine, and extras like gold balls and multiplier pitches (every once in a while) make you feel like a real home run hero. The free version lets you hit a few balls around, but the full version allows for character customization, some online challenges, and even head-to-head multiplayer. In-app purchases kind of spread a shadow over the whole thing -- some of the customized gear and uniforms can run very expensive. That stuff is easy enough to avoid, though. The core gameplay is a lot of fun, and whenever you want a quick round of batting practice, it's there for you. Homerun Battle 3D is $4.99 on both the iPad and iPhone, with a trial available on the iPhone.
