Cut the Rope
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Cut the Rope gets ported to HTML5, gets chronicled on the way
Outlined during Microsoft's CES keynote earlier this week, gaming app Cut The Rope has had its journey to the world of HTML5 published for the masses. Tying together features like CSS3 styling and canvas-rendered graphics, the blog post details in cheery technical detail how creators ZeptoLab and Pixel Lab (not related) transferred the game from Objective-C to Javascript. Check the game for yourself down at the source and expect to see some extra levels designed especially for the browser platform. We'd love to play through those new levels, but we're all a little busy here...
Daily iPad App: Tiny Places HD
Tiny Places is the latest title from Big Fish Games, which typically releases games on PC (mostly casual stuff like find-an-item and puzzle games), but lately has been making a big push on iOS as well. What's interesting about Tiny Places is that it borrows from from iOS games rather than Big Fish's PC catalog. Specifically, from Cut the Rope. Tiny Places is similar to Chillingo's other physics title (the one that's not about angry birds), in that it features a cute little protagonist trying to reach a goal in a colorful 2D level while using real-time physics to move around. In this case, you play as a chameleon who uses his tongue to hang from various objects, trying to collect "starflies" while moving towards a hole in the wall that kicks off the next level. To start, you can fling the little chameleon around, but as the game progresses, there are other objects to interact with. Tiny Places is harder than Cut the Rope as precise, airborne is required. Especially if you want to get all of the stars and extras, you'll need to make some pretty tough jumps. But resetting the level is quick and easy, so the game encourages replaying to get things just right. The polish isn't quite as good as Cut the Rope, but if (like me) you've already run through all of the levels of that one, Tiny Places offers a worthy alternative and a fun time in and of itself. The iPad version is US$1.99 while the iPhone version is just a buck, and there are free versions of each to try out as well. Tiny Places isn't a classic, but if you enjoy physics games, the many levels on display here (with lots of updates to come, according to the app itself) will provide plenty of entertainment.
iOS games get so, so real in this bizarre music video
Aussie indie pop group Hey Geronimo were interested in promoting their latest single, "Why Don't We Do Something?," so they made this terrifying montage of iOS games acted out in real life, you see. We're not exactly sure how this happened, but we can't say we're sorry it did.
Cut the Rope: Experiments brings some new twists to the popular property
Besides Doodle Jump, if there's one game I could never get sick of playing on my iPhone, it's Cut the Rope. In the game, you use your finger to "cut" ropes that release candy that (hopefully) end up in a green little creature's big mouth. Other fans of Cut the Rope will be pleased to learn that the sequel was released last week. Cut the Rope: Experiments retains all the things you loved from the first one: challenging puzzles, realistic physics, and that cute little green creature, known as Om Nom after the sound he makes, that loves candy. But the game adds several new features, such as the Professor who is trying to figure out how Om Nom arrived in a package outside his house. The Professor provides running commentary as you play through 75 new levels and some added game elements like suction cups and rope shooters. The farther you advance the more the back story of Om Nom will be revealed through hidden photographs and animations. Despite the added story line elements Cut the Rope: Experiments retains all the fun an playability the first one did and is recommended for anyone who loves feeding candy to little green monsters. Cut the Rope: Experiments is US$0.99 in the App Store.
Portabliss: Cut the Rope: Experiments
Did you know that you can download handheld games now? That's amazingly convenient! The only inconvenient part of it is finding the right games to buy -- and that's where we come in, with our Portabliss column. In each installment, we'll tell you about a downloadable game on the iPhone, iPad, Android device, DSi, 3DS, PSP, etc. Today: Cut the Rope: Experiments! Cut the Rope: Experiments is one of the most aptly-named apps ever released on the iOS platform. Though it largely focuses on the tether-slicing, physics-manipulating puzzles that made the franchise's first, subtitleless iteration so delightful, it includes two bold new mechanics that completely change the face of the game. (And what an adorable face it is!) It's the success of these two new aspects that alleviated my hesitance about this standalone title: It's functionally the same as the free updates to the original Cut the Rope, only significantly less free.
Report: New standalone Cut the Rope title coming soon
We love Om Nom more than most of our friends and immediate family members, and yet we don't think twice about keeping him imprisoned in puzzle-filled boxes. That's a bit of a double standard; and one that might be remedied soon. IGN reports that a new standalone Cut the Rope title is on its way to the App Store soon, and has also acquired a few images which appear to show the game's ever-hungry mascot escaping from his cardboard confines. The images also show a "Professor's Album," which contains images of an even adorabler, younger Om Nom. Who is this Professor? We're not sure, but considering he's probably responsible for Nom's incarceration, we'd like to have a stern conversation with him. We've contacted Zepto Labs for more information!
Cut the Rope update, plush toys coming soon
The video below highlights an upcoming update for the popular Cut the Rope title on iOS -- Chillingo is bringing 25 new levels to the title, complete with some new game mechanics and features. Cartoon creature Om Nom will be able to be fed various types of foods, not just the candy he so craves, and as you can see in the video, there are some new bounce pads to deal with and a few new drawings to find and collect. Finding those drawings can apparently unlock prizes, like the chance to gift the game to a friend on Facebook. The update is version 1.4, called Toy Box, and should be available in the game soon. And there are also some plush dolls coming, as you can see above. Om Nom is portrayed in a few different moods and sizes, and all of these toys will be out sometime in October. I don't usually go in for stuffed toys, but I will say this: that's one cute little fella.
GetJar gets Cut the Rope exclusive, candy-craving monster makes Android debut
We played this addictive gem of an award-winning app on a friend's iPhone last year and actually considered cutting our friendly ties to Android just to get in on the action. Small wonder then that creator ZeptoLab caved in to pressure from the iOS rival's community, making Cut the Rope a one-week GetJar exclusive. It's a tactic we've seen competitor Amazon tackle before -- one that should help boost this Silicon Valley-based app store's visibility. String-slicing fiends can get to feeding their inner hungry, hungry Om Nom now, and give a much needed break to those over-slung simulated fowls. [Image courtesy iTunes App Store]
Cut the Rope debuts on Android, free for one week
ZeptoLab has a candy-filled treat for owners of Android devices: its hit puzzler, Cut the Rope, has launched for the mobile platform and will be available free of charge for one week. The game is debuting exclusively on the GetJar app store but, according to its developer, will be made available through the Android Market and other branded e-storefronts eventually. Cut the Rope for Android will be ad supported during this initial period, so those who eventually pay for it will be getting something extra -- or, rather, something less, in terms of advertising.
USK rates Hole in the Wall for Kinect, Cut the Rope for DSiWare
A few hacks have hinted at it, a few minigames in collections like Carnival Games: Monkey See, Monkey Do have touched on it -- now it seems Microsoft is fully cashing in on the very reason for the Kinect's existence: Hole in the Wall. The game, in which players contort their body in an attempt to fit through the titular cavity, was recently rated by the German USK ratings board. No details about the title were included in the rating, other than the fact Microsoft will handle publishing duties. Another, equally exciting new entry on the USK ratings site is a DSiWare listing for Chillingo's infinitely addicting puzzle game, Cut the Rope. Again, there are few details, but a tease posted on the Facebook page of indie developer Abstraction Games (which brought Angry Birds to PSP earlier this year) seems to indicate they'll be in charge of porting the title. We'll let you know when we hear more about these two projects!
Cut the Rope gets new 'Magic Box,' gigantic playable demo
Good news, fans of the delightful, physics-based iOS puzzler Cut the Rope! (Or, rather, bad news, if you had things you needed to do today.) An update is now available to the ZeptoLab-developed hit which adds 25 new levels as part of the "Magic Box," and also adds three new Game Center achievements. The new gameplay mechanic this time around is top hats, which serve as portals for your tethered confections -- much like the stockings featured in Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift. To celebrate the new levels, Chillingo has constructed two massive playable demo stations featuring nine touch screens a piece. If you've got business at Los Angeles' Hollywood & Highland Center or Atlanta International Airport, keep an eye out for these big, beautiful displays -- it's likely to be the most satisfying rope-cutting you ever do.
Cut the Rope ensnares over 6 million people, free V-Day update coming
Beyond making such prestigious lists as Joystiq's 2010 App Store Buyer's Guide, ZeptoLab's adorable iOS puzzler, Cut the Rope, is now sitting atop another notable app store ranking: Apps that have sold over six million copies. Publisher Chillingo announced the game's sales achievement this morning, alongside news of a free 25-level update coming in time for Valentine's Day. "This 1.2 update is our gift to you this Valentine's Day for being the greatest fans out there," ZeptoLab CTO Efim Voinov said in the release. The game's $0.99 price tag will remain unchanged by the additional levels going forward. We've dropped a clip from the update just below the break, so don't say we never get you nothin'!
Best App Ever winners announced, Angry Birds wins big
148Apps' own Jeff Scott just handed me an actual piece of paper here in the Macworld press room, and on it there are all of the Best App Ever winners listed. You can read the full list online in PDF form, but we'll spoil a few of them for you. Best App Ever for 2010? None other than a little app you may have heard of called Angry Birds. Sure, it's not a choice too far off the reservation, but you have to admit that in terms of exposure and playtime, there was no real equal. Chillingo and Clickgamer also walked away with the most wins -- Angry Birds showed up on the list seven times in its various forms, and Cut the Rope also nabbed an award for Best Puzzle Game. Flipboard is the most award-winning non-game app of the bunch, picking up three awards, including Most Innovative App and Best Visual Design on the iPad. And Spacetime Studios' Pocket Legends, a full-featured iOS MMO that has received relatively little press so far, picked up three wins as well. There are lots and lots and lots of excellent apps in the various awards and their runner-ups and honorable mentions -- it's been a terrific year for the App Store, and in its third year running, the Best App Ever awards are a great indicator of what's popular and well-made out there.
Cut the Rope holiday version now available
Chillingo has joined the holiday fun with Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift edition. The holiday version of Cut the Rope is a universal app, separate from the regular app, and offered free of charge. If you have somehow missed Cut the Rope, do yourself a favor and check it out. In addition to the holiday edition, there are both free "lite" versions and regular versions ($1 for the iPhone version, $2 for the HD iPad version). It's a lot of fun and offers plenty of challenges. "Om Nom" might be the cutest cartoon character since Little Cindy Lou Who (who was no more than two). I keep hoping for a holiday version of Plants vs Zombies, but I guess I'll have to hope for "maybe next year." [via Touch Arcade]
Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift puts some free Christmas cheer in your iOS stocking
The issue with cute monsters that possess an insatiable hunger for candy is that they're a perpetual problem, albeit a fun one. Chillingo recognizes this and, for you millions of nurturers out there, will launch Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift, a free standalone iOS game set to arrive on the App Store sometime this month. Holiday Gift is comprised of 25 Christmas-themed levels and incorporates a new "Christmas Sock" mechanic where players can teleport candy between socks. Then, of course, there are new menus, music tracks and achievements to check out. There isn't an exact date for the launch of Holiday Gift yet, but Chillingo assures us it'll be available before Christmas -- we'll be sure to let you know when we've got a date. %Gallery-109597%
Cut the Rope sells 3 million, free update 'soon'
Soaring past the one-million mark set just last month, Chillingo's iOS hit Cut the Rope has reached three million in sales. It's a feat undoubtedly bringing great joy to the developer (and even greater joy to EA), but let's not ignore the real story here: How many countless, innocent ropes have had their lives shortened at the expense of slash-happy fingers? Will no one think of the poor ropes in all of this? No? Okay, then -- moving on. In addition to the sales hurrah, Chillingo detailed Cut the Rope's first free update. Coming "soon," the Version 1.1 patch will introduce the "Cosmic Box," which houses 25 new challenges themed around "a unique anti-gravity feature" that turns the game's physics upside down. The update also includes "enhanced" Retina Display graphics, more accurate scoring, "more expressive" Om Nom animations, new sounds and 11 new achievements.
Determining Game Center's current popularity
The always insightful Stuart Dredge over at MobileEntertainment has crunched some numbers on Game Center's actual popularity. Since Apple's own gaming social network on the iPhone launched, I've heard lots of different things from developers in terms of how they're implementing and using it. Some developers jumped in head-first, bringing all of their apps on board quickly, while others have only brought one or two apps on board at a time, opting instead to wait and see what their users are into. And some developers haven't even started on it yet, instead waiting to see how adoption works. So, in order to get something resembling hard numbers, Dredge took the reported sales of a few popular App Store apps, and then he compared those to the number of players listed as playing them in Game Center. You can see the top few examples above -- keep in mind that this is a picture painted with a roller rather than a fine brush; it was just created to give an idea of what's happening rather than exact figures. But there are some conclusions to draw -- a title like Angry Birds, with over 6 million players, is only seeing about a quarter of those users using the Game Center integration. At the same time, a newer title like Cut the Rope has a majority of its players using Game Center. In other words, Game Center is still in the early adopter stage -- the mass market of iPhone users hasn't yet jumped on board. But users who seek out and find the latest and greatest apps (and Cut the Rope is a hit that's only a few weeks old) are signed up and playing on Game Center already.
Cut the Rope wraps up a million sales
Cut the Rope, the addictive puzzler for iPhone and iPad, has sold a million copies in ten days. According to publisher Chillingo, that makes the game the "fastest selling title on the App Store to date." Chillingo is currently working with developer ZeptoLab to create updates, which will be revealed "soon." The game cost $1 on iPhone and $2 on iPad. There's also a lite version to get a taste of what makes the game and its star, Om Nom, so compelling. Note: if similarly named games confuse you, Cut the Rope has nothing to do with all those "cut the cheese" programs on the App Store.
TUAW's Daily App: Cut the Rope
At every one of these gaming shows (it's GDC Online this week, which I'm at for TUAW), there's usually a "game of the show" that emerges. It's something, either on the show floor or demoing behind closed doors, that everyone starts to talk about. The buzz starts at parties and in the hallways, and then it carries over into panels and starts to crop up in those casual discussions about "what you've seen this week." But so far, the game everyone's talking about this week isn't even on display at the show. Epic's Mark Rein even recommended Chillingo's newest title, Cut the Rope, to me. It's a brand new game that's already making a huge splash this week (as of this writing, it was number two on the App Store paid list), and it's all the rage among app developers and journalists here at GDC. The phrase being passed around is "Angry Birds meets Fruit Ninja," and those comparisons are apt. The idea is that you guide a little piece of candy, by cutting ropes and manipulating other items in the environment, to a cute little monster that's hungrily trying to eat it. Cut the Rope has the cute characters of Angry Birds and the fun, tactile interaction of Fruit Ninja all wrapped up into one extremely polished and shiny package. For only US$0.99, you get four stages full of levels, three stars to collect in each level (to add replayability), and to top it all off, Game Center integration for achievements and leaderboards. The iPad version is $1.99, but there's also a lite version on that device to check out. I'm not even that big of an Angry Birds fan, but I found myself giggling as I pulled off Cut the Rope's little puzzles. I was very charmed by Om Nom, the little monster who just wants that hanging candy. Cut the Rope has just barely gone live, and this is an app that is already getting into people's heads.
