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The sequel to 'Alto's Adventure' is an 'Odyssey'
Built By Snowman has a busy year ahead of it. In addition to the recently announced Distant, the studio is also working on a sequel to its ultra-soothing endless-snowboarding game Alto's Adventure. Alto's Odyssey will be out sometime in 2017 but aside from that there aren't any details of what to expect.
Tranquil snowboarding game 'Alto's Adventure' is coming to Android
There are basically no downsides to using Android anymore, but one of the few remaining bummers is that most great mobile games hit the iPhone first. That was the case with the wonderfully tranquil and beautiful snowboarding game Alto's Adventure that came out this past February, but fortunately that'll be rectified soon. Developer NoodleCake is working with the team that originally created Alto's Adventure to port the game over to Android and the Kindle Fire, and it should be ready to go soon. Unfortunately, that's not now, but you can stay tuned to the Alto's Adventure Twitter feed for updates. And if you're an iOS user and haven't tried this game yet, do yourself a favor and give it a go -- it's an endless runner that manages to somehow be relaxing, a rare combo.
'Pac-Man' embraces mobile with an endless running game
Pac-Man is no stranger to the mobile world, but most of his games are just the classic maze runner scaled down to phone size. Wouldn't it be nice if the yellow chomper got a game that's actually meant for small screens? Bandai Namco agrees. It recently launched Pac-Man 256, an Android and iOS game that blends old-school gameplay with the endless runner format that you've seen in big-name smartphone titles like Temple Run. You still have to navigate twisty corridors and avoid ghosts, but this time you're also outracing Pac-Man's infamous level 256 glitch -- no power pellet will save you if you move too slowly. It's an intriguing concept, although you'll want to watch out for the ugly side of modernization... that is, in-app purchases. You can last quite a long time without paying a cent, but Bandai Namco is hoping that you'll shell out anything from 99 cents to $8 to get a credit boost and keep your run going. So long as you don't mind the occasional cash grab, though, this could be a good way to rekindle your nostalgia while you're waiting for the bus.
Flyro is an addictive and fresh endless runner game for iOS
In Flyro for iOS (US$0.99) you're a nimble bird with a special power; you transform into a destructive flame when flying. Your home town, appropriately named Birdtown, has been frozen by an evil mouse, Moustermind. Your mission is to overcome all the obstacles the Moustermind sets before you so you can save Birdtown. Flyro is based on the classic arcade-style, endless runner game. You fly around and through objects and obstacles to score points, complete objectives and ultimately unfreeze Birdtown. It's really simple to get started, the controls are excellent for touch devices like iPhone and iPad. With your thumb, slide or tap left and right to move Flyro (I assume that's what the little bird is called) around the screen, so he doesn't crash into things and die. When flying in a straight line, Flyro transforms into a flame that can burst through wooden bridges and barrels. This earns you points, golden coins and fireball tokens. Collect enough tokens, and a massive fireball erupts to help fend off enemies. Unfortunately, when Flyro moves around to avoid objects, his flame power disengages and he's susceptible to crashing into wooden objects and dies. One great thing about Flyro is that the game-play is never quite the same. Using Moustermind Tech, Flyro automatically adjusts game-play difficulty based on how well you play the game. With a soundtrack from composer Mike Morasky (Portal 2, Left 4 Dead), beautiful graphics, and addictive game play, Brute Farce's Flyro takes a new spin to the endless runner game and comes out with a real winner. Do check out Flyro.
Daily iPhone App: Dead Ahead races through a stylish zombieland
Dead Ahead is a game released by Chillingo a few weeks ago, and it's been huge in the App Store charts lately. It's an endless running game where you're actually on a moped (or, later, a motorcycle), racing through a zombie-ridden apocalypse. The game's controls are excellently simple (you move your finger up and down the screen to steer, and then there are two buttons to race forward or shoot backwards), but the biggest draw here is the game's aesthetic, which uses a very stylistic look to add a little bit of whimsy to a pretty spooky zombie setting. The game is relatively gory, as the zombies are you can either be crashed into cars (or shot apart) in very bloody ways. But for all of the gore, the zombies are also cool, and the various types you'll encounter (including big, hulking zombie bosses) mix up the gameplay quite a bit. As you drive along, you'll pick up coins and earn points, which then let you upgrade your bike, your gun, or unlock various powerups and other fun tweaks. Dead Ahead is a great title -- it's an endless runner and doesn't really break open the conventions of the genre, but it does perform its few features very well. You can download the game right now for free, and (not surprisingly) there are plenty of in-app purchases to make if you so choose.
Zynga releases Running With Friends, developed with Eat Sleep Play
Zynga has released a new game in the 'With Friends' series (which started back when the company acquired Words with Friends, a very popular Scrabble-like iOS game). Running With Friends is, as you can see above, not a fitness app, though that does sound fun. Instead, it's an endless running game, based on the Running of the Bulls, where you compete with friends to earn points and distance. The game has you running, jumping and dodging obstacles, all while trying to earn as many points as possible. As you might expect, the title is freemium, so it's free to download, and there are in-app purchases available if you'd like extra currency. Most of the games in the "With Friends" series have been super casual so far (mostly word games and simple social titles), so it's interesting to see that Zynga is upping the ante on the gameplay just a bit. Plus, this title is developed by was developed in collaboration with (see update) Eat Sleep Play, a company founded by David Jaffe that previously worked on the Twisted Metal games. "With Friends" hasn't seen a lot of action lately (though it's still a fairly big brand for Zynga), so this may be an attempt to revitalize the offerings. Update: Zynga got in touch to point out that the game wasn't developed by Eat Sleep Play directly, but that company did collaborate on some of the gameplay elements. So there's that.
Everplay Interactive plans a solid lineup this year
Developer Kris Jones started out his iOS game design career at a company called Thunder Game Works, which made a popular early App Store game called Trenches before the company connected up with EA as a publisher. These days, Jones runs his own studio of twelve people called Everplay Interactive, and they've created some really great games for iOS, including Spell Sword (one of my favorites), Free 2 Die, and the simple but devious 1001 Attempts. Jones met up with me at GDC last week to chat about what he's working on now, and he and Everplay have a full plate of different titles incoming. Ace of Blades is probably the highest profile release he's working on: It's a Spell Sword followup that turns the original arena-based survival game into a full action adventure title. Ace of Blades has you exploring a 2D platforming world, fighting new enemies and facing down puzzles, as you collect a number (probably four, says Jones, but that may change) of blades with different magical abilities. Ace of Blades looks very impressive -- Jones admits that he and his team did "bite off a lot," as obviously a full action platformer game takes much more content than Spell Sword's more focused arena levels. But the title does look excellent, and it should answer a lot of the requests fans have sent Everplay about being able to explore the world that Spell Sword hinted at. Ace of Blades is due out sometime later this year, probably around May or June, according to Jones. Before that, Everplay has another game called Lumber Jacked, arriving later on this week. Lumber Jacked is a more hardcore speedrun platformer, similar to (though even a little tougher than) the excellent games Mikey Shorts or League of Evil. You play a lumberjack (obviously) who can punch and jump his way through a series of levels, aiming for the fastest time possible. We'll have a closer look at Lumber Jacked when it arrives this week. And finally, Jones showed me one more game Everplay is working on, called (at least tentatively) Bill Killem. The name is obviously a joke on Duke Nukem, and the game is somewhat similar to Duke's early 2D adventures, with one major difference: It's endless. With the world ending in the background Canabalt-style, Bill Killem runs along a 2D foreground, jumping gaps and shooting enemies as quickly as he can. There's an explosion chasing Bill the whole time, but grabbing collectible items in the environment will keep that explosion back and allow you to keep playing (similar to crossing through checkpoints in older racing games). This title is relatively early in development, still -- we'll probably see it out sometime after Ace of Blades, says Jones. It seems like fun, and Jones says it might be free-to-play as well. Most of Everplay's titles are releasing at a premium price of 99 cents, so Bill Killem (if that's what it's called) might be an interesting experiment. All three of these games look like solid titles. We'll look forward to seeing all of these games and anything else Everplay is putting together for the rest of 2013.
Daily iPhone App: Danger Boat is an endless runner on the waves
Most of the iOS buzz around this time last week was from the great Ridiculous Fishing, but there was another new release last week that I really liked and it's Pixelocity's Danger Boat. Vlambeer's big hit deserved all the attention it got, but Danger Boat was overlooked, I think -- it's a really well-made app as well that's simple but offers a lot of fun. "Boatpack Joyride" is probably how I'd best describe this one. It's a endless runner where you guide a boat along a watery course, trying to dodge obstacles, collect coins and use powerups while staying alive for as long as possible. Just like Halfbrick's famous endless runner, this one is well-polished and controls very well (you tilt back and forth to slide your boat around, and while I usually don't like tilt controls, this is done about as well as it can be done), and there are plenty of extras and powerups to spend with all of the coins you pick up. You can upgrade your powerups, you can buy booster items to give you extra benefits or you can buy new boats or places to race out of. There are a lot of fun details in this one, too, from the waves that kick you around to the various environments you race in while playing. Danger Boat is completely free and supported by in-app purchases, so there's no reason not to try this one. If you missed it during that Ridiculous Fishing rush, make sure you give it a good look now.
Sega announces Sonic Dash, an endless runner starring the blue hedgehog
Having tried some traditional Sonic the Hedgehog gameplay with Sonic Episode 4 (which didn't seem to do that well for them), Sega has now moved to the strategy of using Sonic in much simpler, arcade-style iOS games. Sonic Jump came out a little while ago, featuring an endless jumping/Doodle Jump-esque premise, and now Sega has announced Sonic Dash, an endless running game featuring all of the series' mainstays. It's a 3D game, however, so it'll likely have a lot of similarities to Temple Run, which is certainly a franchise that a lot of game developers have been emulating lately. Sonic Dash is due out "soon" on the App Store, which probably means later on this week. We'll keep an eye out for it then.
Punch Quest coming next week from Rocketcat and Madgarden
Rocketcat Games is the great company behind terrific iPhone games like Mage Gauntlet and the very popular Hook Worlds. Its latest title is called Punch Quest, built in conjunction with developer Madgarden. Punch Quest won't be released until October 25th, but Rocketcat kindly sent TUAW an early copy. You'll find a quick video preview of what the finished title looks like down below. Punch Quest will be available for iOS next Thursday, for the low, low price of completely free. Look for a full review here on TUAW when the game arrives later on next week!
Daily iPhone App: Polara switches up the endless runner genre
Endless runners are one of the most-used genres on the App Store lately -- from the original Canabalt to later hits such as Jetpack Joyride and one of my current favorites, God of Blades. There are plenty of them out there, and the best ones have some innovation or a new twist. Polara, one of the latest entries to the genre, has both. Not only does it feature a color-changing twist, but the way the game is structured (in a series of checkpointed, story-based missions) puts a fairly new spin on the way these games work. Polara is an endless 2D runner, in that you play a character that runs along in 2D space, leaping over and through various obstacles. The twist here is that while touching the right side of the screen makes your character jump, hitting the left side makes you switch between red and blue. Then, there are red and blue obstacles to either hit or avoid, and only switching to the right color will let you survive and move on (similar to the treasure shooter Ikaruga). At first, the game is simple -- just asking you to flip back and forth every so often. But very quickly, it requires you to switch between moving targets and sometimes asks you to match up with alternately-colored platforms. Things can get fiendishly difficult right away. Fortunately, in the core story mode (decorated with some excellent art and atmospheric music), the game uses checkpoints wisely, so sections are nice and short, letting you easily replay any tough parts. In the other modes, the game is endless, so you've got to be really fast to keep going. Polara offers up some nice new elements to this well-traveled genre. It's not quite perfect, and it doesn't have the polish of a game like Jetpack Joyride, but it does pull off some really new and interesting things. At the current launch price of 99 cents, it's well worth a download.
Daily iPhone App: One Epic Knight keeps a Tiny Hero running
David Whatley has been making games on the App Store for a while now -- after an early hit with GeoDefense, he and his team released an antihero tower defense title called Tiny Heroes, and now they are taking on the Temple Run-style 3D endless runner genre with a recent game called One Epic Knight. One Epic Knight takes one of the Tiny Heroes and places him in an endless dungeon, running past obstacles, jumping over and sliding under gaps and challenges, and killing bad guys to collect as many coins as possible. You could argue that this is a pretty straightforward Temple Run ripoff, but Whatley has worked with Temple Run's developer Imangi in the past (his Critical Thought Games put together the Android port for the title), so really this is more of an "inspired by" title than what you might call "stolen from." And it does innovate on the genre a little bit: You can pick up weapons and shields as you run, and those items are then used to either attack or defend your knight as you play. The coins you pick up can be used to buy upgrades and spells, or even cosmetic costumes for your knight as he runs. Honestly, it's all fairly tame -- if you like Temple Run, you'll know how to play this, and if you think the endless runner genre is boring already, there's not a lot here to convince you otherwise. But the graphics are well done, the gameplay is solid, and oh yeah -- the app is free to download. At that price, it's worth a download and a play through to see what you think.
Daily iPhone App: Off the Leash provides chaotic canine fun
Off the Leash is a game that arrived a little while ago on the iPhone, but it's gotten a few updates since I first played it, and it just so happens to be free on May 10. It's an endless runner, but instead of a side-scroller, it runs from the top down, and it's got a few new elements to this genre. First, it's time-based, so not only do you need to run for as far as possible, but your goal is to hit the next checkpoint within a certain time limit. Second, as your little dog runs along, you can "recruit" other dogs to run with you, which up your speed but also make it harder to maneuver around. Eventually, you hit a boundary (the cops catch your little dog that's been running amuck), and then you start over again from the beginning. Off the Leash is great fun. The graphics are colorful and funny, the game's tilt-to-steer challenge is tough but not overwhelming at all, and especially at the low price, it's a great game to have on your iPhone. Definitely give it a download.
Ayopa Games to publish Escape from Age of Monsters, Patchwork Battles, more
Ayopa Games is a mobile games publisher that actually has its roots in Chillingo. Founder Johnny Coghlan was a former head of publishing there until Chillingo was acquired by EA. Coghlan has brought his mobile game-finding expertise to Ayopa, and this company's slate is almost as enticing as Chillingo's usual offerings. First up was an update to Dungeon Crawlers, a turn-based RPG developed by Drowning Monkeys. Version 1.1 of the title will add in-app purchases, a feature that was always planned but that the devs "knew wouldn't be in there for launch." The update basically adds a store to the game where players can spend gold either earned from inside the game or purchased with real-world money to pick up extra loot or other helpful items. Version 1.2 is due in another month or so, and that will add multiplayer functionality to the title, bringing in leaderboards and an Arena Mode. Players have also asked for a bestiary of the game's enemies, so that's coming too. Dungeon Crawlers is already a fairly popular title -- though like all turn-based strategy RPGs, it can be a little tough -- so it's good to see the team is supporting it with some sizable updates. Escape from the Age of Monsters is another title from Ayopa. Developed by Massive Joe and made by the same team that made Age of Monsters (plus comic artist Jeff Matsuda), that rock/paper/scissors style fighting game from a ways back. Escape is a endless running game, but while there are walls to punch through and pits to jump over, the big twist is you're running along with a few small children. The game's gag is that you only need to run faster than the children from the monster that's following you. If the monster eats three of them, it's just you left, so you then need to run as long as possible without getting caught. As with Age of Monsters, Matsuda's work brings the whole thing a great graphical look. While gameplay seems somewhat superficial, we'll have to play the title when it arrives in April to see how deep it goes. There were two more games that I thought worth mentioning, and Patchwork Battles is the first one. It's another turn-based battle game, a tactical RPG, but the heroes of the game are made completely out of found materials: things like cloth, foil, and other crafted items. You can combine any five body pieces to customize your characters (or "mimics," as the game's lore calls them). Put a healing arm on a rogue's body, for example, and you'll have a healing damage dealer. The story sounds expansive, and the RPG system seems very deep, so Patchwork Battles could be really amazing. The game should be out sometime this summer, with multiplayer and other features expected post-launch. Pocket Heroes is the last title Ayopa showed off. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see too much of it in action, as it's an online-only title and the Internet wasn't playing nice that day. But it sounds good: a multiplayer, co-op only RPG in which you explore a 16-bit 2D fantasy world with your friends asynchronously. We'll have to wait until the end of the month to see how it actually plays online. Ayopa is a relatively young company, but Johnny Coghlan's talent for picking great iOS games at Chillingo appears to have transferred well. I have no doubt we'll see a few of these games topping the charts in the future and quite a few more quality titles getting published by this company very soon.
