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Doom II RPG unleashed on iPhone
I remember there being a joke about new devices coming out: Yeah, but does it run Doom? The iPhone does, and apparently Id is on a hot streak now. According to TouchArcade, the Doom II RPG [$3.99, iTunes Link] was released Tuesday on the App Store. What I've seen is that people are enjoying it. I tend to take my time with quest-style games, so I am not really far into it (stage one of nine), but I am liking it a lot. I never had a device before that I really wanted to be playing games on, so I never spent a lot of time with Doom's previous flavors -- this one is an RPG variant on the classic Doom shooting gameplay, made just for the iPhone by Id. Right now I'm really digging it, and for me it's worth the time spent because I'll have my phone awhile still. There's been thought and effort put into the controls of this one, and you can tell it's a game designed to play on the iPhone. Releases like this and the continuing efforts to port old-school games forward to the current generation of hardware have been going on for years. I think it's been going on long enough that people are less interested in doing it for the cred and more because these games are genuinely fun to play. Unless someone makes a better suggestion in the comments, once I conquer Doom II RPG I'll be (not so) patiently waiting for the iPhone port of Riven. (Ed: Don't tell Kelly, but that's out, too!)
$10 Orcs and Elves on Gamestop shelves
This tempting deal applies to brick and mortar stores only, but some eagle-eyed Cheap Ass Gamers noticed that Orcs and Elves is available at Gamestop for $9.99. The game may be a cell phone port, but $10 for John Carmack's fantastical dungeon-crawler is a more-than-fair price. Ten bucks appears to be the going rate at all Gamestops, but we'll throw in a "your mileage may vary" warning just in case. Unfortunately, you won't be able to snag the sweet-looking wand stylus with this purchase, but cheap gamers like us just have to cut corners sometimes.You may not be able to buy the game online, but by clicking on the picture or the "Source" link below, you can see if it's available at a Gamestop near you. Gallery: Orcs & Elves [Via CAG]
Orcs & Elves & a John Carmack autograph
As if having the words "Orcs & Elves" emblazoned on your DS isn't enough to get you made fun of at school/the office by fantasy-hating jocks/co-workers, id Software went the extra mile and slapped on some dragon artwork onto this customized system to multiply its dorkiness rating tenfold. Oh, and the John Carmack autograph on the lid is sure to bring in a few putdowns, too: "Who is this John guy supposed to be? Your boyfriend?" So what if he is?Thankfully, we won't ever have to worry about Alisha heckling us for carrying one of these around, as only two were made, and they've both already been given away as part of a recent GamePro contest. We just might end up printing out a similar decal for our own DS, however -- the idea of designing our handheld to match the dragon posters we've put up in our cubicle is too tempting.
Carmack attack: Orcs & Elves developer supports homebrew, wins our hearts
Homebrew rules. We know it, you know it, and apparently Orcs & Elves developer John Carmack also knows it. He recently told IGN, "It is a shame that homebrew development can't be officially sanctioned and supported, because it would be a wonderful platform for a modern generation of programmers to be able to get a real feel for low level design work." Okay, so maybe our reasons for loving homebrew are slightly more selfish than his, but we're all on the same page here, amirite? Too bad Nintendo won't ever feel the same way, due to the high potential for piracy. Carmack also mentioned that the DS was the most fun platform that he has worked on to date. Speak no more, Mr. Carmack -- you had us at hello.[Via Games Industry]
Limited edition Orcs & Elves stylus can't cast real spells
In an attempt to build some hype for the soon-to-be-released Orcs & Elves, EA has unveiled this limited edition stylus. And why not? It worked for another game you may have heard of.You won't have to pre-order Orcs to get your hands on this stylus, which was designed to match the wand used in the game. However, since it is limited, those of you wanting the game should pick up your copy sooner rather than later. The editions of Orcs with the pack-in will cost the same as regular copies, but they'll only be available at specific retailers. Unfortunately, they'll only be sold in the US, too. Sorry, PALs!Don't worry about it scratching up your DS, though. This stylus is Nintendo approved. It's also DS Fanboy approved, which is all that really matters, right?
