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Daily iPhone App: Cling is a platformer that will grab you
Platformers are a tough genre to pull off on a touchscreen. There are a few solid core platformers out there for iOS (Mikey Shorts is probably my favorite), but in general, the lack of tactile buttons and relative shortage of screen space make really precise, strong 2D platforming games hard to do on Apple's devices. Cling, however, is a platformer put together by a team called First5 Games, and it slickly dodges the whole problem of imprecise virtual buttons by using a virtual joystick instead. The hero of the game is a little toy creature similar to the old "wall-crawler" rubber toys popular a while back, where you could stick them on a surface and they'd slowly "climb" down it. Edgar is this creature's name, and he can get around in the game by grabbing on to different pegs, and using those to move through the game's various levels. There are a few different varieties of pegs (some attract, some repel), but the main mechanic here is that if you're not near a peg, you can't control your little guy, which means that some of the levels have to be approached very carefully. It's a really interesting concept, and it turns the idea of a platformer (a game where you jump from platform to platform) upside down. "Jumping" in this game means vaulting yourself from a series of pegs, and if you go off at the wrong speed or angle, it's game over, time to restart the level. In that sense, Cling is a really interesting experiment, and it's well worth a try, especially if you're a fan of platformers, for the price of just 99 cents. The game just got an update recently and unfortunately it seems to have introduced some bugs. But that issue should be fixed soon, and even until then, it shouldn't prevent you from giving this one a look.
Daily iPhone App: Kickin Momma
Kickin' Momma is Hothead Games' latest iOS title, and it pretty blatantly borrows some gameplay setups from Popcap's popular Peggle. That's actually ok from a gaming standpoint, though, because the game is executed very well, and there's just enough newness here to really enjoy the proceedings. The idea is that "Momma" kicks her little spawn off into a little series of circular pegs, and your goal in each level is to pick up as many little red gems as possible. Hothead uses a Chillingo-style rating system for each of the 36 levels, and there are other little mechanics that pop up later on, like explosive and multiplier pegs to hit. There's a whole lot of sparkle and flair to the game's design, with lots of particles kicking around and flashy graphics to enjoy. You can earn accessories for Mama as you play, and there's full Game Center integration for both leaderboards and achievements. Kickin' Momma is a great game with a lot of style, and while yes, it does re-use some ideas from Peggle specifically (though Peggle is kind of based on Plinko from the Price is Right, no?), there's enough care and work put into this one that it's well worth the purchase. You can buy a standard iPhone version for US 99 cents, or a universal HD version for both the iPhone's Retina Display and the iPad for $1.99.
Peggle now available for iPhone
We told you everything you needed to know back when it was announced. When it got delayed, we were bummed, but only a little, because we knew we'd soon have it in our hands. And now, it's finally here.55 levels and 40 challenges of some of the most addictive gameplay there has ever been. Controls feature a "precision wheel" on the side of the screen that will let you line up your shot perfectly. All of the Peggle masters and powers in the regular version made it to the iPhone as well. If you've ever played Peggle, you probably already know that at $4.99, this is a steal, and if you've never played Peggle, we can almost assuredly tell you it's more than worth the price (though there is a free trial for the Mac just in case you're not 100% sure).Peggle for the iPhone is out. Your free time's days are numbered.
