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EA Mobile announces fall iOS game lineup
If you've been waiting for SimCity to make its way to iPad/HD format, you don't have much longer to wait. EA Mobile has recently announced its game release slate for the rest of fall 2010. Along with FIFA 11, EA Sports NBA Elite 11, and others, the company will be releasing the iPad-specific SimCity Deluxe HD. The game will obviously feature a bigger, interactive display and an optimized HUD that takes advantage of the increased screen real estate. Unfortunately, the price for SimCity is unknown, though it's expected to debut in November. Other games on EA's slate include High Caliber Hunting, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Heroes Lore. Battlefield is a console-style warfare simulation with 14 single-player levels; High Caliber Hunting sounds like your run-of-the-mill hunting game; and Heroes Lore is a Korean RPG featuring 1-on-1 or 2-on-2 battles. It appears that you can expect some of these games to run around US$5 or so when they're released. [via MacNN]
SimCity torn down, available now as SimCity Deluxe on iPhone
SimCity Deluxe, the replacement for regular SimCity on iPhone/iPod Touch (which is now missing from the App Store), is ready for mobile mayors who divert $6.99 of their household budget to the app. According to EA, the new version includes "bigger buttons, better flow and more accessible items" than the original release. The game has also received some graphics work and a frame rate enhancement to bring it a little bit more in-line with SimCity 4. The game also features seven scenarios and starter cities, along with the four seasons in which to play. If you download SimCity Deluxe and have "meaty sausage fingers," leave a comment on how this one handles. %Gallery-98497%
TUAW's Daily App: SimCity
I probably don't need to explain SimCity to you; it's one of the most classic PC games of all time, and Electronic Arts released it for the iPhone a while go. It's the same game you've played before; you can mark out zones in your city, draw out roads and buildings, and slowly build up your population as a mayor, keeping your people happy, supplied with utilities, and within reasonable distance of work and play. So, why are we spotlighting it today? Along with most of EA's iPhone titles, its price has dropped down to just 99 cents. So, if you haven't picked it up yet, now's the time to do so (and it'll give you something to play on your brand new iPhone this week). Other titles to check out at just a buck, if you haven't gotten them yet, include Need for Speed, Command and Conquer, FIFA 10, Madden 10, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, and the classic Dragon's Lair. Just think, buying them all will set you back $7, the same price as the full Rock Band title.
EA discounts more than a dozen iPhone games to $1 each
We can't imagine what kind of event would spur EA to slash the price on several of its big-name iPhone games -- oh, right. Regardless of motive, Touch Arcade informs us of the sale, which extends through tomorrow. Here are some highlights: Command & Conquer: Red Alert [iTunes link] FIFA 10 [iTunes link] Dragon's Lair [iTunes link] Need for Speed: Shift [iTunes link] SimCity [iTunes link] Battleship [iTunes link] The good news: lots of iPhone games are only $1. The bad news: none of those games is Mirror's Edge (which is still only available for iPad). [Thanks, Dali]
Slumming in DCUO is part of the adventure
Metropolis, one of the key cities in DC Universe Online, has a reputation for being the shiny, bright antithesis of Gotham City's dark and dungy environment. However, don't let preconceptions fool you -- Metropolis has its seedier side, especially with the cheerfully-named "Suicide Slums." In a video posted over at Shacknews, DCUO Game Director Chris Cao takes us on a brief tour through the Suicide Slums, pointing out how this isn't a place you'd want to casually visit. It's an "iffy-dodgy place" according to Cao, home to both criminal and superhero elements that revel in urban decay. Think downtown Detroit on a good day, perhaps, or the industrial quarters of SimCity. The slums are also home to the Steelworks, where John Henry Irons, aka Steel (famously played by Shaq in the motion picture), wages a daily battle to clean up the neighborhood. Travelers to Suicide Slums can check out another Metropolis landmark, the famous Ace-O-Clubs bar run by Bibbo Bibbowski. For the full travelogue, head over to Shacknews and get a gritty eyeful.
SimCity Deluxe coming soon to iPhone
An updated version of the the preferred game for those who want to create cities and watch them prosper or founder is coming to the iPhone this summer. SimCity Deluxe from EA Mobile will have a user interface that improves on the current Sim City offering, with enhancements that make it look a bit more SimCity 4 on the PC. SimCity has been popular on the iPhone since it was released in 2008 The game includes different seasons (with appropriate disasters, of course) and 7 starter cities just waiting for you to run them into the ground. The new version will sport improved frame rates, and the ability to modify terrain with a touch and swipe of your finger. These type of games go way back. I remember playing Santa Paravia which was a similar, but considerably more primitive economic simulation, way back when it was on the TRS-80. Ah, memories. The new SimCity Deluxe will work on the iPhone and iPod touch, and I reckon that you can count on an iPad version as well. [via Slide to Play]
SimCity Deluxe erecting pyramids on iPhone this Summer
If you're anything like us, you've been looking at your iPhone's old, boring, regular version of SimCity, anxiously anticipating a deluxe update with "improved UI" and "4 distinct season" (ooh, and they're "linked to seasonal disasters!"). Thankfully EA has announced just such an update in SimCity Deluxe, heading to the App Store this summer. As you can see above (and more thoroughly below in the gallery), the game will come with a variety of cultures throughout history and their respective accoutrements (pyramids, for instance). No price has been set, but we'd wager it won't be too far off from the $2.99 asking price for the original game -- and hey, under $10 for pyramids? We're okay with that. %Gallery-88522%
Will Wright's Stupid Fun Club has three projects that you can't see
Former EA Maxis head Will Wright and his Stupid Fun Club are hard at work on a handful of ideas "that cross a lot of different boundaries." During a recent conversation with VentureBeat, the creator of SimCity and its reticulating splines said his new venture is currently working on three projects, even saying one could see the light of day as soon as "six months to a year" from now. He says the projects span from the world of toys to the information superhighway we all know and love. His gushing on the subject of the Internet continues when he says, "Every product that we are working on has a web component ... the web is like the connective tissue in entertainment today." With any luck, we'll hear more about his startup's upcoming work when he delivers the opening keynote at next February's Engage! Expo and Toy Fair.
SimCity for iPhone: A week later
Last week, Electronic Arts finally released SimCity for the iPhone. Like Rolando, which came a day later, SimCity was an eagerly anticipated game with a lot of high expectations. On the surface, it looks fantastic. The graphic capabilities really shows off what the capacity of the iPhone is capable of and it's very addicting. One reader comment stated that our initial review wasn't really a full-on review, and that it only scraped the surface. In a way, he was correct. A game like SimCity is something that you play over time on the iPhone, and you actually can dedicate a lot of effort to it. Last week's review was based on observations after only a few hours of play. SimCity is a game where certain effects on the system can't be felt until you've played it longer than a day. In this case, it's been eight days since my previous review, and a lot of the game's faults have started springing up during that time. So, what's the game like after a week?
Review: SimCity for the iPhone
Welcome to my fledgling city of Saillune. SimCity 3000 was the first computer game I ever bought for myself. Up until that point, I was happy with "borrowing" the games that my brothers bought and playing those. But, after a high school friend showed me SimCity 3000, I wanted it for myself.SimCity for the iPhone is pretty much a port of SimCity 3000, and the game comes across beautifully. The graphics are amazing and you can't tell the difference between playing the game on the computer or on the iPhone. When I heard that Electronic Arts was bringing SimCity to the iPhone, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I always felt that the port of the game made for handhelds was an inferior version to the computer-based originals. Part of me wasn't quite sold on the iPhone as a gaming device.SimCity helped me change my mind.Here's a look at a breakdown of the game, what works and doesn't, and even a neat Easter Egg.
SimCity now available on iPhone
EA just sent word out by news ticker that SimCity is now available for iPhone (and iPod touch). The game appears to be in the vein of SimCity 3000 and is listed for $10 on the App Store.We're curious to hear how it plays, so let us know in the comments. If it's a solid SimCity experience (and fat fingers friendly), $10 doesn't seem like a bad price.
SimCity comes to the iPhone
Electronic Arts has released a version of its famous SimCity game for the iPhone. SimCity now joins other EA-released games such as Spore, Scrabble, Monopoly and Tetris. SimCity is the gateway drug into the Sims universe. Created by Will Wright and originally released for the Mac and Amiga in 1989, the game gives you the ability to create your own city. You're suddenly the mayor, City Council, zoning commission, public works department and school board all at the same time. You can craft a small town with a bunch of farms surrounding it, or your own Metropolis or Gotham City (sadly without associated super heroes). You also have the power to destroy your creations through UFO attack, tornado, fire, earthquake or toxic cloud. SimCity (link opens iTunes) is now available for $9.99USD through the App Store. A full review of this game is forthcoming! Thanks to all those who submitted this tip!
Fanswag: SimCity Creator goes to ...
Okay, let's try this again. Our latest giveaway has concluded, meaning it's high time we selected our winner. Via random drawing, the individual selected to get our copy of SimCity Creator is: Kaoz, who likes on the big green monster Congrats to our winner and better luck next time to all of you. Keep your eyes on Wii Fanboy. We'll be starting up another giveaway soon.%Gallery-24027%
Reminder: Today is the last day for our giveaway
Last night, we made a mistake and prematurely selected a winner for our latest contest. See, we usually run these things until Sunday night, selecting a winner via random drawing the following day and putting up a post that night. For those of you that regularly read us, you probably saw the post and thought nothing of it. Well, in reality, we made a mistake. You see, the contest is still open now. When we set up the rules for these things, they're final, so we're obligated to keep the contest open for its full length, as we should. So, for those of you who want to win this game, get on over to the original contest post here and leave a comment. The contest closes tonight. We apologize to the mixup and thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter. Thanks.
Fanswag: SimCity Creator goes to ... [update]
Update: Wow, we can be pretty boneheaded sometimes. We prematurely ended the contest and chose a winner, thinking it ended on Sunday night, as per our usual routine. This latest contest, however, wasn't supposed to end until the evening of Tuesday, October 28th. We apologize for the mistake and will be leaving the contest open, selecting the winner at random again, after it has officially concluded. Sorry to everyone involved, we'll do our best to avoid this mistake in the future. Please ignore all of that at the bottom.Our latest giveaway has concluded, meaning it's high time we selected our winner. Via random drawing, the individual selected to get our copy of SimCity Creator is: Peter S, who digs on the tornadoes Congrats to our winner and better luck next time to all of you. Keep your eyes on Wii Fanboy. We'll be starting up another giveaway soon.%Gallery-24027%
Fanswag: SimCity Creator
Are you ready for our latest giveaway? This time, we're hooking one lucky reader up with a copy of SimCity Creator ($50) for the Wii! Want to enter for your chance at this game?To enter, simply leave a comment between now and Tuesday, October 28th at 11:59PM ET, telling us what your favorite SimCity natural disaster is. Is it Godzilla? Tornadoes? Need something to jog your memory? You can leave one comment per day. We'll select a winner the following day via random drawing. There are a few things you should know before entering. Entrants must be current and legal residents of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec) and at least 18 years of age or older. Read up on the rest of the official rules right here. Good luck!%Gallery-24027%
Retail and download releases for the week of September 22nd
Click image for more screens Well folks, just as stated, we've got a new Mega Man game to play this week. What's even better is that along with the sure-to-be-awesome Mega Man 9, we've also got some solid retail releases. And there's a surprise or two with this week's Virtual Console releases, as well. Head on past the break for the info. This week is going to be chock full of gaming goodness.%Gallery-30253%
EA surprises us with SimCity Creator
Doesn't it look all kinds of fun?IGN has uploaded plenty of new videos from EA's upcoming Wii title, SimCity Creator. Within the separate videos, a wide range of gameplay aspects are covered, from the always-fun disasters that can trouble a city (above) to the maintenance woes that plague a city that has become quite developed. There's even a video showing how you can pilot a plane in the title. Head on past the break for the rest and hit up our gallery below for plenty of screens.%Gallery-24027%
SimCity Societies demo (finally) available
We know your type. You've been waiting for a demo of SimCity Societies to see if the game is right for you. Finally, after 213 impatient days, the now self-publishing Tilted Mill Entertainment have released a demo for the city builder, which you can find at Big Download. Metareviews and Yahtzee be damned, check the game out and decide for yourself. SimCity Societies is part of The SimCity Box, due out June 23.
SimCity Creator brings urban erection to Wii, DS
click to enlarge Since it's abundantly clear that we need to grow up, allow us to tell you about our dream of becoming city planners -- nay, creators! -- as soon as we reach adulthood. According to the latest issue of Japan's Famitsu magazine (as translated by the men of IGN), SimCity Creator will prove to be the ideal training tool. First announced in February of this year, the Wii game allows puerile planners such as ourselves to draw rivers or tracks (inevitably shaped like genitalia) with the Wiimote in the construction of our virtual cities. You'll be able to change the style of your buildings, with options including European, Chinese and Indian designs. Apparently, you can also opt for buildings made of crystal or candy. You'll be wanting to show those off to your friends via the game's city-sharing Wi-Fi Connection feature, shortly before you inflict a hilarious cataclysm upon your potentially edible metropolis. That's always been our favorite part of city planning.The game is currently expected to hit Japan in September. We'll let you know as soon as EA unveils its plans for other regions. Update: SimCity Creator will be available on the Wii and Nintendo DS on September 22, 2008 in North America and on September 19, 2008 in Europe and Asia-Pacific regions. %Gallery-23965%%Gallery-23966%Source -- Official EA press releaseSource -- Famitsu information
