The iOS gaming thread

[Davros sock drawer]

I dunno, I think Stiff started it. Let's blame him anyway, he still hasn't posted pictures of his new kitchen.

[Rev. Stuart Campbell]

I don't know where this thing about Jetpack Joyride supposedly being bad because it's "casual" has come from. I just don't like it because I don't think it's all that good.

That's okay. Everybody's wrong sometimes.

[Massive Invisible Dog]

That's okay. Everybody's wrong sometimes.

Do you prefer it to Hook Worlds? I'm determined to have at least someone else here play that, I can't believe it's managed to pass by almost everyone here. It's by far my favourite in this genre.

[deerokus]

You're not alone, Hook worlds is great! It has more interesting level design, it's not quite as immediately fun as JJ, but it is 'better'.

[Rev. Stuart Campbell]

I played the first two Hook Champ games a fair bit and couldn't manage to enjoy them - far too random, and painfully slow to get going again when you mess up. Hook Worlds looked like more of the same so I didn't bother.

[Massive Invisible Dog]

Hook Champ and Super Quickhook were pretty different, more like platformers since you were free to move around instead of always running. Hook Worlds is far better.

[Davros sock drawer]

Do you prefer it to Hook Worlds? I'm determined to have at least someone else here play that, I can't believe it's managed to pass by almost everyone here. It's by far my favourite in this genre.

No ipad version, grumble...

[Rev. Stuart Campbell]

Played Hook Worlds now, and can't detect a single meaningful difference between it and the first two. There's absolutely no apparent way to employ any skill, and it's nothing like Jetpack Joyride. And I'm the guy who proved that The Pit is the same game as Gran Turismo 5, and Tempest is the same as 3D Deathchase.

[Massive Invisible Dog]

Played Hook Worlds now, and can't detect a single meaningful difference between it and the first two. There's absolutely no apparent way to employ any skill, and it's nothing like Jetpack Joyride. And I'm the guy who proved that The Pit is the same game as Gran Turismo 5, and Tempest is the same as 3D Deathchase.

That's okay. Everybody's wrong sometimes.

[DukeOfEarlsfield]

Played Hook Worlds now, and can't detect a single meaningful difference between it and the first two. There's absolutely no apparent way to employ any skill, and it's nothing like Jetpack Joyride. And I'm the guy who proved that The Pit is the same game as Gran Turismo 5, and Tempest is the same as 3D Deathchase.

The first game isn't that great, but Bounty Gunner and Cybergnome 202X are my favourite endless runner games on iOS. And I love Jetpack Joyride.

In fact I'd go so far as to say that Hook Worlds is one of my favourite games on any format ever.

I've wrote about my love of Hook Worlds on yakyak (apologies for the cross post)

http://bit.ly/qNjPGT

[Massive Invisible Dog]

I just tried out the free version of Hook Champ to make sure I wasn't completely misremembering it. It's a completely different game to Hook Worlds. Not sure about Super Quick Hook as there's no free version, but from screenshots it certainly looks more like Hook Champ.

[DukeOfEarlsfield]

In the first two Hook games you tap where you want your hook to go. Which is great in theory but I found it too fiddly when the screen is moving around and my fingers kept getting in the way. Hook Worlds system of a button to jump and fire a hook at a fixed angle is much more simple and elegant.

Amazing Charlie is by the same guy that made the also amazing Axe In Face.

Connect the dots as quickly as possible to fire Charlie from cannons into a giant cupcake. Whilst avoiding the animals and (literally) jumping through hoops. Brilliant game.

[Rev. Stuart Campbell]

I just tried out the free version of Hook Champ to make sure I wasn't completely misremembering it. It's a completely different game to Hook Worlds.

In the same way that Ms Pac-Man is "completely different" to Pac-Man, yeah. The mechanism might be a bit different but the gameplay feels identical and almost all the flaws of HC are still present in HW. You still basically just have to guess your way through. I have to admit I'm mystified as to how anyone could get excited about it, but then people loved the original Bionic Commando and that's shit as well. Maybe some folks just get an uncontrollable erection for an extending mechanical arm.

[Massive Invisible Dog]

You're also free to walk around left and right. It feels much more like a normal platformer, and not a very good one at that.

[jcafarley]

Crimson on the iPad seems to be really good so far...

Like I said, it's one of the most addictive games I've played on the iPad. I love the way the ships control.

[Rev. Stuart Campbell]

You're also free to walk around left and right. It feels much more like a normal platformer, and not a very good one at that.

Hardly "free to". You have to, at agonisingly slow speed, in order to get out of spots where you're otherwise stuck. It's not a core gameplay function, it's error-trapping.

[DukeOfEarlsfield]

You still basically just have to guess your way through.

Only on Curse of the Watcher and Hook Champ 1000. Because of the amount of vertical lift afforded by the rocket boots there are too many times where you don't know what's above or below you. Bounty Gunner and Cybergnome 202X are both perfectly sign posted. In those games, if you die it's always your fault.

[toythatkills]

Harbor Master just went free. Either I'm mistaking it for a completely different game, or this is actually really highly thought of. Here's a screenshot, you'll know what kind of game it is.

[shirubagan]

Crimson Steam Pirates. Hmm. Not great is it?

[ph0rce]

Crimson Steam Pirates. Hmm. Not great is it?

Nope, not great at all. Graphically it looks lovely but it leaves a lot to be desired in the gameplay stakes.

The ships are quite clunky & the whole thing is very fiddly, especially tight control which may or may not be accurate to actually controlling a ship but it doesn't make for a very fun game.

Game of the Week award must just be down to the Bungie connection, rather than any merit.

[Pistol]

Less of the Hook Champ / Super Quickhook / Hook Worlds bashing please, Stu. They are all awesome games, each one improved on the last, and if you don't "get" them you're rubbish.

Maybe they're too hardcore for you

[jcafarley]

Nope, not great at all. Graphically it looks lovely but it leaves a lot to be desired in the gameplay stakes.

The ships are quite clunky & the whole thing is very fiddly, especially tight control which may or may not be accurate to actually controlling a ship but it doesn't make for a very fun game.

Game of the Week award must just be down to the Bungie connection, rather than any merit.

I wouldn't say it's fiddly, and there supposed to be steam ships, hence the slow turning.

[Rev. Stuart Campbell]

Less of the Hook Champ / Super Quickhook / Hook Worlds bashing please, Stu. They are all awesome games, each one improved on the last, and if you don't "get" them you're rubbish. Maybe they're too hardcore for you

Indeed, assuming by "hardcore" you mean "unskilled and dull". Which, to be fair, is often a highly valid replacement for the word "hardcore" in discussions about videogaming and videogamers.

[Massive Invisible Dog]

You really think Bounty Gunner and Cybergnome 202X are unskilled? I don't think you've played them very much if you do.

[Pistol]

Heh heh. I'm gonna stop baiting stu now, as he's actually made some decent contributions to the thread recently.

He's still wrong about the Hook games, though.

[Rev. Stuart Campbell]

You really think Bounty Gunner and Cybergnome 202X are unskilled? I don't think you've played them very much if you do.

Do be honest I barely tried Cybergnome, because I already find Gravity Guy tedious (and the Gravity Guy bits in Jetpack Joyride) and the idea of an even faster and even less fair version of it was unappealing.

[Pistol]

I'm just gonna leave this here for now...

[Yoshimax]

I'm just gonna leave this here for now...

Obligatory

[Duckula]

If that had iPad support + Bluetooth controller I would be in heaven.

[Pistol]

It does... well, kinda...

It's the iAmiga emulator, which supports all iOS devices, and has iCade/iControlpad support. However, that's only in the unobtainable developer builds. Currently, the emulator is only available in one form - pre-packaged as Defender of the Crown.

I had a hunch, and I followed it, and now I can play Marble Madness on my iPhone