The iOS gaming thread

[Mr Do 71]

Zombie Gunship is free!

Plus Fairway Solitaire is a lovely game.

[Gotters]

Another +1 for Fairway Solitaire, I have to confess to never having played a solitaire game in my life but this is quite lovely.

[Ben]

Thanks for the Fairway Solitaire recommendation, great stuff.

[Guest]

Is The Lost City inspired by Bioshock? The art-deco logo looks pretty similar.

Inspired by Art Deco I'd say.

[Fierce Poodle]

Thanks for the Lost City recommendation by the way. Enjoying it immensely so far.

[Davros sock drawer]

Zombie Gunship is free!

New scenario as well I see. Sweet.

[kyletherobot]

Inspired by Art Deco I'd say.

Pffft, everyone knows that Bioshock invented art-deco.

[shock33]

I've been on a bit of an iOS binge this week.

Easily the best thing I've downloaded is Fairway Solitaire. Anyone who's played the desktop version won't need any further encouragement. It's an insanely addictive version of solitaire with golf rules/metaphors. Designed by the designer of Betrayal at Krondor, oddly enough. The iOS version is ludicrously polished - it looks like Gamevil and BigFish (and a few others) are now locked in an arms race to make the most insanely AAA-looking freemium game. The downside is it's 450MB+, and the free version is technically just a demo (although unlocking all the 100s of courses is only 69p).

Two other developments fucked me off. Firstly, after Dream Heights (Zynga's unauthorised Tiny Tower clone) got a kicking in the app store reviews for the first 24 hours after launch, Marc Pinkus obviously released the hounds (bot farms) and the game now has thousands of five star reviews. Fucking bullshit. Apple should be penalising Zynga for abusing the rules everyone else has to stick by, but they're turning a blind eye of course. I wouldn't be surprised if they gave Dream Heights a GOTW slot, even after giving Tiny Tower GOTY last year.

Secondly, The Blocks Cometh is free this week. This is cool, but in playing it I discovered it has (Destructoid writer and all-round boorish misogynist fucknut) Jim Sterling as a playable character. It runs unplayably badly on 3rd gen devices anyway. Bleh. I'm kind of disappointed Vlambeer partnered with these guys to port Super Crate Box, there are surely loads of better iOS coders they could have approached.

Another thanks for fairway solitaire, absolutely utterly fantastic

[Floex]

Grand Prix Story - 69p

[SMD]

Shame Pocket League Story isn't, would've been all over that

[klargon]

Chinatown Wars is down to 69p on iPod/iPhone too, now.

[MBM]

The Sentinel games are free. The third one is pretty good.

[splode]

Another vote for Fairway Solitaire -- beautifully presented, lots of fun and I can see it being very, very addictive. There's an HD version too: http://itunes.apple....d428393840?mt=8

Slightly confused that the HD version is half the size of the iPhone version -- are things missing?

[SmokeMeAKipper]

Loving Fairway Solitaire. Thanks to the original recommender. According to the leaderboards I currently hold 4 world records!?

[rumblecat]

They're just localised World Records- all the other people on them are 'fake', if you know what I mean.

[MK-1601]

Another vote for Fairway Solitaire -- beautifully presented, lots of fun and I can see it being very, very addictive. There's an HD version too: http://itunes.apple....d428393840?mt=8

Slightly confused that the HD version is half the size of the iPhone version -- are things missing?

I guess the iPhone one has Retina and non-Retina graphics (and videos possibly), whereas the iPad-only version just has the one set?

[humdrum]

Enscripted is free again!

[toythatkills]

And what a day to get it, it's a hard one

That solitaire game sounds nice, but I'm looking at screenshots and can't believe it's not under 20MB. What on earth have they put in the extra 450MB? There's no way I'm able to get it.

[Gotters]

I cant figure what the hell is padding out that lovely solitaire game, there are a few cartoon bits and a bit of voice but 400mb + ?

Maybe its all the embedded ads for big fish games

Great game though

[MK-1601]

I cant figure what the hell is padding out that lovely solitaire game, there are a few cartoon bits and a bit of voice but 400mb + ?

Maybe its all the embedded ads for big fish games

Great game though

Loads of videos, loads of voice over, animated background scenes for each course, music, loads of playing card skins. And yeah probably ads for their other games too!

[splode]

Loads of videos, loads of voice over, animated background scenes for each course, music, loads of playing card skins. And yeah probably ads for their other games too!

True -- there does seem to be lots of commentary... some of which is groan-worthy, some of which is very well written and performed! Loving the way the courses develop too and bring in new ideas like the 52-card-pick-up one. Tremendous game.

[Distinct muttering]

^{More love for fairway solitaire, wonderfully implemented and beautifully designed. It would be good if they could release a trimmed down version losing all the video and voice. I have already turned down the commentary just because I prefer to listen to my ipod while playing these kind of games.}

^{I am on the last course of the first selection. I guess the rest will cost me the 69p?}

[Flub]

I'm on the last beginner course. 9 increasingly tricky holes. I've already pre-bought the rest of the game in anticipation. Had fun with it on the train this morning.

[Mr Do 71]

I'm on the last beginner course. 9 increasingly tricky holes. I've already pre-bought the rest of the game in anticipation. Had fun with it on the train this morning.

Does that get rid of all the bloody adverts?

[Gotters]

nope, still loads of ads whenever you go in.

[Flub]

Does that get rid of all the bloody adverts?

The only adverts I remember seeing is when I resume the game after switching apps. Dunno though.

I've been playing Beat Hazard on my Mac and noticed there was an iOS version for 69p. Very nice.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/11/beat-hazard-ultra-now-on-ios/

[shock33]

The ads are utterly obnoxious, but just aren't enough to stop me playing it, I refuse to move on from a course until I've 3 starred it!

[SaintM]

I'm not seeing the issue with the ads on either the iPhone or iPad versions. Just the click through at the start, innit?

[Teeohbee]

Argh, enscripted. Have we discussed todays one? I'm totally stuck

[shock33]

I'm not seeing the issue with the ads on either the iPhone or iPad versions. Just the click through at the start, innit?

You get them if you launch back into the game after a bit as well, but it's more the fact that you still get full screen adds you have to click out of AFTER paying for it that I find unpleasant