Air Supply – SOS review (iOS / Universal)

10 word description: Jetpac reinvented. Multiple playable characters, boss fights, UFOs, 100 levels..

10 word review: Insane action. Probably pretty much how Jeff Minter remembers Jetpac. 

You will like this if you enjoy: Having your faith in video games restored.

The good news: Relentless Jetpac-inspired shooting action. Trademark Quantum Sheep visuals. Precise, responsive, well-positioned controls. Absolutely loads of unlockable playable characters, colours, music and perks. Perks! Mad – and I mean utterly bonkers – bosses. No IAPs, of course. Great music.

The bad news: Sheep are NOT molluscs.

Arcadelife verdict: SOS is Quantum Sheep at the top of his game. This is not Jetpac through rose-tinted specs, this is Jetpac’s hyperactive great-grandson pogo jumping all over your rose-tinted specs and partying hard with recreational pharmaceuticals. And giant, cuddly space-sheep. While it certainly owes its basic gameplay mechanics to the ZX Spectrum classic (Jetpac), SOS swaggers up like the best cover version of your favourite song and just demands to be played until either your thumbs or your battery are exhausted.

Now get out into space and rescue those sheep!

Arcadelife rating

Presentation – 9/10
Visuals – 9/10
Controls – 9.5/10
Content – 9/10
Fun – 9/10
Final rating – 9.1/10

TRIPPY

Rating categories explained here.

Version reviewed by Arcadelife is 3.3

Quantum Sheep website link

Arcadelife played and reviewed this game on:
5th gen iPod Touch (iOS 7.1.2)
4th gen iPad (iOS 7.1.2)

This review was typed on a Das Keyboard Model S mechanical keyboard – check them out, they’re really rather groovy.

I Sell My Kids For Rock’N’Roll

Crucified Barbara have a new album out – In The Red, available on iTunes and everywhere else where you can buy music. iTunes has them listed as Hard Rock and they’re not kidding. There’s not really a single weak track on any of their 4 albums and that wonderful example above is track one from the new album.

I’m already hooked – Mia can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned – so it’s kind of pointless reviewing the band’s new album because I’d just be saying, “It’s great, buy it, etc.” and I know that most of the (3) people who visit this site don’t like stuff like Motorhead so they’re probably not going to take my word on this. Ok, fine, don’t. Just play that video and make up your own mind.

Goblin Sword review (iOS / Universal)

10 word description: Retro-inspired action platformer with light rpg elements. 48 levels.

10 word review: A glorious new benchmark for platforming action on mobile devices.

You will like this if you enjoy: Platform games. Action oriented platform games. iOS games such as Heavy Sword, Devious Dungeon, Swordigo.

The good news: Gorgeous pixel graphics. Precise, reliable, customisable controls. Classic platform gaming. Lots to see, kill, collect and buy from the merchant (no IAPS). Consistently great performance + small install size. Cool level design with hidden areas, varied environments and loads of different enemies. Boss fights, quests and achievements. 

The bad news: It’s unoriginal. But who gives a toss about that, if the game is as good as this? Not me, that’s for sure. And, possibly something nobody else would have ever noticed: the title sounds like a casual euphemism for fellatio. 

Arcadelife verdict: Much like dating a really cute lingerie model and finding out that you not only like the same movies but that she also has a twin sister who is “up for it”, Goblin Sword is so much fun that you’re going to have to keep checking that you’re not dreaming while you play it. Now I’ve given them their app store description quote (you’re welcome), here’s the rest of the verdict: This game is brilliant – buy it now!

Goblin sword is proudly derivative, revelling in its blatant and unashamed nods to classic platform game standards. At times it feels like a wonderful, animated check-list of all the reasons I love the platform genre so much; the style and attention to detail are part of a deeply compelling and staggeringly impressive tribute to retro games, while more modern touches such as the upgrade shop, mini-quests and multiple level objectives give it all it needs to be an app store winner. It’s getting 10 out of 10 from me because it’s the best thing I’ve played on either of my iOS devices this year, and easily in the top 10 of my all-time favourites.

Arcadelife rating

Presentation – 9.5/10
Visuals – 9/10
Controls – 9.5/10
Content – 9/10
Fun – 10/10
Final rating – 10/10

OUTSTANDING

Rating categories explained here.

Version reviewed by Arcadelife is 1.0

Goblin Sword website link

Arcadelife played and reviewed this game on:
5th gen iPod Touch (iOS 7.1.2)
4th gen iPad (iOS 7.1.2)

This review was typed on a Das Keyboard Model S mechanical keyboard – check them out, they’re really rather groovy.

Duke Dashington review (iOS / Universal)

10 word description: Speed-swiping single screen action, platform puzzles against the clock.

10 word review: Proof that a 10 second time limit can be fun. 

You will like this if you enjoy: Short, shallow, disposable, yet surprisingly rewarding and addictive mobile games.

The good news: Very well designed blend of pseudo-platforming and a series of short, increasingly complex dexterity tests. Attractive, appropriate retro style graphics and some subtle animations. Precise, “no-buttons”, swipe control method. Loads of levels spread across 4 different environments. No IAPs.

The bad news: Nothing much, apart from a punctuation error in one of the speech bubbles. (Can you spot it?)

Arcadelife verdict: Providing you don’t pick this up expecting it to be a platform game, you won’t be disappointed. I was half expecting it to be a platform game and I still wasn’t disappointed, but that was mainly because I whizzed through the first set of levels in a joyful blur of frenetic swiping before the realisation had a chance to fully hit me: This is not a platform game. It’s a lot of fun and incontrovertible evidence that a tight time limit, when implemented appropriately, can be a very entertaining game component.

Arcadelife rating

Presentation – 8/10
Visuals – 8/10
Controls – 9.5/10
Content – 8.5/10
Fun – 8.5/10
Final rating – 8.5/10

SWIPING FUN

Rating categories explained here.

Version reviewed by Arcadelife is 1.0

Arcadelife played and reviewed this game on:
5th gen iPod Touch (iOS 7.1.2)

This review was typed on a Das Keyboard Model S mechanical keyboard – check them out, they’re really rather groovy.

Air Supply SOS trailer (iOS Universal)

This is going to be so good:

Info here: http://quantum-sheep.com/2014/09/air-supply-sos-save-our-sheep/

Battle Riders review (iOS / Universal)

10 word description: 3D combat racing game. 120 events, 7 upgradeable cars, no IAPs. 

10 word review: Death Race Mario Kart. Sort of. Full-on driving carnage.

You will like this if you enjoy: Vehicle racing games with weapons. 

The good news: Lovely solid, brutal, realistic looking vehicles. Great sensation of speed. Tracks are tight, thrilling but not frustrating. Difficulty gradually increases with a truly heavyweight challenge when you reach tier 3. Unlockable challenge races add a whole different angle to an already content-rich package. Multiple control options. No IAPs. Excellent menus and interface system.

The bad news: No progress sync between devices. The sheer number of events to complete in the main mode might prove too much for casual gamers. Although the controls are good, an option to move/resize buttons would be great.

Arcadelife verdict: What can I say? I received this game for review and promptly pumped about 7 hours straight into it without picking up another game. Battle Riders just has that almost indefinable “wow, yeah, gotta keep playing this” quality perfectly nailed. It’s not the most sophisticated game ever (cars with guns, going very fast), not the most varied (drive, shoot, repeat) and the Clean Races (boo hoo, no weapons) do occasionally feel like a cruel punishment compared to the joyous destruction of the other modes. But… it’s fantastic fun and I just want it to do really well because it absolutely deserves to. Hell, it deserves an award for the wonderfully interactive garage menu.

Arcadelife rating

Presentation – 9.5/10
Visuals – 8.5/10
Controls – 9/10
Content – 10/10
Fun – 9.5/10
Final rating – 9/10

FULL SPEED WINNER

Rating categories explained here.

Version reviewed by Arcadelife is 1.0

Arcadelife played and reviewed this game on:
5th gen iPod Touch (iOS 7.1.2)
4th gen iPad (iOS 7.1.2)

This review was typed on a Das Keyboard Model S mechanical keyboard – check them out, they’re really rather groovy.