Much like Wolfenstein RPG, it takes the world of the frist person shooter and turns it into a turn-based dungeon crawler style RPG. From the screens below it doesn’t look to have have the comic book appealappeal that Wolfenstein RPG had, but we’ll have to wait and see once I’ve got my hands on it.

Here are the facts and some screenies:

• Sequel to the 2005 mobile hit DOOM RPG. By the creators of the iPhone hit Wolfenstein RPG!
• Battle through 9 maps, spanning the Moon, Earth, and Hell itself. Over 8 hours of gameplay!
• Choose from 3 playable characters, each with different starting attributes and dialogue experiences.
• Over a dozen unique weapons to find, plus improvised weapons such as Sentry Bots or even plumbing fixtures.
• Eleven different enemy types—each with multiple, increasingly-powerful forms—plus four bosses.
• Upgradeable skill attributes allow you to customize your character for maximum lethality.
• Hack security systems to open restricted areas, hijack sentry bots, or lower prices on vending machines.
• Power up using Nano Drinks to give you an edge in combat.
• Interact with NPCs to get information, solve puzzles and survive the hazardous environment.
• Loot the corpses of your foes to find useful items—or junk.
• Auto-mapping feature and mission-tracking PDA functions ensure you’ll never be lost again.
• Customizable controls; change the size, style, and placement of the control inputs.
• Three levels of difficulty will give players of all skill levels a challenge.
• Detailed graphics and complex levels which take advantage of the power of the iPhone.
• Bonus digital comic included!

It’s hard to believe that it’s been only 5 years since the release of the RedOctane/Harmonix original Guitar Hero, now such a huge part of gaming across many platforms. It seemed obvious then that the same formula would appear on the AppStore. However, it was not to be an official release. Instead it fell to Tapulous to bring the experience to the iPhone and iPod Touch with their successful Tap Tap series. The game has spawned many sequels and spin offs and has become one of the great success stories of the AppStore. Gameloft had a go too with Guitar Rock Tour, and we eventually saw the spiritual successor to GH make an appearance in the form of EA’s Rock Band.

While I’m sure many of us are partial to a quick fix of GH or Rock Band (in my case The Beatles version), I have become tired of the same old format of tapping and strumming in time to notes traveling down the neck of a guitar. So, it falls to Tapulous to take a leap of faith and create a brand new and totally original breed of music game.

Riddim Ribbon is the bastard child of DJ Hero and Super Monkey Ball. The basic premise of your typical music game is there, get the best completion percentage rate by keeping the tune or beat in-time and in-tune, but the way you do it is more in line with a racing game.

You are presented with a 3D view of a ribbon like road, stretching out into the distance. Running along the road is a line representing the music track (think of it as a groove in a vinyl record), and your objective is to steer a tron like ball along this line using the accelerometer. Should you keep to the line then the music will continue you to play, however stray off it, and the music will slow, much like placing your finger on a record on a deck. On bottom left of the screen is a power meter, successfully keeping to the line will ensure this meter stays full, however stray off and the meter will deplete. Regular checkpoints require a full meter, so if you are running on empty when you pass through one it’s game over! On first play the accelerometer setting felt a little unforgiving, there is no calibration or sensitivity settings so you get what you are given. After a few attempts though I was zipping through the levels quite happily.

To add to the difficulty of each level in the game, various obstacles run along the side of the line which, when hit, will cause the music to stop… and if you hit them enough times it’s game over. Occasionally an obstacle will cross the path of the line, in which case you must jump it either via a ramp, or manually by flicking your device forward. This jump mechanic also allows you to pick up bonus points suspended above the line. Pebbles along the line also help keep your meter fully charged, as does jumping through rings. The more you stick to the line, and the more points you pickup the better your final completion score will be, allowing you to unlock the medium and hard difficulties of that level.

When all is said and done, a music games’ success boils down to one important factor… the music. It’s totally subjective of course, depending very much on your taste in music. Riddim Ribbon is tailored more towards the hip hop and dance genres, so if you are a die hard rock fan you may want steer clear. There’s a simple reason why it works better with those genres, as the game is designed to replicate the DJ experience. Each music track contains multiple remixes in one level, these are available through branching paths allowing you to roll onto another line, which alters the sound of the track. As well as the main remixes you can jump up onto another platform initiating different musical effects. Not only is this a great way to listen to well known songs in a different way, but it means that when you replay the same levels again for a higher score or on different difficulty level, it won’t quite sound the same.

In their Tap Tap games, Tapulous have featured big name artists such as Coldplay, Lady GaGa, Daft Punk and Metallica to name but a few. For Riddim Ribbon they have gone with a group that, while not my first choice, is a genius step to guarantee bums on seats (or in this case dollars for download), and that’s the hip-pop sounds of The Black Eyed Peas. I call it hip-pop because it blends both rap and funk with euro style dance and pop, and so is perfect for remixing. For £1.79 (2.99) you get three singles from the album, plus a free mp3 download of a remix. While the BEP’s tracks work well for the game, and feature some great remixes, my personal favourites are the three optional DLC downloads from house and trance DJ Tiesto and techno fuelled BennyBenassi. Not only do these tracks sound fantastic through a decent set of cans, with multilayered effects and remixes, they are a stronger fit with the overall techno style of the game, which has that neon/laser look club-scene feel to it. Much like Tap Tap, Tapulous have customised each level so the roads, obstacles and backgrounds reflect that of the artist featured, a nice touch for the fans.

Each DLC track can be downloaded for $0.99, it may sound a bit steep but you do get the full track during the game as well as the hidden remixes you can access through the branching paths… think of it as a new way to listen to music. Having said that, if you are a Tiesto fan and don’t care much for the Black Eyed Peas, then you will be paying just shy of five bucks for this game, which some might find a little hard to swallow. The BEP’s will guarantee a certain level of success, but I think a free lite version would be better suited, allowing people to choose the artist DLC they want.

Riddim Ribbon then is fresh approach to music based gaming. As it stands now, it may not offer you your personal preference in music, however if you are a fan of music games in general then it’s certainly worth checking out from a technical point of view. It sounds great, looks great and plays great. The lack of control customisation is a sore point, but much like any accelerometer game, practice makes perfect, and it’s all part of the challenge.

Riddim Ribbon is out now for $2.99

The controls in Snip! is all touch based, and easy to get into. Simply tap anywhere on the screen to start the cut. A line will show where the cut will be made, and you can adjust it until you let go. Once the cut is made physics starts working, and hopefully you manage to get the cat moving. You can make more cuts, but as every level have a par number of cuts to beat it is good to be conservative. You can pan around larger levels using two fingers at the same time. Zooming in and out is done with the pinch in/out gesture. The controls got a much needed update that made them tighter, and less prone to mix up.
The graphics in Snip! is really simple, and I think it lacks polish. The palette is bright, sparkly and colourful. Most objects are Snip!able, and the cut surfaces are actually cleaner than the uncut ones. The cat has got some fun little animations as it tumbles according to the laws of gravity.

The music in Snip! is strong jazz grooves that can get most legs moving. You can play your own music, but please don’t.

There are only 20 levels available, and of those only about 5 are really challenging. You can easily complete the game within 45 minutes without breaking a sweat. Local high scores, and Facebook integration are not enough to make Snip! interesting to replay. I hope achievements, and online functionality will be implemented in later updates. Still you definitely get your $0.99 worth of fun Snip!ing.

Final Rating

Snip! $0.99
Version: 1.1
Seller: Ulf Schwekendiek

Sonic 4 speeding to AppStore?

In a new trailer for the next Sonic Game, a mysterious shape can be seen in the final screen. Alongside the Xbox Live, PSN and Wii Ware logos is a black rectangle similar in shape to an iPhone or iPod Touch with a question mark icon and a lock on it.

Let’s hope it can only be our beloved Apple devices, as I’m sure most of you would agree, we are thirsty for some real Sonic action. With the game being given the ‘4′ monicker, we can only assume that it will be a true sequel to the Genesis/Megadrive classic series, and back to it’s 2D roots. Check out the trailer below and see the mystery icon for yourself!

Riddim Ribbon out tomorrow

Tapulous’s highly anticipated racing come music game will be released next week on the 8th of February. Originally shown at a previous Apple event last year, the game sees you controlling a rolling ball on a futuristic 3D musical track. Rolling into certain objects activate the music track, and changing tracks alternates part of the music track. The Black Eyed Peas will be featured in the game and recently Tapulous unveiled this new trailer feature the dance delights of Tiesto.

SocCars

No, that is not a typo above! SocCars is a combination of man’s two favourite pastimes… Soccer and Cars!

Presented as a one-on-one battle, you must steer the ball into the opponents goal using the front of you car. Powerups are available to pick up including; Freeze, to freeze the opponent; Rocket, to deflect the trajectory of the ball; and Magnet, to attract the ball. There are a selection of cars to choose from, with the more agile racing car allowing for best attacking, while the heavier armoured car is best in defence. SocCars will be released February the 11th at $0.99 (£0.59).

Become… The Hero!

Chillingo unveil a teaser trailer for their upcoming side-scroller from Traplight games. The video below includes gameplay that sees you taking control of a Superman style hero in a 2D open world, taking on a variety of threats such as meteors, zombies, UFO’s, ninjas, giant insects and falling babies. Check it out:

Brothers in arms: Global front

Last Monday we posted out hands-on of Gameloft’s new First person Shooter, the sequel to their 3rd person shooter released last year. We did have video, unfortunately despite being given permission to video the game in action, we were asked to remove the clip from Youtube (A quick search will unveil a few copies of our video). Check out out hands-on here as well as updated screens of the game here.

Broken Sword on iPad?

Maybe not, buy Digital Spy reports that Revolution Software, the creators of Broken Sword, will support the iPad in some form.

Managing director Charles Cecil expressed his excitement for the platform, saying that the studio will be working on a new property for the device.

“The device is amazing. Personally I think that while the ebook market, currently dominated by Kindle, is the most obvious target, the,area with the biggest potential is the enormous netbook market,” he said.

He added: “Our future plans for iPad are primarily in relation to a new property, rather than revamping existing games.”

Source: Digital Spy

Maestro: Green Groove - hands-on

Bulky-pix have provided us with a preview build of a new music game coming soon to iPhone and iPod Touch. Much like Mevo and The Grooveriders from red Rocket Games, Maestro: Green Groove is a musical platformer, but it’s far more hands on. Each level sees you guiding a bird along wire, picking up fruit and stars. Each object emits a note in time with the music, building a song. To make the bird jump or drop to a wire below, you flick the wire in the opposite direction. Some wires include guitar hero style sections which you must pluck at just the right moment. Couple this with creatures caught in bubbles which you must tap at the right moment, and the game can become pretty hectic musically. Maestro will hit the AppStore this month for $0.99. It’s certainly worth picking up if you want a new twist on a music game, and the 16-bit style graphics are pretty cool to boot. Check out our hands-on video below:

Lemmings-like hits AppStore

We’re surprised Lemmings hasn’t been ported to iPhone yet… but while we wait you may want to check out Age of Tribes, a lemmings-a-like from Axel Friedrich.

As the leader of a small group of natives from different eras, it’s your mission to lead the members of your clan home safely. Not that simple, since your tribe members trust you blindly and would readily follow any path you present them with.

Main Features

- 4 different eras (egypt, viking, aztec and chinese) with a total of 8 different graphic themes
- 3 beginner’s and 5 advanced levels per era
- precise touchscreen controls
- Plus+ enabled: leaderboards and achievements

Vanquish: Oath of Brothers

In episode 49 of the podcast I talked about how interesting Vanquish: Oath of Brothers looked, and speculated that we might be getting some kind of action RPG along the lines of Okami. Described by Gamevil as an artistic RPG I was hoping for gameplay requiring you paint your attacks with your finger. Unfortunately after some time with the game it’s simply a button masher with artistic pen-drawn graphics. It certainly has a cool art-style going for it, but it’s not what I was expecting gameplay-wise. Check out the video below to make you own mind up, and look out for my review soon.

Cliffed for free

IUGO have released a lite version of Cliffed. Called ‘Norm’s World’, the game features: only one character (Norm), unlimited gameplay, and fully functioning multiplayer. Users will also earn VIP points which go towards unlocking exclusive content in select IUGO games. You can get it here.

Play god with the Art

Ever felt that you wanted to platy the SIMS but that all the characters where artists in a colony? No? Well while that does seem to be a rather specific and unique request for a game, I-play have granted it with ‘Artist Colony’.

“Unveil the drama in this masterpiece of love, betrayal and creative genius! Artist Colony is the ground breaking sim/time management game where players have to restore a thriving oasis of artists as they rebuild the community.”

See for yourself:

Cooking Mutha F***er

It was only a matter of time before Gameloft got their hands on yet another popular genre… this time a Cooking Mama clone with Pocket Chef. To give them credit, it does look the business, with great looking 3D representations of cooking utilities at work that will see you mixing, chopping, blending and pan frying through 25 recipes and 19 mini-games. Pocket Chef is out now for $4.99.

What ever happened to…. Noby Noby Boy!

With GDC around the corner I thought it would be interesting to look back at what we covered last year (see it here). I stumbled upon a post I made about Noby Noby boy coming to iPhone http://www.touchgen.net/gdc-noby-noby-boy the strange game on PS3 from Katamari creator Keita Takahashi. What happened to it we don’t know as it never surfaced… does anyone know where it is? or if it’s coming. Who knows, maybe it will make an appearance this year.

Escape

As IUGO continues to bring more original IP to multiple mobile platforms, the indie studio introduces its latest casual game with ESCAPE, coming soon to iPhone

Play through limitless zen-like puzzles by jumping a little guy from stone to stone to eliminate all and solve the puzzle.

Escape features:

• Endless levels and gameplay
• 2 additional unlockable difficulty modes introduced through DLC (iPhone only)
• Simple controls for all ages
• Minimalist graphics for maximum appeal
• Unique cerebral game play complimented by relaxing audio and visual effects

ESCAPE is slated to launch on the BlackBerry first followed by an iPhone release shortly after. Price point for BlackBerry and iPhone apps will be announced upon release.

Go to Hell Kid!

JustNine have released HellKid, a Bionic Commander-a-like platformer. You play Devi a devil fascinated with humnanity, and your objective is to collect enough souls in your quest to become human! The game includes 12 levels. Each one is randomised giving you that extra level of challenge and re-playability. The similarites to Bionic Commando come from a “hook” giving you the ability to swing across pits and chasms!

HellKid also has 38 achievements to be unlocked, and an endless hard mode aptly named “Valley Of Despair”. Other features include leader-boards, the ability to submit scores to Facebook and Twitter, and the option to play music from your personal music library.

Reviewers on iTunes have already described it as the bastard child of Hook Champ and Canabalt. It’s out now for $0.99 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hellkid-hook-jump/id350273868?mt=8

Red Five standing by!

Star Wars: Trench Run (reviewed here) has been updated, it’s still a bit light on content but fixes some bugs, and makes the trench level a little more challenging with less forgiving turrets. If you are still not willing to drop a few coins on the game, then you can actually play it for from on StarWars.com

Well, that’s it for another TouchDown, be sure to check out the site for any breaking news and reviews in the week… see you next time!

We attended a Broken Sword event last week in London, which you can read about here. Dave Gibbons of Watchmen fame created new art for the directors cut of the game, as well as creating a comic which added some back story to Nico from the game. The director of Broken Sword, Charles Cecil of Revolution Software, also signed it.

To be in with a chance of winning, simply tell us why it should be you. The most creative answer will win, so try and theme it around the game. Leave your answer in the comments section below and don’t forget to supply a valid email address so we can contact you. This is a great opportunity to get hold of a rare gaming collectible… so get creative.

I don’t know how life would be without the Bose® Mobile On-ear headset, and just thinking about it makes the world seem a little darker. I test a lot of headphones and headsets at the same time, and generally I use one for the computer, one for the iPhone at work and one for general usage around the house. The Bose® Mobile On-ear headset started off as my iMac companion but soon replaced the other test subjects, and as I write this review they have managed to push all other headphones away from my head.

Ok, by now you might start to get the notion that the Bose® Mobile On-ear headset is something special. It is the most comfortable set of headphones I have tried, and at a weight of a mere 143 grams it is almost as it isn’t there. The ear cups are air filled cushions that fit my ears perfectly, and they readjust by simply pushing them against the ears. A gush of air is forced out, and as it refills it fills in places itself comfortably over the ear. The pivoting ear cups handles much like suspension, and help distribute weight and pressure evenly.

Not having the usual ear cups that go over the ears thus keeping the ear cups in place is a bit of a weak point. Noise isolation is a bit weaker, but still surprisingly good despite the design. I am really happy about the lack of annoying noise cancellation circuitry. Another aspect of the headset that is kind of lacking due to he open design of the ear cups is that they are prone to moving about during sudden head movements. Headbanging is not an option, but you can easily jog and run at a moderately quick pace without trouble. Sprinting is not advised, which is a shame as it is really easy to get into the music with the Bose® Mobile On-ear headset.

The Bose® Mobile On-ear headset is based on the TriPort® acoustic headphone structure that provides excellent low-frequency output. In other terms I can just say: POWERFUL BASS! I am blown away by the power, and how it manages to keep the bass from blasting my brain into itsy bitsy pieces at loud volumes. The Bose® Mobile On-ear headset is responsible for more iTunes music purchases than any other headphones I have used. Until I understood how well they managed to infuse quite boring music with power, presence and a sense of urgency I had already bought quite a lot of music that I otherwise wouldn’t have. Especially hip-hop and other beat and groove oriented music styles benefit from using the Bose® Mobile On-ear headset. I have used a lot of headphones claiming to have power bass and extra bass but most of those have simply cranked the bass while destroying the rest of the sound spectra. With the On-Ear headset the sound is well presented from the low to the high frequencies. But the added power of the lower end makes the entire sound feel more alive, and urgent.

The Bose® Mobile On-ear Headset comes packaged three 2.5 mm adapters, and a protective carrying case. The carrying case can hold both the Bose® Mobile On-ear headset, adapters and an iPhone. The cord with the microphone is detachable next to the left ear cup, and you can use other 3.5 mm cords if you want to. I think that the cord is a bit short when using the On-ear headset with a computer at one meter. For iPhone usage it is a perfect length giving you the chance to keep the iPhone in your jeans. The cord is also quite rigid, and not prone to entanglement. A clothing clip is also included for the cord.

The Bose® Mobile On-ear Headset has got a really good omnidirectional microphone that is perfectly placed at mouth height. I have never had any complaints about audio quality from the receiver. The microphone picks up the sound of my voice without adding background noise. I actually put the In-Ear Headset on as my first choice of headset at home, and that is with two shelves filled with headsets. The reason is that it combines a decent noise isolation, comfortable ear cups and the great microphone.

Summary

Pros

Great omnidirectional microphone.
Great sound quality even at high volume levels.
Super powerful kickass bass.
Carry case that fits an iPhone is included.
Light weight and comfortable for long sessions.
Decent noise isolation.

Cons
Looks a bit bland.
Not suitable for intense exercises such as sprinting.
Short cord when used with a computer.
Drains the  owners iTunes account by making music sound better than in other headphones.

The Bose® Mobile On-ear headset is a brilliant piece of audio equipment that enhance most audio sources. The experience I have had from using the Bose® Mobile On-ear headset has been really good. It is suitable for most aspects of everyday life other than sports in my opinion, and at the price asked I rather not drop them in the gym or out running. Among the stereo headsets I have tried the On-ear headset has got one of the best microphones making it a complete package. I can definitely recommend the Bose® Mobile On-ear headset if you are looking for one of the best headsets money can buy.

Final Rating

Bose® Mobile On-ear headset at the US Apple Store $199.95

Bose Mobile On-ear headset at the UK Apple Store £149.95

Bose® Mobile In-ear Headset is an in-ear headset that doesn’t force the ear buds into the ear canals. Instead it relies on the friction, and contact between ear bud and ear. This makes the ear buds comfortable to wear for extended sessions ranging up to six hours without removal. The headset comes with three different sized ear buds, and most users will find a size that works well. You might even have to use different sizes for the left and right ear. Using friction, and contact as the only means of holding the ear buds in place is ok when I sit, lie and walk. When running, or making quick movements such as pushups or sit-ups they start to loosen up. This reduces both quality of audio, as well as the actual volume. Most of all it is really annoying having to adjust the ear buds when in the middle of a workout. If I don’t adjust them properly right away they will fall out. This is a shame, as I want to be able to use a headset when in motion as well. This makes the Bose® Mobile In-ear Headset redundant if you are looking for a headset if you have an active job. Thankfully Bose has included a clothing clip that lets you attach the cord so at least the headset won’t fall to the ground when the ear buds fall from your ears. I have to mention the included lanyard as well even though I hate using them it of course helps you keeping the headset from falling to the ground.

The actual silicone tips for the ear buds are really comfortable, and they are easily removed and cleaned. This is both a blessing and a curse as they also fall off when I least want them to. I have had to search for these quite hard to see silicone tips on more than one occasion. On the other hand they collect a lot of dirt from the ear, and having the chance to really clean them easily is important.

While we are at it I must add another shortcoming of the Bose® Mobile In-ear Headset. They lack noise isolation, as they don’t block the ear canal. They are a bit better than the stock Apple headphones that come with the iPhone/iPod Touch, but can’t be compared to any of the in-ear headphones I have tested. The only way to counter noise is to crank up the volume, and thankfully the Bose® Mobile In-ear Headset can take a load of volume without getting any distortion at all. Thankfully Bose didn’t go for active noise cancellation, as it isn’t a compatible technology for use in a headset. It also helped keeping the retail price down.

The sound quality of the Bose® Mobile In-ear Headset is really good with a strong overall representation of sound across the entire sound spectra. The focus is on the massive bass, and if you want your music to be felt the Bose® Mobile In-ear Headset is one of the most powerful in-ear headsets. Being able to crank the volume without getting any distortion makes for a pleasurable listen to any bass heavy music. You are also able to listen to less bassy music such as classical without it being distorted as well, but without the massive bass boost it feels weak. Listening to podcasts and audio books also work quite well, but of course poorly recorded podcasts with a lot of background hum get that background hum boosted as it lies in the lower range.

The Bose® Mobile In-ear Headset comes packaged three 2.5 mm adapters, 3 pair of ear tips, a lanyard and a nifty leather bag. The leather bag can be used as your iPhone/iPod Touch case. You can even have another case on the device, and still fit it in the bag. It looks good with a leather shine, and Bose imprint. It doesn’t protect as much when it comes to impact, but it is definitely good for avoiding scratches when in your pocket or backpack.

The cord for the Bose® Mobile In-ear Headset is cool with a vertigo influenced black and white swirling along it. The cord is prone to entanglement due to a high level of friction in the same vein as the stock Apple headset. With the added lump at the lower part of the cord, and the clothing clip it turns into a real knot when I put it in my pocket. When not in use it is important to hang the headset, or keep it attached to my clothes to avoid minutes of de-knotting.

The Bose® Mobile In-ear Headset has got a really good omnidirectional microphone. I have never had any complaints about audio quality from the receiver. The microphone picks up the sound of my voice without adding background noise.

Summary

Pros
Great omnidirectional microphone.
Good sound quality even at high volume levels.
Powerful bass.
Carry case that fits an iPhone is included.
Nothing inserted into the ear canal.
Unique look, and design.

Cons

Poor noise isolation.
Cord prone to entanglement.
The ear buds tend to fall out of the ears.
The silicone tips tend to fall off the ear buds.

Bose® Mobile In-ear Headset has got some good things going for it, and it could have been a real must if Bose had updated the shortcomings the TriPort had. If you want to get the most bass out of your in-ear headset the Bose® Mobile In-ear Headset is definitely the one to get. For most users though there are better options available at a much lower cost.

Final Rating

Bose® Mobile In-ear Headset at the US Apple Store $129.95

Bose Mobile In-Ear Headphones with Mic at the UK Apple Store £99.95

In Tall Bike Joust you control the speed of the bike by swiping downwards on the left and right part of the screen. This is supposed to emulate actually pedalling, and I am having a hard time seeing the speed difference between quick and slow swiping. You aim your lance by tilting the device, and once your aim is to your satisfaction you simply touch the screen. At least that is how you are supposed to play Tall Bike Joust. I am having real difficulties in actually getting the aiming circle to turn green for maximum impact. Yellow is the best I can manage, but most of the time it never changes from red. This makes the game feel random. The touch controls demand both hands to play, and I would really like to have some alternative to the current control scheme.

The main mode lets you progress through harder opponents in 7 different tournaments set in six different locations. You choose the order you tackle the first rounds of a tournament. Each rider has got different stats for power, heart, speed and guard. You also get to develop your own character in these four abilities. Once you complete a tournament you unlock the next, and the goal is to beat the real life champion Doyle.

Something I really enjoy in Tall Bike Joust is the bicycle customization, and you get to build a personal freak bike. New parts are won, and you get material by recycling stuff you don’t need anymore. Parts degrade as you use the bike in battle, and you have to make sure to keep the bike in good condition. The rider can also get new items such as goggles, and a better quality lance. This aspect of the game is a game within the game getting the most out of the limited resources you have.

Graphics are ok, but the locations feel really barren, as there are no spectators. The intro movie shows people milling around the bikes much in the same way as around illegal street racing events. In the game it is just you and your opponent, and the social aspect of tall bike jousting is left out. The fonts used in the menus feel dated. Most of the riders look the same with just a minor haircut difference, and all of them look bored when I guess they are supposed to look tough.

The music is electronic/chiptune with good drive and power. I like it, and it suits the game quite well. Nice to not have the ordinary semi hardcore music found in all other extreme sports titles. Sound effects are ok, but I would really have liked some voiceovers such as taunts.

OpenFeint is used for achievements, adding some extra gamelife to Tall Bike Joust. I would loved to have more information within the game about the sport such as bios, and tips on how to get started jousting.

Tall Bike Joust has got some issues with the controls, and lacks connection to the social aspect of the real life thing. It is good fun customizing, and winning new parts for your bike but it is not enough to compensate for the flaws in the main game. With some updates to the game polishing the graphics, adding new controls schemes the game might become a game to get.

Final Rating

Tall Bike Joust $2.99
Version: 1.0
Seller: Fountainhead Films Inc.

The Director of Broken Sword: Director Cut (AppStore link), Charles Cecil (Revolution Software), was joined on stage by artist Dave Gibbons (co-creator of Watchmen with Alan Moore), Barrington Pheloung (composer), and the voice of Nico herself, Hazel Ellerby… as well as a few others, and swapped stories about the creation of the game from the original release to the Directors Cut for iPhone and iPod Touch.

Dave Gibbons talked of his collaboration with Charles on the new version of the game, which involved creating the close up character art, to amplify their emotions now that the original art appeared much smaller on the iPhone.

Charles described Revolution’s eureka moment for creating the iPhone and iPod Touch versions: “it was the first person views (for example the close up of the body of Pierre Carchon), because originally we thought we would need to draw an onscreen hand to show you were examining the body, but it became immediately obvious that your hand ‘is’ the hand… making it more tactile than even the DS version.”

“Broken Sword is just amazing on the iPhone… like it was made for it.”

Co-founder of Revolution Software, Tony Warriner says: “.. the iPhone is the best version we have created, because the interface brings you closer to the game… you are touching it, there isn’t that disconnection you get with the use of a mouse and pointer… you are actually there, part of the game… even though it’s a small screen, you somehow feel closer.”

They went on to discuss the freedom of the AppStore versus traditional games publishers, in that you can add that extra level of polish to a game and release it when it’s ready. You can announce a game only a few weeks prior to release, as opposed to months… giving them less pressure to hit the deadline.

With the process working so well they alluded to the possibility of bringing the Broken Sword sequels to the AppStore. But more exciting to hear was the news that Charles and Dave are already fleshing out ideas for a brand new game that is not based on their existing properties, but exclusively for the iPhone. However, they did say that it won’t be ready this year.

As well as the game, Dave Gibbons has created a Broken Sword mini-comic, which explores the back story of Nico, taking us back to her childhood. We have a copy of the comic, signed by both Dave Gibbons and Charles Cecil to give away… so stay tuned for how to win this weekend.

Guitarist Miles Gilderdale and Barrington Pheloung then played out the event with music from the game (see video below)

You are in control of both maintaining the integrity of the llama pen, and attacking the pen of the opposition. The controls are for the most part touch based with a virtual stick for movement, and on screen buttons for repairs and building new cannons. Once you fire the cannon you go into a first cannon ball mode where you guide the cannon ball towards the enemy pen. This is controlled by means of accelerometer. You can either aim for destroying walls of the pen, the enemy’s cannons or the enemy llama keeper himself. Either way it is really annoying for the opponent. To me the transition from touch controls to tilt controls is way too sudden, and I tend to take a couple of seconds to readjust for the five-second attack. I would really prefer the controls to be all touch based, or at least having that option. When tilt is just a small portion of the game it is too easy to get the iPhone in a strange angle making it hard to control once you have to tilt.

The graphics are bright, cute and at times feels like a Disney movie. You only see the area around you, and at times I feel it is a bit of a chore to run around the pen checking for broken walls. A mini map or something would really help to make the game more about attacking instead of running around. Of course you pick up coins that let you buy larger cannons. It is really annoying getting into the action firing three cannons in succession just to get the game over animation because I haven’t seen incoming attacks when out tilting my balls.
The music is ok in short bursts, but then it starts to become an annoyance. The sound effects are ok. Taunts would be nice, as it is now it feels somewhat barren. Peruvians bombarding each other with cannonballs should be a bit more animated in my opinion.
There are two offline modes: story mode and arcade mode. In story mode you progress to harder opponents, and get new cannons and larger pens. The story is told in speech bubbles, and isn’t too interesting. The story mode isn’t that long, and within a couple of hours you have beaten it. Arcade mode lets you set up the game any way you want it. The single player modes are quite boring as the AI is quite simple, and there isn’t any variation to the game play. Achievements through OpenFeint add a bit of gamelife.

Fleeced! – Shear Terror is a multiplayer game at heart, and it turns into a completely new game when challenging human players. If you are interested in playing Fleeced! as a multiplayer game it is definitely worth getting. You get local multiplayer through Bluetooth, and online multiplayer through WiFi. The game becomes just as fun as the classic Rampart when you get into an intense match.

Fleeced! – Shear Terror is a hard game to rate due to the fact that it has two faces. The single player turns stale quickly, and the tilt control annoys quite a bit. In a hectic match versus a human the controls aren’t as disturbing.  Fleeced! is an ok game that turns into a great game online. My final rating focuses on the single player experience, but also takes the potential extra fun of the multiplayer into consideration.

Final Rating

Fleeced! - Shear Terror $1.99
Version: 1.0.1
Seller: Bight Interactive Inc.