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@invisiblecartridge
Game of the Week: Dragon Coins
Finally, a coin dozer game with a purpose! Or at least one that makes you feel like there's a purpose.
I honestly don't know why this mechanic is so addictive, but it just is. My buddy Tim recommended Dragon Coins to me and I'm not sure whether to thank him or hate him because I...can't...stop...playing.
R.I.Y.L. -- Coin Dozer, Puzzle & Dragons, Brave Frontier
Download for iOS here.
Download for Android here.
Game of the Week -- Shadow Fight 2
With the notable exception of Injustice: Gods Among Us, which is as much a card battler as it is a fighter, there hasn't been a fighting game that's truly taken hold on mobile. And while Nekki's Shadow Fight 2 may not be the genre-defining game for the touchscreen era, it's still a lot of fun and definitely worth checking out.
SF2, the sequel to the popular Facebook game, suffers from some free-to-play missteps (the energy system is too restrictive, and purchases/upgrades should never be capped by the level of your character) and it's conspicuously lacking a multiplayer mode. But regardless, it's quickly becoming my favorite fighting game on mobile.
The artwork is stunning throughout, the variety of weapons forces you to change your strategy as you progress, and once you realize that it's about timing as opposed to button-mashing, the controls start to click. We may still be waiting for the Street Fighter of the touchscreen era, but in the meantime, landing a solid headshot in Shadow Fight 2 will remind you why the fighting genre has been a mainstay for decades.
R.I.Y.L. -- Injustice: Gods Among Us, Fightback, Totem Runner
Download for iOS here.
Download for Android here.
Game of the Week -- Wayward Souls
Like any gamer born in the early '80s, the SNES is my jam. So when I first heard about Rocketcat Games' Wayward Souls, a follow up to the excellent Mage Gauntlet and a tribute to the action RPGs I grew up on, I knew it was something I had to check out. But I had no idea just how masterful of a tribute it would be.
I haven't felt this strongly about a game in a long while -- I went to sleep playing it, and woke up thinking about it. It's a game with endless replayablity, and it feels perfect on a tablet both in terms of play controls and game structure. If you're at all a fan of the genre, it's well worth the $4.99 price tag, and you'll want to pick it up before the price starts climbing.
R.I.Y.L. -- Mage Gauntlet, The Secret of Mana, Soul Blazer
Download here.
Game of the Week -- Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
If you're even somewhat of a CCG fan, it's undeniable that Blizzard's long-awaited entry into the touchscreen era, Hearthstone, is an incredible success. But what exactly is the game's potential from a revenue standpoint?
There was some healthy debate around the office this week, with one of our most experienced gaming vets claiming the game would make its way into the top 5 grossing, and would remain there for at least 6 months. Quite a bold claim, and one that the Machine bet a few bucks against.
I personally think Hearthstone is too niche to be a top 5 grosser for any more than a few days (if that), but seeing it at #12 just a few days after launch is certainly an inspiring start. It will be interesting to see how the game fares, especially as it makes its way to the iPhone and (hopefully) to Android.
R.I.Y.L. -- Magic: The Gathering, Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer, Might and Magic: Duel of Champions
Download for iPad here.
Game of the Week -- Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff
For the second week in a row, I'm highlighting a game that may not be my favorite, but in a pretty bland week of new releases, it's the most interesting.
I probably won't spend too much time with Family Guy: The Quest For Stuff -- I'd go so far as to call it a derivative game of a derivative show. But the game does serve as an interesting test case for IP-driven games.
Will Family Guy: The Quest For Stuff entrench itself at the top of the grossing charts like The Simpsons: Tapped Out? If it does, deep-pocketed publishers may have stumbled upon a reliable formula for free-to-play mobile success: winning engine + winning IP = top grossing. Or has TinyCo showed up late to the party?
R.I.Y.L. -- The Simpsons: Tapped Out, Smurf's Village, Hay Day
Download on iOS here.
Download on Android here.
Game of the Week -- Monument Valley
If M.C. Escher worked at That Game Company, this is what would happen.
R.I.Y.L. -- Fez, Journey, The Room
Download here.
Game of the Week -- Boom Beach
If you play one game this week, you should check out the one that's had the mobile gaming community buzzing since it was released in Canada in November. Does Supercell have the next Clash of Clans on their hands? Or will the new mechanics in Boom Beach upset the delicate balance that makes Clash work so well?
R.I.Y.L. -- Clash of Clans, Samurai Siege, Castle Clash
Download here.
Game of the Week -- Jump! Chump!
There's jump, and there's chump. And they'll probably frustrate the hell out of you...in the most enjoyable way possible.
R.I.Y.L. -- Flappy Bird, Roid Rage, Super Hexagon
Download for iOS here.
Game of the Week -- Frontline Commando 2
First and third-person shooters have had a rough time making the transition from PC/console to mobile, but Glu's Frontline Commando series has been a rare bright spot in the genre. It can be pretty aggressive with it's free-to-play approach, but FC2 picks up right where its predecessor left off with extremely slick visuals and the best control scheme of any shooter made for a touchscreen. If you're a fan of the genre, or just want to blow off some steam with a few carefully timed headshots, this is one to check out.
With Frontline Commando starting the year off right and plenty of interesting titles set to launch in the next few months (Industrial Toys' Midnight Star and CMUNE's Bullet Rush to name a few) 2014 might finally be the year that the shooter takes hold on mobile.
R.I.Y.L. -- The original Frontline Commando, Robocop, Modern Combat 4
Download here for iOS.
Download here for Android.
Game of the Week -- Out There
Like any child of the '80s, I have a soft spot in my heart for the Choose Your Own Adventure books. This week's game provides the same elements of choice, luck, and surprise as an old battered copy of your favorite CYOA story, as you try to understand out why you just woke up in deep space, millions of miles from Earth. Maybe I have the Oscars on my mind, but this roguelike, text-based adventure had me channeling my inner Sandra Bullock in a setting that's reminiscent of Best Picture nominee Gravity.
The element of chance that prevails throughout the game can be frustrating one minute and satisfying the next. But with sessions that generally last only a few minutes at a time, Mi-Clos has succeeded in creating the type of game that will have you reaching for "just one more turn" over and over again.
R.I.Y.L. -- FTL, Weird Worlds, Gravity (the movie)
Download for iOS here.
Download for Android here.
Game of the Week -- Bug Heroes 2
You gotta love the idea of four brothers coming together to create a business around a shared passion for games, especially when the quartet is responsible for some of the most innovative and unique titles on mobile. From Heroes & Castles to Block Fortress, Foursaken Media has continued to up the quality bar with each successive release, and they've taken another major step forward with Bug Heroes 2.
It's somewhat surprising that more MOBA games haven't popped on a platform that's so inherently social, but if Bug Heroes can get the traction it deserves, it has a shot at reinventing the genre to a completely new user base.
R.I.Y.L. -- Solstice Arena, Plants War, Heroes & Castles
Download here.
Game of the Week -- HonorBound
I've been actively looking forward to getting my hands on HonorBound for a good 9 months. From the moment the guys at JuiceBox showed me the artwork, I knew this was a game to watch. And after finally getting HonorBound on my device last night, it's clear that I'm going to be spending a lot of time with it.
Despite the fact that "mid-core" is becoming more and more viable on mobile, all too often mobile mid-core games lack any attempt at innovation, instead taking the safer route of following the most successful games on the top grossing charts. Honorbound is the rare exception, with a style that will remind you of your favorite SNES RPGs, but with some notable new features.
From a well thought out PvP system to a battle mechanic that allows for true in-game control and strategy, Honorbound immediately stands out from the pack. Not only are the game's systems extremely well-designed, but JuiceBox has succeeded in building a world you want to spend time in with a wide variety of environments and characters that jump off the screen.
HonorBound is a great example of an upstart developer taking a swing for the fences, and absolutely knocking it out of the park. It's the type of game that will immediately put JuiceBox on the map, and I'm excited to see where the studio goes from here.
R.I.Y.L. -- Final Fantasy, Blood Brothers, Brave Frontier
Download for iOS here.
Download for Android here.
Game of the Week -- Threes!
Threes! is a "tiny game." A tiny puzzle game. A tiny puzzle game about math. Yet somehow, it's the most charming and addictive game I've played in recent memory.
The game's unique personality shouldn't come as a surprise considering it was made by a powerhouse trio who've had their hands in games like Hundreds and Puzzlejuice. But the experience of playing Threes! is possibly more refreshing than anything you've ever played on mobile. Not only is the game's simple mechanic perfect for your phone, but it's presented in such a way that it oozes with character as soon as you launch the app.
From the elegant new user experience to way that the game actually makes you care about numbers with some really fun voice acting, Threes! is a game that just about anyone can appreciate.
R.I.Y.L. -- Puzzlejuice, Hundreds, Stickets
Download here.
Game of the Week -- Flappy Bird
If you haven't heard about Flappy Bird, you might as well be living under a rock. The game that's been sitting on top of the charts all week long is everywhere, and love it or hate it, it's undeniably a conversation starter.
Did a random developer luck into millions of downloads overnight? Did he somehow game the system? Or is Flappy Bird one of the most clever and noteworthy mobile games ever made?
I have to agree with my buddy Josh, who knows a thing or two from his 20+ years as a game industry veteran:
"Every component of the game is brilliant. Familiar simple graphic style, one mechanic, fast gameplay loop, alarming ending that shocks players and makes them laugh, rinse...repeat."
R.I.Y.L. -- Jetpack Joyride, Badlands, Boson X
Download for iOS here.
Download for Android here.
Game of the Week -- Ninja Striker!
Thanks to lemikegao for tipping me off to this week's pick, which he describes as "the best action game on mobile." It's a quite a claim, but I have to say that Ninja Striker! is probably the best platformer I've played that doesn't require a controller.
If Mega Man and Ninja Gaiden had a touchscreen lovechild, it would be this game.
R.I.Y.L. -- Mega Man, Ninja Gaiden, Mikey Shorts
Download for iOS here.
Game of the Week -- Brave Frontier
When your job is to bang on games all day, you know a good one when you see it. According to @Nehemiah___, "This is what an RPG on mobile should look like."
The big man knows his stuff -- Brave Frontier has excellent stylized artwork, an easy but compelling combat system, special events, social trading, and some nice sound effects to boot. It's fun for a short session but has plenty of underlying depth, and once you get hooked, it's tough to put down.
R.I.Y.L. -- Final Fantasy II, Chrono Trigger, D.O.T.
Download for iOS here.
Download for Android here.
Game of the Week -- Deemo
When one of the most creative people you know says that a game is "A-M-A-Z-I-N-G," it's probably something you should check out. I never thought a rhythm game could be hauntingly bittersweet, not to mention absolutely beautiful, but Deemo is just that.
R.I.Y.L. -- Cytus, DJ Max Ray, Tim Burton movies
Download for iOS here.
Download for Android here.