Category games

May 20 2013

Tips and Tricks: Robot Unicorn Attack 2 the Always Edition

I was incredibly excited when Robot Unicorn Attack 2 came out two weeks ago. Being a huge fan of the original Robot Unicorn Attack, the sequel which is awesome on so many levels, has no doubt captured our collective imagination. Having played the game extensively for some time now, let me share with you some tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way.

If you’re new to Robot Unicorn Attack 2, read on for a bit of a walkthrough.

Dashing through the rocks

Dashing with the stars

Robot Unicorn Attack 2 (Universal for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad/FREE with in-app purchase) is an endless runner type of game, the sequel to the insanely popular Flash-turned-iPhone game Robot Unicorn Attack. In Robot Unicorn Attack (Universal for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad/$0.99), you are a robot unicorn soaring to new heights in a fantasy world tinged in pink and purple, flying with metallic dolphins, dashing through obstacles and collecting fairies in the process – set to Always by Erasure, which makes the whole experience surreal and laugh out loud ridiculous. Robot Unicorn Attack 2 is true to its roots, but adds a whole new level of complexity and depth to the gaming experience similar to Adult Swim/Pik Pok’s later outings such as Extinction Squad. In Robot Unicorn Attack 2 there are individual goals to achieve in order to level up (rank 15 opens up a new environment, the Ice World) as well as community goals (Team Inferno vs Team Rainbow). The main currency here is the unicorn tear which allows you to buy robot unicorns and their corresponding upgrades as well as boosts to improve your performance.

That said, read on for some tips to improve your gameplay and boost overall performance.

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Apr 14 2013

Magicka in Review: Quirky and Cute, But Not Quite Magical

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Magicka for iPad was featured Game of the Week by Apple. It is a sidescroller where you constantly move forward in a linear fashion with enemies attacking you from both sides. At your disposal are elemental runes which you can combine into various spells, each with their respective properties. For example, lighting and water don’t go together, but if you combine lightning with fire, you can cast a thunderbolt spell. Some spell combinations produce powerful spells – you can create meteor storms, blizzards, explosions, which are unlocked as rewards after completing a level. (Like it so far? read on …)
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Mar 24 2013

Ivory Tower Defenders in Review: The Classroom is Your Battlefield!

ivory tower defenders on appSIZED

The race is on to beat the slackers and achievers to their seats!

You are running late for class and try to sneak into the crowded classroom as quietly as you can. Unfortunately, that snarky grad assistant who gives you dagger looks is waiting by the door. Not too long after, you are deluged by bluebooks and exam papers being lobbed at your head. You make it past her, barely, only to be confronted by the dean, who is quite a heavy hitter himself.

No, this is not a stress dream related to college. Welcome to Ivory Tower Defenders a new tower defense game for the iPhone and iPad.

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Mar 2 2013

Art Mogul HD in Review: A Rare Find

If there’s one thing that the App Store lacks, it’s more art-themed games. The ones I’ve tried are usually stealth games which means they focus on stealing gorgeous paintings rather than actually appreciating them. Art Mogul breaks out of the art-meets-stealth-game mode by doing two things: combining hidden-object game mechanics with tycoon-style sim gameplay.

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Feb 18 2013

Myth Defense (Light Forces) in Review: Too Damn Hard!

As I’ve said many times, tower defense games are a dime a dozen in the App Store and it takes a lot for one to stand out.

Myth Defense – Light Forces sounded intriguing enough when I first checked it out. Unlike most games, it offers extensive customizability of its towers and offers a skill tree of sorts where you can choose what kind of upgraded towers you want, say whether you want it launch arrows or fireballs. You can also boost tower performance by combining various runes and enlisting the aid of dwarves, elves, etc. to create more powerful towers.

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Feb 4 2013

Royal Envoy 2 HD for iPad: Is the Sequel is Just as Good?

As with great movies, coming out with a sequel is always a tricky affair. It’s either you change too much (e.g. making gameplay too complicated) or too little, resulting in a sequel that’s not as good or fun as the original.

With the release of Royal Envoy 2 HD for iPad, the burning question is whether the sequel lives up to the original. Read on to find out!

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Feb 3 2013

Heads Up! Majesty: The Northern Expansion & Royal Envoy 2 HD Are on Sale!

Heads up! Two awesome games are on sale!

The full version of Royal Envoy 2 HD is on sale for a limited time:

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If you loved Royal Envoy HD and gorgeous building sim/time management games, you will love Royal Envoy 2 HD.

Download Royal Envoy 2 HD for iPad ($3.99 down from $6.99) for a limited time.

Majesty: The Northern Expansion, the sequel to one of my all time favorite games, Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim is also on sale for a limited time:
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Download Majesty: The Northern Exposure (Universal) for only $0.99 (down from $2.99) for a limited time.

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Dec 30 2012

Top 12 iPhone and iPad Games of 2012

As more and more games and apps flood the App Store, it’s getting harder to find apps that truly stand out. For 2012, I expanded the list to include 12 notable games.

The following were chosen because they feel like they were made for the iOS mobile device and make good use of its touchscreen (this applies to PC/Xbox/PSN ports, too!), flawlessly designed, and bring something new and/or great to their respective genres. In addition, as a casual gamer, these games are relatively light, fun and quick to play.

In no particular order, appSIZED’s notable games of 2012 are:

fieldrunners 2 HD on appSIZED

Gloriously fun and beautiful to play

FIELDRUNNERS 2 HD
(iPad only)

The much awaited sequel to the iOS tower defense (TD) forerunner Fieldrunners does not disappoint. It’s gorgeously designed, flawlessly implemented and fiendishly difficult at times. I love the cheeky humor, too! Despite their notable hiatus from the iOS game development scene, the guys at Subatomic Studios were clearly cooking up this masterpiece. (Read the full review here)

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Scrabble meets chess in Letterpress

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Dec 27 2012

Last Hurrah for 2012: Introducing Mini-Reviews for iPhone and iPad Games and Apps!

Here’s a last surprise for 2012 – the bite-sized mini-reviews of games and apps for a busy shopper like you. Catch more of these in 2013!

Not to worry though, appSIZED will still feature full-blown reviews for selected games and apps.

Stay tuned for appSIZED’s annual selection of the best apps of 2012. You might find yet another surprise, then!

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Dec 16 2012

iOS Weekend Alert: Angry Birds and Diner Dash Games Go on Sale!

angry birds and diner dash go on sale appSIZED

As Christmas approaches, more and more sales are popping up. Notably, Rovio (of Angry Birds fame) and Playfirst (of the hit Diner Dash series) have put up their hugely popular games on sale for a limited time. If you have only a few dollars left in your account, here are appSIZED’s picks for you:

1) Angry Birds Space HD ($0.99/iPad only) – I am not a fan of Angry Birds at all, but I loved what Rovio did with this installment. The laws of physics are at work in outer space, making gameplay more challenging and fun. It’s still the best looking AB game in my opinion.

2) Angry Birds Star Wars HD ($0.99/iPad only) – I like Angry Birds Space more but this is Rovio’s latest game so getting it on sale so new is a great deal to me. Also, if you are a Star Wars fan, an avian Hans Solo should be fun to look at.

3) Cooking Dash Deluxe ($0.99/Universal) – I am probably one of the few who prefer Cooking Dash over the original Diner Dash franchise. Buy it because it’s universal so you can enjoy it anywhere. Unfortunately it’s not optimized for the taller iPhone/iPod screen and you do have to pay for additional levels on top of the standard 50 – not to mention . Again this is a small price to pay for Dash addiction.

4) Bad Piggies HD or Angry Birds Seasons HD ($0.99/iPad only) – I haven’t tried out Bad Piggies yet but it looks promising, and offers a different type of gameplay from the standard Angry Birds fare. Take note however, that Bad Piggies HD has in-app purchases for additional maps. On the other hand, Angry Birds Seasons HD only offers a single in-app purchase for unlimited use of the might eagle (to solve levels) and it’s the kind of game to make you feel a little festive all throughout the year.

5) Wedding Dash Deluxe ($0.99/Universal) – Frantic gameplay and some wedding day drama make up this unique time management offering from Playfirst. Having played Wedding Dash 4-Ever and its tiny people on my iPad, Wedding Dash Deluxe is a welcome alternative.

H(app)y shopping! 🙂