Flight Control HD is an amazing example of what a game developer can do when they think outside the box and design a game that feels natural on the iPad.

In Flight Control HD your goal is to traffic as many planes/helicopters to the correct landing strips/pads as possible. To guide planes to landing strips players simply tap on the plane and drag to the landing strip. The game ends once two aircraft collide.

The cool thing about Flight Control HD is that it’s really easy to get into, no tutorial is really necessary, players just jump in and the fun begins. At first the game may seem too easy, but just keep playing, the game will gradually introduce more and more planes for you to traffic. Eventually you’ll be overwhelmed by the sheer number of planes that require your attention and the inevitable crash will occur.

As you become more adept at Flight Control HD you’ll want to take advantage of the fast forward feature, the button is located in the lower left of the screen. It’s really handy, especially at the beginning of the game when there are very few planes to traffic.

I don’t normally like games where you focus on beating your previous score, but for some reason I really enjoyed that aspect of Flight Control HD, it felt so satisfying to beat my previous record for planes landed.

I watched my friend play Flight Control HD. It was hilarious watching him go from a relaxed state to panic. At first he told me that Flight Control HD is so boring, then after he landed around 40 planes his tone completely changed. From that point on all I heard was a series of gasp with a few OMG’s mixed in for good measure.

There are a total of 9 levels to play through. The first three levels are designed specifically for the iPad as denoted by the HD label. The fourth level is essentially the first level but with 3D effects, you’ll need 3D glasses to take advantage of this.

There is also a multiplayer option in Flight Control HD, playable from a single iPad or two via WiFi. You can challenge your friend to see who can land the most planes before crashing. Being a very competitive person by nature, I really liked this feature, it added a lot more replay value to Flight Control HD.

But if you’re more of the type that likes to team up with friends, there’s also a multiplayer option for that, so you and your friend can work together to land as many planes as possible.

I’ve had a blast with Flight Control HD, if you own an iPad you should definitely grab a copy of this game.

Flight Control HD is a post from: OS X Reality

Mirror’s Edge takes place in an utopian city, where crime is almost nonexistent, but these lower crime rates came at a great cost. The government tracks all forms of communication within the city, allowing them to stamp out any potential threats to their power.

At least this was the case until a network of runners was formed. These specialized runners have the ability to travel across the city overcoming numerous obstacles to deliver their message.

I was slightly disappointed when I received news that Mirror’s Edge on the iPad would be a side-scroller as opposed to first-person as seen on the Xbox 360. But after playing Mirror’s Edge for a few minutes most of my worries vanished.

Even though the game is a side-scroller the graphics are all 3D, and very well done. But more importantly than graphics was the fluid motion of gameplay. You get a real sense of speed as you travel through each level.

The first level is essentially a tutorial to help players learn the controls. Nearly all the controls are touchscreen based. To run left or right swipe left or right anywhere on the screen, to jump swipe upward and so on. The touchscreen controls were easy to use, I didn’t have any real issues with them.

The tilt controls on the other hand put my nerd arms to the test. There’s areas in each level where you’ll need to tilt your iPad to help your character Faith keep her balance or streamline her body to travel faster down a zipline.

I wasn’t all too fond of this feature, I mean it’s nice on the iPhone, but the iPad well, it’s a bit large I wouldn’t want to hold it up for too long. Luckily there wasn’t many parts in the game that required you to tilt your iPad to progress through the stage, so I was able to play most of the game with my iPad comfortably positioned on my lap.

Normally music in games are very much like elevator music, it’s there but no one cares. I really enjoyed the music in Mirror’s Edge, but of course that’s just my taste in music, it may not strike a cord with everyone. I especially liked the intro song of Mirror’s Edge, “Still Alive” by Swedish singer Lisa Miskovsky.

As far as content goes, Mirror’s Edge packs 14 levels and two multiplayer game modes.  I loved everything about Mirror’s Edge up until the game ended abruptly. After the 14th stage I was a little shocked, I kept thinking to myself, it can’t be over already!

I was having such a great time with Mirror’s Edge, shame it had to end so quickly. I was able to complete the game in roughly 2-hours.

But on the bright side, the two multiplayer modes do add to the game’s replay value. Multiplayer mode is played from a single iPad in the portrait orientation. You can either race your friend through levels or compete with each other to collect the most secret packages.

Overall I was very happy with the way Mirror’s Edge played on the iPad, very entertaining game. Mirror’s Edge has high production value written all over it. I highly recommend this game to people looking for an action packed side-scroller.

Mirror’s Edge is a post from: OS X Reality

Bingo, Words With Friends HD! But before I actually purchased the game I hesitated. I wasn’t too happy with the idea of buying essentially the same game again. But I figured the experience of playing on a larger screen could make the purchase worth while.

For those unfamiliar with Words With Friends, it’s essentially Scrabble with convenient online play. Normally if you wanted to play the board game Scrabble with your friends you’d need to find the right time when everyone is free, set aside a few hours to play and of course do a little driving.

But with Words With Friends all those complications go out the window. You don’t have to play each game from start to finish in one sitting. Instead you can submit moves whenever you have a spare moment in your day. The game will notify you automatically when it’s your turn to play again. Keep in mind the game can only notify you if you have Internet access.

Now some people may find this way of playing painfully slow, games can take days or even weeks to finish. Luckily we can play multiple games at once, so each time you enter the app there’s a good chance you’ll have a few turns to play.

Playing Words With Friends on the iPad has been a really great experience. Double tapping to zoom into the board is no longer necessary, the board and tiles are very easy to read thanks to the larger display.

The navigation and controls are similar to the iPhone version. The tiles and options are located at the bottom of the screen. The game list and chat now appear as pop up windows.

Finding opponents to play is pretty easy in Words With Friends. You can search for random opponents, add friends through your contact list or by simply searching for their user name. Oh and let’s not forget the good old fashion pass and play option.

I was a bit worried that Words With Friends on the iPad wouldn’t have much to offer. In a lot of ways it seemed like the iPhone version flat out beats the iPad, mainly due to its portability. But with the larger display the gameplay experience was dramatically improved from the iPhone version. It’s so much more comfortable playing on the iPad over extended periods of time and much easier on the eyes as well.

I’m glad I gave Words With Friends HD for the iPad a chance, after playing with the game for the last few days I have no regrets about my purchase. I’ve tried other word games in the App Store but none have matched the ease of use and well thought out user interface of Words With Friends HD, those two aspects alone make this game a real winner.

Words With Friends HD is a post from: OS X Reality

After three weeks of waiting, finally Assassin’s Creed II Discovery is back for all to enjoy. Some gamers may have noticed the initial price of Assassin’s Creed II Discovery was $11.99, but not to worry, the price has been reduced to $9.99.

In Assassin’s Creed II Discovery you’ll play through an untold chapter of the Assassin’s Creed II storyline. The action takes place in Spain, where you’ll play as the assassin Ezio. Your fellow assassins have been captured and it’s up to you to rescue them. So the storyline isn’t all that original, but at least your fellow assassins will be more thankful than Princess was when Mario saved her.

The gameplay is very different from the first Assassin’s Creed released on the iPhone. The standard D-pad located at the lower left of the screen has been replaced with a slider. Now it may seem kind of odd to use a slider instead of a D-pad for an action game like this, but it actually works very well.

Assassin’s Creed II Discovery is essentially a side-scroller, which explains the slider. For vertical movement players utilize the jump button located at the lower right of the screen. Next to the jump button we have the attack and stealth buttons.

Players can perform attack combos by pressing the attack button three times in succession. Some enemies have the ability to block your attacks and in some cases you’ll be locked into a “weapon clash” where you’ll need to rapidly tap the attack button to overcome your enemy.

The stealth button can be toggled on/off, when on your character will move slower, reducing the chance of being detected by enemies. When stealth mode is on, you also gain the advantage of greater foresight, spotting enemies from a distance before they come within range.

My initial impressions of Assassin’s Creed II Discovery have been all positive. I feel a great sense of speed when moving through the game that I never felt with the first Assassin’s Creed for iPhone. Combat has been greatly improved as well, with nice close up shots and crisp sound effects, which make those stealth kills all the more satisfying.

App Store Link: Assassin’s Creed II Discovery ($9.99)

Screenshots

Assassin’s Creed II Discovery Returns to the App Store is a post from: OS X Reality

In the Skeleton event your character slides down a frozen track laying face down on a small sled. You steer your character using tilt controls to shift left or right.

The Curling event is similar to bowling, you slide a puck down a lane, mid way through swipe left or right to help guide the puck towards the center of the target.

Figure Skating is all about following patterns, the better you follow the pattern the better your character figure skates. Circles appear on the screen that you’ll need to tap with good timing. There will also be different shapes that you’ll need to trace quickly as well as accurately.

The last event, Snowboard Cross, is the most challenging of the four events. Like the Skeleton event you’ll steer your character using tilt controls to move left or right. On top of that you’ll also need to pay attention to forward (duck) and back (jump) tilting, this is especially important for a smooth landings. If your iPhone is tilted too far ahead or back then your character will have a rough landing.

Sonic fans will be glad to know SEGA has included a wide range of characters to choose from — Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Eggman, Vector, Blaze, Metal Sonic and Silver.

You can also play with a buddy over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, or if your friend doesn’t have his/her own iPhone you could always go with good old Pass & Play.

SEGA also mentioned unlockable content in the game description, not sure if they were referring to achievement type goodies like trophies or if they meant additional events to play, hopefully it’s both.

App Store Link: Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games ($4.99)

SEGA Releases Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is a post from: OS X Reality

We got our first glimpse of Vampire Origins back in April of 2009. The game was expected to appear in the App Store  in July but oddly enough it never came. All mentions of Vampire Origins on Chillingo’s website were erased as well.

It seemed like such a shame that Vampire Origins would never see the light of day, or so we thought. Chillingo contacted us today and informed us that indeed Vampire Origins is back from the dead and is well on its path to the App Store.

And with the news of Vampire Origins‘ resurrection Chillingo also gave us new screenshots and gameplay footage to share with you guys, enjoy!

Screenshots

Vampire Origins Back From the Dead is a post from: OS X Reality

The sequel plays much like the original using tilt  based controls for movement. Players steer their creature towards other smaller creatures to consume them. Once enough creatures have been consumed your creature will evolve gaining new abilities such as shells, wings and mouths.

Sadly you can’t customize your creature in great detail, such as adding bumps on your creature’s lower lip, I really wanted my creature to sport some nice cold sores too. Hopefully EA adds this feature in the next update *crosses fingers*.

Although you can do some large scale customizations on your creature like changing the body shape and size using pinch gestures or even alter the color and pattern of their skin. You can also use pictures from your iPhone photo app for skin patterns. Check out the example of custom skin textures in the screenshot gallery above. I used my Apple wallpaper as the texture for my creature.

What? Did you just call me an Apple fanboy? I’ll have you know it’s perfectly normal to wrap creatures in beautiful Apple wallpaper. *Rubs iPhone touchscreen in a perfectly normal and not sexual way, rubbing the touchscreen in slow motion doesn’t make it sexual either by the way, maybe creepy but definitely not sexual.*

Alright back to Spore Creatures, there’s a total of 45 unique body parts to choose from when customizing your creature.

As for content, there’s a total of 20 levels spread across four zone types — Sandy Shores, Barren Desert, Dark Forest and Icy Mountains. I didn’t get too far into the game but supposedly there are puzzles to solve. What kind of puzzles they’re talking about, your guess is as good as mine.

There was one interesting tidbit that I got from the release description.

“Socialize or attack unique creature herds. The choice is yours.”

I do recall in the desktop version creatures could socialize by dancing, I’m guessing the mobile version will follow suit and offer some way for our creatures to shake their rumps in the name of friendship.

App Store Link: Spore Creatures ($6.99)

Spore Creatures Released for iPhone: Herpes Evolves a Pair of Legs is a post from: OS X Reality

Oh my lord, I just screamed like a little school girl. Get yourself together Ironcell, you have a manly name, act like one!

Ok guys this is legit, Square Enix posted the announcement on Twitter and Facebook. They didn’t give any major details such as how soon we can expect to see Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II appear in the App Store. But they did include lots of nice screenshots for us to enjoy! The graphics looked quite polished, not nearly as pixelated as I remembered the game.

I’ll be right back, I need to change my pants.

FINAL FANTASY and FINAL FANTASY II Coming to iPhone is a post from: OS X Reality

But why you ask, why would John Gore do something so evil?

Well as the story goes, Guerrilla Bob and John Gore were friends since they were ten. After high school they both went their separate ways, Guerrilla Bob joined the army and John Gore chose a life of crime and money.

Eventually word of Guerrilla Bob’s numerous achievements reached the ears of John Gore. Not to be out done, the jealous John Gore decided to setup his old childhood friend.

After John Gore’s setup, Guerrilla Bob’s reputation had been ruined, he was now viewed as a corrupt soldier. With nothing left to lose, Guerrilla Bob goes after the one man that destroyed his life, John Gore. And so the stage has been set for an epic battle between the bobble heads.

Chillingo has informed us that the game is in the final phases of testing and will be submitted to the App Store later this week.

Near the end of the new trailer of Guerrilla Bob we get a glimpse of John Gore doing what can only be described as the dramatic hamster look.

Guerrilla Bob Meets John Gore is a post from: OS X Reality

Go go Speed rac… err I mean Comet Racer. Donut Games’ Comet Racer (App Store Link) has arrived in the App Store. Comet Racer looks pretty cool, the graphics gives me that retro vibe. Although the feature list didn’t seem all that impressive, but then again, a game doesn’t have to have a wicked feature list to be good, sometimes they’re just fun to play. Imagine that being a bullet point in the feature list, “This Game is Fun”.

Anyhow the game is a buck, so it’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t turn out to be the second coming of Christ. Lowering expectations is what I do best, I mean look at my parents, they use to have such big dreams for me, now they’re just happy if I take out the trash.

• Varying Race Tracks in space and inside squiggly comets
• 2 Control Modes (Normal buttons and an innovative Control Circle)
• Hidden secrets and surprises spread throught the game
• Power-ups to protect and upgrade your ship
• This Game is Fun
• Donut Games’ highly acclaimed Challenge system
• Support for playing your own iTunes music
• Global High Score support

Comet Racer Now Available in App Store is a post from: OS X Reality