Contributions > Descriptions by Kartanym (12413)

The 2-on-2 arcade action that is NBA Jam makes its way to the iPhone, with much of the recent 2010 rebirth style intact, including the updated audio and visuals of the console edition. The same vibrant action of the classic series and the ever present over the top dunks are in play, with a full campaign mode spanning all the current NBA teams as well as a few legends of the game filling out the playable roster. Beat the campaign to become the champion, which in turns unlocks a number of hidden players (some only available on the handheld) and a number of cheats, big head mode being just one of many.

Touch screen controls play a part in the action, with the choice between gesture based controls (swipe to pass or shoot, etc.) or a more traditional on screen control pad option.

Asphalt returns with new round of high octane racing through city streets. 30 prestige rides are available, among them the Lamborghini Murciélago and the Ferrari F430. 12 locations are ready to race through, in a number of game modes including the typical race and challenge modes for single and multiplayer, along with time trial events. Other events include Cop Chase, Drift Contest and Last Man Standing. Both bluetooth and wifi connections are available for multiplayer races for up to six players.

Similarly to the previous touch screen game in the series, Asphalt 4: Elite Racing, there are a number of options for controlling your car, the default being motion control for steering while three main buttons appear on the screen for acceleration, braking and turbo.

Real Racing 2 expands the racing grid of its predecessor, with a new range of cars and tracks and a multitude of new options.

16 cars line up on the starting grid, with 30 fully licensed rides available such as the McLaren F1, Nissan GT-R, BMW M6 or the Chevrolet Camaro SS. You'll be able to race them, using motion control and touch screen acceleration or braking, through a full grand prix style season, local and online multiplayer, or in a simple quick race. 15 maps are available, each with their own unique twists and turns, bridges and tunnels. Begin as a rookie and win your way up the leader boards to become a pro, winning trophies via numerous challenges, one on one battles and time trial events. In game currency will allow you to upgrade your ride or purchase a new and improved one.

16 players can compete online together at any one time, and you'll also have the option of 8 players in a local wifi session.

The successor to the NBA Live franchise begins on iPhone, allowing you to play as any of the 30 NBA teams through a full 82 game season and the playoffs, or straight into an exhibition game. Every player across the league is available for traditional 5 on 5 gameplay, as well as legends of the game that can be unlocked during play to mix things up. You can also compete in a 3 point shoot out, or the All-Star game itself.

Touch screen controls are split into two move sets. The simplest moves are controlled by an on-screen control pad and two action buttons, that change whether you are on offence or defence. Advanced moves such as unique dribbles or dunks can be performed with swipes or double taps on or across the screen during play.

X1 and X2 are twin brothers, both clone troopers created from the DNA of a Jedi Master. They fought together against the Separatist movement during the Clone Wars, but are now on opposing sides during the Galactic Civil War. X2 regrets his part in the execution of Order 66, the killing of his former commander, Jedi Master Ferroda. He turned his back at the Empire and, after hiding out for a while, joined the Rebel Alliance. His brother, an Imperial Officer, is now trying to hunt him down for his desertion.

The Nintendo DS version of Star Wars: Battlefront - Elite Squadron plays out the similar story of the PSP iteration, but largely removes the multiplayer components, concentrating more on the single player campaign. Before each level, the player can choose what load out X2 will carry, specific styles that provide unique attributes compared to others (for example, an explosives expert compared to the sneaky spy). The top screen plays out the action from a top-down perspective (unlike the original third or first person perspective of other titles in the series), while the bottom screen acts as a radar system, detecting nearby enemies or objectives. These objectives vary, from finding a certain item or person to defeating various targets. The player can control other soldiers on the field to aid them in the quest, with the exception of boss battles, during which they're on their own.

A multiplayer mode is also included which mimics the style of other Battlefront games, either between four players or one with three AI bots, in a free-for-all battle across ground, air and starship areas.

Previously in the Star Wars saga, an unknown story developed between two brothers, codenamed X1 and X2. These two brothers, cloned from a Jedi, grew up to become an important part of the Clone Wars, trainers and leaders of the army that would lead the Republic against those that tempted to destroy order within the Galaxy. Unfortunately for both, their worlds would come crushing down as the Emperor rose to power, putting into place Order 66 and dismantling the Jedi Order in one fowl swoop. X2, desperate to hold onto his dreams of peace, joined the Rebel Alliance, a small group who opposed the Empire's ways. X1, however, remained with the new leaders of the Galaxy. Now, the two brothers are on a collision course to decide their fates, and the fate of the Galaxy itself.

Besides the 12 level campaign between brothers, Elite Squadron follows the similar path of the previous Battlefront series, specifically its multiplayer, where two teams compete to capture parts of the game map. Maps can vary from ground, space or within starship battles, most encompassing all three elements. Each player can select from pre-determined character styles, some more adept at certain skills than others (such as piloting an X-Wing or Tie-Fighter, or using explosives.) The single player campaign uses most of these elements in-between the story arc.

Following in the freeform footsteps of the original console release, Mirror's Edge on iPhone and iPad replaces the 1st person action title with a side scrolling action style, but retains the same substance of its big brother in the process.

Faith continues her escapades as before, running and jumping across rooftops, climbing over and sliding under obstacles in her wake while disarming any soldiers that attempt to take her (or more importantly, you) out. Most of the levels are similar platform fair as a Mario Bros. game in the traditional sense, while all the controls are touch based. Sliding your finger quickly upwards along the screen to make Faith jump, or the other way for her to 'baseball' slide under pipes. All her other attack based moves are controlled with various swipes, including free form combat using a modified version of the original games' 'Reaction Time' (i.e. bullet time). Objects you can run across or interact with maintain their bright red tone as you get closer to them.

Two multiplayer modes are included within the iPad edition. Race is as it suggests, sprinting from one side of the map to the next, while Rival pits players against each other to find hidden packages in specifically designed stages. Speed runs are also available for each level you complete within the story mode.

Ever wondered what it would be like to own your own game company? Make your own games? Game Dev Story answers that question by putting a new up and coming game development studio in your hands. As the CEO, you choose your game style, address the market with the right kind of content on the right platform, and make your mark in the games industry.

Game Dev Story is a simulation game, with the main aim being to take a small development studio and build it up to the become the largest game developer on the planet. You'll have full control over all the every day activities a studio entails, such as the hire and fire of staff, what games to develop and for which consoles, whether to attend certain media events and the occasional chance to purchase improvements to your studio (such as moving to a larger building). Finances are based on overall product sales, determined largely by the audience you're able to rake in. Get it right and you'll be able to develop sequels to your most successful games, or hire out big names to help create your next one. All the while, you will also have to balance the books, or advertise your company and your games through various ways.

The titles you can create range in genre and style, and it's all up to you. The staff you hire will work for you, create graphics and sound, designing the core story or style, but you will determine the overall costs and direction along the way. Every game is rated by reviewers and sold for the console you chose, with constant in game updates on how well it's selling and your current overall income. If money is a problem or sales are down, you can also choose to develop independent projects for other companies to help pay the way to your next game, such as creating FMV's or music scores.

Game Dev Story harks back to the old school 2D graphics of the SNES and PC of old with pixelated characters and midi music, combined with a modern day touch screen menu system.

This version of Tetris continues the tradition of the puzzle dropping classic by Alexey Pajitnov. Marathon mode is the original favourite, dropping various shaped puzzle blocks together to form a solid line across the play screen to eliminate it from play. The longer you go, the quicker the puzzle pieces drop. To add to the iPhone edition, a full selection of touch screen controls are available. Swipe across or down the screen to move each piece through the play field, or touch each particular piece as it falls to change its position to suit what awaits below.

'Magic' is a new play mode, combining various levels where you must complete certain conditions to continue, with items that can change the style of play. For example, the Minimiser allows you to reduce the size of a falling block into a smaller block to fit into tighter spaces, or Bubble Wrap which allows you to 'pop' blocks on the screen to create new space on the playing field. Each item lasts a small amount of time and requires use of the touch screen to operate, or in some cases, shaking the iPhone itself.

Inspired by the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book series, Spider-Man faces a new threat with some familiar faces in this action platformer.

Roxxon Energy, a company known for its unusual dealings in the Marvel Universe, attempt to create a new and improved Venom virus by sneaking into Triskelion, the island home of S.H.I.E.L.D. Unfortunately for the rest of the globe, the experiment goes horribly wrong and the virus causes a mass explosion, allowing a number of major villains to escape and run rampant across New York City, while the virus causes even further chaos as it infects all that come near it.

Enter your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, who swings and fights through city streets, over rooftops and through subway and power stations, among many other areas of NYC. The likes of Sandman, Doc Ock, Electro and of course, Venom, are all out to get their personal taste of Spidey. The only way around them is by using every trick in the playbook, especially power attacks, web and air combos. Spider-Man's spider sense will also get him out of a tricky situation in a hurry, avoiding an up close attack or a long range weapon.

Join Scooby and the gang in the hunt for clues to solve some of their greatest mysteries, against some of their more weirder and deadlier foes. All the cast are here, as you control Shaggy through dangerous environments. Escape the puzzles unscathed by collecting clues and trap pieces while avoiding numerous creatures out to scare you. If they do manage to freak out Shaggy and Scooby, you'll drop courage points. Drop too many and you'll run away back to your previous save point, but you can regain courage points by finding Scooby Snacks, or the nearest kitchen to make a well earned sandwich if you're running low.

Once you discover all the clues to the perfect crime, you must lure the bad guy back to the rest of the Scooby Gang to solve the mystery and put evil in its place.

This Black Edition features:

• Assassin's Creed II
• an Ezio Auditore di Firenze figurine dressed in black "Master Assassin" gear
• 3 extra quests (Palazzo Medicis in Florence, Santa Maria Dei Frari In Venice, Arsenal Shipyard Warehouse In Venice)
• a leather bound 'Conspiracy' art book
• an official soundtrack and behind the scenes DVD

Dr. Eggman wants to change his ways, opening a massive new theme park floating rather curiously above the planet. Sonic, wary of his nemesis, visits the theme park and discovers the true evil story: the park exists thanks to an alien race known as the Wisps, powerful creatures whom Dr. Eggman has kidnapped. Sonic agrees to free them from the amusement park, but he won't be able to do that without the Wisps' help.

In a return to the classic platformer Sonics of old, Sonic Colors uses the full width of both Nintendo DS screens to present a 2D side-scrolling adventure of colourful proportions. Sonic has the help of the Wisps' unique abilities, such as drilling deep underground or rocketing high into the air, to aid him in his quest to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds and stop Dr. Eggman's dangerous plan. Six Wisps are at Sonic's disposal, though their effects last only a limited amount of time. Four of them, White, Blue, Yellow and Orange, are similar to Wisps seen in the mobile game's big brother Sonic Colors for the Nintendo Wii. Two other Wisps, Red (turning Sonic into a lethal fireball) and Velvet (which allows Sonic to float in midair and suck up nearby rings and items), are exclusive to the DS platform.

A multiplayer mode is included, allowing two players to compete across multiple levels to reach the end goal first, along with a time attack mode.

Sonic's latest adventure takes him to the most unusual and amazing place ever seen in the Galaxy, 'Dr. Eggman's Interstellar Amusement Park'. Created by the normally evil, but ready to change his ways Dr. Eggman, the park floats in space above Sonic's home planet and opens to much fanfare. All seems decent enough, until Sonic uncovers the truth. An alien race known as the Wisps have been taken hostage by Dr. Eggman, who's using their unique powers to deadly use inside the theme park itself. Sonic arrives to save the day, of course, and discovers that the Wisps are happy to aid him in his quest, as well as share their powers with the blue blur.

Sonic Colors (or colours, depending on your country of birth) combines the Sonic staple of speed and platforming, similar to the Sonic only levels in Sonic Unleashed or the classic Sega titles of the past, and changes perspective from 3rd person just behind the lead character, or side-scrolling 2D at certain points during the game (not unlike another platform adventure in Super Mario Galaxy). But it's the Wisps abilities that add a little edge to Sonic's usual speed thrills. Each of the eight Wisp's can be used temporarily when available, and grant Sonic the ability to tunnel through dirt, or become a deadly laser that can bounce off certain surfaces, or a rocket that can blast high into the air at high speed to reach areas otherwise unreachable, just to name a few.

A Sonic Simulator mode can also be unlocked during play by collecting special red rings dotted around each level. These challenges can be played by one or two players in one-on-one or co-op modes.

The second and final DLC chapter for Alan Wake, The Writer sees Alan continue his dark and mysterious journey through his own memories and dreams, people and places from his past coming back to haunt him and turn him against life and all that he stands for. The only thing that keeps him going is his own writing, and as you play through the new chapter, you'll discover words and letters that can be highlighted by your torch, which bend and change the landscape as you move through his own twisted mind. Will you survive long enough to break free?

You'll also revisit old locations of Bright Falls, as seen in Season One, in a twisted and darker light, with new obstacles and enemies awaiting to take you down as you complete the story of Alan Wake, one way or another.

The first downloadable content, and the next chapter in the eerie world of Alan Wake, continues the story of the survival horror thriller where the original (entitled Season One) left off. Alan is stuck within the dark world of Bright Falls, falling under the control of the darkness. His only way out is to follow the signal.

The gameplay of The Signal follows the original closely, although there are some new elements at play. The flashlight, used as a defensive weapon in Season One, can now be reflected against mirrors and other items to increase its power and distance, taking down the horde of enemies in more unique methods than a straight point and flash method. The flashlight can also be used to light explosions if reflected against certain items in time. Alan's own words have also appeared within the world, turning into items of worth and helpful tools to get the player out of a close encounter. All other elements of gameplay, the low amount of ammunition for weapons, interaction with TV sets, and the surreal story of Alan's own mind slowly slipping into a deeper sense of insanity also return.

Uno Rush evolves the typical rules of Uno into a fast paced card game where the old tactics of the game are thrown out the window. Each player can now see the others cards as each round begins. You then have a set time limit to play your hand, based on either the number or colour of the card on the play field. You can re-order the cards in your hand while you wait for your turn to arrive, and if you plan it quick enough, you can play all your cards in one move (matching a colour or number in order) while calling 'Uno!', all in the space of a few seconds. The aim of the game is, as always, be the last person to have no cards remaining.

All the other cards of the Uno deck are playable, draw two, draw four, reverse or skip. There's also a shuffle card that can, as the card suggests, shuffle the next players deck of cards before they get their turn. You can create your own house rules, changing up the speed, or the command cards playable, the kinds of penalties and more.

There's plenty of multiplayer modes and options available, from the standard online modes to local multiplayer for four players, and connection through Xbox Live Party mode. Your character appearance can vary from your Xbox Live avatar, or your own self by using the Xbox camera.

Spider-Man has a problem. Not only has he a collection of villains on his case willing to take him down, but they've all gotten their hands on a piece of a very powerful, very mysterious tablet that's been shattered and spread out across multiple dimensions, in order to keep it out of Mysterio's deadly hands. To defeat them, Spidey and three alternate versions of Spidey (Ultimate, Noir and 2099) must use all their skills, powers and quick one liners to defeat each villain and restore the tablet, in turn stopping Mysterio for good.

In this Nintendo DS edition of the console big brother, Spider-Man progresses through a side-scrolling platform adventure through the four differing dimensions, web swinging and fighting his way through hordes of goons. Attacks differ in power and speed, as well as being both ground or ariel types. Bonus spider icons can be collected and spent on improving each version of the characters' skills set, be it a new attack or an improvement on a previous one, as well as increasing health levels and the length of charge attacks. Each level features a different boss, that can be defeated by discovering a weakness or timing the attack just right in order to take him down and recover a piece of the tablet.

The mazes, the ghosts, the pellets. It's a Pac-Man game in looks, but not entirely in gameplay.

Unlike past editions or the original itself, Championship Edition DX twist the game's style in a new direction, where the playfield is littered with hundreds of ghosts that, when awoken as you move past, follow you in a conga line. Eat a power pellet and you can turn that line of ghosts into a massive points score, which in turn increases the speed of play. There are now two defensive tactics that can help you along the way as well. Pick up and use a bomb, and all the ghosts on the playfield will be shot back to the central holding area for a few seconds. The speed will also suddenly slow down to a 'bullet time' like effect if you're too close to a ghost, giving you a chance to evade and continue on without losing a life.

There are a vast number of game modes and visual styles, following the graphical overhaul made by Pac-Man: Championship Edition. The high tempo music and neon stylings return, along with new graphic-based references to other past Pac-Man games with differing looks to the central character and the ghosts themselves. There are nine different styles of mazes to run through, varying from Spiral which has a number of said spirals that can easily trap you inside, or highway which is full of long straights running across the maze. Game modes include time trials split into short stints and longer runs, a ghost combo mode where the aim is to eat as many ghosts as possible within a combo limit, and the return of score attack (score the highest number of points in either a 5-minute or 10-minute run).

Quake Arena Arcade continues the tradition of online multiplayer shooters set by its predecessor, Quake III: Arena, adding a fresh coat of HD paint and new maps exclusive to the Xbox 360 console.

The aim of each game is to outlast your opponents and obtain the most 'frags', points obtained by downing a foe. You can do so in free for all or team based multiplayer modes, while capture the flag and harvester modes are also available. A variety of weapons are at your disposal including the trusty Rocket Launcher, Lightning Gun, the sniper like Rail Gun and the deadly BFG. Among the various game maps, players can pickup health and armour boosts, along with extra upgrades that can improve speed of movement and the amount of damage given. The maps themselves also include teleporters and jump pads, underground and lava filled tunnels leading from one side of the arena to the next.

On Xbox Live, up to 16 players can compete online. A single player campaign mode is also included, combining most of the online game modes as well as boss battles and challenges. You can add AI bots to any multiplayer session as well as create a practice session if you need to improve your skills, or change up the control scheme to suit your needs and choose a character skin to stand out from the crowd.

X-Men is a 1992 arcade game by Konami. It brings six of the famed mutants together in a battle to stop the master of magnetism, Magneto, from taking over the world once and for all, while saving the life of Professor X in the process.

The side-scrolling beat 'em up allows up to six players in online co-op to play as Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Cyclops, Nightcrawler or Dazzler. Over the course of various levels enemies both familiar to the Marvel comic book series and unique to the game itself will try to stop the X-Men, from the deadly robotic Sentinels to the likes of the Juggernaut, the Blob, and Mystique. If they survive Magneto's various minions they'll eventually face a showdown with the man himself.

This release includes both the 6-player (widescreen) and 4-player (fullscreen) versions of the game as well as both the US and Japan versions. In the Japan version mutant power is used before health when using special moves, and, when playing with more than one player, enemies will drop health and mutant power replenishing items. In the US version mutant power and health is only replenished by defeating bosses or continuing, but after defeating Magneto it's possible to continue playing on a second loop.

In A World of Keflings you find yourself, or more importantly your Xbox Live avatar, within a kingdom torn in three, and it's up to you to get them back up and running.

Using similar strategy building techniques from the original A Kingdom for Keflings, you need to complete a number of story driven quests in order to revitalise the landscape of three unique lands. You can direct your Keflings at any time to help you, giving them a range of tasks such as mundane of resource gathering or upgrading, to the more entertaining such as cannon jumping. A number of particular Keflings will give you further quests, such as a witch who can provide upgrades to your speed and gathering skills.

In addition to online multiplayer, two players can share in the maintenance of a Kingdom together. You can also share and trade collectible items online that you can use to help build your kingdom.

On a routine check through the city, police officer Tony and his sister find themselves sucked up by a UFO and transported to a distant land. Separated from his sister, Tony is left stranded in the middle of nowhere, but luckily for him the aliens left something for him, having stolen a mech from elsewhere in the galaxy. Powerful and deadly, the mech seems to have a mind of its own, and agrees to join Tony on the quest to find his sister.

The side-scrolling shooter pits you against a host of different alien creatures across the galaxy. You'll start inside the mech itself, collecting weapon upgrades along the way to increase your chances of defeating the alien scum. But be careful, if you're hit by them, you'll lose the safety of the mech and be all by yourself.

4-in-1 Fun Pak combines four board games to play against the CPU or a fellow gamer. The include titles are Chess, Checkers, Reversi and Backgammon. Each game features a number of different difficulty settings (1 being the easiest, 6 being the hardest), with simple black and white visuals and a challenging CPU opponent to take on. Multiplayer is available, either using the same Game Boy between two players or using the system link option to play with two Game Boys.

Logan's Shadow, the second PSP iteration of the long running Syphon Filter series, sees Gabe Logan in the battle of his life as he faces the possibility of his long time friend and ally, Lian Xing, could be a double agent.

This 3rd-person stealth title uses all the tricks in the book, with Logan's task made simpler thanks to a number of gadgets, weapons and techniques available to him. For example, using boxes and walls to duck and cover or humans themselves to create a shield against incoming bullets can save you both health and time in the middle of the action.

New interactive moments, such as unlocking doors or moving heavy items out of the way, require the right timing of button presses to pull off the moves. You will also go underwater to explore the depths of the ocean in order to take down the enemy and solve the mystery that could tear the world apart.

There are five multiplayer modes available, two new to the franchise (Sabotage and Retrieval), and three returning modes (Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Rogue Agent).

An updated edition of Every Extend Extra, Extreme (otherwise known as E4) takes the music based shooter to the next level, providing various forms of play as well as online modes.

As with previous editions, E4 is all about timing the detonation of your ship to the beat of the music. E4 Unlimited will have you playing as long as you possibly can, collecting upgrades to increase your multiplier. Follow the beat closely to keep the explosions going, destroying enemy ships around you like fireworks. E4 Limited turns the table, playing you against the clock to rack up the highest score possible. Unique to E4 is The Revenge, which plays out like a more traditional arcade shooter as your ship fights back.

E4 also includes an online versus mode and the ability to add your own music to the game through the Wiz Ur Muzik mode.