When the end of the world comes (and it will), I like to imagine that in the midst of all the rubble and chaos, people will still be playing Skyrim. There doesn't seem to be any way that people won't tinker with the game and in this instance, we get to see dead technology being revived in order to play TES5.

As spotted by PCGamesN, Reddit user nekomichi recently? showed that it's possible to run the game in a Steam Dec??k (so far so normal) using old iPods as controllers. The clip attached to the post shows it working as you would imagine.

Movement itself requires scrolling the click wheel of the one on the right, while the left iPod is being used? for turning. While walking forward and fighting seem to work pretty well, turning left and rig??ht is a bit of a janky affair.

Not intended for speedruns

This idea is actually based on something nekomichi did in November 2022. A video on YouTube shows them setting up some iPods to control Skyrim via PC. Basi?cally, it involves the installation of RockBox, an open source piece of firmware which allows the iPods to be used?? as devices over a USB.

Once installed, it becomes a case of assigning each button and wheel to an action in-game. The me?thod used in the video is almost certainly the same that's used in the Steam Deck version (what is a Steam Deck if not a portable PC, after all).

They've also tested this on Sleeping Dogs, also running on the Deck. However, they say it works much better with Skyrim. There's no reason why you can't try ?this yourself if you happen to have some old iPods flying around. But don't expect to be speedrunning through the game.

The post Here’s Skyrim on a Steam Deck, controlled by iPods appeared first on Destructoid.

A little more touch the gamepad!

I always find it strange when there are celebrity cameos in video games. I'm not talking about something like the zaniness of Keith David being in Saints Row as Keith David (...after having voiced Julius in the first two games), but more like when the celebrity has their exact likeness placed into the title in a serious manner. How does one explain Zachary Levi being in Tomb Raider, for instance?

Oddly, though, I'm not so opposed to Ariana Grande appearing in a Final Fantasy title. This may mostly have to do with the main characters from Final Fantasy XV looking like a J-pop boy band, but having a costumed pop star running around in the zany world of Final Fantasy almost seems natural. I mean, Lightning from XIII lo?oked like she had just left pube??rty, so Ariana isn't too far off.

Along with posting? the awkward photo of being surrounded by six men, Ariana al?so shared the sprite sheet for her character on her Instagram account. Typing that sentence made me a little sick, but any potential fans are sure to be overjoyed by seeing this.

I don't know much about Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius, so I can't tell if this is going to be paid DLC or some kind of timed unlock for the mobile spin-off. Honestly, I can't even find much about how Brave Exvius plays and I keep wanting to type Exivus as if either spelling variation is a real word. Would it really hurt Squ?are Enix to stop with the nonsensical titles?

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Kung Fu on the go

Jade Empire is coming to iOS soon. Aspyr Media, the group responsible for iOS ports of Knights of the Old Republic and Fahrenheit, will be handling porting duties.

T?he game was, allegedly, supposed to release today, but some last-minut??e issues stopped that from happening. IGN does have a trailer that mentions today, but clearly that was jumping the gun.

This port of Jade Empire is based on the PC "Special Edition" that released in 2007. Being the only version of the game I've played, I can say that port is especially awesome. It featured t??exture resolutions up to 1200p, so it should look particularly nice on Retina display iPad?s.

No pricing has been mentioned, but given that KotOR is $1??4.99 on the App Store, I'm going to guess this will be?? the same. I suppose it's better than the Square Enix standard of $16.99 (or whatever the hell it charges).

Jade Empire is coming to iOS fashionably late - report [Eurogamer]

The post Jade Empire heading to iOS appeared first on Destructoid.

LucasArts veteran Bill Tiller brings new adventure title to mobile

The adventure genre has seen a bit of an upswing in recent times. With Telltale Games and Double Fine's recent efforts helping to revitalize the genre, a new generation of gamers are experiencing?? a type of game that was once relegated to a niche audience. The adventure genre has also proven to be a natural fit for the mobile space, which sees many ports and recreations of classic titles. But now, we've got brand new title to keep an eye on.

During this year's Game Developers Conference, I got the chance to check out an upcoming adventure title, The Perils of Man, from former LucasArts developer Bill Tiller, who worked on such classic titles as The Dig, Full Throttle, The Curse of Monkey Island, and A Vampyre Story. And this one seeks to ??recreate and renew the wonder from the genre's past.

Developed by IF Games, The Perils of Man takes players on an adventure through time as Ana Eberling, who must uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of her? father and ?other members of her family. While exploring her family mansion, she uncovers a secret lab possessing technology for time travel. Following clues left behind by her father, she travels to various areas in the past looking for answers.

During your adventure, you'll collect clues, interact with the environment, and talk with NPC characters to uncover the mystery. With lead writer and designer for 1954: Alcatraz Gene Mocsy providing the story, I??F Games wanted to illustrate the narrative's density while at the s??ame time giving players the opportunity to find solutions to puzzles and other obstacles.

"We wanted to convey depth and richness for the dialog," said producer Nathan Ornick. "There's a number of opportuni??ties for investigation, and more dialog tr??ees open up revealing more about the characters, and it shows just how much depth is there for interaction."

Initially, players will explore the family mansion, us??ing wits and other neat tricks to solve the mystery but, eventually, Ana and her clockwork bird companion will travel back in time to such locations as Chicago, London, and the South China Sea. With every new location, ??the investigation changes up and interactions with characters become more difficult, as Ana's modern-day personality doesn't necessarily mesh well with others in the past.

The developers of The Perils of Man were keen on creating a game that was rich in story content, but also one that is accessible and intuitive to control. IF Game??s went with iOS, as it can provide both. "We knew this would be a game we wanted to release onto mobiles first -- it's been designed f??rom the bottom up for touch interface," said Ornick. "The interface fits for point-and-click-style games, but also the way you interact with this narrative game. It's very much like a story book."

I fancy myself an admirer of the adventure genre, and this title seems to channel much of the charm and magic from the past. One of the benefits of this adventure game renaissance we're in now is that we're seeing a lot of talent return to the genre, and The Perils of Man looks to be anothe?r charming, fun title for devot??ees of the genre.

Currently, a demo of The Perils of Man is out now on the App Store for the iPad. The full game, clocking in at around 10-12 hou??rs of length, is expected for release sometime this summer for the iPad and other Apple devices.

The post The Perils of M??an brings an adventure across time to iOS appeared first on Destructoid.

If I was a rich girl...

If you ever wonder why your favorite developer keeps announcing mobile games, know that in fiscal Q1 2014 (October through December 2013, Year of Luigi), Apple sold 51 million iPhones and 26 million iPads -- record breaking numbers for both. Sony selling over 4 million PS4s in a month and a half is plenty cool, b?ut, come on.

For the quarter, Apple posted $57.6 billion in re??venue and $13.1 billion in profit. iPod sales are down by half (to 6 million) from the same time last year, though. 

It's like that one time I was scuba diving with Shaq on Will Smith's private island and a??t dinner the servant boy forgot to pick up a fresh cask of Amontill??ado and I had to drink sherry from a bottle like some kind of heathen.

I can't even accurately fanfic such wealth.

Apple breaks iPhone and iPad sales records i??n Q1 2014 [The Verge]

The post iPhone and iPad sales break Apple records Q1 2014 appeared first on Destructoid.

I hope more games follow suit

Remember when I told you about iOS 7 and the ability for full controller support? Well the developers of Bastion iOS and Walking Dead iOS have added just that, so any future controllers that happen to arrive on the market will be compatible with both games.

I'm surprised Apple took this long to add controller support, but lo and behold, we have it now. I can't imagine how well the company could do with the right push for Apple TV, and the right moves in the publishing arena, but maybe it's just taking it slow. iOS is already an insanely successful platform that grows every year, and this ?is just another great thing to add on top for people who happen to enjoy gam?es on iOS devices.

Bastion [iTunes]
The Walking Dead [iTunes]

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iOS 7 is ushering in a new era of gaming for Apple

Did you know that iOS 7 comes with native support for gaming controllers? Yep, instead of niche products like the iCade tha??t only support a few games, Apple has opened the floodgates for full-on mass support for controller??s on iOS devices.

Although a few other third party hardware companies have shown off their projects, Logitech, one of the biggest manufacturers on the planet is teasing their own -- providing a sign-up page for more info on their Facebook. While this seems like it's not that big of a deal, mass support from a huge company could really drive developers for more tactile control options on iOS. Heck, I'm actually playin??g a game ri??ght now that has full gamepad support, mere days after the official release of iOS 7.

With Apple TV enhancements and crazy mods lik??e bluetooth work-arounds for Dualshock and Wii-mote support, this could mean great things for peopl?e who hate touch controls but want to play iOS exclusives.

Logitech [Facebook]

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Not Litherning to reason

I've been looking forward to Edge of Twilight for years. Following the game from its early promises, through to its legal troubles with orig??inal publisher Southpeak, its worrisome postponement, and eventual retu??????????????????????????rn to the public eye, it's been a compelling story for a game that's boasted a ton of potential. 

To whet our appetites while the main game continues production, developer Fuzzyeyes has released Edge of Twilight: Athyr Above, an iOS ac?tion game that gives us our first real taste of what's on offe?r. 

I wish I could say it's a good omen, a fortuitous start that has me excited for the eventual console launch. Unfortunately, while there's a good game clearly trying to break free of Athyr Above's constraints, it's c??rippled by an ineffective user interface, sluggish controls, and utter??ly broken platform sections. 

All I can really say now is I'm glad this wasn't the only thing all?? these years have led ?to. 

Edge of Twilight: Athyr Above (iOS)
Developer: Fuzzyeyes Entertainment
Publisher: Fuzzyeyes Entertainment
Released: March 28, 2013
MSRP: $4.99

Quite what Athyr Above is supposed to be in r?elation to the rest of the planned series is unclear, as the lengthy opening cinematic feels like we've been introduced to a conversation halfway finished. We get a vague sense of a world split into day and night, and each half's distinctive races -- the Athern and Lithern -- are namechecked. Our hero is revealed to be a blend of both races, but beyond that, char??acters may as well be speaking a different language. 

Ei?ther way, it doesn't matter, since the game abandons any attempted narrative as soon as the first level kicks into gear. Played as a simple hack n' slash RPG, each stage involves brief jaunts through linear stages, interrupted frequently by waves of enemies. Every now and then there'll be a switch, or some absolutely? terrible platforming sections, but more on those later. 

Athyr Above goes with a unique control scheme that, far from feeling suited to the touch interface, comes off more awkward than most comparable third-person iOS releases. Touching the sc??reen prompts the hero to walk in the direction of impact, while tapping with another finger makes him jump. To attack enemies, a finger must be placed directly on opponents until a ring encircles them. The protagonist then moves toward and attacks the m?onster every time the finger is swiped.

Combat is, essentially, a case of touching monsters and rubbing them furiously until they're dead. While the game tries to make this more interesting by claiming attacks do more damage if the finger is lifted and replaced, the monsters move too frequen??tly and the in?put is too laggy for this feature to ever be considered useful. 

Every time the hero is hit, he'll fall to the ground and the circle wil??l be broken. To attack again, you need to touch the monster and start rubbing once more, a problem made all the more troublesome by the fact that combat just isn't responsive and often fails to register one's commands. To avoid taking damage, players can double tap anywhere on the screen to roll -- which again only works occasionally, and is generally so slow it does a pitiful job of actually escaping an enemy blow.

Outside of this, combat in general is clunky and dull. Enemies barely attack to cover the player's lack of input options, and telegraph their moves loudly to make up for the combat roll's inadequacies. Athyr's few bosses are insufferable atrocities, with attack patterns that make no sense and are almost impossible to avoid. One boss in pa??rticular is able to perform an instant-kill move the second you get close enough to attack it. It is at this point, ten stages in, I personally threw in the towel. 

That said, I came close to tossing my iPad away at many points before then, most notably thanks to horrifically broken platforming sections. The game is littered with deadly chasms that, once fallen into, end the game session unless players pay an excessive toll of 1,000 experience points. When one isn't fighting enemies, one is wrestling with an unintuitive two-finger control scheme to try and make ju??mps across large gaps while hoping against hope the skewed camera angles don't cause the "hero" to leap fifty yards wide of the destination. Even in combat, there are usually death-drops that can be fallen into simply by running or dodging in the wrong direction. As a small consolation, at least enemies are equally as likely to fall to their deaths, give??n their total lack of intelligence. 

The camera's a mess, often switching angles when players are trying to climb up ladders, and causing the character to enter a seizure as he hops?? on and off the rungs. Levers have a tiny invisible hit detection box that requires an exact press of the finger before they'll work. Eventually, you'll have access to ranged weapons and special moves that suffer from the same sluggish performance as the rest of the controls, and are generally a deathtrap to use. 

What really makes this crushingly disappointing is the fact that, under the rubble of failure, there's a genuinely promising game. The general hack n' slash combat would have been pretty decent if it could be controlled in a far less convoluted way, and the general idea of a protagonist that can switch between two forms in order to navigate the environment is a good one. I also really like the leveling system, in which players use "ether" to flip switches on a character sheet, turning various stats and upgrades on and off. These switches ??can be flipped at any leveling station, and managing ether levels allows a greater flexibility of customization. It's a really neat idea, and one I'd like to see in a better game. 

One thing the game really has going for it is a nice design. While graphics aren't the most intensive, character and environment designs really nail that steampunk aesthetic, and some of the monsters on offer are delightfully gruesome. Of special note is the gorgeous soundtrack, providing a range ?of beautiful tunes that deserve to be in a game far more complementary to its quality than this. 

All it would take to cut this game's failings in half would be a virtual movement stick and buttons, allowing fo?r more direct input that would give combat a greater sense of dynamism and would likely lead to more responsive commands. The attempt to make a control scheme designed to work fluidly on an iPad has, in this case, absolutely failed. Sticking to a traditional method would have helped the game in spades, though it likely wouldn't have solved ?all the issues. 

Athyr Above comes across predominantly as a game on the wrong system. With some design tweaks, it may have enjoyed a far better time on something like the PlayStation Vita, which can handle a game clearly more suited to physical buttons. I've got nothing against the touch interface, and enjoy quite a few iOS games, but Edge of Twilight clearl?y has no place using it, not if this is the best it can do. 

I hate having to do this. I've been rooting for Edge of Twilight for years, and I want to see the real game come to fruition. More importantly, I want it to be good, and I was hoping Athyr Above would set my mind at ease. Sadly, this game seems just so woefully misguided, though I take comfort from the fact I can at least see a solid game attempting to happen. Athyr's ?heart is in?? the right place, but its body is a total shambles. 

I'll keep rooting for better. 

The post Review: Edge of Twilight: Athyr Above appeared first on Destructoid.

Run run run!

The guys behind Monday Night Combat have just put out a new iPhone and iPad game called Outland. I have yet to play it but based on the trailer it looks to echo games like Jetpack Joyride, Robot Unicorn Attack, and the like.

You can give it a shot right now for $0.99, and the game is compatible with iPhone 4 or higher, iPod Touch fourth generation or higher, and iPad 2 or higher. You'll also need to be on at least iOS 5 for Outland to work.

The post Outland is a runner-style game from the Super MNC te????????????????????????????am appeared first on Destructoid.

All the Basest

Final Fantasy is close to being the Star Wars of the videogame industry, and not in a positive way. Square Enix, the George Lucas of this particularly scenario, has done a fine job exploiting its brand to almost damaging proportions, attaching the Final Fantasy name to anything it can, regardless o??f quality.&?nbsp;

Final Fantasy All the Bravest could be seen as the culmination of that. It is to Final Fantasy what a Toys R Us shelf stocked with Jar Jar Binks dolls was to Star Wars. Only, slightly worse. 

After all, the Jar Jar Binks dolls ne?ver asked you to keep giving it money after you'd bought it.

Final Fantasy All the Bravest (iOS)
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Released: January 17, 2013
MSRP: $3.99, $3.99, $3.99, $3.99, $1.99, $2.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99, $0.99

Final Fantasy All the Bravest promises the return of the Active Time Battle system, boasts combat parties of up to forty heroes plucked from the series' history, and seduces fans with its nostalgic graphics and music. All the Bravest is not, however, the remi??niscent tour de force it could have been. It is, instead, an exercise in providing as li?ttle entertainment as possible for the maximum financial return.

It is an idea of a videogame, expecting money from consumers in exchange for memories they could have had by watching YouTube videos. Gameplay is practically non-existent, the software merely a conduit through which you directly deposit your dollars into Square Enix's bank account. It's a service that you both work for and pay for, while the company in charge does noth?ing but rake in the loot. 

The game is essentially a series of "battles" in which all you need to do is wipe your finger across the screen. Swiping or tapping on a party member causes it to launch an attack, after which a timer appears above its head to indicate when it can ?attack again. To win a battle, you rub furiously at the screen until the monsters are dead, then move onto the next fight. No thought required, no strategy, no alternative methods of attack. You rub, rinse, and repeat, until everything is dead. Along the way, you level up, gain items to boost attacks, acquir??e new heroes, and earn Gil, but everything is handled automatically, allowing you to continue rubbing with brainless abandon.

Every three hours (in real-time), you can activate a "Fever" mode which eliminates the "Active Time" portion of the battle and allows characters to attack freely. This equates to more rubbing, requir?ing no extra thought or impetus from the player. 

That, literally, is Final Fantasy All the Bravest. That is the gameplay, described in its entire?ty. You smear your hand across your iOS device's screen until you hear the victory theme, then do it again. And again. And again. And again. Square Enix honestly could have eliminated the swiping process to make characters attack automatically, and it would have equated to the same experience, albeit with less wrist strain. Something is wr??ong when you could remove any form of player input without it negatively impacting your game. 

Of course, All the Bravest does not exist to be played. That's not the goal. The goal is for its publisher to make more money beyond the $3.99 asking price. You see, in order to get a party that will decently stand up to the game's boss monsters, you're expected to spend more real-world cash to acquire powerful heroes. Spending $0.99 allows you to summon a famous hero from the Final Fantasy series, selected at random. This hero will then join the party and launch attacks the same way as any other character. Being randomized, players looking for a particular character will need to spend anywhere up to 35 dollars?????????????????????????? in order t??o get the right one. 

Everything in the game is carefully designed to pressure you into buying things. The boss "difficulty" spikes are used to convince you that you really need a new hero. The inability to directly control the battle places the emphasis on purchasing more power rather than developing skills or tactics to surpass an obstacle. When you die, your party revives by one character every three minutes, in a bid to bore you into purchasing an instant-revival item. Despite being sold on nostalgia, the truly memorable Final Fantasy content is l??ocked behind e??xpansion packs, each costing a further $3.99.

Make no mistake -- Final Fantasy All the Bravest did not come about through lazy design. While the mindless battles may look like the result of a total lack of effort, it was a coldly calculated, meticulously developed system crafted to draw out your wallet. It's as intricately designed a game as any other Final Fantasy installment -- the design simply wasn't used to enhance t?h?e gameplay this time around. 

In a way, I'm almost impressed. This is a game that you don't really play while it demands money for no good reason. The nerve, the sheer rotten gall of that is almost laudable. Despicable, intellectually offensive, and grotesque, most certainly -- but still deviously magnificent. What really hammers it home is the fact that, during the course of the game, you acquire masses and masses of Gil -- in-game currency that has absolutely no in-game use. It's almost as if Square Enix is gleefully mocking its users by showering them w??ith useless coins as it vacuums up the real ones.

Final Fantasy All the Bravest is not really a game. It's a cash delivery system, with you playing as the courier, your money the cargo, and Square Enix the unpaying recipient. After years of trying to monetize videogames, Square Enix has now moved on to monetizing customers themselves. It's cut out the irritating middle man that is the videogame, and found a way to simply get people to hand over money in exchange for nothing. That is what All the Bravest is. It's nothing. It's air. It's a thought. You're ??buying a concept in order to keep buying concepts. 

Final Fantasy All the Bravest is fucking disgusting.

The post Review: Final Fantasy All the Bravest appeared first on Destructoid.

This is not a joke!

The last thing I was expecting ?during CES week is that I'd be so excited over two retro re-releases of some classic Windows games from 1991 on the Apple App Store. Go figure.

Yup, SkiFree and Rodent's Revenge have just been released for $0.99 each. SkiFree can be considered the first "runner" style game, where you have to race down a slope, avoiding obstacles and the most evil creature in all of gaming. Rodent's Revenge sees ?you playing as a mouse having to solve puzzles and avoiding cats.

I spoke with Tommy Tornroos of GearSprout, the company responsible for re-releasing both these games. He informed me that they reached out to Chris Pirih -- the original creator of SkiFree -- about creating the iOS versions. Eventually they were directed to Microsoft, and were told that the company was "no longer claiming? rights" ?to the games, giving GearSprout the all clear to move ahead.

Unfortunately, the name SkiFree was reserved so the company released SkeeFree for the time being. The rights to the name eventually expired as nothing was created by whoever was holding onto it, thus giving GearSprout the chance to proper??ly re-release the classic now. Tommy also informed me that they'??re talking with Apple about merging both versions.

GearSprout is currently working on an original game that will be released this February. After that you can expect some more Microsoft Entertainment packs in the near future as they've "been receiving many requests" for other classic games. Fingers crossed for Chip's Challenge!

If you're excited as I am then that means you're really old.

Rodent's Revenge [iTunes]
SkiFree [iTunes]
[Image]

The post SkiFree and Rodent’s Revenge out now for iOS devices! appeared first on Destructoid.

Wanna be startin' somethin'

All this Grand Theft Auto anniversary talk makes me feel old. It feels like just yesterday I was listening to Michael Jackson, swerving around as Tommy Vercetti, and taking in the sights of Rockstar??'s faux-Miami setting.

I think a lot of people missed out on Vice City because it came out so soon after Grand Theft Auto III, and that's a shame. Just like Grand Theft Auto III on mobile devices before it, this new anniversary edition honors the franchise's ?legacy: so long as you're willing to put up with touch controls.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: 10 Year Anniversary (iOS [reviewed on an iPhone 4], Android)
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Released: December 6, 2012
MSRP: $4.99

Yep, Vice City is back. This new mobile version ?still features the same sexy 1980s veneer, and still features the wise-cracking m??ob scumbag Tommy Vercetti (Ray Liotta).

Visually, the game has been updated a bit, and the new look suits the neon and bright pastel veneer quite well. Draw-distance issues while driving aside, the new lighting effects and smoothed-out engine really allow the game to pop like it never has befo?re.

Like the scheme used in the mobile version of GTA III, the controls for Vice City are a little better than you would expect, but still have the standard touch-precision issues. Movem?ent is done by way of a virtual analog?? stick that appears wherever you put your left thumb. While it might sound great on paper, I've had instances numerous times where I've attempted to run away, only to have the d-pad shift to another spot on-screen.

Outside of movement though -- and barring one unfortunate virtual button placement (the handbrake is near the "exit vehicle button," which can make for some funny mission failures) -- everything pretty much works how you'd want it to, with on-screen buttons for each potential action. Considering everything except the ??movement button can be sized and placed anywhere on the screen, you should be able to find a comfortable medium.

Although there is controller support on the Android version of the game, the iOS version (wh?ich was reviewed here) had no such feature -- so if you're on an Apple device, you'll have to settle for touch controls.

Sm??aller bonuses are included in the mobile package, such as the ability to autosave (with iCloud save support on iOS devices), the aforementioned customizable layout, a tap-to-shoot targeting system, and the ability to create your own custom radio station using your iTunes playlist. The tap-to-shoot scheme takes some getting used to, but it does work, and everyt??hing else also works as advertised.

Outside of these ancillary additions to the anniversary version, by far the best addition is the Mission Retry function that debuted in Chinatown Wars, and was cemented by The Ballad of Gay Tony. Straight-up, I think it's a required function that should be in every GTA going forward.

Nothing is worse than failing a mission a few seconds away from victory, only to start over at the hospital and have to find your way to the mission marker again. It absolutely killed the pacing in earlier games, and this addition alone is a great reason to visit Vice City again.

As far as the core game goes, everything is intact. The soundtrack, the quirky Rockstar charm, the Scarface-influenced setting -- it's all here. I really enjoyed replaying some of my favorite missions from the PS2 classic, and even rediscovered a few new scenarios t??hat I didn't experience o??riginally.

To be clear, there's nothing new content wise in this version, but the sheer scale of the GTA games makes it easy to come across a feeling of freshness. Although the game does show signs of aging even with the updated engine, fans of open-world games should still be able to enjoy Vice City with an open mind ten years later.

If you hate GTA games because you feel like they're too "bland," Vice City is your gateway drug. It oozes more charm than pretty much any game in the series outside of possibly San Andreas (provided you're a fan of hip-hop culture for that entry), and the smaller scale of the city makes it a much more manageable affair. If you're curious about the franchise, this is a great starting point before GTA V hits next year.

The post Review: G??rand Theft Auto: Vice City: 10 Year Anniversary appeared first on Destructoid.

The first episode of Telltale's The Walking Dead will be out on iOS devices this Thursday for $4.99. The studio stated in a blog posting that they've created a new interface to provide a "more intuitive experienc?e with the touch screen." It is indeed a universal app, and compatible with the iPad 2, the new iPad, iPhone 4, 4S, and iPods fourth generation and above.

Like the other versions, your decisions in the game will carry over into future episodes whenever they're released on the App Store. You'll also be able to pre-purchase all the future Walking Dead episodes for $14.99, saving you 25% compared to buying each episode individua?lly.

Walking Dead: The Game is officially sliding to iOS this Thursda??y! [Telltale Games]

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This is just too damn cute. Tiny Wings creator Andreas Illiger has just announced Tiny Wings 2 in probably the best teaser trailer ever created. Andreas uses a music box to play the theme song of Tiny Wings as the bird flies across the hand-draw??????????????????????????n level. So cute!

You won't have to wait long for the sequel as Tiny Wings 2 will be out on ??July 12 for the iOS. That's next week!

The post Tiny Wings 2’s announcement trailer is too cute appeared first on Destructoid.

Bulkypix has announced a new game for iOS devices, scheduled to launch on July 5. It's called Hasta La Muerte, and it's a billing itself as a uni?que "survival-platformer" with art game elements. 

As an emissary of death, players will be required to accompany souls and rescue them from damnation while avoiding the wrath of those already lost. Taking a few cues from Pac-Man, the "chase-and-be-chased" gameplay is aided by Soulpets, s?pecial souls that can be used to enhance the player's powers. 

It has a unique hand-drawn art ?style with some very nice character designs, and sounds like the kind of weirdness I'm into. I'll definitely be looking forward to this one!

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On iOS, you've got your auto-scrolling runners, fairly straightforward affairs that require careful tapping to avoid oncoming obstacles. Decent enough in bursts, games in ?this genre tend to suffer from uniformity. You've also got more traditional platformers, which do their best to replicate standard controls using only touch commands. They are functional at times, but it's quite frustrating when your input fails to register.

This Could Hurt, developed by Orange Agenda and published by Chillingo, is something of a marriage of both auto-scrollers and typical platformers. There are 40 isometric levels replete with twists, turns, ladders, and pitfalls, and your avatar just trai?pses along thr?ough automatically. To stop walking, you simply tap and hold the screen, timing your pauses perfectly to avoid spike traps, buzz saws, flame jets, swinging mallets, and more. You earn badges by avoiding damage or clearing a level under a time limit, and you can purchase single-use items to make the journey a little less hazardous.

There's certainly nothing new about This Could Hurt, but the simple change? in perspective provides a fresh outlook. Plus, each level is short enough that restarting a run never makes you feel like you've wasted your time. You get a nice dose of challenge without any excessive penalties. For $0.99, it's not bad at all!

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Just as the solar eclipse is peaking in Japan comes news that Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP is set to be released in Japan! Superbrothers and Capybara Games will be releasing one my favorite iOS games of all time in Japan with the help of ??8-4, Ltd. on June 21. This launch will include the iOS versions, as well as the PC and Mac versions via Steam.

Additionally, there's going to be a remix album released on June 21 too! The album will remix seven of Jim Guthrie's songs and will feature famous Japanese composers such as Michiru Yamane (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night), Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill), Baiyon (PixelJunk 4am), Mitsuto Suzuki (Final Fantasy XIII-2), chiptune artist macot??om3, and superhero Decassé;gui? Hip.

The album will go for just $5 and will be available online for all. Check out a sample of the new remixes below.

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"Shoot straight, conserve ammo, and never, ever, deal with a dragon." -- Street proverb

Legendary designer Jordan Weisman (under his new company Harebrained Schemes) has launched a Kickstarter campaign to create a new game based on his classic pen-and-paper RPG, Shadowrun. The project, Shadowrun Returns, is billed as a 2D, turn-based RPG for PC and mobile devices which will return players to the fantas??tic mix of high fantas?y and cyberpunk beloved the world over by fans.

Speaking as one of those die-hard fans of the property, the ideas laid out on the Kickstarter page do have me salivating. Featuring class-based mechanics which will allow players to perceive the multiple layers of the world and interact with them, the title will also mark a return to the best period in the game's history, the 2050's. Mission structure will allow for a layered narrative with many smaller stories contributed by some of the best writers the series' fiction ever had, including Michael A. Stackpole, Tom Dowd, and Mike Mulvihill (oh, if only Nigel D. Findley hadn't been taken from us so soon!).

In addition to the game, Harebrained Schemes will also be releasing their level editor which will allow players to create their own missions an??d stories using exactly the same tools the developers are using.

This project differs from an upcoming MMO from Cliffhanger Productions using the same setting, Shadowrun Online (a title Weisman is also consulting on), which will be set two decades later in the setting's chronology but will be informed by elements in Shadowrun Returns, making a connection between the two titles.

Allow me to put into perspective for a moment how much of a Shadowrun geek I am. My AOL account, the first globally connected service I ever used starting in 1994, has the username "Dunkelzahn," taken from the name of a dragon turned presidential ca??ndidate in the game setting. I still have it and, on occasion, receive messages from people relating to the name (although, often in German). Yes, I was -- and continue to be -- a massive dork.

Ten years ago, I would probably have considered murder if I thought it would get this game made. Today, I have some concerns about how much fun I'm going to have pla?ying a turn-based RPG (a genre I fell out of love with long ago) but my resolve is steadfast. It's still more up my alley than the MMO and I was totally on board for that.

The Kickstarter is already half funded now with 24 days left to go, so it looks like there's a pretty good chance they'll get the $400k they're looking for. If you'll excuse me, I'm off to start a Kickstarter to raise $10,000 so that I can have Mike Mulvihill come to my house and run a Shadowrun game for me and five of my friends.

Shadowrun Returns [Kickstarter]

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When I said, "Take my money Replay, take it now," in response to the announcement that Replay Entertainment had acquired the Leisure Suit Larry property for the purposes of remaking the series, I was being figurative. Replay must have taken me at my word, however, as they've begun a Kickstarter campaign to generate funds for the development of HD remakes of Leisure Suit Larry.

This news irks me. I was thoroughly excited by hearing that the games were being made but the announcement of this fundraising drive calls a little into question how serious Replay really was about putting this project together. They're seeking half a million dollars in funding and the Kickstarter itself seems to be focused on Land of the Lounge Lizards (the first Larry adventure), but repeatedly mentions the entire series, so it's not entir?ely clear whether we're funding the first game or the whole run. 

Of course, if the Kickstarter blows up, I suppose it could just go from one to the other and Replay is offering some rather nice rewards for those who wish to contribute. For contributing at various levels, you'll get a copy of Leisure Suit Larry in The Land of the Lounge Lizards RELOADED (digital or physical, depending on your contribution), the soundtrack, an art book, even a Leisure Suit Larry-branded condom. There are even a couple of rewards for high rollers who want to donate some big money, includ??ing an opportunity to be immortalized?? in the game by having your name used as part of the solution to a pivotal puzzle.

That said, I'm not a very happy camper here. The whole thing reeks of jumping on the bandwagon, particularly coming as it doe?s six months following the announcement that these games were in development. I'm a little uncomfortable with the sheer volume of Kickstarter projects floating around in our games business these?? days, frankly. Until we start seeing some strong, practical examples of the crowdfunding and participatory development elements working which people can point to and say, "this is how you do this well" (a charge which will no doubt be led by developments at Double Fine, whether they like it or not), I'm keeping my wallet firmly in my pocket.

Right after I make sure Larry gets made.

Make Leisure Suit Larry come again [Kickstarter]

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In a conference call today, social gaming megalith Zynga has announced the acquisition of OMGPop, the developer responsible for the wildly popular Draw Something for iOS devices. According to a post at the Wall Street Journal (as reported ?by Joystiq), Zynga shelled out $200 million for the c?ompany whose staff will be joining the Zynga New York studio. 

This continues the pattern of Zynga buying up anything honing in on their market. They could very well have just made their own variant of the Pictionary game??, of course, but why bother when you have piles of cash lying around and a great product already exists?

Zynga buys Draw Something dev OMGPOP [Joystiq]

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Electronic Arts is closing down the servers for a number of games, including a few that required paid online passes to activate. A representative told Beefjack that dwindling activity on ??the?? games is the reason, and that "less than 1%" of EA customers will be affected. 

The games will go dark on April 13 and ar????e as follows:

• BOOM BLOX Bash Party
• Burnout Revenge
• EA Create
• EA Sports Active
• EA Sports Active NFL Training Camp
• FIFA 10
• The Godfather II
• Need for Speed ProStreet
• The Saboteur (Midnight Club access)
• Spare Parts

Also, on March 31, online services for Battlefield 3 Aftershock, Fantasi Safair and Ghost Harvest will be terminated. They are all iPhone ga?mes ??that you probably don't care about.

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Square Enix has revealed that iOS RPG sequel Chaos Rings II is launching w??orldwide on March 15. It's also got a launch trailer, which you can stare at above. 

I shall certainly be looking forward to this. I really dug the original Chaos Rings when it launched a few years back, and I'm hoping to see them switch stuff up this time. The prequel wasn't quite so good, but it felt like they'd squirted that out while the sequel was in?? development. Hopefully the sequel is where all the fun went.

So yeah, I want this to be a good thing, if that'?s not too much t??rouble.

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SEGA Japan has opened up an official site for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2, and filled it with juicy screenshots for you to gawp at lik?e?? a big bloody idiot. If you hate official websites, however, don't worry. We have the images in our own gallery. 

It's looking quite saucy, although I hate the presence of so much water. In all honestly, who has ever loved water levels? I can only imagine fish enjoyin??g such horrible stages, ?and we can all agree that fish lack the physical traits required to manipulate a videogame controller. 

Unless there are ??controllers designed for fish. Let us know if those exist.

Sonic 4??: Episode 2 J??apanese Website Now Open, New Screenshots [Sonic Stadium]

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Yakuza and Binary Domain creator Tos?hihiro Nagoshi has made a bold claim -- stating that handheld and mobile systems will dominate the n??ext generation of games. He also believes that the PC market will continue to grow and help eclipse consoles. 

"Well, the first thing is that consoles -- PS3, PS4, Xbox 360-2 -- the market for those will get smaller, and the main market will become portable games," he said. "I don't think consoles ??will disappear, but more and more people will use home PCs for gaming, and a long time in the future it will just be?? PCs and mobile phones, and eventually mobiles will become just as powerful as games consoles."

He also believes that the way we interact with games needs to change, and eve??n believes that? a new type of interface -- outside of buttons or gestures -- will be the key. 

"The most important and unavoidable thing is the interface. Right now, that means either buttons or touchscreens. Those are the only two interfaces we have. I think it's strange ?the number of buttons has increased and never decreased. So that means we need to reset things, somehow. Like I was saying earli??er, I think the answer lies in some as-yet unknown third type of interface."

Weird that he didn't bring up motion control, but it seems people have grown pretty tired of that by now. In any case, Nagoshi has his head screwed on tight and I think a lot of what he says looks pretty damn likely. With the amount of bullshit hitting consoles lately, I know I much prefer gaming on han?dhelds and PC at the moment. What about you? 

Portables, not home consoles, will dominate next-gen, ?says Yakuza c??reator [CVG]

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Zynga appears to have given up on copying its own games over and over, and has moved on to the straightforward plagiarizing of other peoples' work. Dream Heights is Tiny Tower to the core, the only difference be?ing Zynga's inferior artistic direction. 

Tiny Tower's developer, Nimblebit, has noticed the simi?larities and called out the 2,789-strong company in a wonderfully sarcastic way. 

Zynga's relatively short history already has a laundry list of legal tussles relating to intellectual property rights, seeing it on both the defense and offense. Like many successful game companies, it will protect its own rights doggedly, but has no problem shamelessly copying everybody else. Apparently that's how you ?get ahead. 

Stay classy, Zynga!

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Rayforce is now out on the App store for iPhone and iPod users. It's the classic shoot 'em up you remember, but there are some new features like the obv?ious touch controls. Additionally, you can view the game in the original arcade aspect ration setting or play in the newly added full-screen zoomed mode. Plus there's the option between manual and automatic firing controls now.

The only downside is that Rayforce is going for $11.99. It's weird, that price would be normal if it was on XBLA or PSN. But on the iPhone? Perhaps I'm just spoiled by all the $0.99 games available on ??the App store.

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Regular Show may very well be the best cartoon series on television right now, rivaled only by Adventure Time. Taking the "disguised adult jokes" ball from Rocko's Modern Life and running hal?fway around the world with it, the consistent nods to Internet c??ulture and dalliances with dark humor make for a show that could easily have been on Adult Swim as opposed to Cartoon Network. 

For a show with so many videogame references, an interactive spin-off was inevitable. Unfortunately, while Regular Show: Nightmare-athon is a relatively painless distraction, it's certainly not an essential item in the Regular Show fan's must-have checklist.

Regular Show: Nightmare-athon (iOS)
Developer: Cartoon Network
Publisher: Cartoon Network
Released: December 20, 2011
MSRP: $0.99

Nightmare-athon is a relatively simple score attack game, based on the Halloween episode "Grave Sights." Zombies have taken over a live screening of Zombobcalypse, and it's up to slacker prota??gonists Mordecai and Rigby to fight them back and protect the audience. 

Gameplay takes the basic form of a static arcade shooter, a'la Space Invaders. Mordecai and Rigby are positioned on the left hand side of the screen, while increasingly challenging waves of zombies stumble in f??rom the right.

Holding a finger on the heroes allows one to slide them up and down, while tapping anywhere else on the screen will have Mordecai toss a bowling ball at the oncoming undead.?? During combat, a gauge will steadily fill, allowing players to unleash Rigby by swiping the screen. Rigby will run across th?e field along a diagonal course, taking down zombies with his stick for a limited period of time. 

Pickups are dropped at random, allowing the temporary use of more powerful weapons such as discuses, javelins, or even a Skips-driven golf cart that smashes multiple zombies in a row. Outside of these powerups, there really isn't a whole lot more to the game. As waves are cleared, the zombies absorb more damage and grow increasingly numerous, but otherwise you can experience everything Nightmare-athon has to offer in one session. 

Every now and then, Mordecai and Rigby may spout phrases from the show, but the use of such phrases feel cynical and forced, which is at odds with the fact that Regular Show is one of the more honest and genuine cartoons on T?V. To hear the charac??ters state quotes out of context for the sake of it is a little embarrassing, really. Still, the graphics are pretty nice, resembling the cartoon perfectly. 

Regular Show: Nightmare-athon is what it is -- a quick little distraction cobbled together to promote the show and make a quick buck. With that in mind, it does its job well enough, and certainly isn't badly made. It's just rather flat, soulless, and incredibly repetitive. While it's a decent waste of five minutes, even the most hardcore fans of Regular Show can find something better to do with tim??es. 

The phrase, "not bad, but not good either" is a worn and tired cliche. Sometimes, however, it's the most pertinent thing to be said. Oh, that and the fact you can also just play it for free online. 

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Ripoff games on iOS are nothing new, with no shortage of developers willing to trade their integrity for a handfull of dollars. Mole Kart is an almost beautiful in its utter, unapologetic, shamelessness. 

As you can see from the trailer, this is more than just an "inspired" game. Those tracks are lifted directly from Mario Kart Wii, as well as the power-up crates and special abilities. The only "original" element is the cast of characters, and even they look like twist??ed composites of every mascot ??character seen in a game since 1991. 

I can't help but be impressed by this kind of plagiarism. The completeness and obviousness of the theft is damn near majestic.

Absolutely shameless Mario Kart rip??-off hits the iTunes stor?e [GoNintendo]

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It's been quite some time, but the second episode of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has finally been unveiled. The first teaser trailer made an appearance on GameSpot (skip to 1:16 in the video above) and it's already announced some sign????????????????????????????ificant additions. 

Metal Sonic will be the episode's big villain, and Tails is returning. Sadly, no gameplay has been revealed, but Sonic brand overlord Ken Balough has confirmed that the oft-maligned physics from Episode 1 have bee?n fixed, with the hedgehog better resembling his Genesis counterpart.

Hopefully, those people who were freaking out over the physics in Episode 1 can put their diapers back on and relax.

Episode 2 will be on the Xbox 360, PS3, iOS, Windows Phone 7 and Android. Ken did not confirm a Wii version, but wi?th this title due out in 2012, it??'s highly possible it be a Wii U title.

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