Aiko Island doesn’t 
follow the path of virtually every other game in the puzzle field and that alone makes it worthy of notice. While the game itself isn’t revolutionary (it’s a physics-based block popper, where you must eliminate all but the blue blocks onscreen), its inclusion of a branching path system, letting you decide which puzzles to tackle next, is nice. And the multiplayer mode, letting you compete against friends via speed-run results, is a nice solution to the solo gaming silo so many puzzlers fall into. The plot is completely forgettable, but that’s not unusual. On the whole, it’s different enough to be worth of your time.
Monthly Archives: October 2011
Game Review: Tropico 4
Tropico 4 is a lot 
like Tropico 3 (which was a lot like its predecessors as well) — so if you’re looking for an innovative city-building experience, this isn’t it. There’s a strong argument to be made, though, that if something’s not broken, then there’s no need to fix it. The tweaks to the game, such as the reworked goal system and inclusion of natural disasters, improve on the formula and keep players engaged. The game’s Achilles heel is the Xbox controller, which handles the enormous slew of in-game option choices adequately, but not admirably. Playing the PC version of the game is much smoother.
The game is remarkably deep, but that might actually work against it with people who are new to this genre. It’s intimidating — and even with a good tutorial, it takes a while to get your sea legs. Worse still, the tutorial takes quite a while to work through, and some players will be tempted to skip it, which will ultimately hurt them. However, for those who stick with it (or those who are familiar with the series or genre), it’s a solid addition to the Tropico line of games.
App Review: HighFlyer Death Defyer(i4)
Blending sky diving 
with action gaming sounds like a wonderful recipe for success, but HighFlyer Death Defyer (i4) wastes that potential with an overbearing story, terrible controls, and poor pacing. The opening tutorials go on so long that it’s easy to think they’re the actual game — before the story really kicks in with a comic book-style narrative and dangerous obstacles to avoid. It’s the controls that really hurt the game, though. It’s very easy to get lost as you dive and to miss goals — which ultimately means you fail the level and must restart. And that quickly leads to frustration. The game has ambitious goals, but in the end it doesn’t achieve any of them well.
Sony’s PlayStation 3D TV finds a launch date
Of all the video game 
publishers, none has been more bullish on 3D than Sony. Most of the company’s original titles for the PlayStation 3 this year will be 3D enabled – and the company previously announced plans for a 3D starter set for players who were on the fence about the technology.
After a lot of dodging, Sony has finally unveiled the launch date for that set: Nov. 13. The 24-inch display will be bundled with one set of active 3D glasses, a six foot HDMI cable and (for those who preordered the device) a copy of the upcoming “Resistance 3” (others will get a copy of “MotorStorm Apocalypse”). It will retail for $499.
PlayStation Vita to hit U.S. shelves in February 2012
After remaining 
eerily quiet for months on when gamers outside of Japan would get their hands on the PlayStation Vita, Sony has finally come clean.
The next-generation handheld gaming system will go on sale in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Latin America on Feb. 22 of next year, just over two months after it goes on sale in Sony’s home country.
Zynga, Rovio And The IPO Issue
You don’t have 
to be a wizard of Wall Street to know the market sucks these days. While the Dow Jones Industrial average is slightly higher than it was at the start of the year, persistent fears of a double-dip recession – or worse – are preventing both individual and institutional investors from jumping into the market with any gusto.
That’s starting to affect the valuations of companies with looming public offerings, including a high profile one in the gaming world. And it should be a lesson to other game companies thinking about an IPO.
New Space Invaders champ doubles previous record
If Earth is ever 
attacked by waves of slow-marching aliens, Richie Knucklez might be humanity’s greatest hope.
While he’s been playing Space Invaders since he was 11 years old, the Flemington, NJ arcade owner had the best game of his life earlier this month. The best game, in fact, of anyone’s life.
Actress sues IMDB for revealing her age
An unidentified actress 
is suing the parent company of the Internet Movie Database for over $1 million for revealing her age and refusing to remove it after she requested the site do so.
The actress, who is using the alias Jane Doe in the suit, is seeking $75,000 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages from retail giant Amazon, which owns the popular Hollywood database.
Apple misses on earnings, shares tumble
For the first time 
since 2004, Apple has fallen short of Wall Street’s earnings expectations.
The company reported earnings of $7.05 per share in its fourth fiscal quarter. While that represented a 54 percent gain in net income, it was still notably less than the $7.39 analysts had expected of the company. Shares fell roughly 6 percent in after-hours trading.
App Review: Dark Meadow
While there’s no 
question that Dark Meadow is much too violent and scary for young players, those looking for a good scare and decent action could do a lot worse. Using the same graphics engine as the hit Infinity Blade, the game looks fantastic and features detailed, creepy monsters. What makes the game really stand out, though, is its story. Moreso than most games in the App Store, this game is as much about plot as it is action, with well-written and well-acted voice segments from your largely unseen in-game ally. Better still, the game doesn’t repeat itself in that script.
The game’s not without faults, though. When you die, you’re sent back to the beginning (with your stats and items intact), but if you’ve progressed through several areas, that’s more than a bit frustrating. And the battles are generally the same, and get old after a bit. The concerns are minor, though. Fans of action and horror games both are bound to find plenty to like here.
Chris Morris: Journalist 