Author Archives: Chris Morris

App Review: Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation

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Gameloft’s latest homage(or, if you prefer, blatant rip-off) of the Call of Duty series might lack originality, but it has some impressive gameplay. Modern Combat 3 is definitely inappropriate for children, due to its realistic and frequent violence and overly harsh language, but adults who enjoy combat games set in the modern era will quickly embrace the game. The artwork is incredible — detailed and vibrant — and competes well with the most visually impressive games on the iOS platform. And the action is well-paced.

The single player mode is pretty straightforward — walk, crouch, shoot, repeat. Fun, but not something you’ll likely return to once you finish. The multiplayer mode, though, is very well done, with six maps and seven modes, supporting both online and local wi-fi. This gives the game legs and could keep it alive for some time. Even with its high price tag, this is a game that adult action fans will consider a bargain.

Read more at Common Sense Media

Activision’s Skylanders Attracts Core, Kid Gamers Alike

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[Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg talks with Gamasutra about bringing new life to the Spyro series with Skylanders, and how the company’s toy-based approach with the game could pay off big.]

Over the course of its history, the Spyro the Dragon series has sold more than 20 million software units. But like any 13-year old franchise, it was getting a little long in the tooth – and had long since lost any qualities of a cutting-edge video game.

The October release of Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure has changed that, though. By combining physical action figures with a unique peripheral and a video game, the title has captured the attention of the mass market (and more than a few core gamers). While sales figures aren’t yet available, the game has buzz – often a critical factor in long-term success.

Read more at Gamasutra

‘Payne 3’ ready to load

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There aren’t a lot of surprises in the entertainment world these days — particularly when it comes to tentpole events.

Whether it’s a quick-cut trailer, the interview circuit or an online spoiler site, audiences generally have a pretty solid idea of what they’re going to experience — with movies, TV shows and videogames.

But that’s rarely, if ever, the case with new releases from Rockstar Games. The vidgame developer tightly controls the flow of information before a title’s ship date and seldom emerges from the studio to talk about its products. The reason, says Dan Houser, the veep and co-founder of creative at Rockstar, is pretty simple: Letting people peek behind the curtain spoils the fun.

Read more at Weekly Variety

App Review: Hungry Sumo

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Hungry Sumo scratches the same itch that a Fruit Ninja or Doodle Jump game does. It’s overly simplistic, but utterly addictive. The goal is simple: Fatten up your sumo to defeat floating enemes (but don’t run into them while you’re eating). Despite the 100 levels, there’s not a lot of diversity, but that’s not important, since the concept is so easy to grasp and so fun on a visceral level. It’s snack gaming in grand fashion, but it’s also a title you’ll find yourself coming back to again and again. Deep? Not at all. But fun? More than most of the games you’ll find in the App Store.

Read more at Common Sense Media

App Review: TRIVIAL PURSUIT Master Edition for iPad

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TRIVIAL PURSUIT Master Edition for iPad certainly has all the elements of the hit trivia franchise, but while the game can be an uproarious good time in the real world, it’s a bit restrained in the electronic world. That might be due to the looping, ever present soundtrack, which seems tacked on.

On its merits, though, it has all the right ingredients. Q&As are peppered with visual questions to shake things up a bit. And the game automatically shows you all of your move choices once you roll the dice. The questions come in three difficulty levels, but are too hard for younger children, who are likely to get upset and frustrated quickly.

Read more at Common Sense Media

App Review: TableTots

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Spinlight Studios has created some of the best educational apps for iOS. AlphaTots and TallyTots let kids work by themselves, but TableTots brings parents more into the mix. This extraordinarily versatile app lets parents put together hundreds, if not thousands, of lessons in everything from letter and number recognition to spelling and math. The only real hiccup is there’s no tutorial for putting those lessons together, which generally means some hunting and pecking before you know what to do. There are some good pre-set lessons, which are good starters, but some parents may get frustrated before finding them. There’s also no way to save scenarios you’ve created — a minor annoyance, but something that’s worth correcting.

The app won’t know when a child gets an answer right or wrong, either, but there’s no getting around that — and it encourages parents to be actively involved with their children as they learn, something that’s hard to complain about.

Read more at Common Sense Media

Eager fan offers $1,725 for early copy of Modern Warfare 3

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Call of Duty fans are a dedicated bunch. So when word escaped earlier this week that certain Sears and K-mart locations had mistakenly put upcoming release Modern Warfare 3 on sale early, they descended, buying what they could before the store realized its error.

And, true to form in the gaming world, a few cash-strapped types immediately put those copies up for sale on eBay. Some went for a couple hundred dollars, but one lucky seller saw a bidding war erupt — and may have walked away with $1,725 for his copy.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

CBS chief talks Apple TV

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With Steve Jobs first dropping hints about Apple’s plans for a branded TV set in his conversations with biographer Walter Isaacson, others are a bit more comfortable discussing it now.

The latest to reveal details was CBS CEO Les Moonves in an earnings conference call this week.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog

 

Spyro soars again in acclaimed hybrid ‘Skylanders’

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Three years ago, when Activision was trying to figure out what to do next with the long-running Spyro the Dragon series, it really didn’t have ambitious plans.

While the character was tremendously popular in the PlayStation 2 days (when Ratchet & Clank/Resistance developer Insomnia Games was running the franchise), a string of mediocre sequels had long since dulled its earnings potential. But a radical idea from Toys For Bob, a developer most gamers had never heard of, quickly convinced the company to bet big on the little fire-breather.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

App Review: Civiballs HD

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While Civiballs HD is certainly a derivative title, that doesn’t stop it from being a fun one. Beyond cutting chains to make colored balls drop into their matching jars, the game regularly introduces new elements to the puzzles, such as cannons, catapults, and arrows to help you launch balls across the screen. It’s a game of trial and error, but one that’s not brutally difficult. Strategic thinking is rewarded, while random slashing of chains will end the level quickly.

Charging to skip levels is a bit opportunistic, given how many other games allow players to do this for free, but it’s something most players won’t need — and given the game’s low price, it’s not a particular burden to those who do choose to buy the shortcut.

Read more at Common Sense Media