The Week That Was: 28/11/09 – 4/12/09

Posted on December 5th, 2009. Written by Damon.

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Intro

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This week has been one of the best on record, with so many big huge games coming out. The ironic thing is that the titles are not from Electronic Arts or Gameloft but instead decent companies that have been quieter on the App Store like SEGA and Square Enix. There were so many titles out this week I had a hard time trying to decide what game to feature. Enjoy this and enjoy spending what’s left on your iTunes account

Super Monkey Ball 2 – $9.99

The sequel to the disappointing Super Monkey Ball one finally arrived this week. SEGA, finally proving that they are a premium developer put their money where their mouth is by creating an almost perfect game, having more than just a big brandname behind it. With improved controls, a full 3D gaming experience, mini games and more this is definitely a top notch effort. Everything we didn’t like in the original has been totally wiped out of this game, making this deserving of the high price point

Super Monkey Ball 2 has 115 challenging levels for you to play that are split into multiple worlds. There are also 3 mini games to play such as Bowling. The graphics look great and the controls are easy to learn and use. This game is able to be played by adults and children a like, which is something the previous version lacked with controls a child would struggle to pick up. This game has taken a step in the right direction and is really one of the best games on the App Store. Don’t let the $9.99 price fool you, it’s worth it.

Dictator Defense – $2.99

Dictator Defense is a title I was interested in by looking at it, as it just looks like a different sort of game. With Defense in the title I was expecting some sort of Tower Defense or Castle Defense game but it is a very unique concept. Instead of stopping people coming down a path or flicking them away, you have to place barricades, army troops and more in the way of oncoming enemies and try to stop them reaching your wall. This is quite a strategic game and before long you find yourself restarting levels because you died.. on easy.

With over 4o levels and some quite psycho bosses to battle at the end of each stage, this is a surprisingly addictive game. This game requires you to balance income and your army members, as some are more effective against certain enemies and they may also be more upgraded compared to another weapon. There is a lite version to try so I suggest that first but I believe this will appeal to any of the tower or castle defense fans out there. For $2.99 you get a good few hours of fun, it is a nice title that I really enjoyed.

Labyrinth 2 – $4.99

Labyrinth 2 is the sequel to the hit ball tilting game. This version comes which heaps of improvements and additions including awards, level editor, local multiplayer and over 200 new and exciting levels. The big selling point of this game is the level editor however where you can create level packs and download packs other users have created, meaning a seemingly endless supply of levels to play. We have all this put together with some awesome graphics and gameplay we come to expect from Illusion Labs.

This game is a tonne of fun, with levels ranging from quite easy to very VERY hard. The pre-downloaded level packs are well set out and are fun to play while the user created levels bring some new ideas that even the developers couldn’t think of. This game runs smoothly and looks great, making for a very addictive game that will have you tilting constantly for hours. This game plays and feels so much better compared to it’s original and the $4.99 price point is a bargain. Definitely pick up this title.

OMG Pirates! – $1.99

OMG Pirates! is a game brought to us by the makers of Zombieville USA, one of the better side scrolling shooters out there. This time we take the role of ironically a Ninja in fighting Pirates. The graphics are still at their cartoony best but the gameplay has been improved greatly from the quite dry gameplay in Zombieville USA. Here we have RPG elements as well as special skills, more freedom to move around and just an all round improvement. The difference between the two, you will want to return to this one.

With around 20 levels, 3 difficulty levels and some quite challenging boss levels, this game proves itself to be more than an arcade game. As you progress through the game you level up acquiring new skills and improved attack etc. This RPG element is a nice variation and mixes up the gameplay over time, as the concept of chopping up bad guys remains the same throughout. For $1.99 this is a nice time waster that is not only good looking but fun to play as well. Why pirates music and DVD’s when you can chop them up instead.

Other Notable Releases this week Include:

Cobra Command by Revolutionary Concepts

Sword of Fargoal by John McCord

Bloons Festive Fun by Digital Chocolate

Adrenaline Snowboarding by Sandbox

Beat It! by Glu Mobile

Flipt by Garage Games

2XL Fleet Defense by 2XL Games

GeoSpark by Critical Thought Games

Song Summoner: Unsung Heroes – Encore by Square Enix

Ace Combat Xi Skies of Incursion by Namco Networks

Stay tuned next week for the thirteenth installment of ‘The Week That Was’. If you have any suggestions to improve the segment please either email me at damon@razorianfly.com or submit a comment below. Thanks!