The Week(s) That Was: 19/12/09 – 8/01/10

Posted on January 11th, 2010. Written by Damon.

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Intro

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I am finally back after a long 2009 reviewing games. I came back from a long 3 week break looking at what had been released, seeing a pretty quiet period especially after Christmas. Luckily for us however this TWTW was saved by a much awaited title coming out on Thursday night. Assassin’s Creed II Discovery accidentally released by Apple in a giant ker-fuffle. They not only released the game at the wrong time but with an old build of the game and at a completely wrong price. For those who had quick fingers they could pick up this title, getting it possibly a month or more earlier than other for an extra $2. It has now been removed and I will be covering it when it is officially released. There have been some other great titles come out in this time however and you should find a game that takes your fancy in this selection.

OTF Surfing – $2.99

Being a regular surfer myself I have always looked forward to having a surfing game on my iPod. There have been many attempts at making a surfing game with Bobble Surfer, Surfing Prodigy, Wilcard Pro Surfing and more. Each one seems to top the previous titles and OTF Surfing is no exception. This game originally made me buy it due to the graphics, as this game looks absolutely amazing and miles above all other surfing games. The love and detail has been put into this game because it was made by surfers for surfers.

Unlike Pro Surfing which is about scoring big to win tournaments, OTF Surfing comes with challenges which involve many basic principles of surfing to complete them, as well as some unrealistic scenarios. As you quickly progress through the game you find yourself doing an array of skills and moves that require fast reactions. As you earn credits you can buy new boards which allow for more maneuverability and airtime. This is a great arcade surfing game that I thoroughly enjoyed, definitely worth a pick up in my opinion.

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 – $4.99

The first wrestling game I got on the App Store was the Turn Based TNA Wrestling. This was quite an addictive game but no where near as good as what I wanted, which was a watered down WWE game. These games have become the ultimate winner on the console devices and I own a couple myself even though I hate wrestling (UFC for the win). WWE Legends of Wrestlemania didn’t appeal to me as it didn’t look very good and the big name wrestlers of today weren’t featured in the game. This has been changed with THQ’s latest game.

Smackdown vs Raw is the long time title of WWE titles on the consoles today and finally has been brought to the iPhone. Quite a bit of effort has been put into this game as they have incorporated some unique controls and not just a heap of on-screen buttons. You follow the career of an upcoming wrestler who ends up fighting his way to the top while making some enemies along the way. For $4.99 I found the amount of content to be worthy of this price. This was quite an addictive game and I would recommend you giving it a look.

The Simpsons Arcade – $4.99

Ever since we saw a Twitter update from @eamobile that The Simpsons Arcade was going to mobile devices we all asked one question, “What about the iPhone?”. Of Course Electronic Arts brought this game to their most successful mobile device, just in time for those who were now sick of playing with Peter Griffin and Cartman. As the name suggests this is the type of game you would expect to find at the arcade 20 years ago, with an all out button smashing, bad guy punching fun fest. But this one features The Simpsons.

This game has enhanced graphics from it’s mobile counterpart but features basically the same game. With over 20 unique levels and some challenging boss levels this is far from a simple game. Homer is able to pick up and use various items, as well as call on the help from family members to help him get back a donut. The game features many characters from the TV show as well as a few new bad guys. This is a great casual game that should appeal to most people, especially those of who who beat up hundreds of people for food.

NBA Hotshot – $0.99

NBA Hotshot is the 3rd NBA title on the App Store and the second by Freeverse. Previously they have released Flick NBA Basketball which is similar to the All Star Weekend. NBA Hotshots is the arcade basketball game which was actually in Flick NBA, yet it has been made with more detail and newer game modes. This game features the Classic Hotshot game as well as a brand new Three Strikes mode where you have to continue shooting until you miss three times. It sounds easy to master, but this game is far from it.

Just flicking the ball as fast as you can will get you no where. There is a skill in flicking the ball at the right speed and letting go at the right time to get it in the hoop. Three Strikes and the Three Point shots in Classic mode really prove this point as it’s hard to get it in repeatedly. When you do though you earn experience which then let’s you claim to cool prizes like NBA team balls, which you can then use in the actual game itself. For $0.99 this is a pretty fun game. Those who like Skeeball will find themselves at home with this title.

Other Notable Releases this week Include:

Trenches by Thunder Game Works

Fishtropolis by NimbleBit

Ragdoll Legends by Chillingo

Dead Strike by Jorge Paz

Thor by Freeverse

Little Pet Shop by Electronic Arts

Kim Rhode’s Outdoor Shooting

2012 Zombies and Aliens by Infinidy Corp.

Stay tuned next week for the sixteenth 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!