Spirits for iPad (and now for iPhone) is a quiet game. It’s also a beautiful game. It’s slow-paced. There’s no button-mashing. There is no 3D camera that you can’t control properly because you don’t have dual thumbsticks. It’s a one-finger puzzle game that looks as if it was created on the screen with a paintbrush. The music is gentle and sets a mood of eerie tranquility. It’s almost the perfect touch game.

Spiritual Beginnings

Spirits started its life as an iPad game. I played with the iPad game when it first came out, but the iPhone version is the same game only shrunk down to play on the iPhone 4’s retina display. I appreciate all the parts of Spirits. It has great music, the visuals are lovely and it works beautifully as a touch game. The goal of each level is to get your Kodama-esque (Princess Mononoke) guys from one part of the level to another. It’s similar to games like S.C.R.A.P.S. on iOS or Locoroco on PSP. There are wind currents you can ride on to help you get where you’re going. You get abilities as the game progresses that allow you to make vines sprout from the ground to help you cross chasms. You can sacrifice your guys to create bridge as well. And the game is set up in a way that you will have to make sacrifices from time to time. Some levels can’t be completed without a sacrifice or two. The ultimate goal (and measure of success) is: can you get the maximum number of guys to the finish line that is possible.

Tradition of Sacrifice

If you’ve played one of these types of games (i.e. Locoroco), you’ve played Spirits. Spirits is just a prettier and more aurally pleasing version of those games. I think the biggest problem facing Spirits for iPhone is that it’s on the iPhone. Spirits makes a much better iPad game than it does an iPhone game. This game is so methodically-paced and quiet that it’s best played when you have time to sit down and burn through a bunch of levels. The levels aren’t necessarily long. You could definitely play through a single level (or even a couple) in a short period of time, but when I’m waiting in line and I want to play a game on my iPhone, I want something a little faster. Faster-paced games seem to make my waiting times faster as well. Spirits for iPad, however, is a perfect match for long travel times. Be it a train commute or a plane ride, Spirits is better suited to a time when you can sit for a longer period with headphones on and a bigger canvas to enjoy the gorgeous levels.

Platform of Choice

It’s a shame that I feel I have to recommend one version of Spirits over the other, but since this game isn’t being offered as a universal app (I think it should be), if you have an iPad, I wholeheartedly recommend that you get the iPad version of the game. If you don’t have an iPad, the iPhone version isn’t bad at all, it actually has crisper graphics thanks to the retina display, so pick up the iPhone version if that’s the only iOS device you have. The iPad version is priced at $4.99 and the iPhone/iPod touch version is $2.99. If you like artsy games, games with great music, or relaxing puzzlers, Spirits is a great experience.

Lexic is a fast-paced word game that comes wrapped with a beautiful interface. The game’s main menu has the swirly UI, first spotted in Covertbot app, that houses the four different game modes. So what is Lexic all about? The core gameplay of Lexic is as simple as it can be. Formulate words from the thirty-five characters placed on the screen to rack up points and move to the next level. One can unlock tile sets and also fight it out with others members for a place on the global scoreboard. The tiles used to form a word disappear and are replaced by new ones. Then there are special tiles including gold tiles used to advance to next level, bomb tiles that explode if their count goes down to zero, lock tiles that act as a facade to the original tile and many more with interesting functionalities.

Quest, Cascade, Blackout and Stasis, are the four game modes based on the core gameplay yet vastly different from each other. Stasis is plain jane of the lot, ideally suited for Scrabble or Boggle lovers as the tiles are fixed. Craft as many words as you can but without repetition. Blackout as the name indicates results in the permanent loss of tiles once they have been used to form a word. Go long and score high in this mode. Cascade is more fun as tiles already used to form a word get replaced by new ones. Move your fingers fast before the time runs out. Quest is the new game mode that has been introduced in v2.0 of the app that went live recently. This one surely takes away the crown for me as it has levels that one can ascend and also utilizes the special tiles to their full potential.

Feats is the new in-thing among iPhone game developers with every other game developer implementing them. Lexic has 18 different feats that you can aim for and each feat achieved unlocks a new ability. Global scoreboard is your score of inspiration and you’ll have a tough time climbing up the charts. The developers have included two word-lists to use, TWL—the approved list for word game competitions in the US, Canada—or SOWPODS used in other countries. The user interface is intuitive and beautiful that compelled me—not much of a word game person—to complete quite a few levels in Quest mode. The performance of the app is snappy and it loads up rather quickly. Lost games can be resumed when the app is loaded up the next time.

[tweetmeme]The game has been well thought out leaving few bad things to talk about. The first thing that drew my attention was the way words are submitted. I would prefer selecting tiles by tapping rather than dragging my finger over characters and releasing to form a word. The game has a uniform difficulty level that might disinterest some. Otherwise Lexic is right on the money and commands the $1.99 price tag.

Pac-Man, the timeless classic maze action game has seen its way to a number of different platforms since its original release almost three decades back. iPhone had to be next in line with its instant popularity offering developers a way to fill up their pockets quickly. But wait, a game that relied heavily on directional pad for control ported to a device having no buttons at all? I was apprehensive as well as excited to try out the game and relive the frenzy.

Return of the ghost

Pac-Man for iPhone is a perfect replica of the original arcade version but this hurts its cause rather than benefiting it. Namco, the game developer, has done a good job in coming up with the high-resolution version of the game for iPhone and iPod touch, but on a device as advanced as the iPhone, users would be looking out for more goodies when shelling out $9.99 for a game. So what exactly is the game missing, you might ask? Before I get started, let me explain what the game actually offers. It features the yellow adventurer eating away the pac-dots eluding the four ghosts patrolling the maze. Four pellets located at the corners bless you with impregnability for a short time. Stay away from the ghosts and feast upon all the dots to step to the next level. You are granted three chances; with every chance coming with three lives along with a bonus life every 10k points. That’s minimum of nine lives a game! Pac-Man was all about transcending your previous high score in the limited number of lives presented to you.

Swipe away all the dots

Namco has included three different control styles to guide Pac-Man around the maze. The most obvious choice is the accelerometer but sadly, it inhibits your quick reflexes. Then there is a D-pad replicated on the bottom of the screen that looks and works like one pretty much. I had much hopes from this but it does get stuck in a particular position every few seconds attenuating the fun. The third control  style that worked best for me was ‘Swipe’ to move the protagonist up, down, left or right based on the swipe gesture. Small swipes work just as good and can be planned forward to be implemented as soon as a turn is encountered. I really wish the ‘D-pad’ mode worked just as well as the ‘Swipe’ as using the D-pad lets you enjoy the game in its true colors. Check out the gif image on Namco’s site that tries to explain the various control modes.

So original yet so old

Moving past the games modes, let’s look at some deficiencies that the game suffers from. Just a single layout for each difficulty level would rank at top of the list. Difficulty is measured in terms of swiftness of the ghosts while leaving the complexity of the maze unchanged. The feeling is in consonance with other buyers of the game reciprocated through App Store reviews. By the time you get hang of the controls, you start getting bored running over the same maze again and again. Let me slip in a secret here, the ghosts have rather predictable movement pattern unlike the original arcade version where ghosts took extreme pains to hunt you down and chomp you at the first available opportunity. There isn’t a two-player mode leave aside implementing peer-to-peer connectivity for multiplayer mode. Some new mazes could have added a lot more fun along with graphical skins for the existing maze. Instead Namco decided to release two other Pac-Man games namely Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Man Remix to fulfill some of the above mentioned imperfections. At the moment the game comes at a price tag of $5.99 [iTunes link] which is on the higher side considering the various limitations and drawbacks mentioned above. I would suggest wait for the price to fall down further or first check out the Lite version before jumping on to this one.

I’ve been hearing rumblings about Ramp Champ—admittedly mostly from @mantia—for weeks now. I had no idea what kind of game it was, but the guys over at the Iconfactory seemed pretty proud of it, so I was curious. It didn’t help my curiosity that Ramp Champ has been in review purgatory for most of the time I’ve known about it.

Three hours ago, I finally downloaded Ramp Champ. I’m not sure what happened since then, but I already have three shelves of loot, two shelves of trophies, and both of the currently available add-on packs.

Also, my hands hurt.

In all seriousness, Ramp Champ is one of the best (and most “iPhone-like”) games I’ve played for the iPhone. According to the Iconfactory’s description, it’s “a new twist on a classic boardwalk game”. The closest game I’ve ever played is skee ball, although Ramp Champ is far more entertaining. The basic concept is that you roll a ball up a ramp in an attempt to hit one or more targets. One of the best features of Ramp Champ is the variety of those targets; the four basic levels included with the game have targets that vary from space invaders and undersea creatures to clowns and icons—hey, it’s the Iconfactory, after all. Speaking of which, it should go without saying that Ramp Champ’s graphics are absolutely beautiful.

The default Ramp Champ levels—click for an in-page larger view.

But the differences in the levels aren’t just the targets. Each level plays differently, largely because there are certain goals to accomplish for each level. Every goal you accomplish wins you a trophy. In addition to the goal-based trophies, you get one ticket for every 500 points you score. You can use the tickets to purchase digital prizes. My first purchase was a plush Ollie, better known as the Twitterrific bird.

Tickets can be redeemed for prizes; trophies are earned by completing level-specific goals.

If you get bored with the original offering of levels, there are two add-on packs currently available through in-app purchase. Ninjas and narwhals and molars, oh my!

There are currently two available add-on packs for Ramp Champ; more will likely be forthcoming.

Okay, I think I’m getting loopy due to lack of sleep, so I’m going to pack in this review. Not that I’m going to get any sleep tonight—my fingers are already itching to play more Ramp Champ.

Have another look at the screenshots, and then go get your copy for $1.99. Trust me: you want this.

Remember the good old days when arcade games were a huge rage among teenagers? Those times were pure bliss! Games have come a long way since then with advanced graphics and realistic sounds; but when a game with a retro feel comes along on the iPhone platform, it manages to evoke the nostalgia. Coins! brings the feel of an arcade-style game with age-old graphics and sound effects to the App Store.

Arcade Style Gaming Personified

I was a bit skeptical when I first saw the app, but after I launched the app and completed the first level, I had a big fat smile on my face! I couldn’t help but flashback on the childhood memories of playing arcade games in a game parlor. The developer has done a great job of imitating an arcade game with not only the graphics but also the sound effects.

Right from the splash screen to the menu interface to the background images used in each level; all have a striking semblance to arcade-style games. Even the font used reminds you of the long bygone era. Interface has been kept extremely simple listing four levels at a time. Enough of bantering, let the action begin!

Insert the Coin, Tap the Screen

Coins! is a physics-based game having pachinko-style[1. A Japanese gambling device resembling a pinball machine but with automatic payoff as in a gambling slot machine] gameplay. Tap to fire the ball from the slot and collect coins that are disturbed by it on it’s way to the bottom; coins collected are converted to cash. New levels can be unlocked using the money collected in the previous levels. A bit of strategy pooled with luck is all you need to rack up the cash.

The game features a total of 20 levels with each level bringing in an element of surprise to keep the gameplay exciting. The 8-bit era graphics feel created pixel by pixel, as claimed by the developer, is the best part about the game. Without the “cool” graphics, Coins! would have been just another ordinary app.

Coins! is not bug free, enabling sound slows down the gameplay considerably. In my case, the frame rate dropped drastically to the point where it become excruciatingly painful to bear with the slow movement of the ball and the coins. All’s well till the last level “Finale”, where the ball gets hung up between the barriers holding up the game, leaving you with no option but to quit to menu. Developer Max Williams has promised a slew of changes in the new version to be released on the App Store sometime this month. These changes include graphical improvements, exciting new levels, improved performance and bug fixes among others.

Coins: Worth Every Penny

I would recommend Coins! [iTunes link] to anyone who likes apps such as Peggle, Block Breaker Deluxe among various other similar apps available on App Store. If you haven’t tried any of the arcade-style apps mentioned in this article but share strong affinity towards arcade games like me, then you should definitely give Coins! a spin, for it’s totally worth the dollar spent.

[Header image via Flickr, credits to Loren Radis ]

Looking at two distinctly divergent games that walk the same road. Roadkill Cafe and Racer are two of the most fun and addictive games I have played on iPhone lately. While one has an eccentric theme, the other pumps up the adrenaline the moment you hit the road. Read on to find out more about these super cool games.

Roadkill Cafe: Stack up the Carcasses

Roadkill Cafe, is a weirdly themed game wherein you pick up animals slayed by road traffic in a wheelbarrow to be delivered to the roadside cafe. It doesn’t sound as much fun as it is, trust me. I did not pin my hopes too high after reading the game description but it surely kept me entertained for quite a few days.

Five Games Bundled into One

The game has five different modes with each mode featuring you with a wheelbarrow and farm animals like chicken,rabbits, ducks etc. Cafe, Arcade, Survivor, Vengeance and Rampage make up the five unique levels of the game. Cafe mode needs to be completed in order to unlock the remaining modes.

Cafe mode has six levels in itself with each level being split into two parts, easy and hard. You are assigned the fun task of bustling through a busy highway to scoop up the fresh roadkill in your wheelbarrow and scramble back to deliver it over to the cafe. Fresh roadkill is the primary requirement of customers at the cafe, so you need to keep them satisfied at all times in order to get your cafe a 5-star rating, only way to advance to the next level. Each level in Cafe mode has a different location along with little surprises.

The Arcade mode is similar to the Cafe mode but is not bound by a time limit, hence you are free to set a high score in this mode. Tables are turned in Vengeance mode with chickens haunting you in an empty field while you flee from them for as long as you can. Survivor mode puts you on the highway to dodge traffic for as long as possible. In Rampage mode, it’s your turn to kill some chickens while avoiding traffic as you take to road in a car. In all, each level brings with it a fun and jovial gameplay killing your time quickly and efficiently!

Eccentric, Uncouth yet Engrossing

The game provides three different control methods, Thumbstick, Lure and Tilt; first two are based on taps while the last one utilizes the power of accelerometer. Global and local scores are available for each level and mode [screenshot]. Detailed statistics are also available displaying the number of different animals seen, killed, delivered,  and a hell lot of other details. The background music as well as game sounds have been well thought out to complement the gameplay. Graphics are about average and close attention has been been paid only to backgrounds and not the characters. There are quite a few minor bugs present in the current version that have been ironed out in an update recently submitted to Apple for approval. Atommo should be coming out with new version implementing major changes in the near future.

Priced at just $0.99 [iTunes link], Roadkill Cafe is virtually five games packed in to a single app. The best part about the game is its replay value and global scoreboards. If you aren’t petrified of watching blood all around or staring at dead animal carcasses, then indubitably hit the ‘Buy Now’ button on this one.

Racer: Burn the Road

Racer, a thrilling game by Tatem Games, is an outright fast-paced car racing game. True to its name, it puts your reflexes to ultimate test while scrutinizing your driving skills. Drive through 6-lane expressway, cutting through traffic furiously consisting of convertibles, minivans and the likes, to pump up the adrenaline.

Zip, Zap, Zoom, Crash and Burn!

Racer has incomplex gameplay that keeps you hooked for long periods of time. Even after having over 10,000 KM of racing experience under my belt, my thirst to climb up the global leaderboard hasn’t diminished one bit! Zip, zap, zoom through traffic to crash and burn only to spring back to life till all you lives exhaust out. The car can be controlled by dragging it across the screen using your most agile finger; thumb worked best in my case. Into a race, every 10KM notches up the level by a bit and with every 2,000 points scored, you are credited with an additional life. Apart from the Normal mode, there is Hard mode that ups the ante in terms of traffic density, speed as well as points scored.

The game has ultra-smooth gameplay (iPhone 3G), an undeniable necessity especially for the Hard mode comprising of dense, super-fast traffic. There isn’t much scenery to gaze at, with the expressway covering up most of the screen. The thing that irritated me most was the banner that passes by every time the level is upped or when you are granted an additional life. I have lost count of the times I have lost a life due to the banner covering the screen up for a split second. And yes, getting a start in a new life is of utmost difficulty, so make sure you take full advantage once you get going.

Innovative UI, Riveting Gameplay with Promising Future

The menu interface impressed with its unique three way navigation system [screenshot]. Flip sideways to reveal scoreboard on one side while settings on the other. Flipping upwards presents you with the Help along with the credits. In settings you can adjust the car color, vibration, screen orientation, distance unit as well as the difficulty mode. I found the sound effects unimpressive and preferred to play with game sounds turned off most of the time.

Solo control option, single environment setting and lack of surprise factor are some of the drawbacks of Racer, but considering it’s the first version, I would cut developers some slack, hoping to see interesting changes make their way into the next version. In fact, Racer v1.1 including Facebook integration, scoreboard improvements and graphical enhancements among other changes is pending approval and should hit App Store soon. Tatem Games has a major update under development consisting of new games modes and cool new cars; can’t wait to lay my hands on it. Requiring supreme levels of concentration where an eye blink can prove catastrophic, Racer is highly addictive. If you have played Crazy Taxi on Facebook and alike, hit the App Store and grab this $0.99 [iTunes link] app right away!

[Header image via Flickr]