Slice Through A Storm of Bullets in AKA TO BLUE
September 29, 2017 by RSS Feed
AKA TO BLUE ($7.99) by Tanoshimasu is a console-quality bullet hell shoot-em-up (shmup) game that brings back the magic of the old CAVE shmups that graced the App Store back in the day. If you're a fan of games like the recently released Danmaku Unlimited 3, then you'll love what AKA TO BLUE has to offer.
Whenever I hit arcades, I usually tend to go for the Japanese bullet hell shmup games because I love the intense shooting action that they're always jam-packed with. They're great stress relievers for me, and I always like to test out my skills when I can. I was a big fan of the CAVE shooters that were released years ago, including DEATHSMILES, Dodonpachi Resurrection, and ESPGALUDA II, so when they stopped releasing new games, I was quite saddened. However, there have been other great bullet hell shmup offerings lately, such as Danmaku Unlimited 3, and I've been hearing about AKA TO BLUE this week. Once I learned that AKA TO BLUE was made by former CAVE developers, I had to get my hands on it. Needless to say, it does not disappoint.
Danmaku Unlimited 3
Sunny Tam
DEATHSMILES
CAVE Co., Ltd.
Dodonpachi Resurrection
CAVE Co., Ltd.
ESPGALUDA II
CAVE Co., Ltd.
AKA TO BLUE's graphics are sharp and stunning on the Retina HD display of my iPhone 8 Plus. The art style in AKA TO BLUE falls under Japanese anime, with the main protagonists and antagonists having wild, colorful hair and stylish outfits. The game world is full of incredibly detailed and polished enemy ships, backgrounds, and insane explosions. Despite all of this, the bullets are bright and neon colored so it's easy to spot them among the chaos. Animations are smooth and fluid on my iPhone 8 Plus so I had no issues of lag. The game also has a head-banging rock soundtrack that's sure to get your blood pumping as you play, and the sound effects are fun.
To top things off, AKA TO BLUE also has a full cast of Japanese voice actors. There are fierce dialogue exchanges between characters on each stage, which only adds to the overall excitement. Unfortunately, it's all done in Japanese, so unless you know how to speak Japanese, you won't understand what's going on.
Like other bullet hell shmups, AKA TO BLUE features a stage system, and there are five levels to get through. While this does not seem like a lot, the game is fairly difficult and each stage is lengthy, with challenging boss fights. So even though only five stages may sound short, it will take some time before you beat the game.
Before you start each run, you can choose between two characters: Fire Bird (AKA) or Blue Owl (Blue). They both have their own distinctive weapons, with Fire Bird having a bullet spread, whereas Blue Owl has a precise weapon that only fires in a straight line. Both characters have their own high scores, so there's plenty of reason to play both.
The controls in AKA TO BLUE are pretty simple and intuitive, even for newbies. To move your ship around, just drag your finger on the screen. The ship automatically fires as it moves, so you don't have to worry about that. As you take down enemies, your Bomb Charge gauge will fill up, and once it reaches at least level one, just tap anywhere (or double-tap) to unleash a Bomb. The higher your Bomb Charge Level, the further your bomb flies. You can also refill it by cancelling enemy bullets with a Bomb and destroying destructible black bullets.
As you destroy enemy ships, you'll get "Score Items." These shiny gold emblems are worth valuable points that get added to your total, so it's vital to grab as many as you can when you see them. Another way to get more points is to aim for chain bonuses — the more enemies you kill in a short amount of time, the bigger your multiplier. When you aren't attacking and taking down foes, the chain drops. So make sure to get rid of as many enemies as possible to maximize your score.
While dodging bullets is also important, the trick to AKA TO BLUE are the bombs. Since the characters don't have secondary weapons like other games, you only have your standard attack and the bombs to work with. The bombs cancel out enemy bullets and wipe out your foes, and also recharges the gauge again for another bomb.
An over the top bullet hell shooter from ex-CAVE developers.
The Good
AKA TO BLUE is a solid bullet hell shmup that does things a bit different from the norm, and that's a good thing. I love the anime art style and the detailed graphics during actual gameplay. The soundtrack is also outstanding, as it does a great job of getting your adrenaline going. The voice acting also adds a whole new layer of depth to the action, as it makes me think of an epic battle in a mech anime as I play.
The challenge in the game comes from the fact that there are only two characters that you can play as, and they have different weapons and play styles. There's no secondary weapon aside from Bombs, and those are key to survival. It's different, but AKA TO BLUE breaths some new life into a tried-and-true genre.
The Bad
While AKA TO BLUE is a great game, it's not perfect. There is only one difficulty level, so it may be difficult for novices or too easy for veterans. I would have preferred seeing at least three difficulty levels so that players can pick one suited for their skill level.
Even though I love the Japanese voice acting, I don't speak or understand Japanese. I would have liked it if there was an option for English voices, so that I could understand what the characters are saying when they speak.
I'm used to having two weapons and bombs in most bullet hell shmups, so AKA TO BLUE is definitely one I need more practice with to fully adjust.
The verdict
Overall, as a bullet hell shmup fan who misses CAVE games, this is a great addition to my collection. The visuals are super polished and look amazing on my Retina HD screen, and the music is downright fun. Controls are easy to learn and can be customized if needed, but it's friendly enough for even newbies. The concept of bombing instead of dodging to survive is interesting and unique, making AKA TO BLUE stand out from the competition. It's challenging, and has high replay value. This is definitely a title that won't disappoint bullet hell fans.
I highly recommend checking out AKA TO BLUE if you're craving some epic bullet hell shmup action. You can find AKA TO BLUE on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $7.99. There are no in-app purchases.
9.3
OVERALL
Graphics 10
Replayability 9.5
Game Controls 9
Sound/Music 9
Gameplay 9
AKA TO BLUE
Tanoshimasu Co., Ltd.
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Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 09/29/2017
September 29, 2017 by RSS Feed
Wizibel - Audio Visualizer , GoodCounter – A Pretty Good Tally Counter , Animal Math 1st Grade Math and more
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GoodCounter – A Pretty Good Tally Counter ( $0.99 → Free ) Alper Beser GoodCounter allows you to count whatever you want, whenever you want with ease. Counters can take on different colors in order to set them apart. You’re able to set the value of each step and quickly adjust the count via dials. Counters can be reset with a swipe, and you’re able to count without ever looking at your device via a full screen mode. The app also includes Apple Watch support, haptic feedback, and a lock screen widget.Universal:
Wizibel - Audio Visualizer ( $9.99 → Free ) Klevgränd produkter AB Wizibel takes the hassle out of creating music videos. Simply import your song, choose a theme, adjust some parameters, and share. The app has 12 advanced themes to choose from, each with its own set of customization options such as text strings, images, and how the waveforms react to the music. You’re able to preview your videos at any time during the creation process. Videos can be exported at 1080p.
Animal Math 1st Grade Math ( $5.99 → Free ) Eggroll Games LLC Animal First Grade Math Games includes so much content for your child to enjoy; they’ll never get bored! To help the animals find their way across the wild, your child will need to successfully complete a variety of math activities. The math activities are designed for first graders, and range from adding and subtracting to identifying missing signs and practicing number sentences.
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Blox 3D ( $2.99 → Free ) Arjun Gupte Blox 3D’s intuitive control scheme allows anyone to create. You start off with a single block, and you can build from there by tapping and pulling to create new blocks. Make sure to create your base and move upwards first, otherwise it can be difficult to navigate the blocks. The blocks can be rotated with a swipe and zoomed in on with a pinch. Double tap to delete any blocks you’ve created. Your creations can be played out within the app or saved to your photo library.Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free
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Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 09/28/2017
September 28, 2017 by RSS Feed
Taps , Blox 3D City Creator , Sleep Sounds: relaxing sounds for sleep and more
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Taps ( $1.99 → Free ) Russell King The beauty of Taps is in its simplicity. It features four different playing styles, all of which follow the same basic rule of tapping tiles to recreate a grid of numbers. Tap once to increase the value of a tile and its adjacent tiles. Tap again to decrease. That’s really all there is to it. The game includes four playing styles, 400 levels, and an infinite number of custom games.
Blox 3D City Creator ( $2.99 → Free ) Arjun Gupte Based on the bestselling Blox 3D apps, this latest iteration opens a whole new world of creativity. Your child is able to start off with a blank canvas or they can choose from a variety of pre-built cities. Designing new structures and adding animated objects is as simple as tapping on an open spot within the world. Blox 3D City Creator includes everything from basic building blocks to animated vehicles. Your child can also change the time of day within their little world.
Sleep Sounds: relaxing sounds for sleep ( $0.99 → Free ) Dmitriy Pushkarev Sleep Sounds allows you to browse through its collection of more than 50 looped sounds with a swipe. To save on storage space, the sounds need to be downloaded one by one. You can mark your favorites with a tap for quick access later on. The app also includes a sleep timer and an alarm.
Drop Flip Seasons ( $2.99 → Free ) BorderLeap, LLC Drop Flip is back and better than ever. Like the original, Drop Flip Seasons requires you to get a single white ball into the bucket below by moving, flipping, and generally manipulating obstacles of all kinds of shapes and sizes. But don’t let the minimalist visuals fool you. The levels range from quite easy to maddeningly impossible.
FlightReady E6B Flight Computer ( $0.99 → Free ) Aeroapps Technology FlightReady is the perfect copilot. It offers more than 80 aviation functions, conversions, and utilities. You’ll be able to calculate leg time, distance, fuel required, total air temperature, and more. Convert everything from pressure and fuel to weight and distance. FlightReady offers additional utilities as well like a flight log calculator and a countdown timer. It truly has everything you need to prepare for flight and land safely.Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free
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Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 09/27/2017
September 27, 2017 by RSS Feed
Blocko. , Recipes Cook Book - Your recipes in your device , Tiggly Doctor: Spell Verbs and Perform Actions Like a Real Doctor and more
Universal:
Blocko. ( $1.99 → Free ) GalacticThumb Blocko is pure minimalist fun. All you need to do is get the red block to the blue block with swipes. Along the way you’ll have to utilize other blocks in order to remain on the screen. Any swipe that takes you off the screen will require you to start over. The game includes 90 hand crafted levels.
Recipes Cook Book - Your recipes in your device ( $0.99 → Free ) Karim Hammache Recipes is focused on simplicity. You’re able to add your own recipes, and organize them within categories. Each recipe can contain a header photo, a list of ingredients, and step-by-step directions. The ingredients from any recipe can be added to your shopping list with a tap, and recipes can be shared via email. The app also includes a handy temperature and weight converter.
Tiggly Doctor: Spell Verbs and Perform Actions Like a Real Doctor ( $2.99 → Free ) Tiggly Your child gets to be a doctor for the day. The waiting room is full of patients with unique ailments who require your child’s attention. They’ll get to perform a series of operations like putting bones back in place, pulling dancing worms out of wounds, and much more all while building more than 200 verbs.
Pinball Breaker Forever ( $1.99 → Free ) XperimentalZ Games Pinball Breaker Forever successfully combines pinball and brick breaking mechanics to bring you one intense arcade experience. As the vibrant, neon blocks descend upon the city, it’s up to you to bash them to bits by tapping to fling the ball with your paddles. If the blocks reach the city’s skyline, it’s game over. The game features endless randomly generated levels, loads of power-ups, 15 types of mini-games, MFi support, and the ability to unlock all kinds of cosmetic upgrades.Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free
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Line Up and Flank Your Foes in Terra Battle 2
September 26, 2017 by RSS Feed
Terra Battle 2 (Free) by Mistwalker is the sequel to the original Terra Battle that came out several years ago. If you're a fan of the first game, or just enjoy anything that Mistwalker comes out with, then Terra Battle 2 is one you may want to check out.
During my high school years, I often found myself with plenty of time to spare for lengthy RPGs. The Final Fantasy games were some of my favorites (especially the portable ones), and I've grown to like most things released from those guys. When I first heard of the original Terra Battle, I knew it would be something I'd like because the original creator of Final Fantasy was behind it. I played Terra Battle for over a year before I finally slowed down and stopped on it (it became more complex than I'd liked). Then I heard about Terra Battle 2 coming out, and I knew I had to get my hands on it.
Terra Battle
MISTWALKER CORPORATION
Visually, Terra Battle 2 is similar to the first game in terms of art style. The art is anime-like with simple to fairly complex character designs and outfits. Everything is rendered in 2D, and animations are smooth and fluid. Terra Battle 2 features an extensive color palette that is full of rich hues and mesmerizing effects. The game also has an adventurous soundtrack to go along with everything, and the sound effects are fun to listen to during battles. The only annoying thing about the visual interface is the fact that the menus feel a bit cluttered with so much going on (typical of social RPGs).
Terra Battle 2 is structured a bit differently than its predecessor. So if you played the original game a lot, this one will take some getting used to. The main focus in Terra Battle 2 is the story, which features four main characters who you'll have to control in a world map.
The over-world map is more like a battlefield, where you move your main character's tile around, and collect ally tiles like magnets. Enemies will also be on the map, and you can move enemy tiles by moving your own units into them. This allows players to strategically set up the grid when they engage in battle with those enemy units, which is a new feature that was not in the first game. The terrain also matters, as your units can get separated due to obstacles like mountains and hills.
In the story, players must help the main characters navigate various terrain to reach their destination and move on to the next chapter. While it sounds easy enough, the levels of enemies increases as you get further along, so don't get too cocky.
The other part of the game are Quests, which seem more like special events that players can take part in. These are only available for a limited time and rotate frequently, so you should take advantage of them while you can. However, they're usually tougher than normal battles, so you should also make sure you're prepared. These cost stamina to play.
The battle system in Terra Battle 2 is just like the first game. To attack, you need at least two of your party members to be next to an enemy (or a line of them) on both sides (aka flank). You can also shift the position of other team members (and even enemies) by pushing a character tile into them, unless the enemy has a purple outline (can't be moved). The more characters you have lined up adjacent to each other or are in the same column or row on the grid, then the stronger your attack and skills become.
With the new map system, players can choose to take on a large group of enemies at once. While this may sound a bit scary and overwhelming, it's more beneficial to fight large clusters rather than single enemies. Due to your character's skills and positioning on the grid, it can be easy to get rid of multiple enemies at once. And when you defeat multiple foes, the experience you earn is increased by percentile. This means faster leveling and higher chances of having treasure drop.
The biggest difference (aside from the map) in Terra Battle 2 are the characters. In the original game, characters were pretty simple — they're single characters that you can level up and evolve into their stronger forms. Now, you have the four main characters in the story, and the previous characters are now "guardians" that you assign to the main team, like partners. When attacks occur, you'll now see the character and their assigned partner, which is rather cluttered and confusing for Terra Battle veterans.
Additionally, characters can now equip gear, which affects their stats and abilities. It's best to equip gear that the character is proficient in, of course, to fully maximize their efficiency. These weapons and items also gain experience after battles, so they level up and become stronger over time.
Terra Battle 2 features beautifully designed characters and an amazing soundtrack. Gameplay is unique, unlike other strategy RPGs you've played before.
The Good
Terra Battle 2 is beautiful, just like the first game. The music and sounds are icing on the cake. There's a lot of differences from the first game, and I think the map system is interesting and different. It gives players more freedom in how to set up their battles, and the customization with characters and their partners and equipment keeps things fresh.
The Bad
While the first Terra Battle started out simple, it got a bit complicated over time as they added more features in the updates. Terra Battle 2 basically takes Terra Battle in it's later stages (around when I stopped playing) and builds on top of it. The game feels needlessly convoluted at times, and I am not too fond of the guardian system — I prefer just having a variety of characters to work with and level up.
Other players have reported that the game also feels unfinished right now because there's only four main chapters, which you can go through in several hours. The controls on the map are also a bit too sensitive for my taste, as I had a hard time being precise with my movements.
And finally, the load times are pretty bad. When I started, I had to sit through a few minutes of "downloading" game data, which is annoying. My boyfriend hasn't been able to get into the game at all, because the game gets stuck on "loading" on his iPhone 6S.
The verdict
As a big fan of the original Terra Battle, I'm a bit let down by this release. The first game was super simple to learn in the beginning, but this follow-up seems less newbie-friendly. I can see why the map is good, but the controls are just too sensitive for me right now. I often can't get the exact formation I want because I either move too fast or I just run out of time to move as I'm trying to be accurate. I also prefer having the characters you get available as main party members, rather than guardians, because the previous system worked fine.
I don't remember the original game having too many issues with load time either, which plague this sequel. Hopefully those get ironed out soon.
At the moment, I don't think I can fully recommend Terra Battle 2 as it is. However, once the kinks get worked out and hopefully things become more streamlined, then I'd say that this would be worth checking out.
Terra Battle 2 is on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for free. There are in-app purchases.
8.5
OVERALL
Graphics 10
Sound/Music 9
Replayability 8
Gameplay 8
Game Controls 7.5
Terra Battle 2
MISTWALKER CORPORATION
Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews
credit : appadvice
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