Potion Explosion is a Magical Board Game Puzzle Experience
February 01, 2017 by RSS Feed
Potion Explosion ($4.99) by Asmodee Digital is the digital, mobile adaptation of the popular board game of the same name. If you liked other mobile board game adaptations such as Sushi Go and Exploding Kittens, but want a dash of match-three flavor, then Potion Explosion is one that you cannot miss.
While I love games, I have always preferred video games over board and tabletop games because it always involves less setup and cleanup time, plus it’s easier to just get games started rather than having to invite people to come over and whatnot. However, this doesn’t mean that I don’t like to play board games, it’s just much easier for me to play a digital adaptation of said board game rather than go out and buy the physical board game and get a bunch of people together to play it. That is, unless someone else has the game and invites me over to play. So naturally, when I hear of a board game that gets brought over to mobile or other console platforms, I’m always intrigued because it gives me a chance to try the game out before deciding if I want the physical version or not when I go to friends’ gatherings. When I saw Potion Explosion on the App Store, I was interested because it looked like an interesting take on match-three, and I didn’t even think about a board game having that mechanic in it, so I had to try it out. Needless to say, I’m not disappointed.
In terms of visuals, Potion Explosion is beautiful. The game is rendered in 2-D but the shiny baubles in the dispenser that represent the potion ingredients give everything a bit of depth. Everything is incredibly detailed, right down to the textures of the ingredients, potion liquids, beakers, and even the background that represents a magical laboratory. The colors in Potion Explosion are similar to the real-life counterpart, but from what I’ve seen from photos, this digital version looks much more bright and vivid, especially when it comes to the ingredient pieces themselves. Potion Explosion features fun visual effects and the animations are smooth and fluid with no lag on my iPhone 7. There’s also a soothing, whimsical soundtrack that will make you feel just like a wizard concocting potions, so it’s definitely captivating and immersive. Overall, Asmodee Digital did an exceptional job with bringing this board game to life on digital screens.
In Potion Explosion, there are two ways that you can play: online or offline. For online play, you will need to create an Asmodee account, which is free, but it is another online account that you’ll have to keep track of. If you do opt for online play, it is asynchronous, so everyone can play the game at their own pace. The only flaw is that there is currently no notification system, which means you’ll often have to check in and guess if it is your turn yet. Hopefully this is fixed in the future. For those who don’t mind offline play, you can go up against computer AI opponents, and there are two difficulty modes: Easy or Hard, though even Easy can be fairly difficult if you’ve never played the game before. All games, whether online or offline, must have at least two players and can go up to four in a single game.
So how do you play Potion Explosion? In each game, you can select the potion cards that will be used or go with a randomized selection for variety every time you play. At the start of the game, players get two of these potions that they have to complete with specific ingredients, and the potions themselves will have their own unique effects. To get ingredients, you tap on a piece in the dispenser, and then more slide down from the top. But here comes the fun part — if at least two ingredients of the same nature collide with each other, then you get those ingredients as well. You can then cook up those ingredients by dragging them to the potion you want to use them in, or just use the autofill button to have the game intelligently sort them out for you. Additionally, you have three spare beakers off to the left hand side where you can store extra ingredients that you want to keep for later — any other ingredients you’ve collected will be discarded after your turn ends, so choose wisely.
Once you complete a potion, you’ll be able to store it in your stash and use it whenever the time is right. Each potion has its own effects, and you can read what they do before using them. They can do things like steal all of the ingredients from your opponent, turn spare ingredients into wildcards so that they can be used to fill missing ingredients of other potions you are working on, reuse the effect of a potion you’ve used earlier, and more. When you complete a potion, you’ll be able to select another one to work on from the draw pile. All of the potions have their own point values as well, so when you complete a potion, the points get added to your score. The player with the most points by the end of the match wins.
Since I’m completely new to Potion Explosion, I’m still trying to figure out the best strategies while I’m playing, so I’m getting my butt handed to me by even the Easy AI opponents. Despite that, I am loving the game. The graphics are stunningly gorgeous, the music is tranquil and calming, and the controls are simple enough for anyone to understand. And while it may look like a match-three puzzle, there’s much more depth to it all since they only count if the ingredients collide with each other, so you’ll have to think carefully about each move if you want to maximize the effectiveness of your ingredient gathering techniques. The only complaint I have is that sometimes it feels like the game moves too slow when it’s your AI opponent’s turn, so I wish that there was a way to speed that up a bit. And there should be a notification system for the asynchronous multiplayer mode, because it does get annoying having to constantly guess if it is your turn or not. If these can be added in a future update, then the game would be even better. But it’s still a solid release, and one that should not be glossed over.
I highly recommend checking out Potion Explosion if you’re a fan of the physical board game, or just enjoy digital versions of board games or match-three puzzles. You can find Potion Explosion on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $4.99. There are no in-app purchases.
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Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 02/01/2017
February 01, 2017 by RSS Feed
Path on - Swipe to Type , Pin Points - Flight, Driving Distance Calculator , Hum A Hit and more
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Contra: Evolution Is The First Official Contra Game To Hit The App Store
February 01, 2017 by RSS Feed
Earlier this month, we enthusiastically announced the release of the first official Contra game, Contra: Evolution. Unfortunately, that release was premature and later pulled from the App Store. To those few lucky people who were cool enough to get their hands on it before anyone else could, just update the app to add these changes and fixes.
There were some concerns with the game controls and how many lives you have. You can choose to play on the classic gamepad as well as on a joystick. You also have two buttons that allow you to jump and switch out which bullets you want to use.
You start each new game with five lives instead of just three. You can also gain extra lives when you level up and buy them in the store. An additional life costs 60 diamonds.
There are two different currencies in the game: diamonds and gold. To resurrect yourself, you used to only be able to use diamonds. When you run out of them, you have to spend real money to purchase more. However, in the updated version, you can use gold to continue your game. The cost to revive yourself increases depending on how far along you are in the game. Every time you complete a level, you earn more gold.
There are several in-app purchases that you can make. You can buy gold, diamonds, and experience points. Each type offers six different packages that you can choose from. The least expensive package is $0.99 and will buy you 6,000 gold, 20 diamonds, or 2,000 XP. The most expensive packages are $19.99 for 165,000 gold, 540 diamonds, or 54,000 XP.
I’m personally not a fan of the in-app purchases. The game is already a paid app. However, I can’t ignore the fact that a highly influential old school game has become assessable to the public without having to break out an antique Nintendo console. There are probably droves of people who dearly miss this game and would love the opportunity to play a Contra game once more. Despite the in-app purchases, the game is still an amazing tribute to arcade games from the 1980s.
Technologically, we’ve moved away from cartridges. We’re even phasing out disks. Yet, no matter how enthusiastic we are about the newest gaming technology, there’s still that ache for the games that taught us to love gaming. When old school games are converted into apps, a little bit of that early spark which raised a generation of gamers is revived and bridges the gap between those who grew up on disks and those who blew into cartridges.
Contra: Evolution has both an iPhone ($0.99) and iPad HD ($2.99) version, and they’re currently available in the App Store.
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Chillaxian Will Satisfy Your Nostalgia For '80s Arcade Games
February 01, 2017 by RSS Feed
Chillaxian ($1.99) by Madgarden is a game where you can “chillax and shoot some aliens for a while … at a nonchalant pace,” as the developer describes it. Given the look and feel of this title, along with the actual gameplay itself, it is clear that Chillaxian is an attempt at bringing a classic ’80s arcade game, known as Galaxian, to iOS.
If you’re familiar with the original Galaga series, you’ll feel right at home with Chillaxian. The game looks nearly identical to the original Galaxian, with similar graphics and sounds. However, the only controls include tapping on the left or right side of the display to move the spaceship. Unlike in Galaxian, the ship in Chillaxian shoots automatically, which may be a deal breaker for those who are used to having a manual button for this. Instead of using an on-screen joystick and button for controls, it appears that the developer has chosen this control method because it provides a much more laid-back experience. Still, the option to choose different types of controls would be appreciated.
Like Galaxian, Chillaxian is also made up of levels, called “waves.” In each wave, the number of aliens increases, along with the frequency with which they dive down to attack your ship. After shooting all of the aliens on the screen, you will move on to the next wave. You will also encounter the occasional debris field where there is an opportunity to rescue a spaceship that can serve as an extra shooter. There is also a unique boss at the end of every 10 waves.
The things that I enjoy most about Chillaxian are the little details. For example, when your ship is shot down (which only takes one shot), the whole game rumbles as the ship explodes into fragments that fill the screen. Also, for those who really want to be brought back to the time of Galaxian, there is an optional “1979 Mode.” When enabled, the game will look and sound even more like it is being played on an arcade machine. All of the early arcade players will know what I mean.
Overall, this has been one of the most enjoyable titles that I have played on my iPad in a while, and it is available for iPhone as well. Chillaxian is a $1.99 universal download in the App Store. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some aliens to kill.
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Mr. Particle-Man is a fantastic homage to classic, old-school arcade games
February 01, 2017 by RSS Feed
Mr. Particle-Man ($1.99) by Michael Falk is the sequel to the original Ms. Particle-Man that came out in 2012. Never heard of it? That’s okay, I didn’t either until I picked up Mr. Particle-Man. Either way, if you’re a fan of classic, challenging arcade games from the ‘80s, like PAC-MAN and MS. PAC-MAN then Mr. Particle-Man is worth a look.
When it comes to gaming on my iOS device, some of my favorites come in the form of retro arcade games. I grew up in the late ‘80s, so that was all I had back then for entertainment, and that love never died. I spent hours of my day playing things like PAC-MAN and Super Mario Bros., because they were simple games that were challenging enough to keep me coming back for more. That’s why when I came across Mr. Particle-Man in the App Store, I was intrigued, and had to check it out for myself.
The visuals in Mr. Particle-Man are super retro, with the entire 8-bit look and feel. If you grew up with these games as I did, then you will feel right at home here. The colors are bright and vivid, and while the game’s graphics look simple, it’s still pretty detailed and things are laid out in devious ways, making the game harder than it looks. The animations are smooth and fluid, and the game comes with an awesome chiptune soundtrack. To top things off, the sound effects are fun and delightful.
Mr. Particle-Man is an arcade game that is based on levels, and there are currently over 100 to get through at this point in time. Of course, like other arcade games, the only way to get to the next level is to beat the previous one, and as you get further in the game, the more difficult this task becomes.
The goal in each stage is to get Mr. Particle-Man, our mustachioed hero, from the starting point to the exit that is located somewhere on the level, usually at the other side of the screen. Along the way, you can collect the glowing orbs for more points, but watch out for all of the obstacles that stand in your way of both the orbs and the exit. These include moving platforms, electrifying walls, moving conveyor belts, toxic areas that drain your health, and much more. There are also boss fights to watch out for, which require all of your reflexes and prowess. Power-up items can be collected for boosts to help you meet the objective. Like old-school games, you start out with a certain amount of points, and the faster you complete it, the more of those points you keep.
The controls in the game are simple and intuitive. Instead of dealing with virtual on-screen controls, players can make use of the entire screen for movement. Mr. Particle-Man will move in the direction that you drag your finger in, and he is free to move both vertically and horizontally. While the controls work well enough, I do wish that there was the option to adjust the sensitivity — sometimes it feels like he is moving slower than I’d want him to.
If you need to pause the game, it can be done at any time by tapping on the status bar at the top of the screen. Players can also quit the game to return to the main menu, and then pick up where they left off. Or, if you want to get the best total score possible, you can start all over from the beginning.
Just like any old-school arcade game, it’s all about the score. Fortunately, there is full Game Center integration for both leaderboards and achievements. There are five leaderboards to compete on, including some for speed runs, and eight achievements to collect. Given the nature of the game, this only adds to the already high replay value.
I’m always a sucker for classic arcade game homages, and this is definitely one of them. I love the vintage pixelated graphics and authentic chiptune soundtrack of Mr. Particle-Man, and the controls are easy to get used to. There are a ton of challenging levels for the price, and like any real arcade game, there’s a lot of reasons to keep playing.
I highly recommend checking out Mr. Particle-Man (and even Ms. Particle-Man) if you are in the mood for difficult arcade game experience. You can find Mr. Particle-Man in the App Store as a universal download for $1.99.
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