It’s Time to Wreak Havoc on Space Bugs as The Bug Butcher
November 08, 2016 by macjeff
The Bug Butcher ($3.99) by Noodlecake Studios Inc and Awfully Nice Studios is an action-packed arcade shooter that will keep you on your toes with all of the intensity of fighting off nasty space bugs. This is the mobile port of the original game that launched on Steam earlier this year. If you enjoyed games like Glorkian Warrior and Galaga, then chances are high that you’ll like what The Bug Butcher brings to the table.
When I’ve had a long, stressful day, I like to relieve my stress by playing video games. Preferably ones that involve outrageous weaponry so I can unleash my fury on unsuspecting critters that need to be exterminated anyway. Arcade shooter games are perfect for the job, because they’re always intense, full of action, and involve high score chasing with each round. I had not heard of The Bug Butcher until last week, to be honest, but I noticed that it looked like something that would be right up my alley when I needed to rage out on. So naturally, I had to check it out for myself.
Visually, The Bug Butcher is gorgeous, even though the alien bug creatures you’re fighting are kind of disgusting. The game features a fantastic cartoon art style that is sure to appeal to anyone who likes quirky graphics, and the 2-D is rendered well with the incredible backdrops of the rooms that you’re in. The colors in The Bug Butcher range from bright and vibrant hues to darker, more gloomy tones, and everything contrasts nicely with each other so it all stands out on your Retina screen. I found the animations to be smooth and fluid, and the techno dance music and sound effects are a fun, eccentric touch.
In The Bug Butcher, players take on the role of Harry, a bug exterminator in space. You get a new assignment that takes you to the planet of Zoit, where you find out about a futuristic research facility run by a dwindling number of surviving scientists, and the facility is infested with dangerous space bugs. Your goal is to survive the decontamination procedure initiated by the scientists by getting rid of all of the bugs that are brought in during the process. While it may sound easy, it truly gets difficult once things get insane and hectic in the room.
The Bug Butcher features two game modes: Arcade and Panic, and three difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, and Hard). You start with Arcade mode and go through the campaign one level at a time. As you make progress in the Arcade mode, you’ll unlock maps for Panic mode, which is essentially an endless mode. Each stage in Arcade mode features several waves of enemy bugs coming in, and you must exterminate them all within the allotted time limit. Your score depends on racking up successful combos (kill enemies quickly without getting hit yourself), collecting coins, and completing it within the time frame (the faster, the better). The same objective is also for Panic mode, but it’s also a test to see how far you can get before you lose.
Controls in The Bug Butcher are simple enough to understand, though I think they’re far from perfect. The two directional arrow buttons in the bottom left let you move Harry left and right. On the right hand side, you have a button that allows you to perform a dash, and another button to shoot upwards (hold down for continuous fire) with your exterminator guns. When you get enough kills, you fill up your power-up gauge that sits above the attack button, and you can activate your power-up mode with a tap. The boost only lasts for a short amount of time, though, so you have to make sure to use it wisely, otherwise it may be a while before you can use it again.
My biggest concern with the controls is the fact that it seemed like the directional buttons got stuck often, because I found myself in one spot even though my thumb was on the button for the direction I wanted to move in. I wish that there was some customization for the controls, as I would like to change the spacing between the left and right buttons, because they seem too close together for me in the default setting. Hopefully the developers can consider letting players fine-tune the control positioning to better suit our individual needs.
As you shoot down nasty space bugs, they’ll drop gold coins that you can collect — the more coins you have by the end of the round, the more points you get. But you’ll have to be fast at collecting them since they will disappear after a few secodns. Plus, the coins can be spent on various upgrades for Harry, such as shields, guns, speed boosts, and more that can be unlocked as you play.
I only started The Bug Butcher this morning, but I’m loving the game so far. It’s the perfect little game for just unleashing my wrath on space bugs when I need to release some stress, and the graphics are stunning and the music is top-notch. The different game modes and difficulty levels provide players with plenty of replay value, especially since the levels get harder at a gradual pace, and all of the unlockables will keep you coming back for more. I just hope that the controls get better optimized in terms of responsiveness in the future, and allow us to tweak the positioning and spacing between buttons.
I highly recommend checking out The Bug Butcher if you’re into frantic arcade shooters and want a great stress reliever. The Bug Butcher is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $3.99. There are no in-app purchases.
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Sate Your Curiosity With Alchademy, a Mix-and-Collect Game
November 08, 2016 by macjeff
Alchademy (Free) by Apps-O-Rama is a fun, casual game about mixing ingredients and satisfying your curiosity. If you want to feel like a witch or warlock brewing some crazy concoctions just in time for Halloween, then Alchademy is a nice little time killer that will provide you with some entertainment this holiday season. It goes well with Puzzlepops! Trick or Treat, if you are looking for spooky, entertaining titles.
Halloween is coming up in a little over a week, so I’m pretty excited. It’s one of my favorite holidays, because who can resist the spooky decorations, candy, dressing up in costume, special events, and all the movies fit for the season? I certainly can’t. But since it’s like almost 100 degrees out here in Southern California, it doesn’t feel like fall or Halloween for me, so I’ve been turning to games to get my fill. Yesterday I talked about the delightful Puzzlepops! Trick or Treat, and today I’m diving into Alchademy.
Visually speaking, Alchademy is gorgeous. The game is filled with completely original graphics that have a cartoonish charm to them, similar to what you would find in a graphic novel of sorts. The alchemists that you unlock have their own distinctive outfits and sounds, which are fun to listen to when you poke around on the screen. The ingredients that you can put into the cauldron have their own unique aesthetics, and everything seems to be alive with cute eyes and whatnot. The colors used in Alchademy range from bright vivid hues to colder, darker tones. The cauldron also has gems along the side that indicate the potency of the ingredients you are mixing, and the color of the brew is also a sign of potential results. Animations are smooth and fluid as you select ingredients, pan the camera around, and pop bubbles for extra coins while waiting, and the spooky tunes fit the season nicely.
As I stated earlier, Alchademy is a fairly casual game that is meant to be played whenever you have a few minutes, just so you can check on your previous combination and start a new one. The game doesn’t have any different modes or things to solve — it’s just a game about combining ingredients to create new things and rinse and repeat. It’s not a real game, per say, but it is entertainment and one of those things that is fun to check up on every now and then. Plus, if you have any sense of curiosity, you’d be interested to know what weird things can come out from this game.
So how do you combine things? Behind your cauldron and alchemist is a wall with shelves for various ingredients that you can put into the pot. To throw it in, just tap or drag the item you want to use, and repeat the process for the second item. If you’re satisfied with your choices, hit the “stir” button at the bottom of the screen and the two ingredients will be mixed. This is when the timers come in — at first, the timers will be relatively short, but as you make more combinations, the timers get longer, pushing you to spend your gold coins for the hourglass to get instant results.
Either way, after the timer is done, you’ll be able to see your new creation, or get let down with a disappointing “Mixture Failed” message. To gauge the possibility of success, look at the lights on the cauldron as well as the color of the brew when you select your ingredients — the number of lit up dots represent how many combinations a particular ingredient still has left. And when you pick the second ingredient and the water turns red, then that means that you’ve already tried this combination and you should try a different ingredient.
The results of your concoctions can be new ingredients, garbage, or you can get “Creations,” which are cool items that two ingredients end up making. The creations cannot be used in the cauldron and are stashed away in your collection of creations, so they’re mainly there to look pretty. But if you’re a collector, then it’s fun to see how many of them you can discover and make on your own. Once you collect all of the ingredients and creations that a book has to offer, you’ll unlock the next one for free.
Whether you make a new ingredient, junk, or creation, you’ll be awarded some gold coins after each combination. You can also share your success and get another 100 coins for free, and there are opportunities to watch a video ad for coins. And once you fill up the totem (each mix fills it up 10 percent), you’ll get more gold coins in return. So the game gives players ample opportunities to get coins, including popping bubbles while waiting for the mix to finish, so you won’t be starved on currency at least. There are also the purple gems, which are the premium currency, and you can use these to purchase new recipe books and different alchemists to spice things up. Sometimes gems can be given by popping those bubbles, so make sure to keep at it. Or you can convert gold coins to gems and vice versa, or get more through in-app purchases.
Even though there is not much gameplay to Alchademy, I’m still finding it to be a fun and entertaining app on my iPhone 7. The graphics are stunning, the music is fun, and hey, I love to see what combinations make what. If you’re even the least bit curious about things, then this game will keep you busy, and it’s perfect for Halloween.
Alchademy is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for free. There are in-app purchases.
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Eggggg is an Imperfect and Disgustingly Cute Platformer
November 08, 2016 by macjeff
Eggggg - The Platform Puker ($1.99) by Hyper Games is a completely ridiculous and over-the-top auto-running platformer game. If you aren’t squeamish about puke and don’t mind having that as your main way to get around in a video game, then Eggggg is a game that should be checked out. Who knew something about vomit could look so…cute?
I think it’s safe to say that no one likes puking — in fact, it’s downright disgusting and it is just never a good feeling. Unfortunately, it’s still a part of life, but thankfully one that we can avoid most of the time. When I first heard of a vomit-induced platforming game, I was a bit disgusted and yet intrigued at the same time. This is because well, vomiting is gross, but I grew up with platformer games, so I tend to gravitate towards them, no matter how disgusting the theme (though maybe a line has to be drawn at some point). After spending some time with Eggggg, I think it’s safe to say that the game’s concept and premise is fun and interesting (albeit repulsive at times), but it is completely ruined by some of the worst controls I’ve ever seen for a title in the platformer genre.
Visually, Eggggg is one of the most beautiful games I’ve come across this week. It carries a gorgeous cartoonish art style that reminds me of the old-school Nickelodeon and Saturday morning cartoons that I grew up with. The 2-D graphics are nicely rendered and the world is colorful, vibrant, and filled with adorable or outrageous creatures that are out to get you. In fact, the world is so crazy that it is almost like an acid trip right on your screen, with the random design patterns on various aspects of the environment, as well as faces on almost everything. Animations are buttery smooth and fluid, and everything just looks like it is oozing with bubbly personality. Eggggg has an upbeat and quirky soundtrack that is fun to listen to, and the sound effects you hear throughout the game are rather charming, though vomit itself will never be.
Like most platformer games, Eggggg is level-based, with a total of 20 different levels that are spread out across a handful of areas. The goal in each stage is to help Gilbert reach the end point, indicated with the colorful balloons and finish line tape, before he can move on to the next level on his quest to get a birthday party. As you see in the opening cinematic for the game, it’s Gilbert’s birthday but he’s staying with his Aunt Doris, who is pretty much the queen of No Fun Land. In order to reach his ultimate destination, though, he’ll have to use his extreme egg allergy (vomits every time he eats them) superpower to navigate his way through a world of angry, cyborg chickens.
The controls in Eggggg are supposed to be tailored for touch screen devices, but I found them to be some of the most unintuitive controls I’ve used for a platformer game. This is also due to the fact that the game has auto-running elements that cannot be toggled off, even though the App Store description mentioned nothing about the game being an auto-running platformer. The developers went with a two-touch control scheme, which means there are two buttons in the bottom left and right corners that you use for both movement and jumping (propel yourself with projectile vomit).
I found the controls to be incredibly frustrating to use when combined with the auto-running element, because Gilbert just runs on his own once you nudge him in the direction you want to go. Personally, I’d rather have auto-run off if I were to stick with the two-touch controls, or include a traditional control scheme with directional buttons in the bottom left (or right) and another button on the other side for jumping. Right now, at least for me, the game is not enjoyable because of the bad controls — I end up spending more time trying to figure out how to get them to work properly than solving puzzles (how to get to certain parts of a stage) in the game itself.
In the end, even though I was originally somewhat repulsed by the concept of Eggggg, I couldn’t help but check it out because of my love for platformers. But it turned out to be rather disappointing overall, aside from the fantastic graphics and music. I could put up with the wacky vomit superpower, but I can’t stand the controls in their current iteration — they just don’t work out at all for me, and it ends up being more frustrating than it should be. Hopefully the developer adds some options for controls in the future, such as a toggle for auto-run or provide an alternate control scheme.
If you aren’t scared off by puke and bad controls and still want to give Eggggg a shot, you can find it on the App Store as a universal download for the iPhone and iPad for $1.99 here. As for me, this one will be sitting on the back-burner until better controls are implemented.
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Pinball Meets Tron in PinOut! From Mediocre
November 08, 2016 by macjeff
PinOut! (Free) by Mediocre AB is the latest new game from the guys who brought you Smash Hit, Does Not Commute, and Dirac. If you’re a fan of their amazing style and challenging games, and also have a love for pinball, then PinOut! is one that you do not want to miss out on.
When I was a kid, one thing I absolutely loved was pinball. I remember I got some kind of pinball machine toys as gifts from my siblings for one Christmas, and I spent hours on that one Space Cadet Pinball game on Windows PCs back in the day. And whenever I was able to hit up the arcade or somewhere with an entertainment area, I always looked for the pinball machines. I don’t know what it is, but something about pinball just hooked me as a kid, and it still does today, though it has to be a good hook. As a big fan of what Mediocre has done in the past, especially with Smash Hit, I was excited when I heard that they were coming out with another title, this time involving pinball. So here we have PinOut!, and it’s one that will make any pinball fan happy.
Visually, Mediocre knocked it out of the park with PinOut!, as it features gorgeous, Tron-like graphics that make me feel like I’m playing the pinball machine of the future, which technically, I kind of am. The pinball table features dark, glossy surfaces and bright neon lights that make you feel like you’re in The Grid itself. The pinball table also has various ramps, bumpers, and even some hidden mini-games that you can enter and play, giving the game a bit more variety than just pinball. PinOut! also features a groovy, techno synth soundtrack that dynamically changes as you reach new table sections, and the sound effects are fun and futuristic.
Like their previous games, PinOut! is one long, continuous journey. There is only one game mode, and the goal is to race against time and see how far along in the long pinball table you can get. You start off with 60 seconds on the clock, but as you play, you can collect the glowing orbs to earn extra time. Since the game is a continuous journey, you want to aim to get the ball on the proper ramp paths that move you to the next sector of the table. This can be harder than it looks, especially as you make it further along and encounter various obstacles like moving walls, blocked off areas, bumpers, launchers, and more. Along the way, you’ll also find tokens for mini-games that can net you extra time on the clock, and there are power-up orbs that give you two randomized options, such as Time Freeze, Slow Motion, or only have the clock run down when the ball is in movement.
The controls in PinOut! are incredibly simple and intuitive. All you have to do is just tap on the left or right side of the screen to activate the flipper that you want to use. As you make your way through the pinball table, you’ll have to pay attention to where the flippers are, because once you reach the next section of the pinball machine, there may just be one flipper tucked away, or the positioning may be different. It’s important to give the game your full attention, because otherwise you may miss the ball and fall back a few sections, which means wasting precious time.
Once the clock runs out, then that’s it. The game is a test to see just how far you can manage to make it for each run. The initial free download means that you will have to start from the very beginning on each new run, but if you opt for the $1.99 premium unlock, you’ll be able to continue from checkpoints, which are the starting points of the next pinball table that you reach. Personally, I’ve loved all of Mediocre’s games lately, so no doubt I will be glad to pony up the two dollars to start from reached checkpoints. The game is just downright fun, though some may think it’s a bit repetitive.
Overall, I’ve been playing PinOut! over the last few days and enjoying it rather thoroughly. The graphics are stunning to look at and are nice and sharp on Retina screens. The unique techno synth tunes for each table are awesome to the ears, and the controls are simple and intuitive. The only improvement that could be made to the game are even more pinball table designs added in a future update, so that the content can stay fresh and interesting. Overall, though, I am pleased with another Mediocre AB title to add to my collection.
If you are a fan of pinball and enjoy the work of Mediocre, then you should check out PinOut! for yourself. You can find PinOut! on the App Store as a universal download for the iPhone and iPad for free. There is a one-time in-app purchase of $1.99 to continue from checkpoints.
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Bollocks! Oh…Sir! The Insult Simulator is Jolly Good Fun
November 08, 2016 by macjeff
Oh...Sir! The Insult Simulator ($1.99) by Gambitious Digital Entertainment is the follow-up to the developer’s original insult battle game, Oh…Sir! (Free), which came out last year. The original Oh…Sir! only had local multiplayer mode, so if you want more, then the sequel takes the original concept and expands on it greatly. If you love British-themed insults and arguments, then Oh…Sir! The Insult Simulator is a game that will be right up your alley.
Since I come from an Asian family, I honestly did not have much experience with anything that originated from Britain as I was growing up. However, once I got my first job and became friends with my coworkers, I began to expand my horizons in terms of the things I knew about the world. I got into music and one of my favorite bands is from Britain (Muse), and later on I discovered great British television like Doctor Who, and talent like Gordon Ramsay. Ever since then, I’ve grown to love the British as a whole, as well as their fine cuisine and rich cultural history (always something to learn). I also find English arguments to be rather hilarious, such as this one between Gordon Ramsay and a chef (some language is NSFW). Naturally, when I saw Oh…Sir! The Insult Simulator on the App Store, I had to stop everything I was doing and check it out for myself. Needless to say, I’m not disappointed by what this game offers.
Visually, Insult Simulator features a retro aesthetic thanks to the stylish pixel-art graphics. The characters feature a unique, jagged patterns that give them more depth, thanks to the shadows. They all have their own distinctive appearance as well, complete with fashionable British garb. Colors in The Insult Simulator range from bright vivid hues to darker, gloomier tones, but no matter what you’re looking at, there is a good balance of contrast with all of the visuals. All of the character models are bouncing with personality and charm, and each of them have their own voice acting, which is incredibly well done. Animations are smooth and fluid, so I had no issues with lag or choppiness on my iPhone 7. The game has a fun and patriotic tune in the background, and each scenario has its own musical track as well. And to top things off, the sound effects as you land mighty insults are just downright fun to hear.
There are two modes that you can play in Insult Simulator: Insult CPU or Insult a Human. If you choose to go against the CPU, you can go with the Instant Argument or Tournament mode, and for beginners, there is a tutorial that shows you the ropes. If you prefer to play against a human, you can go either locally (same device) or online through Game Center. But regardless of how you choose to play the game, the objective remains the same: an argument ensues between your protagonist and another British character, and to settle the argument, you engage in a fight of words by slinging insults at each other. The first one to knock the opponent’s hit points (the bar above them) to zero wins the argument.
So how do you play The Insult Simulator? Before you start, make sure to choose your favorite character as your protagonist — you start off with three, but more become available as you play and unlock them. Then you pick your scenario, or if you’re in Tournament, you’ll have to go through five scenes in succession. Each scenario takes place in a chosen setting, such as The Pet Shop, Train, or even The Afterlife. Your protagonist encounters another Brit and the conversation plays out, resulting in some kind of disagreement between the two. Now that you’ve engaged in the argument, the only way to settle it is through clever wit and insults.
For the insults, each player takes a turn picking a word from the pool. The pool consists of nouns, verbs, phrases, and conjunctions. You also have two extra options in your “hand” that you can use if nothing good is left in the pool, and you can tap on the “sip tea” button to discard those two cards and get two new ones, though this can only be used once per turn. Your job is to construct a full sentence out of these words that also serves as an insult to your opponent. Once you are satisfied with your insult and feel like nothing can add to it, just tap on the “!” button. Your turn also ends automatically if you use words that end in an “!,” so make sure to use them wisely. If your sentence combination is not grammatically correct, you lose a few health points and that card can’t be used again.
Insults are scored by how insulting they are, but don’t make it so ridiculous or weird because you won’t get as many points if it is too implausible. You get bonuses for insulting the opponent’s family, age, or even country, and using the cards that end with “!” can net you some bonuses like style. And the longer and more elaborate your insult is, the better chances you have of dishing out a “combo” and doing more damage to your foe.
I only managed to start playing Oh…Sir! The Insult Simulator this morning while having my coffee, but it’s becoming one of my favorite new word games lately. I’ve laughed more during one round of The Insult Simulator than many other games I’ve played through, and it’s definitely a great game to play with friends as well. Plus, the graphics and music are delightful, and all of the characters have their own charming traits and wit. Oh…Sir! The Insult Simulator is one of the better games I’ve tried recently, and this will be staying on my device for a while, especially when I need a good laugh.
I recommend checking out Oh…Sir! The Insult Simulator if you’re a fan of British themes and want to try your hand at cleverly insulting your way to victory in an argument. You can find Oh…Sir! The Insult Simulator on the App Store as a universal download for just $1.99. There are no in-app purchases. You can also grab it on Steam for your PC, Mac, or Linux machine for 10 percent off until Nov. 1.
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