This weeks round up of mobile titles once again shows off a couple of games from the iTunes App Store, Dragon’s Lair HD for the iPad and Time Geeks: Find All! For the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Dragon's Lair HD - iPad Review
I think that Dragon's Lair has managed to hit nearly every gaming platform known to man ever since it was released in the arcades all those years ago. For some reason, despite what is a really basic game, it still has a place in my heart from the days spent popping 10 pence pieces into the laser disc based arcade game while on holidays by the sea.
Well now we have Dragon's Lair HD on the iPad. The game was released on the iPhone earlier in the year and not only did it sell well; it even seemed to get some decent reviews despite its dated gameplay. The full motion video does look a bit dated now, despite keeping its charm. It still looks colorful and clear on the iPad, and is easily the best version of the game on a mobile device so far.
There are the usual issues though, as has been the case with the iPhone version, the game has a tendency to crash now and then for no apparent reason other than loading the next piece of video. This is especially the case on iOS 4.2. I expect an update will be forthcoming to fix this issue however.
So overall it is probably one of the best versions of Dragon's Lair that you can get hold of right now, the video looks good and it plays just the same as it did originally in the arcade. So if you enjoyed it then, or just want a little bit of nostalgia then this is the game for you. I’m just not sure it is worth the £2.99 price they are selling it for personally when compared to other iPad titles on the App Store.
Time Geeks: Find All! - iPhone Review
Time Geeks: Find All! Is a great looking title out for the iPhone right now. The game has a similar premise to the hidden object style of Where’s Wally. In that you have to scour the screen to find certain hidden items and characters across the landscape. The game has various challenges such as History mode, arcade, relax and various mini games.
The main aspect of the game is Challenges. From here you select an island, then pick the level you wish to play from the selection on screen. Each level has you trying to find a certain character or item. This may sound easy, but with the countdown clock ticking, you don't get long to scour the screen and find them. On the screen you can zoom in closer to get a better view of the islands and the objects and people who inhabit it. This is the best way I find to play the game.
Arcade mode has you taking down the enemy Zoorg's who are hiding around the levels. Once again you get a count down timer to find them and the time increases each time you click on one. It's a mode that allows you to build up a high score to pit against your friends via OpenFeint or Game Center.
In Relax mode you get to find the geeks in your own time without having the time limit counting you down. This means you are free to just sit back, enjoy the scenery and enjoy the search. It is a mode that I find kids love playing the most as it gives them the opportunity to search around without any frustrating end result.
Mini games are small levels that let you take on various tasks. For example the first one unlocked has you trying to tap on monkeys in a tower - you must ONLY click on the monkeys though and no one else, if you click on others or miss the monkeys then you will lose a life and you only get three chances. It is a lot of fun to play through
The final option is great; this is the in-game map editor. It allows you to create your own Time Geeks levels to play through, upload to friends and more. As you complete the levels in the game, more items are unlocked for you to make use of in the editor. It works really well and adds to the longevity of the game.
Graphically Time Geeks: Find All! Is excellent, especially on the iPhone 4. This is because the games great Pixel art design is shown off in HD via the retina display and it is full of character and color. The game also has a lot of movie and TV references hidden within it, especially for fans of Lost. This app also makes great use of Apple's Game Center with achievements and scores all uploaded behind the scenes.
Overall I can't find much to fault in the game, it works just as it should, has a great graphic design and is fun to play. Not only that, it is just under a $1. You can't go wrong.
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