It’s been a great week for iOS gamers, with fantastic new releases from Gameloft, Chillingo, Sega and Telltale Games. Picking our favorites has been some task.
Here’s this week’s roundup — featuring the return of Sonic in a brand new arcade kart racer, an iPad platformer that uses your iPhone as a controller, and the final episode of Monkey Island.
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing — ($4.99) Universal — Games
Fans of the console release, and indeed those that enjoy the legendary Super Mario Kart, are guaranteed a great time with Sega’s latest App Store release. Priced at $1.99 for a limited time, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing brings together your favorite Sega characters to battle it out in an adrenaline-fuelled race to the finish line. 10 iconic Sega stars are featured in the game, including (of course) Sonic, Tails, Dr. Eggman, Ryo Hazuki and Amigo — all of which have their own unique vehicle. There are 15 white-knuckle courses to enjoy, which are litters with traps, speed boosts, and a variety of weapons. With 25 missions to beat, time trials, a grand prix competition with three difficulty levels, and multiplayer with up to three other friends over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, there’s countless hours of fun to be had.
BackStab — ($6.99) Universal — Games
BackStab — Gameloft’s latest App Store release — puts you in the shoes of Henry Blake, once a proud officer in the English Royal Navy, now a shattered man — betrayed, imprisoned and out to seek revenge. Help him in his quest for justice, climbing, jumping and sneaking your way through diverse settings to reach your targets and take down your adversaries. Use your deadly fighting skills and the intuitive combat system to defeat your nemesis and anyone else who tries to get in your way. Roam freely across a huge island and gaze upon its magnificent 3D environments, with 4 unique cities to explore, on your mission to get revenge on those who betrayed you.
Lars — ($1.99) Universal — Games
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PMUMQB19HQ
Lars: Super Action Danger Lizard! is a full-featured platform game with hand-drawn pixel art, faithful old-school controls, classic retro soundtracks and over 60 levels of jumping, scrolling action. Follow Agent Lars from the perilous beaches of “Tutorial Bay” through the dense and dangerous “Jungles of Incredible Peril” on your quest to save the world from the clutches of sinister forces. For fans of retro platformers like Super Mario Bros., Lars is a perfect iPad title. In addition to its excellent gameplay, it boasts one unique feature that I hope other game developers take note of: While Lars is running on your iPad, you can load up the Joypad app on your iPhone and use it as a wireless control pad. This means that with an AV Adapter for your iPad, you can use your device just like a console on your HDTV. Check out the gameplay video above to see Lars in action!
D.A.R.K. — ($0.99) iPhone — Games
Earth has the Marines, space has D.A.R.K. Squadron. After losing contact with the USS Storm Bringer, a group of elite soldiers from D.A.R.K. Squadron has been in to investigate. Explore the labyrinthine corridors of the super-ship in this sci-fi action-RPG and uncover the mystery. Fight the waves of deadly enemies, solve the ingenious puzzles, and defeat enormous bosses as you uncover the shocking truth about the Storm Bringer. D.A.R.K. boasts a massive multiplayer campaign with a huge variety of gameplay, from gunfights to puzzles, with intense weapons and upgrades.
Monkey Island Tales 5 — ($6.99) iPad — Games
Monkey Island episode 5 is now available on your iPad — the final episode in this Telltale series of games — entitled Rise of the Pirate God. This episode features series favorites Guybrush, LeChuck, Elaine, Stan and the Voodoo Lady with a new cast of characters and the same Monkey Island adventure gameplay we all know all know and love. In order to celebrate the series finale, the first episode is now available for free!
