Games - page 5

Apple considered acquiring gaming giant Electronic Arts

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Apple considered acquiring gaming giant Electronic Arts
Apple acquiring Electronic Arts is probably what it would take to bring games like Madden 22 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order to Mac.
Image: Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly held talks about buying out Electronic Arts, the company behind the wildly popular Madden series, The Sims series and many more.

But EA has also supposedly held acquisition talks with others, including Disney.

Outrace Family Guy, American Dad! and King of the Hill characters in Warped Kart Racers

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Outrace 'Family Guy' and 'King of the Hill' characters in Warped Kart Racers
Buckle up with the stars of American Dad!Family Guy, King of the Hill and Solar Opposites.
Screenshot: 20th Century Games

Peter Griffin jumps in a go-kart and races Hank Hill. Or Stan Smith takes on Dale Gribble. These matchups are all part of Warped Kart Racers.

The wacky racing game launched Friday on Apple Arcade. It’s playable on iPhone, Mac and more. And up to eight players can race at once.

This clip-on controller is the secret to better iPhone gaming [Review]

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Backbone One for iPhone review: Clever clip-on game controller
The Backbone One for iPhone takes your gaming to the next level.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Clip the Backbone One to your iPhone to get the physical buttons and sticks you’ve been missing. It has a lot in common with an Xbox controller, while being designed specifically for iPhone gaming. And a Lightning connector makes hookups easy.

I spent many hours testing the Backbone One. Here’s why I completely love it, especially for cloud gaming.

Fortnite returns to iPhone with clever workaround – here’s how to play!

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Fortnite returns to iPhone with clever workaround – here's how to play!
If you've been missing Fortnite, you can play it now on iPhone or iPad.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Fortnite got kicked out of the App Store as part of a legal battle between Apple and Epic Games, but you can play it on your iPhone today for free. Microsoft added it to Xbox Cloud Gaming so the combat game is playable on iOS and iPadOS devices.

Setting up your iPhone or iPad to play Fortnite from the cloud rather than the App Store is different from what you’re used to. Not hard, just different. I’ll walk you through it.

Soon you can battle Diablo Immortal’s Lord of Damnation on iPhone and iPad

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Battle the Lord of Damnation when 'Diablo Immortal' debuts for iPhone and iPad in June
Pit yourself against the demonic forces of Skarn, Lord of Damnation in Diablo Immortal.
Photo: Blizzard Entertainment

Diablo fans will be soon able to answer the call to battle on their iPhone. On June 2, Blizzard Entertainment will launch Diablo Immortal, a massively multiplayer online action role-playing game for phones and tablets.

There’ll also be a PC version, and players will be able enjoy the game across platforms.

Take a slingshot space adventure in Moonshot on Apple Arcade

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Take a slingshot space adventure in Moonshot on Apple Arcade
Blast off! Moonshot – A Journey Home premiered Friday.
Photo: Noodlecake Games

Physics-based puzzlers are all the rage, and the latest Apple Arcade game takes the concept to the stars. In Moonshot – A Journey Home, players use a slingshot to reunite a wandering moon with its home planet.

It debuted Friday on Apple’s gaming service, which now offers more than 200 titles.

Unreal Engine’s free Core game creation tool comes to macOS and iOS

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Core is a game-development tool previously limited to PCs.
Core is a game-development tool previously limited to PCs.
Photo: Manticore Games

Core is a free tool for creating games that runs on Unreal Engine, which is only available on PC. But as part of its one-year anniversary, developer Manticore Games said Friday that Core is coming to macOS and iOS in summer 2022.

When Mac, iPhone and iPad get Core, gamers will be able to cross-play between versions with Windows gamers, Manticore said. And developers can start playing with Core for iOS on Friday.

Collect and race gorgeous supercars in Gear.Club Stradale on Apple Arcade

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Collect and race gorgeous supercars in ‘Gear.Club Stradale’ on Apple Arcade
Put the pedal to the metal in Gear.Club Stradale, now on Apple Arcade.
Photo: Eden Games/Apple Arcade

Take a long holiday in a gorgeous villa with all the time in the world to drive beautiful supercars. We can’t do it in reality, but we can in Gear.Club Stradale. The multiplayer racing game for a variety of platforms zoomed onto Apple Arcade on Friday.

In addition, the Sega classic Sonic Dash also made the jump to Apple’s gaming subscription service.

Unreal Engine 5 launches to make games more awesome

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Unreal Engine 5 launches to make games more awesome
This is what games can look like with Unreal Engine 5.
Image: Epic Games

Epic Games gave developers access to Unreal Engine 5, the next generation of its tool for creating 3D games. It offers “a collection of groundbreaking features for rendering real-time worlds in incredible high-fidelity detail.”

The new version of this software-development environment released Tuesday replaces Unreal Engine 4, which has been around since 2014. It’s used in many Mac, iPhone and/or iPad games, including Injustice 2 and Darkness Rises.

This rollable electronic chessboard is on sale for a limited time

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Play online or face-to-face with this e-Chessboard.
This electronic chessboard, which lets you face off against online opponents, also can teach you to play better.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Square Off Pro is an interactive electronic chessboard that lets you play in person or online with the same physical pieces. Dubbed “the world’s first rollable tournament e-chessboard,” the Square Off Pro is on sale now for $225 (regularly $249).

Discover the wonders of Monument Valley 2+ on Apple Arcade

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Discover the wonders of ‘Monument Valley 2+‘ on Apple Arcade
Monument Valley 2+ is the latest App Store Great added to Apple Arcade
Photo: Ustwo Games/Cult of Mac

Monument Valley 2+ made the jump onto Apple Arcade Friday. Gameplay involves “a journey through magical architecture, discovering illusionary pathways and delightful puzzles as you learn the secrets of the Sacred Geometry,” according to the developer, Ustwo Games.

The puzzle adventure is “an immersive, addictive experience,” according to the Cult of Mac review.

Razer’s tiny new keyboard could be a must for gamers

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Razer's new Huntsman Mini has analog optical switches you can customize like crazy.
Razer's new Huntsman Mini has analog optical switches you can customize like crazy.
Photo: Razer

Gaming giant Razer rolled out a tiny new mechanical keyboard Friday that could be a boon for gamers. It’s a new-and-improved version of the first 60% keyboard released by a major brand. And it’s the first one to use Razer’s proprietary, super-sensitive “analog optical switches” that can be customized in multiple ways just by the force used to press the key.

It’s the updated Razer Huntsman Mini Analog. And if you’re a competitive gamer, you might want to get it before your opponents do.

Apple Arcade boasts growing collection of classic games

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Shadow Blade+ hit Apple Arcade on March 4
Shadow Blade+ is the latest App Store Great added to Apple Arcade
Photo: Crescent Moon Games/Cult of Mac

Shadow Blade+ launched on Apple Arcade on Friday. The platformer is the latest classic game to make its way to the subscription service. Several others classics debuted in recent weeks, and more are expected soon.

This is in addition to original games that also hit Apple Arcade in February.

Go on an ecological adventure in Gibbon: Beyond the Trees on Apple Arcade

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Go on an ecological adventure in ‘Gibbon: Beyond the Trees’ on Apple Arcade
Gibbon: Beyond the Trees aims to be both fun and educational.
Image: Broken Rules

Find out what it’s like to swing through the trees as a gibbon in a game that debuted Friday on Apple Arcade. Gibbon: Beyond the Trees is the story of a family trying to survive amid an encroaching human threat.

The ecological adventure is available to play on a variety of Apple devices.

Create your best witchy life with Wylde Flowers on Apple Arcade

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Create your best witchy life with ‘Wylde Flowers on Apple Arcade
Help a witch grow plants, tend animals, make friends and maybe even fall in love in Wylde Flowers.
Screenshot: Studio Drydock

Help a young witch grow the family farm in Wylde Flowers, a magical sim game that debuted Friday on Apple Arcade. You’ll also need to increase your spell skills if you want to help your local coven solve a mystery.

The enchanting game is available now for a range of Apple computers.

Nickelodeon characters go head-to-head in Apple Arcade’s new extreme tennis game

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Nickelodeon characters go head-to-head in Apple Arcade’s new extreme tennis game
Nickelodeon Extreme Tennis isn’t like any sport you’ve played before.
Photo: Viacom/Apple

Danny Phantom heads to the tennis court with SpongeBob. Or Garfield faces down Invader Zim. It’s not animation day at Wimbledon — it’s Nickelodeon Extreme Tennis. The stars of animated shows past and present compete in a very unusual version of the sport.

The game debuted Friday on Apple Arcade.

Award-winning, Viking-themed platformer Oddmar+ makes the jump to Apple Arcade

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Oddmar from Senri & Mobge
Oddmar+ is one of a pair of classic App Store games joining the extensive collection on Apple Arcade
Photo: Senri & Mobge

Oddmar won the Apple Design Award in 2018, and the Viking-themed platformer is now available on Apple Arcade. Friday’s other addition is Dandara: Trials of Fear, also a platformer.

Both games have been in the App Store for years, but have now joined hundreds of other titles in Apple’s gaming subscription service.

Grab a lightsaber and play Lego Star Wars: Castaways on Apple Arcade

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‘Lego Star Wars: Castaways‘ will debut on Apple Arcade in November, 2021.
You and your friends can each design a minifig and join the fun in Lego Star Wars: Castaways.
Photo: Gameloft/Apple Arcade

Have fun with your friends in Lego Star Wars: Castaways, the first social, action-adventure Lego Star Wars game. Players explore a mysterious new planet, fight in battle arenas, race through flight simulations or relax with a dance party.

The game launched Friday on the Apple Arcade gaming service.

Level up your iPhone gaming with Rotor Riot Lightning controller [Review]

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RiotPwr Rotor Riot iOS Controller RR1852 PWR Plus review
iPhone gaming is better with a hardware game controller like the RiotPwr Rotor Riot RR1852.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Playing serious games on an iPhone touchscreen can be crazy frustrating. Don’t throw your iPhone across the room — get a game controller like RiotPwr’s Rotor Riot RR1852. This mimics the design of Microsoft’s Xbox controller but with a Lightning cable and an iPhone mount.

I fully tested this updated version of the Rotor Riot Lightning-enabled game controller. And I like it a lot. And apparently so does Apple because you can find it in the Apple Store, both online and brick-and-mortar locations.

Play this surprisingly smooth Super Mario 64 port for iOS and Apple TV

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Super Mario 64 on Apple TV
One of the best Mario games, not on Apple TV ... but for how long?
Photo: Nintendo

Nintendo classic Super Mario 64 is now playable on iOS and Apple TV thanks to a very unofficial port. A video shows the game — which is packed with a bunch of cheats — running pretty flawlessly at a smooth 60 frames per second.

You can download the game and try it out for yourself. However, getting it up and running requires Xcode and some trickery. If interested, you might want to jump on it soon before Nintendo wipes it off the planet.

Disney characters go for each other’s throats in upcoming Apple Arcade game

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Disney characters go for each other throats in upcoming Apple Arcade game
Mickey looks TERRIFYING
Photo: Mighty Bear Games

Beloved Disney and Pixar characters will put aside the caring and sharing and try to beat the stuffing out of each other in Disney Melee Mania, a game that’ll launch soon on Apple Arcade.

Mickey in particular looks like he’s taken that “mania” part to the max and is ready to devour someone’s liver.

Apple Arcade’s collection of classic games grows by leaps and bounds

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Apple Arcade’s collection of classic games grows by leaps and bounds
Crossy Road+ and many other App Store Greats have recently become part of Apple Arcade.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The selection of App Store Greats available through the Apple Arcade subscription service continues to grow. Friday brings the addition of Galaga Wars+ and Kingdom Rush Frontiers TD+.

They join dozen of other classic games that players used to have to pay to play individually but are now all available with a single Apple Arcade subscription. Plus there are many more original games, too.