A Gaming Diary
Archive for December, 2009
Angry Birds (iPhone)
Dec 15th
Very similar to web hit Crush The Castle, Angry Birds kept me away from Minigore last night. It’s very simple in concept – you fire birds from a catapult to destroy the fortifications of egg-stealing green pigs – but beats Crush In The Castle in the number of levels, presentation and difficulty.
The “one more go” factor is off the charts and it’s nigh on impossible to stop playing once you start. The easiest recommendation I’ve made in a while – there’s simply no reason not to get this. Brilliant.
Minigore (iPhone)
Dec 14th
It’s amazing how fun a game of running backwards while firing a machine gun can be, because that’s basically what Minigore is. I loop round the level, firing in a shallow arc behind me, occasionally picking off enemies coming in from an awkward direction and picking up power ups when I can, which is normally a good long time after they drop.
I also love the new rhythm of the game that’s been introduced with the latest update. The wormwolfs that come out at night aren’t especially hard to kill – though they can surprise you if you’re not careful – so there’s now a definite sense that you’re hanging on until night falls. Once that happens you can run around and pick up power ups and, ideally, position yourself next to a flaming clover so you can turn into a beast when dawn breaks again.
Playing on Insane, I know that if I manage to last until the second night, I’ve got a good chance at getting in my own little high score list and that if I managed to make it to the third night, I’ll probably top my own leaderboard. My best score is 9,550 and I’m really hoping to get to 10,000 sometime soon.
I’ve added quite a few more kills to my total this lunchtime:
I’m over halfway now. I should be able to make 100,000 long before Christmas if I don’t get distracted.
Canabalt (iPhone)
Dec 14th
Finally got the update! There are quite a few changes. First up, global scoreboards, though they only show the top few scores so are mostly useless. There’s vibration, which you can’t turn off. There’s new music, though I’m yet to play with the sound on. And my name doesn’t fit on the high score table any more. I’m sure it used to.
Oh, and there are a few new elements in the game itself and some more end of game text. Nothing game-breaking, then, but not much that really enhances the game for mere mortals, either. Of course, what with Canabalt being as good as it is, there’s no need for any major changes.
Minigore (iPhone)
Dec 14th
Didn’t quite get up to 50,000 kills over the weekend, but I’m getting there. I think I should make my 100,000 target before Christmas.
Don’t think I’ll be going for the character that costs 1,000,000 kills to unlock any time soon, though.
Boom It Up! (iPhone)
Dec 14th
You may think that I’m too kind to games in this blog, that I very, very rarely slag games off. Well, that’s simply because I tend to buy and play games I think I’m going to like – and I’m normally right. Not always, though.
As you may have guessed, I’m not getting on with Boom It Up! I bought it on impulse because it was 59p, from Gamevil (who make the excellent Baseball Superstars games) and looked like a neat one-button game. I thought it might fit snugly next to Canabalt and Doodle Jump on my iPhone.
Trouble is, it’s a bit a rubbish. The idea is decent – time your button pressed to send your cannon ball from one object to another without it falling off the button of the screen. The trouble is, the execution is way of the mark. The game, though randomised, throws the same patterns at you again and again, which is a little annoying, but not game-breaking. Worse is the animation, which is jerky, ugly and distracting. And finally it sometimes seems to be a little unresponsive, which is the real killer.
It’s not awful, but it really needs an update to smooth the whole thing out before it’ll be really playable. I’ve had several attempts spread out over the weekend and I just don’t like it. It just doesn’t flow.
Canabalt (iPhone)
Dec 14th
There’s an update out for this. I know because the Internet has told me. Also, my iPhone and iTunes on my computer keep telling me, but then they download the old version that I’ve already got. I’ll keep trying, it’ll turn up at some point.
Minigore (iPhone)
Dec 11th
So, I’ve bought what is, to my best recollection, my first bit of paid-for DLC in an iPhone game. I decided that in my quest for John Gore’s Santa hat, I should play as Santa himself. He cost 59p – the same as the game itself, amusingly – but I see that as partly a charge for the new character and partly just a way of thanking the developers for such an excellent game.
You don’t get any special abilities or anything, but he looks different, he sounds different and the level is lightly brushed with snow when you play as him. Also, his beast transformation is about the best thing ever. Don’t make Santa angry, you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.
Anyway, I’ve added over 7,000 kills to my total this lunchtime and have got a new high score, so I’m progressing well.
Minigore (iPhone)
Dec 11th
Hooray for Minigore, king of the twin-stick iPhone shooters! No, really, it is. Other games may offer more in terms of content, but none of them feel as right as Minigore. It’s a simply brilliant game. I do love it so.
Anyway, I have set myself a goal. I want to get 100,000 kills before Christmas, so I can unlock John Gore’s Christmas hat outfit while it’s still relevant.
Of course, if I start getting sick of the game then I may give up – I’m not going to punish myself to fulfill an almost meaningless goal – but I’m going to be playing a lot of Minigore. At least it’s only a goal based on time spent playing, rather than any sort of skill.
Anyway, I’ll be sure to keep you posted on my progress. I’m sure you’re all terribly excited.
Driver (iPhone)
Dec 11th
Still stuck on the same mission. The cop cars just batter me and often leave me looking like this:
Once they hit me so hard I actually flew out of the level entirely:
I’m still trying, though.
