iPod Game Review: Pole Position: Remix

Section: iPod + iTunes, iPod, iPod nano, Features, Review Genre: Sports Format: iPod Game (Download from iTunes Store) Developer: Namco Networks America Inc. Compatible iPods: iPod nano (3rd generation), iPod classic, and iPod (5th generation). They cannot be played on your computer, nor are they compatible with other iPod models including the iPhone and the iPod touch. Review iPod: iPod nano (3rd generation) and iPod (5th generation) Price: $5.99 ESRB Rating: N/A Availability: Now Demo: No After owning my iPod for a few months, I decided to purchase a few games to play while listening to some tunes and podcasts. Pole Position: Remix was one of them. After playing one race, I quickly felt the style of gameplay was much different. Your average racing game doesn’t force you to pause a few seconds then start racing again after you smash your car into a sign, wall or another opponent, it just dents your car. Your steering must be precise or you’ll end up going into a puddle or gas spill, crashing, then starting up again a few seconds later. While it can get annoying when you have the almost natural instinct to crash into other cars and knock them off the road, Pole Position: Remix does bring the classic 80s style of gameplay to your iPod. Racing in cockpit view the entire game, you must first quailify to race by achieving points based on the distance raced. The whole points system is also quite strange. In a typical racing game, you must pass the opponents and try to get first place. In Pole Position, try to go as fast as possible (without crashing) to gain points. At the end of the race, whoever has the most points wins. You’ll get extra points for passing other cars, but if you pass everyone at the start, more cars will appear ahead of you later in the race. The racing for points style of gameplay isn’t bad, it just takes some time to get used to. You’ll also be able to race the famous four tracks of the game: Namco, Speedway, Wonder, and Seaside. A fifth and new track—Misaki Point—comes in the iPod version. When racing in these five tracks you’ll notice that all the billboards are filled with album artwork from the content on your iPod. When you pass certain races, you’ll be able to unlock cockpit themes based on other classic Namco games from the 80’s; like PAC-MAN, Galaga and Dig-Dug. Racing in a bit of style defiently adds to change up the environment. This game keeps all of the elements of the classic game with added features for the iPod. The game is great if you’d like a fast game that’ll get your thumb spinning around the clickwheel while you listen to some tunes. Graphics aren’t the best compared to some other iPod games, but the original game’s weren’t that good, either. And while Pole Position: Remix is playable on the Nano, it’ll be a bit harder because of the small click wheel. Appletell Rating: Purchase Pole Position: Remix Full Story » | Written by Nicholas Montgomery for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Preview: GTS World Racing for iPhone / iPod touch

digg_url = 'http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/08/preview-gts-world-racing-for-iphone-ipod-touch/'; If there's one company in the world that is in the business of keeping people happy, it's Astraware. They're a UK-based development firm that excels in writing games for handheld devices. In the past, they've published games like Bejeweled 2, Cubis, and Zuma for Palm and Windows Mobile, and now they're entering the iPhone market with a splash. GTS World Racing is an arcade-style racing game licensed from Pazzazz Games that, like Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D, uses the accelerometers in the iPhone / iPod touch for control. Tilting the iPhone left or right steers your car, tilting forward accelerates the car, and tilting back applies the brakes. The game provides 64 different track layouts, so you're not likely to get bored going around the same track again and again. There are 16 different worldwide locations for backdrops, as well as three different car types and four different levels of difficulty (I hate to admit that I'm still stuck at the "Easy" level...). You can also play your own music in the background if you tire of the built-in soundtrack.This post will be updated when GTS World Racing appears in the App Store at a US$7.99 price. In the interest of full disclosure, the author has had a long-term reviewing relationship with Astraware. Gallery: GTSWRRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Live coverage notes from Apple's WWDC 2008 Keynote

Apple on Monday held its opening keynote at its Worldwide Developers Conference where it talked all things iPhone and unveiled its new-generation 3G handset. Rough and dirty live coverage notes are included below. 2:50pm: That's it. Folks. iPhone...

Wii Fit Puts the Fun in Fitness (BusinessWeek Online)

BusinessWeek Online - Nintendo's (ntdof.pk.PK) Wii strategy was conceived from the get-go to encourage a less sedentary form of gaming. Now the company is unveiling its calorie-burning coup de grce, Wii Fit.

Hot iPhone 3G Apps To Watch (TechWeb)

TechWeb - InformationWeek - Third-party developers are busy cooking up hot apps for the iPhone 3G. Our top picks for those likely to be winners include Quickoffice, NotepadSync, Nuance OSV, and OmniFocus.

Freeverse announces iPhone games

Section: iPhone + Communications, iPhone SDK & AppsFreeverse, Inc. today revealed plans to release more than a dozen game titles for iPhone and iPod Touch. Available immediately with the opening of the iTunes App Store will be Wingnuts Moto Racer, Big Bang Sudoku and the infamous, Jared: Butcher of Song. Available by September will be Big Bang Chess and various Flick Sports and 3D card games. To add that touch of mystery and wonder, they also point out that they have “...several other unannounced games and applications in active development.” I would ponder their identity, but I’m stuck on how Jared: Butcher of Song will make use of the iPhone’s accelerometer. In Wingnuts Moto Racer, the player will chase evil cat-napping bikers through Andean mountains, desert highways and dangerous underground passages. Steer with the accelerometer and hit the “Punch!” button to fend-off the bad guys as the player races from checkpoint to checkpoint. As an original 3D racing game made specifically for the iPhone, (not a “port” from another platform), Moto Racer truly showcases the power of the iPhone. Moto Racer will be available from the iTunes App Store at launch for $9.99. Big Bang Sudoku is the first game in the wildly popular “Big Bang” series to come to the iPhone. Over 10,000 puzzles, 4 levels of difficulty and crazy pyrotechnics set Big Bang Sudoku apart. Developed by people who ride the NYC subway, Big Bang Sudoku has been designed for easy one-handed play, and will be available from the iTunes App Store at launch for only $4.99. Jared: Butcher of Song may have the distinction of being the only app to be available for Mac OS 7, 8, 9, OS X, the Apple Newton and now, the Apple iPhone! This poorly drawn smiley face sings off-key in the worst spanish ever recorded. He’s an affront to the senses, to good taste, perhaps to civilization itself, but he’s a Mac classic and kinda cute too. Jared: Butcher of Song will be available from the iTunes App Store at launch. And he’ll be free. Moto Racer and Big Bang Sudoku will be available localized in German, French, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese. Jared will be available in...whatever that language is he’s singing. Regarding September’s releases: Big Bang Chess - Winner of an Apple Design Award, this title will be familiar to many Mac users. Big Bang Chess has been re-imagined for iPhone with great graphics and support for Multiplayer (push) play. Flick Sports - Flick Baseball, Soccer, Bowling, and Golf make perfect use of the multi-touch capabilities unique to the iPhone, allowing you to experience these sports in a whole new way. 3D Card Games - Bridge, Spades, Hearts, Euchre, Pitch-Setback, and Crazy 8s: These classic card games come with fun characters, beautiful graphics and support for all of the most popular rule variations. These games will make real cards obsolete. Regarding the unannounced titles, we’ll just have to see what the future has in store. For more information about Freeverse’s iPhone titles, including conceptual art and videos, visit their website. Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »