The App Store installment of SF IV uses on-screens controls which you tap to activate, on the left is the joystick and opposite it are four face buttons which represent Punch (P), Kick (K), Special (SP) and Focus (F). The virtual joystick works well for simple tasks such as jumping, crouching and blocking but more complex moves such as Dragon Punches are far too difficult to pull off on a consistent bases due to the absence of tactile feedback. To compensate, Capcom has included a SP Assist options which when enabled allows players to perform special moves simply by tapping the SP button. For example, pressing the SP button on its own makes Ryu throw fireballs, but if you hold forward while pressing SP he will perform a Dragon Punch instead. Although some may criticize this scheme for being too simplistic it does work exceptionally well and makes for a more fluid experience. Street Fighter IV specific additions such as Focus Attacks and Ultras are still present and mastering these functions will eventually expose a tremendous amount of depth in the initially simple fighting system.

As you can tell from the screenshots this game looks absolutely beautiful. Capcom has directly taken character models and assets from the console versions but have slightly downgraded the visual to match the iPhone’s capabilities. Music and sound effect have also been borrowed and sound as excellent ever making the game look and sound completely authentic. On the downside the character roster has been downscaled immensely with only 8 fighters making the cut, namely Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Blanka, Guile, Dhalsim, M.Bision and Abel. M.Bision reprises his role as a final boss which fortunately means ex-boss Seth is nowhere to be seen! 8 stages from the console games have also made the jump but unfortunately some of the backgrounds look washed out and blurry. Seeing the detailed character models fight in front of what is akin to a stretched JPEG image can be incredibly jarring but thankfully the frantic speed of the game means you’ll hardly eve notice.

In terms of modes Street Fighter IV is no slouch. As well as the standard Arcade mode (know here as Tournament) there is a Free-Sparring mode for quick single matching against the CPU, a Training Room which provides your standard practice affair and a Dojo where you’ll be presented with dozens of challenges designed to familiarize you with the controls. Bluetooth Multi-Player is also an option and runs completely lag-free, just make sure that a mutual agreement to not spam to SP button is in place unless you want a real fight between you and your opponent to break out. The music and sound effects in the game are both fantastic, As I eluded to earlier the music does an excellent job setting the tone of the game and anyone who holds nostalgia for titles such as Street Fighter II will be particularly happy with the results.

Overall the iPhone version of Street Fighter IV is a fantastic re-imagining of one of this generations best titles. While it lacks several features and components from the original game the low price point of $9.99 (£5.99) and neat additions such as Dojo and the ability to save replays makes this a must buy for any iPhone/iPod Touch owner who enjoys fighting game. While tournament level Street Fighter players may scoff at the simplistic nature of this title the rest of us will simply enjoy it for what it is. Now if anyone needs me I’ll be in a bathroom stall beating the shit out of that stupid Abel guy for the umpteenth time.

The game will be available on the App store next month for the $9.99 (£5.99) and will feature 8 characters, Ryu, Blanka, Guile, Ken, Chun-Li, Dhalsim, M. Bison and Abel. I predict more characters will be available via DLC and once you’ve spent $30 bringing your iPhone version up to par with the console games Capcom will then screw you over once again with the App store release of “Super” Street Fighter IV.

Regardless here is some footage of some poor soul attempting to play the game, I’m no F.Mills but at this very point in time this game seems like a certified “flop”.

Shoutout to Gamepro.

PopCap has recently become the premier developer for casual games. Once known for shamelessly cloning already established titles (but making a few changes to keep their legal team stress free) PopCap has done a complete 180 and they are now a dominant force in the social game market, selling 50 million copies of Bejewelled all the while inflicting some of the world’s most addictive games upon an unsuspecting public, first with Peggle and now with Plants vs. Zombies. PopCap’s games may not be incredibly original but their forte is to take something that’s already good but make it a million times better, so much so that the original version instantly becomes redundant. PvZ is in keeping with this theme and since it’s inception on the PC last year it has become the definitive tower defense game on the market. Now that PvZ has fully flourished on the PC it has shed it’s seeds on to the iPhone.

For those unfamiliar with Plants, Zombies or Tower Defense games; Plants grow from soil and survive off of rain and sunshine, Zombies are the living dead who tend to wonder around looking for brains to eat and Tower Defense games are pieces of interactive entertainment which has players defending their turf, fighting off hordes of incoming enemies. Combine all three, throw in some cute ‘n colourful graphics and that’s pretty much Plants vs. Zombies in a nut shell. On the left side  of the screen is your house, on the right is a mob of incoming Zombies, in between the two is a lawn which serves as a grid based battlefield for the impending chaos. It’s your job to line up specially equipped Plants across the lawn to prevent any Zombie from entering that house of yours. If a single Zombie makes it through your front door your entire family is subjected to hours of torture before being brutally mauled to death… or at least I assume that’s what happens, the game just gives you a blanket “The Zombies Ate Your Brains” message.

Back to the Plants, there are dozens to chose from but initially you’ll start off with a basic Pea-Shooter. Sunlight falls from the sky in the form of glowing pellets and collecting each of them gives you 25 points, points can then used to buy additional resources to protect your beloved home. As daunting as having dozens of Plants at your disposal may seem the game actually handles your arsenal extremely well. One additional Plant becomes available after completing most levels but regardless of how vast your library of Plants becomes you’ll only have the choice of 6 of them per level. A few Zombies drop  coins once killed which in turn can be used to buy yet more artillery.

The plants themselves range from the aforementioned Pea-Shooter to Sunflowers, to spike shooting Cacti and then there are plants which are the equivalent to land mines, proximity mines, defense walls and path clearers. The Sunflowers are critical to success as they periodically produce Sunlight eliminating frustration as you wait for them to drop from the sky. Night time levels introduce additional hazards as Sunlight is no longer available, forcing you to rely on Plants which generate light and as the levels progress zombies become smarter and harder to kill. While regular zombies die fairly easily eventually you’ll encounter zombies who defend themselves, become frantic when provoked, are extremely fast,  vault over your defenses or even travel in vehicles. Be warned, Plants vs. Zombies is no walk in the park. The game does get menacingly difficult and without giving away any spoilers the final level removes the biggest advantage that  the Plants have over the undead.

As the screenshots indicate PvZ contains PopCap’s usual top-notch presentation. The graphics are crisp and vibrant, the controls are easy and responsive  and the music is sublime. My only gripe with the game is the absence of modes such as the Puzzle, Survival and Zen Garden modes which were all available on the PC version. However since the App store adaptation is a fraction of the price at £1.79 ($3) I or anybody else have no right to complain. Hopefully the missing features will be added later on via DLC but as it stands Plants vs. Zombie is  one of the best value prospects available on the App Store. If you own a iPhone or iPod Touch, or live in the future with money to waste and own a iPad, download this game right now. You will not regret it.

The good folks at IGN broke the news where they revealed a bunch of details including the first ever screenshots. According to their article Capcom has been working for months to conjure up the perfect control scheme to suit Apple’s button-less devices and they’ve even included a host of customizable options to insure user satisfaction. Ryu and Ken are the only two characters to be revealed thus far but Capcom has promised that a handful of classic fighter and fighters who debuted in Street Fighter IV will be returning. Hopefully that doesn’t include Seth (aka worst.boss.ever!) but chances are he’ll be reprising his role to annoy us all once again.

As the can probably tell from the screenshots the visuals have been downgraded significantly but Capcom has stated that the iPhone version will actually use models from the console builds so expect the game to run as smooth and fluid as ever. Also bare in mind that the screenshots IGN provided are larger than the iPhone/iPod Touch displays so it’s almost certain that the game will look much better when you see it running for yourself.

For the full scoop be sure to pay IGN a visit, just tell them that we sent ya!

Starting in February, the iPhone/iPod touch will officially get a Sega Genesis emulator for its users to replay some of the games that helped defined a genre. I say officially, because we all now what a person can do to an iPhone with a 30 minute Google search and disregard for authority. The emulator will be available for free and it comes with Space Harrier II. Other games will cost you about $5.99 or less. So go ahead and get your credit cards ready and Sonic will be glad to take some cash from you.

Due to time constaints I probably won’t be reviewing Chinatown Wars but my gut reaction to it was extremely positive. If you own a iPhone and have yet to play the PSP or DS version I suggest you at least give it a shot.

iPod Touch Owners Beware, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Currently Requires Firmware 3.1 Or Higher.

Rather than trying slapping the Simpsons brand on a shitty platformer or creating a brainless spin-off (Simpsons Skateboarding anybody?) for their videogame debut Komani placed Homer and family in a side scrolling Beat ‘Em Up ala Final Fight. Sure in the TV show The Simpsons would never go around Springfield punching residents in the face but for an arcade game released in the early 90’s that was perfectly acceptable. Many have clamoured for a re-release of The Simpsons: The Arcade Game but  the change of licence from Konami to EA make such an event highly unlikely. For now us gamers will have to settle for the next best thing, The Simpsons Arcade for the iPhone.

The Simpson Arcade purposely mimmicks the arcade game that we all know and love but EA has cunningly tweaked a few things here and there to keep Konami lawyers off their backs, hell even the first few moments of both games are earily identical. While casually strolling down the street Homer accidentally bumps in to Waylon Smithers, upon doing so Smithers gets knocked out cold and a donut from his pocket flies up in air, naturally catching Homer’s attention. Unbeknown to Homer buried deep within the donut lies a USB Drive containing top-secret plans to rob Springfield’s resources. Before Homer could even get a taste of his new found donut Mayor Qwimby snatches it away from him and a chase ensues prompting Homer to take out the masterminds behind the plans and their seemingly endless stream of goons to reclaim “his” donut.  From here on it’s the usual “stroll to the right, beat up everyone in sight” affair that we’re all used to but with a few Simpsons related twists to keep fans happy.

Unlike the original arcade game which let you take control of any family member, here you’re only able to play as a super pissed off Homer. Homer may be a bit of a coward on TV but here he can punch, body slam, shoulder barge and belly flop the ground to floor enemies. Along the way you’ll pick up items such as taser guns, mallets, baseball bats and exploding barrels or collect icons which brings a family member on screen to provide some much needed assistance. Each family member has different abilities but ae all extremely helpful in one way or another. Bart is able to hop on Homey’s shoulders and use his slingshot to shoot powerful projectiles, Lisa uses her skipping rope to administer an earth shaking attack that stuns all on-screen enemies and Marge whacks Homer on the head with a vacuum cleaner turning him to a punching maniac which you control by titling the iPhone.

Like most action games on the iPhone The Simpsons Arcade uses an on-screen control system. A virtual analog stick is placed on the button left of the screen and opposite it are two virtual buttons for attacking and jumping. The controls work as well as expected but the placement of your fingers can sometimes obstruct the action. Making it to the end of the game will take roughly an hour with six stages to plough through each lasting roughly 10 minutes.  For £2.99 ($4.99) The Simpsons Arcades gives you a decent account of bang for your buck but it’s slightly disappointing that there’s not much else to do once the end credits roll.

As I mentioned earlier there are a few things which separates this game from the likes of Street Of Rage, however most of which will only matter to serious fans of the show.  Regular cast members such as Kent Brockman and Chief Wiggum make brief appearance for boss battles and the wimpier characters such as Flanders and Millhouse will flee as you approach living behind extra lives for you to collect. Extra lives can also be obtained by completing mini games which appear at the end of each level. By now you should already know if The Simpsons Arcade is the game for you. If you like the occasional Beat ‘Em Up and know what Duff Beer is you should not hesitate to download this from the app store. While its far from the Mecca of Simpsons based videogames it’s a nice little romp that will keep you entertained for at least an hour or so. It’s a shame that the TV show can no longer manage to do the same for 22 minutes.

As with every iPhone port the biggest challenge, and key factor to the game’s success is determined by how well the controls translate to the touch screen. Playing a Pac-Man game with anything less than perfect controls could be detrimental to the experience but luckily Namco has provided multiple control schemes to insure players have the precision they need. “Control Type 1” places two d-pads at the bottom of the screen, players have the choice to use whichever d-pad they desire or even use them both in tandem for quicker reflexes. “Control Type 2” replaces the d-pads with left/right control keys and places a rectangle bar in-between them which functions as a down key. To move up players simply have to tap anywhere above the control portion of the screen, it may sound funky but in practice it works well enough. “Control Type 3” introduces thumb swipe controls where you slide your thumb in the direction you want Pac to move and “Control Type 4” is for finger swipes in-case you lost both your thumbs in a freak kitchen accident. Were it not for the dual d-pad option I would have had a hard time with Pac-Man CE, the swipe controls don’t work well enough and Control Type 2 can become cumbersome when the action speeds up and the game becomes more intense. After a few minutes getting to grips with the D-Pad Controls I was navigating Pac through mazes almost as smoothly as I could with the 360 controller.

For those unfamiliar with the Championship Edition or even the 1980’s Pac-Man, welcome to life. In the original arcade game players had to guide Pac through a maze gobbling up Pac-Dots and the avoiding four ghosts who seek to steal his soul. If a ghost touches Pac he loses a life, once all lives are lost the game ends. Ghosts can only defeated by collecting Power Pellets which were located in the four corners on the screen. Once a Power Pellet is obtain Pac-Man has a brief window to eat the ghosts as they turn neon blue and attempt to flee his wrath. Eating a ghost will send them back to their home located in the centre of the screen where they’ll reside for a few moments before re-joining the game. Once all Dots and Pellets are collected players move on to the next level where the maze and rules stay the same but the ghosts receive an incremental speed boost. Unfortunately for Pac he could never win,  the game only ends when the ghosts tear his life away from him.| As with many arcade games your goal was not to “beat” the game but to rack up the highest score and reign on top of the leaderboards.

For Pac-Man Championship Edition the basic rules and premise are the same but instead of having to clear the maze wholesome players are required to clear up Dots and Pellets on one side of the screen which will cause a new series of Dots to appear on the other.  This process will continue until either Pac dies or  your 5 minute timer reaches zero. As the timer counts down the ghosts increase in speed and the placement of the Dots will become more complex, however a skilled player should be able to keep Pac on-the-move collecting a continuous stream of Dots and Pellets for the entire 5 minute interval. Unlike the old games Pac can finally win and doing will unlock new mazes each with varying degrees of difficulty. Completely new to iPhone version of Pac-Man CE are the Challenge and Mission modes however access to most of the Missions and any Challenges requires the purchase of an additional expansion pack. I’m sure Namco would argue that they’re giving players “choice” and not forcing them to pay for content they may not want but the notion of paying extra money for a game that I just paid for just doesn‘t sit right with me.

I’m sure no one was expecting the iPhone version of Pac-Man Championship Edition to be as good as the 360 version but it damn sure comes close and for a fraction of the price too.  With Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Man Remix already on the app store Pac-Man CE may appear to be just another mindless cash-in but this Championship Edition arguably the best version of Pac-Man since the original arcade game. The new timed mechanic is perfect for portable gaming and the Mission Mode is ideal for quick 2 minute sessions whilst waiting for the bus. If playing Pac-Man on the go is something you can see yourself doing it really gets no better than this.

It seems like a recipe for success,  have one of the world’s best developers (Rockstar) hook up with one of the world’s best music producers (Timbaland) to make a music creation tool ala MTV Music Generator. As a music producer myself and a avid gamer I look up to both Rockstar and Timbaland , so as you can imagine I’ve been eagerly anticipating the release of Beaterator for the iPhone since the day it was announced. Unfortunately not only does Beaterator fail to live up to my expectations, it only fails to live up to the clout of the big names associated with it.  A clunky interface, lack of direction and poor quality samples all work in tandem to produce a worthless experience that doesn’t even justify it’s lower than expected asking price (£3/$5).

From the moment you  start up Beaterator and see the blank 10×8 grid staring at you you’ll instantly feel daunted. Rather than ease you in gently and “teach” you the fine art of crafting banging beats, Rockstar opted to use the Fuck You approach and force users to figure out what to do on their own. Navigating through the menu’s you’ll find a Help option which contains text that will prove vital to get you going. Understandably the last thing gamers would want to do after purchasing a brand new game is read lengthy instructions but since music production is such a complex and technical art-form I guess it‘s only natural.

Once you’ve read up on everything Beaterator has to offer, it’s time to craft your very own Timbo quality beats right? Well, no not exactly. Tapping on an empty portion of the grid open up a loop menu where you can select some of the most muffled, low-quality samples you’ll ever hear in your life. The amount of pre-made loops available is impressive, altogether there are over 1000 loops to choose from including pianos, hi-hats, kicks, strings, synths, sound effects etc. all composed by either the folks at R* or Timbaland himself. Unfortunately the inability to significantly customize any of these loops renders a majority of them useless as you’ll never feel like you can make them your own. Once you’ve found a sample you that like and doesn’t sound like it was recorded straight from pirate radio station with a rusty cassette tape (which is easier said that done) you can add it to a channel on your grid, now have fun repeating this mundane process until you have every instrument you need.

Even with it’s 1000+ library, finding a decent sample for anything other than drums is surprisingly hard. Almost everything you’ll preview will either be low quality, edited horribly or sound completely wack. If you are lucky enough to find something that doesn’t suck good luck finding another sample to compliment it, and since you can’t preview other samples while your unfinished beat is playing it’s extremely difficult to tell what will or won’t work for you without selecting it first. If the sample you’ve selected doesn’t completely gel with what you already have simply fumble through the lengthy deletion process and search again. You can slightly modify each sample by adjusting the Reverb and Pan but for the most part they just serve to make an already bad sample sound even worse.

I’m not going to waste either of our time going further in-depth on this disaster, by now I’m sure you’ve figured out that a music creation tool which requires you to stitch pre-made loops together but doesn’t even bother to make sure that most of it’s loops are actually good isn’t worth your money. It seems not even the developers or Timbo himself were able to get to grips with this cluster-fuck as 17 out of the 18 creations which come pre-installed as templates are atrocious. Rockstar might as well have outsourced development for this to a XNA developer and used  Nitty instead of Timbo, that’s the only way I think they could have screwed things up even more.

The iPhone and iPod Touch are perfect fits for the Ace Attorney games so I’m surprised it has taken Capcom Mobile this long to put 2 and 2 together. No price details or release dates were given during the announcement but hopefully it will arrive in the US and Europe around the same time as the Wii versions.