Monkeys with balloons, kids with slingshots fighting off zombies, an ultra-powerful hero who runs around blasting giant bugs and making dents in the earth, and, erm, a number-linking puzzle. This, ladies and gentlemen, is your typical Mobile Monday.
PathPix - Did you get a kick out of the puzzles featured on our review of the Conceptis website? PathPix (also known as Link-a-Pix) is a superb implementation of the numbers-linking puzzle for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Simply tap and drag to fill in spaces on the grid. You can erase by double-tapping any wiggly line, and there's even a way to partially draw lines and continue them later. The zoom/scrolling functions are a bit sluggish, but otherwise it plays smooth. There are over 100 puzzles to work through, each rewarding you with a color picture and quote upon completion, and, while none of them are particularly challenging, it's worth the small price of entry to have Link-a-Pix in your pocket.
Kids vs. Zombies - I know I know, we have Plants vs. Zombies and Martians vs. Robots. Think you can handle a third "vs." game? Sure you can! This old-school arcade-style shooter puts you in control of three kids, each with a unique weapon to use in the fight against brain-munching undead. Tap each kid to take temporary control and dispatch foes as efficiently as you can. Use the cash you earn to buy new weapons or upgrade various attributes between stages. The game plays very well on the touch screen and has this classic arcade feel updated for modern gamers and modern gadgets. Loads of fun! A free Kids vs. Zombies Lite is also available.
Caster - Released earlier this year for Mac/PC systems, Caster has made its way to the iTunes App Store! This 3D action adventure game will immediately remind you of the Nintendo 64/PlayStation era of games. Dash, jump, fire, super jump and walk your way through a series of missions as you destroy bug-like creatures and collect energy orbs they leave behind. After each level you can upgrade your abilities, tower defense-style. You (and some enemies) can even deform the terrain, which is a nice, dramatic addition. As with any 3D game on the iPhone, the touch controls take some time to get used to, but otherwise Caster survived the miniaturization process perfectly intact. A free Caster Lite is also available. Now, send us Caster: Episode 2, please! :-)
Bloons - It's Bloons! On your iPhone! How neat is that?! The same balloon popping game you know from the world of browser games complete with a monkey armed with darts. Aim and choose throwing power by sliding your finger across the screen, then try and pop as many balloons as you can while conserving throws. It's that simple, and it's that captivating. Somehow the touch screen makes the whole thing a bit more visceral, too. One step closer to lining up real balloons and having at them in your living room.
NOTE: Games listed may not be available outside of North America. Prices are subject to change and are therefore unlisted. Please see the individual game pages for purchasing info.
Yay for bloons!
Downloaded it at 99 cents, and am quite happy so far. I like how it shows your last throw--makes the game much less frustrating. I do wish the gauge was shown somewhere else though--when trying to do short shots, your thumb covers up how far you are throwing it--if they moved the gauge somewhere else (like FantasticContraption does in the iphone app), it would make it easier.
Anyhow, I am a happy buyer :D
Prices as of the date/time of this comment:
PathPix..................$1.99
Kids vs. Zombies.........$1.99
Kids vs. Zombies lite....Free
Caster...................$4.99
Caster lite..............Free
Bloons...................$0.99
Complaint rescinded! You can touch anywhere, and that will be used for the anchor point of your shot :D
Nice. Bloons and Link-A-Pix. Two games I've been playing for years.
It looks to me that someone basically copied Kris Pixton's PathPix for the iPhone without her permission...
(Note - I don't have iAnything so I can't actually look at it, but from the little screenshot in this post it looks very, very similar to Kris' game.)
Incidentally, the original can be found at http://krispixton.com/PathPix/
[Edit: This mobile version is from Kpix Games. In the app's help section reads the following: "If you like PathPix or have suggestions for the game, please write a review in the App Store or email me at kris [at] krispixtondotcom." Looks authentic to me. :) -Jay]
What about Stalin Vs. Martians? There's another Vs. game right there...!
Thanks for clearing that up, Jay. I wasn't sure because her website didn't list them when I checked.
Incidentally, coverage of her PC games would make for a good article. :)
Has anyone heard about other PathPix/Link-a-Pix applications in the works? I just finished my last PathPix puzzle today, and I haven't been able to find anything else. PathPix quickly became my favorite app - nice and simple, with some really good pictures too.
I'll answer my own question (sort of) just in case anyone comes across this and was wondering the same:
I still haven't found any other PathPix/Link-a-Pix games for the iPhone/iTouch, but I did email Kris (creator of PathPix) and she mentioned that she would be releasing a PathPix2, a Holiday PathPix, or perhaps both - depending on the response for PathPix Lite, which just came out. I don't imagine it'll be too long of a wait, as the reviews are decent (and numerous) for the Lite version.
Update