It is no secret around here that I am a huge fan of Backflip Studios.  They are one of my favorite game developers for iOS devices.  If I have had one complaint about them so far, however, it is that they have been slow to upgrade many of their games to be iPad compatible.  Finally, that is starting to change. 

A few weeks ago, they released Ninjump HD, the HD version of their popular ninja running up a building game.  Now, they have announced the release of two fantastic iPhone games for the iPad.  First is Ragdoll Blaster 2 (coming October 28), the incredible follow up to their popular Ragdoll Blaster.  Not only are the graphics upgraded for the iPad, the game also includes an entire section filled with complex levels designed specifically for the iPad.  Also out now is Paper Toss: World Tour HD, the iPad version of their popular game in which you tour the world attempting to complete a task which many of us perform on a daily basis…toss a waded up piece of paper into the garbage can.

Now, if only they would develop HD versions of Graffiti Ball and Harbor Havoc 3D, then I would be one happy reviewer.

When my boys were younger, they used to play a game with their toy cars, which involved lining them all up in a single file line and parking them there.  I never really knew what the point of the game was, though my sister-in-law dubbed it traffic, which seemed appropriate.  It was an odd reflection on their world that traffic was the game they chose to play with their cars.  Now, several years later, we found a stunningly similar game for the iPad.  as it turns out, the boys still love playing traffic, even in its digital form.  Yield has now become a family favorite, so let’s go ahead and take a closer look.

The basic premise of this one is really pretty simple, and yet very original.  Each level consists of a crossing between a road and a highway.  Traffic courses up and down (down and up) the highway while the cars travelling on the country road must sit and bide their time to cross.  You control the cars on the country road, telling them when it is safe to cross, or when they must stop and wait their turn.

A counter on top tracks how many cars have safely crossed the street, and how many are left to complete the level.  don’t take too long though, because each level also comes complete with a timer.  Run out of time and your game comes to a sudden close.  Once you have completed a level, though, it will be unlocked in the level selector, allowing you to restart from the beginning of each completed level.  You can also choose to pay an extra $0.99 in order to unlock all of the levels at once. 

As you proceed through the game, the levels get progressively more difficult, adding such challenges as divided highways, train crossings, and cars travelling at variable speeds.  In other words, the higher you go, the more critical role timing will play in the game. 

When you do crash, hit the uh-oh button to continue watching the scene through the safety of a traffic camera above the intersection.  This was a fun feature, though I wish there had been a way to rewind the tape and watch the accident, especially if various angles could be built into the replay.

The graphics and gameplay were simple, but effective.  It felt like a distant cousin to the line drawing games which I have always enjoyed, adopting a similar bird’s eye view and control system..but without the actual lines.  I did think the intersection control, which simply displayed the word stop when the cars were to stop could have been better.  Something as simple as a stop sign or policeman directing the traffic would have worked well here.  Still, I really enjoy these games which are simple in design, but feature a progressively challenging gameplay.  and my kids still enjoy the game of traffic.

Yield is available from the iTunes App Store for $0.99.  Upgrading to unlock all maps will cost an additional $0.99.  There is also a free version available for iPhone and iPod Touch.

One of the great discoveries I made on my iPod Touch was the new (at least to me) genre of line drawing games.  This is the category of games in which you must guide vehicles to a particular location, typically a port, harbor, airfield, parking spot, or other sort of final destination.  The king of these games was Flight Control from FireMint.  While I cannot confirm whether Flight Control invented this genre, the folks at Firemint certainly perfected and popularized it.  Fast forward a few years, and the game I loved on the iPod Touch is now available for the iPad, and that giant high resolution screen makes this game better than ever.  Since that time, there have been numerous knockoffs, each with its own unique twist on the concept.  Some use cars, or boats, or even rocket ships (though oddly no trains), and like Flight Control, some even rely on airplanes.  I thought it would be fun to check out some of the different variations of this popular gaming genre available on the iPad.

Flight Control: According to Julie Andrews, the beginning is the very best place to start, and in this genre, of course, that means the aforementioned Flight Control.  We have covered this game extensively here at JAMM, so I am sure many of you are already familiar.  In short, you must guide various planes to the correct color-coded landing field.  Of course, this genre gets its name from the primary means of guiding the planes across the screen…connecting the plane to the landing field by drawing a line with your finger (does this remind anyone else of Picture Pages?).  As you progress, of course, the speed, number, and variety of the planes will increase.  To add to the complexity, Firemint offers a myriad of different maps, each with its own unique challenges.  You will earn a point for each plane you successfully land, but watch out, let two planes crash and your flying days will come to a swift end.  Flight Control offers a great look at the basic gameplay.  As the genre has continued to grow and develop, others have attempted to add features in order to distinguish themselves from the granddaddy of line drawing games.  So, let’s take a look at a few of the unique twists which others have added.

Harbor Master (Imangi Studios):  This one picks up right where Flight Control left off.  Instead of airplanes, though, you must guide boats into the correct harbor.  There is only one map associated with this free game, but you can download three more (featuring pirates, sea monsters and a busy harbor town) for $0.99 each from within the game.  The big twist here is that unlike Flight Control, your goal is not just to dock the boats.  Here, the boats carry cargo, which must be unloaded.  You need to guide each ship into the correct, color-coded harbor, wait for the cargo to unload, and then guide the boat (technically, I should call it a ship) back out to sea.  This back and forth, two-way action really adds an extra element of challenge.  I also really liked the unique elements in each of the maps available for this one, though I wish there was an option to buy all three maps at once for a reduced price.

Harbor Havoc 3D(Backflip Studios):  Harbor Havoc is technically not an iPad game.  It was, however, a favorite on my iPod Touch, and I am including it here (it will still work on the iPad, even if it is not optimized for the screen) to highlight the unique features the folks at Backflip Studios added.  First and foremost, the game is in 3D, as the name indicates.  This works out really well.  This is not the kind of 3D that jumps off the screen at you.  What it means is that different vehicles will travel on different planes, which do not collide.  There are helicopters in the sky, boats and ships on the surface of the water, submarines under water, and rovers rolling across the ocean floor.  As such, the type of obstacle becomes just as important as its location.  The other really nice development on this one is the ability to weigh anchor.  I wish more games in this genre would include a feature like this.  Just tap any vehicle, and it will stop in its tracks, anchoring to the ocean floor (helicopters hover),  Just tap again to get moving.  This is an incredibly handy feature, especially later in the game when the boats, ships, helicopters, submarines, and rovers seem to be appearing out of nowhere as the speed increases significantly.

Valet Hero (Gamegatos): We are moving now from ships and planes to a more Earthly vehicle, cars.  This game puts you in the role of the valet at one of five different locations.  This is a pretty complex game, as you attempt to direct each car to the correctly colored parking spot, but be careful since the cars can move at different speeds.  End up with a faster car behind and old clunker and your game will end before it begins.  The other interesting twist here is that your score depends not just on whether you park the cars, but also how you look doing it.  You will earn bonus points for pulling through the spot or backing into it.  You also will earn additional points for parking straighter in the spot and parking cars in quick succession.  Each map also has four levels of difficulty, meaning you will really have 20 different games in there.   I was really impressed by the twists this game added.  Unlike most line drawing games, though, you will not keep going until you crash.  Sure, a crash will end your game, but you also have a limited number of cars to park on each level.  As you progress through the levels, you will have more cars to park (not to mention a great mix of colors to contend with).

CrossRoads HD (fabulapps): This one comes at us literally hot off the press.  It is so new, the iPad version is not technically even available in the app store yet.  Again, you must guide cars as they navigate through the streets of six unique maps, including a carnival, Halloween fright night, Christmastime, the Moon, The World of Fabula, and traditional Japan.  Like the other games, you must guide the cars to the correct buildings (marked by color coded pads in front).  Aside from the intricate and unique maps, you will also need to contend with obstacles which appear throughout each level, partially or fully blocking your view of the map until you destroy them.  In addition to being a really cool interpretation of the genre, it is also the only one which features a multiplayer option.

The Squadron (Republic of Fun):  The Squadron is the answer to the question that none of you ever probably asked…though you will be happy to see the answer.  What happens when you combine two of the top gaming genres on the iPad into a single game.   In this one, the developers have combined elements of both the line drawing games and tower defense games, with spectacular results.  The game takes place during World War 2.  Allied forces have discovered an ancient archeological relic, which could become a powerful weapon.  Of course, the forces of evil are close at hand, attempting to take the relic for themselves.  This is where the game begins.  You control airplanes flying over the relic.  The enemy will arrive by the convoy, driving tanks and trucks along the roads leading through the jungle.  You must guide your planes in order to destroy the enemy convoys before they reach the relic.  Don’t worry, as you progress, more planes will arrive…and you can even earn bombs which you can use to destroy all of the enemies on the screen.  On the other hand, the enemy will grow stronger as well, tossing more than your fair share of anti-aircraft fire at the planes (it would be nice if you could destroy these guns).    Keep those planes firing, because once enough trucks reach the relic in the center, the game is over…and this one ends with a bang…or at least a giant green explosion…

Galaxy Control 2 (Top Line Soft Systems): So far, we have looked at almost every type of Earth-bound vehicle (except trains).  So, I think it is time to check out a game which is out of this world…literally.  The action in this game takes place in an orrery view of the solar system, meaning you can view the orbits of all of the planets around the sun.  As you might imagine, each planet is a different color, and you must guide the incoming rocket ships to the appropriately colored planet.  What makes this one truly unique, though, is the fact that the planets are constantly moving along their orbit paths, meaning you must guide the rockets to land on a moving target.  Oh yeah…and watch out for those asteroids.  This all really adds a whole new dimension to the genre. 

Rocket Cop HD (Headlight Software): The last game in our walk through the line drawing genre again sees us guiding rockets through space.  Unlike Galaxy Control, however, you are not necessarily always aiming at moving targets (though some maps do involve moving space stations).  In this one, you control colored bases (and space stations).  You must guide your rockets into the bases, while simultaneously avoiding asteroids falling through space, as well as the occasional alien attack.  You can fight off the asteroids and aliens with missiles launched from any of your bases.  Be careful, though, because you only get three crashes.  Any combination of three hits to your rockets or bases will end the game in a blaze of glory.  Like Harbor Master, only the first map is included in the free version.  A single in-app purchase, however, will unlock the remaining 6  maps.

These line drawing games have really developed into one of the finest game genres on the iOS, and the iPad provides a spectacular format in which to play.  What really impressed me was the different creative elements that each game offered.  They each took the same basic gameplay elements, but added unique details which made each game stand out.  Sure, the gameplay in some worked better than others, but I was really impressed by the creativity they all showed.  Whether it was 3-D underwater submarines, shooting down aliens, or protecting ancient artifacts in the jungles of World War 2, this genre just continues to improve at every turn. 

Every game in this article is available from the iTunes App store and range in price from free to $2.99.  Some also require additional in-game purchases in order to unlock certain maps.

Last week, I received an email from our friends at Backflip Studios.  These are the wizards behind some of my favorite iOS games, such as: Ragdoll Blaster, Paper Toss, Harbor Havoc, and plenty of others.  They have long been among my favorite game developers, so I was pretty excited to see what their latest offering, Tunnel Shoot, had to offer.  The folks at Backflip were kind enough to send a copy of the game for review, and I immediately downloaded it from the iTunes App Store.

The premise of this one, as with so many other games, sounds simple.  Just pilot your ship down the tunnel, and try not to get killed.  Like I said, that sounds pretty easy.  But watch out because there are plenty of obstacles in your path, including barriers, pipes, and plenty of enemies.

The gameplay in this one started out extremely fast paced and moved on from there.  You will soon find yourself screaming through the tunnel, and using all sides of the tube to avoid the obstacles (not to mention your laser which can be used to destroy the enemies).  The controls are also easy and intuitive.  Just tilt your device to steer (tap the screen to fire).  As you might expect, the further you go, the more difficult the game will become, with the number of enemies on the screen multiplying significantly. 

That being said, the increase in the number of enemies is really the only change in the difficulty of the game.  It would be nice if there was some kind of checkpoint, were you could purchase power ups, or even levels which would add a break in the game play and change in scenery.  These are all ideas which would significantly improve the game, and which I hope we will see in future versions.  Their absence, however, really did not detract from the basic game.

You will, however, have two upgrades, which are earned by piloting your craft without taking any hits.  First is the score multiplier, which is pretty self explanatory.  Second are bombs.  As you move through the game, you can earn bombs.  when you get into a tight jam, just drop a bomb.  It will bounce its way down the tube ahead of you, vaporizing everything in its path.

One other thing I noticed.  I have played these kinds of tunnel games before, and one of the drawbacks I have found is the ease with which you can become disoriented.  Spinning around all side of the tunnel can make it extremely easy to lose track of where you are and where you need to be.  Tunnel Shoot does a fantastic job of combating this problem by color coding different sections of the tunnel.  This small detail significantly improved my ability to stay oriented in the game.

The other really nice thing that Backflip has done with this one is making it a universal app.  This is the first of their games which is available across the entire spectrum of iOS devices for a single low price (it has even been optimized for iOS4).  This is a great option, which means you can play it on all of your iOS devices after purchasing the app only once.  Hopefully, Backflip will continue to upgrade their games in order to make more of them universal (hint, hint, I am dying to play Ragdoll Blaster 2 and Harbor Havoc on the iPad).

The game gives you two incentives to keep coming back for more.  First, you can try to beat your own high scores.  If you really impress yourself, you can even post your scores on Twitter or Facebook.  You can even check out the online Leaderboard in the Plus+ network, and compare your scores with players from around the world. 

Additionally, the game is chock full of awards, which can be earned by performing a variety of in-game feats of strength.

This was a fantastic game, which I really thought lived up the Backflip Studios name.  It is fast paced, and extremely addictive.  I did think upgrades and a change in scenery with different tunnels or levels would be nice; but they were not necessary in order to really enjoy the basic gameplay. 

Tunnel Shoot is available from Backflip Studios (along with Team Phobic) for only $0.99.  But don’t wait, because that low introductory price will not last forever.

The idea of tabletop shuffleboard on the i-platform is nothing new.  In fact, Shufflepuck was one of the first games I discovered on my iPod Touch.  So, the first time I glanced at 10 Pin Shuffle, I thought it would be more of the same.  Ho-hum.  Uh…yeah.  I downloaded the free trial to check out how a game like this would look on the “big screen”, and within minutes, I was completely hooked.  This was anything but more of the same.  I immediately contacted the developer, and they were nice enough to send me a copy for review.

What sets 10 Pin Shuffle apart from any other Shuffleboard game I have played are the three game modes.  In addition to regular shuffleboard, you can also play 10 Pin Shuffle mode and the ultra-original 10 Pin Poker.  We’ll get back to the game modes in a moment. 

In the meantime, regardless of which mode you select, you can choose to join (or host) a Peer-to-Peer connection over a  network (you can do this via wifi or Bluetooth, though in my testing, I was never able to find anyone online with whom to play), play solo, play against another person on the same device (pass-and-play), or play against the computer.  When you play against the computer, you can select from one of two difficulty levels, Easy or Expert.  Each level has five opponents, each of which had a slightly more difficult style of gameplay than the last.  Of course, when you start, only the first will be available.  To unlock the next, you will need to start winning.

The game is controlled pretty much the way you would expect, which makes the whole thing extremely intuitive.  Simply flick the puck to send it sailing down the table.  Obviously, the harder you flick, the harder your shot will be.  I really liked the gameplay in this one, which did its best to approximate the real game, even providing an opportunity to use advanced techniques like side-wheeling (a method of controlling the spin on the puck using other fingers).   I was really quite impressed by the realism this gave the game.   Then again, since the game is on the iPad, the developers were able to offer assistance which goes well above and beyond the real-life game.  Options like the helper arrow, which shows the path your puck will take.  Just follow the path suggested by the helper arrow, and the puck will fire straight and true…or so you hope.

OK.  That brings us back to the three game modes included in this one package.  You are all pretty familiar with Shuffleboard already.  This is the basic form of gameplay.  There are two players, one controlling red pucks and the other blue.  The two players alternate shooting the pucks from one end of the table to the other, attempting to land in one of the scoring zones, without sailing right off the end of the table.  The object is to get as close to the edge as possible, without falling off.  Only those pucks which are closer to the end than your opponents closest puck will be scored.  Whoever reaches the preset scoring limit first wins the game.  Really, that is all pretty standard, and is consistent with most of the Shuffleboard games we have seen in the past.

This brings us to the Bowling part of the game.  There are two modes here.  In 10 Pin Shuffle, instead of aiming the pucks for scoring zones on the other end of the table, you will find a standard array of ten bowling pins.  Gameplay here is identical to bowling.  You get two shots per frame, with 10 frames comprising a game.  Scoring is based on the number of pins you knock over in each frame.  One point per pin.  A strike (all ten pins in one shot) is worth ten plus the total of the next two shots.  A spare (all ten pins down in two shots) counts for ten plus the value of the next shot.  Obviously, the player with the highest score at the end of the game is the 10 Pin Shuffle champion.

One impressive feature here is the pin physics.  When you hit a pin, it realistically collides with the other pins, sending them all flying.  This attention to detail in the graphics and animation is one of the features which makes this a fantastic game.

This all brings us to the most unique mode of the game, 10 Pin Poker.  Gameplay here starts off the same as Ten Pin Shuffle.  In other words, you will see the same standard arrangement of bowling pins.  In each frame, you will have two shots to knock them all over.  Knock them all down in one shot and you will receive two cards.  Knock them all over in two shots and you will receive one card.  Anything less, and you receive no cards.  The object is to earn enough cards to make the best poker hand.  As you might expect, there is a catch.  You can only hold five cards at a time, meaning once you have earned five cards, you must discard one card for each new card you receive.  That will take some strategy, and can be much more difficult than it sounds.

Once you are done, the game will even keep track of the various poker hands you were able to make, tracking how many times you successfully completed each hand.  It will even show the best winning combination of cards you played at each hand type.  Though the game does track how many games were played and how many of those were won, it does not track how many times you won with each hand type.

So…to sum up, this is one incredible game.  Not just shuffleboard.  Not even shuffleboard+Bowling.  This one ended up as Shuffleboard+Bowling+Poker.  So, even if you throw straight and true, knocking over every pin in each frame, you still must play the cards correctly in order to build a strong poker hand.  This unique style of gameplay, more than anything else, really set this game apart from anything else in the genre.  I am exhausted just thinking about that, and yet I keep coming back for more.  The game is incredibly addictive.  I could not stop playing.

If I had any disappointments with the game, though, it was that there simply was not enough of it.  Once you get a taste of the crazy creativity going on inside the heads of the folks at Digital smoke, you are left screaming for more.  Three game play modes is simply not enough.  One wonders what other modes they might have developed or added.  Who knows, maybe we will see more gameplay modes in a future update.

10 Pin Shuffle is available from the iTunes App Store from Digital Smoke, for $3.99.  There is also a free version which is ad supported, and only features the 10-Pin Poker game.