More big news from Square Enix today immediately following the Dragon Quest XI release news. Are you a fan of the title Life is Strange? Do you play it exclusively on your iPhone or iPad? If so, then we have great news for you. As of today, it has been announced that episodes 4 and 5 of the critically acclaimed game are finally available on iOS through the app store. These are the final two installments of the season’s storyline. That means that if you’ve been waiting patiently after progressing through the first three episodes you can finally continue your journey. And as for you Android users like me, you can look forward to all five episodes coming out this summer.

For Newcomers

If you are new to Life is Strange, we have good news for you as well. You can now play episode 1 of the narrative adventure game for free. Go ahead and give it a try and if it isn’t your taste, you don’t have to play on. For more information on the storyline or the game on mobile, check out the Life is Strange official twitter account. If you do like episode 1, the full game is available with a full season pass for only $8.99. Some features you might like in this game over other’s that are similar are:

• A modern adventure that is beautifully written.
• The ability to rewind time and change the choices you’ve made.
• Hand-painted visuals.
• Multiple endings.

Exclusively for Mobile

For those who have played on other platforms but might have an interest in playing on iOS, there are some features exclusive to the mobile version. They make it well worth playing through again. Not to mention you can play through a different story than you previously have, and do it on the go. The mobile exclusive features are:

• Enhanced interface for touch screen integration.
• iMessage stickers from Life is Strange.
• Share on social media and compare story choices with friends.
• Brand new Photo Mode so you can take pictures, add filters, and share them.

Overall, Life is Strange is a very well done episodic story and I highly recommend it for any platform. The addition of these episodes on iOS makes it much easier to play and gives you something to do when you can’t sit down at a console or PC. For more info on the game itself, go check it out on the app store.

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Puzzle up

Puzzle Fighter was something of an anomaly. The game was released in the 90s, at a time when Capcom was pretty much known for Street Fighter and Resident Evil. Actually, now that I think about it, they still are. But I digress, because while it was a one-off, Puzzle Fighter was also tons of fun. Probably way better than it had a right to be.

As a Tetris fan from way back, I loved it. Maybe as much for the Street Fighter characters and flashy graphics as for the gameplay. But really, it was a great package all together, so either way.

And now, it’s back. Capcom has announced that Puzzle Fighter will be returning as a mobile game. Coming to iOS and Android devices later this year, the game is set to offer up the same engrossing gameplay as before, with a twist.

This time around, PF will star not just Street Fighters, but a bevy of Capcom stars. So far the announcements include “Ryu, Ken” … “Chun-Li (Street Fighter), X (Mega Man), Morrigan (Darkstalkers)”, and “Frank West (Dead Rising)”, but more are coming according to the publisher.

They’ll all have special moves, just like in the original PF, and they’ll all be voiced. So this one will sound as good as it (hopefully) looks and plays. Expect “real-time versus battles, rewarding single player options and an array of content to unlock await in this ultimate puzzle fight!”

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Well, it seems to be that time of year again. Another major Hearthstone expansion is coming out, making it the fourth major one and eighth one overall. Mean Streets of Gadgetzan will be taking us to a town divided by organized crime. Of course, it will have Hearthstone’s typically goofy take on it, and plenty of cards for us to try out. Well over a hundred are lined up for us.

As of now, quite a few have been revealed, and some interesting new ideas have been revealed. “Create a custom spell,” is a new ability that we will see when the expansion is released . When used, it lets the player create a card whose power and effect can be chosen. Effects that created other cards have been used before in Hearthstone, but not to this degree. A dozen or two different combinations seem to be possible.

Another new concept in Mean Streets of Gadgetzan is multi-class cards. Before now, cards fell into one of two categories, all classes or only one class. Multi-class cards are taking the middle road, as they will be unique to three specific  This is to reflect the mob divisions in Mean Streets of Gadgetzan between three families. Grimy Goons cards are for Hunter, Paladin, and Warrior, the Kabal cards are for Mage, Priest, and Warlock, and Jade Lotus are for Druid, Rogue, and Shaman.  It’ll be interesting to see how this will change the meta.

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Hearthstone’s Arena mode has a fairly simple premise. Pay 150 gold or $1.50 and be sent into a gauntlet where you play against other people. It ends when you win twelve times or lose three times, the latter being the more common result. The unique selling point is that everyone has to make a new deck from random cards, putting everyone on equal footing. In theory.

In practice, some classes seem to have better cards to pick from than others. Blizzard has responded to this by picking forty cards to ban from Arena. All classes except Paladin have been affected, although Mage and Rogue noticeably less. The full list is located below.

Mage

• Forgotten Torch
• Snowchugger
• Faceless Summoner

Rogue

• Goblin Auto Barber
• Undercity Valiant

Shaman

• Vitality Totem
• Dust Devil
• Totemic Might
• Ancestral Healing
• Dunemaul Shaman
• Windspeaker

Warlock

• Anima Golem
• Sacrificial Pact
• Curse of Rafaam
• Sense Demons
• Void Crusher
• Reliquary Seeker
• Succubus

Druid

• Savagery
• Poison Seeds
• Soul of the Forest
• Mark of Nature
• Tree of Life
• Astral Communion

Warrior

• Warsong Commander
• Bolster
• Charge
• Bouncing Blade
• Axe Flinger
• Rampage
• Ogre Warmaul

Hunter

• Starving Buzzard
• Call Pet
• Timber Wolf
• Cobra Shot
• Lock and Load
• Dart Trap
• Snipe

Priest

• Mind Blast
• Shadowbomber
• Lightwell
• Power Word: Glory
• Confuse
• Convert
• Inner Fire

Unlike with most bans, Blizzard is not focusing on overpowered cards, but underpowered ones. The goal is to make drafting a new deck be easier and have more viability for all classes. Blizzard is also considering more changes to Arena after this, although there is nothing concrete yet.

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It’s-a me, Mario… on-a iOS!

If you read our rundown on the Apple event yesterday (or watched it live), then you already know a few things about the short-term future. Number one, there’s a new pair of iPhones. And number two, Nintendo is now totally down with mobile gaming. What a difference a few years make, no?

It wasn’t all that long ago that Nintendo, then under the leadership of the late Satoru Iwata, pretty much crapped on the idea of a presence in the mobile space. Though gamers and fans were specifically asking for it, it didn’t seem like it was going to happen. And now? Now we’ve got Pokemon Go, which has taken over the world, and Super Mario Run. No, I didn’t forget something. I’ve never heard of this ‘Miitomo’ that you speak of, so let’s get back to Mario.

The plumber’s first foray onto mobile handsets will come in the form of an iOS platformer. And it’s a game unlike what you’ve seen from the character before. Namely, it’s a ‘one button’ experience, which basically means that you press the screen to make Mario jump. He moves forward on his own, so there are no directional controls.

Shigeru Miyamoto himself had the lowdown:

“We have created  Super Mario Run to be perfect for playing on your iPhone,” said Mr. Miyamoto  ,  who first devised the Mario character more than 35 years ago. “Super Mario has evolved whenever he has encountered a new platform, and for the first time ever, players will be able to enjoy a full-fledged Super Mario game with just one hand, giving them the freedom to play while riding the subway or my favorite, eating a hamburger.”

And really, who hasn’t wanted to play Super Mario while eating a hamburger? I know I have…

Nintendo mobile, present and future

Other than the lack of direct control, the game looks like it will offer everything else that you’d expect. The standard mode will have you collecting coins and racing to the end of courses. Apparently there’s a mode too, where gamers will “competes against the acrobatic moves of other people who have completed the same course”. That could add an interesting wrinkle. And apparently you can even create your “own Mushroom Kingdom” based on the result of play. As a bit of a Mario super-fan myself, I’m pretty interested in that.

Nintendo’s mobile gaming involvement doesn’t stop there either. They’ll be working with developer DeNA for Super Mario Run, and will be bringing Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem to Apple’s platform as well. Look for those games to arrive before the end of March, 2017.

You’ll be playing Super Mario Run way before that though, as the game will arrive just in time for the Holidays, this December. Apple even has a ‘heads up’ that you can sign up for on the App Store, to let you know when the game finally hits for the iPad and iPhone.

Think Nintendo teaming with them is kind of a big deal?

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ROK is an interesting take on a futuristic game, where a norseman is taken, and hidden away for many years. Years later a voice in the darkness has come to release him. She teaches him that he has certain telekinetic abilities and needs to find his way out of his nightmarish labyrinth. Stitch Games definately thought outside the box when developing this one.

When I first got my hands on ROK, I had no clue what to think of it. The concept is entertaining, and I was a bit skeptic of an ipad only title. Once I got it installed, and figured out how to move, you couldn’t stop me. I had the elevator working and I was on my way.

The instruction is a bit sparse, though visual cues keep you from getting hung up here. Pull down levers, move weights from one side to the other. Fairly simple. Then I found myself in front of a giant troll. I figured I was a goner. No weapons, hardly understood what I was doing. And I died. And died. After half-a-dozen deaths or so, I realized that the troll was short-tempered and wanted to be amused. Either I would move his toy with my telekinesis, or I was lunch. So I played ball (pun intended).

The ability to throw flying valkyrie guards off my platform as quick as they could land took some getting used to. Once I get the hang of it, however, I found myself wanting more. Slide panels open, and lift out dead batteries. Sounds mundane, right? It was a good way to break up the game play here.

Confusion

Once you come to the floating bridges, it gets a bit harder. No descriptions, no guides, you just stand on a platform, trying to figure out what to do. Eventually I was able to discern that I had to lift and guide my platform wherever I needed to go. With limited abilities, however, it did not take long. And then the developers threw an additional wrench at me: multiple platforms going in several directions.

I am certain I missed several opportunities to explore what ROK has to offer here, but I simply had no clue where to go. So, I followed a path, and went with it. Before long, I found myself amidst what I can only call crystal-backed hellhounds. These mutts were blind, but figured out where to go, based on hearing and smell. I must have been quite ripe, because there was no way I could explore beyond them. Over several days, and several attempts. Sadly, this was the farthest I was able to go.

The soundtrack here is sparse, but suspenseful. Unlike some games I have played, I had no problem standing in the corner, and letting the music play.

The overall experience was enjoyable, as was it challenging. In the end, I enjoyed myself, but was incapable of getting past the hell hounds. I was hoping to get past these, and I hope you do as well. There is plenty of material here that this reviewer had to leave in the dark.

If you get further than I did, tell me about it in the comments. I’d love to hear more about it.

ROK is available in the Apple store for $3.99.

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Ever get tired of holding onto your tablet while you use it? Ever want to use it while laying relatively flat on your back, and not risk dropping it onto your face? While remedying these might not be the most life-changing of things, the fact is that using a tablet like an iPad isn’t conducive to most reclining poses. There’s pretty much nothing out there, save for a lap desk, that allows you to put the thing down while using it either.

You’re pretty much locked into holding that iPad in your hands while surfing, and then finding an flat place to set it down or balancing it on your lap, if you need to type a message or compose an email. Well, all that goes out the window with the Tablift from nbrite. This handy dandy little stand allows you to fix your tablet (of pretty much any make/model) to it and forget it.

It’s essentially a set of heavy, poseable, bendy metal legs that have a small notched ‘platform’ at the top. The platform’s three deep notches allow you to attach your tablet in back, middle, or forward positions. This gives you angles for viewing while sitting, reclining, or laying almost flat respectively. Keeping it in place (because if it was just set there it would pretty much fall on you) is a bungee cord, which clips onto the top of the device.

All this means that, once you secure your device of choice, it isn’t going anywhere. Since the legs are bendy too, you now have a pretty vast set of options on using your tablet that you don’t have without the Tablift. The legs can be easily set in poses that make watching movies or scanning Facebook way more comfortable while you’re on a couch or getting comfy in bed.

It’s even nice when you’re sitting in a chair honestly. I don’t mind holding my iPad at all since it’s so light, but it is a slight pain in the rear to have to constantly prop it up if I need to write something out on it. The Tablift solves that problem nicely, and the legs mean that pretty much any sitting position can be accommodated comfortably.

There’s not much to find ‘wrong’ with this little guy, though I will say that removing your tablet can be a little bit of a pain. Though it’s pretty darn far from being a ‘major issue’ you do have to unclip the bungee and then re-attach it when you remove and replace your iPad. It takes all of a few seconds. So basically, it’s not as easy as setting it down and picking it up- though if you have a serious problem with that, you might have other issues.

Final Thoughts

I like this oddball little stand a lot. It’s extremely easy to use and fits a ton of different situations. Though clipping my iPad onto and off of the Tablift wasn’t as simple as I would have liked, it’s not at all difficult either, and it opened up options of use that just weren’t there before… or at least, not there without being a pain in the behind.

*This Review was based upon a Tablift supplied to BG by nbrite

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Tough and unrelenting, Shadowgate is one of the all-time great dungeon crawls. The redone version of the game offers way more than the original too, with a better narrative, vastly improved visuals, and customizable controls. Now tailored to the touch-interface of iOS, it’s evolved even further – all while keeping what made the original so great intact.

 “Back in 1987 when we launched the original Shadowgate as part of the MacVenture series on the original Apple Macintosh, it’s almost serendipitous that we can bring our re-imagined project to challenge a whole new generation of adventure gamers,” states David Marsh, Co-founder at Zojoi. “When we designed the new Shadowgate, we definitely thought how perfect it would be to play this game on the iPad.”

IF you played the PC and Mac re-release, which didn’t hit all that long ago, then you pretty much know what to expect here, but here’s the rundown of what’s included:

• First Person Adventuring: Unique gameplay mechanics that made the original Shadowgate such a classic, complete with three different difficulty settings that change the gameplay experience and puzzle structure
• Breathtaking Imagery: Gorgeous hand-painted visuals re-imagined for a new generation of adventurers, complete with all new environmental and object-specific animations and particle effects
• Tools of Adventure: A bevy of objects, spells, an all-new mapping system, and customizable user interface so players can choose between classic on-screen commands or use modern a modern-wheel icon system
• Mind-bending Puzzles: Loads of all new rooms as well as revamped locations from the original, and a ton of new and fully updated puzzles to solve
• Cinematic Storytelling: Shadowgate features dramatic cut-scenes and all the same great storytelling you expect from the original creators with a rich dynamic soundtrack by composer Rich Douglas
• Atmospheric Music: Choose between the dynamic new cinematic score or the original retro 8-bit NES classic soundtrack by Hiroyuki Masuno
• The Dread Pumpkin Quest: In time for Halloween, find and free the Dread Pumpkin – a tribute to the holiday figure, the Great Pumpkin
• Achievement Awards: Dozens of in-game achievements to find and unlock, compelling cut-scenes, and deep storytelling make this re-imagining feel and play like a truly classic Shadowgate experience

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Skylanders, as a series, is always looking for something new; a new hook to capture the audience’s attention and hang onto the massive fan base that it’s built up over the series’ four already existing games. As a rule, from the first expansion with Skylanders Giants to last year’s Trap Team, the little guys and gals usually hit their mark square on the head too, offering just enough ‘new’ to make an impact while keeping the core gameplay intact.

Skylanders is also the first in the toys-to-life genre. The game built-out the section of the gaming landscape all by itself, forging new ground and possibilities that had never really been explored before by a video game. Since then, the genre has exploded with four different franchises (at this point) that includes not only Skylanders, but also Disney Infinity, Nintendo’s Amiibo, and newcomer LEGO Dimensions. It all started with Skylanders though, a series that’s continually been kept fresh.

While its history is quite impressive though, this year’s installment is ever-so-slightly a mixed bag. The majority is fantastic and quite fun, don’t get me wrong, so let’s dig in and I’ll tell you what I mean.

First let’s talk about the figures, because they’re still the biggest hook for Skylanders. Even better than pretty much any wave that’s come before, the SuperChargers figures are really nicely sculpted with great detailing. Some of them carry across the fantastic translucent elements that past figures have had, and the effect looks twice as good on these, even here in the first wave.

Expanding the line this year too, are the vehicles, which work hand in hand with the SuperChargers figures in the game. While the figures don’t fit into the planes, sea-craft, and cars/bikes in the real world, these newest additions to the line have a terrific look to them and impressed me quite a bit.

In particular, it’s the ground vehicles that look the coolest. That might have a little something to do with the fact that they have actual working wheels so you can race around the living room floor if you want. I’m not used to moving parts on Skylanders toys in general, and it’s really cool to see here. Hopefully there’s more like this to come down the line.

So those are some thoughts on the figures and vehicles, as for the game:

Things open up with Kaos up to no good yet again. The series’ main villain has harnessed (sort of) something called the Darkness and has completed the construction of his newest end-of-Skylands device that will help him rule over all of creation – The Sky Eater. It’s basically a giant robotic head that creates a kind of black hole with its mouth, sucking in everything that’s in front of it.

Needless to say, this doesn’t please the Skylanders or their allies any. Those allies, by the way, include everyone that you’d expect; Callie, Buzz, Mags, Sharpfin, and yes – Flynn. Although fans have been showing a little Flynn-tigue in the last few years, the bombastic hero (voiced by Patrick Warburton) is once again leading the charge against Kaos… albeit somewhat haphazardly.

Personally, I kind of like how this series doesn’t ‘forget’ about characters from installments past, and places them back into the narrative of new games as a permanent part of the team. Even so though, and although I’m not sick of Flynn’s antics at all, I do understand that some players would like a new cast once in a while, or a game that focuses on only a certain segment of the side-cast.

It’s important to remember though, that Flynn doesn’t really figure into the gameplay any, and there’s plenty new in that department to talk about. Skylanders tries something new with every installment of course, but the SuperChargers are something all together different than what’s come before. Sure you could swap parts in Swap Force and wield weapons that trapped bad guys that you could then play as in Trap Team, but the SuperChargers add in something that truly alters the series’ landscape with the vehicles.

Characters unto themselves, the SuperChargers vehicles are paired with heroes that match their aesthetic and compliment their basic abilities. You don’t have to use these specific heroes with their vehicles though, as any Skylander can drive any car, aircraft, or sub, though you do get special buffs though if you play a SuperCharger Skylander combo’d with a SuperCharger vehicle. I should mention that I played through a good chunk of the game, as I usually do, with Trigger Happy and I was just fine. As I mentioned above too, these are some wickedly cool toys, with the land vehicles looking the best on the shelf.

And speaking of ‘looking the best’, SuperChargers is the best looking Skylanders game yet. You probably know what to expect from the series by now, but there are some gorgeous and bright cartoony graphics here that evolve the series’ looks a bit even closer towards parity with (what used to be) Saturday morning TV. In fact, that’s probably the best way I can think to put it, saying that it’s like playing a cartoon show, which is pretty great.

There are some awesome little graphical tricks done by developer Vicarious Visions too. Levels where you change size (there’s a surprising amount of that in here) are highlights, offering some radically different visuals for a Skylanders game. And these are really fun levels too, shaking things up nicely. Lets just say that, if you dig kaiju, then you’ll like one of the stages here a lot.

I do have to add though, while we’re discussing graphics, that there are some oddities here and there. Not that it ever affects gameplay any, but at the end of level and level-up screens the graphical ‘stamps’ that show what level you’re jumping too look kind of low-res. I have no idea why this would be and it’s just weird and out of place frankly. A missed thing that was supposed to have been ‘fixed’ prior to release? Probably.

Much like the majority of the graphics however, the sounds are top-notch. The voice cast is excellent as usual, with the return of the aforementioned Warburton, as well as Steve Blum, Michael Yurchak, Star Trek: Deep Space 9’s Rene Auberjonois and about a hundred more talented actors and actresses who voice the now army of Skylanders that exists. And much like the cast, the music is terrific too. Mostly a light and airy affair, the tunes set the stage perfectly and frame the action well without getting overpowering or in the way of what’s on the screen – and that’s exactly what you want from it.

So there’s a lot to like here. A ton in fact, especially if you’re a fan to begin with. But maybe if you are a fan, you might be a little put off by some of the gameplay. Here’s why – it’s as different in places as the SuperChargers vehicles are when compared to the ‘normal’ Skylander figures. I’m not sure if Activision specifically wanted something to change the formula this time around, but the vehicle segments serve to do just that, and that’s both good and not-so-good.

When I play a Skylanders game, I expect a fantastic platformer to be the end experience. That’s still mostly what you’ll be getting from SuperChargers, but you’ll also be stopping to play through a vehicular portion of the game pretty regularly, and that’s where the trouble arises. Or at least, it does till you get in the groove. It’s not that the vehicles are badly done, not at all actually, but they break into the gameplay that you expect to get from a Skylanders game, and that can be a little off-putting at first.

Basically, Skylanders SuperChargers plays exactly like every recent Skylanders game does, jumping and all. It’s a formula that’s been distilled down to something close to perfect, and really needs no alteration at this point, save for a new hook or two. That’s where the vehicles come charging in, and the first time that I was pulled out of a platforming section and dropped into a car, well, I didn’t really know if I liked it so much. It’s different, and sometimes something different -especially when we’re already set in our ways- can be… aggravating.

Here’s the thing though, the vehicular portions of the game are just as well done as the platforming ones and, when you get used to the idea of hopping back and forth, I have a feeling that you’ll find ’em as much fun as I did. Yes, that’s right, fun. I’m well aware of the fact that I just spent a few paragraphs complaining about them, but the driving is actually tons of fun once you get use to it, and presents new challenges that you’ll actually find yourself looking forward to in each level.

While some are better than others (the cars being the coolest), and you’re not forced to play through all of them in any level, all of the different vehicle options are fun to drive around in. I’m going to go ahead and say it too – I’d play a Skylanders racing game with the SuperChargers. I would, honestly. If that’s not a telling comment, considering that I love these games for the platforming, I don’t know what is.

Final Thoughts

There’s a pretty big new element in Skyladners SuperChargers, and some of that newness will probably put you off at first, but in the long run this is yet another feather in the series’ silly hat. Though the break in the action that the vehicle segments provide does serve to throw you off at first, the expertise with which they’re implemented by the team at Vicarious Visions will get you enjoying them sooner than later.

In addition to all that, the graphics and sound are all as good as this franchise gets. SuperChargers oozes quality in pretty much every area save a few odds and ends, and that makes it pretty much a must play for series fans, and a game that anyone with a penchant for cartoony action should check out. You’ll drive, you’ll fly, you’ll deep sea dive, you’ll run and gun at baddies- and you’ll have a great time doing all of it.

This review was completed with a copy of Skylanders SuperChargers supplied to BG by Activision.

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It very much defined RPGs for a generation of gamers, and now Final Fantasy VII has been ported to Apple devices by Square Enix. As you can see, the game looks exactly how you remember it from the PSOne, and boasts the same great story that enraptured many a role-playing fan.

Actually a port of the PC version of FFVII, there are nonetheless some new little features that’ve been plugged into this version. Along with everything that you’d expect, you also get touch controls (natch) and an ‘easy’ set of options. Not that the hardcore would use them, but it looks like you can switch off random encounters if you wish, and even max out all your stats at the click of a button.

The game is available right now with a price tag of $19.99 USD. No word on whether or not it’ll be heading to Android systems as well.

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