I’d Buy That For a Dollar (11/05/10)

It’s Halfbrick versus Capcom this week as we see if a fresh new independent developer can rival the efforts of a longtime multi-billion (in Yen) gaming juggernaut.

Capcom Arcade

Capcom Arcade is basically Capcom’s iOS-based take on Microsoft’s ill-fated Game Room. For those unfamiliar with that cluster, Game Room is essentially a virtual arcade which allows players to select amongst countless near-ancient coin-operated games. Capcom’s version is a bite-sized offering, with only four titles to choose from at the moment (but more promised over time): Street Fighter II, Commando, Ghosts ‘n Goblins, and 1942. Just like in Game Room, each game is available in token play (10 tokens can be purchased for $1), or individual cabinets can be permanently owned for a one-time fee of $3. Either way, you’ll be stuck with annoying in-game ads regardless, which just seems greedy at that point. Each game also has a few bonuses such as the ability to unlock infinite health or super-powered attacks by achieving certain milestones in-game, which is a nice touch.

Unfortunately, They were designed (nearly 20 years ago, mind you) for arcade joysticks, not the iPhone’s tiny touch-screen. I found the game’s to be unresponsive and frustrating. Street Fighter, for example, is just not meant to be played like this; I have a hard enough time trying to get certain combos and special moves to work on an Xbox 360 controller. But even with Ghosts n’ Goblins, the controls take over the majority of the play screen and even then, if you’re not pressing exactly where you need to, Arthur will just stand there and get killed. Especially for games of this difficulty, that’s simply unacceptable.

The other issue with these types of classic game collections is that the games they’re showcasing are old. Like, too old. Citizen Kane may age like a fine wine, but video games–due to their perpetually evolving nature (whereas one could argue Hollywood films are actually getting worse)–are the exact opposite. Honestly, who wants to play Street Fighter II when Super Street Fighter IV is only $15 on eBay? Who wants to suffer through 1942 when they could just quit out of Capcom Arcade and play Espgaluda 2 instead?

I know I don’t.

DEMO IT!

Age of Zombies

Previously released as a PlayStation Mini, Sony’s ill-fated (yes, that’s the word of the day) and overly-pirated attempt at cashing in on Apple’s success with the App Store, Halfbrick has finally brought the next chapter in the Barry Streakfies’ adventures to the iPhone. Age of Zombies is an isometric dual-thumbstick shooter along the lines of Smash TV or Minigore. Barry will travel through several time periods such as the prehistoric and 1930’s to battle everything from zombie cavemen, zombie mobsters, zombie ninjas, and…zombie T-Rexes.

It doesn’t really do anything new in the gameplay department, but sets itself apart from all the other cookie cutter shooters with its stylish cartoon graphics and likable sense of humor. The weapon types are generic FPS fodder, from shotguns to uzis and flamethrowers, but the game constantly changes up the scenery to keep things fresh. Enemies will change accordingly as well, and new types (such as giant zombies) will begin to join their ranks. It’s pretty much non-stop action with both OpenFeint and GameCenter achievements to be had, and the pop-culture references, as well as Barry’s hopes of capturing a pet zombie to show off to all his scientist acquaintances, add an extra layer of enjoyment really seen in iPhone games of any kind, let alone hardcore arcade shooters.

Did I mention zombie dinosaurs?!

BUY IT!

Monster Dash

Although released a few months back, I was surprised to see Age of Zombies developer Halfbrick’s other shooter, Monster Dash, has already fallen off the top of the iTunes app charts. Especially when their first game, Fruit Ninja (seriously, I just don’t get the appeal of that one…) is seated comfortably in the top 10.

As implied by the name, Monster Dash has Barry Steakfries perpetually running forward on a 2D path, hurling himself over spikes and bottomless pits which spell immediate death for our hero should he misjudge a jump. Various monsters such as mummies, zombies, and vampires will also fill the different stages, requiring Barry to either dodge them too (for achievements!) or shoot them with random weapon drops. Although Age of Zombies is much more shooter-intensive, the weaponry in Monster Dash is considerably more interesting. Aside from Barry’s standard shotgun, he will also get his hands on Mr Zappy, a lightning railgun, The Pacifier, a Dirty Harry handcannon which shoots through multiple enemies with a single shot, a freaking motorcycle for ride-by-shootings a la Arnold in T2, and my personal favorite, the Machinegun Jetpack, which pretty much sells the game on its own.

As you play, you rack up distance traveled and the game gets faster and faster. The point is to see how far you can get before dying, but one wrong step can end it all. At 1,000 meters, Barry will be warped out of the current stage and into another one, randomly. The stages themselves also seem to be randomly generated, from the layout of the dangers to the monster spawns and weapon drops–it’s never quite the same game twice. There are OpenFeint and GameCenter achievements to be had, and Halfbrick has done a nice job of adding meaningful updates, the latest of which added an entirely new level and monster type.

Angry Birds is a great game, no doubt, but Monster Dash is where it’s at.

BUY IT!