Sega Mega Drive – 25th Anniversary

The electronics evolves by leaps and bounds, but today, 25 years ago, the first 16bits home console reached Europe.

It was the SEGA Mega Drive, a console which stills today have a cool and smooth mechanical design:

But what you can find even more interesting are its internals, look in next photo its inner mother board:

As you can see most of the IC’s were still through-hole devices, being the main CPU and GPU the only ones SMD chips; which were also even designed in-house, and some patch wire-wrapping too! 😀

Those days are already gone, but I still feel somewhat nostalgic when I look at this pre-historic electronics for someones 😉

‘Last Voyage’ (iOS game) – A metaphor for your senses

Last Voyage, the last release of Semidome Inc. game studio is a pure metaphor for your senses.

I already heard about them from their first game creation (Kotoro) released just one year ago; and Circo, their other game where you can have a fully free taste of their good work.

This second game production, released just one week ago and which I wanted to try by myself, denotes their good taste for details and multimedia background, which is not surprising having inside their team such kind of experienced members who worked for companies as Google, IBM, BBDO and Proximity.

In fact, it has been already selected as “Editor’s Choice” in the official Apple Store, which after so few days denotes how Special is this game.

As the game icon so well denotes, it will literally twist your head.

Its description doesn’t explain so much what will you find inside, but that makes it even more attractive and mysterious. In other kind of games, this would make me doubt, thinking that developers are trying to scam us, but this is not the case; as you will find yourself discovering new science-fiction landscapes while playing.

Once you download and launch it, you will see, or better say “perceive” the harmonious combination of images, animations and music working together. We could say that it is a puzzle game, but that would be very simplistic definition that detracts from this great game.

It is true that you will have to solve puzzles, and even there is not any tutorial neither explanation of what to do at all, or how to begin. But doesn’t matter, don’t worry my friend. You only need to get immersed in their space universe specially created for your enjoyment and follow your instinct. Simply listen their soundtrack fully aligned with the animations, touch here and there, and as said: Don’t worry, you will not mess anything 😉

The game is currently composed by five chapters, or stages, each one independently designed to awaken your mind. We hope that the authors add more chapters in the future because while you play, you only wish to never end.

And as authors mention, you will have to go through psychedelic portals, solve abstract puzzles, explore grand minimal forms or race against the stars.

Besides, its 40 minutes original composed soundtrack is even also available in iTunes, in case you want to continue listening it during your other daily activities, or just to disconnect from the Real World.

I also recommend to plug in your headphones before beginning the game playing to enjoy at 120% the full gaming experience so handcrafted and delicately designed.

This is a game to be ‘experienced‘ more that to be described with words, although you can take a look to its trailer to see it in real action:

.

Anyhow, you need to feel it by yourself; Hearing, Touching and Interacting with it to fully understand what I mean, as it is a delicious and fully transcendental experience by itself 😉

For limited time, its launching price is currently only $0.99, which makes it so tempting for any iOS (puzzle) game lover, so hurry up, purchase and enjoy it before increases again.

‘Rapture – World Conquest’ – Fast pace World strategy iOS game

Last week I discovered a real-time strategy game that really stock caught my attention: “Rapture – World Conquest“. In fact, it was released last September 14th, 2014.

It is the first release from Tundra Games a new English indie games development studio, based in Oxford, UK. Both two founders Andy Weinkove and Dan Collier have a long programing background experience in the game industry developing many AAA titles: Sims 3, FIFA, Madden, Angry Birds, Angry Birds Go and Need for Speed.

Then, in 2013 they became independent and created Tundra Games studio:

and their first own development was this real-time strategy game that puts you in the celestial shoes of a god.

Rapture is inspired by so fun old PC classic god games such as Risk, Civilization and Populous, but reinvented for quick playing on mobile platforms, being the first one released on iOS platform for all those lucky gamers holders of an iPhone or iPad.

It is a paid game with some in-app purchases, but you don’t really need them to enjoy and progress on it, only if you want to move faster without investing some playing hours to acquire the in-game Gold coins to unlock extra features in its game virtual shop. Like for instance, new planet shapes:

It already fully supports iPhone6 / 6Plus HD resolution screens, with very well and detailed crafted graphics, and playing in an iPhone6Plus is simply awesome!

And although today it’s not yet mentioned in the AppStore game description, on top of English language, it’s also fully localized in FRENCH, GERMAN, and SPANISH. (Tundra Games confirmed me that it will be updated soon in the Appstore game details to avoid misunderstood).

One of latest added features was the MULTIPLAYER mode, on which you can play online via GameCenter or locally (over WiFi) against up to 3 friends, really cool! 😉

As I said, it is a really fast paced real-time strategy game that puts you in the celestial shoes of a god. There you have to guide your followers through the ages and vanquish the unbelievers in the surrounding kingdoms. How? Just send your chosen civilization armies to take over regions and expand your realm with a simple Tap in your screen.

Moreover, as your followers rise in numbers their adulation will provide ‘mana’ allowing you to unleash devastating miracles as Lightning storms, Hurricanes, Floods and other death from above.

You will begin controlling the “Romans” civilization, but after the first gameplays and missions passed, you will have enough gold coins won to acquire on its shop other civilizations and customize your game, choosing which one you want to control: Romans, Greeks, British, American, Egyptian, Mongol, Maya, Babylon, French, German, Russian or Spanish.

That’s not only, there are many missions, achievements and unlockable content to enjoy many hours of gaming:

OK, but what about the game playing? Well, I must say that after playing several hours I’m really dazzled with it. I was already a fan from oldies “Civilization I” and Populous PC games, but also RISK board game where I was playing many hours during school days.

Now I finally found a real-time strategy mobile game so fun and well done as those from above mentioned, but where I can complete a single game within 5 minutes while I take the subway or bus 😀

Then, being an arcade based game, the fast reaction and quick decisions on where to send armies is also quite challenging.

The User Interface is really smooth and easy to manage and its tutorial will guide quickly you through it.

The screen is always in Landscape mode, but luckily it auto-rotates, so you can choose on which side you want to hold the Home button of the iPhone/iPad. Personally, I find more convenient to have the Home button on my right holding hand to avoid blocking the speaker holes as in the iPhone6/6Plus devices when I don’t use the earphones.

You need to keep in mind that it is 3D map oriented game instead of classic 2D maps. This means that you can/must rotate the planet to see the several regions while you play, and also pinch to zoom-in/out to make it bigger or smaller at your convenience. I really like it this kind of innovative 3D interface instead of typical 2D map view (it recalls me the Google Earth app), but as you have not permanently full overview of the planet map (as in old RISK 2D world map), you will often need to rotate the globe to don’t lose strategic perspective.

I must say that its soundtrack based in some classical and orchestral emotive music tracks also reminds me the oldies PC games and places us very well on historical location and battles time.

Since last week, its price has been dropped to only $0.99 from original $2.99, so hurry up and buy it before it rises up again.

Don’t hesitate, if you already loved old turn-based and real-time strategy games above mentioned, you will not be dissapointed by Rapture – World Conquest.

And as said, compared with the old official RISK from EA (only iPAD game) which still costs $6.99, Rapture (universal iPhone/iPad) current $0.99 price is fully tempting; so, go ahead and give it a try!

It is soon, but I am pretty sure their first creation will succeed on iOS and it’ll allow the Tundra Games studio to grow up and maybe also port it to other OS platforms. We will keep an eye on these promising guys. 😉

Alto’s Adventure for iOS review

Today I want to talk you a little bit about Alto’s Adventure, one game for iOS platform released couple of weeks ago.

After playing with it several hours, I could say this game is gorgeous, graphical and music speaking is fantastic! (I am pretty sure that Build By Snowman studio is going to become so famous and popular due it).

It has several scenario views depending of the day’s time and also different weather conditions.

It works very well in latest iPhone 6/6Plus devices, and playing on iPhone6Plus FHD screen is simply awesome.

You will notice the influence of older Tiny Wings game; on which developers based, and together with their love for snowboarding created this fantastic game.

Finally, I can say that for $1.99 price, it is a must for your iOS game collection, as you will see how much detail have dedicated these guys in the graphics, motor engine and music; you will not be able to stop playing!