Although changing its name, Clap Hanz Golf blends invisibly into the series formerly known as Hot Shots and Everybody’s Golf. This is a specific brand, mastered by developer Clap Hanz, where everyone matters and competition is secondary. Somehow on Apple Arcade and away from the Sony ecosystem for the first time, Clap Hanz creates what… Continue reading Clap Hanz Golf (iOS)
Retro Bowl understands Tecmo Bowl’s enduring appeal – it’s more than pixelated pro football. What matters is how the sport is distilled to its essentials, and the great moments implied through the simplicity. A bobbled catch by 8×8 pixel men doesn’t convey real world thrills, yet slight imagination turns that play into a highlight reel… Continue reading Retro Bowl (iOS)
There’s no other Godzilla videogame that understands the futility of fighting radioactive beasts better than Godzilla Defense Force. Every run is hopeless; that’s by design. The game exists to suck money and time, but this is a smart, appropriate application of the idle clicker. Tapping the screen sends troops to the shoreline, defending against various… Continue reading Godzilla Defense Force (Android)
Capcom’s late ’90s Puzzle Fighter carried a self-mocking title – Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. There never was an original Puzzle Fighter; Capcom took a chance and riffed their endless Street Fighter II revisions. The game itself turned out sensational, a versus gem-falling puzzle game with frenetic pacing and genuine strategy. Capcom finally released the… Continue reading Puzzle Fighter (iOS)
Decorated with a startling red aesthetic, lo-fi Missile Cards evokes the heart of ’80s cold war paranoia in a clever, mechanical card game of chance. Atari’s icon Missile Command was set in total fear. 2017’s Missile Cards plays in absolute chance. Each move, each tactic, each card play draws a bomb (or “comet”) closer to… Continue reading Missile Cards (iOS)
The tap-tap-tap rhythm of Crazy Taxi Gazillionaire turns its players into the equivalent of a cat playing with a tablet’s virtual aquarium. YouTube provides endless hours of examples. Human paws aren’t as adorable though. As opposed to phony aquariums, Crazy Taxi’s spin-off dishes out phony money. It’s a cycle of tapping and watching dollar bills… Continue reading Crazy Taxi Gazillionaire (iOS)
Clever. Adorable. Passive. Ambient. So many adjectives fit this delightful little gem. Hidden Folks isn’t more than a miniature handheld plaything, like a stress cube on a touch screen. Yet, the special outpouring of personality within the design acts as a signature – the Amsterdam-based dev team playfully speaks through their work. There’s nothing to… Continue reading Hidden Folks (iOS)
Mario’s so vibrant, it’s a wonder how he ended up here in this hackneyed off-shoot. For a character who scaled pyramids, traveled to distant kingdoms, made friends with dinosaurs, turned into paper, and cleaned the worst of the Mushroom Kingdom’s oily gunk, now he’s here in a listless, rudimentary runner. Plain titled Mario Run sums… Continue reading Super Mario Run (iOS)
Clever little genre combo mixes tower defense and item matching. I’d like to consider Gunhouse part of the wonderful Henry Hatsworth universe, if only it were true. Instead, Necrosoft’s original work boasts a pleasant color palette and wild, busy aesthetic, powering this charming outing. Blocks match up, weapons build power, and pop go enemies in… Continue reading Gunhouse (iOS)
Making greater sense than the movie it’s based on, Ghostbusters: Slime City ensnares the joy of busting ghosts as much as it does the business acumen of the Dan Aykroyd-created property. Calls come in, the team goes out. A light gun shooter in touch form, firing off proton streams carries immense satisfaction. A gorgeous visual… Continue reading Ghostbusters: Slime City (iOS)
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