September
Dungeon Boss
Dungeon Boss is a fierce little dungeon crawler where battles take place in a turn-based fashion. You must fight your way through a number of lesser foes to meet the "dungeon boss" at the end of each stage. Defeat end-of-level beast and you'll receive a trove of gold and gems to buy upgrades and items.It looks and plays kind of like Double Fine’s Costume Quest. The blocky art style, environments and 3D graphics may seem cutesy but it can get extremely difficult in later levels. You’re going to need a pretty decent phone to be able to run it smoothly, though.
UNKILLED
MADFINGER Games, the folks behind Dead Trigger 1 and Dead Trigger 2, have now released Dea… er UNKILLED, a new and completely different kind of first-person zombie shooter. Using the left side of the screen for movement and the right side to aim, you blast your way through New York City streets at the onset of a zombie apocalypse.Because the actual firing of your weapon is taken care of automatically once something is in your sights, it feels incredibly smooth to control. There’s a cheesy storyline for you to follow but real fun is in the blasting through undead hordes with extras like rockets and "bullet-time" buffs. If you want to see what the latest tech is capable of, check this one out.
Pokemon Shuffle
Pokémon Shuffle is a free-to-play puzzle game developed by The Pokémon Company (the same guys responsible for the Pokemon RPGs on the game boy) and arrives as the first Pokémon game to be released on Android outside of Japan.It's a match-three type title in the same vein as Candy Crush Saga, but each stage plays out as a battle with a Pokémon. Beat the level and you will have a chance to catch the Pokémon you faced at the end, with your chances of doing so increasing or decreasing depending on your performance in the battle.
Complete the stage with three moves left? Great! Those will be added to your score to increase your chances of snagging a new Pokémon to aid you in battle next time. It’s a neat idea because it provides an incentive to play smart and be strategic beyond the usual “to earn three stars” motivation. Nice.
July 2015
Tiki Taka Soccer
There have been a few football games for Android that have tried to recreate that Sensible Soccer style, but this is the best attempt yet. Tika Taka Soccer is far more than just a throwback however, as the gameplay is wonderfully adapted to the touchscreen.Play flowing one-touch football, score long-range screamers and even manage a team in this unique and brilliantly playable mobile homage to the beautiful game.
Nubs' Adventure
Great-looking pixellated games are all the rage these days, and Nubs' Adventure is the latest to jump on the bandwagon. In this 2D platformer, you control Nubs, who is on a quest to rebuild his house after it was destroyed by the Reds. There are four worlds to go through, and levels weave and intertwine in that satisfying 'Metroidvania' way. There are some great boss set-pieces, and the puzzles will have you racking your brains while never leaving you frustrated.
Hitman: Sniper
The legendary anti-hero, Hitman 47, makes his second appearance on Android. This time, 47 features in a Gun Gallery sniping game reminiscent of the Hitman Sniper Challenge that came out on consoles a few years ago. Set in Montenegro, Sniper assigns you to kill targets across 150 missions. You can either shoot targets directly, or imaginatively use the environment to make them look like accidents. As you carry out the satisfyingly violent hits, you unlock weapon parts and blueprints to improve your arsenal.
Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions
The second Square Enix game to look out for this month is Final Fantasy Tactics, which is a faithful recreation of the 2007 PSP version (itself is an enhanced version of the PS One classic). Tactics switches up the Final Fantasy formula by giving you a rotating squad of characters to use, letting you use terrain to your advantage, and carrying out battles on a square-based battlefield. It's been neatly ported to Android, and is well tailored to touch-screen controls.
Siegefall
No Android games list would be complete without a few Gameloft entries, and Siegefall is the latest strategy game from the prolific Android developer. Build up a fantasy army and take on millions of other players as you seek to make your kingdom supreme. You also need to build up your defences using traps, barricades and towers, because other players want to take you out as much as you do them. Siegefall may be yet another build-and-destroy game, but it's a very good one.
June 2015
Desktop Dungeons
Rogue-likes are very en vogue these days (or rather en rogue, right?), and Desktop Dungeons jumps in on that trend. Despite being a PC port with a name that doesn't sound conducive to it being playable on a touchscreen, the fast nature and relatively small dungeon sizes of this game make it perfect for your Android tablet. Spellcast and slash your way through procedurally-generated dungeons, and defeat bosses to unlock new characters and items. It sounds great too, with music from Danny Baranowsky (Super Meat Boy) and Grant Kirkhope (Goldeneye 64).
Chaos Rings III
Easily the greatest RPG saga designed specifically for smartphones and tablets, the latest entry in Square Enix's fantasy JRPG series makes some big changes in the interface and graphics departments. It's a lot more vibrant and colorful than previous games in the series, and sees you forming a party of teenage heroes to head out into the world and hunt imaginatively-designed monsters. It's one of the deepest, most rewarding, and most expensive games on Android, demonstrating that the mobile platform is capable of more long-term 'hardcore' gaming.
Earn to Die 2
The sequel to the hit driving-zombie-platformer has arrived. In this game, you drive a vehicle - modded to the max with murderous weaponry - across apocalyptic 2D platformer levels, trying to take out as many zombies as possible. There are now ten vehicles to choose from, ranging from sports cars to the classic ice cream van of death, and the story mode has been extended. Whereas the original game took place mostly in desert, this sequel takes you through urban landscapes like factories, highways and subway tunnels.
Kung Fury: Street Rage
This game tie-in to what could be the best worst movie of the year is a hilarious throwback to street-fighting games like Double Dragon and Streets of Rage. You control maverick Kung Fu cop Kung Fury as he battles his way through time in an attempt to stop the Nazis and Hitler (a.k.a Kung Fuhrer). Everything from the 'box art' in the Play Store, to the music, to the CRT filter over the game oozes 80s goodness,and the fast-paced two-button combat is hopelessly addictive.
Bird Climb
Why is it that games infinitely better than Flappy Bird that are in the same genre insist on having their names closely associated with that game? That's the case with Bird Climb, which is a nicely presented one-touch infinity runner (or flapper) where you move on a vertical rather than horizontal plane. In this game, you can bounce the eponymous bird off walls so long as you avoid the jagged bits, and can even play it multiplayer with a friend. Can games like this stop revolving around birds though, so we can sooner forget about the irritatingly popular Flappy Bird?
May 2015
Does not Commute
Every now and then, a game comes along to the Play Store that just screams for smartphones to be taken seriously as a gaming platform. The offbeat and beautiful driving game Does not Commute is such a game. You drive various cars on missions around a 70s (meets futuristic) town, interacting with the town’s strange residents. You’ll control bikes, hot dog vans and speedboats as your initially relaxing missions descend into vehicular chaos.
Adventures of Poco Eco
Artsy and musical, Adventures of Poco Eco is a charming 3D(ish) platformer in which you control the titular Poco in his quest to recover their lost ‘Sounds’. It looks and sounds amazing, and buying the game for 1.99 USD also gives you access to the LP from its music producer Iamyank. While the puzzles aren’t too complex, it’s a perfect, relaxing game to wind down with after a hard day’s work.
Lara Croft: Relic Run
Mere weeks after the original Tomb Raider was released in the Play Store, Square Enix have gone and put Lara Croft in a game that’s probably much more accessible to the average smartphone gamer. Relic Run is, simply put, Temple Run starring Lara Croft. The game looks fantastic, complimenting the twitchy-fast endless-running gameplay that works so well on handheld devices. It’s not just a matter of ducking, jumping, and parkouring either, as you’ll encounter classic bosses and even ride the occasional vehicle.
Football Manager Classic 2015
SI Games has listened to the tablet owners crying out for a full, deep version of the world’s most popular football management sim. Unlike Football Manager Handheld, this isn’t some quick-fix game you can play during a toilet break, but a true replication of the PC version - with a 3D match engine, proper transfer system, and all the other micromanagement you’d expect from Football Manager. Finally, the management sim Android has been waiting for. Download it here.
Mortal Kombat X
Dismemberment, beheadings and bone-breaking. These are just some of the lovely things you’ll be doing in the Android version of the latest super-gory fighting game in the legendary franchise. ‘X’ features several new characters, as well as old favorites Scorpion, Johnny Cage, Sonya, Sub-Zero et al. The game is adapted for Android, so the gameplay is largely about timing your swipes to execute complex combos and, of course, fatalities. Some may be put off by the ultra-violence, but others will find it bloody brilliant (we went there!).
April 2015
CivCrafter
Taking a refreshing turn away from the typical isometric empire builders we see on Android devices, CivCrafter sees you manage your empire from a side-on perspective - and it works beautifully. Build armies, watch your empire grow (remember that old City View screen in the original Civilization?), and gather resources as you brace your populace of pixellated people for war against others. It's a 'clicker' game of the highest order, and is surprisingly deep beneath its accessible surface. It's free(mium) too, so no harm in giving it a try (aside from the possibility of getting addicted and spending hundreds of dollars on in-game purchases).
DomiNations
if you prefer to be a bit more real-time with your strategy, then DomiNations could be for you. From Brian Reynolds (Civilization II, Rise of Nations) comes this rich, beautiful and intense game that proves mobile devices can successfully do deep strategy. Take your nation from the stone age to the space age, form alliances, recruit legendary generals, and go to war across all time. You can play open-ended single-player campaigns, or take part in legendary historical ones such as the Fertile Crescent and the Peloponnesian War.
Attack the Light
Cartoon Network brings us a unique RPG based on the Steven Universe cartoon. It's visual style is completely faithful to the source material, but you don't have to be a fan of the cartoon to enjoy this game. Control Steven, Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst and take them on a quest to stop a destructive Gem weapon. It's extremely accessible, and its turn-based combat has enough depth that you'll have trouble putting this one down. Colorful, funny, and beautifully-designed for the touchscreen.
Table Tennis Touch
Table tennis games on touchscreens aren't really a novelty anymore, and don't make as much of an impression now as they did when the first iPhone came out, but Table Tennis Touch gives the genre a welcome overhaul. Get trained up by Wiff Waff the robot, then jump into career mode, quick game mode, or one of 12 mini games as you seek to become a ping pong master. This game is exclusive to Android Lollipop, and its variety of environments - from school halls to garages - look absolutely stunning. The super-spinny gameplay is fast, responsive, and perfectly suited to your Android touchscreen.
Tomb Raider I
One of the most iconic and influential PC games of all time comes somersaulting onto your Android device. Sure, the original Tomb Raider feels dated and rickety by today's standards, but at the very reasonable price of 99 cents, it's worth it for sheer nostalgic and sentimental value alone. The controls are as good as they could be for an old 3D game on a touchscreen (i.e. mediocre), but we love the crispy high-res visuals so you can really appreciate the fully blocky glory of this all-time classic. Check this out if you want a piece of videogame history in the palm of your hand.
March 2015
Pixel Heroes: Byte and Magic
The hit PC RPG goes mobile with Byte and Magic. Create a party of three heroes (choosing from 30 classes), then head forth on a quest to rid the world of some malevolent force. Pixel Heroes is part of the recent ‘Roguelike’ resurgence, so in this game death is permanent, amusing random events pop up for you to deal with, and combat is turn-based. Pixel Heroes is a retro-style labor of love, and if you’re after a nostalgia-tinted challenge, look no further.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 3
The third entry in the cheap shocks, jump-scare phenomenon has arrived - appearing suddenly and violently in the Play Store like, say, a horrifically stitched-together toy rabbit. The vague story is that Freddy Fazbear's Pizza has now been replaced with a theme park ride called Fazbear's Fright. It's your job as the security guard to monitor the cameras, lighting and security doors at Fazbear's, and keep an eye out for strange activity - in this case, the movements of a haggard old mascot called Springtrap. If you don't watch carefully, he appears in the security room and scares the living hell out of you - making for the most suspenseful experience on Android.
Gunner Z
If Five Nights at Freddy's left you feeling helpless and having nightmares that your childhood toy collection was trying to kill you, then Gunner Z is the way to feel empowered again. Control a fleet of heavily-armored, big-gunned assault trucks, and mow down hundreds of zombies in an overrun city. The game has a great-looking 'night vision' style, giving everything ghostly look, and the mind-controlled zombies even wield weapons against you - so it's definitely no cakewalk.
Active Soccer 2
Remember what football games were like before Fifa came along and take everything over? Probably not, but if you're curious, then the speedy, birds-eye-view gameplay of Active Soccer 2 will give you a good idea. Where the 3D graphics of FIFA always felt a bit cumbersome on smartphone screens, Active Soccer 2 is tough to master but feels like it belongs on handheld devices. You can enter competitions, create your own competitions, and have cross-platform online matches to show your iPhone-owning mates who's boss.
Motorsport Manager
If you want to take a more cerebral role in a sports game, then give this addictive Formula 1 simulator a go. In this deceptively deep game, you control a racing team - hiring drivers, engineering your cars and even working out the best pitstop strategies. You experience all the ups and downs of F1, including watching the actual races (or simulating them if you like), dealing with crashes, and working your team to the top of the F1 world. An absolute must for F1 and sports sim fans.
What are your favorite games from recent times? Let us know in the comments.
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