Road Warrior Now Available For Android

 A new racing game called Road Warrior is causing a ruckus in the Android Market. Developed by MobJoy and published by “Top Free Apps and Games,” Road Warrior is just as much about racing, as it is about mayhem. The premise is simple. Race. Shoot. And make money.



Like Mario Kart but in a dirty, post-apocalyptic setting, players outfit various hoop-rides — everything from sedans to trucks — with weapons upgrades they can use to eliminate the competition. But that’s not all. Using physics based gameplay, players can perform stunts while soaring through the air for added bonus points and even nitrous used to give you an edge over the competition.

Features include:

Execute perfect flips to gain coins and nitro boosts.
Multiple car options from sedans to massive trucks!
Beat bosses and get their extremely tuned racing & killing machines
Explore and discover multiple tracks. There are many paths within a single track. There’s always a best strategy for each car!
Upgrade your car with guns and other add-ons using our car builder.
Precise controls and amazing physics.
Realistic and impressive HD graphics!

 Market Link 

TOP 10 2011 ANDROID GAMES

                                                                        Battleheart

Battleheart is another gem in the Market featuring real-time RPG gameplay. While it looks great on my phone, I was almost floored at how amazing this game looked on a tablet. Colorful graphics, deep gameplay amazing character design. I can’t think of any other games in the Android Market that have been able to recreate this kind of gameplay and if they could, it wouldn’t look this good. There are few games I can honestly say I’ve played for hours on end, through all hours of the night but this is definitely one of them. If you even remotely like the RPG genre, don’t even think twice. Download immediately.
[Market Link]

Windup Knight

Wind-up Knight is actually pretty new to the Android Market. The game takes the “runner” style gameplay and mixes it up by mixing amazing — almost hand-painted — 3D graphics and adding a touch of RPG elements to give it some depth. It’s executed quite well and where I normally stay away from the “runner” genre, Wind-up Knight was a joy to play. Definitely for those who like a challenge with a difficulty that can be near frustrating at times.

[Market Link]

                                                                                                                                                         GreatLittle War Game

Great Little War Game really hits an itch I couldn’t scratch in Android — turn based strategy gameplay. While Great Little War Game definitely wont be for everyone, it does a top notch job of taking the essence of Nintendo’s Advanced Wars and spicing it up with gorgeous HD 3D graphics. I was actually surprised at how amazing this game looked. You will be too.

[Market Link]         

Death Worm

DEATH WORM. How many games can you say you’ve played that allow you to take control of a huge…. no-eyed monster, hell bent on destruction? Exactly. And that’s what makes Death Worm so unique. Brings back memories of popping quarters in Rampage at my local arcade. Graphics look phenomenal (even on tablets). Music and sound effects add to the ambiance. Gameplay is simple and challenging at the same time. Death Worm has all the makings of a killer title. Oh yeah, and you get to destroy everything. Such a deviously good time.

[Market Link]

Blood and Glory (NR)

Blood and Glory? Should be called Blood and Gory. I keed, I keed… Blood and Glory is a graphically impressive hack n’ slash inspired by the iOS hit, Infinity Blade. Gameplay is largely similar, involving onscreen gestures to slash, parry and dodge enemy attacks. If you’re looking for a Infinity Blade on Android — this is about as good as it’s going to get. And that’s pretty good.

[Market Link]

Grabatron

Grabatron reminds me a lot of Death Worm. In fact, I’ve even pieced together the two stories in my own dark, twisted mind. Like Death Worm, the object of the game is destruction and to have a good time doin’ it. It’s the execution that’s a little bit different. Instead of moving underground, you’re in the air controlling a flying UFO using nothing but controls. The UFO’s only weapon is a giant claw that you use to rain terror on humanity by picking up cars, tossing them, snatchin’ yo people up, grabbing cows for food — whatever. Grabatron is out of this world.

[Market Link]

Jelly Defense

As someone who isn’t the biggest “tower defense” fan, you know something is up when another one makes my list for best of 2011. Jelly Defense takes the tired tower defense genre and adds a whole new spin on it by introducing…. jelly like creatures, replacing the typical turrets/missiles. And it looks great. I mean, really you have to see this game in action to really appreciate how clean and crisp these graphics are. Further adding to the unique look of the game is the colorful wacky little jelly creatures that stand out amidst a drab black and white background. I don’t know how but it just works.

[Market Link]

Muffin Knight

Muffin Knight is an action/shooter/platformer from Angry Mob Games. The fun “fairy tale” setting and colorful visuals make this easy on the eyes but where the game truly shines is in its cross platform gameplay. Muffin Knight if one of the few games in the Market that allow you to battle with a friend in multiplayer regardless of their device or OS. Have a friend with an iPhone? No problem! iPad? Show them who’s OS truly reigns supreme by destroying them, hardcore Muffin Knight style.

[Market Link]

Majesty: Fantasy Kingdom

Majesty is an interesting take on the RTS genre bringing almost fully automated characters normally controlled by the user — wizards, archers, knights — allowing the player manage the rest of the kingdom. This means you cannot simply select some knights to go out and do battle but must allow them to live their lives where at most, you can entice them to do your bidding through bribery. Somehow, it just all works and that’s the best part of Majesty. As a long time fan of 2D hand-drawn sprites, Majesty looks amazing on Android devices. There’s a free version in Market so no need to feel apprehensive about downloading. Oh — HeroCraft also released the Northern Expansion pack a few days ago so there’s more than enough Majesty to keep you playing for hours.

[Market Link]

Intertia

Inertia hit the Android Market not too long ago and after checking back with it today, was surprised at how few downloads it had. Part sci-fi platformer and part puzzler, Inertia’s tight controls and unique gameplay caught me off guard. Typically, I don’t fair too well with onscreen d-pads and buttons but Inertia makes you feel like a gaming god when you successfully complete a challenge. Inertia will challenge your wits, your reflexes, rack your brain and everything else in between. Inertia is even more accessible thanks to both Lite and paid version in the Market with a super HD version for all you tablet junkies as well.

[Market Link]

Alright, folks. So that just about wraps it up for my top gaming picks of 2011. Surprising to say, it’s actually been a pretty great year for Android gaming. We’re starting to see a shift into more powerful dual and quad-core devices which means not only better looking games but more full featured ones as well. Sony and Nintendo better watch out cuz Andy is coming! It’s only going to get better in 2012 and I’ll be there every step of the way bringing you as many gems as I can dig up from the Market until my phone is bursting at its seams. Happy New Year, everyone!

NeoDroid Brings Neo Geo Emulation To Your Android Device

         
              Fresh to the Android Market is the newly released NeoDroid bringing Neo Geo emulation to your smartphone. The emulator is actually based off another emulator called GnGeo and will play all those games that were WAY too expensive to buy as a kid. Emulators tend to fall into this gray area so to avoid any legal or moral issues you should always make sure you own the original before digging around the net for ROMs. With that out of the way, playing a ROM follows the standard emulation process:

- Put bios archive (neogeo.zip) in your roms directory (“/mnt/sdcard/neodroid/roms”)
- Put roms in your roms directory (“/mnt/sdcard/neodroid/roms”)
- Compatible with mame roms format

                                          [Market Link

SHADOWGUN Now Optimized for Tegra 3 Devices

Madfinger have released the THD version of their shooter SHADOWGUN into the Android market. This version of the game is $5 – just like the original – and it graphically enhances the game with all of the power that Tegra 3 provides. You’ll be getting better particle, ragdoll and water physics, dynamic textures, enhanced shaders and a whole lot more that should make the game look even more beautiful than it already is on Tegra 3 devices such as the ASUS Transformer Prime (shipping to North American customers as of this week, by the way). Find your download in the  Android market here and check out the video above for some nice gameplay footage.

Oregon Trail: American Settler for Android Now Available

GameLoft has finally released Oregon Trail: American Settlers to the Android market. The classic franchise has seen many different iterations and this latest one from GameLoft is actually quite fun and changes the way you trek across the plains of the world.

You still get your oxen and carriage alongside a handful of people that you have to take care of, but American Settler shows us the side that other games didn’t show – the travelers actually getting settled somewhere and building a town.

Keeping your town bustling is no simple task and you have many types of buildings, tools and ingredients at your disposal to make sure things are kept running. You’ll get quests and missions to take care of and you’ll be tasked with handling day-to-day problems such as stampedes approaching your settlement or a bandit coming to town.

This is a freemium game meaning it’s free to download and play but you are heavily encouraged to purchase in-game items and currency to keep the gameplay moving forward.

I’ve been playing this game for quite some time on iOS (yes, I know) but I eventually hit a roadblock that made it almost impossible for me to move on with the game without buying in-game currency. And I refuse to buy in-game currency. Just a quick warning before you get all addicted to it. Find the download in the
                                                     Android market.

Brothers In Arms 2 Now Available For Free In The Android Market

Gameloft, the mobile gaming guru’s with a cloud locker full of triple-A titles for Android, has finally brought another of their hits to the Android Market. Brothers in Arms was just made available today and guess what? It wont cost you a cent. That’s right, you can now battle it out in some of the most intense battlefields WWII had to offer and all for FREE.

Brothers in Arms 2 is a WWII based first person shooter offering both a story mode for single player combat or 5 player multiplayer for battling it out with friends online. As you make your way through the game, you can build up, customize and unlock new weapons for your character by gaining experience as you play.


We wished it happened more often — or simply that Gameloft would bring ALL of their titles to the Android Market but it’s hard to complain when they make a great game like BIA2 completely free to download. Hit up the Market link below and get shooting.

[Market Link |

Bridea Corp Bringing Renaissance Themed MMOFPS “DaVinci Online” To Tegra 3 Devices

Good ‘ol fashioned MMOFPS’s (massive multiplayer online first-person shooter) are hard to come by. Whether it’s for your console, PC or mobile device — it may be hard to think of one off the top of your head. Korean game developer, Bridea, has been hard at work making their own MMOFPS titled DaVinci Online. The game, formerly known as Project Renaissance (or Project R), is currently slated for an early 2012 release for the PC and it seems the Korean developer may have plans to bring their renaissance themed FPS to Android as well. More specifically, Nvidia Tegra 3 devices. Bridea’s VP and Executive Producer Kijong Kang was quoted in Nvidia’s Tegra 3 press release saying,

“Working with NVIDIA makes the impossible possible. Our Tegra 3 optimized game DaVinci THD will look brilliant when it comes out, with mind-blowing 3D graphics and intuitive touchscreen interface. DaVinci THD will leverage Tegra 3 for its multi-threading capabilities, so we can scale across all four CPU cores and deliver the ultimate console-quality performance. As a result, DaVinci THD will be more realistic, interactive and challenging than anything we’ve done before.”

Princess Punt Now Available For Android – Crazy Japanese RPG Meets Angry Birds

I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that this totally epic and amazing app I found today on the Market is for everybody — it’s not. But if you’re accustomed to Japanese anime, love RPG’s and don’t mind assuming the role of a princess, then Princess Punt is probably for you. Don’t let the name fool you. The game isn’t all cutesy flowers and sugar blossoms. You take the role of a princess who must punt knights and save her kingdom from the onslaught of monster trying to take over the land.

The developer describes Princess Punt as an “action puzzle RPG but lets be honest — we’re talking Angry Birds meets J-RPG. As the princess, you must angle shots and punt knights into enemies to destroy them. You can inflict more damage by attacking weak points and at the end of a level, the experience you gain can be spent to upgrade your knights’ abilities. In typical RPG fashion, you’ll even occasionally encounter boss battles that look to challenge your skills.





[Market Link: All Devices | Tegra Devices]

Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Speeds Onto Android – Take Down The Competition As Cop Or Racer

For all you fast-and-furious Android gamers out there, you may be pleased to know that EA has just released Need for Speed Hot Pursuit onto the Android Market. NFSHP gives you the choice of either playing as the racer escaping from the law, using oil slicks and overdrive to your advantage — or the po-po as you attempt to take-down law-breakers using spike strips and roadblocks to dramatic racing fashion.

Hot Pursuit is a fun arcade racer taking advantage of your Android devices gyro-sensor for full tilt controls. If you’re an arcade racing fan, I don’t think I need to tell you that there’s nothing but fun to be had here. Need for Speed is one of EA’s great franchises and they pulled out all the stops for this iteration.

With over 20 cars to choose from, 24 (day and night) tracks, the real question is whether you will throw down $7 for your taste of action-racing bliss. You can find Need for Speed Hot Pursuit right now in the Android Market.
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[Market Link]

Puzzle Quest 2 From Namco Is Now Available In The Android Market

It may not have the glitz and flash of Shadowgun, but one of my all time favorite handheld/console games is finally available in the Android Market — Puzzle Quest 2 from Namco. As my Twitter handle would suggest (@Gamercore), I’m pretty big on gaming. I’d also be lying if I said puzzle games really get my engine roaring. But make no mistake, Puzzle Quest 2 is not your typical puzzle game.

In fact, Puzzle Quest 2 could is equal parts RPG thanks to it’s story mode, character customization, spells, weapons, pretty much the whole nine. You start out choosing 4 different classes (in either gender) and battle opponents using a Bejeweled-style puzzle elements of matching 3 colors that supply various effects. Matching skulls will allow you to dish out an attack while the other colors are related to your characters magic.

The game is absolutely free to download but like most titles of this caliber, you’ll have to fork up $5 to unlock the full content (I paid around $15 for this on my Xbox). Reading through the Market comments, I’m noticing a few force closes and bugs on some devices so definitely give it a thorough testing before shelling out any cash. You can find find Puzzle Quest 2 in the Android Market right now.




[Market Link]

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Can Turn Your Galaxy Nexus Into A Video Game Console

With Android Honeycomb we saw the introduction of USB hosting, allowing for connectivity with device like a USB hard drive or USB gamepad (like the Xbox 360 controller) on a tablet for use with games or emulators. In case there was any doubt that this would also be a feature in Ice Cream Sandwich, Romain Guy reminded everyone via Twitter today, that USB gamepads will be fully functional in ICS as well. Couple that with HDMI output and this would essentially turn your Galaxy Nexus into a full fledged portable gaming console (with the right emulators of course).

Cruising around Reddit I found this screenshot of exactly what can be found in the Android SDK in regards to game controllers. You can see it’s a sort of tutorial from Google on setting up a game controller for Android 4.0. Of course, when testing out this function don’t forget — it always helps to imagine you are a lone space cowboy in hot pursuit of the aliens who kidnapped your favorite llama on their way back to Andromeda. Pshh, duh… Who’s ready for some serious Android gaming on your smartphone?

VIA REDDIT

Zombie Wonderland 2: Outta Time! Coming Very Soon To Android Market + [Video]

Halloween is just around the corner and if you’re looking for a zombie blasting good time, developer Xoobis is all set to release the sequel to their smash iOS hit Zombie Wonderland, Zombie Wonderland 2: Outta Time!, to the Android masses.

 The game has been slated for an October release and Xoobis released this new trailer to remind us of its impending arrival. Gameplay is a mixed bag of tricks featuring colorful graphics, fun character designs and a mish-mash of gaming genre’s. Xoobis describes Zombie Wonderland 2 as,

“If Tower Defense had a baby with Time Management, and its uncle Survival Horror enrolled him in an Action Shooter school, the name of the baby would be Zombie Wonderland.”

We’ll keep you posted and let you know as soon as this title drops in the Android Market. For now, you can watch the brand new trailer and check out the press release. “Awwwww yeah!”

Eternity Warriors FREE Updated With New Levels, Quests

 lu Mobile has updated their hit game Eternity Warriors FREE or “Gun Bros with swords” title to version 1.3 in the Android Market today. Besides the usual bug fixes and tweaking what else can you expect? Well — a lot actually.\

 First off, they’ve thrown in a a whole new level called Frostbite Village for you to explore and go nuts in. Also added are new Daily Quests and even new weapons and armor to help you complete these quests. Looking for new items? Well, say hello to new XP and damage boost items for you to consume.

Adding more amazing content into an already great (and free) game is alright by me. I think I know what I’m going to be playing over the weekend. Head on over to the Android Market and download Eternity Warriors for free right now.

[Market Link]

Keek for Android Now Available – Share Short Video Messages With Social Networks

 -I came across this neat app for sharing small video clips with your friends and family. It’s called Keek and instead of updating your status with a boring typed out message, Keek allows you to record up to a 30 second video clip and upload it to their site. After creating a Keek account, you can then connect it to either your Twitter or Facebook account where you will be able to immediately tweet/update your friends with a handy link to your video. Pretty handy if you’re an exhibitionist (like me) or like to Tweet



Keek was just updated in the Android Market yesterday and although it fixed a couple of issues some users were having with the app, it still can be a little buggy. I found that on my Evo 3D, it actually records my videos sideways although they appear upside down in the thumbnails. Also, I’m getting trouble having my videos show up on my account. The app is very new so this is to be expected. Still, if you guys want to try it out you can find Keek for free right now in the Android Market.


[Market Link]

+1 Your Favorite Books with Google Books Update

 Just as Google updated their Shopper app to allow users to ‘+1′ their favorite products, Google Books has been updated with the ability to express your approval of your reading selections. In the latest version, now available in the Android Market, you can ‘+1′ a book as you are reading it. Also new is the ability to search within the text of a book and read in landscape mode on phones. The app has been better tailored for use on 7-inch tablets, as well. Follow the link below to download the latest version of Google’s e-reading app.


Android Market Link: Google Books

Featured Game Review: Crime Story, The Mob Meets Android

 Crime story is a new mob game made specifically for the Android Platform from the producers of My Country and Paradise Island. The game has just been released and so far the gameplay is fresh and leaves me wanted to more.









Gameplay: It starts off with an interactive tutorial that shows you the ropes of gameplay and gives you an explanation of the story as you go. I have been in search of a quality mobster type game on Android and Crime Story does more than fit the bill. The story is about two brothers who are inseparable, but when one gets a job at a port he mysteriously vanishes and isn’t heard from again. The game begins with you the other brother getting a job at the same port to try to find out what happened to your brother.

As soon as you start at the port you learn of its mob dealings and see the entire port and all of its dealings are controlled by the Don of the mob organization. You start out at the lowest person on the totem pole and slowly earn your rep and build your reputation as you progress in your initial quest to find your brother and discover the details of his kidnapping. Your first mission is to set fire to a number of crates that were loaded to the dock without the boss’s permission, one thing to note is that as you conduct jobs your police awareness level rises on a bar to the left of the screen. You can either continue as your level rises which will cost you more as you do mission or “take care” of the police which lowers your level back to acceptable levels. After you complete a mission there is a popup which shows you the money and XP you have earned while giving you an option to share you accomplishment on Facebook or to tweet it if you so choose

Opinion

Crime Story is a fun game and game developer Insight is definitely adding quality to the Android gaming market with games like this and My Country. The smooth gameplay and open-ended style do a good job at keeping players interested and I can’t wait to see what else the Crime Story has to offer and eventually become a Don myself.

Ratings:
Speed (4/5) – Responsive gameplay and the only reason it is not rated a 5 is the occasional lag for loading times in between environments.
Features (4/5) – There are many features of the game and the open-ended gameplay is the major one. I would like to see more features added and more free run of the beautiful environments.
Overall (4/5) – The overall look and feel of Crime Story is a great and it looks to be a promising game for anyone into the mob genre or fans of open-ended gameplay.


Pros: Clean UI, Open ended gameplay, Adequate Graphics,

Android Application Review: Riptide GP

 If you’re a user of the XBOX Live Arcade, you’ve probably heard of Vector Unit. They are the developers of the critically acclaimed game “Hydro Thunder Hurricane”, an HD remake of an old classic.

Now, if you own an Android device, you’ve probably heard of NVIDIA’s Tegra Zone. It’s an exclusive game marketplace for owners of devices running on the Tegra SoC. Games featured here are renowned for visuals superior to their iOS/Android Market counterparts, like Fruit Ninja THD, Samurai II: Vengeance, Backbreaker THD, and Galaxy on Fire 2: THD. Read on for the Rest of the review:


Gameplay

Like most racing games, the controls are rather simple. You tap on the right side of the screen to accelerate and the left side to brake. By default, steering is handled by the accelerometer, and there is a control for boost on the upper, right-hand side. The Options menu provides toggles for auto-accelerate, horzion-based tilt, and sensitivity.

One feature that makes Riptide GP stand out is the gamepad integration. You can use your XBOX 360 controller or an assortment of other Bluetooth/USB gamepads supported by the game. Just about any setup will work, since there are many IME apps that you can use to configure your controls. Upon opening the application, any initialized controllers should be detected. I haven’t had the chance to try out external controls first-hand, but many tablet users have praised its convenience and effectiveness.

(Note: A USB Gamepad requires Android 3.1 or above. Bluetooth will work with any device.)

  Graphics

The menus in Riptide GP are clean and intuitive. They feature large options that you must scroll though for navigation. In the background there is a gorgeous ocean with realistic wave and lighting effects rendering in real-time. One should have no trouble figuring out how to access each section of the game.