Chance Bliss

Anyone looking for some great old school gaming should get Space Miner: Space Ore Bust. It’s a cross between Asteroids and those old adventures games like Monkey Island or Full Throttle. There’s also some RPG elements to it like armor and weapons upgrades.

With title like Fieldrunners, GeoDefense, The Creeps and now Space Miner, the iPhone is becoming my favorite gaming platform. Sure, the games are shorter and the graphics not as impressive, but the limits (screen-size, memory, speed…) countered with the touch screen are really bring out more creativity. Besides I can’t really play BioShock or Modern Warfare waiting in line at the supermarket.

I quickly realized after looking at this amazing collection of gaming consoles that color is needed. Take a look at these images (via Coudal Parnters) and tell me which ones stand out? Which ones seems inviting? Fun? Something that screams for you to touch?

Color is pretty much what is missing today in all electronics. Everyone, including Apple, wants to play it safe with the brushed silver, sleek black or cool white. Grow some and try the rest of the color wheel.

MULTIFUNKTIONS SPIELCOMPUTER

Santa? If you are listening and feel bad about not getting my the machine gun I asked for when I was 9 years old, then you can make it up with this.

Centiped never tasted so sweet

Just where I want you

More people look at video games as kids’ play, but if you actually tell them the numbers they quickly change there minds.

More than 2.2 million gamers logged more than 5.2 million multiplayer hours playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day alone, a new one-day Xbox Live record. Those gamers managed to unlock more than 11 million achievements in that day as well…Today Activision says that their game pulled in an estimaged $550 million in its first five days. ~ Totaku

I picked the wrong career.

Killing zombies has always been a favorite of video games. There’s nothing better than blowing a zombies head off. Why? Because those brain eaters deserve it. Now you to0 can blow away rotting corpses from the privacy of your own iPhone with Alive4ever.

Great sound and graphics. My only complaint, which has nothing to do with the game, is that a good quarter of the screen is taken up with the touch screen joystick controls. Since your fingers are positioned in the lower right and left hand corners, you can’t see some zombies sneak up on you. The touch-screen interface doesn’t match up to your the old reliable direction pad and buttons for first-person shooters.

Killing Nazi zombies is ever better.

Upgrade Complete via Armor Games

Just finished Wolfenstein RPG on the iPhone. Anyone who played the original Wolfenstein 3D, or it predessor Doom, will be pleased. The game’s graphics have been updated, but it still carries the old pixelated spirit. Basically, you are running around a maze, taking out Nazi’s and their super-soldier experiments with your fists, pistols, machine guns, flame throwers, rocket launchers and a few other special weapons. Given the limitations iPhone interface for first-person shooters, Id software decided, smartly, to make it a turn-based (hence the RPG in the title) game. This alleviates the stress of trying to quickly fire by smash your finger against the screen. It also add a bit of strategy to using health packs, weapons and which enemy to take out first.

If you like to shoot Nazis and demons from hell (who the heck doesn’t?), then this is your game.

Xbox

• Assassin’s Creed – Just started this game. Still trying to get used to the controls. It’s like Prince of Persia meets Thief meets Knights of the Republic.
• Gears of War 2 – Finished the game. Mostly playing against the Horde online.  I usually sneak upstairs and play a few rounds before the kids notice I’m gone.
• Fallout 3 – This game is huge and too much of a time suck. I don’t know if I will every finish it, but I still love it.

iPhone

• GeoDefense – Good alternative to Fieldrunners which hasn’t been updated since February. You broke my heart Fieldrunners! I thought we had something together
• CartoonWars – This one is OK. Slightly buggy and not much in the way of strategy. I do like the clunky, cut-and-paste monsters, but the “stick figure” art style is getting a little played out.

Nintendo DS

• ChronoTrigger – It’s your classic Japanese RPG, but I liked Dragon Quest V much better. The fighting mode is a little repetitive and slow. Why the heck do I have to wait at the end of every battle for my team to walk back to me?!!

Nintendo Wii

• ????? – They haven’t put out a good title for at least 9 months. Last thing I played was the mind-blowing World of Goo which was done by 2 guys on a shoe string budget. I think Nintendo is heading for a downturn with the Wii platform. I know they are trying to broad the game playing audience, but the quality and imagination is suffering. Enough with the mini-carnival games and updates of classics!

I think this one is on Sony PS3. You are well-endowed girls who battle with pies, bumping butts and twisting on some kind of platforms. Oh and of course you buy outfits.  And I thought Dead or Alive Beach Volley was over the top.

Doesn’t look that fun, but is very hypnotic.

The Japanese definitely have much more “interesting” games on WiiWare than the US. In this one, you are basically a super buff, muscle guy who chases after someone who stole your hugh container of protein powder.  You must strike the right pose as you crash through walls.

Is all of Japan on mushrooms? I give them an A+ for thinking outside the box on this one.