Gamezebo Archives - November 2011

The whole idea of a Tolkien-inspired fantasy world is pretty ridiculous, no? I mean, obviously it’s ridiculous, that’s why it’s called “fantasy”. It’s not supposed to be real. A lot of great stories and games have come from there, things that I love dearly, but I do wish more people took a stab at mocking it or having their character be self-aware in some way. I’m thinking the upcming iOS game Evertales might just fit the bill.

You've gotta love fairy godmothers. They always give you the best stuff. Cinderella got those glass slippers. Sleeping Beauty had that cabin in the woods. Oh, and you? It turns out that you're about to inherit the hottest little potion shop in the kingdom. At least, that's what will happen when Pocket Potions hits the App Store.

In real life, the business you can build and grow in Fantasy Safari would be an amazing place to go. After all, who wouldn’t want to visit a safari full of all sorts of magical creatures, from unicorns and dragons to a genie that looks ripped straight out of Aladdin? It’d be pretty awesome. Unfortunately, as great as the premise sounds, the reality of Fantasy Safari is that it’s a pretty standard social zoo management-style game that swaps out tigers and lions for pixies and three-headed hounds.

Simple games are abundant on the iOS platform, but sometimes they just seem too simple. Should they become deeper and more challenging as time goes on, many wait far too long to do so, and boredom sets in. Chicken Rescue is a new game from Ayopa Games that is one such example of this. Best described as a platforming-collection type of game, players attempt to find and rescue their chicks, whilst achieving as high a score as possible.

Not too long ago we took a look at the game of JackpotJoy Slots, and now, yet another slots title is raising its head in the form of Reel Deal Slots on Facebook. A video slots-style game, it plays similarly to other social slots games, but contains a number of different nuances. A conglomerate several different kinds of virtual slot machines, the game creates new and different styles of play through each one using unique bonuses and mini-games.

Evil-doers these days just don't know how to be proper villains. Their schemes are all about revenge, or greed, or they're simply bad guys because life forced some sort of tragedy on them. Nobody is evil for evil's sake anymore. Nobody goes out and tries to just take over the world. That's a shame: conquering the world is becoming a lost art. That's why it's so refreshing to play Dark Dot, a game that not only has you taking over the world, but doing so in style.

Attention, Special Agents! Sorry, I meant "Special Rodents!" Prepare to straighten your bow ties, grab your gadgets, and save the world once more, because Spy Mouse is getting a serious update.

Dawn of Magic, developed by Lakoo, is a delightful RPG which takes you on a magical journey. You play as “Jack,” and search for rare magic gems to provide the world with fuel and energy to survive. The gems are the life source of the world and they are quickly running out. The infamous “Evil Beast” wants to stop Jack at all costs. Help Jack as he battles many opponents and fulfills his destiny of saving the world. Gamezebo’s quick start strategy guide will provide you with detailed images, tips, information, and hints on how to play your best game.

Have you ever played through a game, and as the minutes crawl by, think to yourself: “Is this it?” Perhaps you’ve just got a Strokes song playing through your head, but more than likely, you’re playing a game like Snap Escape. The game relies on one simple idea and never adds anything new, ending up as a game that you’ll soon forget after you realize how shallow it is.

Halloween may be over, but there are still a few lingering games and applications from the holiday. One such example is Mickey’s Trick or Treat from the folks over at Disney. A simple title that allows players to virtually visit each other’s houses, the app is a simplistic collection game that offers moderate amusement. That in mind, it’s an app that appears to be more of a promotional game, rather than one that can stand on its own.

Pet City is a virtual pet game on Facebook. Customize your pet and take care of it to earn experience and level up. Earn coins so that you can purchase furniture and décor to create a custom home for your pet. This walkthrough will introduce you to the world of Pet City and provide you with tips so that you can have the best start possible in the game.

If FrontierVille was crossed with Tangled, it’d probably look a whole lot like CastleVille, the next big release from Zynga. It’s a game that offers some familiar core gameplay mixed with new, and in some cases quite interesting features, and wraps it all up in a very Disney-inspired fantasy world.

As zombies become an increasingly common fixture in casual games, it was only a matter of time until a cute, marketable version of the shambling horde made its way to Facebook. Zombiees! is a text RPG that casts you as a college student trying to fight his or her away across campus during a zombie outbreak. You can complete missions by fighting your way through different types of rotting college-students-turned-undead like hipsters and geeks, or head into the Zombie Fight Club to pit your own personal horde of friendly zombies against rival hordes.

Hothead Games' popular Kard Combat is a great game. Don't believe me? Go check out our review. If you're a fan of the title, have I got some good news for you: Hothead's announced a major update for the app, including a brand new multiplayer mode.

Two of the founders of Blue Fang Games -- a studio that brought us the venerable PC series Zoo Tycoon, as well as social games like Zoo Kingdom and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? -- have announced a brand new venture called Beach Cooler Games, a studio that will focus on mobile and social game experiences.

Russian developer Game Insight is expanding its social network presence with the launch of popular Facebook game Resort World on Google+.

After being delayed in September, the much anticipated, Loot Drop-developed Cloudforest Expedition has now lost its publishing partner, as RockYou has announced that the two companies have terminated their publishing deal. Worse still for RockYou, the social games company is reportedly laying off 54 percent of its staff.

There's been a lot of anticipation surrounding Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls' arrival on iOS. The 30-year-old franchise's first entry onto Apple devices seems like a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, the game actually feels like it's something that was developed in some infernal lair, far below the dungeons you find yourself wandering through.

Have you ever played a game, and within moments of booting it up for the first time, realized that you’ve just stumbled upon something that’s destined to become the next big thing? I know I’m setting up lofty expectations here, but that’s exactly how I felt about Poker Pals even before I’d finished the tutorial.

Ubisoft's been pretty up front about getting serious with mobile video games. It turns out the publisher wasn't kidding: the company announced today that it has acquired RedLynx, the studio responsible for the popular Trials racing games.