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Nick Tylwalk enjoys writing about video games, comic books, pro wrestling and other things where people are often punching each other, regaardless of what that says about him. He prefers MMOs, RPGs, strategy and sports games but can be talked into playing just about anything.
  • Fun Town Review
    Reviews
    • Android
    • iOS
    Fun Town Review

    By

    For younger gamers, sometimes it's okay if the line between a game and a learning app gets a little blurry. That "best of both worlds" quality definitely applies to Fun Town, the latest release from British studio Touch & Learn. Combining a colorful, engaging place to explore with some solid early life lessons turns out to be a winning formula, one that parents will appreciate no matter how they decide to classify it.The first thing people of any age will notice about Fun Town is that it has no instructions. That seems to be very much by design, as the whole idea behind the titular town is that kids should figure it out by jumping right in and interacting with it. That's done by touching out on the main street to see what happens, and all of the town's citizens and vehicles will respond with sounds and motion when tapped."There also aren't any letters in town, so reading isn't a prerequisite to play. The town's businesses can be identified by their signage - the candy shop has lollipops, the banks have big pictures of money, and so on. Tapping on a store gets you inside to play a mini-game, but there are others in places you might not first expect (like the phone booth and stoplight). Kids can and will figure out that nothing should be ignored.
  • OpenKit wants to resurrect everything you loved about OpenFeint
    News
    • Android
    • iOS
    OpenKit wants to resurrect everything you loved about OpenFeint

    By

    It's said that nature abhors a vacuum, and that's true in the world of video games as well. When something popular disappears, it's just a matter of time before a replacement pops up to take its place.For mobile developers, the void in question was created when OpenFeint shut down late last year. Though not universally beloved, especially after it went through a bit of a data privacy flap in 2011, the social platform was a favorite among many game creators for the way its SDK enabled them to add social features to classic titles like Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride. It was also ahead of the curve in recognizing the growing power of the Android market, adding support for Google's OS to its original focus on iOS in 2010.OpenFeint was purchased by GREE in the spring of 2011, and there were high hopes that it would continue to be available going forward. Twenty months later it was gone, leaving behind enough remorse to serve as an example of what Joni and Janet both warned people about.
  • Flick Kick Football Legends Review
    Reviews
    • Android
    • iOS
    Flick Kick Football Legends Review

    By

    Soccer, or football as they call it everywhere but here in America, is a funny game. Sometimes you lose sight of how humorous it can be until a game reminds you, which is what Flick Kick Football Legends does so well.  The gameplay isn't too shabby either, but a veritable barrage of ads kills the mood a bit. Actually, the onslaught kills it more than a bit, which is rather unfortunate.You won't find a more pleasantly surprising set-up for a game than this one, which places you at the helm of a football squad seeking to reclaim some of its lost glory. The thing is, the rebuilding is only necessary because one of the star player's power-up shots went awry, killing the old manager in a fiery explosion. It's a clever bit of poking fun at video game conventions that's presented in comic book style, and as an added bonus, the tutorial is woven into it too.As you'll soon discover, the ghost of the old skipper is still around to help mentor you. With his help, you set off to advance back up through the league system in what appears to be a fictional 1970s England, building up your team with better players and winning promotions to ever tougher leagues. In between matches, you're offered some choose-your-own-adventure style decisions which could lead to added funds or bonus experience points for your players if you pick right, and cost you coins or debuff your stars if you don't.
  • World of Warplanes Review
    Reviews
    • PC
    World of Warplanes Review

    By

    Wargaming.net proved they could make a pretty mean free-to-play MMO with World of Tanks. But why stop with World War II-era combat on land when you can conquer land, air, and sea (insert evil cackle here)? World of Warplanes represents the second of the company's three stages of domination, and it's got everything it needs to equal its sibling in terms of popularity. Except for a catchy abbreviation, that is. I'm fairly certain "WoW' is already taken.As far as truth in names goes, World of Warplanes is right on target. It's all about 15-on-15 aerial battles, and except for a brief but necessary tutorial to get you acquainted with the basics of flying and firing weapons, it's all player-versus-player (PvP). If you're not fond of pitting your skills against other human opponents, this isn't the game for you."The controls are as simple to pick up as a flying game could possibly make them. There's no throttle (save for a boost button that can temporarily increase your speed), so all you need to worry about is your altitude and heading. Climbing slows your plane, and doing too much fancy stickwork headed away from the ground is a good way to stall the engine. Anecdotal evidence suggests the mouse is the preferred way to fly, but the game supports just about everything: keyboard, joystick, and PC-compatible gamepad all work.Like World of Tanks, the game features 10 tiers of vehicles from five different countries - the USA, Germany, Great Britain, the USSR and Japan this time, sorry France - that increase in power as you advance through the tiers. The matchmaking system is designed to get you into matches quickly with teams that are roughly equivalent and have planes from just two different tiers, and while it's possible to team with friends to ensure there's a familiar face on your side, most of your time spent early on will be battling alongside and against strangers.
  • MONOPOLY Bingo Review
    Reviews
    • Android
    • iOS
    MONOPOLY Bingo Review

    By

    My day job is in a casino, so I've seen on slot machines how the Monopoly brand gets people excited. EA is hoping to tap into that feeling in a different way as it unleashes Monopoly Bingo,a freemiumgame for mobile devices. The mash-up between iconic board game and number-marking pastime is exactly what it sounds like, yet somehow still falls short of what it could be.Let's assume for the sake of argument that you already know how to play bingo. Monopoly Bingo certainly figures that's the case, throwing you right into the action in the first of many different rooms, each of which is themed after one of the Monopoly properties. The visual trademarks are all present and accounted for, from Mr. Monopoly to the sad inmate who is in jail and not "just visiting."The overall goal is to level up and unlock more rooms/properties. In each round, you're competing live against other players attempting to do the same thing, and there are only so many total bingos that can be scored before the round ends. Every number you mark earns you experience points, and bingos pay off with coins and extra rewards, particularly if you hit them early.
  • Avadon 2: The Corruption Review
    Reviews
    • iOS
    • PC
    Avadon 2: The Corruption Review

    By

    Usually when something is named "The Black Fortress," it's the place where the bad guys hang out practicing their evil cackles. Not so in the world of Avadon, where it once was the symbol of order and justice. That's changed in Avadon 2: The Corruption, a retro-styled RPG that offers you a choice: either rally people around the old ways in the face of dangerous new threats, or add to the chaos that threatens to overrun everything. Either way, hours of fun await you.Playing the first game isn't a prerequisite for getting into the sequel, which summarizes the partial fall of Avadon in the introduction before throwing you into the quick character creation - just pick one of five classes, a gender, and a name, and away you go - and introducing you to a scout who shows you the ropes. Life isn't easy in this particular fantasy setting, what with dangerous wildlife, magic-powered mines, and a budding rebellion consisting of humans, ogres, and titans."To make matters worse, the relationship between Avadon, led by the mysterious Redbeard, and the people it claims to protect is clearly strained. The citizens seem resentful of the Black Fortress' influence even as they rely upon its power to hold off the approaching darkness, especially the magical Corruption that is running big chunks of land. Some of Avadon's hands have been conscripted to serve against their will, and the game asks some very modern questions about how much liberty is worth giving up in exchange for relative safety.
  • Football Heroes Review
    Reviews
    • Android
    • iOS
    Football Heroes Review

    By

    Evidence is rapidly mounting that the physical abuse real football players take on the gridiron is bad for their long term health. Happily, football players in video games suffer no ill effects, so we can pile on the excessive violence guilt-free - especially when it comes via Football Heroes and its nostalgic, over-the-top arcade action. It's a big play concept that sadly comes up short of a touchdown due to frustrating controls and annoying glitches.Run Games pitched the Kickstarter community on the idea of a football game with beat 'em up and RPG elements inspired by classics like NFL Blitz and NBA Jam. Not surprisingly, backers rallied around that concept, and the result is a game that challenges you with building the best possible team for winning at a, shall we say, very physical style of football."Since one of the main offensive and defensive techniques is punching opposing players, that's possibly an understatement. You start Football Heroes with a full squad of 18 (the games are 8-on-8, plus you get a kicker/punter and a kick return specialist) athletes ready to take part in a series of tournaments and leagues. They're just not very good at first, so you've got to train them up by playing, and hopefully winning, some games.The controls are simple enough for anyone to understand. A virtual thumb stick makes players run, and can appear nearly anywhere you touch on the screen. Tapping the screen throws punches, while tapping on players either switches who you control (on defense) or throws a pass to that player (on offense). Swiping in any direction launches your guy into a head-first diving tackle.
  • Puzzle Football: Quest of the Gridiron Preview
    Upcoming
    • Android
    • iOS
    Puzzle Football: Quest of the Gridiron Preview

    By

    Tired of candy, jewels, and cute animals in your puzzle games? Need something a little more exciting? Something like, I don't know, football? Part Time Evil hears your cries for more hard-hitting action in your puzzle games, but the indie studio isn't just stopping there. Its crowdfunded project Puzzle Football: Quest of the Gridiron takes things to another level by mixing in a heavy dose of RPG goodness too.Inspired by classic RPGs like the Final Fantasy series, old school football games like Tecmo Bowl, and even card-battle games, Puzzle Football has one of those "so crazy it just might work" types of high concepts. The idea is to build a team of players, complete with equipment that complements the style of play you have in mind.Out on the gridiron is where the puzzle element enters the equation. Below the playing field is a board full of tiles similar to the ones seen in puzzle games too numerous to mention. The difference here is that you'll be lining them up to enable your team to run short passes, long passes, or running plays, any of which can be boosted by power cards that can turn the tide when used judiciously. According to Matt Udvari, Lead Designer for Part Time Evil, a lot of thought went into how this intriguing mix of elements would work when combined together."The most challenging part of the puzzle aspect is making that affect your football plays in a very clear way," he said. "The player should know that the thing they do on the puzzle board makes things happen on the football field. From the beginning, I personally made it my goal to avoid moments of 'why did that just happen,' which I see a lot when I play puzzle games for fun. That's why we do a 'play breakdown' after each play that says why the play happened the way it did."