Gaming on the iPad/iOS

[Samurai Ghost]

I recently picked up an iPad 2, and I use it almost solely for gaming. And I have to say that the iPad is a solid next gen gaming device. Personally I think it succeeds where the DS fails. Nintendo had a great idea integrating touch screen technology with gaming, but in the end the hardware limitations and the poor execution of so many games left the touch aspects to be pointless gimmicks in a lot of games. But the iPad with it's fantastic multi-touch screen, beautiful resolution, and advanced graphical hardware really make it a gaming powerhouse. In my opinion it totally crushes any other portable gaming system out there, including the Vita. Here are some games I've been playing the most so far that I think are worth checking out.

ESPGALUDA II HD Smartphone Version
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/espgaluda-ii-hd-smartphone/id450426784?mt=8

/espgaluda-ii-hd-ipad-1317991441-002_m.jpg

2D shooters are probably my favorite genre, and the first thing I thought of when I got the iPad was how to get Dodonpatchi on there. Well, I was pleased to find that Cave is developing directly for iOS and already has several of it's insane shooters available. Of the group I'd say Espgaluda II HD is the best for the iPad so far mainly due to the graphics. Some of the other releases still have grainy upscaled graphics, which while don't detract from the gameplay, just don't match up to the beautiful HD graphics of Espgaluda. All of their games, however, feature amazing control. I own many dozens of shooters for various systems, but I've never experienced anything like this. Every slight twitch of your finger is registered, which allows you to skillfully weave your character through the intricate waves of projectiles famous in these bullet-hell shooters with relative ease (doesn't mean you're not going to get your ass handed to you from time to time!). It's almost mesmerizing. A slightly more expensive game, but well worth the cost especially considering how much it costs to buy a copy of this for PS2.

Air Attack HD
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/airattack-hd/id383659024?mt=8



Another overhead shooter, but featuring fantastic 3D graphics while maintaining 2D gameplay. Featuring a WWII theme that I personally love in shooters (thing Strikers 1945, Metal Slug, etc), great control, weaponry, upgradable planes, and an epic soundtrack that gets you feeling like you are in a Hollywood war movie. A steal at $0.99.

Dead Space
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dead-space-for-ipad/id396019894?mt=8



Haven't had a chance to spend too much time with this one yet, but it's graphically very impressive and has great controls. Ditching the virtual d-pad in favor of free controls is a route that a lot of developers are thankfully taking for iOS first and third person shooters. A brand new chapter in the horror series, not a port of the first game. On sale for a limited time for $0.99 from it's usual $9.99, so grab it quick!

Infinity Field HD
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/infinity-field-hd/id391766089?mt=8



I loved Geometry Wars on the DS and it was one game I thought implemented the touch controls well enough to enjoyably play for long periods. And I spent many hours on that game. Infinity Field is very similar to Geometry Wars, with upgraded graphics and sound, and and many added gameplay elements. Fans of GW will love this one, as I do.

Battle Squadron ONE 2-player
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/battle-squadron-one-2-player/id486449697?mt=8

/mzl.sqvtrebf.480x480-75.jpg

A classic Amiga vertical shooter brought to iPad but with a twist. You can play 2-player co-op with an innovative split screen control scheme. Worth it for the soundtrack alone!

Zombie Gunship
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zombie-gunship/id435797419?mt=8



A simple but highly addicting game. You circle around an area destroying zombies and saving civilians, but the presentation is very unique. It's almost exactly like a military gun ship display with the somewhat grainy black and white display and targeting system. I play this one a lot, as it's very satisfying to blow up a crowd of 20 zombies with your Howitzer or pick them off one at a time with your Gatling gun.

Puzzle Quest 2
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/puzzle-quest-2/id398687544?mt=8



Another game I poured hours into for the DS was the original Puzzle Quest. It's a game that naturally works perfectly for the touch systems. This newer installment is very good, with great sound and presentation, and although I thought the story aspects of the original were more interesting, the added spells and gameplay elements make this a must-have for fans of the original. And if you've never played these games, give it a shot. It's an insanely addictive combination of an RPG and puzzle game, building up your character as you battle various monsters and demons.

What do you guys play on your iOS devices?

[rag-time4]

Wow samurai, reading your post took me back to my youthful days of Nintendo power reading... Thanks for the great reviews!

[esteban]

I recently picked up an iPad 2, and I use it almost solely for gaming. And I have to say that the iPad is a solid next gen gaming device. Personally I think it succeeds where the DS fails. Nintendo had a great idea integrating touch screen technology with gaming, but in the end the hardware limitations and the poor execution of so many games left the touch aspects to be pointless gimmicks in a lot of games. But the iPad with it's fantastic multi-touch screen, beautiful resolution, and advanced graphical hardware really make it a gaming powerhouse. In my opinion it totally crushes any other portable gaming system out there, including the Vita. Here are some games I've been playing the most so far that I think are worth checking out.

...

What do you guys play on your iOS devices?

First, thanks for the scoop on Battle Squadron One...I haven't tried that yet and it looks interesting.

As for the viability of iOS for gaming: well, it is truly impressive. I concur with all of your main points above. Let me add that I am surprised that iOS has proven to be so versatile. I am constantly surprised by what developers have been able to do. I wish that a hardware controller (even if it was bluetooth) was available for certain games (emulators/ports of standard-genre games)...

Sadly, I have not been able to seriously play games on my iPad because my wife and daughter monopolize it 99% of the time. Hence my iPhone usage stats.

I tried some shoot-em-ups over the years but nothing recently (some 1942 clone...Siberian Something? was last vertical I tried...it was OK, but I was more interested in puzzle games at the time).

Interestingly, the TG-16 emulator for iOS (Game Box?) allows you to use your finger to control vertical shooters. Pretty kool, but I haven't really tried it out to see if they executed the concept nicely.



Did you grab iMAME?

[Arkhan Asylum]

I hated espgaluda on the iPhone.  My finger kept getting all sweaty/frictiony, and it detracted from the fun.

[Samurai Ghost]

I hated espgaluda on the iPhone.  My finger kept getting all sweaty/frictiony, and it detracted from the fun.

Yeah, I imagine it would be pretty frustrating on such a small screen... It's pretty challenging even on a big iPad screen. Also, do you use a scratch-guard? Those tend to be a lot more sticky than the naked glass.

[esteban]

In case folks were interested:

Oh yes, it was Siberian Strike. I can't believe they are charging $5 for it still.

[Samurai Ghost]

Thanks for the link! But it is a little pricy at the moment. I'll keep checking and see if I can grab it when it's on sale.

Haven't tried iMAME or any of the other emulators yet. I'm interested in MAME but I think you have to jailbreak your iOS device to use it, correct? Not planning to do that for the foreseeable future. As for the TG-16 emulator, I pretty much hate playing games with a virtual d-pad and buttons. Plus, I do most of my iPad gaming at home anyway, so why wouldn't I just fire up the real deal on a TV? Emulation is for girly men, and PAYING for emulation seems especially silly to me, especially when I already own all of the actual games.

[esteban]

Thanks for the link! But it is a little pricy at the moment. I'll keep checking and see if I can grab it when it's on sale.

Haven't tried iMAME or any of the other emulators yet. I'm interested in MAME but I think you have to jailbreak your iOS device to use it, correct? Not planning to do that for the foreseeable future. As for the TG-16 emulator, I pretty much hate playing games with a virtual d-pad and buttons. Plus, I do most of my iPad gaming at home anyway, so why wouldn't I just fire up the real deal on a TV? Emulation is for girly men, and PAYING for emulation seems especially silly to me, especially when I already own all of the actual games.

(1.0) Wait for Siberian Strike to go on sale/freebie. $5 is too much now (since it hasn't been updated for a long time).
(2.0) iMAME was available via Apple's iTunes Store...not sure if it still is. No jailbreaking. ROMs loaded via third-party app(s) (iExplorer)

(2.5) Yes, emulation is for girly men. Hudson is ridiculous for charging so much per game. At minimum, they should offer a discount to folks who mail in their HuCards. iMAME + iCade is just too tempting, though. Atari emulation + iCade on iOS looks nice, too. I want to get iCade. Damn, I'm a girly man.

(3.0) I concur: virtual d-pad and buttons = lame. LAME. That said, check out (limited) solution below!

(4.0) Clarification on the touch controls for vertical shoot-em-ups in Hudson's TG-16 emulator (see "C" below!)...

Once you select a game, you can adjust options for "control"...


(A) Default pad controls...


(B) Pad appears where you first hit screen...


(C) VERTICAL SHOOTEMUP...

So, "Type C" is the control scheme that shows some potential! The good news is that Detana Twin Bee is the free game today (10 minutes), so I'll be able to test the different control schemes and see how "C" is.

Like I said earlier, the fact that "C" exists is nice...but execution will make it or break it.

[Samurai Ghost]

Wow, that changes things a bit!
Like I mentioned in my mini-reviews above, I really love the iPad touch controls with overhead shooters. If the execution is spot on than I might have to try out a few of my favorite shooters this way! It's a really refreshing way to play shootemups.

[esteban]

Wow, that changes things a bit!
Like I mentioned in my mini-reviews above, I really love the iPad touch controls with overhead shooters. If the execution is spot on than I might have to try out a few of my favorite shooters this way! It's a really refreshing way to play shootemups.

Test out Twin Bee today! I want to see how Hudson's controls compare to the other games you've played.

[ParanoiaDragon]

I hate smart phone/ipad gaming.  There's no built on physical controller, no buttons, no d-pad, no analog sticks, nothing.  There's also no physical media, which is becoming more & more true of gaming in general unfortunately.  It's nice to save room & all, but, I still like to have an official physical copy of the game I bought. 

Basically, gaming is going in a direction that I don't like.  I like to have platform that's dedicated to gaming, aside from a computer/tablet/phone.  If I brought a tablet or smartphone everywhere with me, it'd get destroyed.  When I have my PSP, I treat that thing extra special, I don't have to put it up to my face & get any kind of oils in it from my face.  Man, I can't imagine if my PSP was a phone, I'd have to get a seperate phone to use so I had a working game system.  Also, the less I have to depend on the internet to purchase or play my games, the better.

I'm not trying to start a debate, it's just something I really don't like that's being pushed more & more, & for the most part, don't understand it at all.  I must be getting old.

[esteban]

I hate smart phone/ipad gaming.  There's no built on physical controller, no buttons, no d-pad, no analog sticks, nothing.  There's also no physical media, which is becoming more & more true of gaming in general unfortunately.  It's nice to save room & all, but, I still like to have an official physical copy of the game I bought. 

Basically, gaming is going in a direction that I don't like.  I like to have platform that's dedicated to gaming, aside from a computer/tablet/phone.  If I brought a tablet or smartphone everywhere with me, it'd get destroyed.  When I have my PSP, I treat that thing extra special, I don't have to put it up to my face & get any kind of oils in it from my face.  Man, I can't imagine if my PSP was a phone, I'd have to get a seperate phone to use so I had a working game system.  Also, the less I have to depend on the internet to purchase or play my games, the better.

I'm not trying to start a debate, it's just something I really don't like that's being pushed more & more, & for the most part, don't understand it at all.  I must be getting old.

I went through all of this with my dumb phone a few years ago. GUTS was teasing me for spending time on my Motorola clamshell instead of getting PSP/GB/GP... the problem is that I don't want to lug around more than one item, and my phone will always be the single item I have at all times. Remember all the talk of "convergence" a few years ago and we laughed it off (ngage, for example)... well, it's truly come to fruition now and there's no turning back.

Also, you don't need physical pads/buttons for the new breed of touch games. I agree that physical pads/buttons are needed for many traditional games... hopefully a solution is found like this pad via headphone jack to avoid paying royalties or Atari's joystick or the iCade that I ordered for $50, but Best Buy canceled on me and then there's Taito's Space Invaders Cabinet.

Alas, none of these are solutions for truly portable gaming on-the-go...

[ParanoiaDragon]

Yeah, the N-gage, I have it, got it cheap, never wanted it while it was active, didn't want a combo phone/gaming machine.  As for touch games, they don't interest me.  I just can't get thrilled about them, Angry Birds or whatever, they just do nothing for me. 

Same thing with motion gaming, though, that's slightly more interesting to me.  I have a Wii, & there are some great games on it, but I always prefer games that just use the standard controller, like Warioland, over the one's that require the multiple controllers(though, I had a blast with Batman Brave & the Bold).  I have zero interest in the Kinect, that's worse then iPad gaming, as there's nothing to hold onto, nothing to touch at all.  I doubt I'll ever get the Move, even though I hear it's the most accurate, & it does use buttons like the Wii, I still would rather just hold the good ol PS3 controller in my hand & use analog sticks.  That's really as far as I've been able to go, advancing from joysticks, to d-pads, to analog sticks.  Maybe someday this stuff will interest me, one never knows, but for now, I just don't get it.

[esteban]

Yeah, the N-gage, I have it, got it cheap, never wanted it while it was active, didn't want a combo phone/gaming machine.  As for touch games, they don't interest me.  I just can't get thrilled about them, Angry Birds or whatever, they just do nothing for me. 

Same thing with motion gaming, though, that's slightly more interesting to me.  I have a Wii, & there are some great games on it, but I always prefer games that just use the standard controller, like Warioland, over the one's that require the multiple controllers(though, I had a blast with Batman Brave & the Bold).  I have zero interest in the Kinect, that's worse then iPad gaming, as there's nothing to hold onto, nothing to touch at all.  I doubt I'll ever get the Move, even though I hear it's the most accurate, & it does use buttons like the Wii, I still would rather just hold the good ol PS3 controller in my hand & use analog sticks.  That's really as far as I've been able to go, advancing from joysticks, to d-pads, to analog sticks.  Maybe someday this stuff will interest me, one never knows, but for now, I just don't get it.

I hear you. Listen, f*ck Angry Birds. I guarantee there is a gateway drug for you to indulge in. I love "puzzle/logic" games and GODDAMN the entire puzzle genre has been experiencing a blossoming with iOS/Android/etc. It might very well be a golden era of puzzle games. Find your heroin, your crack, your meth. Then, my friend, you will be hopelessly addicted to touch games.

Or not.

Believe me, I love tactile physical goddamn buttons.

[Sleepy Gnome]

ive been playing some Diamond Dash. its good. one minute games to try and get the best score. its amazing how good you feel when those diamonds are disapearing from your screen!

[TheClash603]

Samurai Ghost, I would love to read some of your Vita reviews.  I have an ipad and in months of ownership I may have gamed 2 hours on it, it feels unnatural and I greatly dislike it.  I am curious to see why the Vita isn't working for you, since I have mine preordered in full already and was excited for it.

[esteban]

Samurai Ghost, I would love to read some of your Vita reviews.  I have an ipad and in months of ownership I may have gamed 2 hours on it, it feels unnatural and I greatly dislike it.  I am curious to see why the Vita isn't working for you, since I have mine preordered in full already and was excited for it.

Don't give up on the iPad yet! Like I said earlier, there is bound to be a game that (1) properly implements touch mechanics and (2) appeals to you.

It was only when I took a few chances experiencing a variety of games that I realized the potential of iOS as a distinct gaming platform.

[Samurai Ghost]

Samurai Ghost, I would love to read some of your Vita reviews.  I have an ipad and in months of ownership I may have gamed 2 hours on it, it feels unnatural and I greatly dislike it.  I am curious to see why the Vita isn't working for you, since I have mine preordered in full already and was excited for it.

Don't give up on the iPad yet! Like I said earlier, there is bound to be a game that (1) properly implements touch mechanics and (2) appeals to you.

It was only when I took a few chances experiencing a variety of games that I realized the potential of iOS as a distinct gaming platform.

Actually I haven't had a lot of hands on experience with the Vita yet (just store demos and the like). While it's cool and I might get one eventually (after a price drop or two) the huge display of it iPad is just too beautiful. There are some decent games out there for sure. Check out some of the ones I mentioned in the first post, or just check what your favorite game companies have released on iOS.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I hated espgaluda on the iPhone.  My finger kept getting all sweaty/frictiony, and it detracted from the fun.

Yeah, I imagine it would be pretty frustrating on such a small screen... It's pretty challenging even on a big iPad screen. Also, do you use a scratch-guard? Those tend to be a lot more sticky than the naked glass.

no I was just using a naked iphone.

I hated it.