Konami Digital Entertainment

On this week's episode of The TouchArcade Show, we push through discussions about feral dogs, the Mindfreak, and accents in order to bring you the latest, hottest, and best-est in iOS game news and chit-chat. At the top, we dig into unreleased titles like Adventure Bar Story before we dive into more known quantities, like say, Triple Town. Post-break, we weigh in on heavy stuff like the Zynga vs. NimbleBit, uh, issue, and of course, get to a few of your listener questions. Oh! We also had a special guest this week: Joseph Leray. If you'd like to give us a listen, go ahead and do so via the links below. Additionally, you could subscribe to our feeds at iTunes and Zune. All the cool kids do the latter. Here are your show notes: GAMES FRONT PAGE Having successfully graduated from the Academy of Assistants, Igor entered the service in the castle of Evil Professor Garriarti, who does cruel tests and experiments on human beings wishing to conquer the world. Idolizing Professor, the young apprentice works hard and tries every way to help his master. But one day, cleaning up the laboratory, Igor falls under the action of laser-machines - after the "injury" Igor’s life changes dramatically. The young apprentice realized that all the things taking place in the castle are terrible, and that he himself was just one of the experiments of Professor. Not wanting to be a "guinea pig" any more Igor decides to stop Evil Professor Garriarti anyway and cast him out of the castle. Watching the professor, Igor noticed that Garriarti loves to have things clean and tidy. The teacher has always chastised his assistant for keeping things in a mess, giving him extra assignments. Based on this observation, the apprentice starts working on a plan "Exile", according to which Igor was going to irritate the professor until he himself did not leave the castle! In the course of the game you have to build a trap for the Evil Professor, moving items from one room of the castle to the others. For example, you can put a rat into the fridge or bring a terrible mess in the library, or just smear some ink on his teacher’s favorite painting! However, you should remember that Igor can not turn up in front of Garriarti - the Evil Professor is looking for the rebellious pupil to punish him Read More

Looking for a new app this weekend?  Here are ten great new apps for the iPhone and iPad that you may want to check out! The latest educational play app from Lego, this time aimed at kids between 4 and 7.  The concept is simple, build a truck, carry some cargo and earn more bricks.  Free. An app designed to customize the image used on the new Facebook Timeline feature.  Pictures can be imported from your phone, Facebook, Instagram and other sources. The app is free, but has an in-app charge to unlock the Pro version.  Free. An iOS conversion of the classic console beat-em-up, complete with 19 characters and every fighting move intact.  It’s universal for the iPhone and iPad, has several game modes including an arcade and time attack, plus Game Center support.  $11.99/£7.99 Another classic Llamasoft game for iOS.  Caverns is a 8-bit arcade game and contains 21 rooms, 4 difficulty settings and Game Center support.  It’s also universal for the iPhone and the iPad.  $1.99/£1.49. Available in either a Silver or Gold edition, you can decide whether you want free future updates to this classic Konami RPG or not.  The graphics have been redrawn for iOS, and the game is suitable for both the iPhone and the iPad.  $4.99/£2.99. Remember Tamagotchis?  Well, this is a similar thing for your iPhone.  It’s a retro-styled virtual pet that need plenty of care and attention to make sure they grow up to be happy, um, Hatchis.  $0.99/£0.69. A new rhythm game for the iPhone and iPad, featuring gorgeous hand-drawn graphics, 15 songs with 30 variations and 9 difficulty settings. The game also supports Game Center.  $0.99/£0.69. A camera app that uses a burst of rapid fire image captures, and some clever editing, to help you create the perfect group picture.  Currently half price for a limited time.  $0.99/£0.69. A twist on the match-three genre, with added word-based gameplay, where blocks turn into letters that must be formed into words.  It’s universal for the iPhone and iPad, has several different game modes, Game Center and local multiplayer too.  $0.99/£0.69. A NASA backed app that uses a 3D model to help visualize the Earth’s climate data, from air temperature and water vaper to ozone and carbon dioxide levels.  Free. Read More

Gesundheit is a delightfully quirky adventure puzzle game for the iPhone and iPod touch, with a separately sold iPad version. Developed by Konami Digital Entertainment, the app is easy to get into and highly addictive. The object in Gesundheit is to help a snuffling pig work his way through a maze to find food and banish hungry monsters by luring them into traps with his snot. The little pig must also avoid being eaten by the monsters and falling into the traps himself. When he has finished the fruit and defeated the monster, he can move on to the next level. The game begins with two levels that are deceptively easy. The monster is separated from the pig and cannot cross the barriers, so the pig is safe from harm. In these levels, you learn how to guide the pig to the fruit and lure the monster into the trap. To control the pig, you simply tap the screen, and he moves to that point. You can control the monster’s movements by having the pig blow snot at a certain area. Then, the snot-loving monster will move to that point. If you can aim the snot into a trap, the monster will follow and meet his demise. You also learn how to break down walls by aiming snot at colored buttons to destroy the barriers. As you face these challenges, a little screen appears and guides you through the movements. When you get to the third level, the monster is able to move around, and you have to keep the pig from being devoured as he hunts for food. The monster can move fast, and you have to be able to guide the pig through the mazes and strategically aim the snot at the same time. If the monster eats the pig, you have to start over from the beginning of that level. This can be frustrating if you have already completed the other objectives, but it is also part of what makes it addicting. Each level has more challenges, and some levels have multiple monsters and challenges that are more complex. If you have trouble with one level, you have the option to skip to the next one. I’ve been playing Gesundheit on my iPhone 3G for this review and am really enjoying it. In fact, while writing this review, I found it difficult to stop playing the game. Graphics Read More

We'll do one more big app roundup post today before the holiday weekend. The App Store freeze went off as scheduled yesterday, so devs can no longer change their prices or upgrade their apps until next week, but in addition to the sales already covered so far, there are still a few more apps on sale worth pointing out for you: As I said yesterday, there's lots more out there, so if there's an app you've been wanting, chances are that it's on sale. Unfortunately for smaller developers, I just checked the top paid apps on the store, and EA has claimed most of the spots already, with Angry Birds and Sega filling out most of the other real estate. It looks like Electronic Arts is all set to ring in the holidays with another huge batch of app sales, as people open up those new iPhones and iPads over the weekend. Read More

Turkey day is fast approaching in the US, and that means iOS game sales. Tons of games have had their prices slashed, and we've hand-picked the best of the best below. If you want to see the rest of the game sales, check out our GameFinder app. Dark Meadow - Review - 3/4 - $0.99 (was $5.99) - Open in iTunes Gesundheit! - Review - 3/4 - $0.99 (was $1.99) - Open in iTunes Infinity Blade - Review - 4/4 - $2.99 (was $5.99) - Open in iTunes Isaac Newton's Gravity - Review - 4/4 - $0.99 (was $2.99) - Open in iTunes James Cameron's Avatar - Review - 4/4 - $0.99 (was $4.99) - Open in iTunes Pac-Man Championship Edition - Review - 4/4 - $0.99 (was $4.99) - Open in iTunes Pool Pro Online 3 - Review - 4/4 - $0.99 (was $1.99) - Open in iTunes Prince of Persia: Warrior Within - Review - 3/4 - $0.99 (was $2.99) - Open in iTunes Real Racing 2 - Review - 4/4 - $2.99 (was $4.99) - Open in iTunes Sacred Odyssey: Rise of Ayden - Review - 4/4 - $0.99 (was $6.99) - Open in iTunes Sky Gamblers: Rise of Glory - Review - 4/4 - $2.99 (was $4.99) - Open in iTunes Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 - Review - 3/4 - $2.99 (was $4.99) - Open in iTunes Spider-Man: Total Mayhem - Review - 4/4 - $0.99 (was $6.99) - Open in iTunes Starfront: Collision - Review - 4/4 - $0.99 (was $4.99) - Open in iTunes Streets of Rage 2 - Review - 3/4 - $0.99 (was $2.99) - Open in iTunes Super Monkey Ball 2 - Review - 3/4 - $0.99 (was $2.99) - Open in iTunes Time Crisis 2nd Strike - Review - 4/4 - $2.99 (was $6.99) - Open in iTunes Tower Defense: Lost Earth - Review - 3/4 - $0.99 (was $2.99) - Open in iTunes Zombie Infection - Review - 4/4 - $0.99 (was $4.99) - Open in iTunes Read More

Konami is getting into the Thanksgiving mood, too, though in a less bombastic fashion than most of the "big" publishers currently invested in the App Store. Starting this week, you can grab two of its better titles, Gesundheit and Pro Evolution Soccer 2011, for the generous price of $.99. These two games usually sell at around $1.99 or $2.99, so there's a decent chunk of change to be saved here if you choose to buy. Why aren't more games going on the cheap, you ask? We were pondering the same query until we browsed the publisher's catalogue this morning. Turns out that the lion's share of its games are being offered at $.99 nowadays. You can't really go down from there -- unless you want to start competing on the free charts ... with games that aren't ad supported and have a couple or fewer free-to-play hooks.   #12   11-17-2011, 05:47 AM Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Formerly Zimbabwe - now England. Posts: 1,260 Quote: Originally Posted by Of course, we have a plan on making an iPad version. It will release on Dec 2011. Thank you! Great, thanks for the reply. I'll pick it up next month then.   #5   11-17-2011, 09:24 AM Moderator Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Salem, Massachusetts, USA Posts: 8,478 This is a really depressing missed opportunity. Turning XIII into an adventure game would have been a no-brainer: there's a cool mystery at the core of the comic book, and even though the PC FPS was great, there's no reason why it wouldn't be just as fun to piece together clues, solve environmental puzzles, etc. -- in other words, same kind of gameplay as other Microids adventures, perhaps with the addition of some QT scenes for the action sequences. Instead, what we get are hidden object game. Pretty lame hidden object games. Because what you first think off when hired killers are after you is "where did I put that fishing hook?" To be fair, the game does follow the story, but the hidden object puzzles come across as filler. There are a few objective-based puzzles, but the core of the game is definitely HO. Kind of breaks my heart a little . Very fun game. For me, the first chapter (with the boy) is too easy, but the second (with the girl) is very cool. More challenges, more fun, more traps. Read More

We've already seen a few app sales already this month, but companies are now starting the windup to the big Black Friday holiday, and things are going to get chaotic. Starting this weekend, and rolling on through the Christmas holiday (and even up to New Year's), new iPhones and iPads are going to be making their way as gifts into lots of consumers' hands, and that means that app developers everywhere are going to be fighting tooth and claw to get their apps installed on those new units. That makes it much more important to get into lists like the Top 50 paid and free apps. When Apple "freezes" the store for developers over the holiday, what's on those lists stays there, so there's even more incentive to sell. We're aiming to track app sales as much as possible -- stay tuned this week and all holiday season long to our holiday gift guide to see what's dropping and on sale now. In the meantime, here's what's already on sale this week: Stay tuned -- we'll probably end up doing a post a day this week about all of the various sales starting up on the App Store, so come back every day to see what a dollar can get you for great software on your iOS device. Read More

Remember last year when EA released The Simpsons Arcade which ended up being a non-multiplayer remake of the classic The Simpsons Arcade Game? Unfortunately, I remember that game too well and I’m still disappointed in how it turned out as I absolutely loved the original arcade classic. It looks like we may finally be getting the port we all deserve. According to a tip sent over to XBLAFans, Konami may be tapping developer Backbone, who are responsible for bringing X-Men to iOS and Android, to bring another arcade classic to both platforms. Their eagle-eyed tipster spotted an Australian Ratings Board rating The Simpsons Arcade Game to be headed to XBLA. If Konami’s X-Men is any indication, then we could certainly expect an iOS & Android port in our future once the game is released on XBLA. I reached out to Konami and told they had “no information at this time” regarding the validity of The Simpsons Arcade Game and if it’ll be coming to iOS & Android, but something tells me we should all expect to hear something about the game soon. Daniel is a Jersey boy, born and raised. He currently lives in the Northern NJ area, close to New York City. He prides himself in being known as a geek and knows his way around technology. He’s the kind of person that if he can’t figure out a solution to a tech problem, it’ll keep him up at night. Daniel has experience in editorial from his previous work with Ziff Davis Media. With a strong background in the journalism field, he’ll chime in from time to time on IntoMobile to share stories of interest with the IntoMobile readers. Read More

Looking for a new app this weekend?  Here are ten great new apps for the iPhone and iPad that you may want to check out! Like Apple’s own forthcoming Cards app, but a little cheaper and for postcards.  The app is free to download and each postcard costs $1.99 or equivalent, and can be posted to UK and US addresses.  Images come from your camera and you can add you own message too.  Free. Another postcard app, this time with the chance to create them yourself, add locations and text and even tag friends, then send them through email.  Free. An iPad only book where the history of the universe can be visualized through 300 images along with animations and videos.  $7.99/£5.49. Konami celebrates Frogger’s 30th anniversary with this Frogger/pinball mashup, with three stages, a story and challenge mode plus Game Center support.  It’s also a universal app for the iPhone and iPad.  $1.99/£1.49. Develop your ideas for songs with this intuitive beat sketch pad, complete with sampling, an extensive library and 16 pads for playing drums and samples.  Other sets can be purchased in the app.  $4.99/£2.99. Using the Unreal Engine, this beautiful fairytale-style adventure game has one of the most amazing worlds you’ll see on an iOS device.  It’s universal for the iPhone and iPad, and has Game Center support.  $5.99/£3.99. An app which reads tweets out to you, or broadcast them to another source using AirPlay.  $2.99/£1.99. Add effects to your pictures, edit them using rotations and flips, then export them via email or share them via social networking.  Interesting SLR interface.  $2.99/£1.99. The latest from BBC Good Food, with 160 recipes using more than 50 seasonal favorite ingredients, including vegetarian dishes, one-pot dishes and cakes.  $2.99/£1.99. The sequel to the first Jaws game has three new worlds, 30 levels, shark upgrades and simple controls.  It also works on your iPhone and iPad along with offering Game Center support.  $0.99/£0.69. Read More

Everybody knows Frogger, right? 30 (!) years ago, Frogger jumped into the arcades and became one of the most popular arcade titles of all time, and now Konami has released a new version of the game on the iOS platform. It's not exactly the same as the old game (the graphics are in 3D now, and you're looking at the frog at an angle rather than from directly above), but the same obstacles and gameplay are here, as you advance a little frog up through a series of roads and byways, all while avoiding cars, spikes, and anything else that gets in your way. The controls are a little goofy at times, though there are two choices, depending on if you want to try touch-based controls or more traditional virtual buttons. The only real disappointment with the game is that as far as I could tell, there's no way to actually play the old arcade version; that would have been a really nice extra to seal the deal. Otherwise, Frogger Decades is a nice package that will evoke some of the old hop-and-jump gameplay that's made this one so popular. It's currently available as a universal app for US$1.99 on the App Store now. Read More