Electronic Arts

8 Feb 2012 alle 16:20 Finalmente, dopo tanti mesi dal rilascio su console, Electronics Arts ha rilasciato su App Store la versione iOS di Battlefield, il famoso sparatutto della software house statunitense. Il gioco è incentrato principalmente nel multiplayer online e risulta essere un netto passo indietro a Battlefield 2: basti pensare infatti che l’arsenale a disposizione è composto unicamente da tre fucili e un coltello. Grande assenza da evidenziare è anche quella della campagna in giocatore singolo, promessa da EA al Gamescom di agosto 2011.   Battlefield 3™: Aftershock non è ancora presente sull’App Store italiano: se siete interessati a provarlo per il momento lo trovate nello Store americano a questo link. Non appena approderà anche in Italia, provvederemo a scaricare l’applicativo per fornirvi una recensione. Read More

EA announced an iOS version of the latest console release of their massively popular Battlefield franchise way back in August of last year. Since then, we've gone hands on with early preview versions of the game this past October and again the following month. At both events the game felt extremely early in development, and despite Battlefield 3 launching on consoles in late October, EA really didn't seem to have any idea when the iOS version would hit. And then today, pretty much out of nowhere, Battlefield 3: Aftershock [Free] popped up in the US App Store. Unfortunately, early impressions of the game aren't pretty. Well actually that's not quite accurate, as the one thing that everyone can seem to agree on is that Battlefield 3: Aftershock's visuals are indeed quite pretty. However, it doesn't seem to contain any of the previously promised features or modes. There is no single player to speak of (only online multiplayer), no "Horde-like" wave mode, and there is a paltry 3 different weapons to choose from (4 if you count the knife). I might not mind an online multiplayer only game, but so far the actual online performance is underwhelming. It takes forever to match with someone, and even when you do the match that follows lags to the point of it being completely unplayable. I'm almost certain this is just due to the game being new and there not really being a decent pool of people to play against yet, but what should I do while waiting for the lobbies to fill out? There's no single player component to speak of, and not even a local multiplayer option. However, the most baffling thing about Aftershock is its pay model. The game is free and comes with the online multiplayer mode, and that's it. There does not seem to be anything more to buy in the game (yet at least), and there are ads in the menu screens which it does not appear you can pay to disable. Apparently the game is sponsored by 'Act of Valor' (you know, that movie that uses real Navy Seals as the stars) and if you watch an in-game trailer for it you can unlock an additional weapon. So, that's really what I don't get about Battlefield 3: Aftershock. It feels strange that EA would relegate the mobile version of one of their biggest franchises to an advergame for Read More

Fly With Me [99¢] from Electronic Arts may resemble a cute kids game about a flying bird, but it's not actually as simplistic as it seems. You tap the screen to make the little bird fly and try to collect three stars and reach the birdhouse at the end of the level. This may sound easy, but the catch is you have a limited number of wing-flaps available. Each time you tap the screen to flap your wings, your flap-meter decreases slightly. Once that meter is depleted, you'll literally fall out of the sky with an amusing animation as you splat into the ground. So, you quickly learn to be more conservative with your flaps, and glide whenever possible. NOT flapping is a key part of this game. Your flap-meter must also be replenished by eating bees, otherwise you won't have enough flaps to reach the end. At the top of the screen is a progress bar. This shows your position within the level, but also marks the location of three stars so you know when to watch out for them. These stars are used to unlock chapters. There's also one golden gear to collect per level. One you've found 45 golden gears a more powerful metallic robot bird is unlocked, or you can just buy it right away as an in-app purchase. There's three chapters to play (fields, trees and tropical), offering 45 levels in total. You can play using four different birds, but first they'll need to be unlocked. There's also three challenge modes (one per chapter) which are unlocked once you gain enough stars. The challenge levels involve trying to fly as far as possible, and your score in that mode is measured in distance (meters). Each level contains good winds to ride and bad brown air to avoid. These bad winds might do a loop-the-loop or carry you through an underground tunnel, which is interesting to watch but you can't control the bird while being blown along. While bee's are good to eat, the sick bugs should be avoided. As should predators, including big dangling bird-eating spiders, hungry fish and carnivorous plants. Fly with Me has two disappointing features. First off, the frequent adverts for the games IAP offerings feel intrusive. After a couple of attempts at the same level, a full screen message appeared asking if I wanted to buy a robot bird (no thanks). Slightly Read More

Great news for you football lovers out there, as EA Mobile has lowered the price of Madden NFL 12 to 99 cents to celebrate America’s biggest game. Android users will be able to get their hands on this game at a $4 discount compared to the normal price, so if you’re a fan of Madden, it may be in your best interest to snatch up the game before the sale ends. Speaking from experience, most of EA’s Android games don’t compare to the iOS versions. Madden on Android isn’t awful but it still has many flaws that are hard to ignore. The fact that it has confusing and cumbersome player controls, sucks up lots of data, and carries bugs that prevent many users from downloading the game’s content after their initial purchase is weird. If you don’t believe what I’m saying just read the user reviews on the Android Market page. However, I’d say it’s still worth the 99 cent sale price, but if you’re the frugal type, then you should check out the free NFL Pro 2012 from Gameloft. The NFL Pro game has a better review rating than Madden 2012, just saying, try it out before you spend your hard-earned money. Charles has been a cannibal of all things handheld and gadgety for years. Originally from Hartford, CT, where he resides, he longs for great Mexican food and even better technology. Charles considers himself a music snob and sports fanatic who loves occasional benders with friends and family. He has written about the mobile industry for TMCnet and Androinica. He also writes at his own blog The Trendaholic. Look for him on Twitter and Google+ Read More

One of the greatest things about the App Store is that games go free all the time. And not just any games-- games. As usual for Mondays, we've gathered the best titles that are free for a limited time, so click ahead to get started. Mystery Mania Mystery Mania is a room-escape game with a whole lot of style. You play as F8, a prototype robot that must rescue a professor and escape a creepy mansion, one room at a time. Each room is a puzzle that requires a complicated solution in order to open the way to the next room. The game takes lot of creative thinking, but it tells a story worth seeing through to the end. Pick this one up to get your gears turning. Our Score: 3 out of 4 Our Bottom Line: Mystery Mania is a unique game that proves EA can succeed with new IPs. Siege Hero Siege Hero might look like a blatant clone of Angry Birds, but it's made by a developer that actually had the idea first. Read the comments in our review for the full story from the developer's side, but then be sure to download this fun, flinging physics puzzler to see the game for yourself. Our Score: 3 out of 4 Our Bottom Line: It might not be particularly creative, but Siege Hero HD still manages to entertain with its simple gameplay and frequently clever and challenging puzzles. iSlash iSlash isn't the first game of its kind, but it's a lot of fun. Like the arcade game Qix and many other older titles, iSlash has you hack away at a shape onscreen while trying to avoid hitting any of the items bouncing around inside of it. This requires a lot of patience while you wait for the ninja stars to move where you need them to go. Once they get there, you must swipe decisively. It's not a particularly deep game, but it's exciting, and hey, it's free. Our Score: 3 out of 4 Our Bottom Line: iSlash is a sharp-looking, ninja-themed twist on a classic type of arcade puzzle game. Read More

When prompted via Twitter by Xperia Play fan site XperiaGamer when we might see Reckless Racing 2, the sequel to 2010's excellent top-down arcade racer Reckless Racing [99¢/Lite/HD], the game's developer Polarbit responded that we can expect the game to hit next week on February 2nd. We really liked the original Reckless Racing in our review, and the sequel looks to up the ante with a fleshed-out single-player campaign, longer tracks, and improved visuals over the already gorgeous first game. You can catch a glimpse of Reckless Racing 2 in the all-to-brief teaser video above, and we'll have more of the game when it launches next week. If you are a fan of Full fat games then this will be a great addition to your library. If not than you should probably stay away. Like Gabrien said, it's the typical FF physics system that I've, at least, grown to love. Personally, I think it feels best on this type of game--field goal kicking. There is the usual after touch, but you never need to use it. It's there for precise scoring. I'm able to just use regular flicking w/o the after touch up until the wind gets out of control. It really does help later on into gameplay if you're wanting to hit the middle target every time or smash the gold. There's five different game modes and each one is really fun. I found that i only liked the first game mode in Flick QB, so this is awesome for me. Anyways, there's regular kicking (always good fun), coffin corner (challenging), time attack (really fun), hitting the uprights (pretty hard, but fun, and coffin corner pro (haven't unlocked it yet). Each game mode is really fun and actually surpasses the previous FF games in terms of fun IMO. I never thought I'd see another flick game beat out Flick Golf. I see this as not fixing something that isn't broken. FF has managed to add in fun game modes that will keep you entertained for as long as you want to get achievements or be on top of the leaderboards. They also managed to add some new celebrations. Could they put their brains together over at Full Fat Studios and come up with some crazy and zany flicking game? Sure, but as a sports based game, it's definitely good fun. Plus, they made Zombie Flick which was cool, so they Read More

It's January 6th, 2012, and today marks the end of the TUAW Best of 2011 awards. This was a massive undertaking, with 25 separate categories all requiring their own nominations and voting from our readers. We've learned some lessons for next year's event -- start earlier, watch for astroturfing in the nominations, drop some unpopular categories -- and the Best of 2012 will be even better. The editorial staff here at TUAW agreed with many of the reader picks, but we had our own opinions on some others. We want to thank all of the thousands of TUAW readers who took time to consider their favorite accessories and apps, nominate them for an award, and then vote in the competition. Without further ado, here's the full list of winners as well as our picks for the TUAW Best of 2011: Editor picks: 13" and 11" MacBook Air, 13" MacBook Pro Peripheral or Accessory: OWC Data Doubler and OWC Mercury 6G SSD Editor picks: Magic Trackpad, OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD Editor picks: Mophie Juice Pack Air, Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation, iChair Editor picks: Apple Smart Cover, AViiQ Smart Case,Twelve South BookBook, ModulR System, OtterBox Defender Editor picks: Apple TV, iCade, Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation Read More

By Carter Dotson on January 3rd, 2012 On this episode of The Portable Podcast, host Carter Dotson assembles a panel of podcast regulars to discuss their favorite titles of the past year. You’re the best around! No one’s ever gonna keep you down! On This Episode: Who We Are: Music: How to Listen: Apps Mentioned on This Episode: FREE! $0.99 Released: 2011-09-01 :: Category: Games $1.99 Released: 2011-11-17 :: Category: Games $0.99 $6.99 Released: 2011-01-25 :: Category: Games $0.99 $9.99 iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad Released: 2011-01-25 :: Category: Games $0.99 Released: 2011-02-10 :: Category: Games $0.99 $4.99 Released: 2011-04-21 :: Category: Games $1.99 Released: 2011-06-01 :: Category: Games $4.99 Released: 2011-12-15 :: Category: Games FREE! Released: 2011-06-23 :: Category: Games FREE! Released: 2011-08-04 :: Category: Games $0.99 Released: 2011-04-28 :: Category: Games $1.99 Released: 2011-04-20 :: Category: Games $1.99 Released: 2011-04-07 :: Category: Games $2.99 Released: 2009-05-11 :: Category: Games $2.99 Released: 2011-08-25 :: Category: Games $1.99 Released: 2010-12-13 :: Category: Games $2.99 Released: 2011-03-18 :: Category: Games $6.99 Released: 2011-05-18 :: Category: Games $1.99 Released: 2011-11-16 :: Category: Games $4.99 Released: 2011-03-24 :: Category: Games $2.99 iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Released: 2011-04-21 :: Category: Games FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Released: 2011-11-30 :: Category: Games Read More

In case you've been busy spending the holidays with friends and family, or just cross-country skiing to the North Pole, here's our recap of last week's epic, five-part series on the 50 best iOS games of 2011. How many do you own? #50: Temple Run In 2011, independent developers Imangi Studios had their biggest hit yet: The endless running game Temple Run. A cross between Canabalt and Raiders of the Lost Ark, in Temple Run you have to make split-second decisions and quick button presses to try to survive. The combinations of simple swipes and tilt controls, plus Temple Run's freemium pricing and stylish 3D graphics, made it one of the year's best high-score survival games. Our Bottom Line: Now is your chance to be Indiana Jones. #49: Tapper World Tour After nearly 30 years, the Tapper license awoke from a drunken stupor to revel in the App Store. Tapper World Tour is a remake of the 1983 arcade original, where you slide drinks across a bar to slate patrons' thirst. The new version adds incredible character designs and environments, plus extra minigames and gameplay twists, like specialty cocktails, as a chaser. Our Bottom Line: With a fresh coat of paint and new touch controls, Tapper is ready for another round in World Tour. #48: Crimson: Steam Pirates Playing Crimson: Steam Pirates is like cracking open a classic adventure novel and getting lost in a tale of swashbuckling on the high seas. While the story is pure pulp, the gameplay is more like chess. You plan out how your fleet of ships is going to get to your objective, and watch as it plays out. Lots of love was put into this game, which should come as no surprise, because it's made by Bungie, the company responsible for Halo. Our Bottom Line: Crimson: Steam Pirates is like a good book and a game of chess rolled into one Must Have download. #47: The Adventures of Tintin Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg's animated tribute to the journalist/detective Tintin is still in theaters, but Gameloft's movie version offers hours of entertainment, too. Like they did with Avatar a few years ago, Gameloft's companion game for Tintin extends the movie's story, with tons of interactive elements like rapidly changing minigames and hunts for hidden puzzle pieces and coins. If you loved the movie, buy this game. Our Bottom Line: Tintin provides a mesmerizing journey Read More

posted by Marcus Nguyen on Saturday, December 31, 2011 at 7:00 pm.   Originally submitted by Tkf1 With the new year dawning before us, Tkf1, the poster behind all of the Weekly Rewinds has come out and found each of the staff’s favorite apps of 2011.  Take a look below for our favorites of 2011: Kiks52: Tiny Wings – $0.99! Indestructible: Prey Anti-Theft – Free! Danls92: Turntable.fm – free! Renegade: Spotify – free! _JKK_: FlipBoard – free! Tinyman392: NBA Jam – $0.99! TREYisRAD: Batch – free! Jacob: FlipBoard – free! Gizmoloon: Tweetbot – $2.99 Bryster and Appman: Infinity Blade 2 – $6.99! iPwn: Dead Space – $0.99! RMC08: Instagram – free! Jug: Early Bird – Android – free! Now that you have seen their favorites, what was yours? Read More