The National Football League is one of the largest sports franchises across the globe, and to top that off, the Madden console series is one of the largest video game franchises in America.

With the growing mobile market, we’ve been in need for a decent mobile football franchise, and Gameloft may have just what we’re looking for.

Gameplay and Controls

If you’ve played any of Madden’s games before, you’ll quickly notice the similarities between the console games and NFL Pro, and I was surprised at how similar the game felt to the first Madden game I had played in 2005. The great thing that Madden captured was the simple pick-up-and play gameplay that managed to incorporate useful tools to create your own strategies whilst keeping all the action focused on the player, and Gameloft have managed to emulate this impressively well.

You’ll be able to choose different formations for your team before the start of each play, which can then be adjusted to your liking within 30 seconds before play. It’s easy to choose any formation, and there are even options to auto-pick formations for you, but there are plenty of possible strategies and formations to choose from manually, allowing those with a bit more knowledge on managing football games to play at their best potential.

Depending on whether you’re defending or attacking, you’ll have different formations available to use. For those unsure about football tactics, defending may end up being a lot down to luck, as unless you manage to sack the opposing quarterback yourself, there’s little you can do to help your team whilst defending.

When your team has control of the ball, it’s a complete different story. There are plenty of run and throw formations to choose and it’s really easy for new players to find formations best appropriate for their situation.  If you throw the ball, you’ll be taken into a first person view and will then be able to tap numbers on the screen corresponding to different team members on the team. It’s an interesting idea, but it’s often hard to see your other team members past all the others in front of your vision there isn’t any way to change your viewing angle, making it easy to be caught off guard by the opposing team.

When running with the ball, you’ll have a joystick to control movement of your character, and a sprint, dodge, and block button, which are all extremely useful for getting past opposing players, and timing them correctly will greatly improve your chances of scoring a touchdown.

Stats and Experience

Downloading NFL Pro 2013 is free, and it’s a mobile game, so we’ve got to accept that some features in the game are going to be hard to get without paying for. NFL Pro 2013 has an interesting leveling system that earns you experience for doing different actions within a match. Your experience will level you up and you’ll be able to unlock more formations. When you first start playing at level 1, the formations available are very basic, and you’ll either have to unlock them all by leveling up, or by paying for them with real cash. There are also separate stats for each one of your team members, and they also follow a similar rule to the overall leveling system.

You’ll also be able to access interesting stats within the game menu such as longest distant rushed and total touchdowns. The menus from the title screen also give you other management tools such as an option to change the difficulty level.

There are many more great games from Ladbrokes to play on your phone. Whether it’s Android, Apple or any of the other popular phones, they are all available to either download as an app or to play in the browser. Play here and receive some great promotions.

Graphics and Audio

Aside from the commentators that often monotonously repeat the same phrases after each play, the sounds in NFL Pro are extremely immersive. All the sounds relating to player movement and other background noises you’d expect in a stadium are very realistic and life-like. The title screen music is also very catchy and is one of those small changes that add to the overall gameplay experience.

The graphics in NFL Pro 2013 aren’t stunning, but for an Android game they’re very pleasing and in terms of appearance, you could say they out surpass games from the original xbox or PlayStation 2. Some animations in the game are a little clunky, and you’ll sometimes see jumpy transitions between player animations, but other than that, NFL Pro 2013 certainly has a very professional feel to it.

Summary

Pros:

• Easy to Learn
• Lots of strategies and formations
• Exhibition and Playoff modes
• Intuitive leveling system for both your team and each character

Cons:

• Few animation bugs
• Formations are hard to unlock without spending money
• First-person view is difficult to use efficiently
• Replayability is limited after completing your first season

Download NFL Pro 2013 for Android on Google Play or iOS on iTunes

Editor’s Note: Although this review was done on the Android version, the iOS version is very similar.

The post NFL Pro 2013 Game Review appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Ever seen the TV show, Wipeout? For those who haven’t, this show is all about making your way through obstacles while trying to beat time records. I will admit that I don’t regularly watch the show, but I’ve caught a few episodes before and it’s actually pretty interesting to watch.

The big question though is: “how fun is it to play a game based on the popular TV show?” Let’s take a look.

Gameplay and controls

Like the TV show, the objective of the game is to make it through without getting knocked off, all while achieving record times. Each stage has a timer and you have to complete the stage within that time. The quicker you do, and the less bumps or falls you take, the better off your chances at ‘winning’. The game starts with a qualifying round, a themed challenge and the Wipeout Zone- similar to the show. Of course the show traditionally has four rounds, not three.

Gameplay is really easy to pick up. I’ll admit the first time I played, I had a little trouble, though. Instead of trying to read any instructions about the controls, I attempted to dive in head first. I could figure out moving easy enough (drag left to backwards, right to walk/run forward)… but not jump. I easily was able to pause the game where I quickly saw something labeled “controls” which informed me jumping was as easy as tapping the right, lower corner- yes I felt pretty dumb that I didn’t think of that on my own.

The game is very addicting. The action is quick-paced and simple. This is a good time-waster. I admit it doesn’t lure me in as well as Jetpack Joyride, but it’s pretty close. There are also a far amount of unlockable extras- courses, helmets, you name it.

Graphics and Audio

Nothing that outstanding to report about the video or audio in Wipeout. The music isn’t anything that you are going to be humming around the house for days to come, but it’s not necessarily annoying or distracting either.

As for the graphics?

The graphics are something you’d find in many of the mid-to-high quality Xbox Live Arcade and PSN Store games that are under $15. Considering Wipeout is only $1.99 though, it’s not bad graphics by any means. One thing worth noting is that this game is supposed to work great for the iPhone 3GS and newer devices (support for iPod Touch and iPad, too)- so it’s bound to be compatible with just about any iOS device you throw its way.

Killer Feature: Game Physics Engine

What makes Wipeout most exciting is the physics engine involved in the game. While the graphics and sound might not be much better than what you’d find in a late-90s or early-00s console game- the physics are much more advanced than something from that era.

The physics in Wipeout allow relatively accurate responses to obstacles and wipeouts. When you hit into an obstacle, the force and angle of the hit from the obstacle is taken into account. Sometimes it pushes you a great distance, other times it just barely knocks you down.

Overall

The developers at Activision clearly did their homework here. This really does play a lot like the TV show experience, but at the same time it is challenging and addicting enough to appeal to even those who’ve never heard or watched the show before.

There are many other great fast-paced action games out there for iOS, so is this one worth the $1.99 to get it? Honestly, yes and no. If you like the show, I’d say its a resounding YES. If you’ve never seen the show, you will still like this game I’d strongly consider it if the idea of reacting quickly to obstacles appeals to you. This game is meant to bring in players to the fun-paced action and obstacles of the show while providing a great time waster. In those regards, it executes near perfectly. I’d give it a rating of a 9 out of 10.

Keep in mind that Wipeout is only for iOS, not Android or other mobile platforms. You can get it now for just $1.99 through the AppStore.

The post Popular TV Show Wipeout Transforms into Addicting iOS Game (Full Review) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

One of the most popular iOS games ever has finally made its way over to Android, Jetpack Joyride. This game is the work of Halfbrick Studios, the same folks that created Fruit Ninja. The idea is pretty simple, you command Barry Steakfries- a regular everyday Joe that decides to take a joyride through the factory using a bunch of top secret devices, such as the machine gun jetpack, and from there the chaos ensues.

While the story might not be that ‘epic’, this game is very addictive, to say the least. So does the Android version hold up to the original iOS game? Let’s take a look and find out. Keep in mind that this review might be geared towards the new Android release but should be largely applicable to iOS users as well.

Gameplay and controls

Gameplay with Jetpack Joyride is extremely easy to learn, all you do is have to tap on the screen, it doesn’t matter where, Barry will do the rest. That might not sound exactly exciting, but don’t be misled, the obstacles that you have to block as Barry makes his way to the factory are very complex and requires quick responses and thinking if you want to keep from being knocked off the jetpack.

The idea of the game is basically to make it as far as you can through the factory floors. There is a meter that keeps up with your progress and tells you how far you’ve went. Besides trying to get as far as possible, there are also missions each time you play through the game, which can change each time. This includes things like giving high-fives to factory workers or even trying to fall on your face for a certain distance after being knocked off the jetpack. There is also a system for leveling up by collecting stars, though it doesn’t really seem to be that important from what I can tell.

Like the idea of changing out items and getting knew gadgets? There are also two gadgets, one that gives an extra kick when jumping off the ground, another that speeds his descent towards it. There are also tons of vehicle power ups and special items like a gravity suit and even a dragon robot you can ride.

The best thing about this game is that it is free and yet it certainly feels more like a premium game. Like many free games from major studios, there is an in-app purchase system as well for buying coins and purchasing some of the more special additional items. The good think is they aren’t really necessary at all to enjoy the game, which is great. This in contrast to some games out there where you really don’t get a full experience without paying extra for such items.

Graphics and Audio

How good are the graphics? They are certainly cartoonish, but it fits the game’s experience and I wouldn’t want it any other way. The game is sharp and the action is fast, and the graphics hold up great for this style of game. Are they anything like you’d get with a modern console game? No, maybe not, but they are certainly on-par with the high-end Xbox Live Arcade and PSN Store games you find on your console for $5-$20 ranges, except for the fact that this game is totally free.

The audio and graphics are both essentially unchanged from the iOS version of the game, and while the soundtrack isn’t going to blow you off your feet, it’s very enjoyable and fits the arcade style action of the game like a glove.

Pros

This game is very addicting, have I said that already? It is fun to play, and hard to put down. The game is certainly humorous and something that you can play for ten minutes or thirty minutes, totally up to you. Here are just a few of the best things about the game:

• Addictive, fun design
• Lots of achievements and unlockables to discover
• A great time waster
• An arcade feel that is truly timelessness

Cons

Is Jetpack Joyride perfect? I’d say it comes pretty close, but no, it’s not. I’ve tested the game on my lower end Android phone, on a mid-range Android tablet and on my iPad 2. I came away with an opinion that Jetpack Joyride is great and relatively consistent across most devices, there were a few small freezes and glitches on a lower-end single-core Android smartphone. For most users though, the Android version should be comparable to the original iOS version.

Besides that, there isn’t much else to complain about, but I’ll try. There isn’t a way to sync progress between multiple devices, like Android phone and tablet, or iOS and Android- so for those with multiple devices, you have to choose a platform to play the game on and stick with it if you care about unlocking things and racking up points, etc.

Another slight negative is that it is only available through the Amazon AppStore, which means it is only officially available in the U.S. Market for now for Android users. It is likely only a matter of time before Google Play gets it as well, I’d wager.

Overall

This game is free, so you have absolutely nothing to lose by trying it out, except maybe a few minutes of your time. If you like fast-action games that are trying on your reflexes, you’ll love this game. It has a great feel that mixes that old-school arcade design with modern action and style.

You can find the game through the Amazon AppStore or Apple AppStore, depending on whether you need the iOS or the Android version.

The post App Review: Jetpack Joyride (Android & iOS) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Electronic Arts is one of the biggest video game developers in the world for a reason. They’ve got access to a huge library of licenses and they’re not afraid to push out franchise after franchise on just about every platform. iOS is no exception, because EA is launching more than 70 games for the iPhone at 99 cents a pop.

What kind of games can you expect at the $0.99 price point? Fighting game fans (like me) will likely get a kick out of playing Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 on the go. You’ll also find Need for Speed Hot Pursuit (for iPad), SimCity Deluxe (for iPad), and Battlefield Bad Company 2.

For something a little more classic, Scrabble for iOS is being offered by EA Games for the the incredibly attractive price of free. They’re also giving out Cause of Death for free. You can even play the Game of Life… in HD.

Now, EA Games isn’t going to release all 70 titles all in one go, but the first batch of this “massive 70 game wave” is already pretty attractive. Now we’ll just wait to see what Popcap, Rovio, and other mobile devs are doing to attract our attention too.

[SlashGear]

The post EA plans to release over 70 iOS games for under a buck appeared first on Mobile Magazine.