As great as gaming may have become on the iPad and the iPhone, it’s just not the same playing with touchscreen controls. We’ve seen some different physical contraptions that counter this, but the new Audojo Gaming Case for iPad could be one of the more creative solutions to date.

It basically snaps onto either side of the iPad with each half providing a speaker, an analog stick and a trigger button. This is quite different from some other cases and controllers that provide console-style face buttons and the analog sticks themselves remind me of the analog sliders you find on the PSP series from Sony. The dual analog stick configuration, along with the trigger buttons, makes the Audojo case a good solution for first-person shooters, flight sims and certain action games. I imagine this would be great if they ported Smash TV to iOS for this purpose.

Another thing that makes the Audojo gaming case different is that it doesn’t sync up with your iPad via Bluetooth. Instead, it plugs straight into the headphone jack of your tablet; this is supposed to provide minimal latency and extended battery life. If you still want to use headphones, there is a headphone jack on the case too. In terms of game compatibility  which is very important for all these mobile gaming peripherals, Audojo is working with the Unity standard. And yes, you can use AirPlay for the big screen experience too.

Audojo is currently seeking funding through their Kickstarter campaign, which runs until February 21. They have a goal of raising $240,000. The estimated retail price for the gaming case will be “$99 or more,” but you can secure one now with a minimum pledge of $65 with free shipping in the US.

[Source]

The post Audojo Gaming Case for iPad Adds Dual Analog Sticks (Video) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Although this game was reviewed on Android, other versions of the game will be very similar to what is described below.

Gameloft has finally released Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour, and at a first glance, it looks stunning. The game feels very polished right from the UI and menu navigation all the way to the great multiplayer progression and the singleplayer campaign

Controls

The touchscreen has its restrictions when playing fast action games, and the current overlay used by most first person shooters is usable, but no one has quite yet managed to invent a decent control system that uses the functionality of the touch screen to its advantage instead of just popping overlay control buttons on top of the screen.

There are a variety of buttons on Modern Combat 4 and for the most part they’ve been placed in all of the right places.

Buttons on the right side control most of the things you’ll need to play, such as sprint, zoom, and fire, whilst on the left side you have a radar and a movement stick. This layout has become the standard for most shooting games on the mobile platform, however, if you aren’t happy with it, the overlay can be edited in the menu, You can move and resize all of the overlay buttons to your liking, making it perfect for your own use, especially handy when you have a screen size that doesn’t work with the default set up.

Singleplayer

Although in most cases, the majority of attention towards first person shooters is on the multiplayer aspects of the game, it’s rare that you find an FPS game without some sort of single player campaign. The campaign within Modern Combat 4 features the generic scenarios we’d expect from most modern shooters today. This is not to say it’s bad though, because although the story isn’t exactly new in terms of plotline, and there’s nothing within the campaign that makes it stand out from anything else, there’s still a decent amount of content within it, and it plays out very smoothly.

An interesting aspect of the campaign is the continuous switching back and forth between the different characters. The first mission starts with you playing as the good guys, but the second mission lets you play as the terrorists, and this pattern continues throughout the twelve missions available within the campaign.

At first, the average combat scenario was fun, and it was truly impressive to take in this level of content on a mobile device, and Gameloft  have boldly set a new standard for smartphone gaming, however, when comparing it with console and PC shooters, after a few hours of play most of the average combat scenes become dull and quite repetitive. The AI isn’t great, and you can always stick your head behind cover and take a lengthy breather whenever you feel it’s necessary.

Luckily, there are different scenes within the campaign that mix up the standard firefights, including fast-paced shootouts whilst on the back of a vehicle, interesting operations that involve remote control robots, and other objective-based scenarios.

The story has also been very well narrated, and the voice acting for the characters is superb. Of course the story doesn’t deserve any awards in regards to originality, but it has been portrayed very well, and Gameloft have done a great job to immerse you within the storyline. The switching between both sides of the story opens up opportunities for the campaign as well, and Modern Combat 4 uses this feature well.

Multiplayer

The multiplayer in Modern Combat 4 is outstanding. Never before have we seen such great multiplayer gaming on a mobile device. The gameplay may mimic a lot from console gaming, but what’s important to remember is that this isn’t a console game, and right now, there isn’t any alternative on the market that lives up to Gameloft’s new game.

When you first enter the multiplayer menu after logging into your Gameloft Live account, you’ll be taken to a screen with three different multiplayer lobbies, and a row of options down the bottom. Two of these lobbies are dedicated to custom games. You can view all the current custom games playing, or create your own. This is perfect for those wanting to play with friends, or those who want to have more control over the levels and game modes that they play, but playing in custom won’t reward players with XP or currency to upgrade equipment.

The ranked games will though, and they can be accessed through the ranked lobby. You can then choose the game mode you wish to play and you’ll be joined up with a game already in progress.

There are plenty of game modes in Modern Combat 4, which gives players hours of play before becoming bored. None of them are new concepts, but these game modes definitely help drive the core multiplayer experience. Games like Zone Control and Capture the Flag offer more objective-based gameplay, whilst games like VIP, Battle and Team Battle mimic the classic frag-fest.

There are a few maps to play in, but the choice isn’t that big, and after a few hours play you’ll have mastered most of the maps and mapped out the layout of them in your head. It’d be nice if Gameloft added some more maps in the future, but right now it’s hard to tell if this will happen or not.

It’s also super easy to add friends in Modern Combat 4, and once you have a group of friends, you can quickly invite them to your party to play games together. The grouping system works really well, and you can also compare stats between you, your friends and other players within the social section.

Customization and Progression System

The EXP and currency rewarded for completing the game is very generous, and you’ll get decent bonuses for winning matches, getting headshots and completing challenges found within the menu.

Although EXP only goes to your rank, ranking up will unlock new perks to purchase, and obviously having a high rank is a pretty important status symbol.

With your currency earnt in-game, you can purchase new weapons, perks, loadouts and attachments for your weapons. The menu is super easy to navigate and it’s been displayed really well. When choosing a weapon you can view it in a 3D theatre and rotate it around to have a decent look at it. You can then attach scopes, stocks and muzzles to your guns and your stats will adjust accordingly.

As well as the great weapon customization, a lot of work can be done to your perks, and finding a decent combination of perks and a well-equipped loadout can really help to benefit your own playstyle.

Multiplayer as it is on Modern Combat 4 is the best of the best right now, and it’s definitely got a lot to boast about. Currently there aren’t as many players online as you may like, and it is at times difficult to find a game session on ranked matches, and occasionally there are a few connection issues when logging into the game. However, it’s nothing like the connection problems in Modern Combat 3, and earnt EXP and currency will stay in your account after finishing a game.

Summary

Pros:

• Great multiplayer customization
• Loads of game modes
• Campaign has plenty of levels and difficulty options
• Graphics and sounds are superb

Cons:

• Not many players online
• Great UI
• Would be nice to have more maps

Download Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour:

For iOS

For Android

The post Modern Combat 4 Game Review appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

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.

Fieldrunners 2 is leagues ahead of other tower defense games currently out, and is even better than the previous Fieldrunners game.  More towers, more enemies, more levels, better graphics and even more achievements.  Everything the original did fantastically, the sequel does even better.  The amount of content here is fantastic.

 Gameplay

Fieldrunners plays like most tower defense games.  Waves of runners come and you build towers to destroy them. Many levels are completely open,  where the player must build the path the runners follow out of towers.  Putting towers to block a path and using the set up to give certain towers various advantages.  There are a multitude of towers included, each with 2 upgrades.  There are different towers and many of them are unlocked by beating enough levels.

Each level, the player is allowed to take 6 different towers with them into battle.    Every tower has its own unique uses, Tesla towers take out big fieldrunners, pyro towers are made for crowd control.  There are different types of slowing towers,  missile towers, and machine gun towers.  Towers that poison, towers that do splash damage and towers that shoot in four directions too.

There are a huge array of Fieldrunners as well.  Fieldrunners in cars, tanks, planes, blimps and everything in between.  Every field runner can be dealt with differently which adds to the strategic element of the game.  Fieldrunners in fast planes have to be slowed to be killed or else they will zip right through a player’s defenses.

Every level is completely different from the last. There are multiple game modes, Survival mode is just a standard tower defense where the player has a set amount of life and one is taken down each time a runner passes through.  Time trial is a mode where the player cannot die,  there is an allotted amount of time and the player must take out a certain number of runners before time is up. Puzzle mode has the player try to force the runners to go through laser gates.

This is done by placing towers strategically on the board in order to force the runner to go around the towers and into the gates. There is an endless mode and lastly a Sudden death mode,  the player has 3 life and there are hundreds of runners that come on like a storm.  The goal is to kill a certain number of them before you die.

Graphics and Sound

The graphics in Fieldrunners are great.  They are very vivid and colorful,  especially on the iPad.  The best thing about Fieldrunners 2 HD is probably the fact that IS on the iPad,  each level runs a bit long,  some up to 30 or 40 minutes.  Each level is bright and crisp looking,  and the background of the levels changes as the game progresses and the player reaches new areas.

The music,  while very repetitive,  is almost a parody of a march and fits the style of Fieldrunners well.

Pros

• Large amount of towers
• A ton of replay value
• Great visuals and gameplay

Cons:

• The price, at $7.99 it’s higher than most games
• Difficulty ramps up FAST
• Could be challenging for people new to tower defense games

 Overall

In the end,  Fieldrunners 2 HD is one of the best tower defense games to be released thus far.  The new towers and enemies are great and this game has enough to it to play it for weeks on end.

Find Fieldrunners 2 HD here at the App store.

The post Fieldrunners 2 HD Review appeared first on Mobile Magazine.