There are plenty of great games this week for the iPad, including some that challenge you to tell dreams from reality. Other iPad games this week include a game familiar to Nintendo fans, and a tower-defense game that is a must-have for science fiction fans.
Across Age HD ($7.99)
If you or your kids have played an action RPG on the Nintendo DS, Super Nintendo, or Genesis, you’ll both feel right at home in Across Age HD. The rich graphics that fill every inch of your screen, perfect control and battle schemes, cinematic anime cut scenes, and more than 15 hours of retro gaming goodness add up to a must-have for every serious iPad gamer.
Players can step into the roles of Ales (a swordsman) or Ceska (a magician), each of whom bring special abilities to the game to help solve environmental puzzles, as well as the ability get past tricky bosses and other mobs throughout the game. Knowing when and how to deploy both characters in a cooperative fashion is critical to your success.
Add to that the ability to travel through time to go back to previous areas and unlock special events and riddles, and Across Age is one game your young teen is sure to enjoy anywhere your iPad goes. All serious Zelda players (not to mention Pokemon and other 2D overhead RPG games) will thoroughly enjoy this game from start to finish.
That said, the game is rated 12+, and given the graphical depiction of Ceska throughout the game (think of any female teen anime characters you’ve encountered to date), parents may want to think twice before allowing young children to play this game.
Starfall HD ($4.99)
I’m a huge fan of science fiction, especially action sci-fi movies set in space. Add to that a penchant for tower defense games, and you can imagine my reaction when I came across Starfall HD this week. In this game, you defend your floating platforms by installing power plants and collecting weaponry, then you upgrade each installation and funnel enemies through pathways you create with your placements.
The action is intense, the power-ups are easy to apply, and its slow progression from easy to difficult will keep you on your toes for weeks to come. The graphics are excellent, the controls are well-suited to a tower defense title, and you’ll likely replay many of the higher levels as you figure out the best way to tackle the biggest waves of bad guys.
As each battle against the never ending hordes unfold, you’ll also want to keep a close eye on your power situation. You don’t simply “build it and forget it” – there’s a strict limit to how many turrets you can place before a single power generator is maxed out. Be careful about your placement of additional power supplies, as well as placing towers in general. This is a must-have iPad game for those who love tower-defense titles.
Natalie Brooks The Treasures of the Lost Kingdom HD Lite (Free)
I’ve nearly lost count of the number of hidden object games available in the iTunes App Store, which is why I was pleasantly surprised to spend some time with the free version of Natalie Brooks The Treasures of the Lost Kingdom HD: hidden objects are just part of the story. There are interesting mini-games to tackle along the way, along with a well-written storyline that’s genuinely funny. Add pitch-perfect cut scene videos and comics, and you’ll enjoy every minute of the 24 hours at your disposal to rescue your archaeologist grandfather from his kidnappers. The dastardly dudes think that you, famous detective Natalie Brooks, can grab an ancient treasure map for them and deliver it to their doorstep on a silver platter. Fail, and your grandfather will have seen his final days. Are you up to the challenge?
Tackle a nasty curse along the way, uncover the truth behind a scary ghost train, and piece together tons of clues across seven chapters of fun. Best of all, while the story says you have 24 hours to complete every task, there’s no real-world time limit. So explore, iPad detectives, and enjoy.
Antistar 3D: Rising (99 cents)
Ever wonder what your 12- or 13-year-old child dreams about at night? This sometimes odd — but completely engrossing — game may come close to answering that question. Antistar 3D: Rising is an original, interactive 3D title that melds arcade and adventure elements, all while offering procedural landscapes and a depth of field I’ve yet to see in any mobile game.
You start the game as a child without memories, working your way through empty villages and the lair of a gang of mice to figure out if you’re just dreaming or in real danger. It takes quite a while before things start making sense, and that’s a positive – the oddness of the experience and the dream-like quality of the environments and musical score make Antistar 3D what it is.
Truly a trip down the rabbit hole to a completely original Wonderland, this is a title you’ll be pondering for days to come as your work your way through the content. Along the way, you’ll encounter a menagerie of strange creatures, who will help or hurt you in your quest for understanding.
It will take courage and a willingness to take chances to make it though the story. Future chapters and updates are on the way from the developer, who’s given open-minded gamers the chance to dive into a one-of-a-kind experience that promises to keep getting better and better.
