Hollywood has often been ridiculed for its lack of original ideas, and while there have been plenty of knock-offs and sequels in the App Store it has somehow avoided a similar tag. This week’s Games of the Week list might change that, though, what with four sequels and a PC game turned-app.
Okay, so it probably won’t. While this week’s list may not have anything you haven’t seen before, it’s full of proven hits that are plenty of fun.
Baseball Superstars 2011 ($4.99)
The third game in Gamevil’s Baseball Superstars series, Baseball Superstars 2011, will be a familiar game for fans of the series, but also one with plenty of upgrades. Visually, the characters have been improved immensely, and there are also plenty of new characters. Gamevil has also added more player customization options, though the game is still pretty light in this area. What it’s not light in is the insane amount of RPG elements, as both the My League and Season modes have (somehow) been enhanced and are even more addictive than their predecessors. And that’s the beauty of Baseball Superstars: it’s a fun baseball game, but an even better RPG. The standard warning applies: if you want a hardcore baseball sim, stay away from Superstars 2011, but if you’re just looking for a fun baseball-themed app this is as good as it gets.
NBA Elite 11 by EA Sports ($4.99)
It’s been a year since EA Sports’ NBA Live became the first full basketball game in the App Store, and it remained the only one up until last week. NBA Elite 11 by EA Sports may have a different name, but it’s essentially a sequel to the now-defunct NBA Live. As is typical from EA, there are a number of tweaks in this version – the graphics are better, there’s now a three-point shootout, and the controls are a little different – but it’s also very similar to last year’s app. There’s still a full-season mode, though no franchise mode, and the ability to unlock legendary players adds some replay incentive. I wrote glowingly of NBA Live because it was the full NBA game sports gamers had been waiting for; while NBA Elite is still the only game in town, it’s a good-but-not-great game and not nearly as groundbreaking as the first.
Doodle Devil ($0.99)
In what is becoming a recurring theme in this week’s list, JoyBits’ Doodle Devil isn’t much different from the wildly popular Doodle God. All the things that made Doodle God a hit are in this release; incredibly simple gameplay, witty sayings and humorous matches. In fact, aside from a different background and 107 new matches, this is the exact same game. But it only costs 99 cents and JoyBits proved with Doodle God that you can expect plenty of meaningful updates in the future. Besides, when you’ve created one of the most addictive iOS games of all time, it’s not a terrible thing to use the same model.
Amateur Surgeon 2 ($0.99)
Adult Swim has enjoyed a good deal of success on the iPhone, most recently with the addictive Robot Unicorn Attack. But before that, there was Amateur Surgeon, a quirky game in which you are challenged with ridiculous surgical missions. In Amateur Surgeon 2, the series’ main character, Alan Probe, is back. It’s more than 50 years after the first game so his skills have declined, and you must once again prove you are worthy. There are new items to use and plenty of overall improvements, so if you owned the first and were worried about it being a carbon copy, it’s not. In all, there are 27 levels and, at its current price, this is a no-brainer for Adult Swim fans. For those who aren’t convinced there’s a lite version of the first game, or you can give the PC version of the game a spin on Adult Swim’s website.
Death Worm ($0.99)
Originally an independent PC hit, Death Worm comes to the App Store with plenty of hype and a built-in fan base. For those who are out of the loop, the game puts you in control of a worm who’s causing all kinds of havoc, from eating people to destroying helicopters. The worm is controlled by a virtual d-pad and single action button across 45 levels. There are three locations and the game is retina display supported, leading to a good presentation. There’s also an endless runner-type mini-game, but that’s the only twist in gameplay offered here. That means there’s not a lot of variety which is likely to be the biggest complaint from gamers. Other than that, this is a solid casual action game that, like the PC version, is sure to be a success.
