Probably just about everyone has played Angry Birds by this point, but Coco Loco, a similar title, is still worth your time this weekend. In fact, it’s our leading game this week because it mixes puzzle-solving elements with its arcade/physics gameplay. You’ll actually have to use your brain to destroy the game’s evil cocoa beans. Read all about it and our other picks below.
Coco Loco (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
By this point, any iOS gamer is probably fine with never encountering another Angry Birds clone again. That’s okay, though – Coco Loco is more like an Angry Birds hybrid, not a clone. In it, players mix Angry Birds-style elements, like shooting characters at structures to destroy them, with puzzles to solve. For example, in one level you may not be able to hit your target creatures with your candy-inspired characters. But you can use one’s power to plug a hole in the right place, causing liquid to back up and solve the problem for you. Coco Loco asks you to use your brain in lots of different ways, making it quite a bit of fun and a worthy addition to the physics/puzzle genre.
MotoHeroz (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
There’s just something fun and endearing about side-scrolling motocross titles in the App Store. MotoHeroz joins a big field of similar titles in which hitting ramps, doing flips in the air and plowing through obstacles is the norm. With some decent controls, great-looking levels and racing atmosphere, it’s a nice addition to the genre. It also adds some gameplay elements that mix up what most players are used to seeing. You’ll find items along the way that can be activated to circumvent certain obstacles: adding sticky tires, for example, lets you drive up walls. All the while, you’ll compete against ghost racers for the best time to earn stars and open up new tracks.
Chaos Rings II (iPhone, iPad) $17.99
Quite a lot of iOS users really enjoy Square Enix’s role-playing series, the latest of which is Chaos Rings II. If you’re a fan of the games, you might be able to stomach the $18 price tag. Chaos Rings II rewards players with a storyline that is shaped by their decisions and a big, interesting moral choice: can you sacrifice a friend for the good of the world? That’s what’s asked of Darwin, the game’s main character, as he hunts down five people meant to be sacrificed, one of whom is a childhood friend. Square Enix seems as though it intends to give you enough content to make the price worth it, with lots of content updates planned for the future.
Adventure Bar Story $0.99
The fun part about Adventure Bar Story is that it’ll feel familiar in so many ways to players who have enjoyed role-playing titles over the years. In the game, you run the bar where video game adventurers often stop between forays into the wilds. Adventure Bar Story splits its time between being a management simulator, in which you run the bar, and an RPG itself, in which you hunt through caves for ingredients for food. Adventure Bar Story has lots to offer gamers who like their titles slow, methodical and brainy, with a mix of monster-killing for good measure.
Sir Benfro’s Brilliant Balloon (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
Primarily, Sir Benfro’s Brilliant Balloon is a side-scrolling title akin to games such as Jetpack Joyride, in which you touch the screen to make Sir Benfro rise as he hangs from his balloon, in order to avoid obstacles. Letting go makes him descend, and crashing causes its own problems. But an interesting look and a beautiful soundtrack make Sir Benfro’s more than another entry into an overcrowded genre. The gameplay mechanics offer a few subtleties – how much, how little and how frequently you touch the screen affects your speed, for example – but primarily, Sir Benfro’s looks and sounds great, making it a great little time-killer.
