The weekly game haul on Thursday this week was kind of huge, so we’ve got a set of four solid games for players to take into their weekends. Leading the charge is Tap Tap Glee, a rhythm game that pulls music from the popular TV show in the Tap Tap Revenge style, and Baby Monkey (Going Backwards on a Pig), a game derived of an extremely cute YouTube video. Requiem, our next title, brings something to the more hardcore video gaming crowd with a first-person running game akin to the console game Mirror’s Edge with some beautiful 3-D environments. Finally, Desert Quest mixes some role-playing elements into a two-stick shooter setup.
Tap Tap Glee (iPhone, iPad) Free
Another in the long-running Tap Tap Revenge series of rhythm games, Tap Tap Glee is tied in with the popular TV show of the same name. It’s filled with more than 50 tracks from the show to tap along with, although only three are available for free: Don’t Stop Believin’, My Cup, and Hell to the No, with a new free track released every day. The rest are available through in-app purchase.
In addition to playing with Glee’s actual music, the game features some social networking ties as well. You can use it to access fan pages on Facebook, and it includes Game Center support to dish out achievements and let you show off your high scores on online leaderboards.
Baby Monkey (Going Backwards on a Pig) (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
Based on a song created to go with a YouTube video of a baby monkey riding the back of a small pig and hanging on for dear life, Baby Monkey (Going Backwards on a Pig) is a side-scrolling endless running game that’s simple but kind of a lot of fun. And if you’re a fan of that song, you’ll absolutely love it.
The game has really simple controls: You control the jumping of the monkey with a button on the left, trying to collect bananas to score points, while the jumping of the pig is controlled with the right button, and it’s necessary to make sure he avoids obstacles or you’ll lose. This means you have to split your attention, which is enough to make this endless runner slightly more interesting and sophisticated than average. It’s also extremely cute.
Requiem (iPhone, iPad) $1.99
The iOS version of Electronic Arts’ game Mirror’s Edge isn’t quite the same as what the console version of that game is. On Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, Mirror’s Edge is a first-person game that’s all about leaping across rooftops and avoiding obstacles to keep momentum going. Requiem, a game built on the Unity engine, is very much what Mirror’s Edge is on consoles, but on iOS – a first-person game in which you must run through a dream to avoid being caught and killed by a raging bull.
Being a dream, the world of Requiem is a crazy one, with objects that defy gravity and some weird scenery thrown in. The primary goal of each level is to survive, but there are also collectible stars and winged horse insignias to grab along the way that increase your score in each level. Requiem also has two difficulty modes to help players ease in and get a lot of challenge out of it. The controls take a little getting used to, but once you have the hang of it, Requiem becomes an interesting and fast-paced title.
Desert Quest (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
A cross between a two-stick shooter and a role-playing game, Desert Quest is all about wielding weapons and searching the desert for lost objects. Each level has a sort of strange 2.5-D style, in which you can move forward and back and rotate, but the game also has a flat look. It’s an interesting art style that complements a fun but simple RPG that’s all about fighting off animals and finding things.
As you search through each level, you’ll discover important gems you can combine to make magic spells, money you can spend on new weapons and armors, and maps that let you find your way through the desert on your quest to save your beloved, who’s trapped in a volcano or something. It’s not for everyone, but Desert Quest will likely find a loyal following that likes its style and its engaging but simple play.
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