This week’s game haul has a couple of very notable entries. Another World, an iOS port of a 20-year-old side-scrolling action title that had a big effect on gaming, leads the pack, followed by 2-D platformer Stardash, which brings an 8-bit Game Boy-like aesthetic. Where’s My Water? is a clever physics puzzler from the makers of JellyCar 3, and Hector: Ep3 brings to a conclusion Telltale Games’ very British and very adult humor-oriented point-and-click adventure.
Another World (iPhone, iPad) $4.99
Something of a legendary side-scrolling action title first released some 20 years ago for the Amiga, Another World hit iOS as a universal app and is a must for anyone who’s a fan of classic gaming, or just well-made adventures. Following a physicist who gets teleported to (wait for it) another world, the game offers little explanation of how to play it or what to do. It’ll also kill you often with its trial-and-error gameplay, but it saves frequently and expertly crafts an interesting sci-fi story with minimal dialog and graphics.
Featuring a “normal” difficulty mode (which makes this really tough game substantially easier), amplified HD graphics and the ability to switch between touch controls and virtual buttons, Another World offers a whole of updates to this classic title. It also includes Game Center support for 13 achievements.
Stardash (iPhone, iPad) $1.99
A platformer in the vein of the classic Game Boy title Super Mario Land, Stardash is all about speed, grabbing coins and avoiding enemies. You’ll run through the black-and-white 8-bit world as fast as you can – finish levels within 20 seconds to snag some bonus points, and collect coins along the way to earn even more. It’s all about racking up a high score.
Stardash includes 40 levels and more that are unlockable, as well as Game Center support that provides achievements and online leaderboards. Its controls include only one button – for jumping – but don’t let the extreme simplicity make you think that it’s easy.
Where’s My Water? (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
From the makers of JellyCar 3, Where’s My Water? is a puzzle game that uses life-like water physics to challenge you. The game has you figuring out how to get water trapped in the ground through broken pipes to provide Swampy the Alligator with the means of taking a shower. To do that, you’ll draw lines through the underground dirt to give water a path to the right places, using it to touch rubber duckies along the way to earn additional points.
Where’s My Water’s 80 levels get more difficult over time, as you’ll have to deal with toxic sludge and mold that can divert or mix with your water. You’ll also occasionally have to dig around to find hidden objects to complete everything. Game Center support provides Where’s My Water? with achievements to unlock and leaderboards to climb, as well.
Hector: Ep3 – Beyond Reasonable Doom (iPhone, iPad) $4.99
The final installment in Telltale Games and Straandlooper’s raunchy point-and-click adventure game finds Detective Inspector Hector, the incredibly lewd and somewhat disgusting crack cop of Clappers Wreake, England, working to stop a terrorist before he has a chance to bring down the entire town. Like the earlier installments of Hector, this one isn’t meant for kids, but its adult-oriented, often gross-out humor can be quite a bit of fun.
The last episode of Hector lasted a good few hours, so expect this one to be of decent girth as well (like Hector himself). The game is all about solving puzzles by finding objects, combining them, and interacting with various things and characters in the world. The last episode found Hector captured and in the hands of the terrorist – can he escape? You’ll have to play to see that yes, he probably can!
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