Our hero Herman has spent years finding inner-peace and learning the ways of nature high atop the Himalaya Mountains. Now it’s time to put his Jedi-like reflexes to the test in this week’s top iPad game. It’s a platformer that’s custom-made for family fun.
Toss in a turn-the-tables zombie game, an iPad-exclusive Back to the Future romp, and a thoroughly satisfying single-stick bug shooter, and you’ve got yourself a solid set of new games to enjoy in these final days of February.
Herman the Hermit ($0.99)
It’s not easy to find truly family-friendly games in the App Store, unless you’re really into board games. Capcom, thankfully, came through this week with Herman the Hermit, a fresh game that challenges players of all ages to keep Herman jumping nimbly between quick-moving rocky, levitating platforms. Borrowing its controls from Angry Birds, you’ll need to set his jump angles and distances by pressing down in the middle of the screen and setting the direction by dragging your finger. The best part? Herman tends to miss a platform now and again. No worries – his walking stick doubles as a helicopter blade, bringing him out of the clouds and back into view. Be sure to grab the rocket and teleport power-ups along the way to speed Herman to his goal – peace, becoming one with nature, and climbing the high score leaderboards.
Zombie Runaway ($0.99)
Com2us takes the tried-and-true zombie game formula and stands it on its head in this rush n’ run game. Taking on the role of the last surviving zombie, you’ll need to boogie on out of the cemetery as fast as your festering feet can ferry you. You’re locked on the only path out, and you’ll need to move between three lanes, jumping over tombstones and gathering speed and power-ups along the way. The more tombstones you crush when powered-up, the more time the game puts on the clock. How far can you get? Post your best score to Facebook, compare your romps with friends, and more. When the standard game gets tired (and it will), be sure to jump into Blitz mode to speed things up.
Back to the Future Ep 1 HD ($6.99)
It’s time to dust off that Delorean and join Marty and Doc Brown on an all-new, iPad-exclusive adventure. Spanning five full episodes, and with a story set a few short months after the third movie, you’ll take on the role of Marty who, once again, must travel back in time to save Doc Brown. With Steven Spielberg executive producing the series, Christopher Lloyd reprising his role as the voice of Doc, and a unique, cartoonish-take on the central storyline, there’s a lot to like about Telltale’s newest offering. The app is true to the spirit of the movie franchise, with just the right amount of humor, crazy escapes, and ‘80s era tech to please long-time fans. You’ll encounter a range of puzzles along the way, each downright easy to solve. If you have kids trying to play along, you’ll be glad they’re not super-hard. That said, the tale tends to roll out slowly, and without much peril should you fail. Still, every serious Back to the Future fan won’t want to miss this fresh addition to the cannon, with four more episodes to look forward throughout the year.
Bugs Wars ($1.99)
Do you have what it takes to protect your human friends from a never-ending horde of alien bugs? This super-fun single-stick shooter is short on story, but long on fun, and it’s my pick for this week’s must-have game. While your human target aimlessly walks around an open field, aliens converge on them from all sides. Use the on-screen joystick to train your weapon on the baddies, then blast away! Land a solid shot and you’re rewarded with some serious splash damage. Use your finger to pick up the cash your wayward client drops to say “thanks” after each wave, and do your best to ignore their gyrating hips and silly dance at the end of each full level.
