For those of us looking for that pinnacle action RPG for the iPhone, Ravensword: The Fallen King [$6.99 - iTunes]has been released. This game looks absolutely fantastic! I have only played this game for a few minutes (enough to leave the inn and wander the town. I will have a more thorough update later) but the controls are great and there are lots of options to tweak the performance based on your hardware.

The character and environment detail is some of the best I have seen on the iPhone. The game is similar to other games such as Oblivion in this genre. There are NPCs to interact with and several weapons and items to use. There has not been a game quite like this so far on the iPhone, so it will be exciting to see its reception in the App Store. I for one, know what I will be playing this weekend!

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FINALLY: Ravensword for iPhone Released!

On tap for today’s TiPb Top 5, we thought we’d cater to all of our iPhone and iPod touch wielding readers who enjoy action games. Just like our TiPb’s top 5 must-have board games, all of these games are available in the App Store, this time under categories – games – action. And even better, all of them are very reasonably priced. For the full run down, follow us after the break!

DOOM Resurrection

This first game is based off of one of the first first person shooters (FPS) ever, DOOM. DOOM holds a place in the hearts of every hardcore FPS fan out there. With DOOM Resurrection, Id has raised the bar for all other developers to follow with their reincarnation of a classic action game. With a fresh story line, great visuals, and simple yet very effective control scheme this is one game you’ll want to take a look at.

• Advanced graphics engine designed from the ground up to take full advantage of the power found in Apples mobile devices
• Wield an arsenal of heavy-hitting weapons to defeat a variety of hideous monsters and bosses
• Innovative controls for fast-paced and accessible first-person action
• An all-new chapter of the DOOM saga that new players and long-time DOOM fans can enjoy

DOOM Ressurection is available for $6.99. [iTunes Link]

Wolfenstein RPG

This next game just so happens to have a lot in common with DOOM Resurrection – it too was created by Id and is based off of a classic first person shooter. Wolfenstein RPG is not your typical FPS or RPG for that matter, it is a perfect combination of both genres – FPS and RPG elements are blended in nicely with great controls and sharp graphics. And don’t forget, the chicken-kicking mini-games are here…

• Arsenal of 16 weapons including Spiked Brass Knuckles, a Submachine Gun, and Dynamite. Tap and swipe to punch, kick, and shoot. Use the accelerometer to take down the Axis Agents from a distance with a powerful sniper rifle.
• Fight your way through 9 levels and 8+ hours of Wolfenstein action!
• High-res graphics suspended in a 3D world immerse you in the mayhem.
• Face 32 enemies you’ll love to vanquish! Battle elite soldiers, zombies flaming skeletons, and other bizarre Id creations.

Wolfenstein RPG is available for $2.99. [iTunes Link]

Modern Combat: Sandstorm

Gameloft has really stepped up into one of the leading developers for the iPhone platform with 35 game titles. Their latest game, Modern Combat: Sandstorm, definitely does not disappoint. When I played Modern Combat: Sandstorm I immediately thought of the popular console franchise Call of Duty. And that alone speaks volumes.

• Use a wide range of authentic, advanced weapons (2 assault rifles, sniper rifle, RPG, shotgun, submachine gun, light machine gun, heavy machine gun mounted on a moving 4X4, explosive grenades, flashbang grenades, radiation detector) enriched with a leveling system that allows the player to progressively unlock weapons and use munitions from fallen foes
• Highly polished 3D graphics provide full immersion into the military experience and high intensity combat
• 10 missions featuring varied and highly polished Middle Eastern environments (city, hospital, sewers, port, lab, training camp, etc.)

Modern Combat: Sandstorm is available for $6.99 [iTunes Link]

Alive 4-Ever

For those of you who enjoy a good top-down survival shooter once in a while, Alive 4-Ever is a good pick for you. The object is simple – shoot and kill any zombie that gets in your way. Fight your way through 30 levels whether it’s slaying a certain amount of zombies or a simple rescue mission, the action never comes to a halt.

• 16 different types of weapons, which include AK-47, M16 etc. Players can also buy their favorite weapons with the gold they get after each mission. You would have to get the strongest weapon fast enough to save all the survivors!
• Alive 4-ever uses the Bluetooth function of OS 3.0 to connect you with your friends and families so that completing missions has never been easier!
• Alive 4-ever uses the best graphics with excellent battle, visual, sound and music effects that runs smoothly despite yours is an iPhone or iPod touch.
• Alive 4-ever provides 30 missions for players, which includes eliminating a given amount of zombies, rescuing survivors in a given time frame, getting vaccines, boss battles, etc.

Alive 4-Ever is available for $.99. [iTunes Link]

Resident Evil Degeneration

Capcom’s Resident Evil series has proven itself to be one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. Resident Evil Degeneration is a survival horror game based on the CG-animated movie of the same name. With that eerie Resident Evil feel along with great visuals and a slick control system you are bound to have an excellent survival horror experience.

• Use your in-game PDA to collect intel, manage inventory and access maps.
• “Laser targeting” allows the players to make aimed accurate shots.
• Backgrounds, character models and objects are all rendered in full 3D.
• Accelerometer features: Shake iPhone to “Shake of Zombie” melee attacks. Tilt back device to reload.

Resident Evil Degeneration is available for $6.99. [iTunes Link]

Conclusion

There you have it, TiPb’s Top 5 Must-Have iPhone action games. Did we miss any of your favorites? Overlook any killer action game? Drop us a comment and let us know your list!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb’s Top 5 iPhone Action Games

It’s no secret that the Apple App Store is just flooded with games and entertainment titles – 21,178 to be exact.

As impressive as that number may sound, however, there is an old saying that says quality over quantity. Now don’t get us wrong, there are very impressive games that have hit the App Store but we think developers are just beginning to scratch the surface of the power of Apple devices. When the App Store was first introduced many developers just rushed to put apps together in a effort to simply cash in with some subpar apps. As time goes on we are seeing more and more impressively polished games arrive in the store.

Games such as EA’s Madden 2010, Assassins Creed 2 from Ubisoft (available November 11th), and a FPS called Nova from Gameloft are just a taste of what’s to come.

So we ask the big question to you, does Apple raise a serious threat to the likes of Sony and Nintendo? What are you using these days to get your game on?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone to Nintendo DS and Sony PSP: Handheld Gaming Wars Have Only Just Begun

Apple’s iTunes App Store launched on July 11, 2008 alongside the iPhone 3G and iPhone 2.0. Now, just a few days shy of its first birthday, iTunes is getting ready to celebrate by showcasing some of Apple’s favorite iPhone (and iPod touch) apps [iTunes link].

Split into two categories of 30, apps [iTunes link] and games [iTunes link], Apple’s picks are as diverse as they are interesting and seem to cover the gamut from major development studios to indies, premium priced to free, and as they put it are:

Part fun. Part function. Entirely amazing.

Did Apple include your favorite?

[via MacRumors]

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iPhone App Store Gets Ready to Celebrate 1st Birthday

We have covered the iPhone and gaming from top to bottom here at TiPb. The iPhone still has a lot of catching up to do in terms of the quality of the games and you can also toss in the lack of physical controls as a huge negative. All that aside, for the most part we’ve felt that if Apple plays their cards correctly, they could be a major player in the handheld gaming wars alongside the likes of Nintendo and Sony.

Maybe you’ve agreed with us, maybe you haven’t. If you’ve disagreed with our opinions and views that’s fine and dandy but maybe, just maybe, you will listen to Trip Hawkins. Who’s Trip Hawkins you ask? He started a little gaming company called Electronic Arts.

“The iPhone is by far our most effective platform. We make as much money with these games on one device as we do putting a game on 100 different cell phone platforms. Between the iPod touch and the iPhone, I think the platform is freaking out Sony and Nintendo.”

That is a pretty strong statement. It may be a great thing as more and more developers will take the iPhone as a serious contender and produce more and higher quality games, or it may prove to be one of the biggest pitfalls. It may encourage more developers to throw quality and innovation out the window and simply pump out below-average games just to make that quick profit. Up until this point we’ve seen a combination of some high quality games and some pure garbage. In the end, it’s about the almighty dollar and we get that. Hopefully game developers come up with ways to push the platform to the next level.

So where do you see this going in the long run for the iPhone as a gaming platform? Lets hear your thoughts!

[Via theappleblog.com]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Nintendo and Sony Feeling iPhone Heat?

Ok, don’t worry, the above image is actually from Activisions version of Ghostbusters for the Apple II that appeared in 1984 and not from this upcoming version. Most Ghostbuster fans out there are aware that the Ghostbusters are making their comeback this June on all of the major video game consoles with the original cast doing the voice acting. Well, most of you will be excited to know that your favorite ghostbusting trio will be making an appearance on the iPhone this June as well. Details are pretty much nil at the moment though hopefully Sony Pictures does it justice.

Sony says the Ghostbusters iPhone game will see you playing as the traditional team from the Ghostbusters movies, tackling New York borough by borough, trapping pesky poltergeists and stopping innocent citizens from being slimed. Think Halloween Harry, only with Ghostbusters’ Peter Venkman deadpanning it all the way through.

It should be interesting to see how the developers take advantage of the iPhones accelerometer in terms of control. So what do all of the fans think of this comeback? This is pretty big for those of us who here at TiPb grew up in the 1980’s, so we’re pretty excited to this game is coming.

[Via Electricpig]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Ghostbusters Coming to iPhone

TiPb has been following the iPhone and gaming for quite some time now. Now that the iPhone OS 3.0 announcement has come and gone, we’ve learned that there are 1000 new API’s for developers in the SDK. This will not only help developers make better games but it also shows Apple is deadly serious about making the iPhone a true competitor to Nintendo and Sony within the handheld market. What a bright future there seems to be for iPhone gamers.

More after the break!

Apple’s ace in the hole has been the App Store since the day iPhone OS 2.0 was announced. This year, the App Store will be available in 77 countries around the world. The App Store is like having a mobile version of Gamestop built into your phone, which is something the likes of RIM, Microsoft, or Google cannot compete with (though they’ve all released, or will soon be releasing versions of their own).

With iPhone 3.0, however, Apple is again raising the bar. In-app purchases will allow you to get even more out of a game for additional fees. Say you’re playing a First Person Shooter (FPS), you can pay an additional $0.99 for example to gain access to a better gun, stronger armor for your character, or $4.99 for an expansion pack with new maps/levels. Or how about in-app purchases with the upcoming Electronic Arts game, The Sims 3. Want to buy a radio for you house? Not a problem, you can make these purchases right in the game. Now something to keep in mind, these additional items that you can purchase must have some sort of game changing ability for them to charge you. An item that would not change game play can not be sold to you. The possibilities, however, are endless.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) connectivity is also a huge plus when it comes to gaming and handheld devices. It is something that will be key to Apple’s success in the handheld wars. What this will allow gamers to do is to play multi-player games and share information using Bonjour and Bluetooth. All of this can be done with no pairing needed what so ever. Pretty sweet deal if you ask us.

For a perfect example of what to expect from Peer-to-Peer connectivity be sure to check out the iPhone OS 3.0 announcement and head to the 54:00 minute mark to view a impressive look at a First Person Shooter called Live Fire. This game not only utilizes Peer-to-Peer but the push notification feature as well. How would a First Person Shooter use that feature you ask? It’s pretty simple, say you want to play with a friend of yours who has Live Fire on their iPhone. While you are playing simply send your friend an invite that gets pushed directly on their iPhone. They can choose to accept the invite or ignore it. Pretty nifty indeed. Will it be long before we have a friends list similar to that of Xbox Live?

It really is a pleasure to be able to watch something like this be built from the ground up. Apple really is doing a nice job at turning the iPhone into a portable gaming device. Some will say it is limited in terms of controls with games, which at the moment may be true. The platform is so new and developers have not even begun to scratch the surface. Until that happens we have yet to see exactly what is possible.

That’s not to say there isn’t any room for improvement, however. Instead of screen shots we’d still like to see streaming video previews for games. It’d be nice to be able to see a game in action right on your device within the App Store before you make your purchase.

Still, if there is a single company out there that you do not want to bet against, Apple is the one.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone OS 3.0: What it Means for Gamers

Things have been pretty slow this week in terms of noteworthy apps to bring to your attention. Nevertheless , we did find you two gems on sale in a sea of apps. To learn more about these discounted apps, read on after the break!

First up we have a deal for a wildly popular game in the App Store, Mafia Live!. [iTunes Link] You can now score this game for the low price of $.99 for a limited time! For all of you who like pretending you are Tony Soprano, this is your game.

You begin your quest to create the most powerful crime family as a rookie on the streets of The City. To do this, you need to buy guns and cars to battle other Mafia Families (other real players around the globe!). To progress in the game, you need to beat other Mafia Families (while gaining experience and taking their cash) and perform other missions to gain respect and hone your skills. As your power and wealth grows, more options become available to you. People will offer you properties to buy in The City; bankers will want to help you launder your cash; and other families will be both jealous and resentful of your success.

Next up we have another game that has just been released by the creators of Mafia Live!, UNDEAD Live. [iTunes Link] Fans of Vampire and Werewolf movies rejoice, this is the game you’ve been looking for. It works the same way as Mafia Live!, just in a whole other world. And at the price of FREE for a limited introductory price can you really go wrong? We didn’t think so either but act fast as this game will go back to it’s regular price of $4.99 on March 29th.

If you do grab these two games feel free to add me to your Mafia family (743883128) or your Vampire Clan (173107970). If you have a app in the App Store that you’d like to see mentioned in Apps for Less send us an email and let us know!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Apps for Less: Mafia Live! and UNDEAD Live

This has been a good week so far for cheap apps on the App Store. Here are some of the highlights for the week.

If you are a MobileMe subscriber this first app is definitely one to check out, especially at the low price of FREE. MobileFiles [iTunes Link] is a very nifty app that allows you to access, view, and share files from your iPhone. The file viewing is pretty good, offering support for .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tif, .tiff, .gif, .svg, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx, .pdf, .htm, .html, .mht, .txt and .mp3. All files are viewed on the iPhone beautifully and even landscape mode has been included. You can also choose to download these files directly onto your iPhone itself for some easy offline accessibility. Keep in mind this is free only for a limited time so grab it while you can.

This next one happens to be one of my favorite games available for the iPhone, Zombieville USA [iTunes Link]. This one is still on sale for the low price of $.99 but this sale can end at any minute so be sure to get in on this deal. For a quick overview and a brief gameplay video on Zombieville USA, be sure to check out our Quick App from just a few days ago.

Lastly, we have one for all of the NASCAR fans out there. Days of Thunder [iTunes Link] is the first stock car racing game for the iPhone and it’s now on sale for a limited time for only $.99! Use your iPhone’s accelerometer to speed your way through six racing circuits, defeat your competition, and win the championship. This is a game any racing fan will appreciate!

Enjoy!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Apps for Less: MobileFiles, Zombieville USA, Days of Thunder

Let me start off by saying if you are a fan of side scrolling shooters or zombies, spend the money and buy this game now. Zombieville USA [iTunes Link] is my new favorite iPhone game available in all of the App Store.

As the lone survivor of a zombie apocalypse, it’s up to you to battle legions of the undead in a never ending fight for survival! How long can you hold out? Scrounge for cash and ammunition, and buy up to 15 upgradeable weapons as your inevitable doom closes in around you…

Zombieville USA has two simple objectives: shoot zombies and stay alive. Your weapons and ammo are in short supply so using them at the appropriate time is critical. As you progress thru the levels you can jump into houses that will supply you with cash and ammo as well as keep you protected from the zombies. At the end of each level you can use the cash you’ve pick up to upgrade weapons and refresh your health.

While Zombieville USA is not without some quirky bugs, the developer promises to have them addressed in it’s first update, which is due out next week. This game is on sale and can be purchased right now for only $.99! The sale ends next week when the update is released so be sure not to let this one pass you by.

So again, if you are a side scrolling shooter fan or just love zombies and have a fantasy you are Bruce Campbell kicking some zombie butt in Evil Dead 2… minus the chainsaw, this is your game.

Wait, there is a chainsaw… “Groovy…“

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Quick App: Zombieville USA for iPhone