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If you're in your early thirties like I am, there's a pretty good chance your passion for gaming started with three little letters: NES. Back in 1985 the Nintendo Entertainment System ushered in a new era for home video games, establishing formulas that game designers still look to nearly 30 years later. Don't you wish you could still play those games the way they were meant to be played? While Gamezebo hasn't perfected a time machine, and we're not quite technical enough to repair the busted old NES that's hiding in your closet, we are prepared to give you the next best thing: |
I don't think a lot of you who read these weekly gaming sales roundups can fully understand the extent of how difficult it is for me to type them up from week to week without just buying every single one of them I come across. Seriously, it takes a whole lot of willpower, which unfortunately I don't have all that often. But hey, at least I'm getting a bunch of great games for only a minor dent in my constantly-draining wallet! Because after all, we've got two enormous Humble Bundles that are just too enticing to pass up, countless iOS games that just had their prices slashed, and massively good deals on entire publisher's catalogues. And not only that, but even Gamezebo is hosting a few awesome gaming deals right now (hey, is there such a thing as an employee discount on an already absurdly good deal? Just thought I'd ask). |
Rayman has always been one of gaming's true platforming greats, and not only has he managed to help define the genre of running and jumping in its early console days, but he's also been able to perfectly adapt to every change of the times along the way. Last year's wonderful was a brilliant adaptation of a platform-runner on mobile, and is easily one of my personal favorite handheld games even to this day. I think many others would also agree: which is why it's so amazing to find that its incredible sequel, Rayman Fiesta Run, is pretty much better in every single way. For one thing, the graphics in Rayman Fiesta Run are a huge step up from the last game, if you can even believe that, since Rayman Jungle Run already looked so good to begin with. The influence of the recently released Rayman Legends on home consoles is immediately apparent, and every character design and environment has a gorgeous painted feel to it. The namesake Fiesta theme is in full force here as well, with many levels alternating between spicy fire and chilly ice environments, and a smorgasbord of food-based elements for Rayman and friends to interact with. Prepare to be bouncing off of lime wedges and plump little sausages, swinging along vines made up of countless chili peppers, and running through a level that's made entirely of cheese. The fiery soundtrack is just as lively as ever, and serves as the perfect background for you to dance with your disembodied feet. |
This week in China, we learn that some problems are universal - like kids spending an absurd amount of money through in-app purchases. We also see how some developers are working with companies to customize games, get a glimpse of an upcoming mobile racer, and finally hear the word "Foxconn" in a context that has nothing to do with Apple. Probably. As always, this week's Chinese news is brought to Gamezebo courtesy of our friends in Beijing at . If you're looking for a more regular glimpse of gaming life in China (and happen to speak the lingo), be sure to check them out! |
Aw, lookit the tiny Empire and its widdle Death Star! Lookit the teensy aliens living inside! It's hard to believe something so adorable is still capable of turning teeming planets into asteroid fields with a single, well-focused laser shot. That's evil for you. Turn your back for a second, and bam. That doesn't mean you should stop the Empire's shenanigans. In fact, stifling the activity in Star Wars: Tiny Death Star would be like scolding a child for painting a picture. You don't want to smother blossoming talent, right? Of course you don't. Tiny Death Star is the latest in NimbleBit's Tiny series (which includes ), with Disney Mobile taking over the developing duties on this one. As its name suggests, you're in charge of assembling a Death Star level-by-level. Forget innocent airlines and rail-based shipping routes. Now you're building for keeps. |
Toca Boca is rightly revered as one of the best app developers for children around. Their games are distinctive, easy to play, cheap, educational, and contain no advertising or in-app purchases. Most of their games are aimed at pre-school or a little older, but some of their more recent apps are better suited for slightly older kids; and their latest, Toca Mini, falls into that category. Each time you play, you're given a blank white doll. But this isn't just any old doll. It's a doll that moves around, stretching, scratching, and even pulling bodybuilding poses. It's on a rotating pedestal so you can see it from any angle you like. Spin it, and it mimes ballet moves. Spin it too fast and it'll get dizzy and roll around. |
Tower defense games are well on their way to being as overused as endless runners, but this month Big Fish brings us another--the aptly-named, free-to-play zombie killer Zombie! Zombie! Zombie! Hoping to conquer the unpredictable social game genre, developer Game Forest succeeds in creating some amusingly chaotic, survival-style gameplay. Once things become more challenging though, they fail to make the free-to-play fun last long enough. There's always something that turns ordinary people into rabid, brain-munching monsters, and in Zombie! Zombie! Zombie! it's a space rock that falls from the sky. This glowing boulder lands in the desert where the military quickly transforms its desolate landing site into a high-security research lab. As happens so often at such facilities, something goes terribly wrong. The rock infects everyone there and soon after, scientists, soldiers, and lab technicians pour from the compound, googly-eyed and drooling. Your job--along with two of your most enthusiastic gun-toting friends--is to take each and every one of them out. Zombie! Zombie! Zombie! is played from a top-down perspective with a three person squad located at the bottom of the screen. The zombies approach from the top through rubble-filled city streets, over train tracks and across bridges, and you pick them off with standard-issue machine guns. It's pretty straightforward, but the game does offer an interesting twist in its unusual approach to match-three. Match-three here is much more organic, and completely avoids the whole colored icon/grid idea. It also eschews the notion of swapping icons and instead employs a uniquely dynamic method of matching three. |
I'm going to save you minutes of precious time by cutting right to the chase: Steve Jackson's Sorcery! Part 2 is fantastic and you should buy it. There, that's it, this review is over. Go get your iThing, hit the App Store and grab it. That's S-O-R-C-E-R-Y, and you can probably find it alright without the exclamation point. Post your kudos in the comments when you're done. Seriously, people, I'm not kidding here. I suppose I can't stop you if you insist on reading this instead of playing the game, which is what you should be doing, but hey, it's your nickel. On the surface, Steve Jackson's Sorcery! Part 2 is almost indistinguishable from the opening chapter, but there are actually a few tweaks and improvements. The first thing you'll notice is that you may now play with a female avatar instead of a male, and the magic system has been upgraded as well, making it easier to use and to discover new spells. Part 2 will also import your saved games from , allowing for a direct continuation of that adventure for those who had the foresight to keep their saves around. |