Get your drill sharpened and your air supply filled because it is time for Namco’s latest throwback release, Mr. Driller. Yes, the folks at Namco have revived another classic character from games’ past.‚  However, instead of an iconic game like Pac-Man or Galaga, this time’s revitalization is of a lesser character, everyone’s favorite too-excited, slightly flamboyant driller.

For those who don’t know, Mr. Driller stars Susumu Hori, who coincidentally is the son of Taizo Hori of Dig Dug fame.‚  Susumu’s task is much like his fathers, to drill, drill, drill.‚  The further and faster Susumu drills through the multi-colored underground blocks of his domain, the more points he accumulates.‚  However, this task is not without its perilous dangers.‚  The deeper Susumu drills, the higher the chance of unsupported pieces of earth will collapse upon.‚  Worse yet, Susumu can run out of air if he drills too long without getting his supply replenished.

Now that a little background information has been laid out, lets talk game modes.‚  Mr. Driller for the iPhone comes in three modes: Survival mode, Arcade mode, Time Attack.‚  In Survival mode, players drill as deep as they can for as long as they can.‚  Players will have to keep an eye on their air-level meter, however, if they want to survive.‚  Luckily, each level in Survival mode will have air-replenishers, which look like little blue pills, dispersed throughout the drill-scape.‚  Still, even an unlimited amount of air will not protect the younger Hori from the falling rocks”¦

Arcade mode has a more level progression-based type of gamplay.‚  On the initial menu screen for the mode, players can choose whether they would like to play levels are that 500m or 1000m long, depending on if they consider themselves “beginners” or “experts.”‚  It would have been nice to see a less extreme designation for what players consider themselves, if only to let me feel something other than severe modesty or tremendous cockiness.‚  Arcade mode is quite similar to Survival mode in that, both modes are evaluated on the distance they drill while also providing air-refilling pills.‚  However, Arcade mode does have one main distinction from Survival mode: Arcade mode players are able to go through multiple lives before the dreaded Game Over screen is bestowed upon them.‚  This one feature definitely made Arcade mode my favorite of the three.

In Time Attack, time subtraction tokens are scattered on the level instead of air bonuses.‚  This is because players are only evaluated on the time they take to clear a stage, rather than how many points they can accumulate.‚  Time Attack is fun because players can choose which level they would like to play on, making it the most customizable of the modes.

Though the game modes are entertaining, my favorite aspect of Mr. Driller is the high-quality nature of its visuals.‚  The Japanese stylization is fun and colorful, making for a less graphics-intensive gaming experience.‚  This does wonders for battery life and making Mr. Driller one of the iPhone’s most unique looking games.

Still, not all of the aesthetic features of Mr. Driller were satisfactory.‚  Every level design in this game is repetitive.‚  It seems like each level was built nearly identical to one another.‚  Sure, the backdrops change for each stage, but Mr. Driller always works on the same blocks with the same colors.‚  The game is certainly cyclical, but never really boring, which is a nice change when compared to other games of the genre and platform.

Namco also continues to implement my favorite controlling scheme in its games, with Mr. Driller being no different.‚  The use of a virtual arrow pad is key for any game like Mr. Driller, so it makes sense for Namco to maintain that approach.‚  To control Susumu, players need to simply point his drill in the desire direction by pressing down on the corresponding arrow on the pad and then pressing the drill button.‚  That’s it.‚  This is a very easily learned controlling scheme and can be used by even the most novice of iPhone gamers.‚  Namco also continues to offer the Swipe and Accelerometer controlling schemes options, but I’m not sure why.‚  It’s always nice to try and attempt to use the iPhone’s amazing features in your product, but that doesn’t mean one needs to do it.

Finally, Namco decided to add a Facebook connect feature to Mr. Driller.‚  This allows players to post their top scores on their Facebook page while also talking a little trash as well.‚  This will add a whole new level of competition between players and friends.‚  I think this is a great addition and will be key to replay value of the game.

Blast Factor: Mr. Driller is a very fun and addicting game.‚  Though it does lack diversity in its levels, Mr. Driller does have some excellent game modes and visual features to make up for it.‚  At $1.99, it has a great price and a great value.

Namco’s Mr. Driller is available exclusively at the iTunes App Store for $1.99.

Pac-Man is back and he’s hungrier than ever. Yes, everyone’s favorite dot-eating, ghost-munching, maze-navigating yellow sphere has been resurrected by Pac-Man Remix.‚  This iPhone app, brought to you by the now throwback masters at Namco, brings all the excitement of the classic Pac-Man title, while amping up the graphics and adding tons of extra features in the process.

Though it sounds great, there are sometimes mixed results with updates of classic franchises on the iPhone. Pac-Man does hold a special place in my heart though, so I especially wanted to keep an open mind, even if the possibility of a poor controlling interface or unimpressive graphics was still present.

When first launching Pac-Man Remix, I knew I was in for a treat. The splash screen instantly brought me back to my classic Pac-Man days, while the interface gave the game a more modern look.‚  The opening menu lets users know what game modes are available: campaign and free play.‚  Though fairly self-explanatory, I’ll go ahead and describe them anyway.‚  The campaign mode, not surprisingly, is most in line with the classic Pac-Man gameplay.‚  Players go through a sort of Pac-Man adventure island, exploring different and unique maps.‚  When each area of the island is completed, a new region is unlocked and available to be played.

Each region of the island is unique due to the diverse features found in the maps.‚  At one area, maps will resemble (to an extent) the classic, simple maps of the original title.‚  However, a few levels later, one will run into such additions as elevating platforms, acceleration devices and even teleportation pads.‚  Each map also has its own color scheme and design, again dependent on the region in which the player is trying to complete.

Free play mode essentially has the same meaning in all Namco iPhone releases, but it’s always good to touch on because I see it as an important feature.‚  This mode allows players to go back to their favorite levels and experience the fun again.‚  For a game like Pac-Man Remix, with the very diverse levels and mere depth it provides, having a mode like free play can really help the replay value of a game.‚  With so many games that can downloaded for free at the App Store, a game like Pac-Man Remix , which is currently running for $4.99 at the iTunes App Store, will need any additional features it can get to compete with the competition.

Though game modes are great, the majority of Pac-Man Remix’s value comes from the revamped graphics it features.‚  First of all, instead of the flat, pixelized graphics of the past, Pac-Man Remix brings some eye-popping, colorful 3-D visuals to the table.‚  These graphics make what was once a super simple game into a complex and interesting title to play.

Pac-Man Remix also features one of the best controlling interfaces that I’ve seen from Namco as of late.‚  Though it still offers the (dare I say) awful “Flick” controlling system, which requires players to flick their finger across the screen to dictate what direction Pac-Man should go, Pac-Man Remix offers an arrow pad option that is infinitely superior to the other option.‚  The arrow pad resembles what one would find on a keyboard, making it fairly natural to use.

Blast Factor: Overall, Pac-Man Remix is a fun little app for the iPhone.‚  Sure, its not the most innovative thing anyone has ever seen, but it is quite fun and very addicting.‚  For the price ($4.99), it might be a questionable buy for a lot of iPhone gaming enthusiasts, but for fans of Pac-Man and classic games in general, this is probably a must-have title.

Pac-Man Remix is available exclusively in the iTunes App store for $4.99.

Never has being dumb been so fun.

Thanks to Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima, a new brain training iPhone app released by Namco Bandai, no longer do I need to pretend that I know how to read in order to seem like I have a single iota of intelligence.‚  Nope, instead all I have to do is turn on my handy iPhone device and start playing the various games that Brain Exercise has to offer, boosting the power of my frontal lobe in the process.

However, with the ever-growing number of apps available, can Dr. Kawashima’s latest creation validate its price tag?‚  Let’s take a look.

The first thing you notice when booting up Brain Exercise is the very clean and colorful presentation found in every menu within the game.‚  If I was told that a sophisticated, educational game heavily used pastels and metallic color schemes throughout its menus, I would have been very skeptical.‚  Nevertheless, Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima makes it work.

After admiring the aesthetics, players must create their own personal, reusable account to login to the game.‚  Each of these profiles allow players to track the progress of their brain training and their improvements “" or regressions, as the case may be “" throughout certain mini-games within Brain Exercise.‚  Account holders can measure their progress through charts, graphs or even by use of a calendar.‚  If you end up deciding to download Brain Exercise, expect to be visiting your profile page religiously.

Once logged into a profile, players can begin their brain training.‚  There are two different ways to do this: either through Brain Training or Brain Age.‚  Each of these modes has their benefits and unique quirks as they test the different regions of the brain with their diverse collection of games.

When starting a brand new profile, I suggest starting with Brain Age.‚  This mode challenges players to complete a certain mini-game at the best time possible.‚  Players will only get one attempt at the game.‚  The more accurate and swiftly one can complete a game, the lower their brain age will be.

The difficult part of Brain Age mode is the fact that a player cannot attempt to lower their age more than once a day.‚  This offers a challenging experience to any player with a competitive, self-improvement mindset.

However, because Brain Age only allows one attempt at a single, brain area specific game each day, a player’s brain age is only determined by testing a single brain region.‚  This would lead to me scoring a low brain age when tested on a certain region, but a higher age when tested on another.‚  It just seems like something as all-inclusive as a brain age should test all regions of the brain, not just one.‚  I would much prefer a “brain region age” with this format.‚  However, I don’t have a PhD and leave much of my education up to the completion of games on iPhone Apps, so I’ll leave the decisions up to Dr. Kawashima.

Once you have established your brain age, it is time to get to work with Brain Training.‚  This is the mode where players will probably be spending most of their time in. ‚ Brain Training lets players complete three different games per day in order to condition their brain for success in their next Brain Age attempt.

Using the Brain Training mode is a great way for players to learn all of the different games that Brain Exercise has to offer such as: Inverted Numbers, a game in which players must type in which upside-down or backwards number they see on the screen, testing the Parietal lobe of the brain; Rolling Shapes, a game in which players must decide position a shape is lying after its silhouette is rolled, testing the Temporal love; and Add 3, a game in which players must do simple math problems while also adding 3 to the resulting answer, testing the Frontal lobe.

The great thing about Brain Training is that it is able to test more than a single brain region at once by letting players complete multiple games.‚  Brain Training also collects all the data from your attempts and adds it to your progress tracker in your profile.

Brain Exercise is full of extra goodies as well.‚  First, Brain Exercise will keep the casual Sudoku player satisfied with an additional bonus game.‚  Also, players can enjoy a multiplayer experience by using the Challenge function, which allows players to duel their friends by playing a certain game on the same iPhone.‚  Finally, players can also download high scores from around the world and also upload their personal profile to the web.

There are very few negative things to say about Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima.‚  Sure, the price might be a little higher than a lot of Apps available for the iPhone.‚  But, given that Brain Exercise is a game that can be used every day, the price is justified.‚  Another potential negative aspect of Brain Exercise is the lack of clarity within the game instructions.‚  The presentation of the instruction screens is great, but it usually takes a run-through or two before a game is fully understood.

Overall, Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima is a great App.‚  It is fun, addicting and, most impressively, educational.‚  This is a great release and has already become one of my favorite Apps.

Brain Training with Dr. Kawashima is available in the iTunes App store for $5.99.

Get your shovels ready. It’s time to get your Dig Dug on.

Yes, once again Namco has come out with another throwback title for the iPhone. This time Namco has reached all the way back to 1982 to recover the popular arcade game Dig Dug, a game in which players control a single futuristic miner whose sole mission is to eliminate the dangerous monsters who inhabit the underground, to create Dig Dug Remix.

In Dig Dug Remix there are two versions of the game. First is the original version, which is identical to what you would find in an arcade in the 80′s, just in a smaller package. Second, there is the Remix version, which gives players a more updated and impressive presentation of the classic title.

(A look at the classic version of Dig Dug.)

Of the two versions, the Remix is quite impressive and is definitely my favorite game to play. Though this version does not closely resemble its more famous, classic counterpart, Remix really brings a different and exciting look to an old-school game.

The Remix edition also shows an incredible attention to detail for such a simple game. From the character animations to the movement of the dirt, the Remix is sure to please even the most fickle of visual critics. Even things as small as the flowers, which are located in an area that is rarely used in the game, sway back and forth in the wind. I found that the small mole that pokes his head out of the topsoil during random instances in the game to be the most enjoyable of these features.

(A closer look at the Remix version of Dig Dug. ‚ Notice the higher quality graphics.)

However, beyond its nostalgic value and great graphics, Dig Dug for the iPhone has one major flaw: the control systems. Dig Dug Remix offers two different ways to control your character. One of these is by use of the basic arrow pad; the other by means of “flicking.” Though both of these control systems have their advantages, neither is particularly useful for this game.

As mentioned earlier, the default control system is by using your thumb to press a basic arrow pad. The pad itself is fully functional. However, the size of the pad becomes very bothersome. When trying to press the up arrow, you end up going sideways instead. Trying to use your index finger to press the arrows is worth a shot, but it feels quite unnatural. Overall, this system was not fun to use. Not fun at all.

The second control system is called flick. With this system, players flick their finger anywhere on the screen in the direction that they want Dig Dug to go. Though it sounds simple, flick is equally as frustrating as the directional pad. All too often my flicks would not register within the game, resulting in many deaths. Also, I would find myself flicking across the main part of the screen in order to make sure my instructions register. However, this would often interfere with the in-game visibility, resulting in more deaths. In a game that relies heavily on precise directional control, these problems are incredibly disappointing.

Dig Dig Remix is definitely a fun app for the iPhone. Namco has been doing a solid job reincarnating the classic titles of the past for use on mobile devices. In the case of Dig Dug Remix however, the control system, which is frustrating enough to make fans new and old very frustrated with this beloved game, makes it quite apparent that there may be more worthy investments for your iCash.

Dig Dug Remix is available exclusively for the iPhone for $5.99.

Before 1981, killing bug-like spacecraft with your own galactic ship was a thing of dreams.

Then Galaga hit arcades. The world was never the same.

Before 2009, reliving your Galaga memories on your mobile was impossible.

Then Galaga Remix was launched for iPhone. Get ready for your world to be rocked once again.

Galaga Remix, brought to you by throwback-extraordinaires‚ Namco, is the most recent installment of the classic space-inspired video game. Like in its predecessors, users take a space ship and guide it using a side-to-side scrolling function to aim and shoot at enemy crafts. The longer you last, the more points you accumulate.

However, what makes Galaga Remix a remix?

Simply put, Galaga Remix allows users to play two versions of the same game. If you are looking to relive the days of Sandra Day O’Connor’s supreme court nomination and Belize’s declaration of independence, look no further than playing Galaga’s classic skin. However, if you are looking for a newer, cooler, flyer, and smoother version of the classic, you will also have that option as well.

Though I am a sucker for “the original” form of everything and I usually dislike anything resembling a remake, I have to say that the updated version of Galaga is quite good. Instead of the grainy graphics of Galaga circa 1981, Galaga Remix has dramatically better animations and models (though nothing to write home about by today’s standards). Allowing players to choose which of the two versions they would like to play in the same app was a welcome change to the game.

Galaga Remix did not just offer better graphics, however. This edition allows users to also enjoy the perks of nine unique powers found throughout the various stages of the game. These bonuses allow your ship to add additional firepower to take on the bug-alien onslaught with higher efficiency, which is a massive upgrade to the single shot arsenal provided in 1981. Galaga Remix makes it quite obvious that it is not your father’s version of Galaga.

Looking beyond just improved graphics and additional powers, Galaga Remix does not forget to focus on the little details as well. For instance, when playing the original edition of the game, Namco remembered to include the same soundtrack and sound effects that you would have found at your local arcade in 1981. For the updated version, a more advanced sound library is used, but one can still tell that it was greatly influenced by the original. Galaga Remix also implemented progressively changing backgrounds on stages to help foster plot development. The interfaces on both editions of the game correspond nicely with their era, as well.

Unfortunately, not everything in Galaga Remix was flawless. One of the things that stood out as imperfect were the control types. In each of the versions of the game, users can choose between the three available options of how they would like to steer their ship: with either the arrow keys, slider, or the accelerometer. Using the arrow keys involved tapping arrows in order to move your ship. The slider option allowed users to glide their finger to the left or right to guide where you want to go. The final and most unique-to-iPhone method, is by use of accelerometer, which involves tipping the iPhone in order to move your spacecraft. Each of these steering methods, though functional, are very delayed and unnatural. Prepare yourself for some frustration here.

Porting any classic game to an advanced piece of hardware like the iPhone will always be a challenge. However, unlike many games, this difficulty, especially in the adaptation of the controls, really showed in Galaga.

Overall, Galaga Remix is a very good game. Though there are some flaws with the controls, this game is really a beauty to behold. Whether you are a quarter-hoarding veteran or new to the title completely, Galaga Remix will surely have something for everyone. It is clearly worth the $5.99 price tag.

In the brief time that they have been producing apps, Namco has already become one of the industry leaders in bringing classic games and characters from years past to today’s hottest piece of technology: the iPhone.

With that in mind, it was no surprise to a lot of folks in the business that Namco was releasing another bit of nostalgia with Inspector Gadget.

Inspector Gadget, a character who recently celebrated his 25^th birthday, is up to his old habits as he solves the world’s toughest cases one goofy mistake at a time. With the help of his niece Penny and their trusty dog Brain, players will be able to guide their favorite characters throughout the many complex, maze-like levels while collecting clues and points along the way.

Inspector Gadget gives players the option of playing a New Game, which is essentially a campaign mode that saves your progress, or a Quick Play, which allows players who are short on time to try and beat their top scores in single levels.

The first thing players will notice when starting a New Game is how cluttered the screen is. The game takes you through a quick-and-dirty tutorial (which pretty much involves arrows pointing at the buttons with a two or three word explanation of what function they perform). Once you look past the sheer number of buttons and how visually intrusive they can be, you start to realize that the layout is fairly straightforward and intuitive.

First, on the top left and right corners of your screen (when the iPhone is held in with a landscape orientation) you will find a button consisting of two arrows. This is the jump left/jump right button.‚  You can also use these buttons to change your direction while you are in the air. Right below the jump buttons you will fine the walk left/walk right buttons. Below those are the crawl left and crawl right buttons.

Finally, right next to the walk buttons are the action buttons. These buttons, signified by their red color, activate the various amounts of gadgets made available throughout the game. However, these buttons, though arguably the most important in the game, are also the most disturbing as they are the ones closest to the middle of the screen. So, as easy and intuitive as the controls of Inspector Gadget are, the intrusiveness of their placement really offsets a lot of their value.

You really get your money’s worth with the length and complexity of the levels in Inspector Gadget. Players will have to explore the majority of the levels to unlock certain areas and to continue the investigation. Levels also have some variability in their types. Though most of the time levels will require players to walk, other levels will be put on rails, putting players in a race against time.

One thing that stood out in Inspector Gadget was its lack of replayability. Levels usually took too long to reattempt in short time periods (which, in my experience, seems to be when the majority of gaming apps are used). Also, the built-in high scores are not very challenging, and easy to beat.

Overall, Inspector Gadget is a quality game. It is fun, lengthy and, best of all, will bring you back your days of youth and cartoon watching. You may not want to play it more than a few times, but you will be able to get some decent mileage out of it with the complexity of the levels. At $4.99, it’s a stretch to justify the price. However, if you like maze games and would like a bit of nostalgia, it might be worth spending the extra iCoin.

During my short (yet quite astounding) iPhone game-reviewing career, I have had a flashback to a time in my childhood. ‚ Not surprisingly, this review is quite similar.

Namco has recently started selling Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World, another addition to the seemingly endless remakes being released for the iPhone.‚  Growing up in the 1990′s, I took part in my share of the Tamagotchi (and Tamagotchi knockoff) phenomenon.‚  However, Tamagotchi was never one of the fads that really stuck with me like Pokemon, Moon Shoes and Furbies.‚  So, when I heard Namco was going to bring back the original digital pet, my feeling was indifferent.

For those of you who don’t know, Tamagotchi was a hand-held, low-bit, digital pet-raising game.‚ The game was stored in a small, egg-like console with a small screen on the front. ‚ The pets were cute, the game was cheap and the keychain was a must have for all the cool boys and girls.

Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World, however, is still hand-held, but in a slightly more high-tech device: the iPhone.

This Namco title is, essentially, the same basic game as the original.‚  You are trying to “raise” a tiny little creature.‚  Still, though the basic premise is the same, Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World is a bit more complex than the original Bandai game.

First, the iPhone title offers players to raise different breeds of Tamagotchi.‚  These breeds, named Mametchi, Memetchi, Kuchipatchi and Violetchi, don’t really perform any different tasks than any other; they just look different.‚  All cute, just different.‚  Other unique features include the ability to play five mini-games, which include Rock Paper Scissors, Bubble Game, Move It, Beach Ball and Dancing as well as three more “activities” called Tickling, Memory Match and Math Puzzle.

The ultimate point of Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World is to complete the various missions that you encounter.‚  To complete these missions, you need to interact with the friendly environment. And by friendly, I literally mean friendly.‚  The trees, bushes and geysers all have big, smiling faces.

The missions require you to do different tasks involving these friendly faces.‚  Sometimes you will need to do a Rain Dance near a geyser.‚  Sometimes you may need to play rock paper scissors with a tree.‚  Other times it might be as simple as pooping on a bush seedling.

Whatever the case, the missions all end up seeming the same.‚  Sure, the Tamagotchi breeds rotate in-between missions and the environments change, but it definitely was not enough to keep my interest for very long.

The movement and gameplay was fairly bland.‚  Moving involved pointing and clicking to a location.‚  Doing key functions required the same: pointing to a location and choosing an action.‚  This idea is perfect for the click-wheel iPods, but for a touch screen, I think a drag and drop feature would be much more fun and interactive.

One thing that I did liked about Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World was the infinite environment.‚  No matter how far left or right you send your pet, it would always end up in the same general area.‚  Think mouse wheel.‚  It was a creative way to keep the game simple and the players from getting confused.

This review has sounded critical, but in all fairness, Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World is a decent game for kids.‚  The gameplay is simple, the environments are clean and friendly and the pets are pretty cute.‚  For adults, however, the Namco title will grow quite bland quite quickly.‚  Tamagotchi ‘Round the World is a solid title for iPhone and iPod carrying younguns, serving as a cheaper ($4.99 price tag, less the cost of the device, of course) substitute for Webkinz.

Back in the days when I used to leave my dorm room, snowboarding was one of my favorite hobbies.‚  Yes, believe it or not, this incredibly gifted writer/reviewer/King of Awesome used to partake in physical activities.‚  Nowadays, I enjoy the simpler things in life such as sitting with my iPhone, playing video games and sitting while playing video games on my iPhone.

Thanks to Alpine Racer, however, I can now enjoy one of my prior favorite pastimes with one of my current favorite pastimes.

Alpine Racer is a Namco snowboarding/skiing racing game for the iPhone and iPod touch. ‚ It is simple, fun and perfect for the platform.

In the game, players choose characters to race down certain courses in one of two possible playing modes: Time Attack which players try and beat their best times on certain courses, or Story Mode, where players compete against computer controlled opponents.

Players steer their character down hills using either a touch system or a tilt system.‚  The touch system allows users to use their finger to steer while the tilt system uses the built-in iPhone technology to determine how far you physically turn the iPhone, adjusting the direction of your character accordingly

In its Story Mode, Alpine Racer casts the players in the role of either Shogo Saga (a snowboarder) or his sister, Rina Saga (a skier).‚  Both siblings are competing for the all-important “King of the Mountain” competition.

The first race that players compete in is the Time Trial.‚  In this race, you are just seeing how fast you can complete the Nostalgic-EX course, theoretically determining where you will be seeded in the semifinals.

After the time trials are completed, you are put in a head-to-head semifinal competition against your sibling, either Shogo or Rina, depending on who you chose to be.‚  In the semifinal, you both race down a course called High-Jump-Mountain, simultaneously.‚  The first Saga to finish advances.‚  Luckily, players have an unlimited number of chances to beat your opponent, conveniently guaranteeing you a spot in the definitive race.

The last race in Story Mode is called, well, the Finals.‚  In this race, you compete against a mysterious last-minute entry into the tournament whose identity is later revealed at the Spiral-Night course.‚  Similar to the semifinal, you will have an unlimited amount of attempts to beat this mysterious skier.‚  If you do end up beating the mysterious skier, you will obtain glory and unlockable characters.

The Story Mode in Alpine Racer was fun, but that is really all that can be said about it.‚  The plot isn’t interesting, the character development is insignificant and there are only three races.‚  If this was a major platform game, I would be quite disappointed.‚  However, because I tend to go easier on the evaluation on iPhone apps, I found that the Story Mode was just about the perfect length and complexity for this platform.

There were plenty of positive aspects in Alpine Racer.‚  First, I would like to compliment Namco on their inclusion of both skiers and snowboarders.‚  Although I have been a lifelong snowboarder, I really appreciate a game that doesn’t focus on just one of the two major snow sports.

I also thought that the upgradeable character feature was great.‚  After each semifinal and final race, you are able to improve the Power, Acceleration, Style, Max Speed ratings of the character you are using in Story Mode.‚  The best part about this feature is that the upgraded ratings will carry over into future Story Mode attempts.

In regards to negatives, there is nothing “wrong” with this game.‚  I really did enjoy it.‚  I just wish the there were a few more levels to play and more characters to use.‚  Also, the $5.99 price tag might not seem like a lot to the average gamer, but may seem expensive next to some other apps on the platform.

Overall, Alpine Racer is probably one of the better racing games for the iPhone.‚  It has kept me entertained more than most apps, earning itself it’s solid rating.

Katamari is fun, and has been successful on every platform that it visits, even those without the dual-analog setup that made it so intuitive back on the Playstation 2. Rolling with Katamari, the mobile version of the series, is no exception, as even when limited to four directional buttons on a phone you still get that Katamari experience you were craving, and in your pocket.

The presentation is obviously different than on its console cousins-the Prince is now seen rolling his Katamari ball on a 2D background that looks somewhat isometric, rather than the full 3D worlds we are used to seeing. The gameplay is the same though: Prince needs to collect objects to make his Katamari larger, and must do so within the time limits imposed by the King of the Cosmos. Sometimes the levels are about collecting different versions of one kind of object (such as crabs to make the constellation Cancer, or lots of blue things to make a Blue Star). There are five game modes in all: Roll a Star, Roll a Color, Rock n Rolling Racing, Don’t Touch, and Roll an Object. This keeps things fresh, as even though you do the same thing in each level-namely, roll around to collect objects-you have different goals to strive for each time out.

The levels and requirements are designed in a way that an experienced Katamari roller will easily reach the King of the Cosmos’ demands with time to spare, in order to make a larger ball that will please him. For those who don’t have that experience though, or would just like some time to become accustomed to the new control scheme, Rolling with Katamari is there to help with a few instructional levels that tutor you on the controls and point of the game.

The game comes packaged with 30 levels, but there also downloadable theme-based ones, such as “My Valentine”, “Winter”, and “Halloween”. Within these levels, the objects are theme-based, and in some cases, such as in “My Valentine”, the messages that pop up each time you snag an item are going to say things specific to that level that relate to the theme. You can download these levels straight from the game’s menu rather than navigating whatever store your phone uses as well.

The controls work, and they work well. You press up on your phone to move Prince in a direction, and you use the other directional buttons to move Prince around the Katamari; pressing up makes him push the Katamari from whichever direction you chose with the other buttons. In order to dash, you press up twice quickly, and based on my time with the game, you will want to dash often. You can also reverse direction by jumping to the other side of the ball, just like you can in the console versions of the game. Once you become accustomed to the controls, you’ll be rolling around with the best of them in no time.

The best thing about Rolling with Katamari is its high replay value. Sure, you can blow through the 30 levels and the downloadable ones in no time if you’re dedicated (or have a long commute), but the fact that you are supposed to improve on your scores constantly is going to make you come back again and again, just like classic arcade games. In addition to that, you also have to find your cousins and the presents hidden in each level, just like in the console Katamari games. This gives you reason to dive back in, even if you have already rolled around in the kitchen countless times.

It’s just $6.99 to have unlimited Rolling with Katamari use on your phone, which is easily worth it given the number of levels, the downloadable content, the ease of play and the high replay value. Though not a 3D game like you are used to seeing from the series, this version of the game is faithful to the series, and worth it for any die-hard Katamari fan out there, or those without access to any of the other titles.

It’s 1997 and I’m in a movie theater arcade.‚  In one hand, I have my light gun.‚  In the other, a large cup of Hawaiian Punch.‚  I have been shooting enemies left and right while dipping behind makeshift cover such as barrels and cars to reload and buy myself some time.‚  I have cleared the stage and I am now facing the boss.

His mouth opens and I hear a voice:
“Chase, what do you think is the most important factor to consider when launching a new entrepreneurial venture?”

I snap out of my trance and realize that the year is actually 2009, I’m in class, and, most shockingly, I’m playing Time Crisis on my iPhone.

Since its release on February 4, this nostalgic flashback scenario has surely occurred many times thanks to Namco’s release of their iPhone adaptation of their popular title Time Crisis.

Time Crisis Strike is a very simple railed first-person shooter app for the iPhone.‚  Much like the original title, Time Crisis Strike does not only focuses on the quick shooting skills needed for most FPS but also uses the concept of using cover to one’s advantage as well.

The two main functions in Time Crisis Strike are to shoot and to duck.‚  To shoot, players simply use their finger or thumb and tap the screen.‚  To kill most enemies, all one has to do is tap on the foe once.‚  However, some enemies take more than a single shot, so tap accordingly.

To take cover, players won’t have the luxury of stepping on and off a pedal like in the classic arcade version.‚  Instead, users need to tilt the iPhone forward (or backward, depending on what setting you use) to hide from enemy fire.‚  Tilting also serves as your only method of reloading.

Though a creative idea, tilting the screen also provides some visibility issues.‚  Playing indoors is fine, but outdoors with a heavy sun glare makes the game nearly impossible to play.‚  Also, if you have a protective film cover for your iPhone screen, be sure it’s polished and free of bubbles otherwise, you won’t be able to see.

Time Crisis Strike provides players with a few different playing options.‚  First, lets go over the arcade mode.‚  Not surprisingly, this mode allows users to travel through a completely railed mission.‚  Initially, there is only one mission is available to play, but once you beat “Get “Ëœem All”, four more campaigns will be waiting for you.

Second, Time Crisis Strike also has the option of playing in “One Stage Trail” mode.‚  This mode allows players to trying a beat their high score on a certain chapter of mission.‚  However, players will not be able to play on a chapter they have not already beaten.

Finally, users have the option of playing in a “Crisis Mission” mode.‚  This mode challenges players to perform tasks such as shoot all the enemies within a certain time or only shoot the enemies of a certain color.‚  “Crisis Mission” will certainly pose a challenge for even the most advanced of iPhone users and gamers alike.

Time Crisis Strike is a success.‚  Sure, the graphics aren’t incredible and the interface isn’t exactly perfect.‚  But, does any iPhone FPS really succeed at one of these, let alone both?

Nothing will quite beat the feeling of stepping on and off a pedal and shooting a peripheral gun, but Namco did as well as they could given the platform.‚  The game is challenging and the campaigns last long enough to keep one entertained for a while.

At $5.99, Time Crisis Strike could be a questionable purchase for some, especially for those new to FPS.‚  However, if you are an experienced gamer and need a way to spend all that iDough from those iTunes gift cards you got over the holidays, Time Crisis Strike isn’t a bad option.

This review originally appeared on Reviewcenter.com in 2002.

An evil force by the name of “Spooky” has been unleashed by those dastardly ghosts and it’s up to everyone’s favorite pepperoni-slice shaped yellow hero to make sure Pac-World is rid of this ancient evil.

The objective of the game is to collect various “Gold Fruits” Once you collect them all you will be able to do away with Spooky by ways of sealing him in a…er…tree. Ok, so the storyline isn’t that great, but c’mon, this is PacMan we’re talking about here; PacMan don’t need no stinking storyline.

Munching power-pellets and chomping ghosts is what PacMan is all about. How, you ask, was this simple concept used to create a wildly entertaining 3D platform game? With a little help from our good friend innovation. This arcade-turned-platform game borrows from a few different game designs and successfully integrates them all into one solid, respectable title.

PacMan World 2 feels like it was influenced from games like Crash Bandicoot, Super Mario World, Sonic Adventure, Klonoa and even Super Monkey Ball. What is surprising is that Namco was able to extract all the fundamentally entertaining aspects of these games without botching the project along the way. Not to say that Namco has a tendency to churn out poorly executed titles, but even the most respected companies sometimes set they’re sights a little too high — State of Emergency and Ehrgeiz for example. The only detrimental thing that this game has inherited from its predecessors is the sometimes in-the-way camera issues.

Every stage comes complete with a uniquely animated and entertaining loading screen, although it hardly seems necessary since the loading times are practically non-existent. But it does go to show that Namco’s development team did not at any time rest on their laurels, so to speak, during the creation of this game. While the visuals are fundamentally simple, the series basic design looks appropriately evolved on the current hardware that it runs on. Which is to say that PacMan is incredibly cool looking.

Real-time rendering is colorful, well animated, and boasts some impressive visual techniques on top of its already sweet looking cartoon graphics. Every atmospheric element that the game offers is equally good looking, the visual quality is consistent all the way through. There is not much in the way of cut-scenes, outside of the cool looking opening cinema there are only a few instances where dialog transpires.

In some respects the game’s sound is blissfully retro, at times using the same exact sound effects found in the arcade original. Music consists of around 20 original musical scores, which effectively give an added sense of immersion into the game’s beautifully rendered universe. Each track was specifically composed to compliment the stage that they appear in. The Haunted Boardwalk level sports spooky Halloween-like music while the stage “Volcanic Panic” includes tribal-influenced tunes. Namco did a great job in the sound department.

PacMan World 2 is an adventure game complete with a Super Mario Bros 3 type world map. The in-game play control style is fully 3D but is also similar to SMB3 in the sense that it offers top-notch, well thought out, running-and-jumping dynamics. What keeps this game from being in the same league as the classics however is its unbalanced difficulty and short life span. For how well the game looks, it is pleasantly surprising to find gameplay that is equally appealing. PW2′s nagging camera issues are somewhat diminished by the fact that the game actually lets you know when the camera is only partly functional or completely inoperable, by means of an on-screen notification.

PacMan is equipped with a few cool maneuvers to assist him on the journey, like the ‘Butt Bounce’ which launches Pac into the air like a super-ball, and the ‘Rev Roll’ that propels him forward — not unlike Sonic’s dash ability. He also has a flip kick that you can perform by pressing the B button while you are in the air, although this particular move is rarely required and seems like it was thrown in as an afterthought. PacMan will run, jump, scale ledges, and tiptoe across rope-thin bridges Monkey Ball-style. PacMan World 2 is about far more then just running around and jumping, you’ll don a pair of ice-skates and be set loose down a steep, winding mountain of ice while avoiding hazards and collecting items, equip a pair of flippers and get down with some aquatic action, and even pilot a PacMan shaped submarine. Namco has really put PacMan through his paces in this title, pitting the little yellow sphere in situations that Lara Croft would think twice about.

There is an arcade on the first stage that you can go back to at any time. In the arcade you will find a slew of emulated PacMan iterations of the past. The roster reads like this; PacMan, Ms. PacMan, PacMania, PacAttack, and a custom PacMan World 2 Maze game. An entire collection of fun games is at your disposal, assuming you have collected enough ‘Tokens’. Tokens are strewn throughout each stage, and as you collect them more Pac-Man games will be unlocked. This adds considerably to the replayability of Pa-Man World 2, as you will inevitably go back to previous levels to collect more tokens.

It’s quite apparent at first glance that this game is wicked enjoyable. PacMan World: 20th Anniversary was a great platforming game for the PSX and was somewhat overlooked in its time, hopefully this game will not suffer from the same fate. Assuming your down with platformers, you’ll be thoroughly entertained from beginning to end.

This brings me to my next point; the time it actually takes to get to the end is far too short. Expect to complete the game in around six hours. But I am not one to look a gift-horse in the mouth, what is there is fun — and fun is fun. The included arcade mini-games just sweeten the deal. PacMan World 2 exonerates PacMan from the horribly disappointing PacLand games and the freakishly wrong cartoon on which the game was loosely based. If solid, entertaining, platforming action floats your boat, you would be well advised to pick this title up.

Quick hits:

Publisher: Namco
Developer: Namco
Platform: PS2, Gamecube
Genre: Adventure
Players: 1
Launch Date: March 13, 2002

Playability: 4 out of 5 stars
User friendly: 5 out of 5 stars
Support: 4 out of 5 stars
Sound: 4 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
Ratings were determined in 2002