ToG #228 – Cut the Rope Magic and Metro 2033: Wars

In this episode, Todd and Jared answer a listener question.

They then talk about the current iOS App Store sales and they each give a few picks.

They revisit the helpful App Shopper App.

And they also revisit Amazon Underground and the incredible slew of awesome games an Android user can find there…all of them for free.

Since so many games were released this week the “games we didn’t play” section is quite long.

And then we get into games.

Todd recapped Air Attack 2 and Power Hover from last week. Both are great and worth buying.

Jared then had a little segment called “5 games in 5 minutes…games Jared played while out sick”. In that segment, he talked about: Sneaky Sneaky, Prune, X-Mercs, Puzzle Craft 2, Magic: The Gathering – Puzzle Quest

Todd mentioned a few other games he tried this week…none of which grabbed him (1 of which would not run on his iPad). Into the Dim – he needs to play more. CarRage – not the best Micro Machines type game out there…largely due to the control scheme. Cardinal Pixel – this game would not play. It crashed during the tutorial. It was updated after the episode was recorded. Todd tried it and now it is not compatible with iPad 4 at all and it could not be updated. Weird.

Todd then talked about Rust Bucket (Free, iOS, Nitrome) – this is a rogue like that focuses more on the puzzle elements of the genre than on the upgrades or weapons or spells. In essence, that makes it a purely puzzle experience. It is nice to look out and the audio is solid, but Todd was looking for something more like Tiny Rogue or Arcane Tower and, as such, this one falls short for him. The ads are also a bit much, but there is a very good game here if you are looking for a pure puzzle game with the look and feel of a turn-based rogue like.

Jared: Cut the Rope Magic (Zeptolabs, iOS and Android, Free on Underground or $.99) – a perennial favorite of Jared’s, this installment basically offers more Cut the Rope for anyone interested. The puzzle mechanics are still there in all of their glory and they add in a few new tricks, but this is basically a new installment of the series as opposed to a sequel. If you liked any of the prior games, you will really enjoy this one too. Worth buying for sure (and definitely get it for free on Amazon Underground if you are an Android gamer).

Todd: Dashy Crashy (Free, iOS, Dumpling Design) – another Voxel graphics, lane based runner enters the fray! This one features a variety of cars/trucks you can control as you move lane to lane trying to avoid oncoming traffic. They throw some fun touches into the mix like an over the top narrator and a day/night cycle while also adding a bit to the mechanics in the forms of Ranked levels, speed ups, brakes, and all sorts of unlockable vehicles. The free to play model is very fair and the gameplay is fun. Recommended if you are looking for a new pick up and play type of endless runner. Fun stuff.

Jared: Metro 2033: Wars ($7.99, iOS & Android, Tapstar Interactive Inc.) – Jared grabbed this turn based strategy game that is based on the books/games of the Metro 2033 world. He could not find a lot of info about it but did see some positive Windows Phone reviews, so it went for it…and it turns out to be a very deep and tough turn based strategy game. The focus is on battling it out in Russian subways…trying to gain and hold territory as you build up your small army. The game has lots of nice touches but you need to be careful…perma-death lurks around every corner and any little mistake could be exploited. Despite all of that, the game feels fair and it is very well worth a look. The price is high and might scare some off, but Jared will be back with more info next year if you are still on the fence.

And that wraps it up.

This was a nice, game-packed show to take us into the holiday season (and ToG hiatus).

Our next episode will be for the week of January 11, 2016.