MotoHeroz: You must be crazy to take up this challenge

Everyone like racing games especially guys, as it gives you (read your inner racing driver) a chance to display your driving skills without worrying about the complexities involved in the real auto race. I am no different, racing games are my second most favorite gaming genre after FPS. Today I am posting about MotoHeroz, a platform racing game.

MotoHeroz presented by RedLynx which is a Gameloft studio, is a side scrolling racing game. And you can be rest assured that if it is coming from Gameloft, the graphics has to be stunning, but what's more surprising, MotoHeroz game is quite light weight and it loads very quickly without forcing you to look at the never ending loading indicator.

It is not a typical racing game and the difficulties in it are also refreshingly different. It may appear to be an easy to play game but it's not, in-fact it is quite tough especially if you are looking to score high in a game level. 

At the launch screen you get the usual options to: start the game, upgrades, IAP to buy coins and see your rankings.

MotoHeroz: Launch screen

Game controls

The game controls are easy to handle, there are on-screen buttons on the left hand side to tilt the vehicle forward or backward and buttons on the right hand side for moving it forward or backward. The vehicle is very sensitive to the controls which also adds to the game's level of difficultly.

At the start of the game, you are presented with the option to select your vehicle. Initially only one vehicle is available for selection and others are locked.

MotoHeroz: Select your vehicle

For each vehicle type there are five game tracks, out of which four are locked at the start. Each locked level can be unlocked by securing atleast one star in the previous level. 

As you play the tracks and beat the objectives you earn stars and coins. Stars enable you to unlock the tracks.

MotoHeroz: Select the level

The earned coins can then be used to upgrade your vehicle. These upgrades come in three forms i.e.: top speed, acceleration and item boost. You may ask if the upgrades are really needed and the answer is, there are tracks which demands vehicle upgrade to beat the objectives.

MotoHeroz: Upgrading the vehicle

Tracks are designed according to the vehicle. You drive your vehicle in dessert, jungle or in snow which is illustrated with beautiful graphics and locations. While driving you also collect some items to boost you vehicle ability. You surely need these items to move forward for example, in some tracks your vehicle must climb to a higher path and for that you need the jet pack sort of item etc.

MotoHeroz: A path less traveled

I found it quite tough to secure more than one star per track thanks to very challenging track objectives (time limit or distance traveled). It is just not about high speed but it requires quick decisions to stay ahead to finish the level and gain more stars. Moreover, it is this feeling of somehow beating the objective makes it quite an addictive game.

MotoHeroz: Jumping higher

MotoHeroz: Elevator for your vehicle

How much it costs you: Not a single penny.

If you like this post or know any other app / game in the same category, let me know via comments.

To get notification about the new posts on this blog, do not forget to subscribe to this blog through email subscription option from the side bar.

See also:

Other similar racing games:

1. Need For Speed - Most Wanted: Dare to challenge the most wanted
2. Beach Buggy Blitz : A fantastic racing game which will transport you to a stunning island, that too for free

Read more →

Giant Boulder of Death: It's coming, run for your life!

My idea of a good game is quite simple, I look for games which are simple to play, must have attractive graphics and should not be too heavy for the underlying hardware. Though I do not always adhere to it and I have chosen to play and enjoyed heavy games like NFS: Most wanted or Frontline Commando: D-Day because of their great game play and stunning graphics. Also, unknowingly mostly the games I like to play on my Android devices, falls in the platform genre even though my favorites are the FPS games.

Today, I am going to talk about a game which is quite simple to play, have lovely graphics and it cannot be considered as a heavy game. It's name is 'Giant Boulder of Death (GBOD)' and it is presented by Adult swim games. Kids also like this easy to play game and find it addictive. 

The concept of GBOD game is, you control a giant boulder which is rolling down from a mountain at a high speed. There is a valley, animal grazing fields, trees, huts, people and animals and you are expected to crush them all to score points and coins. But mind you, it is all done in a comic way and there is no blood or any sort of violence shown, so it is completely safe for your kids. 

Note: No animals were harmed while developing this game :).

As the game start, on the launch screen you see the coins and diamond you have on the top end and other options to access the upgrades and goals and also the daily challenges.

Giant boulder of death: Launch screen

As you play the game you earn coins and also collect diamonds which we will talk about later. These coins can be used to buy upgrades, these upgrades are of two types i.e. 'Permanent' and for 'Spinners'. Basically these upgrades help you to score more and quickly.

Giant boulder of death: Available upgrades

Once the boulder starts rolling, you will be shown the current goal which should be achieved. On the left hand side there is a vertical bar which shows the score multiplier, as you keep moving forward and scoring, this bar will begin to fill. And as soon it is filled completely your boulder will become invincible for a short period of time, I will talk about it in the later part.

Giant boulder of death: Showing current goal

Game Controls
The GBOD controls are very simple, to control the boulder movement you can choose tilt control which I prefer or on screen control for left and right turn or joystick control too, and for jump you need to flick your finger on the screen from down to up, that's it and you are all set.

Giant boulder of death: It's all about destruction

The boulder can crush most of the objects which comes on its way for example the animals, people, small huts etc. and you score points for that. There are some objects which it cannot crush like big buildings, though these buildings are harmless to the boulder, but there are these deadly spikes and if the boulder dashes the spikes, boulder breaks down into pieces and your game gets over. It is better to avoid the spikes by moving away from it or by jump over it. Then there are also moving mines which can explode if it touches boulder, so better avoid it also.

Giant boulder of death: The invincible boulder

Becoming invincible is a way to crush these big buildings, deadly spikes or mines. As you fill the multiplier bar completely, your boulder becomes invincible for a short period of time and then nothing can withstand the invincible boulder.

Giant boulder of death: The score card

Giant boulder of death: Unlocking characters

If you complete the goal the character associated with the goal gets unlocked and start showing on the field. Scoring more is rewarded with extra coins.

In the game, infrequently you will see diamonds too which are available to grab. These diamonds can be used to continue the same game if you boulder breaks down without losing the progress and for other similar purposes.

GBOD game updates bring new themes for the boulder which can then be unlocked with the help of coins and diamonds. Latest in the series is the heavy metal boulder theme.

Giant boulder of death: Unlocking themes

How much it costs you: Not a single penny.

If you like this post or know any other app / game in the same category, let me know via comments.

To get notification about the new posts on this blog, do not forget to subscribe to this blog through email subscription option from the side bar.

See also:

Other similar games:
1. Clay Jam: A unique game with lots of clay and fun

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Contra Evolution: Do you still have the courage to fight?

Initially, when I starting playing video games (not the PC games, even before that), I used to play the Mario and the other game titles like Battle tank, Pac-Man etc. These were good games but there was something missing I mean the real action and then came the game which became an instant hit, it was "Contra". As soon as I came to know about it I stopped playing all other games and fully concentrated on "Contra". It was an addiction and with the multi-player option it was even more fun to play as you will also agree that it was a tough game to play and it's good to work as a team. 

Now a day we have access to the latest and the greatest 3D games and we all like these too but still Contra has a permanent place in our memories.

Now, the same Contra is back again and this time on Android with better and improved 3D graphics and touch screen controls but under the hood it is still the same old and our beloved Contra, it is presented by Konami Software. Also, it is very light weight so it works fine without any lag.

The game retains its original soundtrack and background music which when I heard for the first time on my Nexus 7 I really felt nostalgic. Let's see what we have in this Android version of Contra.

Contra Evolution: Launch screen

As the game starts, you are presented with the modes in which you can play Contra, these are: 

Arcade: in arcade mode you start playing the game from the first stage and keep progressing further till you have no life left.

Mission:  in mission mode, you can choose to play any level which is already unlocked

Boss Rush: in this mode you play the climax fights of all stages in a sequence until you have no life left.

After selecting the mode, you can choose one of the player from the selection of four players out of which 2 are available and remaining are locked at the start. If you have chosen to play the Mission mode, you will be presented with the stage selection which also shows the objectives for that stage.

Contra Evolution: Level selection

Game controls
The game controls are fairly easy, on the left hand side near the screen's bottom you have a D-pad and on the right hand side you have onscreen button for jump and other buttons to enable additional special powers. Evidently, it requires some practice to master the controls especially the D-pad control as sometimes all you want from your player is to lay on the ground but instead he starts walking backward.

Contra Evolution: In the Jungle

At the start of the game you get 5 lives which may look enough but then losing a life while playing Contra is very easy as a single bullet can claim a life. This is what contributes to Contra's tough game play. 

Contra Evolution: At Base 1

The default weapon you carry at the start is not a very powerful one but there are ample upgrades for weapons and health available at various stages which can be collected. I particularly like the homing missiles which eliminates the need to aim at the enemy.

Contra Evolution: Destroying the gate

The Contra Evolution also added the IAP feature so that you can spend real money to buy packs for weapon etc., which I am not a big fan of, as I prefer paying upfront for a game instead of IAP.

Contra Evolution: Waterfall stage

Contra Evolution: Boss level

Enough said, are you still reading the blog? buckle up, hold your weapon securely and let's go :).

Contra Evolution: Kill that ugly alien

How much it costs you: 1 US $ (approximately).

If you like this post or know any other app / game in the same category, let me know via comments.

To get notification about the new posts on this blog, do not forget to subscribe to this blog through email subscription option from the side bar.

See also:

Other such classic games:

1. Prince of Persia Shadow & Flame: Return of the classic prince

Read more →

Top android games in various categories from year 2013

As we have entered in the year 2014, I am really excited and eager to try my hands on the new android apps which will be released this year. And rest assured, I will write about my experience and my view on the top apps here on this blog.

Till that time, I am putting together a list of top 3 games in various categories I played and really enjoyed in yesteryear 2013.

Kids Games
1. Granny Smith
As the name of the game suggests it has to do with the granny and the granny smith (green apple). The granny is hell bent to save the apples from the thief who is always behind the apples and does not leave any chance of stealing them.

2. Racing Moto
It's a racing game, you are a bike rider driving on a freeway while avoiding the cars on the three lanes. Well sounds simple? Let me tell you, these car drivers are crazy and they switch lanes for no reason, only good thing is they follow the rules and turn the indicator light on ;).

3. Clay Jam: A unique game with lots of clay and fun
Clay Jam has a refreshingly different game play. It gives a feeling like you are playing with colorful clay all the times. Everything in this game appears to be made of clay of different colors, be it the background or text or game characters.

Racing Games
1. Need For Speed - Most Wanted: Dare to challenge the most wanted
Need For Speed: Most Wanted is a street racing game in which you challenge opponents from the most wanted list. As the street racing is illegal beware you have to tackle the police vehicles, they will do all to bust you.The graphics quality is absolutely top-notch.

2. Beach Buggy Blitz : A fantastic racing game which will transport you to a stunning island, that too for free
Beach Buggy Blitz is a fantastic racing game with stunning visuals, and great game play. Even if you are not interested particularly in racing, the surrounding, visuals and locations shown in this game will definitely amuse you.

3. Racing Moto
It's a racing game, you are a bike rider driving on a freeway while avoiding the cars on the three lanes. Well sounds simple? Let me tell you, these car drivers are crazy and they switch lanes for no reason, only good thing is they follow the rules and turn the indicator light on ;).

Action Games
1. Major Mayhem: running action game, great action, unlimited fun
Major Mayhem is a cool looking running action game with lots of fun. This major is on its own, out on a mission to save his girlfriend.

2. Samurai vs Zombies Defense 2:  Action packed top tower defense game
The zombies are coming, gather your buddies and get ready with you best weapons. It's going to be a long and tough battle to save the village.

3. Frontline Commando: D-Day
D-Day is really nice game from the developer GLU Mobile. The graphics quality is top notch and the sound is commendable. The plot of the game is set in WW2 at Normandy.

Running Games
1. Manuganu: fantastic running game with difference
Manuganu is one of the best 3D running game where you play the role of a little boy named Manuganu. The little boy Manuganu has embarked on a journey, in which he has to face lots of difficulties on his way. I have no doubt that kids love this game.

2. Despicable me - minion rush: Addictive running game from Gameloft
Despicable me : Minion rush is an addictive endless running game with great 3D graphics, presented to you by Gameloft.

3. Badland game: Explore the secrets of Jungle
Badland, presented by frogmind is a game with absolutely stunning graphics and has a jungle setup shown in it which is so mysterious but at the same time dangerous. It looks really beautiful and the background sounds complete the experience of roaming around in a strange jungle. There are no cheats available, you have to face the difficulties and overcome it.

Special mention
1. Prince of Persia Shadow & Flame: Return of the classic prince
Prince of Persia Shadow & Flame: Ubisoft has launched one of the classic Price of Persia title Shadow & Flame with new age stunning 3D graphics and touch screen friendly controls. You as the Price of Persia starts your adventurous and dangerous journey to save your princess from the captivity of evil Jaffar.

2. Little Galaxy: Are you ready for space travel?

Little Galaxy developed by developer Bitmap Galaxy is an Android Arcade game set in space. In this game you play as a young boy jumping from one planet to another in his journey. Little Galaxy game is quite light weight but the 3D graphics are pretty cool and gives a realistic feel of planets and stars.

If you like this post or know any other app / game in the same category, let me know via comments.

To get notification about the new posts on this blog, do not forget to subscribe to this blog through email subscription option from the side bar.

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Badland game: Explore the secrets of Jungle

You have seen the movie Avatar and you know how director James Cameron superbly shown Pandora, its lush green jungle, the never seen before creatures and the secrets hidden in the jungle and you feel like you are actually in that place. Similarly, at times we come across few games, which are so different and mystical in nature, be it their graphics, the setup or the game play. 

This time I am covering one such game, Badland, presented by frogmind. Badland is a game with absolutely stunning graphics and has a jungle setup shown in it which is so mysterious but at the same time dangerous. The jungle looks really beautiful and the background sounds complete the experience of roaming around in a strange jungle.

Badland is a side scrolling game in which you control and play an unusual looking flying character. The idea is to cross the jungle which is full of unusual dangers without getting killed. Badland can be played in single player as well as multiplayer mode, I have not tried the multiplayer mode yet but I am sure it is also equally challenging.

Badland game: Launch screen

The game loads surprisingly very quickly, the game levels are divided across two days. The days are divided into four parts (isn't that obvious) namely: Dawn, Noon, Dusk and Night, and further each part has 10 levels (so, in all 80 levels). Each level has its own objectives and depending on the objectives you achieve you get eggs as your prize.

The controls are very easy, actually there is just one control, you just need to touch the screen and the character flaps enabling it to fly, you can touch the screen repeatedly to flap repeatedly or just keep your finger on the screen to achieve the same result.

Badland game: Level selection

As the level starts, the character (alas, no name given to it) is resting on the ground, and as it flaps it starts flying and move forward, because it's a physics based game, once it stops flapping it drops on the ground. As soon as the character started moving ahead there is no stopping, it should keep on moving forward because if it stops and goes out of the screen window the level ends immediately. Therefore, that's the first thing to keep in mind.

Badland game: I cloned myself

While moving forward, it acquires some abilities that are needed to cross the hurdles, as it can get bigger and heavier by touching the fruits on the way so that it can push heavier objects out of its way. Similarly it can again get in shape or even shrink in size by touching those fruits.

Badland game: Get bigger or smaller at will

Then there are powers by which it can clone itself and get a single or multiple companions. This also helps it to move forward because to cross some hurdles it needs to perform some tasks simultaneously and for that, it needs companions. 

Badland game: It's my army

It's not just powers which can be picked, there are some I should say "weakness" which also has to be picked by the character which can slow it down and make its journey more difficult like it can pick a sticky weakness which makes it extremely sticky causing it to stick to anything it touches. Similarly, a bouncy weakness if acquired make the character excessively bouncy and it keeps on bouncing here and there instead of moving forward.

Badland game: It's sticky and deadly

Also, there are sharp rotating saws, pointed needles which can instantly kill the character and few time based traps which if not crossed within a short time can block the character and your game will be over.

Badland game: Trapped to dead

I strongly suggest you to install this game to actually get the feel of this stunning and highly addictive game, you will surely not regret.

Wish you happy holidays and a very Happy New Year!

How much it costs you: Not a single penny for Day 1 levels, then if you like you can buy the remaining and additional levels.

If you like this post or know any other app / game in the same category, let me know via comments section.

To get notification about the new posts on this blog, do not forget to subscribe to this blog through email subscription option from the side bar.

See also:

Other posts in this series:

1. Manuganu: fantastic running game with difference
2. Beach Buggy Blitz : A fantastic racing game which will transport you toa stunning island, that too for free

Read more →

Vacations: Refreshing Las Vegas, a different ball game

This is happening for the first time on this blog that I am posting an off-topic post. As you might have noticed that I have not posted anything new on this blog for last three weeks, and there is a reason behind that. I was away travelling to the US of A for few official meetings and then went to Vegas for vacations :). This was my first time to Vegas so I was very excited and yes, Vegas did not disappoint me at all.

So here I am with this post, it does not cover any new Android app or game but its a trip report of Las Vegas.

Vegas trip was full of adventures and it started from the flight itself. We were at airport well on time and were eagerly waiting to board the flight but there was something unusual happening in Vegas at this time of the year, it was raining. And then the ground staff announced that the flight was delayed by more than 3 hours :(, it was the last thing we wanted to hear. Anyways, after the long wait they got the green signal and we boarded the flight. I was sitting near the window and it was evening time, when we were near to our destination, I could see it was all dark on the ground and just one road lit by vehicle's headlights heading to a place excessively lit by colorful lights. Well that's Las Vegas, a lively place in a barren dessert.

We reached our Hotel at around 11:30 PM and all we could see was, the place was heavily crowded with people all geared up for party and fun, that place was MGM Grand.

We were there for three days, our plan was to spend two days in Vegas and one day for a day tour to the Grand Canyon's West rim. So as per the plan we boarded the tour bus to Grand Canyon. The journey started at 6:30 in the morning and took around 3 hours to reach the first stop, the eagle point.

It was a cloudy day so we were not able to see the valley and the shape of an eagle as told by our guide Jerry. So we headed to our next stop that is the West rim sky walk. The sky opened up by that time and we could see the vast and simply awesome view of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado river. Grand Canyon is really "Grand" and at the same time mesmerizing. We spent around 2 hours at that point and we were served with lunch prepared by the native Hualapai people. The food was good and it was quite an experience of having lunch by the side of Grand Canyon. We really enjoyed it.

Grand Canyon: Breathtaking view of the canyon and Colorado river

Once Grand Canyon was done, we concentrated our energy to explore the Las Vegas. Walking was not an option as it is very easy to get tired especially if you are staying in MGM Grand, that place is really big. So we bought the "Deuce" bus ticket with unlimited rides for 24 hours, which is one of the most convenient and affordable option at 8 USD. We boarded the bus and then got down at all the major attractions on the Las Vegas strip. Some of the stops were: Stratosphere, Venetian, Aria, Bellagio etc. The good thing here in Vegas is you can simply walk in any Hotel or Casino and explore it, there is no restriction on the visitors.

Las Vegas: The Stratosphere tower

We particularly liked Venetian for its Venice like theme, they have emulated the canals of Venice and also there are gondolas with singing gondolier which is really a nice touch. The roof is painted like sky with clouds and due to the awesome lighting it really looks like a real sky.

Las Vegas: The Christmas decoration at Venetian

Las Vegas: The Venice canals at Venetian

We spent our day exploring all the places. Took some rest and by the evening time we were ready to go out again on the strip. The strip looks really different at night time, every place is illuminated with bright colorful lights and huge display screens. We headed straight to the Bellagio to watch the famous fountains show. And I must tell you it was awesome, everything was so synchronized the lights the music and the fountains. It was very difficult for us to leave that place, we watched 3 shows back to back and then boarded the Deuce for the Fremont Street experience.

Las Vegas: The famous fountains of Bellagio

Fremont Street is a comparatively new area which is being promoted as the next Vegas strip. And they have added some unique attractions to this place. The first thing you will notice is the roof covering the entire street, the complete roof is a giant screen and it keeps playing music videos or some random graphics, it's really an experience of the life time. There you can find lots of interesting people and performers on the street playing live band, some artists, painters and all other sort of entertainment. There are casinos, restaurants, souvenir shops too to keep you engaged.  

Las Vegas: Fremont street experience

Las Vegas: It was time to bid adieu

And then the time came to say goodbye to Las Vegas and return back to our abode. Las Vegas experience was one of its kind and quite different from the places I visited earlier. 

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Wingsuit Lite: Now you can fly risk-free

How many times looking at the flying birds you thought why we can't fly and enjoy the freedom? It must be so much fun without worrying about traffic and congestion. Sure, we have airplanes and choppers but still these are machines and they do not give the feel of actual flying. Glider comes pretty close when we talk about the feel, then someone invented the wingsuit and yes once you are into it, it is the closest of flying like a bird.

Wingsuit flying is considered as extreme sport due to the dangers associated with it and its not everyone's cup of tea, but do not worry the Android game Wingsuit Lite presented by Swipe Entertainment allows you to just do that without any associated risks and at the comfort of your home :). Wingsuit Lite is the free version of paid game Wingsuit Pro. 

This game is all about flying, you play as a wingsuit flier and complete the challenges presented to you in the game. The game's 3D graphics are pretty smooth, overall it is quite a light weight game and my Nexus 7 (2012) can handle it without any hassle.

Wingsuit Lite: Launch screen

Wingsuit Lite has two levels: "Valley" and "Village" where "Village" level is locked at the start and as you play the "Valley" level and complete the objectives you can get the level unlocked.

Each level has two playing modes: "Points" and "Target" and both the modes are equally enjoyable and challenging. To unlock the next level you need to earn at-least three stars. It is quite difficult to earn three stars just by playing a single mode so try your hands on both the modes to collect the required stars.

Wingsuit Lite: Level and modes

Game Play
Game play is easy if you are not playing it for the sake of stars and just flying around to enjoy the view. But to score before you reach the end of the slope is a task. The trick is to fly closer to the ground to score quickly but again not too close else the gravitational force will make sure the player bite the dust :) and gets killed.
Controls are easy and responsive, while flying just tilt the device horizontally or vertically to turn left / right or up /down. You can also try some tricks using gestures which can be learned from the help menu, well those are just some fancy tricks and will not help in anyway to gain points / score.

Wingsuit Lite: Flying over the valley

The level starts when the player jumps from a cliff and starts flying and as he reaches the end of the valley and opens the parachute it ends. In target mode, you need to score a specific target to get stars and in points mode, players needs to pop maximum balloons floating around to get stars.

Wingsuit Lite: Medical report of the flier after the accident

Once you secure the minimum required stars the next level gets unlocked.

Wingsuit Lite: Unlocking of Village level

In Village level, you fly over a scenic village where the huts can be seen along the river banks and some small bridges over it. This level can also be played in target or points mode.

From the options menu you can choose to see the recording of your last played level and its quite interesting as you can view it from various camera angles. 

There are few more levels but in the Wingsuit Lite version you have access to only two levels. You can buy the paid version to unlock all the levels.

So do not wait, download this game and get ready to fly.

Wingsuit Lite: Flying over the scenic village

How much it costs you: Not a single penny for the Lite version and 1 US $ for the paid version.

If you like this post or know any other app / game in the same category, let me know via comments.

To get notification about the new posts on this blog, do not forget to subscribe to this blog through email subscription option from the side bar.

See also:

Other such interesting games:

1. Little Galaxy: Are you ready for space travel?

2. Need For Speed - Most Wanted: Dare to challenge the most wanted

Read more →