I mentioned in a thread that the game was my 4th GOTY contender. I was asked then what the others were, because he was on the lookout for some possibly missed pearls. I didn't want to derail the thread and yeah, a third of the year has passed already, and since our memories are relatively fresh yet, why don't we share our little list of our "convinced" titles. Here are mine in order of release: Hero Emblems (those hilarious characters were the creamy top in my most enjoyed match-3 game ever) 1-Bit Ninja Remix Rush (this very clever endless runner doesn't run with the crowd, top-notch controls but not the easiest to master) The Addams Family (an incredible little piece of my pinball youth in my pocket) Implosion (gorgeous premium slasher, and after 20 hours my wide dropped jaw is closing slowly) Trigonarium (a niche living colorful and fresh feeling highscore dual stick shooter with lots of options and replay value) I definitely will stick to them, no doubt...really? These five titles came out of minimum 61 paid/unlocked memorable games by the end of April '15
My current list (no particular order): Hero Emblems - i think everyone knows why it's here. Everyone who played it at least. This game caused me to ignore a huge amount of releases after it that didnt have a price tag which is the trend nowadays. In fact, im going to confidently say that i find this a lot better than Puzzle Quest 2. Im adamant on my decision that Puzzle Quest 1 is still the best puzzle RPG i have played in any format, and Hero Emblems for me comes in at least in the top 5. Adventure Time Game Wizard - The problem with this game is that people think this is just a game promo of sorts. Well, just like the now-pulled Powerpuff Girls Defenders of Townsville, this is actually a lot better than most titles sharing its genre. Example, Traps n Gemstones became popular on the get-go because, hey, it's from Donut games, and it is a fantastic title. However, i played both these titles a lot and i would pick ATGW over TnG. This deserves more attention, especially here in TA coz i think it didnt get what it deserves in terms of that. Evoland - Tis a bit on the short side, but this game is beautiful. What it provides is an experience through the evolution of RPGs, and it does it really well, no other game has ever done before. I've heard comments that it doesnt have any new mechanics, well that's just pretty ignorant coz the game is unique in a way that it's a walk-through-history and not trying to be original through mechanics. It may be a short stroll through nostalgia (or experience for those who missed classic RPG gaming), but it's definitely a sweet, sweet one. Space Marshals - Stealth games have been around, but havent yet shown the full potential of the genre on touchscreens. To be fair, Space Marshalls is still far from perfect, but it is pretty close, especially since this is a top-down stealth shooter game rather than behind-the-back 3PS or an FPS. What this game does successfully that pushed me into giving this a spot in my list, is how good it integrates that stealth mechanic into a fantastic dungeon crawl-ish dual-stick formula. Add in spot-on touch and MFi conrols, and it clearly deserves the spot. Implosion - I love top-down action title and action-hybrid games. Space Marshals for me is a bit more innovative in the gameplay mechanics, while Implosion uses a more classic hack and slash brawler RPG formula, and everything it does, it does perfectly. Controls, combo system, RPG mechanics, stage progression, skill-based combat, fantastic sights and sounds, i can go on with the good stuff to be had with this title. Grim Fandango - A cult classic on a ninja-release for that huge surprise factor is pretty difficult to ignore. I know what to expect for the most part in terms of the experience, but it's one i really wanted to get into again, and Double Fine made it happen. The best part? Now it's on my ipad, and it has fantastic controls which feels pretty natural on the touchscreen. I wish this eventually gets MFi support so i could play on the huge screen, but that would be cherry on top of an already very delicious cake. Heroes & Castles 2 - The first game i've played over 100 hours while in its beta form. To be honest, i did not expect to fall in love with this game from beta alone (no game did yet until this). And the wait for the release this thursday is actually killing me. Familiar controls, fantastic sounds and visuals, a huge improvement to one of my favorite iOS games, and im considering this to be on top of my list already. Ones i've listed but not sure if it ends up in the final list yet: Planet Quest - the only "mini" game i have on my list so far. Currently my go-to rhythm game, and has been the only game i've been playing on the iphone as everything else is played on the ipad. I love the music. I love the hectic gameplay. I love the one-tap control scheme. For the small scope it covers, it has no flaws the way i see it. Im still holding back on giving it a spot on the final-ish list though, as it sometimes feels like it needs more modes to feel really complete. Forgotten Memories - I really enjoy this game. I personally think the flashlight mechanics need to be rebalanced to help the player experience how good this game is (instead of just forcing the player to rush through), but i get by fine. However, when making my GotY lists, i always consider how easy a game is to put into any player's hands, and this is where FM takes the fall. It's a fantastic game, but it's just not for everyone. I cant even say it's only for 50% of the iOS players, coz this has a very specific gamer-type in mind it targets, and just puts a finger up in the faces of those who dont belong to that gamer-type. One of the best things going on for FM is how the devs are wiling to tweak the game, so we'll see by the end of the year if it ends up on the final list. Marvel Future Fight - I love this game. I mentioned somewhere above that i love top-down action titles, and this one does a lot of things real well for me. On the downside, each session i play, i have to stop prematurely due to lack of stamina. That's a huge downside that puts this down here on this list. Some more that im not sure has a spot on my pseudo final list yet (without long writeups): Ys Chronicles Quest Keeper Dark Echo Trulon Corridor Z
Gunbrick King Of Thieves Odd Bot Out Blockwick 2 Oddwings Escape Bears vs. Art It's premium and freemium, they go hand in hand IMO.
