The iPhone/iPod Touch Multiplayer Gaming Bible

UPDATE (10/30/2009):

1. Real Racing, probably the best racing game on the mobile Apple platforms, has been updated, receiving the cars available in the free and, unless you want multiplayer or the advanced features of the commercial version, highly recommended, recently released Real Racing GTI.

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Note that, as the original was of pretty bad quality, I’ve posted a video of the brand new version HERE. This time, as opposed to the former case (when I used Bluetooth), I used Wi-Fi for connection.

2. The great Cocoto Kart Online has been updated to version 1.1:



3. Sprint Addict Online has also received an update; it’s just a bugfix release:



I’ve tested the new version on both my iPhone 3G and 3G S and found it equally useless as the initial one. It’s absolutely unplayable on the 3G (stutters very bad) in exactly the same networking environment as the 3G S, where it’s much-much smoother. Nevertheless, the game still lacks real textures and, which is even more important, online players.

Note that, as the original was of pretty bad quality, I’ve posted a video of the brand new version HERE.

4. Star Hogs (a great and highly recommended space artillery game) has received MASSIVE updates:



5. Apple still haven’t approved the next “big thing”, iD’s Doom into AppStore. BTW, speaking of iD, while I know it isn’t exactly a multiplayer title, let me mention that Wolfeinstein 3D Classic I’ve quickly reviewed HERE, has been updated to Platinum Edition, receiving a LOT of great goodies. It sports great controls (unlike the majority of games) and it still costs $2 only – a must! (an update-centric TouchArcade thread HERE)

 

UPDATE (10/31/2009):

1. DOOM has been approved! I’ve created two demo videos:

Cooperative
Deathmatch

The multiplayer mode (local Wi-Fi) seems to be working great. It supports 2…4 players.

The game inherits the excellent controls of Wolf 3D. Note that, by default accelerometer-based (tilt) sliding isn’t supported; it must be manually enabled in Options.

Also see THIS TouchArcade quick review.

2. There are lot of other news; for example, the realtime strategy title Robocalypse – Mobile Mayhem is on sale for $1 only, which is a steal for such a high-quality game:



Rock Band is also on sale ($7 instead of $10) and a lot of other titles too; see THIS.

3. Eliminate has entered beta and is available via the Canadian AppStore for free (it supports in-app purchasing). This also means you can still access it by registering a Canadian account (by, say, providing Apple a physical Canadian e.g. mailing address quickly looked up in Google.) See THIS and THIS for more feedback / user opinions.

4. I've posted three multiplayer (!!!) demo videos for the Windows Mobile version of the C64 emulator (iPhone version HERE). Please see today's update HERE.

 

UPDATE (11/01/2009):

1. Alive 4 ever, a decent top-down cooperative shooter, has received (in addition to Bluetooth) local Wi-Fi support; now, you’ll be able to play it on first-generation iPhones and iPod touches.



2. The Push notification problems has been fixed with Mecho Wars, one of the best, multiplayer-enabled turn-based strategy title. In addition, it has received other goodies too:



Finally, note that it’s on a $1 sale now. A MUST buy at this price, unless you absolutely dislike the genre.

3. I’ve tested the newly released World Series of Poker Hold'em Legend by Glu, which has both local Bluetooth and remote lounge support. The latter is pretty basic; for example, it doesn’t allow users to select their opponents (as opposed to most of the remote poker titles). What is more, never ever was I able to find enough online players to play. The best I saw was other 3 players besides me – while, most of the case, there weren’t any. In this regard, competing poker titles (Texas Hold'em by Apple Inc. and Live Poker by Zynga) are waaaaay better. Keep this in mind before paying for this title.

I’ve made a demo video of it running in multiplayer Bluetooth mode. The second half of the video shows that at the time of making the videos (around 13:00 CET today) there weren’t anyone to play online.

4. I've also tested Solitaire: Deck of Cods by Namco Networks America Inc., which is also a new release. It has a "connect to peer" button in Options. Nevertheless, if you do connect to another iDevice (via Bluetooth), the game doesn’t seem to be altered – it seems to stay strictly single-player and not even a parallel one. That is, I haven’t seen it, for example, announcing when the other player manages to catch a fish or finish a round.

5. There’s a new cnet article on five iPhone multiplayer games HERE. (Note that my chart has extensive info & videos for some 150 – or even more? - titles.)

6. Finally, Archon, while still not having multiplayer support (if you do need multiplayer and you have two Windows Mobile phones / PDA’s around, use version 3.0 of Pocket Commodore 64 – I’ve recently posted a demo video of Archon II’s running great in multiplayer mode), has received some other, remarkable goodies:

 

UPDATE (11/03/2009): wowz, there is quite a lot to report on! iDevice users can’t really complain about the lack of multiplayer (as opposed to competing smartphone platforms: Windows Mobile, Symbian or, even worse, the Blackberry)…

1. Eliminate by ngmoco has been made available for the entire world.

You may well remember how I warned you against getting iFPS, so far, the only remote (lounge-based) first person shooter title (bad controls, very few - if any - online players etc.). Fortunately, Eliminate is way-way better and should be your first choice when looking for an online free-for-all game - parictularly at the current price point (free; nevertheless, note that in-game-purchased powerup packs do cost money if you do want to buy some).

YouTube demo video HERE, TA quick review & further links & discussion HERE. It also shows

- in-lounge chatting
- inviting friends for friendly matches
- playing regular (non-invite) games

2. Asphalt5 by Gameloft has also just been released is also highly recommended. While it does have speed problems even on the 3G S (let alone the definitely worse 3G), it's way better than the previous title in almost every respect. Note that it also has remote (lounge-based) multiplayer with, it seem, quite a few human players lurking around.

TouchArcade review HERE, YouTube video HERE.

NOTE: by default, the game requires Wi-Fi to operate in lounge-based mode. Therefore, if you do want to play it over 3G (or other cellular connections), you must jailbreak your phone, install 3G Unrestrictor (or something similar) and allow the game to use 3G in it. I've posted a full tutorial on this HERE.

3. Monster Ball by Full Control ApS (official homepage) is also a worthwhile puzzle / table game to check out - much more interesting than, say, "traditional" table games. Dedicated thread HERE (I especially recommend THIS post); YouTube video HERE. Make sure you check out the lite version!

NOTE: as you can see on the video, there aren't many online players around - and, as of now, there isn't any non-random opponent selection either.

4. Cliffed by IUGO is a quick action game. Dedicated thread HERE (I especially recommend THIS post); YouTube video HERE. Note that I, having to control to iPhones at the same time, very quickly lost the multiplayer game; therefore, to see how the game is played (e.g., in single player), also see other demo videos. Also note that, in general, there are quite a few online players and there isn't any way to create private / separate games only meant for your buddies; that is, the lounge code could be a bit more polished.

5. Command & Conquer Red Alert by EA has also been released. As of now, it doesn't have any kind of multiplayer support; nevertheless, it's promised for future versions. Please see THIS for a review.

 

UPDATE (10/03/2009 23:20 CET): as has been promised some time ago, I’ve added two videos of two 3D Rollercoaster games by Digital Chocolate, Inc., Haunted 3D Rollercoaster (video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbW7BGrIRu4 ) and Jurassic 3D Rollercoaster (video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDg_owwCeGg ).

If you like Slot Racer-type of games, you’ll definitely like these too. While, in single player, I didn’t really found the titles interesting, in multiplayer, this has substantially changed – go give it a try, particularly now that Jurassic 3D Rollercoaster only costs $1. Note that Jurassic 3D Rollercoaster (still?) costs $5, which is a bit steep given that it’s basically the same game as Haunted – with different artwork.

Also see http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=26964

 

UPDATE (10/04/2009 10:20 CET):

1. KIL-A-TON (a recommended artillery game) has been updated to version 1.2; new features / fixes include:

- 6 new weapons: Light Auto-Cannon, Auto-Cannon, Grenade, Swarm Shell, Nova Shell, Volcano
- Practice Mode added as a Custom Game option
- 1 New environment
- Awards: earn achievements by playing the various game modes
- Gameplay tuning
- Small bug fixes

2. It seems all of the X-Plane games (great simulators – note that it’s not a shooting game. If you want a decent, simple-to-use shooter, go for F.A.S.T. Fleet Air Superiority Training! instead) have been updated to 9.40, including some multiplayer enhancements. The following screenshot shows the new features of the “plain” X-Plane; the other games have similar features / fixes:



3. StarPagga (a space shooter) game has also been greatly enhanced:



4. TouchArcade has published a great review & tutorial on the recently-released (see yesterday’s first update) great FPS title Eliminate. Please see THIS.

 

UPDATE (11/05/2009):

SevenSword Prologue, a free, 3D slashing game boasting a lot of online players, has received a serious update:



Note that the game is a bit slow, even on the 3G S. That is, if you want an online game not necessarily following the medieval style of SevenSword Prologue (but, for example, a modern one), first, check out the much better optimized Eliminate instead.

 

UPDATE (11/05/2009 17:19 CET): Chess with Friends (including the free, ad-supported version) has just received a major update including the all-important Push notifications:



Note:

1. starting with version 2.0 of the free version, many of the users started complaining about it being considerably inferior to what it used to be during version 1.x. Keep this in mind. I’ve quite thoroughly tested the free version and have found it indeed very hard to play: after ALL moves, you’re presented a full-screen ad / poll like the following one:



All in all, unless you can put up with these ads, you will want to switch to another chess client or purchase the commercial, ad-free version (costing you $3).

Note that you can also see a lot of ads in action in my demo video so you can quickly decide if it’s too annoying for you without even installing the free version.

2. It uses its own game server (read: waay less players than over, say, FICS. Nevertheless, when I tested the game, I always found several, human random opponents to play). There’s no list of other users / their strength; all you can do is either ask for a random player or invite one you know (I’ve demoed both cases in the video.)

3. It uses Push notification. As you can see in the video, in general (at least today, some two hours ago), it takes 1…3 minutes for the push requests to arrive.

As usual, I’ve made a demo video demonstrating the ads, inviting people, chatting, the push delay etc. It’s HERE.

 

UPDATE (11/06/2009):

1. Cocoto Kart Online (one of the best kart racers) has received a pretty considerable upgrade:



2. BOMBERMAN TOUCH 2 –Volcano Party by Hudson received a very minor upgrade:



What does this mean? Nothing related to actual gameplay: in the main menu, the “Option” menu item has been moved upwards and an ad surface has been inserted below it:



3. smackBOTS by LeftRight Studios has received remote multiplayer capabilities (and a 50% sale):



If you like a very-very simple (don’t even think of anything like Blades of Fury by Gameloft!) fighter title, you might want to give it a try. I’ve uploaded a demo video HERE. (By the way, speaking of Blades of Fury, its price has further been reduced to $5.)

4. Storm8 has been sued for stealing wireless numbers with all their games. See THIS. Fortunately, I’ve always hated their (cr@ppy) titles and haven’t ever recommended them. Actually, I haven’t even put them in the chart – fortunately...

5. The developers of Chess with Friends (see my last update) have a, when it comes to using the game / inviting people / in-game chatting and the like, very similar title Words with Friends. Please see THIS for more info. Note that I haven’t made a video of this title because it’s so similar, menu / invitation / game management-wise, to the already-reviewed Chess with Friends.

 

UPDATE (11/9/2009):

1. I’ve uploaded two new videos:

iTressette X4 by doclouisjones.com: a brand new card game. YouTube video HERE.

Clarie’s Bar by CDE: a typical bar serving game with cooperative multiplayer (one of the players need to play the role of the bartender, which isn’t the case with the non-multiplayer version). Note that the game has been removed from the AppStore. YouTube video HERE.

2. Does anyone know how I could programmatically get the official categories of each and every app? I plan to rework the category-related column(s) in the chart and I really need this info. Unfortunately, it seems only the $400+ AppStore API’s / SDK’s allow getting such info. Not even the manual way (just getting the given AppStore page) works as it doesn’t list the game category; that is, currently, it seems to be impossible to get (via the human iTunes interface or a free app / Web service) the category tags of a game.

3. There have been some updates; for example,

a. iFishing has been updated to incorporate social features.

b. the price of Real Racing (probably the best racing simulator) has been (further) reduced to $5. It has also received a (now, minor) update.

 

UPDATE (11/12/2009 3:13 CET): I’ve reworked the chart. Now, it has two additional columns (both can be dynamically hidden as usual):

- Official genre (the genre(s) officially given by Apple). Note that the engine will be able to filter content based on the contents of this field too. Also note that I’ve renamed the old “Genre” column to “Genre given by me”.

- “Demo screenshots” (last column), which has long been asked for. Now, you can see all the five demo screenshots for (almost) all the titles. Just remember to click the left/right arrows! Note: by default, nothing is visible for you to avoid excess data use.

This week, I’ll try to spend more time on enhancing the chat further and, at last, write a decent writeup instead of the long-outdated introduction. Stay tuned

 

Thanks! Just working on the new, updated chart with the new games released lately. After that, I'll (finally) publish the vastly updated main article.

 

UPDATE (11/14/2009 11:40 CET):

1. I’ve added three FICS-compatible chess clients (one of them, Cyber Chess - FICS & ICC by clickgamer.com - being also compatible with ICC; the other two are Magnus' Super Online Chess by Magnus Lidman and Handy Chess Online (FICS) by Anton Zemlyanov) to the very bottom of the chart and have also updated the iChess-related entry. I’ve also posted the accompanying videos for all the new / modified entries.

2. As has already been announced, I’m working on a complete rewrite of the entire article. I have some good news for you: about half of the final article is already ready. It’ll kick some serious butts, I promise

 

UPDATE (11/15/2009 23:52 CET): I’ve posted a video (it’s HERE) of the just-released SteamPong. (Also see the last row in the chart.)

As you can see, it’s a pretty nice Pong clone in multiplayer mode. Single player isn’t bad either.

 

UPDATE (11/16/2009):

1. Two new videos posted: Call of Duty: World At War: Zombies (video HERE) (a brand new FPS title with very versatile multiplayer capabilities, supporting all the three most important connection types: BT, local Wi-Fi and online lounge) and Spot-O-Mania (see THIS) (a simple “where’s the difference” game with collaborative multiplayer over Bluetooth). They’re both brand new titles.

TouchArcade news item (with comments) of the former title HERE; dedicated thread HERE.

In the Call of Duty: World At War: Zombies video, first, I show local Bluetooth. Then, at 3:20, I quickly switch Wi-Fi on and return to the game to show you creating local, private Wi-Fi games (which involves having to enter a code on the client; this needs to be set in Profiles inside the game). Unfortunately, I exit this mode by mistake right at the beginning (couldn’t lay down the phones as, then, the pause is displayed right away) – nevertheless, at least you saw how password-protected games are joined. After this, I show online (lounge-based) gameplay. As you can see, online play is even slower on the 3G (it’s on the right) than local play – it’s pretty close to unplayable. The 3GS has absolutely no speed problems with online play, though. Also note that there are several online players; in this regard, you don’t need to be afraid of the same fate as with (the not recommended) iFPS, where you can meet hardly any human opponents.

Also see the just-added two bottom-most rows in the chart.

2. I’ve almost finished the (huuuuuge) chapter on the recommended games in my forthcoming, complete rewrite of the Multiplayer bible. I really hope to be able to get the entire thing ready tomorrow – I still need to explain the chart, the different game types (head to head vs. collaborative vs. parallel etc.) etc.

 

(ignore this)

 

UPDATE (11/19/2009 12:55AM CET):

1. MiniSquadron – a 2D flight shooter has just been released. YouTube MP video HERE.

Probably the only comparable title is Air Force Online by CDE. MiniSquadron is FAR better than Air Force.

Unfortunately, it only supports two-player local Wi-Fi connections (no BT, no remote lounge, no more than two players.)

See THIS TouchArcade news item and THIS thread.

2. I’ve created a video (see THIS) for Flipside by Igloo Games, released in late September. Dedicated TouchArcade thread HERE.

3. There is another puzzle game, bitFLIP by Hands-On Mobile, which seems to be very popular. Dedicated TouchArcade thread HERE. It doesn’t work between a 3G and a 3G S. I've tried with both Wi-Fi and BT (with the other disabled); neither worked - I coulnd't even create connections.

 

UPDATE (11/19/2009 8:45AM CET):

1. There is an excellent MiniSquadron (see the update from earlier today) review HERE.

2. As I’ve pointed out (see THIS) in the bitFLIP thread, you need to actively start a game on the client machine - waiting for the client to automatically join the server won’t work. You can see all this in the YouTube MP demo video I’ve just posted.