Rayman 2 Review

Rayman 2. Ah. Where to begin? It brings back tons of memories from the past. However, don’t let the impressive and glossy graphics fool you. Controlling the game is fairly difficult. Playing the game is hard, not because the actual game is hard, but because the controls are translated poorly.

Rayman 2 on the iPhone is a 3D, cartoonish platformer. You can jump and shoot your way through a number of interesting levels. The character you play, Rayman, shoots out balls of energy. As you are progressing through levels, you will need to jump very carefully to stay alive. However the camera movement is poor and sometimes it’s impossible to keep Rayman alive. This is not just because the game is hard, it’s the fact that controlling your character is extremely hard (like I mentioned previously).

To control your character, you drag a virtual D-Pad depending on where you want to go. Similar to several other Gameloft titles, you have action buttons located on the bottom right of the screen. You can jump and shoot using those action buttons. Looking around can be done by swiping the screen. There’s a good amount of combat in Rayman 2. You fight against several different monsters.

Another thing that draws me away from the game is the lack of auto save. For instance, if you receive a phone call or need to quit the game for any reason, you will have to start the level again. This should definitely be fixed in an update. Many times I’ve needed to exit the game, I was in the middle of a level and I was forced to start the level over. This is very annoying.

However, graphics in this game (just like almost every other Gameloft game) are absolutely fantastic. The game looks beautiful and runs without any hiccups. Gameloft has definitely added polish to Rayman 2. Tweaking the controls or adding more control schemes would make this game the perfect platformer. Lastly, the lack of auto save should definitely be addressed in an update.

Pros

Fantastic Graphics
Lengthily
Good Amount of Combat

Cons

Fidgety Controls
No Auto Save

Scores:

Graphics: 5/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Controls: 2.5/5
Sound/Music: 4/5
Replay Value: 3/5


Overall: 6/10 (not an average)

GT Racing Motor Academy Review

Are you ready for the ultimate racing experience? If so, enter the best racing academy out there by playing Gameloft’s one and only GT Racing Motor Academy. With over 100 cars from 24 different manufacturers, you can race in 14 different environments. Play online multiplayer and compete against several different players. The game offers fantastic graphics. But is it really the BEST racing game in the app store? Well, keep reading and you’ll soon find out!

In GT Racing Motor Academy you start out by getting licenses. There are different licenses and different tests. From there, you can move on to buying your car and finally racing. This definitely resembles the Gran Turismo series. There are plenty of events to keep you busy in the game, and once you have completed the game, compete against the world in online multiplayer. Making all this possible (huge career mode, over 100 cars, 14 tracks, online multiplayer, and decent graphics) was impossible in my eyes, until Gameloft released this incredible racing title. Also, there isn't much options for customizing your cars. You can't change a lot of things, which would be a nice addition.

GT Racing Motor Academy features several different control types and points of views. You can view your car in third person point of view or get the feel of the car by entering cockpit view. Controlling the game can be done by either holding an accelerator/brake or choosing the option for automated acceleration. To move your car, you can either tilt your iPhone and feel like you’re moving a steering wheel, tap left and right depending on where you want to go, or touching and moving a virtual steering wheel depending on where you want to go. The amount of detail Gameloft adds to the controls surprises me.

Graphics in this game are definitely not the best on the platform, but they’re still pretty impressive. Cars are realistic; however the environments aren’t so eye catching. My only major complaint is the fact that the draw distance isn’t too great. When you drive, things start to pop in such as trees, buildings, and even cars. It isn’t so annoying but it’s definitely noticeable. However, the excellent gameplay and sense of speed makes you forget all the pop ins.

Hence, GT Racing Motor Academy takes iPod Touches and iPhones to the next level when it comes to racing games. Tons of replay value is available in this game and there are many racing events. You earn money and can buy different cars. This game surpasses almost every racing game on the platform, including the Asphalt series and Fast & Furious. Is it better then Need for Speed: Shift? In some ways (realism, amount of cars, different environments) yes. In others (graphics and car customization) no. Therefore, you should definitely consider checking this out for the low price of $6.99.

Pros

Online Multiplayer

Over 100 Cars

14 Different Tracks

Realistic

Great Controls

Cons

Draw Distance is Short

Not a lot of Options for Car Customization

Scores:

Graphics: 4/5

Gameplay: 5/5

Controls: 5/5

Sound/Music: 4/5

Replay Value: 5/5

Overall: 9/10 (not an average)

Rally Master Pro 3D Video Review

Watch the Rally Master Pro 3D review, by Fishlabs, video review here on YouTube.

Scores:

Graphics: 5/5

Controls- 5/5

Gameplay- 3.5/5

Replay Value- 4/5

Overall- 7/10

Pros:

Excellent graphics

Fantastic Controls

First Rally Racing Game

Cons:

Lack of online multiplayer

Sometimes the roads are too narrow

Repetitive

Bottom Line: If you're a regular gamer, you'd want to stick to Need for Speed or Asphalt. Even with insane graphics and great controls, the gameplay isn't so great and the game gets repetitive. However if you enjoy Rally Racing games, Rally Master Pro is the way to go (I'm a poet and I didn't even know it!).

Rally Master, $4.99

Skater Nation Video Review

Watch the Skater Nation, by gameloft, video review here on YouTube

Scores:

Graphics: 4/5

Controls- 3.5/5

Gameplay- 5/5

Replay Value- 5/5

Overall- 8/10

Pros:

Beautiful graphics

A lot of replay value.

Cons:

Controls are not always responsive and aren't sensitive enough; takes time to get used to.

Bottom Line: Skater Nation is the best skating game on the app store and has many similarities to the Tony Hawk Series. If your'e looking for a 3D Open World skating game, look no further then Skater Nation.

Skater Nation, $6.99

Winners of the Wheeler's Treasure Contest!

The results are in, and these are the winners of the Wheeler's Treasure contest:

@Alex_Ferrigno

@adriangzz97

@dannyswrld

@wamid

@Ossamu

@unbluk

Congratulations! If you didn't win the app, you can always purchase it, since it's definitely worth its current price of just $.99!!

Link: Wheeler's Treasure, $.99