EDG Podcast Ep. #143

MUSIC

Intro – “M4 Part 2″ by the Faunts

Break – “Searchlights” by Falling Up

Outro – “Are You Real (Remix)” by KJ 52, featuring Jessy Ribordy & Joseph A. Kisselburgh of Falling Up

TIMESTAMPS

Week in Review – 2:50

3DS and Vita Discussion –  38:21

iOS and Android Discussion –  1:10:34

Twitter – 1:57:45

Tim Time – 2:10:09

Closing – 2:17:54

As you may have guessed Hanging With Friends is a hangman-type game. When you start a game with someone you are given a random selection of letters in which you are to create a word with. Your opponent is then supposed to guess what the word is by selecting letters from A through Z. Your opponent is only given a select amount of times in which he can be wrong. If they don’t complete the word before running out of tries then one of their balloons pops. Each person has 5 balloons. Once your opponent has either figured out the word or failed they then create a word for you to figure out and so goes the game. You then try to guess their word. This goes back and forth until someone has failed 5 times. The better you do in the game the more your bonus meter grows. When your bonus meter gets filled you are given coins. You can spend these coins on perks. There are 3 different perks: The “Suspects” perk reveals four letters, one of which is in the word, the “Extinguish” perk removes four incorrect tiles, and the “Revive” perk removes one strike. These perks are free but you can only use each of them once per game. You can spend your coins to be able to use the perks more.

The cool thing about Hanging With Friends is that it is polished. The game has a cool background in which your characters are floating over lava holding on to whatever balloons they have left. It’s also nice that you have the option to watch how your opponent guessed their letters.

Overall Hanging With Friends is awesome. I currently have started a movement at work and everyone is playing it. As with all “With Friends” games, there is a free version with ads and a paid version without ads. I highly recommend this game. As of the time of writing this the game is only available on iPhone. I expect an Android and iPad version to surface soon.

Free Apps

Everyday Gamers – The official app of EverydayGamers.com – Info – iTunes Link
The Weather Channel – A great alternative weather app – iTunes Link
Ski Report – A great way to keep up with slope conditions – iTunes Link
Retina Wallpapers – The best wallpaper app out there – iTunes Link
Netflix – Watch Netflix movies on your iPhone – iTunes Link
Flixster – Keep up to date with upcoming movies, check what’s playing in theaters, watch trailers, etc – iTunes Link
Bible – Best Bible app on the iPhone, has every translation you can think of as well as reading plans – iTunes Link
IMDb – The Internet Movie Database in iPhone format – iTunes Link
TextNow – A great texting application – iTunes Link
Pandora – Listen to Pandora on your iPhone – iTunes Link
Shazam – Tag music to see the artist and song name – iTunes Link
Beatwave – A cool and easy way to make great sounding music – iTunes Link
Facebook – Facebook on your iPhone – iTunes Link
Twitter – The official Twitter application – iTunes Link
Amazon Mobile – The greatness of Amazon right in the palm of your hand – iTunes Link
Skype – Call anyone in the world with Skype, video chat now available – iTunes Link
Giant Bomb – The official app of GiantBomb.com the online video game database – iTunes Link
Serenade – Share what you are currently listening to with friends on Twitter – iTunes Link
Instagram – Share and edit photos – iTunes Link
RedBox – Reserve Red Box movies right from your phone – iTunes Link
IntoNow – Lets you tag TV shows and share them with people on Twitter and Facebook – iTunes Link

Free Games

Pocket Frogs – A great frog breeding simulation game, highly addictive – Review – iTunes Link
Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift – A free holiday version of Cut the Rope – iTunes Link
Star Defense Prelude – A great way to get a taste of one of the best TD games on the iPhone – iTunes Link

Paid Apps

TV Forecast – $1.99 – Find out when your favorite TV shows are on – iTunes Link
NewsRack – $4.99 – The best RSS app available – iTunes Link
AwesomeNote – $3.99 – A full-featured note taking app – iTunes Link
ConvertBot – $1.99 – Convert anything to anything with this conversion app – iTunes Link
Hipstamatic – $1.99 – A great way to take pictures that look awesome – iTunes Link
Pano – $1.99 – The best way to take awesome panoramic pictures – iTunes Link
StopMotion Recorder – $0.99 – Make funny stop-motion videos with this app – iTunes Link
Flashlight+ – $0.99 – The best flashlight app in the app store – iTunes Link

Paid Games

Dead Space – $6.99 – One of the best third-person shooters on the iPhone – iTunes Link
N.O.V.A. 1 & 2 – $4.99 and $6.99 – The best first-person shooter on the iPhone – 1. iTunes Link – 2. iTunes Link
Cut the Rope – $0.99 – Very popular game with highly addictive gameplay – Review – iTunes Link
GameDevStory – $2.99 – Any gamer should play this. It’s a game development simulation game – iTunes Link
Angry Birds – $0.99 – One of the most popular mobile games out there – iTunes Link
Angry Birds Seasons – $0.99 – More Angry Birds levels based off of the seasons – iTunes Link
iBomber Defense – $2.99 – A great, highly-polished tower defense game – Review – iTunes Link
Reckless Racing – $0.99 – A top-down racing game that has amazing graphics – Review – iTunes Link
Trainyard – $0.99 – The hardest, most brutal puzzle game I ever beat. Very addictive – Review – iTunes Link
Fruit Ninja – $0.99 – Chop fruit and get points. Feel like a ninja – iTunes Link
Words with Friends – $2.99 – Scrabble played with friends across the world – Review – iTunes Link
Dizzy Bee 1 & 2 – $0.99 Each – A great physics game – 1. Review – 2. Review – 1. iTunes Link – 2. iTunes Link
Eliss – $4.99 – The best way to understand this game is to watch a video of it – Review – iTunes Link
Edge – $2.99 – Take control of a block and move from point A to point B – Review – iTunes Link
Flight Control – $0.99 – Direct planes to their landing pads by drawing a line – iTunes Link
Harbor Master – $1.99 – Like flight control but with boats – iTunes Link
Helsing’s Fire – $0.99 – You use light reflection and potions to kill enemies – Review – iTunes Link
iDracula – $2.99 – A great survival shooter game – Review – iTunes Link
Labyrinth 2 – $4.99 – The most crazy marble labyrinth game you’ll ever play – Review – iTunes Link
Peggle – $2.99 – Shoot a marble and try to hit as many pegs you can with it – Review – iTunes Link
Plants vs. Zombies – $2.99 – Pop-Caps take on tower defense games – iTunes Link
GTA: Chinatown Wars – $9.99 – Top-down Grand Theft Auto on your iPhone. This game is awesome – iTunes Link
Star Defense – $0.99 – The best tower defense game on the iPhone – iTunes Link
ARDefender – $0.99 – My first taste of Augmented Reality gaming. You have to try this one – Review – iTunes Link

iBomber Defense is a very traditional tower defense game. It doesn’t do anything new as far as TD games go. What it does do is it perfects every element of the genre. First off the graphics are amazing. This game runs on both iPad and iPhone and looks gorgeous. When zoomed out the whole way you can really see the retina display at work. Like I’ve said many times before, graphics are a huge selling point for me. If they look unique then I’m going to be interested in the game. iBomber Defense looks very polished. Explosions look great as well.

The other great thing about iBomber Defense is that you get a lot of bang for your buck. Right now the game is going for $2.99. I think that is a great price seeing as there will be plenty of time put into this game. There are two campaigns, allies and axis, each with 11 levels. There is also 3 difficulty levels to test your skills. In addition to the campaign there is a quick play mode which lets you go back and play campaign levels and try to achieve rewards.

iBomber Defense is definitely one of the top tower defense games on the iPhone and I highly suggest you check it out if you are into the genre. Check out the gallery below to see how gorgeous the game is. These screenshots were taken from my iPhone 4.

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Reckless Racing is an amazing looking game and the controls are tight. I’m not a big racing game fan due to the fact that I am not particularly good at the controls on most of them but RR is very forgiving. The controls are very precise, especially on the beginner mode. For the more seasoned racing game fans there is an “Advanced” mode which lets you really utilize the drifting mechanic. There are 5 different control schemes in which you can pick from as well. Reckless Racing is by far one of the best looking games I’ve played on the iPhone. The environments are very detailed and I often find myself distracted by them due to the fact that they are so beautiful and I just want to stop and look at them. There are 5 tracks and 3 modes as of the writing of this review. Each track has a mirrored version of itself. The 3 modes in the game are: Dirt Rally – just a regular racing mode, Hot Lap – beat your ghost/best lap time, and Delivery – pick up the package with your trailer and haul it to the drop off point, do this as many times as you can in the amount of time given. There is also the option of online multiplayer. You can host your own rooms and race with people over wi-fi or 3G.

My only complaint with Reckless Racing is that it’s very bare bones. There is no career mode and the 5 tracks included get boring fairly fast (even though they look amazing!). Like most games my fingers are crossed that they will continue to support Reckless Racing with new tracks, new modes, etc. This game is amazing it just falls short in the content area. Even though the game doesn’t give you much bang for its buck (currently $2.99) it’s still a great game. It plays great and it looks amazing.

Check out the trailer below to see what Reckless Racing is all about:

Trainyard is a very difficult, mind-bending game. It makes you feel very smart when you complete a level, much in the same way Braid did. Depending on how much time you have to devote to the game you may be stuck on a level for a day, maybe longer. Another great feature is the fact that you can share your solutions with others. Even though I feel like it’s cheating and would never view someone’s solution until after I completed it, I still think it’s an awesome feature. You can share your solution via Twitter or Facebook. When you share with people a link is placed in your tweet or post that takes the person to Trainyard’s website where they can watch your solution right on the website.

Trainyard is an addictively difficult game which I recommend to all iPhone users. The difficulty progresses at an even pace so don’t feel intimidated by it. It’s a great way to test your brain. Trainyard is only $0.99 and is truly a steal at that price. Do yourself a favor and download it now.

Watch the video below to get a better idea of how Trainyard works:

OnLive Unveils Launch Titles, Includes Pricing

OnLive has listed there launch titles for there upcoming service which also shows pricing options on 3 and 5 day “rental” passes on some titles.

OnLive Launch Titles

• AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! — A Reckless Disregard for Gravity — demo / $9.99 (full)
• Assassin’s Creed 2 — demo / $39.99 (full)
• Batman: Arkham Asylum — demo / $4.99 (3 days) / $6.99 (5 days)
• Borderlands — demo / $29.99 (full) / $5.99 (3 days) / $8.99 (5 days)
• Brain Challenge — demo / $4.99 (full)
• Dirt 2 — demo only
• Defense Grid Gold — demo / $13.99 (full) / $6.99 (5 days)
• F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin — demo / $19.99 (full)
• Just Cause 2 — demo / $49.99 (full)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 — demo only
• Madballs in Babo: Invasion — demo / $9.99 (full)
• Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands — $49.99 (full)
• Puzzle Chronicles — demo / $9.99 (full) / $3.99 (3 days)
• Red Faction: Guerrilla — demo / $19.99 (full)
• Shatter — demo / $8.99 (full)
• Splinter Cell: Conviction — demo / $59.99 (full)
• Trine — demo only
• Unreal Tournament III: Titan Pack — demo / $19.99 (full) / $4.99 (3 days) / $6.99 (5 days)
• World of Goo — demo / $19.99 (full) / $4.99 (3 days) / $6.99 (5 days)

Source

Happy 19th Birthday Sonic!

Sega is celebrating  Sonic’s birthday by saving us money, which is never a bad thing.  A handful of Sonic titles will be discounted for the XBLA, PSN, and even the IPhone this Thursday.  What not a better way to celebrate! The full list of games that are discounted are below.

-Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles- 240 Microsoft Points (3$ on PSN) (Thursday Only)

-Sonic Rivals (PSP) 10.99

-Sonic Rivals 2 (PSP) 13.99 or both games for $17.99  (Offer good until July 6th)

-Discounted DLC for Sonic’s All Star Racing, Sonic Unleashed, and Sonic The Hedgehog 1.

Sega is also having a sale on other titles, even though they have nothing to do with Sonic.

-Streets of Rage & Golden Axe for $99 cents. (IPhone)

-Super Monkey Ball 2 ($2.99) IPhone.  IPad Version-$4.99

Source

Bad Company 2 ‘Onslaught’ Mode Hits XBL Tomorrow

The delayed Onslaught mode for Bad Company 2 on the 360 will come to Xbox Live tomorrow.  As already stated, the pack will run you 800 Microsoft Points.

Source

This is the official iPhone app for Everyday Gamers, a gaming website created by everyday people who share a strong passion for videos games. Use this app to access all the latest site content on your iPhone or iPad.

*Features – Check out all of our unique original features written by the staff at Everyday Gamers.

*Reviews – Check out all the latest video game reviews for all current-generation consoles including Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, and iPhone.

*News – Check out our daily news round-ups titled ‘Daily Bits’ gathering all of the interesting gaming news for the day and also our Weekly Bytes specializing in all of the week’s PC news with a hint of console news.

*Videos – Check our video reviews and gameplay footage videos for all of the recent Xbox 360 and PS3 demos and games, as well as our original video podcast titled “The Fishbowl” where we discuss a specific game and give you the rundown of what we think of it.

Podcasts – Check out all of the recent episodes of The Everyday Gamers Podcast hosted by Eric Bouchard and Patrick Adams.

This app is the best way to view EverydayGamers.com on your iPhone. To experience Everyday Gamers in all it’s glory visit our website at http://everydaygamers.com where we have forums, HD videos, and more.

Like I mentioned before, the app is free and it’s the best way to view EverydayGamers.com on your iPhone/iPod Touch. If you like the application then please leave us a review in iTunes. To download the application just visit this link http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/everyday-gamers/id372014113?mt=8

Check out the screenshots of the app below:

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Words with Friends looks and plays exactly like Scrabble. You have 7 letters which you are to use to make words on a board. As you use your letters you are given new letters. The object of the game is to have the most points at the end of the game. The game ends when all of the reserve letters run out and both players use all of their letters. Words With Friends is played with only one other person. You can either play online against someone you know, online against a randomly selected person, or on the same iPhone by passing it back and forth.

I'm losing

So far I’ve only played against random people over the internet and this is the reason why I have become so addicted to Words With Friends. This game is perfect for when you are on-the-go or even sitting in the office. I love the fact that you can start more than one game and with push notifications you are notified when it’s your turn. So for example, I’m sitting at my desk, working on something, my phone vibrates letting me know it’s my turn. Most of the time the games are slow, this is why it’s so great that you can start more than one game. Usually I have at least 5 games going and I’m just doing everyday things while playing this extended game of Scrabble. Some games I’ve completed in less than an hour, some games have taken almost 2 days.

At the time of writing this review I am currently addicted to Words With Friends. It was everything I was craving in a word game. I don’t suspect it will get old either because it’s not something overwhelming, it’s just a simple game of Scrabble played online or with a friend and you can play it at your own pace. This is why Words With Friends works so perfectly on the iPhone.

Guerrilla Bob is the game I’ve been waiting for. It’s a dual-stick shooter in where you are to get from Point A to Point B while shooting enemies along the way. You’ll even encounter a boss or two along the way. The great thing about dual-stick shooters is the fact that you don’t normally have to worry about ammo, this is the case in Guerrilla as well. Once you pick up a weapon it stays a part of your arsenal the rest of the way through the game.  There are 8 levels total. Once you complete a level you are given an A, B, C score based on how well you did.

While GB is exactly what I’ve wanted in an iPhone game I still have some complaints. First of all, it takes some time to get used to the controls. When I first jumped into the game I was a little put off by how sensitive the controls were. This made the game a little harder because the automatic rifle fires at such a slow rate (but improves a little once upgraded). My other complaint if the fact that the setting never really changes all that much. It’s basically just desert the whole time. I like when games switch up the environments.

Other than those minor complaints Guerrilla Bob is an awesome game. It’s the kind of game I’ve been wanting ever since games arrived on the iPhone. I hope to see regular updates to GB because this is a game I can see myself following closely. Guerrilla Bob is currently $2.99.

Expect our impressions of the iPad in a future post.