News
Familiar games, developers appear in iPhone App Store
By Jeremy Horwitz
Editor-in-Chief, iLounge
Published: Thursday, July 10, 2008
News Category: Apps + Games
The first collection of iPhone Games appeared in the App Store today, and for now, both the games and major developers will be extremely familiar to past iTunes Store customers. In addition to Apple, which has re-released its Texas Hold’em game for the third time at $5, the following titles have reappeared in updated form:
Gameloft has re-released Bubble Bash ($8), upping the resolution of the ball-shooting game for iPods and increasing the price from its original $5.
Hudson Soft has released Bomberman Touch ($8), a version of the previously released iPod Bomberman redesigned with new content for the iPhone touchscreen interface.
Namco has released Ms. Pac-Man ($10), doubling the prior iPod Game price of its classic arcade dots-and-ghosts maze game while adding a touchscreen joypad.
PopCap Games has released Bejeweled 2 ($10), updating the graphics and adding touchscreen controls while doubling the price of the original Bejeweled iPod game. Widescreen and tall orientations are now supported. Notably, a web version of Bejeweled was released for PopCap for free.
New games from previously known Apple developers such as Sega (Super Monkey Ball for $10, and Columns Deluxe for $5), Freeverse (Moto Racer, $10), Pangea Software (Cro-Mag Rally and Enigmo, $10 each), and Ambrosia (Aki Mahjong, $10) are joined by numerous releases from little-known developers and a few surprise entrants. RealNetworks is surprisingly offering South Park Imaginationland ($10), a platform game based on the popular TV show, while a company called Jirbo has flooded the store with simple and free Flash-like applications. A company called Freeze Tag has released a color version of Etch A Sketch ($5), based on the classic toy, and XBOX Live developer ZEN Studios has released ZEN Pinball: Rollercoaster ($5), an attractive pinball game. Scores of free titles, mostly simple or demo-quality releases, are also in the Store.
All of these games are available now through the iTunes Store’s Applications section, and shortly through the iPhone’s App Store interface.
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1
As of 9:15am eastern, I’ve got iTunes 7.7, I can download apps from the App Store, but I >can’t< get them to sync on my iPhone.. maybe we have to wait until iPhone 2.0 software update arrives?
Posted by Greg on July 10, 2008 at 6:15 AM (PDT)
2
My brain must not be working, I totally missed something…
I just downloaded the latest version of iTunes, spent the last fifteen minutes looking at the screen, and see no “Applications” section in the store..
Posted by Miranda Kali on July 10, 2008 at 6:20 AM (PDT)
3
Bejeweled 2 does not appear to have puzzle mode. :(
Posted by Galley in Greenville, SC on July 10, 2008 at 6:24 AM (PDT)
4
Never mind, apparently 7.7 isn’t listed as an update in iTunes right now. Am getting it from the website…
Posted by Miranda Kali on July 10, 2008 at 6:25 AM (PDT)
5
interestingly enough there are apps available on the US store that aren’t on the Aus store ie Google Mobile and eBay!
Posted by yinyang on July 10, 2008 at 7:04 AM (PDT)
6
We’ve got the app store here in the UK, but whilst my puzzle game, “iDrops”, is listed on the store, it isn’t listed under the Puzzles category on the app store home - you have to go and search for it. Which means people won’t see it anywhere near as easily as they should. Sort it out, Apple!
Posted by Dave Addey on July 10, 2008 at 7:16 AM (PDT)
7
Most of the apps, if not all, have iPhone 2.0 listed as a requirement. So you can buy, but not play yet. Wait! iLounge just posted a direct link to iPhone 2.0 so. . . .
Posted by Mustang Paul on July 10, 2008 at 9:10 AM (PDT)
8
Has NAMCO released a new game since the 70’s???? DAMM, I’m tired of seeing pac-man re-re-re-released for the 100th time. This is what a meeting inside the NAMCO office looks like.
Hmmm, Pac-man sales seem to be lagging
I know let’s re-release it, but this time…....He’ll have a bow on his head and we’ll call him MRS.Pacman!!!!!
Genius! BUT WAIT! how about this….. we’ll also add more fruit!!!!!
oooohh this is going to be great, boy will the audience flip when they see the juicy Pacman kiss scene OW OW!
—————————-
this also goes for space invaders, EA Sports, and fricken Bejeweled.
OH and one more thing….. 10 bucks? I don’t think so, how about Installer…..FO FREE!
Posted by ben on July 10, 2008 at 5:12 PM (PDT)
9
I’ve paid for, downloaded, and tested four games so far: Bejeweled 2, Muddled, Solebon Solitaire, and Texas Hold’em. (I’ve also downloaded Morocco (reversi), Quordy, and Scrabble, not not yet played them.)
Bejeweled 2 is wonderful; if you’ve been playing the web version, you’re going to love the native version, with a bunch of extras like audio and animation effects, extra play mechanics like exploding gems and smart bomb gems, and timed play. Very much worth the $10, especially since I can play this version on an airplane.
Texas Hold’em holds up the high standards for games published by Apple itself. It’s fun and funny, and takes terrific advantage of the touchscreen and gestures to make play easy.
Solebon Solitaire is by Smallware; they also make a Palm version, and a Mac solitaire game called Solavant. The focus is on smooth play, highly readable graphics, and interesting solitaire variations. I can already tell this will be my favorite game, as the solitaire versions are challenging, but almost always winnable, if you work at them.
Muddled, at $1.99, is the surprise gem of the lot. If you like word games, this is like speed training for Scrabble or Boggle. The controls need a bit of work to make it easier to arrange the letters, but other than that, it’s a big winner, especially for only $2.
Posted by Alderete in San Francisco on July 11, 2008 at 8:28 PM (PDT)