As Christmas lurches inexorably towards us, the iPhone and iPod Touch's potential as a real gaming device continues to slowly grow… starting off with the sleeper hit, Katamari.
I Love Katamari ($7.99,
App Store) was released this weekend to the great surprise of many, having lacked prior publicity in any shape or form - which is odd, because it could be considered a 'big thing'. Katamari Damacy was very well received by critics, and enjoys the status of a cult hit due to its quirky visuals and soundtrack, the game itself revolving around accumulating objects around the rolling Katamari. The iPhone version of the game reportedly has a few issues with controls and stability, so you may want to wait a little longer before picking up on this franchise.
Speaking of franchises, this week we will see the release of SimCity. Originally intended for a November release, it looks like the developers needed the extra time to create this outing of the popular city builder and simulator - as this iPhone version of the game will be the full SimCity experience, with no compromises
in sight.
But we've seen all these IPs before, so what does this season bring to those looking for an original - yet premium - game for the app store? Rolando. Rolando is a title that was being worked on solely by developer
Simon Oliver, until being picked up by the app store's gaming darlings,
Ngmoco. In it, you navigate 2D levels with the cute rolling Rolandos, using physics, interactive parts of the levels, and the abilities of the Rolandos themselves. As per usual, all the stops are being pulled in terms of polish, with Rolando's warm and crisp signature visuals and irrefutably toe-tapping tunes from
Mr. Scruff. Rolando is out this Thursday, and it's the one to watch for this week.
Topics: iPhone apps, iPhone
