Ravenous Games' League of Evil [99�] is packed with so many things I like in iOS games I don't even know where to start. It's got some great pixel art, and chiptune music to match. Gameplay is segregated in to short levels that (if navigated successfully) can be completed inside of a few seconds. There's even incentive to replay levels, both in a three star grading system as well as picking up a (usually difficult to get to) briefcase. The controls aren't that bad either for an iOS platformer, which is saying something.

Backing things up a bit, the premise of League of Evil is simple. Evil scientists are all joining up to form the aptly named "League of Evil" to develop weapons of mass destruction. Naturally, you must eliminate these scientists, and the tool for the elimination just so happens to be your fist of fury. After a brief cut scene explaining all this, you're sent off on your way to the first level, and the first evil scientist that you must slay to presumably protect the Earth.

Actually reaching said scientist is where the challenge of League of Evil comes in to play. Each scientist is located inside of an increasingly treacherous setting filled with platforms, spikes, guards, and other things that instantly kill you if you touch them. Using a right and left arrow to move and a set of virtual buttons to jump and punch, you've got to navigate whatever challenges lie in between you and the next scientist.

The moves you're capable of doing will be instantly familiar to you if you've ever played Super Meat Boy. You can obviously run and jump, as well as double jump, slide down walls, and jump off walls. Something you can't do in Super Meat Boy is punch, which you'll need to do to take out pesky security guards before they shoot you (as well as scientists). The controls work well enough, but I'd be lying if I didn't say there were moments where I wish I was playing with a real controller.

In fact, if that becomes enough of an issue for you, you can play League of Evil with real controls using your keyboard and the free Flash version of the game. The levels seem to be a little more difficult, at least early on, and there aren't quite as many of them as in the iOS version… But the option is there, and I can appreciate that.

If you've enjoyed Super Meat Boy on any of the platforms it's available on, and have been looking for something similar for iOS, League of Evil is totally worth your dollar. If you have no idea what Super Meat Boy is, but enjoy quick and sometimes difficult platformer games, give League of Evil a try, at least the Lite version or the browser-based Flash game if nothing else.

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Note: League of Evil is currently available in almost all international App Stores as of this writing. It will appear for download in the US at 11:00 PM EST tonight. There's only a few more hours to go, or, if it's currently after 11:00 PM EST, feel free to mash the download links below!

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App Store Links:

• League of Evil, 99�
• League of Evil Lite, Free

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The Barcode Battler was the epitome of early 90's handheld electronic gaming contraptions. It was a huge piece of black plastic with a LCD display and a few cryptic face buttons that absolutely decimated any batteries you put in it. When I first read about the device in whatever gaming magazine I was reading at the time, my mind was blown. The idea was that you went scavenging around hunting for barcodes, and after scanning them in to this monstrosity you discovered if that barcode was actually a powerful fighter, a useful item, or something like that. Incredible, right? Well, it was back then.

Unfortunately actually "playing" with the thing was entirely underwhelming, as it almost never could read any barcodes. Also, when it did, it just displayed three numbers indicating whatever statistics the device used to display your character. In other words, the Barcode Battler itself turned out to be the exact polar opposite of what you were expecting and imagining between the time you first read about it and when you actually got to getting your hands on one.

Check out this shockingly accurate video review of the Barcode Battler:

iPhone developers Önders et Gonas share an apparent love for wacky early portable electronics, and are in the midst of developing Warcode. Warcode is an iOS game playable on devices with autofocus cameras (So, the iPhone 4 and 3GS.) and sounds like it could be pretty cool based on the somewhat vague information posted in the Warcode thread in our upcoming games forum.

From the looks of it, you'll be able to scan in barcodes similar to the utility RedLaser [Free] to generate items and warriors much like the Barcode Battler. The main difference here is that Warcode sounds like it will have actual gameplay in the form of a single player campaign and Game Center-powered multiplayer.

I'm glad that it only took twenty years for someone to take the Barcode Battler and turn it in to what it should have been. I can't wait for Warcode to be released, as I have a feeling this barcode on this crazy mint flavored Orangina is going to be a beastly warrior (or cowboy, if the label is to be believed).

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Here's some good news I wasn't expecting quite so soon- According to Mika Mobile's Twitter, they plan on submitting an update to Battleheart [$2.99] later today. Yesterday we posted about the game and mentioned that while we enjoyed this touch-based RPG style real-time battle game, many people on our forums (including myself) were experiencing random and not so random crashing issues.

Hilariously enough, according to their tweets, the cause of the crashes is when taps are "very fast or panicked," which explains why so many people were crashing so much on boss fights. These battles are difficult, and it's not hard to get in to fast and panicked tapping mode while you're managing your whole party. In cases like this, the game can't quite decide if you're trying to tap or drag a unit, and it crashes. Until the update lands, the developer recommends "direct, calm, [and] precise taps" while playing.

In the meantime, check out the thread in our forums where Mika Mobile is posting and people are still loving the game regardless of these issues.

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Some dudes like to throw around the word definitive when they talk about upgraded ports of awesome games. I'm not a huge fan of doing that � definitive is a strong word. But, I think the Flying Hamster HD [$4.99] comes as close to being a must-have version of an App that I've seen so far.

Just released the other day, The Flying Hamster HD offers the same cutesy side-scrolling shooter experience of The Flying Hamster [$3.99] with added screen real estate, hilariously offsetting the base game's cruel, cruel difficulty which proved to be one of the biggest knocks against the title in our review. Also, it just plain looks better � a great thing considering that the game's colorful art is one of its biggest draws.

Just take a look. Isn't this a-dorable!?

So, if you've ever wanted to progress past the Egyptian stage without losing lives, this is the version to get. Enemies are much more spaced and there's also more room to maneuver, making this a very playable game. It's quite the contrast, for sure.

Need to know more about the game before you dip your toes in the water? I got your back, son. Download the free version or, hey, read our review. Also, take note that the other flaws mentioned in the write-up, like the scoring and the by-the-numbers level design hasn't been addressed in the HD version.

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Consider this a little PSA. A personal favorite of mine, Game Dev Story [.99], is now available for less than one dollar on the App Store. This is the second time the game has seen this price point since its debut on the store back in October 2010.

Also, if the last time the game was on sale is any indication of what to expect, you should probably jump on this deal ASAP. The December 28-30 sale was weird, as the game kept shooting $2.99, $3.99, and $.99 over the span of 48 hours.

Here's a brief synopsis of GDS via our review if you're unfamiliar with the IP:

In Game Dev Story you'll play the president of a fledgling game development company as you direct your crew of designers, artists, and coders in an effort to create a string of successful video games over a 20 year time period.

Beyond just making games, you'll need to grow your own brand name by running a game convention booth, attending awards shows, advertising, and managing an ever-changing fan base.

I'm not the biggest fan of simulation games, especially the kind with forgettable menus like GDS, but the game happens to stroke both my love of the traditional games industry and my desire to be rewarded for in-game actions. If there's one thing the dudes behind GDS get right with this game, it's the carrot-on-the-stick approach to design. You'll lose hours and hours to this joint, for sure.

Anyway, check it out! I'm sure I'll have to update in a few hours to say, "Hey, this isn't on sale anymore or something," so don't turn that dial.

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Since the insane Wednesday before the pre-Christmas iTunes Connect freeze, the formerly exciting onslaught of New Zealand releases each week was little more than a fond memory throughout the entire month of January. Thankfully, developers are getting back in to the swing of things and releasing oodles of games. Although, this begs the question- With so few games released in January, did anyone really come out ahead by rushing their games out for Christmas? It's a long way away, but I'll be curious what happens this holiday season. Hopefully it leads to more January releases.

Anyway, on with the show. We're going to be spending the day playing most of these games, and providing a closer look at as many of these as possible. Here's an alphabetical list of the games currently available right now in New Zealand. If you've played along with the Wednesday waiting game before, you'll know how this works. If not, here's the gist- Games appear for download in New Zealand first, then slowly show up on international App Stores around the world before finally appearing on the US App Store at 11:00 PM EST.

Bop It!, $2.99 � [Forum Thread] � The original Bop It! was one of those electronic toy/game abominations that always seems to be out of batteries whenever you wanted to play it and likely has been responsible for millions of annoyed parents stuck in cars with their kids playing a Bop It! for hours. (A Simpsons episode actually makes a joke about this.) You do what the Bop It! tells you do to, whether that's spinning it, bopping it, or many other actions. From the looks of it, the iOS version is very similar. One thing the iOS version is lacking is the sheer durability of Hasbro's child-proof plastics.

Cardboard Castle, 99� � [Forum Thread] � A clever looking puzzle game with a slick art style based on cardboard cut outs. You assist a knight in his adventures, and come up with clever solutions for dealing with obstacles in your path by interacting with the various cardboard set pieces of the level. It definitely seems like a unique premise for a game.

Devil May Cry 4 Refrain, $1.99 � [Forum Thread] � An ambitious title by Capcom that we spent some time with earlier this month. A simplified control system goes a long way in bringing this console series over to iOS devices. I'm curious what people are going to think once they get this game in their hands, as the Devil May Cry series is one that's not only been difficult, but also has always been played with a physical controller.

Etolis: Arena, $1.99 � [Forum Thread] � An interesting looking Sci-Fi based dual stick shooter from Chillingo that also happens to be universal. I'm excited to bust out my Fling joysticks and give this game a try as I much prefer blasting aliens to shooting zombies.

Kick Buttowski: Loco Launcho, Free � [Forum Thread] � I have absolutely no idea who Kick Buttowski is, but I seem to get sucked in to these kind of launching games in the worst way� Especially if they've got all kinds of upgrades, which Loco Launcho seems to have. Oh, it's universal too.

League of Evil, 99� � [Forum Thread] � This pixel art-packed platformer involves jumping through 50 levels saving scientists. I like pixel art, chiptune music, and saving scientists, so I'm really excited for this game. Also, Jared has been spending some time with a pre-release version of the game and won't stop talking about it, which is always a good thing.

Monty Python's Cow Tossing, 99� � [Forum Thread] � A Monty Python parody of Angry Birds. I'm thinking this game will either come packed with enough Monty Python humor to be funny enough to be good, or be just as mediocre as many other Angry Birds-like games. I'm not sure there's much middle ground, and I'm excited to find out where this game lands.

Sacred Odyssey: Rise of Ayden, Free + $6.99 IAP � [Forum Thread] � Gameloft's spin on Zelda is packed with a curious approach we've yet to see the mobile gaming giant take in regards to selling their games. Sacred Odyssey is free to download, which allows you to play about ten minutes worth of gameplay. After that, you've got to unlock the rest of the game via an in-app purchase of $6.99. So basically, you're paying the same price as a typical Gameloft game, but this time the lite and the full versions are merged in to a single version. It will be interesting to see how this tactic plays out.

Zombie Isle, Free � [Forum Thread] Glu has been surprisingly successful since switching gears to freemium, and Zombie Isle is their latest free to play title. It seems to combine the two massive cliches of both pirates and zombies in to one unholy cliche abomination… But there seem to be an awful lot of people out there who love both zombies and pirates, so maybe they're on the right track!

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Back in December, a clever little game called Disc Drivin' [$2.99/Free] was released into the App Store. It's a racing game where you take turns flicking tiny discs around a track against up to 3 other players. The game utilizes online asynchronous play, where you will flick your disc and it will then send the data to the next person playing and allow them to take their turn, and so on and so forth. When it comes time to be your turn again, a handy push notification on your device lets you know.

The entire gameplay system works wonderfully well, and although we enjoyed the heck out of Disc Drivin' in our original review, there were a few aspects that we felt could be improved. Over the last several weeks, the game has received a couple of updates that have addressed many of these issues. An update from mid-January added the following: the ability to send out your username over Facebook and Twitter; a rematch button after a game had finished; a list of previous opponents to make it easier to start games with people you have played already; and finally a much needed help guide that explained the ins and outs of the game.

Today, developer Pixelocity has released the 1.2 update to Disc Drivin' that adds the single most requested feature of them all: random online matchmaking. One of the downfalls to the original release of the game was that you had to know other players' usernames in order to start games with them. This ended up not being a huge problem as players discovered each other over social networks like Twitter and Facebook or even from our forums. But for people without a huge social network presence, this new matchmaking option is an incredibly welcome addition. It currently only supports 2 player matches, but works effortlessly and is a really nice way to pick up a match when nobody else you know is playing.

Honestly, I can't recommend Disc Drivin' enough. Since the game was released, it's basically consumed my everyday life and there's never a time when I don't have tons of games going on at once. I showed the game to practically everybody I met at Macworld last week, and have made many of them believers as well. With these past 2 updates I'm only liking the game even more, though there's still room for improvement. I'd like to see the random matching include more than 2 players, some more in-depth stat tracking, some sort of custom discs, and of course more tracks.

Still, Disc Drivin' has provided me with more entertainment than I ever thought possible, and with a fully-featured ad-supported version of the game available for free there's not reason not to give it a try. There's a general discussion thread or a specific username trading thread in our forums where you can find people to play, and of course thanks to this latest update you can just dive right in and match up with total strangers online now too.

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A few weeks ago, Bit Developers announced their newest iOS project called Bit Breaker. With so many brick breaking games released in the App Store over the past few years, there would have to be a pretty unique twist included in any new game for me to take notice. Bit Breaker appears to have such a twist. It's a brick breaking game built around the idea of two players within the same play area, one at top and one at bottom, where the goal is to earn points by breaking bricks and outscore your opponent by the time all bricks are eliminated.

The way this works is by "claiming" a ball by bouncing it off of your paddle. All bricks that are then broken with your claimed ball will earn you points. You can also claim your opponents ball and have multiple balls working for you, and your opponent can do this to you as well. Also, instead of having a void behind the paddles where you lose a ball forever, each opponent has a wall they must protect. Hitting your opponent's wall with your ball adds a multiplier to your score and subtracts one from theirs, and again this can work the other way against you as well.

It all sounds really clever, and as with many things it makes a lot more sense seeing it visually. Yesterday, Bit Developers released the below video that explains the gameplay fairly in-depth, though you can also check out this shorter trailer for Bit Breaker that shows how frantic the action can get:

There is currently no set release date or pricing information for Bit Breaker, though it seems to be coming along nicely based on the trailers. I'm also curious to know if it will have online multiplayer using something like Game Center, or if it will be local or same device only. This seems like the sort of game that is perfectly suited to same device iPad play, but as of right now it appears that Bit Breaker is only slated for the iPhone and iPod touch platforms. The developers are posting about the game in our forums, so check there for the latest scoop on things, and we'll be looking forward to checking out more of�Bit Breaker in the future.

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