This week, we’re rockin’ the turntables in Skillz and rollin’ the ball in Katamari Amore.
Skillz: The DJ Game (iPad): While the plastic-instrument game market has crashed and burned, iOS games have been more than happy to take up the rhythm mantle. Skillz, developed by Playpen Studios, is a game designed for those who loved DJ Hero but want something new. And this sucker’s not easy. We’re talking six buttons to hit, a slider to push and pull and two turntables to scratch. READ MORE
The newly-released Tetris Axis isn’t Tetris‘ first foray into 3D portable gaming. In fact, it’s not the second, either. The Virtual Boy saw what remain the best and worst 3D entries of the series: the horrible 3D Tetris and the wonderful (but Japan-only) V-Tetris.
If V-Tetris represents the pinnacle of 3D-enabled Tetris and 3D Tetris defines the lowest depths, Tetris Axis is at the middle point of the Tetris axis. READ MORE
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair hit Xbox Live Arcade back in what seems like a different era now in the downloadable game space. In the intervening time, much has changed, from quality and expectations to price and big-studio presence. Now, it finally sees life on the PlayStation 3, and the new era both helps and hurts its prospects. Thankfully, it’s bringing along a few reinforcements. READ MORE
A popular activity among large groups is the logical identity deduction game Werewolf (sometimes called Mafia or any number of other names). In these games, each player is randomly assigned a secret role by a neutral judge (who runs the game and keeps everyone honest), and the non-evil players must determine via public discussion which of their companions are responsible for the nightly killings and “lynch” one of them via popular vote, at which point the dead player’s true identity is revealed. Then there is a “night” period during which the evil players retaliate, and the cycle resumes until one side is dead. READ MORE
Rotastic is an odd game to describe. It looks like Castle Crashers and plays like Cut the Rope and Peggle having a wild time at night, with all the collection elements of Bejeweled. Regardless, the game still manages to hold its own charming personality. READ MORE
