iPhone Engrish of the Day: HOKEN ICHIBA Kosodate Jinsei
Given that all the text in the actual game is apparently still in Japanese, I’m not sure why the developers bothered translating this game description into English. Actually, after reading it, I’m not so sure they did.
Does your selection control child’s life?
The iPhone version of “Kosodate Jinsei” that HOKEN ICHIBA for the insurance comparison offer appears!Various events occur every one years old, and the child is brought up by the judgment of you of the joining etc. of the quiz, the mini game, and insurance. Do the story and the ending change in the result of the event? What ending do you really receive…? It is possible to play even times how many because it also has the automatic save facility and the high score function anytime and anywhere.
Now you are “Kosodate Jinsei” from today!
WOW. Bitter much?
It’s not every game that gives you a window into the personal lives of the developer, but a quick read through the description of “The Girl Game“, and you get a pretty clear picture of a man who hasn’t had the best luck with women. In fact, he may not even know how many feet they have.
The object of The Girl Game is to buy as many SHOES as you can, using your boyfriend’s credit card! Experience the ultimately addictive combination of match 3 and shoe shopping.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Arrange the pairs of SHOES so there are 3 in a row to take them to the checkout. Watch out for sales where you can get SHOES for 25% or 50% off. Match 4 in a row to create a 75% off sale. Match 5 in a row to make a clearance sale where you get a whole row of shoes for free!At the end of every round your boyfriend will get his paycheck and add funds to your credit card. Spend it all and the bank will reward you by increasing your credit limit! Think fast! If you don’t spend all your boyfriend’s money in time the bank will reduce your credit limit.
Hmmm… so. what’s a girl supposed to do with 3 shoes? I suppose she could always beat “her man” with it if he doesn’t bring home the money quick enough.
Interviews: The iconic art of Pocket God’s Allan Dye
I happen to be a huge fan of the iPhone game Pocket God, and I’m obviously not alone. So far over 1 million iPhone users have downloaded the pint-sized God-simulator in which you alternately punish and reward (ahh, let’s face it, you know you just punish!) your reverently adorable Pygmy islanders. And with nearly weekly updates since its initial release back in January, there is no denying that its developers are being rewarded for the huge amount of work they are putting into the game.
Above: An early conceptual sketch of the islanders.
Much of my love for Pocket God has to do with the wonderful art design of the game, supplied by illustrator/animator Allan Dye who is co-creator of Pocket God along with programmer Dave Castelnuovo.
Above: Allan creates the art for Pocket God using Flash.
Unlike most iPhone games, nearly all of Pocket God’s 18 updates have been substantial, adding creative new ways to mess with your worshipers, and almost all have also come with a brand new game icon for the iPhone’s screen. In my opinion these icons are real works of art, and they are so well-designed that many times you can guess what the new features of each update might be simply from the icon alone.
Above: Another early conceptual sketch of the islanders.
To that end, I contacted Allan and asked him if he would be nice enough to send us the complete set of icons to date so we can take a look at how the game has evolved in the last 6 months, as well as get an idea for how the Pocket God design process works. (Allan was also nice enough to give us an exclusive preview of the next two icons as well as a little peek into what the updates will hold!) So read on to witness the evolution Pocket God’s icons as well as the evolution of your godlike powers. Read more
Games you SHOULD be playing: :Shift:
As we all know, I happen to live under a rock (for financial reasons) so somehow I missed hearing about the (apparently) popular online Flash game :Shift:. Well, the game has come to the iPhone (iTunes link :Shift: 99¢), and while I never heard of it before today, I can see why it has a loyal following.
What at first glance may appear to be a simple “run and jump” platformer is actually so much more creative and fun than that. :Shift: is actually more of a puzzle solving game, and it’s its unique controls that make it so fun. The goal of each level is to get to the exit (the door) while avoiding spikey hazards. To do this, you will need to occasionally “shift” (invert) the screen, causing the elements which were black to turn white, and the white ones to turn black. By alternately doing this, you can run and jump your way to the various parts of the board necessary to get to the exit. The idea of shifting may sound a little confusing, but check out the video below (taken from the Flash version) to see what I’m talking about.
The game has wonderfully simple black and white visuals (with an occasional splash of red when you mess up), as well as a great control scheme and overall sense of humor. Even if you are familiar with the Flash version of the game, there is reason to check out the iPhone version, as 25 new iPhone exclusive levels have been added.
If 99¢ is a little too much to part with based solely on my recommendation, then try out :Shift Lite:, the free version of :Shift: to get a feel for the gameplay. In either case, :Shift: is a game you should be playing now.
The Creeps! updated - win a free code
Filed under: Awesomeness, Free Stuff, Games, Slow News Day, Updates, contests, iPhone, iPod Touch
Above: One of The Creeps! new under water levels.
The Creeps!, a kick-ass Tower Defense game (and one of the few iPhone games that has stayed on my iPhone after 6 months) has just been updated, and to celebrate, Super Squawk Software was nice enough to give us a free game code to give away. Yes, it’s only a 99¢ game, and yes, Super Squawk is using this as a cheap way to get a $300 ad on Macenstein for 99¢, but hey, the game really DOES rock, the update is a substantial one, and there is pretty much nothing newsworthy going on right now. It is kind of a perfect storm for The Creeps!
Above: Ahhh, the low battery warning. Always a sign that you like a game.
Anyway, as I mentioned, this is no mere bug fix update – Super Squawk has added a total of 8 new maps, 5 new Creeps, and a cool new Paper Shuriken weapon to help you defend your sleeping child from the things which go bump in the night.
To Enter: Simply leave us a comment telling who you think the creepiest celebrity is (and no, you can’t say me). The Free code will only work in the US iTunes store, so you need a US iTunes account to claim the prize. You have until Saturday the 16th at midnight EST (the witching hour) to enter. Winner will be selected randomly. Thanks, and good luck!
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