Lamebo vs. Zombies: God didn't make Lamebo. SwagSoft did

"They drew first blood, not me". In SwagSoft's Rambo-esque shooter, Lamebo vs Zombies this is exactly the case.  After a crazy dictator launched World War 3, the US devised a plot to save its soldiers by mutating sheep and sending them out to fight.  However, the scientists’ experiments went haywire when the dictator’s troops broke into the lab. Everything in the vicinity became “zombified” except, of course, Lamebo.  In this zombie-filled world there truly aren’t any “friendly civilians”.  You will soon find that everyone is either trying to jab you with a pitch-fork or drop venomous bird-bombs on your head.

            In these days zombie games run amuck in the App Store.  As more and more of these games are produced it becomes increasingly difficult to create something unique.  In the case of Lamebo vs. Zombies, SwagSoft hits home with some awesome artwork, pick-up and play controls, lots of weapons, and most importantly a foul-mouthed sheep.

            A key aspect in any game is its artwork.  Lamebo vs Zombies creates a great first impression with its crisp and cartoony graphics. Watch clouds of blood explode in the air as you mow down wave after wave of zombies with your choice of 7 weapons.  With a standard pistol, a grenade launcher, and even a lightning gun, you will be able to use the weapon that best fits your zombie-killin’ style.  As you devastate the zombie horde, you earn gold.  You get a certain amount of gold per zombie kill and there will be the occasional item drop of gold or health. Gold is used to purchase and upgrade weapons. Upgrades improve the weapons ammo-cap, damage, and speed. In terms of game play, Lamebo is perfect for both casual and hardcore gamers.  There are three difficulty levels ranging from easy to hard, where easy provides for more relaxed zombie killing and hard provides frantic screen tapping.  The game’s arcade style controls have Lamebo placed near the center of the map and you just tap on enemies to shoot them.  By eliminating movement, the game becomes more enjoyable for casual gamers.

            One cool feature in the game is Armageddon mode.  By killing zombies you fill up the Armageddon meter which makes you invincible for a while and allows you to unleash a hail storm of bullets (these don’t get subtracted from your ammo stash).

            There are a total of 36 different scenes to play in which provide plenty of variation in artwork. As you progress you will meet 10 enemies ranging from Farmer Joes to Ninja Bunnies.  A standard unlock system is in place where you beat a level to unlock the next one.  Once you beat the game in both easy and normal difficulty you unlock Super Lamebo who has more health and power and looks more Rambo-ish. Along with the large number of levels, Lamebo vs Zombies boasts leaderboards and 40 achievements via GameCenter.

            For all of you zombie lovers Lamebo vs Zombies will provide some high-quality, gore-filled, eye-boggling shoot ‘em up action.  For a measly buck there is no reason to pass this game by.  All in all Lamebo vs Zombies earns a solid “A” on the appVersity scale.  The only thing holding this gem back from earning Editor’s Choice is its slight repetitiveness.  Simple yet addictive game play, gorgeous visuals, 40 achievements, 36 levels and several weapons/upgrades all mesh together in Lamebo vs Zombies, a must have shooter.  If you haven’t clicked ‘Buy Now’ yet, go ahead and try out Lamebo: Endless Cavern.  This is a free prelude to Lamebo vs Zombies and gives you a taste for the artwork and game play that you will find in the full version. Please note, Endless Cavern is a demo of sorts and only contains one map and one game mode.

-    Daniel Douvris

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Deadlock will launch on Thursday FREE

   Josh Presseisen from Crescent Moon Games has just announced that their upcoming online dual-stick shooter, Deadlock, will be launching for FREE (with NO-ADS).  In my opinion, this is a great strategy and just as Josh said, it should get the online community kick-started.  It is not clear yet how long Deadlock will remain free, but if you are interested at all in gaming, pick this up as soon as you can.
  Also a new game play video was released where Josh talks a little about how the game works.



Just to clear up any confusion, yes there will be option to purchase unlock points via IAP, but you can also earn unlock points by ranking up or winning daily/weekly tournaments.

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Deadlock: Call of Duty style Dual-Stick Shooter out on Thursday

   Are you ready for one of the biggest releases of the year? Are you ready? Are you? The folks at Crescent Moon Games are at it again with a new dual-stick shooter called 'Deadlock'.  In the past, CMG has brought numerous gems to iOS including: Ravensword, Aralon, and most recently Pocket RPG.  These people are wizards and they specialize in bringing fantastic graphics and smooth game play to the same table.
   If you haven't already heard, Deadlock is going to be a multi-player focused dual-stick shooter. The awesome thing is that it isn't online only, you can also play against bots (similar to Black Ops). Here is a list of features (via TouchAholics):
-8 player online team deathmatch
-tournaments
-coop multiplayer!!!
-Game Center-5 maps initially (varying from medium to large)
-Voting system for maps during mulitplayer
-chat box (for in-game and lobby)
-3 game modes; Death Match, Team Death Match, and Capture and Hold
-load out system similar to Call of Duty
-MORE THAN 30 DIFFERENT WEAPONS IN THE GAME!
      -grenades
      -pistols
      -sub-machine guns
      -assault rifles
      - AND MORE... (sniper rifles, shotguns?)
-armor that effects your stats
-gun attachments that effect your weapon stats-Unlockable items
-Ranks (initial level cap is 30)
-Universal App


These features are from the initial announcement back in the end of April so there could be some new things in there for release.  Either way, this is going to be one awesome game and I am sure it'll be competing for best of the year.


Below is a Teaser trailer (via TouchArcade) and a hands-on preview (via TouchGen)







Crescent Moon Games has just announced via there twitter that Deadlock will be out Thursday the 21st.  A price has not been announced, but I would expect a $2.99 price tag for this gem.

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Are You Scared of the D.A.R.K.?

    Gamelab's newest title, D.A.R.K., is a roller coaster of sorts.  It isn't enough to say that D.A.R.K. is just another dual-stick shooter.  No, D.A.R.K. goes far beyond that...well, at least tries to.
    You play the role of a D.A.R.K. soldier sent to investigate a lost connection with a space ship named the USS Stormbringer. Hmm, Dead Space? The analogy given is that "Earth has marines. Space has D.A.R.K.".  On your way to the Stormbringer, your ship is hit by an asteroid and your crew is killed.  Some how you still manage to make it to the Stormbringer and you wake up only to find that the ship has been overrun by aliens, the cleaning robots have turned against you, and the workers are now zombies! Beyond the slightly obvious Dead Space references, D.A.R.K. provides more substance than your average dual-stick shooter by telling a somewhat suspenseful story.  I'm not going to get into too much detail on the plot, but one thing you need to know is that it has a rather abrupt ending.  Just as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was split into two movies this game is split into two episodes.  According to the devs the second episode should be released in the first update along with a new "Arena" game mode.  Don't expect a lengthy campaign from this first episode of D.A.R.K. (You can finish one playthrough is about an hour).

    In terms of game play, D.A.R.K. is truly unique.  When you're not mowing down wave after wave of zombies, the shooting controls go away and some platforming elements come into pay. Whether it be finding your way around flaming pipes, avoiding sentry-bots, or dodging laser traps, these moments provide a break from the relentless hordes of cleaning-spiderbots and zombies.  Another interesting element of the game is the "wave" system.  When you are fighting enemies, you can see how many waves there will be and what wave you are currently on.  The enemies will keep spawning during each wave and become increasingly difficult to kill.  Also at the end of some of the rounds a boss will appear that has a health bar of its own and is much harder to kill than the other enemies.  As you progress through the game you will face three mega-bosses.  These take a little more effort to kill than the other bosses and are not part of any wave.

    If you are looking for more than just a horror shooter, Gamelab did implement some RPG elements.  As you work your way through the ship you will find a shop in almost every room.  You can buy weapons, armor, and ammo with in-game cash which you earn by killing enemies.  You also gain experience points when you kill enemies which will level you up.  When you reach a new level you get 2 upgrade points.  Currently, there are only 4 areas to upgrade: Movement, Hit Points, Health Regeneration, and Power.  Hopefully some more weapons, armor and upgrade areas will be added in future updates.  Although the upgrades aren't too exciting, they still give you the feeling that you are getting somewhere and improving your character.

    Due to the short campaign, it will take several playthroughs to level up high enough to notice any difference with the upgrades.  As of now D.A.R.K. is a fun, yet short lived shooter that provides you with as much adventure as you paid for.  At a price of $2.99 I would say pick it up and try it for yourself if you love dual-stick shooters and Dead Space. If you are on the fence, I would wait until the update comes out and see how much it improves.

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