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My idea of hunting is watching Bugs and Daffy torture Elmer Fudd. ("Wabbit season!" "Duck season!") So I can't muster up too much excitement about Deer Hunter 3D for iPhone and iPod Touch, other than to say it entertainingly simulates the cruel act of shooting defenseless animals.
I say that as someone who enjoys--nay, relishes--games that simulate shooting zombies, aliens, people, and head crabs. So, yeah, I'm a hypocrite. The difference is, I don't relish shooting these things in real life. Now, if you'll excuse me, I see a tree that needs a hug.
As for Deer Hunter 3D, it plays out in 27 woodsy locales spanning three continents. The game's colorful visuals are impressive, definitely ahead of what we've seen from hunting games like 3D Hunting, iBow Hunt, and iHunt 3D.
The most dangerous game: a 12-point buck!
(Credit: Glu Games)You can jump into Quick Game mode for, well, a quick game, or go on hunting trips to win awards and unlock new weapons, skills, and hunts.
The actual process of hunting goes like this: A GPS map shows your position and the positions of various game. Move your icon onto any set of wabbit twacks (could be wabbit, could be bear, deer, moose, etc.) and the game zooms in for first-person hunting.
From there you line up your sight by sliding your finger, then steady it with a tap. Down the road you'll earn guns that have scopes so you can zoom in. Then tap anywhere on the screen and blammo! You've successfully pretend-killed a cute, harmless, furry woodland creature.
Needless to say, this is not for me. It's not that I don't like shooting games, because I do. I just prefer run-and-gun action and hordes of Hellspawn. If Deer Hunter 3D sounds like your cup of sim-tea, it'll cost you $5.99.
Test your air-traffic control mettle in Flight Control, a terrific little 99-cent game.
(Credit: Rick Broida)At first blush, an air-traffic control simulator sounds about as much as fun as a podiatry theme park. But Flight Control is an absolute gem of a game, a perfect five-minute diversion that's perfectly priced at 99 cents.
The gameplay unfolds on a single screen containing two runways and a helipad. As aircraft appear from the periphery, you must guide each one in for a landing while avoiding mid-air collisions. It's pushing tin, iPhone-style.
To steer an aircraft, you just tap it and drag a flight path with your finger. Jets go to the red runway, prop planes to the yellow one, and helicopters to the smaller blue pad.
Things start off easy enough, but before long you're having to finger-juggle as many as 10 aircraft at a time. (Now I see why real ATCs are so stressed out!) Ultimately, your goal is to land as many planes as possible before the inevitable crash. (My top score to date: 31. Can you beat it?)
Flight Control features a jazzy little soundtrack, but you can listen to your own tunes if you prefer.
The game suffers from two minor annoyances. First, there's no "resume" option, so if you exit a game in progress, you'll have to start over next time. Second, there's no level structure to the gameplay; it just keeps getting tougher and tougher until eventually you lose--meaning that eventually you'll lose interest.
Even so, Flight Control is so cute, clever, and temporarily addictive, I consider it a must-have addition to any game lover's arsenal.
(Credit:
SnakeHead Software)
Flight simulators used to be a staple of gaming when I was younger. I remember spending hours playing the hell out of an F-15-based game on the Sega Master System. It was pretty pathetic. The missiles were basically white dots, but it was all I had at the time and I loved it for a while.
I guess we were all still buzzing from our post Top Gun and maybe Iron Eagle obsession in the late '80s and early '90s. Nowadays, flight sims just aren't as popular. However, if you've been aching for a true dogfight flight sim for the iPhone, you may not have to wait much longer.
There are a couple of flight sim games for the iPhone, however, according to SnakeHead Software, their game Flying Aces is the first true dogfight flight sim for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
The game puts you in control of an F-15 Eagle flying over the Persian Gulf and uses accelerometer controls to give you a more realistic flight experience. There will also be a ranking systems for players to compete against one another. The more A.I.-controlled enemy fighters you shoot down, the higher your rank will be.
This version of the game will be available on the App Store sometime in November for $7.99. SnakeHead Software is planning to release a multiplayer version of the game sometime in the future. At that point, the game will be priced at $9.99. According to the company, users that purchased the first version of the game will "most likely" be able to get the upgrade for free.
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