I know, I haven’t posted in quite some time, but I plan to change that soon.

Now, what has been bugging me for a long time is the lack of truly good iPhone APP Store games. I have downloaded over $150USD of APP Store Games and most of them ended up being krapp. Now, maybe I am just a big critic however here are some aspects that I believe an iPhone game needs:

• Story line – A game always needs a storyline, this isn’t the 80’s or 90’s where you have to search in some hidden page in the game manual to find out why we are playing this game. The game has to want us to play it. While your at it, throw in a few plot twists!
• Play time – Finishing a game in 5 minutes is not fun. Finishing a game in 2 hours is not fun. I want to see a game that requires me to spend days playing it.
• Difficulty – The game has to be challenging. It should require the player to have to actually try hard when playing. Feel free to throw in a bit of frustration as that adds to the fun in the long run but not too much. A difficulty level selector is also a plus and allows the more experience and the more noobish to play a game and still be fulfilled and challenged.
• Content – Don’t be afraid to use a lot of space. Many people complain about space issues of many game out there. That is why iTunes allows users to load and unload APPs at will. Fill your game with content!
• Listen to comments – This is a given, if you supply a support email, actually answer it.
• Graphics – This is a hard subject. A game doesn’t have to have some extreme shaders or 3D graphics. Of course this doesn’t mean a game doesn’t need any graphics at all. Personal testing that I have perform have shown me that a game could look very well and professional with 2D 32×32 tiles and 2 or 3 sprites/tiles stacked on them. Such a method has been in use for years and can really be beautiful in the hands of someone that knows what to do with it.
• iPod Touch compatibility – Remember, not everyone has an iPhone. You will make more sales if you open a game to users of iPod Touches.
• Multiplayer – Whether its playing with or against your friends, everyone agree, multiplayer mode is always funner. COOP mode is also a GREAT way to meet new people and have fun with your friends.

Now, there are some games I think would be superior if a clone or a similar game was released. These games are…

• Diablo 1, 2 – Such a game would in my opinion be perfect on the iPhone. A hack and slash game like Diablo could perfectly use the capabilities of the iPhone while at the same time give DAYS of play time and coutless hours of replay value. You throw in coop mode and you have a #1 APP. I am really hoping to see a Diablo game in the future.
• Quake 1, 2/Doom 1, 2/Strife/Duke Nukem – Maybe its just me, but running down hundreds of enemies with a chainsaw or BFG is always fun. Coop would also be great on such a game. Now, its probably not possible to get away with such a slaughter in a porn shop like in Duke Nukem, but throw in RPG characteristics like in the classic RPG/FPS game Strife and you have one hell of a game.
• Warcraft 1, 2, 3 – Warcraft was always a fun game, full of action, story line, and tons of hours. Warcraft 2 did not require that much disk space on the PC and if I were Blizzard, I would of already port Warcraft 2 over to the iPhone. Who knows, maybe we can see a clone.

Finally, some APPs that are well made and deserve a mention. Most of these are very short though.

• LightBike – Great Tron based game, however it is too easy even on the hardest difficulty.
• Snails – Worms based clone, no real flaws here except it being a short game (which is what Worms is anyways).
• Payback – Great GTA clone. This is based on the original Grand Theft Auto 1 and 2.
• Tap Tap/NIN Edition – Two great games, I especially like the NIN one because I like Nine Inch Nails.
• Hero of Sparta – This game is very well made. 3D and full of action however is way too short.
• Crash Kart – Just like the original PSX versions.
• Spore – A big disappointment. Only contains the creature stage and honestly isn’t much fun compared to the PC version.
• Hydro Tilt – Fun marble game but short.
• Warfare Inc. – Great RTS game. Reminded me of Command and Conquer. Also contains TONS of downloadable user-created levels. Actually a great game with no real flaws.

Note: Are you a developer and think you have a great APP that I missed? Post it in the comments and I will surely check it out and provide individual feedback if requested.

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Well, I haven’t posted in awhile, mostly because of a project I have been working on, andd school is starting school. This new project that I am working on is a Hamachi-like VPN client. It’s primary use is for playing classical games that have problems playing on today’s computer. It offers support for IPX, TCP/IP, LAN Only gaming, “Patch Browser,” and more! It is currently named “ZNet.” I am currently looking for some testers. Those that want to test will be able to play some classic video games with me and other testers/developers. If you want to be a tester, contact me! Testing is free, so sign up!