Trials Frontier (Redlynx)

In my impressions of Trials Frontier when it launched on ATV I wrote:

“The parallax scrolling of the 2.5D planes, with beautiful backgrounds and imaginative level design, coupled with the brilliant precision that Redlynx have thankfully nailed in this Apple TV version, make for a console title I’m very happy to have a copy of.”

Redlynx have done a great job of distilling the triple A console versions of its franchise down to this iteration, which was originally released for mobile devices. But considering how at home it feels and looks when taken to the big screen, ATV is definitely where it shines.

Space Marshals 2 (Pixelbite)

The excellent twin-stick shooting mechanics, easy menu navigation, and small touches like even being able to zoom in and out of the map screen, all help to complete the feeling of this belonging on a console. As with Trials Frontier, this achievement is a credit to Pixelbite, considering this was also a mobile title first.

Complexity and depth are layered into the combat with players being given the option of going in loud and hard, or Space Ninja style – picking off enemies one by one without raising any alarms.

ATVG is currently going deep into Space Marshals 2 in order to bring you a full review, but early impressions are good. This is already an easy recommendation for your ATV and controller.

Dan The Man (Halfbrick)

The easiest way to get to know Dan The Man is by jumping into the full review, but here is an excerpt:

“With secret areas, upgradeable attack combos and weapons, coin collecting and shops to spend them in its easy to get lost in Dan The Man to the point where it almost feels like the developer has unearthed a lost Nintendo gem, and remastered it with some modern polish. And of course that overarching humour ties it all together, helping it all feel very complete.”

Dan The Man is the gift that keeps on giving too, as once you’ve finished the story campaign, you’ve got Hard Mode, Battle Mode (a huge amount of challenges to conquer), and new daily challenges from Monday to Friday, with a special one for the weekend. Dan loves to celebrate calendar events too, although judging by this Valentine’s Day celebration, he may have had his heart broken once too often.

With Halfbrick having built its brand on innovative mobile titles such as Fruit Ninja, Dan The Man is something of an anomaly for the Australian studio. A rich, feature-complete console title such as Dan is a far removed but very welcome sidestep from Halfbrick, and shows the diversity the talented team is capable of. It’s been a while between hits, but hopefully Dan The Man is a sign of the studio getting back down to the business of making great games.

Also Get:

Minecraft (Mojang)

The game that truly needs no introduction. Have you been living under a rock?!

Gods Of Rome (Gameloft)

You won’t find yourself memorising pages of button combos with Gods Of Rome, but it’s a fun title, and without it, the 2D fighter genre on ATV would be a void. A nice addition of being able to level up your combatants, and a diverse range of fighters to unlock, will keep you in the game long after your initial curiosity that brought you here wears off.

Check out some more impressions here.

If you’re new to The Apple TV Gaming Blog (ATVG), or just new to Apple TV gaming in general, or both, then the best place to get acquainted is our Best Apple TV Games of 2020 article. You’ll find a great collection of games to play, and a bunch of useful links to our previous site content. Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.