Here’s 5 More Games Coming To Apple Arcade

Update: Since posting this story Apple has since brought the release of iPadOS forward one week from September 30 to the 24th. For The Apple TV Gaming Blog however, September 30 is still where the big cheese is at. Read on, folks.

Original Story: Have you seen Stewie’s videos over at MrMacRight? You should definitely check out his YouTube channel if you’re into Apple TV gaming (also iOS and macOS gaming), and if you’re over here reading The Apple TV Gaming Blog, and you’re not into Apple TV gaming, well…that’s just weird.

But don’t go, you’re still welcome to hang out. ATVG does not discriminate.

I thought I’d done a pretty good job putting together this MASSIVE list of 56 games coming to Apple Arcade – Apple’s upcoming subscription gaming service – but Stewie has scoured some dark corners of the Internet and found even more.

Over the page you’ll find brief blurbs for this new crop, and MrMacRight’s latest video embedded at the bottom, showcasing 30 upcoming Apple Arcade games, from which I’ve gleaned this handful of new additions to my list.

Apple Arcade is shaping up to look like a very appealing service, and it’s getting hard to keep up with all its games. Let’s hope it stays that way.

Continue reading “Here’s 5 More Games Coming To Apple Arcade” →

100 Second Video Showcases Apple Arcade Gameplay

Screen Shot 2019-09-13 at 10.48.41 am.png

Original Story: Putting together this massive list of games coming to the Apple Arcade service was a fascinating exercise, as I gained a detailed look at the sheer breadth of the experiences that will be on offer.

Some of the games were harder to research than others, and with many there isn’t much information available out in the wild yet, with developers still sitting on some surprises.

Overnight however, more and more information and trailers trickled out, and I’ll continue to update yesterday’s list as more information comes to hand. Already I’ve added four more games – EarthNight, Lifeslide, Mosaic, and What The Golf? – and a couple of trailers. A new video for The Bradwell Conspiracy appeared following a Twitch stream from the studio, and also one for Exit The Gungeon (thanks to Screen Times for the heads-up on that one).

Apple has also been busy overnight, releasing a new 100 second video which squeezes an absolute bucketload of short gameplay snippets from upcoming Apple Arcade titles. It’s definitely worth a look, as it gives some good insight into to a few games for which no gameplay footage had yet been shown, notably Hot Lava and Sonic Racing.

Punch the continue reading button below and check it out.

Continue reading “100 Second Video Showcases Apple Arcade Gameplay” →

Here’s 61 Games Coming To Apple Arcade

Apple_Apple-Arcade_Family-Devices_091019_big.jpg.large.jpg

Original Story: It was 2:55am when my alarm took me by surprise, urging me to start a new day at a time that can only be described as ungodly.

But in an effort to watch Apple’s September event at the same time as the people attending it – the much more civilised 10am – I had no other choice. The world is, unfortunately, a sphere, and not a vertical strip where we can all live comfortably in the same time zone.

On my way to the lounge room I poured a giant mug of coffee (God bless) from the machine that was probably complaining to the toaster about being forced to wake up at 2.45am to make its master a hot beverage.

TV on, recliner reclined, coffee at the ready, and Apple was trying to hypnotise me with a gorgeous Apple logo cycling through a beautiful colour-scheme of slowly changing neon. Did the tech-giant know how susceptible to hypnosis I might be at 3:00am? Probably.

Soon after, out came CEO Tim Cook, dispensing with the usual sales updates, and straight into Apple Arcade – time to pay attention. 13 minutes later, that was that. Not much screen time for the new gaming subscription service, but finally we had a release date and pricing. Now we just needed a big fat list of games.

So a day and a night and another day later, here’s a big fat list of 61 games for you to chew on.

Continue reading “Here’s 61 Games Coming To Apple Arcade” →

Review – Hovercraft: Getaway – Pure Escapism

It happens every time.

About five minutes after I preorder a game, I’ll forget about it.

The result is waking up on release day, grabbing the iPad to check out what’s been going on in other time zones while mine’s been sleeping, and noticing an unfamiliar app icon staring out at me, occupying a space that yesterday, was just a space.

It’s a good feeling; similar to waking up on a Sunday and thinking it’s time to get ready for work, only to have that warm glow rush through you when you remember it’s Sunday.

And so it was Thursday morning, as I grabbed my coffee and headed out to fire up the Apple TV, to find out if Hovercraft: Getaway was destined to earn that space on my iPad and Apple TV, or if that space was to become once again, just a space.

Continue reading “Review – Hovercraft: Getaway – Pure Escapism” →

Hovercraft: Getaway – PAKO Forever With Guns?

In October last year, ATVG had a blast taking Hovercraft: Battle Arena for a spin.

While it’s hard to make a case for High Score Hero’s Hovercraft series of games to be considered graphical eye-candy, it doesn’t take long to see past the blocks and find the fun.

In Battle Arena, lazy players like myself who just want to jump in and get busy pew-pewing can select a pre-made ship, while those with time to kill and creativity to burn, can piece together their own design block by painstaking block.

Once done, as the title suggests, Battle: Arena tasks players with battling it out in an arena. Sounds fun, right? It is.

Scrolling through the Twitter feed earlier this week, ATVG was happy to discover that High Score Hero is only days away from releasing the latest in its Hovercraft series – Hovercraft: Getaway. And better yet, it’s tvOS-compatible.

And that means it’s time for a post.

Continue reading “Hovercraft: Getaway – PAKO Forever With Guns?” →

Kill, Die, Learn, Repeat – Dead Cells Coming To Apple TV

In yesterday’s post I teased that something exciting was coming to Apple TV.

Dead Cells? Excited? ATVG is.

The vast majority of Apple TV games are of course ports of iOS games, and while there are some quality titles among them, the hardware is capable of more. A big flatscreen, controller in hand, and some processing power makes for a console, and deep down, I think Apple TV gamers are really wanting more gaming experiences that validate the console they know they already own.

Way back in 2017, Xander Davis of Astrogun told ATVG, “…there’s actually little difference with what you can do on an Apple TV versus a PS4, except for horsepower (and the gap is closing), at this point.”

Also, mobile hardware has some ridiculous horsepower under the hood, and thankfully, some studios when bringing console titles to iOS have gone the extra mile and added in tvOS and MFi controller support.

Such is the case with publisher Playdigious. Having already brought the excellent Teslagrad from Rain Games to Apple TV, the team will next publish French developer Motion Twin’s rogue-lite, metroidvania, action-platformer – Dead Cells.

Continue reading “Kill, Die, Learn, Repeat – Dead Cells Coming To Apple TV” →

Three Apple TV Games To Play While You Wait For Apple Arcade

Okay, let’s get back on this horse and see if we can find some water. It’s been a while.

The last six months have been a little quiet, both in terms of Apple TV game releases, and in general here at ATVG, with posts averaging around one a month, if that.

I can fix the latter, but not the former.

In regards to the latter, there’s only about two months – give or take (depending on the whims of the Apple gods) – until Apple Arcade arrives to rearrange the furniture (complete with DualShock 4 and Xbox One controller support). And with that in mind, it’s time to get cracking once again, building some momentum and scoping out the lay of the land in preparation. So here I am. Plus there’s a particularly exciting piece of news I want to share with you all which I’ll do in the next post.

In regards to the former, I suspect developers are still playing a cautious game of wait-and-see, holding back from going all-in on Apple TV as a gaming platform until Apple Arcade comes along and boosts it to being a viable place to release games. Or not.

Thankfully, not all studios have been as cautious, with some willing to roll the dice and help populate this strange little undiscovered country that is Apple TV gaming.

For those who’ve disembarked here only recently, having navigated the wild trade winds of a hopeful Google search, the best way to start exploring is by checking out ATVG’s Best Apple TV games of 2018. Let it serve as your initial world map, and from there, you’ll gradually unlock new areas (games) to explore. Promise.

For those of you who are returning after forced exile, due to a lack of new words from yours truly, welcome back, and thanks for your patience. Over the page you’ll find three games which haven’t yet been written about here at ATVG, which is a pity, because they look like they’ve got the goods.

Proper, big, fat, traditional video games.

With lots of juicy gaming meat to gnaw on while Apple Arcade bakes to a lovely, golden brown.

Continue reading “Three Apple TV Games To Play While You Wait For Apple Arcade” →

PS4 and Xbox One Controller Support Coming To Apple TV – Just In Time For Apple Arcade

Screen Shot 2019-06-05 at 8.21.17 am

And with that little bombshell, dropped onstage by Apple CEO Tim Cook at yesterday’s WWDC 2019 keynote, the puzzle pieces continue to fall into place for Apple Arcade.

Just over two years ago, prior to WWDC 2017, I asked developers what they would like to see announced for Apple TV in relation to gaming, and the common thread was an Apple-designed controller.

Two years on, following yesterday’s announcement, those developers didn’t quite get what they wanted, but maybe they got what they needed.

Mash that continue button for more.

Continue reading “PS4 and Xbox One Controller Support Coming To Apple TV – Just In Time For Apple Arcade” →

Steam Link – Apple TV’s Current Number One Free Game Is Not A Game

icon_composed_steamlink

Surprised? Me neither.

An app that turns your Apple TV into a portal for games purchased through Valve’s digital storefront, was always destined for that number one spot. And not much more than 24 hours after the Steam Link app became available too. Sneaking in front of Crossy Roads and Real Racing 3, Steam Link shot straight to number one with a bullet.

ATVG has had mixed feelings regarding the Steam Link app ever since it was announced this time last year. At first I was excited.

Then Apple rejected it, and I was not excited.

Developer Björn Larsson of Legendo Entertainment then helped me to see the flip side, and I thought, hmmm, maybe Apple was right to reject it.

Apple then finally decided to comment on the whole saga.

And now that it’s out, how do I feel?

Optimistic.

Continue reading “Steam Link – Apple TV’s Current Number One Free Game Is Not A Game” →

Voice Actor Behind Final Fantasy XV’s Noctis To Play Oceanhorn 2 Villain

Despite all the emo-boy-band-on-a-road-trip jokes, Final Fantasy XV was a solid addition to the decades-old JRPG series.

I’ve never been one to get much into crafting in RPGs, but discovering new recipes to rustle up around the campfire was a treat, as was the more immediate, action-based combat that hid subtle layers of depth.

A third strength behind FFXV’s success was its quality voice acting. Ever since Final Fantasy X, vocals have been a key element in connecting the player to Square Enix’s stories, and the voice acting in XV hit a high-water mark for the series.

Earlier this week, studio Cornfox & Bros. revealed the actor behind FFXV’s Noctis – Ray Chase – will voice the villain Mesmeroth in its upcoming JRPG, Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm.

Continue reading “Voice Actor Behind Final Fantasy XV’s Noctis To Play Oceanhorn 2 Villain” →

The Apple TV Gaming Blog

Author: garrybalogh