For those of you living within the confines of North America and in particular the USA,
it's likely you've passed out from all the delicious treats stuffed in to your belly
from this year's Thanksgiving Day.
While not everyone in the world observes this tradition, what we do get out of the deal
is Black Friday - for those of you who own a PC, this also means emptying your wallet
on the altar that is the Steam platform, but I'll spare you my personal financial woes.
Ordinarily I'd split this out in to a separate news piece, but if you're after a comprehensive
list of the sales that are on right now for the App Store, check out the link in our description
and give a shout out to our friends over at Pocketgamer UK.
And now for our traditional observation of the week - it's the Friday News Wrap-Up for
the 25th of November, 2011.
While this is far from new news, what with Square Enix having announced the port around
three months ago, it's great to hear that we'll soon have the game in our hands.
Despite some of the delays that resulted in Final Fantasy Tactics being delayed, we should
be enjoying one of the most highly regarded Japanese RPGs before you know it.
Sadly no pricing is available, but we don't anticipate this one to be cheap - if you're
desperate to own it, start hording away some spare change now.
With the sequel to Chair's new seminal iOS title Infinity Blade literally just around
the corner and set for release on the 1st of December, it's only fitting that their
original title is given its dues by being made more accessible.
So if you have balked at its $5.99 price point you can now pick it up for a cool $2.99.
Considering the game when released was well worth its full price, getting it for so cheap
along with every update that has since been added to the game makes this a must have special
deal.
Those who enjoy checking out the Indie scene may have already tweaked on to what they're
seeing right now, but if you're unsure what you're seeing is the successor to Indie Game
Challenge 2011 winner 'Inertia' set to hit iOS and Android on the 1st of December.
We've seen the concept before, but Red Fly Studio's take on the genre has a unique feel
as it combines almost complete freedom with the gravity while being forced in to some
amazing platform challenges thanks to boosts and auras that affect your trajectory.
Keep an eye out for this gorgeous looking game.
Some say you're either a cat or a dog person - honestly I find that to be completely bunk
if you love animals and honestly who couldn't love something as adorable as Mick and Ralph
in Mojo Bones' upcoming title Tongue Tied.
The canine duo have found themselves quite literall tongue tied, but thanks to some cooperation
and clever physics manipulation you'll be able to help them adventure through 50 levels
while performing tricks to gain bonuses.
It's adorable, it's cute, and darn-it I can't wait until it drops early in December.
Developer KlickTock has been on AppSpy's radar for some time now and not without good reason
- despite their games being so simplistic, there's a polish and charm that comes with
them that's aimed directly at providing addictive bursts of gameplay that feed the reptilian
brain.
Your task is simply one of tapping the largest contiguous zone in the grid you're shown,
racking up points and combos over 90s.
Much of the early stage of the game can be played almost on auto-pilot, but as you progress
the game turns up the deception, providing zones that are similar, but 1-2 blocks different
causing you to stumble.
All of this is presented in an amazingly simple, yet effective visual style that calmly flashes
and shakes when you're wrong and adds a soft tone in tune with the background music when
you're right.
There are multiple themes on offer, most unlocking after reaching certain achievements and those
looking to remove the adverts can do so while also purchasing a special skin.
ZONR is simple, elegant, and best of all oddly appealing thanks to the subtle ways it continues
to reward players.
The game is free, so definitely check it out over this holiday weekend.
When I first saw screen shots for Bag It! by Hidden Variable Studios I thought to myself,
"Gee, this could either be a huge frustrating flop, or an amazing hidden gem." and thankfully
it turned out to be the latter.
Part Tetris, part physics puzzler, Bag It!
requires finesse and a quick eye to maximize your score while pulling off the many challenges
it throws at you.
Featuring a double-unlock system of stars for basic content and medals for new game
modes, players can tackle the game at their own pace while being rewarded considerably
for taking on the harder challenges it has to offer.
In addition to the deceptively simple gameplay the game is presented with a charming cartoonish
style that's not above being a little disturbing when the items eventually do get crushed.
A great pick up for those who enjoy puzzles or something a little out of the ordinary.
And that's the Wrap Up for this week - it seems that major releases have shied away
from dropping this week, but we still have some great games to review so keep an eye
out for them in the coming week.
We mentioned a give-away last week, but never had time to post it up; sorry for the delay,
but if it's not already up by the time this goes live it should be out soon after.
Don't forget you can also keep track of us via Twitter and Facebook as well as RSS if
you're that way inclined.
For those who had a holiday, I hope you enjoyed it and for everyone else, enjoy the weekend!