[07.19.12] OUYA gains support from Handy Games

OUYA

There's no denying the incredible success the new gaming console, OUYA, is having on Kickstarter. It's now surpassed $5 million in pledges from over 40,000 backers. Yesterday, they gained yet another, this time with a little more prestige behind it. Handy Games, the company behind Guns 'n' Glory, Aporkalypse, and Super Dynamite Fishing, is now backing the OUYA full force.

Handy Games has joined five others in the top-tier pledge level on the Kickstarter page. Not only that, but they've vowed to bring several of their popular Android titles over to the OUYA. Markus Kassulke, the CEO of Handy Games, has a very strong opinion about mobile gaming that he's not afraid to share.

"When HandyGames started out more than 12 years ago, no one really took mobile gaming seriously. It was pretty much seen as joke. Now, more than a decade later, I don't think that these are tears of laughter running down the faces of all those big publishers and console makers who see the very core of their business model pummeled by the onslaught extremely affordable indy games on smartphones and tablet PCs."

He's right though. Lately, many big name publishers have spent more time focusing on mobile gaming and less on their console or PC counterparts. Along with the creators of the OUYA, he too thinks it’s about time these companies start to feel the pressure from smaller competitors.

"OUYA has the potential to be every bit as disruptive to the traditional TV consoles market as smartphone games were to the handheld console business. It’s yet another nail in the coffin of walled-garden ecosystems and traditional publishing models.”

Christopher Kassulke, another CEO of HandyGames, is also in agreement.

"Over the past year we have been working hard to take our games beyond the mobile space. OUYA is a perfect match for our long-term strategic goals, but it's not just the business side. We strongly feel that the OUYA team has a vision of the future of gaming that is very similar to our own. It's not about powerful hardware or big brand names, it's about innovation and great gameplay and openness to developers and users alike. OUYA gives us just that, a chance for independent developers to flourish and experiment on a platform that is affordable to users and open to free-to-play and freemium models. We see huge mass market potential here and we’re already looking forward to attending the OUYA launch party!

So not only is openness something that gamers want, apparently it's something that some developers want too. Between the potential support from Mojang, the blessing from the likes of Jenova Chin and Adam Saltsman, and the now confirmed support of Handy Games, the OUYA is gathering an incredible amount of momentum.

Despite the doubts of many, it now seems there's no way the OUYA won't be made. Clearly, it's something that gamers want, and clearly, the demand and financial support is there. The only question that remains is, "can they pull it off successfully?" for the sake of the gaming industry, let's hope the answer is yes.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you!

[06.06.11] Review: 'Aporkalypse – Pigs of Doom'

Handy Games

Aporkalypse - Pigs of Doom for Android

Rating:

5 Stars

Handy Games steps up to the plate for a third time with Aporkalypse – Pigs of Doom. They have built themselves a sterling reputation after their two previous releases, Guns‘n’Glory and Super Dynamite Fishing both received 5 star reviews. Looking at their previous work, one could only expect the best from this crew. Aporkalypse is a little different from their other work, though. Instead of being primarily action-based, Aporkalypse focuses on the puzzle genre, giving you plenty of time to relax and think about what moves you want to make. You have four friends to help you on your journey to save the world, as well as a guardian angel and devil to help you accomplish the feat of fulfilling the prophecy of the four pigs of doom.

The Good:

Just looking at this game, you know it has to be good. The graphics are rich and colors are vibrant. Nothing is confusing about the layout, the interface, or the game world. The game runs very smoothly, but has a few game-tweaking options in case you have a less powerful phone. The premise is simple: solve the puzzles (to save the world) and gathers some coins along the way. The game has a built-in tutorial to teach you how to play the game, and even if you get lost and confused along the way, there’s a very extensive help section. Aporkalypse is incredibly goofy, without feeling foolish, and the puzzles are relatively easy, yet still satisfying.

The Bad:

The music gets a little bit annoying sometimes, but you’re typically focusing on the puzzle and not it, so it just floats off into the background. There’s also a different sound when you complete a level and at the main menu.

Bottom Line:

Look above closely. That’s right, “The Ugly” is missing. That should pretty much sum it up for you. Go now, and download this game before it’s too late. No, I’m not talking about before it’s no longer free, I’m talking about before the Aporkalypse happens! This game is worth the $0.99, if you weren’t lucky enough to get it free, so get out there and save the world!

Aporkalypse – Pigs of Doom was created by Handy Games and is Amazon’s free app of the day for6/6/11. It typically sells for $0.99

[05.15.11] Review: 'Guns‘n’Glory'

Handy Games

Guns'n'Glory for Android

Rating:

5 Stars

Handy Games comes in with another free game this month, Guns’n’Glory. It’s a tower defense game with twist and a western theme that’s sure to delight anyone. Build your own band of outlaws and make some money with this modern Oregon Trail for your phone. If you’re easily offended, you might want to stray away from this game; otherwise grab your guns, dynamite, some power ups, and a cannon or gatling gun and go ambush some settlers.

The Good:

The game is well refined and offers a fun spin on the traditional tower defense game. Instead of having stationary towers, you have the option of walking your bandits around the canyon, so if those settlers walk out of reach, you’re not out of luck. You do have the option to upgrade your fighters through promotions, but there are also temporary power-ups scattered throughout the field in later levels. The graphics aren’t award-winning, but they get the job done and fit appropriately with the all-around western theme of the game.

The Bad:

To walk your bandits around, you have to tap on them, then click and drag. Occasionally they won’t seem to respond on the first try, and every so often you’ll accidentally click another bandit if you have one close by. This usually isn’t too big of a problem as nothing moves so fast in the game that you don’t have time to adjust properly for your mistakes. Some might also consider the game a little too easy. The number of settlers aloud to pass on each level is rather generous, regardless of the level of difficulty chosen.

The Ugly:

This might only be an ‘ugly’ for those who are easily offended. Guns’n’Glory has Mexicans and Indians attacking white settlers. If you can get past that, there’s really nothing else troublesome about this game.

Bottom Line:

For tower defense fans, Guns'n'Glory is an absolute must have in the collection. Anyone just getting into the genre should start here as it’s the easiest way to branch into the games. Pick this up for sure while it’s free, otherwise most can probably settle for the free version. It’s full featured, but has a few ads along the bottom of the screen. Either way you go, it’s guaranteed hours of fun.

Guns’n’Glory was created by Handy Games and is Amazon’s free app of the day for 05/15/11. It typically sells for $0.99

[05.02.11] Review: 'Super Dynamite Fishing

Handy Games

Super Dynamite Fishing for Android

Rating:

5 Stars

Dynamite fishing, the often joked about alternative to fishing poles, is brought to life in today’s free game Super Dynamite Fishing. Although it may seem crazy, dynamite fishing is a real practice, so with that in mind the game does open with a disclaimer, although a mildly satirical one at that. This game is meant to be all in good humor, which is obvious in the over-the-top way Super Dynamite Fishing presents itself. Armed with the task of winning the heart of Rosemary, you set out in your bathtub loaded with a gun and sticks of dynamite. Kill the fish, sell them, and then go kill some more fish. At any point, you can go spend your hard earned cash on weapon upgrades, gifts to win over Rosemary’s heart, or even upgrade your vessel to something a little more seaworthy. As you progress, you’ll unlock new areas and items.

The Good:

It’s a simple game design that never gets old. Do a task, and you’re rewarded so you can buy more things. In this particular game, it’s applied to a very humorous situation and embraces wackiness. Instead of keeping things ‘realistic’, you have the chance to buy RPG’s, a naval ship, or adopt a baby for Rosemary. The sound effects are goofy, and the music makes you feel like you’re really a redneck out on the lake with explosives. Everything has a backstory and manages to draw you into the fight for Rosemary’s heart. It really makes you want to keep playing so you can read every goofy weapon description and see what the next ridiculous item is you’re going to be gifting to the girl of your dreams.

The Bad:

The ‘daily goal’ can get a little bit annoying since it takes money away. It feels like it really just hinders your progress than provides you with something to work for. There is also a “quick fishin’” button which conveniently automates the task of purchasing everything, however there’s no confirmation screen which can be frustrating if you hit it on accident. Also, if you run out of weapons in the middle of a fishing trip, there’s a “click to return” button that allows you to conveniently skip straight to the end of your trip, however this has a timer, so if you don’t click it, it will automatically launch anyway. If you’ve just thrown out a fridge or battery, this can be quite frustrating too as it doesn’t wait for those weapons to finish.

The Ugly:

The app has memory management issues, as can be seen in the Amazon reviews, so there are some force close issues, and it occasionally will cause the phone to freeze. That’s really only complaint about this though.

Bottom Line:

Super Dynamite Fishing is an unexcitingly well thought out and designed game, with lots to do. There is also a full featured, ad-supported version of the game for those of you who didn’t manage to get it while it’s free, or don’t think it’s worth dropping the $0.99 on. If you’ve got spare space on your phone and want a switch from the few games that keep getting plagiarized on the market, this may be just what you’re looking for.

Super Dynamite Fishing was created by Handy Games and is Amazon’s free app of the day for 05/02/11). It typically sells for $0.99