Trying to keep up with all of the downloadable games and content that's out there these days is enough to make a person cry. But cry no more, because Download Lowdown is here to help. Each week I'll sift through the good, the bad, and the weird to help you get the most from your game system of choice without leaving your house. Plus, if you read now I'll also toss in some choice (usually less-than-helpful) quotes from folks around the Internet at absolutely no extra charge!
This week I hit the Oregon Trail to search for a Fat Princess, but end up fighting lots of pesky Space Invaders instead. Sweet!
Fat Princess
System:Â PlayStation 3
Price:Â $15Â
The Lowdown: If you've been standing anywhere near the Internet the last week or so, you've probably heard that Fat Princess is the shit. I've actually gone out of my way to avoid the hype for this game, so my experience with it has been a little different than most. Literally the only things I knew about FP before playing were that it involved a princess that liked cake, that people were whining about the whole "fat" thing, and that everyone seems to love the game.
Fat Princess is pretty cool so far. I played a few offline games and it didn't take me long to get into the isometric-capture-the-flag thing that the game's got going on. I really like that you can pick up a hat and change your class at almost any time. If you get tired of being an archer, you can switch up and heal people, or grab a sword and start slicing dudes up. The art style is simple, yet attractive and the game has a good sense of humor, too.
Because playing online without a headset means that I would miss out on stuff like this, I have yet to play multiplayer. But I hear good things about it -- except for the whole "it sometimes doesn't work online" thing that seems to be plaguing so many online games these days.
What the Bitmob crew says:
Demian Linn pays Fat Princes what I think is a compliment:Â "Sometimes I feel like I'm playing World of WarCraft, but isometric and For Dummies."
Dan Hsu has it in his head that if he could just eat more cake, then he could be a fat princess too: "This game makes me hungry."
Jason Wilson wrote an entire article on why he should be the fat princess and not that scrawny little Dan Hsu*:Â "You see, I'm a fat guy. I've been a fat guy for years. And while I still have some of those strong muscles of my younger days, days when it took six guys to hold me down, my girth is by far more flab than flex."
*Article not actually about this... I think.
Space Invaders Infinity Gene
System:Â iPhone
Price:Â $4.99
The Lowdown:Â Excuse me for not getting the memo, but when the hell was it decided that Space Invaders would be awesome again? Space Invaders Extreme was ridiculously good and now Taito has come up with another great Space Invaders game, this time for the iPhone. I'm in no way complaining; I'm just shocked that such a franchise that was dormant for so long could come back and kick so much ass. Nice work Taito!
I guess I should stop gushing and tell you a little about the game, eh? It's sort of a transition from Space Invaders to Space Invaders Extreme. You start off playing the old-school game and then it gradually adds more complex elements like chains and power-ups into the mix. The game has great music and presentation -- even the menus are neat-looking. Oh, did I mention you can play your own music to generate custom levels?
I strongly recommend checking out this great trailer for the game to see what it's all about. How does Infinity Gene even have an awesome trailer? This is madness!
What the App Store reviews say:
JohnCor2 picks Infinity Gene as his one true love:Â "If I was allowed only one game on the iPhone/iPod it would be this one."
Tortfeasor knows that the damn kids that won't stay off of his damn lawn won't appreciate this game: "If you are 30 or older, buy this. It is the best game currently available."
Gmaster23 didn't get the memo about using your own music to create custom levels! "Infinite gameplay? There's only 20 levels! I beat this in an hour! 5 stars if there is MORE LEVELS!"
Oregon Trail
System: iPhone
Price:Â $4.99 (free demo available)
The Lowdown:Â I don't know how this happened, but somehow I missed out on the whole Oregon Trail thing back in the day. I seem to be the only one, though, because everyone else has fond memories of trying not to die while making their way across the country in a covered wagon.
Gameloft has remade this classic game and has spiced-up the presentation without losing focus on what made the original so much fun (so I'm told). I enjoyed picking up strangers, being attacked by bandits, hunting killer rabbits, fishing for boots, and getting annoyed at my kids for getting Typhoid Fever, but I found the game's pacing to be somewhat slow. Honestly, I had the most fun listening to my girlfriend play. Every once in awhile she'd groan that one of her children had just been grabbed and taken away by an eagle. It doesn't get much better than that.
If you've got young children that don't have ADHD or you have fond memories of playing Oregon Trail when you were young, I wouldn't hesitate to buy this updated version. If you're unfamiliar with the game and you're looking for a fast-paced, exciting adventure, you might want to skip this one. I'd recommend the demo, but it's too darn short to give you an idea of what Oregon Trail is actually like.
What the App Store reviews say:Â
WhyIsEveryNicknameTaken doesn't have much good to say about the game, but they do have a great nickname:Â "This game is worth $1.50 at the most, you play it once through, its fun but you never play again. Not worth it."
Cat ‘n Chicago totally stole this game from her daughter. Boo on her! "I purchased this for my 8 yr. old who just studied the Oregon Trail in school this year and ended up playing it for 2 hrs. myself! Fun!
Jayson4774 seems to be bitter that more of his family didn't die along the trail. Nice guy, that Jayson: "This is the first time I regret buying an iPhone app... Even on medium you can run your entire family straight through with very few holdups."
That's it for this week's Download Lowdown. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next week!
