iOS News, Videos & Reviews

HoloGrid: Monster Battle isn't Star Wars: HoloChess, but it's close and on Kickstarter

By Dave Tach on May 04, 2016 05.04.16

It takes less than five minutes into my meeting with Mike Levine, president of developer HappyGiant, before he smiles behind his beard and drops his first goodnatured f-bomb. "It's really a giant fuck you to the free-to-play model," Levine tells me standing among tens of thousands of attendees at PAX East, in front of an iPad showing a pre-release version of his unreleased game, HoloGrid: Monster Battle. He's explaining his plan for the game, and it's nothing if not bold. I have no idea if it'll work. Sometimes, there'a a fine line between bold and unrealistic. Either way, I can't stop thinking about it. HoloGrid: Monster Battle, he tells me, takes the world's most popular app distribution ecosystem but rejects the most lucrative way to make money there. It takes a bit of inspiration...

The Hearthstone legendary cards you must craft ASAP

By Philip Kollar on May 02, 2016 05.02.16

With last week's release of the Whispers of the Old Gods expansion and the introduction of standard mode, a lot of new players are checking out Hearthstone and old players who wandered aware are returning. Whatever your status, one cold truth of reality is shared by everyone: There are a lot of cards in Hearthstone, and it's hard to know which ones you really need. In the smart video above, popular and talented Hearthstone streamer Kripparrian runs down his choices for the most must-have legendaries in the game right now. For his list, Kripparian splits the legendaries into three tiers of desirability. The best of the best are in tier one, the best class legendaries are in tier two, and strong but situational legendaries can be found in tier three. He stresses that legendaries in the...

Issue 18

May 2, 2016

Their future is Epic: The evolution of a gaming giant

By Brian Crecente

Find out how one of the industry’s biggest developers is changing its approach.

Cracker Jack abandons a century of prizes for QR codes and mobile games

By Owen S. Good on Apr 27, 2016 04.27.16

Gen Xers who remember scoring the coveted weather predictor, smearing on a temporary tattoo or throwing out yet another useless magnifying glass today saw another symbol of their childhood annihilated: Cracker Jack is replacing the toy with a QR code for some mobile games. The Toy Surprise has been in every box of Cracker Jack for more than 100 years — going back to 1912. But it now gives way to QR codes for baseball themed games, which one accesses after downloading another app, called Blippar, on their iOS or Android mobile device. Oh boy, kid, here's your prize. Yay. The games are "baseball-inspired mobile digital experiences" as Cracker Jack doubles down on its nostalgic ties to the game thanks to a song. The four "experiences" range from a dance cam...

Miitomo celebrates 10 million downloads

By Allegra Frank on Apr 27, 2016 04.27.16

Miitomo has been downloaded over 10 million times worldwide, Nintendo announced in a press release. That's a major milestone for the app, Nintendo's first for smartphones, reached just shy of a month since its stateside release. To celebrate hitting 10 million users on iOS and Android, Nintendo will host a special promotion for users April 29-May 9. During the period, players will be treated to daily bonuses, including Miitomo coins and tickets. Nintendo will give away a total of 5,000 Miitomo coins and 12 game tickets by the end of the 10-day event. Three previously Japan-exclusive Miitomo Drop stages will also be available during the celebration. Players can look forward to spending all of their game tickets in one go on the "Look sharp! Smart Dresser!" Miitomo Drop boards running...

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Watch us open over 200 packs from Hearthstone: Whispers of the Old Gods

By Griffin McElroy on Apr 27, 2016 04.27.16

Watch on YouTube | Subscribe to Polygon on YouTube Hearthstone's new expansion, the Lovecraft-themed Whispers of the Old Gods, is here, and we want all of the cards therein. To complete that noble quest, Phil, Nick and I teamed up to open up a grand total of 241 packs from the new set, resulting in a grand total of 1,205 cards for our discrete collections. Some of them are Legendaries! Some of them were the same Legendaries, over and over again, forever, unto oblivion. You can watch us crank through those packs for an hour in the video posted above. If you're hoping to have your own card-opening extravaganza, keep in mind: You can earn 13 packs from Hearthstone: Whispers of the Old Gods just by playing the new Standard format.

Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing are coming to mobile devices

By Michael McWhertor on Apr 27, 2016 04.27.16

Nintendo will release a pair of mobile apps based on its Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing franchises, the company confirmed today. Both are targeted for release sometime this fall. Fire Emblem for mobile devices will be "more accessible in comparison to the Fire Emblem games for Nintendo's dedicated gaming systems," Nintendo said in a release, but will "offer the great value of a role-playing strategy game." The mobile version of Animal Crossing will connect somehow to at least one of the Animal Crossing games for Nintendo's dedicated gaming systems, though the company didn't specify which titles would feature connectivity. Nintendo's most recent games in the franchise include Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival for Wii U and Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer for 3DS. Nintendo...

How to get 13 free Hearthstone: Whispers of the Old Gods packs starting tomorrow

By Philip Kollar on Apr 25, 2016 04.25.16

Tomorrow marks the launch of Hearthstone's third full expansion, Whispers of the Old Gods, and Blizzard is celebrating by giving players a lot of card packs for free. In total, you'll be able to get 13 packs with just a little bit of effort. Here's how it works. First off, simply logging in to Hearthstone after Whispers of the Old Gods launches will get you three packs of cards from the new expansion. You'll also receive a quest upon logging in to win two games in the new standard format, which bans cards from the Goblins vs. Gnomes expansion and The Curse of Naxxramas adventure set. Winning those games will net you five more packs. As a follow-up to that initial standard format quest, you'll receive another quest to win seven games in standard format. Pulling off this feat gets you...

Review | More
Fallout 4
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Win
- Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
- Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
- Release Date: 2015-11-10
Review | More
Destiny: The Taken King
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PS3, 360
- Publisher: Activision
- Developer: Bungie
- Release Date: 2015-09-15
Review | More
Super Mario Maker
- Platforms: Wii U
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Developer: Nintendo EAD Group No. 4
- Release Date: 2015-09-11
Review | More
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
- Platforms: PS3, 360, Xbox One, PS4, Win
- Publisher: Konami
- Developer: Kojima Productions
- Release Date: 2015-09-01

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Splatoon stuff is coming to Miitomo

By Michael McWhertor on Apr 20, 2016 04.20.16

A series of Splatoon-inspired items — headwear, clothing and more — are coming to Nintendo's social app Miitomo next week, giving squid-themed shooter fans the opportunity to dress their Miis like Inkling boys and girls. Getting your hands on some of these stuff is going to require some work, however. Two items — the Inkling boy wig and Inkling girl wig — will be given away for free, provided Nintendo fans retweet the promotion's official hashtag enough on Twitter. At 10,000 retweets the boy wig will unlock, and at 20,000 the girl wig will unlock. Seeing as how the original post containing the hashtag (#Miitomo_Splatoon_RT) has already been retweeted more than 7,000 times, chances are good. Other items will be available through Miitomo's pachinko-style game,...

Let's talk through Hearthstone's big card changes that are about to hit

By Philip Kollar and Griffin McElroy on Apr 20, 2016 04.20.16

Okay, sure, we have a new Tavern Brawl challenge to check out in this week's Hearthstone video. That's exciting. But we have something much bigger to focus on this week. Earlier today, Blizzard revealed that a dozen cards from Hearthstone's classic set will be getting major changes to coincide with next week's release of the Whispers of the Old Gods expansion set. A bunch of the most popular and most powerful Hearthstone cards are going through some major changes, and we have some thoughts. Check it out above, and let us know your own thoughts in the comments here or on YouTube. You can also watch more of our Hearthstone videos in our full playlist on YouTube.

Hearthstone nerf alert: major changes coming to classic cards

By Philip Kollar on Apr 20, 2016 04.20.16

When Blizzard announced that it was creating a new standard format for Hearthstone earlier this year, it also revealed that it would be tweaking an undisclosed number of cards from the classic set to ensure they wouldn't remain overly powerful in standard format. In a blog post today, Blizzard has finally revealed which cards are being changed and how substantially. As suggested by Blizzard in various interviews leading up to this announcement, the Druid class core card were hit the hardest. The seven-mana-cost Ancient of Lore used to allow players to choose between drawing two cards or restoring five health. While its cost and stats, as well as the health restore, will stay the same, it can now only draw a single card if that effect is chosen. One of the deadliest combos in the game...

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The Walking Dead: Michonne's finale launches next week

By Samit Sarkar on Apr 19, 2016 04.19.16

"What We Deserve," the third and final episode of the miniseries The Walking Dead: Michonne, will begin rolling out April 26, developer Telltale Games announced today. The episode will be available next week on Android, iOS, Mac, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Here's the synopsis from Telltale: In "What We Deserve," feeling the weight of choices both recent and long ago, Michonne tries to protect an innocent family... but Norma and the vengeful Monroe crew are closing in. As reality shatters and the ghosts of the daughters she abandoned demand to be heard, your choices will determine who lives, who dies, and what redemption really means in a world gone to hell. If you've played the second episode, "Give No Shelter," you can watch the video from...

Hearthstone: Whispers of the Old Gods expansion arrives next week

By Philip Kollar on Apr 19, 2016 04.19.16

The third full-sized expansion pack for Hearthstone, Whispers of the Old Gods, was announced over a month ago, but at the time Blizzard said only that the expansion would release "in late April or early May." Now the developer has revealed the exact date, and it's almost here. Blizzard announced today that Hearthstone: Whispers of the Old Gods will finally be available next Tuesday, April 26, in North America and Europe. It will arrive in Asia the following day, April 27. Must Read Everything we know about Hearthstone's next expansion Whispers of the Old Gods will introduce 134 new cards to the game, including "corrupted" variations on some classic minions. About half of the new cards have been revealed already, and Blizzard is planning to host a stream...

Weird and wonderful, Australia embraces indie

Australia's indie evolution on 'an island far away'

By Brian Crecente on Apr 19, 2016 04.19.16

To my left, a bank of lights glows blue under a silenced fan and an oversized red master alarm. On the far right of the console, an array of lights illuminates the core systems of the Ceres, showing the current status of each. All green for now. I watch silently on the center screen as my ship, its reactor and communications switched off, drifts dead in space through a nebula. The main display traces the route of my recently fired missile as it plots its way toward an unsuspecting pirate spaceship. On the far left bank of controls and lights, the switch that released the missile remains forgotten, still uncovered. My hand hovers over a button, waiting to spin the reactor back on, waiting for the missile to make contact. "He won't know what hit him," Jennifer Scheurle says...

Hearthstone gets new hero, Jurassic World new dinos during Apps for Earth fundraiser

By Brian Crecente on Apr 14, 2016 04.14.16

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft starts selling a new hero today — Azeroth's protector mage Khadgar — as part of a weeklong Earth Day promotion on iTunes with all proceeds for the $5 character going to the World Wildlife Fund. Hearthstone is just one of 27 apps and add-ons for apps helping to raise money for the WWF as part of Apple's Apps for Earth fundraiser. From today until April 24, App Store customers will be able to pick up special apps or DLC with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the WWF. Apple says it selected the WWF to partner with during the week surrounding Earth Day because of the group's core global focus which includes striving for the conservation of forests, oceans, fresh water, wildlife, food and stopping climate change. Apps participating in the fundraiser (you...

A clever Hearthstone rule change produces some fun new decks

By Philip Kollar and Griffin McElroy on Apr 13, 2016 04.13.16

Every week in Hearthstone, the Tavern Brawl mode provides a unique twist on the regular card gameplay. But sometimes the best Tavern Brawls are ones that simply implement small changes to deckbuilding. Case in point: this week's excellent Tavern Brawl, titled the Great Stone of Challenge. It's based off the popular fan-run Challengestone tournament, and implements the rules from the first Challengestone. That means all spells in a deck must have an even mana cost, and all minions must have an odd attack value. Essentially you're cutting out around half of the possible options, providing a real challenge in building a good deck as well as preparing players for the upcoming introduction of standard format. We had a blast with this Tavern Brawl. Watch our game for yourself in the video...

A beginner attempts to conquer Blizzard’s card juggernaut.

Attempting to master Hearthstone in 30 days

By Richard Procter on Apr 13, 2016 04.13.16

I was about 20 days into an experiment in which I tried to play as much of Hearthstone’s ranked mode as a professional. People have always yearned to quit their jobs and make a living at one of their hobbies. And with the advent of both esports and streaming services like Twitch and Youtube Gaming, making a living playing video games has become more feasible than ever before. I liked Hearthstone and always felt at home playing competitive card games. So I thought, what if I (mostly) quit my day job and played Hearthstone for 6+ hours a day? As one might expect, a large gap separates "more feasible" and "easy." Becoming a professional Hearthstone player requires far more than just skill. It requires stamina, concentration, the ability to read people, adapting strategies on the fly,...

How the UN used a video game to raise awareness for land mines

By Samit Sarkar on Apr 08, 2016 04.08.16

Instagram is a massively popular social network where hundreds of millions of people share photos and videos with the world. It's the platform of choice for shots of fancy meals, poorly lit bar scenes and cute animals. Now it can also be used to play a video game — albeit one that's hacked together. Earlier this week, the United Nations observed the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. The annual event began a: decade ago, on April 4, 2006, as a way for the UN to highlight mine action: the effort to clear land mines and related explosive devices from countries around the globe; educate people about the dangers of such weapons; assist victims of land mines; advocate for a mine-free world; and destroy stockpiles of mines. The UN currently supports mine...

Romancing SaGa 2 coming stateside for first time ever

By Allegra Frank on Apr 08, 2016 04.08.16

The Super Nintendo-era role-playing game Romancing SaGa 2 is coming stateside, according to the game's official Twitter. An English-language version of the game is currently in development on iOS and Android. Romancing SaGa 2's worldwide debut remains unscheduled. Japan received mobile ports of the game in late March; Square Enix also published the remastered release on PlayStation Vita. More information about the release will come later this month, according to the game's Twitter. In the meantime, it offered a first look at the game's English debut. We’ll announce further information within this month, so stay tuned! #romasaga2 pic.twitter.com/2a1MaHGrzq — ロマンシングサガ２公式 (@Romasaga2_PR) April 8, 2016 The RPG made its debut on Super Famicom in December 1993. Its predecessor,...

Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ comes to Android and iOS this week

By Michael McWhertor on Apr 04, 2016 04.04.16

The next entry in the Kingdom Hearts series — and the first for Android and iOS mobile devices — is coming to North America on April 7. Square Enix confirmed the English-language release of Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ, which touches on the earliest days of the Kingdom Hearts narrative, is finally making its way stateside. (The game was released in Japan last year.) Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ, a free-to-play role-playing game, is set prior to the franchise's Keyblade War and stars a player-created Keyblade wielder. It's based on the browser game Kingdom Hearts χ and features a cast of new characters, as well as appearances from well-known Disney characters. As Square Enix notes on the publisher's official blog, Unchained χ narratively ties into other Kingdom Hearts...

A winning Hearthstone deck with zero minions

By Philip Kollar and Griffin McElroy on Apr 04, 2016 04.04.16

Watch on YouTube | Subscribe to Polygon on YouTube We're a bit late, but last week's Hearthstone Tavern Brawl sure was a doozy. For its 30th unique Tavern Brawl, Blizzard introduced a challenge where you could not play minions with a mana cost lower than seven. While some would find that severely limited, we took it as an opportunity to what we do best: make weird, bad decks. You can check our goofy, unstoppable, zero-minion hunter deck for yourself in the video above. For more Hearthstone antics, take a look at our full playlist on YouTube.

Miitomo is what we've been slacking off with all day

By Simone de Rochefort and Nick Robinson on Mar 31, 2016 03.31.16

Watch on YouTube | Subscribe to Polygon on YouTube Nintendo's long-awaited Miitomo is here, and it's pretty much what we expected. Like Tomodachi Life, Miitomo lets you make a Mii and sets you loose in the world. The big, surprising thing here is that you can play a Nintendo game on your Android phone or iPhone — and that it integrates so well with social media. It's easy to import friends through Twitter and Facebook, or through a My Nintendo account. These friends are about to learn a lot about your deepest, darkest secrets. Your Mii will ask you questions about your favorite things, and then tell all your friends about it. Socializing gets you coins, which you can spend to dress up your Mii. Check out the sick styling of the Polygon crew in the video above. Hot dog dresses, stacks...

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