Games

Cuphead was a smash-hit game this year, with Studio MDHR releasing on Windows and Xbox. This morning, Cuphead appeared on the App Store with recognizable app icon, screenshots and branding. Except it is all fake. Whilst the game is actually somewhat playable, it is a stolen port of the desktop game and should not be downloaded. Update: The game is no longer available in the App Store.

The criminal who published it to the App Store also made a fake website as the support link, to confuse App Review in believing the game was legitimate. The game has yet to be pulled from the App Store, and sadly appears to be one of many cases from the same unscrupulous person.

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Hard to believe, but next year will be the 25th anniversary of The X-Files. To celebrate the event, and the premiere of season 11 of the TV show in January, a new mobile game will be launched the following month.

The X-Files: Deep State is described as a mystery investigation mobile game in which you are an FBI special agent investigating ‘crime scenes that defy investigation’ …

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Feral Interactive has brought Codemasters’ hit racing game GRID Autosport to iPad and iPhone. The app promises ‘console-quality racing’ offering a complete version of the game with all of the content.

Ignite your high-speed career as a pro-racer with GRID Autosport for iOS. This smash hit AAA racing game uses intuitive tilt and touch controls to deliver an irresistible mix of simulation and arcade handling direct to your iPad and iPhone.

GRID Autosport for iOS is the latest instalment in the celebrated Codemasters series, comprising the complete game and all the add-on content. Compete in the world’s most exciting cars on motorsport’s most challenging circuits.

In an unusual move, all the ‘in-app purchases’ are free …

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For those who don’t know me very well, I am an unapologetic Nintendo fanboy. Almost everything they produce is a masterpiece to me. I was even a fan of the poorly-received Wii U and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild might be the best video game I’ve ever played. So what’s my take on Nintendo’s newly released Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp for iOS so far? It’s only been out for a few hours (one day sooner than expected) and it’s already great although there are a few key downsides to expect.

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We first saw a trailer for the first proper iOS South Park game back in June. The freemium game South Park: Phone Destroyer is now available for free download – though with some expensive in-app purchase options.

Ubisoft describes it as a strategic real-time battle game.

From South Park Digital Studios comes a real-time battle game like nothing you’ve ever experienced before! Take on Cartman, Kenny, Stan and Kyle in all out mobile mayhem!

South Park: Phone Destroyer brings you iconic South Park characters, action packed real-time strategy, exploding PvP battles, trademark South Park humor and collectible cards in a perfect mix that’s spicier than Cartman’s chili con carne …

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While Macs are popular for many high-end applications, including music creation and video editing, there’s one demanding field where they have mostly been dismissed: gaming.

ArsTechnica declared Mac gaming dead as long ago as 2007, and ten years later Oculus declared that Macs still aren’t good enough for VR – despite workarounds.

But Ars says that there is now some optimism among game developers …

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Feral Interactive has announced that it is bringing the console version of its stealth video game HITMAN to macOS, going on sale on June 20. It appears this is a port of the 2016 version. The original game, which first launched 17 years ago and inspired two movies, was previously available on Windows and a wide range of consoles. It was originally developed by IO Interactive.

This follows Total War: Warhammer which was brought over to the Mac back in April …

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As part of E3, Sony today announced it will launch a new collection of games branded “PlayLink” that will support cross-platform gameplay experiences between PS4 and mobile devices including iOS devices. The games will be built with a second screen experience and group play in mind, meaning they’ll take full advantage of opportunities for touchscreen controls, cameras on mobile devices, multiple devices and more.

The games will work together with iPhones (and possibly iPads) via a companion app that Sony confirmed will be available for both iOS and Android. For the most part, the games appear to use mobile devices as controllers, offering a second screen experience while playing games with others on a PS4 in the living room:

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When Futurama creator Matt Groening talked about the upcoming iOS and Android game back in February, he teased that it will effectively contain some entirely new episodes.

We’re gonna sneak some more Futurama episodes in there on whatever device people are gonna be using.

The company has now released a trailer showing that the game will indeed live up to this promise …

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Fans of The Sims got a taste of the simulation on iPhone and iPad from The Sims Freeplay back in 2011, but the freemium app fell a long way short of the full desktop experience. EA is promising to correct that in The Sims Mobile.

The developer says that the new mobile app will support all the features of the original PC game from 17 years ago …

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If you didn’t quite get your fill of nostalgic games from the Macintosh emulator released earlier this week, you can now download and play the classic military SF strategy game StarCraft on your Mac – free of charge. The freebie includes the Brood War expansion pack.

Developer Blizzard Entertainment has made the move as a way to promote a 4K remastered version due for release in the summer …

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Shortly after launching F1 2016 for Mac, Feral Interactive has announced that it is doing the same for the popular PC game Total War: Warhammer. The game is a blend of Creative Assembly’s Total War series with Games Workshop’s Warhammer Fantasy Battles.

Total War: Warhammer will be available for Mac from April 18, but you don’t need to wait until then to see it in action …

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F1 2016, the official video game of the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship, hits the Mac App Store on Thursday April 6. Developer Feral Interactive said that it uses Apple’s new graphics API Metal, and is a major step up from earlier versions of the racing game.

“It’s been three years since a new F1 game graced the Mac and a lot has happened since then!”, said David Stephen, Managing Director of Feral Interactive. “F1 2016 is a massive step forward for the franchise, greatly improving upon the fastest and most thrilling on-track racing experience in gaming.”

The game provides both depth and breadth, says the company …

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Apple has been highlighting loads of iOS games created by independent developers this week on the App Store. The promotion includes a special section at the top of the App Store where new apps and updates are usually promoted, several new indie game launches, and even discounts on a handful of popular indie titles.

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The Girl Scouts of San Diego are currently crowdfunding a new app coding project for an iOS game called Marshmallow Run. The project has just three days to go and over $10,000 left before reaching its goal on Kickstarter.

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Last year’s Futurama game Game of Drones may have been little more than a Candy Crush clone, but it sounds like the next game in the franchise will offer rather more. In an interview with USA Today, show creater Matt Groening says that the game features ‘the original writers, cast, and animators.’

Not only that, but he says that it will effectively offer some completely new Futurama episodes in game form …

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