I’ve spent the last week eking out as much enjoyment from the device as I could muster between work and family time. I’ve found that, despite the larger screen, I use the device less for gaming (as I thought I would spend the majority of my time with it) and more for creation and consumption.

Since I’m currently in the middle of reading actual, physical books, I haven’t spent any time with ebooks except as an exercise in demonstrating the incredible screen. Instead, I’ve spent a lot more time reading comics than is probably healthy for someone wishing to remain gainfully employed. I’ve watched a few YouTube videos, as well, but since the majority of videos available to view on my iPad are not HD (as I can more easily consume Netflix via computer or TV), I don’t really watch a whole lot of video.

Recently, I decided to spend a bit more time with the creation aspect of the new device. I’m a huge fan of the Paper app by FiftyThree. I used it a couple times on the original iPad to make some rough sketches, but I really got into it today, trying to make something I could show off. It may not be much, but here are a couple sketches I made in the past week (the first was with my fingers, the second with a very basic stylus from Targus):

And speaking (briefly and not most recently) of comics, in celebration of Free Comic Book Day (and also, Revenge of the Fifth), I spent most of the day downloading every free digital comic book I could find to celebrate. I also took my boys into town and pulled a great collection of comics for FCBD, though the two best comics (The Avengers and Star Wars/Serenity) were already gone from shelves. I wish they had all been available digitally, as well, as I would love to keep my physical books in pristine condition. Ah, well. Such is life.

Hope you all have a great Geekend (thanks to Star Wars Day–”May the 4th Be With You”–, Revenge of the Fifth, and The Avengers premiere on top of FCBD). Enjoy!

P.S. Happy birthday to my little brother who has fled the country for Germany this week. Probably for fun and not to escape the authorities, but you can never tell with him.

I was even more excited for the teased ClashMob feature. When it finally arrived last week, a lot of people complained about the fact that Facebook was required to play (rather than, say, Game Center). However, it made sense to me for a number of reasons:

• Facebook was already a part of the first Infinity Blade, which allowed others to view your character on Facebook
• Requiring users to sign up for accounts specific to Epic Games or Chair Entertainment would have been cumbersome and required additional infrastructure
• Most Facebook users also have a significantly larger pool of friends than Game Center, Open Feint, Plus+, etc.
• Game Center likely has missing functionality in its API that ClashMob required

My only concern about using Facebook for ClashMob is the restrictions Facebook has on child accounts. Children under 13 that quite enjoy the Infinity Blade series can’t participate unless they lie about their age to create an account. Further, privacy is always a concern with a company that exists solely to mine data for ad sales. Privacy concerns and age restrictions aside, Facebook is a very robust platform for this specific feature. It didn’t take long for my Facebook friends to start appearing in my ClashMob. Those that are truly concerned could easily create a false profile specifically as a gaming network and use it to find people to play with while keeping their personal information off the service altogether.

All in all, I’m quite happy to have the ClashMob arrive and can’t wait to see what other features are coming in the future.

March 28, 2011 – 20:32Z
The music for this game just gets better and better with age.

March 29, 2011 – 14:37Z
Knocked down Garland. Pilfered the pirate ship. Now searching for the Dark Elf.

March 29, 2011 – 23:07Z
Dark Elf slain. Revived the Elf Prince. Restored Matoya’s sight. Helped a crazy dwarf explode a small part of the continent. Exploring the far side of the world.

March 30, 2011 – 18:35Z
Dusted a vampire. Met Sadda the Sage. Buried Lich, the Earth Fiend. Entered the Earthgift Shrine.

March 30, 2011 – 19:43Z
Reached the bottom of the Earthgift Shrine. Decimated by Two-Headed Dragon. Seeking easier prey.

March 31, 2011 – 15:38Z
Found the circle of Sages at Crescent Lake. Extinguished Marilith, the Fiend of Fire. Found a Levistone in the Cavern of Ice. Checking want ads for used airship.

March 31, 2011 – 20:43Z
Stole an ancient airship. Quested for a rather disgusting token of courage. Blessed by the Dragon King. Ran a number of errands. Going mermaid fishing—I mean, hunti… err, HELPing.

April 4, 2011 – 19:15Z
Fileted Kraken, the Fiend of Water. Bought Level 8 magic spells. Leveled everything. Cleared the Earthgift Shrine of a Two-Headed Dragon, Ahriman, Cerberus, and Echidna. Found an ancient tower in the desert. Checking it out.

April 2, 2011 – 21:20Z
Stilled Tiamat, the Fiend of Air. Did the “I Restore Light to the Crystals” dance. Checked out the Chaos Shrine. Decided to let the world suffer a bit longer. Journeyed to the bottom of Lifespring Grotto. Died. Going back to saving the world.

April 3, 2011 – 16:06Z
Knocked down Chaos. Saved the world. Restored the Light. Loading old game to finish bonus dungeons.

April 6, 2011 – 22:54Z
Delving deeper and deeper into Whisperwind Cove. Death Manticores flee from battle. Twenty floors to go.

April 7, 2011 – 15:46Z
Served Orthros up as sushi. Ten more floors to go.

April 7, 2011 – 18:08Z
Reached the bottom of Whisperwind Cove. Finally. Found the Ultima weapon. Accidentally broke it pulling it from the chest. Returning to Lifespring Grotto, grumbling all the way.

April 7, 2011 – 20:09Z
Returned to Lifespring Grotto. Again. Pulled the power core from Omega. Back to the surface. Shinryu is next.

Thankfully, Infinity Blade was a massive success, because some of my favorite iOS games exist simply by virtue of Infinity Blade’s inspirational combat. I’ve included a list of the games I’ve played in this swipe-fighter genre, as well as my thoughts on each, below:

Infinity Blade ($2.99) – The granddaddy of them all, Infinity Blade vaulted Epic Games and Chair Entertainment into the forefront of the iOS community. I was already quite impressed with some of Chair’s other work, specifically Shadow Complex for the Xbox Live Arcade. Infinity Blade’s portability, interesting take on death and rebirth, and emphasis on collecting and mastering all of the weapons and items in the game really appealed to the RPG gamer in me. The combat was one of skill, however, which meant that the more I played, the better I got, so that I could take out The God King (the game’s villain) using the weakest of all weapons, if I was willing to put in the work. I did, by the way, and earned an achievement for it in Game Center. Infinity Blade may not be the best game on this list, but it’s certainly the most important. And, if you haven’t played it, then you should definitely pick it up before you do play the best game on this list.

Infinity Blade II ($6.99) – This is the best game on this list. The story in the original was, like the best undergarments, barely there. The creators of the series did their best to rectify that situation this time around. They even released a novella (Infinity Blade: Awakening) to bridge the gap between the two stories and pre-introduce you to characters that would make an appearance in the sequel. In fact, the end of the novella and the beginning of the game overlap. I recommend the book simply because it makes the rules of the game world much clearer than the game does itself. Plus, it’s a fun read. As for the game, it takes the initial formula and builds on top of it, giving players the opportunity to use two-handed weapons or wield a weapon in each hand. Your weapon choice also determines your fighting style, changing the way battles play out rather immensely. Plus, instead of traveling on an endless loop through the same castle, players can choose varying paths to arrive at different destinations, each of which must be completed to truly move forward. I won’t spoil any of the story, but let’s just say that it reveals a lot about the character of the original game and really is a compelling tale.

Dark Meadow ($5.99) – Almost a year after Infinity Blade was released, Dark Meadow hit the scene as the first true clone. While the sword combat was less complex, Dark Meadow added a crossbow that could be used to attack enemies from a distance as they slowly lumbered (or sometimes sprinted) into melee distance. Instead of armor and helmets to choose from, players wear amulets to increase health and also add stat boosts. Instead of a linear progression from start to finish, players are tasked with exploring an abandoned hospital full of grotesque, twisted creatures. While the game is clearly inspired by Infinity Blade (with special thanks to Chair included in the game’s credits), it stands on its own thanks to its excellent storytelling and incredibly creepy visuals. Plus, if you are already a fan of Infinity Blade, this game is just different enough to scratch that itch without making it feel as though you’re playing the same game over again. If you are looking forward to giving this game a go, but aren’t sure that the $5.99 is worth it, the developers will be releasing a free version of the game that has a few ads and supports in-app purchasing for gold (something that is already available in the original). I was quite happy with the game as a paid version, however, and highly recommend it.

Batman Arkham City Lockdown ($5.99) – I’ll admit that when I first bought this game, I was a little disappointed in it. It seemed at first that the gameplay was lacking and the developer was hoping that the Batman license itself would carry sales. After playing through the entire campaign in a rather short period, I felt like the gameplay left a lot to be desired. Then I realized just how much was left to upgrade for my character and as I began the upgrade process, the gameplay started to come alive. Suddenly, in combat, I could throw smoke grenades to choke enemies, giving me a free attack. Or if I were so inclined, I could send a swarm of bats into the face of my opponent damaging him and interrupting his attack. As I leveled up Batman’s gear, I found myself drawn further and further into the game. The real kicker came with the most recent update, however, which added an additional level with a new boss. I had stomped Two-Face, Solomon Grundy, Deathstroke, and The Joker into the dirt so many times that I was rarely having trouble with them. Thankfully, the update added Harley Quinn as an additional boss. The biggest difference between Lockdown and the other Infinity Blade clones is the way combat is a fairly unique affair. Instead of tapping dodge buttons or shield buttons, players simply tap or swipe down on the screen at the right time to turn the tables in Batman’s favor. Once a thug is stunned, Batman can proceed to deliver skull-cracking blows in rapid succession, with combos adding to the damage that can be delivered. While the game may not have the same staying power as Infinity Blade II, fans of Batman will certainly enjoy seeing the characters come to life on their iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.

RobotGladi8or ($2.99) – I’m still on the fence with this game. It’s different enough from Infinity Blade that I give the developer credit, but the combat doesn’t feel as fluid or intuitive as any of the other games on this list. You play as a former soldier abandoned on a space station full of robot gladiators fighting for your life and the amusement of the galaxy. I’m still only a little bit into the game, but a key difference in this game is the way you can explore the world by walking around like a traditional first-person shooter. However, there isn’t a great deal to find and can actually lead to frustration, as you try to find your way around some of the more cluttered areas of the game. I’ll stick with it, but I suggest waiting for a $0.99 sale. The developer is the same as the iOS game dream:scape, which is an adventure game with a pretty cool story and some creepy, though sometimes frustrating, gameplay.

Blood & Glory (Free, with a heavy emphasis on in-app purchases) – This is the absolute worst cash grab I have ever personally played on the iPhone. This is a free-to-play clone that is set in ancient Rome. You play as a gladiator just trying to make his way through daily combat. Unfortunately, this game is bogged down by either an excessive amount of grinding to afford new weapons and armor, or by spending real money to speed the process. One nice advantage of Blood & Glory, however, is that it’s available for the Mac, as well. If you have either a Magic Trackpad or a MacBook with a Multi-Touch trackpad, you can simply slide your fingers across its surface to perform attacks. However, unless you have nothing but free time, I suggest buying one of the paid apps above so that you can make progress without feeling like you’re wasting your day with nothing to show for it.

Wait, I get it. You’re trying to draw a parallel to the most important Ides of March gift of all: SQUARE-ENIX releasing CHAOS RINGS II ($17.99 for iPhone/$19.99 for iPad)!

CHAOS RINGS is a series of JRPGs (that’s a role-playing game in the Japanese–rather than Western–style, such as FINAL FANTASY or CHRONO TRIGGER) exclusively available on iOS. While the original was not as robust as most traditional SQUARE-ENIX RPGs, it had an engaging story, beautiful graphics, incredible music, and a rather intelligent combat system the focuses on pairs of heroes taking on monsters individually or as a duo, inflicting (and receiving) damage based on if they were paired up or not. It is actually a very fun system that requires players to decide if they wish to do one action on their turn with significant performance gains (at the risk of taking more damage, as attacks will hit both characters), or take two separate, but weaker, actions and potentially split the attacks between the two characters.

Since CHAOS RINGS was initially released, SQUARE-ENIX has followed it up with a prequel that delivered much of the same gameplay as the original, but with (mostly) new characters and a larger campaign that was added to over time via regular updates. CHAOS RINGS Ω ($11.99 for iPhone/$14.99 for iPad) was an excellent little taster to hold over fans of the series while they waited for a true sequel. Well, that time has arrived. Late last night, CHAOS RINGS II was released into the App Store. I haven’t had a chance to play it yet, but considering how excellent the first two games in the series were, I’m expecting great things. I highly recommend fans of the series scoop this up quickly.

Also, to celebrate the death of Julius Caesar (and probably the release of CHAOS RINGS II), SQUARE-ENIX has also put the original CHAOS RINGS on sale for the day. Pick it up for the iPhone for $3.99 and the iPad for $4.99.

UPDATE (3/16/12): CHAOS RINGS Ω is now also on sale. You can grab it for $4.99 on the iPhone and $5.99 on the iPad.

GroupShot (Currently Free) – This is an app designed to help you fix all those group photos in which someone blinks, looks away, or forgets to smile. It lets you take two or more flawed photos, take elements from each, and merge them into one fixed image. Honestly, it feels like magic when it works and it’s currently free to celebrate SXSW. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Assassin’s Creed: Recollection (Free) – I’ve never played any of the mainstream Assassin’s Creed titles. However, there have been several iPhone titles in the past. One of them was a multiplayer only game that was truly terrible and has since been reborn as Assassin’s Creed Rearmed. I haven’t had a chance to play it yet, but judging from the reviews, a lot of the issues with the title have been resolved. AC: Recollection, however, is a new breed of game for the Assassin’s Creed universe. The game is based on the premise of traditional trading-card games, but is played in real time, rather than being a turn-based affair. Players start with a basic deck and use in-game currency to purchase card packs to improve their deck. Players can also use in-app purchases to gain additional credits, if they feel they are earning them too slowly. I love it so far, and I believe it’s the best card game currently available for the iOS platform.

The Bard’s Tale ($4.99) - I picked up a used copy of this game for the original Xbox a while back and quite liked what little of it I had time to play. I picked up this title so I could have the opportunity to play it anywhere and to also get the original The Bard’s Tale games from the ’80s. Honestly, it’s an incredible package, and well worth the five bucks it costs. The new game is a top-down hack-and-slash similar in style to Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and X-Men Legends. It also has a rather healthy sense of humor that is refreshing. The original titles from the ’80s are traditional Western RPGs. Played from a first-person perspective and controlling a party of adventurers as they delve into dungeons and face off against mystical beasts, they are robust and entertaining titles.

RobotGladi8or ($2.99) – Infinity Blade and it’s sequel have had a few clones since its release, but most have been haphazard and rushed by comparison. RobotGladi8or isn’t quite at the same level as Infinity Blade, but it’s still a great way to get your fix. Plus, it offers some additional gameplay elements beyond simply slashing and stabbing at your foes that may appeal to gamers that feel the genre already growing stale.

There are plenty of other games that I could take the time to tell you about, but then we’d both be here all day. Instead, I suggest checking these out for now and reading through my older posts for more apps to explore.

The iPad itself received the expected upgrade to a Retina display with a 2048 x 1536 resolution: four times the pixels of the previous iPad. Unfortunately, it will be at least a week before I can even glimpse the new screen, but considering how impressive the iPhone 4′s Retina display was, the iPad will likely deliver the same astounding contrast. I’m not going to waste your time telling you about all the details you can get everywhere else, but I will comment on the increase of the RAM to 1GB. The iPad should be quite a bit snappier than the previous model. I’m also looking forward to the quality of gameplay on the new device. Infinity Blade: Dungeons has me more excited than any iPad game has the right. I love Diablo and its clones, and Infinity Blade II is my favorite game on the iPhone. Period. I really can’t wait for this game.

So far, the most exciting aspect of the announcement has been iPhoto and GarageBand. I imagine that if I were able to afford an iPad, I would feel differently. But, being able to use iPhoto and the updated GarageBand now has been a lot of fun. GarageBand’s Smart Strings feature and Jam Sessions will make them a huge hit for my family and friends. I hope to get a few songs recorded and up on the blog to show just how cool and easy it can be.

iPhoto is the app I’ve spent the most time with so far. Last night, I took some time to apply a few edits to a photo of my wife from our honeymoon that I thought were pretty cool. You can see them here:

The original photo

The edited photo, with a handful of filters applied to the image

These features are a welcome addition to those that love to use their iPhone or iPad as a tool for photography, but the feature I expect to see used most is Photo Journals. Fans of MobileMe were quite frustrated when iCloud was announced and didn’t include support for the MobileMe Gallery. Tim Cook was coy when asked if any of the missing features would be coming to iCloud, and I feel like yesterday was one of those reasons. iPhoto Journals allow you to customize layout and size of the photos being displayed. For an example, check out my public journals here.

When all is said and done, I was happy with Apple’s announcement yesterday, and hope that $700 falls into my lap soon so that I can go pick up an iPad to fully explore its new features, as well.

So when the iPhone first got the ability to run 3rd-party applications, I waited impatiently for a Diablo clone to appear. Eventually, several did. Unfortunately, in the beginning, they were severely lacking in both controls and visual appeal. Then, along came Gameloft’s Xerox process, bringing the very best of the genre to the iPhone. The controls left a bit to be desired at first, but were improved soon after release. Once I got used to the idea of using a virtual joystick on the iPhone, I flew through the campaign.

Soon, a sequel followed, and brought with it multiplayer features. My oldest son and I played it quite a bit and loved it. When it was announced that the original Dungeon Hunter was coming to PS3 as a downloadable title, with 4-player coop, I got a little jealous of my PS3-owning brethren. But, thankfully, the game made its way to the Mac App Store.

And now, to the meat of the article: it’s currently on sale for $0.99. If you love the hack n’ slash genre at all, or even if you just want a fun Mac game to pass the time, you should definitely use that $1.08 (tax will, of course, vary) that’s been burning a hole in your digital wallet and pick it up.

UPDATE 2/13 (11:16 am CST): It would appear that the pricing on this may have been in error. I’m already receiving reports that others are getting an error when attempting to download the game. Perhaps Gameloft priced it at $0.99 in error. Anyway, if you managed to pick it up while it was on sale, congrats. If not, keep trying until the price officially reverts.

UPDATE 2/13 (3:16 pm CST):The first person to inform me of issues with purchasing has confirmed that he was able to download it just moments ago. So, the sale is apparently still available.

To really see just what can be done with iBooks Author and how it compares to exporting an ebook from Pages, I took a short story I wrote back in 2005 and made both an iBook in iBooks Author and an ePub in Pages. The iBook only works on an iPad and is fixed in its format, so if you have trouble with small text, you better hope that the iBook you’re reading uses large enough letters for you. The ePub works on both iPhone and iPad (or any other ebook reader that supports ePub) and in many different ebook apps. However, only the iBooks app displays the ePub properly. Bluefire zoomed in on the embedded image, making it look strange and Stanza shifted it to the right for some strange reason.

Anyway, if you’d like to compare the two formats yourself, I’ve made them both available for download here:

Wanderings – iBooks format

Wanderings – ePub format

(The photo in both versions of the book is copyright Wayne Silver, distributed via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)