I really love puzzle genre, but it's seems like most of websites about iPhone games stop telling about them. For example, I make list of great puzzle games that weren't covered by TouchArcade. 1) Flipstones 2) The Screetch 3) Diabolika 4) Droplitz Delight 5) Bad Apples Idea of this post comes to me after this thread on TA forums. Puzzle genre is most popular on mobile devices, but lead websites start ignoring great games, just because they are puzzle. On the other hand, these sites tell about not so good games in other genres, just because they aren't puzzles. It's not only about TouchArcade, but TA is the most popular and great site for me, so I decide to discuss it here. What do you think about it?
Welcome to TA! I see you are a big Screetch fan and I am sure if you stick around you will see that we all love a good puzzler. As for reviews or what not, sometimes there isn't much that can be said about games like you posted - variants on the match 3 genre (droplitz looks like it might not be but haven't played it so can't comment on that one) - unless there is something completely unique about them. But as for your claim there is a puzzle censure just look here: http://toucharcade.com/category/games/puzzle/ It's all the front page articles (401) that got tagged with the puzzle genre classification. As you can see there are a lot of great puzzlers in there and given space and time to write and play limitations I am sure the editorial staff has to pick and choose amongst all the new releases and write about the ones that bring new ideas to the table. There is even a thread that lists all the puzzlers - but for the sake of exposing the reader/gamer to a different experience, Match 3 puzzlers are not included because there are so many clones. Mew's Ultimate Puzzle Game Thread: http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=33144 Anyway, no censorship, just so many games, so little time.
It's not only about The Screetch (but I'm Screetch fan, it's true). Flipstones is cool too, as well as Diabolika (c'mon, this is game by Derek Yu!) and other great puzzlers. Maybe there are many clones in match3 genre, but all games in this list are really unique. I read puzzle category of TA, most of all news about famous games - Castlevania, Bejeweled, Helsing's Fire, Luxor an so on. We already knew these games, they're great, but I think that TA team is highly professional and real professional journalists must search for hiddent gems and tell about them. Don't forget, these games made by "garage teams" and their future depends of reviews. They not another clones, they are high-quality products. So maybe will be better post about Flipstones or Screetch, instead of announcing one more bejeweled update?
It might sound slightly ignorant, but by this time I really don't want to hear about match-3 games at all, there are just too many. Each one that comes along claims to revolutionize the genre and they never do. If I see one on the front page I'll just ignore it, which is probably a common opinion and the reason why they don't get posted much.
I am going to make a wild stab in the dark here and guess you are a developer of a match 3 game that has been released or about to be released?
I'd rather hear about puzzle and even match 3 games than 'novelty' games where it's considered 'ironically cool' to like them.
I get the feeling you're talking about So Long, Oregon. If you are then I see two flaws... 1) You haven't played it, so you probably don't realize that people genuinely enjoy it. It's a fun and challenging game, not just a novelty app that's "cool" to own, and 2) It's popular, popular means people will visit the website to read it, which is exactly what they're aiming for.
That's not a coherent counter-point. You don't even need to have heard of Enviro-bear to appreciate So Long, Oregon. It just goes to show how ignorant and pointless your stance on the whole matter is.
I've never posted anything that I thought was "ironically cool" so I'm not sure where you're going with this. As far as puzzle games, like MidianGTX and New England Gamer have said, there are just so many. The match three section of the App Store is completely overloaded, so much so that it takes a TON to stand out these days. We post about puzzle games when they're exceptional, such as Hellsing's Fire or Castlevania Puzzle, and those are two games I still play a ton to this day.
Who directed anything specifically at you? You also assume that you would consciously realize you were doing it, heh.
Oh well if you are saying you are the only person who decides what goes on the front page, then fair enough. That does seem a bit odd though; others write reviews and then you decide whether to post them or not?
@New England Gamer I just love logic games It's nice to see that Flipstones made the front! @Hodapp Is there match3 section in the App Store? So Flipstones and Screetch not exceptional? They at least have unusual mechanics on field, Castlevania Puzzle just repeat Columns mechanics. And all games from my list looks really eye-candy, is this not enough?
Screetch does look quite nice. Castlevania got an article because it's already a popular franchise, so it's fans are eager to hear about anything new regarding it. Even if it's not a particularly great game, they review it because the hype surrounding it is significant and they want to advise the gamers on whether or not it's worth their money.
Why is it that banned people who re-register always insist on outing themselves in one way or another?
Yes, that's right. But this isn't mean that other cool games musr suffer. They must be reviewed in turn if they cool.