Ben 10 Slammers

Guardian Cross has finally launch for Android. The sequel to it was also announced for the end of the year release: Deadman's Cross, which seems to have some form of first-person shooting within the game. I might give it a try when it is out.

Out of the card games I've tried, Ben 10 Slammers really caught my eye. It is a simple and fun card game in my opinion and don't let the fact that it is based on a children's show make you think that it is childish and only for children. I actually enjoyed it a lot and played for quite a while. The app is not free (US$1.99) but this is one of the few games where the in-app purchases were really optional and not to hook you into spending more. I was able to earn the in-game currency to unlock more Alien characters easily just by playing the campaign. (I first unlocked the most expensive ones as they supposedly will be the strongest)

The artwork is nice and looks like the cartoon. The game is basically King of Fighter arcade fighting game meets Marvel TCG Card games. You get 3 characters, call Slammers, and 1 is always active. There are no character specific cards but each Slammers have a set of cards tied to them. You'll unlock more cards using the in-game currency to level up the Slammer. Levelling will also unlock more abilities for the Slammers. You cannot swap Slammers to the backrow unless you use a card that allows it. There is no deck building required which simplifies things and the overall game and interface seem to be designed to work well for a tablet and smartphone screen.

I think there is a high replay value for this game and you don't have to be a fan of Ben 10 to enjoy it. Overall, the game has a pretty high quality production and content. Recently, some annoying bugs were fixed. (Card abilities could not be displayed) New Slammers were also periodically released so the developers are keeping the game updated with content and improvements. This game is definitely worth a try! One tip: I find Crabdozer broken due to its ability to attack twice.

iTunes App Store link: Ben 10 Slammers

Guardian Cross card-battle RPG iOS Freemium game by Square Enix

Final Fantasy meets Sniper iOS games meets Pokemon Card Game meets Devil Survivor meets Super Street Fighter IV 3DS Streetpass battle. The game can get quite addictive and I find collecting the "Guardians" cards to be very fun. You have to snipe them in order to get them and I don't enjoy that part much though. The battles are quite brainless and it totally depends on how powerful your team of hunted "Guardians" are.

The interface is designed just right for a small touch screen like the iPhone. The game is also saved in the cloud after you set a password in the configuration screen, which is very convenient, especially with iPhone 5 coming out next week.

Official Site

iTunes App Store link: Guardian Cross - SQUARE ENIX (Add my code: AM86879 when you first start the game and we will both get rare limited-edition Final Fantasy cards!)

Update 18/09/2012: After 3 days and SGD$4.98 later, I find myself addicted to the game. The card and game artworks are beautiful and although I miss opening packs, the process of hunting for Guardians has began to grow on me. It makes the game such that you need to put in effort and not just money alone, to get your cards.

Wizards of the Coast releases official Magic Companion app

Best of all, it includes a life counter and it's free!

Update: This app has been removed from the App Store due to the last update having bugs like deleting users' decks. It was not placed back to the Store.

Which collectible card game will reach iPhone/iPad first?

After Micheal Bonacini reminded me about Magic, I went to check out Magic Online and unfortunately, it is Windows only while I'm on a Mac. I could install Windows using Bootcamp but anyway, I didn't. I check out the pricing and registering cost $9.99 and will also net you cards to start playing. I wish there will be such a system for Yugioh or MTG on the iPad/iPhone soon. (especially iPad)

The iPad touchscreen is just like a natural dueling mat in Yugioh and I think it is the closest thing to the duel disk of the anime. The graphics, unlike on the DS, will at least be of PSP quality. It has wireless and bluetooth for multiplayer and the Apple App Store already supports in-app purchases and this will work for selling packs.

The iPad and iPhone being highly popular gadgets with a huge customer base will surely be attractive to both Konami and Wizards of the Coast, even though Apple will take a percentage share of the earnings. Seeing how MTG already has an online system, it may have a higher chance of coming to iPad/iPhone soon, I do hope Konami have plans to do so too!