New smartphone games: Hot asphalt, augmented-reality zombies
Zombies, car racing, teen superheroes and urban planning all feature in the latest android games for smartphones. Here's a selection.
Asphalt legends return with more racing action
Asphalt 8 captivated millions of racing fans with an incredible feeling of speed and some spectacular stunts. Now the Asphalt 9: Legends (Android/iOS) sequel is carrying on in a similar vein.
In this arcade racer, fun is paramount and realism comes second with the cars jumping over ramps every few hundred metres and going down seemingly endless slides.
More than 50 cars from legendary manufacturers such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche are available. The graphics are excellent and players can choose from a variety of ways to control the cars. The game is free for Android and iOS. Faster cars can be bought once players earn game currency.
Latest Walking Dead game makes use of maps and augmented reality
For years, zombies have been terrorising the few surviving humans in The Walking Dead TV series. The latest game conversion in the successful zombie franchise is called The Walking Dead: Our World (Android/iOS) and is a kind of horror take on Pokemon Go's use of locations, real maps and augmented reality.
Players have to explore their environment, find survivors and valuable items and, of course, eliminate zombies. During the adventure, cards can be collected that contain new characters or weapons or allow updates. In the multiplayer feature, players can build shelters and go hunting together and communicate via integrated chat. The game is free for iOS and Android.
A city in your pocket
Town planning simulations have been popular for a long time with many players designing their own dream city in Sim City and the like. In Pocket City (Android/iOS) players become city planners as they try to turn a small settlement into a metropolis of millions through skilful strategy.
The right balance must be maintained between blocks of flats and commercial and industrial areas. A functioning infrastructure is important and the urban development takes place in small stages which bring some money into the coffers That can then be used to organise street parties to make the population happier.
The game for Android and iOS comes as a free trial or as a paid, ad-free premium version costing around US$4 (RM17).
Hanging out with teen superheroes
The Teen Titans are junior versions of seasoned superheroes from the DC universe and have their own comics, series and games. Teen Titans GO! Figure (Android/iOS) is the second edition in this brightly coloured RPG series.
Players choose one of five heroes and explore a vast world of friends, enemies and, most importantly, toy figures of other superheroes – the latter are the most valuable asset in the game and spark a collection drive similar to Pokemon.
The objective is to fill the inventory with the coveted toy figures and they have to be hard fought for. The combat system is simple but fun and satisfying. There's also a plot line and missions that lead into the world of other DC superheroes such as Superman and Batman. The game is free for iOS and Android.