Mobile Phones News Blog

Augmented reality is a technology that combines the real world with digital information. It gives users the impression that they are interacting with real and physical objects. The technology itself is not exactly new and is being used in a varied of applications from GPS systems to fitness apps.

There are numerous cool augmented reality apps already in the market. However, not all are perfect or match expectations. While many have unshakeable image recognition technologies, getting real time information or even recognising objects and colours is still a challenge.

Future

The future of augmented reality seems to be more inclined towards haptics and tactile feedback (which uses sense of touch).

Earlier, Senseg, which claims mastery over such technology, had demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show, haptic technology that allowed users to feel their apps on the touchscreen by manipulating an electric field. With the technology, users will now be able to feel bumps and ridges, and also figure out which areas are more rough than others. The company believes if users are able to get the feel of anything other than glass, it would be a better experience.

The company demonstrated an Android tablet with a touchscreen, which had different textures on it. Users get used to such a touchscreen quickly and may not want to go back to a regular touchscreen. Senseg has deliberately made the effect subtle so it doesn’t distract the users while making its presence clearly felt. The company is still working on different kind of sensations.

Another app from application developer CrowdOptic may point towards a new trend in augmented reality apps. The new technology of CrowdOptic focuses on crowds, such as in concert or sports events.

When the camera of the smartphone is pointed at a player during a sporting event, it displays real time information about the player and the game. The details and context can also be shared through different social networks. So far, getting information on moving objects through augmented reality apps was not possible.

If you need proof of just how far gaming has moved on in ten years, consider that Grand Theft Auto II was a flagship title for the PlayStation 2 back in 2001, and now it’s available for your mobile phone. Not only that, but it actually looks better than it did back then, thanks to Rockstar tweaking the graphics for this 10th anniversary release.

In GTA III you play Claude, a silent low-life who is framed by his girlfriend during a bank heist. After being busted out of a van on his way to prison, Claude swiftly gets to know the criminal element in Liberty City, but never lets revenge fall far from his mind.

In the game you’re presented with a variety of missions, given to you by different characters you meet along the way. You’re free to choose as and when you take them on, although they eventually lead to you unlocking new areas of the map, where new challenges await.

Although it was the third game in the series, it was the first to use 3D graphics and to fully exploit an open sandbox world. The two previous Grand Theft Auto games were viewed from the top-down, and didn’t provide the player with their same degree of freedom as subsequent titles.

It’s famed for the excellent voice work, the introduction of a continuous, user-definable soundtrack to the series, and a fair degree of controversy thanks to the in-game violence and the loose morals of the central character. Of course, for those not of a Daily Mail persuasion, it was all these things combined that made GTA III so compelling.

So, has this new release been watered down, stripped of its bite in this politically correct world? Thankfully, no, it’s still the same old Grand Theft Auto you remember, but with some slight differences both visually and in the control department.

Rockstar has taken the old graphics and smoothed out a lot of the edges, resulting in faces looking a little more natural than I remember, and the various cars trundling around the city considerably shapelier than before. Liberty City itself still looks similar though, and has the same dreadful weather it did ten years ago. The visual tweaks really show off the difference between an iPad and an iPad 2, as much of the shadowing, smoothing and flashy lighting effects can’t be seen on the old tablet.

Whether playing on the iPhone 4S or the iPad 2, it’s the same smooth experience. However there are still some situations where vehicles appear out of nowhere and the camera gets itself in ridiculous positions – but all this was present in the original PS2 version, so it could almost be passed off as another part of the iOS port’s accuracy!

All your old favourite radio stations can be listened to while on the move, including the original appearance of Lazlow on Chatterbox, plus the repeated use of songs from the Scarface soundtrack. GTA III was one of the first games to use high-profile actors to voice in-game characters too, and the talents of Frank Vincent, Michael Madsen, Joe Pantoliano and Debi Mazar amongst others are all very welcome, adding considerable heft to the numerous cut scenes.

But, Grand Theft Auto was always played with a controller, so how has the control system dealt with the transition to a touchscreen? The answer is: Better than expected, but still some way off from being perfect. On the good side we have the virtual joystick for controlling Claude, and a virtual accelerator and brake for controlling your car. Things start to go downhill when choosing the way to control your car’s direction.

It’s a choice of either accelerometer control, or a pair of left/right buttons on the screen. Using the accelerometer is near-impossible, as it feels like every car’s steering rack has been salvaged from the QE2, and extreme high speed turns made me think my arms would end up in a Tom and Jerry-style twist, ready to fling the iPad across the room as they sprung back to normal.

The buttons aren’t much better, and are so sensitive that even a feather-light tap results in your car spearing off towards oncoming traffic, and any corrections you may make sees it fish-tailing up the road like you’re auditioning for the 2012 Drift Championships.

Admittedly you get used to the buttons, but there’s definitely room for improvement. The same can be said for the combat controls. As blasting people in the face is an integral part of Grand Theft Auto‘s gameplay, it’s important to start doing so quickly and accurately. Unfortunately, although the system is quick, it aims automatically, meaning you’ll often be shooting pedestrians rather than a gang member. Worse still is the inability to switch targets, so even though you’re pumping bullets into the bloke with a baseball bat, you can do nothing about the other guy standing a few feet away doing the same to you.

Seeing as nearly all GTA III‘s missions involve driving, shooting or both, you’ll find yourself repeating them far more than on the PS2. To make things easier, you can save as often as before, and Rockstar has added an instant mission repeat option for when you fail too.

It’s a tribute to just how much fun Grand Theft Auto III is to play, that the slightly annoying controls don’t really matter. Everything else is here, from the hidden packages to the rampages, to the taxi and paramedic missions and even certain cars hidden in the same places they were before.

As for value, it’s priced at £2.99 and contains the same amount of missions found on a full-price console title, so you won’t be completing it in a hurry. It’s a hugely impressive conversion, especially on the latest hardware, so buy it, then take your time to explore Liberty City to learn and adapt to the controls. It’s worth it.

Life is full of difficult things to do, whether it’s not hitting the snooze button when it’s chilly outside, sticking to a diet or telling someone their flashy new designer clothes makes them look like a git; life can be one challenge after another. Well, here’s another thing to add to the list of ‘very difficult things to do’ – the latest iOS shooter Space Tripper.

Space Tripper comes from PomPom Games and has previously been released as Astro Tripper on the PlayStation 3 and again as Space Tripper on the PC some ten years ago. The action is spread over 14 levels and four worlds, and you play the pilot of a spacecraft who must shoot down invading alien ships.

The game is viewed from the top down and your ship is confined to a certain area of the screen, with the aliens spawning all around you waiting to be blown up. You can move to the left and right along the play area and as the levels progress the environments get more complex, including bridges and obstacles to avoid.

You control your ship using a tilt system, meaning angling your iPhone or iPad moves it around the screen, while a tap on the left switches your weapon from a single stream blue laser to a wide-angle red laser, and a tap on the right flips your ship over to face the opposite direction. Whatever way your facing you’ve got a full range of movement – left, right, forward and backwards – and your weapon is permanently on autofire.

Gems are occasionally dropped by obliterated enemies, which when collected power-up whichever weapon you’re using at the time, plus you must destroy all alien ships on the stage before a timer runs out.

Space Tripper recalls the classic Defender (albeit viewed from a different angle), and the equally difficult Uridium and Uridium 2.There is however a key difference and it plays a big part in why Space Tripper is so much more difficult here than in previous versions – the tilt control method.

Playing Astro Tripper on the PS3 is still a challenge, but as you use the analogue stick to move your ship around it’s much easier to react to the sudden appearance of an enemy, or perform evasive manoeuvres to avoid being blasted to smithereens. Using the iPhone and the tilt method is a different story, as no matter how fast your reactions, they’ll never be as quick as a flick of your thumb on a joystick.

Enemies don’t all appear at once in Space Tripper, instead progressively spawning through each stage, so you’ll sometimes be in the wrong place at the wrong time and a nasty will appear directly in your path. By the time you’ve flicked the iPhone in the opposite direction it’ll either be too late or you’ll have gone flying off into a laser blast or a pursuing ship. This isn’t ‘something to get used to’ or ‘part of the challenge’; it’s a by-product of the concessions made for gaming on a buttonless device.

PomPom has actually done a brilliant job with the tilt sensitivity, it’s right up there with Battle Squadron in technical terms, but it suffers from the same problem – you’re simply not able to be accurate enough. It’s a conundrum though, as the screen tap controls work well and would have to be altered if a virtual joystick was added, while a relative-touch system would inevitably see your finger get in the way of the action. There really isn’t another reasonable way to do it.

Anyway, you’ve practiced and practiced and can control the game as best you can, now you’ve then got to contend with Space Tripper‘s unforgiving nature. Hit by a bullet? Tough luck, you’re dead and must start again. Trying to be careful? Tough luck, the timer will run out and you must start again. Want to try an ‘Easy’ mode to help get somewhere? Tough luck, it starts on Normal which actually means ‘really quite hard’.

For wimps there is a hidden cheat mode which provides a helpful but ultimately pointless invulnerability mode, and by using this you can see just how INSANELY STUPID things get during later levels. If you can get to these stages without using a cheat or a continue, consider yourself a gaming god.

Space Tripper is addictive though, as even though it’s a struggle to get past even the first three training levels – complete with presumably non-ironic titles like ‘nice and easy’ – there’s enough heart-pounding excitement to keep you playing. It’s also gorgeous to look at, with bright, detailed backgrounds and beautifully smooth enemies zipping around.

There was a time when all shooters were as difficult as Space Tripper and yes, you’re going to swear a lot when playing, but who says all games have to follow the modern trend of infinite lives and infinite continues? If you think you can handle a really, really tough iOS gaming challenge and want to see a properly engineered tilt control system in action, then go download Space Tripper now.

Life is full of difficult things to do, whether it’s not hitting the snooze button when it’s chilly outside, sticking to a diet or telling someone their flashy new designer clothes makes them look like a git; life can be one challenge after another. Well, here’s another thing to add to the list of ‘very difficult things to do’ – the latest iOS shooter Space Tripper.

Space Tripper comes from PomPom Games and has previously been released as Astro Tripper on the PlayStation 3 and again as Space Tripper on the PC some ten years ago. The action is spread over 14 levels and four worlds, and you play the pilot of a spacecraft who must shoot down invading alien ships.

The game is viewed from the top down and your ship is confined to a certain area of the screen, with the aliens spawning all around you waiting to be blown up. You can move to the left and right along the play area and as the levels progress the environments get more complex, including bridges and obstacles to avoid.

You control your ship using a tilt system, meaning angling your iPhone or iPad moves it around the screen, while a tap on the left switches your weapon from a single stream blue laser to a wide-angle red laser, and a tap on the right flips your ship over to face the opposite direction. Whatever way your facing you’ve got a full range of movement – left, right, forward and backwards – and your weapon is permanently on autofire.

Gems are occasionally dropped by obliterated enemies, which when collected power-up whichever weapon you’re using at the time, plus you must destroy all alien ships on the stage before a timer runs out.

Space Tripper recalls the classic Defender (albeit viewed from a different angle), and the equally difficult Uridium and Uridium 2.There is however a key difference and it plays a big part in why Space Tripper is so much more difficult here than in previous versions – the tilt control method.

Playing Astro Tripper on the PS3 is still a challenge, but as you use the analogue stick to move your ship around it’s much easier to react to the sudden appearance of an enemy, or perform evasive manoeuvres to avoid being blasted to smithereens. Using the iPhone and the tilt method is a different story, as no matter how fast your reactions, they’ll never be as quick as a flick of your thumb on a joystick.

Enemies don’t all appear at once in Space Tripper, instead progressively spawning through each stage, so you’ll sometimes be in the wrong place at the wrong time and a nasty will appear directly in your path. By the time you’ve flicked the iPhone in the opposite direction it’ll either be too late or you’ll have gone flying off into a laser blast or a pursuing ship. This isn’t ‘something to get used to’ or ‘part of the challenge’; it’s a by-product of the concessions made for gaming on a buttonless device.

PomPom has actually done a brilliant job with the tilt sensitivity, it’s right up there with Battle Squadron in technical terms, but it suffers from the same problem – you’re simply not able to be accurate enough. It’s a conundrum though, as the screen tap controls work well and would have to be altered if a virtual joystick was added, while a relative-touch system would inevitably see your finger get in the way of the action. There really isn’t another reasonable way to do it.

Anyway, you’ve practiced and practiced and can control the game as best you can, now you’ve then got to contend with Space Tripper‘s unforgiving nature. Hit by a bullet? Tough luck, you’re dead and must start again. Trying to be careful? Tough luck, the timer will run out and you must start again. Want to try an ‘Easy’ mode to help get somewhere? Tough luck, it starts on Normal which actually means ‘really quite hard’.

For wimps there is a hidden cheat mode which provides a helpful but ultimately pointless invulnerability mode, and by using this you can see just how INSANELY STUPID things get during later levels. If you can get to these stages without using a cheat or a continue, consider yourself a gaming god.

Space Tripper is addictive though, as even though it’s a struggle to get past even the first three training levels – complete with presumably non-ironic titles like ‘nice and easy’ – there’s enough heart-pounding excitement to keep you playing. It’s also gorgeous to look at, with bright, detailed backgrounds and beautifully smooth enemies zipping around.

There was a time when all shooters were as difficult as Space Tripper and yes, you’re going to swear a lot when playing, but who says all games have to follow the modern trend of infinite lives and infinite continues? If you think you can handle a really, really tough iOS gaming challenge and want to see a properly engineered tilt control system in action, then go download Space Tripper now.

Life is full of difficult things to do, whether it’s not hitting the snooze button when it’s chilly outside, sticking to a diet or telling someone their flashy new designer clothes makes them look like a git; life can be one challenge after another. Well, here’s another thing to add to the list of ‘very difficult things to do’ – the latest iOS shooter Space Tripper.

Space Tripper comes from PomPom Games and has previously been released as Astro Tripper on the PlayStation 3 and again as Space Tripper on the PC some ten years ago. The action is spread over 14 levels and four worlds, and you play the pilot of a spacecraft who must shoot down invading alien ships.

The game is viewed from the top down and your ship is confined to a certain area of the screen, with the aliens spawning all around you waiting to be blown up. You can move to the left and right along the play area and as the levels progress the environments get more complex, including bridges and obstacles to avoid.

You control your ship using a tilt system, meaning angling your iPhone or iPad moves it around the screen, while a tap on the left switches your weapon from a single stream blue laser to a wide-angle red laser, and a tap on the right flips your ship over to face the opposite direction. Whatever way your facing you’ve got a full range of movement – left, right, forward and backwards – and your weapon is permanently on autofire.

Gems are occasionally dropped by obliterated enemies, which when collected power-up whichever weapon you’re using at the time, plus you must destroy all alien ships on the stage before a timer runs out.

Space Tripper recalls the classic Defender (albeit viewed from a different angle), and the equally difficult Uridium and Uridium 2.There is however a key difference and it plays a big part in why Space Tripper is so much more difficult here than in previous versions – the tilt control method.

Playing Astro Tripper on the PS3 is still a challenge, but as you use the analogue stick to move your ship around it’s much easier to react to the sudden appearance of an enemy, or perform evasive manoeuvres to avoid being blasted to smithereens. Using the iPhone and the tilt method is a different story, as no matter how fast your reactions, they’ll never be as quick as a flick of your thumb on a joystick.

Enemies don’t all appear at once in Space Tripper, instead progressively spawning through each stage, so you’ll sometimes be in the wrong place at the wrong time and a nasty will appear directly in your path. By the time you’ve flicked the iPhone in the opposite direction it’ll either be too late or you’ll have gone flying off into a laser blast or a pursuing ship. This isn’t ‘something to get used to’ or ‘part of the challenge’; it’s a by-product of the concessions made for gaming on a buttonless device.

PomPom has actually done a brilliant job with the tilt sensitivity, it’s right up there with Battle Squadron in technical terms, but it suffers from the same problem – you’re simply not able to be accurate enough. It’s a conundrum though, as the screen tap controls work well and would have to be altered if a virtual joystick was added, while a relative-touch system would inevitably see your finger get in the way of the action. There really isn’t another reasonable way to do it.

Anyway, you’ve practiced and practiced and can control the game as best you can, now you’ve then got to contend with Space Tripper‘s unforgiving nature. Hit by a bullet? Tough luck, you’re dead and must start again. Trying to be careful? Tough luck, the timer will run out and you must start again. Want to try an ‘Easy’ mode to help get somewhere? Tough luck, it starts on Normal which actually means ‘really quite hard’.

For wimps there is a hidden cheat mode which provides a helpful but ultimately pointless invulnerability mode, and by using this you can see just how INSANELY STUPID things get during later levels. If you can get to these stages without using a cheat or a continue, consider yourself a gaming god.

Space Tripper is addictive though, as even though it’s a struggle to get past even the first three training levels – complete with presumably non-ironic titles like ‘nice and easy’ – there’s enough heart-pounding excitement to keep you playing. It’s also gorgeous to look at, with bright, detailed backgrounds and beautifully smooth enemies zipping around.

There was a time when all shooters were as difficult as Space Tripper and yes, you’re going to swear a lot when playing, but who says all games have to follow the modern trend of infinite lives and infinite continues? If you think you can handle a really, really tough iOS gaming challenge and want to see a properly engineered tilt control system in action, then go download Space Tripper now.

Life is full of difficult things to do, whether it’s not hitting the snooze button when it’s chilly outside, sticking to a diet or telling someone their flashy new designer clothes makes them look like a git; life can be one challenge after another. Well, here’s another thing to add to the list of ‘very difficult things to do’ – the latest iOS shooter Space Tripper.

Space Tripper comes from PomPom Games and has previously been released as Astro Tripper on the PlayStation 3 and again as Space Tripper on the PC some ten years ago. The action is spread over 14 levels and four worlds, and you play the pilot of a spacecraft who must shoot down invading alien ships.

The game is viewed from the top down and your ship is confined to a certain area of the screen, with the aliens spawning all around you waiting to be blown up. You can move to the left and right along the play area and as the levels progress the environments get more complex, including bridges and obstacles to avoid.

You control your ship using a tilt system, meaning angling your iPhone or iPad moves it around the screen, while a tap on the left switches your weapon from a single stream blue laser to a wide-angle red laser, and a tap on the right flips your ship over to face the opposite direction. Whatever way your facing you’ve got a full range of movement – left, right, forward and backwards – and your weapon is permanently on autofire.

Gems are occasionally dropped by obliterated enemies, which when collected power-up whichever weapon you’re using at the time, plus you must destroy all alien ships on the stage before a timer runs out.

Space Tripper recalls the classic Defender (albeit viewed from a different angle), and the equally difficult Uridium and Uridium 2.There is however a key difference and it plays a big part in why Space Tripper is so much more difficult here than in previous versions – the tilt control method.

Playing Astro Tripper on the PS3 is still a challenge, but as you use the analogue stick to move your ship around it’s much easier to react to the sudden appearance of an enemy, or perform evasive manoeuvres to avoid being blasted to smithereens. Using the iPhone and the tilt method is a different story, as no matter how fast your reactions, they’ll never be as quick as a flick of your thumb on a joystick.

Enemies don’t all appear at once in Space Tripper, instead progressively spawning through each stage, so you’ll sometimes be in the wrong place at the wrong time and a nasty will appear directly in your path. By the time you’ve flicked the iPhone in the opposite direction it’ll either be too late or you’ll have gone flying off into a laser blast or a pursuing ship. This isn’t ‘something to get used to’ or ‘part of the challenge’; it’s a by-product of the concessions made for gaming on a buttonless device.

PomPom has actually done a brilliant job with the tilt sensitivity, it’s right up there with Battle Squadron in technical terms, but it suffers from the same problem – you’re simply not able to be accurate enough. It’s a conundrum though, as the screen tap controls work well and would have to be altered if a virtual joystick was added, while a relative-touch system would inevitably see your finger get in the way of the action. There really isn’t another reasonable way to do it.

Anyway, you’ve practiced and practiced and can control the game as best you can, now you’ve then got to contend with Space Tripper‘s unforgiving nature. Hit by a bullet? Tough luck, you’re dead and must start again. Trying to be careful? Tough luck, the timer will run out and you must start again. Want to try an ‘Easy’ mode to help get somewhere? Tough luck, it starts on Normal which actually means ‘really quite hard’.

For wimps there is a hidden cheat mode which provides a helpful but ultimately pointless invulnerability mode, and by using this you can see just how INSANELY STUPID things get during later levels. If you can get to these stages without using a cheat or a continue, consider yourself a gaming god.

Space Tripper is addictive though, as even though it’s a struggle to get past even the first three training levels – complete with presumably non-ironic titles like ‘nice and easy’ – there’s enough heart-pounding excitement to keep you playing. It’s also gorgeous to look at, with bright, detailed backgrounds and beautifully smooth enemies zipping around.

There was a time when all shooters were as difficult as Space Tripper and yes, you’re going to swear a lot when playing, but who says all games have to follow the modern trend of infinite lives and infinite continues? If you think you can handle a really, really tough iOS gaming challenge and want to see a properly engineered tilt control system in action, then go download Space Tripper now.

Life is full of difficult things to do, whether it’s not hitting the snooze button when it’s chilly outside, sticking to a diet or telling someone their flashy new designer clothes makes them look like a git; life can be one challenge after another. Well, here’s another thing to add to the list of ‘very difficult things to do’ – the latest iOS shooter Space Tripper.

Space Tripper comes from PomPom Games and has previously been released as Astro Tripper on the PlayStation 3 and again as Space Tripper on the PC some ten years ago. The action is spread over 14 levels and four worlds, and you play the pilot of a spacecraft who must shoot down invading alien ships.

The game is viewed from the top down and your ship is confined to a certain area of the screen, with the aliens spawning all around you waiting to be blown up. You can move to the left and right along the play area and as the levels progress the environments get more complex, including bridges and obstacles to avoid.

You control your ship using a tilt system, meaning angling your iPhone or iPad moves it around the screen, while a tap on the left switches your weapon from a single stream blue laser to a wide-angle red laser, and a tap on the right flips your ship over to face the opposite direction. Whatever way your facing you’ve got a full range of movement – left, right, forward and backwards – and your weapon is permanently on autofire.

Gems are occasionally dropped by obliterated enemies, which when collected power-up whichever weapon you’re using at the time, plus you must destroy all alien ships on the stage before a timer runs out.

Space Tripper recalls the classic Defender (albeit viewed from a different angle), and the equally difficult Uridium and Uridium 2.There is however a key difference and it plays a big part in why Space Tripper is so much more difficult here than in previous versions – the tilt control method.

Playing Astro Tripper on the PS3 is still a challenge, but as you use the analogue stick to move your ship around it’s much easier to react to the sudden appearance of an enemy, or perform evasive manoeuvres to avoid being blasted to smithereens. Using the iPhone and the tilt method is a different story, as no matter how fast your reactions, they’ll never be as quick as a flick of your thumb on a joystick.

Enemies don’t all appear at once in Space Tripper, instead progressively spawning through each stage, so you’ll sometimes be in the wrong place at the wrong time and a nasty will appear directly in your path. By the time you’ve flicked the iPhone in the opposite direction it’ll either be too late or you’ll have gone flying off into a laser blast or a pursuing ship. This isn’t ‘something to get used to’ or ‘part of the challenge’; it’s a by-product of the concessions made for gaming on a buttonless device.

PomPom has actually done a brilliant job with the tilt sensitivity, it’s right up there with Battle Squadron in technical terms, but it suffers from the same problem – you’re simply not able to be accurate enough. It’s a conundrum though, as the screen tap controls work well and would have to be altered if a virtual joystick was added, while a relative-touch system would inevitably see your finger get in the way of the action. There really isn’t another reasonable way to do it.

Anyway, you’ve practiced and practiced and can control the game as best you can, now you’ve then got to contend with Space Tripper‘s unforgiving nature. Hit by a bullet? Tough luck, you’re dead and must start again. Trying to be careful? Tough luck, the timer will run out and you must start again. Want to try an ‘Easy’ mode to help get somewhere? Tough luck, it starts on Normal which actually means ‘really quite hard’.

For wimps there is a hidden cheat mode which provides a helpful but ultimately pointless invulnerability mode, and by using this you can see just how INSANELY STUPID things get during later levels. If you can get to these stages without using a cheat or a continue, consider yourself a gaming god.

Space Tripper is addictive though, as even though it’s a struggle to get past even the first three training levels – complete with presumably non-ironic titles like ‘nice and easy’ – there’s enough heart-pounding excitement to keep you playing. It’s also gorgeous to look at, with bright, detailed backgrounds and beautifully smooth enemies zipping around.

There was a time when all shooters were as difficult as Space Tripper and yes, you’re going to swear a lot when playing, but who says all games have to follow the modern trend of infinite lives and infinite continues? If you think you can handle a really, really tough iOS gaming challenge and want to see a properly engineered tilt control system in action, then go download Space Tripper now.

Life is full of difficult things to do, whether it’s not hitting the snooze button when it’s chilly outside, sticking to a diet or telling someone their flashy new designer clothes makes them look like a git; life can be one challenge after another. Well, here’s another thing to add to the list of ‘very difficult things to do’ – the latest iOS shooter Space Tripper.

Space Tripper comes from PomPom Games and has previously been released as Astro Tripper on the PlayStation 3 and again as Space Tripper on the PC some ten years ago. The action is spread over 14 levels and four worlds, and you play the pilot of a spacecraft who must shoot down invading alien ships.

The game is viewed from the top down and your ship is confined to a certain area of the screen, with the aliens spawning all around you waiting to be blown up. You can move to the left and right along the play area and as the levels progress the environments get more complex, including bridges and obstacles to avoid.

You control your ship using a tilt system, meaning angling your iPhone or iPad moves it around the screen, while a tap on the left switches your weapon from a single stream blue laser to a wide-angle red laser, and a tap on the right flips your ship over to face the opposite direction. Whatever way your facing you’ve got a full range of movement – left, right, forward and backwards – and your weapon is permanently on autofire.

Gems are occasionally dropped by obliterated enemies, which when collected power-up whichever weapon you’re using at the time, plus you must destroy all alien ships on the stage before a timer runs out.

Space Tripper recalls the classic Defender (albeit viewed from a different angle), and the equally difficult Uridium and Uridium 2.There is however a key difference and it plays a big part in why Space Tripper is so much more difficult here than in previous versions – the tilt control method.

Playing Astro Tripper on the PS3 is still a challenge, but as you use the analogue stick to move your ship around it’s much easier to react to the sudden appearance of an enemy, or perform evasive manoeuvres to avoid being blasted to smithereens. Using the iPhone and the tilt method is a different story, as no matter how fast your reactions, they’ll never be as quick as a flick of your thumb on a joystick.

Enemies don’t all appear at once in Space Tripper, instead progressively spawning through each stage, so you’ll sometimes be in the wrong place at the wrong time and a nasty will appear directly in your path. By the time you’ve flicked the iPhone in the opposite direction it’ll either be too late or you’ll have gone flying off into a laser blast or a pursuing ship. This isn’t ‘something to get used to’ or ‘part of the challenge’; it’s a by-product of the concessions made for gaming on a buttonless device.

PomPom has actually done a brilliant job with the tilt sensitivity, it’s right up there with Battle Squadron in technical terms, but it suffers from the same problem – you’re simply not able to be accurate enough. It’s a conundrum though, as the screen tap controls work well and would have to be altered if a virtual joystick was added, while a relative-touch system would inevitably see your finger get in the way of the action. There really isn’t another reasonable way to do it.

Anyway, you’ve practiced and practiced and can control the game as best you can, now you’ve then got to contend with Space Tripper‘s unforgiving nature. Hit by a bullet? Tough luck, you’re dead and must start again. Trying to be careful? Tough luck, the timer will run out and you must start again. Want to try an ‘Easy’ mode to help get somewhere? Tough luck, it starts on Normal which actually means ‘really quite hard’.

For wimps there is a hidden cheat mode which provides a helpful but ultimately pointless invulnerability mode, and by using this you can see just how INSANELY STUPID things get during later levels. If you can get to these stages without using a cheat or a continue, consider yourself a gaming god.

Space Tripper is addictive though, as even though it’s a struggle to get past even the first three training levels – complete with presumably non-ironic titles like ‘nice and easy’ – there’s enough heart-pounding excitement to keep you playing. It’s also gorgeous to look at, with bright, detailed backgrounds and beautifully smooth enemies zipping around.

There was a time when all shooters were as difficult as Space Tripper and yes, you’re going to swear a lot when playing, but who says all games have to follow the modern trend of infinite lives and infinite continues? If you think you can handle a really, really tough iOS gaming challenge and want to see a properly engineered tilt control system in action, then go download Space Tripper now.

Life is full of difficult things to do, whether it’s not hitting the snooze button when it’s chilly outside, sticking to a diet or telling someone their flashy new designer clothes makes them look like a git; life can be one challenge after another. Well, here’s another thing to add to the list of ‘very difficult things to do’ – the latest iOS shooter Space Tripper.

Space Tripper comes from PomPom Games and has previously been released as Astro Tripper on the PlayStation 3 and again as Space Tripper on the PC some ten years ago. The action is spread over 14 levels and four worlds, and you play the pilot of a spacecraft who must shoot down invading alien ships.

The game is viewed from the top down and your ship is confined to a certain area of the screen, with the aliens spawning all around you waiting to be blown up. You can move to the left and right along the play area and as the levels progress the environments get more complex, including bridges and obstacles to avoid.

You control your ship using a tilt system, meaning angling your iPhone or iPad moves it around the screen, while a tap on the left switches your weapon from a single stream blue laser to a wide-angle red laser, and a tap on the right flips your ship over to face the opposite direction. Whatever way your facing you’ve got a full range of movement – left, right, forward and backwards – and your weapon is permanently on autofire.

Gems are occasionally dropped by obliterated enemies, which when collected power-up whichever weapon you’re using at the time, plus you must destroy all alien ships on the stage before a timer runs out.

Space Tripper recalls the classic Defender (albeit viewed from a different angle), and the equally difficult Uridium and Uridium 2.There is however a key difference and it plays a big part in why Space Tripper is so much more difficult here than in previous versions – the tilt control method.

Playing Astro Tripper on the PS3 is still a challenge, but as you use the analogue stick to move your ship around it’s much easier to react to the sudden appearance of an enemy, or perform evasive manoeuvres to avoid being blasted to smithereens. Using the iPhone and the tilt method is a different story, as no matter how fast your reactions, they’ll never be as quick as a flick of your thumb on a joystick.

Enemies don’t all appear at once in Space Tripper, instead progressively spawning through each stage, so you’ll sometimes be in the wrong place at the wrong time and a nasty will appear directly in your path. By the time you’ve flicked the iPhone in the opposite direction it’ll either be too late or you’ll have gone flying off into a laser blast or a pursuing ship. This isn’t ‘something to get used to’ or ‘part of the challenge’; it’s a by-product of the concessions made for gaming on a buttonless device.

PomPom has actually done a brilliant job with the tilt sensitivity, it’s right up there with Battle Squadron in technical terms, but it suffers from the same problem – you’re simply not able to be accurate enough. It’s a conundrum though, as the screen tap controls work well and would have to be altered if a virtual joystick was added, while a relative-touch system would inevitably see your finger get in the way of the action. There really isn’t another reasonable way to do it.

Anyway, you’ve practiced and practiced and can control the game as best you can, now you’ve then got to contend with Space Tripper‘s unforgiving nature. Hit by a bullet? Tough luck, you’re dead and must start again. Trying to be careful? Tough luck, the timer will run out and you must start again. Want to try an ‘Easy’ mode to help get somewhere? Tough luck, it starts on Normal which actually means ‘really quite hard’.

For wimps there is a hidden cheat mode which provides a helpful but ultimately pointless invulnerability mode, and by using this you can see just how INSANELY STUPID things get during later levels. If you can get to these stages without using a cheat or a continue, consider yourself a gaming god.

Space Tripper is addictive though, as even though it’s a struggle to get past even the first three training levels – complete with presumably non-ironic titles like ‘nice and easy’ – there’s enough heart-pounding excitement to keep you playing. It’s also gorgeous to look at, with bright, detailed backgrounds and beautifully smooth enemies zipping around.

There was a time when all shooters were as difficult as Space Tripper and yes, you’re going to swear a lot when playing, but who says all games have to follow the modern trend of infinite lives and infinite continues? If you think you can handle a really, really tough iOS gaming challenge and want to see a properly engineered tilt control system in action, then go download Space Tripper now.