Since I’ve been updating old posts like, um, someone who updates old posts quite a bit, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the iPhone game Galcon.  You can check my original post for a detailed description of the gameplay.

Initially, I thought Galcon wasn’t worth the money.  Nothing much has changed, except for one important addition…multiplayer.  The predictable, sub-standard AI is suddenly a brilliant opponent.  It is insanely fun to beat down people’s fleets and take over their planets.  This game always had an intuitive control scheme, great (if simple) graphics, fast-paced play and a low learning curve.  Now all of those positives are shining, out of the shadow of the lousy AI.  

And it’s not just that the AI was bad.  There were no carrots in the game: no storyline, no achievements, no power-ups, no unlocking of levels.  This hasn’t changed a bit.  But there is suddenly a juicy carrot…beating down human players and rising in the rankings.  There is now a motivation to win, an incentive to play well.  You want to crush your opponent, drive them before you and hear the lamentation of their iPhone.  The single player mode still gets old fast.  But that can now be overlooked.

[click to continue…]