iPhone App Spotlight: Glyder & Glyder 2

One of the recurring features I'll be running here are what I'm calling iPhone App Spotlight. The name is partially derived from the Spotlight search technology in both Mac OS X and the iPhone OS (remember when the iPhone OS was still considered OS X? What happened?). It's also because I couldn't come up with anything catchier. But anyway! These "Spotlights" can and will feature any kind of app, game, utility or other that I've found is a shining example of the iPhone & iPod touch as a platform. I'm opening the series with a look at one of my favorite games and its more recent sequel.

Glyder
by Glu

To properly explain my feelings about Glyder, we first have to go back to the fall of 1996, and the release of Nintendo's Pilotwings 64. A cartoony flight simulator, Pilotwings 64 had players piloting a variety of crafts such as a hang glider and jet pack, and presented them with missions to clear in order to advance to more difficult areas. All of these modes and methods of transportation had some form of rule: You either had to fly through a series of rings or land on a target (among others), often within a set time limit or number of attempts. The final mode players could unlock was "Birdman" mode, which instead of placing the game's characters inside a craft of any kind strapped wings to their arms and allowed one to freely roam various areas at your leisure. Once I got access to Birdman, I rarely played any other aspect of the game, because the idea of free flight without limits or the opportunity of failure (there were no goals to the mode) greatly appealed to the adventure and exploration junkie inside of me.

Imagine then my feeling, well over 12 years later, to see a game coming out for the iPhone that feels very much inspired by this free flight mode I adore so much. I followed news of Glyder intently, and couldn't download it fast enough upon its release. I proceeded to finish the game in two sittings.

Glyder places gamers in control of Eryn, in a story that is basically just laid out on the game's title/loading screen: Eryn has managed to get herself sucked into some sort of dimensional rift, and armed only with her glider, must find a way back home. There's not a lot to the story, but there doesn't need to be. It's enough of a premise that you're motivated to go forth and explore this strange new world.

The game is completely controlled by the iPhone's accelerometer, so tilting the device will let you steer left and right along with diving forward to gain momentum. Glyder is one of the best examples of a game that's perfectly suited to this platform, and truly takes advantage of the hardware, instead of just using the accelerometer for simple "shake" gestures. In addition, the simplicity of the controls means two other things: First, anyone could easily pick up the game and play, as the controls are intuitive enough for a beginner. There's a slight learning curve in adjusting to the motion control, but there's no need to memorize a series of buttons or what does what. Second, your view is never obscured while playing, since the only reason to touch the screen is to navigate the menus.

The land is divided into six islands that you can freely explore. Unlike Pilotwings' flying mode, there are things to do and collect, in the form of floating crystals and achievements. Collecting all of the game's crystals is required to access every area and subsequently finish the game, but like with other platforms, achievements are simply little awards for accomplishing various goals. These range from reaching a certain altitude, discovering little nooks and crannies and so on. These add quite a bit to the game's replay value if you've managed to collect all of the crystals. Even better, after some time on the market, the game was updated to include a second set of crystals once you've completed the main game, in a sorta Zelda "second quest" way.

There's a lot to love about the simplistic charm of Glyder. From the game's music - which yes, is a single song, but the mood of which perfectly suits the game - to the varied locales and otherworldly atmosphere, the list just goes on. Last summer I had an issue with my then-new iPhone 3GS and lost all my game data and scores. For the most part it was a big downer, but I actually was a bit excited that in the face of that, it meant I had a reason to start the game anew and experience it again, which I did.

As of this writing, Glyder is $2.99 in the iTunes Store (US). Several times since it's release it's been on sale for as low as $0.99. Three bucks is certainly a paltry sum for such a lovely experience if you ask me, but if you manage to catch it at 99 cents, it's pretty much a required purchase. Also, for those on-the-fencers, a free version of the game is available as well.

Glyder 2
by Glu

With how much fun I had playing Glyder, I was overjoyed when I first heard mention of a sequel. Released late in 2009 was the aptly-named Glyder 2, which managed to add to and improve to varying degrees everything about the original game. That said, Glyder 2 is, if you boil it down, more of the same. Personally, with how big a fan I became of the original, all I wanted was more of the same with minor tweaks, so this suited me just fine.

The major additions to Glyder 2 are the various outfits and wing styles you can collect on your journey. While the outfits are purely cosmetic, each of the wing sets have their own set of stats, each handling differently. This adds a slight layer of strategy to the adventure, as certain wings are better suited to any given task at hand. Some of the tighter passageways or timed challenges can in fact only be accomplished with specific wings, either based on their speed or handling.

There isn't a great deal else to speak of in regards to changes. The core gameplay remains here, though some of the returning aspects of the gameplay have been improved provides a more fluid experience. There's a greater number of achievements to earn, and a decent amount of little 'side quests', that, like collecting crystals, prove integral to finishing the game, and serve to break up the gameplay a bit from being a pure crystal hunt. Because of all these little things, Glyder 2 manages to be just that much better than the original.

Like Glyder, its sequel is also currently priced at $2.99 (US).

While Glyder 2 is essentially a more polished version of the original, each game presents its own unique locations and challenges, meaning the first game can still hold its own next to its newer cousin. Personally, I'd recommend both if the gameplay interests players enough. Again, there's a free version of Glyder available to get a taste for it. Though of course, if you decide to only pick up one of the games, go for Glyder 2. It's an experience that shouldn't be missed.

Fin
So there's my not-so-brief look at Glyder & Glyder 2. Feel free to share your thoughts below, and if you have a suggestion for an app I should look into, let's hear it!


Links
(Will open in iTunes)

Glyder
Glyder Free
Glyder 2

Heart & Soul

I was going to title this entry "Show Unexpected," just to be clever, but decided against it. Though I clearly still wanted to share that little tidbit with you.

I'm often wary of watching a new TV show I expect to like. This of course is because of the love I develop for shows and characters that end up not working out, either due to short-sightedness by the network (Firefly, Wonderfalls, Drive) or simply because people weren't watching while the network managed to bring the show back after a failed season (the recently-ended Dollhouse).

Last weekend, as a receiver of the frequent "New on iTunes" e-mails, I noticed they were offering the pilot episodes of The Deep End, and a show called Life Unexpected for free. The Deep End recently caught my eye, not because of the premise - because I had no idea what it was before watching - but because one of the leads is Tina Majorino, and she was so great in Veronica Mars, I jumped at the chance to see her in a new show. And then it's a show about lawyers, and well, I'm not sure if I intend to um, dive back in. It's not bad by any means, but law shows aren't usually my thing.

Life Unexpected, however, is. This one I knew even less about, I just grabbed the pilot on a whim. Imagine my surprise, as a huge fan of Roswell, to see the lovely Shiri Appleby as one of the show's stars! And while I drifted away from the show eventually, I recall liking Kerr Smith on Dawson's Creek back in the day, so that's two wins so far. The real star, of course, is Britt(any) Robertson:

Adorable.

So, premise. In a nutshell, Britt stars as Lux, a 15 year old living in Portland, Oregon with her seventh (or so) foster family, and being pretty unhappy about this. As one could imagine. She has money saved, and her plan is to become emancipated to finally be free of her situation. The trick is that she needs her biological parents' signatures to do so, and manages to track down her father, Nate Bazile, who typically goes by "Baze." It's through him that Lux learns that her mother is part of a morning radio show duo she's listened to most of her life. Since it seems as if she hasn't aged a day, it's hard to see Shiri Appleby as a 32-year-old mother at first, but considering she really IS 31 in reality, you can't argue too much. Maybe I'm just used to Liz Parker. In short, upon learning of Lux's paltry savings, lack of income, and the presence of her parents, the judge does not approve her emancipation, and instead grants temporary custody to Nate and Cate (love those names), who haven't seen each other in years and don't exactly see eye on eye on most things.

That's where things start off, but I won't go past that, since I recommend anyone reading this to check out the first episode either via iTunes (and note its 5-star average score on over 350 reviews) or on The CW's site.

The first reviewer on iTunes mentions that this show reminded them of a 'classic' WB show, from the era of Dawson's Creek, and I'm inclined to agree with that. The show is smartly written, and has a cast of characters that feel like real people, actual and whole. It seems like it would be very easy to write Lux as an overly-emotional... well, brat. Remember Tia in Uncle Buck? It's true that she has trouble adjusting to a new life, and with her experiences in foster homes, that's to be expected. Where the show succeeds is that she manages to keep this side in check. She actually does know and acknowledge that her parents care for her, even when they're not doing a great job at parenting. More than that, she *wants* a real family and a home to come back to after school. Something real. Something she's never had before. This is my favorite part of the show so far, because it exemplifies what I said earlier about the depth of the characters. They - Lux especially - are very much layered as we all are, and rise above the one-dimensional characters we see in far too many shows. And let's face it, reality.

What makes me elevate a show above others is what made me love Firefly. It's what makes me feel How I Met Your Mother is the best sitcom on TV right now, and that it will go down as one of the all-time greats in the end. Heart and soul. HIMYM shows this all the time, as it overcomes the typical sitcom formula of modern times of simplistic people who live to mock one another. Instead, you have these friends with diverse personalities who all truly care for each other when all is said and done, and for all the laughs and silliness we get, there's always a sincere moment waiting. Again, heart and soul. It's why that show works so well I feel, and why Life Unexpected does too. It manages to bring us a family drama with just enough comedy, none of the immaturity seen in many "teen" shows, and none of the overly in-your-face heavy-handed morality you may find in a typical "family" show. It's simply just the right combination of everything.

We're only three episodes in, but I already can't miss a week. I do hope the show finds an audience and sticks around, because I truly think we need more of these kinds of shows on TV.