Chillingo Summer Preview

Chillingo has been riding the wave of sales from Zen Bound, Angry Birds and Cut the Rope quite comfortably.

Since the company was purchased by EA in October 2010, though, the mobile industry has observed with interest whether it can publish more evergreen hits. No small feat.

So, with E3 approaching, Chillingo has detailed some of the key titles it will be releasing this summer and beyond.

Storm in a Teacup
Developer: Cobra Mobile

Launched last week, this physics-based platformer has you guiding Storm in his magical teacup through dream-like landscapes created by the vivid imagination of his older brother, Clouds. The game’s 40 levels involve collecting sugar cubes, avoiding monsters and solving physics-puzzles. Teacup travel is a bit like controlling a magic carpet, you hold your finger on-screen to gain height and use your free hand to move the teacup left and right.

MUSE
Developer: Lab Rats Studio

The premier title from North Carolina indie Lab Rats, MUSE is an episodic 3D third-person shooter. The game features comic book-style cutscenes and a psychological story set in a post-modern metropolis. As Sid Tripp, you fight to tackle the alternate realities and hordes of abominable minions sent by The Brain, seeking redemption for the agony he has caused. The first episode is scheduled for release in the coming weeks.

Quiz Climber
Developer: Relentless Software

Relentess, awarding-winning developer of the successful family quiz series Buzz!, makes its iPhone debut with Quiz Climber. This social quiz game invites you to test your knowledge against friends. Answer as many consecutive questions as possible to climb the quiz tree. The thousands of questions are regularly updated and their difficulty increases the higher you climb. Relentless’ quaint art style separates this from some of the blander quiz games out there too.

Saving Moo
Developer: Espada Entertainment

Aliens appear to have taken a liking to cow milk, so it’s up to you to defend your Moos from abduction in this 2D strategy game. Arm your Moos with 16 different contraptions, like flaming marshmallow shooters and radio launchers. Each cow has strengths and weaknesses, and, when things hot up, deploy the SuperCow to cause mass destruction. The campaign spans 25 levels with unlockable survival modes. Saving Moo is being published under Chillingo’s Clickgamer label.

DARK
Developer: GameLab

3D dual-stick shooters, like Dead Nation, have been lighting up consoles for years. GameLab have been taking cues for their new mobile translation, DARK. Billed as sci-fi meets a horror survival RPG, hands-on reports say it’s more atmospheric than its stock action screenshots suggest. Set aboard an abandoned spacecraft, you investigate the mysterious disappearance of the ship’s crew, gunning down enemies as you explore the game’s eerie environments, collecting upgradable weaponry and hidden items.

DrawRace 2: Racing Evolved
Developer: RedLynx

It can be all too easy is become swallowed up amongst all the other titles in the App Store, like a fish in the sea. That’s why the creators of Trials HD, RedLynx, have partnered with Chillingo for the release of top-down racer DrawRace 2. Similar to Reckless Racing, the game will feature physics-based racing with 16 cars, 32 rendered 3D tracks and local multiplayer.

Dream Track Nation
Developer: PowPowGames

Similar to Line Rider, you construct 2D tracks with loops and special powers to create huge, gravity-defying jumps before racing the finish line. The in-game level editor also enables you to share an infinite number of tracks online with friends. Hanna-Barbera-esque in its colourful graphical style, if it plays as well as it looks this should be real fun.

Swords & Soldiers
Developer: Two Tribes

Two Tribes are behind this iOS port of the highly acclaimed 2D side-scrolling strategy game, originally developed for WiiWare by Ronimo Games. Meet the steak-loving Vikings, command the Chinese emperor’s toy and cast the Aztec’s poison arrow, as you travel the globe to obtain the power of the gods.