Review: Minigore HD
by Staff Writer
April 6, 2010
Overview
Minigore is a dual stick survival shooter which you can find about from our review of the iPhone version.Features
Minigore HD is more than just upscale graphics version of the 3D game. The most important aspect is the controls which gives you two options, dual stick or touch. Touch controls are brand new where you simply tap and drag your finger and your character will follow and shoot automatically at furries.
A couple new features that are impeding update on the iPhone version are added. A new map to choose between the dark forest or the snowy version. Also included is zombie gore, as well as new bullet shell animations. OpenFeint has been replaced by Chillingo's Crystal for online high scores and achievements.
There are 14 different characters including John Gore, gangster Gore, kid Gore, Santa Gore, zombie Gore, Jerry Gore, Santa, Lizzy & Ninja man from Sway, Zombieville guy, Enviro-bear, Jake from Hook Champ, and two versions of contest winner Evan. Some characters wield two guns or play differently, and have their own high score tables.
The Good
The biggest question about dual stick games is whether they will translate to the iPad. Now I don't know if all of them will, but minigore definitely does. When you begin any game just tap where you want the move and fire sticks, and that's where they will be. Now having them in the bottom corners simply doesn't work. Luckily you can move them, and if you put them in middle of the iPad right around the home button with one on the left and one on the right it's perfect. In fact it feels more natural then having your fingers clutching the bottom of your iPhone. It's so natural to hold your iPad in your lap, and when you do your thumbs naturally come to rest at about the middle of the device.
The iPad version features all of the additional characters from the iphone version, as well as all of the hardland premium in app purchase characters. At launch you can play one of the three difficulties to choose the degree of action you want to jump into right away. Insane mode is wonderful, and you can find yourself playing it over and over with all of the different characters in the dark forest or in the snow.
Minigore HD is truly HD, and the 3D characters look absolutely beautiful on the iPad. Not only does the game look beautiful, but the bigger screen allows for a bigger view of the map, so you can see more furries at once, and be better prepared so they don't sneak up on you. Also the bigger screen makes it so your thumbs don't take up so much of the screen like the iPhone version.
Crystal is so well done on the iPad, and is the definite leader on the device at this early stage. A little side panel pops up giving you access to high scores and achievements, and then new list pages fold out from the side while never taking you out of the game.
Minigore HD is $5, and the iPhone version is $1. The iPhone version is practically unplayable on the iPad as it looks bad, and the controls simply don't work. The HD version gives you so much more of the environment at once, and the controls are so intuitive it can't but be worth the price of admission.
