44 Best (And 2 WTF) New Android Games From The Last 2 Weeks (2/21/13 - 3/6/13)

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Catch The Candy

Today's roundup is sponsored by Catch the Candy from Herocraft. Good God, this thing is so cute it makes me sick. Catch the Candy is Herocraft's latest game, assigning you to guide a little purple... thing through physics-based stages towards sweet, sweet candy. The swinging and grabbing mechanic is similar to the various Spider-man clones you've seen hanging around the Play Store, with much better level design. It's based on the hit Flash game of the same name.

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We all love candy right? So does this cute little creature, but it's always tantalizingly out of reach for him. You'll need to use his extendible grappling tail to catch the candy, but it's not always as easy as it looks. Push and pull obstacles, balance on unsteady logs, climb flag poles and grip onto almost anything to work your way across the level and grab that candy.

  

  

Catch The Candy

Games

GUN BROS 2

Android Police coverage: [New Game] Glu Mobile's Multiplayer Testosterone-Fuelled Bullet Fest, Gun Bros 2, Is Live On The Play Store

Gun Bros was one of the first games in the Android Market to reach AAA status, and Glu has taken out all of the stops for the sequel. Full 3D graphics, a ton of new weapons, and online multiplayer will keep you coming back for more. The characters are just as ridiculous as before, but there are a whole lot more of them (see if you can spot the ladies of Bombshells in cameo appearances). Beware of the usual Glu IAP push. 

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Untold years after the first T.O.O.L. wars, the Tyrannical Oppressors Of Life have returned to finish the job. Only the Freakishly Rugged Advanced Genetics Galactic Enforcement Division (F.R.A.G.G.E.D) agents Percy and Francis Gun stand in their way. Armed with a new array of highly advanced and ridiculously destructive weapons, the Gun Bros are once again defending the galaxy from the T.O.O.L. insurgency. It is a time to innovate and eradicate.

  

  

GUN BROS 2

City Conquest HD

Android Police coverage: [New Game] City Conquest Is An Innovative Mix Of Tower Defense, Tower Offense, And Real Time Strategy

If tower defense is leaving you somewhat cold as of late, you owe it to yourself to check out City Conquest HD. If the old Command and Conquer games were re-made into a tower defense title, this would be it. You construct both defensive towers and offensive troops to destroy your opponent's base, in single-player, online multiplayer, or "hot potato" local multiplayer.

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City Conquest is a unique blend of strategy genres, including offensive-only missions, defensive-only "tower defense" missions, and a dozen missions with both offense and defense. It offers an innovative new gameplay experience with the depth of a real-time strategy game and the accessibility of pure defense games. Whether you play through the epic 14-mission single-player campaign, battle other players online in the real-time internet multiplayer or hotseat multiplayer modes, or clash against the AI in the 6 bonus expert-level Challenge missions, City Conquest is guaranteed to provide a strategy experience like no other.

   

City Conquest HD

FLASHOUT 3D

Android Police coverage: [New Game] Flashout 3D Is Like F-Zero And Riptide GP... With Guns (AKA WipEout)

Flashout is inspired by Sony's Wipeout hovercraft racing series, and it wears the inspiration in its shoulder. From full 3D graphics to eye-searing speed, it's a carbon copy of the sci-fi racing favorite. If you can't outrun your opponents, you can always outgun them. There's also a version compatible with the Zeemote controller, though for some reason, it's a separate (and more expensive) app.

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FLASHOUT 3D by Jujubee is the best racing experience for your mobile device. Get into one of your ultra fast ships and join the competition. Use rockets and guns to fight your way to victory in all events and become the best racer in the whole galaxy. With jaw-dropping graphics, stunning visuals and fast-paced racing action, FLASHOUT 3D brings a new level of fun to the table. It also features a unique interactive equalizer, that analyzes in-game music and accordingly determines, in real-time, what the visual effects look like.

   

FLASHOUT 3D

Protoxide: Death Race

Android Police coverage: [New Game] HeroCraft Releases Protoxide: Death Race Only 18 Months After Teasing It

Yet another Wipeout/F-Zero style racer, Proxtide seems more focused on the battle side of gameplay. Power-ups, weapons and shields are strewn throughout the tracks in Mario Kart fashion. Graphics are decent, and HeroCraft is known for quality games, but early players are complaining about the lack of button controls, leaving the hovercrafts to float on tilt controls instead. Online multiplayer is included.

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Are global warming, abnormal weather, increasing number of cataclysms all over the planet, cocktails of earthquakes, tsunamis and blowing nuclear power-stations the reasons to think about incoming apocalypse? «Protoxide: Death Race» offers you their version of the “world after 2012”. Abandoned cities under the rowdy gang's control, the absence of legal law, violence as a basic survival principle and races without rules as the main method to solve the problems. «Protoxide: Death Race» will tell you everything about ultra-speed driving, battle super-cars that look like machines from Hollywood fantastic blockbusters and wild industrial tracks.

   

Protoxide: Death Race

AVP: Evolution

Android Police coverage: Fox Digital's AVP: Evolution Hits The Play Store Right On Schedule, Satisfies Your Craving To Be An Other-Worldly Killer

This one's been a long time coming, but AVP fans can finally get their sci-fi kill on. The story mode puts you in control of the titular titans as they fight each other, tasty humans and Super Predators (if you haven't seen the movies yet, then don't, and just go with it) for supremacy. Early reviews are mixed: combat is fun, but the game is poorly optimized for some hardware.

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The deadliest creatures in the universe face off for the first time on your phone and tablet. Play as both the Alien and Predator in this official game brought to you by Angry Mob Games, the creators of PREDATORS™, Guerrilla Bob and Muffin Knight. On a distant planet, the blood feud between Predator clans continues to rage. In a final attempt to eradicate the Jungle Hunter Clan, the Super Predators secure the capabilities of an unlikely and unwilling species, the Aliens. As an Alien, you must ultimately destroy the Super Predators and free your species from enslavement.

   

AVP: Evolution

Star Wars Pinball

Android Police coverage: Star Wars Pinball Released In Empire Strikes Back, Clone Wars, And Boba Fett Flavors, IAPs For Zen Pinball As Well

Made by the pinball wizards at Zen Studios, Star Wars Pinball incorporates all the whiz-bang action of a real pinball machine, plus lots of 3D animation re-enacting scenes from the movies. The $2 game includes the Empire Strikes Back table, with two other themed tables costing $2 each via in-app purchase. Normally we're3 annoyed at that sort of thing, but the tables in this game are so detailed and lovingly crafted, it's hard to argue. All three tables are also available in the Zen Pinball HD game.

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Set in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars Pinball lets you interact with the most iconic characters, and relive the greatest moments of the Star Wars universe in 3 Star Wars-themed tables: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Boba Fett. Choose to support the Galactic Empire or the Rebel Alliance with your high scores as the Star Wars Pinball community fights for the Balance of the Force.

  

Star Wars Pinball

Pocket Stables

Android Police coverage: [New Game] Kairosoft's Pocket Stables Lets You Try Your Hand At The Horseracing World, No Shovel Necessary

For many Android gamers, the name "Kairosoft" in the developer field is enough for an instant purchase. If you don't fall into that category, how about a horseracing simulator that lets you skip the shovel and shavings? Pocket Stables focuses more on the business side of racing, with breeding, training and the everyday life of a horse owner thrown in. Of course, since this is a Kairosoft game, you can also customize your stable into a mini theme park.

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Manage your very own ranch while training your racehorses to win big in exciting races. Build training facilities like dirt courses and pools amidst the beautiful natural surroundings of your ranch. Increase your ranch's fame and entice visitors to spend some dough at your ranch's amenities, like ice cream stands and gift shops. Find horses with the right combination of stamina and speed and intensity and train them to race. Keep winning races to earn bigger and better prizes, as well as the ability to compete in even bigger and more exciting races on an international scale.

  

  

Pocket Stables

Cars in sandbox: Construction

Android Police coverage: [New Game] Cars In Sandbox: Construction Makes Us Imagine How Awesome It Would Be To Be A Kid Again

No one could claim that this one doesn't deliver exactly what it promises. Cars in sandbox: Construction lets you relive the glory days of Tonka trucks, juice boxes and cooties, with a series of physics-based levels set in the titular sandbox. While this one is most definitely for the kiddies, it's well-done (check out the movable toy parts in the video) and won't leave scratches in your hardwood.

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Interactive car game for children aged over 2 years. Many parents find their young children to be particularly fascinated by construction vehicles. We've made it easy and exciting for your child to explore them. Different types of construction vehicle and road-building machinery are presented as toys in a sandpit, making the process of learning familiar and appealing. Throughout there are lots of beautiful animations, with great video and sound effects.

   

Cars in sandbox: Construction

MANOS: The Hands of Fate

Android Police coverage: Manos: The Hands Of Fate, The World's Worst Movie, Is Now An 8-Bit Platform Game And It's Awesome!

If you're a film buff, you know that Manos is one of the most reviled films in history, a staple of the ironic "bad movie night," and classic fodder for Mystery Science Theater 3000. The Android game is an 8-bit tie-in, like the old licensed games for the NES... except good. The basic platformer has you dodging all kinds of crazy monsters you won't remember from the movie, while still following the rough plot (such as it is).

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MANOS is an homage to the great games you remember from your childhood. Remember how every film and cartoon had it's own platform game adaptation? When every man, woman, child, animal and inanimate object were out to get your character? When the streets were filled with bats, ghosts and Frankenstein monsters? MANOS will take you back to the fantastically absurd games of the past.

   

MANOS: The Hands of Fate

Color Sheep

Android Police coverage: Holy Crap, This Color Sheep Game, With Rainbow Colored Lasers, Is A Lot Harder Than It Looks

This one borders on WTF territory. Ostensibly, it's about a sheep fighting against wolves in a Battletoads-style sidescroller, but watch the video below to see the full madness. Said sheep uses the power of rainbows to slaughter wave upon wave of enemies.

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Hordes of vicious wolves have emerged from the mouth of Wolfcano to steal life and color from the world. Now the Knight of Light, Sir Woolson, must ready his color-changing fleece and magical powers as the last defense against the darkness. Color Sheep is a fast-paced arcade game in which players change Woolson’s color to match oncoming wolves by mixing different intensities of red, green, and blue light. An intuitive swipe-based interface makes forming combos a breeze.

   

Color Sheep

Towelfight 2

Android Police coverage: [New Game] Towelfight 2 Fulfills Your Life-Long Ambition Of Shooting Bumblebees Out Of Your Face

This game is a twin-stick, top-down shooter. But instead of bullets, you shoot various adorable animals. Out of your face. And the animals shoot lasers, and sometimes chainsaws. It's hard to imagine a more insane Android game (though Color Sheep gives it a run for the money), but on top of that, Towelfight 2: the Monocle of Destiny features tight controls and an "interesting" old-school art style.

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Settle a dispute between gods by shooting animals out of your face. An action-adventure game of epic proportions, Towelfight 2 will beard-slap you with copious bloodplosions, procedurally-generated levels, insane boss fights, 14 powerups, and 40 unique weapons enhanced by 80 augmentations. Dispatch myriad foes with a cornucopia of laser-blasting bees, speed-boosting unicorns, spiraling praying mantises, whales in heat, and ultra-defensive turtles, among others.

  

  

Towelfight 2

Green Throttle officially launches its Android gaming platform, we go hands-on

Thinking of rounding out your entertainment center's arsenal with an Android-based game console? You've certainly got options: Ouya, GameStick and Project Shield are all vying for a spot on your couch. On the other hand, you might already have a perfectly serviceable Android device just waiting to be converted into a makeshift games console -- that's where Green Throttle Games comes in. By pairing a dual-stick gamepad with a console-like game launcher, Green Throttle aims to turn any Android device into a gaming platform. We spent some time with adeveloper build of the setup late last year, but today the company officially launched the Green Throttle Arena and its companion Atlas controller. We popped in to the firm's Santa Clara office to see what changed.

Green Throttle's consumer debut is much cleaner than the developer software we saw back in November -- the Arena app now features large, attractive menu tiles reminiscent of Windows 8's start screen, dividing its home screen into sections for recently played titles, featured games and advertisements. Headlining the billboard of squares are four self-explanatory menu options: home, my games, recommended and settings. Green Throttle's Matt Crowley told us the app soft launched to Google Play over the weekend, and showed us how it can be used as a simple touchscreen launcher for Green Throttle supported titles. On its own, the Arena app is aesthetically pleasing, but it doesn't really come to life until it's paired with an Atlas controller.

Crowley paired a Kindle Fire HD with a gamepad and plopped us down in front of an HDMI-connected display. Under the Atlas controller's thumbsticks, the Arena app did an admirable job of emulating a console environment, giving the gamepad full control of all its features. We didn't need to touch the tablet's screen once -- a nice change from trying to use a gamepad on most Android devices. The ease of use is by design, of course: games compatible with Green Throttle's Arena app have to not only play nice with its gamepad, but need to be fully usable by controller alone. It seems like a nitpicky detail, but it allows the company to present gamers with a unified experience. Toggling the Green Throttle "G" button, for instance, universally returns users to the Arena menu. Multiplayer games will even detect when a second player controller is connected, prompting the user to choose one player or two. Overall, the system does a decent job of emulating a home console environment.

We were a little disappointed to find that the Atlas controller hasn't changed much since we last saw it. The familiar Xbox 360 gamepad layout is as comfortable as ever, but the controller's shoulder buttons feel a little stiff, responding with loud clicks when toggled. The Atlas' thumbsticks and face buttons have plenty of spring to them, however, and its d-pad is certainly no worse than the Xbox controller'smushy affair. The controller's selling point isn't form, though -- it's function. Using proprietary drivers, Green Throttle's Arena app can recognize up to four Atlas controllers at once, opening the door to local multiplayer on an Android device. It's a neat trick, but it comes at a price: the Atlas controller will only work on Green Throttle enabled games.

Unfortunately, Green Throttle's console experience falters when it comes to software. The suite's small collection of launch titles just doesn't offer much depth when it comes to gameplay. They serve their purpose of course, demonstrating key features like local multiplayer and gamepad support, but Space Invaders clones like Green Throttle's own Coral Combat aren't going to sell Atlas controllers. Luckily, Crowley told us more games are on the way, including ChronoBlade, a side scrolling beat 'em up, and Freefall Tournament, a multiplayer 3rd person shooter. Moreover, we're told that more than 1,000 Atlas controllers have been sent to developers, adding more promise to the suite's budding game library. The app is officially live in Google Play and the Amazon App store as of today, and users can purchase Atlas controllers from the Arena interface. If Green Throttle can catch the attention of more developers, it could grow into a strong gaming ecosystem, and could even give Ouya a run for its money -- but without software support, it might wind up as a lesson in lost potential. Care to make a wager? Read on for Green Throttle's official press release and place your bets in the comments.