Namco’s Garters and Ghouls has been available on the iPhone for a while now, but today they’re pushing an update to allow for a new control scheme. The existing control scheme is rather simple – players use both thumbs to control ‘virtual analog sticks,’ one moving their player and the other controlling their weapon. But now, players using an iPhone 3GS can use the digital compass that is part of the phone’s inbuilt GPS as an additional means of control. The player’s rotation controls a radar view alerting them of nearby powerups. It sounds fascinating, a level of immersion somewhere between the motion control of Wii and a true augmented reality experience. Those who already own the game can get the update for free, otherwise it’ll run you a cool $5 in the app store.
Garters and Ghouls, iTunes Store link
3 December 2009
FIRST GAME TO USE THE iPHONE 3GS DIGITAL COMPASS ON APPLE’S APP STORE TODAY
Update for Namco’s first adventure game for the iPhone and iPod touch integrates 3GS hardware feature into Garters and Ghouls’ gameplay
London, UK – 3 December 2009 – Namco Networks, the world-class video game publisher known for best-selling franchises like PAC-MAN™, Ace Combat™ and Brain Exercise™ with Dr. Kawashima, today made Garters & Ghouls the first game to utilise the digital compass on the iPhone 3GS with the launch of its Version 1.1 update.
The game, with is also compatible with other iPhone and iPod touch models, takes place in 19th century Washington D.C. where the player takes control of Marie Dupois, a young debutante brought back to life. Her mission is to destroy the forces of evil haunting the American capital by using the resources of a millennium old secret society.
The player is thrust into 25 action-packed levels in an Adventure Mode featuring hundreds of monsters, numerous weapons and character upgrades. The Survival Mode allows for infinite replayability by randomly generating levels during each new game.
The special new feature for iPhone 3GS players uses the hardware’s GPS digital compass to help locate rare power ups. By physically turning and moving with the handset whilst playing the game, the digital compass acts as a radar to help find super weapons and special powers, that would otherwise be extremely difficult to find. This feature is built into the game available for download from today from Apple’s App Store, and players who already own the game can download the update direct to their handset free of charge.
As well as this brand new feature, Garters & Ghouls fully harnesses the hardware potential offered by the iPhone and iPod touch: it is possible to customise the soundtrack and play any title from the device’s library, as well as send high scores and share them with the Facebook community.
“Garters & Ghouls will undoubtedly be the first of many games that tap into this particular feature,” said Jonathan Kromrey, General Manager, Apple Games at Namco Networks. “It’s fantastic yet logical step for mobile gaming to begin blurring the boundaries of where a game world ends and the real world begins.”
Discover the official website: www.gartersandghouls.com
