9 TIPS for Real Racing 3 Players! [3]

9Game provided: Real Racing 3 by Firemonkeys and EA is one of the best racing games out there for Android.

The fact it comes as a free download with in-app purchases frustrates some – myself included – but it has at least opened up the opportunity to play to many, many more. That aside, it's a fantastic game, and if you're looking to get a little better, or learn some tricks to mastering the in-app purchases, then look no further. Here's our guide to getting the best from Real Racing 3.
Be smart with your upgrades
An increase in top speed isn't going to help on most tracks and challenges. Engine upgrades tend to offer better results in top speed, but less in terms of acceleration. In a lot of the races in RR3, lower 0-60 times will benefit much more than being able to go 195mph. The start is crucial, and getting away from the line and up to racing speed quicker will ultimately gain you more places in the early part of the race, and being able to pull away from corners quicker than your opponents will help you consolidate your position once you've passed them. So, look to upgrading the drivetrain before the engine, get that 0-60 time down. Also look at combining this with reducing the weight of your car.
Horsepower isn't everything in a drag race
It isn't everything, but naturally it is important. What's going to win you drag races is timing. Since RR3 uses Time Shifted Multiplayer, your opponent is a real person who went down that same strip. You time your run to perfection and you stand a solid chance even if you're lacking a few horses over them. The launch is key, but remember that the delay between the red and green lights varies through rounds, so don't get caught out and false start. Once you're off the line, glue your eyes to the rev counter. Hit the sweet spot for each gear change just below the red line, and you're on for a good run. The counter will stop or bounce around just at the top of the red line depending on the car, but hit the gear changes at the right spot and you won't be caught. Well, not always, anyway.
Get all over those kerbs
When I completed my race license test here in the UK, I was told that kerbs are generally bad, and that the fastest line around the track isn't to drive all over them. That doesn't apply at all in Real Racing 3, in fact some of the quickest lines I've found involve getting plenty of kerb into some of the turns. Take the image above, taken from the Brand Hatch track. Follow this line through this turn and you can carry a little extra speed, which ultimately works out as you hammer round the final turn and off down the start finish straight. I've also found a lot of the other cars generally stay away from them, so if you can keep that line tight and use the kerbs, you can often sneak up the inside. But only do this when you're confident you can get a good exit speed or you'll get burned on the other side.

To read more information about Real Racing 3 or other racing games, you can click HERE !

9 TIPS for Real Racing 3 Players! [2]

9Game provided: Real Racing 3 by Firemonkeys and EA is one of the best racing games out there for Android.

The fact it comes as a free download with in-app purchases frustrates some – myself included – but it has at least opened up the opportunity to play to many, many more. That aside, it's a fantastic game, and if you're looking to get a little better, or learn some tricks to mastering the in-app purchases, then look no further. Here's our guide to getting the best from Real Racing 3.
Know your circuits, and the different layouts of each
This comes with playing time, but as you become familiar with the circuits make sure you take note as to which layout you're racing on. This will affect your mindset, and possibly even your choice of car going into a race. For example, all Cup races at Laguna Seca will see you starting 22nd on the grid, which puts you the other side of the final turn. So you're already at a disadvantage, with a slow corner to negotiate before even hitting the start/finish straight. Here you'll want to be in the absolute fastest car you have for the race. Likewise at Silverstone, there are three different configurations, with two different start lines. Both see you starting a cup race on a turn, but the National layout sees you use a completely different part of the circuit to the International layout, while the Grand Prix layout combines both. Considering the track before the race is almost as important to success as the car you choose.
Always have the best car you can
Seems an odd statement, but it's the best way to progress through the game well. The game structure recently changed into a progress driven career mode, so getting the best car possible at the right time is even more crucial. Don't think about conserving credits – either pre-loaded or something you've bought – go for the best you can afford. At the beginning of the game you don't want to be thinking about upgrades, you need to hit the track, and the initial choice of car won't matter too much. I started out with the Ford Focus RS, which has proved to be highly upgradeable and an excellent all-rounder as the game has progressed. But as you progress now, you need to have certain performance ratings on your car to enter certain races. So if you can get something faster, then do.
Use the bonuses to your advantage
The latest update brought some additional ways to earn extra R$. Playing every day is one of those, so even if you don't feel like playing, fire it up, claim the reward, then close it again. Also, as hard as it is not to use brute force to knock your opponents out of the way some times, do whatever it takes to avoid them and claim that clean race cash. Also, stick at one particular series, and complete as much of it as you can before moving on. The new career style progression ladder will help, but hitting 25% complete in a series for example nets you free currency. And currency is good.

To read more information about Real Racing 3 or other racing games, you can click HERE !

9 TIPS for Real Racing 3 Players! [1]

9Game provided: Real Racing 3 by Firemonkeys and EA is one of the best racing games out there for Android.

The fact it comes as a free download with in-app purchases frustrates some – myself included – but it has at least opened up the opportunity to play to many, many more. That aside, it's a fantastic game, and if you're looking to get a little better, or learn some tricks to mastering the in-app purchases, then look no further. Here's our guide to getting the best from Real Racing 3.
Likewise, be smart with in-app purchases
It truly is possible to play RR3 without spending a penny, but you'll spend more time waiting around for things to happen. If you should feel you want to spend some money to help you out, be smart. Look at the packages you can purchase that combine gold and R$, and also the specific car related packages too. Don't blindly tap away to increase just your R$ or your gold, strike a good balance. And, if you have the currency available and a deal flashes up on a car such as 40% off, buy it. If you're in a position to buy it, and to use it at your current level.
Run wide (but not too wide), don't slide
Hitting the grass kills your momentum, a lot, but equally so does sliding round corners. While it looks cool, it isn't going to help you win your races one bit. If you go in a bit hot and you're not going to make your turn in for the apex of the corner, let it run wide and use all the track. It may cost you some lap time, but it's going to cost you a lot less than if you overcook it and get the tail out. If you're too late on the brakes, keep your turn in as smooth as you can, and you'll come out better in the long run.
l of progression, then do it. I picked up a BMW Z4 GT3 for 40% below it's regular in-game price, which otherwise I probably wouldn't have done.
Spam your Facebook friends
OK, that's not really what you need to do, but you can earn extra gold by sharing your results with your friends on Facebook. You can also share to Sina Weibo if you're in a supported region. But, for five free gold, who cares what your friends think, right? Such a shame I don't use Facebook...

To read more information about Real Racing 3 or other racing games, you can click HERE !

There are some tips hidden in Temple Run 2.Can you find them?

Want to make Temple Run 2 more interesting? Let 9Game tells you some hidden tricks in this action game!
About The Spartan Objective
These abilities, in no particular order, will make completing The Spartan a lot easier.
Score Multiplier – Increases your score.. this one is essential, so max it out if you can!
Coin Value – The the coin value, the more points you get. This one is a no-brainer, so upgrade it.
Save Me – Reduces the gem cost for Save Me’s.. not essential, but can really help on longer runs.
Head Start – I don’t use these a lot because they’re expensive, but if you have purchased all of the abilities you want then upgrade this as needed.
My primary tip for getting The Spartan is not to be afraid to die on a long run in order to avoid a powerup. They like to place them in tricky spots sometimes making them hard to avoid, like over jumps and obstacles, etc. You can use Save Me’s, so die and use one if needed.
Everything else is going to be a lot of luck and skill. If you’re having trouble, collect a bunch of gems and upgrade some more abilities before going at it again.
If you are having a lot of difficulty with this challenge, check out my guide to Temple Run 2 longer runs and higher scores. This guide will give all of the tips I use to get high scores in Temple Run 2. Check out our otherTemple Run 2 tips while you’re at it.
About The Floating Island
As you traverse further into the game, you will notice some islands or objects floating across the road, some in the background. It can get quite tempting to jump over to that island, as you might get extra bonuses that are ultimately special that it doubles your total points. Judging on how high your character can jump, you will just have to give up, because you will be heading to your grave.
About The Ropeways
Sliding down the ropeways leads to the next level down and oftentimes, either at the right or the left, there are two levels that seems like you can jump onto them. There are maybe levels that you either have already passed or you might be passing further in the game, but it is not possible to jump in the middle of the ropeway to get to those levels. Just give up on trying to get to those levels if you do not want to lose the points that you have accumulated.
Just Decorations?
Maybe all these things that you will notice in the game are just there for display and have no extra meaning to them. At least, you should learn to trick in the game if you are still new to it: a cliff with right or left paths. There is nothing special with either path, just choose one randomly before you go directly over the cliff. 
About The Mines
Some players may have thought that at least the mine tunnels have a hidden passageway or special bonuses if you do some simple tricks to open them. The amazing part of this area is that you only get to ride through it, without anything extra special happening.

Rovio,Angry Birds Producer, lays off 110 staff

Angry Birds is such a pupolar puzzle game produced by Rovio whcih you can download at 9game.

Rovio has announced that it will be making 110 staff -- of a global workforce of around 800 -- redundant in a company "reorganisation", as well as closing up its game development studio in Tampere, Finland.
The cuts, which were initially announced in early October, were fewer than anticipated, Rovio said.
"Rovio Entertainment Ltd has concluded employee negotiations announced on October 2nd this year. As a result, Rovio will reduce its workforce by less than the previously planned 130 employees," the company wrote in a statement.
"Rovio estimates that its workforce will be reduced by approximately 110 employees. As part of its reorganisation, several positions have been opened for internal applicants. The final number of employees impacted depends on how many of these new positions are filled. Rovio will consolidate all its Finland operations in Espoo, resulting in discontinuing the Tampere studio operations under Rovio."
The move follows the company's financial report earlier in the year, where it announced that its net profits for 2013 -- €26.9 million ($33 million)-- had more than halved from the net profits for 2012, which came in at €55.5 million. At the time, CFO Herkko Soininen attributed the drop to investments outside mobile gaming.
The company shot to prominence in 2009 with the release of Angry Birds for mobile, although it had previously developed a variety of games for other platforms. After the release of Angry Birds, however, the company concentrated most of its efforts around that franchise. It followed up with Angry Birds Seasons in 2010; Angry Birds Rio in 2011; Angry Birds Space, Angry Birds Star Wars and Bad Piggies in 2012; Angry Birds Friends, Angry Birds Star Wars II and Angry Birds Go in 2013; and Angry Birds Epic, Angry Birds Stella and Angry Birds Transformers in 2014.
In addition, it launched its own cartoon channel, which hosts its own Angry Birds cartoons: Angry Birds Toons, Piggy Tales and Angry Birds; as well as physical toys, a board game and other merchandise such as soft drinks and candy.
"After three years of very strong growth, 2013 was a foundation-building year. We invested in new business areas, such as animation and video distribution, ventured into new business models in games, and consolidated our strong market position in consumer products licensing. With these investments we have been gearing up for the future growing markets," Soininen said.
The Angry Birds developer will retain its game development studio in Stockholm, Sweden, as well as its headquarters in Espoo, Finland, and its branch offices in Shanghai, China, Santa Monica, Calif., Seoul, South Korea, Tokyo, Japan and London.
9game hope that this information is useful for you.

GUNSHIP BATTLE: Get to the choppa

GUNSHIP BATTLE is a hot action game on 9Game these days with more than 70.000 downloads and an average rating of 4.3. It’s quite a superb title by TheOne Games, a newcomer to the market; and here is a sincere overview of the game’s virtues and flaws.

Your main base of operations is aboard a carrier. This is where you can select which helicopters you'll use to complete the next mission and where you can change their equipment. You'll start off with a simple yet effective default helicopter nicknamed "Little Bird". Completing missions will let you earn credits which you can use to purchase more advanced, and powerful helicopters. From real-life popular choppers like the Huey, Hind, Black Hawk, or Comanche to the more futuristic Dragon Ship (similar to the ones used in the movie "Avatar") are included in the in-game store's inventory. 
Unfortunately, there's only a limited selection of the ones you can purchase using the in-game credits compared to the "freemium" models that you can only get by spending Gold, which of course can be acquired through microtransactions. The game also offers Rental services where you can use specific advanced helicopter models for a set number of missions. (For example, you can spend $30,000 to rent a Hind for three missions – which is quite ludicrious, considering that you can't effectively grind for money in the game due to lower rewards for repeating missions)
Missions are held in fixed map areas where you need to simply complete objective(s) which involves destroying various ground, air, or naval targets. Your chopper has an unlimited amount of ammo divided by clips. Once the current ammo clip is emptied, you have to wait for a few seconds for the reload sequence to complete and get a fresh, full clip. Your chopper also has a limited amount of health. You can restore it in the middle of the battle by flying through a green Health/Repair symbol that randomly appears when destroying buildings. Item pick-ups / drops like these disappear after a short while so make sure to prioritize flying over them to get them. Enemies range from the puny foot soldiers, to heavily armored tanks, watchtowers, helicopters, ships, etc. All of them can deal varying amount of damage to your helicopter. Since they can be pretty accurate at short range, it is generally advised to engage and destroy them from a distance. You have to be careful since destroying your chopper and failing the mission may incur negative losses both to your current mission points and credits. 
Using the on-screen keypad, your can move your chopper back and forth, call in support and fire your weapons. The game relies on your device's gyro to turn, raise/lower the altitude, and control your chopper's direction. This should be a very accurate and smooth control but for some reason, controlling the chopper in my Nexus 7 (2nd Gen) tablet is pretty wobbly. The camera is shaky even when I'm not moving my tablet and it quickly stressed out my eyesight, not to mention making targeting of enemies quite tedious as you always need to make minute adjustments while firing at targets. Doing this on stationary targets are quite challenging and the ordeal is even more harder on moving targets. I haven't tried the game on other smaller devices (smartphones) and it could just be my hands or my device but the experience could've been better if the camera is stable especially when you need to land accurate shots and strafing runs in the middle of battle. 
The game doesn't have any multiplayer aspect though your can connect online to compare your rankings with other players. Connecting online is not required to enjoy the full features of the game. While online, you can purchase gold and you can also back up/ retrieve your game data on the game server. The game doesn't seem to have any distracting ads as well (unless your device is online) but in case you need your device to be always on and you don't want to see these ads, purchasing Gold will remove these distractions permanently. 
The game's visuals is impressive. The individual helicopter models, landscape, and enemy units and structures are quite detailed as well. The visual effects like weapon fire, explosions, etc blends well with the action. Players may encounter some occassional "hiccups" or split-second lags though the player's device model and its resources may be a considerable factor as well. The game's audio is also perfect. The sound effects helps immerse players in the action that's happening on screen. 
Gunship Battle is very promising, sporting simple and responsive controls, impressive graphics, and engaging gameplay. However, discouraging grinding by restricting players' progress through reward reduction for completing previously completed missions will become a major hurdle to most players. This restriction in addition to the ludicrous prices of equipment and (reliable) new choppers can severely hamper player progress (and enjoyment) as enemies get tougher and missions harder as they go by. This clearly displays the gap between free players and players who can spend real money to get around the game's unnecessary challenges. As this is quite common for developers who follow the free-to-play infrastructure to rely on microtransactions to gain revenue for their "free" games, having some balance between providing the majority of the target player audience reasonable challenges to progress and simply placing hurdles for them should be considered, considering the Free-to-Play market offers a lot of options. 
Overall, Gunship Battle is quite an engaging and enjoyable game up until to an extent. Good air combat simulators that boasts impressive audio, visuals, and gameplay are quite uncommon for mobile devices. Fans of the genre should try this game and it's up to them to decide whether it's worth spending money for. 

Nice tips：Teen Patti Strategy

Well, Teen Patti is the card game which recently has became very popular in India. you can play it on Facebook, or on Android Phone. Teen Patti is Became very Popular from India and now in South Asia too. Teen Patti is Played by not only the Youth but the People of all ages.You can download it from 9Game.

Pack / Fold
You can throw in the towel at anytime and pack / fold. If you pack, you forfeit all the money you have placed as bet until then.You want to make this move when you believe that your hand is weak and hence you want to cut your losses and preserve your capital by not putting in any more money into the pot.
Play Blind
When you play blind, you have not seen your cards and place your bet by guessing the strength of your hand relative to that of other players.
By playing blind you are conserving your capital as you bet less than Seen players. You are hoping to outlast the other players by staying in the game. Play blind if have an indication that Seen players have a weak hand and are likely to fold. This is a gut feel play most of the time where luck plays a big part. You can keep risks low by placing the smallest bets possible.
Ask for Sideshow
If you have seen your cards, you can ask for a sideshow after placing your bet. Youcan ask for a sideshow with the player who placed the last bet. That player must not be blind for this to be allowed. On asking for a sideshow, you will get to see the other player's cards.You want to make this move when you have a high degree of confidence that your hand is better than the previous bettors.
Play Chaal
You can choose to see your cards at any time and then place a bet upon your turn.
You keep betting if you have confidence in the relative strength of your hand or hope to bluff the other players into folding.
9Game : Teen Patti, sometimes spelled Teen Pathi, means "three cards". It is an Indian gambling game, also known as Flush, and is almost identical to the British game 3 Card Brag. An international 52 card pack is used, cards ranking in the usual order from ace (high) down to two (low). Any reasonable number of players can take part; it is probably best for about 4 to 7 players.

All Ring Artifacts Discovered! Can you do that in Temple Run 2 ?

9game provided: The premise of the action game,Temple Run 2, is easy to understand — you steal an artifact from an ancient temple, and then you run like hell. This simple concept combined with exhilarating gameplay and intuitive controls helped make the game a smash hit to the tune of more than 170 million downloads across both iOS and Android.  

Here’s a recap of the tireless work to complete the discovery of all Temple Run 2 Ring Artifacts.  Have a look at the artifacts and all their glory here.  Interesting thought – Wouldn’t it be cool if we could place all ten rings on one of the Temple Run 2 character’s fingers and turn them into the Mandarin?  LOL – now you’re just talking crazy….  because eventually Tony Stark would hunt you down and find out you are just a facade to the real Mandarin who will eventually cut Tony’s suit in half with his Extremis infused hands, but get blown to bits by Extremis Pepper Pots.  Uh… spoiler alert?
Editorial Review
While I can understand the randomness of the artifact collection process Imangi put together, I feel they could have easily created an intelligent, progressively difficult collection methodology, requiring the runs to be longer and more perfect.  And, it wouldn’t hurt to drop a few clues in the achievement and objectives.  Rather than just displaying “Hidden” with no explanation, there could be a small “i” information icon displaying hints/clues for the adventurers to focus their attention on in subsequent runs.
Feature request
If Imangi is reading the early reactions to the artifacts, they’ll notice gamers asking – “What do the artifacts do?”.  Great question.  To steal a term from Bloons Tower Defense – “Activated Ability”.  The Abilities framework is already in place.  It wouldn’t be difficult to either add another “Artifact Ability” to the abilities section, or enhance current abilities by ‘turning on’ specific artifact powers.
Post your thoughts, would love to hear your feedback!
Also, I’d really like to get feedback on how many of you have collected two or more artifacts in a single run.  How many did you collect and which ones were they?
In case you missed it, this fantastic quest started at 9game. Enjoy!

Look at here~Basic Rules of Texas Poke!

9game provided: There are many different forms of poker card game including seven card stud, Omaha, five-card draw, and Texas Poker to name a few. Hold’em has evolved as the most popular game worldwide and is the form we shall use to cover the basic rules of poker.
In this lesson we’ll take you step by step through the basic rules of poker and we’ll use an example hand to illustrate. You can read the text that follows or alternatively you can watch the video version instead. Watching the video is probably the better option because it’s easier to follow the betting action, but the choice is yours.
The game of hold’em is typically played with nine or ten players at the table.

Figure 3
Basic Rules, Pre-Flop
In our example player 6 raised the betting to $4, player 7 folded and is now out of the hand. Player 8 called, but players 9, 10, and 1 all folded and are also out of this hand. Players 2, 3, 4, and 5, all called player 6’s raise. Once all bets have been equalized (i.e. matched), then the betting round is over. In our example, six players are now left in and the pot contains $24 ($4 x 6). This brings us onto the next betting round, called the flop.
The Flop
After the first round of betting is complete three community cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. All the active players can use these three cards, along with their two hole cards, to make their best possible hand. These three cards are known as “the flop”. Here’s the flop before any further betting has taken place:
Figure 4
Basic Rules, The Flop
You will notice that all the bets from previous round (preflop) are now in the pot. After the flop has been dealt, another betting round begins. The first active player to the left of the dealer button starts the action. In our example this is the small blind from the opening round, player 2. The forced action created by the blind bets no longer exists and that player has two options; to check or bet. A check means to neither open the betting nor fold. When a player checks the action moves onto the next active player, who may also check. If a player wants to check they either verbally announce “check”, or they tap the table with their finger or hand (or click the mouse if playing online poker).
If a player decides to open the betting, the option to check is over, and a player must either call, raise, or fold – this includes any players who have previously checked. Once all bets for this betting round have been matched or every player has opted to check, then we move onto the next betting round. For our example hand, let’s suppose that after the flop was dealt, players 2, 3, 4, and 5, all checked. But player 6 then bet $2, which was called by player 8. Players 2, 3, and 4 all fold, but player 5 calls the $2. These three players get to see “the turn”.
The Turn
After the second round of betting (the flop) a fourth card is dealt and that card is called “the turn” – it’s also sometimes referred to as 4th street. In our example hand we have three players remaining:
Figure 5
Basic Rules, The Turn
You will also notice that the pot now contains $30, which is made up of $24 from the first betting round, and $6 from the betting on the flop. After the forth community card (the turn) has been dealt, another round of betting takes place, exactly the same format as the previous betting round, starting with the first active player to the left of the dealer button. In our example, this would be player 5. He may check or bet. Let’s suppose that player 5 checks, as do players 6 and 8. If all the players check, the round is over, and we move onto “the river”.
The River
After the third round of betting is complete the fifth and final board card is dealt and that card is called “the river” – it’s also sometimes referred to as 5th street.

Review about Angry Birds

9game provided: Most casual news watchers are familiar with explosives that have names like "bunker busters" and "daisy cutters." However, in Rovio Mobile's popular puzzle game, Angry Birds, multicolored chickens can take on the properties of these same bombs when pushed to the limits by egg-stealing green pigs.

Explosive chickens, adorable as they are, would be pointless without big buildings to topple, and Angry Birds provides more than 200 of them, with more added all the time. You can thoroughly demolish anything from stone castles to glass houses as you punish those evil, egg-stealing pigs.
To play, you simply load up a chicken in your slingshot, pull back while setting your angle, and let go to start the destruction. Angry Birds' gameplay is incredibly easy to understand, and the visual payoff for blowing stuff up is consistently impressive. Blue chickens split up in midair for a spread effect; heavy bomb chickens explode and send structures flying; and egg-laying hens let you deliver a yolky payload directly below.
You always receive the chickens in a particular order, which diminishes some of the strategy. Even though some chickens can be used to set up chain reactions, like using a burrowing hen to soften up a building's stone exterior and then following up with a ticking explosive chicken to blast out the walls--you don't get to do this if you don't get the chickens in this order.
Although you might fling your chickens in the same spot each time, the game's sensitive physics system usually gives different results. It's generally impossible to re-create specific trajectories and reactions, so there's some luck involved where obtaining a high score (and a full three-star rating) is concerned. There aren't really any tangible benefits to completing every mission with a three-star score, besides boasting about your score on the online leaderboards, anyway. Angry Birds has some minor issues, but most of the time, you won't notice because you'll be too busy trying to squish pigs and make full use of your chicken arsenal. The game's weapons, physics, and varied levels are really quite excellent, and they make this military-farm-complex a whole lot of fun.

GTA Vice City Review: A Classic Never Goes Out Of Style

9game provided: Grand Theft Auto Vice City(Racing Game) rode on the massive (and well-deserved) success of GTAIII with a fresh setting, a more character-driven story and a refined sandbox world that makes it a series favorite even today. Those who want to relive the glory days of the 1980s (and 2002) can download the game on Google Play for just five bucks.

Does Vice City live up to expectations? Well, yes and no. The technical aspects of the game, and Rockstar's ambitious commitment to the sandbox style, haven't aged well. If you've played GTA-style games in the recent past, Vice City will seem clunky and simplistic. On the other hand, the games relative lack of complexity works well in the new mobile form factor, and those who are burnt out on the "everything to everyone" style of Grand Theft Auto IV (man dates, anyone?) will appreciate the simplicity. And as a port, Vice City shines on high-powered hardware.
Grab A Controller
This is usually the point in the review where I lament a game's touch-based controls, and indeed, Vice City leaves a lot to be desired in this department. You can adjust the camera by sliding in the middle of the screen, but everything else is achieved by on-screen buttons - lots of them. It's a complicated game and requires a lot of fine control, especially in those sections where you're operating guns or flying vehicles.
That said, the controls are responsive and fast, for the most part. I can't fault the designers for the complexity of the game, since simplifying the controls would require gutting a lot of actual gameplay as well. If you're patient and well-coordinated, you shouldn't find the touch controls a major barrier to your enjoyment of the title.
Of course, Grand Theft Auto is meant to be played with a gamepad. Knowing this, Rockstar programmed full gamepad support. After plugging in my Logitech gamepad, the virtual controls automatically disappear, and the familiar layout returns. There are a few hiccups; for example, there's no visual indication as to what to press to accept a phone call. But overall, it's a nearly perfect emulation of the classic gameplay. Throw in an HDMI adapter, and suddenly you're back in 2002 - with high-definition graphics to boot.
They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To
On a technical level, Vice City is somewhat behind the times. Textures are flat and boring, draw distance is nearly zero, and the human models in particular look like something out of a 90s game. These were forgivable back on the PlayStation thanks to the sheer scope of the game, but beyond a boost to resolution which is thankfully adjustable in the settings menu, there are no additions here. The game is, to put it bluntly, ugly, but at least that should make it easier for older hardware to join in the fun. The screenshots in this review were taken on a Transformer Prime, with settings maxed out.
On the plus side, this relatively low level of graphical sophistication makes the game run surprisingly well on Android. Vice City is faster and smoother on my tablet than it was on my dusty old Xbox, and as noted above, those who need a little extra oomph from their hardware should be able to adjust the virtual resolution of the game to fit. More annoying are the somewhat older gaming conventions present: the aiming and jumping mechanics are annoying at best, and downright ruinous at worst. The fact that your character dies almost instantly in water in a game consisting almost solely of islands is still incredibly annoying. These problems aren't unique to the Android version, but it's a bit of a bummer that Rockstar didn't address them in the translation.
The highlight of the game's presentation, now as then, is the audio. Full voice acting was rare back in the day, and professional, dedicated attention to the characters was even less so. Combine that with Vice City's full compliment of period-correct radio stations (not to mention wildly entertaining faux talk stations) and you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't listen to the game on a good pair of headphones.
Crime Pays Pretty Well, Actually
The story of starts with Tommy Vercetti, mafia man who's just been released from prison and assigned to emerging criminal turf in Vice "no, it's not Miami, we swear" City. Players will build a criminal empire by stealing cars, busting drug deals, intimidating less flexible businessmen, and killing lots and lots of people. The story is surprisingly coherent, and plays out like a love letter to Scarface. Voice acting is solid - indeed, the actors and actresses far outclass their digital avatars' ability to express them.
Compared to the older Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City adds of lot of depth, though it isn't immediately apparent. A wider variety of weapons and cars (including motorcycles and helicopters) are the icing on a surprisingly deep system of real estate and money laundering. Play through about half the game, and you'll be able to buy and upgrade property, which will in turn make you money. You can spend this cash on more and better hideouts and better gear. Combined with more collectibles and side missions than you can shake a 12-gauge at, Vice City offers about 30 hours of play time straight through, and at least 70 hours for completionists.
But going straight through missions in this kind of game is almost missing the point. You'll find yourself hard-pressed to resist the temptation to crash cars, race tanks, try out the various challenges, and generally make the Vice City Police Department earn their money. The subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle humor that persists throughout the game should thrill the twelve-year-old in you (and make the adult in you feel kind of guilty). It goes without saying that between the graphic representation of criminal behavior and sexuality, this game is not meant for kids, and shouldn't be played by them.
Conclusion
There are a lot of small problems with Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, most of which have been with the game since its original version. That means that it's not easy to play without a controller, and it will punish gamers used to more forgiving, modern mobile games. But for those willing to look past its flaws, the game is as engaging and enjoyable as it was a decade ago.
More than that, it's a fantastic value. While five bucks is on the high side for an Android games, most games in the Play Store don't have the scope and breadth of Vice City, and they won't keep you going for weeks on end. If you're even a casual fan of Grand Theft Auto or sandbox games in general, Vice City is a must have. If not, wait for the game to go on sale (it almost certainly will at some point) and snag it then. You won't regret it.