Fruit Frenzy continues to be popular accross the internet. Here’s a selection of the latest reviews and coverage.

iPhoneGamerUK reviewed the game, saying “This game is seriously addictive and great fun for lovers of match 3 games,fruity games with a twist [...] and could well get my g/f off of Bejeweled 2 all the time and onto Fruit Frenzy.That’s if she can get me off it that is.”

Pocket Gamer posted a news article on the game’s release, showing the game trailer and describing the game.

The iPhone App Review also published a review, saying “Fruit Frenzy is a challenging game for the puzzle fan. From the attractively animated splash screen to the bright, high-resolution in-game graphics, Fruit Frenzy is a real delight on the eyes. The graphics are complimented by a slick interface and simple controls.”. They scored it 9 out of 10.

Nine Over Ten reviewed the game too, saying “The art direction reminds me of the the whimsical art that you find in children books of old, very nice indeed. And the best part is, the gameplay rises to the occassion as well.”

Fruit Frenzy was also reviewed on The Gasual Girl Gamer in their iOS games roundup. The reviewer said “I am not that much of a fan of three-of-a-kind style games but this one, Fruit Frenzy, put a smile on my face. [...] Just play the game – it is beautifully designed and, even for a three-of-a-kind-phobe like me, incredibly addictive.”.

Fruit Frenzy is available on the Apple App Store now.

Fruit Frenzy got off to a great start today, getting several reviews from high profile sites

Kotaku loved the game and produced a nice video showing off the game well. Being a site which is well read by my games industry friends, having it on there means a lot to me.

iPhoneGlance make the game seem like a dangerous drug that you’ll never be able to stop (which sounds great to me!).

The iPhone Mom also liked the game, calling it ‘rather fresh’. I’m sure to steal that line for some marketing material in the future.

Stay tuned for more…

It’s finally here. Fruit Frenzy is now available from the iOS App Store in your country.
View Fruit Frenzy on the iTunes App Store

The game was chosen by OpenFeint for their Featured Games of the Week, which means it’s currently appearing inside all OpenFeint enabled games. Thanks to everyone at OpenFeint for this, you’ve all been fantastically helpful.

It’s a game I’m very pleased with, I think it provides a lot of gameplay and value for your $0.99 (or 59p). There’s three game modes, and plenty of puzzle levels, with more coming soon if the game is popular. On the iPad, the large screen makes the artwork really shine and the game has a real tactile feel to it. If you get a chance, try it out on an iPad, I think it’s the best way to play the game.

I’ve been working on a live high score table feature which is now running on the Fruit Frenzy site. Each page of the site shows a random high score table from the game. Scores will show up there immediately after the player plays Fruit Frenzy on their device. This is all possible via OpenFeint’s REST API. If you’re reading this and you want to do this yourself, drop me a mail, I can give you the code in return for you promoting Fruit Frenzy!

I’d love to make a multiplayer mode, which would let you play competetively against other players via bluetooth or wifi, a little like good old Tetris on the Game Boy. I have it all worked out in my head, and I think that would be great fun.

There’s also Android, of course. The game would be great on some of the newer Android phones or tablets with large screens.

So, please buy the game if it sounds like you’d enjoy it. Your support will mean that new features and improvements will be added to the game, and you’ll be supporting independant game development. EA don’t need your money, but there are plenty of smaller developers out there that do.

But most of all, enjoy the game!

Fruit Frenzy has been approved by Apple’s staff, which means it’s all set to go on the iPhone App Store tomorrow. I couldn’t have done this at all without the help of my good friend P!, who provided all the art in the game.

Many thanks also to all my hard working testers, who have tirelessly reported bugs so that nobody else has to see them! Thanks is also due to the friendly people at OpenFeint, who provide the leaderboards for Fruit Frenzy and have been very helpful.

Please buy the game on the store tomorrow!

Media Coverage

The Gamer With Kids is hyped about the game and posted the trailer to their site.

Here’s another video reviews of the game on YouTube. Thanks awsm0down!

And here’s a review of the game on an iPad. Fruit Frenzy has an HD mode specifically for iPad users so it works great on the iPad:

Fruit Frenzy is currently awaiting Apple’s approval to be added to the store. If all goes well, it will be approved by Thursday 3rd February and you’ll be able to snap it up for the low, low price of $1 (59p).

Also, Fruit Frenzy has been getting some more press attention. Take a look at this great video review from iPodandGameReviews:

Pocket Gamer have also shown the little game some love!

Fruit Frenzy is starting to get some attention online, with a preview of the game appearing on GameZebo, one of the most popular causal gaming sites.
Fruit Frenzy on GameZebo

The game also featured prominently on Kontraband, a prominent UK entertainment site:
Fruit Frenzy on Kontraband

Let us know if you’ve seen any Fruit Frenzy coverage that we might have missed!

Fruit Frenzy is a unique puzzle game that’ll give you endless hours of fun! Coming soon to all iOS devices from White Bat Games.

Juice the fruit for Freddy the Fennec Fox and his adorable cast of friends by sliding the rows and columns of the board. Line up the combos for a high score, but be careful – once the rows start to fill up, you’ll need all your wits about you to get them unclogged! There are three game modes. In Arcade Mode, last as long as you can before the screen fills with fruit. In Puzzle Mode, solve devious puzzles at your own pace. Fruit Frenzy has something for everyone!  In Time Attack, race against the clock to get a high score before the time runs out.

The game has stunning graphics and a full musical score. With online leaderboards and achievements using OpenFeint, you can compare your scores with friends nearby or across the world. Retina Graphics for iPhone 4 and HD graphics for iPad means the game will look great whichever device you have.

Suitable for the whole family, Fruit Frenzy is due out on all iOS devices soon.

Visit the Fruit Frenzy website

Take a look at the Fruit Frenzy trailer:

Pirandello Games have released a trailer for their new game Space Chicken, which was produced in association with White Bat Games.

It shows off the gameplay and also gives you a taster of the fantastic artwork and musical score.

Take a look here:

White Bat Games has been hard at work recently on a new game for Pirandello Games called Space Chicken!  The game launched for iOS devices on the 29th December, and was featured by Apple in ‘New and Noteworthy’ in both Cards and Strategy categories.

Your mission is to negotiate the endless stream of Aliens arriving in airlock 01.  To save the world, you’ll need all the help you can get from your allies.  But how can you tell your allies from your enemies?  It will be up to your judgement to decide.  Sometimes, help can come from where you least expect it.  Or perhaps you will be killed by a force much stronger than you have ever encountered.

Think, stay alive, and fight for survival.  Your good judgement is all that can save the Earth from certain destruction.  Good Luck!

The gameplay itself is an interesting new take on a card game.  Aliens are drawn at random and you need to use your items to discover which alien is in the airlock, as well as how to protect yourself from it.

Some screenshots of the game in action:

Visit Pirandello Games for more information, and to purchase.

Today, the sales figures for last week came in, and Art Academy has just passed one million sales worldwide. This was partly thanks to a large advertising campaign starring Terry Wogan, a popular TV and radio presenter here in the UK.

I have come to realise that one element of Art Academy’s production was very rare – there were practically no budget or time constraints applied to us.  Nintendo were willing to take the time and money to produce something that’s the best it can be.  We had deadlines, and these were sometimes harsh, but after it passed we took stock of what we had and decided what we wanted to do next.  Usually this was more experimentation and we spent a lot of time working out what worked and what didn’t.  The discussions on what should be thrown away were sometimes heated!

I can’t think of any other project I’ve worked on that had the same philosophy.

Here’s the advert.  Thanks, Sir Terry!