Flight Control Message Board

#dontplaythis Flight Control was such a simple, enjoyable, universally acclaimed mobile game, it compelled the boss—and I don't mean Totilo, I mean the boss—to write a review of it two years ago. He came back from his safari in the messy backcountry of video game criticism with a nice trophy, too. Me, however, I get to deal with the sequel, a gobbed-up, what-the-hell, coin-operated unhappy meal slid across the fast-food counter of the iTunes App Store. More »

#plantsvszombies Here's a music video for the song "Why Don't We Do Something?" by the band Hey Geronimo. It has better graphics than my iPhone. More »

A portion of a GamePro review...

While it's still a solid game, this WiiWare port of an iOS favorite does little to set itself apart from previous versions.

Full review here

A portion of a Nintendo Life review...

A lack of progression tracking undermines the desire to persist or overcome the controls, reducing this release to one that locks most of its true appeal away from the player behind cumbersome controls.

Full review here

You've got to give it to Firemint they're a studio that knows when they have a hit on their hands, and they've been working hard to get this same game shipped out to as many different systems as possible. It first appeared on the iPhone, then it got the HD upgrade for iPad. It touched down on Android devices and Windows Phone 7. It came to PC players through Steam and became a Mac OS X download. And, finally, Nintendo players got a version of it through DSiWare about a year and a half ago...

#downloadables When the most exciting downloadable title in Nintendo's weekly lineup is an air traffic control sim game, it's either an excellent air traffic control sim game or a very slow week. More »

Draw your way to victory, and schmooze over wahine's.

Electronic Arts continues to chase the mobile market, today announcing an agreement to purchase Firemint, the Australia-based developer behind iOS hits like Flight Control, Real Racing and, notably, "an attractive future slate of games." Flight Racing, anyone? While it may be true love, EA and Firemint aren't ones to kiss-and-tell; the purchase price isn't being disclosed.

EA isn't just buying Firemint, however. The developer recently purchased fellow Australians Infinite Interactive, the devs behind the popular Puzzle Quest series. For its part, EA recently purchased a company called MPP, a "leader in high quality cross-platform development and porting of games for smartphones." We don't know about you, but we detect a faint whiff of synergy.

Oh, here it is: "The added technical expertise of MPP, combined with the creative talent of Firemint and our EAi studio teams, fuels EA's leadership in delivering top selling, high quality games across mobile phones and smartphones, tablets and future digital interactive entertainment platforms," EA Interactive's Barry Cottle said in a press release.

This courtship has ostensibly been going on for some time. Before it struck it rich on the App Store, Firemint labored in the EA Mobile mines working on the Madden NFL 3D series, a 2006 mobile release of Need for Speed Most Wanted, and something called The Sims DJ. You can't say Firemint hasn't paid its dues.

Video giant EA, makers of Madden, Need For Speed and Battlefield (among many others) is snatching up Australia-based Firemint, creators of some of the most popular games on the iPad and iPhone, according to EA. The publisher gets the studio and the rights to its hit games, including Flight Control and Real Racing. The companies didn't announce any new games as part of this, but it stands to reason there will be some thematic overlap—if not brand overlap—between EA's Need for Speed gaming and Firemint's Real Racing. EA, don't mess up Flight Control. That might anger the guy who reviewed it for us. More »

Firemint, developers of Flight Control and Real Racing 2, say in this interview the full-blown 3D racer for iOS/Android was "...developed over 18 months on a budget of US$2 million." Now the real question: How much did they make? [PocketfulOfMB.com] More »

The guys that make Flight Control just bought the guys who make Puzzle Quest. If that's not a new casual gaming super-power, we don't know what is. More »

Firemint's air traffic control game Flight Control, currently available for handhelds like the iPhone and DSi, appears to be moving to the big screen -- and no, we don't mean the iPad. (That already happened.) We mean the even bigger screen: your TV.

Australia's OFLC media review board has rated a Wii version of Flight Control, which would most likely point to a WiiWare release. This would be the first home console version of the game, and also the first not to use a touchscreen interface. Thanks to these altered controls, Flight Control for Wii could be either novel or annoying to fans of previous versions.

[Via Gamerbytes]

Shots from the final version, just launched today in the USA.

A portion of a Nintendo Life review… Without a friend to experience the multiplayer mode, Flight Control becomes a solo flight, learning the game’s hidden intricacies and bettering your own high score purely for your own satisfaction. If that’s what you’re in the market for, you’ll find plenty of nail-biting “one more go” addiction here. Full review [...]

Firemint's DSiWare version of its iPhone hit Flight Control is preparing to descend to the DSi Shop. It'll be out in Europe this Friday, February 19, arriving in North America the following Monday, Feb. 22, for 500 Points. And even if you've landed thousands of planes in the iPhone version of this air traffic control game, this version includes new maps!

The trailer after the break demonstrates the simple gameplay. Using the stylus, you direct the flight paths of swarms of tiny airplanes so that they all land safely. And then you declare "I am an air traffic controller!" Oh, no, that's a different game.

Air traffic control is in your hands!