180 Review developed by @HeadcaseGames

Headcase Games is an iOS developer that has recently released their newest game 180 and 180 Ultra for Android. 180 is a match-3 action puzzle game like Tetris but in an ass backwards new way. The game features a fun “shoot and flip” approach to action puzzle games. Following their successful campaign on iOS, Headcase Games has completely rebuilt the app from the ground up, with a brand-new codebase, fully new higher-resolution assets and a more polished presentation for Android. New gameplay modes are available, and more elaborate updates are planned to follow (tablet mode, casual mode, multiplayer).

A brief description of 180 from the developers:

• classic gameplay that’s infinitely replayable, you’ll never put this game down!
• multiple game modes and characters/themes- various difficulty levels to hone your skill
• multiple gameplay secrets, can you figure them out?
• openFeint achievements and online leaderboards
• colorful, hi-resolution graphics
• comprehensive stat tracking
• color-blind friendly
• several updates planned for the future!

I give them props for what they did with the ads. A never-before-seen monetization technique was developed for this release, in which two versions of the game are distributed. 180 Ultra for Android (USD $1.99) contains 4 different game modes and 4 selectable characters and themes, immediately available to play upon download.  Ultra has released alongside the standard version of 180 for Android (Free) which contains all of the same content, yet some of it must be unlocked by progressing through the game.  Although this free-to-download version is monetized by in-game advertising, all ads will be permanently disabled once the game is fully unlocked (achieved by simply playing the game over the course of 10 cumulative hours). Imagine if other developers did some shit like that? (Ahem, Rovio) instead of continuing to annoy the shit out of users with ads, after they play the game long enough, they just go away.

I did play the game, and it was fun. I skipped the demo so for the first game I played I failed miserably and had no fucking clue what I was doing (so much for reading instructions on my part). Here are a few screenshots of the game in action:

About Headcase Games

Headcase Games is an independent developer whose members’ previous credits include the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series, Neverwinter Nights 2, Alpha Protocol, Heroes of Might & Magic IV, Guitar Hero, Knights of the Old Republic II, and several others.

180 and 180 Ultra now available for download in the Android Market and at whatis180.com

Or you can scan the QR Code below with your Android device

You can also follow the developers on twitter @HeadcaseGames