Apple TV - Gaming Success Or Not?

Apple TV recently allowed games to be avaliable to download in app store, but is it really possible for it to become a 'gaming console'?

Many people have complained about the 'controller', although it was never originally intended to be used as a gaming device, which explains the poorly made gaming remote-control. Apps are the future of TV, according to Tim Cook, and while that particular claim may take some time to bear out, apps are certainly the most interesting thing about the new Apple TV.

"Full of problems and potential"

-The Verge

Here are the games we would reccommend that you download if Apple TV get a bit tedious and you are 'storage spacious':

Sing! Karaoke - The best singing app

The problem is sometimes you find an app you want to play with, and that stops you from writing the article you were supposed to be writing… For us this was Sing! Karaoke. It works with or without the iPhone app, the latter gives you a microphone and allows the creation of playlists. We were slightly put off by the idea that there were other people playing the game that the app seemed to want us to team up with, but we didn’t seem to have any issues there in the end. There’s a nice selection of new and old songs, and we were worried that we’d have to pay for in app purchases, but we’ve not discovered any yet.

Oceanhorn - Best action-adventure game

Oceanhorn is, essentially, the closest thing to Legend of Zelda you’ll find without buying a Nintendo system. Though for copyright reasons this is a different game set in a different location to Zelda, you can certainly notice the developers’ hat-tip to Zelda in gameplay. There are many quests to take part in, with a fairly lengthy storyline and although the graphics aren’t quite there, you still get the console feel when playing the game – quite an achievement for an Apple TV app.

Asphalt 8 - Best racing game

Few people are aware that the Siri Remote has Accelerometer and Gyroscopic functionality. While this isn't quite the same as the Nintendo Wii remote, it will be great for playing racing games (already a style suited to iOS devices).

Asphalt 8 is one of the best racing games on iOS, and we're looking forward to it hitting the Apple TV. Turn the Siri Remote on its side and rotate it left to right to simulate a steering wheel.

Galaxy On Fire - Manticore Rising - Best game

This feels to us like the key launch for the Apple TV. Galaxy On Fire has long been one of the most visually impressive games for iPhone and iPad, and Manticore Rising should look fantastic on the Apple TV. This game is a prequel to Galaxy on Fire 3 - Manticore, which will be released later in the year. Visually it looks spectacular, and should push the A9X and Metal to its limits.

The gameplay is fast paced – which is a downside when using the Siri remote, as its motion-controlled nature doesn’t allow for quick reactions. We imagined that gameplay would be more enjoyable with an MFi controller, but after connecting the controller we found that Manticore Rising doesn’t feature MFi support, much to our disappointment.