Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Odds and ends, Freeware, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
First Look: 24: Special Ops for iPhone
Digital Chocolate has nabbed the 24 license (along with a few sounds and music bits) from Fox, and they've released an iPhone game based on my favorite TV show ever. Unfortunately, things don't get quite as good as they probably should, but the run-and-gun gameplay mixes it up with a nice variety of minigames, so if you're a 24 completist (and have an iPhone -- apparently this doesn't work for iPod touch at the moment), it might be worth spending the $5.If not, there's a "lite" version on the App Store which will take you through the game's first few "hours" (in reality, just a few minutes per segment) of stages. The game itself features Jack Bauer backed up by Chloe doing what else but saving Los Angeles from various terrorist threats. The grid-based action gameplay is simple but fun, and the shooter stages are broken up with encryption and driving minigames. None of it is brilliant, but just like the show, watching Jack Bauer kill bad guys is usually good enough.
It's too bad they didn't do more -- 24's strengths have always been in its breakneck story pace and twists and turns, and just from playing the first few hours in the lite version, this seems like a Jack-and-Chloe story only (Bill appears in a suit on the menu screen, so apparently he shows up later, in some role at old CTU). If there are any cool story twists or turns, they take place more than four hours in -- it would be great to see Michelle or even Nina (if this is before Day 3) again, but I doubt we get that. Still, it's got Jack killing and blowing stuff up, and that's never a bad thing.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Steve said 8:52AM on 5-07-2009
No iPod Touch???!!!
Gahhh, this is ALSO my favourite TV show and I can't get it now. :(
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Steve said 8:55AM on 5-07-2009
Actually, I just checked the iTunes Store page...it says "compatible with iPhone and iPod touch"
I'll test it out and report here if it works on my 2nd gen.
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Steve Lybbie said 9:02AM on 5-07-2009
I just got it successfully onto my 2nd gen iPod Touch, at the main menu, all seems well for now...going to test it out and see if their claim that it's only for iPhone is true.
Keeping my hopes up. :P
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Steve Lybbie said 9:06AM on 5-07-2009
I CONFIRM: this game also works on iPod Touch, feel free to add that to the post as a note *unofficially* if you wish Mike! :)
Ecstatic right now, this is early 90's esque type game!
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asronline said 9:13AM on 5-07-2009
This game is really amazing I can't stop playing it. I love the sounds really just like the TV Show!
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Andrew said 9:32AM on 5-07-2009
Works fine on my 2g iPod Touch. i bought this a couple of days ago and been playing non stop. its pretty good, but the bosses are frustrating.
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JoeB said 10:48AM on 5-07-2009
Laughably, Kiefer Sutherland turned himself into police today for headbutting a fashion designer.
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Steve Lybbie said 11:08AM on 5-07-2009
Kiefer is a great guy who goes over the edge sometimes...he just thought someone pushed Brooke Shields around and defended her, but apparently overreacted.
lol
Bert Plunkett said 12:22PM on 5-07-2009
What about CTU? AppStore link: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=306143370&mt=8
It provides with a fun and nice way to display your pictures in a very 24-ish way.
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required said 12:55PM on 5-07-2009
Looks neat but WTFBBQ why does this site have a prominent link to "Joystiq Xbox" at the bottom of every page? AKA your bias for Microsoft is showing.
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