The Download Blog

Now at version 1.5, My Xbox Live enables iPhone users who have XBox 360s to control their console using their iPad or iPhone in a whole new way.

Previously the My Xbox Live app only allowed users to track and compare user profiles and achievements, connect with Xbox Live friends, and manipulate your 3D avatar. … Read more

I look through the new iOS releases and popular apps several times a day to find hidden gems to talk about here at the end of the week. Usually I try to come up with a theme to tie them all together, but I've been tracking some games over the past couple of weeks that are all good, but can't be wrapped up neatly in a nice little package.

Still, though the games are from different genres, each one has something unique to offer and I hope you'll be able to pick a game from the genre you like best -- I promise you won't be disappointed.… Read more

Pandemic, the first game in this duo, was released for Web browsers back in 2007. The object of the game was to infect a person with a disease you created, then manage the outbreak and evolve the disease to create the most worldwide damage. I agree that the game's subject is morbid, but the huge popularity of Pandemic showed that the actual content doesn't make it any less addictive.

At the beginning of last month, Pandemic 2.5 was released for iOS and quickly shot up the App Store's most-popular lists probably based on the Flash version's popularity. But at the end of May, a very similar game was released that might even be better than the original.

In testing these games, I infected most of the world with my various diseases, but never had one that destroyed all of humankind. Those who have played Pandemic in the past might guess that Madagascar was my downfall (it's a joke among Web gamers that Madagascar is always the one to close its shipyards at the first whiff of danger), but it was Iceland that put a stop to the deadly Parkerism.… Read more

The summer movie season is officially under way, and that can only mean one thing: movie tie-in season is also under way.

Exhibit A (or should I say Exhibit K): "Men in Black 3," which opens in theaters Friday, just got the app treatment. Gameloft's Men in Black 3 is available now for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets.

Obviously any game based on the MIB franchise is going to involve a lot of running and gunning, right? Wrong. Men in Black 3 combines resource management with turn-based combat. And there's way more depth and replay … Read more

Coin-ops are few and rare these days, but that doesn't mean that the memories and quarters spent are gone forever...well, maybe the quarters. In either case, this week's Freeware Friday involves dodging speeding tickets, pulling off 99-hit air combos, and dancing like it's a revolution. Sorry folks; accessories/fight sticks/steering wheels/dance pads not included. … Read more

N.O.V.A. 3 Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance ($6.99 -- iOS universal) is the third installment of Gameloft's first-person shooter franchise that, many have argued, bears a strong resemblance to Microsoft's Halo. Whether that's true, the game is mostly a gun-shooting good time with all the perks you'd expect in an FPS, but it does have a couple of problems.

With that said, N.O.V.A. is arguably the best sci-fi shooter franchise on iOS, and with the third installment there's plenty more bad guys to blow away in new and interesting … Read more

I play a lot of video games. I have a Windows gaming rig and an Xbox 360, and my iOS devices are filled with games from every genre. I would consider myself a fairly skilled gamer, but there are certain types of games designed to challenge even the most seasoned fans.

Back in January, I wrote a similar post called "Games that make you rage on iOS." One of the games I'm focusing on today is the sequel to a game I wrote about then, but it definitely hasn't lost its rage-inducing qualities.

It's important to note that for this collection I recommend grabbing the iPad versions of the games in question (if you own an iPad) because when you play a hard game, you want any advantage you can get and the iPad's larger screen gives you a little more room to work with. However, all of the games listed are available for iPhone and iPod Touch as well.… Read more

There once existed a land where DLC (downloadable content) didn't exist and games came on cartridges. The Freeware Crew frequently reminisces about those golden days and we've dug up three titles to bring them back to life on your PC. Check out these 16-bit tributes and kiss your weekend goodbye. … Read more

Rovio is preparing to launch a new game to follow its wildly popular Angry Birds franchise.

The company's CEO, Mikael Hed, said in an interview today with Finland's YLE breakfast television show that Rovio will be launching Amazing Alex in two months. The game will feature an educational element as players control a young boy named Alex who enjoys building things.

That word from Rovio comes after the company acquired the intellectual property rights to Casey's Contraptions, a title developed by Snappy Touch and Mystery Coconut. When users surf to the Casey's Contraption Web site now, … Read more