It’s been quite a while since we talked about Tango, the voice, video, and text messaging app for iOS and other platforms. Since then, the Tango service has expanded to include photo sharing and even games. The first of those games launched this week: Candy Block Breaker from Gameloft and Jetpack Jinx from Bubble Gum Interactive. Both are free to play.
Do you need download the Tango app in order to play games “for Tango?” Not at all. It seems that games for Tango basically just use Tango for their social features, like many games do with Facebook. You can play Candy Block Breaker and its brother without ever touching Tango. But if you have a Tango account, you’ll get friends list integration and messaging, milestone sharing, and the ability to play asynchronously through messaging.
Candy Block Breaker
Gameloft’s Tango contribution is a casual puzzle game, sort of like their popular Shark Dash. Players slide a small island back and forth at the bottom of the screen, using it to bounce a colorful mustachioed animal around the playing field and break bricks. Only instead of plain old bricks, you’re breaking big pieces of candy.
Features:
- Try to keep up and destroy wave after wave of blocks
- Lots of cool power-ups will help you reach the top
- Challenge your friends on the leaderboard
- Discover lots more ways to share the fun with friends
Brick breaking isn’t exactly the most hardcore genre out there, but Arkanoid-style games tend to have a more serious visual style. Candy Block Breaker’s cheerfully sweet visuals should help it appeal to wider audiences such as the instant messaging crowd.
- Free - Download Now
Jetpack Jinx
The endless jumping game was popularized by Doodle Jump, so much so that it’s now a very crowded genre. Jetpack Jinx turns that style of game on its head slightly by replacing jumping with jetpack flying – just like Halfbrick’s Jetpack Joyride did to the endless runner genre.
As with other games of this type, the goal is to get the little flying monster guy up as high as he can go. Tilting the device left and right steers him around. As you fly around, you’ll collect countless shiny gems that can be used to purchase power ups in the game’s store. Some of these allow the protagonist to fire lasers at enemies or “Hulk out” and become invincible.
Features:
- Challenge your friends on Tango
- Epic Levels of Insane Fun!
- Outrageous Obstacles!
- Wicked Upgrades and Super Sidekicks!
- Awesome Power Ups!
- Unlock Achievements and rewards!
- Daily Deeds and Missions
A vertically-oriented take on Jetpack Joyride isn’t a bad idea at all, and kids will love the mountains of flashy gems they collect in this game. It gets pretty hard eventually though, which could limit its long term appeal.
- Free - Download Now
It takes two to Tango
Tango’s content platform, which just launched a few weeks ago, is the company’s attempt to transition from messaging into its own entertainment ecosystem. The combination of messaging and gaming clearly appeals to Gameloft, who announced an ongoing partnership with Tango. Game developers who’d like to try Tango integration as well can head to Tango’s website and sign up for the SDK.
For players who want to put that Tango integration to the test in these games, here's the Tango app.
- Free - Download now
