Normally when a game starts I will attempt to skip through the numerous splash screens which detail the variety of parties involved in the production of the game, (much to their annoyance I’m sure). However, every now and again one splash screen will appear which fills your heart with hope that you are about to embark on gaming greatness.
In my case that splash screen is the one that displays the fact that the game is built using the Unreal Engine. A platform which has introduced us to some of the most rich and rewarding gaming experiences across all major devices has another hit to its armory in Horn.
If you’ve experienced the Unreal world before you know what to expect. Horn for iPhone and iPad is played in a expansive, rich and detailed environment that fools you into believing that you’re not on a handheld device but on a console instead.
This beautiful environment is the backdrop of the story of Horn, a young boy who finds himself in a world where all but a few humans have been turned into giant rock creatures called Golems. Horns task is to return these creatures back into humans.
Unlike some other titles where the environments are so rich that your character has limited interaction with them with Horn you are able to go where you wish, within reason of course, by simply tapping on the screen. This makes movement very easy although not always 100% accurately.
Combat makes up a large part of the game as you attempt to take down the many monstrous creatures. The combat system is similar to the Infinity Blade titles where timing is the key to avoid your enemies attacks and take advantage of their weaknesses. It works impressively well and I took great satisfaction in defeating each on the monstrosities that I came across.
Horn is not just another hack ‘n’ slash game though. For as many battles that you’ll encounter there are as many puzzles to be solved and this balance keeps things interesting and entertaining as you uncover the secrets of the world that you have found yourself in.
Even more depth is added to the game thanks to the various weapons and magic that you get to work with and upgrade as you progress through the game.
The game’s beauty is enhanced by the wonderful voice acting that accompany the story telling parts of the game and the orchestral score provides a wonderful backdrop to this engrossing game.
Zynga is a game company that some people either love or hate and if you are on the hate side of the argument then Horn could be the that changes your mind. For everyone else, just go out and by this game and be ready to lose yourself in a wonderful world of mystery, combat, puzzles and entertainment.
The only problem I’ve had with the game is the fact that even as a universal application there is no ability to sync your progress between multiple devices which would be nice.
[rating: 5/5]What we like
What to know
I’ve played my fair share of time management games in my gaming years but I can’t remember one that was based on controlling the emergency services during critical situations, unless you count the alien attack in Sim City!
This is what you get to do in Emergency, the 13 situations that you have to manage range from train and plane crashes, gas explosions, burning submarines and even an alien invasion and you have a whole range of emergency services at your disposal, from the day to day services such as the police, ambulance service and fire brigade to helicopters and the secret service.
Each of the 13 campaigns are introduced with a short animated video showing the incident taking place, don’t worry, while the scenarios are pretty intense the videos aren’t too graphic, although whether you’d want younger children playing this game is up to you as the themes are obviously pretty dark.
Once the campaign starts you can’t stop, or even slow down, as there are lives at stake here and one false move could see one, if not all of the injured become fatalities. As with the introduction videos none of this is graphic in nature as its all completed in a Sim City like environment.
There are continuous themes throughout most of the levels. Put out fires, rescue people, tend to their injuries and get them to hospital, this is all interspersed with scenario specific actions such as cutting people out of train carriages, stopping and arresting terrorists and of course the alien destructions.
Actions are controlled by tapping on the person or vehicle and then selecting the available action. Some people and vehicles have multiple actions available but only the ones that can be used at the time are highlighted which helps direct you. And over the initial levels you are also guided by a help system.
As with most time management games the basic activities are pretty similar throughout the levels but with the campaign specific actions thrown in create a nice variety that keeps things moving along nicely and the difficulty level keeps raising also to keep the challenge level raising too.
The graphics look good and there is certainly no problem telling what is what and interacting with the people and vehicles even when they are close to each other which is all via touch controls.
Medals are awarded throughout the game based on points earned and these are earned through completing the various objectives in each level and based on how quickly you complete them too. It’s the speed that is the biggest challenge and while you may be ok with just scraping through with a bronze medal as you take your time completing each task if you do things too slowly you could end up with a catastrophic event on your hands as a gas line explodes!
I’ve very much enjoyed playing Germany’s number #1 rated App Store game, it could certainly do with more levels, but the variety between the different scenarios is fun, if fun is the right word when dealing with catastrophic events.
At $3.99 it’s not cheap but if you are a fan of such games you can’t go wrong with Emergency for iPad and comes highly recommended.
[rating: 4/5]What we like
What to know
[rating: 4.5/5]
The Sims: Medieval Review: Back in the 80’s there was an ‘experience’ restaurant near where I lived that claimed to take you back in time to a simpler era where women were buxom and men were hearty, where you could eat food with your hands, enjoy the merriment of court jesters and listen to the dulcet tones of a lute player. It was quite expensive and a similar experience could have been had in your own back yard with enough ale to drink.
In this modern age however there is no need for such places as you can be transported to them instead via your computer or in this case your mobile device, in the form of The Sims: Medieval for the iPhone.
If you a fan of the Sims you’ll find a lot of what you are used to in this game and if your not it’s a great introduction to the genre as it’s a streamlined version of the PC and console iterations of the game.
You start by creating your sim, sex, clothes, style and back story are all selectable or if you prefer you can randomize your selection, choose a personality, name them, name their kingdom and off you go. If only it was that easy in real life!
After a short tutorial which takes you through the basics of movement, application interaction and the rewards of focus points, which enable you to access the quests that make up the game, you are launched into your first quest to track down a thief.
The controls have been implemented well for a touch device, they are accurate and moving your sim around is a simple task of touching the screen where you would like him or her to walk while touching people or objects allow you to interact with them.
The first quest will take you through the basics of the game, from interacting with other characters where you can chat and socialize, move to different areas of the ‘world’ without having to walk your Sim there and the art of combat.
Combat is a major part of the The Sims: Medieval and it’s fairly easy skill to learn, in fact it’s pretty difficult to lose a fight especially if you are well fed, rested and have other sims available to help you out as part of your guild.
Completing quests is the key to success here and in doing so you will earn simoles, rewards and unlock other occupations which will aide you later in the game, for example when you become a herbalist you can make you own stamina potion instead of having to buy it in the store.
While a lot of the basic tasks that you may be used to from other Sims games have been removed, such as going to the bathroom and showering, you still do need to make sure that rest, eat, play and socialize. This makes the game less Sim like but that’s not necessarily a bad thing for a hand held device.
Keeping your Sim entertained can be a much more hands on experience than in previous games, for example should you want to take your Sim fishing you will be the one throwing your device around as you attempt to bag a fish.
If you are coming to the iPhone version for the first time from the PC version don’t expect to be able to rebuild and redecorate your accommodation. Updates to your house are restricted to new furniture and it’s placement only.
The Sims: Medieval isn’t breaking new ground in what is already a hugely successful franchise but it is a great looking, thoroughly enjoyable experience which every Sims fan should enjoy. If only there was a version to take advantage of the iPad’s extra size and muscle, now that would be SIMply fantastic!
What we like
What to know
[rating: 4.5/5]
Zombie Gunship Review: It seems that the onslaught of zombie based games shows no signs of letting up. The same is true of the onslaught of zombies attempting to breach the door of the bunker which remains the one safe spot for humankind as the earth is overrun by zombies.
The people on the ground though are not alone as there is a lone gunship flying overhead which you take control of in a vain attempt to keep the flesh eating monsters away from the bunker entrance.
If you’ve seen the video footage of the bombing raids of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya then you will be familiar with the view of the desolated waste ground that you have as you slowly fly over the area covering the entrance. A night vision awaits you with the cold bodies of the zombies showing black while the last few humans show up glowing white due to the heat from their bodies.
Your only task is to aim your weapons and shoot. A short tutorial takes you through the basics and it’s not long before you hear the rattle of your guns littering the ground and the zombies with bullets. The zombies arrive pretty sporadically to begin with and you can easily pick them off before your gun over heats. That doesn’t last for long though and you’ll soon find yourself struggling to keep you weapon from over heating as your bunker becomes under threat.
The simple challenge of the game is to see how long you can survive and the simple answer at the beginning is not long as you will soon become overrun with the undead and it will be game over.
However, which each attempt you will be rewarded with power-ups to your gunship meaning that not only can you upgrade you weapons but also purchase new ones and some extras that boost your point scoring potential but also give you the opportunity to purchase a Bomb Buddy which will automatically clear the entrance to the bunker once per game should the zombies be about to spill the blood of all those inside.
Spread amongst the hordes of undead are humans that are seeking cover. Sometimes these will be in the center of a swarm of zombies and it will be a challenge to avoid killing them. Kill three of the humans that are seeking cover though at it will be game over. Just when you thought it was getting easy though mutant zombies will appear that will require multiple shots to kill, with those mutant zombies around keeping the bunker safe just gets even harder!
The game is a little repetitive but the challenge of trying to beat you high score and earn the coins to boost your gunship kept me coming back for more again and again. Coins are earn’t relatively quickly and you can get an extra 1000 coins buy liking Zombie Gunship on Facebook. However, if you are a little impatient and you want to max out your upgrades as quickly as possible you can purchase more coins via in app purchase.
Zombie Gunship {$.99} is a great little game with pick up and play features and a can’t put down addictiveness. A GameCenter leaderboard will keep you up to date on how you compare to your friends, (no achievements at this point), and you can also post your scores to Facebook to challenge you friends to beat your score.
At just 99 cents for a universal app you can’t go wrong with this zombie slaughterfest.
Pros
Cons
[rating: 4.5/5]
Taco Master Review: The latest game by Chillingo is a fun time management game. Take orders and create delicious tacos as fast as you can to complete the game.
The gameplay is simple. You are given orders to make which you then select the correct ingredients and create the taco and finally give it to the customer. All must be created within a time limit and you have to reach a set amount of orders on each level.
The main game mode is career mode. When you first start at the beginning of each level it will tell you how many orders you need to make to move on to the next level. Then you will be shown the ingredients of items that can be placed inside to make the order. At the top of the screen is where your order will appear. You tap on it and it opens up to tell you what that customer requires. Then you get on and create it.
To create a taco you drag and drop a taco shell first then do the same for what ever ingredients are needed inside it. When it is ready then drag it to the order card and it will make the order disappear if you have completed it, if there are still more needed for the order then you just carry on until all are completed.
The customer orders will not stay there all the time though. After a set amount of time if they have not been served the order card will begin to shake. A sign that you need to hurry up and start making it for them. If you make one taco and pass it to them then it will stop shaking for a short while, but watch out as it will start up again. If you don’t make the order in time it will disappear and it will then be one less order on your target sheet.
The first handful of levels are very easy and I wasn’t sure if it was going to be any of a challenge at all but then as I progressed further it did quicken the pace a little.
You can make several tacos also on your tray at once which is ideal for when making a lot of the same orders. Another tip is to drag more than one item at a time just so you are working faster. The orders will disappear quick.
Once you have completed all the orders then the level ends. If you have enough orders you move on to the next level. If you have not then the game is over and you have to try that level again.
The career mode is where you work your way through the whole of the game. The other modes to play are Arcade which is where you play a level and see how high you can score in orders and money. This level needs to be unlocked first by completing several levels in the career mode. The last mode is Time Attack which again is locked. To unlock this you have to gift the app to several friends, although as you progress the amount of friends you have to gift reduces.
Taco Master {$.99} is integrated with Crystal to compete with friends online with your high score. It would have also be great if they added Game Center too. The game is accompanied with some catchy music although there was no Mexican feel to it which may have been nice to add the right sort of atmosphere.
Pros
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[rating: 4/5]
Ghost Harvest (Free, App Store) is a whimsical farming-type game where your job is to manage a cemetery to save souls and protect it from ghost hunters and other invaders.
This game follows in the footsteps of other farming games such as Farmville and We Rule. It is a casual game that you won’t spend hours of intense concentration on, but it does require commitment, as you must be timely to reap your rewards. It can be linked to your Facebook account to earn additional gifts and has it’s own page to follow there.
Like many apps, Ghost Harvest is free to download, but spending money to acquire additional candy for use in the game can speed up your advancement and has its advantages. This in-app purchase strategy is becoming a common way for game developers to earn money for their efforts.
The premise is that you are the caretaker of a cemetery. “Your mission is to help the recently deceased get to a better afterlife!” You earn coins for each soul delivered to the pearly gates. Your goal is to grow your cemetery to be the biggest and most beautiful. However, the bigger you get, the more attention you draw, which interferes with your mission.
Ghosts come in two types: souls – which earn the coins – and defenders – which don’t immediately transport to the afterlife, but stick around to help defend the cemetery. Defenders have three abilities – scariness, speed, and un-health – each of which serves a purpose for specific situations. Balancing the three abilities is part of the challenge of the game.
Like a typical farming game, you “plant” a grave and time must elapse before you “harvest” a soul. You can use various landscaping items to decorate your plot, which gets bigger as the game goes along. Some of the décor also have features that you can interact with, such as piñatas in trees, which can earn you coins.
You are given missions to complete that help you build your cemetery and help build your skills both for earning coins and for defense. They may be as simple as planting a tree or more involved with harvesting souls or defending from detractors. The missions keep the game moving forward and introduce you to new skills and strategies as you move through the levels.
This game has delicate, detailed graphics and music that isn’t spooky. It has a light-hearted feel that is reinforced by quirks such as the ghosts appreciating candy.
I found the game a bit confusing to start. It didn’t seem intuitive as to how to place graves and what would happen once you did. But after harvesting a soul or two, it became a familiar genre.
As with all farming-type games, it takes time to move through the levels. Different ghosts take different lengths of time until they’re ready and sometimes moving through the levels seemed a bit slow. But there are shortcuts, mostly involving candy, to make things go faster.
Overall, it’s a familiar genre with a fun theme that makes for enjoyable play.
Pros
Cons
[rating: 4/5]
Supermarket Mania 2 is a time management game in the Mac App Store that has been successful on iOS devices and does not disappoint on the Mac. You play the role of Nikki who operates a successful supermarket and Uncle Ross suggests that you should take talents to “Tinseltown” and try and revive his troubled supermarket chain. Tinseltown is the big time so you decide to do so. Torg, competition that you have beaten, plots his revenge in Tinseltown as well. The game follows you along the journey with comic book like story lines and awesome time management gameplay.
The setting changes quite often in Supermarket Mania 2. The game touts 6 settings: downtown, suburbs, beaches, ski resort and even the tallest building in town. This along with eighty levels ensures that the game stays fresh and keeps you coming back for more. This amount of settings changes and levels adds a ton of replay value to a very fun game.
The gameplay [] is fairly simple but has tons of variables and keeps the game flowing quite nicely. Your goal is to serve the customers of your new supermarket in a timely fashion while keeping your shelves stocked and the supermarket clean. Sound simple enough? The first level is just that, simple. However with success comes a higher degree of difficulty. As you successfully serve guests each day, your supermarket grows in popularity and more and more patrons come to be served. You also begin baking croissants, brew coffee, make milkshakes, squeeze fresh juice and serve hot pizza to customers. These processes have several steps and take a little time to figure out a nice strategy. You must tackle these tasks while cleaning the supermarket, running the cash register and keeping the shelves and baskets stocked. It can get pretty hectic in there so stay on your toes.
Just when you get the hang of all of these tasks the game will throw you more difficult tasks. These tasks range like delivering goods to the neighborhood, battle shoplifters and serving impatient celebrities. However, some of these tasks are made easier by the game allowing you to hire assistants, upgrade equipment, upgrade décor and even purchase bonuses that help with keeping the customers happy such as cookies. These things can come in very handy because you have to keep the customers happy throughout their experience in your store. Keeping the shelves stocked, the store clean and the difficult items made you can keep most people happy but from time to time when you are overwhelmed by customers, cookies save the day. You can also purchase a cleaning supply that instantly cleans the supermarket. A tip to the wise, try to get the store stocked and cleaned towards the end of the timer as you will receive a bonus. It took me a few rounds to figure this out but every dollar counts. The game takes many turns and always has you re-evaluating how you manage your time.
The scoring is very simple. You get money for the number of customers you serve as well as an amount for your performance and if you are able to have the store cleaned and stocked at the end of the day. If you manage your time wisely this is not a problem but it is much easier if you develop a system and try to stick to it. The game will have you continually adapting your system but it certainly helps to have one. You of course always have to keep an eye out for your enemy Torg!
Visually and audibly the game is marvelous. The visuals are cartoon based but look great. The animations never seem out of place or glitchy and everything flows quite well. The audio is always changing and the sound effects help designate what is happening and what customers are doing. Overall the game has great presentation and is very, very clean. I was very impressed with the overall package this game has to offer.
Pros
Cons
$6.99
Category: Games
Released: Mar 24, 2011
Version: 1.0
Size: 170 MB
Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish
Seller: G5 Entertainment AB
© 2011 G5 Entertainment AB
Rated 4+
Requirements: Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later
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Sooga Village is invaded by Texas Lugie and his fast food restaurant. The restaurant happens to be directly across the street from Pucca’s uncle’s restaurant. In this game you control Pucca who is working tooth and nail to make sure her uncle’s noodle restaurant stays in business by out-performing the competition across the street. This is a time management game where Pucca’s uncle’s restaurant hangs in the balance.
I was intrigued to get my hands on Pucca Noodle Rush for iPhone because I haven’t played many time management games on my iPhone, especially none like this one. I honestly didn’t see how serving, busing and essentially being a waiter/waitress would be much fun but it was a pretty cool game. The main character, Pucca, has appeared in cartoons and online all over. This is also why when you start up the game you have several languages to select from which I felt was a pretty cool little perk. You have the choice of selecting one of several languages and one of three difficulties. While the gameplay is simple, it gets pretty challenging fairly quickly. For those of us that have worked in a restaurant setting, this feeling is all too familiar.
You, acting as Pucca, [$.99] are tasked with the incredible challenge of seating, taking orders, serving, busing, running the cash register and yes even chasing away ninjas. Sound like plenty to do? It will certainly keep you occupied with all of the action that is going on. The amount of time it takes you to complete the tasks mentioned about is how you are essentially graded on your performance. Special customers come into play fairly early in this game. By serving these customers expediently, you get a special reward. These rewards come in the form of an extra table, extra help in the restaurant and even some aid with those pesky ninjas that seem to pop up at inopportune times. Then again, when is it a good time to be attacked by ninjas?
Rewards come from the special customers and from the pay you receive at the end of the work day. For a successful service you earn cash that can help pay for extra food, tables and other items to help you along your journey through the everyday struggle of running a restaurant. Items that you purchase or are rewarded have different effects on your customers and you will see dividends based off of your selections.
Overall the game is not overly complex but if you’re into time management or have never tried it it’s a pretty cool little game to check out. You won’t be overwhelmed by a heavy learning curve and the game does a great job of helping you learn the ropes before dropping you out into the wild. I definitely knew what was going on after the first round and seemed to get better and better as I went.
The visual appeal of this game is not overly impressive but it is plenty for a time management game. The game is a 2D game but the gameplay provides enough challenges and intrigue that it is not necessary to have heavy 
graphics. After playing the game for a while I truly felt that the graphics were well balanced and got the job done well.
The audio of this game really impressed me. Whether it was sounds from the tasks that you were carrying out or the elevator music that played in the restaurant, it was fairly diverse. I especially liked how the music would change in given situations like when the ninjas would appear. This broke up the monotony of the constant single tune that plagues many other games.
The game has a nice balance between a wide variety of sounds and suitable visual appeal. I would recommend giving this game a try if you’d like to see what a time management game is like.
Pros
Cons
$0.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released: Feb 03, 2011
Version: 1.0
1.0 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
Size: 9.4 MB
Language: English
Seller: Bigben Interactive
©Bigben Interactive 2010. © VOOZ Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Rated 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1 or later
You need a Face Mask
Sally’s Spa HD [rating: 5/5]
I’ve read a lot about Sally’s Salon and often seen in at the top of the charts but it’s never appealed to me. Now however I’ve been given the task of reviewing the latest incarnation, Sally’s Spa HD. It appears that Sally has moved on from her Salon and is moving up in the world as she travels the world helping her friend out buy starting in a new venture of Spa’s.
The game is a time management sim where you take the role of Sally and are tasked with keeping her Salon in good order. You’ll start the game on Laguna Beach with a sauna, massage chair and a massage table to treat your customers to a relaxing, invigorating day at the spa.
As each customer appears they will show their requirements and you can drag and drop them to the appropriate area. They usually go from one area to the next in order but that’s not always the case and some customers who are less patient than others will look to jump the queue and will get frustrated if not attended to in a timely manner.
I feel relaxed
Each customer has a 5 star rating as to how pleased they are with their day at the spa and being made to wait too long will surely see their star rating drop. You do have ways to keep everyone happy though, there are magazines for them to read and relaxing cups of tea to drink. This all comes at a price though and so you will have to re-invest your earnings wisely.
As you progress through the 10 locations and 50 levels you’ll not only get to upgrade your existing equipment and also add additional treatments such as the Supreme Mani Pedi Chair where you can pamper your customers hands and feet.
Many of the treatments are interactive, you rub the screen to apply customers facials, place stones on your customers backs for their heat massage and select the customers favorite bath salts and so their is always something for Sally and her assistants, that you can and need to hire, to do.
The graphics look great on the big screen and the animations are fun and effective too. You can also choose to listen to the in game music and sound effects or play iPod music instead, the choice is yours.
While the single player game is a lot of fun and will keep you entertained for many hours especially considering the 30 achievements via the Game Center integration there is also a 2 player option via the Best Friends game mode.
Let's play Sally's Spa HD
Best Friends allows you to play in split screen mode with a friend on a single iPad in a co-operative mode where you both share the duties of a single Spa. This is a great new feature and is great fun to play.
If, like me, you have not tried the ‘Sally’ range of games before than there is no better time than now as Sally’s Spa HD for the iPad is a wonderful game that will provide you hours of enjoyment and fun.
$4.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released: Nov 18, 2010
Version: 1.0
1.0 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
37.5 MB
Language: English
Seller: Games Cafe Inc.
© GamesCafe 2010
Rated 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later
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First there was Deer Hunter, then Deer Hunter for iPad, then Deer Hunter: African Safari and now Deer Hunter: African Safari for iPad. They do say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it and that certainly appears to be the case with Glu’s popular hunting series.
If you’ve played any of the series before then you can skip the next few paragraphs as nothing has changed with the fourth in the series, however if you are new to the game read on.
As the name suggests Deer Hunter: African Safari for iPad places you in the heart of Africa with a gun in hand to bag yourself so big trophies and while there are African deer in your sights it’s the glamour animals that really catch the eye.
The main part of the game is the Safari where over three different locations you are challenged to kill a range of animals to achieve a given score. Scoring is based on the size of the animal comparative to it’s breed so going for the elephant is not always the best choice even if your instinct tells you otherwise. Points will be lost should you leave a wounded animaanon the field when the day is over.
Navigating your safari is done via your GPS, touching a location on your map or dragging your finger across the screen will move you to that destination. Should you get within range of a target the animals prints will appear on your map and if you aren’t all ready shown what the animal is you can move towards the animal prints again to see what it is. If you like the type of animal, and its size, you can select to enter the field of action, choose your location and take aim.
Once you are in the field the cross hair of your gun will appear on screen. You can control your aim by dragging your finger across the screen, not only to take aim on any given animal but also to scan the full playing area that goes beyond either side of the iPad’s screen. Once you’ve decided on which animal you are going to take down you can zoom in and use the ‘steady’ button to minimize the amount of shake. With the animal firmly in your sights you can tap the screen anywhere to fire. You can customize the control to enable a dedicated fire button but I found the ability to tap anywhere on the screen to work the best.
You have a full day to bag yourself 5 animals and should your score minus any deductions total the target score then you will unlock the next Safari. There are 12 levels to unlock in total with 4 difficulties spread over 3 locations and they will take you a while to complete thanks to the challeging nature of the scores you’ll need to beat.
As you progress you will unlock access to new weapons, accessories and skills that help you aim, shoot and remain un-detected by the animals. It’s very important as in Deer Hunter: African Safari some animals will charge to devastating effect. If you don’t want to work for your rewards you can purchase up to 3 add-on packs which will enable all the additional features from the start. To be honest though I didn’t find them necessary and got more satisfaction from unlocking the items myself.
The game looks as great as ever, not as good as on the iPhone 4 but still the African plains look great on the iPads screen and for the most part the animals look realistic too. In game menu’s are clear and easy to navigate and the sounds are appropriately authentic sounding throughout the game too.
As hunting games go I know no better, however Glu appear to be taking the easy options with these titles. Considering that the iPhone and iPad games are the same I see no reason why they shouldn’t be a universal app, if not then why not add some additional features that take advantage of the additional real estate that the iPad offers.
If you already have Deer Hunter: African Safari for your iPhone there is minimal reason to buy this version for your iPad, however if you are new to the genre and want to bag yourself some big game then you can’t go far wrong with this excellent hunting game.
$6.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released: Oct 28, 2010
Version: 1.0.0
1.0.0
157 MB
Language: English
Seller: Glu Games Inc
© 2010 Glu Mobile, Inc.
Rated 12+ for the following:
Frequent/Intense Realistic Violence
Requirements:Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later
If the thought of transforming grumpy old ladies and punk rockers into the best styled people around then Sally’s Salon is a great game to try. Manage your time well with the many customers that arrive to have you work wonders on their hair.
Developed by Gamehouse Sally’s Salon is a fun and addictive game. When each cutomer arrives you need to seat them, wash their hair and then cut or colour it how ever they want. You start off in a small shopping mall and as you progress and do well your salon will become bigger. One day you could be in Hollywood!
The game is easy to follow and play especially if you have ever played a time management game before. If not do not worry you will find your feet easier enough. When you first start it do go through the basics with you in the form of a short tutorial. You can skip this via the menu should you wish though.
When a customer arrives in your shop they will have above their head a bubble telling you what they want. You direct the customer to the correct work station they are asking for by either dragging them or tapping on them or the chairs. This option can be changed via the menu. I personally prefer the tap method.
Once a customer is sat in the chair you then tap them again so Sally can get started at working her magic on them. She will wash, cut, dye and style. Some of the customers won’t always want all of these doing. Then when they have finished up, make sure you collect their money from the till.
You have to make sure you keep your customers happy. Also above their head are lovehearts filled in red. If they begin to lose their patience with you it will go down. This makes them very unhappy and you could end up losing a customer. So make sure you work as fast as you can. You can also give your customers coffee to give them a little boost. You have a daily goal to reach and if you do reach it you can move on up to the next level. If you don’t you will have to try that level again.
When the money starts rolling in your will be able to upgrade the items in your salon. You get to go shopping at the end of a completed level. There you can for example buy more chairs or simply upgrade the items you have to a better one.
There are several modes to play the basic campaign and survival mode. A new feature of the game is that once you have completed the basic campaign you can play a more challenging campaign.
The game will have you playing for hours and it is very hard to put down. It comes with great graphics and cute sound effects and you will enjoy Sally’s Salon Luxury Edition from the moment you start playing.
$0.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Updated: Oct 14, 2010
Current Version: 1.1.16
1.1.16 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
18.3 MB
Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Seller: RealNetworks, Inc.
© 2010 RealNetworks, Inc.
Rated 4+
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later
Craft Control is a hard game to pigeon hole with a one line description. In some ways it seems a little like an evolution of a game you might have seen on a Nintendo Game & Watch in the 1980s. Obviously the gameplay and graphics are far more advanced than those little monochrome wonders of my youth. The addiction and satisfaction that you would get from dealing with the steadily increasing difficulty curve and the simple, satisfyingly, repetitive but fun gameplay is something that Craft Control most definitely inherited from its prehistoric cousins.
It occurs to me that Craft Control also has some similarities to the breakout iPhone, iPod Touch and now iPad hit ‘Flight Control’. In fact one of the games customers described it as “Flight Control of the seas”, and I can kind of see why.
In essence your role in Craft Control is to draw lines from the boat’s starting position on a map, so that they reach their goal as efficiently as possible. There are four main maps to choose from in the game. A few more might be nice in a future update, perhaps? As you mark a navigation path on the screen with your finger a line is drawn to show you the route you have created and then your selected boat will start out on its journey.
Time is a factor in the gameplay, but Craft Control doesn’t ram that concept down your throat. It feels more like you are being gently pushed along by a kind captain who would like you to do well.
As the game progresses environmental factors increase, and that can make the task to route your craft more complex. These “environmental factors” can be in the form of other ships passing through the map which will force you to route your ships around their predicted path.
The graphics are eye catching, and a lot of work has obviously gone into making the atmospheric water effects, and the objects floating around on them behave realistically. The maps, while a little basic, are well presented and pretty.
The sound is probably what reminds me most of the old Nintendo games, as it is cute, but can get a little high pitched and repetitive. Though when you are in a trance playing the game you don’t notice this so much.
An added layer to the game is that by completing runs in good time you increase your earnings and this will cause a pop up sailer to offer you the opportunity to go and spend some of your loot on upgrading game and ship options. The way you route your craft will result in more or less rewards, and consequently cash to spend in the shop.. If you are good at time management, you’ll be good at Craft Control.
The shop is well presented and well executed and makes good use of the touch display. Some of the decisions you make in the shop section of Craft Control will impact how you progress in the game as the navigation problems increase in difficulty for you.
There is an online leader-board, as well as a local high score table, which also adds a social aspect to the game.
Craft Control is a fun little game. That will certainly give you some amusement on those occasions when you simply want to vegetate and play something simple and rewarding.
In summary, its worth the $0.99 it is being sold for at right now.
$0.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released:Sep 15, 2010
Reviewed Version:1.0
Size: 7.7 MB
Language:English
Seller:Istom Games Kft.
© 2010 Istom Games Kft.
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later.
Ngmoco the developers who brought you the castle building game We Rule and the follow on farming game We Farm have released their newest game We City for iPhone.
They have carried on the theme from their previous games, this game is all about building your own city and earning cash as you go. Creating a place you can only dream about and then share and swap ideas with your friends.
As always you start off with their usual easy tutorial. So if you have never played one of their games before you will still have no problems picking this one up. The tutorial starts by showing you how to build your first house, business, college and how to place orders with your friends. These are the main things you need to know and once you do you are off!
You need to earn cash to buy more items and build up your city. So you can do this in various ways. Building a few homes for your citizens will earn you a small amount so initially the game encourages you to do just that.
Next is to set up a few factories. In your factory you build or make items to be sold, so where in We Farm and We Rule you have crops growing this is what you have ‘growing’ instead. The items you can make to sell all depend on what level you are at within the game, so at first you can make pototo chips, clothes, action figures and other items like boats and motor cycles. These all take time to supply and are all in real time. So if it says it will take twelve hours it really will take twelve hours! So you do need to pop back now and then to check if they are ready to ship.
Another source of income is to have a college. There you can conduct research and study. When you have a college keep an eye out for the lightbulb symbol. Tap it and it increases your research to unlock special buildings for things like courthouses and museums.
There are also shops and fast food restaurants to be built in your city and this is where your Plus+ friends can visit your city and place orders. This then earns both of you cash. As you go higher in the game levels you will unlock different businesses. There are also clothes shops, gas stations, fire stations, basically anything that you would normally find in a busy city.
You can also decorate your city to make it look how ever you want it to. There are trees and flowers to use, or build your own paths and roads with tiny little traffic lights placed at crossroads. Then there is the little things like payphones, street lamps and ice cream vans. You can even purchase a car to go with your house.
The more things you buy, build and sell, it will earn you cash and also xp which is experience points. These points are what enable you to move up a level. The more your earn in xp the more you will unlock for your city. You can also expand it at set levels throughout the game.
Every time you place a building or decoration it brings with it citizens for your city. Now you can’t do anything with them but they do make the city look busy and on the move.
If you find things are moving a little slow for you, you can use what is called zap to speed the game up. For example if you want to be able to send your friend their order of drinks straight away, click on the store, it will tell you how much zap you need to speed it up then just tap use zap.
You are given zap to start off with and then you earn some as you reach each new level. If you require any more you will have to purchase that via the apps in-app purchase feature. This is the same as We Rule and We Farm and is something you do not actually need to buy to play the game fully it is just there incase you want to play at a faster pace.
The graphics and sounds are very similar to the other games. The factories make some great noises when producing your goods to ship. If you tap on the people they mumble a few words, although half the time you can’t understand what they are saying!
If you make an error placing a factory or house some where do not worry. There is also the option to rebuild, in another words move, your items. This can take time as sometimes you might tap on the wrong item so it does require a small amout of patience.
The game is currerently available in Canada only but will be coming worldwide soon. In the mean time if you are playing We City feel free to add your Plus+ name below to maximize your business sales!
Price: Free (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released:Sep 20, 2010
Reviewed Version:1.0
1.0 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
Size: 32.7 MB
Language:English
Seller:ngmoco, Inc.
© 2010 ngmoco, Inc.
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later.
In case you missed it, last week EA Mobile released one of the most popular simulation games in the App Store called ‘The Sims 3 Ambitions’
The game offers a lot of new content and has already proved to be a huge hit by reaching the Top 25 paid category in less than a week.
The Sims 3 Ambitions for iPhone offers all new career mode, build mode and now your sims can also have babies!
For the first time ever on iPhone & iPod touch, turn your Sims’ hobbies into fulfilling jobs. Will your Sim become a Firefighter? Rock Star? Artist? Teacher? Chef? Sports Star? Get down to business with new career-oriented goals, mini-games, outfits, and locations. Follow your Sims to work and see them get happier as they make their dreams come true.
Think big with the improved and expanded Build Mode feature. Resize, add, or delete rooms, floors, walls, doors, and windows as you make a new home for your success-driven Sim. Buy and sell furniture and objects. And now you can also build workplaces like a Bistro, a Preschool, or a Night Club for your musical Sim to rock.
Your most requested feature is here! For the first time on iPhone & iPod touch, your Sims can have babies! Feed them, play with them, and put them to bed! Watch Sims babies become Sims toddlers. Take them to the park, play hide-and-seek, or give them a little cuddle. Having Sims children changes everything!
If you enjoyed The Sims 3, The Sims 3 World Adventures then you will certainly want to try out The Sims 3 Ambitions. If you have already bought the game let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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Virtual City by G5 Entertainment is a management game where you are in control. Develop and build your dream city just how you want it by keeping your population happy and your buildings upgraded.
The aim of the game is to build up a good transport system within the city. Do this and then you can upgrade buildings and vehicles and earn you the money you need to do well and have the city the way you want it. Complete all the goals as you go and you will develop a great busy city.
The game is packed with 50 challenging levels in 5 different settings. There are more than 50 buildings to build and upgrade, with the chance of 7 production chains. If that is not enough content there is also 25 different goods for you to transport. Plenty to get your teeth into!
Once you start one transport service you can buy other vehicles to offer other services. One of the main ones is a good refuse service to pick up the collection of household trash from the buildings and houses.
The other service that is important to set up is a bus route for your population. You will need this to keep them happy. Once you have the main services set up you will be set goals for each level that you must complete before you can move on to the next. These goals vary but to give you a few examples, you may be asked to deliver pies to the bakers or cosmetics to the mall. You then set up a service from one destination to the other and then set it off. It goes about doing what you have set up and once it is done that is a goal ticked off your list. There are generally about 4 to achieve and some are easier than others.
You need to keep upgrading your buildings as you go so that they are also the most eco friendly places. You need to also ensure you upgrade the garage when you need more vehicles when your city becomes busier. Upgrading your homes will increase your population and then it is your responsibility to look out for them and keep them happy. Set up services to take them to different locations like a park or even buildings like hospitals and fire stations.
There are also 16 achievements within the game to complete. There is really lots to do within the game. If you like Sim City then this is really a similar idea and game play. In my opinion though this game is a lot better. The gameplay is easier to understand and the graphics are an improvement when compared with other similar games. All the buildings are easy to recognize and there is a guide, a bit like a tutorial, helping you as you go.
The menu bar that you use to navigate around your city and control your businesses is easy to use and understand. There isn’t any chance of pressing the wrong items and if you don’t understand what you are supposed to be doing the goal tab helps you out.
I enjoyed playing this game. There is so much to do within each level that it is a game that will take some time to complete and you really are getting a game fully packed with challenges and goals to keep you entertained and interested all the time. Many management games can get very repetitive but this one doesnt because each challenge is different.
There is a free version of this game to give you a bit of a taster of what to expect but to be honest I would go straight for the full game. For the amount of game play on offer it is a worthwhile purchase and a game that is hard to put down.
Price: $2.99 (App Store)
Category: Games
Released:Sep 09, 2010
Reviewed Version:1.0
Size: 33.8 MB
Languages:English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish
Seller:G5 Entrtainment AB
© 2010 G5 Entertainment AB
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iPhone OS 2.0 or later.
My name is Craig and I’m an Airport Mania: First Flight HD addict. There, I’ve said it, and now I can start on my recovery. Although to be honest I don’t want to as while I initially thought nothing could match the greatness of Flight Control a pretender to the crown has surfaced and I love it!
The cutesy cartoon graphics may initially fool you into thinking that Airport Mania: First Flight HD for iPad is not a serious game but after just a few minutes of play you soon find out what a complex, yet fun and addictive game this is.
Unlike Flight Control where your only task is to successfully land your planes in Airport Mania you are not only the Air Traffic Controller but also the Mechanic, Gas Attendant and Flight Crew as you are tasked with landing, unloading, fuelling, fixing, loading and guiding to take off a multitude of planes.
While this may sound like a lot of tasks to juggle, and it is, it’s been very well implemented allowing you to queue up tasks which allows you to automate the process as much possible.
Your first task is to select the plane as it flies over head and then select an appropriate runway for it to land on. Next you must guide it to a gate where it can unload and reload it’s passengers before guiding it back to a runway to take off again.
This all sounds pretty easy but if you want to maximize your score and improve your airport you must do all of this before your planes get angry at waiting too long. In addition some planes may require refueling or repairs before they are sent back into the air.
Your options for maximizing your points are not over yet though as your planes are painted a variety of colors and matching the plane color to the color of the gates will earn you valuable multipliers.
Each level has a dollar value that must be reached it is that dollar value can also be re-invested to increase the airport facilities such as increasing the game speed, adding extra waiting bays and adding additional runways.
There are 8 cities to move through and a total of 84 levels which continue to add new features that keep things interesting and that’s before you consider the 25 awards that can be unlocked for completing a range of challenges.
Airport Mania: First Flight HD should be seen as a Flight Control replacement especially as it doesn’t contain a multi-player option, but it is a great game that is not only fun but challenging too and when you consider that it’s only $1.99 it provides great value for money.
Reviewed on an iPad
Price: $1.99 (App Store)
Category: Games
Released:Aug 27, 2010
Reviewed Version:1.0
Size: 18.4 MB
Languages:English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
Seller:Lemon Games SL
© 2008 Reflexive Entertainment, Inc
Requirements:Compatible with iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.2 or later.
A Time Management Game that sets the Standard for future similar games.
There’s something about touch screens that seem to make time management type games where you have to juggle multiple actions to complete a certain task a perfect fit. Being able to touch directly on the screen feels much more intuitive than managing multiple keystrokes or mouse clicks, as long as it’s implemented correctly of course!
Miriel the Magical Merchant HD is one of these time management games that has been implemented very well and at just $4.99 it’s an absolute steal. Why am I telling you this upfront rather than making you wait till the summary at the end? Well it’s simply because I don’t want you to blame me for you not being able to pick up this game as soon as possible!
If you have played these types of games already then you will find that it most closely resembles the very successful series Diner Dash where your goal is to keep your many, many customers fed and watered without them getting frustrated because if they do you won’t get a decent tip, if any at all!
One of the first things you’ll notice are the beautiful graphics, the game looks great and there are 6 beautiful looking restaurants for you to manage. This game isn’t only about looks though as the graphics are equally complimented with both simple & effective game play and a great storyline.
The great thing about the story line is that while it doesn’t go into a great amount of depth there is enough to engage you in it and want to succeed and rather than being completely linear there are decisions to be made and ultimately, according to the developer, 13 different endings.
As you would expect things start pretty easy with your customers requesting single items before they start demanding items that require you to combine items to make items like bread, apple butter and cheese.
The new products get added as you progress and you get to choose which items you want at each level, this ensures that you have the control of your progression and challenging you with new things at all times. You also get options as to which items in your restaurant you want to upgrade and when.
The rate at which you can upgrade your ingredients and appliances is controlled via the inclusion of a collapse style mini game where clicking on similar groups of icons clears them from the screen. While this may not seem like a natural place for such a game it actually integrates well and breaks up the game play nicely.
Amazingly there are over 60 levels for you to work through which provides multiple hours of play and entertainment for you. What is also nice is the inclusion of real life recipes for you to try out for yourself.
Miriel the Magical Merchant HD works on so many different levels it’s an absolute pleasure to play and has been a refreshing change to find a game that works on so many different levels. As mentioned in the second paragraph if you are looking for a new game that will entertain, engage and is great value for money then look no further than Miriel the Magical Merchant HD.
Reviewed on an iPad
Price: $4.99 (App Store)
Category: Games
Released:Aug 19, 2010
Reviewed Version:1.00
Size: 47.1 MB
Language:English
Seller:10tons Ltd.
© 2010 10tons Ltd.
Requirements:Compatible with iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.2 or later.
Last Year Glu released a hunting game named Deer Hunter 3D and it received rave reviews, if you wanted to show your skills by bagging some impressive animal heads for your virtual study this was the app for you. Well now they have released their follow up in the form of Deer Hunter: African Safari.
For the most part the game is the same with the landscapes updated to the African plains and the animals replaced with Zebra, Elephants, Giraffes and other exotic creatures.
So if you have already played Deer Hunter 3D you will feel perfectly at home with Deer Hunter: African Safari with a few tweaks and additions thrown in to mix things up a bit and to encourage you to spend your hard earn money on this updated release.
The game continues to offer solid graphics both of the individual animals and the environments and the sound effects of the Savanna are ultimately relaxing despite the fact that your are there to kill defenseless animals!
The same gameplay options are also available, a Quick Hunt drops you right into the action where you can play a quick Lightning Round, Bonus Round or follow a tutorial which if you haven’t played before will be beneficial to you. You can play the Lightning and Bonus Rounds in any of the three locations that you have unlocked through playing the Safari game mode.
The Safari game mode is where the fun really starts as you track through your environment hunting for your prey before selecting your shooting position and ultimately taking your aim and shooting. The shooting position option is a new feature of the new Deer Hunter where you can choose the best location to shoot the most animals.
Once you are in shooting mode you are only a few steps away from bagging your trophy. Once again players of the original version will feel perfectly at home here. You can scroll around the screen by simply dragging your finger across the screen and when you have an animal in your sights you can press the scope button to zoom in before taking your shot.
What is new is the feature where certain animals will charge at you should you miss them with your initial shot. This is a nice new feature and certainly adds a degree of urgency to your second shot should you miss with your first!
Progression through the game is the same too with target scores being set to complete each level to move on to the next environment and difficulty level. Glu Mobile have also stuck with the same process for upgrading your stats, guns and accessories.
The profile screen gives you access to your weapons, equipment and skills which can be upgraded by purchasing them with the points earned in the game or for the impatient via in game purchase using real dollars.
There is also a Trophy Wall, 24 Achievements and Statistics that keep you coming back for more. The Trophy Wall is particularly gruesome as not only do you get a picture of the kill but also the trajectory of the bullet as it enters the animal.
The biggest issue with Deer Hunter: African Safari is the price, at $6.99 it is not cheap compared to other similar titles even the original Deer Hunter 3D which is not a million miles away from this sequel.
If you are a fan of the original game and are looking for a new challenge then Deer Hunter: African Safari is the perfect choice, if however you are just getting into the genre I recommend the original Deer Hunter 3D at the bargain price of just 99c.
Reviewed on an iPhone 4
Price: $6.99 (App Store)
Category: Games
Released:Aug 19, 2010
Version: 1.0.0
Size: 56.9 MB
Language:English
Seller:Glu Games Inc
© 2010 Glu Mobile
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.
Osmos has received a wealth of critical acclaim, and has been around for a while on desktop computers. I actually only heard of it myself though when it hit the iPad. Osmos could very easily be pigeon holed with the likes of the Playstion 3 game, flOw. But whilst that is partially true, Osmos also brings a wealth of innovation, and touch screen goodness along for the ride.
At its very core Osmos has a simple principal throughout. You are a small blue organism, and anything bigger than you is generally reddish. If it’s bigger than you it eats, or absorbs you. Otherwise you absorb it. Absorbing is done so beautifully that you can even become fascinated by your own demise! As organisms consume each other they glow where they are touching and slowly inflate or deflate.. until its curtains for one.
Movement costs you energy, which is taken from your mass. So the more, and the faster you move, the smaller you get.
Mostly, you need to get big to win. And whilst you are trying to get big, so are the myriad other organisms in your world.
Geeks amongst us will recognise Osmos as a kind of game of life.
In many ways I feel that Osmos has found its true home on the iPhone. The way you control your organism feels best suited to a touch interface, over and above that of the mouse. And actually touching the creature you are trying to keep alive, as well as its environment serves to draw you into the world all the more.
Pinch zooming your environment to reveal just how small you are in a living microcosm of cells, all striving slowly to absorb one another, is quite humbling on some levels. And you seem to go on a journey each time you play a different one of Osmos’ variety of levels and game-types. Each time trying to advance from pin prick to world dominating doughnut that devours all around it. But each time in a level with a new and interesting twist.
Each “journey” is helped by the trance like zen state you enter as you listen to the level specific ambient tracks that come with the game, and watch your organism’s life trajectory slide towards “bigness” or disaster.
This is not a game played against the clock. Although sometimes inaction will cost you. Gravity can be a factor. As can patience. Inertia certainly comes into play. What is really refreshing, though, is the way the game changes up the level types you play as you progress though its Odyssey levels – which are kind of an extended tutorial.
After that you have a range of arcade levels, which are all variants on levels from the Odyssey. If you’ll forgive another analogy, Osmos is a bit like a box of chocolates. You will certainly have favourites in the box of levels. And some that you are not so keen on too. But you’ll enjoy all of them to some degree. Luckily you also do get to choose to play your favourite levels as much as you like.
My personal favourites are the levels where you start as the smallest organism in the world, with literally hundreds of different sized organisms all around you, crammed together like commuters in a tube train at rush hour. Some are initially the size of buildings, when compared to you. Zooming into the tiny dot that is you is like one of those shots from a movie where we descend towards the surface of a planet from space. Once you have pinch-zoomed down to a level where you can see some smaller cells around you to go after, you are all of a sudden in the thick of the action. And sometimes it’s not long before you seem to have descended into the screen of your iPhone yourself. Particularly if it’s your iPhone 4’s Retina Display!
I have not played Osmos on the iPad. But by all accounts it is superb on that too. For me though, Osmos is a game that I want to dip into often, and over a long period of time. So having it on your iPhone with you all of the time serves that usage pattern much better for me then on a desktop machine, or even my iPad.
Osmos is not a 5 minute snack. However, it can be played that way. But what I mean is that even if you eventually go back and redo levels, there are unique solutions each time. And solving them for the first time, or over again is uniquely satisfying each time, like completing a Rubics Cube. So it is a game that has fantastic replay longevity, and you can either pick up for 5 minutes every now and then, once you’ve got the gameplay. Or can descend into a hedonistic waste of an entire day with!
I have to confess to having several multi hour sessions when I first learned to play Osmos. All at home. On my sofa. All when I had work to do! Only finally putting the game down reluctantly when I realised that it was almost time to get up for the next day…
If you don’t buy games for your iPhone. But would like one, Osmos is it. If you like games generally then Osmos is one of those unique ones that you should own.
So go buy it!
Price: $2.99 (App Store)
Category: Games
Released: Aug 05, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.6.2
Size: 18.8 MB
Language: English
Seller: Hemisphere Games Inc
© 2008 Hemisphere Games, Inc.
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iPhone OS 2.2.1 or later.
As an iPhone 4 and iPad owner it always pleases me when a game is released that plays on both devices, it makes me feel like I’m getting something for nothing and when a game is as good as Osmos is it makes it all the more satisfying to know that I can play it where ever I am on which ever device I have at the time.
So what is Osmos? Osmos is a physics game where the aim is grow your mote to larger than all the others. Your mote is like a living organism that can absorb other motes by simply running into them.
You move your mote around by tapping the out edge of it that propels some of it’s energy out of it propelling it in the opposite direction. This enables a perfect balance between movement and minimizing the loss of your energy. As you move around the environment you will run into other motes absorbing them into yourself and growing larger and larger as you do.
Time is also under your control and you can either reduce or increase time/speed by dragging your finger left and right across the screen. The control of time is very accurate and be the difference between enveloping and being enveloped!
The game takes you steadily through a learning process which guides you through the controls and the 8 different levels that each offer a unique twist on the game. Some of the environments are circular while others are rectangular, some small, some large and while some levels will require you to simply become the largest organism in the environment some will task you with the same challenge while under attack from aggressive motes while others will have you spinning through a solar system with all the effects from the gravitational pull of the largest motes.
This variety that Osmos offers keeps things interesting whether you are playing through the Odyssey or Arcade modes.
With the unique gaming style that Osmos offers, you wouldn’t think that it needed anything else to make it the success that it deserves to be, however it’s not only the game play that makes Osmos stand out from the crowd.
The graphics in Osmos are stunningly beautiful in their simplicity, the colors and shapes move and morph effortlessly and while zooming closely into the action gives you the detail zooming far, far out especially on the solar system style levels provides an image of enormity on both the iPad’s large display and the smaller displays of the iPhone and iPod Touch.
The whole game is held together with a great soundtrack of ambient electric music from different artists. As if that wasn’t enough the game is OpenFeint enabled offering 13 different achievements to unlock and share with your friends.
The only thing missing is a two player mode where you could fight your opponent to be the first to grow the largest and absorb the other. Who know’s perhaps this will be available in a future update.
Osmos and Osmos for iPad is as close to gaming perfection it it’s genre that I’ve ever played. This may be because it’s in a genre all of it’s own but regardless of that it’s the best $5 you’ll ever spend in the App Store.
Price: $4.99 (App Store)
Category: Games
Updated:Jul 10, 2010
Reviewed Version:1.6.1
1.6.1 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
Size: 18.5 MB
Language:English
Seller:Hemisphere Games Inc
© 2010 Hemisphere Games, Inc.
Requirements:Compatible with iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.2 or later.
When EA launches a new game users usually have very high expectations. iPhone, iPod touch and now iPad have proved to be the best portable gaming devices with touch controls and if you browse the top paid category you’ll notice that EA has been successful in dominating the simulation genre even on the mobile gaming platform.
SimCity Deluxe for iPhone aims to offer new features and a refined gameplay when compared with the original SimCity which has disappeared from the App Store. If you’re reading this review it is safe to assume that you probably know what is the objective of this game but for those who are new I’ll give an overview.
In SimCity your objective is to build a city and manage it. You start with a plain terrain or a starter city which can be modified and then as a Mayor of the city you control almost every aspect about it. The game gives you full control over city planning, health & education, transportation, environment, utilities, public safety and finances. To help you run the city you will also have access to 7 advisors who will guide you to take the right decisions. SimCity is best suited for people who enjoy management and strategy based games.
Now, back to the review. One of the first things you’ll notice about SimCity Deluxe, are fast loading times and a very smooth gameplay experience. When you switch from one game screen to the other you won’t have to wait for long loading screens which enables you to concentrate and return to the main gameplay area quickly and it also feels more ‘connected’. The controls are placed perfectly allowing you to access any tool or option with ease and do not in any way obstruct the gameplay. Another major improvement you’ll notice is that when you pinch to zoom the game elements are not lost and only the animation is paused making it appear as static image which is a great move when compared to the poor implementation in the previous version.
The graphics have been certainly improved and offer extra detail. When you zoom right upto the last level the artwork still looks good. The game has wide range of residential, commercial and industrial buildings which keeps the game fresh.
Sound effects are simple and effective. When you build a power plant or construct roads you’ll hear the construction or industrial sound effects however, after that when you zoom to view a particular zone again you will not hear it again. It would have been nice if the developers would have integrated the sound effects in a better way which would have added more depth to the overall game experience.
SimCity Deluxe for iPhone brings back the disasters so when you feel a little bored and want to be a wicked Mayor you can call Aliens to destroy the city or shatter everything with an earthquake or even strike the sims with lightning. The game also features four seasons to add an element of reality.
You can either start building your city from a scratch controlling every aspect or start with any of the starter cities to help you get started. Every city can be played in either easy, medium or hard levels. In the ‘scenario’ mode you are given the control of a city where you have to achieve the given goal. I played the ‘Fiery Rain (hard)’ scenario in which a Meteor Shower has struck the city and you need to minimize the damages and survive through a certain number of years. The new scenario mode adds an interesting twist to the game and proves to be a great test for all those who feel that they are the most competent Mayor.
SimCity Deluxe for iPhone is a must have for anyone who enjoys the simulation genre. The game has a very good replay value and if you’re new to SimCity then you won’t have any trouble learning the game as it features a very detailed help section too.
Price: $6.99 (App Store)
Category: Games
Released:Jul 29, 2010
Reviewed Version:1.0.0
1.0.0 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
Size: 70.6 MB
Language:English
Seller:Electronic Arts
© 2010 Electronic Arts Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.
I was never a huge fan of time management games when I first played the original Build-A-Lot but it won me over pretty quickly and so when I found out that Glu Mobile were coming out with a sequel I was eager to find out if and how they had taken it to the next level.
If you haven’t played the original Build-A-Lot for iPhone then here’s a quick overview of what’s in store for you. You take the role of a Real Estate Agent and single handedly it’s your task to buy aBuild a nd sell homes to improve 8 unique towns and impress the town mayor.
The mayor is not easily pleased though and in addition to buying and selling homes you’ll also need to turn your hand to renovations of the homes and adding parks and a range of shops to ensure the towns curb appeal is up to standard.
The main two items that you have to balance are money and materials. Money is pretty straight forward, if you don’t have the money to buy a home you can’t buy it and if you don’t have the materials to build a house, which you need money to buy, you aren’t going to be able to build one either!
The curb-appeal factor is one of the changes from the original game while the various building types have also had an upgrade. The graphics, sound and overall game-play while solid and polished are not a million miles away from the original although this is probably more to do with the strength of the original game rather than anything lacking in Build-A-Lot 2.
The game starts with an excellent tutorial that bridges the gap of stating the obvious and leaving you to your own devices perfectly. Even after spending hours playing the original game I found that the tutorial provided a nice refresher rather than teaching me to suck eggs!
As you move through the 8 towns in in campaign mode each mayor will set you a number of challenges that need to be fulfilled before you can move and while theses challenges are relatively structured to begin with you will soon be left to your own devices and that is where the game really comes into it’s own as you are left to make decisions as two whether to build a new Villa, upgrade your parks or add some shops to your town.
As you complete the levels in campaign mode you unlock them to play in casual mode where the goal is simply to fulfill two goals as quickly as possible and those are to reach a certain curb appeal and a given level of money.
While this adds some longevity to the game the lacking of any scoring system or leader boards will limit the urge to come back again and again once you’ve played through the two available modes.
Build-A-Lot 2 – Town of the Year feels more like a 1.5 version rather than a full sequel. However, those who liked the original Build-A-Lot will certainly enjoy this follow-up, just that it’s a little lacking on any major new features that takes it to a whole new level.
Price: $4.99 (App Store)
Category: Games
Updated: Jul 16, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.0.1
1.0.1 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
Size: 19.1 MB
Language: English
Seller: Glu Games Inc
Copyright © 2010, HipSoft LLC
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later.
One of the best hunting games on the iPhone/iPod touch has now ported its way over to the iPad in the form of Deer Hunter 3D for the iPad and it works even better on the iPad than on it’s smaller predecessor.
The first thing you’ll probably notice is the price tag which is a significant increase on the version for the iPads version. The iPhone/iPod touch versions are currently available for 99 cents while the iPad version will cost you a whopping $9.99.
That’s ok though as surly for that price extra features will have been included to take advantage of the iPads extra real estate. Well, that would be a legitimate thought but unfortunately it’s not the case as the only difference are the slightly enhanced graphics.
For those of you that haven’t played Deer Hunter 3D before the premise is pretty simple, as you’ll find yourself immersed in a realistic hunting sim through different 3D environments across 4 different countries.
The four different environments are beautifully drawn and represent their respective areas perfectly. You’ll start in the American Midwest and successfully completing those hunts will move you onto Northern Europe. From there you’ll move onto Western Russia and finally Northern Mexico.
The animals across the 4 locations a predominately the same with deer, moose, bear and turkey often presenting themselves to be shot by your range of guns. Each level, weapon and difficulty level is unlocked based on your success in the earlier levels but in addition you can also buy various equipment packs in the weapon store via in app purchases.
These additional items include laser sites, skill increases and an elephant gun but while these additional items can make the game easier and add features to the game they are necessary to complete the game.
Playing the game is relatively simple. You are initially provided with a GPS view of the hunting landscape and you can move around the map by dragging and dropping your location marker. As you move around the map you will either stumble across animals or their tracks will and you can head towards them.
When you do find a suitable target you will then be transferred to a 3D view of the location with the cross hairs of your selected weapon in the center of the screen and the sometimes multiple animals wanderering happily arround the scene.
Moving your sights is as simple as dragging your finger across the screen and as the scene extends beyond the iPads screen when you move towards the edge of the screen the view will pan arround accordingly.
With your sights set on your target of choice you can zoom in on your target, presuming that you have unlocked the scope and that you have a weapon that can use it. Clicking the scope button on the edge of the screen will enable it and you can then set your level of zoom by rotating it directly on the scene.
All this is very intuitive which it needs to be as if you take too long the animals will sense your presence and make a run for it, just as the other animals will after you’ve taken your first shot.
To complete each level you have to accumulate a given number of points and these are awarded based on the size of the animal you kill and you accuracy so while you may be excited to shoot a turkey it’s not going to award you many points so it may be worth while moving to a different location for a larger target.
In addition to the main story mode there is a Quick Game mode where you are thrown into a hunting scene with the aim of simple killing as many animals as possible. All of your successes are also tracked via your profile and your best kills are also added to your trophy room where not only can you see the details of the kill but also where the bullet entered and exited the animal!
The only things missing are the ability to compare your best scores online and no multi-player options which would have made an already great game even better!
The attention to detail in Deer Hunter 3D for iPad sets this title a part from other hunting titles and will provide many hours of entertainment. The one down side especially for those that already have the title for the iPhone/iPod Touch is whether or not it’s worth $9.99, that decision is up to you.
Price: $9.99 (App Store)
Category: Games
Released: Jul 08, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.0.0
1.0.0 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
Size: 113 MB
Language: English
Seller: Glu Games Inc
© 2010 Glu Mobile Inc
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later.
Slingshot Safari HD is the first of Digital Prunes, Inc. range of slingshot titles to be converted for the iPad. As the title suggests the aim of the game is to use your trusty slingshot to hit a variety of animals while on safari, although not the endangered Black Rhino.
The cartoon style graphics are big and bold on the iPad and you soon learn that this is not a hunting simulation more just a bit of fun while the sounds and music of the safari are also well implemented and could make you think you were really on Safari if you closed your eyes!
There are a variety of difficulty levels to play through in Slingshot Safari HD with the beginner levels including the addition of a laser to aim with. While this may be easier you won’t earn as many points for successful hits or awards.
The controls are real simple, the slingshot takes up the bottom half of the screen and touching and pulling back on it controls the power and distance of the shot. Again with the laser turned on this is relatively easy and you’ll find yourself successfully knocking out all sorts of wildlife within seconds as the wander across the screen unaware of the impending threat of your slingshot.
You’ll need to score a given number of points to progress through the levels, unfortunately it’s never clearly stated what the number of points is so you’ll need to just continue scoring as many points as you can to unlock the next challenge.
As well as the ‘relaxed’ gameplay of the hunt there are also stampede levels where you will be under the direct threat of stampeding animals, in these levels should you miss any of the stampeding animals you’ll instantly lose one of your three lives that you initially start with although you can also gain additional lives as you progress through the levels.
Each level has a power up animal too. These are less abundant than the other scoring animals however should you hit one you will be rewarded with either a double score or a grenade that will not only kill any animal that they hit but also the surrounding animals too!
As you progress through the levels the animals become quicker and more difficult to hit with some taking more than one hit to take down too.
The game is Plus+ enabled too so you can not only unlock a variety of awards but also track your performance across the 5 difficulty levels with players from all over the world.
The game is entertaining enough but the difficulty curve is pretty steep and this is not helped by the unclear number of points needed to progress through the levels.
Price: $4.99 (iTunes Store)
Category: Games
Released: May 28, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.3
Size: 21.2 MB
Language: English
Seller: Digital Prunes, Inc.
© Digital Prunes Inc 2010
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.2 or later.
They say that in space nobody can hear you scream and that would probably be a good thing if you were one of the passengers that are on one of the many space shuttles that are in your control as you attempt to doc your passengers in one of the seven space stations that make up the seven levels of this Flight Control in space clone.
Exodus is a line drawing game where your task is to help ferry passengers to their space stations without causing a catastrophic crash. You start the game with only one level available and each subsequent one will become available only when the previous level has been completed. Triad is the first level and things start pretty sedately with three docking statins located on a space station in the middle of the screen.
The space ships and their passengers appear from all four sides of the screen and are announced with an icon so you are warned of their impending arrival. As soon as they appear on the screen you drag your path from the ship to the dock of your choice. Depending on how many passengers the space ship has the time taken for the passengers to unload will vary as does the speed of the space ship itself.
As soon as all the passengers have made their way off of the ship you can then direct the ship back away from it’s dock and off of the screen. The graphics aren’t as good looking as some of the line drawing games out there and the lines themselves aren’t as smooth as they could be but it plays well enough.
The difficulty level is a little flat too with a lot of ships having to be docked before things start even getting a little bit tricky and even then it’s still relatively easy to juggle the multiple ships as they appear on the screen. The little space ships don’t even crash if they hit the space station rather that a specific dock, however it is game over should two or more space ships collide with each other.
As you progress through the levels extra difficulties are thrown into the mix including black holes and asteroids which as you would expect causes the game to end should a ship be sucked into it’s darkness. The space stations themselves also offer variety of challenges as you progress through the levels.
The game is OpenFeint enabled which offers extra value for your $.99 including 14 different achievements which aren’t just based on the progression through the levels but also based on individual successes in the game such as traveling 100,000 miles and avoiding an alien. OpenFeint also includes global leader boards so you can compare your scores with other players from all over the world.
If you like line drawing games then you’ll probably like this too although it has to be said that it doesn’t add anything specifically new to the genre which already has some quality games in it.
Price: $0.99 (iTunes Store)
Category: Games
Updated: Jun 10, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.1
Size: 16.0 MB
Language: English
Seller: Francisco Santos Belmonte
© 2010 Tip Tap Games
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iPhone OS 2.2.1 or later.