Ubisoft is all set to launch Rabbids Big Bang for the iPhone and iPad on October 17th. It is a physics-based game where you get to control little mammals called Rabbids.
Rabbids belong to the race of bunnies that have evolved over a hundred years. The Earth is not enough for them so they are taking a journey to space to explore and make it their playground.
You get to pilot the Rabbids using jetpack boots and gravitational pull of the planets. The goal is to avoid accidents by flying around various obstacles.
The game will include 150 different missions including “crash-landing landing on planets, bouncing off of space cows and reaching specific speeds.” Ubisoft in a press release revealed that Rabbids Big Bang will include lots of customisation options such as upgrading jetpacks, dressing up Rabbids and much more.
Rabbids Big Bang for iPhone and iPad will be priced at $0.99. Ubisoft shared a few screenshots of the game with us. The 3D game environment reveals that you will collect bunny coins and you will have limited fuel to complete your journey around the planets.
Physics-based games have proved to be a popular genre on the App Store. Angry Birds has been one of the most successful series in this genre. In Angry Birds Space we saw the birds fighting the pigs in space.
We will have to wait for the launch of Rabbids on iPhone to see how exciting will the gameplay be and if it manages to get us addicted.
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If you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks then let me introduce you to Bad Piggies for iPhone, the new spin off game from the mega franchise Angry Birds.
If you’ve played any of the Angry Birds games then you will feel perfectly at home in Bad Piggies which especially from a graphical point of view where environments for each level look like they’ve just been lifted off one of the Angry Birds games.
While Bad Piggies is certainly part of the Angry Birds franchise don’t expect to see any of your colorful feathered friends as this is hog territory only. While it’s also a physics puzzler there are no sling-shots in sight, while there are three stars to be collected on each level this time it’s not based on your high score but instead 3 separate achievements.
In Bad Piggies for iPhone your task is to build a vehicle on which to transport your hogs to a finish-line somewhere on the level. You can zoom around the environment to find where your destination is and then view the the three star requirements set for the level.
These stars requirements range from reaching the finish line, not using certain vehicle part, complete the level under a certain time and many others which change from level to level. You’ll also rarely be able to complete all the stars in one go and will have to change your plans within each level just to complete each objective.
Because of this the game is certainly takes more thought and planning than most of the Angry Birds games and because of this younger players may get frustrated with the subtleties required to complete the levels.
Of course help can be brought in if you are struggling with any of the levels by calling on a mechanic to suggest the best approach to take, which of course can be purchased via in-app purchase and if you insist on completing each level with 3 stars that may very well be required.
Instructions for the 90+ levels are provided via a little in game book which give pictorial guidance on what you need to do on each level. The 90 levels are split over 3 worlds and my favorite of the 3 is the 2nd world where you transport your pig on balloons!
While much of Bad Piggies is good, including the Game Centre integration with 33 Achievements it’s still disappointing that it’s that Rovio continue to not release the game as a universal app and have no progress syncing between devices.
It also appears that the release of the iPhone 5 came a little too quickly for them as it’s still currently ‘letterboxed’ on the iPhone 5.
Overall Bad Piggies is a fun and challenging game and takes the challenge of Angry Birds to the next level.
[rating: 4.5/5]
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KooFish: Break’em Out for iPhone and iPad is a slingshot puzzle game like Angry Birds. Using the wildly successful platform that Angry Birds made famous, KooFish takes to the water in this slingshot puzzle extravaganza. The puzzles are elaborate and there are a lot of them.
KooFish is a very simple game unless you are one of the few people are there who haven’t played Angry Birds. It employs the same gameplay and similar physics. You slingshot conch shells at blocks of ice that contain fish. Using your surroundings you have to break out the fish that are trapped in the cubes while using as few shells as possible, sound familiar? The characters and levels are very nice and fairly polished. This game looks great.
The fish are “cute” in the words of my wife and with 150 unique puzzles that are strategically laid out, there is plenty to keep you busy here. The game also has Game Center integration which is a must these days to compete with friends. Who doesn’t have office wide game challenges like my company?
This game is for both the iPad and the iPhone and looks great on both. I enjoyed the game very much, though I must admit, I haven’t played Angry Birds in quite a while.
Angry Birds fanatics will surely have their rips about this game not being quite the same and being incredibly similar. I say why not let someone use the same base game and have their own spin on it. It worked for Battlefield and Call of Duty. That being said, the similarities and the price made me go with 3 stars on this one.
I like the game but the audio isn’t that great, it is very similar to Angry Birds and at the 3 dollar price, its tough to go any higher. That being said if you can’t get enough of the Angry Birds style play and want a new atmosphere, this is the game for you.
[rating: 3/5]What we like
What to know
When your catalog consists of some of the biggest, most popular and dominating titles in mobile gaming you could be forgiven for resting on your laurels and continue to milk that money cow. That’s not the case for Rovio Entertainment Ltd., the makers of the Angry Birds series who have released Amazing Alex for iPhone and iPad into the App Store.
Amazing Alex uses previously successfully implemented techniques, it’s a physics based puzzle game with usually 3 star per level rating system for each level, and as those features have worked before there’s no reason why they shouldn’t work again…..right?
Alex is a young boy with a taste for creativity and problem solving and in the style of toppling a chain of dominoes, only on a much larger scale, you are challenged to help Alex produce a daisy chain of events to clear each level.
The initial levels get you started on how you play the game, even showing you where you should place the range of objects that you are given to utilize on each level, and because of this you may be fooled into thinking that Amazing Alex is going to be a simple game that you can rush through in a matter of minutes.
However, that is soon to be shown as a wrong assumption to make as when the placement guides disappear the levels immediately get more complex and as you continue to the Classroom, Backyard, Bedroom and finally onto the Treehouse the levels become more and more challenging, especially, if like me, you want to get three stars on each level.
There are over 30 objects at your disposal across the levels and as these become unlocked they are also made available to build your own levels which has the potential of adding an endless number of levels for you to play with.
Creating your own levels is very easy. You have all of the objects that you’ve unlocked and can place them anywhere on the screen with guidelines for legal and illegal placement. The final step is to place the 3 stars on the screen which act as the measure for other players to complete the level.
The ease of both creating your own levels, sharing them online and then downloading other players levels is amazing. The only issue I have with the custom levels is that there is no rank of them, either via voting or just the number of downloads to help you find the best custom levels available.
As you might expect from Rovio the whole game looks polished, cute and engaging. Something else that Rovio seem keen to do is keep their iPhone and iPad versions of their apps separate rather than universal. Why they do this, especially considering that there are no differences between the two versions is beyond me. Needless to say if you want Amazing Alex on both your iPhone and iPad you’ll need to pay twice and play it twice as there is no synchronisation of your progress between the two versions.
Of course Rovio promise multiple free updates to add more levels and based on their previous history there should be quite a lot of them! Quite what they plan to do with the GameCenter integration with no leaderboards and only one achievement remains to be seen.
[rating: 4/5]What we like
What to know
You know the story, alien has diamonds, alien loses diamonds, you help alien collect diamonds! It’s the usual story that you hear everyday and now you can live it on on your iPhone and iPad in the universal game My Diamonds.
If you’ve played such games as Cut The Rope, Where’s my Water or even Angry Birds then you will feel right at home with this fun physics puzzler which challenges you to collect diamonds in over 60 levels spread across the garden, garage and kitchen.
To add an additional twist over the three star rating system of most other similar games My Diamonds creatively adds an additional star so on each level you are rated on speed and accuracy out of 4 rather than the usual 3.
The graphics are relatively simple but they effectively represent the three environments and the various tools that are put to your disposal to collect the diamonds that pour from the multiple faucets when you choose to turn them on.
Given that you are in control of when the diamonds start flowing from the faucets you are given the opportunity to move the multitude of objects that you can use to impact the movement of the diamonds.
A nice feature is the way that ghost diamonds will initially flow from the faucet that will provide an outline of where the real diamonds will go once you turn them on. Aligning them with the ghost diamonds wont always get 100% of your diamonds but it gets you to with the odd tweak of completing the levels with all the stars.
Another nice touch is that you can move the objects while the diamonds are in motion, this is sometimes a requirement of the level, other times it’s a feature that can help you take shortcuts to complete the level.
You’ll start with 20 levels in the garden before moving on to another 20 in the garage before moving into the kitchen. As with most games these days if you aren’t willing or able to unlock the later levels you can do so with a one off in-app purchase of 99 cents on top of the initial 99 cent outlay for the game itself.
Overall My Diamonds {$.99, App Store} is a fun physics puzzle game with charm and a decent amount of challenge and given the promise of further levels via free updates, achievements and high scores via Game Center integration it should be an easy choice for players that like this genre of games.
The one problem that it would be nice to see addressed especially considering that this is a universal app is the inability to synchronise your progress between devices, perhaps that will come in a future free update too!
[rating: 4/5]What we like
What to know
If you want a more relaxing way to get your daily 3 star fix than firing slightly perturbed feathered animals at different green animals then growing flowers could be just for you. And if that’s the case then you need to get hold of Chillingo’s latest game, Light the Flower.
The challenge in each of the 60 levels spread across 5 different homes is to get as much light as possible to all the plants in the house. The 3 star challenge comes from equally lighting up three stars as you bounce the light around the room to the sun thirsty plant.
The light source on each of the levels is the sun that streams in through one or more of the windows. You then get to use a combination of mirrors, prisms and filters to bounce and change the path of the light to the darkened corner where the plant has been positioned.
The touch controls are smooth and accurate. You can drag the mirrors around the room and rotate them so that you can get the perfect angle. It’s also worth noting the splitting the beams of light is key in some of the levels as multiple plants have to be bathed in sunlight.
The challenge is increased as you progress through the various houses not only by multiple plants but also by their need for different colored light. This is achieved by passing the sunlight through different colored filters.
Throughout the game your progress is hindered by a variety of household items that are strewn throughout the different rooms which block the light from passing requiring you to bounce the sunlight around them.
As with all such games you can progress through the game relatively easily if you don’t care to achieve all three stars on each level, but then where’s the fun in that!
The game has a Cut the Rope feel to it especially in regard to the cartoon style graphics and the jolly background music that keeps things moving along nicely! Light the Flower is a fun, challenging puzzle game and the nature of the game means that you can just keep making slight adjustments to achieve the result you desire.
Additional levels are promised in future updates but that’s not to say that the 60 levels aren’t good value in themselves especially if you complete them all with 3 stars. If you want to unlock the current 5 houses you will need to get all the stars you can though, otherwise you’ll need to unlock them via a 99cent in app purchase.
Light the Flower is available now for just 99 cents in the App Store and as a universal game it’s great value for money if you do happen to own both an iPhone and an iPad. What it doesn’t do is synchronise your data between the two devices which is slightly frustrating.
Both Crystal and GameCentre integration is included so you can view your progress with all your friends.
[rating: 4/5]What we like
What to know
Ever wondered what different platforms developers use to make iOS games? I have often wondered what the “Special Sauce” certain developers used to create games like “Angry Birds” or other insanely successful games use. Naturally when I read about Cargo-Bot, a game made entirely on the iPad, it caught my eye.
Cargo-Bot was developed by the folks over at Two Lives Left using an iPad app they created. Codea is that app and it will run you a mere $10. Codea allows you to use the Lua programming language to code your game. The Two Lives Left team used an unreleased Xcode template tool to make the transition from Codea to the App Store. Two Lives Left has at the very least made believers of some in what a tablet is capable of.
I have often had friends question what possible uses my iPad has. I use mine daily and I am always looking for ways to integrate it into my day. Like anything, it’s in how much effort you’re willing to put into it. The folks over at Two Live Left have taken the initiative and created a pretty cool game with it. Desktop replacement, maybe not but it’s sure easier to tell my wife I’m not working when I have my iPad as opposed to my laptop.
{via Cult of Mac}
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On Thursday of last week Rovio released its most recent installment in it’s mega hit game, Angry Birds. The game has been an instant hit, netting 10 million downloads over by Monday of this week. Insane numbers, even by Angry Birds standards. Angry Birds Space takes the fun out of the atmosphere utilizing new physics.
Angry Birds Space was release for Apple iOS, Android devices, PC and Mac. Specific details on the number of downloads were not released. I found it interesting that there was not a free version on iOS when released, iOS being one of Angry Birds’ most prominent platforms for the game.
Peter Farago, vice president of marketing at the mobile analytics firm Flurry said “The closest success story I can think of is OMGPOP’s Draw Something, which racked up 20 million total downloads in five weeks.” So 5 weeks compared to 4 days is the closest comparison. Whether you like the game or not you have to admit that is pretty amazing.
Overall, this installment of Angry Birds changes things by altering a world class physics machine. There is something to be said for the depth of Angry Birds. I admit, its a simple pick up and play game but how many clones have you seen that haven’t gotten it right? Certainly didn’t do 10 million downloads over a weekend. I’ll continue to play my Angry Birds and agree to disagree with the haters. Download it and try it out, $0.99 isn’t bad and 10 million downloads can’t be wrong.
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iBomber Defense Pacific is a follow up to the highly acclaimed iBomber Defense and provides hours of tower defense style game-play.
The action, as the title suggests, takes place on the Pacific Rim and the levels reflect that region in all their glory, from golden deserts and deep jungles to the city streets the graphics are clear, detailed and strong over 20+ different levels.
If you’ve played a tower defense game before then you are going to be very comfortable in iBDP but for those of you that haven’t there is in game tutorial that takes you through all the basics and it’s not difficult to pick up, although as with all good games there is more to simply knowing enough to cruise through all the levels.
You can do that if you like and even then there you will enjoy the journey but just like achieving 3 stars on all the levels of angry birds the real fun comes in attempting to get the best ranking in each level which in turn rewards you with the cash and honors to do even better in the following rounds.
The controls are simple, drag and drop to place your machine gun, cannon, rockets, flamers and other weapons and tapping on them provides you with the ability to repair, upgrade and sell them. If things aren’t going your way on any level you also get the ability to rewind a wave and try again, however this ability it limited so it has to be used wisely.
I highly recommend playing the game with your headphones on too as the sound of the thundering gunfire over the back-drop of the ambient location noises creates a great atmosphere.
As with all Chillingo titles the game comes integrated with Crystal, their social gaming network which provides multiple achievements and leaderboards for all the levels.
Chillingo continue to churn out quality titles and in iBomber Defense Pacific they continue to do so with a solid, if not ground breaking title. iBDP is a universal game and is available in the App Store now for $2.99.
What we like:
What to know:
With Apple dominating all the recent headlines with there launch of the new iPad and the new Apple TV many other significant iOS news worthy items have fallen by the wayside and one of those is the latest update to Angry Birds Seasons.
The Cherry Blossom update adds an additional 15 levels + 2 bonus levels all to celebrate the Cherry Blossom festival in Japan while not as many as previous updates it should keep you entertained at least until you get your new iPad or the new Angry Birds: Space that is due to be released on March 22nd.
Both the iPhone and iPad versions of Angry Birds Seasons received this update recently and at 99c and $1.99 respectively continue to provide some of the best value for money in the App Store today.
Go and grab your update now and continue to rescue those eggs from those pesky pigs!
Are you still playing Angry Birds and if you are what to you think of this latest update? Let us know in the comments below or tweet me at @4forkssake.
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Rovio have never been a company that rests on it’s laurels and that doesn’t appear to be changing as only a few days after they launched their leading brand on Facebook, that they teased their millions of avid followers with a teaser of Angry Birds Space.
Little is known about what this brand new version of Angry Birds Space will bring to the table as the only official information so far is a launch date of March 22nd, a teaser ad that can be seen on the official website and a short 20 second teaser video has also been posted on YouTube.
A quote from the Rovio blog however does promise the following:-
Angry Birds Space is a completely new game with innovative new gameplay, but with some of the familiar Angry Birds elements that fans already know and love — plus some surprises!
Gravity, or more specifically a lack of it, could be put to good use here and I imagine that we will get to see some more birds too, but it remains to be seen how innovative this is and whether it can keep them flying high.
What new features would you like to see in Angry Birds Space, leave your thoughts in the comments below of tweet me, @4forkssake.
Fat Cats for iPhone and iPad is a game for all ages. It’s a simple pick up and play game that might seem a little familar to millions of people. The reason it might seem familiar? It has the same core concepts as Angry Birds. If you haven’t heard of Angry Birds, you must be living under a rock, just kidding.
Fat Cats takes from the wildly popular Angry Birds and gives you a slightly different style, with different story, different maps but same fun game-play. You might look at it and say that it is just another Angry Birds clone and you wouldn’t be far off. Who says you can build off of a successful platform?
Taking down greedy cats is the name of this game. Catapulting objects at symbols of greed is the primary goal. Along the way you can check out the witty backgrounds and their play on words. At times, the backgrounds were my favorite part of the game.
Fat Cats has a number of different characters that you will launch at the cats to clean them out. Some will drop things, some will launch super fast when you double tap and others split up like a shotgun shell. That being said, you’re trying to take out the money bags, diamonds and other symbols of greed while taking out the cats. The idea is to take out all of the symbols of greed as well as the cats in as few catapults as possible. Sound familiar?
The game definitely looks, acts and feels like Angry Birds so if you haven’t been able to get your Angry Birds fix then this game might be for you. I will say that the game doesn’t seem to be as polished as Angry Birds but does feel and act incredibly similar. At 99 cents, its something that is worth giving a shot but don’t expect it to outpace Angry Birds.
[rating: 3/5]
What we like:
What to know:
I love my racing games and Mini Motor Racing came as a great addition to my iPhone. A top down racer with you a 5 opponents racing around beautiful looking and designed tracks makes for a lot of fun, frantic action.
There’s a great career mode, local multi-player and the ability to upgrade you car to challenge with the most fast and aggressive of opponents. Additional value is add by the GameCenter integration which consists of 16 achievements and leader-boards for all 22 tracks.
Mini Motor Racing can be grabbed from the App Store for just $1.99.
Tiny Tower by NimbleBit is the ultimate in addictive simulation game where you become the owner, manager and contractor of a tiny tower where you aim is to make it huge. Huge that is in the sense of the number of floors as it’s your task to build level after level of residential, commercial and retail stores.
The game uses a freemium model where the initial purchase is free and you can speed up your progress via in game purchase. That being said though in all the time I played it I never ended up spending an additional dime.
If you haven’t given Tiny Tower a try yet I urge you to do so although be prepared to not see your family and friends for a while as your addiction takes hold!
Another racing game makes it to my top 10 and this time with a whole new control system ideally suited to the touch screen of the iDevice. DrawRace 2 is another top down racer but this time instead of controlling your vehicle with an accelerator and a steering wheel you draw the path you wish your vehicle to take. It takes a bit to get used to but the satisfaction of getting around a sharp hairpin at full speed and in first place never gets tiring.
There are a range of vehicles all with differently handling and skills that can be unlocked as you progress and the tracks look wonderful too. If you are looking for a racing game with something a little different look no further than DrawRace 2, available in the App Store for just 99c for a limited time.
This one finds it’s way into the Top 10 mainly thanks to my daughter who is addicted to the fun game aimed at the younger age market.
The 9 Moogies are a variety of brightly colored farmyard animals that live in a barn. Each one can be clicked on and you will enter their weird and wonderful world. From a horse on a treadmill, a vacuuming cow and an experimenting mouse the animals are all kept pretty busy. The animals and their surroundings can also all be interacted with and along with the great sounds and music the game can keep a child entertained for as long as you’ll let them play with it.
The great thing about it for us adults is the fact that it’s not annoying, in fact I will quite happily find myself humming along to the music all day long at times! The Moogies is a universal app which is available in the App Store now for just 99 cents.
This audio and visual delight of a game takes you on a mysterious adventure where you are to solve a range of puzzles to to uncover the truth about your characters life.
You unravel the dark mystery as you wander around the rural location that is beautifully rendered on both the iPhone and iPad. The controls are intuitive and as you play the game you’ll find yourself engrossed in the excellent story telling.
While a little short in length it’s an experience not to be missed. dream:scape is available in the App Store for $2.99 and is a universal app.
There have been plenty of new and worthy word games released for iDevices this year and for many people W.E.L.D.E.R. possibly flew under the radar, it most certainly shouldn’t though.
W.E.L.D.E.R. is played on a 8 x 8 grid of letters and the aim is to make as many words as possible while swapping as few tiles as you can. While swapping adjacent tiles is the main way to move them you can unlock the ability to jump, reverse and group tiles. These additional options are limited though and are earned by scoring points.
I thought I would miss the fact that there is no mulit-player option but the challenge to clear each level by completing the required number of words with the given number of moves makes you want to not socialize anyway!
W.E.L.D.E.R. is another universal app and is available in the App Store for $1.99.
More racing in my top 10 games of 2011 only this time it of the two wheel variety and instead of racing around a track against other opponents this time you are racing against yourself along a crazy motorcycle assault course.
The controls are simple yet effective and your success is measured on each track on three conditions consisting mainly of beating a set time, collecting all the coins and completing the course.
There are 70 different tracks to complete, either riding as the Bike Baron or as a gorilla! But in addition to these pre-built tracks Bike Baron comes with a track editor that not only allows you to build tracks to race yourself but allows you to share them with your friends and the Bike Baron community.
At just 99c Bike Baron is available in the App Store now as a universal application.
The Angry Birds juggernaut continued in 2011 not only with the original Angry Birds and it’s follow up in Angry Birds Seasons but also with the release of it’s movie tie-in 3rd game Angy Birds Rio.
The saying goes that “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” and Rovio have certainly achieved that with Angry Birds Rio and with 6 episodes, 180 levels and 90 pieces of fruit to find there is plenty to keep you busy including a new bird that appears occasionally and which is not available in the other Angry Birds games.
If you are looking for a game to while away the hours then Angry Birds Rio will certainly achieve that with the even more charm, fun and entertainment as the two previous incarnations.
Purchasing Angry Birds Rio for just 99c from the App Store could be one of the best dollars you’ve ever spent.
When this game fell into my lap to review I was completely taken by surprise. All you need is one finger and fast reactions to enjoy this game as you power your jetpack wearing character along the never-ending level.
As you attempt to travel as far as you can you must avoid death by navigating around a variety of both static and moving lasers as well as rockets which aim to stop your progress. While the ultimate purpose of the game is to get as far as you can before you crash and burn the mini-objectives that you care challenged to complete on each and every turn keep things interesting as you always have something to achieve.
As you play you will also earn coins that you can then spend on power-ups, new cloths and a range of different jetpacks.
The balance of this game is in that sweet spot that just keeps you coming back for more and as a universal app it’s which is currently FREE in the App Store Jetpack Joyride is a must for every iPhone/iPad owner.
The irony of a game that was originally released in 2001 making the number 1 spot for 2011 is not lost on me, however the release of Grand Theft Auto 3 in it’s full form onto an iPhone is an amazing feat in itself.
The fact that it’s been done so well providing a huge open world environment of gorgeous sprawling city streets and a storyline which takes murder, revenge, violence and criminality to a whole new level Grand Theft Auto 3 has not been off of my device since it was downloaded and installed.
It loads fast, plays fast and is quick to jump in and out off which considering its a huge game is a great achievement.
While this may be the most expensive game in my top 10 it easily provides the best value for money and will provide hours and hours violent enjoyment! Get is from the App Store today and you won’t be disappointed.
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[rating: 4.5/5]
Snappy Dragons Review: A game where dragons and wizards do NOT peacefully coexist and fireballs are the solution. The baby dragons have been kidnapped by the mean wizards and are being held hostage. A wizard guards each baby, and there are a few extra wizards around for more “protection.” Your job is to take out the wizardss with your fireballs and set the babies free again.
Your challenge is more difficult than it first appears, as the terrain itself is an obstacle. Water, mountains, floating forms that move, and other defenses present themselves along the way. And you only have so many fireballs to work with to save the babies.
The gameplay is a bit like Angry Birds and a bit like Mario. The challenges get more complex and each of your fireballs must be deployed effectively to master the level. There are a variety of environments you will find yourself in, everything from steaming jungle to frozen tundra. These provide some nice visual variety with their bright colors and cute themes.
The sound environment is mostly nature sounds with a measure or two of music every now and then. It’s a nice change from the soundtracks found in many other games. The sound effects provide good feedback when you throw your fireballs and they hit an obstacle.
Snappy Dragons {$0.99} is a cute, well-designed game that is difficult enough to make you work for it and want to come back until you’ve solved the puzzle. There’s plenty of variety too to make it worth the price.
What we like:
What to know:
[rating: 4/5]
Island Wars Review: The game is brought to you by Movisol and it is their first game on the app store. The Penguin and the Tortoise are at war. The North Pole penguin wants to take over the beautiful island and build his dream seaside resort. The tortoise who currently happily lives there is now having to defend is home from the pesky penguin.
If you have ever tried Angry Birds then you will be familiar with this style of slingshot game play. The idea is you must sink the opponents island. To do this you need to destroy the cork that is used to stop it from sinking. The cork will be protected by stones, cubes and logs and it is your job to destroy them to get to it.
There are several modes to play in Islands Wars for iPhone. Story mode which is the one player classic game. There is a story to begin with to explain what is happening and then you just aim your tortoise at the penguin and try destroying the cork to sink the island and win. You keep doing this and work your way through the levels.
The next mode is Online challenge. Within this mode you can play turn-based with your friends. You can challenge any of your Game Center friends for a match. The online mode is different to the story mode. Both parties will have a slingshot to fire and aim and the idea is you must sink the island faster than your opponent sinks yours. There is also a chat section within the app to talk to the person you are playing, maybe even brag a little when doing well.
The final mode is using the same device and pass and play playing the same way you do in the online mode by seeing who can destroy the island the fastest.
It is very easy to control and play just use your finger to pull back the sling and then let go when you have your aim correct. If you need to see where the penguin is you can swipe the screen first. The game has some super cute sound effects. The little tortoise getting flung in the air screeches like tarzan in the jungle. There is also some catchy music playing to set the island scene. It is all very bright and colourful and the characters are sure to appeal to all ages.
What we like
What to know
[rating: 4.5/5]
Blosics Review: A new game in the Angry Birds style that has you flinging balls at the blocks to knock them out of the picture. The slingshot action is a familiar game interface, but Blosics does it up just a little differently.
You have a bubble that you can place your ball within, choosing the location that you think will have the most impact. As you pull back on your ball, arrows appear that help you aim. Those arrows can prove to be very useful, especially when you miss by just a little bit. The arrows and flight path fade away slowly, so you can make adjustments if you’re quick.
The targets are small blocks, with emoticon faces, that are stacked in a variety of patterns and in a variety of places. The challenge is to knock them all off the screen in the fewest flings. The blocks come in different sizes and eventually transform to make the challenge more difficult. In return, you can acquire different balls with different properties to deploy against the more demanding arrangements.
The game has a cheerful feel with bright graphics, spacey music, and snarky sound effects. The blocks maintain a running commentary of amusing utterances. The leveling screens feel like a party. It’s just fun around every corner.
Blosics is a great game that provides a neat twist on the slingshot theme. If you’ve beaten, grown tired of, or just really like Angry Birds, Blosics is the game to provide a new means to have destructive fun.
What to know:
What to know:
[rating: 4/5]
Bouncy Mouse HD Review: A mashup between Angry Birds and Cut the Rope that will have you springing and swinging for hours.
You are a mouse with a truly remarkable tale, and tail. You’re out for revenge against the cat that stole your cheese. You use that special tail to swing and fling your way through an obstacle course. In a move reminiscent of the Angry Birds slingshot, you use your finger to pull back on the mouse hanging by the tail. Upon release, if you get close enough to another peg to swing from, you will advance along the course. You may have even picked up some cheese pieces along the way. If you’ve totally missed, you bounce around like a pinball until you come close enough to a peg to get pulled in or you settle on the bottom and get reset to a peg nearby.
Controlling your mouse can be troublesome if you have old habits from either Cut the Rope or Angry Birds. It appears to be similar, but its not. If you slide back into old habits, you’ll find it doesn’t work so well. It’s really a cross between the two. New habits can be formed, but you may be tripped up for a while.
The game intro is visual only; there is no text to read. This is a feature I wish more games would employ; however this one seems a bit incomplete or confusing. Maybe the mouse and cat look too similar. But you don’t need the full back-story to figure out what’s going on and understand the objective of the game.
This game looks great on an iPad; more like Angry Birds than Cut the Rope. Bright, clear colors, simple characters and obstacles, and carnival-style music all keep the game focused on fun. It’s certainly kid friendly as well as a good challenge for adults.
Bouncy Mouse HD {$.99} takes the mechanics of two great games and combines them into a fun and sometimes difficult, but not too frustrating, piece of entertainment perfectly suited to iPad play.
Pros:
Cons:
[rating: 4/5]
Kiki Fish Review: Kiki is a terrified little fish in a big ocean. He’s not much of a swimmer but he can be flung around to either capture or avoid the passing sea life.
Kiki doesn’t go far; it feels a bit like bouncing off the walls of an aquarium. But the little space abounds with items to be captured or avoided. The game has a “falling from the sky” paradigm. Objects float through the water from top to bottom. Stars are good and urchins are bad, among other things. You control Kiki in the style of Angry Birds, by touching the screen, turning him in the correct direction, pulling back a bit, and lifting your finger to let him dart away.
Like any fish, Kiki can be a bit slippery to control. He can spin and bounce and be a bit much to get turned in the right direction. But that’s part of the appeal. About the time you think you’re doing well, you find he’s flipped upside down and darts off the other way. And he’s not a very precise swimmer, so the proximity of the good items to the bad items can tax your skills.
Kiki is a cute little thing in a beautiful environment. Bright primary colors make it a happy game and make it easy to spot the elements. There’s no music, but fun sound effects provide feedback. Both sight and sound support the simple nature of the game.
I wasn’t able to play Kiki Fish on my iPhone as I have a CDMA device. Kiki Fish requires iOS 4.3, and the CDMA machines aren’t on that version yet. However, it worked just fine on my 1st gen iPad. Word has it that a soon-to-be-released update will allow it to be installed on CDMA iPhones. And there is also a native iPad version on its way as well.
Kiki Fish ($.99, App Store) is a happy, uncomplicated game that proves to be more difficult than it appears. If you’ve played enough Angry Birds and want something just a bit different, check out Kiki Fish to test your flinging skills.
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Cons:
If you have ever played Cut The Rope or enjoy a good physics based puzzle game then Spider Jack developed by Chillingo’s Clickgamer is certainly worth checking out.
Spider Jack [$.99] is clearly inspired by the gameplay of Cut The Rope, in this new addictive game its all about helping the spider catch the flies to satisfy his hunger. He swings from his web and you then need to cut a web so he can reach the fly.
First of all you start out in the Barn room, there is also a bathroom and laboratory room but you have to collect a set amount of stars before you can enter them. So once you are in the room you work your way through each level.
When the game begins you have to tap a button for the web to appear. When you do your friendly Spider Jack attaches himself to it and starts moving along it. Depending how the web is postioned will determine where Jack is going to go. You may find he swings from left to right or just tangles down. You have to use your skills to drop him to the fly by cutting the web with your finger. You need to do this when he is positioned over the fly. Once that is done you have completed the level.
Like Angry Birds and Cut The Rope there is also the chance to collect stars as you go. The more stars you collect the more points you achieve and as I mentioned earlier you will then unlock the other rooms.
The levels start off fairly easy and then as you progress obstacles are put in your way. Things like hairdryers to blow you the wrong way or electricity to zap and fry you! When you get further into the game you will also need to use two webs. You will then have to work them together to swing Jack where he needs to go. It is all about timing and a precise cut of the rope web.
There are 75 levels to complete and the developers have promised that there are more to come. It is a great idea having the stars to collect as well. This is popular in the other games and gives extended game play if you want to redo levels and collect all stars.
I really enjoyed the cutesy graphics and sound effects. Spider Jack makes some cute and funny noises. It had me giggling when he was puffing and panting climbing up a web! The animated graphics are colourful and fun and very entertaining at times.
Spider Jack also has Game Center support so you can compete on the leader board and try and get all the achievements. Again it is offering more reason for you to come back and keep playing. It is a fun game that all ages will enjoy.
Pros
Cons
$0.99
Category: Games
Released: May 05, 2011
Version: 1.0
1.0 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
Size: 16.7 MB
Languages: English, Russian
Seller: Clickgamer Technologies Ltd
© MaxNick
Rated 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later
The object of the game is to help spider jack catch insects to fill its appetite while collecting all the stars to achieve a perfect score. The spider swings around on its thread and there are various objects scattered around the environment which will either help you or prevent you from reaching your goal.
We played the game for a bit and were impressed with the cutesy graphics, level design, good physics and animation. If you loved casual games like Cut the Rope or Burn The Rope then you will certainly enjoy Spider Jack too.
With more than 70 levels, retina display, Game Center integration and free updates with new levels on the way this game is definitely worth checking out. If you’ve already bought the game, let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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[rating: 5/5]
If you haven’t heard of Angry Birds then you’ve probably been living under a rock. If you haven’t played Angry Birds then you were not alone. Neither had I. Until now. I was the last hold out for the Angry Birds franchise in my group of friends; avoiding it like the plague, in much the same way that I have avoided Facebook. But after a 6 hour journey from Shanghai to Hong Kong I have finally been initiated into the Angry Birds world! My initiation was with the movie tie in version of the game franchise – “Angry Birds Rio“. Yes, Angry Birds will be coming to a movie made by 20th Century Fox in the summer. Often movie tie ins yield pretty awful computer games.. How have Angry Birds developer Rovio, done with their own game franchise and the movie tie in of the concept?
If you are not familiar with Angry Birds, then where have you been? But in a nutshell, the game involves firing a bunch of psychotic birds with differing abilities at structures, which in the original game were populated by pigs. The bird’s sworn enemies! The way you aim the birds is by pulling them back in a bungie, which is part of a catapult arrangement, to vary the speed and angle they are launched into the air at. You use this angle and speed of attack to strike constructions made of lots of materials which obey the laws of physics very realistically.
In Angry Birds Rio [App Store] the story line is that the game’s protagonists were kidnapped and flown to Rio. Once they escaped, they set about rescuing fellow (less psychotic) birds which had also been kidnapped. This is achieved in various level progressions by firing birds with differing abilities at fairly badly constructed piles of wood, concrete, steel and chains, which house, or have bird cages hung from them. This is initially set in a nondescript, but beautifully rendered warehouse somewhere close to Rio. You can change the view of your level by pinch zooming, and scrolling. And firing birds is down by simply pressing down on the next bird loaded in a catapult, and pulling and sliding it around to stretch and aim the bungie it is strapped into in its catapult.
Completion of a level is achieved by using your allotted set of Angry Birds for that particular level to free all their fellow feathered friends from their cages. While playing the game you will be able to discover hints and tips to beat your previous score and brag about it. Using less birds (you simply treat them like ammo) achieves bonus points, as does hitting various other items like pineapples, or doing trick shots involving environment objects, like swinging lamps, to cause cascading collapses and liberate trapped birds. Be aware that lamps and other objects suspended from the ceiling in the warehouse can both help and hinder your aim, and the birds flight path. It is also worth looking around the play area for special hidden objects in weird places which will award you bonuses. There are also bonus objects hidden deep in the bowels of on screen structures – which take some serious demolition skills, and planning to get to before each level ends when you run out of birds to fire, or free all the Angry Birds’ friends.
The abilities of your birds varies. Some are just dumb projectiles. Some are single birds that split mid flight into cluster bombs of multiple birds, and some are more violent triangle shaped birds that are extremely aggressive single projectiles.
Puzzles revolve around the placement, and weight of the various materials used to construct a level. For example, some levels are simply made of precariously balanced piles of wood – which are easy to topple with some well placed feathered projectiles. Others are made of more heavy concrete or steel items, which require more accurate hits with birds, or even some planning to undermine weaker foundations in stages to allow the entire construction to become unstable and then topple over – freeing birds in cages, or suspended from chains. The latter swing beautifully when struck – and if not struck hard enough, just swing, and don’t release their captives.
A nice touch is that once you fire your last bird the game will allow some time for items that are falling, or wobbling on the edge of toppling over, so that you can complete a level even if your last shot didn’t quite hit home the correct way. Restarting, or re-trying levels, is quick and easy also.
The game seems to sip battery power, despite having beautiful graphics, and very smooth animations. And the 3 hours flight time (with delays) from Shanghai to Hong Kong seemed to zip by in 5 minutes for me while playing the game. And my waiting time at each end of the journey for gates to open, and taxis to pick me up also zipped by. The game pauses and resumes without any hitches also, so this game is perfect to pull out at any point to play, and then stick in your pocket when you have something to do in the real world.
As you unlock each level you progress to new puzzles, which go from fairly simple, to devilishly difficult. And you can always go back to previous levels to try and complete them more efficiently, and get more bonus points. On my trip I managed to complete the first set of levels, which is set in a warehouse in Rio. And I am looking forward to my return flight tonight, when I can go through them again and try to do better. Or perhaps I’ll just move onto the next set of levels.. Yes, there is more…
There is a second set of levels you can then unlock, which I have just stared, which involves a new set of enemies for the Angry Birds. Monkeys. They are incredibly irritating, but in a good way. So lots of fun. And that set of levels is set in the jungle. So a refreshing change after a bunch of levels in a warehouse.
All in all in the version of “Angry Birds Rio” that you get for the silly low price of $0.99 there are around 60 levels, with tons of hidden awards to unlock. It’s stupidly good value – and has lots of reply value too.
Apparently in coming months there will be more level packs for the game, and I am sure they will also be priced at a silly price too. But what you get, as it stands, puts a lot of content into a game for pocket change, that AAA $60++ console titles shill us for.
If the movie is half as good as this game then it is set to be a huge success, like anything Rovio seem to do. The developers of Angry Birds deserve all the success they have had. And more power to them. They have produced a franchise with mass appeal, of great quality and a simplicity and addictiveness which is appealing to everyone from kids, to bored executives to crusty cynical old developers like me. Bravo.
Buy this game!
Pros
Cons
$0.99
Category: Games
Released: Mar 17, 2011
Version: 1.0.0
1.0.0 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
Size: 13.1 MB
Language: English
Seller: Rovio Mobile
© Rovio Mobile Ltd
Rated 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later
Firemint on Monday sent us details about their upcoming game for iOS called Agent Squeek. Flight Control and Real Racing for iPhone / iPad have been blockbuster hits for Firemint. They are now promising to offer their “trademark quality, polish and addictive gameplay in a brand new, spy-inspired tale of intrigue, stealth and misplaced cheese!”
Play as Agent Squeek, the dashing and debonair undercover mouse. Outsmart ferocious felines and crack fiendish challenges! Sneak, sprint and strategize in your quest to save every precious piece of missing cheese.
No further details about Agent Squeek were disclosed, however the game is expected to be available later this year.
Casual games for iPhone have shown great potential on the App Store. With games like Angry Birds and now Tiny Wings gaining popularity with casual and hardcore gamers alike.
Check back soon for more details and you can also follow the official facebook fan page of Agent Squeek for new updates.
]]> https://touchreviews.net/agent-squeek/feed/ 0That’s a hugely impressive count by anyone’s standards but it’s the company who keep the real achievement. As Engadget points out, other games that have managed to hit such a high number include such triple A titles as Bejewled (50m) and Legend of Zelda (a whopping 59m).
Some may point to the fact that presumably some of those 50m Angry Birds downloads will be the free Lite iOS version but make no mistake, that’s one mightily impressive feat no matter how you slice the numbers.
{via Engadget}
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The Angry Birds invasion shows no sign of slowing, with plush toys and more versions of the game on iOS and Android than you can shake a stick at. The latest addition to the family of game-related merchandise is a selection of Angry Birds branded iPhone cases.
Produced by Gear4 accessory manufacturer the cases feature some great drawings of the classic birds in the customary angry pose or a Pig King should you prefer the dark side.
All cases are priced at a reasonable $24.99 and are showing up at Apple Store in the US so far – if you’ve spied them internationally do let us know. Reports in the past have suggested that the cases would be exclusive to O2 stores in the UK, which obviously isn’t the case.
Presumably these gorgeous accessories won’t provide too much protection, but hey anything’s better than nothing, right?
Are you the proud owner of an Angry Birds iPhone case? Shoot us some pictures of your showing off your new wares and let us know what you think in the comments below!
{via MacStories}
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The countdown to christmas has begun and yet another great game has been updated to get you into the holiday mood. Developed by Rovio Angry Birds Seasons is the app for all the seasons of the year. The last one was Halloween and now they have added the Christmas theme.
If you have played Angry Birds for iPhone before then you will know how to play the seasons version. They work pretty much the same but with different backgrounds and music.
There are 25 days in December and there are twenty-five levels on this great christmas edition. Each level works just like an advent calendar, you get to open one a day on the correct date. There is no chance of cheating either, if you try to open a door of a day that is not due yet it won’t let you. Instead it will tell you how many hours and minutes you have left before you can. A great way to get you excited about playing each level!
The game plays the same as the actual Angry Birds game, you have to destroy the green pigs who stole your eggs. Kill them and collect the christmas presents as you go to earn extra points.
One small difference I did notice with the season levels compared to the normal Angry Birds game is that the blocks don’t always fall like in previous games. For example, normally if you hit a hill of blocks the ones above would tumble down, in this one however they don’t they stay in mid air. Whether this is a bug or they have decided to tweak the levels is unknown but at least it does make it more of a challenge for you!
The game is decorated with snowy graphics and christmas presents and plays jolly christmas music in the background. Yet another Angry Birds game that is sure to get you into the christmas spirit and even more addicted than you were already!
$0.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Updated: Dec 02, 2010
Current Version: 1.1.0
1.1.0 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
11.2 MB
Language: English
Seller: Rovio Mobile
© Rovio Mobile Ltd
Rated 4+
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later
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