The game presents you with icons and blank spaces to fill out the words. To make your life a bit easier there are jumbled alphabets to choose from to help you guess the meaning of the icons. If you get stuck you can choose to either post the trivia to your Facebook wall and have your friends help you out or use hints available within the game. Each correct answer earns you $1 (virtual game currency) and can be used to purchase hints. If you run out of the in-game currency, but still want to use a hint you can always use in-app purchase to get more $$$.
Visually the game is very minimalistic in its design and goes well with the iOS 7 flat theme. The user interface is intuitive and mostly gesture based. Flow studio, the developers behind ‘Iconic – Guess The Name Quiz From Picture Icons’ (available for FREE) have included more than 200 hand-drawn icons in the game. The cryptic nature of these icons vary from representing the exact word to giving subtle hints to form the basis of your thinking to solve the puzzle.
The game requires you to have decent knowledge about movies, music, and famous people. For example, if you haven’t watched the movie Dancing with Wolves or heard about the rock band Alice in Chains, it may take you a while to crack the puzzle. The developers have promised more categories in the future. After solving each puzzle you are presented with a short excerpt from Wikipedia which includes information about the movie, music or person you just guessed.
If you get stuck on a certain puzzle and run out of available hints and don’t want to buy coins, the only option left is to wait for your Facebook friends to help out or try being creative while searching on Google. There is no skip option. This sometimes can have a negative impact on the player. Being able to skip a puzzle and then coming back to it later could encourage the player to continue playing and then come back to the unsolved ones. The current version lacks this feature.
The game comes with a single player mode. There is no timer mode, no multiplayer and no achievements to unlock. It is unclear if the developers are working on these features. Adding different modes and achievements will further enhance the gaming experience and give the game a longer shelf life.
Once you start filling out the blank spaces with the available alphabets there is no way to rearrange them. You have to resort to tapping on the incorrectly placed alphabet and then replacing it. It would’ve been nice if the developers allowed the player to just drag and change the position of the alphabets.
Overall, Iconic for iPhone is a fun and challenging trivia game that successfully manages to ignite that ‘Ah! ha!’ expression.
Touch Reviews [rating: 3.5/5]
by All in a Days Play
iOS (Universal)
Iconic challenges you to translate icons into words. Test your knowledge of visual language and pop culture in a ridiculously fun trivia game!
If you enjoyed Draw Something and Heads Up!, then you are bound to enjoy what Iconic has to offer. - AppAdvice
Iconic is very, very sleek. It's head and shoulders more attractive than any other guess-the-phrase game I've seen out there. - AppsZoom
If you’re fond of music, movies, history and wish knowing even more, Iconic is your app - 4.5/5, AppsRumors
We’re surrounded by icons, emoticons, smilies, and other symbols. The meaning behind them is universal: Stop, Go, Play, Shop, Smile, Like, Share. What if the names of your favorite bands, movies, and celebrities are displayed as clever icons?
Crack the visual code and combine clues with your icon smarts to impress your friends and fill your day with priceless “a ha” moments.
Features:
- 250 hand-drawn icons
- Categories include Movies, Music, and People (with more categories to come)
- Share any quiz on Facebook if you need help from friends
- Every solved puzzle includes a Wikipedia excerpt
Iconic is all about clear icons and beautiful, minimalistic design. Nothing stands between fun puzzles and your amazing trivia-solving skills :)
If you enjoy playing Iconic, please take a minute to leave a nice review, it really helps!
FOLLOW US: twitter.com/iconicquiz
LIKE US: facebook.com/allinadaysplay
]]>
https://touchreviews.net/iconic-iphone-game-review-translate-cryptic-icons-words/feed/ 0
IllusionLabs aren’t strangers to App Store success, with TouchGrind and Labyrinth just two of their titles that have been big hits they now attempt again with their new title Blast A Way. Blast A Way for iPhone and iPad is a colorful physics puzzler where your task is to rescue the 3 Boxies that have been left strewn across all 5 worlds and 80 levels.
So how do achieve this task? Its quite simple really, the answer is bombs! 6 different types of bombs to be exact that will blow things up, transport you, change colors and even rebuild previously exploded blocks. All of these actions will enable you to move around the levels and collect the previously mentioned Boxies who are stranded and are waiting for you to pick them up.
The physics of the game are pitch perfect. You navigate the levels with a variety of touch controls which allow you to zoom, rotate and focus on any area of the beautifully designed levels. You can then move your character by drawing a path for them to walk along and final you can throw a bomb by touching where you want it to land and choosing the angle to throw it.
Bomb placement is where the real skill is required, direction, angle and power will all influence the final location of the bomb and where the bomb lands will influence the effect that the bomb has on the Boxies, the environment and even you, especially if you are standing too close to the bomb when it explodes.
It’s nice that you aren’t restricted in the number of bombs that you have at your disposal especially as on some levels getting the bomb to where you need it to land can be pretty tricky.
The 5 worlds are themed on different materials including wood, metal, plastic and fabric and while the structure of the worlds are similar being all made out of a variety of geometric shapes the different materials make them look great. This is certainly the case on the retina displays of the iPhone 4S and the new iPad where they pop off the screen.
It’s frustrating that as a universal app there is no progression synchronization between devices and while there is Game Center integration the 7 achievements are a little disappointing and it would have been nice to see a little more creativity here.
Blast A Way is a wonderful new physics puzzler, at $4.99 it’s a little on the pricey side but you can always try 20 levels for free via Blast A Way Free to see if you like it before you buy it.
[rating: 4/5]
]]>
https://touchreviews.net/blast-a-way-review/feed/ 0
For those of you that have downloaded any of the Disney Storybooks before you know that you are in for a treat as they bring the books to life on the iPhone and iPad.
Across the 28 interactive virtual pages of the book you can either read the story, have it read to you by the narrator or record the words and have those played back. This is great for your children to practice and listen back to their reading of for a parent to ‘virtually’ read the book to thier child when their not around.
Each page is beautifully illustrated, animated and can be interacted while the narration is clear and easy to listen too.
The storybook also includes additional activities including a matching game, 6 puzzles of increasing difficulty, 6 paintings and a talking Dory which acts similar to the talking animal games that are available.
At $6.99 it’s not cheap but it is an engaging way to re-live the Finding Nemo story.
The Finding Nemo Interactive Comic re-tells the story of Finding Nemo in a panel by panel comic book. You can either have the panels automatically appear or tap and swipe the screen to move through the story.
For your creative children you also get a step by step guide to how to draw the four main protagonists and you can either draw them directly onto the iPad or use the skills you learn and draw them elsewhere too.
Finding Nemo Interactive Comic is a universal app and is available from the App Store now for just $1.99
]]> https://touchreviews.net/finding-nemo-storybook-deluxe-interactive-comic/feed/ 0
Disney recently released the classic story of Dumbo as an interactive app for the iPhone and iPad. For children young and old the story of Dumbo is an endearing classic and while this interactive story book to the original story and artwork it also and features such as coloring pages, puzzles and a musical instrument in the form of a Calliope straight from the pages of the book.
The story itself is beautifully recreated in its electronic form and has well delivered audio to so that your child can listen to the story as well as read it. The pages come to life with animated action too which brings the story to life even more.
One if the most impressive features though is the ability to record your own audio of each individual page. You can do this one page at a time and when turned on the narration will be you voice and not the origami voice. This will be awesome if for any reason your going to be away from your child as this can be one way to stay close.
The three additional features are fun too. Playing the Calliope is fun and sounds very authentic. You can either freestyle or follow the tutorial to play along with the tune. The puzzle provides 3 virtual jigsaw puzzles for you to put together and each has 3 difficulty levels which increases the number of pieces in the puzzle.
Also pulling from the pictures in the book are the coloring pages. In these pages you have a paint brush, pencil and a palette of colors to color in the picture. You can save your handiwork if you want to come back to it later or email your completed masterpiece.
A nice added feature is the ability to personalize the splash screen of the app, not only with your child’s photograph but also their name which you can either type in or write in using your finger or stylus.
It’s no surprise that Disney would produce such a great app but it’s good to see it come to fruition.
This universal app cost $1.99 and is available in the App Store now, whether you are wanting to relive the story from your childhood or enjoy it with your child or grand children this app is a great way to do it.
[rating: 5/5]What we like
What to know
Coming up with original ideas must be a problem for an App Store that is flooded with original content. That being said Lipasto Games have done just that in the form of Billy the Painter HD for iPad.
The painting in question in this app is the floor of an old factory and the top down view provides you with a view of the different levels and how much of the floor still needs to be painted by you.
Painting the floor couldn’t be easier, simply tap the screen and paint will begin to radiate from the touch point until it touches any area that has been already painted.
This is where the challenge comes in as each puzzle has a different shaped floor that needs to be painted and so as the paint radiates out it can quickly stop if not placed appropriately and this can cause you to lose a life if you don’t reach the required percentage.
The trick to progress through the levels is to use multiple touch points as sources of the radiating paint and in combination with that the timing of these touch points.
While paint % is the overall dictator of your success you can improve your points score by painting of spots of old paint that are randomly placed on each level.
The whole style of the game is beautifully presented throughout and while the only graphical variety in the levels is the blue paint that is used in the bonus round that comes every 10 games this is not a distraction from a great looking game.
Sound effects are minimal but the music is appropriate to the game and is not annoying either and I didn’t find myself having to mute it at any time which is always nice.
The gameplay doesn’t allow you to pick specific levels that you want to play, instead you start each game at the beginning and progress through the levels until your 3 lives are lost. At this point your score is added to the local leaderboard. Why both options of game-play aren’t available I’m not sure.
As mentioned previously the game’s leaderboards are only local and there are no achievements to unlock via GameCenter integration either.
Billy the Painter HD is a beautiful, playable, challenging but ultimately limited due to it’s limited options. Perhaps some of these will be addressed in a future update.
[rating: 3/5]What we like
What to know
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
Miniclip, most well known for the game Fragger, is adding a new game to their extensive iPhone / iPad game portfolio in the form of Rat Fishing where you are challenged with killing rats across over 100+ levels of challenging puzzles.
The cartoon graphics look cute and effective as the tiny hypnotized rats follow the smell of cheese to their impending death. You have a limited number of cheese pieces on each level and it requires careful planning of the location placement to kill all of the rats, especially if you want to get the maximum rating and coins.
Each level is graded on a bronze, silver and gold star rating based on the number of pieces of cheese that you use and how quickly you complete the level. You also earn coins for your endeavours and these can be used to unlock levels, get hints and also skip levels.
Of course you can also purchase coins via in-app purchase and this will probably be required as the levels get aggressively difficult and skipping some, or getting hints was certainly required by me at least!
The aggressive nature of the difficulty is based on the variety of tools and the timing of their use that is required to complete the levels. While the initial levels simply require luring the rats to their deaths onto mines and down holes later levels start to not only introduce multiple rats and additional tools but also require you to time the placement of items to create a daisy chain of destructions.
Putting all of these actions into practice is very easy with the simple touch controls and the ability to instantly restart the level when you realize that something has gone wrong is nice too, especially as these feature doesn’t cost you any coins.
Rat Fishing also includes leaderboards for all 6 levels and over 40 achievements that provide a good amount of replay value, although that being said the 144 levels and the inbuilt difficulty should keep you either entertained for a while or frustrated.
Rat Fishing should be available on the App Store soon and will be priced at 99 cents. It’s a fun challenging game for those that enjoy a challenge, although the more casual gamer or younger player may find it a little too difficult.
[rating: 3/5]What we like
What to know
Nihilumbra for iPhone and iPad is a strangely brilliant game. The unique gameplay environment provides a lengthy play. The extemely artistic backgrounds and creative world are met with a somewhat depressing prose. The game is sure to intrigue gamers who enjoy being immersed in the environment of the game.
The game has a dark tone to it that permeates its way through the entire game. You start the game as a black blob born from nothingness. No, you’re not a Nihlist Big Lebowski fans, just a simple black blob. You find yourself in a place called the Void, ominous sounding huh? There are five worlds that you will journey through during the course of the game. You will make your way through icy mountains, forests, deserts and volcanic lands keeping a constant change in scenery which is always nice. The beautifully artistic environment adds to the overall dark atmosphere this game creates.
The lands you encounter are creative and beautiful. Unfortunately they are gobbled up by the Void after you make your way through them. Enemies are continuously thrown at you by the Void that eventually consume each land. You are continuously rethinking your selfish actions in this game which has a way of pulling you in to the environment and situations. Definitely one of those games that is easy to get engrossed in if you’re playing on your couch late at night with only the light of the TV.
Nihilumbra is a puzzle game at heart that utilizes touch controls to pull you in and keep you involved. The game grants you powers at the beginning of each of the five worlds. Gathering these powers enables you to interact with your environment by granting surfaces new properties. For instance, the blue that you gather on the frozen mountain tops of the first level allow you to make surfaces slippery, increasing your jumps and making edges slippery to enemies.
Despite the game having an artsy feel, the enemies are pretty cool. The way they interact adds to the overtones in the game and give them character. The are a bit dumb but in a world created of nothingness, that makes a little sense.
Overall the game has a ton to offer and looking at the screenshots will give you a better idea of just how awesome the environment is. It isn’t perfect, as there are some issues here and there but none important enough to mention. The game boasts about 10 hours of gameplay and after beating the game you get the option to play through the game again with added difficulty. Not just added difficulty either, it adds new enemies and mechanics which is uncommon but awesome.
Check this one out… It’s a blast.
[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
Tractor Trails is a cute and difficult game that harkens back to the skills of Pac-Mac. Get your tractor moving down the trails to plant the trees, but do it in the right pattern or you’ll find yourself in a dead-end before the job is finished!
You’ve got a field (or is it an orchard?) to plant and you’ve only got so much time to do it. The little tractor “Red” is up for the job and is placed in the empty field. You drag your finger to tell Red which way to go and he continues down the path until he reaches the end. Then you drag your finger a different direction to go down another path to continue on. As you travel, you leave behind you trees that serve to both accomplish your task and block your way once they are planted. You have to think ahead to keep an open path so you can plant the entire field.
Tractor Trails {$0.99, App Store} is one of those games that looks easy until you try to master it. It scores you based on picking up objects along the trail, completing the planting, and doing it within a specified time. One out of the three is easy to do. Two of three most folks can handle. Getting all three though, takes some practice and some in-game equipment boosts to master.
The graphics are bright and clear and the music is upbeat and filled with the appropriate farm sound effects. The game has a light-hearted, cheerful feel that makes playing it a pleasant experience, and well suited for kids.
For the $0.99 price, you’ll get plenty of challenge. The in-app purchases can add corn to your stocks or unlock all the levels instantly. But you can also earn these in-game if you take the time.
Tractor Trails is a fun way to challenge yourself and your puzzle-solving skills. It strikes a nice balance between visual appeal, gameplay simplicity, and puzzle difficulty that makes if a compelling app.
[rating: 5/5]What we like:
What to know:
Zio Ball is a bit of pinball, a bit of a maze, a bit of Cut the Rope, and more difficult than a first glance would indicate. The challenge is to place magnetic spots that pull or push your ball toward the escape hatch.
Zio Ball is easy to understand and has few controls to master. You are given an obstacle course with a ball placed in it and magnetic spots to position in relation to the course to move the ball to the escape hatch. The red magnets pull the ball and the blue magnets push it. But getting these magnets placed so they have just the right amount of influence on the ball is the tricky part. Beyond placing the magnets, the only other control is turning them on or off. That allows you to drop the ball at strategic times to send it rolling in a useful direction.
Placing the magnets in just the right locations to move the ball through the course isn’t easy. Just a nudge one way or the other can leave the ball motionless or jammed between the magnet and the course. And coordinating the push and pull of the magnets with the timing of the on/off switch can take several attempts to get right. And refraining from trying to swing or tilt the ball using the accelerometer is hard to overcome.
The industrial look of the game suits the task perfectly. The setting of the courses resembles a tunnel or an engineering deck. There are controls for music and sounds, but I couldn’t hear anything. There’s also a control for vibration, which did work and provided feedback when the magnets were interacting with the ball.
While simple in concept and controls, Zio Ball offers a surprising level of difficulty. There are plenty of levels and courses to keep the challenge going. Zio Ball takes a bit more concentration and puzzle solving skill than many games. And if it starts to get easy, there’s always the challenge of beating your best time.
[rating: 4.5/5]What we like:
What to know:
Gallery
]]>
https://touchreviews.net/zio-ball-review/feed/ 0
In the world of gaming anything goes, so a back story of a group of sharks hanging out happily in a bathtub before being joined by a noisy group of rubber ducks and helping them take revenge on them is perfectly normal, right?
Luckily, reality is not a requirement in most games these days, in fact quite often the more bizarre the story the better, and that’s certainly the case for Shark Dash.
The game uses the now traditional 3 star rule to progress through the almost 100 levels over 4 different environments, (i.e. bathtubs), and these are achieved by eating all the ducks, collecting all the coins and doing this within the given number of shots.
Each level is played within the confines of a bathtub and is viewed as a sideways cut through including, bubbles, plughole, and all of the usually bathtime accoutrements that you would expect to see around the side of a bath. The graphics are solid and are certainly in keeping with the cute and fun style of the game as is the music which in is light and jaunty.
Controls are easy to learn but the levels can be difficult to master especially if you aim to get 3 stars in every single level. Collect the coins and stars is a simple task of pulling back on the shark’s tail and launching him in the direction that you desire. Your shark will pick up coins and the rubber ducks as he passes over through them, ducks will also float along the top of the water so as long as you knock them into the water and there is nothing blocking their path then they will willingly swim into your jaws.
As you progress through the 100 levels additional obstacles will be put between you and the ducks, these include salt sticks, soap, pipes, chains and a host of other things which all affect the physics of the game. The physics are additionally affected by the water in the bath so you will have to take that into consideration if your plan of attack takes you underwater, rather than over it.
Some of the objects that you’ll need to overcome will require sharks with different skills and as you progress you’ll get to unlock Sawy, Hammy and Scuby who all have skills associated to their names.
As with the majority of these games, if you don’t want to put the work into unlocking all of the levels by competing all the stars and earning coins then you can purchase coins to spend on unlocking levels, sharks and undo’s that will allow you to rewind a shot it didn’t quite go according to plan.
As if completing the 100 levels wasn’t enough there are 24 achievements to unlock and another 24 missions to keep you entertained. Unfortunately these don’t synchronise with GameCenter so there’s no way to compare your scores and achievements with your friends.
Shark Dash is a universal app and is available from the App Store now for just 99 cents. Grab it now for hours of fun, with a bite!
[rating: 4.5/5]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.
]]> https://touchreviews.net/best-games-2011-iphone-ipad/feed/ 6
Super Yum Yum Puzzle Adventures
Super Yum Yum: Puzzle Adventures [rating: 4.5/5]
Leon the chameleon needs your help, the nasty fruit monster Ms Tum Tum, has kidnapped your beloved babies and stolen your fruit! Chase the mean monster in this cute puzzle game called ‘Super Yum Yum: Puzzle Adventures’ brought to you by MetroApps and bring your babies home.
There are four worlds to visit with a total of 48 levels to work your way through. To complete each level Leon has to eat fruit and then go to the exit. The fruit is all different colours, Leon can only eat a fruit that is the same colour he is. When Leon eats a fruit his skin changes to the colour of the fruits leaves. So if it was a red strawberry with green leaves, he will turn green.
You have to therefore plan ahead which fruit to eat. If you eat the wrong fruit and turn the wrong colour it might mean you can not eat the rest of the fruit and therefore the level will not be completed. There is an option to go back and restart if you need to, which does come in quite handy!
A level is completed when Leon eats all the fruit and gos to the exit. The more fruit collected unlocks further levels. To eat the fruit you swipe from Leon to the fruit and his tongue will stretch out and grab it. You do have to be near it to reach though. As you progress his tongue will get longer so you can reach further away.
If there are obstacles in the way, for example a bridge you can use your tongue to grab fruit and move across the bridge. Again though you have to be quite close at first. To rescue your babies as you go just lick them. When you have babies they help you collect big fruit.
If you want to have a look around before you plan your next move you can zoom in and out with the ususal pinch controls and you can also scroll the screen with your fingers.
The game is integrated with OpenFeint and there are many achievements and leaderboards to compare with your friends. There is also support for multi-tasking for resuming your game.
The graphics are very colourful and cute and Leon makes super sweet noises when eating the fruit. It is very easy to control and play the game and with so many levels it will keep you entertained for some time. A great game for any puzzle fan!
$0.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Updated: Nov 19, 2010
Current Version: 1.1
1.1
15.5 MB
Language: English
Seller: Associated Northcliffe Digital
©2010 Yum Games Ltd. Super Yum Yum is a trade mark of Yum Games Ltd. All rights reserved.
Rated 4+
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later
CLUE is the US version of a game that most people in the UK associate with a board game called Cluedo. Cluedo was invented in the North of the UK in the late 1940s. Apparently since then things have moved on a pace, and now there is an all singing all dancing version of CLUE, made as a board game by Hasbro in the US, in which you get black light torches to read spy clues with, and super secret text messages during the game sent to you from Hasbro’s servers. Sounds like a lot of fun!
CLUE: Secrets & Spies – A Hidden Object Game from Electronic Arts, as far as I can tell is a game that cashes in on that franchise. What it offers up is a set of “hidden object” / “spot the difference” picture games, set against a backdrop of international espionage.
I am not a great fan of spot the difference games, but the idea of them on an iPad with some finger tip action seemed initially interesting.
Here is EA’s own blurb..
Find hidden objects in exciting cities around the world like Casablanca, Buenos Aires and Paris, and stop the evil forces of C.L.U.E. (Criminal League for Ultimate Espionage) from sowing destruction across the globe!
CLUE is certainly well presented, and the spy theme makes for a more interesting way to bundle up picture based puzzles. But even with the global map, and the fairly weak storyline tying the puzzles together it just felt to me like an elaborate menu system skinned in a spy theme.
The puzzles, spot the difference and find the hidden objects are well done, with nice little overlays when you spot things. Good use of the touch screen but the pressure of a time limit was about the only time I felt that I was actually trying to foil some evil master genius before a nuke attached to a puppy went off somewhere. And that was fun. But short-lived. And to be frank a lot of the fun I was having was in my own overactive imagination.
There is not much variety in the style of gameplay in CLUE, but there is plenty of variety in the puzzle locations, images and back stories. And you cover several parts of the globe, including Morocco, Russia, London, Cairo, Berlin and so on. All possible settings for James Bond movies, or cold war capers.
There are rewards to be had in the form of “essential spy gear”. I won’t spoil the surprise for you. And you can use a Clue Detector to help you out of sticky spots.
That is really about it. And both the idea of the board game from Hasbro, and EA’s own blurb on this iPad game get me more excited than the reality of CLUE on the iPad.
CLUE is well crafted overall though. And if you love picture puzzles that test your memory and observation skills then CLUE: Secrets & Spies may be for you.
Now where is my laser gun…
$4.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released: Nov 04, 2010
Version: 1.0.0
1.0.0
76.3 MB
Language: English
Seller: Electronic Arts
Game code © 2010 Electronic Arts Inc. CLUE © 2010 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.
Rated 4+
Requirements:Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later
Catacrok by Caligola Games is a physics game that needs strategy and skill to complete the 60 levels of puzzle. When you start the game there is a tutorial you can follow to get an idea of what you need to do to play the game. The main point is that you need to destroy all the blue blocks without destroying any red ones by knocking them off a platform.
All these blocks are on the platforms around the screen. You have a ball shape in the centre and if you press and hold it, it will show an arrow. When you see the arrow you need to aim it at the blocks to knock them over. Clear the requested amont and then move on to the next level. If you knock any red ones down that amount will be deducted off your blue total so it is important to try and knock as little as possible off.
The platforms can be made of different surfaces and each surface will react differently. For example the grass platform will make the blocks move a lot slower than the ice platform so these are other things to consider before making your move.
You can also control an heavier touch or a lighter touch by the size of your ball. If you want to give a great big heavy push you need to make the ball as big as possible. The force then from it will knock more blocks off the platform.
You can play any level at any time you just scroll through each screen to choose the one you want to play. There doesn’t seem to be any where within the game that tells you what level you are up to as you work through them so I am presuming you just have to remember what part you are up to. It might have been a better idea to have some levels locked that need to be unlocked before you can play them.
The graphics are quite straight forward and simple which is all that it really needs to play, too much fuss within the game would spoil it and be off putting. There are no sounds to the game at all which felt really strange to play with out. I think it needs some sort of background noise or music just to break the silence up a bit.
There is nothing within the game to make you want to play again and again. No leader boards or score boards. It would be good with some form of online score integration to make gamers want to come back again to play and improve their score and compete with their friends.
$0.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Updated: Oct 09, 2010
Current Version: 1.1
1.1
7.3 MB
Language: English
Seller: david linan reyes
© 2010 David Linan Reyes
Rated 4+
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later
iTangram is a puzzle game set in a magical kingdom. Within this kingdom magicians used crystals to control the four elements, now these crystals are out of control and destroying the castle and its surroundings. It is your task to help rebuild the castle one puzzle at a time.
Developed by Gameolymp iTangram is featured with 50 unique levels and 5 bonus levels to complete. Each level becoming harder as you go. It offers a twist to the classic versions of tangram games by having the addition of some very nice background graphics and calming music.
To play the game when each level begins you will see an empty grid you need to fill with various shapes. You do this by using the shapes that fall down from the top of the screen. To catch a block that is falling just tap it and drag it to where you would like it to go. To rotate it clockwise use your second finger whilst holding it.
If you do not use a shape it falls to the bottom of the screen between two force fields. If lightening begins to show between them it means it is becoming over loaded. If there are too many in there you will loose. So you need to avoid letting too many stay there.
You can also earn combos by adding three or more blocks together. There are also runes to use to help you, for example a stone breaking rune will destroy a chosen block for you. A diamond rune will turn any chosen block into a small triangle. There are several of these that fall to help you as you go.
The game is also integrated with OpenFeint with various achievements to be completed. It is a game that is ideal to play anytime as it saves your progress as you go. iTangram is great puzzle game that becomes hard to put down the further you get into it.
$0.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Updated: Nov 02, 2010
Current Version: 1.0.1
1.0.1 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
32.9 MB
Language: English
Seller: Dmitry Gapkalov
© 2010 GameOlymp Software
Rated 4+
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later
Sudoku’s are a lot like Marmite, you either love them or you hate them, that’s how decisive they are. For me I fell on the side of love ever since I first started playing them in my daily newspaper.
For those of you that missed the rise of the Sudoku puzzle throughout the western world a Sudoku is a cross between a Word Search and a Crossword Puzzle but with numbers. The challenge with a Sudoku is to complete an 8 x 8 grid of numbers where each number can only appear on each vertical or horizontal row once.
There are millions of puzzles and difficulties but Kuboku takes the game to a whole new level thanks to the extra dimension that the iPhone/iPad offers. For now, rather than completing an 8 x 8 grid your challenge is to complete an 8 x 8 x 8 cube instead!
This is not as difficult as it seems especially if you start out on the easiest of the three levels before moving up to the Medium and Hard puzzles.
The cube fills the majority of the screen and it can be rotated by simply dragging your finger across the screen allowing you to get an accurate look at the missing number and the corresponding cells that control the placement of the next number.
The three difficulty levels controls the number of missing numbers from the cube. The more numbers that are missing the more complex the puzzle will be. You are presented with finding the solution for one number at a time and if you can’t solve it right away you can use the arrow buttons to move to the next number or double tap the missing number that you want to solve next.
Only the relevant corresponding blocks to the number that you are attempting to solve are displayed by default. However if you wish to see the other numbers this can be done by holding down the appropriate button. This can help you, but can also sometimes hinder your solution!
Finding the right number quickly can earn you bonus points and completing a chain of correct numbers before the timer runs our grows the multiplier nicely. This adds additional pressure to playing Kuboku and takes it from being a sedate puzzle game to an edge of the seat challenge instead.
Games are selected randomly depending on the difficulty level you choose although if you find a particular puzzle enjoyable or wish to attempt to beat you previous score you can enter the number of the puzzle in to play that specific one.
Kuboku is a universal app too so for the $1.99 price tag you get to play Kaboku on both your iPhone and iPad should you have both. The game is the same on both devices and looks great on them both too.
The game is also Game Center enabled but only utilizes the leader boards to rank your scores against you, your friends and the world! Adding some achievements would certainly have been a nice addition.
Kuboku is a great twist on the classic sudoku puzzle and with 1000 challenging puzzles has enough to keep even the hardened puzzler entertained.
$1.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Updated:Oct 22, 2010
Current Version:1.0.1
1.0.1
28.8 MB
Languages:English, French, German, Japanese
Seller:Creaceed SPRL
© 2010 Creaceed SPRL
Rated 4+
Requirements:Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1 or later
Two Great Games for the Price of One Makes All Your Wishes Come True
We’re reviewed many hidden object games and match 3 type games as well here at touchreviews.net but now we have Lamp of Aladdin which combines the story of Aladdin along with both a match 3 and hidden object game. Have corners been cut on both games or is this a perfect match?
The first thing you notice after tapping on the game icon to launch Lamp of Aladdin are the beautiful graphics and sleek menu system that spring to life on the iPad and make the game a pleasure to use.
Lamp of Aladdin uses player profiles to allow multiple instances of the game either allowing a single player to play the game in either of it’s two modes or allowing multiple players to play the game on a single iPad. The two modes that you can play the game as are Relaxed and Timed where the only difference is that in Timed mode you are up against the clock.
The game is played as the story of Aladdin is told via a collection of chapters along with gorgeous drawings and narration. This is engaging enough for most adults who already know the story but for younger children it adds an additional dimension to the game. Once the game has been completed the story can be played back in it’s entirety without playing the game.
Each chapter of the story includes a hidden object puzzle followed by a match 3 game and completing both will move you onto the next part of the story. The hidden object part of the game has been implemented very well with multiple activities to be completed to in each puzzle.
Firstly the various objects are split into multiple pieces and find all the pieces of a certain object then allows you to use the object in the game to open, unlock and gain access to other areas that contain other items that you need to collect.
In addition to the main objects you need to uncover there are also multiple coins, gems and other such items that if found will unlock a range of awards. The objects are well hidden there are hints on each level to help you should you get stuck.
Once you’ve completed the hidden object part of the game move onto match 3 game for the particular chapter and this often consists of multiple puzzles that you need to complete to move on.
The match 3 part of the game is pretty standard stuff but their are a couple of twists that make it stand out. Firstly the task is not to clear the screen but instead to clear a path for Aladdin to walk through. As he does he will collect objects and special items that will enable him to clear the path faster. The additional twist is that each match 3 level is spread across multiple areas and you’ll need to use the special items in various ways to move between them.
As with most Chillingo games it is Chrystal enabled which adds leader boards and achievements to the game adding an additional challenge. The one downside to the game is that you can only play it in story book mode so you’re unable to play either the match 3 or hidden object parts of the game in their own just for fun.
That being said both parts of the game have been implemented superbly providing an engrossing game that is difficult to put down.
Reviewed on an Apple iPad
$1.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Released:Sep 02, 2010
Reviewed Version:1.0
Size: 125 MB
Languages:English, French, German, Japanese, Russian, Spanish
Seller:Chillingo Ltd
Copyright © 2010 Fenomen Games
Requirements:Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later.
Less than a month ago we reviewed a sokoban puzzle game named Warehouse51 and found it very enjoyable. Well hot on its heels we now take a look at another sokoban puzzle game, this time in the form of Psychoban.
Where Warehouse51 took a top down 2D view of the game Psychoban is a 3D puzzler reminiscent for me of the old school title Head Over Heels all be it with much stronger graphics and completely different game play!
The story line sees you in the role of a psychiatric patient. Your character is suitably dressed in a straight jacket but this doesn’t prevent him from pushing the crates around which he needs to do in order to facilitate his release.
Your guides on your mission to complete the game are an seemingly evil doctor and his assistant who’s banter offers a light-hearted relief between levels. During the initial levels they also guide you in the controls of the game and how to complete the puzzles.
The controls are via the touch screen; tapping on a square will move Mental Dude, (yes that’s your characters name), to that location, while tapping on a crate and then an available destination location will engage Mental Dude in moving the crate to that location.
Initially Mental Dude walks, jumps and pushes rather slowly which is rather frustrating, however his speed can be adjusted in the settings which enables the game to move along at a much better pace.
As with all sokoban games it often happens that you’ll push blocks into locations from which they can’t be retrieved and luckily there is an undo button to remedy this mistakes. You can also restart the whole level should you get completely messed up!
The are five asylums to complete each with 10 levels, completing each asylum will unlock the next and will also unlock a ‘postcard’ of that level. The postcard takes the full screen image that you could save as your wallpaper should you so wish via taking a screenshot to your camera roll, other than that the postcard seems to have little value.
The five asylums each have their own unique graphical style and all look great as to the quirky animations of Mental Dude as he goes about his business of fighting for his freedom.
The puzzles themselves are not as difficult as some other sokoban titles and the puzzles are certainly made easier by the fact that the available locations for moving the crates are highlighted when the crate is selected.
At $2.99 there are definitely cheaper alternatives to this sokoban puzzler but having said that it’s still enjoyable and at times humorous and it will keep you entertained for a couple of hours at least. Having said that the lack of any leader boards limits the replay value.
Price: $2.99 (App Store)
Category: Games
Updated: Jul 05, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.0.1
19.6 MB
Language: English
Seller: Diego Gabriel Ruiz
© Dedalord
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later.
Fans of the popular Facebook game, Bubble Town created by Iplay, will love this new app Bubble Town 2 in 1 Bundle Pack. It consists of the original Bubble Town and Bubble Town 2 all for the price of one game!
Bubble Town is the well known Facebook game that many of you would have already played or heard of. It is very similar to games like Puzzle Bobble. You launch the colored heads called ‘borbs’ from a cannon aiming up above at the other colored borbs. The aim of the game is to match three or more to clear the screen.
The controls are easy to follow. Along the bottom of the screen is an orange dot on a bar, you move that from side to side and your cannon moves accordingly. When you have your cannon aimed at the right borb above, you then double tap the dot or tap the cannon once. You can also use the motion control option and if you do it that way you just move your device. I personally preferred the touch and tap option as I seemed to have better control over what I was aiming and shooting at. To keep clearing the board just match 3 or more.
There are 31 mixed levels altogether and within each of them are power ups all offering different things to help you clear the screen of borbs. If your tube is empty at the bottom and the borbs get nearer to what is called the danger zone and the game is over.
This version of Bubble Town on the iPhone is more fiddly than what it is via facebook. The motion control is terrible to move and aim and really not worth using at all. The tap and touch is slightly better and you do have a little guide line showing you where you might hit if you shoot where you are pointing.
I didn’t like the music in this one but luckily you can turn it off. There are a few sound effects put in for when you are shooting the borbs up and hitting the other colors which did sound good. The graphics are nice and colorful and is certainly a pleasure to look at. Overall though Bubble Town is probably a game that I would rather just play on facebook instead of on my iPhone just because it is a lot easier via facebook.
The next game is Bubble Town 2 which is supposed to be the ultimate version of Bubble Town and I admit it is definitely better than the first one. Again the aim is the same you have to match 3 or more borbs to clear the screen and with this one there are 45 levels to complete. There are the usual power ups again and all you have to do to activate them is match them up to borbs of the same colour.
There are three new modes in this one. Classic mode which is just matching the borbs before they can come down to the danger zone. Ball mode is all about a ball shaped clump surrounding the danger zone, you have to prevent the shrinking danger zone from over lapping the clump. Final mode is Invasion mode, defeat the lump armies by matching in set areas and detaching large branches of borbs from the clump. You have unlimited borbs on this one but the roof does lower every three shots so you have to get your goal achieved a lot quicker.
The controls are only slightly different to the first. You move the cannon by touching the screen from left or right there is no dot at the bottom you have to touch. When you are ready you fire by tapping the cannon. The graphics are bright and colorful and the animation is quite good but again the music is very annoying and got turned off almost at the start.
There are many puzzle games like this available on any console and most are the same, once they have been completed there is not much more to do. Saying that though you are getting two games for a reasonable price and it is quite enjoyable.
The Good
The Not So Good
Price: $2.99 (iTunes Store)
Released: Apr 23, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.0.0
Size: 53.1 MB
Language: English
Seller: Digital Bridges Limited t/a I-play
© 2010. Published by I-play. All Rights Reserved. I-play is a trademark and trading name of Oberon Media, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
Rated 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.
Formerly known as JawBreaker, reMovem is a tactical puzzle game that is very simple yet extremely addictive. Once you start, you may have difficulty trying to stop. Similar to other featured packed games, ReMovem challenges you to group and eliminate similarly colored balls by tapping them. One tap selects a group; a second tap removes the group of balls.
Strategy is the name of this game. At the start of the game, you see an 8×10 grid consisting of 80 multicolored balls. Tapping them once will display the point value you’ll gain while tapping the group twice will make them disappear. While removing the balls, larger groups earns you more points. The trick is eliminating them in such a way that you clear the board for a 200 point bonus. The goal is to score the most points before running out of turns.
Unlike the free version, the full version offers more balls and three new ways to play the game; Basic, Nonstop, Slide and Combo. Full onscreen instructions are available which can be turned off or used to help you choose how you will challenge yourself in this upgrade.
Worried about losing your score? This version tracks all high scores and averages. It also saves and restores game on exit. Full of fun sounds and fast tap action, this quick game is sure to keep you on your toes.
Price $.99
The Good
The Not So Good
Reviewed By: Dana Sperling
Win iPhone Games for Free!
To win promo codes for reMovem retweet this post.
]]> https://touchreviews.net/removem-iphone-toes/feed/ 2
EA Mobile has brought yet another classic game to the iPhone/iPod Touch and this time it’s Boggle the word game where the aim of the game is to spell as many words as you can in 3 minutes.
TICK-TOCK…BEAT THE CLOCK…
Once you start you just can’t stop!Test your way with words with the popular word-search game that’s addictive fun-on-the-run!
In the original game a plastic box would be filled with 16 dice with letters on each side and to generate your random letters you would shake the box and the letters to use in the game would be those that land face up.
A simple premise and EA have kept the simplicity while modernizing the game in this incarnation for the iPhone. Launching Classic Mode, (just one of the 4 modes you can choose from), opens your virtual plastic box and just like the real game all it takes to start the game is a quick shake, (a simple but nice touch especially for those who have played the original), for your dice to shake and fall into place.
As soon as they fall into place your 3 minutes start and the aim is to find as many words of 3 letters or more in chains. This means that the letters of any word you spell must be next to each other, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally and selecting the words couldn’t be easier. Firstly you can simply tap each letter in turn and then click on the tick when you’ve spelled your word, or for a quicker way to bang out your words simple drag your finger over the letters from the first to last and when you release on the final letter the word will be submitted. The controls are fluid and enable you to submit the words as quickly as your minds see them.
This alone would be enough for most Boggle and word play fans but EA has bundled in 3 other versions of the game too. First there is Advanced mode where not only can you adjust the time limit but also enable trick letter moves where letters will switch and jump around either increasing the number of words available or spoiling planned words depending on your view point. Self Score mode allows you to use the app version of Boggle in the classic way were there are no timers and it’s just you or you and your friends finding words for fun.
The next mode is where EA have dropped the ball. Challenge mode is EA’s version of multi-player but instead of offering real-time multi-player you can only challenge people via email. When you send your email to your challenger and they open it on their iPhone or iPod Touch there will be a link to open up the game and attempt to beat your score, and that’s it, it doesn’t even let you know if they beat your score. Boggle could have got a 5 out 5 but the lack of a substantial multi-player mode takes a whole mark off of the score.
The game does look great though and if you like stats this is the game for you too, from the sublime Longest Word or Number of Words Found to the ridiculous, Favorite Orientation or Total Bad Guesses. It would have been nice to have been able to compare your stats with others but just as with the lack of a multi-player option this has been ignored too.
Overall Boggle is a great game and if your a fan of word puzzles then you can’t go wrong with this classic title.
Price $2.99
The Good
The Not So Good
Reviewed By: Craig Willis
Boggle for iPhone: Screenshots
[nggallery id=12] ]]> https://touchreviews.net/boggle-iphone-game-review-puzzle/feed/ 1
Every time I get to review a puzzle game I get excited to try something that will actually exercise my brain. There is nothing like a good puzzle app to start motivating myself in the morning. Of course a strong cup of coffee must accompany.
Diceworks is similar to an older game “Bubble Breaker” where you selected groups of same colors to make them disappear and/or pop. The more and faster you made them pop, the better your score. Diceworks has some new and exciting alterations to this old look.
Instead of using colors, Diceworks uses numbers escalating the possibilities. The game starts with a group of numbers on a 5×5 board. Drag on the dice/tiles to make combinations vertically or horizontally. You get more points by making longer combinations. The object is to not only make pairs, triplets, etc. but also straights (1,2,3 or 4,5,6) and reverse straights (8, 7, 6, 5 or 4, 3, 2, 1). If you have a row that includes the numbers 33555 you can select the entire row of tiles/dice at once and get a considerably higher score than if you had selected 33 and 555 separately. This will speed up your game play extensively enabling you to amplify your score.
There are 3 game modes to choose from Ruby, Absinthe and Orchid.
The graphics are decent for a dice game although if the dice were 3D or able to spin it would greatly enhance the game play. The sound effects leave nothing to be desired either – playing this game makes me feel like I’m inside a giant clock or machine, with things clicking and ticking, wheels turning, steam escaping.
I have one key complaint. After waiting a few seconds without selecting a group, the game goes ahead and points one out for you by highlighting a group of dice/tiles. This ruptures concentration and doesn’t allow one to think and/or strategize for their next big move. For young gamers I can see how this may be helpful. However, there should be an option to turn this feature off. Another nice touch would be the ability to submit high scores and/or compete online. Currently one can only see their own scores.
The terrific advantage of Diceworks is that the developer has an in-browser version on their website. This will allow one to try before they buy.
Price $.99
The Good
The Not So Good
Reviewed By: Dana Sperling
]]> https://touchreviews.net/diceworks-iphone-puzzle-game-review/feed/ 5
Win 20 Promotional Codes!
Game Description
Rummage is a new tile based word puzzle game for the casual and cerebral gamers.
The size of your vocabulary doesn’t necessarily matter, each puzzle has a list of 12 to 20 words you must spell to complete the puzzle.
The scoring system is deep, but the basics are very simple… move the tiles around and spell the puzzle words. Learn how to maximize your moves to earn bonus points and spell multiple words at a time. Play for points or play for the best time. Discover hidden words that reward you bonus points, extra hints, or even a set of blank tiles.
There are 3 tutorials (recommended to start with) and 30+ puzzles of various difficulties for hours of gameplay.
Arguably… “The most diabolical word game ever!”
———————
Version 1.1:
Added the ability to undo moves or undo letters typed on blank tiles. The Undo button can be reached through the Pause Screen.
Online leader boards coming soon!
For more information about Rummage, visit www.cfreshmedia.com
Price $.99
How to win?
Retweet this post to win Rummage for iPhone/iPod touch
If you win and want to redeem promo codes using your iPhone or iPod touch read instructions here
]]> https://touchreviews.net/rummage-iphone-game-promo-codes-redeem/feed/ 0