TicTacTouch

Mega Bloks © Kiloo Games: A game based on that thing that ripped Lego off! (0.99)

2010-11-21T20:31:00.000-08:00

This is one of those puzzle games where you have to drag pieces of matching colours together in groups of three and then they disappear. However there is a twist; you have do to do so in a scrolling environment that goes up, down, left, and right whilst a green ooze is following your path. The object? Match up as many bricks as you can in groups of three before the level ends when all the bricks left behind are submerged in ooze. For those that don’t know, Mega Bloks is a building toy that looks and works exactly like Lego; snapping plastic bricks together to create pretty much anything you can think of. And funnily enough that’s how you have to match up the bricks together – by attaching them like Mega Bloks. Who would’ve thought?

Graphics: For a game like this, you can’t really expect much. However what this game delivers isn’t actually that horrible. The bricks are brightly coloured and are 3D, which actually looks pretty good because they sort of seem to “pop out” from the 2D background. The only thing strange about the graphics is the fact that the bricks have little squares eyes (possibly to make them seem alive? They aren’t really necessary).

Controls: Really simple controls. Bricks are lying scattered about as you can see in this picture. All you have to do is touch and drag them into groups of three. However, it really doesn’t work that perfectly because a lot
of the time the controls are sticky and unresponsive. For example, when I grab a brick and drag it up to attach it to another one it will stop halfway and just stand there and I have to drag it up again.

Gameplay: There are a few power ups namely bombs, rainbow bricks and freeze bricks. With bombs you get extra points for creating a group of three with a bomb in it plus it explodes a lot faster. One thing I like about bombs is that even if you match it up with only one brick it will still explode and give you points. Rainbow bricks, as you can probably guess, can be used in the place of a brick of any colour to complete a group of three. Moving bricks is a bit unresponsive most of the time as I mentioned earlier

Recap: This game isn’t bad but it really isn’t good either. The graphics are alright, the controls are simple and unresponsive. I didn’t really know what to expect of the gameplay and when I was playing it I didn’t feel, “Yeah! I’m playing an iPhone game!” Rather, “Here I am matching bricks together…zzzzzz”. It wouldn’t even qualify as a decent thing to pass time.

Graphics: 6/10 Controls: 5/10 Gameplay: 4/10 Overall: 5/10

Sincerely,
The Dastardly Descriptive Duck

Edge © 2010 Mobigame: More Proof That Retro Games Are Better Than Your Grandparents (2.99)

2010-11-21T17:58:00.000-08:00

Edge is platforming entertainment at its simplest form. To this day, it seems as though none have managed to develop a game which delights me to the level of Edge; Mobigame have combined great retro graphics with smooth music and enjoyable platforming gameplay. As an added bonus, you get to play as a square. FINALLY, MY SQUARE FANTASIES HAVE BEEN REALIZED.

Graphics: For a retro game, these graphics are spot on. Edge was released quite a while ago, and yet it seems to have better graphics than some of the newer games released today. Everything works, from the glowing squares, to the gray squares, to the white squares. Somehow, Mobigame has grasped my perfect dream-world, and created something far beyond anything my imagination could have come up with. The audio is a great accompaniment; soothing, abstract sounds help you, the cube, as you tackle the many challenging puzzles you must face to rescue your lady love, the triangular prism (this may not actually be true)

Controls: Mobigame provides you with multiple control options to choose from. Unfortunately, for some of the puzzle elements (such as balancing yourself against walls) there were only a few control options that worked the most. We found that the easiest control method was the on-screen control scheme, with buttons for each direction. They allowed you to easily move the cube in all directions, although they seem to be angled in a strange way.

Gameplay: Edge is not just a platformer; it is an experience. The ambient sounds, perfect graphics, and smooth puzzling gameplay makes you feel like you’re in a virtual world. The game contains over 40 levels, each one with many different puzzle elements. For example, one may be required to activate and ride a giant robot, to reach the exit goal. Mobigame have created a puzzle game with limitless entertainment, for each puzzle is a unique and enjoyable experience. I find that I return to this gem of a game over and over again, attempting to reveal the location of each of the secret glowing thingies; the replay value seems to go on and on.

Recap: If you’re looking for a new title with a simple formula, this is not the game for you. However, if you’re willing to buy a game that will delight you with abstract visuals, music, and intuitive gameplay, then this is definitely our pick for you. Buy Edge today, and receive FREE SQUARES WITH NO EXTRA CHARGE!

Graphics: 10/10 Controls: 8.5/10 Gameplay: 10/10 Overall: 9.5/10

Sincerely,

The Saber-Toothed Haggis

Pac-Attack : how could this game ruin Tetris and Pacman

2010-11-13T00:05:00.000-08:00

Pac Attack : how could ruin tetris and Pacman

This is game is the child produced by tetris and pacman…. DOES THAT EVEN SOUND LIKE A GOOD IDEA? It is was a bad idea to start with, while the pictures depict it to be something entertaing I assure it is not, this is only slander and lies. When I saw photos of this game it looked interesting, like it could be something good. Then I played it, it this has basically ruined my day, then my week, then my month. I am just happy 2010 is almost over. *sigh*

Graphics: the game comes off to a bad start, when you load it, it comes up with the ugliest menu I have ever seen, I considered tearing out my eyes. They used Arial font, on a ugly background. When you get into the gameplay, the graphics are extremely boring. The Devs are not creative people, they used gold blocks, and pacman characters. How much more basic could they have gone for this game? It looked horrible, if it was person it would be fat and ugly. For a game with the Pacman label this looks horrible.

Controls: this shared problem with Tetris for the iphone, the controls simply didn’t work. Bring a block down was horrible, trying to spin the block barely worked. People had the same problem with Tetris over a year ago, and they didn’t improve but made them so much worse. The controls in this game have plagued every other iphone game of the same genre, but somehow they managed to just amplify those issues in this game

Gameplay: In the game you must get rows of gold blocks (like Tetris essentially), and also get Pacman to eat the ghost blocks. The gameplay idea is to stack Tetris blocks, and simultaneously make the Pacman blocks eat the Ghost blocks. It is trying to play two games at once, which simply doesn’t work. The game is trying to do too much and achieving nothing (unless they were aiming for mediocrity.) The gameplay is too complicated and not relaxing, or fun.

Recap: I played this game so you don’t have to. It is one of the worst game to ever be released for this device. I think I may have grounds to sew them for FRAUD, can you even say this a game. Soviet GULAGS are more fun than this supposed “game”. Go spend your money on Pacman : championship edition, that should hopefully help you regain respect for Pacman.

Graphics: 3/10 Controls: 1/10 Gameplay: 0/10 Overall: 0/10

Hexetera™ - Triangle Puzzle Game© iKontacts Pty Ltd (0.99)– TRIANGLES….YAAAAAY!

2010-11-11T17:37:00.000-08:00

Triangles. We see them everywhere, in love, in math… actually that’s about it but now, you can see them in Hexagons! In the game, Hexetera, the designers at iKontacts have put a modern spin on the classic game, Tetris. Now you may say “Hey! How is that gonna be good,” and you are completely wrong because this game has changed the future of geometric gaming for the good. The point of this game is the make shapes of one colour (mainly Hexagons) to complete levels. As you move up levels, the various pieces, bonuses and tasks get harder and harder to use.

Graphics: They are freaking awesome. If this app and I conceived a child, that child would be the most gorgeous space ready child there is. And ironically enough, the game is designed like a space mission. The theme is “futuristic” and little details like naming the levels Jupiter, previewing pieces like a mission debriefing (hee hee…debriefing). The graphics are very clear, smooth and gorgeous. With colours like red, silver and black, you will thoroughly enjoy playing this app.

Controls: Based entirely on swiping and touch, the game is really nice because instead of just clicking buttons at the bottom of the screen, it is very intuitive and engaging. You tap the pieces to flip them, you click on the side for the use of rewards and you can swipe down to make the piece rush down into the place. Now I just have one bone to pick with this factor in the fact that with the swiping down motion, it is very sensitive and sometimes, when you are flipping the piece, you send the triangle rushing down and then you scream because you were one piece away from a full diagonal and then you end up cutting yourself from the depression. Not exactly, but other than that one gimmick, the controls are fantastic.

Gameplay: Now this is what makes the game such a huge success. Currently, I have put down my other drugs because I am addicted to this game. You have to make numerous hexagons of one colour and even diagonals across the entire screen however, as each level progresses, you get pieces that are hardy to place and the speed increases. What I thought would be a piece of cake is actually quite hard to do and provides a really enjoyable challenge. Also, if you want more of a challenge, you can choose to increase the speed but all in all, really great gameplay. And if your mind gets tired, there is a freeplay game where you build as many hexagons as possible.

Recap: You will thoroughly enjoy this game. With beautiful graphics and a great gameplay you will not be able to put it down. And the controls, only a minor problem that does not overshadow the awesomeness of this game. If I had one word to summarize the game, it would be: Hexagasm.

Graphics: 10/10 Controls: 9.5/10 Gameplay: 10/10 Overall: 10/10

Sincerely, The Artistic Autistic Astronaut

Use Your Handwriting GOLD © Gee Whiz Stuff LLC (0.99) – A New Way of Doing Things Old-Fashioned!

2010-11-10T22:39:00.000-08:00

This app is meant for the people who want to be technologically “plugged in” but don’t want to forget ye olde days. If you like to handwrite notes, but also play games while your boss or teacher aren’t looking, then this is the app for you. I am an advocate for proper handwriting, and for iPod Touches. As a result, this lovechild of an app would be the child I would choose to adopt. (IE. I think it is a very good app.)

Overall Design: Hmmmm. Let me think here. I’m kind of torn (in the good way) because there are certain features I like and certain features I don’t. The overall style is not amazing or anything noteworthy, but it is functional. Once again, all the menu buttons are on the bottom and each menu resembles the settings on the iPod Touch. The reason I am torn (in the good way) is because the writing part of this app looks great. The text appears in neon colours as you write it and the background is black which looks really awesome and makes it a lot easier to read when you have to go back and edit, review or just look at what you were writing. While writing, you can choose to go to the next line using buttons that resemble iTunes which is really nice. You have a bunch of colours to choose from which range from red to purple. Overall, good writing look, but the rest, I’m indifferent too. Certainly functional.

Usability: This app has two parts. That’s right, mother****ers. TWO. THAT IS A VERY GOOD NUMBER. One is the actual writing and one is the actual use of what you have written. First of all, the second part of that sentence is perfectly done. (Not in the sentence, but in the app). When you have notes, you can select them and do multiple things. You can delete them, edit them, send them, change the order, dim their brightness and even star them for later. This makes it easier to find the notes you want, send them to a computer after a meeting or something. You can use it for grocery lists if you need or even write a novel on here. You can add new notes and there is a set of notes for each colour so you can organize your notes by colour too. (For the obsessive compulsive people out there. You are weird, but we acknowledge you.) For the second part, I would say it is very well done, except for one thing and that is touch response. I know that is really hard to fix, considering greater programs like Sketchbook and Adobe have failed in that aspect, but it makes it hard to read the writing sometimes. Putting that aside, it is actually quite remarkable this app. They have a small space where you write, however, if you pause for a second, it will scroll to the right and provide more room. After 5 of those “pages” of extra room, it goes to the next line and then you just rinse and repeat. It is quite effective after a bit of practice. Sometimes you encounter the problem where it moves before you want it to or it doesn’t move at all and so the buttons on top can solve that as well by skipping to the next page, moving back a page, pausing the scroll mechanism or undoing what you just wrote. The app provides a clear tutorial on how to use all the features which is always appreciated and as an added bonus that I found it, it accommodates left handed people which I really appreciate. (Wow! Two things that you’velearned something about the astronaut.)

Usefulness: Definitely, if you like to handwrite things. Great for quick notes that need to be written down faster than on THE STUPID KEYBOARD. You can use it for signatures, or even just to scribble, but whatever it is, it will suit your needs very well. With the multitude of options, gimmicks and tech thingies, writing will actually be fun!*

*Writing may not actually be fun.

Overall Design: 9/10 Usability: 9.78963/10 Usefulness: 10/10 Overall: 9.5/10

Sincerely,

The Artistic Autistic Astronaut

Pocket Tanks Deluxe © 2001-2010 Blitwise Productions, LLC: Proof That Old Games Are More Awesome Than Your Grandmother (4.99)

2010-11-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

Fighting is good. Tanks are good. Big artillery weapons that go ‘boom’ are good. Therefore, Pocket Tanks Deluxe by Blitwise Productions epitomizes all of the good things in life. In this magnificent port of a retro pc game, one controls a tank and fires multiple types of ridiculous weapons at your opponent, similar to the popular Worms titles. Unlike worms, Pocket Tanks Deluxe comes with 105 weapons, each one slightly more ridiculous than the next. Mud pies? Pillow fights? Popcorn? Utilize these strange yet powerful weapons to rain justice upon your foes. They probably deserved it. Maybe they hijacked your toaster.

Graphics: Very retro. The maps are different each time, yet the same. The neon green colour of the ground never changes, and yet the map designed to be different each time a new game is started. Also, each of the many weapons in the game comes with brilliant and beautiful graphical effects, which makes for more interesting gameplay. It was great to see the different effects of the weapons, and how the developer designed them to look.

Controls: Classic, for a tanks game. The premise is the same; change the angle of your cannon, select the amount of power, and then HOLD ON TO YOUR KNICKERS (not the candy). Unfortunately, for amateur players this can be difficult, and the AI is a bit too harsh on the player to give room for improvement. It would be nice if the developers could tone down the difficulty of the AI; even on easy difficulty levels, it can be a nuisance. The controls, for the most part, work fine; it is simply a matter of knowing the weapons, and setting the angle and power just right for that particular weapon.

Gameplay: Spot on. Pocket Tanks Deluxe is the perfect example of a game that will last forever (if not forever, than at least for a long time). The sheer amount of content, plus local multiplayer on the same device and single player against AI opponents can keep gamers entertained for many an hour. Unfortunately, the experience is so much better with a friend, and, frankly, Pocket Tanks Deluxe does not really support friend-making. There is no online multiplayer, and not even Bluetooth multiplayer with local devices. We would like to see the developers implementing this in the future. Otherwise, the game is extremely enjoyable.

Recap: Pocket Tanks Deluxe combines retro graphics with classic controls and great gameplay. There is a lot of content; unfortunately, the AI difficulty is too steep, and there is no online multiplayer to back it up. Overall, this game is worth your dollar, if you’re willing to have your friends huddle around one screen.

Graphics: 8/10 Gameplay: 9/10 Controls: 9/10 Overall: 8.5/10

Sincerely,

The Saber-Toothed Haggis

Death Worm © PlayCreek LLC: Killing Things Is Fun And Only 99 Cents… Again!

2010-11-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

A follow-up to Super Mega Worm a few months ago, PlayCreek has finally released their official game of the movie, ‘Death Worm’. I found the style to be a little less enjoyable; the pixilated design of Super Mega Worm was a bit more interesting. Apart from that, however, this game seems to be superior in many ways, including amount of content and control style. With a graphics style similar to the Effing Worms flash game, this particular title may attract more fans in the future.

Graphics: It looks nice, but it’s nothing new. Super Mega Worm managed to bring a new graphical design to the table, which added to the gameplay and the fun factor. Death Worm, unfortunately, sticks to common, rather unattractive backgrounds; although nice, they do not stand out or interest the gamer. There are several graphical themes to choose from, from a desert theme to a city theme, but, overall, we think that Super Mega Worm excelled in this category.

Controls: Fabulous. When Super Mega Worm was first released, the worm could only be controlled with a simple slider, hindering the gameplay and frustrating the players. Thankfully, Death Worm brings a joystick into the game, which makes the worm very easy to control from the outset. Power-ups can be activated with buttons conveniently located on the screen; also, the controls can be switched to a left-handed mode in the options menu, for handicapped players such as myself I AM NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY ONE OF YOU.

Gameplay: This game plays very similar to Super Mega Worm, but fortunately brings more gameplay styles and content to the genre. Each level has a certain objective; for example, one might be asked to kill 60 humans and/or animals, without getting any damage done to your worm. These tasks range from easy to impossibly hard, and add variety to the gameplay. The game is split into 45 levels across 3 graphical themes, with more on the way. Already, this provides much more content than Super Mega Worm, which contained only 25 levels. The game also contains a minigame similar to the Cave games of old; one must press down on the screen to make the worm rise, and let go to have the worm fall, the objective being to travel as far as possible. The developers promise more minigames in the future, so gamers have much to look forward to.

Recap: While the graphics are slightly less than what we had hoped, the added content and easy control style make this game easy to recommend. Gamers should definitely pick this one up.

Graphics: 8/10 Controls: 10/10 Gameplay: 9/10 Overall: 8.5/10

Sincerely,

The Saber-Toothed Haggis

Downloads – Browse, Download, View and Share Files © Hian Zin Jong ($1.99) One word: AWESOME!

2010-11-03T21:49:00.000-07:00

I love this app. For someone who downloads a lot, and likes to view things later, I have enjoyed this app. It works. Compared to the other junk out there, (*cough cough* iDownloader) this rises above the rest as the downloading app king. (Or Queen if you are one of those annoying feminists). I personally enjoy downloading on my computer and now that it has been transferred to my mobile device, I feel an intense happiness that can only be matched by winning the lottery, or ecstasy.

Overall Design: Gorgeous. Just wonderful. The style of the app is quite similar to the App Store itself. There is a bottom bar in which you can switch between the browser, the download, the files and the settings. The browser itself is just Safari smushed into this app, but that also means that you have the same tools as Safari such as bookmarks, tabs, history, etc… One problem is that the Browser and Safari do not correspond and therefore, bookmarks do not transfer back and forth which could prove to be a bit of a pain in the @$$. The downloads just shows the list of downloads with the basic blue bar showing the progress. You can edit the downloads to delete them or add new ones. The files is really cool because you can place your downloaded files into folders which gives the whole app a nice organized look. And the settings are pretty much the same as the rest of Apple’s mobile devices.

Usability: This app is very easy to use and one can learn how to use it in under a minute. The app itself provides a great way to browse for downloads, monitor the speed, watch/listen to your files and change your settings. The settings are awesome. In fact, I would marry this app for its settings. (It gets pretty lonely in space). You can share your files through the Wi-Fi, just like Voice Memos, you can put a passcode if you want to keep your files private (No one’s judging you pervert). And you can also customize a few more things about the browser window.

Usefulness: Now if you are like me and have an iTouch (we aren’t pretentious like the iPhone 4 users), then this app is one that is very good for you. If you want to view a video on your favourite site, listen to a song that you haven’t had time to put on your iPod, then this app can help you save it all by downloading. And hey, who doesn’t download? So definitely, something that should be on your iPod.

Recap: In summary, I would like to use an analogy. Buying this app is like making a baby. (Not the actual action but the process). It is something that nearly everyone does in one way or another, and so, why not make it easier by choosing the right partner. One you know you won’t have any complications with. Definitely, check it out.

Overall Design: 9.5/10 Usability: 9/10 Usefulness: 10/10

Overall: 9/10

Sincerely,

The Artistic Autistic Astronaut (DOORS)

Zombeat © 3G Studios, Inc: Kill Zombies With Your Guitar! (2.99)

2010-11-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

This is one of the few games in the zombie music category. In fact, it is the only game in the zombie music category. Picture Guitar Hero, except with a change in premise; you must defend yourself from hordes of zombies hungry for your brains. One must tap the beats to the music, just like Guitar Hero; however, your character fires a bullet every single time you get a note right. This does not mean you should continuously press the note buttons; each wrong note pressed brings the zombies closer. Essentially, it is a simple music game inspired by Rock Band and Guitar Hero, with a zombie theme that, unfortunately, does not really add to the gameplay.

Graphics: Errrhmm. From what I can see from the game, the graphics are lacking in areas, while are a bit extreme in other areas. For example, the character and zombie details are lacking; there are only a few zombie types to shoot with your trusty pistol. There is an overload of blood however; it seems impossible that so much blood can come from these decaying humans. The style kind of reminded me of Pro Zombie Soccer, but unfortunately it was not as crisp or smooth as that particular zombie game.

Controls: Simple enough; press the note buttons that correspond with the colours that run from the top of the screen. The zombies attacking you above the screen are sometimes disconcerting, which may distract you from the music. Also, some of the button combinations are impossible for two thumbs. Three notes at the same time, guys? Seriously?

Gameplay: Enjoyable, yet certainly not very original. While the zombies are an enjoyable distraction for a while, the gameplay remains the same as other guitar games, although other games usually supply more songs than this game comes with on purchase. There are only a few themes to change from, such as a Christmas theme. The themes look pretty similar, and do not satisfy for very long. I would like to see the developers add more songs and/or themes to the game; thankfully, there is an in-game store in case the developers decide to release new song packs.

Recap: Satisfying yet rather boring graphics, simple controls, and enjoyable yet repetitive gameplay. The zombie theme is an interesting idea, but the game did not quite follow up on the idea with any interesting gameplay additions. All in all, it is a simple music game with the zombie label tacked on to it in order to receive appeal.

Graphics: 6/10 Controls: 6/10 Gameplay: 6/10 Overall: 6/10

Sincerely,

The Saber-Toothed Haggis

Samurai II Vengeance © MADFINGER Games: Violence Is Good For Your Cholesterol (2.99)

2010-11-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

Today I stumbled upon an application entitled Samurai II for my idevice. I have spent the past six or seven hours locked in a dark room, desperately attempting to slash a bunch of ninja samurais into little bits with my trusty katana. This gore-splattered hack and slash game has crisp, 3D visuals, detailed character design and movement, and blood. So much blood. The game is centered around killing; in fact, the storyline is typical of a game in the genre: man meets woman, man and woman fall in love, other man kills woman, other man sells his soul to the devil to become a demon, man vows to avenge woman’s death, man kills other man.

Graphics: Beautiful. Everything about the game seems perfect, from the background visuals such as ships swaying in their harbours to the pathways and bridges and even the spike traps and swinging axe blades. It’s hard to believe that such a console-quality game can be fitted into such a small screen, for such a low price.

Controls: Much improved over the original Samurai game, which we found tiresome. Instead of swiping your finger desperately across the screen, Madfinger has conveniently placed O and X attack buttons, similar to controls found in arcade games. I find that I can now execute my combos with ease, and appreciate the gruesome decapitations that my character performs, like some sort of evil surgeon.

Gameplay: Similar to other hack and slash games, the premise is simple; kill everyone else. However, this simple idea is further developed by an intricate story set in feudal Japan, following the story of a samurai chasing a demon through lush, beautiful landscapes packed with other evil samurais. The game only has seven levels plus a survival dojo to play, but each of these levels are quite lengthy and are packed with multiple types of enemies and bosses. Unfortunately, the game is quite repetitive, with a simple formula; travel from point A to point B, kill people at point B, and then travel to point C. Repeat. However, the button-mashing is so enjoyable that I find myself able to play the game for long periods of time without losing any enjoyment. In my humble opinion, Samurai II has perfected the art of the hack and slash genre.

Recap: Beautiful visuals set in beautiful Japanese settings, convenient button controls, and violent yet enjoyable gameplay. For 2.99, this game is an absolute must-buy.

Graphics: 10/10 Controls: 10/10 Gameplay: 9/10 Overall: 9.5/10

Sincerely,

The Saber-Toothed Haggis

Age of Zombies © 2010 Halfbrick Studios : Killing Zombies with a Badass Hero (2.99)

2010-10-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

Our personal favorite badass Barry STEAKFRIES is ready to take out hoards of zombies on the iPhone! This game was originally available on the PSP, and due to the fact that it was critically acclaimed and super addicting, it was ported to the iPhone. Barry Steakfries is the most hilarious, awesome and badass character you have ever seen in a video game. Halfbrick Studios have outdone themselves in this game.

Graphics: The same as they are on the PSP, basic and retro. Age of Zombies has adequate graphics which serve their function and look great. The retro feel really suits the "over the top" storyline of the game. I definitely think it was a good idea keeping the graphics simple and slick. Great job to the graphics designers!

Controls: The controls were decent but just short of great. There are definitely some challenges for developers making a dual-stick shooter on the iPhone, virtual joysticks have their issues. You could move around rather easily, and get into the gameplay almost instantly but sometimes I had a bit of trouble moving around, especially when firing grenades. This was not a huge issue, but it did stop the flow of gameplay at times. I can’t complain or penalize the developers as there is not much anyone could have done to fix this issue, and compared to some other iPhone titles they did a great job.

Gameplay: AWESOME. You just shoot hoards of zombies with many weapons. It is simply addictive, traveling through various locations in history: Ancient Egypt, 1950’s in New York, Ancient Japan and even the Dinosaur Age! There is a boss to every zone; they are challenging however, very fun to fight. If I had to complain about one thing, it would be that I would like more levels, but there is always the survival mode….. endless replay value.In summary, great gameplay, I think it is something that everyone should have on their iPhone. If I could I would give it over 10 for gameplay.

Recap: Barry STEAKFRIES, is AWESOME, he makes so many jokes, he makes me laugh constantly, and he generally KICKS ASS. The graphics are simple and sleek, the controls are a bit weak at certain times but overall work great, the gameplay is simply a work of art that should be admired by all. The game’s most appealing attribute is that it is very addicting; you simply can’t put it down.

Graphics: 9.5/10 Controls: 9/10 Gameplay: 10/10 Overall: 9.5/10

Sincerely,

The Unknown Unicorn

Week Cal: It’s like an airport shop. Lots of money for crap.(1.99)

2010-10-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

What is this app you ask? It is the epitome of useless apps on the iPod and iPhone and the fact that it is 1.99 insinuates that you are getting unbelievably ripped off. In iCal, you can choose to view your events in list form, day form or in a month form. What this app does, is that it fills in the missing “week” form, but for 1.99 DOLLARS!

Overall Design: The design is gorgeous, but that is because apple has already perfected it. This app is designed to replicate iCal except add this new “week” feature and so, if you feel the need to get this app (perhaps when you are high), then you can enjoy the user friendly adding of events, the orange and purple colours for events and birthdays, and all the lovely features that iPhone users enjoy with iCal. (Plagiarism.)

Usability: Now, I do not argue the fact that this app could be very useful for people who like to record their class schedules, or weekly meetings, however, I feel it should be something implemented into the iCal system, rather than something which you have to pay to add to your collection. The controls and manipulation of the events are the same as iCal and therefore, quite simple, but can be used effectively. A positive of this app however, is the fact that both iCal and this app correspond with each other, meaning that if you add an event in iCal, it will show up on Week Cal and vice versa. Though, I suspect, there are a few glitches, like all my events in iCal moving one day ahead. So in summary, it is quite user friendly, however, pointless and glitchy at sometimes.

Usefulness: As I have blatantly stated before and I will say it again, this app is one that does not deserve a spot on your iPod. Though useful to some people, the fact that this costs more than good apps like Kinetic or the good games like Cut the Rope means that you are getting ripped off for an app that is only slightly useful. If you are someone who needs a week organization, choose one of the free ones or the 99 cent ones and don’t get ripped off. For the usefulness of this app, I personally feel that you are wasting 1.99

Recap: This app is not terrible by its functionality or design, however, it fails in the fact that it is an app out there that no one needs. Though it may contain cool features like the connection between iCal and Week Cal (which is full of glitches) both the price and the general usefulness do not appeal to me.

Design: 7/10 Usability: 5/10 Usefulness: 2/10

Overall: 4.5/10

Sincerely,

The Artistic Autistic Astronaut

Toyshop Adventures © Glu Games Inc: Toys Come To Life! (Does This Sound Familiar?) (Free)

2010-10-27T22:27:00.000-07:00

The story goes that a shopkeeper has literally lost his marbles and by taking control of one of his favourite toys you have to go through the levels, retrieve the marbles and also restore balance to the toyshop in this platformer game. “Restore balance”? I’m sorry but I don’t see what “balance” there is to restore if a bunch of marbles go missing. How the hell is this a good objective of a game? And the only “dangers” are these electrical Nanobots, which you have to avoid.

Graphics: I’m not sure if the graphics are iPhone 4 optimised but if they are, I’m sure the graphics would look amazing. On my iPhone 3G however, they suck. They are pixelated, the polygons are of a ridiculously low resolution and although colourful, the whole layout makes me want to throw up. To be honest even for most of us with an iDevice of the old 320x480 resolution I think the developer’s could have made this game look nicer than it does.

Controls: There’s really not much to say here. The controls to begin with are simple and typical for a platformer; two buttons for left and right and a jump button. Soon after you get a button for a lasso and powerups which is when it all goes downhill. They’re barely decent and just functional enough to compliment the terrible graphics.

Gameplay: Lag, lag, lag, lag, LAG!!!!! The gameplay is not smooth, although this may just be due to the fact I have an iPhone 3G. Also, the lasso is absolutely ANNOYING to use; I literally spent twenty minutes trying to stack up a bunch of blocks just so I could jump onto a platform that’s too high to reach normally. I actually only reached it by fluke. The system in which powerups work is just plain horrible. Powerups are supposed to permanently give you an extra ability and the description in the App Store claims that the other toys give them to you. What actually happens? They come in quantities and the toys only give you around two or three each time a new is introduced. And when you run out? You actually have to buy more! I mean come on, a double jump (yes I said double jump) is one of the powerups. Come on Glu, this should be one of the basic abilities to begin with!

Recap: With hardly a game worthy story, sh*t graphics, barely decent controls and horrid gameplay, this game is definitely worth its price tag—nothing. I’m sorry but, this game is nothing but a disappointment; seeing that this game was made by Glu, I expected a lot more. But, if you really want try this game and see for yourself how it is you really don’t have anything to lose because it Is free.

Graphics: 4/10 Controls: 5/10 Gameplay: 2/10 Overall: 3.5/10

Sincerely, Temp (Guest Reviewer)

Silly Bunnies Tower Defense © sillybunnies studio: The Name Says It All! (0.99)

2010-10-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

This game is essentially a Fieldrunners clone with a few tweaks and twists. Overall, it is an effective tower defense game. Unfortunately, there aren’t many new ideas introduced.

Graphics: the graphics in this game will BLOW YOU MIND (BOOOM….there goes my mind), 3D models, with the basic look of fieldrunners…… something to die for. The angle point is exactly like fieldrunners (birds-eye view) and that is where the issue with the game lies… it doesn’t have much originality. While I don’t like this about the game, if they had to clone a game they chose the right one.

Controls: much like everything else, they are polished and well made but very much like fieldrunners, although unlike that game you have a movable hero, which is easy to control and utilize. Your hero looks great, and the animations for his powers are among the best graphics I have seen for the iphone(excluding racing games).

Gameplay: The game borrows a lot from fieldrunners……… no surprise there. It uses top down view, where you have a grid, and you can build a path for your enemies with your towers. This part is much like fieldrunners, what they add is hero. This is definitely a good feature (and the reason I am reviewing it) but is it worth another purchase? Otherwise the game ramps up well in difficulty, it gets hard very fast.

Overall: I don’t know if it is worth a buy if you own fieldrunners. I would call it fieldrunners 1.5; if you a die hard tower defense guy or don’t own fieldrunners…. buy it. Otherwise, screw it.

Graphics: 9/10 Controls: 5/10 Gameplay: 2/10(due to lack of originality) Overall: 7/10

Sincerely,

The Unknown Unicorn

Weekly AppApproval: Zombie Highway © 2010 Kevin Pazirandeh (0.99)

2010-10-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

Unicorn: Hey. What’s your zombie plan?

Haggis: Well, I figured I’d hole up in my cellar and eat canned food until the police get everything under control.

Unicorn: You’ll run out of canned food. I’m going to grab my car and my shotgun and drive to Alcatraz!

Haggis: Don’t. Book of Eli was a dumb movie. Anyway, let’s see how this zombie game plays.

Later…

Haggis: Not bad. Tilting controls were pretty good, and it was easy to shoot those zombie mutha**** **** and **** with an **** b******* avocado **** and extension cord ****.

Unicorn: I agree. **** was good. I enjoyed crushing the zombies against the cars. Unfortunately, the graphics were slightly below par for a driving game. It would be nice to see this game with improved graphics via retina display.

Haggis: There are many different gameplay elements. I enjoyed finding interesting ways to deal with the zombies, like crashing into them with my car before they can jump, or swerving out of their jumping reach. Also, zombies take more damage after being crushed against cars, giving you more incentive to save your bullets.

Unicorn: The excess of weapons and addition of 3 game modes means that this game will stay on our idevices for a while.

Astronaut: I JUST WOKE UP AND IT WAS OCTOBER! WHAT THE F*** HAPPENED?!

Haggis: Yeah, we knocked you out and stuffed you in the cellar so we wouldn’t go hungry when the zombies invade the earth.

Unicorn: Zing!

Colorbind © 2010 Daniel Lutz: Little Pieces Of Paper And Circles Make For Exciting Gameplay! (1.99)

2010-10-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

Animals are dumb and taste delicious. Unfortunately that has nothing to do with this game. BUT THIS GAME DOES HAVE PAPER. One must align many ribbons of coloured paper so that they cover certain holes on the playing field. This can be a difficult task, requiring overlaps of ribbons and underlaps of ribbons (actually, I’m pretty sure that’s not a word… yep, that’s not a word. There’s that weird red squiggly line underneath it after I typed). Anyway, with a large quantity of levels and an interesting game technique, this is one I wouldn’t miss.

Graphics: Beautiful. I feel as though I am actually cutting out strips of paper and placing them on the screen. Everything flows, even the game menus. I feel as though I am walking through a whitewash room, and throwing strips of paint on the walls.

Controls: Good. It is quite simple to place ribbons; simply drag your finger from the starting point of the ribbon to where you would like it to go. In my opinion, it is easier to do this in Colorbind than in Trainyard, as you can easily retrace your steps by dragging your finger backwards to pull back the ribbon’s path. The controls never let me down, and gave me that extra piece of enthusiasm when I finished the next puzzle, knowing I had done it ALL BY MYSELF. I DIDN’T NEED YOUR HELP, STEVE.

Gameplay: A perfect puzzle game, with a simple concept; cover up the holes with the correct colours of paper. This is easier said than done, as the levels get hard quite quickly. I have found it impossible to progress past the intermediate stages. I would call this the one drawback in an otherwise excellent game. The levels offer a large amount of content, and I can see myself playing this game for quite a while.

Recap: Beautiful, whitewash graphics, simple-to-use controls, and interesting puzzle elements with a large amount of content. This should not go amiss, especially for puzzler fans that enjoy a challenge.

Graphics: 10/10 Controls: 9/10 Gameplay: 8.5/10 Overall: 9/10

Sincerely,

The Saber-Toothed Haggis

Ringtone Maker Pro © Zentertain Ltd: Ringtones. Life’s way of getting out of things you don’t want to do. (0.99)

2010-10-23T23:26:00.000-07:00

Ringtones. This app is for people who interrupt meetings and practices with their phones, but want to sound cool when they do so they make it some hip song. Alternatively, this app is for old people who still want to seem cool. Whoever it is, you can make your own ringtones and add a few little changes to it with this app.

Overall Design: The design of this app is not absolutely gorgeous or a must see. In fact, it probably leans towards the more ugly sides of things. The color scheme is blue, silver, and black at an attempt to look “futuristic” I assume. Though, it only looks futuristic if you’re a dinosaur trying to make ringtones. (Try and get THAT picture out of your head). However, though it may not be a masterpiece, it is quite functional. There is one main page which includes all the parameters, buttons and options. You can also open a little advanced tab at the bottom for more customization and presets. It features cute cartoons, but ones that don’t make any sense and you have to experiment to find out what each one does. The buttons look a little chunky for my liking but the design is something that definitely does not hinder the performance of the app.

Usability: If you are looking for some awesome sound editor that can chop clips and change volume, buy a different app. This app is made solely for ringtones and keeping that in mind, the tools are actually quite useful. Firstly, the controls are like preschool, easy like pie. You get to choose a song from your iTunes library, and then you choose the part of the song you would like as your ringtone. Then you choose the length of your ringtone which ranges from 1 second to 40 seconds. All of this are controlled by slide bars with plus or minus on either end for fine tuning. Then you have your play button, your save button and your change song button. You also have the option of advanced features which include the ability to increase and decrease the speed of the song as well as increase and decrease the pitch. (ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS!!!) This is nice because you can add some ringtone effects to this. It also comes with presets like the ability to change a man’s voice into a woman’s and vice versa. So if you’re into that kind of stuff, then go nuts. Then, you can save it and copy it to iTunes in your next sync. It comes with instructions and everything! All in all, for an app that is purely based on making ringtones, your creative freedom is pretty good.

Usefulness: Once again, like my other review, this app is optimized for the iPhone. (Curse you apple for making us iTouch people feel obsolete). However, this app is still workable with the iTouch. The thing is, after you are done making your ringtone, you just go to iTunes, go to file sharing and save it to your computer. I assume, this means you can put the ringtones on other phones as well which does increase the usefulness value of this app. Plus, now you don’t have to buy those rip off ringtones all the time. (What a bunch of tools) Instead, it is just one easy payment of $0.99.

Recap: So though I trashed the design of this app, it is actually quite useful for someone who likes to have a lot of personalized ringtones. You have quite a few options (probably more than all of iMovie for iPhone’s effects) and so, if you’re into it, then yeah, you’ll enjoy this app.

Overall Design: 6/10 Usability: 9/10 Usefulness: 8/10 Overall: 8/10

Sincerely,

The Artistic Autistic AstronauTIMMY THE RETARDED SPACEMAN

Red Ball of Goo © Utopian Games : ITS RED, BRAIN DEAD SO DEAL WITH IT (0.99)

2010-10-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

Premise: You are red ball of goo (like from world of goo) and you must collect all the purple orbs to advance to the next stage. You have no jump button and can only move left and right. This little ambitious red goo will change our lives FOREVER. (YAH RIGHT!!!)

Graphics: Overall it has very mediocre graphics. The red goo looks pretty bland. It is just a red dot with eyes. (Ugh) The purple orbs look like they were made by my niece’s second grade Art class. In addition, the level’s look is simply disgusting. It made me sick just looking at simple black lines, instead of real level designs. Thanks for putting in REAL effort guys. I applaud the team that made this game because they really utilized and only used PAINT for this whole game. I can see that they are very SKILLED and TALENTED graphical designers. Just wonderful. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Controls: This is the game’s strong point and it has a rather interesting concept. This is a shame because the controls are being implemented in a TRULY HORRIBLE WAY. It has no jump button. NO FRICKIN’ JUMP BUTTON!!! It makes you jump by using the ramps provided in each level. This means that you must take careful moves which add a miniscule bit of fun to the game (not even that much). However, with horrible controls, the need to make precise moves for simple operations and having buttons that don’t respond properly will simply anger you and not make you want to spend 99 cents.

Gameplay: The gameplay is definitely good, but it is overshadowed by the failure in the other categories. It is hard to have a great gameplay when the controls don’t allow you play properly. Keeping this in mind, the game definitely has some interesting levels, where if you move your character one way then there is no way to complete the level. The level of difficulty ramps up at a good rate, and there is some fun to be had with this game in respect to its gameplay.

Recap: While it is a good concept, Red ball of Goo lacks the polished look of other iPhone games. It has cumbersome controls which distract from the good gameplay. Will people ever learn?!

Graphics: 2.5/10 Controls: 2.5/10 Gameplay: 7/10 Overall: 4/10

Sincerely, The Unknown Unicorn

Archetype © 2010 Villain LLC: Grab Your Guns And Kill, Kill, Kill!!! With a Friend! (2.99)

2010-10-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

A definitive multiplayer shooter experience. Take control of either a blue or yellow space marine, and kill other blue or yellow space marines. The main goal of the game is to rack up 40 kills against the opposing colour, by making use of several pieces of advanced memory (I like the rocket launcher the most). I have yet to come across a better multiplayer shooter game than Archetype (besides CODWAWZ), which exemplifies a true shooter experience for a cheap price. Unfortunately, like all games, it has its flaws.

Graphics: Not bad. Each of the 6 or 7 maps found in Archetype definitely look ‘futurized’, a word I invented this afternoon. Unfortunately, they also all look the same. There is very little difference between any of the maps. Thankfully, the layout of each map is designed differently, so it feels like a different experience on each map. The guns look great, and there is even a giant battle axe you can use to smash hour enemies into oblivion.

Controls: Perfect for the shooter genre. Like NOVA and Modern Combat, Archetype uses dual-stick controls as expected for any shooter, with a twist; auto-fire. Basically, if your aim reticule rests on an enemy, the reticule will turn red, and your gun will fire. Simple as that. I found this made the game a lot easier to play, and a lot more fun when using the Concussion Rifle.

Gameplay: Simple deathmatch fun. Collect firearms, shoot enemy, die. Repeat. A simple formula, but it works. Unfortunately, deathmatch is the only mode in the game. However, Archetype has received many updates of late, one of which introducing a modified version of a map with only rocket launchers. I do hope that the developers will consider putting new modes into the game in the future, such as a capture the flag mode or what have you. As is stands however, Archetype is worth every penny, combining steady shooter elements with a ‘futurized’ look and great online match-up. Playing with friends, for win!

Recap: Graphics don’t stand out, but they fit the game’s future setting. The controls are without flaws, so each mistake you make is your own fault. Gameplay is fun, but lack of game modes is slightly disappointing. More weapons would be nice, too. For 2.99, this game packs a punch.

Graphics: 8/10 Controls: 10/10 Gameplay: 7.5/10 Overall: 8/10

Sincerely,

The Saber-Toothed Haggis

2010-10-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hello. I am the Artistic Autistic Astronaut (triple A for short). I like doors. DOORS.

This app is for all of you go getters who like to keep fit and for those of you that should be exercising for your medical health (you know who you are). The reason: this app is actually quite easy to use and very handy for you to have. It monitors your time, distance, miles per hour for running, walking, biking and many more activities. In addition, it monitors your progress, and you can even set goals which encourage you to keep exercising. For geeks, jocks, fat and thin alike, this app is something for you.

Overall Design: This is a gorgeous combination of greens and browns, which give you an earthy feel. I feel calm and natural when I run because of this application! It features a main page where it lists your current music, distance, time, and miles per hour. You can tap each “module” and find out other options as well. It also tells you your gps signal, activity and event date. You can customize the modules by deleting or adding new ones, all on a nice beige background. The interface is wonderful, and the touch sensor is very responsive. You just flick through all the modules and tap for more information. This is truly wonderful, and shows me the beauty that this world can contain. Like teapots. Or little rocks. And churches. CHURCHES.

Usability: This app is perfect for someone who wants to lose weight (LIKE YOUR MOM) because you can set goals for yourself concerning time and distance. Then, like WiiFit but a bazillion times better, it tracks your progress and gives you information about how well you’re doing. There is also a lock feature, so that your idiot friends don’t snoop around your private business. The controls are very simple, but if you still need a lot of help (I do because I’m autistic. DOOR) there is a full length tutorial that teaches you all parts of this app. However, there is one problem. This application requires an iPhone to work. So for those of you losers who have an iTouch, you are kind of screwed but for the iPhone users, very good app.

Usefulness: Now there are a lot of crap apps out there which are stupid and do not have any right to be on your iPod. This app however is very useful for you if you really want to be fit and feel slightly better about yourself. You can set goals, and work towards a healthy you! (Taken from a cliché weight loss ad). But seriously, you will really enjoy this app.

Recap: A well-designed interface, easy usability, and value for your money gives this application a rating of 9/10. You know what else deserves a 9/10 rating? DOORS. Also, DOORS don’t require an iPhone to operate.

Overall Design: 10/10 Usability: 8/10 Usefulness: 9/10 Overall Score: 8.5/10

Sincerely,

The Artistic Autistic AstronauTIMMY THE RETARDED SPACEMAN

2010-10-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

This week I had the “pleasure” of playing the sequel to one of my favourite puzzle games entitled ‘Ynth’. I don’t know why it’s called that, so don’t ask. The sequel, entitled ‘Beyond Ynth’, centers around the adventures of Kribl, a little ladybug with a large heart (that’s not actually true, I made it up). Kribl must traverse terrifying territories and brave beastly baptisms (LOL BIBLICAL REFERENCE) to save Kriblonia from the Four Spiders of the Apocalypse (LOL BIBLICAL REFERENCE WUTZ). The main problem with the game is this; it is tremendously difficult. The first four levels were, I admit, rather simple; however, the levels immediately went from easy to impossibly hard. I found it barely possible to get through the levels, let alone pick up the many diamonds that unlock extra content. While the puzzling is of the highest quality in the app store, the difficulty level truly hinders my enjoyment of this game. Instead of being happy at there being 70 levels, I was horrified that I was only 1/7 of the way through the game, and yet was having so many problems figuring out what to do next.

Graphics: Quite good. This I can truly commend, for the graphics are so much improved over the original that my eyes feel like they are gliding over clouds (or something like that). Nothing else to say here. It might be nice if there were a few more environments, but really I’m just overanalyzing.

Controls: Ok. To move Kribl, there are onscreen buttons which allow the ladybug to jump, move, and rotate the current box he resides in. At some points I found it frustrating that the jump button is separate on both sides. Also, it might be nice to make the jump button only lift Kribl up, so that the gamer can himself control how far left or right he wants the jump to go. However, the controls did not truly hinder the gameplay.

Gameplay: It has its ups and downs. The levels are very well-designed, and offer tons of value for your money, but they are so well-designed that they are extremely difficult to play. Often, boxes must be rotated a certain precise number of times; an example of this is in the ice world, in which one must slide down ice sheets to reach the next box, yet rotate the box so that the correct side allows you to leave your current box and enter the next one (just saying that makes me confused). The map system that connects the levels is great, and the story is perfect, yet I feel that the developers could do better by adding a less-steep learning curve for us more amateur gamers.

Recap: Great graphics, an ok control system, and gameplay that, while fun, is extremely challenging. If you think you can brave the harsh difficulty level and enjoy your time with Kribl, then by all means buy this game. Thank you FDG Entertainment, we’ll see you in court.

Graphics: 8.5/10 Controls: 7/10 Gameplay: 6/10 Overall: 6.5/10

Sincerely,

The Saber-Toothed Haggis

2010-10-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

The war is back in Cartoon Wars 2; those mutant stickmen are back. This game is the most incredibly addicting game I have reviewed; seriously, it is dangerously addicting. I am SEIZING FROM BEING SO ADDICTED. It is like a piece of art, it is just so beautiful, and so amazing! You can’t take your eyes off it.

The game is a simplistic RTS, which revolves around you sending stickmen to go and attack the enemy castle.

Graphics: They are nothing short of amazing. They gave me the same feeling that I got when I played doodle jump; both have their scribble-sketch appeal. All the character sprites look amazing, and get cooler-looking the farther you get in the game (you upgrade units). The backgrounds and Castle drawing, much like the rest of the game, BLEW MY MIND!

Controls: I really appreciated them deeply (after all the iPhone games with the horrible controls). They gave you the ability to play a fairly robust game, without any problems. Sending units, and moving your screen view, worked beautifully. If I had to pick at the controlling, I had problems with the spear-shooter on the castle; it was at times a little hard to use. Overall, the controls were great, the issues were minimal.

Gameplay: No question, one of the few RTS games worthy of the iphone. It had a 2d view (not birds-eye like most RTS games), and this worked well for the game. It has a very impressive upgrade system; you can upgrade each unit (bowman, swordsman, spearman …) along with all your abilities, and how fast you regain Mana (your only resource). The game also features sections where your hero must fight hoards of strong enemies. I did not enjoy these sections as much, although they managed to keep the gameplay more varied and therefore more fresh. Gameplay is up there among those of the elite few on the iphone (angry birds, cut the rope …).

Recap: Great job with everything, this game disappoints nowhere. It is definitely among the elite iphone titles, and much like the original, Cartoon Wars 2 will be on iphones around the world.

Graphics: 10/10 Controls: 10/10 Gameplay: 10/10

Overall:10/10!!!

Sincerely,

The Unknown Unicorn

2010-10-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

Matt Rix, the criminal mastermind behind the puzzle game known as “Trainyard”, has given birth to an indescribable terror. The game, which has risen to #3 in the App Store charts, has destroyed the minds of many mature adults. Now, these adults find themselves glued to small screens, desperately completing puzzle after puzzle, unable to take their fingers off of their idevices. I too, have been infected with what I will be calling “Rixitis”. This innocent puzzler is packed with content that will keep gamers busy for many an hour, and then many more after that. Matt Rix, I will pray to you AS THOUGH YOU WERE A GOD.

Graphics: Perfect for this simple yet challenging puzzler. Trains come in many different colours, which race around the beautiful faded backgrounds on tracks. Everything looks perfect, and fits the rest of the design. Nothing is cluttered, and the many levels are easy to navigate.

Controls: Simple. One must use a finger to draw paths for the train to follow. Unfortunately, my fingers are so indescribably large that I often screw up my tracks. Luckily, there is an erasing tool which often comes in handy. The developer even went to the trouble of making tutorials to help the gamer learn the rules of the game through handy introductory films.

Gameplay: Draw a path for the train(s) to follow, to get the train into its specified docking station according to its colour. Repeat. This may seem simple, but Matt Rix introduces many different puzzling elements. Different trains may be combined to make new colours, to fit the colour of the docking station. Tracks can be split into multiple paths; these paths will switch when a train runs over that section of the track, letting the next train take a different route. All of these elements combine to make a truly unparalleled puzzle experience, one that I will enjoy for a long time.

Recap: This puzzle game is packed with over 100 levels, and has perfect graphics, easy controls, and great gameplay. Plus, they focus around trains, which are my favourite things in the whole wide world. Yes, I can see that this game will live a long and happy life on my iPod.

Graphics: 10/10 Controls: 8.5/10 Gameplay: 10/10 Overall: 9/10

Sincerely,

The Saber-Toothed Haggis

2010-10-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

This week has been quite the week for ZeptoLab, with their release of Cut the Rope, which has risen to one million paid downloads. It has immediately topped the app store with its realistic physics, beautiful visuals and engaging gameplay. You, the gamer, are entrusted into the care of Om Nom, a curious green creature who has an appetite for candy. Lots and lots of candy. I mean seriously, there’s got to be a disease from eating this much candy. As the title says, one must sever multiple ropes in order to feed Om Nom the candy. In our opinion, ZeptoLab has come a long way from Parachute Ninja, which had the same art style but very different gameplay. So, how does this puzzler compare with ZeptoLab’s former release?

Graphics: Great. It’s not often that we find an art style quite as smooth and realistic as ZeptoLab’s. Everything is beautiful, from the box background to the many different items and obstacles that can help or hinder you in the game. This is true eye-candy, if you will pardon the pun.

Controls: Simple to use; slicing cuts the rope, tapping pops bubbles, etc. For the most part, these controls are extremely easy to use. We found them frustrating at a few moments; for example, at some points, when attempting to perform an action, another action may be accomplished instead. We often popped bubbles accidentally when trying to drag a slider, if the bubble was close to the slider in question. For the most part however, these controls work quite well. We preferred the tilting controls of Parachute Ninja, although we understand that these are very different games.

Gameplay: Wonderful. 100 engaging levels provide excellent value, and each level contains a different and intriguing puzzle to wrap one’s mind around. The physics were excellent; the slicing motion is smooth, and the candy swings smoothly on its supports. Ropes can also be used as slingshots, much like Parachute Ninja. This is a great example of a great puzzler formula; take a simple idea, and develop many themes around the idea to keep it engaging yet simple. Cut the Rope excels on all of these accounts; also, having a character to center a small background story on (Om Nom) really added to the experience. This certainly deserved its 5 star ratings, in our opinion.

Recap: Angry Birds, it seems as though you have been finally stumped. This excellent puzzler combines a simple formula with great level design and realistic physics. At a price of 0.99, this one is hard to miss.

Graphics: 10/10 Controls: 9/10 Gameplay: 10/10 Overall: 9.5/10

Sincerely,

The Saber-Toothed Haggis

2010-10-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

Haggis: Check it out! Remember that game that we sorta thought would come out eventually but didn’t?!

Unicorn: Duke Nukem Forever?

Haggis: No.

Unicorn: My Little Pony vs. The Hulk?

Haggis: No.

Unicorn: Sonic 4?

Haggis: Yes! It’s on idevices too!

Unicorn: All right! Let’s check it out!

Haggis: It’s 9.99.

Unicorn: Jesus Christ. Well, let’s empty our pockets.

Later…

Haggis: We’re… done.

Unicorn: We beat it? It was kinda short.

Haggis: Well, the graphics are much improved over the other pathetic attempts at Sonic games released for iOS. Unfortunately, the controls are implemented through a joystick, which is very hard to control. I can see it working better on the PS3, but on the iPod… Euueuuuuuhhhh.

Unicorn: The boss battles were fantasmariffic, and the aerial targeting attack is absolutely awesome. Unfortunately, this targeting attack is sometimes needed to get to parts of the levels (e.g. targeting an enemy on a higher platform to advance) which can get frustrating at times.

Haggis: All in all, however, we’re glad we shelled out 20 bucks. A time-waster that was actually enjoyable, with great graphics that we can appreciate. Sonic is hard to control, but awesome levels and great boss battles make up for it.

Unicorn: Actually, it was 10 dollars. I used the other 10 to buy soda.

Haggis: *@#$^!#&$*#(@$&.

Status: APPROVED

This has been a joint product by The Saber-Toothed Haggis And The Unknown Unicorn.

TicTacTouch

Mega Bloks © Kiloo Games: A game based on that thing that ripped Lego off! (0.99)

Edge © 2010 Mobigame: More Proof That Retro Games Are Better Than Your Grandparents (2.99)

Pac-Attack : how could this game ruin Tetris and Pacman

Hexetera™ - Triangle Puzzle Game© iKontacts Pty Ltd (0.99)– TRIANGLES….YAAAAAY!

Use Your Handwriting GOLD © Gee Whiz Stuff LLC (0.99) – A New Way of Doing Things Old-Fashioned!

Pocket Tanks Deluxe © 2001-2010 Blitwise Productions, LLC: Proof That Old Games Are More Awesome Than Your Grandmother (4.99)

Death Worm © PlayCreek LLC: Killing Things Is Fun And Only 99 Cents… Again!

Downloads – Browse, Download, View and Share Files © Hian Zin Jong ($1.99) One word: AWESOME!

Zombeat © 3G Studios, Inc: Kill Zombies With Your Guitar! (2.99)

Samurai II Vengeance © MADFINGER Games: Violence Is Good For Your Cholesterol (2.99)

Age of Zombies © 2010 Halfbrick Studios : Killing Zombies with a Badass Hero (2.99)

Week Cal: It’s like an airport shop. Lots of money for crap.(1.99)

Toyshop Adventures © Glu Games Inc: Toys Come To Life! (Does This Sound Familiar?) (Free)

Silly Bunnies Tower Defense © sillybunnies studio: The Name Says It All! (0.99)

Weekly AppApproval: Zombie Highway © 2010 Kevin Pazirandeh (0.99)

Colorbind © 2010 Daniel Lutz: Little Pieces Of Paper And Circles Make For Exciting Gameplay! (1.99)

Ringtone Maker Pro © Zentertain Ltd: Ringtones. Life’s way of getting out of things you don’t want to do. (0.99)

Red Ball of Goo © Utopian Games : ITS RED, BRAIN DEAD SO DEAL WITH IT (0.99)

Archetype © 2010 Villain LLC: Grab Your Guns And Kill, Kill, Kill!!! With a Friend! (2.99)

Kinetic - GPS Tracking and Timing © Mothership Software: Running Is More Fun Now! (2.99)

Beyond Ynth © FDG Entertainment: It Appears That Ladybugs Enjoy Rolling Around In Cardboard Boxes (0.99)

Cartoon Wars 2 © Blue G&C : The mutant stickmen are back…. And they’re Angry!!! (0.99)

Trainyard © 2010 Matt Rix: I Never Knew Trains Could Be So Pretty (0.99)

Cut the Rope © ZeptoLab: Spend 0.99 Once, Get Om Nom For Life

Weekly App Approval: Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 © Sega America