Brain Tester
Michael E. | Mar 24, 2010 Games
User rating: 
(9 votes, average: 3.33 out of 5)
(9 votes, average: 3.33 out of 5)
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Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in. That was my recurring thought as I downloaded an app that billed itself as Moron Test 2 in its review request. I’d reviewed another such game a couple months ago and thought I was done taking these pass/fail tests. I guess I was wrong.
Tags: $0.99
Tilt to Live
Michael E. | Mar 12, 2010 App Sale Alert, Games
User rating: (16 votes, average: 3.13 out of 5)
(16 votes, average: 3.13 out of 5) Loading ...
How do you know you’re addicted to a game? When you keep telling yourself, “I’ll stop after I play one more time.”
Lots of apps claim to be addictive. Lots of reviewers claim an app is addictive. You and I know that’s not really the case. Yes, an app might be a blast to play for a few minutes or a couple of hours, but when it’s time to move on to the next thing, you can easily put your iDevice down or close out the app and move on. You’re not going to miss a meal or the latest episode of Lost and definitely not precious sleep time because of it. That’s ok; if every video game that billed itself as addictive truly was, society would have ground to a stop sometime around the mid-1980s. The human race would have ceased to reproduce.
But there is one new kid on the block who deserves every bit of the hype you’ve been hearing: One Man Left’s Tilt to Live. If you haven’t heard of this game before, allow me to cut to the chase: Stop reading this review and get it. Get it now. You’ll thank me.
Want more incentive? As part of a special sale that will run through the end of March, Tilt to Live has dropped its price from a buck-99 to .99. In other words, my procrastination in getting this review posted last night (because I was too busy playing the game) just saved you a buck. Sweet.
Tags: $0.99
Angry Birds
Tony Mei | Feb 13, 2010 App Sale Alert, Games
User rating: (8 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)
(8 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5) Loading ...
Edit: Angry Birds is on sale for $0.99, normally $1.99.
Private Snowball: Commander, these birds are angry.
Commander Napoleon: What? Why?
Private Snowball: It could possibly be because we stole their eggs to make Sunday Brunch.
Commander Napoleon: No, that can’t be it. We reimbursed them by giving them DDT-infused worms. What’s the worst these angry birds can do?
Private Snowball: Sir, it appears they are launching themselves at our headquarters using a giant slingshot.
SlidR
Tony Mei | Jan 1, 2010 Games
User rating: (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
A take on a ‘sliding’ puzzle game, SlidR takes a photo, divides into square segments, and forces it upon you, the mighty adventurer, to slide the photo to correctness before the evil dragon* destroys your village and the helpless peasants.
The app has a slick, clean interface and a variety of high quality pics to choose from. An especially clever feature was the option to provide your own photos from your album or camera roll, as some pictures make a substantially more interesting puzzle than others.
For a dollar, this app is a worthy investment for those searching for a casual puzzler, something to idly whittle away battery life on your iPhone or iPod Touch. As an added bonus, a couple of codes were graciously provided by the dev, Critical Fever, so a few lucky ones can save a dollar and spent on something less epic.
*Dramatization. There is no dragon, evilness, villages or peasants. However, you are still a mighty adventurer. And you still get a picture of an elephant’s rear end, so that kind of makes up for it. I guess.
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- Vikings, attack!
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- Enough to stump the most hardened slidR veteran.
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- Our consolation prize. I named him Henry.
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- We may be an ultra-powerful app review site, but we still have no idea on how to get rid of this from our gallery.
Version 1.0.6
Reviewed on iPod Touch 3.1.2
POV: SMS-BOX Christmas Time!
Swain Valasek | Dec 16, 2009 Lifestyle, POV
User rating: (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
* “POV” (Point of View) is a new feature that we’re testing out *
Flysoft’s rating: 9.0
IAR’s rating: 7.0
Russian developer Flysoft arrives in the Nick of time (see what I did there?) with a nifty little holiday messaging app called SMS-BOX Christmas Time! Does it send visions of sugar plums dancing through your head or give you a case of the humbugs? Flysoft is pretty confident it’s the former so let’s see what they have to say first then I’ll try to confirm or deny with plenty of opinions along the way.
Tags: $0.99, christmas cards, holiday, mms, sms, Swain Valasek
Self Defense for All
Chris J. | Oct 28, 2009 Healthcare & Fitness
User rating: (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5) Loading ...
Learning self defense from an iPhone app is a bit like trying to learn to ride a bike by attending a spinning class. The reason I say this is certainly not to disparage the work done by Tollhouse Studio on it’s app, “Self Defense for All”, or to say that it won’t help you decrease the chances of being savagely beaten. On the contrary, I believe that the information in this app (properly applied) could help keep you from being ground into a bloody spot on the pavement. What I do want to convey, before I proceed with the review, is that this (or any) information by itself will only improve your chances of survival slightly. It takes self defense class with a qualified instructor to give you the best opportunity to be the one who walks away from a dangerous encounter.
Before I proceed, I feel that I should explain that I have been taking self defense classes for the past three years, which I admit gives me only a basic knowledge base. I also consulted with my instructor on his impression of the information in the app.
In my opinion, the most important information in this app is about avoiding a conflict completely. Many people are not aware just how much their actions can either invite an attack or prevent one. While I’m sure there are many out there who want to skip straight to the fighting lessons in this app, I cannot stress enough that the best way to keep your face from being rearranged is to avoid a fight altogether. This information alone gives me reason to recommend this app.
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iPsychedelic
Swain Valasek | Sep 8, 2009 Entertainment
User rating: (52 votes, average: 3.15 out of 5)
(52 votes, average: 3.15 out of 5) Loading ...
Feeling the need for some mindless release? Stress of the day getting you down? Can’t promise iPsychedelic from Ubik will set you right but it’s such a passive experience you just might feel a boost in your personal chi afterward. This is a purely visual app and stripped down to the absolute bare bones. There are no options of any kind and no user interface. In fact, apart from a simple splash screen, once the app loads you literally see nothing but a blank screen. When proper balance has been achieved in your synapses, you begin tracing 1 or more fingers around the screen. A brilliant orb follows each finger, leaving a ‘wake’ in the liquidy plasma field along with a few stars that follow the flow. Smooth color transitions occur periodically to keep your ocular-centric medtiation moving, changing and rotating. There is no BGM at all but as expected iTunes music is fully supported. Truth be told, most folks will be bored with this app within minutes but there are those out there who simply enjoy this type of experience far more than others and would find the dollar price worthwhile. If I were to make suggestions it would be to include an airy, ambient backing loop, include the accelerometer function somehow, maybe to induce more color changes or change viscosity in the ‘liquid’ and definitely would be cool to have an ‘attract mode’ where you just sit back in conscious reflection and watch as it does its own thing randomly.
Version reviewed – 1.0
Reviewed on – iPhone 3GS OS3.0.1
iTunes Link - iPsychedelic
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- Chill, pretty trippy
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- Little trippier now as a dynamic orb follows your touch
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- Nice effects with 1 orb but is there more?
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- Why yes, multi-touch is supported for up to 5 fingers/orbs!
Tags: $0.99, casual, psychedelic, Swain Valasek, trippy
POV: Mr. Dumb – Go Down
Swain Valasek | Aug 30, 2009 Games, POV
User rating: (5 votes, average: 3.80 out of 5)
(5 votes, average: 3.80 out of 5) Loading ...
* “POV” (Point of View) is a new feature that we’re testing out *
Zenux Lab’s rating: 9.0
IAR’s rating: 7.0
Mr. Dumb – Go Down from Zenux Lab is actually Epsiode 1 of an ongoing series of games featuring the same characters (currently Ep. 2 called ‘Mr. Dumb – Toilet’ is in development with a preview posted here). The developer is keying on the blatant silliness, apparent homage to Beavis & Butthead and pickup and play simplicity of these games to win over some fans. The gameplay in Go Down is reminiscent of Papijump or Doodlejump but in the opposite direction so you’re trying to go down as far as you can. Let’s first have a look at what the developer has to say then I’ll provide an IAR angle for comparison.
Tags: $0.99, casual, Swain Valasek
ThreadBound
Chrisa | Aug 12, 2009 Games
User rating: (1 votes, average: 1.00 out of 5)
(1 votes, average: 1.00 out of 5) Loading ...
DISCLAIMER
(if I put it in caps, bold, and italics, it looks more legal-like)
I’ve said it in previous reviews, and I’ll say it again here as a caviat to this review, and by way of defending myself if you absolutely 100% disagree with my review of this application. I am NOT a video game enthusiast. I didn’t get the video game gene. I didn’t go to the arcade as a kid, and I don’t use my kids’ Wii. Mostly because I suck at most video, computer, and electronic games. I do play The Sims and Mafia Wars and some other types of games, so I’m not a game hater. Really, I’m not.
END DISCLAIMER
Shuffle Ball
T.J. Brumfield | Jul 19, 2009 Games
User rating: (2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
(2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5) Loading ...
I remember fondly my youth as I would pour over Nintendo Power magazines while drinking Jolt cola and watching Alf. Okay, looking back it doesn’t seem nearly as awesome. But in those days I often played computer and arcade games that featured simple vector graphics aping at 3D. Some of these games were supposedly 3D versions of pong, or table tennis, where I’d hit a ball (often an ugly vector creation) with my neon-colored paddle, bouncing it to a computer opponent. Homestar Runner’s Strongbad Zone plays upon this if you are curious what I’m talking about.
Ibis Inc. also recaptures that classic look and feel with Shuffle Ball. We live in a retro-generation where everything that was deemed no longer cool is suddenly cool again. So certainly there is an audience for older gamers who want to revisit their youth, or younger gamers who are curious about these so-called classics us grumps can’t stop yapping about.
Tags: $0.99, Games, T. J. Brumfield
Woxel – Updated with more promo codes!
T.J. Brumfield | Jul 17, 2009 Games
User rating: (7 votes, average: 4.14 out of 5)
(7 votes, average: 4.14 out of 5) Loading ...
I’m deleting Scramble from my iPhone. I know, I know. Zynga makes great games. Scramble in particular is great. But you have to understand. I just downloaded Woxel from Half Fast Games. Woxel is a 2D game that is displayed in 3D with some shabby textures. It doesn’t look as clean as Scramble. It doesn’t have the multiplayer that Scramble has. And yet, I am deleting Scramble none the less.
Why would I delete a great game for one that doesn’t offer multiplayer? I’m glad you asked. If you didn’t, I wouldn’t have much of a review to write. Woxel takes a familiar letter-combination game and adds unique twists to it. In the end, the game is better and I enjoy playing it more.
Tags: $0.99, Games, puzzle, T. J. Brumfield, Word
Leaf Bound
T.J. Brumfield | Jul 17, 2009 Games
User rating: (4 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)
(4 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5) Loading ...
Not many people know, but Mario was originally called Jumpman in Donkey Kong. Later he became the Italian plumber we all know and love. There was another classic game called Jumpman back in 1983. Well, Leaf Bound is here with a girl named Yuri who would like to inherent the Jumpman crown. All Yuri does is jump. She jumps when she breathes. She jumps when she sleeps. And when she wants to jump, she jumps some more.
I think you get the point. In this game, you don’t even have to do anything to jump. Jumping is a given. It is inherent, and intrinsic law of the Leaf Bound universe. All you do is swipe your finger from left to right to control the direction Yuri is jumping in. Along the way there are Mecha-Monkeys. And if there are Mecha-Monkeys, it is also inherent that there will be Mecha-Monkey Mayhem. You learn to expect such behavior from robotic primates.
Tags: $0.99, arcade, Games, T. J. Brumfield
