Compression
Tony Mei | Dec 31, 2009 Games
User rating: 
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...
Day 1: This was meant to be a simple trip to the TanZen convention, but I believe the directions that guy gave us at the last gas station were inaccurate. After wild Pentanimals trashed our cars, we were forced to run away on foot, my mom clutching her most valuable possessions. We seem to have stumbled into a cavern filled with cube-like, hollow colored rocks. Mom wants to make this our camp. She already started unpacking her porcelain little white bear collection, so there is no stopping her now.
Day 2: A red cube rock fell from the ceiling, nearly crushing Mom. She placed the block onto a column with two other red blocks and they disappeared.
Day 3: One of the walls just moved closer to me. Mom doesn’t believe me.
Day 4: More rocks falling from the ceiling. We’ve resorted to piling them up in a corner.
Day 5: Some more rocks disappeared. There seems to be a difference between hollow rocks and the solid ones. Mom finished unpacking her porcelain white bear collection.
Tags: $.99, casual, Games, little white bear studios
POV: iChowdown (Mr. Dumb EP3)
Swain Valasek | Oct 24, 2009 Games, POV
User rating: 
(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5) Loading ...
* “POV” (Point of View) is a new feature that we’re testing out *
Zenux Lab’s rating: 8.0
IAR’s rating: 6.0
iChowdown from Zenux Lab is the third effort in the Mr. Dumb Series, all games of which feature the same hand-drawn art style, characters, and purposely low-brow humor. Worth noting that EP1 was reviewed by me here and EP2 is somewhat stillborn, likely in ‘Apple approval process limbo’. EP1 turned out to be a rather charming game so let’s see what the developer has to say about EP3 and I’ll provide the IAR point of view afterwards to see how iChowdown stacks up.
Tags: $1.99, casual, Swain Valasek
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
-
- Chill, pretty trippy
-
- Little trippier now as a dynamic orb follows your touch
-
- Nice effects with 1 orb but is there more?
-
- 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
iYamato
Swain Valasek | Jul 11, 2009 Games
User rating: (4 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)
(4 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5) Loading ...
.
Sometimes a buck on the app store can surprise you and iYamato from Geppetto Inc is solid proof. This gem of a game couldn’t be simpler to play yet has that elusive ‘one more try’ quality coursing through its veins. The premise is that you’re in charge of defending battleship Yamato, the infamous ‘unsinkable’ WW2 warship which was the largest and heaviest ever constructed. The gameplay consists of a landscape screen orientation with the nameship at the bottom and various ‘enemy’ planes swooping in from all directions in an attempt to send you to the bottom of the cold, deep sea. I say ‘enemy’ only because even though the developer was very careful to not label anything as Japanese or American, we all know what flag Yamato flew and who was trying to sink her! That’s all I’ll say about that as this game is definitely not about stirring up old prejudices; to me it’s really just a fun game about shooting down planes with big-ass guns. Furthering that notion, the developer has plans to add DLC in the form of new battleships, weapons, enemies and items which should add lots of variety.
Tags: $0.99, arcade, casual, Swain Valasek
Ragdoll Blaster
Swain Valasek | May 18, 2009 Games
User rating: (6 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
(6 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5) Loading ...
What a delight, I’ve just had the pleasure of playing through Ragdoll Blaster from Backflip Studios and now I get to review it.
Basically this is a physics-based (courtesy of the Open Dynamics Engine) game where you blast ragdoll stickmen from a cannon and attempt to hit a target. Making this task a challenge is all manner of obstacles from simple blocks to surprisingly complex machines, all manipulated by yes you guessed it, firing stickmen at them! What, I say what is not to love about that? The art design is the neo-retro crayon style which has been popular with the recent crop of physics games. There’s just 1 BGM track but it’s a great one, a subtle rendition of Grieg’s ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ and for whatever reason it just fits perfectly with the gameplay. Getting back to the gameplay, it’s definitely all about the physics. For example, between your cannon and the target might be a vertical wall of blocks. Well, you could launch a stickman just right so he clears the wall and lands on the target high-jump style or just plow right through it, yah! Some levels have a set solution but others have have a multitude due to the unpredictable interactions of all the objects. The controls work very well for this game; just touch the screen to launch a stickman. The further away you touch, the more momentum imparted from the blast and the more havoc potentially wreaked. It’s not all just wanton blasting though, far from it; finesse is a definite requirement for many levels, so much so that often it’s just the tip of a ragdoll foot that grazes the target for the win.
Tags: $1.99, casual, physics, puzzle, Swain Valasek
Flight Control
Swain Valasek | Mar 19, 2009 Games
User rating: (43 votes, average: 3.09 out of 5)
(43 votes, average: 3.09 out of 5) Loading ...
Once I got my mitts on it, I simply couldn’t not review Flight Control from Australian developer Firemint. In the vein of Sneezies, this game has a wicked simplicity to it that belies a truly mind-crushing challenge and a hook that could snag Shamu. It’s like a friggin’ bag of potato chips, you simply cannot play it ‘just once’. The premise and game mechanics couldn’t be simpler. You’re an ATC and the playfield contains 3 color-coded runways. 4 unique aircraft of varying speed appear randomly and with ever-increasing frequency from all around the border of the screen (you’re always warned first with a little icon as to where the next one is coming from). You need to guide each aircraft to the appropriate colored runway for a smooth landing and a point (for you math majors 4 doesn’t go into 3 so yep, 2 of the aircraft are the same color). You do this line rider-style by touching the aircraft icon and dragging a visible path onscreen. The craft will follow the path no matter how crazy you draw it and if it leads to the runway good for you but otherwise it will continue in the last direction you drew until you give it another path or it crashes with another craft. You can’t just draw unlimited-length paths but there’s plenty of leeway to get creative and strategize. As you might imagine, just like real life if you allow a crash it’s game over. That’s it; told you it was simple. 2 things to comment on; first the production values. The first thing I thought of when I loaded this game was the movie ‘Catch Me If You Can’ which had as it’s backdrop the Golden Age of consumer aviation when Pan Am ruled the skies and pilots were rock stars. The art style and music are absolutely awesome and bring back the feeling of a time when soda fountains, drive-in’s and sock hops were hip. Second thing is this game is just crazy addictive; a shining example of superior game design over bells and whistles. When this thing ramps up and you have 15 craft buzzing around the screen at once, you’ll be lucky to keep your head from popping right off your neck.
Of course no app escapes my critical eye so here are my gripes and suggestions.
Bug – sound drops out when a call comes in and doesn’t return until you restart the game.
Suggestions:
- Save/resume would be awesome!
- Fast forward button to get through the beginning stage more quickly and onto the meat
- Decrease the pause logo size or eliminate it entirely as it covers too much of the screen
- More airport layouts!
- More types of aircraft!
- A level/wave system so you get a breather plus a greater sense of achievment
- Ability to record/playback to show others how you broke 100
- Ingame music volume control
- Global scoreboard – of course, c’mon this is the iPhone
What can I say? I love this little game; it’s elegant simplicity is a thing to admire (when you can actually stop playing of course).
Note the price image shows what’s advertised as a sale price so expect it to go up at some point. Get it while it’s only a buck as this is one of the neatest pickup games yet for the iPhone. Very highly recommended.
Version reviewed – 1.0
Reviewed on – iPhone 3G 8GB 2.2.1
Global scoreboard – no
iTunes music support – yes
Lite version available – no
-
- Simple but period-perfect graphics bring back a bygone era
-
- The red aura indicates a potential crash but otherwise you can see the general gist of gameplay here
-
- The game keeps detailed stats of your exploits, gotta love stats
-
- Pause menu way too big, dev please reduce it!
-
- Took me a long time to break 100 but I finally did it...and now I rest
Tags: $0.99, casual, flight control, Swain Valasek
SET
Swain Valasek | Mar 11, 2009 Games
User rating: (3 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
(3 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5) Loading ...
Up next is the mind-expanding SET from Pockent LLC. This game was invented in 1974 by Marsha Jean Falco and now exists in several formats; the iPhone is the latest platform to feel the love.
The goal is quite simple and will remind some folks of those tests you used to take in elementary school to see how ‘gifted’ you were. You have to find ‘SETs’ of 3 out of 9 total cards with specific characteristics. At the basic setting this is how many symbols (1-3), type of symbol (oval, diamond, squiggle) and color (red, green, purple). The advanced setting adds 12 total cards and a shading (solid, striped, outlined). A set then consists of 3 cards in which each individiual feature is the same for all…or different for all. When you make a set, typically all 3 cards are removed and new ones take their places such that there’s never 2 of the same card onscreen at once. For example the cards ’1 green solid squiggle’, ’2 green solid squiggles’ and ’3 green solid squiggles’ are a SET as their features are uniformly alike (all green, all solid, all squiggle) while the cards ’1 green striped diamond’, ’1 red solid oval’ and ’1 purple outline squiggle’ are also a match as their features are uniformly different.
The developer did their best to spice up this simplistc format with a few game modes, each playable in basic or advanced:
- Classic – find 10 sets in the shortest time possible. You aren’t penalized for taking all the time you want but the point of course is to challenge yourself to beat your best time.
- Puzzle – find all the sets (4-6) in a static (cards are not replaced) set of cards as fast as you can.
- Timed - find as many sets as you can in 1 min with each set adding a few seconds (literally) back to the clock.
- Arcade – find as many sets as you can in 1 min but sets add 30 more seconds each time. Very similar (way too similar actually) to Timed but as you might expect a bit easier.
So let’s see, what this game is: mentally engaging and great for short stints in waiting rooms etc. What this game is not: terribly exciting. In fact it’s on that fine line between good puzzler and boring puzzler. Possibly more interesting than the game itself is the story behind it’s creation; have a read if you’re keen to know.
I could see the game being more fun with multiple people present to help find the sets so that’s something to keep in mind if you have kids around for example. In fact, kids might be the best candidates for this game period as the whole concept of pattern-matching seems appropriate to the younger population. What’s sorely missing in general is the ability to save games in progress. Basically if you have a great game going but don’t have time to finish you can pause but if you exit the app it’s kaput. It might also be fun to see a rank attached to scoring in certain time ranges (for example SET Rookie or SET behind the ears or SET us up the bomb or SET-sational) which would give you more incentive to try and beat your score. Speaking of score, a global scoreboard would of course be welcome.
For the price being asked, I think it would be good to offer a lite version so people can see if this is the kind of casual puzzler that’s worth the dough.
Version reviewed – 1.0.1
Reviewed on – iPhone 3G 8GB 2.2.1
Global scoreboard – no
iTunes music support – yes if you completley disable ingame sound
Lite version available – no
-
- You can choose from 3 colored backgrounds
-
- Pick your mode and start SET'n
-
- Basic mode is a breeze, barely a challenge
-
- Advanced is wayyyyyyy more challenging, a huge step up from basic
Carambole Pool Puzzles
Swain Valasek | Feb 28, 2009 Games
User rating: (4 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
(4 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5) Loading ...
Now here’s the most charming little puzzle game you never heard of; Carambole Pool Puzzles from ADS Software Group Inc. It’s loosely based on snooker but highly ‘iPhone-ified’ into a smooth-flowing casual game experience. The goal is to use a target colored ball to hit other balls of the same color and ultimately clear all balls from the table. Hitting 2 or more other balls per shot will remove all but anything less and your shot simply becomes part of the playfield. It’s ok to hit other balls in the process but only your current target color will count for that shot. There’s no cue nor other pool acoutrements, you simply position your ball around the perimeter of the level and shoot; it will always travel in a straight line across the table while a power meter dictates the force of the shot. Each shot is with a different colored target ball as long as you have more than 1 color onscreen. The level design is fun and includes static ‘bumpers’ that count as targets, coffee cups (or is that tea), ball racks, non-target black balls that serve to obstruct, multicolor ‘wildcard’ balls and balls you have to match multiple times to clear. There’s even a bonus poker chip that pops up from time to time and gives you extra points if you can roll over it with any ball. The game features 60 levels and a very hip soundtrack from one DJ Ustoz. It does save upon exit so you can pick up where you left off any time.
The only major gripe I have with this game is stability. I probably experienced 10 crashes as I played through the 60 levels so that really needs to be addressed in a future release (rebooting my phone really made no difference). If there’s an upside to that it’s that the game autosaves after every level so a crash is reduced to the equivalent of a minor annoyance. Once you finish L60 the game loops back around to L1 and your score resets to zero which was a disappointment insomuch as there was no fanfare, no congratulations; just back to the beginning. Another oddity is there is apparently a global scoreboard but inexplicably not a local one. So when I finished and my score wasn’t high enough for the main scoreboard, it just went off to the bit bucket. Also, once you beat the game there’s no way to go back and play any level you want so that was a bit surprising as that feature is fairly standard these days. A very nifty feature on the other hand is the game saves a recording of every level so you can go back and review your solution or brag to someone. This is totally cool and more games need to offer this feature. A negative for some is that the game is only moderately challenging and most people will buzz through the 60 levels in short order. This isn’t a negative IMO though, simply means they need to release more levels in an update (hint hint dev if you’re reading)!
Overall this game was a lot of fun but I can’t recommend it until the stability is addressed. Once that’s done, I’d be glad to give Carambole Pool Puzzles two thumbs up as the game plays smoothly, is relaxing and casual and has that tangible ‘one more level’ addictive quality.
Quick note – the price image shows .99 but per the app store this reflects a temporary 50% discount so the review is tagged with what I assume is the regular price of $1.99.
Version reviewed – 1.2
Reviewed on – iPhone 3G 8GB 2.2.1
Global scoreboard – yes
iTunes music supported – no
Lite version available – yes
******************
Update 3/10/2009 – v1.3 is now out and the crash problem has been successfully resolved. The dev is promising more levels and the ability to replay any level in the next update. Fantastic! This is exactly the kind of developer support we all crave and appreciate. I can now wholeheartedly recommend this game to all casual puzzle people out there; you will definitely enjoy it.
-
- Sometimes your shot is allowed to match multiple colors
-
- Neat level design overall and that little poker chip is a bonus item
-
- It does get more challenging but never too hard
Tags: $1.99, carambole pool puzzles, casual, puzzle, snooker, Swain Valasek
Snowflakes
Swain Valasek | Jan 16, 2009 Lifestyle
User rating: (No Ratings Yet)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...
It doesn’t snow where I live but hey now I can have snow anytime I want! Snowflakes from Peerium Inc allows you to enjoy watching snow fall on your iPhone until you are awash in joy. Tap once to create a snowflake, drag to create a stream of them then tilt to change the point of gravity as they fall…and that’s it. Much like Zen Garden, this app does exactly what’s advertised and nothing more. A little more effort could make this fun, for example allowing some snowflakes to stay on the screen and let a shake function like a snow globe. How about a mode where snow just continually falls to some relaxing music that we could zone out to? Heck I might just hang mine from the Christmas tree if it did that; be quite a conversation piece that’s for sure. What about a hi-res window frame with random snowfall so I can hang my iPhone on the wall and try to convince my kid that it’s a real window and it’s actually snowing outside? As with Zen Garden, I could only recommend this were it free.
Version reviewed – 1.0
iTunes music supported – yes
-
- Here's how it works
-
- No two are ever alike?
Tags: $0.99, casual, Lifestyle, relaxation, snowflakes, Swain Valasek
Zen Garden
Swain Valasek | Jan 16, 2009 Lifestyle
User rating: (No Ratings Yet)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...
All those little sand gardens you see in cubicle farms the world over are a thing of the past, thanks to the magic of the iPhone! Well, sort of. Zen Garden from Peerium Inc allows you to get metaphysical in the sand with the best of them. You can draw with a finger, swipe with 2 to ‘rake’ or shake to clear. The graphics are realistic so it looks just like interacting with real sand. That’s unfortunately about it though and since there’s nothing else here to engage you and no configurable options, it’s more like etch-a-sketch than a transcendent experience.
Add an ambient music track, soothing sound fx, some rocks to arrange and maybe even a trickling fountain and you’ve got something neat that could compete with the likes of Koi Pond. That said, this app does exactly what’s advertised so I can’t fault it but as is, I could only recommend it were it free.
Version reviewed – 1.0
iTunes music supported – yes
-
- That's right people, it's SAND
-
- Free this app, it's trapped behind a dollar
Tags: $0.99, casual, Lifestyle, relaxation, Swain Valasek, zen garden
Sneezies – Bubble Popping Fun
Swain Valasek | Jan 15, 2009 Games
User rating: (4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
While some developers try to wring as much complexity as possible from their games, Antair Corp took the extreme opposite approach. How about a game where every level consists of exactly 2 touches to the screen and all the rest of your time is spent idly watching and listening? Before you write off such simplicity, read on because Sneezies is pure iPhone crack.
The gameplay premise is familiar but presented in a wonderful and whimsy graphical style that sets it apart from the crowd. Little critters called Sneezies float around in seemingly random fashion, each surrounded by a delicate bubble that keeps them from, well, sneezing. Your goal then is of course to (mercilessly) make them sneeze because when they do, they burst and take others nearby down with them, causing what you hope is a massive chain reaction. You do this with a single strategic touch to the screen which releases a small burst of sneezing powder. This is high-grade stuff as it goes right through the protective bubbles and up the noses of any Sneezies in its range. What follows is the pure magic of the game; a fireworks-like display that will have you in a Zen-like mesmerized state. The excellent sound effects and smooth, relaxing original soundtrack complete the hypnosis. The game has a professional polish throughout and Antair Corp has captured that almost intangible addictive quality that will have you playing this game over and over whether you’re 5 years old or 50.
The game supports 2 modes of play:
Classic mode - you get infinite retries to reach a target value before moving to the next level (45 total). Relaxing and therapeutic.
Challenge mode - you get a set number of turns to reach a target value and get bonuses or a multiplier based on how many sneezies you can pop per level (15 total). Worthy mode, fun!
Suggestions to the developer:
- Need wayyy more fanfare for a perfect 100% popped level beyond a little chip tune!
- Changing the music every so often per level would make the zillion tries it takes to beat levels 25+ more enjoyable.
- Even more colors of Sneezies to enhance the fireworks-y Zen-effect!
- Would love the ability to replay the last level as many times as desired.
Version reviewed – 1.1
iTunes music supported – yes
Global scoreboard – yes
-
- No way this can be any cuter
-
- Bah, I'll beat this game in a half hour
-
- Oh wait, I have to pop all but 7 now?
-
- Ass-numbingly difficult by this stage
-
- Mesmerizing, cannot get enough of this popping
Tags: $0.99, casual, chain reaction, Games, Swain Valasek
