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Bob Katayama Executive Editor

Wordsworth is a game quite similar to the Popcap classic Bookworm.  On the plus side it’s quite fun, has a professional appearance, and costs less than half of the price of Bookworm.  On the downside, the guy in the hat isn’t quite as charming as the worm from Bookworm.  I can live with the downside.

The basic premise is that you are presented with a grid of X by X tiles (where X can be a number between 4 and 7, configurable in the options).  You progress through the 30 levels by making words out of the letters that appear on the tiles.  You can drag your finger across letters to link them, in which case releasing your finger will clear a successfully formed word.  Or, if you like a bit more control, you can click each letter you want to link together.  In order to submit a successful word in this case you must click the check mark at the bottom of the screen.  The game ends when any of the following scenarios are met: time runs out (timed mode only), a timed tile expires, there are no more letters to be formed, or you beat all 30 levels.

Miss Me?

There are a nice amount of options in Wordsworth.  Add to that bonus tiles and buzzwords, and 3 different word lists to choose from, and there’s certainly plenty of variety to keep you entertained.  The controls are actually pretty well implemented.  There were times where I’d accidentally “overshoot” and link too many letters together when dragging my finger, but this is a minor quibble and is easily overcome by using the “tap a tile” method instead.

Graphically, Wordsworth looks pretty sharp.  The interface is well laid out, everything is easy to read (even on the biggest grid setting), and pretty much everything looks like it goes together.  I’m not a real big fan of the guy in the splash screen, and for some reason the layover of the status screen when transitioning between levels seems a bit cheesy to me, but otherwise I like the look.  The sound effects are good enough, though the riff that accompanies beating a level sounds more like a losing than winning sound.  The music is really good.  It has an almost magical quality about it, maybe like something you’d expect in the background of a movie about magicians or carnivals or something.  It’s actually quite relaxing.

Wordsworth might not have all the glitz of Bookworm, but it certainly will keep you entertained for quite some time.  If you like word games that have an almost “match 3″ feel about them, this is a good game for you.  If nothing else, there’s always a lite version that you can check out.

Final Verdict: Recommended
App Store Link
App Store Link – Lite Version
App Shopper Link

[Note: image courtesy of App Shopper]

I like free games for my iPhone.  Besides the obvious fact that they don’t hurt the wallet any, it’s a win-win situation in terms of what I get.  If I like the game, it’s a bonus, and if I don’t, I just delete it and move on.  Thankfully, Fish Frenzy falls squarely into the former category.  My only regret was that the game came to an awfully quick end.

The premise is simply to catch enough fish to satisfy your point total for each round.  You’re in a boat at the top of the lake, and you tilt the device left and right to move your boat back and forth.  Tilt the device up and down to raise and lower your fishing pole.  If you snag a fish they’ll jump out of the water, at which point you have to catch them in your boat.  It sounds simple enough, but the game is timed, so you need to work as quickly as you can.  Also, in later levels there are eels, which prove to be a shocking experience, and swordfish, which “cut” your experience short.  Neither of these obstacles kill you, but rather they waste time where you could be catching fish.

I'm As Shocked As You Are

You get three lives to start, and lose a life if you run out of time before accumulating enough points from catching fish.  When all of your lives are gone, or you’ve completed fifteen levels, the game is over.  There’s really not much to complain about here.  The game is simple to play, it’s entertaining, and it can actually be somewhat of a challenge in the later levels.  It would have been nice to have more levels (this technically feels like it could support an infinite mode quite well), but in the end it’s a quick enough play that going through the whole game several times is no big deal.

The graphics are quite well done.  Everything is detailed and colorful, and there’s just enough animation to catch your eye.  I especially like the animation when you accidentally snag an eel.  The girl in the boat has that typical “time management character” look to her, which somehow seems to fit the mood of the game.  The sound effects and music make the game feel like an interactive morning cartoon, which is always a bonus for me.

Fish Frenzy might be a bit too simple or short for a lot of people, but I find it makes a nice diversion every now and again when I want to play something but don’t have the desire to jump into a time consuming game.  And it sure beats playing solitaire!  Also, if you’re looking for a game to throw on your iPhone for your kids, or your kid has an iPod Touch and they want games, this is a great choice.

Final Verdict: Recommended
App Store Link
App Shopper Link

[Note: image courtesy of App Shopper]

I’ll admit that I bought this for 3 reasons: it was cheap (99 cents), it had a cool screen shot, and the developer promised a free copy of the PC version with purchase.  As it turns out, I ended up getting a fun game in the process.   Windows Mobile fans will recognize it as Bubble Breaker (or Jawbreaker, I think), and variations of the game have probably existed on almost every other platform as well.  Pop-A-Tronic just happens to have a couple of nice features that set it apart from the rest, in my opinion.

Pop The Bubbles

The basic premise is to continually clear the screen by eliminating groups of 3 or more like colored bubbles.  You do this simply by tapping on them.  As you eliminate bubbles your score increases and the purifier meter gets filled.  When the meter is full you can click on it and select a bubble, and all bubbles of that color will disappear (nice feature number one).  To boost your score you’ll want to eliminate multiple chains of 5 or more bubbles in a row.  This creates a score multiplier that fills the purifier even faster (nice feature number 2).  At random intervals in a level a charge bomb will appear.  The bomb is activated when you click on it, and will grow with each subsequent click.  After 5 seconds the bomb will go off and destroy all bubbles that it’s covering (nice feature number three).

The combination of score multipliers, charge bombs and the purifier add levels of strategy to Pop-A-Tronic that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced in this style of game.  The only down side to the game play that I’ve seen so far is that only clicking on the center of the bomb will cause it to grow.  If you click on the outer areas of the bomb you’ll actually interact with the playing board below, which means you might accidentally click a bubble and break your score multiplier.

The graphics are pretty sharp for a puzzle game.  I particularly like the spinning gears and swimming fish in the background.  The sound effects are decent enough, though the noise of selecting bubbles can get a bit irritating.  Sadly, there is no music.  If you’ve been following my reviews long enough, you know how I feel about music in a game.  If you’re new to my critiques, I really like music in my games.  But, I digress…

Overall, Pop-A-Tronic turned out to be quite the pleasant surprise.  It took what in my opinion was a worn out puzzle format and added a fresh spin to it.

Final Verdict: Recommended
App Store Link
App Shopper Link

Oh, and for those who might be wondering / skeptical, the offer for a free desktop version is legit.  Be forewarned, though, that the registration code on the PC side is a bear!

Some of you might be thinking “that’s an awfully weird name for a game”. The astute folks, however, have probably realized that those are in fact two separate games. However, due to their similar nature (and the fact that I’ve already reviewed them both for the Pocket PC – Happy Lines and Snow Lines), I figured I’d lump them together for this quick look.  That doesn’t mean they don’t stand on their own as well done games, but the truth is that once you’ve played one you’ve basically played them both (though for 99 cents why not?)

Oh Happy Lines!

For those unfamiliar with the “lines” concept, you basically move objects around the board (in this case cute smiley faces) until you make lines of a certain size, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally.  However, the folks at Herocraft throw a wrench in here because on certain levels you have to form squares and rectangles instead of lines!  They’ll make sure you know which at the beginning of each level.  Also, in some levels your goal is to earn a certain number of points, while in others you’re trying to fill a meter up while it’s slowly emptying.  In a way this provides you with four different styles of play throughout the course of the game.  On top of all that, the game board varies in size and shape with each level, providing an extra challenge.  This is the most unique variations in this genre of game that I’ve run across so far.

The one down side is that other than theme, the two games are basically the same.  It’s really just a matter of trying to decide whether you want the original Happy Lines (which boasts somewhat of a fall theme complete with falling leaves) or Snow Lines for that wintery Christmas feeling.  I realize that there’s something to be said for franchising, but it honestly would have been nice if, at least for the iPhone version, the visuals and audio for Snow Lines would have been added as a “skin” for Happy Lines.  Personally, I think I’d rather pay $1.99 for a two-themed game the $1.98 to have two games that are basically the same except for theme.  But, that’s just me.

Let It Snow, Lines...

The visuals live up to the usual Herocraft high standards.  I particularly enjoy the animated smiley faces, as well as the falling elements (leaves in Happy Lines and snow in… yep… Snow Lines).  I think I enjoy the Snow Lines visuals just a bit more, mainly because of the winter apparel – ear muffs, scarves, etc. – that just seems to give the smileys a bit more personality.  The main sound effects of interest revolve around the smileys as well.  You’re greeted with a “humph” when you select a smiley to move, and occasionally a random smiley will giggle for no apparent reason.  Again, it just adds to the personality of the game.  The music in both games is good, so it’s really a matter of whether you’re more into Christmas type tunes or mellow rock type ballads.  Either way you’ll probably enjoy listening to the tunes even if you aren’t busy playing the game.

I wasn’t really familiar with the “lines” genre before playing Happy Lines and Snow Lines, but I’m glad these were the first games of this type I had played.  They are both fun, colorful, and get progressively challenging as you beat each level.  I’m not sure that you’d find much added value in owning both games, aside from the different themes, but at 99 cents a pop, you won’t lose much in finding out.

Final Verdict: Recommended (at least one of the two)
App Store – Happy Lines
App Shopper – Happy Lines
App Store – Snow Lines
App Shopper – Snow Lines
HeroCraft Web Site

3 Point Hoops was fun but felt a little empty. Field Goal Frenzy left me wanting to kick myself more than a football. So, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Batter Up Baseball. As it turns out, this is actually the best of the bunch so far where sports mini-games from Skyworks are concerned. There isn’t really any more to it content wise than 3 Point Hoops. Where the basketball game was simply standing around shooting hoops, this game is simply standing around hitting home runs. I think what makes this a more interesting affair, however, is the potential for “infinite” playability. Plus, it was fun trying to hit the various targets!

There are two modes to Batter Up Baseball: Home Run Rally and Arcade mode. In Home Run Rally you start out with three swings, and each hit that’s not a home run costs you a swing. If you can hit one of the targets scattered around the billboards in the outfield you can earn an extra swing (up to a maximum of 3). In Arcade mode, on the other hand, you start out with 20 swings. This time, each swing deducts from your total. However, if you hit three home runs in a row you’re “on fire”, and every home run after that until you miss is considered a “free” swing, and doesn’t deduct from your total. If you hit three targets in a row you earn an extra swing, and there’s no limit to extras in this mode. This is what I meant by “infinite” playability, because as long as you keep hitting home runs while on fire you could potentially play forever. That would probably get a bit boring, but at least it gives you more control over when your game ends.

Here Comes The Pitch

The control scheme is pretty simple. You swipe downwards to get your batter in position, then swipe up and towards the direction you want to hit when the ball comes at you. It does take a bit of getting used to, and chances are good you’ll never hit the ball quite the same twice, even if you think you have, but that’s the fun of the game. My favorite part of the game, however, was in the last round I played before writing this review, where I got to go all “Bull Durham” and take out some of the stadium lights. I wasn’t really sure they’d let me do that, but I’m glad they added that little detail.

The graphics are probably the best of the bunch. It’s not so much in the overall, because the images in 3 Point Hoops are probably a bit more polished. Where Batter Up Baseball scores is in the details. The signs look like authentic vintage advertisements. When you hit a target there’s always some sort of reaction, usually accompanied by a small shower of fireworks. Hitting a light is actually location sensitive, so the part of the lights you hit actually go out instead of the whole thing. And you’ll definitely want to try and hit the clock at least once. My favorite effect of all, however, is the flaming bat when you’re “on fire” (they really weren’t kidding about that). I just wish that every home run you hit with the flaming bat would have left a trail of flames instead of the standard white trail.

Yet Another Home Run

The sound effects worked really well. From the crack of the bat against the ball to the clunk when the ball fell short and hit the wall, everything sounded right. There were only two things that I was a bit disappointed with. The first was the lack of some shattering sound when the ball hit the lights. Might not have been overly realistic, but it would have been cool. Second, when the audience was cheering and a ball went foul, the audience fell silent immediately. It just seemed a bit odd. As for music… well, there was none, aside from the quick riff played over a home run. This was somewhat surprising, since the other games had pretty decent music.

For being nothing more than a home run simulator, Batter Up Baseball was surprisingly fun. The inclusion of targets and the potential for playing “forever” in Arcade mode just add replayability to the game. Aesthetically the game was all there except for the music. As a result, Batter Up Baseball scores a home run in my book.

Final Verdict: Recommended
App Store Link
App Store Link – Lite Version

[Note: image courtesy of App Shopper]

Sometimes the simplest games are both the most intriguing and often the most original. For me, iPolygon could easily fit that description. In a way you could describe it as a breakout clone, but the paddles are also the bricks you need to break. Add to that the fact that you have a 360 degree playing field, and iPolygon certainly adds a new spin to an old genre.

Each level starts out with the outline of a polygon. Enclosed in that polygon is a ball and an *. Your job is to hit the ball around until it makes contact with the *, at which time it will grow spikes. When the spiked ball hits one side of the polygon that side will shatter, and another * will appear. Ultimately you must destroy all but one side of the polygon to proceed to the next level. You get points for each side of the polygon you break, and additional points if you collect the $ that appears every once in a while. You have 3 lives, and you lose one each time the ball escapes whatever is left of your polygon. Lose all of your lives and its game over. It probably wouldn’t hurt to mention that you have to start the level again when you lose a ball as well.

5 More Sides To Conquer

iPolygon uses tilt controls to turn the polygon, and it actually works fairly well. However, I would highly suggest playing the game on a full battery if you’re going to play for a while, because you’ll be spinning the device a lot and you probably won’t want to have a power cord plugged in. Personally I couldn’t see myself playing the game for hours on end, but rather using the game as filler when I have a few minutes to spare. Naturally, you might feel differently.

The graphics are simple but effective. I particularly like the fact that the pieces of a shattered side can actually get caught in the remainder of the polygon, and they still interact with the ball as if they were actually pieces. That’s a really nice touch. The sound effects are decent overall, and a shattering side sounds pretty cool. There’s no music which is a pity, as the lack of continuous sound does get noticeable at times.

I snagged iPolygon during a time when it was being offered for free, not really knowing what the game was about. I’m glad I did. On a device that’s plagued with numerous clones of all the most popular puzzle games, it’s nice to run into something fresh every once in a while. As of the writing of the review this game was priced at 99 cents, and that’s still a steal for a new take on a venerable game genre.

Final Verdict: Recommended
App Store Link
App Store Link – Lite Version
App Shopper Link

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a sports fan, and even when I acknowledge sports, football is far from my favorite.  Of course, it doesn’t help any that my last “fond” memory of playing football involved me intercepting a pass, followed by me getting tackled by a tree.  So why do I play computerized sports games?  Probably mostly because I can, or at least better than I can play their real life counterparts.  These mini-games are especially intriguing, because they theoretically take the best parts of the game and allow you to partake without all the hassle that comes in between.  Such is the case with 3 Point Hoops Basketball.  Unfortunately, I’m not sure I’m feelin’ the same kind of love for Field Goal Frenzy.

Kick That Goal

As the name implies, your task is to kick field goals.  The game is comprised of two modes: practice and classic.  Practice simply allows you to attempt field goals one at a time from any position (left, right or center) and from any distance between 30 and 60 yards (in 5 yard increments).  In classic mode you must kick once from each position at each of the distance markers.  Once you’ve missed 5 kicks the game is over.  You use a swiping motion to kick the ball, and then you can tilt the device left and right to influence the ball’s flight.  It almost always seemed to me like tilting the device either had too much influence or none at all, which got to be frustrating at times.  The worst part, however, was that after a couple of rounds of kicking I really didn’t have a desire to play the game any more.

The graphics are pretty decent.  All the foreground elements look good enough – your player, the ball the goalpost.  The referees were just a bit stiff, however.  The audience seems to be comprised of the same blurry semi-photo realistic slightly animated folks that populated that stands in 3 Point Hoops Basketball.  That’s fine, however, because that effect seems to work well for these games.  I did like the touch of camera flashes going off when you scored a goal.  The sounds are pretty much what you’d expect, from the thump of kicking the ball to the roar of the crowd when you scored a goal.  The music was okay, but I didn’t like it as much as the tunes from 3 Point Hoops Basketball.

Overall, I was not very impressed with Field Goal Frenzy.  It’s quite possible it’s a solid game as far as field goal kicking mini-games are concerned, and there are certainly some nice production values in the aesthetics department, but the game play just never really caught my attention.  As a result I regretfully can’t recommend this game.

Final Verdict: Not Recommended
App Store Link
App Shopper Link

[note: image courtesy of App Shopper]

When I had the opportunity to review Crazy Daisy for the Pocket PC – which you can check out here – I was amazed at how fun the game was for being a casual puzzler that seemed designed to appeal mostly to kids.  Needless to say, when I was offered a copy for the iPhone, how could I turn it down?  As luck would have it, the game is just a fun the second time around.  I don’t think a lot has changed since the Pocket PC version was released, but that’s just fine with me.  I’m just glad I can continue my daisy spinning fun on my newest gaming device.

Here Comes The Bee

I highly encourage you to read the Pocket PC review, because I don’t want to mindlessly reiterate everything I have written there. As a quick synopsis, though, the idea is that you want to match like colored petals on different daisies. You do this by spinning the daisies around either clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on the arrow on the daisy. When you clear all the petals on a daisy the petals will be replenished with a cry of “Flower Power”, and if you can clear petals off of more than two daisies at one that’s a “Daisy Chain”. Crazy Daisy tries to accommodate a wide variety of puzzle gamers with its three modes: endless for those who just want to keep spinning their wheels (or flowers in this case), puzzle for challenge seekers who don’t like to be timed, and arcade mode for people who not only want to lose, but want to do so quickly! There’s nothing revolutionary about the game play, but it’s a fun, solid implementation of the item matching genre.

For the most part the graphics look like more polished versions of the Pocket PC images.  There are a couple of nice new additions, however, most notably the bee that buzzes around from time to time.  You can click on it several times to get it to go away, though it will eventually leave on its own.  There are no points for pestering the bee, so I’m not sure what purpose it serves, but it’s cute and a nice diversion from flower spinning for a little bit.  The sound effects fit the mood of the game really well, especially when it comes to things like the voice that says “Flower Power” and “Daisy Chain” or the noise the bee makes when you click on it.  The music is wonderful, and it seems that they’ve added a new track for arcade mode, or at least I don’t remember it being in the Pocket PC version.

Crazy Daisy was fun a year and a half ago when I first reviewed it for the Pocket PC, and it’s still a blast now on the iPhone.  This is one of those rare games that I’d suggest you purchase again, even if you own a copy of it for a different platform.  Besides, as of the writing of this Quick Look the game still costs only 99 cents.  You can’t go wrong there.

Final Verdict: Recommended
App Store Link
App Shopper Link

I love adventure games, so I’m pretty willing to give anything a shot that somewhat passes itself off as one. As it turns out, Submachine is more like Myst in that it’s simply a series of puzzles linked together by an environment, rather than say a Sierra style game where there are other characters to interact with and potential “missions” to accomplish. The game is pretty easy to navigate. Click on the door you want to enter or the ladder you want to climb. Click on an object to pick it up, and when you want to use it simply click on the object in your inventory and then the item in the scene that you want to interact with that object. Puzzles that don’t require inventory objects are solved simply by clicking on the appropriate places within the scene.

A Mysterious Contraption

There are quite a few puzzles in the game, but none of them are very hard to complete. Many of them simply require using the right inventory item, and only one or two need any real thought. You’ll probably spend more time traipsing back and forth than solving puzzles. In fact, that’s the problem with the game as a whole. It would be generous to say that I got half an hour of play time from the game. I don’t care if a game isn’t 30-40 hours, because frankly I don’t have that kind of time for a single game any more anyway. There really should have been more play time here, however, and preferably in the puzzle department, and not spent wandering.

Graphically the game is okay. There’s nothing magical about the visuals, but at least they are consistent throughout the game. This might have been a good candidate for simple 3D rendered scenes in Unity. The sound effects sufficed for what activities needed them, though a few background effects – like dripping water where appropriate – would have been a nice touch. The music was well done, and actually suited the mysterious atmosphere of the secluded complex with no history.

Submachine is a fun game with a variety of puzzles, decent visuals and a mysterious atmosphere. Unfortunately, no explanation of your surroundings kind of negates the whole ominous tone, and the short length of the game means you’ll be done before you knew what hit you. As a result it’s hard for me to flat out recommend this game.

Final Verdict: On The Fence
App Store Link
App Shopper Link

[Note: image courtesy of App Shopper]

Reviewed Platform: iPhone
Device Used: iPod Touch
Software Type: Game
Developed By: Donoma Games

I’ve always been intrigued by the concept of the lone gunman, waiting in some concealed perch to take out his prey without the slightest hint that he exists. Personally, I’m too nervous to do something like that in real life, and even if I wasn’t I doubt I could hit the broadside of a barn with a bazooka. The virtual world is totally different, however – at least is some respects. Thankfully, games like Codename Lone Wolf allow me to live this fantasy virtually, so I don’t have to worry about hurting myself or some innocent bystander in the process.

Save The Plane

Lone Wolf is actually a pretty decent little game. You start out as SWAT, and then move to Marine and Assassin as you complete 26 different missions around the world. The variance of the missions is quite refreshing. As SWAT you’ll do everything from taking out the lone gunman at a political rally to stopping a lunatic on a bus full of captives. On the marine levels you get to travel abroad, helping accomplish tasks from clearing terrorists sects out of war ravaged cities to slaying high ranking militant officers holed up in secluded camps. I’d imagine the diversity plays out the same in the assassin levels, though I haven’t quite made it there yet. I also thought it was cool that the bad guys react to your actions. For instance, in the scenario where some gunmen are holding a plane hostage, after you take out one gunman you only have so much time before the others will shoot the hostages, ending your mission. Finally, it’s neat to see that you’re not alone. Even though your partners don’t actively participate in the missions, you’ll see cops or other SWAT members or whatever is appropriate for the situation that you are in. To me that just adds an element of authenticity to the scenes.

The view is first person, with you looking down the scope of your gun at the enemies. The bottom of the screen is your trigger, and you use a swiping motion to pull it. At the top right of the screen is your magnification wheel. You can zoom in to 2, 4 or 8 times the normal view. This is especially helpful when you’re trying to shoot around hostages, but it’s usually best to cruise around the scene as a whole with no magnification. In general the game is played in portrait mode, but another cool feature is that you can turn the device to landscape to activate your camera mode, as some missions require you to take pictures of the scene.

Militant On The Run

The interface is actually pretty cool, but there are a couple of issues that can make things difficult on certain missions. The first problem is that it can be very hard to steady your crosshairs on the target, which is especially frustrating on missions that are timed or where the enemies change positions with any frequency. In one of the SWAT missions there is a ten second interval between the time you shoot the first gunman and then have to take out the second one, and I spent a considerable amount of time trying to complete that one simply because I couldn’t get a steady shot in that small amount of time. The other problem is that zooming in and out seems to place the view at random locations on the screen, instead of just zooming in / out on the location you’re currently viewing. Some missions require you to be zoomed in to get certain targets, but navigating a scene while zoomed can be tedious, so the random jumping can get frustrating. Thankfully most of the missions are playable despite these issues, and with the mission select screen you can bypass a mission if it’s particularly difficult for you.

The graphics are pretty decent. Everything is certainly detailed enough, and there are nice little touches like the bad guys dropping their guns when they’ve been hit or hostages falling to their knees and covering their heads after their captor has been slain. There were a few goofy things, though, like an odd perspective when there were lots of buildings in a scene or the animation sometimes when a person that had been shot crumpled to the ground. The thing I found the most amusing was the fact that no matter where you actually shot a bad guy, they always ended up with a bullet hole in the head. Sound effects were basically limited to your gun shots, so not much to say there. There could have at least been a sound when you snapped a picture. The music was actually good and suited the mood of the game quite nicely.

Graphics: 7
Sound: 7
Installation Ease: 10
Fun Factor: 7
Usability: 7
Documentation: 10
Adjustability: 7

Addon Packs: NO
Suitable For Young Kids: NO
Online Support: YES

CONS:
- Zooming in and out is jumpy
- Hard to stabilize crosshairs quickly

PROS:
- Diverse set of scenarios
- Decent visuals
- Developer regularly making improvement

OVERALL::

Shooting games are pretty popular on the iPhone, and with big name licenses like Shooter and Terminator, it takes something special to stand above the crowd. I think Codename Lone Wolf has what it takes. Codename’s strongest asset is it’s diverse range of scenarios, which in and of itself sets the game apart from others of it’s kind. Add to that a conceptually sound interface, decent graphics and a good soundtrack, and there’s a lot to like here. Let’s just hope there’s a bit more tweaking to come on the interface, especially in terms of maintaining a proper position when zooming and the ability to stabilize the crosshairs a little easier. Otherwise, the developer has a good thing going with Codename Lone Wolf.

Overall Rating: 7.9
Available Platforms: iPhone

App Store Link
App Shopper Link

In a time where everything seems to be iPhone, it’s nice to know that some developers haven’t abandoned the Windows Mobile platform. eSoft Interactive has been kind enough to grace us with Hot Pursuit, a modern interpretation of the classic Carmen Sandiego that will have you hunting thieves for a very long time. From a slick interface to sharp pictures of the various locations you’ll visit in your travels, the graphics in Hot Pursuit scream class. The music is well done and suits the travel theme quite well. Most importantly, though, is that the game is just plain fun to play.

This style of game play, using real world clues to help you track down criminals, is one of the few types of game play I’ve seen that has managed to be both fun and educational. And, if you don’t feel like “learning” anything, it’s still quite the challenge pitting you wherewithal against the computer to see if you can find these tricky thieves. This game is for anyone seeking a fun challenge on their Windows Mobile device. If you’re not careful, you might even pick up a thing or two about the world around you as well!  Check out a video of the game here, and expect a full review soon after release.

Because of limited funds and the fact that I already own more iPhone games than I’ll probably ever play, I’m not much of an impulse buyer at the App Store.  However, when I happened upon the thread for PeeMonkey Jungle Fire at the Touch Arcade forums, I had to give it a try on name alone.  Amazingly, I wasn’t disappointed.  While not the most complicated or by any means thought provoking game, it actually provides a good challenge as the levels increase, and the game is just plain amusing.

PeeMonkey Jungle Fire

The premise is simple.  Fire is reigning down on your jungle, and as a good little monkey you must help put it out the only way you know how – by peeing on it!  Of course, all the little girl monkeys are running around in a panic, so make sure you put them out if they catch on fire as well.  The game ends if all the girl monkeys get burned too badly.  I suppose there might be a level cap as well, but if so I haven’t found it yet.  You tilt the device to move your monkey around, and press the left and right sides of the screens to aim left and right respectively.  Your fire dampening supply is limited, so make sure you collect water droplets to keep recharged.

Put The Fires Out

Ideally you want to shoot the fireballs while they are in the air, as you get the most points that way.  If you can’t do that, try and shoot them on the ground before a girl monkey gets to them.  You get the least amount of points for having to put the fire out once it’s on one of the girl monkeys.  Also, you lose points if you get hit by fire, so try and stay away from anything that’s burning.  As the levels progress this gets to be more difficult, because not only does more fire fall from the sky, but the fires on the ground begin to shoot flames upward.

The graphics are nicely done.  The background looks good, with the rays of sun breaking in between the treetop foliage.  The expression on PeeMonkey’s face is great, whether it’s the pleasure of putting out a fire or the contortion from being hit by a flame.  Even the steam emitted from puting out a fire was a nice touch.  The sound effects all work well within the context of the game.  While it’s not conducive to racking up your score, it’s almost worth it to let the girl monkeys catch on fire every once in a while to hear their giggles of glee when you put the fire out.  The music is well done and suits the atmosphere of the game in terms of the jungle theme, though something a little more chaotic to suit the mood of the game might have been nice.

PeeMonkey Jungle Fire is one of those games that strikes you as a novelty but actually doesn’t wear off as you continue to play it.  And for 99 cents, it’s hardly a bank breaker.  On the other side of this tale we have the “sequel” to this amusing game, called PeeMonkey Toilet Trainer.

PeeMonkey Toilet Trainer

You know those sequels that seem to have nothing to do with the original except for a name and sometimes the same character?  Welcome to PeeMonkey Toilet Trainer.  Gone is the hectic turmoil of the burning jungle, replaced with the docile environment of the bathroom down the hall.  PeeMonkey’s floating cloud has been replaced with a bar of soap, and your firey targets are now a single porcelain adversary.  Basically, you must continually fill up the toilet bowl with pee.  When it’s full the gratuitous girl monkey flushes it, and you start again.  However, when you miss the floor starts to fill up, and if the pee level rises to cover the electrical outlet it’s lights out for you.  This was really the only amusing part of the game for me.

Hit The Bowl!

The left side / right side screen press mechanic for aiming has been replaced by simply tilting the device left and right, and you no longer control the movement of PeeMonkey himself.  Personally, I found this a bit awkward compared to the old control scheme.  Honestly, the whole atmosphere of the game itself just isn’t amusing like it’s predecessor.  The one redeeming factor was the hee-haw style music playing in the background, which for some reason struck my fancy.

The moral of the story?  Not all PeeMonkey adventures are created equal.  This is definitely a case of “you get what you pay for”.  If you’ve ever considered either, get Jungle Fire without a doubt.  If you have room on your device, get Toilet Trainer at your discretion.  At least it won’t cost you anything.

PeeMonkey Jungle Fire
Final Verdict: Recommended
App Store Link
App Shopper Link

PeeMonkey Toilet Trainer
Final Verdict: Not Recommended
App Store Link
App Shopper Link

[Note: images courtesy of App Shopper]

Let’s face it – the name alone implies that this game should be cool. I mean, what’s better than pirates and dragons? After playing the game for a little while, it turns out that there is apparently a lot that’s better than this combination of swashbuckling anti-heroes and mythical fire breathing creatures.

In the game you control a pirate ship, and I had hope that at some point you got to fight dragons. In the first mission, however, all you do is shoot water balloons (yes, you heard me right) at 4 buoys. Doesn’t seem like a difficult task, except that the controls are quite unfriendly, which for me meant a lot more time circling aimlessly and crashing into things than anything else. Granted, crashing into a buoy counts as a hit, but it also does damage to your ship. You use left and right motions to steer the ship, which is constantly moving forward. There appears to be no way to alter the speed of the ship, however. You tap on the screen to fire, which at least for me means letting go of the device with one hand, effectively killing my steering momentarily.

Drivin' The Boat

After many attempts I finally beat the first level (there were several times I had all 4 buoys, but died getting the last one), and I was instructed to find the dragon in the citadel for level 2 – as an added bonus I had no water balloons. Part way through what seemed like a haphazardly thrown together level I came across a big room where I was instructed to go fishing with a rod that was twice as big as my ship, and before I knew it I had a golden key that was almost bigger than I was. Opening the door for that key led to another key, which led to another, which lead to the room with the dragon. To capture the dragon I had to catch a fish – which I miraculously caught on my first try – and use that to lead the dragon out of the citadel. Once that task was complete, the game was over… what? That’s right, for a mere $2.99 you get a whole two levels of gameplay that assuming you can play straight through takes about 3-4 minutes.

The graphics remind me of a beginner’s attempt at 3D modeling. The ship and tower in level one actually look pretty decent and the buoys are pretty standard fare. The walls in the first two levels and the key I found in level two look like basic rendered objects with no textures applied. Some of the passages in level two even connect at odd angles. Overall it feels like a haphazard design. There are no sound effects to speak of, which is a shame. The launching and splattering of water balloons could have made for some interesting sounds. The music is enjoyable, but seems to be a tinny. I’m not sure if that’s intentional or a problem with how the music was recorded, but either way it detracts from what is otherwise a fairly well orchestrated piece of music.

According to the App Store description, Pirates And Dragons is “packed with state of the art graphics great puzzles and fast paced real time action”. I’m guessing all this must be in the levels we don’t get. It claims this is a “must download for Gamers”, but I’d wager that you’re $2.99 could be spent on much better games. A lot of times I can say “I don’t care for this game but’, however in this case I wouldn’t be able to think of anything to finish that phrase. Unless you want to see a pirate ship toting around a fish with a huge fishing rod, this game isn’t for you.

Final Verdict: Not Recommended
App Store Link
App Shopper Link

[Note: image courtesy of App Shopper]

When I reviewed Upsi Runner I felt that it was a little too retro for my tastes.  On the other hand, Upsi Looper seems to have hit a much better balance than its predecessor. I’m sure the concept has been around forever (I believe I played a version called Doubleback on the TRS-80), but Upsi Looper manages to present the genre with simplicity and class at the same time, and helps bring a classic to modern gamers in a nice little package.

The basic premise is that you must run into or circle objects to score points. In Regular and Expert mode you have three lives to gather as many points as you can, and in Fruit Fest mode the screen will fill with fruit for 60 seconds, and you play until all the fruit is gathered. Either way, the game is all about points. You can either run into a fruit or draw a circle around a fruit to score points. However, if you circle more than one fruit at the same time you will score more points per fruit than collecting them individually. In Regular and Expert mode there are also “bad guys” – a couple of which you will recognize from Upsi Runner – that can only be circled to be cleared. Again, circling multiple critters and / or fruits at the same time nets you more points per item collected. Finally there are skulls, which can only be removed by circling bombs.

Lizard Got Your Tounge?

The controls are as simple as can be – tilt the device to make the line go where you want it to. You do have to be a bit conscious about your physical position, however. If you’re leaning back a bit, you might lose sight of your screen as you’re tilting the device to get the line to the top of the screen. I also find that if you managed to move the line exactly opposite of the way you were traveling, it’s sometimes hard to tell where the beginning of the line is as it’s tracing over itself. This isn’t too big of a problem unless you’re heading into a pack of villains, since colliding with villains instead of circling them takes away a life. These were the only real quibbles I had with the controls, and the positional thing is really more a matter of good posture than anything else (though the game may not play so well while lying in bed!)

In addition to points there are 24 different achievements to earn by playing the game. These range from something as simple as playing 10 games to more challenging objectives like exploding 5 skulls with one bomb. My personal favorites were the ones dealing with distance traveled while playing – quite creative! There’s certainly enough variety in the achievements alone to keep you busy for some time, especially if you’re like me and forget what the criteria are so you just happen to come by them on accident!

Catch A Couple Smiles

The graphics are about at the same level as Upsi Runner. In fact, a couple of the sprites were borrowed from that game, it would seem. And to be fair to to Upsi Runner, the backgrounds in that game are more interesting than the one here. I still don’t really care for the fonts, either. For some reason, though, all that doesn’t really seem to bother me with this game like it did with the other one. I don’t know if it’s just because I’ve come to expect more from platform games, but the simple look actually works for Upsi Looper. The sound effects are okay, and actually work well with the concept of “popping” the objects. Music, as before, is not present. So unfortunately I’m listening to River Of Dreams – the only album on my iPod – as I’m playing the game and typing this. Oh well…

Shen Mansell clearly has a heart for game making, and that’s most evident in the fact that he tries to make every game better than the last. In the case of Upsi Looper, I feel like he has succeeded. It would be cool to see the game receive a bit of a facelift some day, and at least one musical track would be nice, but the simple, solid game play and many achievements to earn make this a fun game despite the “nice to haves”. After spending some time with this I’m certainly looking forward to his next outing, Gum Drops.

Final Verdict: Recommended
Home Page
App Store Link
App Store Lite Version
Youtube Video
App Shopper Link

The first thing you might be wondering is “what does this have to do with the popular set of animated films from Dreamworks?”  The best I can tell, the answer to that is “nothing”.  The title is just a clever play on words that suprisingly hasn’t gotten them a nice letter from a lawyer yet.  Anyway, back to the game itself.  Memogascar is a charming little memory game that is definitely geared towards the younger gamers.  And no, I don’t mean young at heart – I actually got somewhat bored with it after a couple of times playing.

One Ring To View Them All

There are 15 levels, and each level requires you to make a certain number of matches before you can move on to the next level.  In Memogascar you are matching animals that are trapped in crates.  As you match the animals they will flee their cages, which will then go away.  You’re not quite out of the woods yet, however.  There is a heart meter at the bottom of the screen, and when that gets filled up a new row of crates appear at the bottom of the screen.  In addition to simply matching animals to clear the board, there are three bonuses at the beginning of each level to help you.  The heart icon resets the heart meter.  The ring icon temporarily shows you every creature on the board, and the key icon unlocks every instance of one group of creatures.

The graphics are cute.  The portraits inside of the crates are well done, and the animations when the creatures are fleeing should keep the kids amused.  There are some redraw issues at times that cause a line to appear across the screen briefly, but it’s not significant enough to detract from gameplay any.  The sound effects are okay, but it would have been cool to hear the animals making noises as they were fleeing.  Also, there is no music, though you can start up your own music before playing the game.  Just make sure you have a good kid’s album on your device.

Memogascar is a nice little package for 99 cents.  The graphics are decent, the animations when you free animals are cool, and the constantly shifting board as new rows come from the bottom of the screen is a nice addition the memory game genre.  As long as you keep in mind that this is a game geared towards kids, it’s definitely worth adding to your colleciton at such a low price.

Final Verdict: Recommended
App Store Link
App Shopper Link

[Note: image courtesy of App Shopper]

Before there was Sheepstacker, the App Store had Scoops.  Every time I ran across a thread discussing it, people were always raving about it.  The funny thing is that I didn’t even realize it was a stacking game until not too long before I actually got a copy.  While it might not have the cool sheep animations and sounds of Sheepstacker, or the multiple game modes of that other game, it is a fun game in it’s own right.  I’m just not sure if it’s enough fun to be the same price as Sheepstacker.

Stacking To The Moon

The premise is simple.  You start with a cone and one scoop of ice cream.  Using your device you tilt back and forth to move the cone left and right, collecting falling scoops of ice cream.  As you collect scoops your points and score multiplier goes up.  If you bump a scoop but don’t get it on your stack, or if you collect a vegetable, your multiplier goes down.  Also, if you collect a vegetable you lose a life.  Once all three lives are gone, the game is over.  I like the fact that they use an outside force – the vegetables – as the means of you losing a life, and not just simply missing a scoop.  I also like the whole multiplier scoring mechanism.

What I’m not sure about is the price vs. content ratio.  At full price the game cost as much as Sheepstacker and twice as much as Totem, two other quality budget stackers.  Sheepstacker has 3 different game play modes, and Totem at least has a purpose besides just stacking.  The other problem is that both Sheepstacker and Totem provide music, while in Scoops you have to bring your own.  I know this is a somewhat common trend with iPhone games, and it’s fine as an option, but it’s not an acceptable substitute, especially for people like me who use my device primarily for gaming, and not music.

The graphics in scoops are decent enough.  I do like how the background changes, especially as your cone starts to wander out into space.  That’s one huge cone!  The sound effects are pretty much limited to dings when you get more than one scoop of the same time of ice cream.

Scoops is a good game, and if you have kids they will probably particularly enjoy the ice cream theme.  However, in terms of it’s value versus similar products, it really puts me on the fence for recommending it.

Final Verdict: On The Fence
App Store Link
App Shopper Link

[Note: image courtesy of App Shopper]

Over the years I have made various attempts at playing basketball, and truthfully I’ve never been very good at it.  Sadly, this trait seems to carry over to the electronic world as well.  I’m not really a fan of electronic basketball, with the exception of the more outrageous titles like NBA Jam (who doesn’t want to make a full court dunk?), but I thought 3 Point Hoops might be worth checking out.  It’s not really basketball so much as it’s simply making 3 point shots from various positions around the court, much like the name implies.  There’s no opposition – it’s just you, the ball and the hoop.  Well, that and the fans that have come out to watch you.

There are two game modes: Classic and Sudden Death.  The difference between the modes is that in Sudden Death your game is over the first time you miss a shot.  In both modes you get the opportunity to make 45 baskets – 5 shots from each of 5 different locations (3 locations are repeated during the process).  You get 3 points for each of the first 4 shots in a given location, and 5 points for the last, or bonus, shot.  All the while you have a nice announcer detailing your finer – and not so great – moments.  The comments remind me a lot of NBA Jam, and I’m constantly waiting for a “he’s on fire” or “that’s the nail in the coffin”.  You also get a nice rousing cheer from the audience when you make a shout, but surprisingly no boo when you miss.  It wouldn’t necessarily be appropriate every time, but I could see the audience getting upset if you miss several shots in a row.

Ready To Shoot

Controlling the game is actually pretty easy.  You simply tap on the ball and swipe towards the basket.  The direction and speed of your swipe will determine where the ball goes and how quickly it gets there.  It may not always seem like there is a difference in your throws, but if you’re having trouble making shots in a particular position try angling your swipes a bit differently.  I’m by no means a perfect shot now, but the mechanic is easy to get used to and it just feels right.

Graphically, 3 Point Hoops looks pretty good.  The crowd almost appears to be a pixelated photo of a real crowd, but there is actually animation in the crowd after you make a shot, which is a nice effect.  The camera also zooms in on the basket after you’ve thrown the ball, which is nice.  There’s even a shadow when the ball comes back down after the shot (though interestingly enough no shadow while the ball is going up), though I think there’s a bit of a problem there since you’ll often see 3 or four shadows instead of just one.  Overall the visuals look pretty slick.

From the vibration of the hoop when the ball is “walking the rim” to the bouncing of the ball on the floor after a shot, the sounds are well done and quite authentic.  The roaring of the crowd sounds good, and they actually got a decent voice over for the announcer.  There are two musical tracks that can be played during the game.  Neither of them are outstanding, but they aren’t bad either.  The nice thing is that you can swap them out during play, though realistically a single game probably won’t last long enough for you to care.

3 Point Hoops is a nice little package.  It’s easy to learn and surprisingly addictive, even for someone like me who’s not much into sports related electronic games.  The visual and audio elements are well done, making this a well rounded, professional looking game.  My only hesitation on flat out recommending this game is the price point.  This is sadly just a reflection of the currently volatile state of the App Store, but I’ve paid 99 cents for games with a lot more substance, so $2.99 seems a bit high of a price tag.  For die hard basketball fans this is probably a good purchase.  For everyone else, I highly recommend checking out the lite version first.

Final Verdict: On The Fence
App Store Link – Full Version
App Store Link – Lite version
App Shopper Link

Gold Rush is one of those types of games where you have to get something from point A to point B by laying something else in front of it.  In this case the “something” is a train and the “something else” is tracks.  The first time I played this game I was ready to dismiss it as a nonsensical attempt at a concept that has proven over the years to be quite fun and challenging.  As it turns out, though, Gold Rush actually is pretty fun, and before long does get quite challenging.  If only there had been something to tell me how to play…

As mentioned above, the premise behind Gold Rush is to get a train from one station to the other by laying tracks down in front of it.  You get a few seconds at the beginning of each level before the train comes out of the first station, but once it starts it’s full speed ahead until it reaches the other station or crashes and burns.  To lay down a piece of track you simply click one of the three selections on the right side of the screen and then click one of the empty squares on the playing field.  Note that an “empty square” is not just indicated by the lack of tracks.  Obviously the stations are off limits, but there are also some squares filled with bushes and other things that can’t be crossed.  The only item that can be run over is gold.

This brings us to one innovative feature of the game.  Along the route there are piles of gold to be picked up, and you must collect all of them to finish a level.  Have no fear if your train enters a station and you missed some gold, because you can go back the other direction to collect the missing treasure.  As long as you don’t crash, it appears that you can go back and forth between stations as often as you like.  The other cool addition to Gold Rush is the “undo” feature.  While there isn’t a true undo, per se, in spirit of the era being captured in the game you can use your unlimited supply of dynamite to blow up unwanted sections of track.

Lots Of Gold

Limiting your view of upcoming pieces to three was a nice mechanic, but it would have been helpful if you could have discarded pieces from the “on deck” section, even if it meant a reduction in score or something.  The only way currently to deal with unwanted pieces is to stick them on the board somewhere anyway, and that can get kind of overwhelming after a while.  Also, the game desperately needs instructions.  The reason I was ready to write a “Not Recommended” review after my first play was because I didn’t really know how to play.  I didn’t get that you HAD to collect the gold, and I thought that the random offering of track pieces was poor judgement on their part.  I didn’t understand that you actually had to try to plan the route from multiple angles, as it were.

The graphics aren’t earth-shattering, but they are actually pleasant, consistent, and suit the game well.  There are some nice touches, like the train folding up before crashing, the smoke billowing out of the train’s stack, and the quivering of the selected piece on the right hand side.  The sound effects match the atmosphere quite nicely, as does the music.  However, the music does get a bit repetitive in a hurry.  At least there is music, though.

What started out as a seemingly haphazard mess ended up being a surprisingly fun and challenging game.  Once you figure it out the game play is sold, the atmosphere is pleasant, and the game provides a lot of challenge.  If you’re into games that meld casual game play mechanics, think ahead tactics and quick reactions, Gold Rush would be a good game for you.

Final Verdict: Recommended
App Store Link
App Shopper Link

[Note: image courtesy of App Shopper]

Today I’d like to take a look at two apps I downloaded for my iPhone. One was free, the other I got a promo code* for. Personally, I think I got ripped off on the promo code deal. So, without further ado, here’s the first installment of “Did I Download That?”

The Internets

There are times when you download a game and as you play it you think to yourself, “why?” Then you realize there is no point; it’s simply due to the novelty of the game, the reality of the game’s subject, and most likely the fact that it was free. Such is the case of The Internets from Soulstrewn Studios. The game is billed as a “realistic simulation of the internet”, and is basically a series of popup windows that you must close. The text in the windows ranges from a string of dollar signs to ads for Viagra and Cialis. To close a window you must click on the red X, but beware, because if you click on the message itself 3 more windows will pop up and you’ll be treated to a scream that sounds a lot like Dr. Doofenshmirtz from the Disney cartoon Phineas and Ferb. If the screen gets filled with too many pop ups you’re awarded a black screen with a fatal exception and the number of popups you squashed before your timely demise. My total is 78 so far. The music is an odd one stanza loop, the game is ultimately pointless, but in the end it’s an amusing reminder of how annoying web browsing has become.

Final Verdict: Recommended
App Store Link

SoftServe (iDoo)

The App Store description aptly describes this app as “it is what you think it is”. You can create 3D renderings of piles of “ice cream” in four flavors: French Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry and Chocolate “fudge”. Note the gratuitous use of quotes in the last sentence. You can adjust the curvature, length and thickness of your pile, you can view the results in real time 3D, and you can even take a picture if you want. I’m sure every “kid” will be hanging these up around the office, especially the chocolate fudge ones! I realize the objects involved here aren’t overly complex, but the real time rendering was still pretty cool. Once you get over that, this product has an amusement lifespan of about 5 seconds. I won’t say that I shun all things crude – my upcoming Quick Look of PeeMonkey will prove that – but this just seemed ridiculous. If you want to see some cool 3D rendering from Ziconic, I highly recommend SkyCoaster 3D instead.

Final Verdict: Not Recommended
App Store Link

* For those who don’t know, a “promo code” is a code that developers can give people that allows them to download software for free from the App Store, which is currently the only official means of acquiring software for your iPhone / iPod Touch.