Appmania!

Traffic Rush is a very easy to play traffic management game. You are presented with a four-way intersection, and it's up to you to make sure traffic keeps flowing. There are no lights and no stop signs, just you and your wits to make sure there are no collisions.

Once the game loads, you'll be presented with the Main Menu. Start begins a game and More Games closes the game and opens Safari taking you to a page with information on the developer's other games. I would have preferred that they have a confirmation dialogue on whether or not you wish to leave the game to view the website in case you accidentally press this. The final menu selection is Options. Here you can turn the sound on or off, get directions on playing the game, and view "Fun Stats".

Gameplay

This game is super simple to play. The cars don't make any turns and you don't have to draw any paths guiding them to a destination. Your job is strictly traffic control. Simply swipe a car to send it zooming across the intersection, and tap on it to make it stop.

Unfortunately, these are some very impatient drivers. A stopped car will begin flashing its headlights after a few seconds and then it will take off irregardless of any traffic in front of it. The cars also move at different rates; there are speedy sports cars, rumbling trucks, motorcycles, and clunkers. Each one has its own set base velocity and "swiped" velocity and this will add to the difficulty of keeping things flowing. Also, the number of cars gradually increases as you play so you'll have to think and flick quickly. If there's a single collision, that's game over for you.

Oops...

One thing that is really helpful is the "M" in the lower right. This pauses the game and also allows you to quickly restart a game. This is great especially if you know you haven't broken your current record. If you select "Tap to Continue" you'll be shown a summary screen of your game and then you will be taken back to the Main Menu.

Overall

Pros:

-excellent pick up and play when you don't want to invest a lot of time

-very easy controls - swipe or tap, that's it

-fun stats add to the enjoyment

-nice background music and special effects sounds

-graphics are simple but nice

Cons:

-no global leaderboards - you only have a personal best to beat

-"More Games" does not warn you that you will be navigating out of the game

-some might find the game a little simple - you're not making any paths

I would love to see an unlockable map or two that would add to the challenge of the game. One could simply be the addition of a 3rd lane of traffic in each direction on the main horizontal road; another could be a traffic roundabout or maybe two 4-way intersections connected by the main thoroughfare.

To me, the simplicity of the game has its own charm. Games are super quick and are a matter of juggling different objects moving at different speeds in two different directions. When you don't want to settle in for a potentially long game of landing airplanes, docking boats, or juggling cargo and pirates, then this is a fun and simple alternative.

I would recommend this game if you want something quick and easy to play and have perhaps only a few minutes at a time to play or may be frequently interrupted. This is definitely a good "bathroom break" game.

Price

99 cents

Link

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=322423174&mt=8

Pipe Mania is a puzzle game where your goal is to build a pipe pathway from a given starting point to a given endpoint. You are presented with random bits of pipe, and it's up to you to make a complete pathway and avoid having green Flooze ooze all over the place.  The concept is definitely a classic basis for a puzzler. 

The iTunes game description states, "With immense pride, we bring the legendary game ?Pipe Mania? to the iPhone, a game that has made its way through many platforms like PC, DS, PSP, Wii before we decided to get it to your iPhone. It?s a game that brings back fond memories of the simpler times. Introduced in the year 1987, Pipe Mania has to its credit the title of being the most successful puzzle game ever created. And why wouldn?t it? After all, it has provided entertainment to puzzle lovers for years together!"

Once the game starts, you'll be at the Main Menu. There is a helpful series of "How to Play" slides accessible from the main menu that show you the basics of the game. Options lets you turn the sound effects and music on or off, turn off the in game Tutorial tips, and under Profile Select create or edit up to three Profiles. Extras allows you to view your game Statistics and Treasure Room.  The menu navigation just seemed a bit awkward to me as there can be a number of sublevels to each option and I felt "Extras" should have been "Achievements".

One thing I really liked was the Profiles. If you have someone who likes to borrow your device, never fear, they can have their own profile so they don't mess up your achievements or scores...or complete levels for you that you haven't even attempted.

There are four different game modes and each has its own levels and sublevels for a total of 354 individual levels of pipe puzzling fun. You will start in the campaign style World mode. It's here that you will earn Treasures and Trophies to unlock the other game modes which include Arcade, Bonus, and Classic

Gameplay

Gameplay is very simple. You're given a starting point and an end point. On the left you are shown the pipe pieces you have to work with and the order you will get them. To place a piece, simply click on a block on the play area to place it. If you can't immediately use the next piece, try to think ahead and place it where it can be integrated later. If you need to replace a piece of pipe with another, no problem. Just click on the old piece and it will be replaced with the new one; however, you will lose points for doing this.

Don't spend too long in zen-like contemplation of your pipe path to be, because the Flooze will soon start to flow and you don't want it spilling all over the screen. So keep building to stay ahead of the green Flooze and complete your path. You'll earn extra points for both using extra pieces to make a convoluted path and for using the "Fast Flooze" button at the lower left. Press and hold to keep the Flooze moving quickly and the points rolling in.

GOOD

BAD

As you progress, obstacles are presented to throw a wrench into things. Some may block you from building in certain squares. Others include special pipe pieces that will give you extra points if you incorporate them.

Along the way, you can earn Trophies based on points and find 35 Treasures. These definitely add to the fun and depth of the game.

Overall

Pros:

-easy to learn, a challenge to master if you want to earn maximum points

-LOTS of replayability - there are 354 total levels and 4 game modes...plus each time you play, the pipe pieces are randomly presented so you won't be building the same path each time

-Profiles - great if you have to share your device with someone else

-very nice video intro during the first level of the game

-"How to Play" section and Tutorial Tips are great for novice players

-Unlockable content, Treasures, and Trophies to earn

Cons:

-the Menus seem awkwardly layed out

-the Menu text is a little blurry, but is readable

-voices in intro movie are not totally synced with the subtitles

-would be nice if the "Fast Flooze" button just needed a click to activate/deactivate versus press and hold

-the buttons letting you advance or go back to previous screens in the "How to Play" section can be really unresponsive

-no global leaderboards - it would be neat to see a global leaderboard for total points earned overall and total points in each mode

Pipe Mania is a classic game that has been well implemented for the iPhone and iTouch. The controls for gameplay are intuitive and easy to work with and there is a lot of replayability. There are a few things that need some tweaking, especially the Menu layout, but certainly nothing that detracts from the actual gameplay which I think is pretty spot on.

A definite recommended game for fans of this classic, or for anyone looking for a good, solid, fun, and challenging puzzler with lots of replayability.

Price - $4.99

Link

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=321219952&mt=8 

Every now and then comes a point in my life where I realize that I am currently playing way too many different games. At that time I try and prioritize which games I want to finish first, which ones I can wait on completing later, and what genre of games I could use more of. Prior to June 8th, 2009's release of Quantum Collapse, it came to my attention that I was literally starved of the Real Time Strategy (RTS) genre, and the iDevices were in serious need of a hero. With the only namable titles in the genre being Warfare Inc, and Strategic Assault, I felt that a proper RTS with tolerable controls, some amount of depth, and decent looks all together would never make it on the platform. Man, am I glad I was wrong.

I grew up with the more popular PC RTS games, like Starcraft, Warcraft 1 & 2, Age of Empires, and a few Command & Conquer (C&C) games (namely Tiberian Sun). I knew right off the bat that holding a RTS on the iDevice up to its PC grandfathers would be downright unreasonable; however I did have some basic expectations. So when I excitedly booted up my copy of Warfare Inc. back in early December of last year, I was hoping for an experience that would compare similarly to C&C games, or even a touch of the Starcraft awesomeness. Instead, I got a program that was a little short on visual splendor, and no so short on control issues. I found that among all things that Warfare Inc and Strategic Assault suffered from, the controls were my biggest beef. Though with time, practice and several frustrated sessions, they became less difficult, but still difficult none-the-less. Control is often the key to survivability, and the ability to manage your control in time is the difference between victory and defeat. That's not to say Warfare Inc. wasn't fun, but the controls made the game less and less enjoyable after a while.

So what sets indie developer and one-man-army Javier Davalos's game from the rest of the competition? To start, the graphics are much easier on the eyes than Warfare Inc., The sprites are small and are detailed just enough to actually look good with the default zoom (you can zoom in a lot and out completely)The sprites are not as detailed as Strategic Assault's, as I felt that one of the few strong things about Strategic Assault was the sprites' and buildings' visuals. The landscapes look good, casting decent details of desert plains, snowy fields, desolate grasslands, fiery volcanoes and mountainous terrains to traverse. The looks of the bright spheres known as Xeron nodes (resource/currency in the game) always put a smile on my face, as I simply cannot help but say to myself "OooOooO....Shiny..." The building structures are very well detailed, and some even have little light animations or movements (Like a spinning Com-Link Satellite). The combat visuals are not bad either, with the spectacle of explosions, lasers and bullets from all unit types to be seen. And even with the flurry of missiles, lasers, bombs, cannons, turrets and units everywhere, the only time I experienced any slight lag on my 2nd Gen iPod Touch is when I had 50+ units attack an opponent's base, and it usually cleared up once they started getting eliminated.

There are 4 basic types of units to create, 3 being combat specific. You have your basic gatherers (Like SCV's in Starcraft) that provide the basic construction foundation for your base, like gathering resources and having the ability to construct buildings. One current complaint with a few that I have talked to say that the Gatherer's movement speed is just a little too slow, but once  you get more and more of them harvesting, you tend not to notice, as they do carry quite a decent amount of Xeron per trip back and forth. The other unit types include your basic Infantry who are the all around cheap units, more expensive amoured units such as Tanks, Siege Tanks, and Armoured Walkers, and my favourite, the aerial units, which include units like a light armoured but quick strike craft, a dog fight specific ship, and an expensive, but deadly fighter jet. Quantum Collapse is the first iDevice RTS to feature aerial vehicles to control, which I thought was pretty cool. Some of the units even have specific powers, like the Infantry Unit has the ability to increase its run speed for 15 seconds, with a 60 second cool down, or the Armoured Walker unit that has regenerating shield powers. Also, in Skirmish mode and later campaign missions, you have the ability to research specific 'Spells' and abilities via the research center. These 'Spells' offer abilities that could very well turn the tide of an ill-fated battle. Abilities such as a hell fire, which causes damage to units caught in the fires over several seconds, a black hole-like ability that sucks up all projectiles fired near it, a disruptor field which powers down and disables all buildings in the area, or extra shield armour for all of your units and more. Learning the abilities' advantages can save you in the long run, and becomes essential in strategy. Other than that, that is about all there is to upgrade, and while this may sound a little shallow, there is one thing that does it all justice. There is seemingly NO unit cap. Not one. I've built around a hundred units to see how much I could get away with, and there was still no limit (though a little laggy when trying to move them all on the same screen). The only limit is that you can only cue 6 units per building at a time. Fortunately, it doesn't take real long for units to be created.

My favourite thing that sets Quantum Collapse apart from the others is the great control implementations, especially after the recent 1.1 update. I always had trouble keeping groups and moving certain units where necessary in Warfare Inc, and it was a little easier to group in Strategic Assault, but Quantum Collapse takes the cake on this one. Selecting multiple kinds of the same type of unit is as simple as tapping on one of those units, and if you only want to select one of those units, just double tap the unit you desire to select. At the top left and right corners, are buttons that select all Ground Units or all Air Units currently visible on your screen. Putting three fingers on the screen creates a 'Selection Triangle' allowing you to select whoever is in that triangle. Moving and attacking with selected units is as simple as double tapping where to go, while scrolling is as easy as moving one finger around. Want to make a specific group that you can select later? Tap 5 fingers on the screen, and it prepares to assign a group, then you tap again with an amount of fingers that you wish to choose as the group assignment slot (Example: I have 4 tanks, 4 Air units, and 4 Infantry men selected and I want them to be in group 3. Press five fingers to enter group assignment, then 3 fingers to assign that group to the 3rd slot.) Since you have 5 fingers (a few of us anyways) you can create up to 5 different groups. To recall the group, tap 4 fingers on the screen, then the number of the group you want (Example: I want to recall group 3. Tap 4 fingers on the screen, then tap 3 and your group is selected). Initially, this may sound extremely complicated in theory, but it is actually quite easy to get used to in practice, and if you are an RTS vet like me, you will do good to group often.

But what is Javier's most valuable and strongest weapon for Quantum Collapse? The community, that's what. Javier Davalos is an active member of Toucharcade.com, where he communicates to the forum members about any and everything involving the game almost daily. Through many suggestions, tips, and ideas, Javier is able to best update the game, featuring fixes that mattered most to us, and continues this method regularly. Future plans and updates involve an amazing multiplayer feature that will include voice chat and Wi-Fi capability, a Fast-Forward button on Skirmishes, a new playable race and many more. These are all things that we as the community felt the game could use to make it that much better. This, in my opinion, is such an important asset, and it is a shame so many more developers don't follow in his footsteps.

From up to what I have played so far, the story of the main campaign is a little mundane and slow to start, but with an open mind, it is somewhat entertaining. You play a low ranking administrator with little to no respect from you superiors until they realize that you can actually command forces well, and they send you to destroy the opposing Alien Race. The story is told through small cut scenes and a little in-game text. Nothing special, but entertaining enough to get you through the next level, and is a fair price to pay since the game play is what you'll be craving more of anyways. There is currently no soundtrack, and I've heard little word on if anything will be implemented, though I am sure something is to come. The sounds are great though, as you hear the pulses of the 'Pew Pew' laser sounds, rockets launching, and explosions. Little beeps and blips play when you select things, or highlight units. A woman's voice repeats your actions when selecting and assigning groups, which reminded me a lot of the main woman's voice when you play the Terran on Starcraft.

Overall, you won't be disappointed when investing in this Real Time Strategy game. Casual players will find the Easy mode most enjoyable, where as RTS vets may want to start on medium (Difficulty selection on the main campaign starts on lvl 3 or 4). I have yet to try Hard in the campaign, but found that hard mode in the Skirmish battles are straight up brutal. So far I can forsee several hours of gameplay out of this game, as it offers not only a campaign, but skirmish modes for near infinite replayability. If you gave up hope on the RTS genre for the iDevices, give this one a try. I felt that it was fairly priced at $3.99, but for its current price of $1.99, that is a complete steal. If you were one of those who liked Warfare Inc. or Strategic Assault, Quantum Collapse will offer, in my opinion, a different experience making it a wonderful addition to your collection. It may not be the most perfect game, suffering mainly from the lack of a soundtrack and slow gatherers, but the polish and feel of the game play itself feels much more natural for the iPhone and iPod touch versus the competition, and with future updates, you know it's only going to get better. If you're new to the RTS genre, and enjoy strategy, pick up the lite version and see what you think. I highly suggest it for any RTS fan, and while some say they will wait for the anticipated Command & Conquer to make its debut on the app store, I happily continue to play Quantum Collapse, feeling slight sadness on what they are missing out on. See you guys soon in the multiplayer matches!

Booch138 gives Quantum Collapse 4.25 /5 stars.

This information was written solely to inform and entertain through both fact and opinion. All material written by Frank Cabello aka Booch138. 7/15/2009

Quantum Collapse Appstore Link: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=319440812&mt=8

DJ Jones is a simple game that tests your knowledge of the music you have stored on your iDevice. The developer, Shibby, states, "DJ Jones is a fun way to play around with your iPod music library and rediscover all the great songs you forgot you had."

Gameplay

The premise is simple, a song is played and you are given a number of choices for song title and artist. You start with five choices and every couple seconds, an incorrect response is removed. Make your choice with a simple touch. The faster you answer, the more points you are awarded. The game ends with an incorrect choice or if you fail to answer in time.

The directions are pretty scant, so it took a little playing around with the app to figure out exactly what was going on. After the loading screen you are shown a "Home Screen". Press the "Play" button in the center to start the game. To access the minimal directions, press the "i" button on the lower right.

Home Screen & Directions

The game stores the highest score you've achieved. But there are no other leaderboards or achievements. From the Home Screen, you can use the app as a pseudo iPod. If you tap on the current song playing, it will automatically shuffle to a new random song; however, there are no other music controls. There is also no way to pause a game in progress in case you get interrupted.

Also, there is an easter egg to discover. From the Home Screen, keep pressing on your high score and eventually the screen will go black. If you touch the screen, color effects splash across the screen. This is more of a gimmick than anything. If it was a simple visualizer that reacted to your music, it would be fun, but it doesn't. Touch "Back" to return to the Home Screen.

Overall

Pros:

-fun and simple game you can play with your music library

-game interface is easy to use, just touch to answer a question

-stores your highest score

Cons:

-you can only fast-forward a song, there is no way to pause, stop, or rewind a song if you are just listening to your music

-no way to pause a game in progress

-directions are very sparse, instead of an "i" button, a simple "How to Play" button would be very welcome

-visualizer doesn't do anything useful

DJ Jones is a pretty fun, but simple app that tests you on your familiarity with your music library. The interface is simple, the directions minimalist, but for 99 cents you can't really go wrong if you want a fun game to play with your music.

TIP:  Use your headphones for ultimate enjoyment, the external iPhone speakers are really not that awesome.

LInk

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=320704563&mt=8

When I first got this game, I was excited beyond imagination.  "This is actually Worms on my iPhone, this is Worms," I repeated to myself.  Little did I know this was one of the most disappointing games ever in the 2009 year.  Along with Mass Effect Galaxy, I would say this game disappoints in so many ways.

The gameplay is very similar with any other Worms game, shoot the other team with a variety of weapons ranging from rocket launchers to grenades.  There's all those little cute/humorous sayings included while playing, and the sound effects are very nicely done.  The weapons, from what I can tell, are all there: even the ninja rope.  The factor that makes this game fail in so many ways is the lack of game modes.  There is a quick play and challenge mode, the challenge mode offering 50 uninteresting challenges.  After around 5 challenges, it became so boring/dull, I just stopped playing the challenge mode and started on the quick play mode.  But, I don't really see the quick play mode sufficient enough compared to the likes of Star Hogs.  There's also 'multiplayer' in this game, but it's such a pathetic excuse for multiplayer.  Pass and play up to 4 players?  I mean really, we're seeing Star Hogs offering full online multiplayer and even iShoot has a WiFi multiplayer going on.  Until it's updated, I cannot recommend it.

Graphics are basically the PS3 version without shaders and whatnot.  I must say the menus are nicely designed with big ol' buttons for you people with ham hands, and the in-game graphics are adequate enough.  Except for one problem, the worms are so small!  They're like the size of the tip of your pencil.  Zooming is so slapped together that even in the most zoomed in state, the worms are still a little too small.  This also has to do with the extremely large map that is being fitted into the iPhone screen.

All in all, I cannot recommend this at all.  It offers some nice graphics and design but past that there's nothing there.  Quick play mode is great, but who really plays quick play mode over and over for $4.99?  Challenge mode is extremely dull, and even if the later challenges might actually be challenging, the beginning ones aren't interesting enough to keep me going.  Compared to its competition, Worms fails in so many ways like multiplayer and lack of content.  If you're a die hard Worms fan, go for it since you'll probably love everything about this game.  If you're not, skip and save your $4.99 or get Star Hogs which offers full online multiplayer, 32 campaign levels, and much more.  Team 17 also needs to fix the lag when aiming and the random jumping and committing suicide.  The game lags extremely even after restarting, and the aiming is very clunky and awkward.  Lag along with lack of content makes this game go down the drain.

Worms 5/10

Lack of content and lack of multiplayer make this a no go.  Look for alternatives like Star Hogs if you're looking for something like Worms, or you can just save your money until Team 17 makes some extreme updates.

Intro

Bitten is a quick pick up and play game where you have to survive an onslaught of ants. You are an innocent green smiley character whose only defense is to avoid the ants and to try and gather powerups and fruit in your fight for survival.

Gameplay

The game is pretty basic in it's controls, you use the accelerometer to guide the green smiley around the screen. Conveniently, the accelerometer can be calibrated making it simple to set your iDevice's neutral point.  Tilt your device to move and avoid ants, eat fruit, and gather powerups.

If you get bitten too many times, your character will move more slowly, making it easier for the ants to catch you. When fruit appears on the screen you need to quickly eat it. The ants will happily eat it before you can get there and each time an ant does so, it will get bigger and more powerful. When you eat a fruit, your green smiley turns red and its time for revenge! You only have a limited time to eat all the ants you can. (Tip: try to eat the biggest ants first).

 EAT ANTS NOW!!!

Your survival also depends on collecting powerups which can replenish your life, cause explosions, and create saw blades. These weapons of destruction are your only defense against red queen ants. If an ant eats four fruits it becomes a large red ant which can only be killed by powerup weapons and is able to kill your character with a single bite.

Overall

This game is a pretty fun take on the avoidance type of game, but it could use a few improvements to really make it shine. Visually the game is nice, especially the smiley face which changes expression depending on powerups and how well you're doing.

Pros:

-accelerometer can be calibrated

-easy to learn gameplay

-fun sounds and graphics

Cons:

-the accelerometer control needs some tweeking, it is way too sensitive and just a little tilt can send your smiley across the board making fine control somewhat iffy

-the game stores your the highest score achieved, but there are no local or global leaderboards

-there is no background music, but the sound effects are plentiful

-the saw blade powerup merely spawns in place and doesn't move - it would be a lot more interesting if it randomly bounced around the screen

If you like this style of game, try the lite version. It is fun and by using the accelerometer it avoids the problem of having your finger on the screen blocking all the action as with a number of other avoidance type games.

Current Price: 99 cents

Lite:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=320942698&mt=8

Full:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=319478515&mt=8

Adding to their list of over 20 Titles strong, big time iPhone game developer Gameloft releases Castle of Magic, an amazing, attractive, and equally ambitious platformer for the iPhone and iPod touch. Castle of Magic was released June 12, 2009 and has since seen one update for minor bug fixes and OS 3.0 compatibility. As platformers are more on the rise in today's app store, few actually offer an experience quite as magical as this one.

Castle of Magic's story puts you in the shoes of a nameless boy and his friend at play. Before you know it, your friend is kidnapped by the evil wizard Nefastax, who shifts reality to a castle of, well, magic. It is then your job to go find and rescue her. Typical story, of course, but with its charming, bright and colourful look, and exceptional challenge, Castle of Magic will test your skills through 5 various worlds within the Castle, including the tree filled 'Green Labyrinth', the swashbucklin' 'Pirate Ship', the snow engulfed 'Cold Ice', the delicious 'Yummy Cake', and the the gravity defying 'Mysterious Space'. Each world has 3 levels, and a boss level within them. Each level, with careful exploration, and revealing all the level's secrets, took me around 5-10 minutes each level for the first couple worlds, and around 15 minutes per level in later worlds. As I mentioned, there are secrets areas, sometimes revealing one of 3 hidden stars that you can find in each level. Also strewn throughout levels are a generous amount of little purple gems, in which act as your 'Health', but I will touch on that in a few. 100 of these gems will grant you 1 extra life.

The game is controlled by an on screen virtual D-Pad on the lower left side of the screen, and 2 action buttons (Attack and Jump) on the lower right side, which right off the bat annoys some, as they can get pretty rough to get used to. Though on occasion I pressed the downward stomp movement when I meant to go either left or right in mid-air, I never had any game hindering problems with the controls, and thought they were very responsive and well implemented, especially for a virtual D-pad. Castle of Magic's platformer style seems to borrow elements of play from 2 well known titles in the genre, Nintendo's Super Mario Brothers 3, and Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. Scattered throughout the map you will find magical items that grant powers to your character. For instance, one power allows you to turn into a red mage that can shoot fire by the flick of a wand, or the Inuit on the 'Cold Ice' world, that acts as an ice climber. Think Mario 3 when getting the Fire Flower Power, or the Ice Climber power to cast similarities. If hit by an enemy while in these 'costumes', you will lose your powers, just like in Mario games as well. However, if you are hit without any powers active, you will lose a sum of the Purple Gems you have collected. Think rings like in Sonic the Hedgehog, if you get hit, they scatter, and you can go and get a portion of them before they disappear. If you are hit and you have no gems however, you die and restart at the nearest checkpoint, which are pretty generous throughout the levels.

The game plays simple enough, giving tutorials on controls as you start the game. My initial thoughts on the game were mind blowing, and even having finished up the game, that thought still holds true. Clocking in around 3-4 hours game play time, this game kept me interested from Start to Finish. The overall polish of the game is phenomenal, with a scarce level of technical bugs, and a soundtrack that is just too fun to ignore. The sound effects were spot-on for a magical platformer, and never got old. The graphics were crisp and amazing to look at, keeping a frame rate that I can say never stuttered on my 2nd Gen iPod touch. The overall character details were lovely, and the baddies even looked good too! The boss enemies were very well done, and several little details made the fights really enjoyable, though not the most challenging.

As I mentioned previously, the game ran me around 3-4 hours of total game play, looking, discovering, and exposing all secrets within the levels I could possibly find. One disappointment I had with the game is that collecting all 3 stars in all the levels did nothing other than boost the scores for those levels. I was hoping that maybe collecting them all would unlock a place, or open up something. And with no online leader boards or anything like that, there is no real incentive to collect them (unless you are just a perfectionist such as myself) or keep up your score. That also cuts on replayablilty as once you are done with the game, you can go back and look for everything, or start over.

In conclusion, I have to say despite a few things that could improve the game, this is a beast of a good time. I constantly found myself sneaking in as much play time as possible just to get a little further and see where I got next. The 4.99 price of admission may be a bit steep for some, but for those who bite the bullet, you will be trialed with a myriad of fun obstacles, clever boss fights, beautiful graphics, and overall the best platformer experience on the app store. Whether you are a casual gamer, or a hardcore gamer, this platformer I suggest to anyone. Here's hoping for downloadable content for more worlds down the road!

Booch138 gives Castle of Magic 5/5 stars.

This information was written solely to inform and entertain through both fact and opinion. All material written by Frank Cabello aka Booch138. 7/13/2009

Castle of Magic Appstore Link: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=319384204&mt=8

Intro

This game has the look, feel, and beeping sounds of one of those little LCD games on a handheld or on a watch...but it's on your iDevice instead! Absolutely polished and charming graphics, great retro sounds, and a touch interface means you don't have to try and mash itty bitty buttons while playing this engaging game.

The developers really put some polish into this game.  One example, press "Flipside" on the main menu and you flip over the game's "box" to look at product info on the other side...a very cute touch.

Gameplay

Your goal: Help the Lambrettinis perform their circus act by managing who leaps when. Be careful, if a performer lands on the wrong spot, a Lambrettini is rushed off to the hospital and if 3 Lambrettinis are injured the show must go on...but your game ends; however, for every 100 points scored, a Lambrettini returns from the hospital (you earn a life back).

There are 3 teeterboards and human pyramids. Every couple of seconds a Lambrettini will jump off the platform onto the first teeterboard so you must make sure it is safe for him to jump. This is where the challenge comes in. Human pyramids can only be 3 people high and you cannot have two people on one side of a teeterboard. You will be constantly telling performers to jump to the next position so there will be a free space for the next incoming performer.

Once you have gotten a Lambrettini to the very end, you will need to "dismount" them off the last pyramid to earn points and clear that spot for the next incoming performer.  The game is a combination of rhthym and management as you try to maintain a groove of constantly leaping Lambrettinis and make sure the way is clear to keep the whole show moving along smoothly.

The game interface is very easy to use. A simple touch on a pyramid or teeterboard will get a Lambrettini to jump off the top of a human pyramid or move from one side of a teeterboard to another. Just press on the desired pyramid or teeterboard to get a performer to do their corresponding action.

You gain extra points by having a Lambrettini jump to the high spot on a pyramid so the game really encourages you to not leave yourself a cushion by keeping pyramid size low...higher risk gives you higher rewards.

A great plus in my book - the game respects your iphone's mute button so this game is perfect for a surreptitious bathroom break at work or while waiting for a meeting ('cause I know you'd never play during a meeting ).

There are also local and global leaderboards so you can demonstrate your mad skillz to everyone.

Overall

Pros:

-polished retro looks and sounds of an LCD game

-easy to learn, challenging to master

-respects mute button

-local/global leaderboards

Cons (more wishes than detriments):

-it would be great if the global leaderboards allowed you to specify your country

-it would be really funny when you pressed Flipside, if the pic was random between different sets of shoes/type of dress

Absolutely recommended as an easy to play, challenging, fun, pick up and play game...especially if you have any fond memories of those LCD type games. This has earned a permanent spot on my iPhone.

Easily worth the 99 cent asking price.

Link

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=320207704&mt=8

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=319822953&mt=8

Pixel Mine Inc., the creators of the fabulous RPG Underworlds, has released another game called Super Collider, something that offers a somewhat different gameplay than Underworlds. In this game, you control an orb and dodge the other ?enemy? orbs while collecting ?good orbs? to beat the level. It?s a simple game, but does it really live up to the ?super??

The gameplay is simple and engaging, control the orb, collect good orbs, and avoid bad orbs all with one finger. Seems easy and boring right? Well, the speed increases after every level, and more bad orbs appear to make this game somewhat challenging. I did enjoy the gameplay, but one of my main gripes are the controls. Although I cannot think of an alternative way to control the orb, the ?using one finger? thing sometimes gets in the way of your view of the whole screen. I found myself looking over my finger and sometimes even losing a life because of the loss of sight. There are powerups and score multipliers to add some more fun to the game, but again, the controls need to be modified so that you can actually see most of the screen.

Graphics and animations are fairly nice, but I did have some problems with the words/font. The words would sometimes run off the screen a little bit, and the font looked a little awkward at times. The color of the orbs, menu designs, and powerups are all beautifully done, but the problem with the artwork is the font and size of the words.

All in all, Super Collider provides some nice, simple gameplay that?s similar to many of the simple games found on the App Store (i.e. Flight Control, Crash!). The controls need to be modified in an update, who knows how, but my finger(s) get in the way of the play screen; therefore, causing me to lose. Another feature that needs to be added is online highscores. Currently, there are only local highscores, and you compete against yourself and try to beat your own highscore. I still found the game enjoyable without global highscores, but for this game to appeal to the more hardcore gamers, online highscores must be added. I hope Pixel Mine adds these two features/changes in an upcoming update, but other than that, this game offers some relaxing and simple gameplay. As of right now, the game will appeal to many casual gamers who want a simple pick up and play game, but hardcore gamers may find the game easy or unappealing. The price is $0.99, and the creators are Pixel Mine Inc. who are well-known for their Diablo-like RPG Underworlds.

Super Collider: 7/10

Bottom line, this game offers some nice and simple gameplay but the controls make the experience not so enjoyable.  Although I would cannot think of some more controls, I would like it if Pixel Mine changed it somehow.

http://appshopper.com/link/the-battle-of-pirate-bay

Foreword

We have seen a few of these line drawing games where you guide different vehicles to places. Now some say they are all ripped off Flight Control but I agree with others and say this is a new genre that is unique to the Idevice. Battle of Pirate Bay throws some new stuff into this new genre

Gameplay

The basis of the game is to protect your base from the attacking pirates. You are given three ships to do this with. They are all different though. One is small, it moves fast but it has short range. The medium ship moves normal speed and its range is long enough. The big ship has the biggest range but it moves slowly. It also has less ammo than the others. The variety in the ships really makes you develop a strategy on where to place them for maximum use without leaving a weak spot. Each ship is surrounded a by a dotted circle. The radius shows its range and the dots show its ammo. Supply ships come along and will reload your ships when they float into each other.

Your base also has an emergency cannon if some ships get through. This is helpful when a ship is out of ammo. The base has a life and the game ends when this goes down all the way. But it can regain health if you let a supply ship sail all the way through. Your enemies come in various sizes too which dictates their speed. The small ships are very tricky as youll just see them arrive and then they'll be shooting the base.

Presentation

The game looks nice. Its graphics are simple with a kind of hand drawn cartoony look, which I like a lot. Theres also some nice use of colour in the levels. Also the game is loaded with some great sound effects. From  sea gulls and wave sounds for the setting to the cannon shots and destruction sounds for the action. All of it comes together to make a lovely game.

Cons

Now i spoke earlier that you can let a supply ship go through to the base to heal it again but i found attempting this is quite hard. Because if a ship goes near it the supply ship dissappears and is used up. So if you attempt to leave a gap for it to sail through, you end up creating a serious hole for pirates to sail through. This can be quite annoying at times. The one thing is I dont know how you could fix this.

Final Word

Well this is a great game that involves strategy but is also great for those that enjoy harbour master and flight control. Also something to note is the devs are quite active. In the game there is a voting system to vote for what you want added.

- Good strategy

- great sound effects

- supply ship problems

Gameplay 8.5/10

Presentation 8.5/10

Battle of Pirate Bay 8.5/10