Android – Iphone – Applications

Dual-stick shooters are numerous on the App Store, so if you want to stand out, you have to get the basics right and then build your own ideas on top of it to make it perfect. Infinity Field features a standard setup – kill enemies of various colors and geometric shapes before they kill you. There are a variety of modes to do this in, standard ‘shoot everything that moves and survive as long as possible’ modes with several variations on enemy formations, a couple of modes where you can only kill enemies by detonating bombs, and a Snake mode puts you in control of a snake that has a laser between its head and tail, so you have to maneuver in a way to that will kill the enemies with that laser.

Infinity Field’s variety is its greatest strength. The 6 game modes give you plenty of different ways to play the game, each different in their own way. The game’s campaign mode is also a great way to practice the game’s mechanics, as it takes you through the game’s various modes and challenges you to hone your survival skills, and gives you a reason to return to the game besides achievements and high scores. But, if you do love to collect those things, Game Center and Crystal are implemented in the game, along with a list of the top 4 scores in each mode, to give you something to shoot towards. The engine is impressive, cranking out tons of bullets and enemies in an engine with some 3D playing field effects (that can be disabled in the game’s comprehensive options menu) without ever slowing down in anyway. In what is likely a first for dual-stick shooters on iOS, the game also supports 2-player play on a single device, as you and another player compete for a high score, with each player’s controls on each side of the device. The game will also support remote control of the game with an iPhone/iPod touch in a future update, as well.

Now, here’s the thing – Infinity Field borrows so liberally from games like Geometry Wars that it probably ought to cut them a check – the setup is practically identical. This isn’t the most original game in the world, but it feels like it borrows more liberally than other games in the genre. The dual stick controls are a bit less accurate than in other games – I felt like I was often accidentally running into enemies because of the controls. Also, iPhone and iPod touch owners are currently out of the loop with the game, as it is iPad-only for the moment.

Infinity Field may lack in the originality department, but it does not lack in the fun department. It outclasses even the iOS version of Geometry Wars in many ways, coming feature-packed and getting a lot right. This is one of the best dual-stick shooters for the iPad, and is definitely worth a look if you need a good action game on your iPad.

[ Infinity Field Review is a post from 148Apps ]

written by assurance \\ tags: dual-stick shooter, field, Game, Games, geometry, geometry wars, infinity-field, ipad, ipad games, Iphone, overall-rating

There’s a certain tongue in cheek charm to Bulba the Cat that’s immediately apparent. Even the description on the app store conveys a feeling that the developers don’t take themselves seriously. The storyline is described as ‘the most complex story ever written in human history (approximate evaluation)’ because clearly it is. You control Bulba the Cat who has to retrieve their stolen sushi from a nasty crow. Why a crow would steal sushi and why a cat would eat it, I have no idea. My cat certainly wouldn’t be impressed by sushi.

The concept is simple – using the accelerometer and tilting the iPhone around, you move Bulba across the screen. Be careful though as he can drown quite easily so it’s vital you only bounce from platform to platform. It’s simple enough and each level is theoretically quite brief to complete. There are 60 levels in all and each level gets increasingly difficult to complete meaning there’s a fair challenge here. While early levels simply involve not falling in the water, later levels provide windmill obstacles, mushrooms that can be jumped upon and the ever challenging platform that collapses once you jump on it.

It’s consistently fun to play though and the game is never anything but charming. Even the menu options are sweet such as ‘Cat’s Enough’ if you want to quit out and ‘Paw screen’ instead of touch the screen.

For a mere $0.99, Bulba The Cat is excellent fun. It’s simple and cute but very entertaining too. The controls may take a brief time to get to grips with but if they were anything other than tilt based, I suspect the game wouldn’t have the same level of charm as it does currently.

Oh and never fear, the app is only too happy to explain that no cats were harmed in the making of the game. That’s always reassuring to learn.

[ Bulba The Cat Review is a post from 148Apps ]

written by mjmeser \\ tags: $0.99, accelerometer, bulba, bulba-the-cat, c4mprod, developers, Game, ipad apps and games, ipad games, Iphone, iphone apps and games, overall-rating, replay-value, review

The Hidden Object genre is one of those genres that the experienced gamer will undoubtedly turn their nose up at. It’s understandable in some ways considering the genre does tend to be a bit lazy when it comes to innovation. Plus ultimately you can complete such puzzles in a puzzle book rather than on a technological gadget. FoundIt despite offering puzzles akin to a puzzle book, still has its merits though.

Rather than following a loose storyline, FoundIt dispenses with any such pointlessness, instead focusing on why you bought it – the hidden object part. 8 different levels are available comprising of cutesy cartoon animals to fish and flags of the world. In each level, it all turns a bit Where’s Wallyish whereby you have to find 20 items within a huge area of similarly themed items. That’s about it really. You’re scored on your progress and how quickly you spot the items but there’s only a local high score leaderboard available so the competitive element is slim.

It is quite fun though. You can drop in and out of the game to do other things with your time, returning to exactly where you left it. This makes it an ideal game to drop in for a few minutes at a time in between more productive things like working. It also feels a good game to play alongside a child or older relative, especially if they’re still learning to play games.

Don’t expect spills and thrills with FoundIt or even fancy looks, it’s clearly not that kind of game. While it would have been nice to have seen more variety with the different levels (the flags of the world were particularly tedious compared to cartoon animals), it’s not bad. It makes for an OK distraction to dive into once in a while.

[ FoundIt Review is a post from 148Apps ]

written by gunturbabu \\ tags: Application, competitive, experienced, Game, Games, ipad apps and games, ipad games, rating, replay-value, review

There are a wealth of physics based puzzle games all vying for your hard earned dollars. I should know, I soak up as many of them as possible. It’s nice to play something more cerebral than fast paced and I enjoy seeing the similarities across the field.

Tiki Towers 2 follows the familiar path of cutesy and charming, yet sometimes fiendishly challenging. Understandable really considering the original did a similar thing on the iPhone and the Nintendo Wii. Think of it as a monkey based World of Goo clone. I say clone, I mean this in the good way. Instead of helping out globs of goo, you must direct a troupe of monkeys across each level to the exit, while trying to collect bananas along the way.

To do this, you have to build bridges and towers out of bamboo sticks in order for the monkeys to climb across them. You only have a set amount of sticks for each level so it’s down to you to figure out the best path in order to progress. It’s not essential to collect all the bananas along the way but obviously it’s a wise idea if you want to truly complete the game rather than just finish each level.

With 30 levels in all, there’s a fair amount to play through as well as plenty of challenges. Early stages are fairly obvious to complete, although a bit more thought is required in order to collect all the available bananas. Later stages however invoke hazards such as water and lava to make the ever happy monkeys’ journey increasingly dangerous. Fortunately, new tools come along at opportune moments to help you out as well as adding a bit of creativity to proceedings. Refreshingly, it’s not an entirely linear level progression either with multiple exits available to give you a few options as you tackle each level. More importantly, it’s very enjoyable and the ideal game to jump into for bitesized doses or longer. Controls are easy to get to grips with although Tiki Towers 2 does feel a little more suited to the big screen of the iPad as some zooming around and manoeuvring is needed for the iPhone version. It doesn’t detract from the experience though.

Tiki Towers 2 is the full package for the physics puzzle fan. It’s charming to look at and offers an enjoyable challenge while mixing it up every now and then to ensure that the game always feels fresh. Sure it might be liberally borrowing some World of Goo elements but it’s borrowing from one of the greats which is no bad thing at all. Miss it at your peril.

[ Tiki Towers 2 Review is a post from 148Apps ]

written by j4352 \\ tags: doses-or-longer, Games, ipad games, iphone apps and games, nintendo, overall-rating, physics, physics-puzzler, rating, tiki towers 2, towers

There’s an inherent flaw in games like Luxor HD. No matter how good the game may be, no matter how crisp the graphics or how clever the sound effects or how spot-on the controls, it’s still a game that has been done before. It’s a copy, and not even one that brings anything particularly new to the genre. Add to that a price point that is way out of line with most games on the App Store and you have a game that defies recommendation.

If you’ve never played Popcap’s Zuma, you may find Luxor HD new and interesting. Otherwise, all you’ll think when you start playing the game is, “Oh! This is Zuma!” and maybe you’ll mutter a few curses for paying for a game you’ve played a million times before. Truth to tell, however – Popcap has yet to translate Zuma to the iPad, so if you are looking for that exact sort of gaming experience, you could certainly do worse than Luxor HD.

Like Zuma, the object of Luxor HD is to fire colored marbles into rows of ever-encroaching marbles. Match three of the same color and they are removed from the board as the remaining marbles retreat a bit from their final destination. The object is to keep these rolling hoards of marbles from ever reaching your home base. You can fire your marbles using a reticule (a difficult task using the iPad’s touch interface) or the more conventional “beam” pointer like Zuma. This latter alternative was much more effective for me and showed that this type of game can work fairly well on the iPad.

The trappings surrounding Luxor HD – graphics, sounds, etc – are all well done and as thematically sound as they can be in a game about firing colored marbles at other colored marbles. There are achievements in the game, but oddly there is no integration with Gamecenter or any similar service. This is a very bland PC port given only the slightest upgrade for a touch interface, and things like Gamecenter have become the defacto standard for all games released today.

Finally, I cannot emphasize enough how overpriced Luxor HD is. $9.99 for a simple arcade-style game, no matter how well realized, is just too much to ask. I suggest waiting for the inevitable release of Zuma for the iPad.

[ Luxor HD for iPad Review is a post from 148Apps ]

written by ahoeflerhe \\ tags: $9.99, device-reviewed, Game, Games, ipad games, luxor, mumbojumbo, price, rating, touch interface