Hungribles- 1.99 (Futuremark Games Studio)

Get ready for a new puzzle game that'll have you playing it at any spare moment that you come across in your daily life. Hungribles [$1.99 (UNIVERSAL)] by Futuremark Games Studio is a brand new puzzle game that'll keep your mind thinking while killing you with cuteness at the same exact time. So what are Hungribles exactly? Hungribles are these cute little creatures that love to eat! The objective of this game is to feed the Hungribles to make them nice and cheerful. To feed them you use a mushroom (yes mushroom) slingshot to shoot their food orbs at them. Each level gives you a certain amount of orbs that you can use. Before you shoot you can see a rainbow guideline showing you where your shot will end up. There's 7 different types of

Hungribles throughout the 40 + levels (with more levels to come) to feed. Each one of them has their own individual appetite. This provides a little challenge in feeding them. Some Hungribles such as "Chops" loves to eat. Chops will take in any orb you shoot at him without any problems at all. Meanwhile, "Bonker" requires multiple orbs to be satisfied. What really keeps you hooked on this game for hours is trying to earn 3 stars on the levels. You can easily finish a level by just feeding the Hungribles, but what earns you the most points is feeding the Hungribles AND earning the score bonuses throughout the levels. This can be achieved by bouncing orbs off walls, hitting the little bucket of gold, and curving your shots around other Hungribles. I haven't come across any major problems in the game except a crash after finishing

a level which hasn't happened to me since. All I feel that this game is missing is Game Center support and that's it. Overall Hungribles is a challenging puzzle game with cute visuals and characters that'll have instantly hooked. This is definitely a game that I could see contending with Angry Birds for the #1 spot on the App Store. My final rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars. Hungribles is a universal app for only $1.99 that you can buy here. This game was reviewed on an iPad 2.

Trailer:

Read More

DMBX- Mountain Biking -1.99 (randerline gmbh)

I don't know much about biking, but I've played multiple bike games on the App Store. It's hard to find that one biking game that gives you the ability to perform multiple tricks with simple controls and provides an overall great user experience. I believe that DMBX- Mountain Biking [$1.99(UNIVERSAL)] by randerline gmbh is that one game! I've never been able to find that one biking game that feels complete to me until this one popped up in the App Store. In this game you'll find 2 different modes, Quickplay and Career. In Quickplay your goal is to beat the given time limit to reach the finish line. Career Mode contains 10 different levels to play through. Each level has 3 different challenges to complete. The first challenge is Time. In the

time challenge your goal is to beat the given time limit to reach the finish line, just like the Quickplay mode. The second challenge is to collect the coins in the level. Collecting more and more coins allows you to acquire faster bikes and unlock brand new characters that have their own individual tricks and special abilities. The last challenge is the scoring. The more tricks performed here equals a bigger score. If you haven't played a Randerline game before then the controls might take a couple go-arounds to get use to. Your best bet is to NOT skip the tutorial in the beginning to learn all the basics in the game. Once you get the controls down the game will be a complete breeze. You'll have the time of your life soaring in the air doing tricks. I've only come across one

problem so far in the game. When I crashed the gameplay area turned completely black while the time clock still ran. All I had to do was restart the level. So far it hasn't happened to me again *knocks on wood*. I also feel that the game is missing two things that I would love to see implemented. A free play mode where you could freely ride and do tricks would be great and online multiplayer would be a beautiful addition. Overall this is a very well done game with captivating 3D environments and a great appeal to people of all ages. My final rating is 4 out of 5 stars. DMBX- Mountain Biking for $1.99 is a great price for a game with Universal support.

Trailer:

Read More

Tap-Tap Rockets- 0.99 (Pixilabs)

Get ready to destroy a load of asteroids to protect your planets in Tap-Tap Rockets [$0.99-UNIVERSAL] by Pixilabs. In this game you have rockets that gravitate around a planet. Your main objective is to use the rockets to destroying the incoming asteroids to defend the well-being of your planets. You can only shoot one rocket at a time. The rocket that you will shoot will be highlighted. The shooting in this game is extremely easy. All you have to do is tap on the button on the left side of the screen to shoot. Aiming at the asteroids takes a little getting use to though. You have to time your shot just right to hit the asteroids or you'll miss it completely. Messing up your shot can really do damage to the planet your trying to protect. Each

planet has a certain amount of rings, the bigger the planet the more amount of rings it has. The rings are your shields just in case an asteroid gets past you. Once all your shields for that planet have been destroyed then that planet is gone. With the addition to asteroids, there are UFOs that float around that once hit it can give you power-ups that can really help you out in a level! As you progress through the 27 levels in the game you face new challenges. Such as your planets start to float around making aiming even more difficult and the rate that the asteroids come start to gradually increase faster. Even though this game is extremely fantastic the way it is I feel that it's missing a few things. Sometimes I wish instead of shooting the already pre-selected rocket, it would be great to switch to a different rocket to shoot the asteroid

just in time instead of waiting for the highlighted rocket to slowly make its way around when there's already a rocket near by. By the time the rocket gets around, the asteroid would have already destroyed a shield. Another thing that it's missing is some more modes. All the game right now is pretty much survivor mode levels. Other than that, this is a fun little challenging game that'll have you playing it constantly trying to beat your previous high scores. Overall my final rating is 3.5 out of 5 stars. Even though it's missing a few things to me, it's a pretty good game with universal support for a great price tag of only $0.99!

Tap-Tap Rockets can be bought here.

Trailer so you can see the game for yourself!

Read More

AlphaSwarm-0.99(Jovial Games)

Alphaswarm is commonly referred to as a platformer but to some Touch Arcade users it  feels more like if Worms was a strategy/puzzle game.  The similarities start with the unique way a level begins.  You are brought to a selection screen that has a variety of actions you can place in slots.  Once you go into a level with those actions you can only use them in that specific order. The number of slots varies per each level and it is your task to survey the level to see what actions/weapons you need to put in the slots to be victorious.  Their is no set way to finish a level so you can feel free to think up some of the craziest ways to get through each level.  You unlock these actions that include jumping, firing a rocket, and of course jet packs  by completing the various  levels.  There are of course enemies in these levels that you either have to avoid completely or utterly destroy to win. One of my favorite things about the game is when you lose.  Now that probably doesn't make any sense because no gamer want to lose but the quotes after you fail are so funny you don't mind losing as much.  Some of my favorite include "My name will be remembered forever-Anonymous and "If at first you don't succeed, then maybe you've failed".

In this game you play as a round blob thing who has been engineered by scientists to save the world from invading aliens. You'd think the scientists would have known better considering what happened in Terminator when scientists created machines that could think for themselves but what the hell it works for this game.

Their are 60 levels and 12 regions total and you can replay them to get a gold star.  Their are 5 different playable characters you can unlock by earning gold stars which definitely adds replayability to the game.  Their are Gamecenter online leaderboards and the game is universal and supports retina display.  Of course new levels have been promised in a upcoming update and I'm sure the developer will pull through with the update. 

Overall this is a great game that takes a different turn on the platformer/puzzle/strategy genre and deserves to be in any ipod gamers library. I give it a 5/5 stars.
Itunes Link:http://itunes.apple.com/app/alpha-swarm/id445284646?mt=8
(The game is currently on a 0.99 introductory sale so if you want it buy it now before the price goes up)

Read More

Blobster- 0.99 (Divine Robot)

So, I hear you've come here in the hopes of finding an astonishing new platformer. Turns out that I have one right here! Blobster [0.99/$1.99(HD)] is exactly watch you've been searching for all your app loving life. Blobster combines your love of platformers, flicking gooey blobs, and good ol' fun! Your main objective in the game is to guide the blob to the finish pipe. On your way through 40 levels plus 12 bonus levels (which equals to 52 if your good at adding) you can collect gems and blobules that help your blob grow bigger and give you bonus points. There's also a significant amount of power-ups that help your blob get the job done in the levels. With all that said it's not that easy, obviously there's got to be something in the way. To make the game challenging, you have to avoid falling in pits and other hazzards. I forgot to mention that you have to avoid all that while little bad guys are scattered throughout. If you destroy

one of them then you get to collect bonus points! You're probably wondering how this game works then after I just said all that. Well the control scheme is extremely simple. You can move your blob forward by tapping on the right side of the screen and backwards by tapping on the left. There is an optional tilt control that you can switch too. But I found the touch controls to be much simpler. Now to move our little blob friend all you have to do is pull back in the direction you want it to go and then release your finger. It's so easy a... dog could do it! I bet you thought I was going to say caveman... Playing the game lets you look forward to to unlocking the survival game mode, which unlocks after you've finished 75% of the arcade mode. Sadly, I have not gotten there yet. This game will have you hooked on it after the first

time you load it up. With it's superb level designs, cute little character, and it's ability to have you come back to play it over and over, there's no way you can pass this game up. My overall rating for the game is 4.5/5 stars. You can pick up the iPhone/iPod Touch version of Blobster for $0.99 here. The separate iPad version of Blobster for $1.99 can be picked up here. Blobster was developed by Divine Robot and published by Chillingo.

Trailer:

Read More

Qvoid-1.99(Gavina Games)

Puzzles. They force your mind to think in new and different directions than normal. Unfortunately mine was not prepared for this puzzling game due to a all night marathon of Wheel of Fortune....I mean Wrestle Mania(cough cough) The star of this game is apparently a little white cube named Qvoid whose job is to match all the colors on the board. When you roll over a color it sticks to your little cubes sides and you must match that color up with the same color somewhere else on the board.  You cant roll on the side of the cube with the color on it so your forced to think around obstacles like holes in board to match the colors up.  Introduced in later levels are new gameplay mechanics which can hinder your progress or confuse you even more. An example of one of these is a bridge that once you cross you cant cross back over.  Fortunately for those of us that arent puzzle geniuses their is a rewind button that can remind the moves your cuve just made.  You will be using this feature more than once throughout the 96 total levels. Another thing that complicates things even more is the fact that sometimes you have to mix colors in order to match up all of them.  As is common in puzzle games there is a 3-star system that depends on how few moves you take to complete the level.  Your score is compared to the developers score and if you get at or below that score you earn the full three stars.  If not then you earn either one or two stars.

To top off the games features it has retina display, Gamecenter leaderboards and achievments, along with universal support. New levels have also been promised in future updates.

Overall if your looking for your next puzzle fix or just want something to bend your mind for a few minutes this is the perfect game for you. With 96 levels and a 3-star system your sure to be coming back for more. I give it a 5 out of 5 star rating for innovative gameplay, intriguing puzzles, and great graphics. Pick this gem up today.

Link:http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/qvoid/id444918183?mt=8

Read More

Stickman BMX- 0.99

Have you ever heard of Stickman Skater? Sure you have! Well Stickman BMX [$0.99] is the sequel to the hit game Stickman Skater starring Stickson. If you have ever played the first game before and have wanted a sequel then this will most definitely live up to your expectations and more. There's 60 levels to play (4 level packs with 15 levels in each one). In each level you can earn 3 badges that you can receive after finishing each level. The first badge is No slam, that is when you don't crash at all. You get 5 lives per level. If you lose a life then you restart at your last checkpoint. If you lose all 5 lives then you have to replay the entire level all over again. The second badge is All Tokens, that is when you collect all the tokens in the air. The final badge is High Score, that is when you collect all the stars in the level. The controls in the game are pretty simple and very easy to get use to. To move the bike you have to keep tapping on the left side of the screen to put the bike in motion. To preform a random trick or jump all you have to do is tap on the button on the right side of the screen. If you're more of an advanced stickman player then you can change the right button in the options mode to manually do specific tricks yourself. Stickman

BMX also has multiple IAPs that you can purchase to enhance your experience. I know exactly what's going through your mind, "UGH. An IAP that I'll have to buy in a paid app". Here's the thing, you don't have to buy anything at all. All of this is optional if you just want to do more in the game. There's an option to change your ride into a skateboard if you'd prefer to play that way. There's another one called Race The Ace. This one is pretty nifty. In Race The Ace you get 30 all new tracks to play while racing the computer to the finish line. Now there's just one last IAP. The last IAP is if you'd like to unlock all the levels at once without playing each one separately trying to unlock them one at a time. With that all said, Stick

man BMX is a very well done sequel to the original. Every time you play a level you'll find different routes that you can go through to help you earn certain badges. My final rating is 7.5/10. With well designed levels and a sleek interface this is a must buy for any gamer. If you loved the original then you should definitely pick this one up. If you've never heard of the Stickman series before, but love challenging games with obstacles and tricks then this one is for you. If you're still not sure about the game then you can always try Stickman BMX Free [FREE] or just go download the full version Stickman BMX [$0.99] for a mere $0.99.

Trailer:

Read More

Curvebot-(1.99)ElPixo

Curvebot is the first game of indie developer Marcus. He is a one man gaming operation working from his house in the United Kingdom.  He was originally working for the military on radar simulation software until he got fed up with all their seriousness and the constant fear of being made to do pushups.  So looking for a joyride of a experience he decided to start making ipod apps.  Inspired by games like Qix and Volified from the 90's he made Curvebot with support from his family and friends. 

The main character in the game is of course Curvebot and his main mission is to save his friends.  In order to do that he must cut them out of various different platforms while avoiding the drones who will try to stop him.

The controls are very easy to learn and don't hinder the experience at all.  To make your curve bot start a cut you first position him somewhere around the perimeter of the object by using the left and right arrows.  To launch him on his cut you tap both arrows at the same time.  After that you are able to control the direction he moves across the object with of course the arrows.  Once a drone hits your line or you its back to the place you started before the cut. Their are 8 different types of drones so you are always kept on your toes.  In order to get a high level score you have to be very strategic about what direction you cut your lines in and how much you cut.

Their is a total of 60 levels with 10 bonus challenges and 3 special levels.  The levels are very replayable as you can shoot to get a better high score and are well designed.  There are GameCenter leaderboards included as well.  The game is supported on Iphone 3gs, Iphone 4, Ipad 1,Ipad 2, Ipod touch 3rd, and Ipod touch 4th generation.

Overall this is a very addicting game with lots of levels and should keep you entertained for a while.  New levels will continue to be added on in future updates.  I give it a 94/100 for its fun and innovative gameplay plus its gorgeously designed levels.

Link:http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/curvebot/id441463143?mt=8

Read More

Battle Bears BLAST!!!-0.99(Skyvu)

I'm sure almost everyone has heard of the popular game series Battle Bears featuring lovable bears and the Huggables who would love nothing better than to hug them to death. This crazy story actually starts in the second BB game which is the prequel to the first original one.  BB3 on the other hand has no storyline and the only thing linked to the previous games(they are free right now) are the main characters Wil and Oliver.

The controls are very simple in this game and in fact it is boasted that you can play with just one hand. You use the finger of your choice to drag a aiming reticle across the screen inflating huggables to the popping point as you do so. The weapon you use to blow up hordes of these huggables is a microwave.  Let me get this straight now before I go any further, this is by no means a hardcore game akin to the last two Battle Bears but a casual game that incorporates the same characters in fun high score gameplay. That being said it is certainly not a bad game in fact its just the opposite just know that its in a different category than its predecessors.

There are two game modes called 60 seconds and Survival.  In Survival you of course try to get the highest score possible without dying.  Its game over when you either shoot Wil who from time to time runs across the screen or get hugged three times by the Huggables. In 60 seconds you have exactly 60 seconds to get the most amount of points possible while trying to get the combos that show up at the top of the screen.

A nifty feature included in the game is the Objective system. There are 10 objectives total that you gain by completing certain goals in the two game modes. When you finish a objective you get a new item you can use to customize your bear.  The Backpack is the place to go to customize your bear and a variety of skins and costumes are available by of course completing the objectives. Also you can change the properties of your microwave and that influences aspects of the game like making enemies faster and doubling the points you get from each one popped. Bombs can take out a whole screen of huggables and are dropped randomly by Wil who will run,float,fly,or skip across the screen hysterically.

Overall this is a great arcade shooting game that's just perfect for those 60 seconds you have in the restroom stall before people start getting suspicious or for long devoted playthroughs trying to beat your friends high scores.  There is a lot of content for your 0.99 and future FREE updates have been promised to the people who have already bought it.  I was able to get a bit of a insiders tip on the contents of some of the update which at the moment will include: a pirate themed level, more costumes, and more gameplay modes.

What are you waiting for? Get your Bear on!
Link:http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/battle-bears-blast/id435136423?mt=8

Read More

Last Class Heroes-(Kontrabida) 0.99 Indie Dev of the Week

The developer at Kontrabida is one of the most dedicated developers I have ever seen.  All of the graphics and animation you see in the game are the work of one man. After having the game released on the appstore he wasn't happy with his own work and decided to take it off the store in order to give it a graphics boost and gameplay customizations that other people wanted despite it being a fully functional game.  That same app has been rereleased onto the appstore recently due to popular demand and will be receiving a entire graphic and gameplay overhaul with way more content in a free upcoming update.  It will basically be a different game after the update and that in itself is extraordinary.  But moving on this is a very unique game the likes of which the appstore doesn't see too often. 
If you have played  Persona this game slightly embodies that experience with the fact that you can raise your "Promethian" and use him to fight battles with you.  In fact, battles is what the whole crazy school revolves around in this game.  Their are no assignments and your whole success in school is dependant on how well you defeat your fellow colleagues in Promethian combat.  You can explore Venna Academy freely and you receive quests you can choose to complete immediately or not.  This school experience may sound kind of odd as your own high school experience probably revolved around becoming increasingly familiar with the inside of a toilet and various trash cans.

During your adventure you fight battles and gain school points which you can use to increase your monsters strength and skills. Their is a lot of content and beating the whole game will take about 6-10 straight hours if more. The storyline is very intriguing and  goes like this: The "shrouded" mysteriously appear in a small village bringing with them some sort of shapeless matter that can choose a host and take a form that mirrored the hosts individuality. Then the shrouded vanish leaving the society alone with the shapeless matter or Promethians.  Intriguing,right!

I would definitely recommend purchasing this already awesome game if not for the awesome gameplay but for a awesome developer that listens to his customers and improves on what he thinks can be improved to the maximum. The update is expected sometime after the summer months. 

Check it out here:http://itunes.apple.com/app/last-class-heroes/id414566792?mt=8

Read More

Squirmee and the Puzzling Tree-0.99 (Lavafish Studios)

This game starts off with the generic cliche of your loved one being taken away and your mission to save them.  In this case your sister somehow manages to sleep long enough that a tree grows where she was sleeping.  Your goal is to save her by traveling up the tree via different platforms. 

You control Squirmee by using of course, the touch screen.  You are situated on a moving platform that can be stopped along with all the in-game objects when you press the screen.  While you are stopped you can drag your finger down to make time reverse which makes the objects go in reverse too.  This method of controling your character may seem a little weird but when you start playing it you will catch on quickly. There are various on-screen objects that will harm you like saws and poisonous bubbles and you will have to use your ability to escape from safely.  Some levels don't allow you to reverse the objects on screen except for Squirmees platform.  When it all comes together a few levels into the game it gets fairly difficult to get all three stars on a level.  The number of stars you get depends only on the time it takes you to get to the goal. 

There is a substantial amount of content in this game if your a pro puzzler or easily confused with a total of 75 levels. Their is a GameCenter leaderboard for every level pack so you can compare times with your friends(if you have any). There are also 10 deviosly hard achievments included that will keep you busy end game. 
Overall this is a cute puzzler game better suited for the puzzle inclined due to increasingly hard levels and difficult scenarios.  If your into mind-bending levels and puzzles in general this game is exactly what your looking for.  I give it a 9/10 because of its innovative gameplay and controls.

Link:http://itunes.apple.com/app/squirmee-puzzling-tree/id446047706?mt=8
(There is a lite version available and the game is also Universal)

Read More

Amazing Breaker- 0.99

If you're looking for a physics-based challenging puzzle game then you've found the right post! I'd like to commend you on that, because you have just stumbled upon an AMAZING game, hence the name Amazing Breaker. Amazing Breaker [$0.99] by Dekovir, Inc. is an addictive little game that'll keep you up in the wee hours of the night. The main goal of this game is to use the assorted bombs to blast the various ice sculptures into smithereens. To move onto the next level you have to destroy 90% of the sculpture or you'll have to replay the level and keep trying until you finally do destroy the minimum required. The hardest part of this game is trying to collect 3 stars for every single level. You only earn 1 star from destroying 90% of the sculpture, 2 stars for 95%, and 3 for 100%. That means that you have to destroy everything, even the little teeny shards that are left over to achieve 3 stars. In that said, there's no question in the ton of replaying you could do in this game. If your not into getting 3 stars on each level then you still have over 80 well constructed levels to choose from once you finish the game to replay.

What blew my mind when I first saw the game was it's stunning graphics. Every level has a different ice sculpture. One level you might see a rose, the next level you might see a toilet. That then means each sculpture needs to be destroyed using the different bombs that are available in that level. All you have to do is pullback on the "slingshot" and release and that's it! Each bomb has their own special characteristics. The spike bomb is just a simple bomb that explodes on contact. The split bomb can be used the same way as the spike bomb, but if you tap on the screen before you make contact with the ice sculpture then the bomb splits into 3 mini crystal bombs that explode once something near it explodes. It's like a chain reaction. The ghost bomb can go through the ice and explode in the middle of it (or wherever you direct it to of course). The helicopter bomb drops off 3 crystal bombs sort of like the split bomb. That's pretty much all there is to this game. My final rating is 9/10. It's probably one of the most addictive games I've ever played. If your looking for a fun challenging game then go give Amazing Breaker [$0.99] a go. The game comes with Game Center support, Retina graphics, and 80 levels to keep you busy before more levels are added.

 Amazing Breaker [$0.99] by Dekovir, Inc. 

Trailer:   

Read More

RC Plane 2-0.99 (Frozen Pepper)

The sensation of flying is beyond extraordinary.  I still remember the first time I sat behind the stick of a KitFox and soared over the ever diminishing landscape.  The jubilence and excitement I felt, I will always remember.  This game not only embodies the nature of flight but embodies the joy too.

Designed by a three developer teams this game has what every RC enthusiast enjoys, planes and lots of them.  You start off with 4 planes with the option to buy more via IAP. These planes can come bundled with game modes or separate.  Now let me start off by saying that this is a full game and the only thing the IAP do is give you extra plane options.  The planes included at the start are a Mig (fast plane, very aerobatic), Cessna(beginner plane, easy to control), Pro Cessna( better version of original Cessna), and a Stunt plane(fast and acrobatic).  The Cessnas are the best planes to start with as they are relatively slow and give you the opportunity to learn the controls for each version of channel remote. 3ch planes do not have a rudder and are for beginners and pros.4ch planes do have a rudder and that gives you way more control of your plane to do aerobatic stunts. I found it quite easy to transition from 3ch to 4ch, in fact the first plane I took to Free Flight was a 4ch plane!  There are two control sticks on the sides of your screen and depending on your control method will make your plane either turn, accelerate, decelerate, go up, or go down.

The content of this game is quite robust with two complete maps.  You can take any plane you want into these two maps in the two original modes. The first mode or Free Flight allows you to basically mess around with your plane and get acquainted with how it controls and reacts. The second mode is where you use your experience to complete a Air Race.  In Air Race you collect coins scattered over the landscape and try to get a good score.
The two maps are Tuscany and Seaside. In Tuscany you can fly to one of seven villages and is very wide and open.  In Seaside it is a little bit smaller than Tuscany but is fun to fly over the water and see how close you can get. They are both very nice maps but some additional places to fly would be nice.
Overall, this is a great flight simulator with smooth controls that is a definite must-have for flight enthusiasts and anyone that is even interested in flying. Don't delay because its only 0.99 for a limited time!
Link:http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rc-plane-2/id442082328?mt=8

Read More