App-lesauce iPhone App Reviews

By: Zwigglers Mobile
Site: http://apps.facebook.com/zwigglers
Release Date: October 15, 2009
Price: 99 cents
Click icon to download

Chain Rxn, the popular game that is already well-known and loved to Facebook users, is now available for your iPhone. In this game you get one chance to tap the screen and set off a chain reaction that will explode enough balls to clear the level.

Screenshots:

It took me a while to really figure this game out. It seemed simple enough at first. Playing on Facebook, I couldn't understand how my wife scored six million points higher than I did. She really couldn't either. "I guess I just got a lot of them to explode after the limit was reached." But try as I might I couldn't beat that score. Then I figured it out. If you want to achieve the highest score possible, then each ball would have to explode one at a time. The first ball gets you 100 points, the second 800 points, etc. If you set off your explosion and two balls hit it directly, you will get 200 points. If however, one crashes into your explosion and the second crashes into it, then you will get 900 points. The worst thing you can see is a massive cloud of explosions right after you set off the chain reaction. What you want is a slow, steady line of explosions until you are at around the 200,000 to 300,000 point level, and then get the large cloud of explosions, racking up millions of points in the process.
Chain Rxn is highly addictive. It is also a good game to play while waiting in line, on a break, etc. since you only have to tap once and let it go. The game will ask if you want to resume a previous game. Also, Chain Rxn uses Facebook Connect so you can still brag about your high score to all your friends. I will give Chain Rxn an 8 out of 10 for its addictive gameplay and its soothing, wind chime audio.

By: Critical Thought Games LLC
Site: http://criticalthoughtgames.com/
Release Date: September 14, 2009
Price: 99 Cents
Click icon to download

Geo Defense Swarm is a sequel to the popular Geo Defense tower defense game from earlier this year. A key difference is that in the first game, the creeps followed a specific path, while the sequel, except for a few levels, offers a more freeform approach. Geo Defense Swarm boasts spectacular particle effects and couples that with great sound effects.

Some levels make you guide the creeps along a designated path...

...while others let you determine which way the creeps go.

The key to any tower defense game is its towers, and here is a breakdown of the towers of Geo Defense Swarm:

Blaster Tower

This is your basic gun turret. Fully upgraded, these towers are bad mofos with a range of about one quarter of the map.

Laser Tower

The laser turret slices through any enemy that is unfortunate enough to cross its path, as well as any other enemy that happens to line up with the intended target.

Missile Tower

The missile turret offers a powerful payload with a slow rate of fire. Fully upgraded, this tower is a beast.

Shock Tower

The shock tower slows enemies down. Upgrading increases the range and the number of beams that are deployed.

Thump Tower

The thump tower puts out a pulse that damages all enemies within range. Upgrading this tower to the max will create small earthquakes. The number of shock rings and the frequency at which those rings are generated is greatly increased.

Vortex Tower

The vortex tower absorbs the energy given off when the creeps explode. Players can then link their laser and blaster towers to the vortex tower. The linked towers then use the energy gathered in the vortex tower to greatly increase the damage they inflict.

Geo Defense Swarm is the chief reason that the post count has been lacking here recently. It is the best example of a TD game I have played yet. For its excellent graphics, gameplay, and addictiveness, Geo Defense Swarm gets a 9 out of 10.

By: The Game Creators
Site: http://www.thegamecreators.com/
Release Date: August 5, 2009
Price: Free
Click icon to download

In iLooney you place crates on the grid in order to keep the Looney in the bin. As you place a crate, the Looney moves one step closer to escape. Box him in and he's locked up for good, or at least until the next round. Fail, and the Looney is free to unleash his looniness on an unsuspecting world.

Screenshots:

iLooney is pretty much a carbon copy of Catch-a-Mouse it is the Looney and his comments that make this one a little more memorable. iLooney gets a 6 out of 10.

By: SuperRoot
Site: http://www.superrootapps.com/
Release Date: August 6, 2009
Price:
Click icon to download

Super Duper BALLOUT! is a pinball game that uses a slider instead of a flipper. Players get 15 balls to try and rack up the highest possible score.

Screenshots:

Let's try and use this space to tell developers of future pinball games what we expect. In a pinball game a table that makes sense is required. Knocking down all targets in a section should produce a reward like a multiplier or unblocking a space on the table. There should be a sense of purpose for each flip, other than to keep from losing the ball. There should also be realistic ball physics. A ball should roll to the top of the table, slow down, and reverse. Momentum is key to pinball. Also, there should be realistic pinball sounds.
That being said, Super Duper BALLOUT! falls completely flat. If it is a pinball game, then it is entirely lacking any quality of a pinball game. The ball flies around the screen. There is absolutely no sound. Because of this, this game is nothing more than a pachinko machine that moves so fast you can't see the ball. If it is a breakout game, then the elements of the table should disappear as they are hit.
Super Duper BALLOUT! is an amateur attempt at making a game, and really should have been finished before putting it in the AppStore. Super Duper BALLOUT! gets a very weak 2 out of 10.

By: Kayxo
Site: http://www.getifun.com/kolonists/index01.html
Release Date: August 12, 2009
Price: Free
Click icon to download

Kolonists Lite is a turn based strategy game. Players place farms and roads in strategic location in order to take advantage of the natural resources of surrounding spaces. Wheat fields produce grain, mud pits produce bricks, mountains produce ore, trees produce timber, and sheep produce, well, sheep. Collect these resources and use them to build new structures like roads, farms, and villas, bribe an enemy worker into abandoning a spot, buy favors from Rome called decrees, or use them to trade for resources you are lacking.

Screenshots:

The strategy here is deeper than it appears on the surface. The main goal is to expand your influence to a level of six. Influence is gained by building farms, villas, roads, and by playing the Legion decree. Use your resources, influence, and decrees to become the governor of Kayxo island. In case you are having trouble, the instructions included are detailed and of much help. The lite version is the only one out as of this writing. If the full version adds to this experience then it, too, will earn an 8 out of 10.

By: BLUE
Site: http://bluewhistle7.blogspot.com/
Release Date: August 6, 2009
Price: 99 cents
Click icon to download

There is a new genre of games in town, residing primarily on the iPhone and iPod touch. That new genre is the stick figure game, and Cartoon Wars is a great example. Cartoon Wars is a stick figure RTS game. The point of the game is to destroy your enemies castle while protecting your castle from enemy marauders. Use the gold earned from battles to upgrade pretty much everything, from individual units to your rapid fire bow on the top of your castle.

Screenshots:

Cartoon Wars suffers from one small balance problem. Fight and win a battle too quickly, and you will find yourself fighting a 45 minute battle the next turn. Winning that battle will win you so much gold that you can upgrade to your heart's content. This leads to one or two more short battles that won't produce much gold at all. Also, after winning one of these massive battles and upgrading your units, you can send out one unit that outranks the enemy units and watch as it single-handedly battles its way through the enemy hordes all the way to the enemy castle. After maxing out all upgrades, though, the game becomes much more balanced. Battles then range from 15-30 minutes, and victories are hard-fought.
Cartoon Wars is a fabulous example of what gamers were trying to tell the console manufacturers before the generation of the PS3 and XBOX360: Gameplay is what's important and graphics are not the be-all end-all for a video game. My wishlist for future updates would include multiplayer, both over the internet and bluetooth connections. An overhaul of the sounds would be good, too, as that becomes annoying quickly. Cartoon Wars is a stellar game and has provided me with the most fun I have had on my device in months. I will give Cartoon Wars a 9 out of 10.

By: ngmoco, Inc
Site: http://dropship.ngmoco.com/
Release Date: June 1, 2009
Price: Free
Click icon to download

I had played Dropship Lite some months ago. I didn't like it and discarded it. But you see, it wasn't the games fault. It fooled me. The first time I played, the visual effects led me to believe that this was a 3-d game. I became frustrated trying to fly backwards and forwards. Because of this I deleted the game and didn't give it a secong thought. Fast forward a couple of months. Dropship (the full version) showed up in a list of price drops recently, so I got it again. I didn't realize that I had already played it.
As soon as I fired it up, I suddenly remembered playing this before. Only this time, I got it. Dropship looks like it is a 3-d game, but gameplay happens on one 2-d slice of the 3-d play area.

Screenshots:

In Dropship players maneuver their ship around the map and pick up stranded soldiers and destroy enemy encampments and craft. A destroyed enemy explodes gloriously into a dazzling cloud of energy which can be used to repair your shields. Dropship's controls use the "left stick moves right stick fires" control scheme. Power-ups include a shotgun like spread shot and a laser beam.
Dropship sports vector graphics set against a beautiful background. When the enemies are being destroyed all around you, the screen fills with dazzling particle effects. The gameplay is tight and downloadable levels get Dropship (which I first thought wasn't really worth anything) a highly respectable 9 out of 10.

By: Pick Up and Play
Site: http://www.pickupandplay.com/
Release Date: April 20, 2009
Price: Free for a limited time
Click icon to download

iFPS Online is yet another foray into the genre of first person shooter on the iPhone. Gameplay is fast and furious as you and up to five other players compete in multiplayer deathmatch. Gameplay modes include going for a certain score either with or without a time limit. The level design is on par with the first popular FPS games like Unreal. Maps include Sector D which consists of vast open spaces filled with twisting catwalks, Quarters looks more suited for Capture the Flag, and The Commons, a corridor themed level.

Screenshots:

iFPS takes a lot of getting used to, and a lot of tweaking of the controls to get everything right. The control option interface lets you tweak every detail. Do you want the fire button on the left or the right? How fast do you want the x-axis to move versus the y-axis? Do you want to use two sticks or the accelerometer? If you can't find some level of useable controls, it is not the app's fault.
With iFPS it is usually easy to find a game. The feel of a good FPS is definitely here, but the graphics would have been more appropriate in 1998. Given that, iFPS Online earns itself a 7 out of 10.

By: Chillingo Ltd.
Site: http://www.chillingo.com/
Release Date: July 30, 2009
Price: 99 cents
Click icon to download

Minigore bills itself as a survival horror game. It is actually a great action shooter, but the suspense of a survival horror game is simply not there. Minigore's graphics are excellent and the gameplay quickly becomes frantic.

Screenshots:

Minigore uses the now iPhone's now standard left stick moves and right stick fires control scheme. The enemies don't really vary at all. You have small furry black things, medium furry black things, and large furry black things. All of them bear straight down on you. The large ones burst into several small ones when killed. Occasionally, enemies drop four leaf clovers. Collect three of these and you turn into one of the larger creatures with superpowers. In this state you are indestructable. Just run over enemies and destroy them.
More rare than the clover drops are the crate drops. These contain weapon upgrades like the shotgun. They last for a limited number of shots and then revert back to the standard rapid-fire single shot gun. There is no life meter. The only way to tell how close to death you are is by how damaged John Gore looks.
There is only one level in Minigore, but the enemies come in larger and larger swarms as the game progresses. Promised updates include better weapon balance and co-op play over either wi-fi or bluetooth! This feature will make Minigore a great deal at 99 cents. Combine all this greatness with the ability to use music from your library (I prefer the version of Miserlou with the Pulp Fiction quote "Any one of you f*in pigs move and I'll execute every last motherf*ing one of you!" It just works!) and you have got yourself a game that brings in a solid 8 out of 10.