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Daily iPhone App: Magic Defenders
Magic Defenders isn't new, but it has claimed a lot of my iPhone gaming time lately. It's a tower defense game, so if you like that genre, odds are that you'll like this one. Instead of building towers, you play the game as a mage that's casting spells against waves of attackers. The game cycle has you casting spells using mana, killing attackers to earn XP, and then using that XP to upgrade your spells to kill attackers more quickly, earning more XP, and so on. It's a lot of fun and considering that the game has a few different heroes to play through and level up across three invasion episodes, there's plenty of content to explore. Blazing down enemies is very rewarding, as is learning how the various spells work together. You can slow enemies down with one spell, for example, freeze them in place with a second, and then nuke them all down with a third. The game's great on the iPad, too, but the drag-and-drop spell interface makes it easy on any iOS device. And at 99 cents on the App Store for a universal version, Magic Defenders is one of the best bargains out there that you might have missed the first time around. If you like tower defense games or ridiculously addictive game cycles, it's definitely worth the buck.
Daily iPhone App: Any To Do
We're looking at apps that aren't games this week, and today's selection is Any To Do. It's a little pricey, but might be worth it for the right user. I use the excellent 2Do on my iPad, but Any To Do is nice as well. While it lacks a little bit of the syntactic sugar that 2Do has, it does use a very interesting quadrant view. Basically, your tasks are charted as Urgent, Important or not Urgent or Important. You can see a view of all of your tasks laid out according to those criteria. Most to-do apps chart tasks by date due or time entered, but I do like how Any To Do lays them out, so at a glance, you can see tasks that need to get done right away, or that take precedence on your list. Another big bonus is that Any To Do will sync with Evernote. Of course you can set up notifications and reminders for your tasks, set up repeated tasks, or send things out to Twitter, Facebook, or another calendar. Any To Do places less emphasis on organization than other similar apps. It's built more for creating priorities and lists of what you need to do. And of course, that's a great function for someone looking for a very tasked-based to-do system. Any To Do is available in the App Store for US$5.99 on the iPhone or $8.99 on the iPad. That's relatively price, but again, it's a pretty targeted app, and that quadrant view is something I haven't seen before. There are lite versions to look at, too, if you're not sure how it might work. If it sounds like the kind of task-based app you need to keep yourself moving on various projects and work, definitely give it a look.
Daily iPhone App: Wolfram Alpha
Games are popular on the App Store right now (check out the lists of top paid and free aps), but several readers have asked us to extend beyond games with the Daily iPhone App series. So, here you go. Wolfram Alpha for iPhone is a mobile version of the very useful "computational knowledge engine" service. Just like the online version, Wolfram Alpha for iPhone provides answers to your questions about math, almanac-style timetables, or just about anything else you need to know. Answers are provided in the form of text, images, tables, charts, graphs, grids, and so on. The app does require an Internet connection, unfortunately, but it's recently been tuned up and streamlined, so it should be faster than ever. The app has also gotten support of Facebook sharing, so if you find something interesting, you can make sure your friends see it as well. WolframAlpha can be super helpful whenever you're out and about. The universal app is available on the App Store for US$1.99.
Daily iPhone App: Scribblenauts Remix
I remember hearing way, way back that Scribblenauts might be headed to iOS, but when the dust finally settled on the iOS 5 transition yesterday, among the (many -- we'll see more in the next few days) great new releases on the App Store, this one definitely stood out. Warner Brothers and original developers 5th Cell have brought the legendary DS game over to iOS, and the port is just plain excellent. Scribblenauts is a magical game. The idea is that you control Maxwell through a series of challenge levels, and in each one he's got to do whatever's necessary to earn a Starite. You accomplish the goals you're given by using one of the most fascinating mechanics in gaming lately: You simply type in whatever you want to show up in the game, and then it does. If that sounds impossible, then believe the impossible, because that's what Scribblenauts is all about. Just playing around on the title screen can give you hours of enjoyment -- make a "dinosaur," throw a "tiger" into the mix, order up a "hunter" and see how they interact. Maybe you want to create God and the Devil and see what happens, or order up a real working "time machine," or create whatever else you want. As long as it's a noun and not a proper name, Scribblenauts has it. You can even create things with adjectives, so "giant polka-dot emu" works, as does "purple pregnant washing machine." It's incredible. The "Remix" part of this one includes 10 brand new levels, but the best part about it is that Maxwell adventures have been carefully and thoughtfully ported over -- the touch controls work great, the game even offers iOS 5 Cloud integration, and Game Center is fully supported as well. We couldn't have asked for a better version of Scribblenauts on this platform, and if you've never seen this game in action before, you'll be amazed at just what 5th Cell has created here. Scribblenauts Remix is available for $4.99 as a universal version.
Daily iPhone App: Aiko Island
Aiko Island is a physics puzzler with a little different take than usual -- instead of flinging cute little guys around, you're instead working to keep them from falling off of the screen. The idea is that there are little blue creatures and little red creatures, and by deleting some of the red creatures (and/or support structures, just by touching them), you can remove them from the screen without letting the little blue guys fall. It may sound complicated, but once you dive it, it's really that perfect mix of easy to understand and (eventually) really hard to master. Oftentimes, I just found myself trying experiment after experiment to see if I could make things fall correctly -- deleting some of the blocks in one order or another. There is some strategy to the madness (usually, you need to work on balancing one of two sides, or just make sure you're closing up all of the gaps in the right order), but still, sometimes I would just find the solution by random. Not a great feature, unfortunately, in a precise puzzle game like this one. Still, Aiko Island is colorful and fun, and especially if you like physics puzzlers, this one is right up your alley. It's even cute and fuzzy enough for the kids to play with (though some of the younger ones probably won't figure out the toughest levels right away). The game's packed with content, with over 120 puzzles to play with, really polished graphics and score, and full Game Center and OpenFeint integration. Aiko Island is a deal at just US99 cents for iPhone, or you can pick up the iPad version for $1.99.
Daily iPhone App: Fling a Thing
Big Blue Bubble is the developer behind the Burn the Rope game that we liked a while back. They're back on the App Store with the strange but fun Fling a Thing. In this one, you control a little creature (which is actually a little too close to a bug for me to really like it, but we got along anyway) with a sucker on one end, so that you can stretch him back and fling him up into the upper part of the screen. There, you'll find items and bubbles to collect, and the game itself is a distance title, where you try to make your way up through various sets of stages while trying to do the best you can with the limited number of shots you're given. The mechanic itself isn't all that original, but the game is really well polished, and the difficulty curve is very nicely tuned. Early on, the game seems pretty simple and easy, but as you go up the ladder, more and more items and complexity appear, and eventually the game starts getting the better of you. It's fun, and while the game isn't quite as tight as it could be (there's a "feeding" mechanic for your creatures that I didn't understand at all), what's there is entertaining enough. Fling a Thing is available for a buck on the App Store. It's a simple but colorful palate cleanser of a game.
Daily iPhone App: Katamari Amore
Na naaaaa na na na na na na na, na na na na na naaaa! Odds are that by now, you've played a Katamari game, and you know the deal: Roll a ball around, pick up stuff, make the ball bigger, and pick up more stuff. That's what Katamari Amore is, and you won't find anything really new here. The music is the same, a lot of the items are the same, and with the exception of some more nonsensical words of wisdom from the King, the story is pretty much the same. That being said, this is still a really fun game to play, and though the controls on the iPhone (and iPad) are not quite as precise as those on the original console game, rolling around and picking things up is still a good time. And if you've never played one of these games, you won't really find a cheaper way into the series: Katamari Amore is on the App Store for free, and if you like the Time Trial mode (sadly the only available mode in the free version), you can open up the rest of the game for $3.99. The full game has 17 missions and six endless modes, so you can roll that ball for as long as you want. If you really love Katamari, you'll probably get your kicks out of this one, and while this probably isn't the absolute best introduction to the series for newcomers (I'm still partial to the original game on the PS2), it's a pretty easy way to try it out. Royal Rainbow!
Daily iPhone App: The Adventures of Timmy: Run Kitty Run
The Adventures of Timmy is the first iPhone game from New York's digital content studio Crossborders. The company recently started up a division just to work on mobile games, and Run Kitty Run is the result. It's a level-based platformer with some interesting graphic touches, a cool soundtrack, and lots of solid platforming. The basic idea is that Timmy has to run through a series of levels to rescue a girl (and recollect some lost photos), and the action is decidedly old school, sending Timmy collecting coins, jumping platforms, and even dropping down on the heads of enemies to attack, Mario-style. Get hit three times and the game restarts from the previous level, or score high at the finish to earn up to three stars per level. There are over 36 levels in the game, and while the platforming is pretty standard (walljumps are about the most complicated maneuver, in the first few levels at least), the controls are plenty solid. Every once in a while, your thumbs will get caught in the wrong places, but that's mostly the fault of the iPhone's non-tactile screen, not the developers (who told me they're thinking about implementing a more responsive virtual D-pad anyway). Plenty of Game Center achievements add to the replayability as well. The Adventures of Timmy is a solid game and an excellent first outing for the folks from CB Labs. It's currently available at a special launch price of just 99 cents, which means you should grab it right away.
Daily iPhone App: Where's my Water
Metacritic has released its monthly listings for iPhone and iPad, and right there on top of the ratings charts is the same title currently sitting on top of the paid charts: Disney's Where's my Water? Where's my Water is by the same team behind Disney's megahit JellyCar, and it features the company's first character ever created just for mobile games: Swampy the alligator. All Swampy wants to do in this one is take a shower, but of course in the sewers where he lives, the pipes are all cut off and blocked up with dirt. So it's the player's job, by scratching dirt off the screen, to guide the water down the screen and into Swampy's shower. There are three ducks to collect in each level (which you can pick up by diverting the water to them), collectibles hidden in the dirt in some areas, and a few other mechanics, including switches, acid water, and even plants that will grow and steal all of your water away. The game is friendly and colorful, and the water mechanics are really brilliant and well done. The title itself is very similar to Cut the Rope, in look and feel if not in actual physics gameplay. So it's no surprise at all that Where's my Water is worth both the same accolades and the revenue. It's a great title, available right now on the App Store for just 99 cents.
Daily iPhone App: Shadowgun
I was a pretty big fan of Madfinger Games' Samurai II: Vengeance -- it had some solid gameplay, but the really amazing thing about the title was the way it looked. Samurai II offered great art and smart graphics programming. Now, Madfinger has turned their graphical expertise to the third-person shooter genre, and the impressive result is Shadowgun, now available on the App Store. Like Samurai II: Vengeance, this game is quite an achievement: The graphics look just incredible. A lot of people are throwing around the term "console quality" in regards to mobile games, referring to the graphical level of Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, and while Madfinger's developers didn't hit that mark, they got very close. The cutscenes, the characters, and the environments all look terrific. The gameplay itself is very much inspired by shooters like Gears of War, complete with a simple cover system. The animation is a little off at times, and the writing is not too great, but still, this is an excellent game. If Madfinger gets their due, it should be a showcase for the platform in terms of what it can do. The campaign will last you around six hours. There's no multiplayer mode, though Madfinger promises there is more Shadowgun coming in some form. The game is US$7.99 right now for a universal version, which is pricier than simpler. Still, that's much less than you'd pay for a full console game, and this is a solid title for sure. Madfinger really put their best into this one in terms of graphics and performance, and it shows.
Daily iPhone App: Emissary of War
Emissary of War is a new title from Cedar Hill Games, a studio run by a former Bioware developer who's gotten into mobile development. The game is an action RPG title, and while it is a little short, there's quite a bit of polish here, some fun humor, and a good chunk of intriguing gameplay. You can point and click your hero around the game while hacking and slashing through various enemies, and he has a potion-throwing buddy that will help out both in battle and by healing at the correct times. There's a Rage mechanic for extra attacks, and lots of upgrades and collectibles to find as well. There's Game Center integration for achievements, too, which adds a little extra replayability to the affair. It's a solid title, and the fact that it's available as a universal app for free means you should probably just go ahead and pick Emissary of War up right away. The free game only includes the first episode, but the second is just 99 cents anyway, which is more than worth it if you get to that point. Emissary of War is an excellent addition to iOS (and Android, incidentally), and we're glad to have Cedar Hill's developer here on the platform.
Daily iPhone App: Cardflick
Over the years since the iPhone first appeared on the scene, there have been several attempts to create business card apps that let you exchange contact details with friends or strangers by bumping their iPhones together (Bump, free) or tapping a button (myCard, US$0.99 or Fliq, free). One issue with these apps is that they usually require both people to have the same app installed. Now a new biz card app, Cardflick (free), has arrived on the scene. Like those other apps, Cardflick works best if both you and the recipient of the card you're sending have the app. But you can also send a card to someone who doesn't have Cardflick installed on their iPhone. Using the Cardflick app, you gain access to a "card file in the cloud" that stores your card design and information. When you send the business card to someone without the app, they see exactly what your card looks like and receive a vCard attachment that can be used to add your contact info to Address Book. %Gallery-134973% Since there are other apps of this type that are already available, what makes Cardflick so compelling? The card themes -- they are very attractive and easy to change, and I have a feeling that more are on the way. Adding your info to a card takes just a few minutes, since the app just takes the basic info such as phone number, email, and website. When you're in a room with other people who have the app, you'll see a count of how many people you're sending the card to (the app uses location services to determine who is in the area). With a flick of the card, it appears on the other iPhones. Cardflick is a snap to set up, good looking, and easy to use. Oh, and did I mention it's free? Be sure to check out the gallery for some screenshots of Cardflick in action.
Daily iPhone App: Sprinkle
Sprinkle is a physics-based puzzle game that's centered around water. You control a spigot that's mounted on a crane, and then you blast water to interact with various items in the environment, such as boulders (that actually light on fire, sometimes trouble) and blocks. The overall goal is to keep the ingame characters from lighting on fire, and you can do that by flooding their general area. As with most games of this ilk, things start off simply, but ramp up to get pretty complicated, and the fire itself (along with a limited supply of water) means time is of the essence in most of the levels. Burn a house down, and you're done. The game's got plenty of content, with 48 levels and more on the way. I found it to be a little persnickety in terms of controls: the water is executed brilliantly with really amazing physics, graphics, and even sounds, but the items will sometimes flood around the way you want them to, and sometimes not. Still, the spigot itself controls very well, and restarting a level is easy if things don't quite go your way. Sprinkle is definitely one to see, especially if you're up for taking on some more physics puzzles with a fairly new medium to play with. The universal app is available for the iPhone and iPad for 99 cents.
Daily iPhone App: GoatUp
GoatUp is a surreal game made by Jeff Minter, the game developer behind Xbox Live's Space Giraffe and a number of other colorful (and often abstract) retro games over the years. GoatUp has you, as a goat, jumping up a series of platforms while eating grass and collecting various items. The gameplay is often wild, as the series of worlds you go through features homages to the various ages of platforming games. It's always crisp and interesting, with excellent retro graphics, finely tuned controls, and a fun set of mechanics. Everything is backed up by a plethora of gaming references, from the silly to the extremely subtle. GoatUp is a simple title, but it's a lot of fun, and it shows just how much joy the iOS platform seems to inspire in a very experienced developer like Minter. The game features both OpenFeint and Game Center integration, and it's available from the App Store as a universal app right now for US$1.99.
Daily iPhone App: IHeartRadio
Clear Channel is a huge force in radio. When the Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened up radio ownership, Clear Channel Communications scooped up several stations in most big markets, consolidating power. The company also has a spinoff called Live Nation, which is among the biggest event and ticket promoters in the world (currently in a merger with Ticketmaster). In other words, Clear Channel runs the show when it comes to radio and music events. And that's essentially why the iHeartRadio app is so important -- it's Clear Channel's official hook into iOS. Most of the company's stations offer live streams within the app, along with song information and other updates. A recent update lets users create custom "stations," similar to Pandora. Unfortunately, those features require a login through Facebook. The service itself isn't bad, but given just how many honeypots Clear Channel has its hands in, some users aren't exactly comfortable with passing over more private information. That said, if the station you're looking for is available in the app, this is essentially the only way to get it streaming on the iPhone, so this one is pretty much your choice. And there is something to be said for Clear Channel's clout: the company is hosting a huge music festival in Las Vegas later on this month, all centered around this iHeartRadio brand. With the company's access, the custom stations on this app have access to plenty of different music choices and songs you might not hear elsewhere. It's just too bad the iHeartRadio app is part of the big Clear Channel empire -- something that's crushed a lot of local radio markets (and hearts) in the past. The iHeartRadio app is now available for free in the App Store.
Daily iPhone App: Dragon Fantasy
Dragon Fantasy is basically a love letter to the early age of console RPGs, when Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy ruled the land. It's got classic 8-bit tile-based graphics, random encounters, silly villains and a nice chunk of content to explore and level up through. There's a nice, original soundtrack and a plucky bald-headed hero named Ogden. The one bummer, is that you're only playing with one hero -- even most console games had you building a party. But that's just nitpicking, really. Dragon Fantasy is $2.99 on the App Store right now, and if you like these old-school Nintendo-era RPGs (and know how to play them -- this one can be a little confusing if you're expecting a game with a more modern take on the genre), take a look. And there's an extra bonus here, too: the developers have a nice set of content planned out, including new story content and more. So if this is one you like, you'll be able to enjoy it for a long time to come.
Daily iPhone App: WordFoto
WordFoto is a photo app that will assemble a picture for you using both a source picture and any words you happen to throw in the text field. Basically, you put a picture and some words into the app, and the app's crazy algorithm spits out a picture assembled out of different variations of the two or three words you punched in. It's an interesting mix of images -- a little simple, honestly, since all of the pictures look about the same. But if you need a really interesting illustration or have a really great picture/word match, you can make some graphics that can be pretty striking. The app itself is US$1.99 on the App Store right now, and it's got a ton of nice features, including custom styles for your photos in addition to the standard presets, the ability to crop and save your outputted photos, and of course you can share them out on email or Facebook as well. The app's being updated as well, with new styles and features all the time. WordFoto is a fun way to make some interesting art. It's a little simple, but used in a subtle and careful way, it can make some really powerful graphics for you.
Daily iPhone App: Samurai Bloodshow
Sega recently introduced Samauri Bloodshow to the App Store. It's a weird mix of strategy and action. It's a samurai game, of course, so you're controlling samurai warriors in feudal Japan. And the actual game mechanic is sort of Plants vs. Zombies or tower defense-inspired -- you place troops out on a board, where they stand in place until enemies show up, at which point they cut them down as quickly as possible. But the mechanic of how you lay the troops down is the weird thing -- there's a sort of collectible card game feel to it. As you level up through the game (and you can play multiple difficulties on each level), you earn cards that get added to your deck, and it's those cards that actually summon the samurai. It's an interesting mechanic, but it's a little out of place, and unfortunately, the game's translation issues make things a little confusing. That said, there's plenty of content to play with here, with over 100 levels to go through, lots of cards to find and collect, and full Game Center integration as well. Samurai Bloodshow is US$4.99 on the App Store right now.
Daily iPhone App: Galaxy Express
Galaxy Express is a fun little puzzle game that's similar to Chu Chu Rocket or Chuck the Ball. There's a cute metagame story in this app with some well-written dialogue, but the core game has you pushing a little astronaut around a starfield using some arrows that you place out on the game screen. Put arrows in the right places, hit go, and the little astronaut will follow your rules exactly, hopefully leading him to make his delivery on the destination planet. It's simple stuff, and the difficulty doesn't ramp up too quickly, though by the end of the game's 120 puzzles there are a few mind-benders to beat. There are some good social features as well, including the option to either see any of your solutions that you've done, share them with friends, or even check out what other people have done. There's Game Center integration in the game now, and the graphics aren't really animated, but they look good on a high resolution display anyway. Galaxy Express is currently available at just 99 cents for a universal app, or there's a lite version you can pick up for free. "Galaxy EX," as it's called under the icon on the phone, is a well-made little puzzle game that's easy going enough for almost everyone to enjoy.
Daily iPhone App: Tiny Heroes
Tiny Heroes is a fun one from David Whatley, the mind behind the popular GeoDefense titles for the App Store (who's also, incidentally, speaking later on this week at the 360iDev conference going on here in Denver). This one is tower defense as well, but it's got a nice Dungeon Keeper-esque twist on the genre. Instead of defending from the invading hordes, you must shut down heroes, attempting to invade your dungeon for loot. The look and feel is a lot of fun, and the interface is smooth and well-done, very reminiscent of Plants vs. Zombies (always a good thing). As you move through the game's levels, you get more and more tools to stop the little heroes, including fun things like mimic chests and spike traps. There are over 50 levels in the game right now, with more coming later, and of course Game Center and OpenFeint integration extend replayability as well. Tiny Heroes is a lot of fun -- it's only available on the iPhone (right now) for US$2.99.
