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TUAW's Daily App: Leap Sheep! HD
I'm actually writing this post very, very, very late on Sunday night. I was up far too late working and playing video games, so a game like Leap Sheep! HD turns out to be perfect for this time of day. Leap Sheep is the first iPhone game from Turtle Rock Studios, a company that's worked with Valve in the past on titles like Counter-Strike and Left 4 Dead, and their past experience shows up here; this one is polished and dripping with charm and atmosphere. The actual gameplay is very simple -- you have a set of sheep leaping over a fence, and you tap once to help them jump and tap again to make them do tricks. It quickly gets chaotic, though, as the three lanes fill out and the sheep start piling up. The graphics are colorful and bright, and the game runs well. It's also Plus+ enabled, and half the fun is getting achievements for jumping three sheep at a time or using a ram to clear out a stuck flock. It's a Canabalt-sized thrill rather than an epic title, but for just 99 cents in a universal iPhone and iPad package, the price is more than right. If you find yourself up late and trying to sneak a little more gaming into your day, try counting these guys for a while.
TUAW's Daily App: Twitterrific (and others!)
Ok, so we're kind of cheating with this one; you probably already know about Twitterrific, if you don't actually have it installed on your iPhone. But we're using our daily app spotlight today to point out that the folks at Iconfactory have released version 3.0 of the popular Twitter client. Along with making the app universal (which means it now works on both iPhone and iPad), they've updated the interface and code for iOS 4. That means that it's not only purdier, but it's faster and works with in-app switching as well. Twitterrific is a free app, with a US$4.99 in-app purchase to remove the ads and manage more Twitter accounts. That's not enough? Alright, we'll throw in a few more upgrades. Smule's popular I Am T-Pain app has also upgraded for iOS 4, making it not only ready for the Retina Display but also adding the ability to share auto-tuned videos on a few popular social networks. That one's on sale for only 99 cents right now, too. Finally, ngmoco has released Eliminate: GunRange, an iOS 4-specific app that makes use of both the gyroscope and the premium Retina Display in the new iPhone. It's just 99 cents, too. While it's just a shooting gallery, it'll be a nice demonstration of the new hardware's capabilities if you're into the firearm range thing. So, there you go -- three brand new apps to fire up on your new iPhone 4.
TUAW's Daily App: Mailboxes for iPad
Mailboxes is a new app from Lilliput Labs that fills one simple need. While there are lots of ways to read email and specifically Gmail on your iPad already, nearly all of them are open to anyone using your device. If there are a lot of members in your household, or if you have roommates or co-workers who also use your iPad, you might not want them having access to your email all the time. Thus, Mailboxes is a multi-user Gmail client for the iPad -- you can register it with your Gmail account (or multiple accounts), and then each account can be given a PIN, which will automatically lock you out when the iPad goes to sleep or the app is turned off. Unfortunately, the app's actual mail reader is the Gmail web interface (so no offline reading), but if you wanted to read your mail in Safari, you'd have to be online anyway. At the very least, for US$2.99, it'll give you the security of knowing that you won't accidentally leave a Safari window open, or have someone go snooping around in your Mail app. Not everyone will need an app like this, but if it fits your situation, it could be a lifesaver.
TUAW's Daily App: Space Invaders Business Cards
The Taito Corporation is the Japanese developer that owns the Space Invaders franchise, and they have done something pretty crazy with the App Store. They've released a series of completely free, Space Invaders-branded apps, most of which have nothing to do with the game at all. There's the Space Invaders Timer, the Space Invaders Calculator, and even the Space Invaders Flashlight. It's pretty bizarre, although all of the apps are free, so it's probably not worth questioning -- if you're a Space Invaders fan and wish your normal utility apps had a little pixelated alien feel, you've hit the jackpot. The real winner, though, is the Space Invaders Business Card app. This is a free app that lets you create a virtual business card, that you can even trade across with friends on other phones via Bluetooth. Unfortunately, traded cards only go to the business card album inside the app (unlike Bump, for example, it won't go into your main Contacts app), but once they're in there, you can call out and email directly from the app itself. Especially considering, again, that the app is free, it's a fun little utility that might come in handy, especially if more and more people use it. No idea why Taito has gone nuts creating these little utilities, but free's free, download away.
TUAW's Daily App: Super QuickHook
Hook Champ is a popular title on the iPhone, a game in which you use a little hook to drive a little guy through a series of haunted ruin stages. Super QuickHook is basically a sequel to the first game -- it's done by the same developers, but the gameplay has been tweaked a little bit to offer up a different kind of challenge. While Hook Champ is a little more like a platformer, with designed levels, Super QuickHook has your hero swinging through randomly generated levels, in a Canabalt-style setup mixed with the hook-swinging gameplay. As you can probably imagine, it's great fun. The app is on sale right now for an intro price of $1.99, though the normal price is $2.99, still a quality deal for a very nice app. And updates are coming soon, with new levels, new items, and new achievements. Even if you missed grappling through Hook Champ, be sure to give this one a look.
TUAW's Daily App: Hipstamatic
Hipstamatic isn't a new app, but it is worth a look if you've never seen it before. It replicates the look and feel (and functionality) of those old point-and-click and even toy cameras that you might have carried around as a kid (depending on your current age of course). Nowadays, we can capture the world in digital, and soon HD, clarity, but Hipstamatic creates images the old fashioned way: with plenty of misbalanced levels, weird film coloring, and lots of dust and grit. You probably won't see the picture better, but especially if you've got a nostalgic bent, it'll probably make you feel it a lot more. The app is currently US$1.99, and developers Synthetic Corp have added a few different "hipstapaks" for in-app purchase, which will update the various options available for cameras, flashes, and lenses. Give it a shot if you do lots of photography with your iPhone, and appreciate the retro.
TUAW's Daily App: Invaders World Tour
Just one look at the screenshot tells you what you're dealing with in Invaders World Tour: invaders, of the space kind. The game is a really well-done Space Invaders clone, with colorful graphics, an interesting tilt-to-move mechanic, and power-ups to help you take out the invading menace. The game just got overhauled, too; it now boasts OpenFeint integration, new graphics and mini games, new enemies, and lots more. At just 99 cents, it's a steal for retro arcade fans. If you want to try a free title, you can give Invaders World Tour USA a shot; it won't have all of the shiny new features of the main game, but it's essentially the main gameplay in a free trial version. Either way, there's fun to be had here, so go grab the free app, or pay the buck for more.
TUAW's Daily App: Tomena Sanner
This one comes on the recommendation of a friend here at E3 -- Tomena Sanner was released for the iPhone last year by Konami, and it's a fun, crazy little game that's probably lots more entertainment than it deserves to be. Like Canabalt, it's a one-button title, but unlike Canabalt, it doesn't take itself seriously at all. Instead, as a busy businessman, you have to run to work, and you simply tap on the screen to get whatever's in your way out of it. The game is just plain silly, but it works quite well, and as your score and speed climb, so will your excitement. At US$1.99, you might have to get yourself in the right mood to enjoy it, but once you do, it's a heck of an App Store experience.
TUAW's Daily App: Battle for Wesnoth
Just the other day I mentioned Battle for Wesnoth in this very space, and then right after that, the game releases its 5th major update. If you like turn-based strategy games, this one is a must-have. It was originally an open source title, and fans have added so much to the game that there are now tons of various units, six factions to play as, and campaign after fan-made campaign to play through -- over 300 hours of playtime in total. The latest update adds yet another campaign, a bonus tower defense game, OpenFeint integration and a whole slew of other features. The iPhone version isn't bad, but I'd say the iPad version is better, as the bigger screen makes controlling the game a little easier. The game is US$5 on both platforms, and there's no free version, but the original title is still open source (which is why there are so many fan-made features), and available for a free download on the Mac. So go try out the game there, and if it's something you're interested in, consider supporting the iPhone developers. Personally, I love Battle for Wesnoth -- while the graphics aren't exactly cutting edge, the strategy is fine-tuned by a whole legion of coders, and the fantasy setting and storytelling are great for a game of this kind. If you haven't given it a look yet, now's your chance.
TUAW's Daily App: Shifters
Shifters is a fun little match-3 game with a "twist" -- instead of switching colored blocks to match three of a kind, you rotate them in sets of four. That changes up the strategy a bit, as the patterns look a little different from the standard Bejeweled-type game (the shifting mechanic is obviously more similar to Bejeweled Twist) but the gameplay is still simple and fun. Shifters is presented in levels, too, with each level providing a separate goal to meet, from matching a certain number of shifters to meeting a score within a certain time. Is it simple? Yes -- if you want anything more than some empty tapping and silly faces, you won't find it in Shifters. But the mechanic is entertaining enough to while away a few minutes of waiting in line or for the bus, and the 99 cent price is worth it as long as your expectations are low.
TUAW's Daily App: Taxi Magic
We've been touring the mean streets of San Francisco this week, and when we ended up at a party a little too far away from the hotel the other night, TUAW's own Victor Agreda pulled out Taxi Magic, an app he'd recently downloaded on his iPhone. It's a free application on the App Store, and it uses your location to automatically show you a list of taxi services at your disposal. If you're too far away for one of Taxi Magic's partner services, the app works like a yellow pages -- you can browse the various companies and call one for a taxi whenever you want. But if you're in one of the 25 US cities that offer booking within the app, you can do what Victor did: hit a button, page a taxi to your location, and then have your phone notify you when the taxi has arrived. Like magic, we spent a few extra minutes chatting up developers at the party, and then when his phone went off again, we stepped outside and immediately into a cab. If you want to go a step further, you can even create an account with the app, inputting your credit card number, and automatically charging the taxi ride through the service (so you don't have to fumble over change to pay the cabbie). That service is extra -- $1.50, which is basically what you'd pay to get the cash you need out of an ATM anyway. But if you just want to page a taxi without stepping out onto the street and holding your hand up, Taxi Magic works wonders. And version 2.0, released just about a week ago, offers up a new redesign and the ability to set a default taxi provider (if you happen to make a lot of trips in cabs). If you do a lot of business traveling, or ilve in an area where taxis are an occasional must, Taxi Magic is definitely a spell worth casting.
TUAW's Daily App: BeSpeak
Our friends at luxury blog Luxist have discovered an app that's perfect for my lack of fashion sense. Given some basic information about how you look (eye/hair color, height, and body shape), it will give tips for men's fashion. It doesn't just tell you what colors to wear, though; it tells you what patterns in your wardrobe match and what shades complement each other. I have an extreme blind spot when it comes to looking good, so outsourcing this kind of decision-making is perfect for me. The next time I go suit shopping, BeSpeak will be on my iPhone for sure. Unfortunately, it's only for more formal clothing (suits, dress shirts, and ties), so if you want to try matching T-shirts with your favorite khakis or figure out which button-down you should wear with your jeans, you're still on your own. However, casual tips are on the way. The app is basically free advice for men, so if you're at all confused about whether that tie goes with that suit, it's probably worth a download.
TUAW's Daily App: Bebot
I'm really happy that I've found an excuse to mention Bebot here in this space -- it might be my favorite app in the entire App Store. We've covered it before here on TUAW -- it's a musical instrument, basically, with the added bonus of having a super cute singing robot as a mascot. And I've never seen an app that makes such beautiful and simple use of the multitouch screen, allowing up to four voices to be played at a time by touching four different fingers to the screen in different places. The reason I get to mention it here today is because the creator just added iPad support to the mix -- while it's pretty barebones, unfortunately (the graphic isn't quite as high resolution as you'd expect), the bigger screen will give you more room to spread out and find the synth notes you're looking for. And as always, even if you're not musical, it's just plain fun to play around on the tones by swiping your finger across the screen. Bebot is now a universal app for just US$1.99. If you haven't had the pleasure of playing with this robot on your iDevice yet, definitely check it out.
TUAW's Daily App: Highborn
Highborn is an interesting little App Store title. It won't be for everyone -- it's a turn-based strategy game that has a pretty steep learning curve, and while the actual game itself is pretty casual as games like this go, players unfamiliar with of moving troops around could find it confusing. But those interested in the genre (the gameplay actually reminded me a lot of Nintendo's Advance Wars series) will find it a fun distraction. You control troops and heroes on a tesselated board, and can pit various units against each other in battle. The story is silly and fun, and the emphasis is on simple advantages and odds rather than hardcore troop placement and balance. It's not the only game of its kind on the App Store (Battle for Wesnoth is another example for a bit more money), but Highborn is a fun and original title that combines the basics of turn-based tactical strategy with a fun fantasy story and a portable package. It's on an introductory sale right now for US$2.99.
TUAW's Daily App: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
I got to play Freeverse's iPhone video game adaptation of the popular book Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies at GDC. I'm glad to say that it's now out on the App Store for your downloading pleasure. The game offers 12 levels of Jane Austen-inspired zombie-killing mayhem, gesture-based controls, and the mix of old school romance and new school slaughterhouse that made the book so popular. I will warn again that the app is not for the faint of heart, but then again the icon isn't either. Still, for US$2.99, there are worse beat-em-up games to be had, and you won't find any others with legitimate Jane Austen dialogue in them. A full review of the game is coming up on TUAW later this week, but many of you probably already know you want to jump in and kill the "dreadfuls." Have at it.
TUAW's Daily App: Pirate's Treasure
Chillingo has made a name for itself on the App Store with the popular Minigore series, and now they're returning (after a sidestep to Guerrilla Bob) to the dual-stick shooter with Pirate's Treasure, a swashbuckler-themed arcade shooter. The game's a lot of fun. Chillingo's polish shows, and aside from some long loading times on the 1G iPhone (it should work great on the later models), controls are responsive and quick. The game is basically a series of stages, each with their own goals, where you can collect treasure (duh) that you can then spend on upgrades and abilities; you go in and do some shooting, come out and upgrade your pirate, and then go back in and shoot some more. As it's a Chillingo game, there's full integration with their Crystal service, so they have leaderboards and achievements set up across 50 levels. The game is currently on sale for its launch, so at just US $1.99, it's a good time, especially if you're into the dual-stick shooter setup. The only thing missing is an HD version for the iPad, so if you're still working on Minigore HD, you might want to finish that one first and see if they release this one the same way.
TUAW's Daily App: Barnes & Noble eReader
"But Mike," I can hear you say,"I've already got iBooks on my iPad -- why would I want to download another eReader?" Try free books for an answer. Barnes and Noble is holding a promotion this month: every week, you can show up in their retail stores, and if you show someone on staff that you've got their B&N eReader app on your mobile device, they'll give you a code for a free eBook. This week, they're giving away Lee Child's One Shot, and next week it's Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg. Sure, neither of those are probably your favorite novel, but if you're just looking for something to read, they definitely seem like something you can bring to the beach this summer. If you've already paid for a few reads in iBooks, that's fine -- read away. But if, like me, you're still not quite sure how to jump into the eBook thing (I kind of still like turning paper pages), a few free eBooks to read might help you get a handle on the experience. Since the Barnes & Noble app is free, the only cost is a quick stop by a bookstore. Read on!
TUAW's Daily App: Weber's On the Grill
It's Memorial Day, and hopefully that means you're celebrating the onset of summer by putting some meat on a hot grill until it tastes amazing. If you need a little help, though, Weber's official iPhone app (or the iPad version) can be there -- it's got references, recipes, tips, grilling timers, and even a shopping list feature (although if you're planning to grill today, hopefully you've been marinating since last night!). The app is excellent, with big, colorful pictures, a host of options for serious grillers, and more recipes than you can cook in one summer. You might think that it's a bit pricey at $4.99, but don't forget that a comparable recipe book (there are over 250 recipes in the app) would be much more expensive. And if you're grilling so much that you need an app to help you cook, why not shell out for the best? If you're really that cheap, there are a few other griller's helpers apps out there (and Grill-It! isn't bad for just 99 cents), but in this case, the five bucks is worth it. Good luck at the BBQ today!
TUAW's Daily App: 2360: Battle for Cydonia
We've been doing apps and puzzle games a lot on this feature lately, so let's not forget what makes a game really fun: a big robot blowing up lots of stuff. Fortunately, Battle for Cydonia is full of that, as you control a mech armed with dual machine guns through a series of missions on the future planet of Cydonia. It's a pretty simple affair, but the multitouch controls really make it shine -- you draw a path for your mech to take, and then just tap on enemies as they appear to shoot them down. You can upgrade the mech and its weapons over time, but the core gameplay here is just opening up a can of hot lead on anything that crosses your path. And plus, it's a free download right now -- if you like the game, you can pick up a "Signal from Titan" mission pack with new weapons, levels, and enemies to face off with for just 99 cents. Battle for Cydonia is an excellent little sci-fi shooter that's definitely worth the price.
TUAW's Daily App: RunMonster
There are quite a few "run tracker" apps in the App Store (I know our own Erica Sadun is a big fan of RunKeeper). However, RunMonster is also worth a look, if only because it's just plain gorgeous. It lets you do all of the usual things: track your runs and bike rides, keep stats on your workouts, or see maps of where you've been according to the iPhone's GPS. It goes further than that, though, with a very elegant and charming interface, and surprising ease-of-use. It will automatically name your runs according to streets, and it'll even group your runs and figure out whether you walked, biked, or ran, according to your speed. Even if you've already picked a running helper, give RunMonster a consideration. There's a free version to try out, and a US $9.99 version fills out the feature list nicely (with sugar like music controls and gestures) if you like the app. Like most of the great running apps out there, it won't necessarily make you a better runner, but it probably will make you enjoy the journey more.
