myLite

Well, A mini-review today, and Ive disabled comments for the time being. They will be put back up- at some unknown point in the future. Yup. Anyway:

"Rock converts will never be the same with the myLite color Flashlight by DoApp. Going clubbing and wanna be hip? Whip out the myLite -- the chicks dig it and the guys will scream out "whoa, dude!" Need a flashing light for an emergency signal? The myLite does it all, and more, making it the most versatile flashlite and strobe light for the iPhone."
Ok, That is the first half of the developers description. I have never, ever before seen a developer brand a flashlight app as a cure for cancer, the common cold, and infertality. But seriously, this app is likely the best flashlight app currently out for the iPhone, and its free. So maybe it won't make all your friends scream out "Woah, Dude!" (I am left wondering what, exactly, that would indicate, but thats besides the point), but it will stop you from falling 10 feet on the staircase while getting a drink at night, so that has to be worth something, and even more, you can make the light red, so you wont ruin your night vision. So it is useful. But, still, it is just a flashlight. It makes your iphones screen do things that a 10 cent flashlight could outpace.

So I give this app a 3/5 and the coveted "Most bloated description" award.

Aqua Forest

"Using the next generation simulation software 'OctaveEngine™', AquaForest is a game that lets you manipulate various natural phenomena. Freely draw things using Tools like Arrow, Move, Pen, Eraser, Bucket, Square, Slice, etc. They react in real-time to the angle of the iPhone / iPod touch."
Unlike our other friend who produces games in Japanese, Jirbo, this company is -actually- Japanese. This means no sickening animal avatars or childish gametypes. Thank god. Now, this game is based on a simple princible, you are god. Much like Danballs Dust game, this game gives you a bunch of matirials to play with that react with eachother. (strangly, with no lables.)
So this game is overall, fun. While the puzzle mode is sorely lacking, the free mode more then makes up for it. While not a game that any hardcore gamer will spend hours playing (Someone please make an actual, full featured game for the iPhone), it will definately get you through that two hour flight. So, at low quantities, this game is wonderful. Almost no flaws at all. The issue is when you get more then, say, 25% of the screen worth of matirial. At this point, the iPhone's processor begins to protest. At first, not badly, but by the time you get to 50%, its almost unplayable. So small creations only. But, other then lag, this game provides more entertainment then many more expensive apps, and at 8$, is a steal.

4/5, and definatly a game that any iMobile owner should have.

Small update

Doubt anyone cares yet, but the URL has changed.

Yup.

Aurora Feint The Beginning

Two reviews today, as its the first day of the blog and all.

"Compete with your friends in an epic fantasy world. Play exciting puzzle games, level up your character, and collect magical items! Experience the world of Aurora Feint. The begging is the first episode in what will become an MMO exclusively for the iPhone."

Aurora Feint appears, at first glance, to be a unholy union of Runescape and Tetris. And it, indeed, has elements from both. But even after playing your first game of it, it shows itself to be much more.

The game starts with the map, showing the major areas in Aura Feint. The Mine, The Store, The Smith, and the Tower. Upon your first play, a tutorial guids you through the basics of play, starting with the mine.

The mine is the "center" element of Aurora Feint. You will spend most of your time here, matching series of blocks. A simple task, really, with a few twists. It utilities the iMobile devices built in accelerometer, allowing you to work in two directions by twisting your device. It also makes good use of the graphical capabilities of the iMobiles, making each explosion quite satisfying to watch.
Now, this isnt to say the game is without flaws. The game itself is still buggy, even after the recent upgrade, and it still lacks afore promiced multiplayer. But: The game is free. It is, by far, the best free application I have yet used on my iMobile, and it is still in its early stages. With the three differant game types, Mining, Smithing, and Magic, it will take you a long time to even begin to reach the cap at Catigory 7 (Update: It seems that this cap may have been removed in the recent upgrade) and finish this game.





Worth hours of gameplay, and for being free, I give Aurora Feint my first full 5/5 and plan to review again upon future updates.



Keep up the good work, guys.

Vector Pong (+1st post)

Hello. As there are enough games out there now that its easy to get lost in the vast sea of app's, I figured that maybe it was time for a few reviews. So here I am. And now: To business.

"The classic game of Pong, revitalized in stunning 3-D! Vector pong features a full openGL engine, tilt controls, and best of all... wifi-enabled network play. Use the iPhones accelerometer to serve, deflect and spike your way to Glory."

Quite a glamorous description for a game of pong, isn't it? And for a low-price game (1.99), it looks beautiful. Open it up and you will instantly see Gyrocade's hours of work making this openGL were quite worth it. It is a pretty game. You are floating glass paddles in, presumably, a futuristic shoebox.

Now, while it is pretty, upon opening single player, you will face a few hours of frustration while you figure out the controls. First you calibrate, then you tap, then you play. Seems simple enough, doesn't it. But it will only allow certain angles of calibration, meaning that you are pretty much stuck playing either in the "Monkey Ball angle" (Strait down) or at a slightly less painful Movie angle. After you have it calibrated, then you will be confronted with a paddle and your accelerometer.

While at first clunky, the accelerometer is quite agile, and in a few hours you'll be playing the game like a pro.

So we move on to:
Multiplayer. I grabbed my assistant and had him open it on his iPhone. Now, at home, this worked beautifully, on high-speed wifi we felt no lag at all and it was quite fun. Then we moved to a slower house. Instantly, the game was un-playable. The lag made it little more then watching the ball appear and disappear, us helplessly in able to effect it. We, shortly, moved back to high-speed.

So is this worth the money? If you like pong or have a fast internet connection and a friend, then you'll doubtless enjoy it. But otherwise, this game failed to impress me spectacularly in any way, and I don't think it is likely it had more then an hour or two of gameplay for me.

So for 1.99 and an innovative system, I give it a somewhat reluctant 3 out of 5.



Subtract two if you don't like pong and one more if your internet is slow, though.