Category apps

Jan 1 2014

The Year of the Apple: 2013 Games, Apps and Gadgets in Review

2013 IN GAMES AND APPS: THE HITS AND MISSES

appSIZED was a bit quiet this year in taking stock of the gaming scene. Nonetheless, these titles are worth looking at. Some are big names and some are quiet wonders:

appsized 2013

1) Tower Dwellers (Universal/$3.99) – While I am a huge fan of tower defense games, I am not a huge fan of Kingdom Rush, the game which Tower Dwellers is often compared to. Tower Dwellers boasts of a gorgeous art style and nice voice over narration which gives the game some humor. The similarities are there, but I like the interesting twist in Tower Dwellers where you build support towers (blacksmith, carpenter and mage) to boost your default defenders. Certain combinations produce new types of defenders, which is my favorite part of the game. The game is pretty hard to beat even on a normal curve, but what keeps me going is the thought and effort required to build certain types of defenders to defeat waves and waves of various enemies. There’s also a sandbox mode where you can practice.  One thing I love about this game is the micro-level management which lets you place your defenders along rally points to meet your enemies and adjust accordingly. (HIT)

Continue reading →

Oct 8 2013

Supermarket Management 2 HD for iPad: Let the Time Management Madness Begin!

Supermarket Management 2 HD from G5 games is a brand new entry to the iPad casual gaming scene. I still have the original Supermarket Management HD and while I never quite got around to finishing it, it’s high on my list of time management (TM) games.

Seems like a typical day at the supermarket to me!

Seems like a typical day at the supermarket to me!

Continue reading →

May 20 2013

Tips and Tricks: Robot Unicorn Attack 2 the Always Edition

I was incredibly excited when Robot Unicorn Attack 2 came out two weeks ago. Being a huge fan of the original Robot Unicorn Attack, the sequel which is awesome on so many levels, has no doubt captured our collective imagination. Having played the game extensively for some time now, let me share with you some tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way.

If you’re new to Robot Unicorn Attack 2, read on for a bit of a walkthrough.

Dashing through the rocks

Dashing with the stars

Robot Unicorn Attack 2 (Universal for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad/FREE with in-app purchase) is an endless runner type of game, the sequel to the insanely popular Flash-turned-iPhone game Robot Unicorn Attack. In Robot Unicorn Attack (Universal for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad/$0.99), you are a robot unicorn soaring to new heights in a fantasy world tinged in pink and purple, flying with metallic dolphins, dashing through obstacles and collecting fairies in the process – set to Always by Erasure, which makes the whole experience surreal and laugh out loud ridiculous. Robot Unicorn Attack 2 is true to its roots, but adds a whole new level of complexity and depth to the gaming experience similar to Adult Swim/Pik Pok’s later outings such as Extinction Squad. In Robot Unicorn Attack 2 there are individual goals to achieve in order to level up (rank 15 opens up a new environment, the Ice World) as well as community goals (Team Inferno vs Team Rainbow). The main currency here is the unicorn tear which allows you to buy robot unicorns and their corresponding upgrades as well as boosts to improve your performance.

That said, read on for some tips to improve your gameplay and boost overall performance.

Continue reading →

Apr 27 2013

Where Angels Cry in Review: A Hidden Object Adventure That Falls From Grace

It’s been a while since I last picked up a hidden object game. The thing is, for a hidden object game to sustain my attention, it should be driven by a really interesting storyline. Minutes into Where Angels Cry HD for iPad, I was simply hooked.

Where Angels Cry HD puts you in the shoes of a young monk sent by the cardinal to investigate a mysterious occurrence – said to be a miracle, in a remote monastery. Coincidentally – or not, the miracle coincides with the unexpected death of a resident monk who is believed to have been killed by wolves.

Sounds great so far? I thought so, too.

Continue reading →

Mar 29 2013

Dragon Skies in Review: Flying High For Free

I am not a fan of free to play games (more on that next time), so when I was coaxed into trying out Dragon Skies, yet another social, free to play game, I was wary. My biggest beef with these kinds of games is the not so subtle push for you to spend real money to buy special items or speed up certain processes. I thought Dragon Skies was no different, but more than a month into the game, I have to concede that I was wrong about this game. Read on to find out why —>

Continue reading →

Mar 2 2013

Art Mogul HD in Review: A Rare Find

If there’s one thing that the App Store lacks, it’s more art-themed games. The ones I’ve tried are usually stealth games which means they focus on stealing gorgeous paintings rather than actually appreciating them. Art Mogul breaks out of the art-meets-stealth-game mode by doing two things: combining hidden-object game mechanics with tycoon-style sim gameplay.

Continue reading →

Feb 16 2013

Karateka In Review: Is the Romance Gone?

Back in the 80s, Karateka was one of those seminal games (not very many were available then) that offered drama, romance and nail biting fight scenes.  Because personal computers then were just taking off, graphics were primitive and much of the excitement of the game depended on your imagination. If you grew up in that bygone era of early personal computing, then the dramatic background music and the boss fight, would be replaying in your mind right now.

Continue reading →

Jan 31 2013

Heads Up! Penultimate for iPad is FREE for a limited time!

On appSIZED: Penultimate for iPad is FREE for a limited time
I’m happy to announce that Penultimate for iPad is FREE for a limited time!
If you don’t have it yet, go and download it now while it’s free!
Penultimate is one of my favorite note taking apps, and I’ve gone through a LOT already. (Second favorite would be Noteshelf) It has an excellent handwriting engine and wrist protection that minimizes stray marks on the iPad screen. Unlike most apps, you don’t need to select a certain area to write on, or conversely, keep stray marks out – Penultimate bases its wrist protection on the angle or position of your wrist. So far this is the best set up I’ve experienced.
What makes it hugely popular and the go to note taking app by default is its simplicity and elegance. Plenty of writing apps offer a lot more features but Penultimate is the one that really lets you focus on the writing. It has introduced a couple of new features since I first purchased it in 2010, such as the ability to add photos, select and move something you’ve written, and a store to offer free and paid kinds of paper. You may prefer a different, more feature packed writing app, but at the end of the day, it’s Penultimate that you come back to.
H(app)y shopping! 🙂
App: Penultimate
Device: iPad only
Price: FREE (was $0.99)
Publisher/Developer: Evernote
20121231-132106.jpg
Dec 30 2012

Top 12 iPhone and iPad Games of 2012

As more and more games and apps flood the App Store, it’s getting harder to find apps that truly stand out. For 2012, I expanded the list to include 12 notable games.

The following were chosen because they feel like they were made for the iOS mobile device and make good use of its touchscreen (this applies to PC/Xbox/PSN ports, too!), flawlessly designed, and bring something new and/or great to their respective genres. In addition, as a casual gamer, these games are relatively light, fun and quick to play.

In no particular order, appSIZED’s notable games of 2012 are:

fieldrunners 2 HD on appSIZED

Gloriously fun and beautiful to play

FIELDRUNNERS 2 HD
(iPad only)

The much awaited sequel to the iOS tower defense (TD) forerunner Fieldrunners does not disappoint. It’s gorgeously designed, flawlessly implemented and fiendishly difficult at times. I love the cheeky humor, too! Despite their notable hiatus from the iOS game development scene, the guys at Subatomic Studios were clearly cooking up this masterpiece. (Read the full review here)

20121231-031249.jpg

Scrabble meets chess in Letterpress

Continue reading →

Dec 24 2012

iOS Sale Alert: The Christmas App Madness is Here!

20121224-235334.jpg

There are tons of awesome apps on sale this Christmas season, and navigating through all of these major sales might prove to be a major headache. To help you decide, here are some appSIZED sale holiday picks:

Continue reading →